NFL Player News

McVay took some time off to mull retirement after the Rams’ season ended and even gave his coaches free reign to look for new jobs. Ultimately, he will stay on board and try to recapture the team’s Super Bowl magic from a year ago. The 2022 season was a brutal one for LA. Three of their five highest-paid players saw their seasons end early because of injuries. Beyond that, their depth at receiver and offensive line was pushed to breaking points because of additional injuries. The Rams ended the year at 5-12, winning two of their final 11 games. With no first-round pick and limited cap space to work with, McVay will need to work overtime to get his team back to the postseason. However, if injury luck breaks their way in 2023, the Rams will still be a strong contender in the NFC.

This will be one to forget for Mahomes and the Chiefs as multiple aspects of their game plan came crashing down in a must-win game. The loss drops the Chiefs to 6-7 and advanced odds now give them a measly 16% chance to make the postseason. Minutes after C.J. Stroud set the benchmark for consecutive incompletions this season with nine, Mahomes followed it up with 10 straight passes without a completion in the second half. Two of those were key interceptions while both Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce were charged with two drops during the streak. The 10 straight incompletions were also a career-worst for Mahomes, it was only the third time in his career where the Chiefs were shutout in a half, and it was only the fourth game in his career with three or more interceptions. The Chiefs must quickly lick their wounds ahead of a showdown with the Chargers in Week 15.

Higgins continues to churn out meaningful production for a Texans team in dire need of secondary options behind alpha wide receiver Nico Collins. The towering rookie was kept out of the end zone but made two key grabs to keep the chains moving and could continue his ascension towards the end of the season. Up next is a plus matchup against the battered Cardinals in Week 15.

It was Nico Collins that took advantage of the Chiefs early as the Texans built a 10-0 lead before the half, with the talented wide receiver erupting for 121 first-half yards after Kansas City shutdown corner Trent McDuffie departed with injury. The team’s pass volume dried up after the break due to positive game script, with Schultz ending with a disappointing 22 yards on the evening. Up next is a Cardinals opponent the Texans should be able to move the football against, although volume could once again be an issue for the veteran tight end.

Collins broke free early for a 46-yard gain up the seam against Trent McDuffie coverage, the latter of whom would be injured on the play and miss the remainder of the game. The talented veteran added catches of 53 yards, 18 yards, and four yards before the break but would be blanked in the second half with the team nursing a lead throughout. Collins now has consecutive games of 98 yards or more through the air with C.J. Stroud under center, something he had not done against all opponents other than the Jaguars this season. The Texans now prepare for one of the worst defenses in the league in the Cardinals in Week 15.

Marks served as a workhorse following the second quarter departure from veteran Nick Chubb, the latter of whom would not finish the game after only one touch. The budding rookie’s fantasy day could have been even bigger had he not been subbed out inside the five following a hard hit half way through the fourth quarter, resulting in a Dare Ogunbowale touchdown on his only touch of the game. Fantasy managers had already enjoyed lead back status for Marks the previous month of the season, but he could be set up for true workhorse status ahead of a Week 15 meeting with the Cardinals should Chubb be unable to go.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Texans found a way to down the Chiefs to improve to 8-5, now clinging to the final playoff spot in the AFC. Stroud did well to avoid mounting pressure in the first half as he made numerous key throws in high leverage situations to keep the Texans afloat, the most impressive of which was a 53-yard completion to alpha wide receiver Nico Collins in the second quarter which led to the only touchdown of the first half. He would then toss nine straight incompletions after the break, the most to that point in the season throughout the NFL - the most until that point because Patrick Mahomes would go 10 straight passes without a completion later in the game. The Houston defense took over from there, sealing the victory with a turnover on downs and interception on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. Stroud and the Texans now await the reeling Cardinals in Week 15 as they fight for their playoff lives.

Chubb departed in the second quarter and did not return following the half, with the team ruling him out for the remainder of the game. It’ll be the Woody Marks show in the Houston backfield for the remainder of the game. Chubb managed just three yards on one carry prior to departing.

Baccellia, with Greg Dortch (chest) on injured reserve and Xavier Weaver dealing with an ankle injury, operated as the Cardinals’ WR2 in Week 14. He logged a pass route on 39 of Jacoby Brissett’s 50 drop backs. Weaver would likely take on the WR2 role if he’s able to suit up in Week 15 against the Texans.

Michael Carter, meanwhile, had three carries for 13 yards and caught two balls for 18 yards in the loss. While Carter ran more pass routes than Knight, it was Knight who led the backfield with six targets on the day. Knight in Week 13 totaled 98 yards on 14 touches as the de facto lead back for Arizona. Knight will be flex worthy in deep leagues next week against a tough Texans defense that has shut down opposing ground games in 2025.

The Arizona backfield didn’t have much going on in a blowout loss that saw Jacoby Brissett drop back to pass 50 times. Bam Knight led the backfield with seven rushes for just 16 yards, but it was Carter who ran 25 pass routes to 17 routes for Knight. Carter, who had 47 yards on five receptions last week against the Bucs, appears to be the Cards’ primary pass-catching running back. He’s only relevant in the deepest fantasy formats.