Footballguys #261 - 1/5 - Divisional Playoff Challenge On The Way - Plus News And Notes

[Footballguys.com]( Footballguys #261 - 1/5 - Divisional Playoff Challenge On The Way - Plus News And Notes Volume 21, #261 -- Sunday Night, January 5th, 2020 You're subscribed as {EMAIL} - click [HERE]( to unsubscribe. [View in Web Browser]( Howdy {NAME}, Good Monday to you. We've got some News and Notes for you so let's get to it. Also - We sold out the Footballguys Playoff Championship early. But we'll have a Divisional Round Playoff Championship ready this week. We'll let you know here. Now let's get to the News and Notes. J [] INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. [PHI - Philly ousted in Wild Card round](#1) 2. [SEA - Seattle advances to face Green Bay](#2) 3. [DAL - Jason Garrett officially relieved of duties](#3) 4. [NO - New Orleans loses Wild Card game](#4) 5. [MIN - Minnesota moving on to next round](#5) 6. [BUF - DE Shaq Lawson would like to re-sign](#6) 7. [BUF - RB Frank Gore unsure about future](#7) 8. [TB - RB Peyton Barber hopes to return](#8) 9. [SF - ILB Kwon Alexander may be available](#9) 10. [PIT - TE Nick Vannett has chance to return](#10) 11. [HOU - WR Will Fuller likely to play next weekend](#11) 12. [NE - QB Tom Brady not planning to retire](#12) 13. [NE - Benjamin Watson calling it quits?](#13) 14. [DET - QB Matthew Stafford sharp when healthy](#14) 15. [PIT - WR Diontae Johnson busy as a rookie](#15) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 1. [PHI - Philly ousted in Wild Card round]() Source: ESPN Philadelphia Eagles QB [Josh McCown]( completed 18-of-24 passes for 174 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in place of the injured QB [Carson Wentz]( (head) in the NFC Wild Card Game against the Seattle Seahawks Monday, Jan. 5. RB [Miles Sanders]( (ankle) shook off an ankle injury to rack up a game-best 69 rushing yards on 14 attempts while adding three grabs for eight yards. RB [Boston Scott]( ran for 25 yards on six attempts with 23 yards on three catches. TE [Dallas Goedert]( had seven catches for 73 yards, while TE [Zach Ertz]( had two catches for 44 yards on four targets. WR [Greg Ward]( Jr. was the top receiver with three receptions for 24 yards. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Once Carson Wentz was bounced from the game with a concussion, the Eagles chances of winning dropped...although they were in it until the end. Wentz had made it through the regular season for a full 16 games for the first time in his career but was knocked from this game after about nine minutes. It's an unfortunate end for an Eagles team that had to fight through a ton of injuries on both sides of the ball just to make it to the postseason. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 2. [SEA - Seattle advances to face Green Bay]() Source: ESPN Seattle Seahawks QB [Russell Wilson]( completed 18-of-30 passes for 325 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in the NFC Wild Card Game Sunday, Jan. 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He also led the team with 45 rushing yards. RB [Marshawn Lynch]( rushed six times for just seven yards, but he had a touchdown and 25 receiving yards. WR [DK Metcalf]( had seven grabs for a game-best 160 yards and a touchdown, while WR [Tyler Lockett]( had four grabs for 62 yards. WR [David Moore]( also chipped in with 57 yards on two grabs, while TE [Jacob Hollister]( had two grabs for 16 yards on four targets. S Bradley McDougald had 11 total stops with a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit, while LB/DE Jadeveon Clowney also had five total stops, a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The Seahawks are built for a deep postseason run and they got their first game out of the way. Playing on the road against the Packers is going to be much more difficult. Seattle didn't run the ball well against the Eagles and QB Russell Wilson was the team's leading rusher with 45 yards. They'll need to be better on the ground if they want to take down the Packers in the Divisional Round. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 3. [DAL - Jason Garrett officially relieved of duties](=) Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport The Dallas Cowboys have officially fired head coach Jason Garrett on Sunday, Jan. 5, and Garrett has allowed them to do so, a source confirmed. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] We've been waiting ever since the end of the regular season for the Cowboys to make an announcement here. They've now officially ended Garrett's time as their head coach and have already begun their search for his replacement. Former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy reportedly had a good visit with the Cowboys brass and he may be considered the front-runner in this job search but it's super early. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 4. [NO - New Orleans loses Wild Card game](=) Source: NFL.com New Orleans Saints QB [Drew Brees]( went 26-for-33 for 208 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card playoff game. QB [Taysom Hill]( completed a 50-yard pass, rushed for 50 yards on four carries and caught two passes for 25 yards and one touchdown during the game. RB [Alvin Kamara]( rushed for 21 yards and one touchdown on seven carries and caught eight passes for 34 yards. RB [Latavius Murray]( rushed for 21 yards on five carries. WR [Michael Thomas]( caught seven passes for 70 yards on eight targets. TE [Jared Cook]( caught five passes for 54 yards on five targets, while WR [Ted Ginn]( Jr. caught one pass for 18 yards on two targets. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The Saints just couldn't stop the Vikings offense down the stretch. There was a potential non-call on Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph when he pushed off to score a touchdown in overtime, but so many other opportunities slipped through the Saints fingers on Sunday. It's another disappointing end for the Saints in the postseason. The Saints are now the first team in NFL history to have six straight playoff eliminations by one score and the second team since the Packers from 2013-15 to be eliminated in three straight postseasons on the final play of the game. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 5. [MIN - Minnesota moving on to next round](=) Source: NFL.com Minnesota Vikings QB [Kirk Cousins]( went 19-for-31 for 242 yards and one touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card playoff game. RB [Dalvin Cook]( rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and caught three passes for 36 yards. RB [Alexander Mattison]( rushed for 20 yards on five carries and caught one pass for 10 yards. WR [Adam Thielen]( caught seven passes for 129 yards on nine targets. TE [Kyle Rudolph]( caught four passes for 31 yards and one touchdown on seven targets, while WR [Stefon Diggs]( caught two passes for 19 yards on three targets. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Cousins was able to make big plays when it counted. He was not known for making plays in big or primetime games but Cousins was money on Sunday. The Vikings ran the ball well and controlled the tempo of the game with their rushing attack. It will be a battle of two similarly structured offenses in the Divisional Round as they take on the 49ers. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 6. [BUF - DE Shaq Lawson would like to re-sign](=) Source: WGR Sports Radio 550 - Sal Capaccio Buffalo Bills impending free-agent DE Shaq Lawson said he would like to re-sign with the Bills this offseason. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Lawson was a first-round pick for the Bills in 2016 but the team declined his fifth-year option so he's an unrestricted free agent in March. He has 16.5 sacks for his career and is coming off a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2019. We'll see what kind of market Lawson has for his services. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 7. [BUF - RB Frank Gore unsure about future]() Source: WGR Sports Radio 550 - Sal Capaccio Buffalo Bills RB [Frank Gore]( said his body still feels good but is not sure if he will play next season. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Gore appeared in 16 games this past season for the Bills. He was a great mentor for rookie Devin Singletary and rushed for 599 yards and two touchdowns. Gore is now the No.3 all-time rusher in NFL history with 15,352 yards over the course of his career. He is an unrestricted free agent in March and who knows if he's going to keep playing. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 8. [TB - RB Peyton Barber hopes to return]() Source: The Athletic - Greg Auman Tampa Bay Buccaneers impending free-agent RB [Peyton Barber]( said he would like to re-sign with the Buccaneers this offseason. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The Buccaneers added Barber as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn back in 2016. Since that time, Barber has been the top back for the team here and there, rushing for 1,987 yards and 15 touchdowns. Ronald Jones is now the starter for the Buccaneers, and the team may not consider Barber much of a priority as they'll look to upgrade the position behind Jones. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 9. [SF - ILB Kwon Alexander may be available]( Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter San Francisco 49ers LB Kwon Alexander (pectoral) is believed to have a good chance to play in the Divisional Round playoff game, according to sources. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Alexander may be able to do the same thing that J.J. Watt did with the Texans. Like Watt, Alexander is coming back from a pectoral injury. He's still on Injured Reserve but did resume practicing earlier this week. We'll see if the team activates him from IR in order to play in the Divisional Round. Getting Alexander back on the field would boost the 49ers defense. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 10. [PIT - TE Nick Vannett has chance to return](=) Source: ESPN - Brooke Pryor Pittsburgh Steelers impending free-agent TE [Nick Vannett]( could re-sign with the Steelers this offseason if the team moves on from TE [Vance McDonald](. The Steelers are also expected to target a tight end during the 2020 NFL Draft. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Vannett was traded back in late September and played 13 games with the Steelers in 2019. He only caught 13 passes for 128 yards with his new team but he could have a larger role if Vannett stays with the Steelers for 2020. In 2020, McDonald will earn a base salary of $5.5 million while carrying a cap hit of $7.1 million and a dead cap value of $1.45 million. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 11. [HOU - WR Will Fuller likely to play next weekend](=) Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport Houston Texans WR [Will Fuller]( (groin) is expected to be ready for the Divisional Round game versus the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 12, barring a setback. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Fuller is always day-to-day with this groin injury. He'll be limited in practice all week with a chance to play in the Divisional Round. The Texans travel to play the Chiefs on Sunday, January 12th. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 12. [NE - QB Tom Brady not planning to retire](=) Source: MMQB - Albert Breer New England Patriots QB [Tom Brady]( said retirement is 'pretty unlikely' following a loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card round Saturday, Jan. 4. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Brady wants to play until he's 45-years old and he turns 43 later this year. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and he cannot be franchise tagged by the Patriots. If he does continue playing, it may not be with the Pats. It's going to be incredibly odd if he ends up with another team in 2020. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 13. [NE - Benjamin Watson calling it quits?]() Source: WEEI.com - Ryan Hannable New England Patriots TE Benjamin Watson said Saturday, Jan. 4, that he is likely retiring following the loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card round. 'There's only so much your body can take,' Watson said. 'It's been a great run.' [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Watson was a first-round pick for the Patriots coming out of Georgia back in 2004. During his 15-year career, Watson snared 547 passes for 6060 yards and 44 touchdowns. He was never really a star at the position but he was a solid player for years with three-down ability in stops with the Patriots, Saints, Browns and Ravens. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 14. [DET - QB Matthew Stafford sharp when healthy]() Source: ESPN.com Detroit Lions QB [Matthew Stafford]( (back, hip) ranked second in the NFL in passing yards per game (312.4), second in yards per pass attempt (8.6) and fifth in QBR (70.1) in the eight games he played in 2019. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] There is no doubt that Stafford is a fine quarterback, and he was playing good football before he was hurt. He's got plenty of time to get to full strength this offseason and should be playing at a high level upon his return. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [] 15. [PIT - WR Diontae Johnson busy as a rookie]( Source: NFL.com Pittsburgh Steelers WR [Diontae Johnson]( led all rookies with 59 receptions this season, finishing with 680 receiving yards and five scores. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ FOOTBALLGUYS VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The Steelers know how to find wide receiver talent in the draft, and that's what they did with another pick here in Johnson. A third-round pick out of Toledo, Johnson was a big-play specialist for the Steelers and should be the No.2 receiver for them opposite of JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2020. With Ben Roethlisberger back at quarterback, Johnson should be able to post even better numbers in his sophomore season. [Back to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of Footballguys. Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of Footballguys. We'll see you tomorrow with the Update. 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