Ahead of the NFL divisional round, we assess each matchup in chronological order and single out o...

<p><em>Ahead of the NFL divisional round, we assess each matchup in chronological order and single out one key player per team with a chance to make a profound impact.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Divisional round games" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-2iP7r" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2iP7r/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="255" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><h3>Texans at Chiefs</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Texans-Chiefs (2024 DR)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-jRIie" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/jRIie/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="272" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Will Anderson, Texans edge rusher</strong>: Anderson barrelled into the Chargers' backfield for a couple of sacks last week as Houston's defense throttled Los Angeles. The Texans generated pressure on 19 of 37 dropbacks to swarm Justin Herbert, and they punished his escalating series of miscues with four interceptions.</p><p>By expected points added per play, Houston's defensive showing was the third best in the NFL this season and the best in the playoffs since 2006, according to TruMedia. Stonewalling the Chiefs would buy time for the Texans to get on track if their early offensive struggles from the wild-card round (no points, two giveaways, 54 net yards on the first five drives) recur.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Anderson built on his 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year triumph with 11 sacks in 14 appearances this season. The wild-card win was his fourth six-pressure game. He needs to help disrupt Kansas City's rhythm after Patrick Mahomes was sacked just once in 125 dropbacks in his last three starts, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/CUSTOM/passing-pressure?position=QB&amp;split=pressure&amp;week=15,16,17">PFF</a>.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765290/cropped_GettyImages-2193790531.jpg?ts=1736872635" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765290/w220xh124_GettyImages-2193790531.jpg?ts=1736872635 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765290/w320xh180_GettyImages-2193790531.jpg?ts=1736872635 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765290/w640xh360_GettyImages-2193790531.jpg?ts=1736872635 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765290/w768xh432_GettyImages-2193790531.jpg?ts=1736872635 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765290/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2193790531.jpg?ts=1736872635 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Joe Sargent / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs quarterback</strong>: The winningest team in Chiefs franchise history contains contrasts. Mahomes' club went 15-1 in his starts despite recording the lowest point differential (plus-59) and fewest offensive yards (327.6 per game, 5.1 per play) of his dazzling career.</p><p>Kansas City secured home field by equaling an NFL record with 11 one-score victories. These Chiefs differ from previous teams that relied on close wins but ran out of luck and failed to reach the Super Bowl, including the 2022 Vikings. The Chiefs' defense has been sturdy, and their three-time championship quarterback facilitates the tightrope act.</p><p>Expertly closing halves, Mahomes compiled one of the NFL's top passer ratings (105.8) and TD-INT splits (18-2) in the second and fourth quarters of games, per TruMedia. He piloted Kansas City's diminished offense - only the Chiefs and Patriots didn't have a 1,000-yard playmaker - to seven winning drives in the final frame, reiterating that it's hard to frazzle and outlast him.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><h3>Commanders at Lions</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Commanders-Lions (2024 DR)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-XXtuc" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XXtuc/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="286" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Brian Robinson, Commanders running back</strong>: In a boom-or-bust year, Robinson was often a nonfactor despite eclipsing 100 rushing yards in three Commanders wins. On Wild Card Weekend, he had 16 yards on 10 carries with a longest gain of five.</p><p>At his best, Robinson's a legitimate complement to Jayden Daniels, who does it all with his arm and legs. Daniels ranked seventh among NFL quarterbacks in total offense (4,459 passing and rushing yards) and EPA/dropback, per TruMedia. He handled pressure to earn the first playoff road win by a rookie QB in a dozen years when Washington's doinked kick at the buzzer devastated the Buccaneers.</p><p>Robinson and Austin Ekeler can gash Detroit's pass defense, which gave up the most receiving yards to running backs (42.4 per game) over the second half of the season, per TruMedia. Their involvement will reflect whether the Commanders dictate the tempo with a balanced plan Saturday or force Daniels to play hero ball to win a shootout.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765292/cropped_GettyImages-2182102900.jpg?ts=1736872935" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765292/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182102900.jpg?ts=1736872935 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765292/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182102900.jpg?ts=1736872935 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765292/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182102900.jpg?ts=1736872935 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765292/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182102900.jpg?ts=1736872935 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765292/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182102900.jpg?ts=1736872935 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Kerby Joseph, Lions safety</strong>: Fans set their watches to the cadence of Detroit's offense, which marched downfield to house four touchdowns per game and scored on 51.6% of its drives, the fifth-best rate of the past 10 NFL seasons, per TruMedia.</p><p>Their unshakeable concern is the ramshackle state of a defense that had to field 30 different starters in 2024 because of the ravages of injury. Joseph - PFF's top-rated safety - strengthened the unit by lining up for 99% of snaps and constantly snaring underthrown balls. He guarded the house, grabbing four of his league-high nine interceptions in the Lions' end zone.</p><p>Detroit lost or tied the turnover battle in 10 games. Eight were settled by one score, including both Lions losses. The Commanders can keep this matchup close and prolong their splendid underdog story if they protect the pigskin, but Joseph is lurking.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><h3>Rams at Eagles</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Rams-Eagles (2024 DR)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-3hjvm" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3hjvm/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="286" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Matthew Stafford, Rams quarterback</strong>: Stafford waited 13 long years to win an NFL playoff game, then he emerged as a clutch performer. The recent Super Bowl winner improved to 5-1 with the Rams in the postseason by releasing the ball fast to pick apart the Vikings' vaunted pressure defense.</p><p>Philadelphia is a big test. The Eagles' defense ranks in the top three since midseason in myriad metrics: passing yards allowed (161 per game), total yards allowed (267.9), opponent scoring rate (28.4% of drives), three-and-out rate (44.2%), third-down stop rate (66.4%), and takeaway rate (20.0%), per TruMedia. Opposing pass attacks gained the fewest receiving first downs in that span while fumbling five times after the catch.</p><p>Stafford ranks third in EPA/dropback in the postseason over his first four years in L.A. These Rams now support him with lockdown defense: Minnesota was the fourth opponent in five weeks that they held below 10 points.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765293/cropped_GettyImages-2193818475.jpg?ts=1736873137" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765293/w220xh124_GettyImages-2193818475.jpg?ts=1736873137 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765293/w320xh180_GettyImages-2193818475.jpg?ts=1736873137 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765293/w640xh360_GettyImages-2193818475.jpg?ts=1736873137 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765293/w768xh432_GettyImages-2193818475.jpg?ts=1736873137 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765293/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2193818475.jpg?ts=1736873137 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brooke Sutton / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Jordan Mailata, Eagles left tackle</strong>: Mailata is the linchpin of the offensive line that makes Philadelphia functional. His dirty work protects Jalen Hurts and creates holes for Saquon Barkley, and it may help <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3189969" href="https://thescore.com/news/3189969">avid reader</a> A.J. Brown post more than one catch.</p><p>Hurts needs to be comfortable against the Rams to resurrect the Eagles' passing game. L.A.'s barrage of Vikings QB Sam Darnold produced nine sacks and 27 pressures on 50 dropbacks, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/CUSTOM/passing-pressure?position=QB&amp;split=pressure&amp;week=28">PFF</a>. It was a new dimension for a Rams defense that ranked 21st in sacks and only managed eight during their five-win December hot streak.</p><p>Mailata received the best PFF player grade (95.8) across all positions in 2024. He allowed one sack and 14 pressures in 12 games and was a dominant run-blocker. It's no coincidence that Barkley totaled most of his rushing yards (1,198 of 2,005) on carries to the left side of the field.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><h3>Ravens at Bills</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Ravens-Bills (2024 DR)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-lAZNm" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lAZNm/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="286" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Derrick Henry, Ravens running back</strong>: Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are this blockbuster clash's true headliners. The MVP favorites combined to pass and rush for 9,349 yards and 85 touchdowns in the regular season. But no supporting star shines brighter than Henry.</p><p>He tallied 1,921 yards with greater efficiency than the superlative Barkley (5.9 yards per carry to Barkley's 5.8). Henry forced the most missed tackles around the NFL (80), scored the most rushing TDs (16), and produced the most 20-plus-yard rushes (19) since Adrian Peterson in 2012, per TruMedia.</p><p>His brute strength and balletic feet provide a counter to the ground-and-pound approach that let Buffalo rack up 210 rushing yards and 41 minutes of possession against the Broncos. Henry's tour de force against the Steelers was his record third career 180-yard playoff game and his first with multiple TDs.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765295/cropped_GettyImages-2193040050.jpg?ts=1736873282" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765295/w220xh124_GettyImages-2193040050.jpg?ts=1736873282 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765295/w320xh180_GettyImages-2193040050.jpg?ts=1736873282 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765295/w640xh360_GettyImages-2193040050.jpg?ts=1736873282 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765295/w768xh432_GettyImages-2193040050.jpg?ts=1736873282 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/765295/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2193040050.jpg?ts=1736873282 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Scott Taetsch / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Khalil Shakir, Bills wide receiver</strong>: "Firing on all cylinders" is a well-worn cliche that's best reserved to describe complete juggernauts like Baltimore. The Ravens were the first NFL squad to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards, and they also fielded this season's stingiest run defense, surrendering just 3.6 yards per carry.</p><p>Aerial defense is the Ravens' vulnerability, though even saying that is a stretch: They allowed the lowest passer rating (79.4), third-lowest completion rate (59.7%), and seventh-lowest passing output (202.8 yards per game) from Weeks 10-18 after being leaky in the first half of the season, per TruMedia.</p><p>Shakir, Allen's top target, is a slot threat who wiggled into open lanes and sidestepped tacklers to gain the third-most yards after the catch (597). His reception rate on short throws that traveled less than 10 air yards sparkled at 93.2% (69 on 74 targets). It'd be ideal for Buffalo if Shakir teams with lead rusher James Cook to help Allen move the chains and makes one massive grab reminiscent of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFs45bOsDVc">September deep shot</a>.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

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8 players who will headline the NFL divisional round

Wild Card Weekend is upon us. A dozen teams will clash for the right to join the top-seeded Chief...

<p><em>Wild Card Weekend is upon us. A dozen teams will clash for the right to join the top-seeded Chiefs and Lions in the next round of the NFL postseason. Here are key storylines to follow in the NFC games.</em></p><p><em>Note: All times listed are Eastern. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3177291" href="https://thescore.com/news/3177291">Read</a> our preview of the AFC slate.</em></p><p><strong>Packers at Eagles</strong>, Sunday at 4:30 p.m.<br><em>Will Saquon Barkley run rampant?</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Packers-Eagles (2024 WC)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-j1pDd" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/j1pDd/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="267" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>The Eagles rested their 2,005-yard rusher last week to avoid injury and recharge for a championship chase. Barkley's brush with the single-season record ended because his club knows he's irreplaceable.</p><p>Barkley outgained 20 entire teams on the ground in 2024. He bested the immense production of Derrick Henry, the only NFL running back on his level, and was head and shoulders above the position's other standouts. He handled 41% of Eagles touches and produced the fifth-greatest share of an offense's scrimmage yards (35%) in the league over the past 10 seasons, according to TruMedia.</p><p>Glaringly one-dimensional, the Eagles gained the NFL's fewest passing yards (175 per game) after the midseason mark. Blockers blazed trails for Barkley, who picked up two-thirds of his rushing yards (1,328) before contact, per <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2024/rushing_advanced.htm">Pro Football Reference</a>. Philadelphia went 10-1 in his 100-yard outings, and only three opponents held him below the league average of 4.4 yards per rush.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764148/cropped_GettyImages-2191277351.jpg?ts=1736286495" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764148/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191277351.jpg?ts=1736286495 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764148/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191277351.jpg?ts=1736286495 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764148/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191277351.jpg?ts=1736286495 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764148/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191277351.jpg?ts=1736286495 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764148/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191277351.jpg?ts=1736286495 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andy Lewis / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764150/cropped_GettyImages-2190573466.jpg?ts=1736286675" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764150/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190573466.jpg?ts=1736286675 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764150/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190573466.jpg?ts=1736286675 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764150/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190573466.jpg?ts=1736286675 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764150/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190573466.jpg?ts=1736286675 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764150/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190573466.jpg?ts=1736286675 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steph Chambers / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Packers have the pieces to slow or counter Barkley. Six of their last seven opponents rushed for well under 100 yards, and the defense allowed a meager 3.2 yards per carry in those games. Workhorse running back Josh Jacobs rides an eight-week touchdown streak (league-high 12 rushing scores in the span) into his Green Bay playoff debut.</p><p>Losing Christian Watson, their main deep threat, to an ACL tear compounds the adversity facing the Packers. The historic strength of the top-heavy NFC North forced them to travel to Philly as the seventh seed. Green Bay is the fourth 11-win team in the Super Bowl era to place third in its division, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/w9AvY">Stathead</a>.</p><p>Both quarterbacks were ailing this week: Jordan Love left Green Bay's Week 18 defeat with an elbow injury, and Jalen Hurts just returned to practice following a concussion. Pounding the ball upfield will matter Sunday.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p><strong>Commanders at Buccaneers</strong>, Sunday at 8 p.m.<br><em>Can either defense prevent a fireworks display?</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Commanders-Buccaneers (2024 WC)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-kgNQL" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kgNQL/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="267" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>These scorching offenses score in waves. Both teams erupted for 40 or more points three times. The Commanders were a spotless 7-0 and the Buccaneers were 6-2 when they crossed the 30-point threshold.</p><p>In Tampa Bay's balanced attack, Bucky Irving's rushing prowess complements Baker Mayfield's gunslinging ability. A stellar 71.4% completion rate helped the veteran quarterback amass 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns for the first time. Mayfield made up for Chris Godwin's absence by feeding star wideout Mike Evans as well as Irving and other Bucs running backs, who totaled the second-most receiving yards (52.6 per game) by an RB group, per TruMedia.</p><p>The franchise-altering selection of Jayden Daniels in the draft quickened the Commanders' rebuild. The rookie quarterback owned big moments, leading clutch touchdown marches in December to beat the Eagles on the final snap and edge the Falcons in overtime. He scrambled to great effect, ranking second at his position with 891 rushing yards, and jelled with Terry McLaurin, the NFC leader with 13 touchdown receptions.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764157/cropped_GettyImages-2191426561.jpg?ts=1736287238" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764157/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191426561.jpg?ts=1736287238 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764157/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191426561.jpg?ts=1736287238 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764157/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191426561.jpg?ts=1736287238 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764157/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191426561.jpg?ts=1736287238 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764157/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191426561.jpg?ts=1736287238 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Scott Taetsch / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764155/cropped_GettyImages-2188111715.jpg?ts=1736287162" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764155/w220xh124_GettyImages-2188111715.jpg?ts=1736287162 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764155/w320xh180_GettyImages-2188111715.jpg?ts=1736287162 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764155/w640xh360_GettyImages-2188111715.jpg?ts=1736287162 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764155/w768xh432_GettyImages-2188111715.jpg?ts=1736287162 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764155/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2188111715.jpg?ts=1736287162 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Matt Kelley / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Both defenses are unspectacular but competitive, and Tampa Bay's unit enjoyed a drastic turnaround. The Buccaneers rocketed from 30th in defensive EPA entering their Week 11 bye to third in the stat from Weeks 12-18 against a light schedule, per TruMedia. The Commanders helped Daniels build leads, giving up the third-fewest points in first halves (8.6 per game), while the Bucs applied the clamps later, conceding the second fewest after halftime (7.9).</p><p>Either defense could impact the matchup by punishing the passers' lapses. Ever the daredevil, Mayfield tossed a league-high 16 interceptions (with five multi-pick games) and committed the most turnover-worthy plays (25, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/REGPO/passing?position=QB&amp;minimum=20p">PFF</a>).</p><p>Daniels is pretty precise, but his completion rate sagged below 60% in four starts. He's trying to join a short list as the fourth rookie quarterback - and the first since Russell Wilson in 2013 - to win a road playoff game.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p><strong>Vikings at Rams</strong>, Monday at 8 p.m.<br><em>Will Minnesota disorient Matthew Stafford?</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Vikings-Rams (2024 WC)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-HJLvD" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/HJLvD/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="267" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>The Vikings laid waste to game plans while racking up 14 victories, a franchise high since 1998. Only two quarterbacks disrupted their defensive dominance: Stafford and Detroit's Jared Goff.</p><p>Defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blueprint calls for the Vikings to disguise blitz packages with pre-snap movement, then send the house. Their NFL-high 38.9% blitz rate sowed confusion and stress. Minnesota recorded the fourth-biggest sack haul (49) and other excellent defensive numbers, including league bests in interceptions (24), takeaways (33), and opponent scoring percentage (a mere 31.6% of drives).</p><p>But wily veteran quarterbacks stayed calm and solved the scheme. When the Rams won 30-20 in October, Stafford controlled the ball for 33 minutes, fired 25 completions to nine targets for 279 yards, and punctuated four methodical drives with touchdown throws. He made quick, assured decisions and wasn't sacked. By EPA/dropback, Stafford's performance rated in the 93rd percentile of QB games this season, according to TruMedia.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764151/cropped_GettyImages-2191049259.jpg?ts=1736286785" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764151/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191049259.jpg?ts=1736286785 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764151/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191049259.jpg?ts=1736286785 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764151/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191049259.jpg?ts=1736286785 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764151/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191049259.jpg?ts=1736286785 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764151/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191049259.jpg?ts=1736286785 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Pasadena Star-News / MediaNews Group /  ImagesGetty</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764152/cropped_GettyImages-2191130723.jpg?ts=1736286894" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764152/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191130723.jpg?ts=1736286894 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764152/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191130723.jpg?ts=1736286894 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764152/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191130723.jpg?ts=1736286894 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764152/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191130723.jpg?ts=1736286894 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764152/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191130723.jpg?ts=1736286894 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steph Chambers / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Minnesota held 11 passers to subpar EPA games as some defenders enjoyed career years, including edge rushers Jonathan Greenard (12 sacks, four forced fumbles) and Andrew Van Ginkel (11.5 sacks, two pick-6s). They provided key support for Sam Darnold, whose accurate deep shots spurred Justin Jefferson to the NFL lead in receiving yards before the catch (1,046 of Jefferson's total of 1,533).</p><p>The Vikings are the winningest fifth seed in NFL history. They eclipsed the previous high win total for a division runner-up: 13 by the 1999 Titans, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/6EWFc">Stathead</a>.</p><p>Rounding into form, the Rams hung 44 points on the Bills and held three straight foes below 10 points during a December win streak that got them into the dance. Stafford was intercepted just once in that span, and Puka Nacua raised his weekly receiving average to 90 yards, slightly more than he managed as a stupendous rookie.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29770634/related

1 major question for each NFC wild-card matchup

<p><em>Wild Card Weekend is upon us. A dozen teams will clash for the right to join the top-seeded Chiefs and Lions in the next round of the NFL postseason. Here are key storylines to follow in the AFC games.</em></p><p><em>Note: All times listed are Eastern. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3177296" href="https://thescore.com/news/3177296">Read</a> our preview of the NFC slate.</em></p><p><strong>Chargers at Texans</strong>, Saturday at 4:30 p.m.<br><em>Can C.J. Stroud rediscover his rookie form?</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Chargers-Texans (2024 WC)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-9EpAp" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9EpAp/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="267" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>In Stroud's playoff debut, the Texans quarterback fired three touchdown passes on his home turf to thrash the Joe Flacco-led Browns and affirm he was the indisputable 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year.</p><p>A sophomore slide followed. Stroud gained 54.7 fewer yards per game in 2024 on a similar volume of attempts while passing for three fewer touchdowns and seven more interceptions. He suffered more hits, sacks, and receiver drops as his supporting cast took a beating. The overlapping injury absences of Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell help explain why Stroud ranked 31st in expected points added per dropback from Weeks 6-18, per TruMedia.</p><p>Doubts plague the 10-win Texans even though they repeated as division champions while scoring just five fewer points than last season. Houston's point differential (zero) and lack of authoritative victories (two by double digits, 1-5 record against fellow playoff teams) exhibit mediocrity.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764121/cropped_GettyImages-2187721210.jpg?ts=1736278242" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764121/w220xh124_GettyImages-2187721210.jpg?ts=1736278242 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764121/w320xh180_GettyImages-2187721210.jpg?ts=1736278242 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764121/w640xh360_GettyImages-2187721210.jpg?ts=1736278242 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764121/w768xh432_GettyImages-2187721210.jpg?ts=1736278242 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764121/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2187721210.jpg?ts=1736278242 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mike Carlson / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764120/cropped_GettyImages-2191917795.jpg?ts=1736277928" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764120/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191917795.jpg?ts=1736277928 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764120/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191917795.jpg?ts=1736277928 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764120/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191917795.jpg?ts=1736277928 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764120/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191917795.jpg?ts=1736277928 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764120/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191917795.jpg?ts=1736277928 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Maddie Meyer / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Texans' opponent, Los Angeles, walls off the goal line. The Chargers defense allowed the NFL's fewest points (17.7 per game), touchdowns (31), entrances into the red zone (40), and red-zone TDs (18). Star QB Justin Herbert's ball security (three interceptions, 0.6% INT rate) deprived opposing teams of easy opportunities to score.</p><p>Head coach Jim Harbaugh's arrival revived L.A. With his guidance, Herbert will pursue his first career playoff win in two tries following the unforgettable 27-point collapse against the Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round.</p><p>Stroud can inflict more misery and salvage his year by unlocking the best of Collins. The wideout finished fourth in receiving yards per game (83.8) and broke out of a brief slump in Week 18 with five catches and a touchdown grab in one quarter of work. Houston needs to stun the Chargers with explosive plays, like when Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans of the Buccaneers connected for two deep scores in L.A.'s lone lopsided loss.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p><strong>Steelers at Ravens</strong>, Saturday at 8 p.m.<br><em>Can Baltimore trust Justin Tucker?</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Steelers-Ravens (2024 WC)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-IICY0" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/IICY0/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="267" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Two deep field goals that Tucker stuck through the center of the uprights in recent weeks inspired confidence that the best kicker to ever do it won't be a liability in January.</p><p>The Ravens legend endured a difficult year. His 73.3% field-goal percentage (22-for-30) ranked 30th out of 36 qualified kickers. All eight of Tucker's missed kicks came from beyond 45 yards. Seven were pulled wide to the left.</p><p>Baltimore won each of Tucker's seven perfect games in the regular season but went 1-5 when he flubbed a field goal, with all five losses coming by one possession. Tucker wasted scoring chances that could've erased three margins of defeat (one missed FG in a 26-23 loss to the Raiders, two in an 18-16 loss to the Steelers, and two in a 24-19 loss to the Eagles).</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764112/cropped_GettyImages-2188937408.jpg?ts=1736277038" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764112/w220xh124_GettyImages-2188937408.jpg?ts=1736277038 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764112/w320xh180_GettyImages-2188937408.jpg?ts=1736277038 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764112/w640xh360_GettyImages-2188937408.jpg?ts=1736277038 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764112/w768xh432_GettyImages-2188937408.jpg?ts=1736277038 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764112/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2188937408.jpg?ts=1736277038 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">G Fiume / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764115/cropped_GettyImages-2181028333.jpg?ts=1736277237" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764115/w220xh124_GettyImages-2181028333.jpg?ts=1736277237 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764115/w320xh180_GettyImages-2181028333.jpg?ts=1736277237 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764115/w640xh360_GettyImages-2181028333.jpg?ts=1736277237 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764115/w768xh432_GettyImages-2181028333.jpg?ts=1736277237 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764115/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2181028333.jpg?ts=1736277237 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Shelley Lipton / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>His struggles contrast the excellence of Chris Boswell. The Steelers veteran kicker's 41 makes on 44 tries spurred him to the NFL points lead with 158, eight shy of the position's single-season record. Boswell scored all 18 Pittsburgh points in a pair of close wins - including over Baltimore in November - that were facilitated by the defense's ability to get off the field.</p><p>Steelers defenders had multiple takeaways in a league-high 12 games and excelled on third down, holding opponents to the second-worst conversion rate (35.3%). But they've been manhandled throughout an ongoing four-loss skid as Pittsburgh was outscored 109-57 and outgained by 487 yards. Baltimore caught fire in the same span with four straight wins, a 135-43 edge in scoring, and a plus-740-yard differential.</p><p>Signs point to the Ravens advancing in a blowout, but the Steelers won eight of the teams' last 10 matchups by a single score. They need to turn this grudge match into a rock fight, force Tucker to cast a stone, and hope his errant aim in a big moment negates Lamar Jackson's greatness.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p><strong>Broncos at Bills</strong>, Sunday at 1 p.m.<br><em>Can Denver rattle Josh Allen?</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Broncos-Bills (2024 WC)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-ITy7S" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ITy7S/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="267" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Buffalo's elimination of negative plays in 2024 was a massive achievement. The Bills paired a league-low eight giveaways with the NFL's best sack rate (2.6%, allowed a total of 14). Allen's dynamite offense topped the AFC in scoring and added the most expected points (8.87 per game) of his career, per TruMedia.</p><p>The marauding Bills defense forced the third-most turnovers (32) and tilted the field in Allen's favor. His offense enjoyed the best average starting position (own 33.4-yard line) in the NFL since 2019. He engineered quick strikes, leading a league-high 23 touchdown drives that required no more than five plays, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/P3ol6">Stathead</a>.</p><p>The Bills' eight straight 30-point outbursts from Weeks 7-15 tied a league record. They only lost in Allen's starts when the Ravens and Texans silenced him ahead of the hot streak and the Rams' Matthew Stafford sparkled in a 44-42 shootout.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764118/cropped_GettyImages-2192093530.jpg?ts=1736277775" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764118/w220xh124_GettyImages-2192093530.jpg?ts=1736277775 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764118/w320xh180_GettyImages-2192093530.jpg?ts=1736277775 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764118/w640xh360_GettyImages-2192093530.jpg?ts=1736277775 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764118/w768xh432_GettyImages-2192093530.jpg?ts=1736277775 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764118/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2192093530.jpg?ts=1736277775 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bryan Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764116/cropped_GettyImages-2189614312.jpg?ts=1736277423" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764116/w220xh124_GettyImages-2189614312.jpg?ts=1736277423 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764116/w320xh180_GettyImages-2189614312.jpg?ts=1736277423 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764116/w640xh360_GettyImages-2189614312.jpg?ts=1736277423 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764116/w768xh432_GettyImages-2189614312.jpg?ts=1736277423 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/764116/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2189614312.jpg?ts=1736277423 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">AAron Ontiveroz / Denver Post / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Denver is equipped to swarm Allen. Broncos pass-rushers recorded the third-most sacks this century (63). They were the 13th unit of the Super Bowl era to field six five-sack defenders, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/4kK20">Stathead</a>. Because of this signature strength, they led all defenses in EPA, forced loads of punts (4.6 per game), and surrendered fewer points (18.3 per game) than every team but the Chargers and Eagles.</p><p>The battle in the trenches and Allen's response to pressure will dictate how this matchup flows. Denver's goal offensively is to hog the ball with a pleasantly simple approach. Rookie passer Bo Nix had a 79% completion rate and a 9-1 TD-INT split in his last three games. No quarterback tallied more yards in that span on throws that were caught behind the line of scrimmage, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/CUSTOM/passing-depth?position=QB&amp;split=behindLos&amp;week=16,17,18">PFF</a>.</p><p>Stronger than most No. 7 seeds, Nix's club compiled the AFC's third-best point differential and only lost once by double digits. Highmark Stadium is a fortress - these Bills were unbeaten at home - but the Broncos have the manpower and scheme to potentially upend the bracket.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

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<p>Downcast Cincinnati Bengals fans are painfully aware that the club is wasting two great offensive seasons.</p><p>Joe Burrow tops all NFL quarterbacks with 3,977 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase's 102 receptions, 1,413 receiving yards, and 15 TDs lead the league by wide margins. Yet the Bengals' record is 6-8 and encompasses four crushing losses when they've scored more than 30 points. They face elimination from the playoff race in Week 16.</p><p>Wretched defending (Cincinnati ranks 29th in yards and 31st in points against) undermined this dominant duo. Historical comparisons hammer home the injustice. Burrow's just the second passer to achieve his specific combination of stats - at least 3,900 yards and 35 touchdowns through 14 games - for a team with a losing record.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>There are 18 examples of QBs compiling those numbers, including several eventual MVP winners and two recent Super Bowl champions.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Burrow's company" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-yxeO0" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yxeO0/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="728" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Besides Burrow, the glaring outlier is Drew Brees, whose 2012 New Orleans Saints surrendered the most yards in any NFL season (7,042) and went 7-9 during Sean Payton's Bountygate suspension. Brees eclipsed 5,000 passing yards but magnified his team's holes by tossing a league-high 19 interceptions. With only eight picks this year, Burrow shoulders less blame.</p><p>Chase is in his own echelon: He's tallied 170 more receiving yards, 114 more yards after the catch, and four more touchdowns this season than the NFL leaderboard's second-place wideouts. He's the only receiver in league history to gain 1,400 yards with 15 scores at the 14-game mark.</p><p>Few receivers who reached that yardage milestone this century played for worse teams, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/VOnUs">Stathead</a>. Chase is slightly better off than Julio Jones with the 2018 Atlanta Falcons (5-9 record at this juncture) and Calvin Johnson in his record season with the 2012 Detroit Lions (4-10).</p><p>Four playmakers in the span grabbed as many receiving touchdowns as Chase, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/KEtqf">Stathead</a>. All were electrifying talents on powerhouse teams (Davante Adams with the 2020 Green Bay Packers, Tyreek Hill with the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs, Rob Gronkowski with the 2011 New England Patriots, and Randy Moss with the 2007 Patriots) that finished with a minimum of 13 wins. Chase's scoring spree for these Bengals is historically futile.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761134/cropped_GettyImages-2189518247.jpg?ts=1734464359" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761134/w220xh124_GettyImages-2189518247.jpg?ts=1734464359 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761134/w320xh180_GettyImages-2189518247.jpg?ts=1734464359 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761134/w640xh360_GettyImages-2189518247.jpg?ts=1734464359 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761134/w768xh432_GettyImages-2189518247.jpg?ts=1734464359 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/761134/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2189518247.jpg?ts=1734464359 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Bengals' defense ranks in the ninth percentile this century in expected points added (minus-4.46 per contest), per TruMedia. They're the 34th team in the span to gain 3,800 passing yards but give up a total of 5,000 through 14 matchups. Over half of those squads (18) made the playoffs - seven even reached the Super Bowl - but Cincinnati's inability to guard the end zone (the team’s allowed a league-worst 47 TDs) explains why a poor process yielded bad results.</p><p>Two wins in a row, highlighted by a six-takeaway outing against the Tennessee Titans, slowed the Bengals' tailspin. To squeak into the playoffs, they must beat the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers <em>and</em> hope the loser of Thursday's Broncos-Los Angeles Chargers clash - that team will sit seventh in the AFC - doesn't win again. The 8-6 Chargers, 6-8 Indianapolis Colts, and 6-8 Miami Dolphins have weak remaining schedules, meaning Cincy's outlook is bleak.</p><p>Precarity looms for a franchise that vanquished Patrick Mahomes once, lost the ensuing Super Bowl to Matthew Stafford in the waning minutes, and hasn't been the same. The Bengals risk losing Tee Higgins, Chase's receiving sidekick, in free agency while needing dramatic defensive improvements. Squandering Burrow and Chase's elite production would sting.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

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<p>When NFL games end in a tie, some contestants profess confusion and ignorance. Steelers running back Najee Harris and retired Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb headline the group of players and coaches who have admitted they didn't know ties were possible.</p><p>No other Big Four league tolerates ties, but even in football, these sporadic, mutually deflating results have vanished. We're in the longest stretch without a tied NFL game - just over two years - in more than a decade. It's the first dearth of stalemates since overtime was shortened from 15 to 10 minutes.</p><p>Exactly 558 regular-season games have been won since the last tie on Dec. 4, 2022, when the Commanders and Giants traded punts and set the stage for New York's Graham Gano to miss a last-ditch, 58-yard field goal. Their 20-20 draw punctuated a flurry of ties - seven between 2018-22 - that stemmed from teams having less time on the clock to score.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Unless an OT period is deadlocked in the next month, back-to-back seasons will elapse without a tie for the first time since 2009-11.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 NFL deadlocks" aria-label="Column Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-1QSx8" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/1QSx8/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="329" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="29 ties from 1974-present" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-FdKTX" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/FdKTX/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="947" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Ties were routine before the addition of overtime. The 14 recorded in 1926, back when games were played in a cloud of dust, included 10 unsightly scoreless draws. Seven ties occurred in an 11-week span in 1973, the last regular season to predate sudden death.</p><p>Fallow decades followed. There were only two ties in the 1990s - clustered in consecutive weeks in 1997 - and two throughout the 2000s. A 2012 rule change that forced teams to score a touchdown to win on the opening drive sparked a trickle of ties, including two apiece in 2016, 2018, and 2022.</p><p>Around the NFL, 27 teams have gone to overtime and 18 have won at least once since the '22 Commanders-Giants impasse, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/el1X6">Stathead</a>.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760181/cropped_GettyImages-2182935647.jpg?ts=1733949229" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760181/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182935647.jpg?ts=1733949229 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760181/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182935647.jpg?ts=1733949229 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760181/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182935647.jpg?ts=1733949229 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760181/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182935647.jpg?ts=1733949229 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/760181/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182935647.jpg?ts=1733949229 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Demarcus Robinson and Matthew Stafford celebrate their OT touchdown connection against Seattle in November. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steph Chambers / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The tie column emptied for a few reasons.</p><p>The driving force in 2024 is offensive prowess. The average offense has added more expected points per play in overtime (0.15) than in any season this century, according to TruMedia.</p><p>Nine of this season's 11 OT winners scored on their first offensive possession. Ten clinched the game with a scoring march of more than 50 yards. Kirk Cousins' 45-yard touchdown <a href="https://www.atlantafalcons.com/video/khadarel-hodge-seals-falcons-tnf-win-with-45-yard-touchdown">pass</a>, Matthew Stafford's 39-yard TD <a href="https://www.therams.com/video/walk-off-touchdown-demarcus-robinson-matthew-stafford-game-winner-seahawks">strike</a>, and Derrick Henry's 51-yard breakaway <a href="https://www.baltimoreravens.com/video/derrick-henry-overtime-run-51-yard-run-ravens-bengals-highlights-week-5-2024">gallop</a> helped cement various triumphs.</p><p>Offenses were inefficient in 2023 (minus-0.04 EPA/play in 13 OT games), but the Jets and Ravens housed walk-off punt returns, and no team around the league undermined its gains with a turnover. The Colts and Eagles mounted 75-yard touchdown drives to negate opposing field goals. NFL kickers were 9-for-9 in the extra frame last year, with three clutch makes in the final two minutes, boosting their OT hit rate since Gano's 2022 whiff to 90.5%.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Kicker accuracy in overtime" aria-label="Column Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-vJSnM" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vJSnM/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="401" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Blunders prolong and seal ties. There were seven missed kicks in overtime, as well as three fumbles lost by the Steelers, across the seven stalemates since 2018. No one won a 37-37 shootout when the 2014 Bengals and Panthers traded long, successful field goal drives before Cincinnati's Mike Nugent shanked a 36-yard chip shot.</p><p>Errors piled up in the 2002 Falcons-Steelers draw. Both sides blocked a field goal and Pittsburgh quarterback Tommy Maddox was picked off, but he also completed a Hail Mary throw to Plaxico Burress … who was downed at Atlanta's 1-yard line as time expired.</p><p>Two even, low-scoring atrocities horrified Sunday night viewers.</p><p><strong>2016 - Cardinals 6, Seahawks 6</strong>: Half of the points in this prime-time debacle came from a pair of overtime field goals, but both kickers (Arizona's Chandler Catanzaro, Seattle's Steven Hauschka) somehow <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zaKTCO98Ow">proceeded to miss</a> from inside 30 yards, belying their 94.6% combined career success rate from that trivial distance.</p><p><strong>1997 - Giants 7, Washington 7</strong>: There were 22 total punts and Washington's backup QB, Jeff Hostetler, committed a ludicrous three giveaways in overtime after spelling the injured Gus Frerotte, who headbutted a concrete wall to celebrate a touchdown. Washington's other OT drives produced a stuffed fourth-down run and an errant 54-yard field goal that mirrored an earlier Giants miss.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/844BkMKp7cA?si=yJjsoNiFPXU84-Fx" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure><p>Any tie over the remainder of 2024 would come unusually late. The latest of three December ties in the overtime era happened in Week 15 of the strike-shortened 1982 season. The lowly Baltimore Colts knotted the Packers 20-20 to avoid complete futility, achieving the lone bearable result of their winless 0-8-1 year.</p><p>Ties against Pittsburgh broke interminable losing streaks for the 2018 Browns (they had just gone 0-16) and 2021 Lions (they had dropped 12 straight over two seasons). On Sunday, the Steelers face a rare team - the Eagles - with more ties than them since OT debuted. Another matchup to watch is Week 17's divisional clash between the Packers and Vikings, who played to level terms three times in the distant and recent past (1978, 2013, 2018).</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🤝 Ties by NFL franchise" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-8aF25" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8aF25/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="391" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29423700/related

Inside the NFL tie's sudden disappearance

In 2021, it was reasonable to assume that expanding the NFL schedule would inflate player stats a...

<p>In 2021, it was reasonable to assume that expanding the NFL schedule would inflate player stats and topple records. Major offensive milestones that had stood the test of time would surely be pressured by the advent of the 17th game.</p><p>But in 2024, those famous benchmarks still stand. Peyton Manning's 5,477 passing yards, Eric Dickerson's 2,105 rushing yards, and Calvin Johnson's 1,964 receiving yards, along with the touchdown record in each category, remain the NFL's single-season standards.</p><p>Each record long predates the 17-game era. Dickerson, the second of eight running backs to cross the 2,000-yard barrier, achieved history 40 years ago.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Single-season standards" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-xT8VS" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/xT8VS/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="366" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Record chases are stagnant in 2024 - with a couple of exceptions.</p><p>Eagles star Saquon Barkley is trying to run down Dickerson's hallowed total, and Chris Boswell of the Steelers is authoring a special kicking year. However, no passing or receiving mark will be broken in the fourth year of the longer schedule.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Current stat leaders" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-3NNnN" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3NNnN/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="417" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Barkley's weekly average of 124.9 rushing yards puts him on pace to leapfrog Dickerson in the season finale. His brilliance in a perfect situation - the Eagles field a bruising offensive line and mobile quarterback Jalen Hurts - coincides with a league-wide shift. NFL offenses are averaging the second-most rushes per game (27.0) of the past 10 seasons and collecting the second-most rushing yards (119.9) since 1988.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Yards gained by season" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-7I6Ca" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7I6Ca/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="488" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Aerial gains plummeted when the schedule lengthened. The current passing averages (32.5 attempts for 217.0 yards) are the lowest they've been since 2008. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase carry the 2024 Bengals - no wideout gains a greater share of his team's scrimmage yards than Chase (26.0%), per TruMedia - but neither NFL stat leader is threatening Manning or Johnson.</p><p>Here are five more reasons these durable records endure.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759070/cropped_GettyImages-1925917612.jpg?ts=1733429560" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759070/w220xh124_GettyImages-1925917612.jpg?ts=1733429560 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759070/w320xh180_GettyImages-1925917612.jpg?ts=1733429560 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759070/w640xh360_GettyImages-1925917612.jpg?ts=1733429560 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759070/w768xh432_GettyImages-1925917612.jpg?ts=1733429560 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/759070/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1925917612.jpg?ts=1733429560 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Calvin Johnson (right) with Cooper Kupp. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Close calls fell just short.</strong> The 17th game allowed an aging Tom Brady and prime Patrick Mahomes to pass for personal yardage highs (5,316, 5,250) in 2021 and 2022, respectively, but they were less efficient than Manning at his unstoppable peak. Cooper Kupp's giant 2021 season yielded 1,947 receiving yards (17 fewer than Johnson's record) and 145 catches (four fewer than Michael Thomas in 2019).</p><p>Derrick Henry took aim at the rushing mark in his best year - 2020 - right before the 17th game materialized. He stalled 78 yards shy of the record with 2,027 on one less carry (378) than Dickerson logged in 1984.</p><p><strong>Playing 17 games is difficult.</strong> Injuries that sidelined Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, and Nico Collins over the past couple of years showed it's hard to take advantage of the longer schedule. These wideouts averaged well over 100 yards per game when they were healthy but missed varying, critical amounts of time.</p><p>Even specialists get hurt: The Commanders' Austin Seibert was on track to rewrite the points records for kickers (David Akers' 166 in 2011) and all players (LaDainian Tomlinson's 186 in 2006) before a hip ailment derailed his season in November.</p><p><strong>Big pass plays have declined.</strong> Explosive completions that gain at least 20 yards slipped across the NFL this year to 2.95 per team game, according to TruMedia. They peaked at 3.39 through Week 13 of the 2018 season, and the average was 3.27 at this point of Manning's record year.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Big plays by season" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-uFcSP" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/uFcSP/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="448" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Those huge gains pad season totals. Calvin Johnson's 29 explosive grabs through Week 13 of 2012 vastly outpace the current league high (Jefferson's 20). Chris Johnson had a century-high 19 rushes for 20-plus yards, as well as a 69-yard touchdown catch, at this time in 2009, when he set the scrimmage yards record that Barkley's pursuing.</p><p><strong>The record holders were unreal.</strong> Legends set the touchdown marks in transcendent passing offenses (2013 Broncos for Manning, 2007 Patriots for Randy Moss) and as part of the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2920010" href="https://thescore.com/news/2920010">greatest</a> individual fantasy season (Tomlinson in '06). The fluid, powerful, swashbuckling Dickerson maximized his chances to make history as the NFL's only three-time 1,800-yard rusher.</p><p>Calvin Johnson owns the most career 200-yard receiving games (five) and made drab teams watchable. In 2012, he outgained Detroit's next four receivers combined. Those Lions lost eight straight to end the year even though <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2919994" href="https://thescore.com/news/2919994">Megatron</a> displayed his singular talent by averaging 149.6 yards in that span.</p><p><strong>Four seasons is a small sample.</strong> Records get broken eventually, and given time, some All-Pro's consistent dominance will set up a magical 17th game. That happened on defense in 2021 when T.J. Watt tied Michael Strahan's 20-year-old sack mark (22.5). Watt had five takedowns in the last two weeks to compensate for missing two earlier games with injury.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755432/cropped_GettyImages-2184843756.jpg?ts=1733429807" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755432/w220xh124_GettyImages-2184843756.jpg?ts=1733429807 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755432/w320xh180_GettyImages-2184843756.jpg?ts=1733429807 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755432/w640xh360_GettyImages-2184843756.jpg?ts=1733429807 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755432/w768xh432_GettyImages-2184843756.jpg?ts=1733429807 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755432/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2184843756.jpg?ts=1733429807 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Saquon Barkley. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mitchell Leff / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The run game's resurgence could open deep passing windows in future seasons as defenses adjust to crowd the box. In the short term, it could help the stars align for Barkley, who's outgained Dickerson on the ground through the same juncture of 1984.</p><p>Dickerson's 1,452 rushing yards through 12 games translated to a 16-game pace of 1,936. He submitted a phenomenal finishing kick, gaining 653 yards over the last four weeks (average of 163.3) to stand alone at the top.</p><p>Barkley can dislodge Dickerson with 607 yards over five games (average of 121.4) against the Panthers, Steelers, Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants. Four matchups are at home, and every defense except Pittsburgh's ranks in the bottom six in expected points against the rush, per TruMedia. Rather than rest Barkley, the Eagles might need to feed him in the final weeks to compete for the NFC playoff bye.</p><p>The stretch run will also highlight Boswell's unerring accuracy. Pittsburgh's kicker is on pace to make 48 field goals, which would beat Akers' NFL record (44 in 2011), and score five fewer points than Tomlinson in 2006. Boswell's pair of 6-for-6 games and 10-for-12 overall conversion rate from 50-plus yards have brought him within sight of all-time glory.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29340986/related

Why major records are still standing in the 17-game era

When the NCAA launches women's flag football next spring, schools will seek to duplicate the domi...

<p>When the NCAA launches women's flag football next spring, schools will seek to duplicate the dominance of the Ottawa Braves. The university in Ottawa, Kansas, rules the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as its four-time reigning champion.</p><p>Braves head coach Liz Sowers prizes transferable skills. Kansas is close to Arrowhead Stadium, the home turf of the NFL's dynastic Kansas City Chiefs, but there isn't an excess of high school players around the state. To construct a small-school powerhouse, Ottawa recruited athletes with two essential traits - hand-eye coordination and lateral quickness - that they'd sharpened away from the gridiron.</p><p>"You find me the best basketball players," Sowers said, "and I can arguably tell you they're some of the best flag football players."</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757377/cropped_Courtesy_of_Ottawa_Braves_3.jpg?ts=1732631688" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757377/w220xh124_Courtesy_of_Ottawa_Braves_3.jpg?ts=1732631688 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757377/w320xh180_Courtesy_of_Ottawa_Braves_3.jpg?ts=1732631688 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757377/w640xh360_Courtesy_of_Ottawa_Braves_3.jpg?ts=1732631688 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757377/w768xh432_Courtesy_of_Ottawa_Braves_3.jpg?ts=1732631688 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757377/w1080xh607_Courtesy_of_Ottawa_Braves_3.jpg?ts=1732631688 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Courtesy of Ottawa Braves</span></figcaption></figure><p>Ottawa's success highlights a phenomenon. Thanks to an influx of new talent, football is flourishing across America in alternative forms. The spread of spinoffs that deemphasize the game's violence has created space for more players to showcase their speed, toughness, intensity, and flair.</p><p>Demand for football is fervent. A handful of colleges, including six in the 2024 season, add tackle teams annually, bringing the current nationwide count to 774. National Football Foundation chairman Archie Manning, the patriarch of American football's first family, said in a <a href="https://footballfoundation.org/news/2024/8/20/football-drives-campus-growth-774-colleges-offering-programs.aspx">release</a> that these programs invigorate campuses and prolong the careers of passionate high school players.</p><p>Unserved demographics - women and small guys - are getting in on the action.</p><p>In 2025, more than 30 women's varsity flag teams will populate a few NCAA conferences and the NAIA. The number of schools competing in men's sprint football - a full-contact variation with a player weight limit of 178 pounds - doubled in the past couple of years to 16.</p><p>"Why is that important? I don't know your size, but for guys like me who will never be 6-foot-5 and 240, sprint football for smaller body frames (provides) more opportunities," said Steve Hatchell, the National Football Foundation's president and CEO.</p><p>"The same with women's flag. Women's flag in high school and college is not a growth sport - it's an exploding sport."</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Flag football is providing an opportunity for girls and women to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayFootball</a>.<br><br>Thanks to Coach Liz Sowers and Ottawa University for showing that football is for EVERYONE 👏🏾<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensHistoryMonth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensHistoryMonth</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLFLAG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLFLAG</a> <a href="https://t.co/oiG8YjRN1V">pic.twitter.com/oiG8YjRN1V</a></p>— Troy Vincent, Sr. (@TroyVincentSr) <a href="https://twitter.com/TroyVincentSr/status/1506994247450386438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Flag's reinterpretation of the four-down format is accessible to the masses. The NFL sponsors youth leagues in every state and combines a flag game with skills challenges to crown the winner of the retooled Pro Bowl. Novice players can take the field and deepen their understanding of the sport without being pigeonholed into a position or bowled over.</p><p>"It's a different way for young people to grab onto the sport without having to wear a helmet and pads," Hatchell said.</p><p>Football's changing shape has made it more inclusive. Frequent participation in tackle football - defined as playing it at least 26 times a year - slipped by 2.8% between 2018 and 2023, according to data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). Flag players outpace tackle players by more than a million Americans aged 6 and up, per the SFIA, since tackle is largely limited to young men.</p><p>Some women enjoy hitting, Sowers emphasized in an interview. Her own pro and international tackle playing experience helped her discover and embrace flag. The Braves benefit from expertise gleaned in the NFL by their defensive coordinator, Sowers' twin sister Katie, a trailblazing former 49ers and Chiefs assistant.</p><p>Flag rewards finesse, not brute force, but its resemblance to regular football explains the offshoot's appeal.</p><p>"Young girls are growing up watching football. Whether they're watching their brothers or their uncles or dads coach, they're seeing the game," Sowers said. "Girls want to play this game that they've never had an opportunity to play."</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lIV-fRk6-No?si=g0Hs62XxGKUVgfuG" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure><p>Sprint football's growth revived a format that Ivy League and military schools adopted to level the field for light players - the original maximum weight was 150 pounds - beginning in 1934. Sprint shares the rules and look of the standard college game, just without behemoths.</p><p>An early sprint advocate, the late Penn president Thomas Sovereign Gates, dubbed it "football for all," <a href="https://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/04/24/princeton-sprint-football-team/">Philadelphia Magazine</a> once wrote. Patriots owner Robert Kraft and U.S. President Jimmy Carter played in distant decades for historic teams - Columbia and Navy, respectively. Alumni range from George Allen, the Hall of Fame coach who got his start with Michigan's defunct sprint program, to the frat rapper Hoodie Allen, a recent Penn defensive back.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Sprint football's reach" aria-label="Locator map" id="datawrapper-chart-kio8T" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kio8T/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="341" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Sprint's newest entrant, the Long Island-based Molloy University Lions, went 0-7 in their 2024 inaugural season with an average margin of defeat of 46.9 points. Established powers, including league finalists Army and Navy, predictably drubbed a lineup built from scratch.</p><p>The blowouts didn't faze Brian Hughes, a lifelong local college coordinator tapped to be Molloy's head coach. He identified a recruiting wheelhouse - undersized, overlooked Division III prospects from the island - and began to actualize Molloy president James Lentini's plan for football to expand and energize the student population.</p><p>"This is a vision that he had - a way to unite the campus. Nothing gets people more excited than Friday night lights," Hughes said. "We're a Catholic nursing university first. Now we're great at business and criminal justice and education. To get another 60-75 males enrolled, regardless of their major, is also a university goal, which makes great sense."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757374/cropped_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_2.jpg?ts=1732631784" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757374/w220xh124_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_2.jpg?ts=1732631784 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757374/w320xh180_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_2.jpg?ts=1732631784 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757374/w640xh360_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_2.jpg?ts=1732631784 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757374/w768xh432_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_2.jpg?ts=1732631784 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757374/w1080xh607_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_2.jpg?ts=1732631784 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Courtesy of Molloy Lions</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757375/cropped_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_4.jpg?ts=1732730821" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757375/w220xh124_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_4.jpg?ts=1732730821 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757375/w320xh180_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_4.jpg?ts=1732730821 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757375/w640xh360_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_4.jpg?ts=1732730821 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757375/w768xh432_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_4.jpg?ts=1732730821 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/757375/w1080xh607_Courtesy_of_Molloy_Lions_4.jpg?ts=1732730821 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Courtesy of Molloy Lions</span></figcaption></figure><p>One highlight of Molloy's first year was a 65-yard touchdown dime fired at Cornell by junior quarterback Paulie Drummond V, a Long Island native and Division III transfer. Hughes taught the fundamentals of line play to converted fullbacks and linebackers who showed they could battle in the trenches while adhering to the 178-pound limit, enforced by the league at multiple weekly weigh-ins.</p><p>A 2006 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/15/sports/ncaafootball/15sprint.html">New York Times</a> story highlighted the unique trajectories of sprint players. It noted Iraq War veterans were suiting up for Navy and a ballpark estimate of 70 doctors played for Cornell's longtime coach.</p><p>"They want to play college football, and they get a good coach and an opportunity to play against other institutions. They use what they learn to go on in life," Hatchell said. "We want you to build a house in four or five years that you're going to live in for 40. The football players of today are the leaders of tomorrow."</p><p>Elite players look forward to flag's Olympic debut. The sport's addition to the 2028 summer slate inspired NFL QBs to muse about representing the home team in Los Angeles. Darrell Doucette, the veteran face of the U.S. men's national squad, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3057949" href="https://thescore.com/news/3057949">bristled</a> at the assumption NFLers would supplant him and argued they won't have a feel for flag's shiftiness and trickery.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today’s Wall Street Journal article referenced Darrel “Housh” Doucette, the star quarterback of the US team, as one of the best flag football players ever. Check out this clip from the 2018 AFFL Championship, where Housh made one of the greatest plays in flag football history.🏆 <a href="https://t.co/reWLm1DUbh">pic.twitter.com/reWLm1DUbh</a></p>— American Flag Football League (@FlagFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlagFootball/status/1714695814130598102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Sowers, who played and coached for Team USA, said the women's teams from Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Panama could seriously challenge American supremacy and underline flag's worldwide growth. Buzz about the tournament will spur youth participation. The Olympic flame is a guiding light for grassroots talent.</p><p>"It's absolutely going to motivate young girls and boys to play. More so young girls," Sowers said. "The Olympics are the highest honor in sports and a goal of everyone. It gives purpose to something they might have thought there was no future in."</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29214916/related

How alternative forms of football help the game grow

In the wake of World War II, dozens of baseball leagues sprung up across all corners of North Ame...

<p>In the wake of World War II, dozens of baseball leagues sprung up across all corners of North America to satisfy public clamoring for live entertainment.</p><p>One was the Border League, which stoked competition between American and Canadian squads from 1946-51 at Class C, the fifth of six affiliated levels. The loop caught the attention of MLB scouts, and it unified an eclectic mix of stars, from Negro Leagues pioneers to a ringer from the dynastic Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>NHL co-founder Tommy Gorman - a former Canadiens general manager - owned and constructed the Border League's strongest team. Doug Harvey manned third base and won a batting championship for Gorman's Ottawa Senators as his Hockey Hall of Fame career took wing. Maurice Richard, the famed Original Six sniper, thought about moonlighting for a summer in the outfield.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Other players were veterans who flooded home from the war to swing a bat and delight rapt crowds.</p><p>"They were fit. They were athletes. Some of them played before they left, and now they're coming back and they have nothing to do. They might be working in a factory or something, but they also want to play a sport," said Warren Campbell, a Toronto-based contributor to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).</p><p>"It was a crazy time for the world, and here are these guys, like so many others across North America, creating a baseball league. They chose four teams in upstate New York, had teams in small-town Ontario and Quebec, and ended up solidifying the league.”</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="⚾️ Border League cities (1946-51)" aria-label="Locator map" id="datawrapper-chart-XvEr9" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XvEr9/4/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="595" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Campbell presented his findings about the Border League at the recent Canadian Baseball History Conference. He also spoke about the league's surprising star power in a phone interview that's been edited for length and clarity.</p><p><strong>theScore: In baseball's long history, there are countless defunct minor leagues. What drew you to researching the Border League?</strong></p><p><strong>Campbell</strong>: SABR is writing a book about the history of Ottawa baseball. I had never heard of the Border League. Just a quick search, and I went: Wow.</p><p>This is a league that lasted six years. It had a lot of interesting people in it other than Doug Harvey. Willard Brown is in the Baseball Hall of Fame because of his play in the Negro Leagues. "Home Run" Brown was his nickname, and he was given that name by Josh Gibson, the guy who's considered the greatest home-run hitter of all time. Brown won the Triple Crown twice in Puerto Rico before he ended up playing for Ottawa.</p><p>There were a lot of characters, and it was an open chapter that needed to be written.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756079/Gorman.jpg?ts=1731963732" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756079/Gorman.jpg?ts=1731963732 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756079/Gorman.jpg?ts=1731963732 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756079/Gorman.jpg?ts=1731963732 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756079/Gorman.jpg?ts=1731963732 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756079/Gorman.jpg?ts=1731963732 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"><i>Ross Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons</i> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>I'm hoping you can explain the Montreal Canadiens' involvement. What was Tommy Gorman like as a baseball owner, and why did he target Harvey and Maurice Richard as potential players?</strong></p><p>Because of his connections to the Canadiens. He had connections everywhere. He was a promoter. He would put on shows and bring in talent. He brought Frank Sinatra to Montreal. As far as sports, he put on boxing and wrestling. He owned a racetrack in Hull, Quebec. He founded the NHL. He was a guy who always had his fingers in things.</p><p>The idea of baseball was: He saw an opening. He said, "Ottawa doesn't have a professional team, and there's this new league, so I want to be involved." The first calls he made were to people he knew. He tried to get Bill Dickey, the former Yankees legendary catcher, to manage Ottawa. Dickey said, "No, but I've got a guy, Paul Dean" - who was a famous pitcher for a couple of years (and brother to Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean) - "and he'll come up and manage the team for you."</p><p>Gorman contacted people in Montreal. A lot of hockey players were playing baseball in the Quebec league in the summer, just to do something. Maurice Richard was a star center fielder. Richard got injured, so he never did come to Ottawa, but every year, they'd hear the rumors: "Gorman's going to bring Maurice Richard to play baseball in Ottawa."</p><p>Doug Harvey just loved sports. He would play anywhere. It was easy to get him, but come September, when it was playoff time for the Ottawa team, Harvey would leave and go to training camp to play hockey. He wouldn't stick around for the playoffs, unfortunately. You'll see the standings: Ottawa always tapped out when it got to the playoffs. That's because their stars were hockey and football players.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏆 Border League champions" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-3yy3E" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3yy3E/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="319" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Harvey was the first great playmaking defenseman. He won six Stanley Cups in the '</strong><strong>50s, plus seven Norris Trophies as his position's standard-setter. What was his baseball skill set?</strong></p><p>Superstar, to the point where the Boston Braves, the Brooklyn Dodgers - there are, like, six teams that put in offers to sign him.</p><p>To start out, he was not a refined player. He kept his hands noticeably apart and rested his bat on his shoulder. He was too relaxed. He fixed his batting style, which made him into the hitter he became. Doug Harvey was an athlete who could hit a ball, catch a throw, and do everything else. He just didn't really have the coaching until he got to Ottawa. He dominated the league in hitting when he finally got going.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🤩  Doug Harvey's stats" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-oMJ1B" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/oMJ1B/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="622" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Another Stanley Cup winner, NHL center George Gee, played for the Border League's Kingston Ponies. What did these Original Six players get out of dabbling in baseball?</strong></p><p>1940s hockey players played baseball because they could. It was something to do in the summer and they were athletes and they were competitive. They couldn't come home and play PlayStation or watch TV.</p><p>The idea of being a multisport athlete in those days was easier. The seasons weren't as long. The responsibility in the offseason was not like it is now, where the players are accountable to the team for 12 months a year. In those days, it was like, "The season's over, go home, and we'll see you at training camp." They were on their own.</p><p><strong>Ottawa signed Willard Brown, the great Negro Leagues slugger, after he'd followed Jackie Robinson to the majors in 1947. Manny McIntyre, who skated on hockey's first all-Black forward line, became the first Black Canadian pro ballplayer with the Sherbrooke team. What was their Border League experience like?</strong></p><p>Not good. McIntyre was 26 years old when he signed with Sherbrooke. He struggled with the racism in the Border League. Accounts don't say if it was in two-thirds of the league or upstate New York. I don't know where he experienced it. It's never clear as to exact incidents. He just struggled with it.</p><p>He only played 30 games. He hit .310. He had arm problems because of a hockey injury. He was a shortstop. He made 30 errors in those 30 games. His struggle with fielding and the racism are the two issues that come up as to why he quit the team.</p><p>He didn't quit baseball. At the end of the season, he had a trial with the New York Cubans of the Negro Leagues. He played in an exhibition game with the Cubans at Yankee Stadium. Whatever his issues were physically, they didn’t stop him from continuing to play. I think the issues he was getting with racism were probably more than has been documented.</p><p>Brown had played 21 MLB games for the St. Louis Browns. He didn't last long. His Negro League team was the Kansas City Monarchs, who were compensated for every game that Willard Brown stayed on the St. Louis Browns. The Browns decided they weren't going to keep him. But he was the first African American to hit a home run in the American League.</p><p>It came up very often that Brown was a relaxed player. If he was bored, he would carry a copy of "Reader's Digest" in his back pocket to read in center field. With Ottawa in 1950, he hit .352. He was 35 years old, and he continued playing until he was 42.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756072/cropped_GettyImages-517442076.jpg?ts=1731960164" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756072/w220xh124_GettyImages-517442076.jpg?ts=1731960164 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756072/w320xh180_GettyImages-517442076.jpg?ts=1731960164 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756072/w640xh360_GettyImages-517442076.jpg?ts=1731960164 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756072/w768xh432_GettyImages-517442076.jpg?ts=1731960164 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756072/w1080xh607_GettyImages-517442076.jpg?ts=1731960164 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Willard Brown (R) sits in the dugout with St. Louis Browns teammate Hank Thompson (L) and manager Muddy Ruel. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bettmann / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The Toronto Blue Jays took flight in the 1970s. Montreal loved the Expos for decades. How did nearby Ottawa and Kingston once compare as baseball cities?</strong></p><p>Ottawa had the Triple-A team of the Expos. Kingston had a team in only one other professional league. <em>(Pauses to find the information.)</em> It was very obscure: In 1888, they had a team in what was called the Eastern International League. They won the league, for what it's worth.</p><p>There's not a great history in those cities for professional baseball. By the time of the Border League, it was a big deal to have those teams. There was a lot of excitement. They drew well. After Ottawa's first game ended, the police had four calls asking them to clear the streets of groups of boys who were playing baseball. It captured the imagination of Ottawa people to have a pro team.</p><p><strong>What connections or divisions were there between the American and Canadian teams?</strong></p><p>There was a quote by Rev. Harold Martin: "The bonds of friendship and better understanding could be cemented further between the USA and Canada through the formation of a baseball league." He's the guy in upstate New York who founded the league.</p><p>From everything I've read, there didn't seem to be too many divisions. The rivalry was between Kingston and Ottawa. The Kingston owner had a lot of trouble with the Ottawa team, feeling they were flouting the salary cap and exaggerating their attendance.</p><p>Martin was a pitcher when he was younger. He was a professional player at certain levels, and at one point he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team. He knew Canada and had some connection to Canadian baseball. I guess he realized that putting six teams in upstate New York wouldn't be enough. You'd need the bigger cities of Kingston and Ottawa.</p><p><strong>The league disbanded during its sixth season. What drove its sudden demise?</strong></p><p>Television and popular culture became a thing. It killed a lot of leagues.</p><p>That league, their star team was Ottawa. They didn't win every year for various reasons, but the Ottawa team was dominant. They drew 110,000 in 1950 over 60 home games, so they were drawing almost 2,000 a game, which, for that level of baseball, was crazy good. All the other teams were drawing about 1,000. That's pretty good for a league like that.</p><p>They weren't getting TV rights, so they were basing it on the gate and sponsorship. That was enough to carry a team, but when Ottawa left the league (before the 1951 season), star players were gone. Players started getting drafted elsewhere. There were other distractions for baseball fans, and people stopped coming.</p><p>It lasted for six years. Five of those years were very successful. Historically, it's an interesting league. In the newspaper accounts, it was important enough that they had a reporter covering every game. They would go on the road with the team. Everyone gave this league respect.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29181742/related

The forgotten league that united baseball and hockey icons

The dog days have arrived for bad NFL teams that are resigned to playing out the string to decide...

<p><em>The dog days have arrived for bad NFL teams that are resigned to playing out the string to decide the draft order. These players provide dejected fans with a reason to enjoy the rest of the schedule.</em></p><h3>Brock Bowers</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756376/cropped_GettyImages-2172212228.jpg?ts=1732117600" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756376/w220xh124_GettyImages-2172212228.jpg?ts=1732117600 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756376/w320xh180_GettyImages-2172212228.jpg?ts=1732117600 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756376/w640xh360_GettyImages-2172212228.jpg?ts=1732117600 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756376/w768xh432_GettyImages-2172212228.jpg?ts=1732117600 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756376/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2172212228.jpg?ts=1732117600 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Patrick Smith / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The No. 13 overall draft pick's splendid debut signals he's the future of the tight end position. Bowers is the reason the Raiders rank 17th in pass yards and 30th - not a distant last - in total offense. His 70 catches for 706 yards, 38 first downs, and three touchdowns are all team highs.</p><p>He's pursuing milestones. Bowers barely trails Ja'Marr Chase for the NFL receptions lead while having a game in hand. He's on pace to break the records for most catches by a rookie (105, set by Puka Nacua last season) and receiving yards for a rookie tight end (1,076 by Mike Ditka in 1961).</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Bowers is indispensable to Vegas. Except for Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson, no NFLer commands a greater share of his team's pass targets (Bowers is at 26.4%), catches (29%), and receiving yards (30.5%), per TruMedia. He <a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/can-t-miss-play-brock-bowers-first-nfl-td-comes-on-57-yard-score-vs-broncos">nabbed</a> a contested jump ball and <a href="https://www.raiders.com/video/brock-bowers-touchdown-offense-nfl-week-11-miami-dolphins-11172024">brushed off</a> a tackle to house long touchdowns, but the Raiders are 0-3 when he scores because they averaged 36.3 points against in those games.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756364/Bowers.jpg?ts=1732115657" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756364/Bowers.jpg?ts=1732115657 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756364/Bowers.jpg?ts=1732115657 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756364/Bowers.jpg?ts=1732115657 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756364/Bowers.jpg?ts=1732115657 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756364/Bowers.jpg?ts=1732115657 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>Bowers moves the ball forward despite a low average depth of target of 5.9 yards. Only 10 of his 70 catches came on intermediate or deep passes that traveled at least 10 air yards, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/REGPO/receiving-depth?position=TE&amp;split=medium">PFF</a>. (As a point of reference, George Kittle's split for the 49ers is 18 of 43.) Gardner Minshew II uses Bowers as a safety valve, but if the Raiders draft the right first-round quarterback, Bowers could evolve into a downfield threat.</p><h3>Chuba Hubbard</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756379/cropped_GettyImages-2183599746.jpg?ts=1732117799" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756379/w220xh124_GettyImages-2183599746.jpg?ts=1732117799 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756379/w320xh180_GettyImages-2183599746.jpg?ts=1732117799 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756379/w640xh360_GettyImages-2183599746.jpg?ts=1732117799 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756379/w768xh432_GettyImages-2183599746.jpg?ts=1732117799 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756379/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2183599746.jpg?ts=1732117799 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Sven Hoppe / dpa / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Hubbard's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3121033" href="https://thescore.com/news/3121033">contract extension</a> with the Panthers rewarded his productivity under difficult circumstances. He ranks fourth in rushing yards (818, 5.1 per attempt) with a 56.5% rushing success rate in the NFL's No. 32 offense. He's gained a third of Carolina's scrimmage yards, leads the club with seven touchdowns, and is tied for the team high with 30 catches as a key checkdown target.</p><p>Hubbard eclipsed Miles Sanders, Carolina's prized backfield signing in 2023, and is seriously outperforming him for a second straight year. Those 818 yards are the fourth most amassed through 10 games by a Panthers running back this century, per TruMedia. Hubbard is close to the league lead in rushing yards after contact (3.6 per carry) and 15-plus-yard breakaways (12, including four against the Giants in Munich).</p><p>His output against the Saints and Giants (241 total yards, three touchdowns) just helped Carolina win back-to-back games for the first time since December 2022. Only two Panthers passes have gained more ground than Hubbard's 38-yard <a href="https://www.panthers.com/video/must-see-chuba-hubbard-breaks-through-for-a-38-yard-touchdown">TD run</a> against the Bears. He's coughed up the ball after three of his catches but hasn't fumbled on 581 straight carries dating to Week 8 of his 2021 rookie year.</p><p>There are 31 active running backs with more career touches than the 25-year-old Canadian, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/Kn87r">Stathead</a>. Hubbard's mileage isn't massive, and his breakout season in a lethargic lineup suggests he hasn't peaked yet.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Scraping the bottom" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-l6qbh" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/l6qbh/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="590" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><h3>Drake Maye</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756380/cropped_GettyImages-2184792381.jpg?ts=1732117869" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756380/w220xh124_GettyImages-2184792381.jpg?ts=1732117869 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756380/w320xh180_GettyImages-2184792381.jpg?ts=1732117869 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756380/w640xh360_GettyImages-2184792381.jpg?ts=1732117869 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756380/w768xh432_GettyImages-2184792381.jpg?ts=1732117869 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756380/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2184792381.jpg?ts=1732117869 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Boston Globe / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Anonymous playmakers surround Maye, but the No. 3 pick's promotion to starter pointed the rebuilding Patriots in the right direction. He's completed 67.4% of throws in six starts, fired nine touchdowns to as many targets, and won twice while keeping a couple of other scores close.</p><p>New England's offense was aimless and punchless under caretaker quarterback Jacoby Brissett. During his five-start stint, the Patriots ranked in the bottom two in passing yards, total yards, offensive touchdowns, and points scored. Brissett minimized disastrous plays, flinging just one interception, but needed to be benched for the team to make progress.</p><p>Maye gains first downs (78), completes explosive passes (13 for 20-plus yards), and exploits scrambling lanes (37.1 rushing yards per game) much more often than Brissett. Geno Smith is the only NFL QB with superior on-target throw and bad-throw rates (Maye's are 80.6% and 12.2%), per <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2024/passing_advanced.htm">Pro Football Reference</a>. Melding efficiency with excitement, Maye's first touchdown was a <a href="https://www.patriots.com/video/can-t-miss-play-drake-maye-with-a-40-yard-touchdown-pass-to-kayshon-boutte">dime from midfield</a>, and he scrambled for 12 seconds to force overtime against the Titans.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wild. Crazy. Unbelievable. Drake Maye would not be denied six points. <a href="https://t.co/08D7BiEpYg">pic.twitter.com/08D7BiEpYg</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853182109814546494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Only four passers drafted since 2020 - Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert, Brock Purdy, and C.J. Stroud - added more expected points than Maye through their first six starts, per TruMedia. The rookie is cool, confident, and capable of brilliance.</p><h3>Dexter Lawrence</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756382/cropped_GettyImages-2173817994.jpg?ts=1732117975" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756382/w220xh124_GettyImages-2173817994.jpg?ts=1732117975 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756382/w320xh180_GettyImages-2173817994.jpg?ts=1732117975 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756382/w640xh360_GettyImages-2173817994.jpg?ts=1732117975 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756382/w768xh432_GettyImages-2173817994.jpg?ts=1732117975 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756382/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2173817994.jpg?ts=1732117975 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Giants game-wrecker is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate following his ninth-place finish in 2023 voting. Lawrence's nine sacks, which double his '23 season total, are the most recorded by a nose tackle through 10 games this century, per TruMedia. His 13.4% pressure rate is superb for his position.</p><p>Pounding passers is one of New York's few fortes. The Giants rank second in sacks (36) and own the top QB takedown rate (11.6%) for any team since the 2000 Saints, per TruMedia. Their only wins stemmed from the pass rush's barrage against Cleveland's Deshaun Watson in Week 3 (Lawrence had two of eight sacks that forced 48 lost yards) and Seattle's Smith in Week 5 (Lawrence had three of seven for 53 lost yards).</p><p>Lawrence possesses brute strength, quick feet, and the second-best <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/REG/defense?team=5,8,9,15,23,19,21,22,31&amp;minimum=20p">PFF</a> grade (89.8) among players on dismal teams with fewer than four wins. The only higher applicable grade belongs to Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett.</p><p>The Giants often waste Lawrence's impact; according to <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/IXEni">Stathead</a>, only two NFL defenders have been part of more losses (59 in 90 career games) since he debuted in the league alongside <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3136142" href="https://thescore.com/news/3136142">ex-teammate</a> Daniel Jones in 2019.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29136126/related

4 bright spots for some of the NFL's hopeless teams

Back in 2007, the unbeaten Patriots slayed all comers and left no doubt about their inevitability...

<p>Back in 2007, the unbeaten Patriots slayed all comers and left no doubt about their inevitability. They cruised into their bye week with a 9-0 record and a plus-208 point differential on the way to a perfect regular season.</p><p>Like New England's memorable juggernaut, the Chiefs boast three recent championships. They're perfect this year, but they aren't spotless. Kansas City tops the NFL in wins yet ranks ninth in point differential at plus-58, the lowest number for a 9-0 team in the Super Bowl era.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 NFL's 9-0 teams" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-aIKlD" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/aIKlD/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="1067" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Two truths coexist: The Chiefs are less convincing than their record, and they possess a special capacity to win by the skin of their teeth. Their seven one-score triumphs have included a walk-off field goal, an overtime touchdown march, and a blocked kick at the buzzer. Some combination of talent, heart, sorcery, and luck lets them flirt with danger.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Their attempt to keep rolling headlines a marquee weekend of football. Eight of the 12 AFC clubs in the playoff mix, including long shots that need to catch fire, are involved in head-to-head matchups.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="↕️ Current AFC standings" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-jXLrY" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/jXLrY/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="684" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>The must-see slate spans every scheduling window, with Bengals-Chargers and Texans-Cowboys headlining Sunday night and Monday night, respectively. Week 11 will set the tone for the postseason push by teaching us lessons about the Chiefs, the challengers to their rule, and various wild-card hopefuls.</p><p>Sunday's Chiefs-Bills <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3125581" href="https://thescore.com/news/3125581">heavyweight bout</a> is the fifth Week 11 meeting since 1970 between teams with at least eight wins. A Bills victory would tighten the competition for the No. 1 seed and the right to host a potential conference championship rematch.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Chiefs-Bills (2024 WK 11)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-pukdR" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/pukdR/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="253" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>The methodical Chiefs offense owns an elite completion rate (69.5%), third-down conversion rate (52%), and scoring rate (46.1% of drives produce points). They milk the clock, leading the NFL in average drive length, and win despite Patrick Mahomes' diminished weaponry (his top playmaker, Kareem Hunt, is 50th in scrimmage yards). Toying with Buffalo's defense would confirm the legitimacy of the perfect start.</p><p>A year ago, the Bills' <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2765200" href="https://thescore.com/news/2765200">cataclysmic meltdown</a> against the Broncos dropped them to 5-5 and got their offensive coordinator fired. Their reduction of giveaways in 2024 has shored up a debilitating weakness. Josh Allen has halved his interception rate to 1.3% (he's only thrown four), the defense ranks third in takeaways (19), and Buffalo has outscored teams 78-20 on drives following turnovers, per TruMedia. That's a blueprint to beat rival contenders.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Ravens-Steelers (2024 WK 11) (Copy)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-kBu96" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kBu96/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="253" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Ravens-Steelers is a prove-it game for both defenses. Baltimore gained the seventh-most offensive yards through 10 games in the Super Bowl era (4,402, 7.1 per play) because of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry's unstoppability. Pittsburgh's ferocious tacklers must limit chunk rushes (like the Bengals did last week, holding Henry to a longest run of 11 yards) and floor Jackson when possible (unlike Cincinnati ahead of his ludicrous <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1854727004609740891">tightrope scramble</a>).</p><p>Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson can attack Baltimore's vulnerable secondary. He leads the league in deep completion percentage (53.3% on passes traveling at least 20 yards) and landed three of those bombs for touchdowns in his three starts to date, per PFF. The Ravens allow the most passing yards and completed air yards, and they field six of the 41 NFL defensive backs who have surrendered at least three TDs apiece.</p><p>Pressure's mounting on the Texans to stop their skid in Dallas. They've blown leads in winnable contests and became the third team this century to lose a game despite snagging five interceptions, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/89AQE">Stathead</a>. Houston's still comfortably in the playoff picture, and the imminent return of star wideout Nico Collins should rejuvenate C.J. Stroud.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Bengals-Chargers (2024 WK 11)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-0v2GG" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/0v2GG/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="253" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Losers of the other key matchups risk tumbling out of the race. Sunday's nightcap in Los Angeles pits a desperate Bengals squad against a quarterback who can relate to NFL passing leader Joe Burrow's lack of help.</p><p>Justin Herbert yearns for a deep threat like Ja'Marr Chase - top Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey ranks 31st in yards - but he gets the defensive support that Burrow doesn't. Opponents fail to score on a league-best 76.8% of Chargers defensive drives. Caving down the stretch of shootouts, Cincinnati's defense ranks 32nd in points allowed and 30th in expected points added in the second half of games, per TruMedia.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Colts-Jets (2024 WK 11)" aria-label="Dot Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-pegXq" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/pegXq/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="253" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>In Indianapolis, Joe Flacco's demotion highlights the need for Anthony Richardson to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3112912" href="https://thescore.com/news/3112912">buckle his chinstrap</a>, show resilience and leadership, hit nearby targets, and consistently move the chains. Among qualified QBs, Richardson is the least accurate passer on short attempts (0-9 air yards) and ranks second-last on intermediate attempts (10-19 air yards) with a 51.3% completion rate across those distances, per PFF.</p><p>Sunday is big for the Colts, whose playoff odds would veer from 41% with a road win over the Jets to 14% in defeat, per <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-playoff-picture-postseason-probabilities-entering-week-11-of-2024-season">NFL.com's Ali Bhanpuri</a>. If Denver's losing slide continues against the Falcons, that would benefit Indy.</p><p>Aaron Rodgers' flailing 3-7 outfit can afford a maximum of one loss in seven upcoming games. The Jets must duplicate the 2023 Bills' 6-1 finish just to remain on the bubble.</p><p>The achievability of a dramatic turnaround rides on the defense's performance. The Jets flashed great potential earlier this season as one of three teams that have held multiple offenses below 200 yards. But a league-high four opponents have gashed Gang Green for over 350 yards without committing a turnover, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/HTWTI">Stathead</a>.</p><p>The 3-6 Dolphins teeter between the fringe of the playoff conversation and the bottom of the standings after wasting strong offensive efforts in close losses to the Cardinals and Bills.</p><p>They enjoy the third-easiest remaining schedule, per <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/nfl/remaining_schedule_strength">Tankathon</a>, and they tend to put up a fight when Tua Tagovailoa is healthy (77.7% completion rate, 4-1 TD-INT split, just five total sacks over his last three starts). Winning back-to-back home games against the Raiders on Sunday and Patriots in Week 12 would brighten Miami's glimmer of hope.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29047620/related

What the AFC playoff contenders can prove on a huge weekend

At the NFL's midseason mark, we identify and applaud key contributors who leveled up in the first...

<p><em>At the NFL's midseason mark, we identify and applaud key contributors who leveled up in the first half of the schedule. The All-Riser lineup doesn't include rookies or past Pro Bowlers, instead saluting 11 players who toiled in the league before they rocketed to relevance or stardom.</em></p><p><strong>Quarterback: Sam Darnold, Vikings</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754086/cropped_GettyImages-2176196114.jpg?ts=1731005714" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754086/w220xh124_GettyImages-2176196114.jpg?ts=1731005714 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754086/w320xh180_GettyImages-2176196114.jpg?ts=1731005714 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754086/w640xh360_GettyImages-2176196114.jpg?ts=1731005714 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754086/w768xh432_GettyImages-2176196114.jpg?ts=1731005714 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754086/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2176196114.jpg?ts=1731005714 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Stacy Revere / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Losing Kirk Cousins in free agency and rookie J.J. McCarthy to a preseason meniscus tear weakened Minnesota's quarterback room. Darnold silenced worries by blossoming with his fourth team. He ranks in the top 10 in completion percentage (69.5%), passing touchdowns (17 against seven interceptions), and completed air yards (1,187 out of his total of 1,900), signaling he can efficiently propel the ball downfield.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>In his first six seasons, Darnold compiled a 59.7% completion rate, 63-56 TD-INT split, and 21-35 record between the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers. He was memeified with the <a href="https://x.com/bubbaprog/status/1173999883621228544">mononucleosis graphic</a> and pigeonholed as a draft bust and second-choice QB. Darnold's dramatic improvement positioned the 6-2 Vikings to compete for first place in the stacked NFC North.</p><p><strong>Running back: Jordan Mason, 49ers</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754089/cropped_GettyImages-2178149473.jpg?ts=1731005951" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754089/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178149473.jpg?ts=1731005951 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754089/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178149473.jpg?ts=1731005951 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754089/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178149473.jpg?ts=1731005951 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754089/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178149473.jpg?ts=1731005951 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754089/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178149473.jpg?ts=1731005951 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steph Chambers / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Injury breeds opportunity, and Mason compensated for Christian McCaffrey's long absence by shining as the Niners' featured back. He exclusively trails huge names (Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs) on the NFL rushing leaderboard. His 685 yards equate to 85.6 per game and 5.1 per carry, which aren't far off McCaffrey's career highs.</p><p>Mason wasn't completely obscure before this season: A 55-yard, win-sealing run against the 2022 Seahawks put him on the map as a rookie undrafted free agent. Three 100-yard, one-touchdown efforts in September showcased his power and vision. He isn't a major receiving threat, and his numbers began to tail off ahead of McCaffrey's anticipated return, but Mason fit in with and complemented Brock Purdy's wide array of playmakers.</p><p><strong>Wide receiver: Nico Collins, Texans</strong></p><p>Five spectacular showings assured Collins of his place in this lineup before he bowed out of action for the past month with a hamstring problem. He totaled 32 catches for 567 receiving yards and exceeded the century mark in three of the 6-3 Texans' early wins.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr">W🤯W<br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLonCBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a> <a href="https://t.co/7k4hPMvWD2">pic.twitter.com/7k4hPMvWD2</a></p>— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1832836894930968992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Besides Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, no NFL wideout is within 20 yards of Collins' colossal per-game average (113.4). C.J. Stroud found him for a 67-yard <a href="https://x.com/theScore/status/1842984292890349655">breakaway touchdown</a> and a 55-yard twirling grab in double coverage. Eight of his receptions were 20-plus-yard explosive plays, and a whopping 27 moved the chains, suggesting that activating Collins should revive Houston's pass attack following a few quiet weeks.</p><p><strong>Tight end: Trey McBride, Cardinals</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754094/cropped_GettyImages-2173785315.jpg?ts=1731006192" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754094/w220xh124_GettyImages-2173785315.jpg?ts=1731006192 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754094/w320xh180_GettyImages-2173785315.jpg?ts=1731006192 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754094/w640xh360_GettyImages-2173785315.jpg?ts=1731006192 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754094/w768xh432_GettyImages-2173785315.jpg?ts=1731006192 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754094/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2173785315.jpg?ts=1731006192 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Christian Petersen / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Kyler Murray's main weapon leads the surging Cardinals in targets (60), catches (45), and receiving yards (481) for a second straight season while Marvin Harrison Jr. flits in and out of the game plan. McBride is an All-Riser because he was already good but now produces like a star at his position.</p><p>McBride ranks third among tight ends in receptions. He closely trails George Kittle, Brock Bowers, and Dallas Goedert in yards per game with 60.1, up from 48.5 last year. He's gained 23 first downs without a drop or fumble and offset his surprising lack of a receiving touchdown with a two-yard <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RSc4oGoeHQ">rushing major</a>, a <a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/trey-mcbride-recovers-conner-s-fumble-in-end-zone-for-td-in-right-place-right-time">fumble recovery</a> in the end zone, and nine 15-plus-yard grabs on various Arizona scoring drives.</p><p><strong>Offensive lineman: Charles Cross, Seahawks</strong></p><p>Seattle's left tackle has given up one lone sack and three quarterback hits in 427 pass-blocking snaps, per <a href="https://www.pff.com/">PFF</a>. That permitted Geno Smith to pace the NFL in pass attempts, completions, and yards through Week 9 and keep the 4-5 Seahawks in certain games despite their anemic rush attack and defensive shortcomings.</p><p>Cross fulfills a demanding role. Going off PFF's player grades, no other Seahawks offensive lineman is one of the top 15 performers at his position. Cross' 84.6 grade is the fourth best for a left tackle - he's a smidge ahead of perennial All-Pro Trent Williams - and dwarfs his 67.6 mark from last season when a toe sprain slowed him.</p><p><strong>Interior defensive lineman: Grover Stewart, Colts</strong></p><p>Stewart's 2023 campaign was derailed by a six-week suspension for violating the NFL's PED policy. The eighth-year Colt jumpstarted his redemption arc with a clutch <a href="https://www.colts.com/video/highlight-caleb-williams-fumbles-grover-stewart-recovers">fumble recovery</a> in a close win over the Bears. As part of his first career multi-sack game, he bowled over Minnesota's center last weekend to strip Darnold and spring Kenny Moore for a 38-yard score.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fumble six! Grover Stewart forced the ball out and Kenny Moore II scoops it up and scores for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Colts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Colts</a>!<br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsMIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsMIN</a> on NBC/Peacock<br>📱: Stream on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPlus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLPlus</a> <a href="https://t.co/PSgU0G9Px1">pic.twitter.com/PSgU0G9Px1</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853256615014945193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Stewart plugs gaps in the trenches and has recorded 13 rush stops, defined as tackles that seal a failure for the offense. No interior lineman with at least 10 tackles has a superior average depth of tackle against the run (0.7 yards past scrimmage), per PFF. Handoffs go nowhere when he swallows the ball carrier.</p><p><strong>Edge rusher: Will McDonald, Jets</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754097/cropped_GettyImages-2182400096.jpg?ts=1731006396" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754097/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182400096.jpg?ts=1731006396 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754097/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182400096.jpg?ts=1731006396 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754097/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182400096.jpg?ts=1731006396 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754097/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182400096.jpg?ts=1731006396 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754097/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182400096.jpg?ts=1731006396 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Mundane production in 2023 (three sacks, 12 total QB pressures, 19% defensive snap percentage) earned McDonald a "D" grade in theScore's end-of-season <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2805625" href="https://thescore.com/news/2805625">rookie report card</a>. That damning evaluation is a distant memory for the NFL's third-leading sack artist.</p><p>Five of McDonald's eight QB takedowns came in quick succession in September as Gang Green topped the Titans and held the Patriots to 139 offensive yards - the second-lowest yield around the league this season. His 34 pressures, two forced fumbles, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3WUZfAS2TY">red-zone takeaway</a> against the Texans have helped fuel a valiant defensive effort. The 3-6 Jets rank 25th in scoring but are fourth in yards allowed, second in pass yards allowed, and second in sacks.</p><p><strong>Linebacker: Zack Baun, Eagles</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754098/cropped_GettyImages-2173029471.jpg?ts=1731006712" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754098/w220xh124_GettyImages-2173029471.jpg?ts=1731006712 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754098/w320xh180_GettyImages-2173029471.jpg?ts=1731006712 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754098/w640xh360_GettyImages-2173029471.jpg?ts=1731006712 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754098/w768xh432_GettyImages-2173029471.jpg?ts=1731006712 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/754098/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2173029471.jpg?ts=1731006712 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Cooper Neill / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Baun's padded the stat sheet as the league leader in stops (37) and graced the highlight reel with splash plays. He's one of five linebackers with multiple sacks, a forced fumble, and an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8n5QdLKixw">interception</a>, which gifted the Eagles a short field last weekend ahead of a pivotal touchdown drive.</p><p>The savvy signing of Baun, a four-year backup with the Saints, fortified the middle of Philadelphia's defense. In pass coverage, he's allowed no TDs and the fourth-fewest yards per reception (6.2) among qualified linebackers. He plays every down (96% snap count) alongside Nakobe Dean, whose own acrobatic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvvfbjYDvEc">pick</a> in the end zone Sunday snuffed out the Jaguars' comeback hopes.</p><p><strong>Cornerback: Zyon McCollum, Buccaneers</strong></p><p>McCollum's glow-up in his third season contrasts the slippage of the Bucs' 30th-ranked defense, the only unit that's surrendered 500 yards twice. In that unsupportive environment, their top cornerback netted his first two NFL interceptions, six pass breakups, and an eye-popping fumble recovery.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ALMOST AN INSANE SCOOP &amp; SCORE 🤯<br><br>Zyon McCollum was ruled down by contact before the fumble return. <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/CHDwWDNZ0p">pic.twitter.com/CHDwWDNZ0p</a></p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1848554864978038997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>His underlying metrics impress. McCollum's played the second-most coverage snaps (380) but faced the 27th-most targets (41) at his position because QBs balk at testing him. While taking only one penalty, he's limited opponents to a 51.2% catch rate, fifth best among the 50 corners with the most snaps. Patrick Mahomes picked on McCollum's teammates in last Monday's overtime thriller but gained a mere 8 yards on throws in his direction, per PFF.</p><p><strong>Safety: Kerby Joseph, Lions</strong></p><p>Detroit's safeties - Joseph and Brian Branch - slam passing windows shut and have combined to snatch more interceptions (10) than 26 entire teams. Joseph's sixth takeaway and first career pick-6, which widened a halftime lead over the Packers, counterbalanced Branch's targeting ejection in an emphatic divisional win.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kerby Joseph with his SIXTH INT of the season 📡 <br> <a href="https://t.co/I8H2JHjg1R">pic.twitter.com/I8H2JHjg1R</a></p>— PFF (@PFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1853206212252246465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Joseph's allowed the second-lowest opponent passer rating (31.6) and fifth-lowest catch rate (47.4%) out of 77 safeties who've faced at least 10 targets, per PFF. He cut his missed tackle rate to 8.7%, down from 14.9% last season, and hasn't been penalized. His picks hand possession to a supercharged offense that recorded more touchdowns than incompletions over the Lions' six-win hot streak, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3064055" href="https://thescore.com/news/3064055">theScore's Dan Wilkins</a> pointed out.</p><p><strong>Kicker: Austin Seibert, Commanders</strong></p><p>Cut loose by the Jets at the end of training camp, Seibert became Cade York's performance replacement in Washington and promptly climbed to the NFL lead in made field goals with 25. He's perfect from inside 50 yards, scored all 21 Commanders points in his victorious debut, and nailed four key kicks in the Hail Mary defeat of the Bears.</p><p>A five-team journeyman, Seibert finally actualized the promise of his 2019 rookie season, which was the last time he played more than six games. His 97 points through eight outings put him on pace to rewrite LaDainian Tomlinson's long-held scoring record of 186 in 2006. He's even closer to David Akers' points record for a kicker: 166 in 2011.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

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The All-Riser team: 11 breakout players surging in 2024

In each year of the NFL's expanded, seven-team postseason format, one stacked division has sent t...

<p>In each year of the NFL's expanded, seven-team postseason format, one stacked division has sent three clubs to the dance.</p><p>Some fourth-place finishers almost managed to crash the party. Last season's 9-8 Bengals weathered the loss of Joe Burrow to a serious wrist injury and stayed afloat in the playoff race until New Year's Eve. In 2022, the 8-8-1 Commanders would have forced a convoluted four-way tiebreaker for two wild-card spots had they beaten - rather than tied - the Giants on the road.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="⭐️ Stacked divisions" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-xDDLm" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/xDDLm/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="217" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>This fall, the nexus of competitiveness is the NFC North. Its members field good quarterbacks, steal the ball on defense, and own the conference's second-best through fifth-best point differentials, trailing only Washington.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The 5-1 Lions, 5-2 Vikings, 5-2 Packers, and 4-2 Bears boast a combined 19-7 record. They're 10-3 against other NFC opponents and 7-2 against the AFC. None have glaring weaknesses. Except for Chicago's offense, which wobbled in Caleb Williams' first couple of weeks, each squad ranks in the top 10 in scoring on both sides of the ball.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Tale of the tape" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-VtwfB" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/VtwfB/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="481" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Teams want their rivals to fail, but last week's frantic finishes strengthened the quartet's collective chance to make history. Late field goals lifted the Packers over the Texans and helped the Lions neutralize a Vikings comeback, signaling they'll all battle for divisional supremacy. The Bears, who coasted into their bye on a three-win hot streak, seem capable of sneaking into the playoffs even if they place last in the North.</p><p>It would be an NFL first, and it necessitates smoking competition outside of the division with only so many wins within it available to split. Week 8 is important for this group: After the Vikings fell to the Rams on Thursday night, Sunday's slate features Lions-Titans, Packers-Jaguars, and Bears-Commanders matchups.</p><p>All of them can win 10 or more games to maximize the odds they'll sweep the wild-card berths if some key trends improve or persist.</p><p>One for the Vikings is late bloomer Sam Darnold's ability to make the big play.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751312/cropped_GettyImages-2178861007.jpg?ts=1729707465" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751312/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178861007.jpg?ts=1729707465 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751312/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178861007.jpg?ts=1729707465 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751312/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178861007.jpg?ts=1729707465 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751312/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178861007.jpg?ts=1729707465 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751312/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178861007.jpg?ts=1729707465 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Launching the ball for his fourth franchise, Darnold ranks in the top five among qualified quarterbacks in big-time throws (12), intended air yards per attempt (8.9), air yards per completion (7.8), and completion rate on deep shots that travel at least 20 yards (57.7%), per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/REGPO/passing?position=QB&amp;minimum=20p">PFF</a> and <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2024/passing_advanced.htm">Pro Football Reference</a>.</p><p>He's shown he can find Justin Jefferson (five receiving scores, 92.3 yards per game) and has helped Minnesota race to leads by outscoring foes 72-10 in first quarters. Darnold needs to go shot for shot with savvy veterans like Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, who each diced up the Vikings' defensive looks over a five-day span.</p><p>The Lions must generate pressure without singular edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, whose leg fracture in Week 6 derailed his push for Defensive Player of the Year. Hutchinson's 7.5 sacks and eight additional QB hits lessened the strain on a pass defense that sprung leaks throughout Detroit's rise to championship contention.</p><p>Three Lions sacks on the fringe of the red zone forced Minnesota to settle for field goals. A fourth thwarted Darnold's last-ditch Hail Mary attempt. Swarming QBs as a committee - defensive end Josh Paschal and three linebackers took down Darnold - could help Brian Branch, the acrobatic Lions safety with four interceptions, snare more overthrown passes or jump balls.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751313/cropped_GettyImages-2178287954.jpg?ts=1729707886" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751313/w220xh124_GettyImages-2178287954.jpg?ts=1729707886 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751313/w320xh180_GettyImages-2178287954.jpg?ts=1729707886 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751313/w640xh360_GettyImages-2178287954.jpg?ts=1729707886 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751313/w768xh432_GettyImages-2178287954.jpg?ts=1729707886 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/751313/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2178287954.jpg?ts=1729707886 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Stacy Revere / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Packers lead the league with 17 takeaways but could enlarge their plus-six turnover differential with improved ball protection. The key is to let Jordan Love cook (15 touchdown passes in five starts, NFL-high 8.4% TD rate) while reducing his hurtful plays (eight interceptions, 4.5% INT rate).</p><p>Channeling Brett Favre, the gunslinging Love's gotten into trouble when he's telegraphed throws, missed his target, or made reckless choices <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wM6XCZlL0A">while falling</a> in the end zone. He offset his two picks against Houston with a touchdown dart to tight end Tucker Kraft - which eluded an airborne defender's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM6Es4G9CjM">fingertips</a> - and another to wideout Dontayvion Wicks. Think of the havoc Green Bay's surplus of playmakers could wreak if Love was slightly more precise.</p><p>Chicago's priority is to keep Williams clean. The prized rookie was sacked 11 times in two early losses but absorbed just nine across four wins. The Bears gave up 50 sacks in 2023 as they scuffled to a 7-10 record and waited to draft Williams with Carolina's No. 1 pick.</p><p>His passer rating when pressured is poor (54.0, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/REGPO/passing-pressure?position=QB&amp;split=pressure&amp;minimum=20p">PFF</a>), but Williams is in command when routes have time to develop. He fired three 30-plus-yard touchdowns from a calm pocket in recent weeks, once after <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zIiHsnb_dTA">pump-faking</a> a lone threatening pass-rusher. His stats sparkled (74.1% completion rate, 7-1 TD-INT split) as Chicago banked wins over the Rams and Panthers at home and topped the Jaguars in London.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🆚 Divisional clashes" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-KHTtu" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/KHTtu/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="618" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Because their six divisional games come between Weeks 11-18, the Bears have the league's toughest remaining schedule, per <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/nfl/remaining_schedule_strength">Tankathon</a>. A rude awakening may await, but not until after Williams faces three more exploitable pass defenses - those of the Commanders, Cardinals, and Patriots.</p><p>Getting to 10 wins would almost guarantee a playoff appearance.</p><p>Between 2002-19, when 12 of 32 clubs reached the NFL postseason, nine 10-win teams and the 11-win 2008 Patriots failed to qualify, meaning a contender was often shafted.</p><p>Since the field expanded, only one of 46 double-digit win teams - the 2020 Dolphins - suffered the same fate, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/NxiZw">Stathead</a>. Every 10-7 team, plus eight nine-win squads, grabbed a playoff spot in the first three 17-game years.</p><p>The balance in the NFC North is unusual: 2012 was the last time three members enjoyed simultaneous winning seasons. Over 22 years since divisional realignment, the group produced one Super Bowl winner (the 2010 Packers as the No. 6 seed), another Super Bowl finalist (2006 Bears as the No. 1 seed), and the loser of nine NFC title games, with three of those defeats inflicted in overtime.</p><p>Months of football remain but, if all four teams hang in the postseason chase, they might do something unprecedented.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28788519/related

How the powerful NFC North can sweep 4 playoff berths

Big numbers pop off the page beside Derrick Henry's name on the NFL stats leaderboard. Through We...

<p>Big numbers pop off the page beside Derrick Henry's name on the NFL stats leaderboard. Through Week 5, he owned the most rushing yards (572), scrimmage yards (621), and scrimmage touchdowns (seven). He also had the longest run, an 87-yard sprint on the Ravens' first snap in a rout of the Bills.</p><p>Henry is 30 years old, which borders on geriatric for a modern running back. Despite taking lumps for nine years at the least forgiving skill position, he defies the aging curve. The former Titans legend who moved on in free agency is enjoying a renaissance with Baltimore, an unstoppable rushing team.</p><p>This wasn't certain to happen. Baltimore gambled by paying Henry $16 million over two years. The bruising rusher's inefficiency in 2023 - Henry gained just 68.6 yards per game despite leading the league in carries for a fourth time - signaled he'd be washed soon.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Instead, Henry scored in five straight games and ran amok in wins over the Cowboys (151 yards) and Bills (199) that helped the 3-2 Ravens avoid a nightmarish start. He surpassed 10,000 career yards, housed his 100th career TD (96th on the ground), and set up the knockout blow of the Bengals in last weekend's cinematic, 41-38 overtime triumph.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749379/cropped_GettyImages-2175680918.jpg?ts=1728593054" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749379/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175680918.jpg?ts=1728593054 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749379/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175680918.jpg?ts=1728593054 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749379/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175680918.jpg?ts=1728593054 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749379/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175680918.jpg?ts=1728593054 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749379/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175680918.jpg?ts=1728593054 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Owens / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Aging gracefully is difficult. Henry has turned back the clock as some older running backs battle injuries (28-year-old Christian McCaffrey has yet to play) and others drop off the map (29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott has 98 rushing yards for Dallas). Veteran pass-catchers like Travis Kelce, Cooper Kupp, Amari Cooper, and Tyreek Hill have looked creaky, been banged up, or deteriorated in a weak offense.</p><p>Within his cohort, Henry's a major outlier.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="👴 Grizzled playmakers" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-S7kIM" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/S7kIM/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="669" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>His five-game heater holds up historically, too. It's been more than a decade since any skill player in his 30s was this productive to start a season.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="⭐️ Golden oldies" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-p12d9" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/p12d9/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="521" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Henry's worn and torn, but his mileage hasn't hindered him. He's the active leader in carries with 2,125 and is on pace to record his fourth 300-carry season, tied for second most by a running back who debuted this century, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/UvqBw">Stathead</a>. He trucks tacklers, possessing a massive lead among active rushers in yards gained after contact (5,455, or 54% of his career output).</p><p>He went from the one-man battering ram who sparked the Titans to playoff upsets, including over Baltimore in 2019, to a vital cog in the Ravens' powerhouse offense. They've averaged 211.2 rushing yards - 32.8 more per game than the second-place Commanders - and rank second in scoring behind Washington, their Week 6 opponent.</p><p>Certain touchdown drives highlighted Henry's synergy with Lamar Jackson, the rushing leader among quarterbacks.</p><p>In Week 3, Henry stiff-armed and sidestepped some Cowboys to pick up 29 and 26 yards on either end of Jackson's 16-yard designed keeper. Following a Bills turnover in Week 4, Henry's 25-yard outside run and Justice Hill's slippery 17-yard screen catch positioned Jackson to find the end zone from 9 yards out.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DERRICK HENRY ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 🤯<br><br>(🎥: <a href="https://twitter.com/Ravens?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ravens</a>) <a href="https://t.co/RIrcnLr4VB">pic.twitter.com/RIrcnLr4VB</a></p>— theScore (@theScore) <a href="https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1840550566679744992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Henry ran 87 yards untouched to demoralize Buffalo, and he showcased his wheels and elusiveness in overtime at Cincinnati, ruthlessly juking cornerback DJ Turner as he set up the winning field goal.</p><p>Henry's peak speed of 21.46 mph on that 51-yard getaway was the fourth fastest recorded across the league so far this season, according to <a href="https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/top-plays/fastest-ball-carriers">Next Gen Stats</a>.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DERRICK HENRY!!!! <br><br>📺: Sunday 1 pm on CBS <a href="https://t.co/7qKcVgBmF7">pic.twitter.com/7qKcVgBmF7</a></p>— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/1843026856997757387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>A healthy mix of yards amassed before contact (328) and after contact (244) lifted Henry to the top of the NFL in both categories through Week 5, per <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2024/rushing_advanced.htm">Pro Football Reference</a>. He achieved this even though most of his carries (55 of 95) gained no more than 3 yards.</p><p>Crucially, Henry slugs homers, breaking free for the chunk rushes that keep the running game relevant in a pass-first league.</p><p>His seven rushes for 25 or more yards led to five Ravens TDs and the kick that finished off the Bengals. His 52.9% breakaway percentage - a significant career high - denotes that most of Henry's yardage has come from explosive, 15-plus-yard gains, per <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/2024/REGPO/rushing?position=HB&amp;minimum=20p">PFF</a>. He still motors at his advanced age.</p><p>Baltimore surrounds him with help. Henry earned an elite 90.1 PFF grade last season despite his statistical slippage and the lifelessness of Tennessee's 29th-ranked pass attack, which pressured him to do it all. In Baltimore, Jackson completes epic <a href="https://www.baltimoreravens.com/video/lamar-jackson-all-time-highlight-cincinnati-bengals-stiff-arm-touchdown-isaiah-likely-2024">backyard throws</a> and the Ravens boast PFF's No. 5 run-blocking grade, optimizing Henry's situation.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749377/cropped_GettyImages-2173105943.jpg?ts=1728592884" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749377/w220xh124_GettyImages-2173105943.jpg?ts=1728592884 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749377/w320xh180_GettyImages-2173105943.jpg?ts=1728592884 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749377/w640xh360_GettyImages-2173105943.jpg?ts=1728592884 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749377/w768xh432_GettyImages-2173105943.jpg?ts=1728592884 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/749377/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2173105943.jpg?ts=1728592884 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Matthew Pearce / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's early, but Henry's seamless integration has improved Baltimore's playoff outlook. Around the AFC, the 1-4 Bengals are reeling, the 3-2 Bills are erratic, and the 4-1 Texans are green. The undefeated Chiefs seem a little more vulnerable to dethronement than when they edged the Ravens in a defensive slugfest to reach last year's Super Bowl.</p><p>By expected points added per play, these Ravens rank second in rush offense, fifth in pass offense, and third in rush defense, according to <a href="https://rbsdm.com/stats/stats/?_inputs_&amp;qb_min=80&amp;qb_active=false&amp;exclude_to=false&amp;weeks=%5B1%2C18%5D&amp;wp=0&amp;range=%5B2024%2C2024%5D&amp;quarters=%5B%221%22%2C%222%22%2C%223%22%2C%224%22%2C%225%22%5D&amp;downs=%5B%221%22%2C%222%22%2C%223%22%2C%224%22%5D&amp;update=2&amp;navbar=%22Offense%22&amp;weeks_post=%5B%22None%22%2C%22None%22%5D">Ben Baldwin's database</a>. Their 25th-ranked pass defense is frail, but overall, they're close to complete, with no other team ranking in the top five in three categories.</p><p>More milestones are imminent for Henry. He's a few prolific weeks away from becoming Baltimore's first 1,000-yard running back since 2019 - a rare achievement with Jackson in the backfield.</p><p>On a grander scale, he needs four more rushing TDs to bag 100 for his career. Henry would be the eighth member of the hallowed 10,000-yard club to punch in that many scores.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🔝 All-time rushing leaders" aria-label="Scatter Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-lUiKe" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lUiKe/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="590" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28633534/related

How Derrick Henry turned back the clock at 30 years old

By losing twice in Prague to open the NHL schedule, the Buffalo Sabres sank to the bottom of the ...

<p>By losing twice in Prague to open the NHL schedule, the Buffalo Sabres sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Division.</p><p>They're in a familiar hole. The Sabres last made the playoffs in 2011, meaning their infamous, all-time record drought is at risk of reaching 14 seasons. It's hard to swim upstream, complete a rebuild, and return to relevance in a division that resists change.</p><p>Seven NHL squads have appeared in at least five straight postseasons, and four of those powerhouse teams rule the Atlantic. Every year, they box out Buffalo and two fellow perpetual rebuilders, the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, who are desperate to break their dubious streaks.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The efforts of Buffalo, Detroit, and Ottawa to unseat a playoff lock - be it the Boston Bruins, reigning champion Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Toronto Maple Leafs - will help define the new season. Each combatant faces pressure to take the next step before the Montreal Canadiens, the Atlantic's current pushover, begin to rise in the standings. Not all of them will.</p><p>Their three-way dogfight to play in May again - Detroit's playoff appearance drought is eight years old, and Ottawa's has lasted seven - has no precedent. Few NHL franchises spin their wheels for seven to 13 seasons, and they're the first set of division rivals to endure simultaneous droughts of this length.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏒 Outside looking in" aria-label="Range Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-wHda4" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/wHda4/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="405" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Just because an Atlantic shakeup's overdue doesn't mean it'll happen. Boston, Florida, Tampa Bay, and Toronto still boast major star talent after ranking in the top five in goals scored (Leafs, Lightning) or goals allowed (Panthers, Bruins) last season. This quartet won three Stanley Cups, accounted for six total Cup Final berths, and bullied the rest of the division in the years since the Senators detonated their roster.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🧐 Imbalance of power" aria-label="Bar Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-tOfNr" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/tOfNr/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="1039" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>To compete, Ottawa needs to stop the puck (32nd in save percentage in 2023-24) and quit wilting in adverse situations (1-14-1 record in Western Conference road games). Buffalo, the NHL's youngest team (average age: 25.3), brought back Lindy Ruff to coach a fledgling group that buried 50 fewer goals last year than in the high-flying 2022-23 season.</p><p>Progress depends on how a few key players perform.</p><p>The X-factors in Ottawa are <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3094941" href="https://thescore.com/news/3094941">newly extended</a> goaltender Linus Ullmark and second-line center Josh Norris, who can score 35 goals when his surgically repaired shoulder complies. A subtly crucial defenseman is Thomas Chabot, whose passing and puck-handling tilt the ice for the Senators when he isn't injured (sat out 68 games over the last three seasons) or forced to log huge, tiring minutes.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748916/cropped_GettyImages-2175675522.jpg?ts=1728325207" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748916/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175675522.jpg?ts=1728325207 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748916/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175675522.jpg?ts=1728325207 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748916/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175675522.jpg?ts=1728325207 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748916/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175675522.jpg?ts=1728325207 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748916/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175675522.jpg?ts=1728325207 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Vincent Ethier / Icon Sportswire / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748943/cropped_GettyImages-2175050496.jpg?ts=1728336724" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748943/w220xh124_GettyImages-2175050496.jpg?ts=1728336724 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748943/w320xh180_GettyImages-2175050496.jpg?ts=1728336724 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748943/w640xh360_GettyImages-2175050496.jpg?ts=1728336724 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748943/w768xh432_GettyImages-2175050496.jpg?ts=1728336724 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748943/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2175050496.jpg?ts=1728336724 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ben Ludeman / NHL / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>There are swing players throughout Buffalo's forward corps. Compared to '22-23, lead sniper Tage Thompson put 39 fewer shots on net and was half as prolific last year from the high-danger area around the crease (11 goals versus 23), per <a href="https://edge.nhl.com/en/skater/20232024-regular-8479420">NHL EDGE</a>. The Sabres want good health for third-year winger Jack Quinn, an efficient point producer, and hope depth center Ryan McLeod's speed and defensive aptitude will justify his <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2936236" href="https://thescore.com/news/2936236">acquisition price</a>.</p><p>The Red Wings are loaded with scorers but missed last year's postseason via tiebreaker despite an 11.6% team shooting percentage, the eighth-best mark of the salary-cap era. Regardless of whether that's repeatable, they need to stiffen defensively after ranking 24th in goals against and allowing 200 more dangerous scoring chances than they generated (1,007-807), according to <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php?fromseason=20232024&amp;thruseason=20232024&amp;stype=2&amp;sit=all&amp;score=all&amp;rate=n&amp;team=all&amp;loc=B&amp;gpf=410&amp;fd=&amp;td=">Natural Stat Trick</a>.</p><p>Subplots to track include top defenseman Moritz Seider's workload - <a href="https://puckiq.com/woodmoney?season=20232024&amp;tier=Elite&amp;positions=d&amp;group_by=player&amp;min_toi=10&amp;sort=ctoipct&amp;sort_direction=desc">PuckIQ</a> assessed that he played the league's toughest minutes last season - and 21-year-old Simon Edvinsson's readiness to shoulder a big role. These young guns strengthen Detroit's aging, middling hodgepodge of blue-liners and goalies.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🆚 Key showdowns" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-0G577" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/0G577/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="679" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>A dozen games are scheduled between Buffalo, Detroit, and Ottawa. Five happen before Christmas, and five arrive in a fast flurry after the March 7 trade deadline. Depending on who gains and drops points, these matchups could dictate which endless Atlantic skid finally, mercifully ends.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28612931/related

How 3 desperate teams can finally shake up the Atlantic

The NFL's reimagined kickoff rules, which aimed to spice up a stale play, have been live for one ...

<p>The NFL's reimagined kickoff rules, which aimed to spice up a stale play, have been live for one month.</p><p>Kickers pound dynamic kickoffs from the 35-yard line as every other player stands still in the receiving end. One return touchdown was scored - the Cardinals' DeeJay Dallas burned the Bills in Week 1 - and a tidal wave of touchbacks that were spotted at the 30 showed that coaches still love to play it safe.</p><p>We analyzed data and game film to assess the new format's muted impact, implications for different teams, and the future of the rules. Here are 10 quick-hit findings.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Returns are barely up</h3><p>The 656 kickoffs taken across the league through Thursday produced 447 touchbacks (68% of kicks) and 191 returns (29%) for 5,009 return yards - an average of 26.2 yards, which would smash the existing high for a season of 23.8. A few errant kicks were penalized for drifting out of bounds or falling short of the 20-yard landing zone.</p><p>The average team runs back 1.5 kickoffs per game. That's greater than last year's record low of 1.1 returns but translates to the second-lowest average in NFL history, per <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/NFL/returns.htm">Pro Football Reference</a>.</p><p>Instead of dwindling with the new rules, a touchback rate that ballooned to 73% in 2023 hasn't come down as much as the league surely hoped.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Rate of return" aria-label="Interactive line chart" id="datawrapper-chart-Sdrxk" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Sdrxk/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="468" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><h3>Teams want to avoid catastrophe</h3><p>The bulk of the NFL - 26 squads - has booted touchbacks on at least half of kickoffs. The 14 teams that aimed for the end zone at least 80% of the time instinctively opted to lock in their defensive starting field position.</p><p>Only the Commanders, Saints, Panthers, Dolphins, Texans, and Raiders have welcomed risk to varying degrees by tending to invite returns.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Playing it safe" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-UQDvq" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UQDvq/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="663" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>In several markets, the revamped format's been a nonfactor.</p><p>The Steelers and Packers returned one kickoff apiece in September for 13 and 24 yards, respectively. The Rams covered one kick and dialed up 20 touchbacks from punter Ethan Evans. The Bills' 94.4% touchback rate (17 of 18) in Weeks 2-4 was a response to being scored on and taking an out-of-bounds penalty in the season opener.</p><p>Arizona's kickoff unit recorded 17 touchbacks, was flagged once for missing the landing zone, and surrendered two explosive plays (53-yard return <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/former-jet-brandon-codrington-takes-his-first-bills-kick-return-for-53-yard-pickup">from</a> the Bills' Brandon Codrington, 41-yarder <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/blake-corum-s-44-yard-return-on-opening-kickoff-sets-up-rams-nicely-to-start">from</a> the Rams' Blake Corum). Those slipups explain why the touchback's alluring.</p><h3>Huge returns are this valuable</h3><p>Dallas - the Cardinals' fourth-string running back and go-to kick returner - surged through a gap in the middle of the field and forced three simultaneous missed tackles on his historic 96-yard score against the Bills. It was one of six returns to date that exceeded 40 yards.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE FIRST DYNAMIC KICKOFF RETURN TOUCHDOWN.<br><br>DEEJAY DALLAS. 96 YARDS.<br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AZvsBUF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AZvsBUF</a> on CBS/Paramount+<br>📱: <a href="https://t.co/waVpO909ge">https://t.co/waVpO909ge</a> <a href="https://t.co/COYfonnYxR">pic.twitter.com/COYfonnYxR</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1832865028808339666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>In Week 1's Bears-Titans game, Chicago's blocking walled off seven defenders to let DeAndre Carter sprint down the right sideline. His 67-yard return was worth 3.31 expected points, according to Pro Football Reference's calculations, and it jumpstarted the Bears' comeback from a 17-0 deficit.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DeAndre Carter returns the dynamic kickoff into Titans territory 🔥<br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TENvsCHI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TENvsCHI</a> on FOX<br>📱: <a href="https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG">https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG</a> <a href="https://t.co/ge4qHarL4E">pic.twitter.com/ge4qHarL4E</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1832845329017758086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>In Week 3's Bengals-Commanders clash, Washington's Austin Ekeler scooped a one-hop line drive and swerved from left to right to escape the first wave of coverage. His 62-yard return was worth 3.38 expected points, and it set up a short touchdown drive in the Commanders' 38-33 upset win.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Austin Ekeler returns the second half kickoff 62 yards!<br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WASvsCIN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WASvsCIN</a> on ABC<br>📱: Stream on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPlus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLPlus</a> and ESPN+ <a href="https://t.co/kLJRQXTIo5">pic.twitter.com/kLJRQXTIo5</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1838394303951049145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Two kickers are shining</h3><p>Signing Austin Seibert to replace Cade York after Week 1 - York missed two field goals and sent a kickoff out of bounds - helped Washington grab the NFC East lead.</p><p>Seibert is 10-for-10 on field goals and invited returns on 16 of 21 kickoffs (23.8% touchback rate) during a three-game win streak. Against the Bengals, he landed five kickoffs between the goal line and 3-yard line, and none were run back beyond the 30. Opponents have had to drive far to expose the Commanders' weak defense.</p><p>Blake Grupe's immaculate ball placement in Week 1 - he stuck nine straight kickoffs between the goal line and the 5 - helped the Saints trounce the Panthers, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2024/9/12/24242868/nfl-2024-new-dynamic-kickoff-definitive-guide">The Ringer's Austin Gayle</a> pointed out. Grupe invited returns last month on 19 of 27 kickoffs (29.6% touchback rate), and only five crossed the 30. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who helped craft and implement the new format, trusts Grupe and his tacklers to execute.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748288/cropped_GettyImages-1883328615.jpg?ts=1727983372" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748288/w220xh124_GettyImages-1883328615.jpg?ts=1727983372 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748288/w320xh180_GettyImages-1883328615.jpg?ts=1727983372 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748288/w640xh360_GettyImages-1883328615.jpg?ts=1727983372 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748288/w768xh432_GettyImages-1883328615.jpg?ts=1727983372 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748288/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1883328615.jpg?ts=1727983372 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ric Tapia / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><h3>One workhorse is overmatched</h3><p>Raheem Blackshear's league-high 12 returns for 310 yards, or 25.8 on average, haven't counterbalanced the Panthers' offensive and defensive woes.</p><p>Blackshear's longest return topped out at 31 yards. Nine were stopped inside the 30. Drives following his 12 returns produced 17 points (1.4 per series), five punts, a turnover on downs, and three Bryce Young interceptions before the quarterback was benched. Kicking to Carolina, like Grupe kept doing in Week 1, is smart.</p><h3>Bouncing touchbacks are powerful</h3><p>Lions kicker Jake Bates pinned the Seahawks last Monday night following Jared Goff's startling touchdown catch. Bates' low, uncatchable, inch-perfect kickoff landed at Seattle's 1 before it caromed through the end zone, which spotted the ball at the 20, not the 30, under the intricacies of the touchback rule.</p><p>Bates' precision cost Seattle 10 yards and subtracted 0.66 expected points (0.28 instead of 0.94) to start the offensive drive, per Pro Football Reference. It was the seventh touchback spotted at the 20 through four weeks.</p><h3>Kickers aren't hitting</h3><p>One kicker recorded a tackle in September, and it happened on the final kickoff of the month. Bates got credit for nudging Dee Williams out of bounds in Monday's fourth quarter even though a Seahawks blocker was flagged for holding.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3072445" href="https://thescore.com/news/3072445">Kickers aren't hitting</a> for a few reasons: They're walloping all those touchbacks; they not allowed to cross midfield until the ball lands, which distances them from the returner; and they've squandered tackling opportunities. Whiffs by Buffalo's Tyler Bass (spun around by Dallas), Arizona's Matt Prater (fell over and couldn't trip Codrington), and Cincinnati's Evan McPherson (jogged backward and didn't touch Ekeler) lengthened various big returns.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748291/cropped_GettyImages-2171147295.jpg?ts=1727983738" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748291/w220xh124_GettyImages-2171147295.jpg?ts=1727983738 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748291/w320xh180_GettyImages-2171147295.jpg?ts=1727983738 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748291/w640xh360_GettyImages-2171147295.jpg?ts=1727983738 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748291/w768xh432_GettyImages-2171147295.jpg?ts=1727983738 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/748291/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2171147295.jpg?ts=1727983738 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bryan Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><h3>Defenders aren't kicking</h3><p>The idea that strong-legged safeties might initiate some kickoffs was floated before the season. Teams planned to leverage the skill sets of experienced tacklers who can stick kicks inside the landing zone.</p><p>This quirk hasn't materialized: Kickers or punters took all 656 kickoffs. Most teams lean on one specialist. The Falcons split the work between punter Bradley Pinion and marksman Younghoe Koo, who took 13 kickoffs and nailed long, last-second field goals to win or force overtime in Weeks 4 and 5.</p><p>If strategies shift, Kansas City's Justin Reid is one safety who may be tapped to kick. Reid booted five touchbacks on seven tries for the 2022 Chiefs when they experimented with lightening Harrison Butker's workload.</p><h3>Onside kicks have fizzled</h3><p>The surprise kick that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upOmjohOvb4">once sparked the Saints</a> to Super Bowl glory was legislated out of the rulebook. Onside kicks are now reserved for trailing teams in the fourth quarter and must be declared in advance.</p><p>Out of 10 declared onside kicks, the Cowboys recovered one when the Ravens bobbled Brandon Aubrey's slow dribbler along the turf. Dallas outscored Baltimore 19-0 in the fourth frame of an eventual three-point loss.</p><p>Nine attempts failed despite some innovative efforts. The Vikings fell on Packers punter Daniel Whelan's drop-kick last weekend after it didn't bounce into the air. The Dolphins' onside punt following a Titans safety was penalized for sailing untouched beyond the designated setup zone, which confused people. (For clarity: Onside kicks <a href="https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#article-6-onside-kick">can't travel</a> more than 25 yards from the spot of the kick.)</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The players, coaches, announcers and for a moment the officials had no idea what the rule was here. I guess it landed beyond the landing zone? <a href="https://t.co/8TWXVxLNce">pic.twitter.com/8TWXVxLNce</a></p>— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewperloff/status/1840944228211339769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>What could and should change</h3><p>Cold weather wreaks havoc on kicking, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3078715" href="https://thescore.com/news/3078715">theScore's Scott Stinson</a> noted recently. More field goals fly wide and fewer kickoffs reach the goal line as the wind whips and temperatures plummet. Come December, that could create more return scores, fumbles, chaos, and excitement.</p><p>The league needs to consider two rule changes that relate to ball placement in the offseason.</p><p>The NFL could move back the kickoff spot to the kicking team's 30 - 5 yards further away from the landing zone.</p><p>Or it could disincentive touchbacks by spotting them at the opposing 35 - 5 yards closer to scoring territory. Roger Goodell acknowledged on NFL Network this week that moving touchbacks forward would be an immediate "game-changer."</p><p>Either tweak could be adopted with a keystroke and replace dead plays with legitimately dynamic returns.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

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10 takeaways about NFL's dynamic kickoff so far

Chicago's Soldier Field hosted a stylistic clash of groundbreaking quarterbacks on Sept. 30, 1979...

<p>Chicago's Soldier Field hosted a stylistic clash of groundbreaking quarterbacks on Sept. 30, 1979. Big-armed Doug Williams, a classic dropback thrower, helmed the visiting, undefeated Buccaneers. The Bears countered with dual threat Vince Evans, whose explosive, 65-yard screen toss to Walter Payton lessened the home team's margin of defeat.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NAIjPNhJX5I?si=VnA6JHKQVnCOmbEH&amp;start=934" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure><p>A parallel between the passers made the game historic. Their matchup, the NFL's first between Black starting QBs, helped dispel the prejudice that players who looked like them couldn't be counted on to dissect a defense or lead.</p><p>Williams and Evans were born during the same summer in the segregated American South at the outset of the civil rights movement. They weathered racist taunts, personal loss, and benchings to briefly dazzle under center and create chances for younger peers to flourish.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Their paths eventually split: Williams was MVP of Super Bowl XXII in 1988 - Washington, his second team, pounded the Broncos 42-10 - while Evans became a backup with the Raiders.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏈 Career comparison" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-I6NEX" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/I6NEX/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="570" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Their breakthroughs changed quarterbacking - almost half of NFL teams now field a Black starter - and inspired a new book, entitled "<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/louis-moore/the-great-black-hope/9781541705098/">The Great Black Hope</a>," by the race and sports scholar Louis Moore. He's a Grand Valley State University professor who studies how Black athletes shaped American history.</p><p>"So much of the struggle of the Black American was wondering whether promise would come to fruition: 'Am I really going to get an opportunity, or is my color going to continue to hold me back?'" Moore said.</p><p>"For Black fans (in the 1970s and '80s), the quarterback is the most important position in all of sports. It signals to them that guys will actually get a chance. If Doug and Vince make it - or, later, if Randall Cunningham or Warren Moon is going to make it - then I'm going to get a chance, too."</p><p>Before Moore's book launched this week, the author spoke to theScore about Williams and Evans' triumphs, tribulations, NFL legacies, and resemblance to two active stars. The conversation's been edited for length and clarity.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745438/GreatBlackHope_300dpi.jpg?ts=1726496946" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745438/GreatBlackHope_300dpi.jpg?ts=1726496946 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745438/GreatBlackHope_300dpi.jpg?ts=1726496946 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745438/GreatBlackHope_300dpi.jpg?ts=1726496946 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745438/GreatBlackHope_300dpi.jpg?ts=1726496946 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745438/GreatBlackHope_300dpi.jpg?ts=1726496946 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"><i>Courtesy of PublicAffairs</i> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>theScore: Fans know about Williams' historic Super Bowl triumph. Evans didn't realize his potential, but you wrote that in his first few seasons, he represented the future of football. How so?</strong></p><p><strong>Moore</strong>: It's the idea that you can have a true dual-threat quarterback - not a scrambler, but a guy who can have an offense built around his passing and running skills. The Bears were the first team to think about that. In 1980 (Evans' fourth NFL season), he does great as a backup, and he gets the starting role in '81.</p><p>Those are the years when they're the first organization to say: "You know what? We have this Corvette. Are we going to test-drive it or keep it parked in the garage?"</p><p>It doesn't go so well, because I think there's no blueprint for them. The college game is not the same as the pro game. The college game is the wishbone and triple options.</p><p>Vince struggled because he was never a classic quarterback. But it sets the tone for things to come. A few years later, you're going to get Cunningham. You're going to get Steve McNair, Michael Vick, and Daunte Culpepper. You'll get Colin Kaepernick. Lamar Jackson. Jalen Hurts. All the guys today.</p><p>Vince, to me, is that prototype. It just doesn't work out in real time.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745445/GettyImages-73923146.jpg?ts=1726498066" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745445/GettyImages-73923146.jpg?ts=1726498066 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745445/GettyImages-73923146.jpg?ts=1726498066 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745445/GettyImages-73923146.jpg?ts=1726498066 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745445/GettyImages-73923146.jpg?ts=1726498066 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/745445/GettyImages-73923146.jpg?ts=1726498066 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Evans with the Bears in 1980. <i>Ronald C. Modra / Getty Images</i> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>In the 1950s and '60s, Black college QBs invariably got moved to receiver or cornerback in the NFL because of racial stereotypes. Teams thought they were fast but not brainy. They were seen as athletes but not leaders. What had changed by the time Williams and Evans turned pro?</strong></p><p>Williams is drafted in '78. Evans in '77. Nothing's changed. It's just that they were so good that it was hard to pass up.</p><p>Williams ended his college career as the most prolific passer ever. How do you pass that up? The other thing that helped him was playing a few games against white teams. People see this. There's a Heisman run for him. It was clear that he was the best in college.</p><p>Evans is playing on TV for USC in the Rose Bowl, and he's pretty good. There were two organizations that were willing to take a chance on them.</p><p><strong>Sept. 30, 1979: What did their head-to-head matchup in Chicago symbolize?</strong></p><p>It's the modern NFL. (On a recent Sunday), we had three games where Black quarterbacks went head-to-head. That's normal now, whereas at that time, it was the first instance in modern football. You start to see the shift.</p><p>A decade before, it was unthinkable. There was one starting Black quarterback: James Harris for the Bills in 1969. It doesn't happen right away after the '79 season, but this is what the NFL came to look like, because these guys were electrifying, they could move, and the fans were starting to be receptive.</p><p><strong>Williams helped an awful Buccaneers expansion team quickly become a playoff contender. Evans showed flashes of brilliance in middling Bears offenses. How were they treated by those fan bases?</strong></p><p>For Doug, it was up and down. In 1970s America, the South is still coming to terms with integration. There's hate mail. His coach was called an "N-word lover."</p><p>Black fans always supported him. That's a given. You also see how big of a star he was. He was the biggest drawing card in 1978. Fans would unfold signs that say, "Doug's cool."</p><p>But when things went bad, they really went bad. He was never judged on being a quarterback. He was judged on being a Black quarterback. What that meant in the 1970s and '80s, you can't detach that from race and racism.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746667/GettyImages-640158936.jpg?ts=1727186951" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746667/GettyImages-640158936.jpg?ts=1727186951 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746667/GettyImages-640158936.jpg?ts=1727186951 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746667/GettyImages-640158936.jpg?ts=1727186951 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746667/GettyImages-640158936.jpg?ts=1727186951 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746667/GettyImages-640158936.jpg?ts=1727186951 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Williams passes for the Buccaneers in 1981. <i>Focus on Sport / Getty Images</i> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>There was more fan support early on for Vince because he was a backup. I don't care what your color is - American fans love backup quarterbacks when the starter's awful, and the Bears had awful quarterbacks. As long as Vince was on the bench, they loved him. They thought he was fast, exciting, and electrifying. You see that in his first few games that he started where he's dropping 50-yard bombs for touchdowns.</p><p>The problem comes when you struggle. That's when they turn on you. The alternative for him wasn’t necessarily the white guys who weren't good, but by the time you get to '82, rookie Jim McMahon. His time was pretty much over once that happened.</p><p><strong>Following stints in the USFL, returning to the NFL defined Williams and Evans as players. Doug got his crowning moment in the Super Bowl. Vince scuffled to become the Raiders' longtime backup. What adversity did they overcome and how did they exhibit resilience on the path to achieving those things?</strong></p><p>For Doug, there's the well-known stuff: He'd just married, had a baby, and he loses his wife in 1983 while trying to negotiate a contract. When he goes onto the USFL, he struggles a bit, and then the NFL doesn't call him. Luckily, Joe Gibbs, his coach in Washington, was his offensive coordinator for a year at Tampa Bay. He remembers him and brings him on.</p><p>In the '86 season, he barely plays. That '87 season leading into the Super Bowl is up and down. He loses his starting job. It's rare that we see football players cry in press conferences, but he's crying. It's taken away from him, and all that he's been through - all the racism that he had to fight being a Black quarterback - is coming to his mind, and he can't control those emotions.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746676/cropped_GettyImages-455012336.jpg?ts=1727188636" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746676/w220xh124_GettyImages-455012336.jpg?ts=1727188636 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746676/w320xh180_GettyImages-455012336.jpg?ts=1727188636 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746676/w640xh360_GettyImages-455012336.jpg?ts=1727188636 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746676/w768xh432_GettyImages-455012336.jpg?ts=1727188636 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746676/w1080xh607_GettyImages-455012336.jpg?ts=1727188636 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Williams hands off the ball during Washington's blowout victory in Super Bowl XXII. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Focus On Sport / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>But (replacement QB) Jay Schroeder's not that good, and so at the end of the season, they put (Williams) in. He wins the last game of the season, and his coach is like: "We're going to ride with you." And the rest is history - for that year. The next year, he struggles and gets hurt, and he's gone (from the NFL) within two years.</p><p>Now, Vince, different story. Nobody wanted a piece of Vince Evans. The NFL was done with him, and then the strike came in 1987. Like a number of Black quarterbacks in the strikes of 1974 and '87, Vince took an opportunity and crossed the picket line. His teammates see him as a scab, but the Raiders and Al Davis like him. Al's a pretty open-minded guy. He was the first owner to sign a Black head coach in Art Shell.</p><p>Vince makes it with the Raiders and, for the next eight years, on again and off again, gets cuts only to be brought back. That makes him the first career Black backup. There's no role for a Black backup quarterback at that time. You're either starting, out of the league, or at another position.</p><p>The fact they let Vince stay on made room for guys today like Josh Johnson, who's probably in his 15th year as a career backup. Tyrod Taylor: career backup. Charlie Batch before them. Guys who are there just in case there's an emergency. That's who Vince Evans became.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746712/cropped_GettyImages-1359127558.jpg?ts=1727199703" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746712/w220xh124_GettyImages-1359127558.jpg?ts=1727199703 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746712/w320xh180_GettyImages-1359127558.jpg?ts=1727199703 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746712/w640xh360_GettyImages-1359127558.jpg?ts=1727199703 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746712/w768xh432_GettyImages-1359127558.jpg?ts=1727199703 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746712/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1359127558.jpg?ts=1727199703 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Evans scrambles for the Raiders in 1995. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Scott Vlha, Contra Costa Times / MediaNews Group / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>A key person in the book is Eddie Robinson, the legendary Grambling coach. Sending Black quarterbacks to the NFL was a mission for Robinson. His sophisticated, pro-style dropback offense helped Williams become an attractive prospect. What did his role signify about the importance of coaching?</strong></p><p>One thing he didn't have to deal with was all the pushback, because he was at a Black school. But the fact you can build a system around a Black quarterback - nobody thought you could do that. Robinson proved that you can time and time again.</p><p>He served as this mentor for guys like James Harris and Doug Williams. He urged them to stay the course, and never to complain. My guess is, in real time, Doug Williams and James Harris wanted to lash out in the face of racism. Because Robinson taught them to keep their cool and keep pushing ahead so the next guy has an opportunity to come up behind them, that's what you get.</p><p><strong>You mentioned Harris, the first Black full-time NFL starter. He mentored Evans and Williams when they were in college. All three in retirement started a group called the Field Generals to support younger Black QBs. What lessons and wisdom have been passed between generations?</strong></p><p>What Harris did was essential. There were only a handful of QBs at that time who'd ever experienced what they did. Harris was the older guy who could talk to them.</p><p>You think about the guys who didn't get it. They struggled. Marlin Briscoe, who was the first one to start (a handful of games) in 1968, wound up having a drug problem a decade later. Joe Gilliam, who started in '74 for six games, wound up having a drug problem.</p><p>Mentorship was huge to these guys. They realized moving forward, "We've gone through a lot of stuff." They could be there for others to make sure they can handle a blitz, and they can also handle the fans, GMs, and coaches.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746671/cropped_GettyImages-1811743484.jpg?ts=1727187618" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746671/w220xh124_GettyImages-1811743484.jpg?ts=1727187618 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746671/w320xh180_GettyImages-1811743484.jpg?ts=1727187618 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746671/w640xh360_GettyImages-1811743484.jpg?ts=1727187618 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746671/w768xh432_GettyImages-1811743484.jpg?ts=1727187618 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/746671/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1811743484.jpg?ts=1727187618 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts were the first Black quarterbacks to face off in a Super Bowl. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">David Eulitt / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>When you watch the NFL, which QBs make you think of Williams, and who reminds you of Evans?</strong></p><p>The best case is Super Bowl LVII (between the Chiefs and Eagles). You've got Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.</p><p>Hurts and Evans were very similar. They're short, they're compact, and they're fast with powerful arms. They're still trying to figure out precision passing.</p><p>Williams and Mahomes are talented pocket quarterbacks, can move, and can make any throw. That's why they called Doug Williams the Rifleman. He's a gunslinger just like Mahomes. To me, it's the perfect comparison.</p><p><strong>Nowadays, Black QBs win MVP awards and championships. They headline the top of the draft. What will their accomplishments mean in the future?</strong></p><p>The future's Black. We're not even thinking about it anymore. Doug Williams wasn't a "Black quarterback" until he gets into this white space. The more we move on, it's going to be a Black position. The way the guys are playing today, it's a copycat league, and it's going to make it easier for the next guy.</p><p>A great example is the past two drafts. Back-to-back first and second picks are Black quarterbacks. Last year, it was Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and then the fourth pick is Anthony Richardson. This year, it's Caleb Williams, it's Jayden Daniels, and Michael Penix Jr. goes early in the first round. Next year, probably Shedeur Sanders if he gets his stuff together. It's becoming the norm of what we see.</p><p><em>Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.</em></p>

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