The playoffs are right here, so naturally, this this week’s version of Four Verts, we’re going to spend time speaking about two high-profile NFL figures that aren’t on this yr’s playoffs. The Rams obtained their lead man again, the Raiders had a participant snubbed from the All-Pro staff and some accidents are actually going to harm the AFC playoff race.
The Rams future isn’t so bleak with McVay again within the fold
Sean McVay is again! The 36-year-old, Super Bowl profitable head coach has determined he gained’t change into the good millennial of all time, opting to proceed working as a substitute of taking a while off to benefit from the hundreds of thousands of {dollars} he’s made. On a severe observe, this clears up the Rams’ fast future and makes their state of affairs really feel a bit extra hopeful than it did this season.
It’s simple to see why McVay was waffling on coming again to the Rams and submitting to the grind of one other NFL season. The Rams simply performed essentially the most inconsequential season of all time. They have been recent off of a Super Bowl, they don’t personal their first-round choose for subsequent season (which might be sixth general) and all of their superstars, apart from Jalen Ramsey, have been damage en path to a 5-12 end. The Rams may haven’t performed this season and ended up in the very same state of affairs that they’re in proper now. That’s plenty of work to get by way of a season that has no tangible soccer profit by the top of the yr. Lots of people would possibly query what they’re doing with so few outcomes to face on.
It was a tricky season for Sean McVay and the Rams, however the future is not so bleak now that he is returning because the staff’s head coach. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
However, McVay is again, which actually advantages the Rams as they begin to form what the subsequent period of what their franchise appears to be like like. They clearly must do some retooling over the subsequent few years to get again to operating the NFC and that was going to be practically unimaginable with out McVay main the staff. He is definitely one of many elite head coaches within the league and principally has been since he took over the Rams in 2017. He’s been in a position to adapt and alter his offense based mostly on the personnel and gained a Super Bowl. McVay has change into synonymous with the Rams and they might be arduous pressed to search out somebody higher if he had really determined to step away from the staff.
Story continues
This staff nonetheless has holes, and can proceed to be a top-heavy roster over the subsequent season, however at the very least they’ve an opportunity to maximise their expertise with a top-flight head coach. They’ll get quarterback Matthew Stafford, vast receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive sort out Aaron Donald again subsequent season, which is able to clearly enhance their possibilities of getting again to the playoffs and being a feared staff. As lengthy because the Rams have their elite core of gamers, it’s nonetheless an attractive job. Those gamers’ presence needed to matter so far as having the ability to retain McVay.
Now the Rams can concentrate on competing in 2023 as a substitute of pondering a tear down that will reset the clock on this franchise. Who is aware of how lengthy McVay will stick round, however for now, this an incredible signal of issues to return for the Rams.
Brandon Staley actually damage the Chargers
Star vast receiver Mike Williams is formally out for the Chargers’ playoff opener in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was a completely avoidable final result. In a meaningless Week 18 recreation, Chargers coach Brandon Staley opted to play his starters in opposition to the Broncos, which backfired in a severe approach. Williams suffered a fracture in his again and can seemingly be out for the Chargers’ playoff run. Given that the Chargers have been locked into the fifth seed it doesn’t matter what occurred of their season finale, enjoying Williams and different Chargers starters was simply an incomprehensible thought.
Staley tried to melt the blow on Williams’ damage after the sport by saying that the Chargers wanted to decorate 48 gamers, however that actually doesn’t make a complete lot of sense. Week 18 is a good likelihood for apply squad gamers to get within the recreation, which is what the Giants did for his or her also-meaningless Week 18 matchup. The Giants had most of their starters on the inactive checklist and so they’ll be at full-strength for his or her rematch in opposition to the Vikings in Sunday’s wild-card playoff recreation. The Chargers will probably be lacking their high wideout for actually no cause.
Williams is a crucial piece for the Chargers in the event that they need to have a prayer of constructing it deep into the postseason. Keenan Allen continues to be a stable receiver, however he’s not the dominant risk he was. Without Williams, the Chargers abruptly have a really restricted group of vast receivers that gained’t submit a risk to many secondaries within the playoffs. They have an opportunity so long as Justin Herbert is below middle, however the diploma of problem on what he has to perform has positively risen with the lack of Williams.
All of this was avoidable and Staley ought to positively really feel some warmth for that. Williams is simply too essential of a participant to threat in a recreation that doesn’t have an effect on playoff seedings by any means. It was an pointless threat and now they’re going to must undergo the implications for it. Even if Herbert is ready to drag this staff on a playoff run, the actions that made his life troublesome shouldn’t be forgotten. If they lose, individuals would possibly begin calling for Staley’s job given the choice that he oversaw.
Staley has been a threat taker on the sphere since he’s been a head coach, however it is a set of cube he merely didn’t must roll.
Maxx Crosby was snubbed from the All-Pro staff
In a season with plenty of good edge rushers, not everybody was going to be on the All-Pro staff, however leaving Raiders cross rusher Maxx Crosby off the checklist is an egregious oversight. Crosby was completely one of many 4 finest cross rushers within the league this season and was one of many few brilliant spots on a Raiders staff that actually struggled in 2022. Crosby must be in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year, however he didn’t even make the All-Pro staff. That’s an enormous miss.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive finish Maxx Crosby (98) was left off the NFL All-Pro checklist this season, which is egregious given how properly he performed with little or no assist. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Crosby began all 17 video games for the Raiders and completed with 12.5 sacks, which is extremely spectacular contemplating the Raiders solely had 27 sacks as a staff. That means 46.2% of the Raiders’ sack manufacturing got here from one participant. No one else on the Raiders completed with greater than 4.5 sacks and solely three gamers on the staff have been in a position to file a number of sacks — Crosby (12.5), Chandler Jones (4.5) and Clelin Ferrell (2).
Perhaps Crosby was dinged for not enjoying on an excellent protection, however that ought to simply make his season much more spectacular. No Raider performed extra snaps on protection this season than Crosby. According to Pro Football Reference, Crosby performed 96.3% of the Raiders defensive snaps. That workload is uncommon for a defensive lineman, however Crosby was in a position to keep productive all through the entire season for them. It’s an iron man feat as a lot as it’s a talent and manufacturing feat.
Crosby is without doubt one of the finest cross rushers within the league and produced properly in an unimaginable state of affairs. Snubbed! Don’t fear, Maxx, actual ones know simply how nice of a season you had.
Injuries crushed wild card weekend
A pair video games this weekend went from attractive to blowout-watch with a couple of accidents. The Ravens are going to overlook Lamar Jackson this weekend as he continues to get well from a knee damage and the Dolphins are going to be with out each Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater as they journey to Buffalo. That is a large, big bummer for what projected to be enjoyable matchups with these quarterbacks below middle. The greatest downside so far as pleasure goes is the truth that we’ve already seen these groups with out their star quarterbacks.
The Dolphins are going to be counting on rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson to return by way of within the clutch for them in opposition to the most effective groups within the NFL within the Buffalo Bills. Thompson could develop right into a stable backup, however that hasn’t occurred but. As nice because the Dolphins offense has been this season, they actually fall off a cliff when Thompson needed to step in because the lead quarterback. They simply scored 11 factors in opposition to the Jets to clinch their wild-card spot, which was simply sufficient to win. Thompson was solely in a position to muster 17 factors in a blowout loss in opposition to the Jets earlier this season as properly. There’s simply no cause to consider that the Dolphins will be capable to rating factors in opposition to the Bills with Thompson. If the Dolphins are in a position to win this recreation, they need to construct a statue for head coach Mike McDaniel.
The Baltimore Ravens will probably be with out star quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) on this weekend’s playoff matchup in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals, which makes the sport far much less thrilling. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire through Getty Images)
The Ravens will probably be taking up the Bengals with both Tyler Huntley or Anthony Brown main their offense. No offense to Anthony Brown, however he did simply play in opposition to the Bengals every week in the past. The outcomes weren’t fairly and, fairly frankly, it’s not truthful to anticipate a complete lot from him so far as this recreation goes. He was an undrafted free agent for a cause and didn’t have a complete lot of NFL prospects popping out of the University of Oregon final yr. Playoff video games are approach too treasured and the Ravens gained’t have some of the electrical gamers within the NFL at their companies. That stinks for the Ravens and spectators of the sport.
Hopefully Huntley will be capable to go well with up for the Ravens in order that they at the very least have an opportunity to attain some factors, however the Ravens offense has been a diminished model of itself with out Jackson enjoying quarterback. That’s an unavoidable truth and it lessens the hype for wild-card weekend.
The outlook of Bengals-Ravens and Bills-Dolphins is vastly modified with the way in which their accidents have unfolded at quarterback. We can solely hope, as an NFL watching public, that Tyler Huntley, Anthony Brown and Skylar Thompson can play at a stage we haven’t seen but.
At least we get to observe Patrick Mahomes play for the Chiefs subsequent weekend.
