NFL Today: Start or Sit Jared Goff?
Think twice about starting Jared Goff this week. (Paul Sancya | AP)
The Jets are going back to Zach Wilson at QB; despite all his turnovers, Josh Dobbs will get another crack under centre for the Vikes; and Von Miller will be available to play Sunday despite charges that he assaulted a pregnant woman last week. Here are some other stories we’re following heading into Week 14…
Jared Goff Rounding Into Form
Green Bay is suddenly heating up, but with Minnesota dropping two straight and Detroit getting back in the win column on Sunday, the Lions still look very much in control of the NFC North despite some inconsistent quarterback play.
We’ve long considered quarterback Jared Goff mediocre, but in fairness since getting traded to the Detroit Lions, he’s been somewhat better, managing to shake off a pair of meh seasons at the end of his Ram tenure.
He currently ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards, and while he had a season-low 25 pass attempts and only completed 64 per cent of them in Week 13, he did manage to avoid getting picked for the second straight game. Goff put up a couple of sub-par games to close out October, but has looked really good in three of his last four games since (throwing a pair of TD passes in all four).
Overall, he hasn’t been quite as effective as he was in 2022, but he’s certainly trending in the right direction.
Does that mean Goff is a must-start for Week 14? We don’t think so, given how good a job Chicago has done of limiting opposing QB production over the last couple of months.
By now you know the drill with him: he has a good arm, but struggles with his accuracy now and then. Consider Goff a shaky starter, but an excellent QB2 for Week 14.
Tennessee’s Swoon
The Tennessee Titans put up a damned good fight against a red-hot Colts squad on Sunday, but ultimately lost in overtime. That’s six losses in eight games since a decent 2-2 start for the Titans as their season has spiraled out of control and sunk them to the basement of the AFC South.
Things don’t get any easier for Tennessee in Week 14 in a Monday Night Football showdown vs. Miami as it is currently a whopping 13.5-point underdog as per odds at FanDuel.
The good news is that the Titans got wide receiver Treylon Burks (concussion) back on Sunday after he had missed three games in the wake of a terrifying injury (see video below). He only played 10 snaps in Week 13, but the club says his workload will slowly increase as the season progresses.
The team’s first round pick last year (18th overall), Burks had a decent rookie season, racking up 444 yards (13.5 YPC) on 54 targets with 19 first downs and one score. He pulled in a 70-yard reception in Week Two, but was otherwise pretty quiet early on this year and then suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for three games.
Let’s hope this kid is finally healthy now and has a chance to live up to his draft slot down the stretch. At this point Burks is not roster-worthy for Fantasy purposes, but we’d suggest you add him to your watch list as this could change over the next few weeks.
Jets Turning Into a Joke
What a shitshow in Jets’ land, huh? The longest playoff drought in the NFL, the endless quarterback carousel, half-empty stands and a five-game losing streak that has seen the team fall out of playoff contention.
There just doesn’t seem to be any fight left in the New York Jets right now. Small wonder they’ve become the laughing stock of the NFL world.
Quarterback Tim Boyle showed a modicum of progress in Week 12, but he was so bad on Sunday that he got pulled in the fourth quarter for Trevor Siemian (who was seeing his first action of the season). On Wednesday, the Jets waived Boyle and signed Brett Rypien from Seattle’s practice squad.
Boyle only threw 25 passes and completed just 56 per cent of those with no TDs and one pick before he was sent to the sidelines. He’s managed more yardage this season, but has been horrifically inconsistent since beginning his career with the Packers in 2019.
Needless to say, Fantasy owners need to steer clear of the Jets’ quarterback situation for the time being as projected Week 14 starter Wilson cannot be allowed anywhere near your team.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
American/French rock band King Harvest launched in 1969 and remained active until 1976, then came back for a second chapter from 2012 to 2016. Their signature track was the 1972 hit “Dancing in the Moonlight,” a cover of the 1970 song by Boffalongo.
