Tag: Allgeier

Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Top 10 Player Props For NFL Week 16

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With 12 games on the schedule for Sunday featuring many of the NFL’s best teams, fans will have hundreds of player props to choose from for their betting pleasure in Week 16.

Rather than take hours of your day to research and figure out which are the best, see if any of our top ten picks inspire you. (These will be in no specific order. Odds are from FanDuel unless otherwise indicated.)

Eagles vs. Commanders

–Jalen Hurts, O/U 191.5 Passing Yards at -113/-113
–Hurts to throw for 200+ yards at +108

Hurts is averaging right around 200 yards per game this season. While he had 290 his last time out against a good Steelers defense, he had less than 180 in his previous three. His numbers against the Steelers have to be taken with a grain of salt since Saquon Barkley missed time with an injury.

Washington controlled the game for three quarters a few weeks ago in Philly, only to lose after Barkley and the Eagles dominated the fourth quarter. I don’t see the passing game working as well as it did last time, but I doubt it will struggle as it did vs. Carolina, Baltimore and the Rams.

The Washington pass defense has held teams to less than 190 yards per game this season, but 209 ypg over the last three. Hurts will probably have a day similar to the one he had in the previous game vs. Washington (18-28 for 221 yards).

Take the OVER on his passing yards.

Giants vs. Falcons

–Michael Penix Jr., O/U 228.5 Passing Yards at -115/-115 (via DraftKings)

The Falcons will want to see their young quarterback spread his wings, but they’ll also want to protect him as much as they can. To that end, they’ll lean hard on the run in this game to draw the Giants’ defense in and then pass when his receivers are in single coverage.

They will not need to throw much against this Giants team and will probably let Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier carry most of the load.

Take the UNDER.

–Tyler Allgeier, O/U 36.5 Rushing Yards at -110/-110 (via bet365)
–Allgeier to rush for 50+ yards +165 (via BetMGM)

The Falcons may let Penix air it out in the first quarter but will otherwise have him throw just enough to keep the Giants’ defense honest. Robinson, of course, will carry the bulk of the load. But Allgeier will see the ball more than he usually does.

He had fewer than 10 carries in 10 of 14 games; look for him to get closer to 15 Sunday. With the Giants’ defense allowing 4.9 yards per carry, Allgeier should easily go over this total.

Take the OVER.

Lions vs. Bears

–Sam LaPorta, O/U 41.5 Receiving Yards at -115/-115 (via BetMGM)

Losing David Montgomery for the immediate future stings, but the Lions do still have Jahmyr Gibbs. But they’ll likely try to find other ways to move the ball to keep from overworking Gibbs. LaPorta has had a quiet season but has seen his target share go up in the last two weeks.

Big, pass-catching tight ends like LaPorta are great for moving the chains, and the Lions will probably use LaPorta more in that capacity going forward.

Take the OVER.

Browns vs. Bengals

–Chase Brown, O/U 74.5 Rushing Yards at -110/-110 (via bet365)
–Brown, O/U 17.5 Rushing Attempts at -130/+100 (via DraftKings)

Cincinnati has been all over the place with Brown’s touches this season. He had 25 last week vs. Tennessee but 12 to 14 in three of the previous four games. But teams have averaged 32 rushing attempts and 119.3 yards against the Browns in the last three weeks.

With the Browns starting Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, the Bengals will probably want to run a little more often to keep the clock moving. It will be the Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase show in the first half, but Brown will take over in the second.

Take the OVER for both.

–Jerry Jeudy, O/U 62.5 Receiving Yards at -110/-110 (via bet365)
–Jeudy, O/U 5.5 Receptions at +125/-165

Jeudy has gone over this yardage total in his last seven games, but bettors may want to mute expectations with Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. While DTR is a tremendous athlete, he struggles to connect with his receivers. He has completed just 44.1 percent of his passes this season (15-for-34) and 51.4 percent in his career (75-for-146).

As for his receptions total, Jeudy is one of Cleveland’s better playmakers. They’ll eventually settle for short throws to the flats that DTR can complete just to get the ball in Jeudy’s hands. Since those throws will be relatively easy to complete, Jeudy will see the ball enough to go over this total.

Take the UNDER for his yardage but the OVER for his receptions.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) stiff arms Carolina Panthers linebacker Chandler Wooten (57) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Raheem Morris praises Tyler Allgeier after Falcons’ third straight win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Six games into the Raheem Morris era in Atlanta, the Falcons’ high-powered offense has helped put them in the driver’s seat of the NFC South.

The team’s 4-2 start is the best for the franchise since 2016, the year Atlanta reached Super Bowl LI. The Falcons are fresh off three straight wins over divisional foes following Sunday’s 38-20 road victory against the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta’s 38 points were its most since Nov. 29, 2020 in a 43-6 home win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Much of the reason for the offensive explosion on Sunday was the Falcons’ running game. Tyler Allgeier, who has performed well in the backup role this season, rushed for 105 yards and a score, while starter Bijan Robinson ran for 95 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.

Morris, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator the last three seasons, was well aware of Allgeier’s physical style of running before landing the head job in Atlanta.

“Tyler was a pain in my neck his rookie season,” Morris said of matching up against Allgeier in Los Angeles in 2022. “Being a defensive coordinator against him and trying to figure out who he was. I remember telling our guys in the meeting, ‘This guy runs hard.’ … This guy is certainly a heavy back and runs with great intent. He has great vision. I love the combination of him (and Bijan) and how they work together and how they cheer for each other. It’s the definition of great teammates, those two guys.”

Atlanta swept the critical three-game stretch of NFC South opponents, topping New Orleans and Tampa Bay before Sunday’s victory over the Panthers. The Falcons hold the first-place tiebreaker over the Buccaneers for now, but they’ll meet again in Week 8 in Tampa.

Before that, the Falcons will host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, a team reeling from a three-game losing streak.

Morris — who’s coaching his 66th game as an NFL head coach this Sunday (25-40 overall with Tampa Bay in 2009-11 and Atlanta in 2020, 2024) — knows not to overlook Seattle, regardless of its recent woes.

“Geno (Smith) has been playing great these past couple of years in kind of his bounce-back for his whole career,” Morris said of the Seahawks’ quarterback. “Obviously D.K. Metcalf has been a physical force in the league for a while, and Tyler Lockett has been a pain in my neck forever. … We’ve got our hands full.”

On the injury docket for Atlanta, special teamer Micah Abernathy went down with a knee injury Sunday, and will likely miss “a significant amount of time,” Morris said.

Linebacker Troy Andersen missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury, but Morris told reporters that Atlanta will continue to evaluate the injury as the week progresses.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith, Falcons proud of rookie class after season finale

Posted on | by Field Level Media

If Sunday’s 30-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was any indication, the Atlanta Falcons’ future looks bright due to a promising rookie class that really emerged as the season progressed.

First-year players Desmond Ridder, Tyler Allgeier and Drake London stole the show on offense in the victory over the Bucs, while fellow rookie Troy Andersen continued his strong play at linebacker on a young defense as the Falcons finished the season 7-10 for the second straight year.

It’s still too early to say if Ridder, a third-round pick, is Atlanta’s future at quarterback moving forward. But in four starts, Ridder made a case that he should be QB1 when the team opens the 2023 season due to his quick decision-making and strong arm.

In the win over the Bucs, Ridder fired his first two touchdown passes as a pro and completed 19 of 30 passes for a season-high 224 yards. For the season, he was 73 of 115 for 708 yards and two scores, good for an 86.4 passer rating.

Allgeier surpassed William Andrews (1,023) for the most rushing yards by a rookie in franchise history by running for 135 yards in the win over Tampa Bay (8-9). Allgeier, a fifth-round pick, rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns for the year.

“There’s a reason we drafted him,” Atlanta coach Arthur Smith said. “I was pretty pleased with the way he was trending and then some of it was opportunities happen. I don’t know if anybody was running the ball better than (Cordarrelle Patterson) was earlier in the year around the league and unfortunately, he missed some time, and it was an opportunity where I thought Allgeier stepped in and did a nice job. So did Caleb Huntley. And I think he really took off so, some of it is by circumstance, but we had a lot of confidence when we took him out of BYU.”

London, a first-round pick, had six catches for a season-high 120 yards against the Bucs. He led the team in receptions (72) and yards (866) and tied for the team lead with four TDs.

Andersen, a second-round pick, started five games and had 69 tackles, three for a loss. Arnold Ebiketie, a second-round pick, and DeAngelo Malone, a third-round pick, also played significant roles on an Atlanta defense that could really take off if the Falcons can put the ball in the end zone more often.

“The next challenge is to make sure we become more explosive offensively,” Smith said. “We need more of a pass rush. I get all that. But every game except for one up in Cincinnati was a dogfight. These guys embraced it. There’s a big difference between this 7-10 and the last one.”

–Defensive coordinator Dean Peas, 73, announced his retirement after 50 years of coaching. Peas coached in high school, college and the pros and won Super Bowls with New England and Baltimore.

–Linebacker Rashaan Evans, cornerback Isaiah Oliver and right tackle Kaleb McGary are the team’s key free agents.

–Atlanta will have the No. 8 pick overall in the NFL draft. Don’t be surprised if upgrading the pass rush will be a top priority. Receiver, cornerback and the offensive and defensive lines are other areas that could use a boost in talent.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith: Desmond Ridder played with ‘great poise and demeanor’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Atlanta Falcons are a work in progress under the direction of second-year head coach Arthur Smith.

But after a last-second 20-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak, rookie Desmond Ridder is beginning to make an argument to be the team’s future at quarterback.

In this third career start, Ridder orchestrated a 12-play, 72-yard game-winning drive, which was capped by Younghoe Koo’s 21-yard field goal as time expired.

The win improved Atlanta’s record to 6-10 and gave Smith’s team a shot of momentum before the team hosts the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) in Sunday’s season finale.

Ridder completed 19 of 26 passes for 169 yards on the day. On the Falcons’ last drive, he was 3-for-3 for 31 yards, which included a key 14-yard completion to tight end MyCole Pruitt. Smith said Monday that he had all the belief in the world that his quarterback could execute with the game on the line.

“We could’ve gone super conservative and run it and see what happens and force them to use their timeouts,” Smith said. “But we decided to be aggressive and trust Desmond and the offensive unit. I like the way he operated. That’s three games in a row where I thought in the fourth quarter, when you needed him, he’s had great poise and demeanor so it shows the trust we have in him and the offensive unit.”

Pruitt has seen his role expand in recent weeks after being on the practice squad. The seventh-year pro had four receptions for a team-high 49 yards against the Cardinals.

“MyCole is a guy that I coached at Tennessee,” Smith said. “We picked him up in 2018 off Houston’s practice squad. … Sometimes it takes some time for those guys to find a role. It’s a tough position to play, especially depending on your scheme.

“I think he’s a really smart and instinctive player. He’s played some really meaningful snaps for us. He had a pretty bad injury last year so that was part of the reason why he didn’t sign with anybody. But he’s taken advantage of the opportunity here. Obviously, we have a lot of trust in him and clearly Desmond does too.”

–Left guard has been a revolving door for Atlanta due to injuries, but Matt Hennessy got the start there against Arizona and played well.

“It was nice to see Matt Hennessy to get in there and contribute,” Smith said. “We’ve played a lot of guys different guys at left guard. He played well in that spot and it was good to see.”

–Tyler Allgeier had 20 carries for 83 yards and a score against Arizona. He is 100 yards shy of 1,000 in his rookie campaign.

–Koo is 23 of 24 on field goal attempts inside of 50 yards. He is 6 of 10 on kicks between 50 and 59 yards.

–The Falcons released practice squad wide receiver Cameron Batson on Monday after he was arrested over the weekend. Batson has yet to be released from Fulton County jail as of Monday afternoon and faces five charges: aggravated assault, battery, aggravates assault against a law enforcement officer when engaged on official duty, removal or attempted removal of weapon from public official and driving/fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) carries the ball against the Washington Commanders during the first half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith pleased Falcons are ‘building’ on O-line, run game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mistakes in the red zone have proved costly in a number of the Atlanta Falcons’ tightly contested games this season.

In the Falcons’ 19-13 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, a Marcus Mariota pass intended for Cordarrelle Patterson was tipped by Daron Payne and intercepted by Kendall Fuller in the end zone for a touchback with a little over a minute left to play.

But one positive that Arthur Smith’s team can take from the loss was its ability to run the football effectively against one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.

Behind tailbacks Tyler Allgeier and Patterson, along with Mariota, the Falcons ran the ball 29 times for 167 yards for an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Entering this week’s home matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta (5-7) ranks fourth in the league in rushing (160.0 yards per game).

“We feel like we’re building something here up front in our mentality with our offensive line,” Smith said. “There aren’t moral victories, but it does give you confidence week after week that these guys have stepped up. And we’ve played some good fronts.

“It is the NFL, and everybody is good, I got that. But we’ve played some of the better ones. Played (the 49ers), and I know they didn’t have Bosa, but that’s a damn good front. And then yesterday, they are playing as well as anybody in the league. Low-possession game, I thought we moved the ball really well. Thought we had some good pockets.”

Despite a revolving door at left guard due to a knee injury to starter Elijah Wilkinson, the play of Atlanta’s offensive line has been strong. Right guard Chris Lindstrom and left tackle Jake Matthews are playing at a Pro Bowl level. Center Drew Dalman and right tackle Kaleb McGary have been solid, especially when run blocking.

This week, Atlanta faces another challenge when it meets a Pittsburgh team that ranks sixth in the league in run defense (103.4 yards per game). The Steelers (3-7) rank 31st in the league in pass defense, however, so Mariota could be poised for a big day through the air.

But don’t expect Smith and the Falcons to go against what’s worked best for them all season long. Patterson and Allgeier have formed a dynamic one-two punch, and Caleb Huntley has been solid despite just one carry for 12 yards against the Commanders.

“It was a function of the game, yeah, and he had one good run,” Smith said about Huntley’s lone carry. “That’s a good problem to have because Tyler is playing really well, and we know the impact CP has on the game. We got to make sure he gets it more because he’s earned the right to carry the football for us.”

–Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie left in the second quarter in the loss to Washington with a wrist injury. Smith is hoping Ebiketie will be able to return Wednesday.

“Obviously, AK, hopefully he’ll be alright,” Smith said. “He’s dealing with a wrist injury. We’ll see how it responds on Wednesday. But day-to-day on all those guys.”

Smith also said Wilkinson “has a shot” to be activated from IR if “he’s ready to practice Wednesday.”

–Atlanta wideout Olamide Zaccheaus had season highs in receptions (five) and yards (91) in the loss to Washington. His 45-yard reception on the team’s final possession got the Falcons into Washington territory with just more than three minutes to play.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith, Falcons turn to rookie runners with Patterson out

Posted on | by Field Level Media

First place in the NFC South will be on the line when the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) Sunday.

But if the Falcons want to win their third consecutive game, they will have to do so without versatile running back Cordarrelle Patterson.

Arthur Smith announced Monday that Patterson had been placed on injured reserve for at least four games due to a knee injury. The 31-year-old currently leads the team in rushing (340 yards) and has scored three touchdowns on 58 carries (5.9 yards per carry). He’s also added four receptions for 28 yards.

“He had a minor procedure this morning that will help long-term,” Smith said. “We have a great medical team and we felt like instead of dealing with it week-to-week, this would be the best move going forward.”

Patterson and Damien Williams entered the season as Atlanta’s top two backs, but both are now on IR.

With Patterson out, the Falcons will look to rookies Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley to fill the void left. Allgeier, a fifth-round pick, had 10 carries for a team-high 84 yards in Atlanta’s 23-20 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

Huntley, an undrafted free agent, added 10 rushes for 56 yards and a score in the win over the Browns. He was promoted to the 53-man roster Monday after Patterson was moved to IR.

Smith said he was “absolutely” pleased with his team’s depth at running back, also crediting fullback Keith Smith for his work.

Right guard Chris Lindstrom has been a key cog in an offensive line that’s paved the way for the NFL’s fourth-best rushing attack (168.0 yards per game). Not only has he been a bruiser in the run game, but he only allowed one pressure in 20 pass-block attempts in the win over Cleveland, good for a 97.1 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus.

“There’s always work to be done and you try to be objective, but Chris is playing really good football for us,” Smith said. “But we’ve got to keep it up because this a really good run defense we are about to play in Tampa.”

The Buccaneers enter the matchup with the Falcons ranked 12th in the NFL in run defense (106.8 yards per game), 14th in pass defense (214.3 yards per game) and eighth in total defense (321.0 yards per game).

Atlanta will look to snap a four-game losing streak to Tampa Bay.

“We’ve got a heck of a challenge in front of us,” Smith said. “Todd Bowles, he’s a heck of a football coach.”

–Tight end Kyle Pitts has only been targeted once in the red zone this season. He had one reception for 25 yards in the win over Cleveland.

–Cornerback Dee Alford, who signed with Atlanta in January after playing in the Canadian Football League, sealed the Falcons’ win over Cleveland when he picked off Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett with 1:03 remaining in the game. It was his first interception as an NFL player.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) celebrates after a play in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

‘Dependable’ Falcons rookie RB Tyler Allgeier slides up depth chart

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tyler Allgeier’s role could be expanding for the Atlanta Falcons, starting with their Week 3 game Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks.

Allgeier was listed as the second-string running back on the team’s new depth chart Tuesday, behind starter Cordarrelle Patterson. He moved up after Damien Williams was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a rib injury.

Atlanta drafted the BYU star in the fifth round of last April’s draft, and after being inactive for the season opener against the New Orleans Saints, he was pressed into duty Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams. Allgeier carried the ball 10 times for 30 yards and gained one first down in his debut.

“I thought he ran pretty well and he’s become very dependable in protection,” coach Arthur Smith told reporters Monday.

Allgeier spent four seasons at BYU and played linebacker for the Cougars his sophomore year before returning to running back. He piled up 1,601 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in 2021.

The Falcons are preparing for a Seahawks defense that has given up 146 yards per game on the ground so far this season, eighth-most in the NFL. It could lead to healthy doses of both Patterson and Allgeier Sunday.

Smith felt the offense has shown progress two weeks into the season.

“There’s things that we need to do better in the red zone and third down,” Smith said. “It hasn’t all been tragic, but obviously we haven’t won the last two games. We feel a lot better about where we’re at offensively after two games than we did a year ago, if that’s a comparison.”

The Falcons stayed on the West Coast after their loss to the Rams and turned north to Washington state. On Tuesday, the Falcons and Seahawks visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma to attend an army enlistment ceremony.

“It was really cool just to see people dedicating themselves to the military and more people that are showing courage to defend this country,” running back and returner Avery Williams told reporters. “We congratulated them and good luck to all of them.”

Atlanta also signed Jovante Moffatt to the practice squad on Tuesday. Moffatt played in 14 games over the past two seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Damien Williams (6) runs the ball against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons RB Damien Williams (rib) ruled out vs. Rams

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Atlanta Falcons running back Damien Williams has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams due to a rib injury.

Williams was injured during last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. He had two yards on two carries.

Cordarrelle Patterson handled the bulk of the running chores due to Williams’ injury and finished with career highs of 22 carries and 120 rushing yards. He also scored a touchdown.

Rookie Tyler Allgeier likely will be activated for the contest against the Rams. The fifth-round pick out of BYU was inactive for the 27-26 loss to the Saints.

Williams, 30, is in his eighth NFL season. He has been a journeyman for most of his career but was expected to receive a bigger workload with the Falcons.

Williams’ career best season output is 498 rushing yards for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.

But he had a big postseason that year by rushing for 196 yards and four touchdowns and catching 11 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in three games. He stood out in Super Bowl LIV with 104 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries and four receptions for 29 yards and another score as the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Williams has rushed for 1,397 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 154 passes for 1,209 yards and 11 scores in 98 games (16 starts) for the Miami Dolphins (2014-17), Chiefs (2018-19), Chicago Bears (2021) and Falcons.

–Field Level Media