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Tag: Ahkello

  • NFL injury tracker, divisional round: Zay Flowers ‘doubtful’ vs. Bills, Rams’ Ahkello Witherspoon expected to play


    With a series of heavy-duty matchups in the NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs, a few teams will be shorthanded on the injury front.

    The Baltimore Ravens are set to take on the Buffalo Bills in a high-stakes divisional matchup — and they will likely be doing it without their star receiver. Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers missed practice again on Friday and has been deemed doubtful for Sunday’s matchup.

    Flowers suffered a knee injury during the regular season finale two weeks ago, and has not returned to practice since. He missed all of last week, including the Ravens’ Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the injury, and looks set to do it again this week.

    The Ravens had been initially optimistic about Flowers’ injury, with head coach John Harbaugh telling reporters initially that the injury was “day-to-day” but not season-ending.

    Despite Harbaugh telling reporters Friday, “I think he’ll have a chance,” it appears they will be without Flowers for a second straight playoff game.

    Rams cornerback and defensive playmaker Ahkello Witherspoon was a limited participant in Friday’s practice after sitting out Thursday’s session. He was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.

    However, head coach Sean McVay expects the eight-year veteran to play in Sunday’s divisional round matchup with the Eagles.

    Witherspoon, 29, injured his thigh in the third quarter of the Rams’ wild-card playoff game versus the Vikings. He pulled up while pursuing Minnesota’s T.J. Hockenson on a 26-yard touchdown.

    Prior to leaving the game, Witherspoon forced a fumble and registered three tackles with one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. The Rams recently made him a starter in place of Cobie Durant opposite Darious Williams in the secondary.

    In the regular season, Witherspoon had 31 tackles with one interception and nine passes defensed in 13 games (five starts). He’s in his second season with the Rams.

    Here’s the rest of the divisional round injury report.

    Inactives for Saturday’s games

    • TE Teagan Quitoriano

    • RB J.J. Taylor

    • LB Devin White

    • DE Jerry Hughes

    • C/G Kendrick Green

    • G Nick Broeker

    • DT Kurt Hinish

    • G Kevin Zeitler (hamstring): out

    • DL Pat O’Connor (calf): out

    • CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (hamstring/illness): out

    • DE Larrell Murchison (foot): out

    • ILB Troy Reeder (hamstring): out

    • OL Alaric Jackson (chest): questionable

    • NT Bobby Brown III (shoulder): questionable

    • CB Ahkello Witherspoon (thigh): questionable



    Injuries can play a major role in determining the outcome of NFL playoff games, and the divisional round is no exception. Here’s the latest on key players dealing with injuries heading into this weekend’s matchups:

    – Zay Flowers, wide receiver for the New England Patriots, is listed as ‘doubtful’ for Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Flowers suffered a knee injury in the Patriots’ wild-card win over the Bills and has been limited in practice this week. His absence would be a significant blow to New England’s passing attack.

    – On the other side of the ball, the Los Angeles Rams are expected to have cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon available for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Witherspoon has been dealing with a thigh injury but is on track to play in a crucial matchup against Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions.

    Stay tuned for further updates on these and other key injuries as we get closer to kickoff in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

    Tags:

    1. NFL injury tracker
    2. Divisional round injuries
    3. Zay Flowers injury update
    4. Bills vs. Patriots injury report
    5. Rams injury news
    6. Ahkello Witherspoon injury status
    7. NFL playoffs injury updates
    8. Injury updates for divisional round
    9. Zay Flowers doubtful vs. Bills
    10. Ahkello Witherspoon expected to play

    #NFL #injury #tracker #divisional #Zay #Flowers #doubtful #Bills #Rams #Ahkello #Witherspoon #expected #play

  • Rams Depth Chart: Will LA start Ahkello Witherspoon over Cobie Durant?

    Rams Depth Chart: Will LA start Ahkello Witherspoon over Cobie Durant?


    It was surprising to see veteran Ahkello Witherspoon starting over a healthy Cobie Durant last week versus the New York Jets. Durant suffered a bruised lung three weeks ago, missing the Thursday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers. He was cleared by team doctors ahead of the game in New York.

    Witherspoon played well in Durant’s absence against the 49ers, which apparently earned him the starting nod the following week. However—when you take each player’s body of work together—Durant is clearly the better player.

    Are the Los Angeles Rams starting the wrong corner opposite Darious Williams?

    Cobie Durant’s 2024 season:

    30 catches on 52 targets (57.7% completion) for 338 yards (103 YAC), 1 TD, 1 INT, 4 PBU’s, 75.6 passer rating allowed

    Durant has played 424 passing snaps for the Rams this year. He’s been flagged for a single coverage penalty and is allowing a reception every 13.1 snaps on average according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

    Ahkello Witherspoon’s 2024 season:

    25 catches on 37 targets (67.6% completion) for 315 yards (115 YAC), no TD’s or INT’s, 5 PBU’s, 102.9 passer rating allowed

    Witherspoon has played 255 snaps versus the pass, which is 169 less than Durant. He’s drawn four penalty flags and is allowing a reception every 9.3 snaps on average.

    Durant is clearly the more productive player

    Both corners have allowed roughly the same amount of yardage in coverage despite Durant playing 66% more passing snaps. Durant is forcing incomplete passes at a higher frequency (57.7% completion versus Witherspoon’s 67.6%).

    On average, it takes Durant four plays longer to allow a reception as opposed to Witherspoon. If you assume the opposing quarterback will drop back 30 times per game, Durant would be on pace to allow 2.29 catches while Witherspoon would give up 3.23. That’s a roughly one additional reception allowed each week by replacing Durant with Witherspoon in the starting lineup. Both corners allow roughly 11.5 yards per catch, which extrapolates to an additional 195 yards over a 17 game season.

    There are no future benefits to starting Witherspoon

    The Rams need long-term answers at corner.

    Even if Williams returns for 2025 and continues to play at the same level, he likely won’t be around for much longer based on age and tenure alone. Witherspoon is a free agent after this season while Durant has a year left on his rookie deal. The Rams were hesitant to reunite with Witherspoon this offseason, and the veteran corner was still available after the start of the regular season. It wasn’t until after Tre White, who LA opted to sign in free agency, fell flat as a starter that they brought Witherspoon back.

    It’s unlikely that Witherspoon will be back for 2025. There’s much more upside in finding out whether Durant has a future with this team, though I’d argue he’s evidently the better player today.

    The Rams are making the wrong decision in starting Witherspoon over Durant, and they must correct that mistake as soon as Saturday when they take the field versus the Arizona Cardinals.





    With the Los Angeles Rams gearing up for the upcoming season, one position battle that has caught the attention of fans and analysts alike is at the cornerback position. Specifically, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the Rams will start Ahkello Witherspoon over Cobie Durant.

    Witherspoon, a former third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, was signed by the Rams this offseason in hopes of adding depth and competition to their secondary. On the other hand, Durant, who has been with the Rams for several years, has been a solid contributor and has shown flashes of potential during his time in Los Angeles.

    As the Rams continue to evaluate their options at cornerback, it remains to be seen who will ultimately win the starting job. Witherspoon’s length and athleticism could give him the edge over Durant, but Durant’s experience and familiarity with the Rams’ defensive scheme should not be overlooked.

    Ultimately, the decision will come down to training camp performances and preseason games. Rams fans will have to wait and see how the depth chart shakes out, but one thing is for certain – the competition at cornerback will be fierce and the Rams will have a tough decision to make. Stay tuned for updates on this intriguing position battle as the season approaches.

    Tags:

    1. Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart
    2. Ahkello Witherspoon vs. Cobie Durant
    3. LA Rams starting lineup
    4. NFL cornerback competition
    5. Rams defensive back rotation
    6. Ahkello Witherspoon stats
    7. Cobie Durant performance analysis
    8. LA Rams secondary updates
    9. NFL roster decisions
    10. Rams defensive scheme adjustments

    #Rams #Depth #Chart #start #Ahkello #Witherspoon #Cobie #Durant

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