The Daily Briefing Friday, January 14, 2022

Former Patriots WR Julian Edelmen has put his money where his mouth is on a Belichick-Brady re-union in SB56. Edward Sutelan of The Sporting News:

Julian Edelman is counting on seeing a pair of familiar faces in Super Bowl 56.

Edelman shared on his Instagram a video of him calling his parents to say that he bet $100,000 on the Patriots to meet the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl this year. His mom said she didn’t care about the cost of the bet, and just said he should share it with her.

His dad was less enthusiastic.

“You put $100 grand on that?” his dad asked. “That was dumb.

“I’ll call you back. I’m not mad. I disagree. Bye.”

The money is not coming from Edelman’s career earnings on the field. Instead, he said earlier on Twitter that he received $100,000 from Wynnbet, an online sportsbook, for promotion. He used all that money instead to bet on a parlay of $50,000 for the Patriots to reach the Super Bowl and $50,000 for the Buccaneers to meet them there.

According to his tweet, that parlay would win him $545,000. Wynnbet listed the Patriots as having +750 odds to make the Super Bowl and the Buccaneers at +340.

What about Wild Card Weekend?  Well, the home teams are all favorites.

Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals                   CIN -6

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills                         BUF -4

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers        TB -8.5

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys                   DAL -3

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs                  KC -12.5

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams                    LAR -4

The DB traditionally makes mediocre playoff picks – and for Wild Card Week, we think all the favorites will win except Dallas.

All the other favorites will cover the spread, except Tampa Bay.

NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

The Vikings are reaching out to Buccaneers operative John Spytek about their GM opening per Christopher Gates of the Daily Norseman:

Just after we brought you news of the first three names to emerge in the Minnesota Vikings’ search for a new General Manager, a fourth name has surfaced as well, Christopher Gates of the Daily Norseman reports.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Vikings have put in a request to interview John Spytek, who currently serves as the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Spytek started his scouting career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005, and remained with the Eagles for five years before moving on to become the Director of College Scouting for the Cleveland Browns. He held that position until 2013.

After that, he moved on to being a regional scout for the Denver Broncos and was a part of their front office when they won the Super Bowl in 2015. He then moved on to take the job with Tampa Bay, where he served as the Director of Player Personnel for five years and was promoted to the Vice President of Player Personnel role this past May.

And another interesting name is now on the list.  Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

The Vikings have vacancies at head coach and general manager, and they just might turn to Philadelphia to fill both. Days after ex-Eagles coach Doug Pederson reportedly surfaced on Minnesota’s radar, the Vikings have requested to interview a pair of Eagles executives for their GM opening. One of them, Catherine Raiche, believed to be the highest-ranking female personnel staffer in the NFL, is the first known woman to be targeted for a GM interview, as ESPN and NFL Media reported.

Raiche currently serves as the Eagles’ vice president of football operations, one of the top personnel positions under GM Howie Roseman. She was promoted to the post prior to the 2021 season after two years as a player personnel coordinator. Before joining the Eagles, Raiche spent five years in the Canadian Football League, including two as the Toronto Argonauts’ director of football administration and one as the Montreal Alouettes’ assistant GM.

At 33, she’d become the youngest active NFL GM, if hired, just behind the Browns’ Andrew Berry (34), another product of the Eagles’ front office. She’d also become just the second woman to hold a GM post in league history after Susan Tose Spencer, daughter of former Eagles owner Leonard Tose, served as Philadelphia’s acting GM from 1982-1985.

In addition to Raiche, the Vikings have also requested to interview Brandon Brown, the Eagles’ current director of player personnel. Previously the team’s director of pro scouting (2019-2020), he’s spent five seasons in Philadelphia. Before joining the Eagles, he spent two years as part of the Colts’ scouting department.

It sounds like Raiche is a name we are going to need to learn to pronounce – and we can think of many different options.

Is it “re-shay”? Is it “raych”?  Is it “ruh-shee”? Is it “rayk”?

Tom Pelissaro of NFL.com has a report where he referrs to her as “ray-sh”.

Six years ago, when she would have been 27, she was an attorney who was an expert on Canadian taxes.  Now, she is a hot prospect for NFL GM.

And her ascension has not come through the business side of things according to Jori Epstein of USA TODAY:

Raiche joined the Eagles in 2019 as a personnel and football operations coordinator. She has since juggled responsibilities in player evaluation, player development, contract management, football administration and football research.

Helping determine which prospects would best fit the Eagles’ scheme, Raiche wrote 115 reports on prospects from 17 schools leading up to the 2021 NFL draft. Free agency strategies? Raiche led the ranking and evaluation of free agents who played for four other NFL teams as she assessed the Eagles’ needs. She also established on- and off-field development objectives to guide rookies’ transition into professional football.

 “It’s about knowing the player in and out, gathering the information about this player and being able to present it in a concise, precise and accurate way to the best of the information you have available at the time,” Raiche said.

“I’m always very confident when I share my opinion because I know they’re based on these facts or this research I’ve been doing, the film I’ve been watching, the stats I’ve been looking at to support my position.”

NFC EAST

DALLAS

Add WR AMARI COOPER, who should have natural ammunity, to the list of reckless COVID criminals that includes QB AARON RODGERS, QB KIRK COUSINS and WR Antonio Brown.  Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper has been fined $14,650 by the NFL for violating the COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated players by attending a Dallas Mavericks game last week and not wearing a mask, a source told ESPN on Thursday.

Prior to attending the Mavericks game, Cooper was on the sideline at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, cheering on Alabama against Cincinnati. Cooper was with teammates CeeDee Lamb (Mavericks) and Trevon Diggs (Cotton Bowl), but since they have been vaccinated, they do not have the same restrictions and were not fined.

An unvaccinated player can attend a sporting event but must sit in a luxury suite with a mask and not be surrounded by more than 10 people. Cooper was sitting courtside at the Mavericks game.

After the regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cooper was asked about being more careful about interactions, with the postseason beginning.

“You don’t want to get sick. This is the tournament. We train so hard in the offseason, OTAs, camp, to get to this point. We accomplished that goal thus far,” Cooper said. “We’re going to do everything we can do to not get sick. If that means isolation, then that’s what that means. Hopefully we can isolate enough to not catch it.”

Cooper missed two games earlier this season after testing positive for COVID-19, and the Cowboys lost contests against the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. Since he had COVID-19, Cooper would not fall in the daily testing protocol through Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

WR JOHN BROWN, a successful receiver with the Cardinals and Bills, who has fallen on hard times, hooks up with the Buccaneers as they start their playoff run.  NFL.com:

John Brown is back in the NFL just in time for a run to a ring.

The veteran speedster nicknamed “Smokey” has latched onto a new team, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad, the team announced Thursday.

Tampa Bay is the third team Brown has joined in the 2021 season; he appeared in two games with Denver and two with Jacksonville without recording a reception in either contest. Prior to 2021, Brown was a key part of Buffalo’s passing attack, posting his second 1,000-yard season of his career in 2019 before injuries limited his availability in 2020. Buffalo couldn’t afford to risk another health-hampered season from Brown, signing Emmanuel Sanders to replace his role in the Bills offense in 2021.

Brown began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, where Bruce Arians was in charge of the on-field operation when Arizona selected Brown with a third-round pick in 2014. He’ll reunite with the current Buccaneers coach in what is an attempt to build some dependable depth in a receiving room that has suffered losses/temporary absences due to physical ailments (Chris Godwin, Cyril Grayson, Mike Evans) or public outbursts resulting in termination (Antonio Brown).

John Brown shouldn’t be expected to immediately step on the field and become a crucial third element to Tampa Bay’s passing attack, but he’ll at least get some time to learn the basics as a Buccaneer with the chance he’ll be promoted for a playoff game in the weeks ahead. With the Buccaneers anticipating another deep run toward a title defense, having someone like Brown available is wise.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

The Cardinals may not get much out of EDGE J.J. WATT on Monday warns Coach Kliff Kingsbury.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt took a step back toward the lineup at Thursday’s practice.

Watt has been on injured reserve for more than two months after injuring his shoulder, but he was designated for return this week and there’s hope that he will be able to play against the Rams on Monday night. Watt said that call will come closer to kickoff and head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that he got in a “very limited” session to start the process of determining if he’ll be ready to go.

 “We wanted to get him back out doing some functional football exercises, and that was the step today,” Kingsbury said, via Alex Weiner of SI.com.

The Cardinals will practice again on Friday and Saturday, but won’t have to give Watt an injury designation for Monday as he’s not yet back on the active roster. If he’s activated before kickoff, that will be a good sign that Arizona plans on having him in the lineup.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

We admit that we admire the way Kelly Stafford, wife of Matthew, is willing to get into the fray.  She’s miffed that so many 49ers fans found their way to SoFi Stadium on Sunday – and doesn’t want to see hostiles there again.  Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic:

We’ll this isn’t something you see every day.

Kelly Stafford, the wife of quarterback Matthew Stafford, is asking fans of the Los Angeles Rams to not sell their tickets for Monday’s NFL playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, to Cardinals fans.

Seeing a lot of Cardinals fans at a road game in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles would surely be a welcome site to Cardinals fans who have endured dealing with a lot of road fans at State Farm Stadium in Glendale through the years.

“My plea,” Kelly Stafford wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “Please don’t sell you (sic) tickets to Arizona fans.”

Kelly Stafford discussed how disruptive opposing fans were at the Rams’ regular-season ending loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, and how she doesn’t want to see that replicated in the playoff game Monday night.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve never seen so many of the opposing teams’ fans at a game,” she said on her podcast, “On the Morning After with Kelly Stafford”. “And we came from Detroit and there were a lot of good traveling teams there, but that was wild.

“Matthew is on a silent count. When he hikes the ball, it’s either a loud count where you can hear him, and that’s what usually quarterbacks are on when they’re at home. Matthew is on a silent count, Jimmy Garoppolo was not – who is the opposing quarterback. It was crazy.

“I mean, I’ve never seen anything like that and it made it very hard for us because I guess we weren’t expecting to be on silent count.”

AFC WEST

LAS VEGAS

QB DEREK CARR is not satisfied to just “start” a playoff game.  Paul Gutierrez ofESPN.com:

The slow, relieved smile creeping across his face as he called timeout with two seconds left in overtime Sunday night in front of a raucous Allegiant Stadium crowd that was part rowdy Raider Nation, part cool Vegas lounge act and all parts heart palpitations, said it all.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, in his eighth NFL season and after his 127th career game, was going to play in the postseason. Finally.

It didn’t matter if Daniel Carlson made the 47-yard field-goal attempt to beat the Los Angeles Chargers (the Raiders would be the AFC’s No. 5 seed and travel to the No. 4 seed Cincinnati Bengals if he did) or missed it (the Raiders would be the No. 7 seed and travel to the No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs in that case). Carr and the Raiders were in.

That Carlson drilled it for the Raiders’ record sixth walk-off win of the season, Carr’s 30th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or OT, didn’t only force Las Vegas’ way into the postseason for the second time since 2002, it allowed the Raiders to prevent the rival Chargers, whose defensive end Joey Bosa essentially challenged Carr’s manhood back in Week 4, from advancing to the tournament.

Maybe that relieved smile was more of a “Take that, haters” smirk.

Could you blame him if it was the latter? Carr, the most polarizing figure in franchise history — fans either adore him or loathe him and there is little in between — accomplished personal and team goals with the 35-32 win to improve the Raiders’ record in this extended, oft-hellish 17-game season to 10-7.

“Like my favorite player Kobe [Bryant] said, ‘Job’s not done,'” Carr said after the game.

Indeed, it may just be getting started for a quarterback and team that seemed poised to lose out and undergo a total rebuild — its third in less than a decade — after getting embarrassed 48-9 at Kansas City on Dec. 12 to fall to 6-7. Even more so after Carr’s head-scratching deep ball interception late in regulation at the Cleveland Browns a week and a day later.

But the Raiders rallied to win that game, the first of four straight victories, and now Carr can add playoff QB to a résumé that already includes virtually every passing record in Raiders history, even if he has lost 13 more games than he has won in his career (57-70). His playoff debut will come Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium against the Bengals (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

“Yeah, it’s nice, but don’t forget, we’ve already done it — this is the second time; I just get to play this time,” said Carr, who missed out on the Raiders’ playoff appearance in 2016 after suffering a broken right fibula in the penultimate game of the season.

“For me, it’s an exciting time. Obviously, it’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was drafted. That’s all I want to do is get to the playoffs and try and win a championship. And the fact that we’re in the tournament, it’s really cool. Again, like I said afterwards, I’m super thankful. I’ve worked my tail off. I’ve prayed that I could experience that one day and I get to. It’s cool.

“But at the same time, my goal wasn’t just to make the playoffs; it was a part of it. But you always have bigger goals and bigger dreams and you’re always trying to achieve more. So, for me, it’s exciting, but still trying to keep that laser focus on the job at hand.”

Only two players remain on the Raiders roster from that 2016 team that finished 12-4 and got thumped at the Houston Texans in a wild-card game — Carr and running back Jalen Richard.

Talk about turnover.

“As a quarterback from [five] years ago to now, he’s way better than what he was back then, even when he was having the MVP talks,” said Richard, who added Carr is both smarter and stronger while laughing. “He loves to flex his arms.

“I hurt for him back in 2016, when he wasn’t able to finish the season the way he wanted to finish it because, again, he was having such a stellar season. Now, he’s coming in [and] he’s glowing. Man, I was so happy for him.”

Carr passed for a career-high 4,804 yards this season, fifth in the league, setting a Raiders record by eclipsing the 4,689 yards Rich Gannon threw for in his 2002 MVP 16-game season.

But Carr’s 3.7% TD percentage was the third-lowest of his career (he had 23 TD passes on a career-high 626 attempts). His 14 interceptions and 13 fumbles were career highs, while the 40 sacks he took were the second-most of his career.

And only Ryan Fitzpatrick (147) and Archie Manning (139) had played more regular-season games than Carr without a playoff appearance … until Carr takes the field in Cincinnati (Jim Zorn is next at 106 and Jeff Blake is at 100).

But to use the maxim Carr uttered the most down the stretch — nobody cares.

Not even with the distractions and adversity the team and QB faced this season, from coach Jon Gruden’s sudden resignation in the wake of his email scandal to Henry Ruggs III’s high-speed car crash that claimed the life of a 23-year-old woman and her dog to Damon Arnette getting cut after video of him flashing guns and making death threats went viral to Gruden suing the NFL to Nate Hobbs’ DUI arrest.

Not if the franchise motto is “Just win, baby,” right?

“He’s been the same person the whole time, just been weathering adversity year after year, week after week,” tight end Darren Waller said of Carr. “The results may not always have looked the way people have wanted them to, but Derek’s remained the same person and improved as a leader, improved as a player. And now, the results are in our favor. But Derek’s been the same general, the same leader that he’s been his entire career.

“His hair is longer, for sure, but it’s still the same guy.”

Ah, yes, the hair. Carr said he has not had it cut since training camp, the result of a still-standing bet with Pro Bowl punter AJ Cole.

“This is honestly just because he said I’ll give up,” Carr said. “I think this is a perfect segue … we didn’t give up this season. Just because he told me I’d quit is the only reason my hair hasn’t been cut since training camp. If that tells you a little bit about me and how I feel — we didn’t quit.

“Lord knows there’s been many of times I’ve gone home after talking to you all, and your human emotions are just like ‘Why do I even do this?’ And you instantly remind yourself of the reasons why you do it. … I’ve been waiting for eight years to make the playoffs.”

Who started that 2016 playoff game for the then-Oakland Raiders?

The guy from Michigan State.  Connor Cook?  Looked it up, yep, Connor Cook, then a 4^th round rookie.

He never started a regular season game in his career and threw a total of 21 passes.

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com on where QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER stands on the all-time list of postseason passers – in terms of yards:

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is No. 5 in NFL history in postseason passing yards. By the end of Sunday night’s game, Roethlisberger should be No. 3.

Roethlisberger has passed for 5,757 passing yards in the playoffs in his career. Joe Montana is in fourth place all-time with 5,772 and Brett Favre is in third with 5,855.

That means Roethlisberger needs only 99 yards on Sunday night against the Chiefs to move into third place in NFL history. Roethlisberger has only been held to less than 99 yards four times in 271 career games, so it’s a safe bet that he’ll reach 99 yards on Sunday night.

What Roethlisberger won’t do is move any higher than No. 3 in NFL history. Tom Brady is first with 12,449 postseason passing yards, and Peyton Manning is second with 7,339. So Roethlisberger will get to third and stay at third.

And Roethlisberger may not stay at third for long. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is No. 6 all time with 5,669 postseason passing yards. When the Packers play their first playoff game next weekend, Rodgers may move ahead of Roethlisberger, Montana and Favre all in one game.

Will Roethlisberger has RB NAJEE HARRIS? Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris missed two practices this week as he deals with an elbow injury that kept him out for a spell in the Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Still, coach Mike Tomlin said he expects the back to participate in Friday’s session.

How today goes for the rookie RB will have a significant impact on his availability Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

And if Najee is out, it would be a massive blow to the Steelers’ ability to move the ball. The rookie was knocked out in Week 18 but returned to play a key role in the overtime win that got the Steelers into the postseason.

“It says he’s the guy we said he was the whole time,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said of Harris’ return last week, via the team’s official website. “He made a one-handed catch and a couple really, really big runs. I think he was really effective when he came back. Certainly says a lot about him as a person and how much of a team player he is, how much he wants to win.”

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

David Culley balks at firing his offensive coordinator.  So they both get fired.  Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk790:

The firing of coach David Culley after one season followed a 4-13 season and a review of the entire coaching staff that led to his dismissal along with offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.

The Texans and Culley, a career assistant who had never been a head coach previously, part ways with three remaining years on his contract. Culley confirmed that he’s due the three remaining years on his deal. That’s worth $17 million and he will earn a total of $22 million over the course of the deal, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.

Culley, 66, didn’t want to make changes to the coaching staff, which was a disconnect with how the Texans wanted to proceed, especially on the offensive side of the football with the NFL’s last-ranked offense.

Game management issues and other alignment problems were at the heart of the decision from the Texans management to move on in a recommendation from general manager Nick Caserio to chairman and CEO Cal McNair.

Yes, you could say the Texans were last in offense, but with the roster that was provided that shouldn’t have been a surprise.  And Culley and Kelly seemed to do a nice job developing rookie QB DAVIS MILLS as the season went along.  Mills was arguably the second or third-best rookie QB at season’s end.

Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com:

“I came to this difficult but necessary decision after reviewing our football operation,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement released by the team. “While a change after one season is unusual, we had philosophical differences over the long-term direction and vision for our program moving forward. We appreciate Coach Culley for helping us navigate through a difficult season, but it is my responsibility to make decisions that I feel are best for our organization.”

Culley told Houston media outlets SportsTalk 790 and KRIV-TV that he had three years left on his contract and that his salary is guaranteed.

“I loved every minute of being the head coach of the Houston Texans. I appreciate the players and coaches for staying the course with me through the ups and downs of our season,” Culley said in a statement released by the team. “I’m disappointed we didn’t win more games and I won’t have a chance to improve on the lessons I’ve learned, but I fully understand this is a bottom-line business and I didn’t do enough.”

We saw quite a few tweets like this from Emmanuel Acho:

@EmmanuelAcho

With the firing of David Culley, there’s currently 1 black head coach in the

@NFL.

There are 32 teams and 78% of the players are black. David Culley was set up to fail. #Texans

The 1 of 32 count is misleading.  Not that it is much better, but there were 3 of 32 black coaches, then the firings of Brian Flores and Culley and now the number is 1 of 24.

We are seeing quite a few black names on the interview lists with Chicago and Houston seeming to have several black candidates high on the list.  We would think the final number will end up at about four black coaches for 2022, not enough for some, but still an actual improvement.

That said, Flores was fired for going through too many assistants (among other things) while Culley is fired for being loyal.

– – –

Part snark and part a legitimate list – Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News has 7 coaching candidates with Patriots ties for Nick Cesario to choose from:

The Texans fired coach David Culley on Thursday after only one season and a 4-13 record. If you once worked or still work for the Patriots, you might be the one to replace him in Houston.

Culley got stuck in an awful mess of lesser talent while the Texans played an entire season with quarterback Deshaun Watson inactive. His team played hard and had some moments offensively and defensively, but that wasn’t enough to save his job.

Now it’s on the Texans’ “braintrust” of executive vice president Jack Easterby and general manager Nick Caserio to make us believe they know what they’re doing with a competent new hire. Given that pair used to work in New England and because Houston has by far the least appeal of the NFL’s eight coaching vacancies for 2022 — partly because of Easterby and Caserio — there’s no doubt they plan to bring the “Patriot Way” down Texans way.

So here’s a Patriots-theme all-star list of replacement candidates for Culley, minus of course Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.

Ranking the Texans’ best coaching options for 2022

Bill Belichick, head coach, Patriots (age: 69)

Look, this seems outrageous, but so are the Texans, in general. But don’t put it past Easterby and Caserio to give Belichick their best pitch to leave the Patriots. They might as well shoot for the moon. But it might take a ridiculous contract of $25 million a season, an offer of absolute power, a mansion and a boat to get him halfway to retirement in Mexico. Expect Belichick to respond by putting up his hood and shrugging them off.

Brian Flores, former Dolphins head coach and former Patriots defensive coordinator (age: 40)

Now let’s get real. Did Flores’ Miami dismissal prompt Houston offfcials to fire Culley, knowing the former was suddenly available? Remember, per reports, he was the one most into wanting the Dolphins to trade for Watson. Related, does this mean the Texans are working to try to keep Watson, assuming he’s cleared off the field? So many questions, which is par for the couse with this organization. But yes, Flores is the top available true candidate.

Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator (age: 45)

It’s easy to picture McDaniels following Culley and Bill O’Brien, who once worked as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, too. The Texans can blow up the concept of the old boys’ network and create their younger bros network of Easterby, Caserio and McDaniels. In all seriousness, McDaniels is overdue for a second shot and at least he can help turn around the offense for dudes he knows well.

Jerod Mayo, Patriots inside linebackers coach (age: 35)

This would be an intriguing hire as Mayo is developing more buzz as the next Flores-like candidate who isn’t Matt Patricia.

Steve Belichick, Patriots outside linebackers coach (age: 34)

Son of a Belichick, this could actually happen. Bill’s other son Brian coaches the Patriots’ safetes, but there’s a pretty good sense that Steve is the one not so sneakily in the play-calling position vacated by Patricia and Flores.

Cameron Achord, Patriots special teams coach (age: 34)

He replaced Judge, who left for the Giants before being fired and has done a bang-up job the past two years. He is quickly getting a lot of notice outside of New England.

Kevin O’Connell, Rams offensive coordinator and former Patriots quarterback (age: 36)

See what we did there? Caserio did work for the Patriots when they took O’Connell in the third round of the 2008 draft. He’s getting a lot of buzz as the latest young offensive hotshot from the Sean McVay tree.

INDIANAPOLIS

QB CARSON WENTZ can’t count on 2022 with the Colts if one reads between the lines of the comments of GM Chris Ballard.  Mike Wells of ESPN.com:

Colts general manager Chris Ballard is not ready to fully commit to quarterback Carson Wentz as his starter for the 2022 season.

Ballard made those comments during his season-ending news conference just days after the Colts didn’t make the playoffs and Wentz played two of his worst games to end the season. Ballard’s comments are eye-raising considering the Colts gave up first- and third-round picks in the upcoming draft to acquire Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason.

“When we made the decision, after Philip [Rivers] retired and we made the decision to make a move on Carson, at the time of the decision we felt good about it and I still don’t regret the decision at the time,” Ballard said Thursday. “Sitting here today, just so y’all know, I won’t make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who is not going to be here next year. That’s not fair to any player.”

When they acquired Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, the Colts were hoping to stop the revolving door at quarterback that has been turning since Andrew Luck retired in August 2019. Wentz replaced the retired Rivers, who replaced Jacoby Brissett after the 2019 season.

“I’d like to quit Band-Aiding it,” Ballard said. “I’d like for Carson to be the long-term answer or find somebody who will be here for the next 10-12 years. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. I can dream about it, wish about it, do everything I can to figure out the solution, but you do the best with what you can do at the time.”

The goal was for head coach Frank Reich to get Wentz back to playing the way he did when the two were together in Philadelphia when Reich was the quarterback’s offensive coordinator in 2017.

There was some good from Wentz this season, but the bad, unfortunately for the Colts, outweighed it. It was clear that they were a run-first team with running back Jonathan Taylor, who the led the NFL in rushing, but they also expected Wentz to be able to make plays when teams loaded up the box to stop the run. That didn’t always happen.

Wentz only completed 59% of his passes, threw just two touchdown passes and had two turnovers in the final two games of the regular season when the Colts only needed to win one to make the playoffs. Wentz, who continued his risk-taking ways, threw for at least 200 yards in only two of the final eight games of the season. In the upset loss to the Jaguars in the season finale, Wentz posted a career-low 4.4 Total QBR.

“Make the layups. Make the layups. Make the layups,” Ballard said. “Carson wants to win. He has a will to win. Sometimes when you carry the burden where you think you have to make a big play all the time. Sometimes let the team help you, make the layups, make the layups.”

THIS AND THAT

DISCIPLINE

The 33^rd Team has a Discipline Index which is two-thirds penalties and one-third turnovers.  Brian Friedland has the 2022 winner:

In the final Discipline Index of the 2021 NFL Season, the Green Bay Packers finish on top after a strong campaign. The Packers managed to only turn the ball over 13 times throughout the course of the season (tied for the least amount of turnovers in the league) and committed only 69 penalties for 678 yards on the year (1st and 4th least in the NFL in their respective categories).

The Packers truly put on a display of disciplined football as they clinched their second consecutive number-one seed in the NFC. Congratulations to the Packers, and we will see if they can continue their disciplined brand of football into the playoffs after having Wild Card weekend off.

While the Green Bay Packers were worth mentioning in the Discipline Index for the majority, if not all, of the 2021 season, it can’t go without noting three playoff/playoff-caliber teams that struggled immensely from a discipline standpoint in Week 18.

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These teams were the New England Patriots, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Los Angeles Chargers. All three of these teams dropped at least 6 spots in the final Discipline Index with the Chargers dropping the most amount of spots out of the three with 9 spots.

The Niners were able to make up for their miscues, specifically two crucial Jimmy Garoppolo interceptions, but the Patriots and Chargers both had mistakes that did not help matters in their respective games even if they didn’t directly impact the final score.

For the Patriots, it was Mac Jones’ third pick six of the year, a critical roughing the punter/passer penalty, and a crucial fumble in the third quarter that helped New England to drop six spots.

As for the Chargers, they committed 10 penalties for 108 yards and had an interception while they attempted to comeback from a 15-point deficit. Both of these undisciplined performances did not directly lead to losses, but they certainly didn’t help matters. The Chargers missed out on the playoffs after a 35-32 defeat while the Patriots’ loss to the Dolphins put them down to the six seed in the AFC and in a matchup with the AFC East winners, the Buffalo Bills.

There are a plethora of teams who managed to rebound, in terms of discipline, from the beginning of the season. The top-five teams who improved the most in discipline throughout the season are as follows:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Up 22 Spots)

T-Minnesota Vikings & Green Bay Packers (Up 19 Spots)

Philadelphia Eagles (Up 18 Spots)

New England Patriots (Up 14 Spots)

THE BEST FROM PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS

Seth Galina of ProFootballFocus

The 2021 NFL regular season ended with some thrilling wins and performances. But before we turn our focus to wild-card weekend and the rest of the playoffs, it’s time to pause to analyze the best players of the season using Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

We compiled the highest-graded players at every position in 2021 and named the top rookie and a surprise at each position. Sure, this list features the usual suspects, but there were close calls at several positions, while other position groups had runaway leaders. Two position groups even had rookies grade the highest at their respective position. And if you have watched any football this year, the highest-graded running back is not who you would think it would be.

Tom Brady regained his perch atop the quarterback position from Aaron Rodgers, but sneaking up behind them are two young quarterbacks who are looking to make their mark on the league for decades to come. And while you might think Cooper Kupp will top the receivers list — spoiler — he doesn’t.

So, let’s dig in, starting with quarterback and working our way through the defense:

Quarterback

Best overall: Tom Brady, Buccaneers

Regular-season PFF grade: 92.0

Brady, 44, finishes the season barely ahead of young guns Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, who finished second and third respectively. As the Buccaneers’ receiving corps crumbles around him, Brady is the steady hand that could take Tampa Bay back to the Super Bowl. Among quarterbacks who started most of the season, Brady was the least-sacked player, and he led the league in perfectly accurate passes rate at 22.9%.

Wondering where Aaron Rodgers, who could win NFL MVP soon, is on this list? Since Week 11, Rodgers has the best grade in the NFL, but shakier play in the first half of the season is why he’s not ranked inside the top three. He had just a 41.7 PFF grade under pressure in Weeks 1-10. While he did rank first in PFF grade under pressure (82.3) in the following weeks, the late surge wasn’t enough to vault up him up the season-long ranks. He finished with a 59.5 grade, which ranked eighth among all QBs.

Top rookie: Mac Jones, Patriots

Regular-season PFF grade: 79.3

Jones came on strong to start his NFL career, posting an 84.8 grade until Week 11. He’s spiraled a bit since then, recording a 61.5 grade since Week 11, but that shouldn’t take away from his solid season overall. He was the only rookie quarterback who graded above 65.0, which puts him far ahead of anyone in this category. He finishes his first campaign ranked 12th among all quarterbacks.

Biggest surprise: Justin Herbert, Chargers, and Joe Burrow, Bengals

Regular-season PFF grade: Burrow 91.7; Herbert 90.0

Both quarterbacks flashed big-time talent as rookies in 2020, but they were each excellent in 2021. Herbert has become a machine, as his accuracy and ability to go through reads at a high level took another step forward. Pairing those traits with his elite arm talent should make for a long career. Burrow displays pinpoint accuracy, and late in the season, he started to find the playmaking ability that made him the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner.

Running Back

Best overall: Damien Harris, Patriots

Regular-season PFF grade: 87.5

As a receiver and a runner, Harris was impressive this season. Harris was a first-down machine on the ground, finishing with 55 first-down runs from just 202 carries. He recorded the seventh-highest first-down or touchdown rate on the ground. Taking out the pass-blocking and receiving grades, Indianapolis Colts runner Jonathan Taylor had the highest PFF run grade (88.2) as he led the league in first-down or touchdown rate on the ground.

Top rookie: Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots

Regular-season PFF grade: 79.2

Part of New England’s dual threat with Harris, Stevenson finished third among rookies with 0.25 missed tackles forced per rush while leading all rookies in yards per carry as well. Just 3.8% of his runs were stuffed at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield — second-best in the NFL — which displays that Stevenson grinds positive yards at every opportunity.

Biggest surprise: AJ Dillon, Packers

Regular-season PFF grade: 87.4

Dillon barely missed the grade for best overall running back, but still gets a spot as the biggest surprise. He quietly performed well in 2020 — boasting a 78.3 grade. But with more carries and more responsibility, Dillon flourished in 2021. He was given 134 more carries this season, but his stuff rate fell 3% even though his yards before contact per attempt decreased by 0.6 yards.

Wide Receiver

Best overall: Davante Adams, Packers

Regular-season PFF grade: 92.7

Adams has now led the league in back-to-back years, as he bested the Rams’ Cooper Kupp by less than one point. Adams can do everything from any receiver position, as he finished with the highest receiving grade from the slot and from wide alignments. He is an all-around receiver who can get open deep, run quick option routes and locate the ball with incredible body control for those back-shoulder fade routes that Rodgers loves to throw.

Top rookie: Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.0

Chase was immediately impactful this season, as he reunited with his college quarterback (Burrow) with the Bengals. Over the first seven weeks of the season, Chase posted an 83.5 grade. He fell off a bit during the middle of the season, recording only a 64.7 grade between Weeks 8-15, but the rookie came alive again to close out the regular season and helped the Bengals secure a division title while notching a 91.1 grade over the last three weeks. Justin Jefferson was the top-graded rookie last season, so that means an LSU Tiger has sat atop of these receiver rankings for two years in a row.

Biggest surprise: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions

Regular-season PFF grade: 80.0

Brown was the second-highest-graded rookie receiver behind Chase and the 17th-graded receiver overall. The fourth-round pick started to pick up steam and gain some footing as the season went on. From Week 13 until the end of the season, St. Brown posted a 90.3 grade — the third-highest mark in the league. Mostly a slot receiver, the Lions used him in a multitude of ways, including catching passes out of the backfield, as the season wore on.

Tight End

Best overall: Mark Andrews, Ravens

Regular-season PFF grade: 91.5

This season didn’t go the Ravens’ way, as they didn’t make the playoffs. However, on the bright side, Andrews did ascend to the top of the tight end rankings. He was the most targeted tight end (149 targets), caught the most passes (107 receptions) and gained the most yards (1,361 receiving yards) while finishing third in yards per route run (2.18). It was also Andrews’ best season as a run-blocker, as he boasted a 75.3 grade.

Top rookie: Kyle Pitts, Falcons

Regular-season PFF grade: 79.7

Pitts posted the highest-graded season for a rookie tight end since 2017. He finished fifth in yards per route run among all tight ends this season (2.02) and caught a whopping 30.8% of his contested catch opportunities. The rookie split his time evenly between three positions, lining up in the slot on 37% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps, as an inline tight end on 32% of snaps and as an outside receiver on 30% of snaps.

Biggest surprise: Dalton Schultz, Cowboys

Regular-season PFF grade: 78.1

Schultz’s grade improved by almost 15 points from last season because he became a focal point of Dallas’ passing attack due to injuries throughout the team’s pass-catching core. He was one of six tight ends who finished with triple-digit targets. After his first three seasons in the league, Schultz had 767 receiving yards combined, but he recorded 834 yards in this season alone.

Offensive Tackle

Best overall: Trent Williams, 49ers

Regular-season PFF grade: 98.3

Williams had one of the best seasons PFF has ever seen from an offensive player regardless of position. Williams didn’t finish with a game grade lower than 72.9 and boasted 10 games above 80.0. After missing Week 18, he heads into the playoffs with zero sacks allowed and just three pressures allowed over his past five starts. He’s getting better as the season goes on.

Top rookie: Rashawn Slater, Chargers

Regular-season PFF grade: 83.7

Both Slater and Lions rookie Penei Sewell had outstanding rookie seasons, but Slater’s 80.3 pass-blocking grade dwarfs Sewell’s 69.4 grade. Slater’s 3.7% pressure rate allowed is one of the 10 best among all tackles. He will finish 13th in PFF’s pass block efficiency metric as well.

Biggest surprise: Jordan Mailata, Eagles

Regular-season PFF grade: 86.9

Mailata will finish as the league’s third-highest-graded tackle in his second season, as his grade jumped from 70.9 last year to 86.9 this season. At 6-foot-8 and 346 pounds, he is one the biggest players in the league. And because of his rugby background coming from his native Australia, Mailata never played a down of American football before being taken in by Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and subsequently becoming one of the best at his position in the league.

Guard

Best overall: Zack Martin, Cowboys

Regular-season PFF grade: 94.2

Martin returned from injury to reclaim his top spot among NFL guards this season. This was Martin’s best-graded season to date, and he has only had one season graded below 86.0. He will finish in the top 10 in both pressure rate allowed and PFF’s pass block efficiency metric among guards. Bouncing back from the calf injury that forced him to miss a chunk of 2020 to still be one of the best guards in 2021 is more fodder for what should be a Hall of Fame career.

Top rookie: Trey Smith, Chiefs

Regular-season PFF grade: 72.1

The Chiefs hit on both their interior offensive line draft picks, as Smith and Creed Humphrey topped their respective positions. Smith proved better as a run-blocker, finishing with a 74.9 run-blocking grade compared to just a 64.8 pass-blocking grade, but there are reasons to be optimistic about his ability in pass protection. He finished seven games with a 70.0-plus grade in pass protection, so the best might be yet to come for the young guard.

Biggest surprise: Chris Lindstrom, Falcons

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.1

Lindstrom continues to improve every season, going from a 66.6 grade as a rookie in 2019 to a 77.1 grade last year and now an 84.1 grade in 2021 under new head coach Arthur Smith. He allowed zero sacks in 2021 — one of only 10 guards who kept his quarterback clean among players with more than 200 pass-blocking snaps. He also recorded the fourth-highest run-blocking grade among guards (88.2).

Center

Best overall and top rookie: Creed Humphrey, Chiefs

Regular-season PFF grade: 91.4

Humphrey was the only rookie who led his position in PFF grade, as he helped solidify the Chiefs’ offensive line. The team added Orlando Brown Jr. and Joe Thuney to the fold in the offseason, but it was the two rookies — Humphrey and Smith — who might have made the biggest impact. Humphrey finished first in run-blocking grade and third in pass-blocking grade among all centers. He finished second to the great Rodney Hudson in pressure rate allowed (1.5%).

Biggest surprise: Jason Kelce, Eagles

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.8

The surprise here is that Kelce apparently does not age. He turned 34 during the middle of the season and was one of the best centers in the league. He finished with the third-highest grade among centers, and his 90.0 run-blocking grade helped pave the way for a rushing attack that led the Eagles to the playoffs. Considering Kelce’s grade had fallen to 69.6 last season, one could have surmised that his best days were behind him, but he rebounded in a big way in 2021.

Defensive Tackle

Best overall: Aaron Donald, Rams

Regular-season PFF grade: 93.6

Donald dominated again this season. In PFF’s wins above replacement (WAR) statistic, Donald absolutely dwarfs every other defender. His 1.02 WAR this season more than doubled second-place Cameron Heyward’s 0.39 WAR. He bested second-place finisher among all defenders and teammate Jalen Ramsey’s WAR by .37. By the time we get to the eighth overall defender in PFF WAR, Donald’s mark doubles their number. The best defensive player of this generation was once again outstanding this season.

Top rookie: Christian Barmore, Patriots

Regular-season PFF grade: 63.8

Rookie interior defenders didn’t have a great season overall, but Barmore does stand out especially as a pass-rusher who boasted a 75.4 grade. He recorded 11 more pressures than any other rookie interior defender and finished third among all rookies regardless of position. His 17.1% pass rush win rate was the highest of all rookies not named Micah Parsons. He was not perfect defending the run, but he was drafted to rush the passer, and he can hang his hat on that aspect of his game after a nice rookie season.

Biggest surprise: Zach Sieler, Dolphins

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.8

Out of absolutely nowhere, the fourth-year veteran finished with the fourth-highest grade among interior defensive linemen — one spot above his teammate Christian Wilkins. Seiler improved his 2020 grade by 15.5 points, as he played 714 snaps this season compared to just 793 over his first three seasons combined. He produced a 25% positively graded play rate against the run and only had a negatively graded play on 10% of his snaps.

Edge Defender

Best overall: Myles Garrett, Browns

Regular-season PFF grade: 92.0

Garrett continues to improve and cracks the 90.0 mark for the first time in his career. He was a dominant force off the edge in Cleveland, finishing second in pass rush win rate and fourth in pressure rate among all edge defenders. He also added 13 defensive run stops — six of which were tackles for loss or no gain. He lived in opposing backfields and was an unblockable player for most of the season.

Top rookie: Greg Rousseau, Bills

Regular-season PFF grade: 70.2

The Miami product finished third in pressure rate among rookie edge defenders (12.1%), which was just behind his teammate Boogie Basham. He finished fifth in pass rush win rate among rookie edge defenders as well. Rousseau made his mark against the run, tallying an incredible 32 defensive run stops, which was tied for the most in the league and far more than any other rookie.

Biggest surprise: Marcus Davenport, Saints

Regular-season PFF grade: 89.3

Even while missing some time due to injury, Davenport seems to have finally developed into the player the Saints envisioned when they traded up to take him in the 2018 NFL draft. He’s a big-bodied edge defender who is starting to make an impact like his teammate Cameron Jordan. He finished with a pass rush grade above 80.0 for the first time in his career, as he generated 47 total pressures and a lofty 21.3% pass rush win rate.

Linebacker

Best overall & Top rookie: Micah Parsons, Cowboys

Regular-season PFF grade: 88.5

Parsons, listed as a linebacker, split time between edge defender and off-ball linebacker in Dan Quinn’s defense — and he excelled at both positions. He was better as a defensive lineman as he got his feet wet diagnosing plays from the off-ball linebacker position, but when he rushed the passer, there might not have been a better player in the league. He finished fourth in pass rush win rate in the league (24.8%).

Biggest surprise: De’Vondre Campbell, Packers

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.3

A below-average player throughout his career, Campbell exploded in his first season with the Packers. Never topping a higher grade than 69.1 (2017 in Atlanta), Campbell improved upon his 49.0 mark last season in Arizona by 35.3 points. He allowed a high completion rate into his coverage as a pass-defender, but most of those were short. He finished with 34 “stops” against the pass this year and added two interceptions with 19 stops against the run.

Cornerback

Best overall: Jalen Ramsey, Rams

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.3

In terms of PFF grade, Ramsey finally returned to the form of his magical 2017 season in Jacksonville. He didn’t quite hit his 91.3 grade from that season, but this year’s 84.3 grade was better than anything in between. Ramsey recorded four interceptions and also added 16 forced incompletions — tied for fourth most in the league. Ramsey posted an 85.9 run defense grade — the fourth highest in the league among cornerbacks.

Top rookie: Nate Hobbs, Raiders

Regular-season PFF grade: 78.4

Hobbs finished 10th in PFF WAR (0.44) among cornerbacks as a rookie. The Packers’ Eric Stokes finished second among rookies (0.30), so Hobbs is well ahead of any rookie in this category. In addition, Hobbs posted well-rounded grades in every aspect of the position, as he boasted a 78.8 run defense grade, a 78.0 pass rush grade and a 75.8 coverage grade. He finished second among rookies with a paltry 0.69 yards per coverage snap given up this season as well.

Biggest surprise: Chidobe Awuzie, Bengals

Regular-season PFF grade: 83.4

There was a reason Dallas allowed Awuzie to walk after four years with the team. His best season was his rookie year, where he notched a 78.4 PFF grade but played only 368 snaps. He never reach that mark again in Dallas, but he bested it this season in Cincinnati. He snagged two interceptions and forced 10 incompletions.

Safety

Best overall: Kevin Byard, Titans

Regular-season PFF grade: 90.5

Byard has been one of the better safeties in the league for a while but fell off a bit in 2020 with a 65.8 grade, which was down from 85.3 in 2017, 87.9 in 2018 and 78.3 in 2019. However, Byard was the highest-graded coverage safety and also the fifth-highest-graded run defender at the safety position this season. Byard tallied eight run stops and one tackle for loss or no gain on the season.

Top rookie: Jevon Holland, Dolphins

Regular-season PFF grade: 84.6

Not only was he the highest-graded rookie safety, but he also finished as the third-highest-graded safety overall. He broke up nine passes and allowed just 12 completions in coverage. He and teammate Brandon Jones led all safeties in pressures, as Jones boasted 20 while Holland finished with 16. Holland also added seven run stops.

Biggest surprise: Adrian Phillips, Patriots

Regular-season PFF grade: 80.5

In his second season in New England, Phillips was impressive. A semi-breakout 2019 season with the Chargers saw Phillips post a 87.6 grade from only 382 snaps. The Patriots picked him up and hoped he was closer to that than the player who didn’t top 66.0 in any other season where he played at least 100 snaps for the Chargers. He wasn’t great in 2020, posting just a 66.2 grade, but at 80.5 this season, it seems he has figured out Bill Belichick’s defense.

DVOA

Another statistical tool is DVOA from FootballOutsiders.com – and like the Aikman Ratings it has Buffalo near the top – and neither of the top seeds particularly high (with the Titans amazingly low):

  1  DAL      30.9%

  2  BUF      27.7%

  3  TB        27.6%

  4  NE        23.3%

  5  LAR      21.6%

  6  SF        19.5%

  7  KC        17.5%

  8  SEA      11.8%

  9  GB        11.5%

10  ARI       10.9%

11  IND         9.8%

12  LAC        8.5%

13  CLE        4.7%

14  NO          4.4%

15  PHI         3.8%

16  MIN         2.7%

17  CIN         0.0%

18  DEN       -1.7%

19  BAL       -2.1%

20  TEN       -3.0%

21  LV          -5.2%

22  WAS    -10.0%

23  CHI      -10.0%

24  PIT       -10.4%

25  MIA      -11.1%

26  NYJ     -18.3%

27  CAR     -24.1%

28  HOU     -24.2%

29  DET      -27.1%

30  ATL       -29.6%

31  NYG     -29.6%

32  JAX      -31.3%

So how do you explain the Packers, #10, being the FootballOutsiders favorites to win the Super Bowl?  We can’t