Washington Receives Significant Offensive Boost Ahead Of Buccaneers Game

 

DANIEL BATES

November 13, 2021, 10:17 PM

The Washington Football Team is getting a much-needed boost to its offensive line.

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, guard Brandon Scherff is returning to the lineup from a knee strain.

“WFT All-Pro G Brandon Scherff returns Sunday from a knee strain vs. Tampa Bay,” Schefty tweeted.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1459712144933593090

“In the last three seasons, the WFT has gone 0-12 in his absence. Win percentage with Scherff in the lineup the past seven seasons is 49.4 percent; without him is 13.6 percent.”

Scherff an All-Pro right guard, has been everything he was advertised to be since being drafted out of Iowa in 2015.

The 30-year-old is four-time Pro Bowler and among the most physical and respected offensive lineman in the league.

Scherff has only played in four games this season due to the knee strain.

Washington certainly could use his toughness inside against a loaded Tampa Bay front seven. The Bucs have a top three rushing defense and Scherff could definitely help when trying to get to that second level.

The Football Team takes on Tampa Bay in Landover, Maryland at 1 PM on Sunday.

The post Washington Receives Significant Offensive Boost Ahead Of Buccaneers Game appeared first on The Spun.

Winners and losers from NFL Week 10, plus 10 crazy facts to know from Sunday's games and Rams-49ers picks

 

Here's everything you need to know about the NFL for Nov. 15

By John Breech

 

3 hrs ago16 min read

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

We have a lot of ground to cover today, so we're going to jump right into things. However, before we get started, I would like to hand out one award. The "Donovan McNabb award for not knowing that an NFL game can end in a tie" goes to Najee Harris, who did not know that NFL games could end in a tie. 

"I didn't even know you could tie in the NFL," Harris said, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "In my mind, I was sitting on the bench saying, 'I've got another quarter to go.' But someone came to me and said, 'That's it.' I've never had a tie in my life before."

I can't tie a tie, so I kind of know how he feels. I would say Harris' comment was the most hilarious thing about Week 10, but Pete Carroll exists. The Seahawks coach threw a random object on the field because he couldn't find his challenge flag. Also, a Raiders player found a pair of SCISSORS on the field DURING the game. Based on how weird this week has been, I won't be surprised if a giraffe runs on the field during tonight's game between the 49ers and Rams. Alright, let's get to the rundown. 

As always, here's your weekly reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the Pick Six newsletter. To get your friends to sign up, all you have to do is click here and then share this link with them.

4. 10 crazy facts from Week 10

Every Sunday night, I get an email from our research department here at CBS Sports, and every Sunday, that email always includes some amazingly wild facts about the games that were just played. 

With that in mind, here are eight crazy facts about Week 10: 

·         Russell Wilson gets shut out for first time ever. The Seahawks QB has been in the NFL since 2012 and Sunday's loss to the Packers marked the first time ever that he's been held to zero points. Before this week, the last time the Seahawks had been shut out came in Week 2 of 2011. 

·         Titans make history. The Titans have won six games in a row and the most notable part of that streak is that they've now won five straight games against teams that made the playoffs last season (Bills, Chiefs, Colts, Rams, Saints). The Titans are just the second team in NFL history to pull off that feat, joining the 2003 Eagles (That Philadelphia team ended making it to the NFC title game). 

·         Tom Brady with the rare double-mistake. The 44-year-old threw two interceptions in the first quarter, marking just the second time in his 21-year career that he's thrown two picks in the first quarter of a game. The only other instance came back in 2012.  

·         Patrick Mahomes ties NFL record. The Chiefs QB threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns, marking the third time in his career that he's thrown for 400 or more yards and five or more touchdowns, which ties an NFL record. Mahomes did it in just 56 career games, which is notable, because the fastest person to reach this milestone before Mahomes was Joe Montana, who did it in 192 career games. 

·         Jakobi Meyers finally scores a touchdown. Meyers caught the first TD of his career during New England's win over the Browns. The Patriots receiver has been in the NFL since 2019, but somehow had never caught a TD pass. As a matter of fact, he now holds the NFL record for most receiving yards (1,570) before catching a first career touchdown.  

·         Bills accomplish a franchise first. The Bills scored four rushing touchdowns against the Jets and the twist here is that they were all scored by a different player, marking the first time in franchise history that four different players scored a rushing TD in a game. 

·         Patriots pull off something they never accomplished with Tom Brady. The Patriots scored 45 points against the Browns, meaning they've now scored 45 or more points in consecutive homes for the FIRST time in franchise history. Considering Tom Brady played there for 20 years, it's hard to believe that the Patriots had never done this before. 

·         Jets defense is a total nightmare. After giving up 45 points to the Bills on Sunday, the Jets have now surrendered 175 points in their past four games, which is the second-most that any team has ever surrendered in a four-game span since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

·         Cowboys offense explodes in first half against Falcons. The Cowboys led Atlanta 36-3 at halftime on Sunday, which is notable for two reasons. For one, it was the most first-half points scored by any team in the NFL this year. Also, it was the Cowboys' largest halftime lead in any game since 1971. 

·         Mark Ingram makes history. The Saints running back finished with 47 yards against the Titans, which isn't exactly impressive, but it is notable, because it allowed him to pass Deuce McAllister for the most rushing yards in franchise history. Ingram now has 6,124 career rushing yards, which is 28 more than McAllister. 

TWENTYMAN: Lions should look to Hockenson to help solve red-zone issues

 

Nov 12, 2021 at 07:49 AM

Tim Twentyman

Senior Writer

 

The Lions have talked a lot this week about their issues in the red zone through the first eight games of the season, both offensively and defensively.

 

Offensively, Detroit ranks 30th in the NFL with a touchdown percentage of just 50 percent. Only the New York Giants (46.2) and Washington (45.5) have a lower percentage.

 

It's usually tough sledding for offenses in the red zone. The field is compacted, there's less room to operate, and this league has a lot of versatile playmakers on defense.

 

But Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson has to be more of a factor down there for the Lions the second half of the season.

 

Hockenson's 48 receptions are second only to Kansas City's Travis Kelce (54) among tight ends. His 448 yards are sixth most at the position. But Hockenson has just two touchdowns on the season, and none since Week 2.

https://www.detroitlions.com/video/hockenson-on-finding-space-downfield

Hockenson's begun to get the star treatment from opposing defenses, mostly because of his talent, but partly due to the fact that teams aren't as concerned about Detroit's ability to make plays on the outside.

 

When those rare instances come when Hockenson does have a one-on-one opportunity in the red zone, he's got to be a priority read, though he admitted Friday those are few and far between. Still, he's got be more of a factor down there. He's too good not to be.

 

"Each week you go into it and kind of have that mentality and we have some plays that are in for that," Hockenson said Thursday, when asked if he'd like to be a more featured weapon in the red zone. "In the last few weeks we haven't been able to get down there as much probably and use those, and when we are, late in the game, it's one of those things where we're going to run it in.

 

"But yeah, I'm always trying to do what I can each week, especially in the red zone, that's usually a tight end's down. Just trying to do what I can every day, especially down there. I just want to help out as much I can."

 

Quarterback Jared Goff's five touchdown passes in the red zone this season are tied for the second fewest in the NFL.

 

Hockenson has been really good this year in the 20-yard range that encompasses the red zone. He's caught 10 of 16 targets in the 10-to-19-yard range for 150 yards and a score, per Pro Football Focus statistics. It's even better when Hockenson is targeted from the line of scrimmage out to nine yards. He's caught 33-of-39 targets in that range for 253 yards and a score.

 

Hockenson said his focus the second half of the season is making more plays every time his number is called. He included beating double teams as part of that, and having the run-after-the-catch part of his game be more of a weapon.

 

Hockenson said he licks his chops when he sees single coverage these days because it doesn't happen a lot. He said quarterback Goff is good about identifying those opportunities and getting him the ball.

 

Giving Hockenson more chances to make plays in the red zone, whether its scheming better opportunities for him or giving him a chance to beat a double team, could be a good way to help boost the red zone numbers for Detroit's offense.