Pftt 2016 11 17

Tennessee, Washington, Miami playing their way into playoff hunt SINCE 1967

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 17, 2016

The Texans head south of the border to Mexico City Monday night to take on the Raiders

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

1 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2 DALLAS COWBOYS 3 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 4 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 5 OAKLAND RAIDERS 6 DENVER BRONCOS 7 ATLANTA FALCONS 8 HOUSTON TEXANS 9 BALTIMORE RAVENS 10 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 11 NEW YORK GIANTS 12 WASHINGTON 13 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 14 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 15 GREEN BAY PACKERS 16 MIAMI DOLPHINS 17 DETROIT LIONS 18 TENNESSEE TITANS 19 BUFFALO BILLS 20 ARIZONA CARDINALS 21 CINCINNATI BENGALS 22 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 23 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 24 CAROLINA PANTHERS 25 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 26 LOS ANGELES RAMS 27 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 28 NEW YORK JETS 29 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 30 CHICAGO BEARS 31 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 32 CLEVELAND BROWNS

When you beat the best, you become the best The real deal but questions on defense remain Still right there, hard to split Pats and ‘Hawks Quietly the most consistent of them all

Fit here now but still have to prove they can stick Not sure which way they’re trending

May be a couple bricks shy of a load, but tough Beat teams they should; can they play with best?

Not enough offense to climb higher

Still think better than this, will they show it?

A little better each week; the hot team right now Looks like Cousins is going to get paid Defense keeps them hanging around

Power Rankings Welcome to our ProFootballWeekly.com NFL Week 11 Power Rankings

No more excuses, must beat Cardinals Sunday Hard to believe they don’t find another gear 7th seed in AFC with 7 left to play – playoffs?

On fire but still just third-best team in NFC North 5-5 with a couple of quality wins

Hardest team in the league to figure out

Carson Palmer lost a step, which means Cards have too Below-average team; does Lewis get a pass again?

If Rivers struggles – four fourth-quarter INTs – bad team Tough loss to Broncos; not enough “D” to rank higher

Please keep in mind as you read them they have nothing to do with who we think will be in the playoffs and Super Bowl, nor do they necessarily indicate who we think the best teams in the league are. These rankings are based on each team’s performance in the first five weeks of the season, players lost to injury and players expected to return soon.

AP PHOTO

Fade against Chiefs may have been last straw Hmmm, was Packers win who this team is?

Goff make them better? Won’t make them worse Win over Bears hides multiple flaws

News flash – can’t win without a QB in NFL Bradley, great guy, how does he still have Jax job?

Doug Baldwin caught three TD passes in Seattle’s win over New England which moves the Seahawks up to the top spot in our power rankings

Should be ashamed of themselves for TB debacle Kaepernick getting better – rest of team isn’t Not a single thing to hang their hats on

Pro Football Weekly is produced by Shaw Media, the Daily Herald Media Group and the Chicago Sun-Times in partnership with other Illinois daily newspapers.

W

ith the halfway point of the season in our rearview mirrors and every team in the league having just seven or fewer games to play, it’s time to get serious about the questions of which are the best teams in the NFL and which are the worst.

Recent history has taught us that it will be the hot team come late December and January that makes a run all the way to Houston in February, so certainly every team within a game of .500 is still in the race.

But it seems clear right now that the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots or Kansas City Chiefs are the best in the NFL. At No. 4, we’ve got Kansas City.

The Chiefs may have the best balance of offense and defense of any of these clubs, but the offense is neither explosive nor dominant, and while their ‘D’ can be both explosive and dominant, it rarely has been for 60 minutes this season.

Still, the Chiefs have been the most

even-keel of these Seattle No. 1 and New top clubs all season England No. 2? long.

New England was The Cowboys are denied the end zone No. 3 despite having and a score that could the best record at 8-1. have tied the game While their with Seattle with 11 ground game should seconds to play on a take them deep into play that was more a the playoffs, there mugging than pass interference. is no getting around Seattle deserved to the fact the talent on win the game, nobody defense is more than is disputing that, but suspect. It’s mediocre at best and the 30 not moreso than New HUB ARKUSH harkush@ProFootballWeekly.com the Steelers hung on England deserved a @Hub_Arkush them Sunday can’t chance within the be ignored. rules to tie it and eventually win, and that didn’t happen.

The Cowboys have also yet to play For purposes of this conversation, a team with a top-10 defense. While that outcome is irrelevant. These are we don’t see any team shutting Ezekiel Elliott down, if a good ‘D’ takes two great clubs. away the chunk plays on the ground, New England possesses the best Dallas’ defense is unlikely to prevail offense in the NFL. That’s not debatable. The problem is the Patriots’ dein a shootout or a low-scoring affair fense has some cracks and the queswith a quality opponent. tion is can they be sealed over the So it’s Seattle versus New England next seven weeks or will they bust and, yes, the ’Hawks just knocked open? off the Pats in New England Sunday Seattle has the best defense in the night.

NFL and I don’t think anyone wants But is the decision that simple,

to argue that, either.

But the offense is a roll of the dice from week-to-week and the offensive line in particular is not very good and most likely won’t be more than average at best come January.

Also, New England’s only loss with Tom Brady in the lineup – and clearly that matters – was Sunday night to Seattle.

With losses to the lowly Rams and Saints and a tie with the mediocre Cardinals, Seattle is clearly a great deal more vulnerable than the Patriots.

Make it Pats first and Seahawks second.

From where I sit, there’s no question the Browns, 49ers, Bears, Jaguars and Jets are the worst teams in the NFL. Cleveland and San Francisco are hopeless while the Bears and Jaguars at least have some young pieces that could be important once the puzzle is completed. Coaching changes may be in order in Chicago and Jacksonville.

As for the Jets, this is how ugly it can get with no hope at quarterback.

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Who are the league’s best just past the halfway point?

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

By ARTHUR

ARKUSH

A

aarkush@profootballweekly.com

fter 17 games in London, many of them bad matchups, blowouts or both, the NFL returns to Mexico City and the original site of its international series, Estadio Azteca, for the first time since 2005 with a pair of first place teams trying to make 2016 their coming out fiestas.

There are plenty of interesting contrasts between Jack Del Rio’s 7-2 Raiders – a perfect 5-0 on the road and fresh off their bye – and Bill O’Brien’s Texans, who are winners of two straight including their first road victory, 24-21 over the Jaguars last week.

No, we’re not talking about the contrast between the Carr brothers: David, Houston’s first-ever draft pick and arguably its biggest bust; and Derek, looking more and more every day like a 10-to-15-year franchise signal caller and perhaps Reggie McKenzie’s best pick.

Rather, it’s how and why the two front offices have chosen to allocate their resources in seasons with Super Bowl aspirations.

Texans GM Rick Smith built the current core

Houston, Oakland head to Mexico City to revive series there of the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense through the draft with one first-round success after the next: Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, Jadeveon Clowney (jury is still out but this pick is finally trending upward) and Kareem Jackson, among others.

Meantime, the quarterback position has riddled Houston since Matt Schaub’s decline.

After consecutive nine-win seasons despite starting seven combined quarterbacks to begin his Houston tenure, Bill O’Brien and Smith this offseason poached Brock Osweiler from Denver for four years and $72 million ($37 million guaranteed). Additionally, Lamar Miller

and Jeff Allen received a combined $26 million guaranteed to support the still-green quarterback with plenty of it.

Osweiler, leading the NFL’s worst passing attack and with just a 74.1 rating, has so far offered a poor return on owner Bob McNair’s investment and fleeting hope the Texans have solved the riddle. He rarely drives the ball downfield, hasn’t synced up with Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins – who became a Pro Bowler with a list of quarterbacks requiring name tags – and is maddeningly inconsistent.

The Raiders, in first place in the AFC West this late in the season for the first time since 2002, their most recent Super Bowl appearance, acquired their nucleus for the NFL’s No. 4 scoring offense, Carr, Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray, through the draft. Like Houston’s Johnathan Joseph and John Simon, Michael Crabtree has supplemented Oakland’s homegrown talent, and the Raiders aren’t nearly as formidable without free-agent offensive linemen Kelechi Osemele and Rodney Hudson. But in a passing league, it’s the resounding draft home runs of Carr and Cooper, first and foremost, that make both the offense’s present and future so bright.

Yet, aside from Khalil Mack – a big exception

7:25 p.m. Thursday, CBS

NFC South clubs both stunned at home in closing minutes, now must turn around on short week with zero room for error.

BILLS AT BENGALS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, CBS

Can Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy carry over magic from Seattle before bye to exploit broken Bengals ‘D?’

STEELERS AT BROWNS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, CBS

Hue Jackson gets vote of confidence from Sashi Brown despite inching closer to 2008 Lions; would it kill Mike Tomlin to attempt a PAT once in a while?

RAVENS AT COWBOYS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, CBS

Last time Zeke saw a No. 1 run ‘D,’ he logged a career-high 157 rushing yards at Lambeau; Baltimore needed extra rest before tussling with Dallas O-line.

JAGUARS AT LIONS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Allen Robinson goes off, Jacksonville allows 99 passing yards, yet Jags lose again; Lions spent relaxing Sunday on couch and take over first place.

TITANS AT COLTS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Marcus Mariota’s MVP-caliber play has Titans scoring plenty and thinking playoffs; even in AFC South, this feels like must-win for Pagano’s Colts.

BUCCANEERS AT CHIEFS AP PHOTO

Oakland’s top pick last year, Amari Cooper, figures to team up with Derek Carr for many years to come

as he’s one of the top five defensive players in the NFL and a player who would’ve been chosen over Clowney if the 2014 NFL Draft was held again today – McKenzie had to clean up the defensive mess he inherited namely by spending big in free agency: Sean Smith ($20 million guaranteed), Bruce Irvin ($19 million guaranteed) and David Amerson, whom the Raiders actually claimed off waivers from Washington last season before reviving his career and rewarding his turnaround with a four-year, $35 million deal ($17 million guaranteed) this offseason.

And much like Houston’s supposedly upgraded yet still downtrodden offense, the Raiders and all their lavish additions are 28th in total defense and 21st in scoring, albeit gradually improving over the past month as the homegrown guys like Mack and Karl Joseph have heated up.

Regardless of their methods, these teams are looking down at clubs many, including PFW, thought would be controlling their divisions by now. But if they’re to remain on top, the players at the top of their offseason payrolls must start paying greater dividends soon.

Here we go again. Strength vs. strength, a narrative we in the media salivate over, takes the stage at Jerry World late Sunday afternoon.

Dallas’ league-leading ground game, catalyzed by a big, bad offensive line and meteorically rising rookies Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott, clashes with Baltimore’s rugged run defense, which last week overtook Green Bay for the league’s top billing. Remember, we’ve seen this film before. Dallas grounded and pounded that Green Bay defense last month on the road. The Falcons spread their wings to fly past Denver in the Broncos’ backyard one week earlier.

Does that mean the Cowboys’ charmed season

continues? Perhaps, but it’s worth noting the Cowboys’ eight-game gallop has come against teams with a combined record of 24-47-2, and the Ravens are the first division leader they’ll see. Similarly, Baltimore’s five wins to climb atop the shockingly bad AFC North came against teams with a combined mark of 10-37.

Thus, while the battle of the line of scrimmage will undoubtedly be something fierce, and Dallas’ rookies absolutely are for real, both of these teams, particularly Baltimore, have tough roads ahead before they should start planning Super Bowl itineraries.

12:00 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Tampa Bay’s ‘D’ unlikely to get Cutler-like gifts from Alex Smith; Chiefs more likely to get Newton- and Benjamin-esque gifts from Jameis.

CARDINALS AT VIKINGS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Arizona won’t apologize for ugly home win vs. Niners it had to have; Vikings lose another starting OT just in time for blitz-happy Cardinals.

BEARS AT GIANTS 12:00 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Did anyone think Bears could embarrass themselves more the day after Tampa? Giants and NFL’s best red zone ‘D’ welcome 31st-ranked scoring offense.

DOLPHINS AT RAMS 4:05 p.m. Sunday, CBS

Miami stayed out West after shocking Bolts for fourth straight; Fisher’s Rams have better record when they don’t score a touchdown, like last week’s 9-6 win.

PATRIOTS AT 49ERS 4:25 p.m. Sunday, FOX

The Niners are still fighting for Chip Kelly but could be in a world of pain after meeting seething Patriots.

EAGLES AT SEAHAWKS 3:25 p.m. Sunday, FOX

Huge upset for Pederson’s Eagles over Atlanta, made possible by defense and a run game; Wilson and Carroll went to Foxborough and riddled Brady and Belichick.

PACKERS AT WASHINGTON 7:30 p.m. Sunday, NBC

Whoever tells you they know how the Packers respond after Nashville nightmare is lying; Washington isn’t going away quietly in NFC East.

TEXANS AT RAIDERS (MEXICO CITY) 7:30 p.m. Monday, ESPN

Houston fans likely will long for “the other Carr” until their QB situation isn’t in a state of Brock; Interesting road trip for rising Raiders, coming off the bye.

AP PHOTO

The NFL’s leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliott, goes up against Baltimore’s top-ranked run defense

TEAMS ON BYE

Falcons, Broncos, Jets, Chargers

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

SAINTS AT PANTHERS

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

THIS WEEK’S GAMES NO @ CAR PIT @ CLE BAL @ DAL JAX @ DET TEN @ IND BUF @ CIN TB @ KC CHI @ NYG AZ @ MIN MIA @ LA NE @ SF PHI @ SEA GB @ WAS HOU @ OAK

Carolina 31, New Orleans 30 | Just can’t see Panthers going home yet

Carolina 41, New Orleans 40 | No defense, last gasp win for Panthers

Pittsburgh 34, Cleveland 23 | Big Ben starts to build a little Mo

Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 15 | Pitt desperate, Browns just not good

Baltimore 19, Dallas 16 | Pokes for real, 9-game win streak’s not

Dallas 27, Baltimore 20 | Cowboys O-line can’t be stopped

Detroit 30, Jacksonville 20 | Lions run doesn’t stop here

Detroit 41, Jacksonville 30 | Lions OK here, tough road to 10 Ws

Indianapolis 24, Tennessee 23 | Still taking Luck over Mariota

Indianapolis 31, Tennessee 28 | Better coach, better QB

Cincinnati 27, Buffalo 23 | Just don’t think Bills have the horses

Buffalo 14, Cincinnati 13 | I’m a Rex guy, Bengals scare no one

Kansas City 30, Tampa Bay 13 | A breather here for the Chiefs

Kansas City 42, Tampa Bay 10 | Bucs worst 4-5 team ever?

N.Y. Giants 20, Chicago 16 | Bears just good enough to lose close

N.Y. Giants 24, Chicago 17 | Giants much improved, Bears awful

Minnesota 23, Arizona 19 | Any pride left on Vikings “D?”

Minnesota 28, Arizona 25 | Lesser of two evils?

Miami 20, Los Angeles 16 | Fish are hot, Rams are bad

Miami 19, Los Angeles 16 | Gase gets it, Fisher doesn’t

New England 37, San Francisco 20 | Pats never show up flat, will be angry

New England 42, San Francisco 17 | 49ers pay for Seahawks’ big night

Seattle 13, Philadelphia 10 | Both struggle, but ‘Hawks are home

Seattle 24, Philadelphia 17 | Seahawks just don’t lose at home

Green Bay 38, Washington 24 | ’15 wild-card rewind, Pack bounces back

Washington 31, Green Bay 28 | The Pack will not be back this week

Houston 24, Oakland 23 | Raiders due for a snooze

Oakland 28, Houston 10 | Raiders on a roll, look out now

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

How Much Trouble Does McCarthy Have In Green Bay?

R

eports are surfacing all over the place that Packers head coach Mike McCarthy’s job is on the line and that should the Packers fail to claim their eighth straight playoff appearance, he could get the axe.

Some are even suggesting that his boss, Ted Thompson, is in trouble as well and that two of the three men most responsible for making the Packers one of the most successful franchises in the league could be on the street if the Packers don’t rebound and make a solid playoff run this season.

According to our sources, however, these reports are nothing more than speculation by some members of the media and the ranting of spoiled fans who need somebody to blame for their beloved Packers being human.

Franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the third member of that trio that has made the Pack so successful, is fueling most of the media speculation.

In an effort to rally his team after an embarrass-

AP PHOTO

Mike McCarthy

ing loss at home to Indianapolis in Week 9 and an even more embarrassing trip to Tennessee this past Sunday, Rodgers has spoken out about his team’s lack of energy and preparedness.

While responsibility in those two areas clearly lies with the head coach, Rodgers has said

nothing that directly lays blame on McCarthy or Thompson.

Ironically, it was the subpar play of Rodgers over the second half of 2015 and the first six or seven weeks of this season that seemed to be largely responsible for the Packers’ slide.

But as Rodgers has come on over the past four weeks and his club has failed to improve with him, the appearance of a rift between Rodgers and McCarthy has grown in the eyes of many.

The bottom line here is that the futures of both Thompson and McCarthy rest in the hands of team president Mark Murphy, and what we’re hearing is that Murphy hasn’t even considered the possibility of dismissing either one.

It is possible Murphy could support Thompson and leave the McCarthy decision to his GM, but we’re also hearing there is no indication at all right now that Thompson is even close to laying blame for the club’s problems at this time.

When Murphy became the top person in the Packers organization, Thompson and McCarthy were both already in their current jobs and both had trained in Green Bay earlier in their careers as assistants before taking over the top jobs in the front office and on the coaching staff.

While things can certainly change quickly in the NFL, we’re hearing that neither Thompson nor McCarthy is in any jeopardy at the moment, and with the Packers currently just a game out of the division lead with seven to play, any reports you see or hear about either of them losing his job is nothing more than idle speculation with no substance behind it.

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T

he Way We Hear It, the axe could fall on Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley at any moment and all that is keeping him in the job at this point is his personality, not his coaching ability.

Bradley is highly respected around the league by players and coaches. He has the reputation in Jacksonville of a players coach whose team desperately wants to win for him.

The problem is that while Jaguars owner Shad Khan may be the most patient man in the NFL, he has begun to lose credibility in town and around the league with every week he allows the losing to continue.

There was hope the Jaguars had turned a corner after an 0-3 start with back-to-back wins over the Colts and Bears (the latter a gift the Jaguars had no business winning). But they’ve now lost four straight and have trips to Detroit and Buffalo the next two weeks followed by visits from Denver and Minnesota and then a trip to Houston, who they lost to at home Sunday, which doesn’t offer much hope going forward.

The Jaguars are now 14-43 under Bradley. Not since David Shula went 19-52 as the head coach of the Bengals from 1992-1996 has the NFL seen such futility, and Bradley looks like a lock right now to be worse if he’s left in the job for seven more games.

Jacksonville is struggling on both sides of the ball: 27th in points scored, 25th in points allowed and dead last in the league in turnover/takeaway ratio

at minus 14, including just five takeaways and none since Week 4.

One source tells us part of Khan’s reluctance to pull the trigger on Bradley has been the question of who’d run the team on an interim basis.

The legendary Monte Kiffin is there as a defensive assistant, but at the age of 76 is unlikely to get his first head-coaching experience.

The most likely choice if Khan decides to make a change before the end of the season would be Doug Marrone, assistant head coach and the offensive line coach. With two years running the Bills, he is the only other coach on the staff with head-coaching experience.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Jaguars this season has been the regression of Blake Bortles, drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in 2014 to be the franchise quarterback. He made huge strides in 2015 with 35 touchdowns and two 1,000-yard receivers in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, and the belief was if he could just cut down on his 18 interceptions the Jaguars offense would take off.

But Bortles has regressed badly this year with just 16 touchdown passes and 11 picks a week past the halfway point of the season.

According to our sources, Khan currently finds himself between a rock and a hard place, desperately wanting to find a way to make it work with Bradley but knowing the franchise is being damaged the longer the losing continues.

There is still the chance Bradley can make it to the end of the season, but we’re hearing now with little change in the offense after the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Olson two weeks ago, the next loss could be Bradley’s last game with the Jaguars over any of the next seven weeks.

9

Gus Bradley

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

BRADLEY ON BORROWED TIME IN JACKSONVILLE

AP PHOTO

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ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY |

Fox, fantasy players should be done with Cutler

By J.C.

MATCHUPS TO AVOID

TALON

F

Fantasy writer | ProFootballWeekly.com

Dallas Cowboys

orgive us for recommending the Bears in Week 10. We were duped by a strong Week 8 performance against Minnesota – obviously a one-week anomaly. A few weeks ago, Coach John Fox reportedly told acquaintances that he was “done” with Jay Cutler. After watching Cutler revert back to being a turnover machine in Tampa, one can understand the sentiment. Facing one of the league’s worst defenses, Cutler’s 16 of 30, 182yard performance (27.4 percent of those yards coming on a Hail Mary) included a pick-six, another interception and two incomprehensible fumbles, one resulting in a safety. Not sure if there has ever been a performance more destructive to an entire roster than Cutler’s debacle last Sunday. If he remains on your fantasy roster, you should waive him on principle.

On to Week 11 …

OPPONENT: VS BALTIMORE RAVENS, SUNDAY, NOON OK, “avoid” might be a bit exaggerated here. Just beware that the Cowboys are coming off a huge win and will face an unheralded Ravens defense that has quietly climbed to No. 1 in terms of fewest yards allowed. Baltimore yields just 281 yards and 17.8 points per game. They are particularly stingy against the run, allowing just 3.3 yards per carry and 71.3 rushing yards per game. They have also allowed an NFLlow four rushing TDs this season. No one in his or her right mind would suggest sitting Ezekiel Elliot, but this is not a favorable matchup for him.

MUST START: Elliott SOLID PLAY: Dez Bryant, Jason Witten WORTH A LOOK: Dak Prescott, Dan Bailey, Cowboys D/ST LAST RESORT: Cole Beasley

Miami Dolphins

MATCHUPS TO EXPLOIT New York Giants

OPPONENT: VS CHICAGO BEARS, SUNDAY, NOON We’ll stick with the pounding-the-Bears theme.

Although the Bears 11th-ranked defense is no pushover, Chicago’s misfiring offense is likely to produce a lot of three-and-outs. The Giants should have plenty of opportunities to get their passing game going.

MUST START: Odell Beckham SOLID PLAY: Eli Manning, Robbie Gould, Giants D/ST WORTH A LOOK: Rashad Jennings, Paul Perkins, Sterling Shepard, Will Tye

Pittsburgh Steelers

OPPONENT: AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, SUNDAY, NOON The Browns may not be headed for 0-16, but they are most definitely headed for 0-11. The worst scenario for Big Ben owners is if the Steelers jump out to an early lead and focus on the ground game. Obviously, this is a dream matchup for Le’Veon Bell, but with DeAngelo Williams out, who might be the RB2 who benefits in garbage time? The Steelers’ depth chart indicates Fitzgerald Toussaint is next in line.

This would be a good week to play Eli Rogers. He has emerged as Pittsburgh’s No. 2 WR. Sammie Coates has caught a total of one pass in the past four weeks and was on the field for just two snaps in last week’s loss to Dallas. Ladarius Green had three receptions for 30 yards in his 2016 debut. Jesse James played more snaps and had better numbers (five catches for 59 yards), but Green might be worth a speculative waiver claim.

MUST START: Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown SOLID PLAY: Chris Boswell, Steelers D/ST WORTH A LOOK: Rogers, Green, James LAST RESORT: Toussaint STAY AWAY: Coates

Tennessee Titans

OPPONENT: AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, SUNDAY, NOON Would you believe the Titans have the league’s seventh-most productive offense? Sure, we all know their third-ranked rushing attack is the real deal, but second-year QB Marcus Mariota has thrown 21

Jay Cutler had four turnovers in Tampa Bay Sunday TDs this year against just eight picks. They’ll face the Colts and their 30th-ranked defense this week.

MUST START: DeMarco Murray, Delanie Walker SOLID PLAY: Mariota, Ryan Succop WORTH A LOOK: Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe LAST RESORT: Derrick Henry, Kendall Wright STAY AWAY: Titans D/ST

New England Patriots

OPPONENT: AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, SUNDAY, 3:25 The 49ers showed a pulse against Arizona last week, but they are about to find out that the Patriots are a lot better than the Cardinals. New England should be able to score as much as it wants in this game. Stinging from last week’s loss to Seattle, Tom Brady and company, you can rest assured, are going to want to score a bunch. Rob Gronkowski will reportedly miss the game with a punctured lung.

MUST START: Brady, LeGarrette Blount, Martellus Bennett (if no Gronk), Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots D/ST SOLID PLAY: Julian Edelman WORTH A LOOK: James White LAST RESORT: Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola

ALSO CONSIDER Kansas City Chiefs

OPPONENT: VS TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, SUNDAY, NOON Spencer Ware should have a good day against Tampa’s inept run defense. If Jeremy Maclin (groin) remains out, Tyreek Hill is a solid play.

Detroit Lions

OPPONENT: VS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, SUNDAY, NOON The Jags defense is 8th in fewest yards allowed, but they are 25th in points allowed (26.6) per game.

Look for Marvin Jones to get back on track this week.

OPPONENT: AT LOS ANGELES RAMS, SUNDAY, 3:05 Miami has won a surprising four consecutive games, but you have to wonder what impact a second straight West Coast game will have on them. They will be facing a tough, though undisciplined, Rams defense. The Dolphins have averaged 29 points and 385 yards per game during their winning streak. Jay Ajayi could do well – L.A.’s seventh-ranked defense is better against the pass (eighth) than the run (17th).

MUST START: Ajayi SOLID PLAY: Jarvis Landry, Dolphins D/ST WORTH A LOOK: DeVante Parker LAST RESORT: Damien Williams, Kenny Stills STAY AWAY: Andrew Franks

Philadelphia Eagles

OPPONENT: AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, SUNDAY, 3:25 Seattle’s defense has slipped to ninth in total yards, but they are second to Minnesota in points, allowing just 17.6 per game. The Eagles are coming off a big win at home against Atlanta, but they have not won on the road since Week 2 in Chicago. On the season, Philadelphia is 5-0 at home, but just 1-4 on the road. On a good week, the Eagles don’t offer a lot of fantasy upside. This is not a good week.

MUST START: none SOLID PLAY: none WORTH A LOOK: Ryan Mathews, Jordan Matthews, Zach Ertz LAST RESORT: Darren Sproles, Eagles D/ST, Caleb Sturgis STAY AWAY: Carson Wentz, Nelson Agholor

ALSO BEWARE Arizona Cardinals

OPPONENT: AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS, SUNDAY, NOON The Vikings’ defense has slipped lately but is still a very good unit against the pass. The Cardinals’ best bet will be David Johnson. This is a bad matchup for Carson Palmer.

Minnesota Vikings

OPPONENT: VS ARIZONA CARDINALS, SUNDAY, NOON Don’t expect much scoring in a game featuring two top-five defenses. The odds makers certainly do not – the over/under in this game is around 41.

* — Check injury status

By JOHN

SAHLY

L

jsahly@shawmedia.com

ast week in this space, I wrote about challenging some assumptions. Finding success in daily fantasy sports can often be found while leaving your comfort zone, especially in big tournaments.

I’ll toot my own horn for a second here: Mark Ingram averaged 4.5 yards a carry against the Broncos, Jordan Howard ran for 100 yards on the Bucs and while Aaron Rodgers didn’t hurt you, his much cheaper counterpart Marcus Mariota was the better use of your salary cap dollars.

This week, I want to focus on jumping on guys who have either improved or changed roles, but their price points don’t reflect it.

1. RUSSELL WILSON

Who saw his game against the Patriots coming?

Wilson had the third-highest QB rating in New England in the Bill Belichick era.

The first half of Wilson’s season had largely been a dud, but he had been hurt for most of it with a sprained MCL and a pectoral injury. Wilson isn’t testing that knee out on the ground just yet with only three rushes in in the past three games, but he’s clearly more comfortable in the pocket.

Yet this week, Wilson is priced as the 14th-most

expensive quarterback on FanDuel and eighth-most expensive on DraftKings in their main slates. Historically, Wilson is a better player later in the season. His QB rating in October for his career is 95, while in November it’s 112.5 and December it’s 107.2.

Wilson gets the Eagles this week, which isn’t a cupcake matchup, but he is at home and the Eagles’ corners are banged up with Nolan Carroll in the concussion protocol and Leodis McKelvin dealing with a hamstring injury.

Speaking of Seattle...

2. C.J. PROSISE

Well, the Christine Michael era was fun while it lasted. For whatever reason, the Seahawks don’t seem to trust Michael, but they have entrusted the rookie Prosise. He led the Seahawks in receptions in the New England victory and even got two goal-line carries.

Priced outside of the top 20 running backs on FanDuel and DraftKings, Prosise appears to have the lead-back role in the Seattle offense, with the ability to score on the ground and through the air.

3. ALLEN ROBINSON

Robinson’s target totals the past three weeks: 15, 12, 13. His price: Still not close to where it was at the start of the season when he was projected as one of the top fantasy receivers in the league.

Quietly, Robinson is salvaging fantasy owners in-

Russell Wilson

C.J. Prosise

Allen Robinson

Todd Gurley

vestment in him with a touchdown in the past two games. He was priced at $8,300 in Week 1 on DraftKings. He’s still just $7,400 this week, and now he gets a burnable Detroit secondary.

And one guy I’m not jumping on, no matter how low his price goes ...

4. TODD GURLEY

I mentioned this on the PFW Fantasy Football podcast last week, there’s some social media chatter comparing Gurley to Trent Richardson, who also had an electric rookie year before flaming out of the league.

I’m not saying Gurley is there just yet, but the trend of poor performances is starting to draw reasonable comparisons.

Gurley averages 3.1 yards a carry, hasn’t run for 100 yards in a game since Week 15 of last season, and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 5. It hasn’t helped him that he has one of the worst quarterbacks in the league in Case Keenum, but Gurley hasn’t found a way to overcome that. We’ll see if Jared Goff impacts things. Gurley’s just $5,000 this week on DraftKings, an enticing price. But until he shows any signs of life, I’m staying away from Gurley.

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

DFS: Jump on these improving situations while prices are still low

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Luke Falk

AP PHOTO

Jeremy McNichols

AP PHOTO

Corey Davis

AP PHOTO

C.J. Beathard

AP PHOTO

A weekend for under the radar prospects

A

s we enter Week 12 of the college football season, I thought I would mention some prospects we haven’t talked about yet this year. Most of these players will be on televised games this week.

ly and has very good accuracy, but quarterbacks from this system usually struggle for a while when making the adjustment to the NFL.

ball skills. He also can step in as a returner once he gets to the NFL.

The game can be seen on ESPNU at 3:30 ET on Saturday.

QB Mason Rudolph

BOISE STATE

OKLAHOMA STATE

The big senior played Wednesday night on ESPN. Several scouts I have talked to are very high on Golladay and feel he could be a second- to third-round type player. At 6-4, 215, he knows how to use his body to his advantage and has already caught 79 passes and eight touchdowns so far this season.

Like Falk, Rudolph has put up some outQB C.J. Beathard IOWA standing numbers this We haven’t heard much year. Also like Falk, about Beathard this year, Rudolph plays in a relatively easy spread ofbut NFL scouts like his game. He doesn’t have a GREG GABRIEL fense where he is not @greggabe strong supporting cast but asked to do what NFL he plays in an NFL-friendquarterbacks are asked ly offense and he is very well preto do. Still, he has excellent stats pared to make the jump to the NFL. and is getting a lot of looks from Beathard is much better than his NFL scouts. numbers would indicate (144-of-246 WR Corey Davis for 1,650 yards and 14 touchdowns).

WESTERN MICHIGAN

QB Luke Falk

CB Desmond King

Falk plays at Colorado Saturday and he has put up great numbers this year, completing 74 percent of his throws for 3,610 yards and 33 touchdowns. He spins the ball nice-

The senior corner almost came out last year and at worst he would have been a second-round pick. Opponents are staying away from King this year because of his excellent

WR Kenny Golladay NORTHERN ILLINOIS

WASHINGTON STATE

IOWA

One of the best wide receivers in the country that no one has heard of. Davis has height and speed to go along with excellent hands and ball skills. Playing against a weak Buffalo secondary this week, Davis should put up some big numbers.

RB Jeremy McNichols Friday night on ESPN2 you can watch a productive running back who could easily be a second- or third-round selection if he decides to come out. McNichols runs low to the ground and has after-contact power. To date, he has run for 1,369 yards, has 31 receptions and a total of 22 touchdowns.

WR Isaiah Ford VIRGINIA TECH

Saturday at 3:30 ET on NBC, Virginia Tech travels to Notre Dame.

Virginia Tech has an excellent receiver in Ford, a junior. He already has 189 career receptions and 24 touchdowns. Ford is tall with length and a very good receiving radius.

Add that to good speed and very good run-after-the-catch skills and you have a player who will start early in his career in the NFL.

33. Jordan Matthews, Eagles (at Seahawks) 34. Eli Rogers, Steelers (at Browns) 35. Jamison Crowder, Wash (vs Packers) 36. Cameron Meredith, Bears (at Giants)

TIGHT ENDS

This assumes no Gronk. If he’s active, move Bennett down about 10 spots 1. Greg Olsen, Panthers (vs Saints) 2. Jordan Reed, Wash (vs Packers) 3. Martellus Bennett, Patriots (at 49ers) 4. Delanie Walker, Titans (at Colts) 5. Jimmy Graham, Seahawks (vs Eagles) 6. Travis Kelce, Chiefs (vs Bucs) 7. Tyler Eifert, Bengals (vs Bills) 8. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Ravens) 9. Eric Ebron, Lions (vs Jaguars) 10. Zach Ertz, Eagles (at Seahawks) 11. Cameron Brate, Bucs (at Chiefs) 12. Zach Miller, Bears (at Giants) 13. Kyle Rudolph, Vikings (vs Cardinals) 14. Dennis Pitta, Ravens (at Cowboys) 15. Jack Doyle, Colts (vs Titans) 16. Gary Barnidge, Browns (vs Steelers) 17. Coby Fleener, Saints (at Panthers) 18. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans (at Raiders) 19. Julius Thomas, Jaguars (at Lions) 20. Vance McDonald, 49ers (vs Patriots)

RUNNING BACKS

Zeke gets a good test against Ravens, but so far he’s passed all exams.

1. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers (at Browns) 2. DeMarco Murray, Titans (at Colts) 3. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys (vs Ravens) 4. Spencer Ware, Chiefs (vs Bucs) 5. LeGarrette Blount, Patriots (at 49ers) 6. LeSean McCoy, Bills (at Bengals) 7. David Johnson, Cards (at Vikings) 8. Todd Gurley, Rams (vs Dolphins) 9. Jay Ajayi, Dolphins (at Rams) 10. Lamar Miller, Texans (at Raiders) 11. Latavius Murray, Raiders (vs Texans) 12. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers (vs Saints) 13. Theo Riddick, Lions (vs Jaguars) 14. Jordan Howard* , Bears (at Giants) 15. Mark Ingram, Saints (at Panthers) 16. Frank Gore, Colts (vs Titans) 17. Doug Martin, Bucs (at Chiefs) 18. C.J. Prosise, Seahawks (vs Eagles) 19. Jeremy Hill, Bengals (vs Bills) 20. Robert Kelley, Wash (vs Packers) 21. Carlos Hyde, 49ers (vs Patriots) 22. Ryan Mathews, Eagles (at Seahawks) 23. Giovani Bernard, Bengals (vs Bills) 24. Terrance West, Ravens (at Cowboys) 25. Chris Ivory, Jaguars (at Lions) 26. Isaiah Crowell, Browns (vs Steelers) 27. Tim Hightower, Saints (at Panthers) 28. James Starks, Packers (at Wash) 29. Darren Sproles, Eagles (at Seahawks) 30. Rashad Jennings, Giants (vs Bears) 31. James White, Patriots (at 49ers) 32. Thomas Rawls*, Seahawks (vs Eagles) 33. T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars (at Lions) 34. Paul Perkins, Giants (vs Bears) 35. Matt Asiata, Vikings (vs Cards) 36. Jeremy Langford, Bears (at Giants)

PLACEKICKERS

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at 49ers) 2. Cairo Santos, Chiefs (vs Bucs) 3. Graham Gano, Panthers (vs Saints) 4. Chris Boswell, Steelers (at Browns) 5. Dustin Hopkins, Wash (vs Packers) 6. Adam Vinatieri, Colts (vs Titans) 7. Mason Crosby, Packers (at Wash) 8. Matt Prater, Lions (vs Jaguars) 9. Steven Hauschka, Seahawks (vs Eagles) 10. Dan Bailey, Cowboys (vs Ravens) 11. Robbie Gould, Giants (vs Bears) 12. Justin Tucker, Ravens (at Cowboys) 13. Ryan Succop, Titans (at Colts) 14. Mike Nugent, Bengals (vs Bills) 15. Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals (at Vikings) Le’Veon Bell

WIDE RECEIVERS

If Kelvin Benjamin were ever going to have a week, it would be at home vs. Saints’ No. 32 pass D. 1. Antonio Brown, Steelers (at Browns) 2. Odell Beckham, Giants (vs Bears) 3. A.J. Green, Bengals (vs Bills) 4. T.Y. Hilton, Colts (vs Titans) 5. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (vs Ravens) 6. Jordy Nelson, Packers (at Wash) 7. Brandin Cooks, Saints (at Panthers) 8. Mike Evans, Bucs (at Chiefs) 9. Allen Robinson, Jaguars (at Lions) 10. Amari Cooper, Raiders (vs Texans) 11. Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers (vs Saints) 12. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks (vs Eagles) 13. DeAndre Hopkins, Texans (at Raiders) 14. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Vikings)

AP PHOTO

15. Donte Moncrief, Colts (vs Titans) 16. Michael Thomas, Saints (at Panthers) 17. Davante Adams, Packers (at Wash) 18. Jarvis Landry, Dolphins (at Rams) 19. Marvin Jones, Lions (vs Jaguars) 20. Michael Crabtree, Raiders (vs Texans) 21. Julian Edelman, Patriots (at 49ers) 22. Stefon Diggs, Vikings (vs Cards) 23. Terrelle Pryor, Browns (vs Steelers) 24. Mike Wallace, Ravens (at Cowboys) 25. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (vs Bucs) 26. Kenny Britt, Rams (vs Dolphins) 27. Golden Tate, Lions (vs Jaguars) 28. Willie Snead, Saints (at Panthers) 29. Sterling Shepard, Giants (vs Bears) 30. Corey Coleman, Browns (vs Steelers) 31. Rishard Matthews, Titans (at Colts) 32. Randall Cobb, Packers (at Wash)

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

1. Patriots (at 49ers) 2. Cardinals (at Vikings) 3. Chiefs (vs Bucs) 4. Steelers (at Browns) 5. Seahawks (vs Eagles) 6. Dolphins (at Rams) 7. Raiders (vs Texans) 8. Vikings (vs Cardinals) 9. Rams (vs Dolphins) 10. Giants (vs Bears) 11. Steelers (at Browns) 12. Cowboys (vs Ravens) 13. Lions (vs Jaguars) 14. Bills (at Bengals) 15. Raiders (vs Texans) *Check injury status

TEAMS ON BYE

Falcons, Broncos, Jets, Chargers

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

QUARTERBACKS

Mariota moves way up the board. Brady, Newton, Big Ben also have terrific matchups.

1. Tom Brady, Patriots (at 49ers) 2. Cam Newton, Panthers (vs Saints) 3. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at Browns) 4. Drew Brees, Saints (at Panthers) 5. Marcus Mariota, Titans (at Colts) 6. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Wash) 7. Andrew Luck, Colts (vs Titans) 8. Eli Manning, Giants (vs Bears) 9. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (vs Eagles) 10. Matthew Stafford, Lions (vs Jaguars) 11. Dak Prescott, Cowboys (vs Ravens) 12. Kirk Cousins, Wash (vs Packers) 13. Derek Carr, Raiders (vs Texans) 14. Andy Dalton, Bengals (vs Bills) 15. Alex Smith, Chiefs (vs Bucs) 16. Blake Bortles, Jaguars (at Lions) 17. Joe Flacco, Ravens (at Cowboys) 18. Jameis Winston, Bucs (at Chiefs) 19. Carson Palmer, Cardinals (at Vikings) 20. Tyrod Taylor, Bills (at Bengals)

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Don’t write off the Steelers or Packers yet NATE ATKINS HUB ARKUSH to the playoffs over the next seven weeks? And which of them might be facing an actual rebuilding program?

McCaleb: Hey Hub, the shocking thing about your observation is that, in a quarterback-driven league, three of the four teams you mention have “elite” QBs (sorry Bengals fans, Andy Dalton never was and is not elite. Although I’d doubt many would dispute this.) I put quotation marks around “elite” in that last sentence because I’m wondering if the other three still are.

Aaron Rodgers gets crushed

by Tennessee (the Titans???); Ben Roethlisberger loses to two rookies (Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot), and Andrew Luck, well, the Colts have just under-performed the past two seasons. That said, the Steel-

PATRICK FINLEY DAN McCALEB

ers are too talented on offense to write off. But between injuries and other question marks, I’m not sure I have much confidence in the Pack, Colts or Bengals. What say you?

Arkush: OK, two thoughts.

My first is, yes, I believe Rodgers and Roethlisberger are both absolutely elite and that’s why my second thought is, I still believe both of those clubs will still make the playoffs.

Green Bay and Pittsburgh are each just a game out of first, the teams they’re chasing – Baltimore, Minnesota and Detroit – all have problems of their own, and none is more talented than the Packers or Steelers. I suspect you wonder about Big Ben only because he struggled two weeks ago coming back off knee surgery but he was actually quite heroic

in last week’s loss to the Cowboys. Rodgers has also played much better over the past few weeks and a couple of healthy running backs and cornerbacks are what the Packers really need. My question for you is, have we anointed Luck too soon? He can be elite but at the rate he’s getting sacked – a league-leading 33 times – and with the lack of talent around him, I’m wondering if he really can carry a team like Rodgers and Roethlisberger have?

McCaleb: Here are my two thoughts, Hub. Yes, we might have anointed Luck too soon.

Four-and-a-half seasons into his NFL career, Luck has a QB rating of 86.2. It’s hard to compare Rodgers’ stats, because he sat behind Brett Favre his first three seasons. But if you count only his first four-plus seasons

as a starter, his passer rating is over 100, as is his career rating. Roethlisberger’s career QB rating is 94.2, and he was right around 90 after his first four-plus seasons. That said, has Rodgers and Roethlisberger ever had the lack of talent around them that Luck currently has? No, I don’t think Luck can carry this team to the playoffs. But I’m not sure A-Rod or Big Ben could, either.

I’ll give you the last word.

Arkush: OK, Dan, here’s my final thought on the subject.

You’re talking to the guy who’s been known to stay on horses on life support to try and nurse them to the finish line, but I still believe the Packers and Steelers get their seasons turned and make the playoffs because when you look at their rosters, they still have the most talent of any club in their division, and they have the elite QBs. If building around a great QB is different than rebuilding, fine, but the Colts are going nowhere until they rehab the O-line at a minimum and rebuild the defense. The Bengals’ problems start at the top: the Marvin Lewis run looks like it’s over and it may be time for regime change in Cincy.

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

P

ro Football Weekly’s Hub Arkush and Dan McCaleb discuss which of the struggling perennial postseason clubs can turn it around.

Arkush: Dan, we know that somewhere over the past decade or two the NFL came to stand for Not For Long as well as National Football League.

Things can change in a heartbeat these days, and the league does show rapid changes in the standings from year-to-year with one-year wonders in every division. But we also know there have been certain teams we could always count on for sustained excellence, such as the Packers, who’ve made seven straight playoff appearances; the Bengals, who’ve been in the playoffs five straight seasons; the Steelers, who’ve been in the playoffs the past two seasons and four of the past six; and the Colts, who’ve been to the playoffs 13 of the past 16 seasons. But if you take a look at the standings today you find all four of these teams under .500: Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis at 4-5 and the Bengals 3-5-1. Can any of these clubs get it turned and get back

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

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