HEADLINES

Month: January 2023

Latest On Bengals’ Offensive Line Situation

January 20th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 20: Neither Cappa nor Williams will play against the Bills. Taylor ruled out the starting right guard and left tackle for Sunday’s divisional-round game. With Collins done for the season, this will push three Cincinnati second-string blockers into the lineup against Buffalo.

JANUARY 16: When the Bengals reconvene with the Bills, their offensive line could be in much worse shape compared to when the teams began their Week 17 game that ultimately ended up cancelled. Jonah Williams suffered a dislocated kneecap during Sunday night’s win over the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Zac Taylor called Williams “week to week,” though this injury can sideline players for an extended time period. Neither Williams nor right guard Alex Cappa could walk without assistance Sunday, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes, providing a grim glimpse of the Bengals’ O-line situation for their divisional-round game. Injured during Cincy’s Week 18 game against Baltimore, Cappa is battling an ankle malady and is also on a week-to-week timetable.

For what it’s worth, Williams has a recent history of playing through this injury. The former first-round pick sustained a dislocated kneecap in the Bengals’ first matchup with the Ravens and did not miss any time. He returned the following week and did not miss a snap for the rest of the regular season. The 2019 first-rounder has rebounded from his lost rookie season — nullified because of a shoulder injury — and has been a vital part of Cincinnati’s O-line over the past three years. The Alabama product will be going into a contract year in 2023.

The Bengals already have La’el Collins out for the season due to a Week 16 ACL tear. Cappa and Williams’ absences in the Ravens rubber match helped lead to four Joe Burrow sacks, with former second-round pick Jackson Carman struggling. Carman replaced Williams at left tackle, playing the blindside post for the first time as a pro. The Bengals benched Carman during his 2021 rookie season, and despite the Clemson product being favored to win the left guard competition this year, he did not do so and only played four regular-season snaps.

A line featuring Carman, Max Scharping and Hakeem Adeniji will be quite different from the one housing Williams and offseason additions Cappa and Collins. Scharping was unable to catch on as a regular Texans starter, bouncing in and out of Houston’s lineup despite a second-round pedigree, and did not make the rebuilding team’s 53-man roster this year. A former sixth-round Bengals draftee, Adeniji has started 15 career regular-season games and five postseason contests — including all four last season. The Bengals attempted to upgrade by adding Collins, but Adeniji will be back in place next week in Buffalo. It remains to be seen whether Williams or Cappa will be able to join him.

NFL Discussed Bengals-Bills Neutral Site; Latest On AFC’s Atlanta Scenario

January 20th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Had the Bengals beaten the Bills in Week 17, the four-loss team would have been on track to secure the AFC’s No. 2 seed. The results of Week 18 — Chiefs, Bengals and Bills wins — would have finalized that scenario. But only the Buffalo side of the “what if?” equation ended up factoring into the NFL’s neutral-site proposal.

The Bills controlled their own destiny for the AFC’s top seed, which would have been the franchise’s first since 1993, but the frightening Damar Hamlin scene leading to a cancelled game ended up nixing that path. While the Chiefs have drawn the 9-8 Jaguars in Round 2, despite losing to both the Bills and Bengals in the regular season, the latter two teams will face off Sunday. A third straight year featuring a Bills-Chiefs playoff matchup would take that game to Atlanta, and while the NFL discussed a second neutral site for a Bengals-Bills tilt, that game will be played in Buffalo.

“There was some discussion,” NFL executive VP Troy Vincent said (via the Buffalo News’ Clevis Murray) of Bengals-Bills being played in a neutral location, “but membership thought it was best for [only] the championship game to be at a neutral site.”

The Bengals’ main objection amid a swift push to shoot down the NFL’s compromise came as a result of the coin-toss scenario involving the Ravens, but they would have been part of the neutral-site scenario had the Chiefs lost to the Raiders in Week 18 and a rematch of last year’s AFC championship game ended up occurring. The team obviously voted against the proposal, with the Chiefs abstaining and the Bills being one of the 25 teams to submit a “yes” vote, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes. Barring a Jaguars upset of the Chiefs on Saturday, the Bengals will need their road whites for the remainder of the AFC playoffs.

Should the Chiefs hold seed and the favored Bills prevail in the teams’ first playoff matchup since the 1988 AFC championship game, the teams will head to Georgia for a game that has already seen 50,000 tickets sold — per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) — to Bills and Chiefs season-ticket holders. One (or two) team’s fans would collect some sobering refunds depending on this weekend’s results, but should the league’s Atlanta contingency come into play, Bills and Chiefs fans would be seated on opposite sides at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Chiefs wanted an outdoor venue on grass, Jones adds, while it is not clear what the Bills preferred. Although both the Colts and Lions’ venues were floated as options, neither Lucas Oil Stadium nor Ford Field ended up being in play. The NFL selected Atlanta because of its fairly equal distance (893 miles from Buffalo, 801 from Kansas City) between the two cities, per Jones, while the NFC South stadium has been an in-case-of-emergency site for a bit now.

Speculation about the NFL using a Bills-Chiefs matchup as a test run for conference championship games to be played at neutral sites has emerged, and sources outside the league office floated to Jones that theory. Despite the draft and combine now rotating venues, the conference championships — played at the site of the team with the better record since 1975 — being held at neutral locations would mean the No. 1 seed would only come with a bye and one home game. The No. 2 seed having a path to host two games might be a nonstarter for the league. But the NFL has moved a wild-card game to Monday, despite the Monday game’s winner guaranteed a short week. The Atlanta scenario being a prelude to a drastic format change should not be entirely dismissed, though we are not there yet.

Commanders To Interview Rams’ Thomas Brown, Dolphins’ Eric Studesville For OC

January 20th, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Rams tight ends coach Thomas Brown is both on the HC and OC radar. In addition to meeting with the Texans about their top coaching position, the young assistant is on tap to discuss the Commanders’ play-calling role.

The Commanders are set to meet with Brown and Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville about their offensive coordinator position, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Studesville will talk with the NFC East team Monday, while Brown’s meeting is slated for some point next week.

While this search is progressing, multiple candidates have bowed out of the pursuit early. Both Jim Caldwell and Darrell Bevell indicated they would not meet with the Commanders. The former Colts and Lions HC is not interested in OC gigs, while the Dolphins’ QBs coach rebuffed overtures from the Commanders and Jets about play-calling roles. Washington still has conducted interviews with former OCs — Pat Shurmur and current QBs coach Ken Zampese — but some first-time options are involved in this search as well.

Brown, 36, met with the Texans about their HC role Tuesday and has also come up as a possible option to succeed Liam Coen as Rams OC. Sean McVay jettisoned a host of assistants this week but retained Brown, who has been on the rise for a bit now. The Vikings interviewed the three-year Rams staffer for their OC role in 2022. Brown spent nine years in the college ranks before joining McVay’s staff in 2020; he has coached both the team’s running backs and tight ends.

Studesville, 55, has both been an interim HC (with the 2010 Broncos) and an OC (with the 2021 Dolphins) previously, but the veteran assistant has primarily coached running backs throughout his lengthy NFL run. Both the Broncos and Dolphins kept Studesville on despite changing coaches multiple times during his tenure. Both John Fox and Gary Kubiak kept the Josh McDaniels hire on in Denver, while Studesville has been with Miami through the Adam Gase, Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel regimes. Studesville, who shared Miami’s OC role with George Godsey in Flores’ final season, has been an NFL staffer since 1997.

Ravens Expect Lamar Jackson To Stay In 2023; QB To Have Input In OC Search

January 19th, 2023 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

While this offseason presents the third round of Ravens-Lamar Jackson negotiations, key variables are part of the 2023 equation. Jackson is due for free agency (well, the franchise tag) in March, and the Ravens now have an offensive coordinator vacancy.

Greg Roman‘s departure will lead to Jackson, his status as a free agent-to-be notwithstanding, having input on the team’s next play-caller, GM Eric DeCosta said Thursday. Jackson endorsed a tweet indicating his Louisville years involved a pro-style offense, and while this could complicate the Ravens’ OC search — as Roman ran a run-heavy offense that capitalized on Jackson’s historic ground-game impact — the team has some major issues to sort through.

As could be expected, both Ravens power brokers expect Jackson back in 2023. DeCosta said (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley) he does not see any reason why the former MVP would not be back, while John Harbaugh offered a stronger stance.

“I want him here; Eric DeCosta wants him here; [owner] Steve Bisciotti wants him here, and Lamar wants to be here,” Harbaugh said. “One hundred percent, you know, 200%. Lamar Jackson is our quarterback. He’s been our quarterback.”

The Ravens have long been expected to apply the franchise tag to Jackson, who has been extension-eligible since January 2021 but just played out his fifth-year option season. DeCosta has not committed to using the exclusive franchise tag or the nonexclusive tag, indicating (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) he thinks about that decision “every day.”

An exclusive tag is expected to come in at $45MM, which would place a historic cap figure atop the Ravens’ payroll ahead of free agency. A nonexclusive tag would cost the Ravens approximately $32MM. That gap will be notable for when the Ravens plot out their free agency course, though the lower amount would allow other teams to sign Jackson to an offer sheet. The Ravens would collect two first-round picks in the event they do not match an offer sheet.

Considering recent events — Jackson’s injury, team frustration about his inability to return, Jackson’s comments on the injury and his thinly veiled Instagram shot at the team’s attitude toward him — the Ravens’ full-fledged commitment is logical. They have maintained they have wanted to extend Jackson since 2021. DeCosta and Harbaugh met with Jackson on Thursday, but progress in these negotiations still appears elusive. DeCosta said (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) he is excited to resume extension talks but noted it “takes two to tango.” The GM said this last year as well.

The Ravens are believed to have offered Jackson a six-year extension worth $133MM fully guaranteed. That figure would place Jackson in second place but second place by a gargantuan margin. Deshaun Watson‘s $230MM full guarantee is believed to be Jackson’s target, but the Ravens — and other teams — are attempting to treat the Browns quarterback’s contract as an outlier. While Jackson has outpaced Watson in accomplishments thus far and has not run into any off-field trouble like the Cleveland QB has, the latter’s contract did come via a rare trade derby that involved a four-team bidding war.

As for the speculation Jackson did not return to action this season because of his contract, DeCosta denied this (via BaltimorePositive.com’s Luke Jones). Harbaugh added the three-time Pro Bowler was close to returning to action. Jackson said last week he had a grade 2 PCL sprain that bordered on a grade 3 sprain, which is essentially a tear.

The recent Jackson developments have led some around the league to believe the Ravens will entertain trade offers — likely in a tag-and-trade scenario. DeCosta said (via Hensley) the team will not discuss anything involving a Jackson trade but believes the 25-year-old standout wants to stay in Baltimore for the duration of his career. Jackson has said the same in the past, but recent events and the team’s upcoming negotiations with the still-agent-less player may test that commitment.

Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) the team will consider internal candidates to replace Roman. The team operated this way in 2016 (Marty Mornhinweg) and 2019 (Roman). The most recent external hire for the job was Marc Trestman, who held the role from 2015-16. The Ravens will look outside the organization this time; the team must interview at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule.

The team’s passing-game struggles may well be attributed to Jackson, Jackson’s backups and Roman, but its issues at wide receiver have been a consistent concern. Harbaugh pointed to the team needing more receiving help this offseason, Zrebiec tweets. The team will have its top two wideouts — Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay — coming off major foot injuries, and it looks like more help will be sought. Procuring said aid on the market has not been the easiest thing for the run-heavy team to do, but receiver will be again be a focus for the Ravens this offseason.

Injury Rumors: Hyde, Gage

January 19th, 2023 at 9:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Bills safety Micah Hyde was initially thought to be out for the year after suffering a neck injury in only the second week of this season. A glimmer of hope appeared in late November when a neck surgery allowed Hyde the relief needed to return to active participation with the team. The good news came to a head when Buffalo designated their veteran safety to return from injured reserve a little over a week ago.

Not taking anything away from what the good news means for Hyde and his eventual return to the field, the Bills are remaining cautious and patient with Hyde this season. He was ruled out before last week’s matchup against the division rival Dolphins and ruled out for the divisional round a week in advance, according to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

Head coach Sean McDermott spoke on Hyde’s situation, saying, “After (the divisional round), I don’t know. It’s kind of one of those things like, wake me up when…tap me on the shoulder when he’s ready.”

Here’s another rumor, this one concerning an injury that occurred on Monday:

  • Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage encountered a scare when he exited Monday night’s loss to the Cowboys on a stretcher after taking a scary hit to the head and neck area. Tampa Bay’s official Twitter account released a statement explaining that Gage suffered a neck injury and a concussion and was taken to a hospital for an overnight stay where he received additional testing and observation. Head coach Todd Bowles told the media that Gage was released from the hospital the next day, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Bowles divulged that Gage avoided serious injury in his neck and that “he has all his extremities moving.”

Colts Request To Interview Bengals OC Brian Callahan For HC

January 19th, 2023 at 7:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan could see his second head coaching interview take place after being requested for one as the Colts seek to replace Frank Reich this offseason. Callahan and the Bengals are still alive in the playoffs after surviving a matchup with the division rival Ravens last weekend, so the timing of the interview is still up in the air.

Callahan has had a slow and steady rise in the NFL’s coaching ranks to this point, starting out as an assistant for Denver back in 2010. He followed that up with two seasons as an offensive quality control coach before being promoted to an offensive assistant role which he held until 2015. He got his first role as a position coach the following year in Detroit as the Lions quarterbacks coach. Despite getting offensive coordinator interest, Callahan was not retained by the Lions and he found his way to the same role in Oakland, where his father, Bill Callahan, once reigned as head coach.

The younger Callahan got his first offensive coordinator opportunity when Zac Taylor took over as head coach in Cincinnati. The offense struggled in Andy Dalton‘s final year with the team, finishing 30th in the league in points scored and 26th in yards gained. The team didn’t fare much better in Callahan’s second season, finishing 29th in both points scored and yards gained, but the addition of rookie quarterback Joe Burrow showed lots of promise for the young offense.

That promise paid off in 2021, when the Bengals finished seventh in scoring and 13th in yardage enroute to a Super Bowl berth. This year, Cincinnati performed similarly, ranking eighth and 15th in those respective categories. The team also won its second-consecutive AFC North title after a previous five-year playoff drought.

Callahan earned some head coaching interest after last year’s breakout performance, interviewing to replace Vic Fangio in Denver. He was one of 10 interviewees but failed to qualify as one of the three finalists before the Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett.

He now joins a much more crowded field in Indianapolis as the 14th name linked to the team’s search for a new head coach. The Colts have already interviewed eight candidates, moved on from one (as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh chose to remain in the college ranks), plan to interview three others, and have requested an interview with one more.

As long as the Bengals continue to see success on the offensive side of the ball, Callahan will likely continue to field calls for head coaching opportunities. To see where he and other candidates stand in the hiring process, follow our 2023 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Vikings Fire DC Ed Donatell

January 19th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings announced in a statement from head coach Kevin O’Connell today that the team “will be going in a different direction at defensive coordinator in 2023,” effecting the termination of this past season’s defensive play-caller, Ed Donatell.

O’Connell’s first year at the helm in Minnesota was widely successful, resulting in both the team’s first 13-win season and first division championship since the 2017 NFL season. Despite the team success, the Vikings were limited throughout the year by a struggling defense, led by Donatell. The Vikings defensive unit tied for third worst in the league in points allowed and allowed the second most yards on defense in the NFL, trailing Detroit by only 62 yards. The group was perhaps saved at times by tying for eighth in the league in turnovers forced.

Donatell chose to join O’Connell’s staff over a lesser role with the Seahawks last offseason. Minnesota looked at a couple of would be first-time defensive coordinators before eventually settling on Donatell, counting on his vast experience on the defensive side of the ball to go along with O’Connell’s offensive expertise.

Donatell had 11 seasons under his belt as a defensive coordinator, the most recent three before this season taking place in Denver. During that period, the Broncos defense often posted stellar numbers, although much of this was credited to the head coach at the time, Vic Fangio, who called plays for the defense. Donatell’s play-calling duties this season were called into question amidst the unit’s struggles, but O’Connell put those calls to rest.

In his statement today, O’Connell asserted that the team “will immediately begin (their) search to fill” Donatell’s now empty role. The answer could simply be in-house as assistant head coach Mike Pettine has several years of experience as a coordinator. Pettine’s presence on staff during this year’s struggles might be hard to overlook, though.

O’Connell and company may stray away from their initial preference towards experience and contact Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver or Packers offensive consultant Aubrey Pleasant, both of whom were considered for the role last year. The team also looked last year into Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai, who has one season as a defensive coordinator under his belt.

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