Mac Jones reportedly clashed with QB coach Joe Judge amid Patriots offensive dysfunction
You will not be surprised to hear the New England Patriots offense was struggling behind closed doors as much as it was on the field. Given how much of the Patriots' future rests on Jones becoming a quality NFL quarterback, Judge's future may be particularly questionable. Belichick would blast him in practice, and it wasn't uncommon for Judge and Jones to trade profanity-laced outbursts. The Patriots' offensive plan this season was to reportedly take McDaniels' concepts, throw in some Sean McVay ideas (play-action passes in particular) and simplify the gameplan overall for quicker execution. The good news for the Patriots is O'Brien actually has experience on offense and reportedly has Jones' stamp of approval.
wftv.comPatriots want to keep de facto DC Jerod Mayo, but not Matt Patricia's playcalling
The team announced Thursday it has begun to discuss a potential contract extension for linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, a head coaching candidate who handled defensive playcalling this season. The full statement:The New England Patriots and Head Coach Bill Belichick have begun contract extension discussions with Jerod Mayo that would keep him with the team long-term. The Patriots are unique in the NFL in that they played this season without an offensive or defensive coordinator. Mayo has shared defensive playcalling duties with fellow linebackers coach Steve Belichick since the exit of Brian Flores, who held the same role, in 2019. The offensive playcalling — the entire offense, really — hasn't been so successful.
wftv.comQB Derek Carr says he embraces challenge of new city, team
LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Quarterback Derek Carr said Thursday in first public comments since being benched by Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels with two weeks left in the season that he is ready for the challenge of playing in a new city. So I look forward to a new city and a new team who, no matter the circumstance, will get everything I have." The deal signed last April gave Carr a $5 million raise in 2022, but provided an out for Las Vegas this offseason. The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to release Carr or his $32.9 million for 2023 and $7.5 million of his $41.9 million salary for 2024 will be guaranteed. Any team that acquires Carr would then take on the rest of the contract, which would include the guarantees in 2023-24 and a non-guaranteed $41.2 million salary for 2025.
wftv.comDavante Adams responds as Derek Car reportedly leaves Raiders amid demotion: 'The reason why I came here'
With Derek Carr out as starting quarterback, the Las Vegas Raiders are moving on without him in the locker room. Meanwhile, his Raiders teammates including close friend Davante Adams have responded to the news. After nine seasons as the Raiders starting quarterback, his tenure with the team is on the brink. The news made an obvious impact in the Raiders locker room, most notably with Adams. "Him being one of my really good friends and the reason why I came here in the first place.
wftv.comRaiders bench QB Carr, will start Stidham for final 2 games
HENDERSON, Nev. — (AP) — The Raiders will start Jarrett Stidham the final two games at quarterback in place of Derek Carr, Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday. McDaniels cited the struggles of the offense over the past month as the reason for the switch. “I couldn't be more complimentary of (Carr) or the way he handled it," McDaniels said of how the quarterback took the news. Carr will be inactive the final two games and that Chase Garbers will be the backup QB. McDaniels also said defensive lineman Chandler Jones (elbow) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (shoulder) were placed on season-ending injured reserve.
wftv.comRaiders bench QB Carr, will start Stidham for final 2 games
The Raiders will start Jarrett Stidham the final two games at quarterback in place of Derek Carr, Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday. McDaniels cited the struggles of the offense over the past month as the reason for the switch. “I couldn't be more complimentary of (Carr) or the way he handled it," McDaniels said of how the quarterback took the news.
news.yahoo.comRaiders bench Derek Carr with playoffs all but lost, $33M injury guarantee looming
The Las Vegas Raiders have benched quarterback Derek Carr with two games remaining in the regular season. Jarrett Stidham will start in his place on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers and presumably in next week's regular season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Carr is due $33 million next season that's fully guaranteed in case of injury. According to the report, the Raiders front office met on consecutive nights this week to discuss the course of action regarding Carr's injury guarantee. He's missed just two regular season games in his career.
wftv.comStruggling QB Derek Carr's future with Raiders in question
If quarterback Derek Carr wants to return to the Las Vegas Raiders next season, as he has said, he hasn't done much the past month to help his case. The Raiders are 2-2 in those games, with last-minute losses at the Los Angeles Rams and at Pittsburgh that have knocked them out of serious playoff contention. Las Vegas is behind four other bubble teams for the postseason with two weeks remaining.
news.yahoo.comIt's time for Patriots team owner Robert Kraft to treat Bill Belichick the way Belichick treats his players
For years, arguably decades, the ethos of Bill Belichick guiding the New England Patriots has been impenetrable: We do what's best for the team. Do what's best for the team. Do what's best for the team. The moment when Belichick's incorruptible doctine of "what's best for the team" was blindsided by his own hubris. Because his team is nearing an offseason where it’s time for him to start treating Belichick the way Belichick has treated his players for decades.
wftv.comRaiders stun New England after ridiculous Patriots mistake on frantic final play
The Las Vegas Raiders blew a 14-point lead on Sunday then rallied for a stunning victory over the New England Patriots on an absurd final play. With 3 seconds remaining in regulation of a game tied at 24-24, the Patriots had the ball at their own 44-yard line. Stevenson ran through the Raiders defense inside the Las Vegas 35-yard line. He plays for Las Vegas. McDaniels took the Raiders head coaching job last offseason after coordinating Bill Belichick's offense in New England for years.
wftv.comCardinals DC Vance Joseph takes jab at Patriots OC Matt Patricia by saying the obvious
At this point, nothing hurts the New England Patriots offense more than the truth. Calling those plays has been former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who is currently working as the Patriots' offensive line coach and senior football advisor after rejoining the team last year. So it's hard to blame Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for playfully noting Patricia's experience, or lack thereof, while discussing their "Monday Night Football" opponent:“It’s like a defensive guy calling offense.”Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph on the Patriots offensive play calling. Not exactly an endorsement of where the Patriots offense is going. The one area where Joseph might be inaccurate is the Patriots not turning the ball over (though, granted, we don't no hard they're trying).
wftv.comPatriots WR Kendrick Bourne unhappy with third-down offense: 'We need to scheme up better'
New England Patriots players aren't happy with their team's recent offensive performances following a second consecutive loss. First, quarterback Mac Jones profanely called out the offensive playcalling in the Patriots' 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. Then, veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne flat-out said the Patriots need to come up with better plays on third down:"We need to scheme up better," Bourne said. Consider this: The Patriots' offense under McDaniels ranked sixth in points, 15th in yards and 10th in third-down conversion percentage in 2021. Patricia's offense, meanwhile, ranks sixth in points, 15th in yards and the aforementioned 27th in third-down conversion.
wftv.comJacobs caps huge day with TD in OT, Raiders beat Seahawks
SEATTLE — (AP) — Josh Jacobs sprinted 86 yards for a game-ending touchdown and the Las Vegas Raiders won in overtime for the second straight week, beating the Seattle Seahawks 40-34 on Sunday. Jacobs finished with a franchise-record 229 yards rushing and two scores. He's the first player since at least 1950 with at least 225 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving in the same game. The 86-yard TD run was the fourth-longest overtime touchdown in league history. He also called a head-scratching toss sweep to Jacobs on fourth down in the fourth quarter that Seattle stopped.
wftv.comFantasy Football Six Pack: Stats we're thankful for, like Tua's elite deep accuracy
Let's try to focus on a few stats for which we are thankful this week. It's hard to overstate just how silly that completion percentage truly is; Kyler Murray led all passers in deep accuracy last year at 49.3%. And yet, for various Josh McDaniels and/or Hall of Fame Game-related reasons, people were running away from Jacobs in fantasy drafts. He's seen a ridiculous 44 targets over his last three games, hauling in five touchdowns while averaging 8.7 receptions and 137.7 yards per week. He's seen 39 targets during that stretch, scored five touchdowns and topped 80 receiving yards four times.
wftv.comMike McDaniel has been lights out, 2023 QB class has not, and dear god Raiders
If the 2023 NFL draft were to be held today, the Raiders would have the second overall pick with a 2-7 record. With a potentially top-two pick in what looks like a two-man quarterback class, that option is one that the Raiders have to consider. McDaniels’ offense has been nothing short of electric this season. Not only is this Dolphins offense generating explosive plays on the regular, they’re also avoiding negative plays in the passing game. 1 wide receiver that's masquerading as the second option in the Dolphins offense.
wftv.comHow broken are the Raiders? Josh McDaniels may be the only one safe right now. That's how broken
Josh McDaniels was outlining his path forward with the Las Vegas Raiders, his conversation with a camp visitor kept circling back to a word. The Raiders are now 2-7 and McDaniels just suffered what is likely the worst loss of the 24 on his head coaching resume. He was hired six days before he faced McDaniels and the Raiders. On Tuesday, he didn't know who his offensive play-caller or starting quarterback would be. The loss was so devastating and frustrating that starting quarterback Derek Carr, a Raider to his core, mustered a postgame media conference essentially through tears.
wftv.comRunning game having biggest impact in decades in NFL
Derrick Henry was a bit amused by the premise of a question talking about the importance of passing in the modern NFL. While the big paydays and much of the attention goes to quarterbacks, receivers and other players who impact the passing game either by blocking or defending, there has been a bit of a renaissance when it comes to running the football. There are five teams averaging at least 150 yards a game on the ground — one more than did it in the past three seasons combined. Fields set an NFL regular-season record when he ran for 178 yards last week against Miami, including an electrifying 61-yard touchdown. “It was never of less significance because that’s how the game works.”___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comFake LeBron, Schefter accounts among those tweeting non-news
Narrator: Twitter is not to be believed — even more so than usual. James, the four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP, regularly engages with his more than 52 million followers. Chapman supposedly told the world — in English and Spanish — that he re-signed with the Yankees for three years. Two-time NHL MVP McDavid supposedly announced that the Oilers, for whom he’s the captain, were done with him. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comColts' Jeff Saturday hire makes mockery of NFL's meritocracy creed and again moves goalposts for Black coaches
Morris and Wilks have over 30 combined years of NFL coaching experience. Wilks was a head coach for one season with Arizona, then fired when Cardinals brass thought Kliff Kingsbury and his sub-.500 record at Texas Tech was a better hire. Morris, currently the Rams' defensive coordinator, was head coach with Tampa Bay from 2009-2011 and is still waiting for a second chance to lead a team. Instead Saturday reportedly chose assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier, who is 30 and has never called plays at any level. Jeff Saturday was gifted an interim job and, according to his boss, it's clear there's a not-small chance he'll get the job full-time gig come January.
wftv.comFantasy Football Week 9: Wide Receiver rankings
Well, that was about as ugly as it gets for Davante Adams and the Las Vegas Raiders offense. total scrimmage yards in Sunday's shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints marked the second-fewest in a game for his entire career. He'd been steady going into the game, having scored in double figures in four straight, including a WR2 overall finish in Week 5. 7 at the wide receiver position in Week 9, with Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs and Justin Jefferson leading the way. Here's the wide receiver position — check out where Adams and the rest of the WRs landed in our analysts' rankings for Week 9:powered by FantasyProsECR ™ -
wftv.comRaiders are finally flirting with their potential — right as the schedule provides an opportunity
Success isn’t always linear or immediately guaranteed just because a team has a handful of Pro Bowl and All-Pro level players. No team has displayed how true that is more than the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders. It took some time, but they finally put together a game that their fans have been waiting for. Point differential and more advanced measurements of team quality suggest the Raiders are better than their 2-4 record. As the season approaches the halfway point, the Raiders are sitting the position of a team with a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
wftv.comChiefs hold on for wild 30-29 victory over rival Raiders
Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes to Travis Kelce, the Chiefs overcame an early 17-point deficit along with a dubious roughing-the-passer penalty, and Kansas City extended its mastery of the Las Vegas Raiders, holding on for a 30-29 victory.
Unbeaten Dolphins kick off Week 4 as underdogs vs Bengals
Tua Tagovailoa and the unbeaten Miami Dolphins are underdogs in Week 4. The Dolphins (3-0) kick off this week’s schedule against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) on "Thursday Night Football." Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would be questionable in a typical week. CHIEFS 24-212022 RECORDLast Week: Straight up: 10-6. Season: Straight up: 1-2.
wftv.comRaiders look to regroup after collapse sends them to 0-2
The offseason optimism surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders following the additions of Davante Adams, Chandler Jones and Josh McDaniels seem in the distant past. The Raiders have lost their first two games of the season, blowing a 20-point halftime lead and 16-point fourth-quarter lead in a 29-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Now, instead of building on last year's playoff berth, the Raiders are just trying to get going in 2022 under a new regime.
news.yahoo.comMac Jones' back scans reportedly 'normal;' Patriots QB could return from injury as soon as Week 2 vs. Steelers
Mac Jones' injury doesn't appear to be serious. The New England quarterback sustained a back injury in Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins that required X-rays. Per the report, the Patriots will monitor Jones' progress before making a decision about his status for Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Bill Belichick didn't designate an offensive coordinator for the 2022 season. Former defensive coordinator and ex-Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia is reportedly calling the offense alongside input from Belichick.
wftv.comRaiders give McDaniels happy homecoming, beat Jaguars 27-11
APTOPIX Raiders Jaguars Football Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Marvin Hall (14) runs after a catch with Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Sam Webb (48) defending during the first half of the NFL football exhibition Hall of Fame Game, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard) (David Richard)CANTON, Ohio — (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders gave coach Josh McDaniels a successful homecoming in his debut on their sideline. Josh Jacobs, rookie Zamir White and Austin Walter ran well on a rain-soaked field and the Raiders routed Jacksonville 27-11 in the Hall of Fame game Thursday night, spoiling coach Doug Pederson’s first game with the Jaguars. Top pick Travon Walker committed a roughing-the-passer penalty on Raiders backup QB Jarrett Stidham on the first play from scrimmage. REVENGE TOURFormer Raiders defensive end Arden Key got two sacks in his first game for Jacksonville.
wftv.comBelichick says Jones will play role in molding new offense
— (AP) — Whatever the New England Patriots’ offense looks like in the aftermath of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ departure, Bill Belichick is clear about one thing: Mac Jones will have a say in molding it. “Certainly, he’ll have input,” Belichick said of the second-year quarterback Tuesday on the eve of him beginning his second training camp. He worked primarily with Jones during minicamp, and both Judge and senior football adviser Matt Patricia spent time calling offensive plays. All that is secondary, though, to the confidence veteran Devin McCourty said he’s already seen from Jones since the start of their offseason program. “I think that’s what he’s done,” McCourty said.
wftv.comRaiders accountability: Make a mistake in camp, take a lap
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones witnessed a first in his 10-year professional career when the team opened training camp. Reminiscent of youth football practices, several of his teammates took a lap around one of the three fields at the team's training facility after making a mistake. “I think I’m one of the oldest guys on the team now and this is my first time ever seeing that,” Jones said Friday after practice.
news.yahoo.comThe 'Patriot Way' won’t follow Josh McDaniels to the Raiders. He's learned to make his own
The Las Vegas Raiders coach had taken refuge in some shade on Thursday, ducking out of the 106-degree heat following his team’s first full-squad training camp practice. In short, he’s not spending this second chance trying to fit into the identity of a head coach he was never comfortable replicating in the first place. “It’s 12 years since I left [head coaching] the first time, and sometimes you hear people say that they took some time and they tried to figure things out,” McDaniels said. Which is saying something, given that most coaches are left with some mental scars after being ousted from their first head coaching job. Even when it looked like a slam-dunk of a job, McDaniels was uneasy about it.
wftv.comMcDaniels mum on Kaepernick workout for Raiders
First-year coach Josh McDaniels wasn't entertaining any conversation about Kaepernick’s potential future with the team, however. “Just by a standard procedure, we will only talk about the people on our team,” McDaniels said. Kaepernick got his first chance to work out for an NFL team Wednesday since last playing in the league in 2016, when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. After being a mentor to the younger players last season, Perryman said everyone is on a level playing field learning first-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s system. “Everything’s just different, but it’s a good different,” said Perryman, who led the team with 154 tackles last season.
wftv.comDolphins vs. Patriots: How to watch, stream, listen
“At this point in time, this is our most important game,” Tagovailoa said. The rookie quarterback, 4-2 as a starter, will face the Patriots for the first time. Miami's defense is much improved since Week 1, when it allowed 217 yards rushing in a loss at New England. The Dolphins rank second in the NFL in points allowed, and are tied for the league lead with 25 takeaways. TUA THE TARGETShould the Patriots take Tagovailoa seriously as a receiving threat?
Unmasked: NFL fines coaches, teams for not covering faces
(AP Photo/Don Wright)NFL coaches thumbed their collective — and exposed — noses at the NFL’s mask mandate in Week 2. More coaches and clubs can expect similar punishments as the memo last week from Troy Vincent, who oversees the league’s football operations, was largely ignored throughout the weekend. Players, who, like the coaches, are subject to daily COVID-19 tests, are exempt from the face covering requirements. Some coaches such as Belichick, McDaniels and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wore their masks or gaiters over their mouths but not noses. Others such as Carroll, Spagnuolo and Fangio wore their face coverings around their chins or necks, exposing both their mouths and noses.
Belichick: Playing multiple QBs an option this season
Bill Belichick said he's open to using a two-quarterback system this season, another example of how radically different the New England Patriots could look after Tom Brady's departure. The longtime coach acknowledged he was considering the possibility, and the Patriots later used all three of their QBs during a single scrimmage series. Hoyer has the most experience in the Patriots offense. Stidham has youth and potential, having beaten out Hoyer as a rookie last season to be Bradys No. Belichick said using multiple quarterbacks could lend itself to different formations.
Newton embracing new challenge, fresh start with Patriots
In this still image from a Webex media availability hosted by the New England Patriots, quarterback Cam Newton responds to a question, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass. (New England Patriots via AP)Cam Newton is the first to admit hes still getting used to his new life as a member of the New England Patriots. I think Im a person that is a self-motivator. Newton said that he has no limitations and is full go.For me, the seasons not here yet, Newton said. Ive only been kind of geared toward one particular team and in one particular city, Newton said.