Press conferences: They’re either the most important thing in the world or something to be entirely ignored, depending on if they validate how you already felt or not. Nonetheless, they are an important window into an NFL organization. Much as the eye in the sky don’t lie about players, coaches can’t cover up every emotion or lean they have when they’re asked questions. In omission, or in tone, even someone as tight-lipped as Bill Belichick or Nick Caserio can give something away. And that’s what this column scans for.
Let’s look at some of the trickiest situations for Week 8 lineups.
The bad vibes of the Brandin Cooks situation
Usually I like to start this column with some literal clips from press conferences, but sometimes it’s not the pressers but the omission of the pressers that tell us the biggest stories. Let’s talk about Texans wideout Brandin Cooks, who suddenly was labeled questionable for Week 8 on Friday after practicing in full all week.
Let’s put all these vibes together:
-Cooks liked multiple Tweets suggesting he should be traded.
-Cooks missed his scheduled media session on Wednesday because of “a lift.”
-After Cooks missed his media session, Lovie Smith did not speak again publicly all week.
-Then they suddenly list him questionable after a week of normal practice.
I’m not suggesting you bench Cooks if you weren’t already going to do that -- but I only say that because Nico Collins (groin) also looks unlikely to play and that target vacuum could go in your favor. What I am suggesting is that if you add these things together, what it looks like we have here is another player hold-in while he waits for a trade. The trade deadline is on Tuesday, and Cooks is close with the recently-fired Jack Easterby. Keep in mind that another player with close Easterby ties, Kamu Grugier-Hill, also asked for and was given his release earlier this week.
I think you fire up Cooks if he’s active, of course. He’d be in the WR3 range for me even despite the recent disappointing results because of Collins being down. But I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that he won’t be active for Week 8 at all. I’d definitely be preparing contingency plans if I were counting on Cooks this week, I’ll put it that way.
Does the idea of Ryan Tannehill playing on Sunday pass the smell test?
In a similar vein of the absence of something being more revealing than an actual interview, what you need to know about Tennessee’s Friday media availabilities are that Tannehill wasn’t there and Malik Willis interviewed with the press on Thursday.
Vrabel on Tannehill for Week 8 pic.twitter.com/4tHAr4P1sj
— rivers mccown (alt) (@mccownclips) October 28, 2022
The vibe I get from Vrabel is that he trusts Ryan Tannehill, and he’s not a coach who trusts players easily. He wants him to play badly. You did not get the sense from his answer about Willis -- who Vrabel notably couldn’t talk about without saying that Willis was “trying” to lead the offense and play the system in practice -- that he trusts Willis. I don’t think Vrabel trusts Willis.
Regardless, well, Willis might be who he has on Sunday. Tannehill was officially a limited participant on Thursday, but unofficially Titans beat writers did not see Tannehill take any snaps or reps. Friday, Tannehill didn’t participate and had an “illness” designation added to his status for Sunday.
Ryan Tannehill is also dealing with an illness in addition to the ankle injury: https://t.co/48vThDBXIB
— Ben Arthur (@benyarthur) October 28, 2022
I’m open to the idea of Tannehill playing in Week 8 mostly because I think Vrabel wants it to happen so damn bad. But if he did play, I’d expect him to be a little more ginger in the pocket. What I believe will actually happen is that Malik Willis will start against the Texans, run for about 60 yards and salvage some fantasy value in that way, and he’ll throw some picks because Lovie Smith‘s defense is generally a tough test for rookies. I wouldn’t be jonesing to start Tannehill in superflex leagues if I had another option. I would happily start Willis because of the rushing upside.
Pete Carroll Actually Be Down About An Injury Challenge: DK Metcalf Edition
Last week, we told you to be down on the optimism on Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett. While Lockett did eventually shake loose for seven grabs for 45 yards, it took him most of the first half to get on track. It also required a DK Metcalf injury for him to get on track. Here’s what we know about Metcalf at this exact moment: he barely practiced all week, but Pete Carroll keeps signing the Sunshine Tunes whenever asked about him.
Seahawks list Metcalf and Lockett as limited today. Carroll said he wouldn’t have thought Metcalf would be able to practice this week. “He ran around today and did some stuff and looked pretty good.” Called it a positive step but said Metcalf and Lockett will be gameday decisions pic.twitter.com/WECxuC6mNN
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) October 28, 2022
Last week, we at least had some good indications that Lockett would play despite the injury -- Carroll said he had a “really good” chance of playing. The national reporters like Ian Rapoport were on that same drumbeat, and the local media had him playing the whole way. My concern there was that I didn’t think Lockett was healthy enough to be productive. My concern this week is that Metcalf won’t play at all. See this Rapoport report from earlier that is buried in a video about other players:
From @GMFB: Along with #Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase’s injury, the #Cowboys may also be without Zeke Elliott while the #Seahawks may not have DK Metcalf. pic.twitter.com/95A5FL29Wz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2022
Rapoport calls Metcalf “more week-to-week than day-to-day,” and local coverage from Gregg Bell -- notably early and right about Lockett playing last week -- suggests that Metcalf will sit. He also notes that Metcalf watched practice in flat shoes rather than cleats and call this a patellar tendon injury.
I don’t have a ton of optimism that an unhealthy Metcalf can give a lot to your team this week. But he also could play and score two touchdowns on quick short stuff because he’s that good and that hard to check one-on-one. Particularly against the backup corner squadron the Giants are running out there. Just be ready to pivot quickly on Sunday -- it’s a late start -- if you do wait on Metcalf. Because there’s not a ton that would tell us he’s likely to play as I write this Friday afternoon.
