#special-teams

#special-teams

"If there's one person, two people that aren't executing to the best of their abilities, he's going to find that crease," Rams veteran linebacker Troy Reeder said. "And they have a unit as a whole that does a really good job of getting him started in his returns. ... You just want to contain this guy, and not let him make a play that could change the game."

all year, hitting him ferociously at every opportunity, sometimes right on the line of legality, if not past it. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti complained to ESPN's Holly Rowe about uncalled personal fouls against Miami, and he wasn't wrong, especially with regards to Jakobe Thomas's potential targeting hit on Mendoza in the first quarter; the Miami-raised QB was bleeding from the lip after Thomas's helmet smashed into his face, but, as was the case most of the night, the flags stayed in the referees' pockets.

Maye is obviously at the top of the list after setting a franchise record for completion percentage (72.0) and also leading the entire NFL in both yards per attempt and QB rating, but it's been impossible not to notice the impact of Marcus Jones on the Patriots' other two phases: defense and special teams. Jones finished tied for the league in yards per punt return, averaging a career-high 17.3 yards while taking two of his 21 attempts to the house for touchdowns.

I didn't talk to the team after the game. I'll talk to them in the morning. But it is more of the same. We have to find a way to get some pucks to fall in for us. We had to execute better on the chances that we do get. We had some really clean looks in really good spots, and we either missed the net or hit the goaltender in the chest. That is kind of the way it has been going.

Commanders need to find out what they have in Kain Medrano Washington has nothing to play for in its season finale except for draft position and bragging rights. This is a game in which veteran players should be getting a lighter workload, and the youngsters should see the field as often as possible. One of those players in question is Medrano, who has yet to see his first defensive snap of 2025.

After punting on their first two possessions, the Giants scored on their final six non-victory formation drives. Jaxson Dart impressively responded from his worst game as a pro last Sunday (7-for-13, 33 yards, five sacks, INT in a 16-13 loss to Minnesota). He completed 22 of 30 passes for 207 yards (no touchdowns or picks), rushed for two touchdowns and 48 yards on nine carries (the last three were kneels) and was sacked only twice.

"But the onside kick bounced off the hands of receiver Romeo Doubs, who backpedaled instead of charging the ball, and the Bears recovered. "That was the most important play of the game," said running back Josh Jacobs. "He was in great position," special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said of Doubs. "I thought we got a good chip on the two guys we had to get a chip on, and he's in great position to make it."

This is going to be the running back this current generation of young fans remembers for the rest of their days. And I don't just mean Falcons fans, I mean NFL fans across the globe. Bijan is the most undeniable talent the team has had since Julio Jones, and we're only three years into his career. Do whatever it takes to keep this man in Atlanta. Pay him early and

Agnew joined as a legitimately interesting returner, a one-time All-Pro and one-time Pro Bowler who averaged 10.3 yards per punt return and 26.1 yards per kick return as recently as 2023. We knew health would be an issue for him, but as an occasionally useful gadget player on offense with a track record of quality work on special teams-he has six combined career touchdowns on returns!-Agnew seemed likely to help with the team's return woes.

"But other than that, I thought it was pretty good, exactly what we wanted. ... It's just a little bit frustrating, because I thought guys were into the game, guys were sharp, but that little pop was missing. "I don't know - that little bit of energy on the bench wasn't there, but it was a good game for us. Just little mistakes cost us."

Hunter Luepke's role in Dallas was meant to be a fullback in the mold of John Kuhn, who played for McCarthy in Green Bay. Over McCarthy's last two years in Dallas, Luepke started in four of the 33 games he played in. He had 18 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, along with 15 receptions for 129 yards. Not exactly on par with Kuhn's numbers in his hey days with the Packers. But apparently he showed enough.

The Cowboys are the 19th best team by DVOA, which feels about right. With 14 teams making the playoffs, that means they're just on the outside of that threshold. It's worth noting that three of their four remaining opponents all rank below them in DVOA, as do two of the teams ahead of them in the conference standings. Let's highlight special teams real quick, because it's been bad.

Welcome to Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. An overtime win by the Chargers over the Eagles on "Monday Night Football" concluded an exciting Week 14 slate that saw the Jaguars, Packers and Steelers move into first place in their respective divisions. How do these teams fit in our updated Power Rankings? In addition to the 1-32 rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to pick the most shocking statistical ranking -- good or bad -- for the teams they cover.