If you don’t have this man on your fantasy team, please go get him. Tyler Higbee is on a tear right now. He leads all tight ends in catches and is fourth in yards. The guy even plays special teams and sealed the win against Arizona. Momma, there goes that man!
He’s becoming a really nice safety valve for Matthew Stafford in an offense that has not looked like the Super Bowl caliber it was. My hope is that Higbee finally finds the end zone against the Dallas Cowboys.
Highest Tight End target shares this season:
Mark Andrews 32% Tyler Higbee 26% Travis Kelce 25% Kyle Pitts 24% Pat Freiermuth 23%
Andrews, Higbee, Kelce and Freiermuth are all Top 6 in actual targets, whereas Pitts is 10th in Atlanta's low-volume pass offense.
Where is the vaunted Ravens defense that only allowed 10 points per game once upon a time? The defense that ran hard to the ball? A defense that took a quarterback’s lunch money before he even realized it was gone? I’m banging the table for the Ravens to find some sort of life against their division rival Bengals at home, with a very leaky offensive line.
Woww, Tua with a 5 touchdown game! Tyreek Hill with another score!
Happy Tuesday, friends! As we turn the page on week two and prepare for a not-so-great on-the-paper matchup between two teams coming off frustrating losses, we have to take one last look at the week that was. Comebacks and collapses, individual greatness, and some seats becoming hotter quicker than expected (or not expected, in some respects), let’s look back like Thanos at the end of the Avengers and see what 8 things we liked from this last weekend, one from each division.
AFC East
I really liked what I saw from the Miami Dolphins. We aren’t the biggest fans of Tua, but Mike McDaniels is doing what he can to get his best players in space to do what they do best: run and run fast. Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gisecki had big people catches to extend drives or, in Waddle’s case, win the game, but all Tua really had to do was get the ball to Waddle and Tyreek Hill and let them go. The run game looked better this week as well, but speed kills in the NFL, and the Dolphins have it in spades.
NFC East
The Eagles defense was able to lock up an explosive Vikings offense. Darius Slay held all-world WR Justin Jefferson to 1 catch on 6 targets: in fact, Slay had more caught balls on Jefferson targets than Jefferson did when they were matched up. They pestered Kirk Cousins all game and could have the division clinched by Halloween.
AFC North
The Ravens are, very clearly, the best team in this division, but a monumental collapse has them tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh this morning. Those two teams play on Thursday and, barring a tie, we will get one game of separation. The Ravens get the Patriots on Sunday, which should be a win for Lamar and Co. before they get a heavyweight fight versus the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen. This loss to Miami is going to sting, because they could’ve been 3-0, with a little bit of a cushion in case they lose to Buffalo. Instead, they now need a bounce-back win to keep pace.
NFC North
The Lions are going to be a tough out. They run the ball, protect their QB, and have an emerging talent at WR. They, also, got 3 sacks and a world of pressure from their first-rounder Aidan Hutchinson, which should make Kirk Cousins very nervous come Sunday. The biggest thing you’re seeing from this team is that they show up, even when there is a talent gap, and if they can get the QB position right and have Jameson Williams returning? Look out.
AFC South
I picked the Jaguars to win this division before the season started, and after Sunday’s drubbing of the Colts, I feel really good about that. Trevor Lawrence is a stud, Doug Pederson taking a year off was genius, and they may have the premier young edge duo in the league in Josh Allen and number one pick Travon Walker. The Colts aren’t as good as people think (sorry, Meg), but to be shut out like this is concerning. The Jags are going to continue getting better, and Trevor Lawrence has the potential to really elevate them come playoff time. A date with the Chargers on Sunday will tell us a lot about where this team is right now.
NFC South
The Bucs are in trouble, in large part because Tom Brady looks like a man who is only on the field because he doesn’t want to go home and work on his marriage. It’s Tom Brady, what do you expect me to do? The Bucs’ offense averages 19 points a game, with none of the vaunted big plays we are used to seeing from Brady and this crew. Mike Evans is suspended because he doesn’t like Marshon Lattimore putting him in a car seat, and they’re relying on Scotty Miller and Breshad Perriman to lead this passing attack. Throw in the OL issues, and the Bucs have the making of a one-and-done team if the Saints don’t keep them out entirely.
AFC West
Russell Wilson had one more completion than the Broncos had penalties, for those keeping score at home. Through two games, the Nathaniel Hackett offense looks like it did when he was calling plays in Jacksonville: uneven and like it doesn’t know what it wants to be. They paid Wilson A LOT of money to make this offense move, and so far the results are not good. They’re already two games behind Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs with a Sunday night tilt against a very good 49ers team. This could get uglier than a Master P sneaker real quick.
NFC West
The Niners were my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl but that was before Trey Lance got hurt. I thought Lance’s mobility and big play potential would open up this offense in a way that Jimmy Garrapolo just doesn’t. With Lance out for the year, I just don’t think the Niners have enough at QB to compete with Stafford, Rodgers, and Brady. With that said, they can rush the passer, and that’s usually been their recipe for success under Kyle Shanahan since he’s only had limited QBs to work with. The run game is currently 4th in the league in yards, so I think they’ll lean on that even more with Jimmy, but you’re going to have to score points in bunches come playoff time. How they look going forward is going to be fascinating.
Welcome to your mid-week edition of The Morning After Huddle! Vikings, Lions, Packers, and Bears? Oh my.
Here’s what you need to know:
First, the Chicago Bears have plans for expansion. The team is considering building a domed stadium and entertainment complex roughly 30 miles outside of Chicago. Proposal plans show the property would include things such as restaurants, office space, a hotel, fitness center, and more. The hope is also that this would be the place of future College Football playoff games, College Basketball Final Fours, and yes, Super Bowls.
Second, it’s never too late to go back go school. Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles is now the holder of a youth and community development degree from Mount St. Mary’s University. Thirty-seven years after leaving college for the NFL, Bowles is fulfilling his personal commitments to his mother, his family, and community. Things came full circle as he included his coaching strategies and philosophies into his assignments, including barriers and struggles of developing a team and individuals for good.
As always, the Morning After Huddle is dedicated to bringing you all the latest updates. We’re back tomorrow, as the season kicks off, with more news you want to know!
Welcome to Week One of the 2022 NFL Season and to the Tuesday edition of The Morning After Huddle! There was secrecy. There was intrigue. At long last, the Steelers have a starting quarteback.
Here’s what you need to know:
First, the Pittsburgh Steelers will roll with veteran Mitch Trubisky as the starting quarterback for Week One. Trubisky is also a captain along with T.J. Watt, Najee Harris, Cameron Heyward and Miles Killebrew. Perhaps even more intriguing is that rookiequarterback and first round draft pick Kenny Pickett is third on the depth chart, behind Mason Rudolph. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, despite the fact that Pickett was coming on in camp, nothing changes with Trubisky being the starter.
Moving along, Ryan Kerrigan is returning to the Washington Commanders after ten seasons with the team. Kerrigan is joining the staff as an Assistant Defensive Line Coach. Commanders writer Pete Haileys says Kerrigan will prioritize the lack of pass rush on Washington’s Defensive line.
Finally, below is your Key Signings and Trades Roundup from the last few days:
Welcome to your weekend edition of the Morning After Huddle! We’ve reached the time of year when people often say that “football is life.” However, the reality is life is often bigger than football.
Here’s what you need to know:
Starting strong, The Houston Texans franchise continues to answer the call of fundamentally understanding just how critical community impact can be. The Texans are teaming up with Nike to provide uniforms and equipment to the Uvalde High School football team. Additionally, the team is providing transportation, food, and access to NRG Stadium suites for Uvalde players and coaches to their home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Roland Ramirez, Director of Player Care and Sports Medicine, is from Uvalde, Texas and attended Robb Elementary School, the site of a deadly mass shooting earlier this year where nineteen students and two teachers passed away and seventeen others were wounded. The Texans will also wear a decal on their helmets this season in honor of those lost.
Next, Cardinals Safety Jalen Thompson is getting a new deal. Thompson is signing a contract extension to remain with the team through the 2025 season. The deal is worth up to $40 million with $24.5 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $10 million. Thompson is a fifth-round pick from the supplemental draft in 2019 and played in 91 percent of the defensive snaps from last season.
Happy Football Friday and welcome to another edition of The Morning After Huddle!
Here’s what you need to know:
First, Titans Running Back Derrick Henry is a very happy man this morning. Henry is now the highest-paid running back in the NFL. The Titans reworked his contract to give him a $2 million raise for the 2022 season for a total of $14 million. Henry will be a free agent once this deal expires and this gives the Titans the ability to create a new deal in the off-season.
Moving along, new Saints and Former Jets Safety Marcus Maye is in trouble with the law. Maye is facing charges of aggravated assault related to a road rage incident. Police say that Maye is the driver in an incident that involves pointing a firearm at another vehicle that was occupied by juvenile females. Maye’s lawyer denies the claims. Maye is still facing discipline for a 2021 arrest related to driving under the influence and leaving the scene. More to come with this story.
Next, Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton is heading to the non-football injury list. Hamilton is revealing news of a kitchen accident over the weekend. He shared photos via his social media showing what appears to be second-degree burns after a ”freak accident”.” The burns are the result of spilling cooking oil. Hamilton is now set to miss at least the first four games of the season as he recovers.
Welcome to your Thursday edition of the Morning After Huddle! Broncos Country, let’s ride!
Here’s what you need to know:
First up, prepare for more cheesy dad-level jokes and puns because Broncos Quarterback Russell Wilson is here to stay. The new Quarterback is landing himself a sweet extension contract of $245 million with $165 fully guaranteed. This new deal is five months of hard work in the making. This makes Wilson the second highest paid Quarterback in the NFL (in terms of new money) with $49 million. Oh, Mr. Wilson!
Hold on to your helmets, teammates! (Not your opponents’ helmets. I’m looking at you, Aaron Donald!) We’re back tomorrow with more news you want to know!
Last time, we looked at arguably the worst division in football. Today, we look at, arguably, the best division in football. In one corner, you have a Pittsburgh Steelers team who will always be well-coached no matter who plays QB. In another, you have a Baltimore Ravens team who saw half their team snapped away due to injury like the Avengers. In the third corner, a Cleveland Browns team that will rightfully be without the QB they traded the farm for most of the season. And then in the last corner rests the reigning defending conference champion Cincinnati Bengals, coming off their best year in years and aiming to finish the job they started last year.
Let’s boogie.
When does Kenny Pickett start? The Steelers will have a first-round QB to start the season, so in that regard, it is no different than when they had Ben Roethlisberger. Which first-round QB it will be? Well, that’s the question. Mitch Trubisky signed in the offseason and has looked solid if unremarkable. Kenny Pickett, to the surprise of many, has actually looked like he belongs, and that’s without the assortment of weapons he should have when the season begins. Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Freirmuth should be all systems go when the season starts, and the Steelers’ defense has added pieces and should return to form this year. While Trubisky should be able to navigate an early season terrain, it might make more sense for the Steelers to see what they have in their young QB sooner rather than later.
Can the Bengals repeat? The most significant difference from Joe Burrow’s first season to last year can be summed up in two words: Ja’Maar Chase. Sure, the Bengals spent on the defense, and you saw that come together really well, but Chase was the most game-changing rookie WR since Odell Beckham, Jr. He opened things up for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, and helped cover up A LOT of OL deficiencies. In year two for him, it will be interesting to see how defenses cover him because the Bengals go as he goes. If defenses have figured him out, there is a good chance the Bengals don’t repeat.
Can Jacoby Brissett win enough to have the nasty man’s return matter? Jacoby Brissett is not a good QB, and the Browns would’ve been better off trading for Jimmy Garrapolo to salvage their season. Instead, they chose not to acquire a good QB (or, at least, a QB that could run their offense well enough to where the defense can carry them), and will now try to tread water for 11 games until their franchise QB can make a late-season run. With Nick Chubb, a really good OL, Amari Cooper at WR, and two solid TEs, he won’t have to do much under normal circumstances, but the Browns begin on the road versus Carolina before taking on an improved Jets roster. They then get Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England, Cincy, and the Chargers over five of the next seven games. The Browns could be 0-9 before Thanksgiving, and then it won’t matter if the QB is coming back because the season will be over.
Who catches Lamar’s improved passes? Before getting hurt, Lamar was showing great strides at QB from the pocket. He was, also, beginning to develop chemistry with Rashod Bateman, who led the Ravens WRs in first downs. This off-season saw the Ravens trade Hollywood Brown, and add Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely and Iowa State TE Charlie Kolar. It is a lot to ask rookie TEs to contribute in year one, which means Bateman and TE Mark Andrews will be asked to carry the Ravens’ passing attack. Whoever emerges after them is in line for heavy-duty targets, and will go a long way towards determining if the Ravens return to the top of the division.
Welcome to your Monday edition of The Morning After Huddle. This weekend was incredibly tough for the NFL.
Here’s what you need to know:
First up, it is with an extremely heavy heart that we share Jason Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs for the Miami Dolphins, has passed away at 47. According to multiple reports, Jenkins died unexpectedly over the weekend. A fixture in the community, he joined the Dolphins organization in 2009 after spending time with the 49ers. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
Next, the heavy news continues with the Washington Commanders. Running Back Brian Robinson is recovering this morning after being shot several times in the lower extremities during a robbery attempt. Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera says Robinson is in good spirits after visiting him in the hospital. Sending best wishes to Robinson and a fruitful career. The Running Back is a third-round pick from this year’s NFL Draft.
Unlike the two best QBs in this division, we are going to take a shot… at making you care about, probably, the worst division in football. Anything other than a Packers’ division title would be a major surprise. You like that? I bet you do, cheeseheads! Let’s dive right in.
1. Who replaces Devante Adams in Green Bay? Now, this off-season saw A LOT of movement across the league, but no two moves symbolized the player movement that is starting to resemble the NBA than Pat Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers both seeing their favorite targets jettisoned to really warm places. No, they didn’t get sent to Hel, but Vegas and Miami respectively. The Chiefs opted to take one of Rodgers’s weapons and sign JuJu Smith Schuster to attempt to replace Hill’s production. The Packers? Armed with two first-round picks, they elected to not draft a WR for Mr. State Farm. I wonder how he took that news! No, instead they added stud WR Romeo Doubs, who I think is going to be in the running for offensive rookie of the year. They also bring back Allen Lazard, who folks have been waiting to blow up for lord knows how long now. My money is on the rookie to be the next in the long line of non-first-round WRs who we ask ourselves “how’d they fall out of the first.”
2. When does Justin Jefferson get paid? The former LSU standout has engineered the best start to a career for any WR ever. Yes, you read that right. However, with so many WRs finding their way to their preferred locations, the longer his contract situation drags out (he’s eligible for a new deal after this season), the louder the noise gets that he will force his way out of Minnesota and away from a QB who is one virus away from missing a month or, you know, dying. His contract should make him the highest-paid WR in the NFL before the Bengals make their young stud WR the highest-paid WR in the NFL in three seasons. The Vikings have a new GM and HC, and could they prioritize trading him to recoup assets that let them land their franchise signal caller? We will see!
3. Jared Goff didn’t see the Lions draft his replacement (Malik Willis would’ve been an excellent choice), and instead, he saw them get him arguably the best WR and pass rusher in college football to a scrappy team that would not give up in games last year despite very clear talent deficits on both sides of the ball. Now Goff enters his second year in Detroit, but let’s be clear: he’s probably not long for the Motor City, where the Lions have excess draft capital to address the Joey Harrington-size hole they’ve had at QB. Do they swing for the fences and go up and get their guy, or will they be bad enough to where they don’t have to do that? Probably the latter, but at least Goff has some talent at WR.
4. Whereas Kirk Cousins has two talented WRs to throw to, and Aaron Rodgers saw his team add two talented (if one really raw) prospects in the draft, and Jared Goff now has Jameson Williams to go with Amon-Ra St. Brown and TJ Hockensen, the Chicago Bears have not a soul for Justin Fields to throw to. It’s like the new Bears General Manager found the manual on what not to do for your young QB where Bill Belicheck left it, and said “this feels like a great idea to replicate.” Justin Fields saw the Jets get Zach Wilson Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, CJ Uzomah, Tyler Conklin, and Laken Tomlinson. He saw the Jaguars get Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, and Brandon Scherff for Trevor Lawrence. He saw the Texans, enablers of a nasty man, give Davis Mills Dameon Pierce and John Metchie III. Ok, that’s not that great, but it’s better than what Fields has. With Denzel Mims, Sterling Shepherd, and Odell Beckham Jr available via different routes, the Bears would be smart to acquire one of them so they can assess what they have in Fields.
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