NDL Sunday Morning Scroll: ‘Twas the Sunday before Christmas
Gossip, rumors, and headlines around the NFL
Good morning and happy football Sunday before Christmas, NDL Fam! We may get another snow game in Buffalo today. Is it truly December football without one? Those poor Patriots fans!
We got some stocking stuffers yesterday with a Chiefs win and a Ravens rout. When the holiday dust settled both teams were locked in for the playoffs (KC had already clinched, Ravens needed that win now they’re in).
The Texans are already in as well, but now they have to move forward without Tank Dell 😬
The second year receiver dislocated his knee cap in a freak accident during a TD catch. Wasn’t his ankle fracture from last season on a TD catch as well? I could be wrong. Here’s to a speedy recovery, Tank.
Speaking of injuries, there are several players on the fence due to being banged up including the two stud receivers in Miami. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are both looking iffy for today.
Miami is still (sort of) alive in the playoff hunt. If you’re a Dolphins fan you gotta hope one of them will suit up and also not get arrested on the way to the stadium. It’s been known to happen 😜
You know who else is in the playoff hunt? The Falcons. They’re all but dead, but mathematically still alive. They’re also in the hunt for a trading partner who wants to take Kirk Cousins off of their hands. Otherwise, they’re probably going to cut the poor bastard.
Why would they cut a man whom they just paid $180 million? Because their rookie, 8th overall pick, Michael Penix will be the new starting Falcons QB.
Now that Atlanta is finally whipping Michael Penix out, I’m excited to see his performance. I hear he has major growth potential. Penix is hard to figure out though. I want to see Penix in the flesh to get some questions answered:
Can the Falcons ride Penix all the way to the playoffs?
What if Penix comes up short?
Does Penix have a good head for football?
It’s his first start in an actual NFL football game. Can Penix last more than a few minutes versus the Giants?
Can he get in the holes if he attempts to penetrate the guys up front?
Will Penix be stiff enough to take the pressure if there’s resistance?
So many questions.
I know the fans are excited but I just can’t get that love for Penix in me. Well, whether I like it or not, Penix is coming. Who knows, maybe Penix will explode all over the field. At least Atlanta’s QB situation is firmed up.
Another thing that may be firmed up today is Mike Evans’ 11th straight 1,000 yard season.
He is just 251 yards away from that huge feat. The Dallas Cowboys are not a bad matchup to get a chunk of those. The way Baker Mayfield has been feeding him, he may get all 251 in Dallas.
If you’re a DFS junkie such as me, Evans’ over yardage is not a bad play. I think his over/under is sitting around 80.
Speaking of lots of yardage, Saquon Barkley may not be on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record of 2,105, but he’s still on pace to hit 2,000.
He has been rock solid all year. I’m still rooting for the reliable vet to break the record.
Speaking of reliable vets, Myles Garrett and the Browns play the Bengals today. He’ll have a tall order defending that high powered offense led by pass yards and pass TD leader Joe Burrow.
Since the Browns season is all but lost, Garrett is already thinking about his next contract. He’s got two more years on his current deal. He’s made it clear that he’s looking for someone to put a ring on it. “I’m not trying to rebuild,” he said in a recent interview. “I’m trying to win right now.”
Not sure if Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a key piece toward that goal, but time will tell.
Speaking of time. It’s about time for the Washington Commanders to get a new stadium built. The federal government can’t do much lately, but they were able to vote on a bill that would ultimately open the door to a new home for the DC team. I guess the government owns the land under the stadium and the lease was almost up. The bill approved an extension of the lease for 99 years. 99 years?!? Imagine how many name changes in that span!
Tl;dr, “Thanks for not screwing this up, Senators!”
Speaking of screw ups, the Ravens ended up cutting knucklehead receiver Diontae Johnson the Friday before their game versus the Steelers. No revenge game for him. Darn. Some fan on X suggest he come to *gasp* Los Angeles?
I believe Kamala Harris speaks for all Chargers fans when she says the following three words…
There’s a Penix joke in there somewhere, but I gotta set my line-ups. Enjoy the games, NDL Fam!