Vikings Place DT Armon Watts On IR
The Vikings have placed defensive tackle Armon Watts on injured reserve. To fill his roster spot, they’ve signed defensive end Eddie Yarbrough off the Bills’ practice squad. 
The Vikings selected Watts out of Arkansas with a sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft. Watts did not play in the first half of the season, but he suited up for six of the team’s final seven games. In those games, he tallied 1.5 sacks.
Yarbrough appeared in 31 games for the Bills in 2017 and 2018, including six starts. This year, he missed the team’s final cut, but he hooked on with their practice squad. All of a sudden, Yarbrough has a chance at a Super Bowl ring.
The Vikings will face the Saints on Saturday in New Orleans. The secondary will have its work cut out for them as they try to keep a lid on Michael Thomas, so the Vikes are hoping for some pass rush pressure against Drew Brees.
Browns To Interview Bills OC Brian Daboll
Add another name to the list of Browns head coaching candidates. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland will interview Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for the vacancy.
Daboll has had stints as offensive coordinator with four different organizations (including the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and Bills), and his 2019 season may have been his best. The Bills rushing attack finished in the top-10 for yards (a fact that’s even more impressive when you consider that 36-year-old Frank Gore led the team in carries). Daboll has also received credit for helping to develop young signal-caller Josh Allen.
Daboll also has major experience in the playoffs. The coach has five Super Bowl rings from his various stints with New England (including the role of wide receivers coach). The 44-year-old also won a CFB national championship after serving as the co-offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017.
Yesterday, the Freddie Kitchens era in Cleveland came to an end after just one season. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, an Ohio native, has already been mentioned as a candidate. The organization is also reportedly trying to secure interviews with Ravens OC Greg Roman and Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns’ HC job last year before they elected to hire Kitchens.
NFL Playoff Scenarios For Week 17
The final week of the regular season is upon us.
Here’s the official rundown of NFL playoff scenarios as we get set for Week 17:
AFC
Clinched:
Ravens – AFC North division & home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs
Texans – AFC South division
Chiefs – AFC West division
Patriots – AFC East division
Bills – playoff berth
Chiefs clinch a first-round bye with:
Chiefs win + Patriots loss
New England clinches a first-round bye with:
Patriots win or tie OR
Chiefs loss or tie
Raiders clinch a playoff berth with:
Raiders win + Steelers loss + Titans loss + Colts win + Raiders clinch strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Steelers*
*Raiders clinch strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Steelers if ONE of the following teams win or tie:
Bears, Lions, Chargers, or Patriots
Steelers clinch a playoff berth with:
Steelers win + Titans loss or tie OR
Steelers tie + Titans loss OR
Titans loss + Colts win + Raiders loss or tie OR
Titans loss + Colts win + Steelers tie Raiders in strength-of-victory tiebreaker*
*Steelers ties Raiders in strength-of-victory tiebreaker if ALL of the following teams win:
Vikings, Packers, Chiefs, and Dolphins
Titans clinch a playoff berth with:
Titans win OR
Titans tie + Steelers loss or tie OR
Steelers loss + Colts loss or tie
NFC
Clinched:
Packers – NFC North division
Saints – NFC South division
Vikings — playoff berth
49ers — playoff berth
Seahawks — playoff berth
Cowboys clinch NFC East division with:
Cowboys win + Eagles loss
Packers clinch a first-round bye with:
Packers win OR
Saints loss OR
Packers tie + San Francisco loss OR
Packers tie + Saints tie
Packers clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Packers win + San Francisco loss or tie OR
Packers tie +San Francisco loss + Saints loss or tie
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-3) (at Carolina (5-10); 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Saints clinch a first-round bye with:
Saints win + Packers loss or tie OR
Saints win + 49ers loss or tie OR
Saints tie +Packers loss OR
Saints tie + 49ers loss OR
49ers loss +Packers win or tie
Saints clinch homefield advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Saints win + Packers loss or tie + 49ers loss or tie OR
Saints tie + Packers loss + 49ers loss
Eagles clinch NFC East division with:
Eagles win or tie OR
Cowboys loss or tie
49ers clinch NFC West division title with:
49ers win or tie
49ers clinch a first-round bye with:
49ers win OR
49ers tie + Packers loss or tie OR
49ers tie + Saints loss or tie
49ers clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
49ers win OR
49ers tie + Packers loss or tie + Saints loss or tie
Seahawks clinch NFC West division with:
Seahawks win
Seahawks clinch a first-round bye with:
Seahawks win + Packers loss
Seahawks clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Seahawks win + Packers loss + Saints loss
Bills Worked Out RB Alex Collins
The Bills had some notable names in for workouts on Friday. Buffalo auditioned running back Alex Collins and kicker Kaare Vedvik, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques (and passed along by Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). Running back Ricky Ortiz and defensive backs A.J. Howard and Chris Johnson also worked out for the Bills.
A fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016, Collins broke out the following season after making his way onto the Ravens’ active roster. In 15 games (12 starts), Collins posted 973 yards and six touchdowns on 212 carries, good for 4.6 yards per attempt. He also finished eighth in Football Outsiders‘ success rate, which measures how well a running back helps move the sticks.
He struggled a bit in 2018, and his season ended with him being placed on the injured reserve. This year, Collins was recovering from a broken leg, and he was slapped with a three-game ban after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges for possession of a handgun and possession of marijuana. We heard back in November that Collins was fully recovered and was no longer suspended.
Vedvik earned some hype as Justin Tucker‘s backup in Baltimore, and the Ravens traded him to the Vikings for a fifth-rounder back in August. The 25-year-old didn’t catch on with Minny, and his next stop with the Jets lasted only one game.
Ortiz, 25, appeared in 12 games (nine starts) last season for the Falcons, hauling in three catches. He spent part of the 2019 campaign on the Saints practice squad. Howard, a former undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, hasn’t made his NFL debut despite spending time with six organizations. Johnson, 24, is an undrafted rookie out of Grand Valley State.
2020 NFL Draft Order As Of Week 15
With 14 full weeks of the NFL season in the books, the 2020 draft order is beginning to take shape. Here’s the rundown of where things would stand if the 2019 season ended today:
1. Bengals: 1-12
2. Giants: 2-11
3. Redskins: 3-10
4. Dolphins: 3-10
5. Lions: 3-9-1
6. Cardinals: 3-9-1
7. Jaguars: 4-9
8. Falcons: 4-9
9. Jets: 5-8
10. Chargers: 5-8
11. Broncos 5-8
12. Panthers 5-8
13. Eagles 6-7
14. Raiders 6-7
15. Colts 6-7
16. Buccaneers 6-7
17. Browns 6-7
18. Raiders (via Bears) 6-7
19. Titans 8-5
20. Jaguars (via Rams) 8-5
21. Cowboys 6-7
22. Dolphins (via Steelers) 8-5
23. Dolphins (via Texans) 8-5
24. Vikings 9-4
25. Bills 9-4
26. Chiefs 9-4
27. Packers 10-3
28. Seahawks 10-3
29. Patriots 10-3
30. Saints 10-3
31. Ravens 11-2
32. 49ers 11-2
Bills Put In Claim For Chase McLaughlin
- Both the Bills and Patriots attempted to claim McLaughlin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. New England is without a kicker presently and has used four this season. Kai Forbath replaced Nick Folk, with the latter undergoing an emergency appendectomy, but the Pats cut the former this week. Folk would seem the likely option, but the Pats were prepared to make McLaughlin their fifth 2019 kicker. The Bills made McLaughlin a priority UDFA signing in May but waived him after the preseason. Stephen Hauschka has missed four field goals over the past six Bills games.
Cowboys Notes: Beasley, Garrett, Maher
Former Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley had a bumpy tenure with the team. Beasley was a fan favorite in Dallas from 2012-2018, but became frustrated with the team when his role did not expand to the degree he thought it should. After signing with the Bills this offseason, Beasley got to exert his revenge in Buffalo’s 26-15 victory in Dallas on Thursday.
In the postgame celebration of Buffalo’s Thanksgiving day victory, Beasley told reporters that he felt “disrespected” in Dallas and felt that they disrespected him again in his return, according to Angel Franco of The Dallas Morning News. Beasley caught six passes for 110 receiving yards and a touchdown against his former team.
Here’s some more Cowboys notes:
- Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones ripped his coaching staff after last week’s loss to the Patriots. After an even more disappointing loss to Buffalo on Thursday, all eyes were on the maverick owner to see if he would once again criticize his coaching staff. While Jones was not full of praise, he tried to calm the flames around the team by saying he will not make any coaching moves during the season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. This does not remove the pressure on head coach Jason Garrett to make a deep playoff run, but should make it easier to focus on the upcoming schedule.
- Cowboys placekicker Brett Maher is in the midst of a massive sophomore slump. After an impressive rookie season that included 6 makes on 7 attempts from at least 50 yards, the Nebraska product has made just 67.9% of his field goal attempts in 2019. While special teams has been a huge problem for the Cowboys, they will not be making a change at kicker, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Maher has yet to miss an extra point on the season and remains 14 of 16 inside 40 yards, but will surely hope to improve his accuracy from deeper range during the rest of the season.
AFC Notes: Marrone, Dolphins, Lawson
After the Jaguars ugly 42-20 loss to the Titans, the team fell to 4-7 and reporters asked head coach Doug Marrone if the team would be making any changes at quarterback or defensive coordinator. Marrone remained steadfast that he is not considering changes at either spot, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
Marrone, currently in his third season as Jacksonville’s official head coach (he served as the interim at the end of 2016), is still looking to replicate the success he found in his first year at the helm. That season the Jaguars had one of the best defensive units in football that carried a team with questionable quarterback play to the AFC Championship Game. Since, the team is 9-18 and recently looks in disarray defensively. On the opposite side of the field, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew showed promise while Nick Foles was out with a broken collarbone. Foles returned last week, but has yet to lead a strong offensive performance.
Here’s some more Sunday notes from the AFC:
- Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is perfect for the Dolphins situation, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Fitzpatrick has helped their offensive unit maintain an acceptable level of competence, but not to a level that could cause the team to win enough games to have their first round pick fall outside the top five in next year’s draft. Salguero also notes that head coach Brian Flores’ choices have made clear that Miami believes that Josh Rosen is not the franchise’s answer under center.
- The Bills defense dominated the Broncos offense in Sunday’s 20-3 victory. It’s no secret that Buffalo has one of the best defensive units in football, but one player seemed to be playing with a little chip on his shoulder. According to Denver7’s Troy Renck, Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson, who recorded two sacks on Sunday, looked for Broncos center Connor McGovern after the contest to tell him, “You will remember me now.” Apparently, McGovern said he did not who Lawson was prior to the game and the Clemson alum took note.
AFC East Notes: Brady, Jenkins, Lotulelei
Patriots QB Tom Brady will play against the Cowboys this afternoon, but as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) notes, the team will need to closely monitor Brady’s elbow moving forward. Brady was unable to finish practice on Friday due to elbow pain, and while he was able to take all necessary reps on Saturday, he will continue to get work on the elbow as the season goes on.
Now for more from the AFC East:
- It’s not unusual for teams to distance themselves from certain prospects in the pre-draft process in order to hide their interest in those prospects, and that’s exactly what the Patriots did with punter Jake Bailey, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. New England neither interviewed nor held a workout with Bailey, but it traded up in the fifth round of this year’s draft to select him. That move paid off, as the rookie specialist has two AFC Special Teams Player of the Week nods and is currently a favorite for the Pro Bowl.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the Jets to make a concerted effort to re-sign linebacker Jordan Jenkins this offseason. Jenkins, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time, has steadily improved during his first four years in the league, and despite missing two games this season with a calf injury, he has posted five sacks, just two shy of his career-high of seven (which he set last year). Jenkins will likely command a contract paying him over $10MM per year.
- The Jets will have a lot of positions to address this offseason, but tight end isn’t one of them. As Cimini tweets, the club appears set at TE with Ryan Griffin — who agreed to a three-year extension on Saturday — Chris Herndon, and improving rookie Trevon Wesco.
- Bills fans have been less than impressed with the performances of front-seven defenders Star Lotulelei and Trent Murphy, but Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic says (via Twitter) that Lotulelei will definitely be back with the team next year (the Bills could save $10.1MM against the 2020 cap by cutting Lotulelei after the season, but they would also take on a $7.8MM dead cap charge). Murphy’s status is a bit tougher to predict, but if the Bills move on from Shaq Lawson, Murphy is likely to be back for the final year of his contract.
Bills Host T Seantrel Henderson On Visit
Before an injury-plagued Texans tenure, Seantrel Henderson played four seasons with the Bills. The parties are considering a reunion.
Henderson made a visit to Buffalo to meet with his former team this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Texans cut the former seventh-round pick from their NFI list on Monday. The 27-year-old tackle played four seasons with the Bills from 2014-17.
A Miami alum, Henderson became an immediate starter in Buffalo. He opened his rookie season as a 16-game starter at right tackle opposite Cordy Glenn. Though after starting 10 games for the 2015 Bills, Henderson was shifted to a backup role. While he started Week 1 for the Texans in each of the past two seasons, Henderson would represent depth at this point for the Bills.
Buffalo, however, is shorthanded at right tackle currently. Ty Nsekhe is battling an ankle injury and will not play against the Broncos on Sunday. Nsekhe and second-round pick Cody Ford have both spent extensive time at right tackle this season, with the veteran playing 342 snaps and the rookie 365. Henderson played 64 snaps for Houston in Week 1 but did not start another game before being placed on the Texans’ NFI list.