Latest news with #offense
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders' Top Offensive Trio Given So-So Ranking
Commanders' Top Offensive Trio Given So-So Ranking originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Washington Commanders' offense under Kliff Kingsbury is expected to be one of the better units in football this upcoming season. With Jayden Daniels orchestrating it, and Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Zach Ertz and Brian Robinson Jr. as the top weapons, the Commanders do have a lot going for them offensively. But what about their top three weapons against the rest of the league? CBS Sports' Jared Dubin named "triplets" for each team and ranked them accordingly. For Washington, it was Daniels, McLaurin and Robinson Jr., with the trio coming in at No. 12. "The biggest risers from year to year, Washington leaps from 25th a year ago to just a smidge outside the top 10," Dubin writes. "That's obviously on the strength of Daniels' all-time great rookie season, and of us finally getting to see what it looks like when McLaurin plays with a real live NFL quarterback. "Robinson probably holds this group back, though, as a straight-line runner with no real passing game production. If Washington had added an explosive rookie back, I think the Commies might have jumped into the next group." Daniels will be the straw that stirs the offense's drink in 2025, but he'll have help in McLaurin and Samuel in the passing game, and Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler in the run game. Some think a regression is coming for Washington after a 12-5 regular season and an NFC Championship Game appearance, while others think Daniels will only continue his ascension to becoming one of the NFL's best. There's pressure on the Commanders in 2025, but with an offensive trio that could be seen as better than its No. 12 ranking, expect head coach Dan Quinn and his team to continue building something special in the nation's capital. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
5 Burning Questions For The Green Bay Packers' Offense
Josh Jacobs had a sensational 2024 season and could be ready for an even bigger year in 2025. The Green Bay Packers ranked No. 5 in total offense last season. They were fifth in rushing offense, 12th in passing offense and eighth in points per game (27.1). On paper, those numbers are certainly impressive. Down the stretch, though, Green Bay's offense went into hibernation. The Packers scored just 10 points in their playoff loss to Philadelphia, and they averaged just 19.0 points per outing during their season-ending three-game losing streak. Green Bay also started slow in big games, which was a major reason it went 0-6 against Philadelphia, Detroit and Minnesota — the teams with the best records in the NFC. All of that led to a frustrating ending for a team that began the year 11-4 before settling for an 11-7 finish. 'As a team, we need to wake up,' Packers tight end Tucker Kraft said at the end of the 2024 campaign. Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur wasn't arguing. 'I think collectively, we have to be better, and I expect better,' LaFleur said. 'We performed at a pretty high level a majority of the season and then took a dive.' The Packers begin training camp on Wednesday, and seemingly have plenty of talent to rebound and make a deep playoff run. For that to happen, though, they'll need positive answers to these five questions on offense.1. Can Jordan Love become elite? When the 2023 season ended, it looked like Love would be a star for years to come. Love threw 37 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions that season, and in the second half of the year had a stretch where he threw a remarkable 23 TDs and just one interception. Love didn't regress in 2024, but he also didn't take the type of step up many expected. Love threw 25 TDs, 11 interceptions and had a 96.7 passer rating, while missing 2 ½ games due to injury. Love ranked 19th in passing yards (3,389) and completed 63.1% of his passes. Love had a passer rating of at least 107.7 in five straight games between Weeks 11-15, but was at 92.0, or less, the last four contests. Love then threw three interceptions in Green Bay's loss to Philadelphia in the NFC Wild Card game and had a season-low passer rating of 41.5. 'I mean, what is a step back is what I'd ask?' Love said when asked if he regressed in 2024. 'Everybody has different opinions, things like that. You gotta block that stuff out. It's all about the goals of the team at the end of the day. I'd say we won more games than we did the year before. That's why I ask people what is a step back?' There are 34 quarterbacks that have won a Super Bowl. Fifteen are in the Hall of Fame and eight others are locks or likely entrees when they become eligible (Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning and Russell Wilson). You don't need to have an MVP-level quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but it sure makes life easier. Love has all the skills to become elite, but faces a critical year in his development. 'I think he is an ascending player that is going to get better and better and better,' LaFleur said of Love. Time is of the essence.2. Do the Packers need a No. 1 wide receiver? The simple answer is no. Green Bay does need its wide receivers to play like they did in 2023, though, instead of the group that finished third in the NFL last year with 33 dropped passes. 'That's something that we took a deep dive at,' LaFleur said of Green Bay's drops. 'We had a ton of drops, and that's an area that we have to clean up.' Green Bay's receiver group also failed to match their 2023 productivity levels. Jayden Reed led the Packers with 64 catches and 793 receiving yards in 2023, and also tied for the team lead with eight touchdown catches. Reed then had 55 catches and six TD grabs last year, and had seven games with two receptions, or less. Romeo Doubs had a sensational postseason in 2023 with 10 receptions, 234 yards and two TDs in two games. Naturally, many expected Doubs to build on those impressive numbers last year. Instead, Doubs saw his receptions (46), receiving yards (601) and TDs (four) all dip from the previous year. Doubs was also placed on the reserve/suspended list and missed Green Bay's Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams after going AWOL earlier that week. Dontayvion Wicks looked like a future star when he caught 39 passes for 581 yards and four TDs as a rookie in 2023. In 2024, Wicks led the Packers in targets (76), but was just fourth in receptions (39) and fifth in receiving yards (415). His catch rate of 51.3% was the second worst in football among wideouts. And his drop rate of 18.75% was also the second worst in football. Green Bay used its first round draft pick on receiver Matthew Golden and a third rounder on wideout Savion Williams. Both will get a chance to play immediately, especially if the returnees can't regain their 2023 form. 'I think it will be great competition and certainly we're excited to see what these young guys' roles will be,' Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said.3. Will the ground game be even better? The Packers ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (146.8), sixth in yards per carry (4.7) and fifth in rushing attempts (30.9) last season. Don't be shocked if those numbers go up. Green Bay ran the ball on 52.3% of its plays last season — the first time the Packers ran the ball more than they threw it since 2003 (51.7%). Then Green Bay got bigger up front by signing 325-pound guard Aaron Banks, drafting guard Anthony Belton (6-6, 335) and moving guard Elgton Jenkins to center. 'We've got to find a balance because we have so many playmakers, you know?' Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs said. 'We have playmakers at wide receiver. Obviously playmakers at tight end. And obviously running backs, too. So it's like, we've got to find a perfect balance of getting everybody the ball.' Jacobs will touch the ball plenty. Jacobs finished sixth in the NFL in rushing yards last season (1,329), averaged 4.4 yards per carry and had 16 total touchdowns (15 rushing). His 301 carries were also the sixth-most in franchise history. 'The guy is a dawg,' Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans said of Jacobs. 'He's been everything that we would hope for and definitely the engine for us offensively.' Emanuel Wilson (502 yards, 4.9 per carry) had a solid season as the Packers' No. 2 back last year. And MarShawn Lloyd — a 2024 third round draft pick who played in just one game last year due to injury — could provide a lift. 'Obviously we've got a lot of high expectations for him because he brings a different blend to our offense just with his speed and quickness,' Sirmans said of Lloyd. 'I'm pretty pleased with him so far.'4. Who will be LEFT standing? One of the more fascinating battles of training camp will be second year player Jordan Morgan trying to dislodge two-year starter Rasheed Walker from the left tackle position. Walker led the Packers in offensive snaps last year (1,075) and played reasonably well. Walker allowed a respectable three sacks, but he had far too many penalties (nine) and allowed too many pressures (35). 'I think Rasheed's done a lot of really, really good things for us,' Gutekunst said. 'I don't think he necessarily needs to show anything. Like anything, you've got to continue to play at a high level. We're going to have a lot of competition there.' Morgan, Green Bay's first round draft pick in 2024, played in just six games last season before going on the injured reserve list Nov. 16 with a shoulder injury. Morgan, a left tackle at Arizona State, split snaps at right guard with Sean Rhyan early last season, but will be moved back to left tackle in camp. Walker has been serviceable the past two seasons, but will be a free agent after the 2025 campaign ends. So if Morgan wins the job, it could benefit Green Bay in both the short and long term. Walker won't be easy to unseat, though. And the Packers aren't going to simply hand Morgan the job based on his lofty draft status and Walker's likely exit in free agency. 'It's going to be a great competition,' LaFleur said. '(Morgan) and Sheed are going to battle it out and hopefully push each other to be that much better.'5. Is Tucker Kraft the next big thing? Tucker Kraft, a third round draft pick from South Dakota State in 2023, looked lost in training camp and for much of his rookie season. Today, he's emerging as one of the league's best tight ends and should be featured more in the passing game than his first two years. Kraft was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2024 after starting all 17 games and finishing second on the team in receptions (50) and yards (707). Kraft also led the Packers with seven receiving touchdowns. Kraft's 707 receiving yards last year were the most by a Packer tight end since Jermichael Finley (767) in 2011. Kraft's average of 9.1 yards after the catch was also tops among all NFL tight ends and the second-best mark since 2000, trailing only San Francisco's George Kittle (9.9) in 2018. Kraft is a tireless worker who wants to win as badly as anyone in the building. He's also developed into a leader rather quickly. 'I want to be the guy in Year 3,' Kraft said. 'I have goals and aspirations.' Finley holds the Packers' record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season (61) and Paul Coffman holds the mark for receiving yards in a season (814). Don't be surprised if Kraft surpasses both of those numbers this year. 'When Tuck gets the ball, usually good things happen,' LaFleur said. 'He's a powerful dude, he runs extremely hard, I love how he finishes. 'One thing I think he's got to learn, just in terms of when he does finish, he doesn't have to try to take somebody's head off every time. He gets a little out of control at times. But I think that's a balance, but the mentality is exactly what you want.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dan Campbell talks to press about the importance of David Montgomery in Lions' offense
Head coach Dan Campbell talks to the press about the importance of running back David Montgomery in Detriot Lions' offense.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
One player from every AFC team who fantasy football managers should be watching in NFL training camp
Buffalo Bills - Keon Coleman The Bills are going to be one of the best offenses in the NFL and yet, they have just one pass-catcher who goes inside the top 100 fantasy draft picks in Khalil Shakir. On paper, there's room for someone to ascend in this aerial attack. The most likely candidates would be Dalton Kincaid or Keon Coleman. Kincaid may end up being a post-hype sleeper who breaks out deeper into his NFL career. I think Coleman can be a Year 2 leap candidate at wide receiver but he needs to move around the formation more than he did as a rookie, when he was tethered to the X-receiver spot. We should be tracking camp reports to see if free-agent addition Josh Palmer is chipping in at X and helps afford Coleman some chances to play flanker and move into the slot. Miami Dolphins - Jaylen Wright Wright has been underdiscussed going into his second season despite veteran Raheem Mostert moving on this offseason. While De'Von Achane is destined for a big workload, especially as a receiver, there's room for another early down back. Wright would also be a priority stash or waiver-wire candidate if Achane misses time. He'll need to stave off a challenge from incoming rookie Ollie Gordon, who brings size and physicality to the table. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] New England Patriots - Stefon Diggs The health news for Diggs has been nothing but positive at every step of the way this offseason. It feels like the fantasy community is still not accounting for that. It seems there is consensus agreement that Drake Maye is taking a leap forward at this point. If that happens, Diggs will be a big contributor as the top receiver on this team. As long as the camp reports continue to be positive for Diggs, he's someone who could outkick his ADP, which is consistently outside the top 40 receivers. New York Jets - Breece Hall Breece Hall was a consensus first-round, if not top-five, pick in fantasy last year. He's fallen well out of that range after a disappointing season and coaching turnover in New York. With a likely run-first philosophy heading into this year and a rebuilt offensive line, we could see a bounce-back season from Hall. We need to keep track of the Jets' running back rotation throughout the rest of this summer to ensure Hall is the clear lead back and isn't mired in a committee with Braelon Allen and/or Isaiah Davis. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Burton The Bengals are pretty much set at all the skill-position spots, outside of maybe light interest in the running back rotation behind Chase Brown. So we have to dig a little on this one and that brings us back to Jermaine Burton. This is probably a dynasty-only interest, if it even rises to one. Still, after some positive reviews of how Burton was handling this offseason following a disastrous approach to his rookie season, I'm open to him contributing to this team again. Burton is extremely talented but is an all-time mess off the field. It's all up to him how he handles this second — and maybe last — chance with the Bengals. Cleveland Browns - Dylan Sampson With Quinshon Judkins arrested for domestic violence before even signing his rookie contract, we need to pay attention to the running backs behind him. The two main names are veteran Jerome Ford and fellow rookie Dylan Sampson. The fact that this team took Sampson at all after grabbing Judkins earlier speaks to their belief in him as a player. The starting back for the Cleveland Browns isn't likely to yield a ton of fantasy points, but Sampson would be in consideration as a flex or bye-week fill-in if he wins the job. Pittsburgh Steelers - Kaleb Johnson Any clues about the workload split between Johnson and Jaylen Warren will be essential to track in training camp. Warren is a good back, not just a passing-down, satellite option. He's explosive and can handle early down work. Johnson's 65th overall ADP isn't too steep at this stage, but rookies can always rise with a buzzy preseason. I'd get a little nervous about him if he goes too much higher than that because I don't have much hope this Steelers offense is going to score many touchdowns. If this is a bottom-10 scoring unit in 2025, Johnson will need to completely push Warren into a change-of-pace role to make good in fantasy. I consider myself highly skeptical that it takes place. Baltimore Ravens - Isaiah Likely The Ravens are a tricky team because they are well-set across the board at all skill-position spots and even have continuity on the offensive line. In general, we know what we're going to get from this team. The one place where I'm open to a shake-up is at tight end, and even that is vibes-based. Despite his drop at the end of their playoff loss, Mark Andrews remains an effective starting tight end and, to this point, Isaiah Likely has only flashed in sports. Yet, I can't shake the feeling that at some point, the Ravens will want more from Likely, who is clearly a dynamic receiver. I'll at least be tracking for any signs that a changing of the guard happens atop the tight end depth chart in Baltimore, even if I think the odds are long that it occurs this season. Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward Ward should be named the starter with haste at some point during training camp; we aren't tracking any reps or battle with this one, especially after Will Levis has been shut down for the season due to shoulder surgery. However, it's worth monitoring how he performs in camp and in any preseason action. We need only to look back at Washington's 2024 offense to see how a rookie passer can elevate veteran talent. No Titans player goes inside the top 60 picks in drafts right now but Ward could elevate Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley to start-worthy status if he's ready to rock from Week 1 on. Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Richardson Sr. One of the easier ones to name, it's of course worth monitoring who wins the Colts' seemingly wide-open quarterback competition. Most of the tone around the situation after Richardson injured his shoulder in OTAs and sought multiple opinions was that Daniel Jones became the favorite to start Week 1 and most of the season. Richardson has every chance to change that course now that he is reportedly healthy enough to start camp. If he starts, Richardson holds more individual fantasy appeal at quarterback than Jones. However, Jones starting might be a marginal win for the pass catchers. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travis Etienne Jr. After Liam Coen designed one of the best run games in the NFL last year with the Bucs, the entire fantasy community is desperate to know who he'll tap as his starting back in Jacksonville. Let's be clear, Coen won't be bringing Tampa Bay's offensive line with him, so this won't be a copy-and-paste job to the Jaguars' run game. That said, the Jags backs go late because of the ambiguity, and one should end up as a value. I'd consider Travis Etienne Jr. the favorite as we head into the training camp, but that could change over the next month. Houston Texans - Jayden Higgins There are two big wins on the table if Round 2 rookie Jayden Higgins emerges and lands in a big role for the Houston Texans. For starters, with Nico Collins in place, Higgins won't have to run out as an exclusive X-receiver, which is needed for a player of his skill set to hit a statistical ceiling. I'd love to see him be the team's primary flanker and take some power slot reps. He could make an impact in Year 1 in those duties. However, I expect Higgins to be able to handle some snaps at the X-receiver position (maybe 20%-30% of his routes), which would allow Collins to move around more often. Collins was almost exclusively an X in the old offense and is second in yards per game from the outside (69.3) over the last two seasons. More routes from the slot would help him access yet another level as a statistical producer. Denver Broncos - Pat Bryant The Broncos needed more out of their wide receiver room than they got last year beyond Courtland Sutton. The veteran wideout was the only player at the position to run a route on more than half of the team's dropbacks. Marvin Mims Jr. was used effectively in a gadget role last season and he should remain in that style of deployment. There's an opening for a flanker/big-slot hybrid player to emerge and based on Bryant's prospect profile, he projects well in that role. He needs to beat out Devaughn Vele, who had his moments as a big slot for Sean Payton as a rookie last season. Kansas City Chiefs - Isiah Pacheco Pacheco's return to the field after a leg injury last season was, without question, disappointing. However, it's more than fair to give him some slack, considering he was working his way back into shape. He lost workload to Kareem Hunt in big games during the Chiefs' Super Bowl push, but that might not be sticky now that he's, presumably, fully healthy. Hunt is still on this roster and 2025 seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith has been getting some pop in padless practices. If Pacheco keeps a tight grip on the starting job and approaches a 60% split of the backfield workload, he could end up beating his fringe RB2 ADP in Yahoo drafts. Las Vegas Raiders - Michael Mayer New Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly employed a run-heavy, multiple-tight-end offense at Ohio State last season. Mayer is a forgotten former second-round pick who has shined in spurts but missed a lot of time through two NFL seasons. He could figure more prominently into this offense if Kelly brings some of the same formations to the league. While Mayer won't ever get the targets needed with Brock Bowers entrenched atop the depth chart, if he plays a lot of snaps, he could be a roadblock for some of the possible value receivers on this roster like Jakobi Meyers or rookie Jack Bech. Los Angeles Chargers - Tre Harris Now that Harris has signed his rookie contract and is in training camp, he can start capitalizing on a clear runway to win the starting X-receiver job after Mike Williams retired. Quentin Johnston can still be a useful player for this team, but his skill as a tackle-breaker in space and issues at the catch point would be better suited in a flanker role. Harris' emergence can essentially help two positions in one. While neither will get the weekly volume to be consistent every week starters in fantasy, they can provide spike weeks.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens WR Zay Flowers needs touches to remain untouchable
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is the best of the bunch on the team roster, and it's not even debatable. Still, with the addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and the emergence of Rashod Bateman, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken must be sure not to shy away from targeting Flowers as the primary in the passing game. With so many weapons on offense, including a dual-threat rushing attack in quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, it will be vital to draw a line of demarcation early on. Probabilities and the opponent's strategy, of course, will play a part in how Monken can distribute the football. However, Flowers, having sadly missed the 2025 NFL Playoffs with a knee injury, still finished the season with a 14.3 yards per catch average. Proving himself to be a key element in Jackson's incredible total passing yard totals last season. Big plays of 20-plus yards, including those as a result of yards after catch, have allowed Flowers to pose as a serious threat to opponents. Ravens' opponents know that they must account for the run, so Monken needs to commit to the run while keeping Flowers targeted in moderation. Ultimately, Monken needs to shy away from four-wide receiver sets and prioritize by allowing Flowers to operate as both a slot and sole Z (boundary side) wide receiver, where he can operate in space. Flowers needs his touches, and Monken must make his targets in the offensive attack meaningful. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens WR Zay Flowers needs touches to remain untouchable
