Happy Holidays, fair readers! There’s a lot to get through in Week 16, from some real shake-ups in the playoff picture to time running out for one head coach. Even in the festive season, there’s always something to learn, so strap in and let’s get to it.
Stick a fork in Nathaniel Hackett
Well, that didn’t take long. After the utterly shambolic performance against the Los Angeles Rams that ended in a 51-14 humbling, the Denver Broncos have parted ways with Nathaniel Hackett just 15 games into his stint as head coach. Does it come as a surprise? No, not exactly.
The Broncos have never found any momentum to speak of in 2022. Whether it was because of poor clock management, play-calling discrepancies, or ineffective quarterback play – to put it nicely – the Broncos’ front office saw enough reason to give Hackett the boot before the end of the season.
Is that an appropriate response? Honestly, it’s hard to disagree. Hackett is obviously inexperienced as a head coach and maybe deserves more time to turn the ship around because of that. Still, it was also hard to point towards any sort of development in the short term that would leave you to believe that it was possible.
The offense had scored more than 20 points in just four games this season and is 30th in EPA per play. That’s where Hackett’s bread was supposed to be buttered, but things never clicked with him and Russell Wilson – who also deserves a large amount of the blame.
It’s Hackett who plays the part of the scapegoat for now.
Lions’ playoff hopes take a hit thanks to Carolina
This was unexpected, to say the least. The Lions were on a tear – winners of six of their last seven games and rolling toward the playoffs – and seemed to be really finding their groove under Dan Campbell. A favourable schedule the rest of the way, starting with the Panthers, meant that Detroit had a good chance of making the postseason for the first time since 2016.
But not so fast. Things aren’t handed to you in the NFL, and if you’ve followed the Lions for the past…forever then you’d know that that’s even more true for the Motor City. Luck isn’t in their vocabulary and the football Gods just seemingly aren’t kind to the Lions because they were soundly beaten by the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. You know, the same Carolina Panthers who are firmly in the playoff race by virtue of being in the worst division in the NFL.
What made things worse is that it was never close. The Panthers ran all over the Lions for an hour with Chuba Hubbard and Donta Foreman combining for 290 yards on the ground. It’s an area where the Lions have dominated recently, giving up just a combined 167 yards on the ground over their last three games. But the Panthers’ offensive line had the upper hand on Saturday, and the Lions’ playoff odds have taken a hit.
Gardner Minshew looks the part
Don’t get it twisted, Minshew-mania isn’t back. Sorry, it’s just not. But it’s hard not to be impressed by him after his performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.
Minshew hasn’t played a lot of football over the last two years, so it would have been fair to assume that he could have been a little rusty. It may have been a big job for Nick Sirianni to completely change the script without the safety net of Hurts in the running game.
But neither man struggled to impose his will, despite the loss. Minshew looked incredibly competent and composed while Sirianni dialled up a strong game plan that showed real belief in his quarterback.
He completed 26 of his 40 passing attempts for 355 yards and 2 touchdowns against 2 interceptions. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Minshew has shown the ability to be a fringe starting quarterback in the NFL while in bad offensive systems, so having the chance to show what he can do in a good one was a blessing.
Minshew is a free agent in the offseason, so racking up some decent performances between now and then gives him a good chance of potentially getting paid by another team looking for a quarterback.
But Nick Foles doesn’t
Gone are the days of the miracle man. Foles hasn’t been a regular NFL starter since his first season in Chicago back in 2020 and, unlike Minshew, it showed. It doesn’t help that the Colts’ offense has routinely been a bottom-three unit for much of the season, thanks to a porous offensive line, lack of running game, and poor execution overall, but Foles didn’t help matters on Monday night.
The game plan had a clear emphasis on Foles creating shots downfield, but it just didn’t pan out. He looked lost, threw three interceptions and was 0-for-4 on pass attempts further than 20 yards downfield. In total, he completed just 59 percent of his passes for 143 yards, and those three interceptions in the 20-3 loss.
Jeff Saturday and the Colts don’t have too many options at quarterback from now until the end of the season. Matt Ryan is now a healthy scratch and the third-string backup after a torrid season that likely signals the end of his days with the team – and maybe in the NFL – while Sam Ehlinger hasn’t elicited much reason for optimism. That leaves Foles as the likely starter until the end of the year. After that, it’s back to the drawing board for the Colts.
Another concussion for Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa is, unfortunately, in the concussion protocol once again. The Dolphins’ quarterback appeared to bang his head on the ground after a tackle in the second quarter of their game against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day, but Tagovailoa never came out of the contest.
Mike McDaniel announced that Tagovailoa had entered concussion protocol on Monday and that he had been experiencing concussion symptoms when he met with team doctors on Monday. It’s the second time this season that Tagovailoa has been placed in the concussion protocol, and it’s his third concussion of the season if you’re counting the hit against the Bills.
Regardless, it might be time to shut him down for the season. It would hurt, and the Dolphins’ playoff chances would suffer with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm instead of Tagovailoa, but it might be the best thing to do for Tagovailoa’s health in the long run.
As it stands, Bridgewater is taking first-team reps in training and looks set to start against the New England Patriots on Sunday. We could see Tagovailoa past then, but don’t be surprised if the Dolphins shut him down.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport