Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Kyren Williams

Wednesday, December 31, 3:41 PM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said that quarterback Geno Smith (ankle) will not play on Sunday against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "I hate closing the door on any opportunity, but it's going to be really hard for him," Carroll said. Smith suffered a serious ankle injury in the Week 17 loss to the New York Giants and won't suit up for a meaningless contest to close out the regular season. With the 35-year-old veteran wrapping up a brutal first year in the desert, backup Kenny Pickett is expected to start this weekend. Aidan O'Connell could also end up splitting time with Pickett against KC. Smith was one of the worst starting QBs in football in 2025, completing 67.4% of his 448 pass attempts for 3,205 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-leading 17 interceptions in 15 starts.

Saturday, January 24, 10:53 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams has been one of his team's offensive stars so far this postseason, recording 192 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 40 touches across two games. The Rams split backfield work fairly evenly between Williams and second-year back Blake Corum down the stretch of the regular season. However, the team has leaned more heavily on Williams in the playoffs, with Corum earning just six touches to Williams' 25 in the NFC Divisional Round. On paper, Williams has an extremely difficult matchup in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per carry allowed (3.7) and second in rushing touchdowns allowed (nine). On the bright side, Williams had some success against the Seahawks in the regular season, totaling 181 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 39 touches across two matchups. He may not have his most efficient game in a tough matchup, but Williams should see a heavy workload in the NFC Championship Game.