NFL Week 12 Practice Squad Power Ranking
In October, while waiting in the impo sibly long school pick-up line for my kindergartener, I recorded a TikTok emphatically stating " ."Now, this wasn't a disingenuous take born strictly from a time when I had literally nothing to do, I had watched the film and done some research. While I conceded Atlanta was going about their offense in a very unconventional way -- by being extremely run heavy during the 's pa sing renai sance -- that philosophy was working.In that video, I mention that not only were the seventh in Football Outsiders offensive DVOA at the time (!), the schedule appeared to be "light" down the stretch, although in the NFL, you never really know how a game is going to play out beforehand.Since the publication of that video, the Falcons got smoked by the , won in absurd fashion at home against the , lost by a field goal to the , were handled in Carolina by and then squeaked out a victory against and the at home. Left on the schedule? At the suddenly fun Commanders, home against the Steelers, at the Saints and Ravens, then back-to-back at home against the Cardinals and Bucs.Atlanta's quietly sitting at 5-6, certainly in the thick of the wild-card hunt, and just a half-game behind the Buccaneers for lead in the NFC North. Crazy, I know. Normally, their -15 point-differential would indicate this Falcons teams has no chance at the playoffs,
Christian McCaffrey Jersey but that differential isn't at the bottom of the conference. It's close to being smack dab in the middle (9th).Back to the Falcons' affinity for running the football. They've handed it off 361 times through 11 outings. Only Chicago's done it
Derrick Brown Jersey more to date. That's their identity. I do have a feeling they'll have to move it aerially a little more frequently down the stretch to either sneak into the final wild-card spot or stun the Buccaneers for the divisional crown. On Thanksgiving, they waived wide receiver , whom they traded for before the season. And they just called up PSPR alum from the practice squad for Week 12's contest against the Commanders. The receiver room is lackluster, le s-than-ideal, etc. It could use -- scratch that -- will need a jolt in December.All that explains why I have a Falcons wideout at No. 1 this week in The PSPR. He was a blast to watch in college.We didn't get a Thanksgiving feast-sized collection of PSPRs called up for Week 11 -- actually, none were elevated, and you know what? That's fine. The thankfulne s I have for being able to write the Practice Squad Power Rankings every week far outweighs any frustration from a zero call up week. It happens. However, don't be shy to hit me up on Twitter to alert me about any PSPR members getting the glorious call. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. The expanded, 16-man practice squads are about the only good thing to come out of the pandemic, and they're here to stay in the NFL. Because of this, I run the Practice Squad Power Rankings parallel to the league. I write about 16 individuals every Friday, 10 officially in the rankings and six honorable mentions.Here's to the Practice Squad Power Rankings flourishing this season and starting to cement its legacy in the hallowed halls of the internet's football-media industry. Moreland made his PSPR debut in the inaugural season -- 2019 --
Carolina Panthers Jackets after a tremendously productive career at James Madison. There, he had 18 interceptions (including six house calls).The Jets are his fourth team, and their defense is rock solid. But got a little banged up in Gang Green's home victory over Buffalo in Week 9. Moreland is actually stylistically similar to Reed. They're both ultra-feisty, super-confident nickel corners with a knack to get their hands on the football.Outside of , Cleveland's defensive front -- WOOF! Perry started his college career at South
A.J. Bouye Jersey Carolina State -- which low-key has sent a bunch of quality players to the NFL -- before transferring to Illinois. While he didn't have monster stats with the Illini, Perry's play in the summer was enough for him to make Cleveland's practice squad as an undrafted free agent. At 6-foot-1 and around 300 pounds, he's the penetrating type to Browns need to generate any semblance of interior disruption for opposing quarterbacks. The Texans play the this week, a club that loves the RPO slant over the middle. While no linebacker in football is athletic enough to stay with the likes of and after a run fake, Johnson would represent the tiny contingent of second-level defenders who can get close to manning that a signment athletically. Check his . He's a freak physically.Johnson is a larger-than-life blocker from Florida. It feels like that program pumps out plenty of those types, doesn't it? Anyway, the 6-foot-7, 330-pounder with an incredibly long reach went undrafted in 2019 despite a quality final season with the Gators and popped up on the PSPR on occasion over the past few years.Now, I know what you're thinking -- the Eagles don't need any offensive line reinforcement. Well, while that's undeniably true in regards to the starting unit, Johnson can be the consummate extra blocker to step onto the field in jumbo-package situations. The Titans are probably going to be without underrated and super-versatile star for Week 12, and while Peevy doesn't provide as much positional flexibility, he's similarly sized to Autry and boasts high-end traits. At 6-5 and around 310 pounds, the former big-time recruit has 35.5-inch arms -- ridiculously long -- and slowly but surely improved in each of his five seasons with the Aggies as a block-shedding run stuffer capable of impre sive pa s-rush flashes.Hand is a twitched-up inside-outside corner who began his career in the NFC North with the . As a rookie, on le s than 16% of the snaps in 2020, the former Temple standout proved the bright lights of the NFL weren't too much for him, as he registered a pick and three pa s breakups. Chicago's dealing with injuries
Sam Mills Jersey to safety and second-round rookie at the cornerback spot. Now's the time to give Hand an opportunity.Johnson was the of the FBS while at North Dakota State. He was a weapon underneath and in the jet-sweep game because of his immense YAC ability and made routine snags down the football field. Johnson had back-to-back 1,200-plus yard seasons and scored 17 touchdowns in 2018. been tremendous this season yet could use another bouncy wideout to pair w