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It wasn’t intended to be a bit of product placement for a certain book that a certain reporter would certainly like to keep selling six months after publication, which makes it even more effective.
Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, in explaining to PFT the dramatic shift in the team’s offensive output in the fourth quarter, summed things up perfectly. Let playmakers make plays.
Winston made plenty of plays in the fourth quarter, completing 13 of 16 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. In three full quarters before that, Winston was only 10 for 18 for 56 yards.
Receiver Michael Thomas caught both touchdown passes.
Winston explained that the connections with Thomas caused the Falcons to rotate coverage toward him. Which opened things up for other players — including receiver Jarvis Landry, who caught a 40-yard pass that set up the game-winning field goal.
Winston made some incredible plays, too. It allowed the Saints to win a game after being behind by 16 points in the fourth quarter in franchise history. They pulled it off by following a simple approach to football. When the game plan isn’t working, let your playmakers make plays. As long as you have them.
If you don’t, you can at least buy the book.
3 responses to “Jameis Winston on fourth-quarter explosion: We let our playmakers make plays”
Against prevent defense… Not impressed!
Saints offense and defense looked weak compared to past years!
Tuned in for a little bit .. Winston seems way more mature than he used to be.
I root for Dennis Allen. Once a Raider.. Always a Raider.
Saints found a way to win with the grit and resilience characteristic of Payton’s teams. That said, they are going to have to answer the bell earlier if they are going to beat teams like Tampa, Baltimore, the Vikings and the Rams – all on their schedule at the Dome | 2022-09-12T01:27:29Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jameis Winston on fourth-quarter explosion: We let our playmakers make plays - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/jameis-winston-on-fourth-quarter-explosion-we-let-our-playmakers-make-plays/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/jameis-winston-on-fourth-quarter-explosion-we-let-our-playmakers-make-plays/ |
Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas took some time to get going in his first game action since January 2021, but it proved to be worth the wait.
Thomas had one catch for four yards through the first three quarters of the game, but he had four catches in the fourth quarter as the Saints erased a 26-10 deficit to beat the Falcons 27-26. Thomas caught both of the touchdowns that the Saints scored during that comeback and offered a reminder of what the Saints were missing while he was out with an ankle injury last season.
A hamstring injury slowed Thomas down this summer and he said after the game that he expects bigger things to come his way as the season unfolds.
“I still have a lot more,” Thomas said, via Terrin Waack of NOLA.com. “When I come into the game and the ball is coming to me, I’m trying to make every play, make every catch. So, that’s definitely not my standard. A little rusty to me.”
Thomas’ rehab meant that he and Jameis Winston didn’t have much time to work together this summer, so there’s plenty of reason to believe that better days are ahead for the entire Saints offense. Given the way they played in the fourth quarter, that’s a promising prospect in New Orleans.
1 responses to “Michael Thomas: I was a little rusty, I still have a lot more”
Winston against a normal defense look horrible threw behind several open receivers…
Only against a pre-vent defense did they move the ball (without Hill anyway)…
JW will get Thomas hurt in the next few games! | 2022-09-12T01:27:44Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Michael Thomas: I was a little rusty, I still have a lot more - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/michael-thomas-i-was-a-little-rusty-i-still-have-a-lot-more/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/michael-thomas-i-was-a-little-rusty-i-still-have-a-lot-more/ |
Colts guard Quenton Nelson should be happy. He’s the highest-paid guard in league history, with a four-year, $80 million extension. But he has one complaint, regarding the timing of his new contract.
“I was pretty pissed it happened the day before the game,” Nelson said after the 20-20 tie in Houston, via Zak Keefer of TheAthletic.com. “I didn’t want it to go that long and I just wanted to focus on the game.”
Other than that, Nelson was pleased with the development.
“I’m really happy it got done and I’m really happy to be a part of this organization and this community for four more years,” Nelson said. “I love Indiana. I’m just so thankful to the Irsay family, Chris Ballard and coach [Frank] Reich and my teammates for helping make this happen.”
Nelson deserves every penny he’s getting. And the Colts have reason to be not as pissed as they’ve been in the eight prior season openers. They’d lost every time. Today, they emerged from Week One with a tie.
1 responses to “Quenton Nelson wasn’t happy his contract didn’t get done until the night before Week 1 game”
Pissed and 80 millions dollars should not be used in the same sentence. | 2022-09-12T01:27:56Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Quenton Nelson wasn't happy his contract didn't get done until the night before Week 1 game - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/quenton-nelson-wasnt-happy-his-contract-didnt-get-done-until-the-night-before-week-1-game/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/quenton-nelson-wasnt-happy-his-contract-didnt-get-done-until-the-night-before-week-1-game/ |
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray used one sentence at the start of his press conference to sum up his team’s performance in Sunday’s 44-21 loss to the Chiefs:
Kansas City held a 37-7 lead with 3:56 left in the third quarter after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw his fifth touchdown pass of the day. Arizona scored a pair of cosmetic touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the team was never really in it.
“I think key moments in that game, we hurt ourselves. I know we hurt ourselves, shot ourselves in the foot in a lot of those moments,” Murray said in his postgame press conference. “Credit to them, like I said. There’s no shying away from what happened. But as far as us, you look in the mirror — attention to detail. The little things, the little things, the little things, we did not execute in the moments where we needed to. And that’s what happens when you play a good team.”
Murray added he thought it was a good thing to have such a poor performance early in the season.
“You can’t feel yourself in this league. You get embarrassed. And that’s kind of what happened today,” Murray said. “Good team over there. They executed. You could tell, there was a complete difference — energy was higher. And they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot. That’s what’s going to happen when you do those things.”
Murray said he felt like the Cardinals had a good week of practice, but none of it matters if they don’t execute during the game.
“Everybody says what they want to say about the week, mentality, and all that shit — it doesn’t matter,” Murray said. “You come out there on Sunday and get your ass beat, that’s what happens. You can come into the game, you can wake up [with] the best feeling ever, and you’ll still get your ass beat on Sunday if you don’t execute. You’ve got to execute — that’s all it comes down to.”
The Cardinals will have a chance to get in the win column next Sunday against the Raiders.
6 responses to “Kyler Murray: The Chiefs kicked our ass”
Only 11 more years of Kyler Cardinals fans hahaha
Maybe watch film to prepare. Oh wait he has such great abilities he doesn’t need to.
But as far as us, you look in the mirror — attention to detail. The little things, the little things,
Right…..like the little QB
Cardinals are terrible from top to bottom.
Oh well, back to the video games. | 2022-09-12T02:18:59Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Kyler Murray: The Chiefs kicked our ass - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/kyler-murray-the-chiefs-kicked-our-ass/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/kyler-murray-the-chiefs-kicked-our-ass/ |
6 responses to “Steelers hold out hope for partially torn pec for T.J. Watt”
JJ Watt tore his pec in 2019 and made it back for the playoffs.
Hoping for the best.
He didn’t seem to be in much pain. I ruptured my pec and I had very little pain. Partial tears are more painful…
Someone call Johnny Whinebaugh to get suggestions how to lie about the severity.
We all should. They don’t make them like him anymore, and that would be a shame if we don’t get to see him anymore this year. He singlehandedly wrecked the Bengals in the first half. I think the only other time I’ve seen a defensive player do that is LT, the real LT for the kids.
I don’t think it matters for next week but could derail their season. Minkah and company will be able to get their hands on plenty of Mac’s passes next weekend and it’s not gonna take much to get through that Swiss cheese offensive line. This could change the way their season goes. He may be handsomely paid but the dude earns it. He’s a game wrecker. | 2022-09-12T02:19:05Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Steelers hold out hope for partially torn pec for T.J. Watt - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/steelers-hold-out-hope-for-partially-torn-pec-for-t-j-watt/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/steelers-hold-out-hope-for-partially-torn-pec-for-t-j-watt/ |
The Buccaneers were the better team in the first half, but their lack of success in the red zone — and Micah Parsons — has kept the game within reach for the Cowboys.
The Bucs have 219 yards to 94 for the Cowboys and have yet to punt. They reached the Dallas 25, 20, 8, 4 and 29 on their five first-half drives. They have four field goals and a missed field goal from Ryan Succop.
The Bucs lead 12-3 at halftime on Succop’s field goals of 44, 38, 29 and 47.
Parsons’ two sacks came on third-down plays in the red zone, one of which resulted in an elbow injury for left tackle Donovan Smith, and prompted Tom Brady to get in the face of his linemen.
Tampa Bay’s scoring drives have covered 54, 49, 49, 12 and 61 yards.
Brady is 11-of-16 for 160 yards, with Chris Godwin catching three passes for 35 yards in his return from an ACL tear, Julio Jones catching a 48-yard pass and Mike Evans hauling in two passes for 39 yards.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is 6-of-16 for 53 yards and an interception as Antoine Winfield Jr. picked him in the second quarter. CeeDee Lamb has only one reception for 16 yards, and Ezekiel Elliott has six carries for 32 yards.
4 responses to “Bucs lead Cowboys 12-3 at halftime”
Cee Dee isn’t a true #1 receiver. I already knew that though.
This game is a snoozer so far. Nothing but field goals,and where is the offense for Dallas? They don’t look good at all.
Cue the Jones boys insisting that trading Amari Cooper was the right thing in 3…2…1.
Dak needs weapons. He can’t elevate average receivers. | 2022-09-12T03:05:08Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Bucs lead Cowboys 12-3 at halftime - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/bucs-lead-cowboys-12-3-at-halftime/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/bucs-lead-cowboys-12-3-at-halftime/ |
Chris Godwin was questionable entering Sunday night’s game. He was on the field but limped off at the end of the first half, and the Buccaneers have ruled him out for the second half.
Godwin, who was playing his first game since tearing his ACL on Dec. 19, strained his hamstring on a 5-yard reception with 1:46 remaining in the first half. The ball appeared to hit the turf before Godwin caught it, but officials did not stop the game for a review.
Godwin made three catches for 35 yards.
The Bucs also officially have ruled out left tackle Donovan Smith with an elbow injury.
1 responses to “Chris Godwin out with a hamstring injury”
Such incredible talent, yet such incredible injury risk. Let’s hope it’s minor. | 2022-09-12T03:05:14Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Chris Godwin out with a hamstring injury - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/chris-godwin-out-with-a-hamstring-injury/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/chris-godwin-out-with-a-hamstring-injury/ |
Titans safety A.J. Moore injured his ankle in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. He will miss the rest of the season, Paul Kuharsky of paulkuharsky.com reports.
Giants punter Jamie Gillan helped Moore off the field following a special teams play, and Moore was carted to the training room and announced out shortly thereafter.
Moore, a free agent acquisition this offseason, missed time in the preseason with an undisclosed injury.
He was a core special teams player, having played between 63 and 85 percent of the Texans’ special teams snaps the past four seasons. | 2022-09-12T03:05:32Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Report: A.J. Moore out for the year with an ankle injury - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/report-a-j-moore-out-for-the-year-with-an-ankle-injury/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/11/report-a-j-moore-out-for-the-year-with-an-ankle-injury/ |
When the Giants scored a touchdown to cut the Titans’ lead to 20-19 late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, head coach Brian Daboll didn’t have to wait long to make a decision about going for two.
Daboll said at his postgame press conference that he resolved to play for the win once the Giants got the ball to start the drive and he knew he wanted the ball in running back Saquon Barkley‘s hands with the game on the line. Barkley came through with the conversion and the Giants held on for a 21-20 win when Randy Bullock‘s field goal attempt at the gun sailed wide left.
“Going for the win,” Daboll said. “We’re going to be aggressive. That’s what we want to do. That’s the mindset I want the players to have. If it didn’t work, I could live with it. I thought that was the right decision. You’re an inch away or whatever it was. I trust Saquon. I grabbed a couple of defensive players and busted their tails out there. I went up to some of the offensive guys that weren’t out there too and I said, ‘Hey,’ we got the ball, wherever it was. I said, ‘If we score, I’m going for two, you guys good with that?’ And they said, ‘F-yeah.'”
Later in the press conference, Daboll said he understood the consequences of his decision not working out but that’s “what you sign up for when you’re a leader.” The reward for his aggressiveness in his first game with a team that’s been losing for years was well worth that risk and playing to win paid off for the Giants. | 2022-09-12T11:45:01Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Brian Daboll: We're going to be aggressive, that's what we want to do - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/brian-daboll-were-going-to-be-aggressive-thats-what-we-want-to-do/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/brian-daboll-were-going-to-be-aggressive-thats-what-we-want-to-do/ |
Kyle Fuller getting MRI on knee
Kyle Fuller got the start at cornerback in his first game with the Ravens, but the Baltimore native wasn’t able to get through the entire 24-9 win over the Jets.
Fuller had to be helped off the field after hurting his knee in the final minutes of the win. Head coach John Harbaugh said the team would have a better idea about Fuller’s outlook after tests on Monday.
“We don’t know for sure, we’ll see tomorrow with the MRI,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s website. “We have some reason for hope there.”
Fuller was credited with three tackles in the game. The Ravens were playing without Marcus Peters, who was inactive as he continues to work his way back from last year’s torn ACL. | 2022-09-12T12:28:10Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Kyle Fuller getting MRI on knee - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/kyle-fuller-getting-mri-on-knee/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/kyle-fuller-getting-mri-on-knee/ |
The Colts were able to reel off 17 points in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game to tie the Texans and force overtime, but they weren’t able to pull out a win in the extra session.
They had a pretty good shot at pulling the game out, however. They got in position for Rodrigo Blankenship to try a 42-yard field goal, but he missed badly and the Colts had to settle for a 20-20 tie with their AFC South rivals.
Blankenship made his other field goal and extra point attempts, but he had two kickoffs out of bounds in the fourth quarter and overtime that handed prime field position to the Texans when the Colts couldn’t afford to allow any points. The kicker is now 16-of-23 on field goals of 40 or more yards for his career and head coach Frank Reich was asked about Blankenship’s future with the team after the game.
“In my mind, he’s our kicker,” Reich said, via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “We go back, and everybody gets evaluated. Coaches, players, we all get evaluated. If I’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s: Don’t rush into those kinds of decisions. Let Chris and I get a chance to talk about, everybody gets evaluated.”
The Colts missed the playoffs after losing to the Jaguars in the final game of the 2021 season, so they’re well aware of how thin the margin for error can be in the NFL. They’ll have to hope Sunday’s flop doesn’t wind up being part of the reason they’re out of the money again this season.
1 responses to “Frank Reich on Rodrigo Blankenship: In my mind, he’s our kicker”
drinkblatz says:
In your mind it makes sense to try a gimmick play on 4th and 2.
In your mind it makes sense not to run it with Taylor on any of the plays when you have first and goal inside the 5.
Not sure what’s going on in your mind. | 2022-09-12T13:54:27Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Frank Reich on Rodrigo Blankenship: In my mind, he's our kicker - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/frank-reich-on-rodrigo-blankenship-in-my-mind-hes-our-kicker/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/frank-reich-on-rodrigo-blankenship-in-my-mind-hes-our-kicker/ |
No updates yet on Mac Jones
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones emerged from the season-opening loss in Miami with a back injury. X-rays reportedly were negative. Beyond that, there’s not much information.
Which is usually the case when it comes to Patriots injuries.
“No update on Mac,” coach Bill Belichick told reporters on Monday. “We’ll see how he is today. But he came back with us. So we’ll see how that goes. Yeah, that’s about the news from yesterday. . . . I know everybody’s hungry for an up to the second update, but honestly the best way to handle these situations is always to give a little time, see what happens, run whatever tests or analysis need to be run and then go from there. So that’s what we always do. That’s what we’re going to do in this case. That’s what we’re going to do in every other case with every other injury. Unless something is more clear cut or obvious in a very short period of time, which sometimes it is, but that’s why we have these medical procedures and we’re going to use them. So it’ll be that way with just about everybody. I’m sure there’ll be a couple examples, maybe a broken bone, or something that shows up on an X-ray right away, that’s a little bit different. But other injuries or potential injuries are evaluated much more thoroughly on the day after when there’s just a lot more information.”
Jones, who didn’t meet with reporters after the game, is expected to talk to the media today. He likely won’t say much, if anything, about his injury.
Don’t be surprised if the mystery lingers. Don’t be surprised if he’s llsted as limited on Wednesday’s practice report, due to the back injury. It then remains to be seen regarding whether he’ll be questionable, doubtful, or out on Friday, and whether he’ll eventually travel to Pittsburgh and play in Week Two. | 2022-09-12T14:07:34Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | No updates yet on Mac Jones - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/no-updates-yet-on-mac-jones/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/no-updates-yet-on-mac-jones/ |
Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota looked like he was well on his way to winning his first start with the team on Sunday, but a 26-10 lead disappeared in the fourth quarter and the Saints wound up beating their NFC South rivals 27-26.
Saints quarterback Jameis Winston struggled to move the ball through the first three quarters, but went 13-of-16 for 213 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter to lead the comeback. That kind of performance could lead some to point fingers at the Atlanta defense, but Mariota looked to his side of the ball when discussing where the Falcons fell short.
One of the big misses came before the comeback got going. Mariota lost a fumble at the Saints’ 5-yard-line in the third quarter and the quarterback said he wishes he “would have just gone down and protected the ball” instead of trying for more yards.
Mariota did not lose any other fumbles, but a botched snap on a third-and-1 in the fourth quarter quashed any hopes of converting the first down and the Saints went ahead for good after taking possession of the ball after the ensuing punt.
2 responses to “Marcus Mariota: We had chances to put game away and didn’t do it”
Mariota is a capable QB, but he needs to do a MUCH better job of protecting himself when he runs. Unfortunately he’s never shown that during his college and NFL careers. Slide or get out of bounds!
You blew the game. The Saints didnt win it. You lost it. | 2022-09-12T15:52:08Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Marcus Mariota: We had chances to put game away and didn't do it - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/marcus-mariota-we-had-chances-to-put-game-away-and-didnt-do-it/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/marcus-mariota-we-had-chances-to-put-game-away-and-didnt-do-it/ |
After scoring 19 straight points to take a 22-14 lead with 11:45 left in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars looked like they were in a position to defeat the Commanders and start the Doug Pederson era with a win.
Even after Washington scored on Terry McLaurin’s 49-yard touchdown reception, Jacksonville was still up 22-20 when the Commanders’ two-point conversion failed.
And when Jahan Dotson caught the go-ahead 24-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, there was still 1:46 on the clock.
But Jacksonville’s late comeback hopes were dashed when quarterback Trevor Lawrence was intercepted on a deep pass to Christian Kirk with 1:19 left.
After the game, Lawrence said the mindset was to go finish the game but for a number of reasons they weren’t able to do it.
“As bad as we played in the first half, to still have an opportunity in the second half to go win the game is great to see for that third [quarter] and half of the fourth quarter how well we were playing,” Lawrence said in his press conference. “But at the end of the day, the final score is what matters, and it is not what it is halfway through the fourth quarter.
“I don’t have all the answers right now. We shot ourselves in the foot a lot. There’s a lot of things that we control, that we didn’t do a great job of controlling. We have to play smarter all the way around, every position. There is a lot of stuff we have to work on.”
When asked how the 2022 Jags’ locker room is different from the one last year after a loss, Lawrence said, “It’s always that same feeling.”
“You walk in after losing a game, you leave it all out there. Especially a tight one like that when you don’t finish, everyone’s hurting and just frustrated,” Lawrence said. “You put all that work in for this one, a couple weeks even longer because it’s the opener. And to drop it there at the end that’s really frustrating. There is that deflated feeling. But then to see guys pick each other up and really just encourage each other.
“This is just the first one. We have a whole season. I really love the guys we’ve got in that locker room talent-wise and just the people. I’m not worried at all, but we definitely have to correct some things and get better.”
The Jaguars will host the Colts in Week Two. Jacksonville hasn’t lost to Indianapolis at home since 2014.
1 responses to “Trevor Lawrence: We have to play smarter all the way around”
Lawrence just isn’t good. He went 8 straight games without a passing TD last year and his numbers without Urban have not even been better. He throws a lot of picks and doesn’t generate enough big plays to make up for it.
So many people blindly anointed him to be a “generational” prospect and the next great one after that one win against Alabama. So much for that. Davis Mills is personally far more impressive to me. | 2022-09-12T15:52:20Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Trevor Lawrence: We have to play smarter all the way around - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/trevor-lawrence-we-have-to-play-smarter-all-the-way-around/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/trevor-lawrence-we-have-to-play-smarter-all-the-way-around/ |
The Giants pulled off a comeback win in Tennessee on Sunday and they did it without much help from 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney.
Toney was healthy, but played just seven snaps over the course of the afternoon as the Giants opted to go with Richie James and Sterling Shepard alongside Kenny Golladay after rookie Wan'Dale Robinson left with a knee injury. No passes were thrown Toney’s way, but he did have a 19-yard run and turned an attempted option pass into a four-yard gain when no one was open for a throw.
After the 21-20 win, Giants head coach Brian Daboll was asked about Toney’s usage.
“We had personnel groups for all our receivers,” Daboll said in a press conference. “We’ll do that for every game. Maybe it’s more, maybe it’s less. It just depends on what we’re calling and what Mike [Kafka]’s calling and what we see. And he’s in plenty of them. Some of them, obviously we didn’t get to some of them. I thought the plays that he was in on, he did his job. Made a good decision on the one play down there at the end of the drive there, I think was — to take care of the football and get four, five, six yards, or whatever it was.”
Daboll was asked a bit later if he wants to find more ways to utilize Toney in future weeks. Daboll said the team will do “whatever we think we’ve got to do for that week,” so Toney may not be looking at a major jump in playing time in the near future.
2 responses to “Kadarius Toney only played seven snaps on Sunday”
I rather have him in on 7 plays then in his * street Clothes *
He’s still learning the playbook. He’s been out a lot during off-season and preseason. | 2022-09-12T16:23:56Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Kadarius Toney only played seven snaps on Sunday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/kadarius-toney-only-played-seven-snaps-on-sunday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/kadarius-toney-only-played-seven-snaps-on-sunday/ |
The Packers will be looking to do a lot of things differently after their Week One loss to the Vikings and that list includes the way they utilize running back Aaron Jones.
Jones ran the ball five times for 49 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards, which added up to eight touches on a day when fellow back AJ Dillon got the ball 15 times. After the 23-7 loss was in the books, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur noted Jones’ light workload as something that he’d like to change in the weeks to come.
“Any time Aaron Jones comes out of a game with eight touches, that’s not good enough,” LaFleur said, via Zach Kruse of USAToday.com.
Jones has gotten less than 10 touches three other times since LaFleur joined the Packers, including their season-opening loss to the Saints in 2021. The Packers were able to turn things around after that game and the hope in Green Bayy is that they’ll do the same after another disappointing Week One outing.
2 responses to “Matt LaFleur: Eight touches for Aaron Jones isn’t good enough”
Who’s fault is that?
The Vikings took the Packers out behind the wood shed and beat them senseless. I don’t think the issues was the # of Rushing attempts Jones had | 2022-09-12T16:24:02Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Matt LaFleur: Eight touches for Aaron Jones isn't good enough - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/matt-lafleur-eight-touches-for-aaron-jones-isnt-good-enough/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/matt-lafleur-eight-touches-for-aaron-jones-isnt-good-enough/ |
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel earned a reputation for having a quiet calm and cool before he even coached a regular-season game — starting his career against of all teams the Patriots and of all coaches Bill Belichick.
McDaniel spoke to PFT by phone after his career-launching win. He said he was relaxed in advance of the game. He explained that it was the least nervous he’d been before a game in years.
He kept his wits about him in the biggest moments of the game. Perhaps the biggest came when Miami faced fourth and seven from the New England 42, with 24 seconds to go until halftime.
“Danny Crossman, our special teams coordinator said, ‘I don’t really like kicking a field goal here,'” McDaniel said. “He was like, ’I think it’s right on the fringe of Jason [Sanders’s] range,’ and there was enough time for them to flip and score. Then it became. Could we try to draw them offside or do we go for it? There’s a couple plays that I was prepared for it, and it’s what we call a gotta-have-it situation where you kind of prepare for what you think defenses would be and whether or not you like your players executing the plan.”
Once McDaniel processed the information, he made the choice to go for it.
“Once we decided on that, it was a pretty easy decision,” McDaniel said. “I think it’s important not to get caught up, and as I’ve witnessed Kyle Shanahan do, you know, an unbelievable job. He’s at his best when he’s just cold and calculated, so I try to kind of capture that.”
McDaniel said he was confident after watching the defensive backs react to motion from Cedrick Wilson that the play would result in a first down. And then it went for a touchdown. McDaniel explained that they preach YAC, yards after catch. And Jaylen Waddle made the catch and took it to the end zone.
“I gave him a hard time about in the offseason that he couldn’t even average 10 yards a catch,” McDaniel said of Waddle. (He averaged 9.8 yards per reception as a rookie.) “He’s been really working on that. You can see on that play, he caught the ball and then his mindset was to score. . . . I was really pumped that these good players didn’t make me look stupid.”
They made him look very smart. He made himself look very smart. And he got to 1-0 by beating one of the greatest coaches of all time. | 2022-09-12T16:24:14Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | On key fourth down, Mike McDaniel gathered info, made calm and reasoned decision - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/on-key-fourth-down-mike-mcdaniel-gathered-info-made-calm-and-reasoned-decision/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/on-key-fourth-down-mike-mcdaniel-gathered-info-made-calm-and-reasoned-decision/ |
Saquon Barkley: It’s just one game, want to keep enjoying the process
Giants running back Saquon Barkley said more than once in August that he’s tired of hearing criticism of his last two seasons and is looking forward to shutting up those who have been sending it his way.
Barkley’s performance against the Titans in Sunday’s 21-20 win was the kind of outing that will help Barkley realize that goal. He ran 18 times for 164 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 30 yards before scoring the go-ahead two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter.
Blasting those who doubted him was not on Barkley’s to-do list when he took the podium for his postgame press conference, however.
“It’s just one game, to be honest,” Barkley said. “That’s how I look at it. Obviously, at the end of the day, I’m excited to get the win. Personally, just got to keep coming in. Something that just keeps tickling me that coach says, ‘Just enjoy the process.’ And that’s something I’ve been battling in the last few years with rehabbing and injuries. That’s been my mindset. No matter what, win, loss, tie, I just want to come here with the same mindset and just keep enjoying the process and come to work every single day. We had a great week of practice and no matter what the result was going to be, we can’t let that alter what happens this week. So we’ve got to keep grinding and keep leaning on each other.”
A Panthers defense that gave up 217 rushing yards to the Browns on Sunday is next up for Barkley and a repeat of what he did against Tennessee will lead a lot of people to say Barkley’s back after a couple of lost seasons. | 2022-09-12T16:24:20Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Saquon Barkley: It's just one game, want to keep enjoying the process - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/saquon-barkley-its-just-one-game-want-to-keep-enjoying-the-process/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/saquon-barkley-its-just-one-game-want-to-keep-enjoying-the-process/ |
The attorney representing the family of Ariel Young welcomed the news that former Chiefs assistant Britt Reid, the son of head coach Andy Reid, would plead guilty to DWI in connection with the incident that seriously injured Ariel, who was five at the time.
Now that more details are emerging, the family’s position has changed.
Prosecutors have agreed not to seek more than four years in prison for Reid. The maximum sentence is seven.
Via Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, an attorney representing Ariel Young’s family said that they are “outraged” by the news.
Whether that’s enough to prevent court approval of the plea deal remains to be seen. The fact that the family apparently will not approve of the agreement will not make the approval process any easier.
2 responses to “Ariel Young’s family is “outraged” by plea deal that caps Britt Reid’s sentence at four years”
At some point Britt has to man up and take his punishment. If you keep it at 4 years he’ll be out in 28 months with good behavior. Give him 6 years and make him serve at least 3 to 4. That’s fair. Meanwhile no one is asking about how Ariel is doing?
I never understand plea deals when there’s seemingly nothing in doubt when it comes to the case and prosecution.
What incentive is there for the court to shorten the sentence? He’s guilty, there’s not really any doubt how this would go. | 2022-09-12T17:38:11Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Ariel Young's family is "outraged" by plea deal that caps Britt Reid's sentence at four years - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/ariel-youngs-family-is-outraged-by-plea-deal-that-caps-britt-reids-sentence-at-four-years/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/ariel-youngs-family-is-outraged-by-plea-deal-that-caps-britt-reids-sentence-at-four-years/ |
Quarterback Matt Ryan made his Colts debut on Sunday.
The game did not go as expected.
While Indianapolis had a chance to defeat Houston, the game ended up in a 20-20 tie, putting the Colts at 0-0-1 to begin the Ryan era.
“[I]t’s the first time for a tie in the NFL, so it’s strange. It was a weird game,” Ryan said in his postgame press conference. “Obviously, a lot of mistakes in the first half, really the first three quarters. Then we got rolling in the fourth. You’re disappointed to not come out of here with a win. At the same time, we didn’t lose, and we’ve got to find a way to tighten things up.
“But the effort across the board to me is encouraging. I think if we play with that kind of intensity, clean up some of these mistakes, and just execute a little bit better, there’s a lot of things we can build on.”
Ryan finished the game 32-of-50 passing for 352 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Colts scored a field goal on their second possession and then didn’t score again until the fourth quarter.
Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed a 42-yard field goal in overtime that would have won it for Indianapolis.
“I think if we can clean things up, tighten things up a little bit, we’re going to be just fine,” Ryan said. “But we need to tighten them up. There has to be a sense of urgency to get that done. This is a good example for us of, it needs to be right. It needs to be right from the start. Coming back at the end, giving ourselves a chance, that’s great, but all of the plays matter. We’ve got to be sharp from the start.”
2 responses to “Matt Ryan: It was a weird game”
benz0r says:
He knows it’s not the first tie in an NFL game, right?
He threw for 352 yards in his first game with a whole new team against a very good defense.
He and the Colts will be fine. | 2022-09-12T17:38:30Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Matt Ryan: It was a weird game - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/matt-ryan-it-was-a-weird-game/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/matt-ryan-it-was-a-weird-game/ |
It sounds like the Packers won’t have one of their linebackers for several weeks.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, Krys Barnes is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain and a calf injury during Sunday’s season opener against the Vikings.
Barnes was carted off the field in an air cast during the fourth quarter after suffering the leg injury with 8:20 left in the game. Barnes, a reserve linebacker, was on the field for just nine defensive snaps but played 65 percent of the special teams snaps.
Barnes has been with Green Bay since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He started 13 games last season and recorded 81 total tackles, four tackles for loss, four passes defensed, and a sack.
Per Pelissero, the team’s hope is that Barnes could be back in a few weeks.
The Packers have their home opener against the Bears in Week Two. | 2022-09-12T17:38:36Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Report: Krys Barnes is believed to have suffered high ankle sprain, calf injury - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/report-krys-barnes-is-believed-to-have-suffered-high-ankle-sprain-calf-injury/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/report-krys-barnes-is-believed-to-have-suffered-high-ankle-sprain-calf-injury/ |
Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett left Sunday’s game with a knee injury and it appears he won’t be back on the field this season.
According to multiple reports, Barnett tore his ACL during the 38-35 win over the Lions.
Barnett was injured in the third quarter of Sunday’s game. He played 12 defensive snaps and two special teams snaps without recording any tackles before he went down.
Barnett hit free agency in March and returned to the Eagles on a two-year deal. He had 147 tackles, 21.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in 64 games over his first five seasons with the team.
Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham and Tarron Jackson are the other defensive ends on the Eagles depth chart. | 2022-09-12T19:29:54Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Derek Barnett tore his ACL on Sunday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/derek-barnett-tore-his-acl-on-sunday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/derek-barnett-tore-his-acl-on-sunday/ |
It sounds like the 49ers are going to be without their starting running back for a while.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Mitchell is likely going to miss at least a few weeks with the knee injury he suffered during Sunday’s loss to Chicago.
Mitchell is set to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury.
Mitchell suffered the injury during the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game. He took six carries for 41 yards before exiting the contest.
Quarterback Trey Lance ended up as San Francisco’s leading rusher with 13 carries for 54 yards. Deebo Samuel had eight carries for 52 yards with a touchdown. Jeff Wilson Jr. took nine carries for 22 yards.
The 49ers also have Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price on their 53-man roster at running back. | 2022-09-12T19:30:18Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Report: Elijah Mitchell may miss at least a few weeks with knee injury - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/report-elijah-mitchell-may-miss-at-least-a-few-weeks-with-knee-injury/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/report-elijah-mitchell-may-miss-at-least-a-few-weeks-with-knee-injury/ |
Denver’s crowd noise preparation included “a bunch of boos”
Last week, Broncos coach Nathanial Hackett said the team will turn up the fake noise as loud as they can to prepare for the Week One game at Seattle. But there are different kinds of noise. Over the weekend, Hackett got specific about the details.
“It’s loud and it’s annoying,” Hackett told reporters. “You get to hear a bunch of boos, so you get used to that. But besides that, I don’t think anything is like a real game, especially at a place like that. You can’t — unless we put earphones on everybody and just turn it up even louder, I don’t think you’re ever going to get that. We tried our best to make it as loud and uncomfortable as possible as we could for those guys.”
Hackett nevertheless looks forward to playing in a loud environment.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Hackett said. “There is a lot of unknown, and I think that’s why it is so exciting. The guys have worked so hard together, so I think it is going to show on Monday night. There are going to be ups and downs. In this game you face adversity, so I am just as excited to see how they respond to those different things that don’t go our way. When it’s going good, it’s easy. Everybody is talking and having fun and all that kind of stuff. But it’s not going to be easy. It’s a very good football team in a hostile environment. How everybody reacts to true adversity is where you get to learn about them.”
We’ll learn it in a few hours, when the Broncos and Seahawks kick off for the first Monday Night Football game of the year, with the familiar voices of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call. | 2022-09-12T20:04:40Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Denver's crowd noise preparation included "a bunch of boos" - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/denvers-crowd-noise-preparation-included-a-bunch-of-boos/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/denvers-crowd-noise-preparation-included-a-bunch-of-boos/ |
Jets fans were chanting for backup quarterback Mike White on Sunday while Joe Flacco turned in a sub-par performance in a loss to the Ravens. But Jets coach Robert Saleh doesn’t anticipate making a change.
Asked about the fans calling for White, Saleh said he expects Flacco to start on Sunday in Cleveland, although he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of a change.
“As of now, Joe’s our starting quarterback,” Saleh said. “It’s more than likely going to be Joe, but the door’s open on every position, every week.”
Saleh said he’s always open to making a move at any position if it can help the Jets win, but he doesn’t anticipate that happening at quarterback this week.
“Everything’s always under discussion and under review,” Saleh said. “We’re not done with our postgame evaluation and all that stuff. . . . But Joe’s been very, very steady throughout OTAs, training camp, last year.”
White showed promise last year, throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 win over the Bengals in the first start of his NFL career. Jets fans would like to see if White can do that again, but Saleh still believes Flacco is the best man for the job until Wilson returns. | 2022-09-12T20:04:53Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Robert Saleh on Mike White chants: As of now, Joe Flacco is still our starting quarterback - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/robert-saleh-on-mike-white-chants-as-of-now-joe-flacco-is-still-our-starting-quarterback/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/robert-saleh-on-mike-white-chants-as-of-now-joe-flacco-is-still-our-starting-quarterback/ |
Down 16 in the fourth quarter at Atlanta, the Saints threw out the game plan and let their playmakers make plays. One of their playmakers didn’t play a major part in the playmaking effort down the stretch.
Running back Alvin Kamara was dealing with a “rib issue” on Sunday, according to coach Dennis Allen. Via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com, Allen said of Kamara, “I think he’s going to be fine.”
Kamara had nine carries for 39 yards and three catches for seven yards. He had two touches in the fourth quarter — a reception for 15 yards and a catch that resulted in a 10-yard loss.
So now it’s time to watch the injury report in advance of a Week Two showdown against the Buccaneers. The Saints are 4-0 in the regular season against Tampa Bay in the Tom Brady era.
1 responses to “Dennis Allen: Alvin Kamara was dealing with a “rib issue” on Sunday”
rodgersfeeblecollarbone says:
I am still baffled how he is being allowed to play right now. If anything, he should be on the commissioner’s exempt list. | 2022-09-12T21:13:54Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Dennis Allen: Alvin Kamara was dealing with a "rib issue" on Sunday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/dennis-allen-alvin-kamara-was-dealing-with-a-rib-issue-on-sunday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/dennis-allen-alvin-kamara-was-dealing-with-a-rib-issue-on-sunday/ |
Keenan Allen, J.C. Jackson wouldn’t have practiced Monday
The Chargers have a quick turnaround to Thursday’s game against the Chiefs and they issued their first injury report of the week on Monday.
It’s an estimated report because the team didn’t actually hold a practice session a day after kicking off the season with a win over the Raiders. It shows that neither wide receiver Keenan Allen nor cornerback J.C. Jackson would have practiced.
Allen hurt his hamstring against Las Vegas and said after the game that there was a “small” possibility that he’ll be able to go this week. Jackson is recovering from ankle surgery and did not play in the opener.
Tight end Donald Parham (hamstring) would have sat out practice as well. Tackle Rashawn Slater (back) and linebacker Drue Tranquill (back) would have been full participants. | 2022-09-12T21:13:57Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Keenan Allen, J.C. Jackson wouldn't have practiced Monday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/keenan-allen-j-c-jackson-wouldnt-have-practiced-monday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/keenan-allen-j-c-jackson-wouldnt-have-practiced-monday/ |
49ers running back Elijah Mitchell underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of his knee injury.
Mitchell has a sprained medial collateral ligament that will sideline him about two months, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Mitchell injured his knee in the second quarter after 17 snaps. He had six carries for 41 yards, and quarterback Trey Lance ended up leading the team in rushing with 13 carries for 54 yards.
The 49ers also have Jeff Wilson Jr., Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price on their 53-player roster at running back. | 2022-09-12T21:14:00Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Report: Elijah Mitchell's sprained MCL is expected to keep him out about two months - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/report-elijah-mitchells-sprained-mcl-is-expected-to-keep-him-out-about-two-months/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/report-elijah-mitchells-sprained-mcl-is-expected-to-keep-him-out-about-two-months/ |
The Seahawks elevated long snapper Carson Tinker from the practice squad for tonight’s game, the team announced. He will take over for regular long snapper Tyler Ott, who was ruled out for Monday Night Football with a shoulder injury.
Tinker, who signed with Seattle’s practice squad earlier this week, entered the league in 2013 as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in all 16 games for each of his first four seasons with Jacksonville before missing the 2017 season with a knee injury.
The Seahawks also promoted linebacker Tanner Muse from the practice squad. Muse will provide extra inside linebacker depth, and he is expected to contribute on special teams. In the six games he played for the Seahawks last season, Muse was on the field for 65 percent of Seattle’s special teams snaps.
Seattle placed outside linebacker Alton Robinson on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games. Robinson injured his knee in Seattle’s preseason finale, and the team already ruled him out for tonight’s game.
Robinson could require surgery. | 2022-09-12T21:14:06Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Seahawks place Alton Robinson on IR, elevate Carson Tinker, Tanner Muse - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/seahawks-place-alton-robinson-on-ir-elevate-carson-tinker-tanner-muse/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/seahawks-place-alton-robinson-on-ir-elevate-carson-tinker-tanner-muse/ |
The numbers for the first Sunday night game of the season are in. And the results are a bit of a mixed bag.
On one hand, the 18.59 million figure (as posted at TVSeriesFinale.com) exceeds the viewership from last year’s Bears-Rams contest on the first Sunday night of the season. That game had 17.6 million viewers, 18.4 million across all platforms.
The “all platforms” figure will likely boost the total Bucs-Cowboys viewership past 19 million and toward 20 million. A better game would have helped, too.
Again, great matchups get people to tune in. Great games get them to stay. Last year’s Cowboys-Bucs game to kick off the season had an audience of roughly 26 million because it was a great matchup that became a great game. Last night’s game — pitting the top two scoring teams from the prior season against each other in Week One for the first time ever — was boring. The Cowboys scored an opening-drive field goal and then nothing thereafter. The Bucs scored four field goals and a touchdown.
It’s also possible that there’s a little audience fatigue when it comes to Tom Brady. We’ll find out in 20 days, when the Chiefs and Buccaneers play on Sunday night in Tampa. Then again, even if there’s Brady fatigue, there shouldn’t be Patrick Mahomes fatigue.
UPDATE 5:04 p.m. ET: The all-platforms number (including NBC, Peacock, and NFL Digital Properties) apparently exceeded 25 million. If the TVSeriesFinale.com numbers are right, and if the all-platform numbers are right, it means a lot of people viewed the game via Peacock or NFL Digital Properties.
3 responses to “Buccaneers-Cowboys reportedly generates TV audience of 18.59 million”
Of the 25 million, 20 million tuned in to see the Cowboys lose.
Personally it was so boring I had to turn it off.
another national embarrassment for the cowboys! | 2022-09-12T21:48:20Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Buccaneers-Cowboys reportedly generates TV audience of 18.59 million - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/buccaneers-cowboys-reportedly-generates-audience-of-18-59-million/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/buccaneers-cowboys-reportedly-generates-audience-of-18-59-million/ |
Dak Prescott undergoing surgery this afternoon
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was scheduled for surgery Monday afternoon, and he will miss multiple weeks while he recovers.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy wasn’t prepared to confirm a report of a 6-8-week timeline for Prescott’s return. He said, as Prescott did Sunday night, that the team’s medical staff will have a better idea once they operate.
But McCarthy has seen this movie previously.
“Definitely, it starts with the grip,” McCarthy said Monday, via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “In 1999, Brett Favre actually had three separate injuries to his hand, and I think later he had a pin in his thumb. So they’re all different and obviously with a hand and exactly where it is and obviously we’ll know once the surgery is completed and so forth. Yeah, so I don’t have a timeline. But you’re talking about his throwing hand, so. . . .”
The Cowboys didn’t play well before Prescott hit his throwing hand on the hand of Shaq Barrett on his follow through in the fourth quarter. His 47.2 passer rating was the third worst of his career as he completed 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and an interception.
The Cowboys gained only 244 yards and scored only three points, which came on their first drive.
For the foreseeable future, the Cowboys will have Cooper Rush as their starter. Rush has played 11 games with one start, a win over the Vikings in 2021 when Prescott was out with a calf injury.
“I think like anything, injuries are part of it,” McCarthy said. “Dak is our quarterback. He’s a leader. He’s our franchise quarterback. But you know, it’s Week 1. Just speaking with him last night, he’ll still be a part of it every day. It’s part of the challenge.”
1 responses to “Dak Prescott undergoing surgery this afternoon”
Dakota – paid like a pro who wins playoff games. Plays like a wounded duck with excuses to rival Nixon. If the Cowboys were competently managed, they would be planning to replace Dakota. This is not the first time Dallas has had a taste of the fragile nature of Dakota. There shouldn’t even be this time. | 2022-09-12T21:48:26Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Dak Prescott undergoing surgery this afternoon - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/dak-prescott-undergoing-surgery-this-afternoon/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/dak-prescott-undergoing-surgery-this-afternoon/ |
Mac Jones: They did all the tests and everything was fine
It sounds like Mac Jones is going to be OK.
After he was evaluated for a possible back injury following Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins, the Patriots’ second-year quarterback said he’s on track to practice on Wednesday and go through his normal routine.
“I think I’ll be fine,” Jones said in a Monday afternoon video conference. “Like I said, the trainers looked at it. I haven’t had any issues with it before and don’t expect any issues now. So, everything’s good.”
Jones said he thought the injury may have occurred in the fourth quarter when Miami was flagged for roughing the passer. But the Patriots were also flagged for a chop block, which led to offsetting penalties.
That happened with 13:05 left in the contest and Jones did not miss an offensive snap.
“I just kept playing and tried to work through it,” Jones said. “It’s football — you’re going to get hit. I’ve been hit harder before and will probably get hit harder in the future. So, it’s part of the game and it’s all good.”
Jones noted that he, “Wasn’t feeling too hot after the game, but definitely feel a lot better.”
He’ll likely be on New England’s injury report this week but at this point, it sounds like he intends to be on the field when the Patriots take on the Steelers for Week Two. | 2022-09-12T21:48:32Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Mac Jones: They did all the tests and everything was fine - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/mac-jones-they-did-all-the-tests-and-everything-was-fine/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/mac-jones-they-did-all-the-tests-and-everything-was-fine/ |
Those looking for signs of progress from the Jets on Sunday could point to an improved performance from a defense that was ranked 32nd last year, but it’s hard to get too excited about anything else from their 24-9 loss to the Ravens.
The Jets didn’t score a touchdown until the final minute of the game and their offense picked up 195 of their 378 yards from scrimmage once they were already down three scores in the second half. They turned the ball over twice, Greg Zuerlein missed a pair of kicks to spread the troubles to the special teams units as well and reactions from those watching weren’t all that kind to the Jets.
Head coach Robert Saleh addressed some of those reactions at his Monday press conference, particularly ones from those who believe that Saleh’s bid to turn the team’s fortunes are already doomed.
“It’s going to happen,” Saleh said, via Andy Vasquez of NJ.com. “And we’re all taking receipts on all the people who continually mock and say that we ain’t going to do anything. I’m taking receipts and I’m gonna be more than happy to share them with all y’all.”
During an appearance on The Michael Kay Show later in the day, Saleh reiterated that he’s taking receipts and that he can’t wait “to shove it down everyone’s throat when it comes around.”
Sunday’s loss dropped Saleh to 4-14 as the Jets coach and ran their record to 63-115 since they last made the playoffs in 2010, so there’s been plenty of waiting for the Jets to do more than talk about things coming around. People will continue to use the Jets as a punchline unless and until that changes, which makes Saleh’s charge an easy one to figure out and a difficult one to achieve.
2 responses to “Robert Saleh “taking receipts” on people who continually mock Jets”
hawksfan4life1001 says:
I feel like the stress is getting to him.
raiders247 says:
Sounds like the Norv Turner of Defense. Better coordinator than HC | 2022-09-12T21:48:44Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Robert Saleh "taking receipts" on people who continually mock Jets - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/robert-saleh-cant-wait-to-shove-it-down-everyones-throat-when-it-comes-around/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/robert-saleh-cant-wait-to-shove-it-down-everyones-throat-when-it-comes-around/ |
Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin returned to the lineup on Sunday night after tearing his ACL late last season, but he was back with the medical staff before the end of the first half in Dallas.
Godwin injured his hamstring and did not return in the second half of the 19-3 win. A report on Monday indicated that Godwin will miss multiple weeks as a result of the injury.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles didn’t lay out a timeline for his return during a press conference, but he did say that Godwin’s injury appears to be less significant than the team initially feared.
“I don’t think [Godwin’s injury] is as serious as we thought it was,” Bowles said, via Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times. “But it all depends on how his treatment goes and how he heals. Hopefully we’ll have him back sooner than later.”
Godwin had three catches for 35 yards before exiting the game. The Bucs visit the Saints in Week Two and host the Packers in Week Three. | 2022-09-12T21:48:50Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Todd Bowles: Chris Godwin's injury not as serious as we thought - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/todd-bowles-chris-godwins-injury-not-as-serious-as-we-thought/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/todd-bowles-chris-godwins-injury-not-as-serious-as-we-thought/ |
The Buccaneers won easily on Sunday night. But there was nothing easy about it for quarterback Tom Brady, who played his first regular-season game at the halfway point to 90.
He got banged around a little bit. And he was feeling it on Monday.
“There’s no margin for error when you’re 45,” Brady said on his Let’s Go! podcast, via JoeBucsFan.com. “You know, you take hits and you feel every hit. When you’re younger, your body’s a lot different. And when you’re 45, your body changes a lot. So what am I dealing with today? I woke up today going, ‘Holy shit, there was a few hits.’”
Brady felt it. And he saw it.
A coach told me several years ago that Brady’s arm won’t diminish, for years. The issue will be avoiding taking big hits as he ages. Eventually, the hits will become injuries that linger. Eventually, the man who said to himself today, “Holy shit, there was a few hits” will be saying, “I’m getting too old for this shit.”
The simple truth is that he is too old for this shit. And it’s amazing that he keeps going. We assume it will end in neat and tidy fashion, with Brady walking off into the sunset. It could conclude in dirtier and uglier fashion than that.
We’ll see. In six days, he’ll try to solve a New Orleans defense that has stymied him in four of four regular-season games since he joined the Buccaneers. | 2022-09-12T23:28:37Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Tom Brady was feeling sore on Monday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/tom-brady-was-feeling-sore-on-monday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/tom-brady-was-feeling-sore-on-monday/ |
Russell Wilson threw 292 touchdown passes in 10 seasons with the Seahawks. He has his first with the Broncos.
Wilson threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy, who got a step on Coby Bryant and then avoided the tackle to get to the end zone. It was Jeudy’s first touchdown reception since Jan. 3, 2021.
Jeudy didn’t score in the 10 games he played last season.
Wilson’s touchdown pass was the first time he targeted a receiver tonight. He is 7-of-10 for 153 yards and a touchdown.
The game is tied 10-10 with 5:34 remaining in the first half.
2 responses to “Russell Wilson throws first TD pass as a Bronco, a 67-yarder to Jerry Jeudy”
Now will all the football gurus who have emphatically stated that Geno Smith can’t play please sit down and shut up? You know who you are. Both QBs are putting on a show tonight.
What we know after a half of football? Russell Wilson isn’t gonna be Peyton Manning for this Broncos squad. Half the talent for twice the money. | 2022-09-13T02:08:27Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Russell Wilson throws first TD pass as a Bronco, a 67-yarder to Jerry Jeudy - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/russell-wilson-throws-first-td-pass-as-a-bronco-a-67-yarder-to-jerry-jeudy/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/12/russell-wilson-throws-first-td-pass-as-a-bronco-a-67-yarder-to-jerry-jeudy/ |
Matt Rhule fell to 10-24 as the Panthers head coach with Sunday’s 26-24 loss to the Browns, but he tried to focus on the positives during his Monday press conference.
Rhule said he and the rest of the team is “disappointed, but we’re not discouraged” by the result, which came after the Panthers came back from 13 points down to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter of the game. Rhule tried to focus on the way the team bounced back from a bad start and figuring out how the Panthers could get that kind of effort on a more consistent basis.
The Panthers have a road game with the Giants in Week Two and a more cohesive performance would be a good way to keep others from becoming discouraged about the direction Rhule is moving the team in his third season. | 2022-09-13T11:44:17Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Matt Rhule disappointed, not discouraged by opening loss - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/matt-rhule-disappointed-not-discouraged-by-opening-loss/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/matt-rhule-disappointed-not-discouraged-by-opening-loss/ |
Publicly, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson supports the decision of coach Nathaniel Hackett to attempt a 64-yard field goal in lieu of giving Wilson a chance to convert fourth and five, in order to make the kick a little (or a lot) easier to make. Privately, Wilson may feel differently.
But Wilson’s private thoughts are never going to emerge in a situation like this. That’s true for most quarterbacks, especially whether they are in the first game of their first year with a hand-picked new team.
So realizing that he may actually feel very differently internally, here are the relevant things he communicated externally after the 17-16 loss to the Seahawks.
“We said, ‘Where can you make it from tonight?’ and he said 46, left hash. I think we were on the 46. That was before the drive. We got it there; unfortunately didnn’t go in. I think he has the leg for it for sure. Just went a little left I believe and just — I believe in Coach Hackett. I believe in what we’re doing. Believe in everything, and any time you can try to find a way to make a play on fourth and five, that’s great too. Also, I don’t think it was the wrong decision. I think he can make it. Obviously hindsight he didn’t make it, but we were in that situation again I wouldn’t doubt whatever he decided.”
But how confident was McManus that he could make it? McManus confirmed to reporters that he told the team he could make a field goal from the “46, left hash, and they got me exactly there.”
McManus also told reporters he pegged his chances of a kick from the “46, left hash” at 65 or 70 percent. Per Stathead.com, however, he had a 12.5-percent career success rate at field-goal tries of 60 yards or longer, going one of eight before last night.
Plenty of stock is placed in a kicker’s distance and accuracy during warmups. Obviously, however, that’s a different situation. During the game, there’s a snap, a hold, a rush. The kicker has limited time to adjust to the exact placement of the ball. And regardless of whatever McManus did in warmups last night, he previously was 12.5 percent at 60 yards or longer.
Which is impressive. But why would he think he had a 65-70 percent chance of making a kick that would have been the second longest kick in league history? And if Hackett had regarded the chances of making that kick at 12.5 percent, would he (or whoever whispers the sweet nothings of analytics in his ear) have decided to, you know, let Russ cook? | 2022-09-13T11:44:29Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Russell Wilson: I don't think it was the wrong decision - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/russell-wilson-i-dont-think-it-was-the-wrong-decision/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/russell-wilson-i-dont-think-it-was-the-wrong-decision/ |
The Giants won their season opener for the first time since the 2016 season, but head coach Brian Daboll doesn’t want his team dwelling on the excitement of the 21-20 victory over the Titans.
Daboll got a lot of adulation for his decision to go for two and take the lead late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. There would have been a lot less less cheering if Randy Bullock had made a 47-yard field goal to beat the Giants at the final whistle and that would have left Daboll and the Giants wanting to move on to Week Two as soon as possible.
After hosting the Panthers, the Giants will remain at home to face a Cowboys team that’s likely to be without Dak Prescott and the Bears. That should lead to thoughts of a winning streak around the Giants and pulling it off will make it a lot easier to talk about how Daboll is righting the ship in his first year as the head coach.
1 responses to “Brian Daboll wants Giants “turning the page as quick as we can” to facing Panthers”
Thanks Coach. You played to win the game. I wouldn’t mind losing if you keep showing cojones. Let’s ride the wave and hopefully do a little better than 4 wins this year. | 2022-09-13T14:50:17Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Brian Daboll wants Giants "turning the page as quick as we can" to facing Panthers - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/brian-daboll-wants-giants-turning-the-page-as-quick-as-we-can-to-facing-panthers/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/brian-daboll-wants-giants-turning-the-page-as-quick-as-we-can-to-facing-panthers/ |
The Browns started the season 1-0 for the first time since 2004 when they defeated the Panthers with Cade York‘s 58-yard field goal.
But they got in position to do it after quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed passes to receivers Donovan Peoples-Jones and Amari Cooper to put Cleveland at the 40-yard line.
On Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski praised Brissett for how he got the Browns in a position to win.
“I really do believe he can continue to get better,” Stefanski said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I think he’ll continue to get better. Having said that, I know there were some misses, but the throw to Donovan the second-to-last completion there — I know we completed it to Amari to get to the 40 — to Donovan with a player bearing down on him who was unblocked, standing in the pocket making that throw, that is big time football right there. He can be better, but really, really proud of how he finished that game.”
Brissett finished the contest 18-of-34 passing for 147 yards with one touchdown. He managed the game well, with Cleveland rushing 217 yards on 39 carries, averaging 5.6 yards a pop. | 2022-09-13T14:50:36Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Kevin Stefanski: I think Jacoby Brissett will continue to get better - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/kevin-stefanski-i-think-jacoby-brissett-will-continue-to-get-better/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/kevin-stefanski-i-think-jacoby-brissett-will-continue-to-get-better/ |
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s head-scratching decisions at the very end of Monday night’s game has dominated the reaction to Seattle’s 17-16 home win, but the focus would have been on other things had the Broncos lost by more conventional means.
The team had three drives that featured goal-to-go situations, but came out of them with just three points. Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams both lost fumbles from the 1-yard-line, which was the first time a team had that happen twice in the same game since 1987, and they had a pair of false starts in the red zone. They also had multiple delay of game penalties as part of 12 overall flags that went against them over the course of the game.
Center Lloyd Cushenberry concentrated on those failings rather than the final seconds when he reflected on the loss.
“That’s the game,” Cushenberry said, via the team’s website. “You see the stats; we killed them in everything except turnovers and penalties. So when we get down to the 1-yard line, we’ve got to finish. That’s the main thing. Running it in, throwing it in — whatever. Just got to get seven. That was the game. That’s why we lost. We didn’t score when we got down to the goal line.”
Cushenberry said the team also made a late change to the play call before Williams’ fumble, but the crowd noise kept all five linemen from being aware of the switch. All in all, it adds up to a lot for the Broncos to clean up before they host the Broncos in Week Two. | 2022-09-13T14:50:42Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Lloyd Cushenberry: Turnovers, penalties why we lost - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/lloyd-cushenberry-turnovers-penalties-why-we-lost/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/lloyd-cushenberry-turnovers-penalties-why-we-lost/ |
On Monday night, former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson heard it from current Seahawks fans, who booed him early and often when he returned as the quarterback of the Broncos.
After the game, Wilson was asked whether the noises absorbed by his ears got under his skin.
“No, it didn’t bother me,” Wilson said. “This is a hostile environment. It always has been. I didn’t expect them to give a round of applause every once in a while, you know. So I think that — like I would say, I gave everything I had, every day here. Every day. Anybody that says anything else, they’re completely wrong. I gave everything I had, every day. So I know that for a fact. Like I said, I have some amazing teammates on the other side of that field that I love to death and gave everything I had to them; they gave everything they had to me. God brought me somewhere else. I’m here in Denver. I’m excited where we’re going. So I’m just grateful. I give the glory to God because he’s given me the gift of playing this game.”
Wilson exits Seattle possibly for the last time (the Broncos won’t definitely play there again until 2030, but could return sooner) with fond memories, even if he didn’t get a win.
The real question is whether the way the game he lost will leave a mark. In Super Bowl XLIX, a fateful late-game decision lingered for a long time, but in that case Wilson kept the ball in his hands. This time, the head coach opted to kick a 64-yard field goal in lieu of trusting Wilson to gain five yards, with three time outs and plenty more than long enough to get the ball close enough for something with a higher percentage of success than (based on the kicker’s history of 60-plus-yard field goals) 12.5.
6 responses to “Russell Wilson wasn’t bothered by the boos”
Yes he was. He subscribes to the Brady petty school.
He’ll talk about it next time he comes to town. Just watch.
“Glory to God!”
Yes! That’ll do it!
He made tens of millions of dollars playing in Seattle. He will make over 150 million playing in Denver. He will hang them up with over 200 million dollars in the bank. Don’t think he’ll care too much about the boo birds.
Wrong decision to kick. You don’t bring a QB in, drop all that money on them, to take the ball out of their hands with 5yds to gain, all TOS, etc….
THATs what he’s there for
4ninerbully says:
What a classless set of fans in Seattle. Booing Wilson was disgusting and you all deserve all of the losing seasons that’s to come.
vagabond1979 says:
Well, the booing hurt my feelings. Does that count for anything? | 2022-09-13T14:51:06Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Russell Wilson wasn't bothered by the boos - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/russell-wilson-wasnt-bothered-by-the-boos/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/russell-wilson-wasnt-bothered-by-the-boos/ |
The Steelers are looking at adding some depth at linebacker.
With star edge rusher T.J. Watt set to go on injured reserve, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports Pittsburgh is working out linebacker Ryan Anderson.
Anderson was last with the Giants in training camp last year. But he was suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs in late August. New York released Anderson and he did not sign with another team last season.
A second-round pick in 2017, Anderson spent his first four years with Washington. He appeared in 52 games with four starts for the club, recording 6.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 15 QB hits.
The Steelers are reportedly optimistic that Watt will not need surgery for his torn pectoral and may be able to return in as little as six weeks. | 2022-09-13T15:46:01Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Steelers to work out Ryan Anderson - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/steelers-to-work-out-ryan-anderson/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/steelers-to-work-out-ryan-anderson/ |
Seahawks rooking running back Ken Walker III wasn’t ready to play last night, after having some sort of abdominal surgery last month. Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that Walker will be ready to go on Sunday, at San Francisco.
Carroll said in an appearance on 710 ESPN in Seattle that Walker “is going to be out there this week.”
The Seahawks had 76 rushing yards on Monday night, with Rashaad Penny gained 60 of them on 12 attempts.
Seattle made Walker a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, after rushing for 1,636 yards last year at Michigan State. His presence could give the offense a lift, as they prepare to face their arch-rivals from the NFC West. | 2022-09-13T17:39:24Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Pete Carroll: Ken Walker III will play this week - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/pete-carroll-ken-walker-iii-will-play-this-week/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/pete-carroll-ken-walker-iii-will-play-this-week/ |
While Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t definitive about much concerning linebacker T.J. Watt‘s next steps after tearing his pec during a Tuesday press conference, he did confirm that Watt will not be playing against the Patriots this weekend.
Tomlin also said that the team would need to bring in some help this week in order to make up for Watt’s absence and it appears they’ve settled on the guy to provide it. Former Washington edge rusher Ryan Anderson visited on Tuesday and, according to multiple reports, the Steelers will sign Ryan Anderson to their practice squad.
Anderson was a second-round pick in 2017 and spent four years in Washington before signing with the Giants last year. He was suspended six games for a PED violation just before the start of the regular season and the Giants released him a couple of days later.
Anderson has 86 tackles, six sacks, five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 52 career games. | 2022-09-13T17:39:36Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Steelers to sign Ryan Anderson to practice squad - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/steelers-to-sign-ryan-anderson-to-practice-squad/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/steelers-to-sign-ryan-anderson-to-practice-squad/ |
Week Two will bring the first matchup of the season between the Chiefs and Chargers, who split their two games last year.
Los Angeles won at Arrowhead Stadium in September and the Chiefs won at SoFi Stadium in December.
Quarterback Justin Herbert made a surprise debut against Kansas City as a rookie and now Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has planned to go against him four times. In his Monday press conference, Spagnuolo said he considers Herbert to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
“He just gets better and better,” Spagnuolo said. “And it’s a different quarterback challenge [than Arizona’s Kyler Murray], right? It’s not the smaller, quick — now this guy can be elusive, but he’s got the whole package in my opinion. From the chin to the hairline, he’s really smart — that’s why they do a lot of things with him. He’s big and can throw over people. He rarely takes a hit because he gets rid of the ball. He gets them in and out of bad plays and into good plays.
“So, what you’re doing on the backend as far as disguises is really important. And I think with the weapons he has — and I know there’s a possibility he might be down with one of his weapons — but I think he utilizes them all really well, he spreads them all over the field and that’s what makes it a challenge to defend these guys.”
Chargers receiver Keenan Allen said after Sunday’s game that there’s a “small” possibility he’ll play against the Chiefs, given the hamstring injury that sidelined him during the Week One win over the Raiders. But no matter who is out there for Los Angeles, Herbert has displayed an ability to be one of the toughest quarterbacks to defend.
That should make for a fun matchup to being Amazon Prime’s Thursday night slate. | 2022-09-13T17:39:42Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Steve Spagnuolo: Justin Herbert just gets better and better - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/steve-spagnuolo-justin-herbert-just-gets-better-and-better/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/steve-spagnuolo-justin-herbert-just-gets-better-and-better/ |
When he made his Saints’ debut on Sunday, Justin Evans hadn’t played a game since Dec. 2. During those 1,378 days between NFL appearances, the safety surely had doubts about whether he would ever get another chance.
Saints coach Dennis Allen, who, like Evans, was a defensive back at Texas A&M, gave Evans a second chance after injuries derailed Evans’ first chance.
Evans won a roster spot and then won a starting job, opening as the nickel defender and playing 51 snaps.
“That’s God, bro. That’s the only answer,” Evans said, via Luke Johnson of The Times-Picayune. “That’s it. That’s all it is. Four years? You ever heard of somebody doing that? Four years. I’m blessed to be back, and I’m with a great organization. I’m loving it, man.”
It doesn’t happen often.
Steve DeBerg returned from four years of retirement to back up Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler in 1998; running back Marcus Dupree played the Rams in 1990 after not playing professionally in five years; Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was retired for three seasons before returning to the play for the Ravens for two seasons; and Michael Vick and Josh Gordon both served two-year NFL suspensions before returning to action.
Evans entered the league as a second-round choice of the Buccaneers in 2017 and appeared in 24 games with Tampa Bay. He made four interceptions and 93 tackles.
A foot injury prematurely ended his 2018 season, and Evans tore his Achilles before the 2019 season. The Bucs waived Evans on Dec. 22, 2020, after he failed to get on the field for three seasons.
He was completely out of the league in 2021.
That’s why Evans said he became emotional as he ran onto the field.
“I was just like, ‘Damn, it’s real; it’s not a dream,’” Evans said.
Evans made two tackles and a pass breakup. | 2022-09-13T20:07:14Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Justin Evans starts for Saints in his first game action since 2018 - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/justin-evans-starts-for-saints-in-his-first-game-action-since-2018/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/justin-evans-starts-for-saints-in-his-first-game-action-since-2018/ |
NBA gives NFL a lesson in transparency regarding workplace misconduct allegations
For more than a year, the NFL has successfully concealed any specific information developed by attorney Beth Wilkinson during her 11-month investigation of the Washington Commanders and owner Daniel Snyder. Today, the NBA made public its findings regarding an investigation of the Phoenix Suns and owner Robert Sarver.
The investigation included information gathered from interviews with 320 persons, including current and former employees of the Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA team that Sarver also owns. And, unlike the NFL’s probe of the Commanders and Snyder, the NBA’s investigation of the Suns and Sarver included some specifics.
The NBA’s investigation found that Sarver “engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards, as reflected in team and League rules and policies,” and that “[t]his conduct included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.” Specifically, “on at least five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, [Sarver] repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others,” he “engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including by yelling and cursing at them.”
The investigation also found instances of workplace misconduct attributable to employees other than Sarver, including “instances of racial insensitivity, mistreatment of female employees, inappropriate commentary related to sex or sexual orientation, and disrespectful communications.” Moreover, the investigation concluded that the H.R. function at the Suns was “historically ineffective and not a trusted resource for employees who were subjected to acts of improper workplace conduct.”
Sarver has been suspended for one year. And it’s a real suspension. He can’t come around, in any capacity. He also can’t be involved in the business or basketball operations of the Suns or the Mercury. The NBA personally fined Sarver $10 million.
In Snyder’s case, the team was fined $10 million. He was not suspended; he supposedly agreed to step aside from the day-to-day management of the team. He has not yet been reinstalled. Earlier this year, the Washington Times reported that Snyder has resumed his prior duties.
The NBA revealed the information about Sarver without disclosing the identity of any witnesses. In contrast, the NFL has justified total secrecy as to Snyder’s misconduct by claiming that any disclosure would violate whatever promise the league made, or claims it made, to keep everything about the investigation secret. As the NBA has shown, specific information about the owner’s misconduct can be disclosed without naming names of those who cooperated.
When the NFL announced the outcome of the Commanders workplace review, the statement contained no information regarding specific actions in which Snyder engaged.
It’s still not clear why the NFL disclosed no information about Snyder’s specific actions, or why a written report from Wilkinson was not requested. It has been reported and confirmed that Wilkinson would have recommended that Snyder be compelled to sell the team, if she had reduced her recommendations to writing.
If the facts on which that opinion were based came to light, public pressure on the league to force Snyder to sell the team would become immense. And the league would potentially have to do what it apparently doesn’t want to do — fight Snyder to sell, given that he’d possibly engage in scorched-earth litigation. He’s also possibly find a way to share with the media anything he potentially knows about alleged misconduct of other owners (we’re not saying any such information exists), who could then find themselves in a mess of their own. | 2022-09-13T20:07:33Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | NBA gives NFL a lesson in transparency regarding workplace misconduct allegations - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/nba-gives-nfl-a-lesson-in-transparency-regarding-workplace-misconduct-allegations/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/nba-gives-nfl-a-lesson-in-transparency-regarding-workplace-misconduct-allegations/ |
The Packers announced a couple of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon.
Linebacker Krys Barnes has been placed on injured reserve. Tackle Caleb Jones has been signed to the active roster from the practice squad.
Barnes suffered ankle and calf injuries in the Packers’ season-opening loss to the Vikings and will miss at least four games as a result of the move to injured reserve.
Last Sunday’s game was the 30th Barnes has played for the Packers. He has 161 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries since joining the team.
Jones signed with the Packers after going undrafted this year. He was waived during final cuts and re-signed with the Packers after clearing waivers.
2 responses to “Packers put Krys Barnes on IR, sign Caleb Jones to active roster”
I like the kid,… big kid at that. I watched him real close in the preseason. He needs work but he didn’t allow many defenders to get past him. His footwork is a little slow but he’s a huge man and strong as a bull. Extremely Long arms to keep bull rushers off of him.
He’ll get nothing but better with coaching and practice.
They need all they can get out of that front-7 | 2022-09-13T21:02:42Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Packers put Krys Barnes on IR, sign Caleb Jones to active roster - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/packers-put-krys-barnes-on-ir-sign-caleb-jones-to-active-roster/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/packers-put-krys-barnes-on-ir-sign-caleb-jones-to-active-roster/ |
Panthers place Andre Roberts on injured reserve
The Panthers will need to find a new kick returner.
The team announced that wide receiver Andre Roberts has been placed on injured reserve. A knee injury is the reason for Roberts’ trip to the list and he will have to miss at least four games before he’ll become eligible to return.
Roberts returned two kickoffs for 35 yards and one punt for 10 yards during the season-opening loss to the Browns. He did not play on any offensive snaps.
The three time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro signed with the Panthers this offseason. | 2022-09-13T21:02:49Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Panthers place Andre Roberts on injured reserve - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/panthers-place-andre-roberts-on-injured-reserve/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/panthers-place-andre-roberts-on-injured-reserve/ |
The Bills’ offense is doing things that have never been seen before in the NFL.
The Bills didn’t punt in their win over the Rams in the season opener on Thursday, meaning they have now not punted in three of their last four regular-season games. Going back to 1939, which is as far back as accurate punting records exist, no team has ever gone without punting in three out of four games. (It almost certainly never happened before 1939, either, as punts were much more common in the early days of football.)
Buffalo also never punted in its playoff win over New England, and the streak becomes no punts in four of the Bills’ last six games if the playoffs are included.
Since last December, there are only six NFL games in which a team didn’t punt, and the Bills have four of those six games.
Buffalo’s offense ended last season playing at a level few NFL teams have ever reached, and to start this season the Bills picked up right where they left off.
6 responses to “Bills have not punted in three of their last four games, unprecedented in NFL history”
Titans are getting smoked on mnf
The punter’s doing the Times crossword. Might as well – he’s got nothing else to do!
The shouldn’t have signed a punter. That would have added a fun new element for teams to game plan on. Make everyone defend four downs.
They might as well save the roster space. In a rare occasion where they have to punt let Josh pooch it.
So there. Settled.
The turnovers have something to do with it…that said bills look good!
Do they go for it on 4th down often? | 2022-09-13T22:29:46Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Bills have not punted in three of their last four games, unprecedented in NFL history - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/bills-have-not-punted-in-three-of-their-last-four-games-unprecedented-in-nfl-history/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/bills-have-not-punted-in-three-of-their-last-four-games-unprecedented-in-nfl-history/ |
The Colts officially waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on Tuesday afternoon and they moved quickly to fill his spot on the 53-man roster.
They did not fill it with another kicker, however. The team has signed cornerback Tony Brown off of their practice squad.
Brown played 23 snaps for the Colts in their 20-20 tie with the Texans as a practice squad elevation. Before that game, Brown last saw regular season time with the Bengals in 2020. He appeared in 13 games that season and 20 games for the Packers in his first two professional seasons.
Brown has 58 tackles and two forced fumbles over the course of his career.
The Colts also confirmed that they have signed kickers Caleb McLaughlin and Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad. One will likely be promoted ahead of Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. | 2022-09-13T22:29:59Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Colts sign Tony Brown to 53-man roster - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/colts-sign-tony-brown-to-53-man-roster/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/colts-sign-tony-brown-to-53-man-roster/ |
13 responses to “New texts show former Mississippi governor helped funnel welfare funds to Brett Favre for USM volleyball stadium”
Screw them both. Throw both of them in jail.
Should have smashed his phone.
Worked for the other guy.
If I ever get busted for something and I am facing significant jail time, if Jackie Child’s isn’t available, I want this guy to be my lawyer. He clearly has no shame and isn’t afraid to lie on his clients behalf.
I hope both Favre and that Governor get locked up for a long time. I’m sure Aaron Rodgers is shedding zero tears.
Meanwhile there are parts of this state with no drinking water or bathing. I once tried to sell someone in Mississippi something that required a e-signature. No computer, and the public library was open for like 4 hours a day. Must be a nightmare to exist there.
Wow! Brett should run for President!
Hopefully Brad Pigott is able to resume his employment, sue the heck out of whomever fired him and receive the promotion is seemingly deserves.
There’s a special place in hell for these types, but more importantly & urgently, there’s a special place in jail for them and ALL co-conspirators.
Sadly, in a country where espionage nor sedition are major crimes, they’re safe. Instead of texting, they should’ve met on a golf course.
I thought it was revealed Favre was one of dozens of people that Mississippi lawmakers leveraged to perform their scam.?
yooperman says:
Favre previously denied that he discussed the volleyball project with Bryant. The text messages quoted in the article indicate otherwise
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
If he lied to the FBI, he’s up the Mississippi without a paddle.
merde4brains says:
Not a good look on you, Brett.
Despite earning tens of millions during your career, you (1) took $1.1M in welfare funds for work you didn’t do, then dragged your feet re-paying it, sans interest, and (2) tried to have millions in welfare funds diverted for some stadium that you liked.
But, then, this is America, where the rich regularly scam money.
Even Dan Snyder is like, “Damn, that’s cold.”.
Sorry but these e-mails aren’t “New”. An investigative reporter in Mississippi obtained them and published them about 6 months ago.
People keep wanting to give Favre a pass (“wait till the facts some out”) —–the facts have been out for 6 months, Brett got his first taste of political slush fund money ….. and surprise surprise he like it. | 2022-09-14T00:40:30Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | New texts show former Mississippi governor helped funnel welfare funds to Brett Favre for USM volleyball stadium - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/new-texts-show-former-mississippi-governor-helped-funnel-welfare-funds-to-brett-favre-for-usm-volleyball-stadium/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/new-texts-show-former-mississippi-governor-helped-funnel-welfare-funds-to-brett-favre-for-usm-volleyball-stadium/ |
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has said plenty of things about his overall circumstances in recent weeks, even if he ultimately hasn’t actually said very much at all. His wife, Gisele Bundchen, has added some thoughts on the current state of her husband’s career in a new interview with Elle.
She repeated past public comments regarding her obvious interest in Brady’s health and well being.
The interview happened “weeks” before Brady’s mysterious 11-day hiatus from training camp. She declined to comment on reports of marital strife when Elle followed up with her this month.
Five years ago, she made waves with comments to Charlie Rose regarding Tom’s head trauma.
“I just have to say, as a wife, I’m a little bit — as you know, it’s not the most — let’s say [it’s] an aggressive sport,” she said in May 2017. “Football, like he had a concussion last year. I mean, he has concussions, pretty much, I mean, we don’t talk about [it] but he does have concussions. I don’t think it’s a healthy thing for your body to go through like — you know, to that kind of aggression all the time. That cannot be healthy for you, right? I mean I plan on having him be healthy and do a lot of fun things when we’re like 100, I hope.”
In the Elle interview, she agreed with the notion that her depiction as being “desperate” for Brady to retire is “sexist.” But there’s nothing “sexist” about acknowledging the apparent reality that she wants him to “be more present,” and to stop putting himself in harm’s way with guys who are literally half his age and younger. As she supposedly told him after Super Bowl LV, what more does he have to prove?
Brady has stretched the rubber band farther than any elite athlete ever has. He’s taken the needle on the gas tank well past E, and he has kept going. She has every right to want him to act his age and move on to business endeavors that won’t continue to accumulate wear and tear on his body and brain. Although it’s his life and his decision, it impacts her and the rest of the family. And it’s fair to ask him to strike a better balance between risk and reward — between selflessness and selfishness — when deciding to keep playing at a time when he doesn’t need the money, the trophies, or the accolades.
Everything about the current state of Brady’s career is unprecedented. There’s no manual to read, no one to seek out for advice. It’s unprecedented for everyone, on the inside and the outside.
The greatness that carried Brady this far is what pushes him to keep going. His biggest challenge could be finding a way to keep things going while honoring his bigger priorities and responsibilities. | 2022-09-14T04:34:05Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Gisele Bundchen admits she would like Tom Brady to be "more present" - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/gisele-bundchen-admits-she-would-like-tom-brady-to-be-more-present/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/13/gisele-bundchen-admits-she-would-like-tom-brady-to-be-more-present/ |
Lions head coach Dan Campbell finds himself in some uncharted waters this week.
Campbell is heading into his 19th game in that job and he is leading a team favored to win its game for the first time. They are hosting the Commanders at Ford Field and sportsbooks currently have the Lions favored by somewhere from 1.5-2.5 points over the NFC East team.
As noted by Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com, the Lions’ run without being a favorite predates Campbell’s hiring. They have gone 24 straight games as an underdog, which is the longest current streak in the league. The last time they were in the favorite seat came against the Panthers on November 22, 2020.
The Lions were one-point favorites on the road against a Panther team quarterbacked by P.J. Walker in that game, but they were unable to come through for their backers. The Panthers shut them out 20-0 and the Lions will be looking for a happier result in this week’s bid to stand tall as a favorite. | 2022-09-14T11:45:29Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Lions are favored for first time since November 2020 - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/lions-are-favored-for-first-time-since-november-2020/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/lions-are-favored-for-first-time-since-november-2020/ |
The Chargers held on to beat the Raiders on Sunday to start the season 1-0.
But as the club heads to Kansas City this week to play the Chiefs on Thursday night, the offense would like to get more out of the run game.
As a team, Los Angeles managed just 76 yards on 31 carries in Week One. Starting running back Austin Ekeler had 36 yards on 14 carries. He also had 36 yards receiving on four catches.
Ekeler pointed to the fact that it was just the first game when discussing why the offense struggled in that area.
“This was the first time together where we [were] actually on the field going full speed, tackling to the ground,” Ekeler said, via Jeff Miller of the L.A. Times. “So you’re gonna have to work through some stuff. Now, no excuse. We’ve got a game under our belt. Gotta get it going again.”
Ekeler also noted that there were times when he didn’t read the looks as well as he should have.
“There’s still so much left on the bone,” Ekeler said.
The Chargers have a stable of backs they can turn to between Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, and Sony Michel. With Justin Herbert at quarterback, Los Angeles doesn’t necessarily need to have the best run game in the league. But it will be easier to put teams away if the ground game is more efficient. | 2022-09-14T15:39:15Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Austin Ekeler: There's still so much left on the bone in the run game - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/austin-ekeler-theres-still-so-much-left-on-the-bone-in-the-run-game/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/austin-ekeler-theres-still-so-much-left-on-the-bone-in-the-run-game/ |
Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith got off to a hot start in his third season.
In the victory over the Bengals, Highsmith recorded nine total tackles, two tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that Highsmith’s production stemmed from a “natural maturation process that he’s going through.”
“We drafted him in the third round out of Charlotte, he showed us some things, that he was able to carve out a role for himself in his rookie year and be a third outside linebacker and even playing some packages, we created some packages to be inclusive with him,” Tomlin said in his press conference. “His second year, he moves into a starting role and does an admirable, varsity job there. So, I just think it’s reasonable to expect that he’s going to continue to improve in the ways that he’s done that since he’s been here.
“I don’t know that any of us are shocked by the performance. As a matter of fact, I think most of us expect it to continue. You’re not going to get three sacks each and every week, but he’s a good player and he’s a man to be reckoned with for sure.”
With T.J. Watt out for the next several weeks with his pectoral injury, Highsmith may receive more attention from offenses. But Tomlin wouldn’t speculate on that, saying reporters should ask Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
In 33 career games with 22 starts, Highsmith has 11.0 career sacks with 22 tackles for loss and 25 quarterback hits.
1 responses to “Mike Tomlin: Alex Highsmith is a man to be reckoned with for sure”
dadindebt6 says:
I thought Highsmith might get Defensive Player of the Week for his week one efforts but can’t argue with the choice of Fitzpatrick. I hope he continues to have good performances and stays healthy! | 2022-09-14T16:09:48Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Mike Tomlin: Alex Highsmith is a man to be reckoned with for sure - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/mike-tomlin-alex-highsmith-is-a-man-to-be-reckoned-with-for-sure/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/mike-tomlin-alex-highsmith-is-a-man-to-be-reckoned-with-for-sure/ |
On the surface, Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett did what he needed to do on Tuesday, acknowledging that he shouldn’t have tried a 64-yard field goal when, instead, he could have trusted his franchise quarterback to gain five yards in a gotta-have-it situation. At a deeper level, Hackett still doesn’t get it.
“Looking back at it, we definitely should have gone for it,” Hackett wisely said. In the exercise of true wisdom, he would have stopped right there.
“It’s one of those things where you look back at it and you say, ‘Of course we should go for it,’” Hackett added. “We missed the field goal. But in that situation, we had a plan. We knew that 46 was the mark. We were third-and-15, I think, third-and-13. I’m more upset about that play before, to lose yards. Getting that there would have definitely been better able to call that same play and get extra yards, but he dumps it out to [running back] Javonte [Williams]. Javonte makes a move, goes a lot farther than I think we had anticipated. We were expecting to go for it on fourth down and then you hit the mark. The mark that we had all set before we started. We said 46-yard line was where we wanted to be, and we got there so we had to make a decision. We wanted to give it to [kicker] Brandon [McManus], and we did. It didn’t work, it sucks but that’s a part of it.”
In other words, he regrets nothing.
So why and how was the 46-yard line the mark, when it meant McManus would be attempting a 64-yard field goal?
“It’s a combination of pregame and stuff that they’ve been doing during practice, all that stuff,” Hackett said. “How he was feeling, all those things, and that was the yard line that we set.”
Hackett was asked whether he had any doubts about relying on the 46-yard line as the right spot.
“I think that when you sit there and say, ‘We all know he has a big leg. He’s been kicking for a long time,'” Hackett said. “I wanted to give him that opportunity. I wanted to give him a chance to be able to win the game right there. He had the distance; it just went a little bit left. It’s just one of those things that’s unfortunate, but that was our plan going into it. Obviously, looking back at it, if you missed the field goal, you’re always going to wish you would have gone for it. If you would have gone for it and not gotten it, you wish you would have given him a chance. So that’s the crazy thing about this game.”
Obviously, it’s easy to regret the decision with the application of hindsight. But that overlooks the question of whether it was the right decision via the application of foresight. Usually, teams only try a field goal of 60 yards or longer when it’s the very end of a half or the game, and when the option is a low-percentage kick versus an even-lower-percentage Hail Mary throw. Why in the world was the 46-yard line viewed as the ideal spot under any and all circumstances, including if/when there was a chance to get closer by converting a fourth and five?
Hackett never addressed that specific question. Maybe he didn’t need to. He kept harping about his plan, his plan, his plan. But here’s the thing about plans. They’re not set in stone. They can change. Sometimes, they should change. And if the plan was, “Get to the 46 and kick it, no matter what,” that’s not the kind of plan that will impress the new owners who didn’t hire Hackett.
As previously mentioned, the new owners are titans of industry. They can spot bullshit in the flutter of a fruit fly’s wings.
Sometimes, the effort requires no special BS-spotting skills. For example, when Hackett was asked whether McManus completed a 64-yard field goal during pregame warmups, Hackett completely avoided the question.
“Before we get to that — he always tells what yard line he wants to get to and that’s what we had all agreed on,” Hackett said. Hackett never said “yes”; thus, the fair conclusion is that the answer is, “No.”
“It’s about listening to the players, finding out where they are at, and what they can do,” Hackett said. “That was something that we all agreed on. The fact that it was fourth down, and that was our one chance to decide that, and that’s why we did that.”
Listening to players only goes so far. Of course McManus will say he can make the kick. And Russell Wilson will say he can convert fourth and five. And any of the receivers will say they can make the catch of the pass Wilson would have been throwing. And any of the blockers will say they can buy Wilson enough time to do it.
Anyone’s subjective confidence must be balanced against objective facts. McManus previously had a 12.5-percent success rate at 60 yards or longer. Only two men have ever made kicks of 64 yards or longer. Hackett was asked whether anyone was feeding him the statistical realities as a counter to his kicker’s predictable self-confidence.
“It’s a combination of a lot of people,” Hackett said. “In the end, it lies on me. I made that decision, and that was our plan. That’s what we said, that’s the yard we had to get to. We knew it. That’s what we said in the huddle before we did it. We got there. We made that decision.”
But it was a bad decision. And Hackett still refuses to fully admit it. To properly own that the process was flawed. To acknowledge that he’ll need a far greater degree of flexibility to bend the outcome of enough games in his team’s direction.
He’s on a dangerous path. The new owners can’t be happy with the outcome, or the effort to explain it away. And they’ll likely be paying closer attention to everything he says and does from this point forward, with one overriding question — do we give him a second year, or do we use our unlimited financial resources to hire someone else for 2023 and beyond?
6 responses to “Nathaniel Hackett’s day-after explanation still misses the mark”
The Lafluer coaching tree is not much better than Lafluer.
What’s more shocking is that nobody on the staff or RUSS had the intestinal fortitude to speak up to the coach and tell him what an idiotic thing he was doing.
this hindsight is absurd
his star billion dollar qb could not convert on critical much shorter plays all game long, I do not blame the coach for regretting not taking the points and going for the points at the end of the game.
I think an interesting question, given his background would have been, had it been Aaron Rodgers instead of Russel Wilson, would you have still gone for the kick instead?
Yes he should have gone for it but so what? They should have made the first down on the first 3 tries. Does he regret his playcalls on those? They tried the kick — it failed — let’s move on.
Yes, the kicker is capable of making a 64 yard field goal, but no reasonable coach is ever going to make that the basis of their end-game plan. | 2022-09-14T16:09:48Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Nathaniel Hackett's day-after explanation still misses the mark - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/nathaniel-hacketts-day-after-explanation-still-misses-the-mark/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/nathaniel-hacketts-day-after-explanation-still-misses-the-mark/ |
On Tuesday, the NBA imposed a significant punishment on Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver. The NBA’s handling of the situation gave the NFL a lesson in transparency, as it relates to the past investigation of the Washington Commanders and owner Daniel Snyder.
But the NFL isn’t completely finished with Snyder, even if there isn’t much transparency about where things stand. A February roundtable hearing before the House Oversight Committee resulted in two new allegations against Snyder, prompting the decision to retain attorney Mary Joe White to investigate.
In a media conference call conducted on Wednesday, league spokesman Jeff Miller said that there is “no update or timeline at this point” regarding White’s investigation. Miller also said that Commissioner Roger Goodell will “have a discussion with Dan at the appropriate time.”
Time is the appropriate word on which to focus. Seven months have passed since the new allegations surfaced. How much time should it take to reach a conclusion?
Snyder’s status with the team continues to be vague. Congress continues to investigate the situation. At some point, White will need to reach a conclusion, and the league will need to make some decisions. | 2022-09-14T16:09:50Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | NFL: No update or timeline on ongoing Daniel Snyder investigation - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/nfl-no-update-or-timeline-on-ongoing-daniel-snyder-investigation/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/nfl-no-update-or-timeline-on-ongoing-daniel-snyder-investigation/ |
Four fans injured by railing collapse at FedEx Field file lawsuit
FedEx Field continues to be a bad facility. It’s also a liability. Literally.
Via John Keim of ESPN.com, four people injured when a railing collapsed after the end of a January 2 game against the Eagles have sued the Commanders and others. The plaintiffs seek the jurisdictional minimum of at least $75,000 each for asks for an award “in excess” of $75,000 per person for “loss of income, medical expenses, pain and suffering.”
The plaintiffs are New Jersey residents and Eagles fans. The collapse happened as the fans clamored to get the attention of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. He was nearly struck by the falling bodies and debris.
The plaintiffs contend that they continue to seek treatment for injuries that were suffered as a result of the fall. The alleged harm included cervical strains, muscle strains, bone contusions, cuts, headaches, and “other potential long-term effects, both physical and emotional.”
Although the various defendants will claim that they have no responsibility and/or try to blame the plaintiffs, the truth is that the fans aren’t responsible for doing what fans reasonably should be expected to do. After a game, fans move toward the tunnels in an effort to get the attention of players. The railings aimed at keeping the fans away from the players must be engineered to withstand the weight of people leaning against them.
“It’s beyond negligent to skimp on a safety measure in such a high-visibility, high-trafficked area,” said attorney Bob Sokolove, who represents the plaintiffs. “Whether it’s an NCAA game or a pro basketball game or the NFL, everybody comes to the tunnel where the players are coming out. The weight of everyone pushing forward to get a high-five or a wristband or whatever puts even more pressure on what otherwise were pathetic railings.”
For the plaintiffs, it becomes useful for the various defendants to fight among themselves on the question of who’s to blame. The reality is that someone is to blame. The best defense consists of trying to respectfully question the extent of the damages.
The best approach would include getting the case resolved. It’s good for no one to have depositions and documents and news reports advancing the perception that FedEx Field is a f–ked up facility.
2 responses to “Four fans injured by railing collapse at FedEx Field file lawsuit”
Sounds like another money grab especially for $75K. Nobody was injured. Just a chance to get some extra money because of an accident. Hopefully it is dismissed.
It’s got to be the worst stadium still in use in the U.S.A. and it makes sense that the worst owner in all of U.S.A. sports has an office there, unless he doesn’t, even though he definitely still does | 2022-09-14T18:09:53Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Four fans injured by railing collapse at FedEx Field file lawsuit - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/four-fans-injured-by-railing-collapse-at-fedex-field-file-lawsuit/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/four-fans-injured-by-railing-collapse-at-fedex-field-file-lawsuit/ |
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is coming off the first four-interception game of his career and he shared a lesson he learned from the experience during his weekly media session on Wednesday.
Burrow said that his turnover-filled performance — he also lost a fumble — in the overtime loss to the Steelers reinforced that he has to “just take what the defense gives me” against the Cowboys this week and against other teams in the weeks to come. Burrow also pointed attention to his work in helping the Bengals come back in the second half of the game when evaluating his overall outing.
“Not my best, obviously would like to take care of the ball better,” Burrow said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “But as bad as I played in the first half, I thought I battled in the second half and put us in position to win the game. So I was proud of that, but obviously gotta start stronger.”
Burrow’s history is long enough to see that the turnovers from last Sunday are an outlier and that should provide the Bengals with some confidence that he’ll be back on track when the Bengals return to the field this weekend. | 2022-09-14T20:00:29Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Joe Burrow: I obviously have to start stronger - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/joe-burrow-i-obviously-have-to-start-stronger/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/joe-burrow-i-obviously-have-to-start-stronger/ |
As Bills quarterback Josh Allen displayed in last week’s season opener, running the football is a key part of what makes him special.
But when Allen runs as he did in the victory, he also subjects himself to some significant hits. And that can take a toll, particularly on a quarterback.
That’s something Allen is aware of. And he admitted he has room for improvement when it comes to protecting himself as he runs.
“I think I can be better in that aspect,” Allen said in his Wednesday press conference. “But given the circumstances of what it was, understanding the flow of the game — I do things sometimes that are necessary in my eyes to help our team win a football game. That’s all it is. But at the end of the day, availability is the best ability. So, just understanding that and getting down and not taking too many hits — that’s year-in and year-out.”
Allen finished the Week One contest 26-of-31 for 297 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed 10 times for 56 yards with a TD.
But Allen is aware that there needs to be a balance between making one play and being available to make the next 10. We’ll see what Allen’s approach is on Monday night when the team hosts the Titans.
3 responses to “Josh Allen: I think I can be better at protecting myself when I run”
Nominee for understatement of the year?
Lovie Smith thinks Josh Allen should be a punter.
Just a matter of time before he suffers a serious injury with this running style. | 2022-09-14T20:00:35Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Josh Allen: I think I can be better at protecting myself when I run - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/josh-allen-i-think-i-can-be-better-at-protecting-myself-when-i-run/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/josh-allen-i-think-i-can-be-better-at-protecting-myself-when-i-run/ |
The Panthers didn’t have running back Christian McCaffrey on the practice field Wednesday, but it was because of injury precaution rather than a response to an injury.
McCaffrey had a rest day as the Panthers began their on-field preparations for the Giants. McCaffrey ran 10 times for 33 yards and a touchdown in the 26-24 loss to the Browns last weekend. He also caught four passes for 24 yards.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said that Wednesdays will likely be a rest day for McCaffrey throughout the year.
Defensive end Marquis Haynes (hip) was the only other player out of practice on Wednesday.
Left tackle Taylor Moton was listed as a limited participant due to a knee injury. Moton has not missed a game since being drafted in the second round in 2017.
Linebackers Frankie Luvu (shoulder) and Brandon Smith (thigh) were also limited in Wednesday’s practice.
1 responses to “Taylor Moton limited at Panthers practice, Christian McCaffrey has a rest day”
Hey, Matt Rhule, nice way to split the locker room. So basically, McCaffrey is the only guy who gets to practice one less day each week… | 2022-09-14T20:00:59Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Taylor Moton limited at Panthers practice, Christian McCaffrey has a rest day - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/taylor-moton-limited-at-panthers-practice-christian-mccaffrey-has-a-rest-day/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/taylor-moton-limited-at-panthers-practice-christian-mccaffrey-has-a-rest-day/ |
The Cardinals got rocked by the Chiefs in their season opener. But at this point in the week, they’re well into turning the page toward Las Vegas.
That’s something quarterback Kyler Murray has gotten better at as he’s gained more experience in the league. While Murray can often be frustrated postgame even after a win if things don’t go exactly right, the quarterback said he had to modify the way he responded.
“There is a fine line in taking what happened and taking the experience and using that to get better next week,” Murray said, via Darren Urban of the team’s website. “Coaching guys. Where did we mess up? Where can I get better? What was he thinking, what was I thinking? And grow that way.
“Every game matters to me, but you can’t just be down in the dumps. You’ve got to get over it.”
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Murray has improved in talking through things instead of “just getting mad.”
“He’s pulling guys aside and not just getting mad, saying, ‘This is what I was expecting and this is why I was mad.’ That’s a big step,” Kingsbury said. “As a young player, he had to come in without training wheels and we threw him in and he had to figure it out.”
Murray has made that progress. But the Cardinals need that to translate into a better on-field performance in Week Two after the poor result against Kansas City. | 2022-09-14T20:21:59Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Kyler Murray: Every game matters, but you've got to get over it - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/kyler-murray-every-game-matters-but-youve-got-to-get-over-it/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/kyler-murray-every-game-matters-but-youve-got-to-get-over-it/ |
In December, when Bucs quarterback Tom Brady lobbied the league to consider banning low hits on receivers after Chris Godwin‘s knee injury, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons responded on Twitter.
“Lol so let’s stop playing tackle football ?” Parsons wrote, adding a crying emoji.
Bucs running back Leonard Fournette‘s chip block into Parsons’ shoulder Sunday brought a different response from Parsons, who was knocked to the ground.
“I chalk it up!” Parsons wrote on Twitter. “It’s an offensive league!! Offense sells tickets defense don’t! They don’t protect defenders !! That’s not a chip that’s a blind side hit he’s 260 (pounds) putting his whole shoulder and head into my ribs and neck area . . .”
Bills edge rusher Von Miller sided with Parsons, calling for the league to ban the block.
In response Monday afternoon, Fournette posted a crying Jordan meme, a clear shot at Parsons for his complaint about the block that came with backup left tackle Josh Wells engaged with Parsons.
Parsons softened his stance Wednesday during his media availability.
“It is what it is, bro,” Parsons said, via Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “I got right back up. That’s cool. He said what he said. I said what I said. I just know at the end of the day, I know I’m still going to be a good player after it. You know what I’m saying? It is what it is. He got that one. I got one. Shhhh, it’s football.”
Parsons had two red-zone sacks of Brady on third down earlier in the half that led to a missed field goal and a made field goal for the Bucs. Fournette’s chip block on Parsons in the final two minutes of the half allowed Brady enough time to find Julio Jones for a 48-yard completion that set up a field goal before halftime.
“Shit, I mean, they need it,” Parsons said of the block. “You know what I’m saying? They need help, and I’m expecting it. It is what it is. It’s football. You know what I’m saying? But I like me one on one against anybody. I’m going to take it like that. I’m expecting it. I know they’re going to bring it. It’s just something I got to be more conscious of and just take it from there.”
4 responses to “Micah Parsons on Leonard Fournette’s chip block: They need help, so I’ve got to be more conscious of it”
Micah isn’t not wrong. I also didn’t think there was much to see in the block, not sure what all the fuss is for
Watch what you say cause your words can come back to haunt you
Chip blocks have been around since before he was born. It’s football!
It was a hard block but it looked pretty clean to me. I’m not sure how you could eliminate that unless you just eliminate double teaming good defensive players. | 2022-09-14T21:53:00Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Micah Parsons on Leonard Fournette's chip block: They need help, so I’ve got to be more conscious of it - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/micah-parsons-on-leonard-fournettes-chip-block-they-need-help-and-ive-got-to-be-more-conscious-of-it/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/micah-parsons-on-leonard-fournettes-chip-block-they-need-help-and-ive-got-to-be-more-conscious-of-it/ |
Six days ago, the Ravens and Lamar Jackson reached an impasse on contract talks. That ended negotiations until after the season as the quarterback repeatedly set the season opener as the deadline to get a deal completed in 2022.
Jackson, who serves as his own agent, now is fully focused on football, declining to answer three questions Wednesday about his contract situation.
“Respectfully, I’m done talking about it,” Jackson said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “I told you guys before, I was going to be done with it Week 1. Week 1 is over with. We’re done talking about it. I’m focused on the Dolphins now.”
A report Sunday indicated Jackson turned down a five-year extension worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed. Deshaun Watson‘s fully guaranteed, $230 million contract created a gap between what Jackson wanted in guaranteed money and what the Ravens were willing to pay, and the sides couldn’t close it enough to seal the deal.
A reporter asked Jackson about the guaranteed money, and Jackson smiled and said, “Like I said, I’m done talking about that, respectfully. Dolphin time, man.”
Jackson will make $23.016 million this season on his fifth-year option, the final year of his rookie deal.
2 responses to “Lamar Jackson on his contract situation: Respectfully, I’m done talking about it”
The media isn’t going to let you off the hook that easy.
Greed will comeback to haunt him, mark my words! | 2022-09-14T22:53:24Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Lamar Jackson on his contract situation: Respectfully, I'm done talking about it - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/lamar-jackson-on-his-contract-situation-respectfully-im-done-talking-about-it/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/lamar-jackson-on-his-contract-situation-respectfully-im-done-talking-about-it/ |
After Cam Akers played only 12 snaps in the season opener, Rams coach Sean McVay said the running back needs an increased level of urgency and accountability.
McVay said Wednesday he had a conversation with Akers about just that.
“It’s a result of my confidence in him and the expectations we have and what we need him to be, which isn’t anything more than what he’s capable of for us to reach some of the levels that I’m hopeful that we can do,” McVay said. “So I love Cam. I want him to be able to be a guy that we’re heavily able to lean on, both him and Darrell (Henderson). That’s what it’s got to be able to be.”
Akers said the conversation with McVay happened during training camp and that he was surprised by such a limited role in the season opener. Akers had three carries for no yards.
While Akers called it frustrating, he added that he doesn’t “want to make it too big, bigger than what it is.”
“If coach don’t think I’m being urgent, then [I need to] be more urgent,” Akers said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. “That’s what it comes down to.”
Akers said he thinks McVay was referencing practice, not games.
“Whatever coach says, I’m going to take it, and I’m going to learn from it,” Akers said. “Whatever you want to say. I’m going to take it and learn from it and go from there. Whether I think it’s right or not, maybe I’m not always right.”
Henderson played 54 snaps and ran for 47 yards on 13 carries and caught five passes for 26 yards against the Bills. Akers might have seen even fewer chances if not for the early ankle injury to Kyren Williams, who will miss 6-8 weeks. While Williams is out, the Rams will need Akers to spell Henderson. | 2022-09-15T03:57:44Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Cam Akers surprised by his limited role in the opener - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/cam-akers-surprised-by-his-limited-role-in-the-opener/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/14/cam-akers-surprised-by-his-limited-role-in-the-opener/ |
Left tackle Joe Noteboom, who suffered an MCL strain that left him (per coach Sean McVay) day-to-day, didn’t practice yesterday. Likewise, center Brian Allen missed practice, also with a knee injury.
Also not practicing was receiver Van Jefferson (knee) and long snapper Matthew Orzech (calf).
As to Stafford, the fact that he wasn’t listed at all implies that his elbow is perfectly fine, to the point where he’s not even getting treatment on it.
“He’s feeling good,” McVay told reporters on Wednesday. “I think we’re all excited about an opportunity to be able to move forward the right way. There’s a lot of things that we can all do better. We’re interested in eyes forward and looking towards a great challenge against a really good opponent that played excellent in Week One.”
Stafford agreed that he will be a “full go” for the game.
“I feel good,” Stafford told reporters. “I feel great. Obviously had a couple extra days off, nothing hurt, so I feel pretty good.”
He didn’t play pretty good last Thursday. But he didn’t seem pretty interested in talking much about it.
“Definitely two or three [throws] I wish I had back, there’s no question about that,” Stafford said. “I think I just got to do a better job of seeing it and hitting it. A couple of those maybe trying to do a little too much. Others, sometimes you lose vision on guys, whatever it is. Everything I’m saying is something that’s in the past and doesn’t matter anymore, to be honest with you. I just keep trust in my preparation and knowing that if I do what I’m supposed to do, preparation-wise, I can go out there and play at a high level and whatever happens, happens.”
It may be in the past, but it definitely matters. He needs to be sure he learns from decisions he made last week. While nothing that happened against the Bills can be changed, lessons learned can be used to help avoid similar outcomes moving forward.
That seems to be what teams trying to get better do. Embrace the past, not ignore it. | 2022-09-15T11:34:05Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Matthew Stafford not on injury report, but two of his blockers didn't practice Wednesday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/matthew-stafford-not-on-injury-report-but-two-of-his-blockers-didnt-practice-wednesday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/matthew-stafford-not-on-injury-report-but-two-of-his-blockers-didnt-practice-wednesday/ |
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey had 10 carries and four catches in last Sunday’s loss to the Browns and he was asked his thoughts about his workload on Wednesday.
McCaffrey said, via the team’s website, that “whatever it takes to win is all that I want to do.” If the Panthers won, there probably wouldn’t be too many questions about McCaffrey’s role in the offense but they were there for offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo on Thursday.
His answer suggested that he thinks more McCaffrey would be a good way to get wins. McAdoo said, via Steve Reed of the Associated Press, that “we’ve got to get the ball in his hands” when discussing McCaffrey’s workload heading into this weekend’s game against the Giants.
One thing that would help is running more offensive plays altogether. The Panthers had just 50 plays against the Browns and increasing that number should lead to more McCaffrey and more chances to put points on the board. | 2022-09-15T17:17:51Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Ben McAdoo: We've got to get ball into Christian McCaffrey's hands - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/ben-mcadoo-weve-got-to-get-ball-into-christian-mccaffreys-hands/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/ben-mcadoo-weve-got-to-get-ball-into-christian-mccaffreys-hands/ |
9 responses to “Denver’s effort to explain fourth-down decision doesn’t hold water”
stuchfeld says:
Give it a rest already, it was week 1. On to week 2…if they don’t show better decision making as the season progresses then we can all start worrying
Yawn. Let it go, for gosh sakes. He made a mistake, we all get it. If the kicker was a little more to the right, Hackett is celebrated for his boldness. He missed it, so Hackett’s an inept boob. And starting tonight – Week Two.
Why would he say “we were disorganized and unsure of what to do. Someone (maybe me) made the executive decision eventually to pull Wilson off the field and kick the field goal. It didn’t work.” He doesn’t owe to the media to give every single element of the decision. It’s much better if he just says “our plan was to kick it, it didn’t work, it was a mistake. I own up to it and take responsibility for it and we’ll move forward, 16 more games to go.”
I don’t get all the attention that this game has generated. It’s as if if they went for it they would win the game. Plus, if it was a different QB, there would be way less criticism.
Tempest in a teacup.
One and done, if he even makes it that far.
I don’t have a dog in this fight BUT, for starters it’s only 1 game.
Second, if the kick was good I wouldn’t be wasting my time writing this. Third, well hell I forgot what I was going to say. Broncos will be fine.
Why are we still talking about this? It wasn’t a bad decision – the kick was inches from good. Denver is not yet a good team – they are the same team they have been the past 4 years with a mid tier QB. They shouldnt have won that game – period.
But – move on. Its over.
Ryan Dubose says:
The browns kicker would have made it
in corporate America, an employee dramatically undermines his or her credibility by trying to hide a mistake.
‐‐————————-
I fully disagree. No one gets ahead by owning up to mistakes. Those at the top of corporate America have successfully shifted the blame for all the messes they’ve left behind. | 2022-09-15T18:03:43Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Denver's effort to explain fourth-down decision doesn't hold water - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/denvers-effort-to-explain-fourth-down-decision-doesnt-hold-water/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/denvers-effort-to-explain-fourth-down-decision-doesnt-hold-water/ |
Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari is not practicing on Thursday after taking part in Wednesday’s session, but head coach Matt LaFleur said that’s not because he’s had a setback with his knee.
Bakhtiari has played in one game since tearing his ACL at the end of the 2020 season, so any absence from the field is going to raise concern that he’s moving in the wrong direction. During Thursday press conference, LaFleur said that missing practice is just part of the team’s plan to get Bakhtiari into the lineup on gamedays.
“He had a good practice . . . He will not practice, even once he’s fully back, in terms of in the lineup, he won’t practice three days in a row. It’ll be a day on, a day off, a day on,” LaFleur said, via Zach Kruse of USAToday.com.
LaFleur did not say if Bakhtiari will play against the Bears this weekend and the nature of his situation makes it hard for the Packers to count on having him in the lineup at any point. | 2022-09-15T19:03:53Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | David Bakhtiari not practicing Thursday after "good practice" Wednesday - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/david-bakhtiari-not-practicing-thursday-after-good-practice-wednesday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/david-bakhtiari-not-practicing-thursday-after-good-practice-wednesday/ |
Three nights ago, the Broncos lost to Seattle in a way that included one of the strangest real-time coaching decisions we’ve seen in a while. Will it linger in the locker room?
“We’ve already moved on,” coach Nathaniel Hackett told reporters on Thursday. “That’s part of this whole thing. Whenever you get into big games at all — this is a great preparation for our guys because there’s always going to be adversity. The season is a roller coaster. There are ups, there are downs. It’s about how you respond to everything. It’s how you respond when you do well. If all of a sudden you do well and everybody thinks it’s great, there are still so many things that you can correct and you can get better on. I think it’s just about staying right there and right in the middle of those two things and just growing as a team — growing through the good and the bad. I think that’s what we’ve done up to this point.”
Hackett can say they’ve moved on. The players can say so, too. The question is whether, when the players talk among themselves, they wonder why Hackett chose to try a 64-yard field goal in lieu of letting Russ cook up a potential first down on fourth and five. it’s the kind of thing that can undermine a player’s faith in a coach, which can rear its ugly head in all sorts of ways as the season unfolds.
The torrent of external criticism continues, with all of it directed at Hackett. How does he block out the noise?
“That happens all the time,” Hackett said. “That’s part of the job. It’s what comes with it. I embrace it, and everybody is allowed to do that. You just don’t listen — you keep working and keep grinding. That’s pretty much what we’ve been doing, especially on a short week.”
Right, but some of the noise was avoidable. Hackett made an unenforced error, and he continues to refuse to fully own it. If he’d just admit that the his plan was bad and should have been abandoned, the noise would stop quickly. | 2022-09-16T01:04:19Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Nathaniel Hackett on whether Week 1 loss will linger: "We've already moved on" - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/nathaniel-hackett-on-whether-week-1-loss-will-linger-weve-already-moved-on/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/nathaniel-hackett-on-whether-week-1-loss-will-linger-weve-already-moved-on/ |
Earlier today, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady met with reporters for his mandatory midweek press conference. During a week that featured the publication of pointed quotes from his wife regarding her desire that he stop playing, the assembled reporters tiptoed around the elephant in the room.
He wasn’t asked about Gisele Bundchen’s remarks, based on the quotes that made their way to the transcript circulated by the team. Instead, he was asked whether the media’s interest in his private life goes with the territory.
It’s a fair response. And it’s part of the price of fame. It’s easy to respect Brady for understanding that he can’t have it both ways.
He then was asked whether the interest in his personal life “gets old.”
He’ll keep dealing with periodic questions as long as he keeps playing. He also was asked whether at any point on Sunday night he felt confirmation of his decision to keep playing.
“I’ve always loved playing, so . . . football, it’s a great sport,” Brady said. “I’ve been in it for a long time. I enjoy being out there. Yeah, it’s a great sport.”
Yes it is. And his desire to keep playing it has apparently knocked his life out of balance a little bit. Or a lot. | 2022-09-16T01:04:26Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Tom Brady accepts the interest in his private life - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/tom-brady-accepts-the-interest-in-his-private-life/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/tom-brady-accepts-the-interest-in-his-private-life/ |
Asante Samuel dropped what could have been a pick-six from end zone to end zone. Rookie Jaylen Watson didn’t drop his.
Watson’s 99-yard return of an interception has given the Chiefs their first lead of the night. They are up 24-17 with 10:29 left.
The Chargers were threatening to take a touchdown lead after Gerald Everett‘s 26-yard catch-and-run gave Los Angeles a first-and-goal at the 3. Everett asked out of the game, but the Chargers were going tempo, so he stayed in.
And when Justin Herbert tried to go back to Everett in the end zone, Watson, a seventh-round draft pick, stepped in front, caught the pass and was off to the races. In four college seasons at Ventura College and Washington State, Watson totaled 105 interception return yards.
The Chiefs, down 17-7 after the opening possession of the second half, have scored 17 unanswered points. | 2022-09-16T03:00:16Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jaylen Watson returns interception 99 yards to give Chiefs their first lead - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/jaylen-watson-returns-interception-99-yards-to-give-chiefs-their-first-lead/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/15/jaylen-watson-returns-interception-99-yards-to-give-chiefs-their-first-lead/ |
The last time the Saints hosted the Buccaneers in New Orleans, Jameis Winston tore his ACL and his 2021 season ended prematurely.
Winston is healthy now and is coming off a significant comeback victory over the Falcons last week. But there is another potential element at play as the Saints take on the Bucs in Week Two.
Tampa Bay drafted Winston at No. 1 overall back in 2015. He never made the playoffs with the franchise, which replaced him with Tom Brady in 2020. But in his third season with New Orleans, Winston says he’s not feeling any kind of way about the Buccaneers.
“They’re just another team,” Winston said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “I’ve got a lot of respect for a lot of those players, some of my old teammates, but at the end of the day, it’s a division game going against the best in Tom Brady.”
However, Winston’s head coach said that deep down, the quarterback may feel differently.
“I don’t want to speak for him, that would be unfair of me,” Dennis Allen said, via Terrell. “But I know if that was me, yeah, it probably would mean a little something extra.”
His first full game back from the knee injury, Winston finished last week 23-of-34 passing for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. | 2022-09-16T14:23:06Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jameis Winston: The Buccaneers are just another team - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/jameis-winston-the-buccaneers-are-just-another-team/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/jameis-winston-the-buccaneers-are-just-another-team/ |
Terry McLaurin is this week’s NFLPA Community MVP
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin celebrated his birthday by launching a new foundation with an event benefitting children around the Washington D.C. area.
McLaurin invited children from the Court Appointed Special Advocatesof DC and Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Capital Area to FedEx Field for a celebration that included food, music and a tour of the team’s locker room. Each participant also received a new pair of shoes and their guardians received a grocery gift card.
The NFL Players Association recognized McLaurin’s effort by naming him their Community MVP for the week.
“I look forward to continuing these endeavors in hopes of putting smiles on the faces of such great people,” McLaurin said in a statement.
The NFLPA will give $10,000 to McLaurin’s foundation or a charity of his choice in honor of the award. He will also be eligible for the Alan Page Community Award at the end of the season. | 2022-09-16T16:33:04Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Terry McLaurin is this week's NFLPA Community MVP - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/terry-mclaurin-is-this-weeks-nflpa-community-mvp/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/terry-mclaurin-is-this-weeks-nflpa-community-mvp/ |
The Texans won’t have center Justin Britt against the Broncos this Sunday.
Britt did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday because of personal reasons and Texans head coach Lovie Smith said at a Friday press conference that Britt will remain out through the weekend.
Smith didn’t share any other details and right tackle Tytus Howard said the team will be there for him when he’s ready to return.
“It’s always a concern. Justin’s one of our boys. He’s a brother to all of us, so we’re concerned about him. We trust he’s taking the time to do whatever he needs to get himself right and we’re here waiting on him when he gets back,” Howard said, via Mark Berman of KRIV.
Scott Quessenberry will likely step into the lineup for Britt against Denver. | 2022-09-16T17:50:38Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Justin Britt will miss Week 2 for personal reasons - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/justin-britt-will-miss-week-2-for-personal-reasons/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/justin-britt-will-miss-week-2-for-personal-reasons/ |
Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins has seemed at least close to returning to play this week, as he was a full participant in both Wednesday and Thursday’s practices.
But after head coach John Harbaugh deferred all injury questions to the team’s yet-to-be-released injury report, Dobbins was coy when asked if he’s playing this week.
“Well, if it’s totally… You know, we’ll see,” Dobbins said, via Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. “That’s the answer I’ve gotta give you.”
Dobbins added that he feels great.
The running back is returning from a torn ACL. He missed all of last season after rushing for 805 yards with nine touchdowns as a rookie, averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
It seems like Dobbins will either be questionable or not have a game status at all for Sunday. That will be revealed later on Friday with Baltimore’s full injury report. | 2022-09-16T18:34:08Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | J.K. Dobbins on if he's playing this week: "We'll see" - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/j-k-dobbins-on-if-hes-playing-this-week-well-see/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/j-k-dobbins-on-if-hes-playing-this-week-well-see/ |
Jalen Ramsey: I guarantee that wasn’t the worst game I’ve ever played
Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey didn’t have his best game in the season opener against the Bills. It wasn’t his worst, though, Ramsey countered Friday.
“I take it as a compliment that people don’t think I ever played a bad game. I mean, shit,” Ramsey said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. “I guarantee that . . . wasn’t my worst game I’ve ever played. If that’s what people think, shit. I’ve been doing well for myself.”
The Bills scored 31 points, had 413 yards and never punted in the season-opening victory over the Rams. Josh Allen targeted Ramsey seven times, and Ramsey allowed six receptions for 124 yards, two touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ramsey heard from Allen and the Bills receivers during the game, and social media wasn’t kind to him after the game.
But Ramsey said he’s his own worst critic.
“There’s never anything anybody can tell me that I haven’t already told myself, times 10 probably,” Ramsey said, via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. “I cuss myself out in my mind like worse than anybody I could ever speak to. Just how I am and the standards I hold myself to.”
Ramsey has made the Pro Bowl five times and three times has earned All-Pro honors. | 2022-09-16T22:16:39Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jalen Ramsey: I guarantee that wasn't the worst game I've ever played - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/jalen-ramsey-i-guarantee-that-wasnt-the-worst-game-ive-ever-played/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/16/jalen-ramsey-i-guarantee-that-wasnt-the-worst-game-ive-ever-played/ |
In the 2020 NFL draft, the Eagles selected wide receiver Jalen Reagor with the 21st overall pick and the Vikings selected wide receiver Justin Jefferson 22nd. That proved to be a big mistake by the Eagles, as Jefferson is the much better player. And Jefferson is grateful the Eagles made that mistake.
Now Jefferson and the Vikings (who now have Reagor as well, acquired in a trade last month) are preparing to play the Eagles on Monday night. And Jefferson is recalling that draft night when the Eagles passed on him and the Vikings picked him.
Jefferson is looking forward to facing the team that he thought would draft him.
“I’m excited for it. I can’t wait,” Jefferson said.
Eagles fans may be watching in frustration, wondering about how different things would be if the Eagles had made the right choice on draft night two years ago. | 2022-09-17T10:45:18Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Justin Jefferson: I was shocked when Philly didn't draft me, but I'm happier in Minnesota - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/17/justin-jefferson-i-was-shocked-when-philly-didnt-draft-me-but-im-happier-in-minnesota/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/17/justin-jefferson-i-was-shocked-when-philly-didnt-draft-me-but-im-happier-in-minnesota/ |
Thirty-two years after the Eagles gave up on a high-profile receiver who’d resurrect his career, and then some, in Minnesota, it’s happening again. Jalen Reagor, however, has a long way to go to get to the level of Cris Carter.
Still, like Carter in his first year with the Vikings, Reagor gets a chance to return to Philadelphia, coincidentally on a Monday night.
Does Reagor have thoughts of revenge against the team that traded him away after two seasons?
“Of course, why not?” Reagor said Thursday, via Chris Thomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “But I’m not going to go into the game pressing. Just going to let the game come to me. Whatever plays I make, make the best of them.”
Reagor isn’t sure what to expect from the fans. On one hand, it’s not as if he forced his way out. On the other hand, you know, it’s Philly. (And we love it.)
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni can relate to Reagor’s desire to give the Eagles the business.
“Any time we play a team that I used to coach on, I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s go. I love those guys over there, but I really want to get the best of them because it’s just a continuation of all the times I used to go against them in practice,'” Sirianni told reporters on Saturday. “I think that’s a normal reaction for anybody to have that is coming back to play at their old place. I just think that’s normal. Like I said, I go through it as well.”
When Carter went through it for his first game against the Eagles, Carter caught six passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. (The Vikings lost the game, 32-24.)
Don’t expect Reagor to match Carter’s production. Reagor had zero offensive snaps last week. He was on the field for four special-teams plays. He returned one punt for seven yards, and he had two fair catches. | 2022-09-17T17:24:19Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jalen Reagor makes quick return to Philadelphia, as a Viking - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/17/jalen-reagor-makes-quick-return-to-philadelphia-as-a-viking/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/17/jalen-reagor-makes-quick-return-to-philadelphia-as-a-viking/ |
Bills receiver Stefon Diggs got away with taunting in the season opener, avoiding a penalty flag. The NFL, though, made him pay a price this week.
The league docked Diggs $10,609 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Following his 53-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, Diggs taunted Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
It was the final points in a blowout victory for the Bills. Diggs caught eight passes for 122 yards and the score, and Ramsey allowed a perfect passer rating.
Ramsey said Friday that wasn’t the worst game of his career as he took the criticism from the season opener as a backhanded compliment. | 2022-09-17T23:04:15Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Stefon Diggs fined $10,609 for taunting Jalen Ramsey - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/17/stefon-diggs-fined-10609-for-taunting-jalen-ramsey/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/17/stefon-diggs-fined-10609-for-taunting-jalen-ramsey/ |
The Saints have several key offensive players listed as questionable to face the Buccaneers on Sunday and the outlook isn’t good for one of them.
Running back Alvin Kamara went from limited in practice on Wednesday to out of practice the final two days of the week to create doubt about his availability for this weekend’s NFC South matchup. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Kamara is not expected to play as the Saints try to open the season with two straight wins.
Mark Ingram will likely be in line for more work. According to multiple reports, Ingram is expected to play despite joining Kamara in the questionable category due to an ankle injury.
Quarterback Jameis Winston is also expected to play. He was limited in practice with a back injury, but neither he nor the team showed much concern that he’d be out this weekend. | 2022-09-18T11:54:41Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jameis Winston is expected to play, Alvin Kamara likely out - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/jameis-winston-is-expected-to-play-alvin-kamara-likely-out/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/jameis-winston-is-expected-to-play-alvin-kamara-likely-out/ |
1 responses to “Will Saints go after Tom Brady on Sunday?”
Saints have controlled the line of scrimmage every time against the Bucs in the last few years and played man in the secondary, outside of that playoff game against a diminished Drew Brees. I think the Bucs have concluded an effective running attack is the only way to beat them | 2022-09-18T14:00:50Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Will Saints go after Tom Brady on Sunday? - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/will-saints-go-after-tom-brady-on-sunday/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/will-saints-go-after-tom-brady-on-sunday/ |
Well, that didn’t take long. Thirteen seconds to be exact.
Devin Duvernay returned Jason Sanders‘ kickoff for a touchdown, going 103 yards from end zone to end zone.
Sanders had a shot at him, and Keion Crossen appeared to have an angle but had to dive at Duvernay’s feet at the 10-yard line.
The touchdown has the Ravens off to a fast start, up 7-0.
It is Duvernay’s second career kickoff return for a touchdown. He had one as a rookie, going 93 yards for a touchdown against Kansas City. | 2022-09-18T17:50:02Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Devin Duvernay returns opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/devin-duvernay-returns-opening-kickoff-103-yards-for-a-touchdown/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/devin-duvernay-returns-opening-kickoff-103-yards-for-a-touchdown/ |
Raiders owner Mark Davis won’t be attending his team’s home opener against the Cardinals.
Via Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Davis will be in Uncasville, Connecticut for Game Four of the WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun. The Aces lead the series 2-1. A win would deliver the first ever pro sports championship for Las Vegas.
“I knew if it was a potentially [series] deciding game, I would be with the Aces,” Davis said.
The basketball game begins at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Cardinals and Raiders kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.
“I’ll be 100 percent into the basketball game,” Davis said. “I won’t be worried about the football game until the basketball game is over.”
Davis bought the Aces in 2021. He attended the Raiders’ Week One game instead of the first game of the WNBA Finals.
“We went back to the Super Bowl [in 2003] and got blown out and haven’t sniffed one since,” Davis said. “I know how hard it is. Even though [the Aces] are up 2-1, I’m not counting any chickens. You have to go do it. But when you do, it’s so rewarding. If the Aces can do this — be the first major league professional team in Las Vegas — I’d be very proud of that. It would be a statement that would last forever.”
The Raiders haven’t even won a postseason game since qualifying for the Super Bowl 19 years ago. If the Aces can pull it off today, Davis will be hoisting a trophy for the first time since Super Bowl XVIII in early 1984. | 2022-09-18T18:08:22Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Mark Davis opts to attend WNBA Aces game over Raiders home opener - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/mark-davis-opts-to-attend-wnba-aces-game-over-raiders-home-opener/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/mark-davis-opts-to-attend-wnba-aces-game-over-raiders-home-opener/ |
The Giants and Panthers couldn’t find the end zone in the first half of Sunday’s game, but they both made some positive adjustments at halftime.
Daniel Jones hit rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger for a 16-yard touchdown three minutes after Baker Mayfield and DJ Moore hooked up for a passing touchdown of their own. The Giants score tied the game at 13 with just under 10 minutes to play in the third quarter.
It was the first catch of Bellinger’s career and it capped a 75-yard drive that saw Jones complete several passes for first downs. It also saw Saquon Barkley break loose for a 16-yard run after a dismal afternoon for him to that point.
The change in fortunes have livened up a drowsy crowd at MetLife Stadium and the offenses will now try to keep things rolling for the rest of the afternoon. | 2022-09-18T19:41:30Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Giants, Panthers trade TDs early in third quarter - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/giants-browns-trade-tds-early-in-third-quarter/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/giants-browns-trade-tds-early-in-third-quarter/ |
The Lions’ first win of the season looked like it was going to be easy today against the Commanders. It proved not to be easy, but they held on in the end.
Detroit had a 22-0 lead over Washington at halftime, but the Commanders came back and made it interesting, turning it into a one-possession game. But in the end a Washington missed extra point that could have cut the deficit to eight points effectively sealed the Lions’ 36-27 win.
Jared Goff had one of his best games as a Lion, completing 20 of 33 passes for 256 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Amon-Ra St. Brown was excellent, catching nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and also gaining 68 rushing yards. It was St. Brown’s eighth consecutive game with at least eight catches, tying an NFL record.
Carson Wentz got off to an ugly start for the Commanders and was constantly harassed by Lions rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, but Wentz ended up passing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. His second half was impressive, but it was not enough.
5 responses to “Lions storm to early lead, hold on late to beat Commanders”
Washington is back where they belong.
Am I happy the Lions won, yes. Am I happy with The 2nd half of play by the Lions, absolutely not. Gofful is not the answer. Not getting 3 the first qtr and going for it on 4th down could have cost them. Campbell and Gofful have a ways to go.
Should have kept the name it was fine for 100 years until Biden people got hurt
@ leftiesrule
You can call yourself whatever you want. You lost. Scoreboard. And Biden had nothing to do with the name change…..Mic dropped.
Happy for Lion’s fans here! Glimmer of hope and always great to beat the R3dskins! | 2022-09-18T20:59:54Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Lions storm to early lead, hold on late to beat Commanders - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/lions-storm-to-early-lead-hold-on-late-to-beat-commanders/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/lions-storm-to-early-lead-hold-on-late-to-beat-commanders/ |
For much of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, it looked like the headline for the Ravens was going to be a monster day for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson threw three touchdowns, including a 75-yarder to Rashod Bateman, and ran for a 79-yard touchdown as the Ravens raced out to a 35-14 lead after three quarters. The Dolphins scored four touchdowns in the final 15 minutes, however, and the headline became that the Ravens blew a huge lead en route to a 42-38 loss.
Jackson ran for 119 yards, which gives him 11 100-yard rushing games for his career. That’s a record for NFL quarterbacks, but Jackson said it meant nothing if the Ravens don’t win and that they can’t win if they don’t play the entire way.
“We just got to finish,” Jackson said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “It came down to the fourth quarter. They were putting points on the board and we wasn’t. We just got to finish when we’re up.”
The fourth quarter breakdown dropped the Ravens to 1-1 on the season and they’ll need to find a way to put together a complete game if they’re going to stack a few victories up in the coming weeks.
6 responses to “Lamar Jackson: We just have to finish”
Wink Martindale was really the problem last year? That secondary looks even worse, with better players!
I know he’s being a leader but as a football fan, it isn’t a “we” thing when it comes to Lamar and the team finishing. It’s a front office thing as the D is bad.
RunItGunIt says:
Lamar had a pretty good start too. Too bad he couldn’t deliver in the 4th quarter when it mattered.
You were outscored 28-3 in the fourth quarter…
This will stick out like a sore thumb if the Ravens miss the playoffs by one game.
I don’t know why Jackson would’ve said that; his head coach places a lot of importance in meaningless records.
When Tua lights up your defense for almost 500 yards passing it’s not in Lamar | 2022-09-18T22:53:58Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Lamar Jackson: We just have to finish - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/lamar-jackson-we-just-have-to-finish/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/lamar-jackson-we-just-have-to-finish/ |
Given the score, maybe the Falcons will be able to exorcise some demons against the Rams on Sunday.
But that feels pretty unlikely, as Los Angeles leads Atlanta 28-3 midway through the third quarter.
The Rams held a 21-3 lead at halftime and got the ball first in the third period. It didn’t take L.A. long to go down the field and extend the lead, with the team using a 10-play, 75-yard drive to get back in the end zone. Running back Cam Akers converted third-and-1 at the Atlanta 31 with a 3-yard run. Then quarterback Matthew Stafford hit receiver Cooper Kupp out of the backfield for a 10-yard TD on third-and-4.
Kupp has now started the game catching all seven of his targets for 76 yards with a pair of TDs. He had a 3-yard score at the end of the first half.
Stafford is 19-of-22 passing for 188 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. | 2022-09-18T23:04:08Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Cooper Kupp's second touchdown gives Rams 28-3 lead over Falcons - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/cooper-kupps-second-touchdown-gives-the-rams-28-3-lead-over-falcons/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/cooper-kupps-second-touchdown-gives-the-rams-28-3-lead-over-falcons/ |
Jets rookie receiver Garrett Wilson had his first NFL 100-yard game and, more importantly, his first NFL win on Sunday in his home state of Ohio. After he scored the first touchdown of his career, he let the assembled Browns fans hear it, yelling “O-H!” (The usual response is, “I-O!”)
So why did Wilson do that?
“That’s just for all of the fans there,” Wilson told PFT by phone after the 31-30 win over the Browns. “I know a lot of them watching for the previous three to four years at Ohio State and I kind of felt the love in warmups. I kind of made my mind up if I scored that I wanted to do the ‘O-H.’ That’s all that was.”
I told him it seemed like he was sending the message to one specific person or group of people in the stands. He laughed before saying he wasn’t.
“I’m really competitive and I kind of can get out of body at some times when I celebrate,” Wilson said. “I can’t say I was doing it to anyone, it was just more throw up the ‘O-H’ and talk some trash. That’s just that’s just kind of how I go about my things.”
How big of a deal was it for him to get his first career win in his home state?
“I mean this is special,” Wilson said. “The moment I’ll never forget for sure, being back in Ohio. And something I’ll definitely tell my kids about. To get a win anywhere in this league is huge but definitely adds some flare to it being back where I played college ball.”
For folks like Wilson who grew up in Columbus, it’s roughly the same distance to Cleveland and Cincinnati. So was Wilson a Browns fan or a Bengals fan? He said it was neither; he grew up cheering for the Eagles.
Wilson isn’t playing for the Eagles, but he’s wearing green. And he also explained how he got open for the game-winning touchdown pass. I’ll post an item on that one later tonight. | 2022-09-18T23:38:54Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Back in Ohio, Garrett Wilson let the Browns fans hear it - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/back-in-ohio-garrett-wilson-let-the-browns-fans-hear-it/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/back-in-ohio-garrett-wilson-let-the-browns-fans-hear-it/ |
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is continuing to show that he has an unprecedented ability to gain yardage with both his arm and his legs.
In today’s loss to the Dolphins, Jackson had 318 passing yards and 119 rushing yards, for the 13th double-triple of his career.
A double-triple is when a player records triple-digit yardage in two different statistical categories. Jackson has now done it 11 times in the regular season and twice in the postseason. No one in NFL history has come close to Jackson’s record on double-triples.
Michael Vick has the second-most double-triples in NFL history, with eight. And Vick played in 149 games in his career to record those eight double-triples. Jackson’s 13th double-triple came in his 63rd career game.
Jackson, who is just 25 years old, may finish his career with dozens of double-triples. He’s playing the game like no one ever has in NFL history.
2 responses to “Lamar Jackson records 13th career double-triple with 318 passing yards, 119 rushing yards”
And yet they still lost
unctarheel97 says:
A lot of people joke about him being a RB but he was making some great throws today. | 2022-09-19T00:45:24Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Lamar Jackson records 13th career double-triple with 318 passing yards, 119 rushing yards - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/lamar-jackson-records-13th-career-double-triple-with-318-passing-yards-119-rushing-yards/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/lamar-jackson-records-13th-career-double-triple-with-318-passing-yards-119-rushing-yards/ |
Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s comments about taking receipts of those mocking his team drew a lot of attention this week and there were a lot more waiting for the coach when the Browns went up 30-17 with a couple of minutes left to play in Sunday’s game.
Thanks to an improbable comeback, Saleh won’t have to worry about reading any of them. Joe Flacco hit Corey Davis for a 66-yard touchdown with just over a minute to play and then hooked up with rookie Garrett Wilson for another score after the Jets recovered an onside kick. Jets safety Ashtyn Davis then clinched the win by picking off a Jacoby Brissett pass with seconds left on the clock.
It’s the first time a team has come back to win after being down 13 points in the last two minutes since 2001 — teams had 2,229 straight losses in that situation — and Saleh praised his team’s resolve during his postgame press conference.
“We’re off the schneid,” Saleh said, via the team’s website. “I love the way this feels. You’ve got to find a way to stack ’em up. There’s a lot of stuff we’ve got to clean up. But I’m just proud of the guys because we didn’t quit. And that’s probably the biggest thing I’ll take away from it.”
The Jets will try keep things rolling against the 0-2 Bengals next weekend. | 2022-09-19T00:45:36Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Robert Saleh: I'm proud we didn't quit - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/robert-saleh-im-proud-we-didnt-quit/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/robert-saleh-im-proud-we-didnt-quit/ |
Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans isn’t worried about being suspended after being ejected on Sunday, due to his latest tussle with Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Perhaps Evans should be.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL will indeed consider suspensions for Evans and Lattimore, given their history of extracurricular activities.
The history is the key. Evans believes that the fact he wasn’t suspended for past incidents with Lattimore means he won’t be suspended now. “It was terrible in 2017,” Evans said after today’s game. “I didn’t even get ejected [then], and that was really a cheap shot. This wasn’t. He punched my teammate in the face, and I just pushed him to the ground.”
But that incident coupled, with prior issues culminating in the latest incident, sets both players up for a potential suspension. Here’s a look at all of the various incidents of Evans vs. Lattimore.
The league also will take into account how close the game came to being out of control, due to the behavior of Evans and Lattimore.
The league will take up the question of whether a suspension of either or both player is required on Monday. If there’s a suspension of either player (or both), there most definitely will be an appeal.
Next Sunday, the Buccaneers host the Packers and the Saints visit the Panthers.
7 responses to “History between Mike Evans, Marshon Lattimore increases chance of suspension”
If I were him then I’d worried about a suspension, especially considering history. I’m glad to see some bad blood in the NFL though. That’s how it used to be.
Cheap shot from the back after running from sidelines. If not for that, what for? Tearing off two opponents’ helmets?
An unbiased opinion,… if anyone deserves a suspension,…I’d say it’s Evans. He’s the one who came flying out of nowhere and blasted Lattimore.
Lattimore and Brady were beefing. Brady wasn’t threatened in any way.
sfsaintsfan says:
After the play was over, Tom Brady ran down field 20 yards and was jawing at Lattimore and said something like F you B…..then Lattimore says something back at Brady. Then Fournette cheap shots Lattimore, Lattimore shoves him back…… Well, while all this was going on, very soon after, Bruce Ariens was very nearby on the sideline and he tells Mike Evans…”get out there Mike” and Evans runs in FROM THE SIDELINE and cheap shots and hits Lattimore. Lattimore swings back at him. This was ALL instigated by Brady and Ariens to get Lattimore tossed from the game because they KNEW the Refs would do what THEY wanted. Lattimore was attacked by a player sent FROM THE SIDELINE on a specific mission to “get out there” and get in a fight with Lattimore. He was ORDERED by a team executive to go out there and fight.
If you are curious, you can find the video and read the lips of Ariens. They are clear as day….”get out there Mike”…. The NFL is a JOKE!
Suspend them please. There is no place in the game for this and they can indeed control their tempers. Allowing it to happen is what has got us to where we are. As Evans stated.
Lattimore should probably stop. He gets his rear end kicked every time he acts out.
was odd how the saints heads then fell off after all this went on when they were in control beforehand | 2022-09-19T01:57:54Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | History between Mike Evans, Marshon Lattimore increases chance of suspension - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/history-between-mike-evans-marshon-lattimore-increases-chance-of-suspension/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/history-between-mike-evans-marshon-lattimore-increases-chance-of-suspension/ |
Hackett brushed off the boo birds.
“I would be booing myself,” he told reporters after the 16-9 win. “I was getting very frustrated. We get down to the red zone two times. Don’t get another touchdown, which is unbelievably frustrating. I don’t think we have scored in there yet. That’s something that all of our guys have to step it up. Whether we run the ball more, whatever we’re doing, we just have to execute at a higher level.”
They also need to get the plays in faster. Quarterback Russell Wilson was asked whether he’s ever heard the fans count down the play clock, like they were on Sunday.
Wilson didn’t address the reason for the counting. Through two games, it’s taking too long to get things going. Hackett was asked whether calling plays is more of a job then he expected it would be.
“No, I think there’s definitely some things that go on once you get down to that unique area,” Hackett said. “I think I just need to be sure I clean up exactly what I’m hearing, where I’m going with, and make sure I’m on the same page for Russ. I think that will make us more efficient . . . .”
They need to become more efficient, quickly. They need to get the plays in more quickly, quickly. Few if any teams have those issues. When one does, it becomes glaring. In a very bad way.
3 responses to “Nathaniel Hackett brushes off boo birds: “I would be booing myself””
A week after finding the most expensive way to lose to Geno Smith, the Broncos find the most expensive way to score 16 points (1 TD!) against the Texans.
Last season, Denver started 3-0 and averaged 25 points a game in that stretch. Maybe next week, they’ll find the most expensive way to start 2-1.
He’s been bad on gameday so far but this was a good answer.
Get better and keep the good attitude.
flittle44 says:
This was not booing because fans’ expectations for the Broncos were too high. You would know this if you watched the game. The team was out of time outs at the beginning of the 4th quarter because it spent one to prevent yet another delay of game penalty (that’s why the fans were counting down, not because it was “taking a long time to get of plays” (paraphrase). They were sick of the penalties and screwed up plays because the clock is at 0 because of the obvious disorganization. It happened during offensive plays; it happened on a field goal attempt. The team was out of time outs because it used its last one because it didn’t send out a punt returner on a punt. I mean, this is a comedy of errors and Hackett is showing that he is in way over his head. In 50 years of watching football, I’ve never seen anything like it. But hey, the ’62 Mets were lovable for a reason. If this keeps up, this team has a chance to reach those depths. | 2022-09-19T03:56:25Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Nathaniel Hackett brushes off boo birds: "I would be booing myself" - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/nathaniel-hackett-brushes-off-boo-birds-i-would-be-booing-myself/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/18/nathaniel-hackett-brushes-off-boo-birds-i-would-be-booing-myself/ |
FMIA Week 2: Mike McDaniel’s ‘F— You’ Play Powers Dolphins’ Comeback and How 49ers Adjust Without Trey Lance
Then the “F-it” play happened.
The Lead: Dolphins
49ers' cruel reality
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Cornerback Jamel Dean, in Tampa’s bitterly fought 20-10 win in New Orleans, changed the game. While the Bucs get up to speed offensively — no sideline Tablet is safe until the Bucs start averaging more than the 19.5 points a game they’ve put up in the first two weeks — they’ll have to survive with a defense that’s started red-hot. Sunday’s hero was Dean, the fourth-year corner whose two fourth-quarter interceptions led to 10 Tampa Bay points and broke open a 3-3 game.
This was a slugfest, as usual, between two teams that hate each other the way the Steelers used to hate the Ravens back in the day. “Oh my God,” Dean said from the Bucs’ locker room, “this is always a heavyweight fight.” It really was a fight in the fourth quarter, when three plays before Dean’s first pick, Tom Brady started jawing with Saints corner Marshon Lattimore, shoving ensued, and Bucs receiver Mike Evans flew into the fray and blasted Lattimore.
The outcome — not of the fight, but of the game — might have been bigger than just one game. Credit Jameis Winston for playing with four fractured back vertebrae, per Jay Glazer, but his play late isn’t going to give the Saints the kind of confidence they’d like to have to dethrone Tampa in the NFC South. His two picks in the fourth quarter both came on the Bucs’ side of midfield. “That first one,” said Dean of his end-zone pick, “I knew I had to get it. If I don’t, that could be a touchdown. I’d rather not give up a touchdown.” Understandable. Winston’s got to avoid the turnovers if the Saints have a shot to play deep into January, and that’s always been a challenge for him. For the Bucs, turnovers by Brady aren’t the issue. The leaky offensive line is, and the schedule. Next for Tampa: Green Bay and Kansas City, both at home.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who led the Jags’ stunning 24-0 shutout of Indianapolis, wasn’t really the national story Sunday; the Colts’ continuing and confounding incompetence in north Florida was. But Jacksonville, depending on the outcome of 0-1 Tennessee’s game in Buffalo tonight, will exit week two either alone or tied for first in the AFC South. And the continuing development of Lawrence (25 of 30, 235 yards, two TDs, no turnovers) was a big reason why.
“What’s the throw you’re most proud of today?” I asked him Sunday evening.
He thought for a moment and said, “It was a simple one. I think it was just a three- or four-yard gain. But I chucked it out to James Robinson, maybe made it second-and-six or whatever.”
Actually, it came on the first series of the third quarter. On second-and-12 from midfield, he dumped it to Robinson for a gain of four. Then he threw an incompletion, and Jacksonville punted.
That was a highlight play?
“Our plan was to take what the defense gave us, whether that’s five, seven yards a throw, whatever it was,” he said. “Really, we were able to do that the whole game and run the ball effectively and control the clock. I think that’s just a good lesson in general for us moving forward — instead of trying to force a ball in a tight window that wasn’t really there and keeping my eyes downfield for too long and throwing it away, make the play that’s there. That’s the next step I’ve been trying to take is just being really smart with the ball, knowing where my outlets are.”
Lawrence seems happier with coach Doug Pederson than he was with the Urban Meyer regime. “I think we’re really similar personality-wise,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know him and then on the football field he’s a really smart coach. His approach is great and it’s been awesome for our team.” Add in two strong edge players, Josh Allen and first overall pick Travon Walker, and Lawrence can afford to play patient and smart. He knows he won’t have to score in the thirties to win most weeks.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, with 116 yards receiving and 68 yards rushing, continued to make a huge mark on the NFL in Detroit’s 36-27 win over Washington. A smooth route-runner with excellent hands, St. Brown has the Justin Jefferson-like ability to find a way to be open enough; even when the defense knows he’s going to be targeted 10 or 12 times every game, he finds enough space to make play after play. In the last eight Lions’ games, Detroit’s a surprising 4-4, and look at the production St. Brown has in catches in those eight games: 10, 8, 8, 9, 8, 8, 8 and 9 receptions.
Nineteen games and 107 catches into his NFL career, he’s off to a great start.
A screed now, on instant replay. I’ve always been a huge proponent of being able to correct obvious, clear and indisputable mistakes by officials on the field. But I’m really bothered by the current system of replay, because correcting obvious, clear and indisputable mistakes is not what the system does now.
I think instant replay overreaches. If you have NFL+, you can judge two plays early in the season for yourself. That’s how I looked at a catch by Detroit tight end T.J. Hockenson that was confirmed after review in Week One and an interception by Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., that was overturned in Week Two after review. The two plays:
Hockenson, in the Philadelphia-Detroit game, dove for a Jared Goff pass on the last play of the third quarter against Philadelphia. Replay showed the ball completely out of his hands as he fell earthward, and then he grabbed it and attempted to secure it as he hit the ground. The nose of the ball hit the turf, Hockenson hit the turf, his hands appeared to move down the football as he secured it on the ground. Coach Nick Sirianni challenged. The catch was confirmed by Walt Anderson in the New York officiating command center.
Samuel, in the Chargers-Kansas City game Thursday night, bobbled and lost and re-caught an interception as he fell to the ground in the third quarter. It was ruled an interception on the field. Replay showed the ball in Samuel’s grasp as both the player and ball hit the ground, and it appeared the ball may have hit the ground and was not totally secure as it did so. “Appeared” being the operative word there. It did not look conclusive to me. The call was overturned by Anderson.
I do not know how the Hockenson play stands and the Samuel play does not. That’s the problem that I see: These two plays were tremendously similar — in each case, they’re so close and could have been ruled either way on the field. In each case, I believe, each should have been upheld because they didn’t pass the “clear and obvious” standard to be overturned. If you had 100 non-partisan people watch the two plays, there’s no way either would have been 100-0 to keep or overturn, and there’s no way it would have been 90-10, and probably not even 80-20 either way.
The NFL has lost its way on replay. As former vice president of officiating Mike Pereira, now a FOX rules analyst, told me: “We’ve been micromanaging replay for years, and this is what’s resulted. We’re reviewing and reversing plays where half the viewers would reverse and half wouldn’t. We all knew that technology improved and clarity of the video improved that we would overuse the system. So I’m not a fan of where we are on replay.”
Nor am I. I still favor replay, used correctly, because we don’t want games decided on egregiously incorrect calls. The league needs to re-familiarize itself—Anderson in particular—with the definition of clear, obvious and indisputable, before it’s too late and owners and coaches get fed up with a system that all too often is capricious.
This season, FMIA has partnered with Next Gen Stats, the league’s new generation of advanced metrics and statistic, with data collected from 250 tracking devices per game on players, officials, pylons and footballs. Each week, I’ll use NGS to help tell a deeper story or stories about the games that week.
Today: How Patrick Mahomes is adjusting without Tyreek Hill.
Pretty well, so far. There is no disputing how dominant Hill can be and has been in the first two weeks for Miami. But Kansas City has been borderline explosive without him. Mahomes is a league-best plus-seven in TD-to-interception ratio (7-0). He also is the early league leader — and ahead of his career bests — in passer rating (127.9) and yards-per-attempt (9.9), with 73 percent accuracy.
With the speedy Hill last year, KC receivers averaged 11.0 yards per catch. Without Hill and with a cadre of four new receivers this year, KC receivers are averaging 11.0 yards per catch.
Next Gen Stats make Mahomes’ first two weeks even more impressive, particularly when you consider he’s getting pressured far more this season so far.
Mahomes is throwing quicker than last year, getting blitzed at a much higher rate, and is more accurate. It’s almost like he likes being rushed—in part, of course, because with fewer bodies in coverage, he has a better chance to find a receiver quicker.
Look at the air yards numbers. Air yards is how far past the line of scrimmage each Mahomes pass travels, on average. It’s actually slightly further this year, per NGS, than last year when Hill was stretching defenses for Mahomes.
What’s most impressive about this chart? Mahomes has had to get familiar with four new receivers to the team this year — JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson and Skyy Moore. Those four receivers have averaged nine catches for 112 yards in the two games so far.
Watson’s 41-yard touchdown that got KC back in the game Thursday night was an outlier, but a classic football play. Mahomes had what for him was an otherworldly time to throw — 3.84 seconds. The Chargers blitzed, sending linebacker Drue Tranquill up the A gap (over the center, essentially) and running back Jerick McKinnon stone Tranquill—giving Mahomes the extra second to find, throw and lead Watson for the touchdown.
Next Gen Stats has one more gem about Mahomes, and one more reason why the blitz is simply not a smart move when playing defense on him. Since 2018, when Mahomes became Kansas City’s full-time starter, he’s faced the lowest blitz rate of the 49 quarterbacks with at least 500 attempts since then — just 19.0 percent of his pass attempts.
The compelling part, per Next Gen: Mahomes, since opening day 2018, has thrown three interceptions versus the blitz. But when rushed by four or fewer defenders, he has thrown 33 interceptions. When defensive coordinators who love to send pressure face Kansas City, they’d be wise to dial back their gameplans and keep seven men back. If not, chances are Mahomes will shred them.
Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, on the physical test of playing Thursday night football on the road after playing on Sunday.
I talked to Ekeler last Tuesday night, exactly 48 hours before he’d take the field in Kansas City.
“The body definitely hurts. We all have different hardships that we have to go through in our lives. For us in the NFL season, injury, just trying to stay healthy, is a trial. As of now, I’m sitting here, my shoulders are still sore. My hip is still sore. My quads are still sore from getting hit. Usually takes three or four days to actually heal up and I can get a good lift and I can feel like ‘OK, I’m ready to play again.’ Then we have a little bit more time after that. But this week, right as soon as the [Sunday] game ends, after the game immediately we bring all of our dry needling, all of our massage, all of the cold tub, hot tub, trainers, we’re already starting treatment immediately when the game ends. Coach passed out some game balls in the locker room. Then straight to treatment because we’re trying to get a jump start. But one thing that we can’t obviously make up is the time that it takes.
“So I get in the shower, then I’m going straight to the recovery room. I’ll go put these NormaTec [compression] pants on my legs. They’re squeezing blood out of my legs right so I can get new flush in there. Just trying to keep down inflammation and let new blood come in there, nutrients and things like that. Also jumping in the ice bath as well to continue to keep this blood circulating.
“Monday morning, I started to feel my shoulders. I didn’t know my shoulders were this sore after the game. My hip didn’t hurt after the game either until I got home and then it started stiffening up on me. Then the next morning, I wake up like, ‘OK, yeah, that’s definitely sore.’”
How ready will you be to play a football game Thursday night?
“You’ll see 100 percent of what I got left. I’ll definitely have some sore spots. See what’s going on with this hip. Just right on the bone. That’ll probably still be sore. That might even still be sore for a whole week. It’s a violent game we play. But yeah, I would say pretty close to 100 percent because we’re still just in week two.
“Amazon wanted us for their first primetime game, so we’ll go out and give ‘em a show.”
Ekeler led all Chargers with 23 touches from scrimmage for 94 yards in the 27-24 Kansas City win.
“Division opponent, crowd all jacked up, the adrenalin, I felt 100 percent at the start of the game,” Ekeler said Saturday. “What I’ve found is the adrenalin makes you not feel any pain in a place like that. At the end of the game and the next day, I felt it. My neck is sore. My lower back is sore — took a helmet to the back. Quads are sore. But it’s normal soreness for this game. A normal person might be saying, ‘Whoa, this hurts.’ But I’m a football player. I actually feel pretty good.”
The Awards Section
Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, Miami. In a performance that would make Dan Marino jealous, Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes in the last 13 minutes in Baltimore — not against a JV defense — to lift Miami to a shocking 42-38 comeback victory over the Ravens. He completed 72 percent of his throws for 469 yards, six TDs and two picks in one of the greatest performances in the history of a proud franchise.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, wide receiver, Detroit. If the first two weeks of the season have catapulted one player to stardom above any other, it’s St. Brown, the 112th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He caught nine balls for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the win against Washington and added 58- and 10-yard runs for a 184-yard day. These are not your father’s, uncle’s or grandfather’s Lions. They’ve scored 71 points in two games, and as St. Brown told me postgame, “We will compete like no other team in the league.”
Kyler Murray, quarterback, Arizona. I clocked it: Murray scrambled/ran/survived for 20.87 seconds on a two-point conversion run in the fourth quarter to keep the Cardinals in the game and trailing 23-15. That’s one of the most amazing plays I’ve ever seen a quarterback make. Then, over the last 4:43 of the game, he led Arizona on an 18-play, 73-yard drive, finishing with a three-yard TD run and a two-point conversion pass to force overtime. And the Cards won in overtime on the Byron Murphy scoop and score. After three quarters, Arizona trailed 23-7 and it looked like the mega-heat would be on Kliff Kingsbury and Murray this week for an 0-2 start. But all is right with the world. The Cardinals are a frenetic 1-1 with some hope.
Joe Flacco, quarterback, New York Jets. The football world, and Jets’ fandom, rolled eyes at the 37-year-old Flacco starting in place of Zach Wilson till the kid’s ready to return from a knee injury. And when he couldn’t escape Myles Garrett for most of Sunday, the negativity intensified. Then Flacco led two road TD drives in the last two minutes, making the Jets the first team to overcome a 13-point deficit inside the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter to win an NFL game since 2001. Good for the steely Flacco, who never blinked down the stretch of a game no one gave the Jets a chance to win.
Jamel Dean, cornerback, Tampa Bay. His two fourth-quarter interceptions won the game for Tampa Bay, breaking a four-game regular-season losing streak against the Saints. Dean picked off Jameis Winston with 12 minutes left in a 3-3 game, leading to the go-ahead touchdown, and he picked off Winston again with seven minutes left, leading to an insurance field goal. On a day when the Tampa offense sputtered for the second straight week, the defense, and Dean, picked the Bucs up.
Jaylen Watson, cornerback, Kansas City. Imagine being a rookie, the 243rd pick in the draft, the 36th corner picked in the draft, in your second game in the NFL, and veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has you on the field with 11 minutes to go, 17-17 game, Justin Herbert with the ball at the KC three-, and he takes the snap, and he’s staring your way. That’s what Watson was faced with Thursday night, game on the line. Turns out tight end Gerald Everett was supposed to come back for the ball on a short curl route, but either he was too exhausted to do so or just ran the wrong route. Either way, Watson jumped the route at the KC one-yard line and returned it for the touchdown that turned the tide in the game. Not bad for a guy who had to work at Wendy’s during the 2019 football season, out of college because of academic trouble and rekindled his career at Washington State in 2020 and ’21.
Aidan Hutchinson, defensive end, Detroit. After a quiet first week, Hutchinson made his presence felt early in the win over Washington. On Washington’s first, fifth and seventh possessions, all in the first half, he had a sack that either forced a punt or soon led to a punt. When a foe has 13 drives (except one kneel-down drive) and one player terminates three of them, that’s a very good day for the player.
Micah Parsons, edge rusher, Dallas. Two sacks, five hits of Joe Burrow, and a commanding presence in a game the Dak Prescott-less Cowboys desperately needed, and got. Parsons is the kind of player who affects the game the way Lawrence Taylor once did.
Devin Duvernay, kick-returner, Baltimore. His 103-yard kickoff return for touchdown on the first play of the Dolphins-Ravens game was remarkable for its speed and for the hopelessness of the Miami defenders. They never had a chance. Not bad for Duvernay, the 92nd pick in the 2020 draft who has far outplayed his draft slot.
Mike McDaniel, head coach, Miami. Lots of candidates in this crazy, crazy week. But McDaniel told his team at halftime he loved having adversity, and he loved coaching these players, and they should love the game even when adversity strikes. And, yes, it does help to have Tua Tagovailoa throwing to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. But he has built in short order a rapport with the quarterback and the team that allows them to think it’s not over when they’re down by three touchdowns with 12 minutes to go. And it wasn’t.
Gunner Olszewski, punt-returner, Pittsburgh. The former Patriot said to New England media the other day: “Playing the old team, the team that didn’t want you, sure I want to go out there and show what I can do.” Late in the third quarter at Heinz Field, with the Patriots holding a 10-6 lead, Olszewski did. The Patriots’ punt hit Olszewski in the facemask, New England recovered, and scored to go up 17-6. That was a huge play in New England’s 17-14 win.
Cade York, kicker, Cleveland. Hero in his first NFL game last week (58-yard winning field goal at Carolina), goat in his second. The rookie from LSU got a clean snap and clean hold on a PAT with 1:55 left — and pushed it right. The kick kept the Cleveland lead at 13 points, and the Jets rallied to win, 31-30.
The Colts. They just aren’t that good. Of all the games of the Ballard-Reich Era, Sunday’s 24-0 loss at Jacksonville is the most embarrassing.
Patrick Ricard, fullback/defensive lineman, Baltimore. One of the game’s unique players made one of the plays of the early season. On a first-half Lamar Jackson scramble, Ricard, a blocking back anytime the Ravens get near the goal line, erased linebacker Elandon Roberts, then got further downfield to block Eric Rowe on the same Jackson run. Pretty amazing play by Ricard — even if it came in a shocking loss like Sunday’s 42-38 Miami defeat.
A weekly award honoring the late Miami Dolphins community relations executive for his selfless service to the south Florida community. Send nominations to peterkingfmia@gmail.com.
Terry McLaurin, wide receiver, Washington. He founded the Terry McLaurin Foundation last week, hosting scores of underserved children from the District of Columbia and children and mentors from Big Brothers Big Sisters at FedEx Field. Each child got a pair of shoes, while foster parents and Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors got grocery gift cards from the foundation.
It’s a haunting moment for anyone on the football field.
— 49ers tackle Mike McGlinchey, on the severe ankle injury to QB Trey Lance that will end his season.
Sorry for breaking that tablet. I think that’s gonna be another Twitter meme.
— Tom Brady, after the win in New Orleans and after the Tablet destruction on the sidelines of the Superdome, on Instagram.
It’s a long season. We’ll take our medicine for the pathetic performance today, coaches and players.
— Colts coach Frank Reich, after the 24-0 loss in Jacksonville.
Obviously that’s an emotional one, and we’re freaking out.
— Jets QB Joe Flacco, to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS on the field after the Jets beat Cleveland 31-30.
The Colts have entered the fourth quarter of [their two games this year] trailing by a combined 44-3.
— Zak Keefer of The Athletic.
Jacksonville is 5-30 since the start of the 2020 season…0-17 on the road.
Highlights (or, in the case of the Colts, lowlights) in that 35-game Jaguars span:
While the Jags are 5-30 since opening day 2020, Indy is 20-14-1.
Since opening day 2020, Jags are 3-2 against Indianapolis, 2-28 against everyone else.
Jags QBs (Minshew, Lawrence) in the three wins over the Colts: seven TD passes, zero interceptions, 127.2 rating.
Colts QBs (Rivers, Wentz, Ryan) in the three losses: two touchdown passes, six interceptions, 68.9 rating.
On the day of the last Colts’ victory over the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Odell Beckham Jr., made the catch of his life, the one-hander in the end zone on Sunday Night Football for the Giants that made him famous.
Since opening day 2021, Dak Prescott is 11-7 with a 99.5 passer rating, and Cooper Rush is 2-0 with a 93.63 rating.
I’m just saying.
Tackle David Bakhtiari, 30, signed a four-year extension worth $92 million late in the 2020 season. Of the Packers’ last 20 games, Bakhtiari has missed 19 with a knee injury.
Domonique Foxworth, an ESPN analyst, once played for the Ravens, so he should know.
Tom Brady is going to get a strongly worded memo from the Buccaneers' IT department about proper usage of company devices. https://t.co/E8gSA0chEB
Michael David Smith is the managing editor of ProFootballTalk.
Stephen Holder, Tweeting in the first half of another Indy meltdown in Jacksonville, covers the Colts for ESPN.com.
This a wait-for-Irsay day outside the locker room.
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) September 18, 2022
Longtime Colts beat writer, now a college prof, as the Colts were trailing 24-0 in the fourth quarter to their nemesis of all nemeses, Jacksonville.
Fun fact: Ezekiel Elliott’s $18.2M 2022 cap hit is over $2.5M more than any other team’s total RB cap hit combined https://t.co/vq5qwP2Jlb
Brad Spielberger is Pro Football Focus’ salary cap analyst.
That is not just a fun fact. It’s a grotesque fact.
NEW YORK CITY! pic.twitter.com/eCdgrMp1XK
Ken Olin is an actor, producer and director.
Julian Edelman, Tweeting as Justin Herbert played hurt Thursday night, is the former New England Super Bowl champion.
The Russell Wilson treatment.From Jean Hermlin, of Paris: “Re Russell Wilson: It’s pretty obvious there is a lot of animosity from guys who were former leaders on the team towards him. Why do you think that is the case and have you ever seen anything like it? Mike Sando of The Athletic detailed how several players who had been staying away from the team (Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch) are now more actively involved, and now we have this quote of Pete Carroll saying, ‘As much as anything, it was representing the guys that played before, it meant a lot to those guys.’
Obviously, I don’t know the dynamics behind the scenes on other teams (or this one, really), but I’ve never had the feeling anything remotely close was happening with the Bradys, Mannings, Breeses of the world.”
The reaction of the fans in Seattle shocked me, Jean. I understand booing a guy through the course of the game; no venue in sports today is as influential as Seattle’s home field, and the fans showed that for four quarterbacks. But I do not understand booing the quarterback of the team for the most glorious decade in franchise history during the pregame as well. As I wrote last week, the Seahawks in the 10 years before Wilson arrived made the playoffs three times and were a combined two games over .500; the Seahawks in Wilson’s 10 years made the playoffs eight times and were 51 games over .500. True — many veterans, particularly on defense, found Wilson to be a little bit of a goody-two-shoes whose fame overshadowed a great defense. Maybe it’s because I’m older now, and I wish so often that fans would be classier, and it’s possible to be classy and intensely loyal at the same time. But I didn’t like the whole of what I saw last Monday.
Easy for me to say Chicago should have a dome — I don’t have to sit in bad weather. From Anthony Elms, of Omaha: “You wrote, ‘Imagine the moments in Bears history we’d have missed with a stupid dome.’ And how many of those five moments were you sitting out in that horrendous weather for? I love it when someone who won’t be personally affected advocates for someone else to deal with more hardship.”
“Hardship?” I was in the Soldier Field press box the day of the Sean Landeta whiffed punt in 1985, with the Bears on the way to winning the Super Bowl, and I doubt you’d find many in the stands that day complaining about sitting in the cold. I was in the stands for none of the games I mentioned. The point is, though, what do Bears fans think? I’d be curious to see a poll of long-time Bears’ season-ticket holders on the topic. In fact, I ask Bears’ ticket-holders right here and now: If a new stadium is built for the Bears, would you prefer:
1. Open-air stadium.
2. Stadium with a retractable roof.
3. Stadium with a permanent dome.
Send votes/responses to me at peterkingfmia@gmail.com this week. Put “Bears dome” in the subject line. Thanks. And thanks for your note, Anthony. Maybe a vast majority of Bears’ fans would like it to be 72 degrees and condition-less for every game. I doubt it, but we’ll see.
On my story about a loud F-you guy at Yankee Stadium. From Jonathan Manz, of Portland, Ore.: “Love your column. You’re right, comments like the one you heard at the Yankees-Twins game have no room in sports. To send the right message, I would like to see more professional athletes high five or shake the hands of their opponents after games – just like we were taught in Little League. That would help at least send the right message to the fans.”
That’s a great idea, actually. Thanks, Jonathan.
People have a lot of opinions about the Hall of Fame. From Jaxon Ombach: “Your comment that ‘Voters for the Hall of Fame should not be in the morals-judging business, they should be in the football-judging business’ has really not sat well with me. Career stats should play heavily into the decision making of whether someone is Hall of Fame-worthy player. I think it is important to judge their character at the same time. In the world we live in today, it is not enough for anyone to just be good at a sport, or a job, but to be a good person as well.”
You’ve got a lot of backing from other fans and emailers, Jaxon. But the Hall of Fame would have to change the longstanding bylaws of the election process for that to happen. Per the bylaws: “The only criteria for election to the Hall of Fame are a nominee’s achievements and contributions (positive or negative) as a player, coach or contributors to professional football in the United States of America.” The reason I don’t want to get involved in the personality/citizenship side of this is that I don’t want to judge how much morals or off-the-field life should mean to a football person’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame. It’s not the way Hall selections have been made for the first 59 years of the place.
Take a stand, King. From Eric Wojsik: “Hiding behind the Hall of Fame rules to only consider what a player does on the field is cowardly, if not hypocritical. As you asked, should a player or coach be disqualified for domestic abuse? I don’t know; I’m not a HOF voter, but I do know such behavior must at least be considered along with every other nuance of a candidate’s career, peers, and era. If you chose to, Mr. King, you could take a stand to show such abhorrent behavior does not get a free pass for one of the highest honors in the game simply because one is a spectacular player, coach, or owner.”
I agree with the bylaws; I don’t want to be the morality police. Do you want 49 sportswriters/sportscasters/retired players sitting in judgment of all aspects of the lives of players and coaches and owners? If the Hall wants to change the bylaws after six decades of voting on football factors only, that’s the right of the institution, but I’ve never once, in 30 years on the committee, heard a voter or Hall executive say or imply, “We should include every aspect of a person’s life — citizenship, public service, possible military service, criminal record — when we discuss Hall of Fame candidacies.” If that makes me a coward in your eyes, so be it.
Educate thyself on Monarchy funding. From Jason Williams, of London: “I just wanted to inform you that the Royal Family gets what’s called a sovereign grant each year that is voted on in parliament. The grant last year was 86 million pounds, which equates to £1.29 per person in the country. The last report I could find stated that in 2017 the Royal Family uplifted the economy by £1.7 billion due to tourists, visitors etc.”
Good information. Thanks, Jason.
1. I think that gigantic elf at midfield of the Browns stadium looks downright bizarre and, quite frankly, idiotic.
2. I think I listen to a lot of Andrew Siciliano and Scott Hanson on the two NFL red zone channels (except yesterday with Siciliano, because the DirecTV was out in my house and on my laptop), and I can tell you on all the Sundays I’ve ever listened to either, I heard the strangest sentence on Sunday. This was the explanation from Hanson about why there is a 40-foot-by-30-foot Brownie the Elf logo on the field: “Per Scottish folklore, from hundreds of years ago, apparently the elf pops up in your home and helps you do chores.”
3. I think there will be a chorus of “it’s way too early for that,” and I understand that sentiment. But is Kenny Pickett warming up in the bullpen yet? The Trubisky-led offense has put up 30 points in nine offensive quarters (almost nine; there was an OT last week in Cincinnati), and 255 offensive yards per game won’t cut it long-term.
4. I think I’ll have more to say about my Amazon experience next week (I wanted to give the pregame and game crews a couple of weeks before saying much), but I was impressed with the picture quality on both my laptop and smartphone. I know some TV users had buffering issues, but none of that with the smaller screens, at least for me. This week, I’m going to take some time watching the alternate ‘cast.
5. I think I thought I was a Jimmy-Johnsonologist and knew pretty much everything about his NFL life. But as part of an NFL Icons series on EPIX, there’s a Jimmy Johnson documentary airing Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, with a fresh interview plus lots of stuff from the hallowed archives of NFL Films. It’s hosted by Rich Eisen. Great line in there from Johnson about great franchises: “The downfall of every organization is you start fighting over who gets the credit.” And there’s this nugget that I never heard:
Johnson: “A lot of people look at our franchise and they say, ‘Well, the Herschel Walker trade made this franchise.’ Well, people don’t understand that we had fifty-one trades in the five-year period there. Fifty-one trades, that was more than the entire rest of the league put together.”
(It wasn’t, but 51 is a lot of trades.)
Eisen: “Johnson nearly had fifty-two trades. In 1992, he tried to negotiate a deal with his former offensive coordinator David Shula, who had just been named head coach of the Bengals.”
Johnson: “We had a defensive back that was a decent player, but we were going to release him, and I didn’t want him to go to one of our opponents. And so David Shula was at Cincinnati. I said, ‘David,’ I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a defensive back, pretty good player can help you if you want to make a trade.’ He said, ‘Well, what do you want for him?’ I said, ‘You know, you can give me a case of beer.’ He said, ‘What?’ And I said, ‘Hey, you don’t even have to give me a case of beer. You can buy me a drink at the convention or something.’ So he called back, and he says, ‘Uh, Jimmy, I’m sorry, we can’t make the trade.’ I said, ‘What!’ Everybody was skeptical of me after the Herschel Walker trade. They thought I was trying to pull the wool over their eyes.”
6. I think it’s downright weird to see the Bucs 2-0 and Tom Brady with 402 passing yards.
7. I think it’s never a good sign anytime you ask someone this question about a business deal: “Is there anyway [sic] the media can find out where it came from and how much?”
The excellent reporting of Mississippi Today’s Anna Wolfe unearthed that text message — it’s what Brett Favre asked the head of an agency that collected and allocated millions of dollars in state welfare funds, as he was allegedly angling to get money from the state to help Southern Miss build a volleyball facility. (Favre’s daughter, Breleigh, played volleyball there.)
Now, Mississippi is the poorest state in the country, with per capita income of about $22,000 per adult. World Population Review said earlier this year that 18.8 percent of state residents live in poverty, with an alarming 27.9 percent of children below the poverty line. So anyone knowingly using state welfare funds for a pet project like this volleyball facility would be subject to prosecution — never mind that Favre made $141 million in his NFL career. He claims he did not know the funds he was seeking came from state welfare coffers. In time, we’ll learn whether that is true, because a civil lawsuit in Mississippi seeks to plumb the depths into the murky state welfare agencies. The governor at the time, Phil Bryant, and others including Favre are under fire for channeling $5 million in state welfare funds toward the volleyball project.
Wolfe’s reporting makes Bryant sound like a Favre fanboy. Imagine the athletic director of Southern Miss pushing for upwards of $5 million for a standalone volleyball facility in a state that’s so poor. Hard to believe Bryant would have spent so much time and energy on such a project unless Favre, the greatest athlete in state history, was pushing it. Mississippi Today asked Favre in 2020 if he’d discussed the volleyball facility with the governor and he said, “No.” This, despite the uncovering of evidence by Wolfe of multiple meetings of Favre and Bryant discussing the facility—and the governor even advising Favre on how to word a proposal to get the money so funding for the facility could pass muster through the state.
It looks bad for the former governor and for Favre. Morally, Favre already looks very bad. Legally, if it’s proven that Favre knowingly used a very poor system to bankroll a pet project, it’s going to be much worse for him, and justifiably so.
8. I think this is now ancient history, but here’s the overriding point about Nathaniel Hackett choosing to try a 64-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-five from the Seattle 46-yard line last Monday: I hope Hackett has learned from this, but I’m not so sure he has. Although he said a day later, “We definitely should have gone for it,” he also reiterated that the team “had a plan” to get to the 46- and then try the field goal. “We said 46-yard-line was where we wanted to be,” he said. To still be saying that a day after is just crazy to me. Who wants to get in position to kick a 64-yard field goal in anything other than absolute desperation with zero other alternatives? This is the NFL’s 103rd season, and there have been two field goals that long in history — from 64 and 66, and Brandon McManus’ long was 61. I’d be concerned if I were the new Denver owners or GM George Paton that the coach is still talking about the logic of it the next day.
9. I think this was a masterful piece by Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated on the return of Tyrann Mathieu to the hometown that could have killed him. Writes Bishop:
It’s different, this homecoming. It’s glorious. It’s terrifying. He left New Orleans as a young adult soon to lose his way and returns as a father of three. He departed disgruntled and comes back enlightened. He left fearful and returns not with the resolve of someone who had conquered their fears but one who learned to navigate them.
a. How great is “Abbott Elementary?”
b. My wife and I have been watching the show about a struggling inner-city Philadelphia grade school with a disastrous principal and wonderfully hopeful star teacher, and it’s sad and funny and cynical and great. I can see why so many people are hooked on it—it appeals to all ages. The star, Quinta Brunson, is also the writer, and she won an Emmy for her writing last week. As she told Vanity Fair, “When someone will come up to me on the street, or even on social media, and say that they’ve been watching it with their eight-year-old child, or their 70-year-old grandmother, that’s, like, almost too humbling to function.”
c. Inside Football Story of the Week: Kalyn Kahler of Defector with a gem on how NFL teams scout officials. Great stat in here: Ref Bill Vinovich’s crew has been last in called penalties for each of the last four years. That’s why networks like Vinovich on the primetime games. They’re liable to go faster with Vinovich.
d. Writes Kahler:
Every year at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, the analytics company Pro Football Focus meets with their clients and prospective clients to hear feedback on their product. And over the last five or six years, PFF analyst Steve Palazzolo says teams kept bringing up officiating. Specifically, they wanted PFF to track penalties by the individual official who threw the flag. The league only provides teams with data on penalties by crew, which isn’t granular enough for NFL coaches, who want to know which side or field judges call the most PI, or which line judge calls the most false starts. (The answer? “Jeff Bergman,” says a third game management coach. “If you have him, he calls it tight.”)
e. Fat Leonard is on the lam. Kristina Davis and Greg Moran on an escapee, Leonard Glenn Francis, who swindled the U.S. Navy out of at least $35 million
f. Interesting, too, to read this Newsweek column about the tentacles of the Fat Leonard scandal
g. Podcast segment of the Week: Melissa Harris-Perry, with producer Katerina Barton, of The Takeaway, the public radio podcast, with a question we’re all asking, all over the country: What’s going on with the teacher shortage?
h. Listen to the teacher from New York City, a middle-school math teacher (I should say, a former middle-school math teacher) about why he left the profession after six years:
“Our job is difficult and I was like, ‘Over the last six years I’ve put in 12-hour days than most of my friends that make two, three, four times what I make.’ I lost belief in how big of an impact I can make or what my impact was. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. Emotionally, physically, psychologically, I was just done … I think when I realized that I couldn’t be entirely emotionally invested as I feel that I should, I was just like, “I got to step away, because otherwise, I’m not going to be the best service to our kids.”
i. This is serious. Really serious. We’ve got to be sure we support the teachers in this country. We cannot fight them on every little curriculum thing so many teachers and librarians are fighting about these days. Support teachers. Support them.
j. Someone had to tell the Queen’s bees, and the queen bee, that the Queen died, per Daniel Victor of the New York Times.
k. The Daily Mail had an exclusive on the subject, which prompted the New York Times’. And which was so positively British. Re the Mail: “The Royal Beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”
l. Victor found Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and co-editor of British beekeeping magazine BeeCraft (THERE IS A BRITISH MAGAZINE FOR BEEKEEPERS). After a beekeeper friend of his died, Fleming said he went to the friend’s property and gave the bees the bad news. Wrote Victor:
Mr. Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.
m. I have three baseball observations.
n. Schedulenerdness: MLB scheduled the A’s to play three series in nine weeks in Houston, all in mid-month, in three straight months. You can look it up: July 15 to 17, Aug. 12 to 14, Sept. 15 to 18. In the span of 31 home games, 10 were against Oakland. I bet that was easy marketing for execs in Houston, selling 10 games in the middle of the pennant race against a team with zero recognizable names. Well, they do have Tony Kemp.
o. One question for those excited about the prospect of Jacob deGrom on the free agency market this offseason, which I guess will be the case. Since opening day this season, Miami’s Sandy Alcantara has started 30 games and pitched 212.2 innings. Since opening day 2020, deGrom has started 36 games and pitched 214.1 innings. It’s impossible to not love deGrom as a player, of course, and of course, the 2020 season was shortened because of Covid. But pick some standout pitchers under the age of 35. Since the start of 2020, Alcantara has pitched 460.1 innings, Gerrit Cole 436.2, Julio Urias 393.1, Zack Wheeler 422.1, Corbin Burnes 405.2. Some team is going to drill way, way down on the risk of paying deGrom at or near the top of the market and do it, I’m sure. But even in the risky business of pitching, that’s a dangerous contract.
p. Aaron Judge is just so fabulous — at-bat, in the field, in the clubhouse, as a teammate — that even for a person who had two Yankee-loving brothers but could never bring myself to do anything but truly dislike that team…I find myself drawn to his at-bats like a mosquito to a light bulb. Much respect to the tall guy.
q. This is one amazing story: The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, gave away the company because he loves the planet and fears for it.
r. Patagonia is worth $3 billion. Chouinard gave it away.
s. Wrote David Gelles of the Times:
As a pioneering rock climber in California’s Yosemite Valley in the 1960s, Mr. Chouinard lived out of his car and ate damaged cans of cat food that he bought for five cents apiece.
Even today, he wears raggedy old clothes, drives a beat-up Subaru and splits his time between modest homes in Ventura and Jackson, Wyo. Mr. Chouinard does not own a computer or a cellphone.
t. Long live Yvon Chouinard.
u. Happy 58th, Bob Papa! Happy 59th, Trey Wingo. And happy 60th, Ken Rosenthal. None of you look a day over 57.
v. And happy trails, Roger Federer. I’m no tennis buff, but winning 20 majors and being number one in the world for 237 consecutive weeks is worth a tip of all of our caps. Best to you, sir.
The NFL is experimenting with a staggered-start doubleheader tonight in primetime: Tennessee-Buffalo on ESPN at 7:15 p.m., Minnesota-Philadelphia on ABC at 8:30 p.m. Starting at the beginning of the second half of Titans-Bills, ESPN and ABC will periodically show double-box action on both channels, and there will be a small scorebox on-screen from the other game during each game.
The NFL is doing this, essentially, to extend what would be a three-hour, 15-minute window of football in prime time to four hours, 30 minutes…and to blanket the Disney channels — ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN+ — with 75 more minutes of football on Monday night than usual, and to ensure that if the Bills are up 27-6 at the half that the audience will move to the other game and watch more football instead of cruising Netflix.
Next season, ESPN will have three such Monday night twinbills. No decision has been made on the times of games, or which weeks the doubleheaders will fall. But starting games before say 8:45 p.m. means the NFL can put Eastern Time Zone franchises in the late window; if the NFL were to choose, say, a 10 p.m. or 10:15 p.m. start, that would eliminate 17 of the 32 NFL teams that exist in Eastern Time from playing in those games. I have heard reliably that it’s very unlikely the NFL will return to 10 ET or 10:15 ET starts for games again.
Buffalo 33, Tennessee 20. Compare and contrast:
1. In their last three games (two playoff, one regular-season), the Bills have scored 16 touchdowns and punted four times — including zero last week in Los Angeles against the Rams. Remember when punter Matt Araiza was a brilliant draft pick to plug one of the few holes the Bills had on the roster?
2. In their last three games (two regular-season, one playoff), the Titans have been outscored 65-64 by the Texans, Bengals and Giants. That’s embarrassing. That includes scoring 43 points in their last 10 quarters played, dating back to Jan. 9. I don’t know how they keep up with the Bills in emotionally charged Orchard Park tonight.
Minnesota 28, Philadelphia 25. Should be a great game — Jefferson/Thielen/Osborn at Brown/Smith/Goedert (and maybe, eventually, Quez Watkins) — with two quarterbacks out to prove they’re better than the public thinks. I like the Vikes. Kirk Cousins is 2-0 with 79-percent completions with the Vikings against Philly, including 1-0 at the Linc. He’s bonded well with Kevin O’Connell. You’ll be up late tonight. This is going to be a fun, competitive game, and could be the kind of statement game Minnesota needs. Wins over the Packers and Eagles in the first two games would validate the Vikings as serious threats to Green Bay in the NFC North.
Buffalo at Miami, Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS. Early indicator whether there will be any sort of race in the AFC East this year. Tagovailoa just might make it possible.
Green Bay at Tampa Bay, Sunday, 4:25 p.m., FOX. Since turning 41, Tom Brady is 3-0 head-to-head against Aaron Rodgers, and Brady’s team has put up 31, 38 and 31 points in those wins. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: We could be seeing the last Rodgers-Brady duel here.
San Francisco at Denver, Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC. A Shanahan as head coach roams the sidelines in Denver for the first time since 2013, when Washington coach Mike Shanahan got shelled by the Peyton Manning Broncos, 45-21; Denver scored the last 38 points of the game. This will be cool, and probably a bit emotional, for young Kyle, who was at his dad’s side for lots of his Denver coaching tenure.
It’s darn hard to fit
Tagovailoa in a
regular haiku.
The Lead: Dolphins McDaniel explains Miami's comeback win vs. Ravens 49ers' cruel reality How SF is embracing Plan B after Lance's injury 10 Meet the influencers Three players who stood out in victories for their teams Instant Replay Why I have an issue with the current system 20 Hello, Next Gen! How Mahomes' life is without Tyreek Mahomes What the QB's WHOOP monitor says about him 30 Voices Ekeler on physical toll of playing on TNF The Awards Section Tua, Kyler, Flacco shine in Week 2 wins 40 Quotes of the Week McGlinchey on Lance, Flacco on Jets' win Numbers Game Inside the Colts' struggles in Jacksonville 50 Factoidness Rush's good start, Bakhtiari's health Tweets of the Week On Bucs-Saints' tension, Colts' struggles 40 Newman! Readers on Russell Wilson, Bears dome 10 Things I Think I Think Browns' bizarre midfield logo, PIT's QB situation 30 Monday, monday Two MNF predictions for TEN-BUF, MIN-PHI Games of Week 3 A Shanahan back in Denver, AFC East showdown 20 The Adieu Haiku 5-7-5 forever | 2022-09-19T08:40:14Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | FMIA Week 2: Mike McDaniel’s 'F- You' Play Powers Dolphins' Comeback and How 49ers Adjust Without Trey Lance - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/tua-tagovailoa-dolphins-peter-king-fmia-week-2/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/tua-tagovailoa-dolphins-peter-king-fmia-week-2/ |
In Week Eight of the 2001 season, the Browns held a 21-7 lead over the Bears in the final minute before giving up two touchdowns and losing the game on an interception return in overtime.
Between that game and Sunday, 2,229 teams took a lead of at least 13 points into the final two minutes of a game and all 2,229 of them wound up winning. That streak came to an end thanks to the same team that blew the lead back in 2001.
The Jets scored twice in the final 82 seconds to stun the Browns 31-30 in Cleveland and they got the ball rolling when Joe Flacco hit a wide open Corey Davis for a 66-yard score. A successful onside kick and a relatively easy 53-yard scoring drive followed Davis’ score to hand the Browns a loss a week after they nearly gave a game away against the Panthers.
“Obviously, guys not on the same page,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “It was very, very clear what we were doing. We talked about it on the sideline before everybody went out and talked to the entire defense about what they were about to do, which was try and throw it over our head. We can’t let that happen. We have a young football team and, unfortunately, that youth at times has shown up here, and we have to grow up real fast.”
Stefanski isn’t overselling the need for the Browns to make corrections quickly. They have a Thursday game against the Steelers, so they’ll have to turn the page and fix what’s wrong in a hurry if they want to avoid a 1-2 start to the season. | 2022-09-19T11:43:44Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Kevin Stefanski: Guys are not on the same page defensively - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/kevin-stefanski-guys-are-not-on-the-same-page-defensively/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/kevin-stefanski-guys-are-not-on-the-same-page-defensively/ |
The Broncos got their first win with Russell Wilson at quarterback on Sunday, but there weren’t a lot of smiles in the home crowd during the 16-9 win over the Texans.
Red zone mistakes, penalties, poor clock management, and six points through the first three quarters all contributed to the negativity in the crowd and the final result didn’t put an end to grumbling that started with the way their Week One loss to the Seahawks went down. For Wilson, though, the final result was the thing that resonated the most.
Wilson said that there will be “tough times” throughout the season and that the team has to show the ability to win despite adverse situations.
“I’ve been in so many tough games throughout my career,” Wilson said, via the team’s website. “All that matters is that win. Then, taking those wins and understanding, ‘OK, here’s the areas where we can get better.’ We’ll definitely take on that challenge we’re looking forward.”
Wilson’s correct about teams needing to be able to navigate choppy waters, but that task will be made much easier if the Broncos can stop creating so many of the issues on their own. That should be a top priority heading into a Week Three date with the 49ers. | 2022-09-19T14:01:09Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Russell Wilson: There will be tough times, all that matters is the win - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/russell-wilson-there-will-be-tough-times-all-that-matters-is-the-win/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/russell-wilson-there-will-be-tough-times-all-that-matters-is-the-win/ |
Sunday featured wild comebacks in several games, including the Jets’ rally to beat the Browns in Cleveland.
They scored 14 points in the final 82 seconds to pull out a 31-30 win and make it a happy day for all the fans of local teams around the New York City area. Their win came shortly after the Giants finished off a 19-16 victory over the Panthers and it was a rare double dose of success for a pair of teams that have done a lot of losing in recent years.
A couple of other perennial sad sacks also got a chance to celebrate on Sunday. The Jaguars crushed the Colts for a 24-0 win and the Lions held off the Commanders 36-27 for a home victory.
It had been a long time since those four teams all won on the same day. The last time it happened was on December 11, 2011 and all four teams will be hoping that victories become common enough that they avoid any kind of similar droughts in the future.
2 responses to “Giants, Jaguars, Jets, Lions won on same day for first time since 2011”
jcbrown1982 says:
These are truly the end of days…
METS JETS YANKEES GIANTS WON ON THE SAME DAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2009 IM IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | 2022-09-19T14:47:32Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Giants, Jaguars, Jets, Lions won on same day for first time since 2011 - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/giants-jaguars-jets-lions-won-on-same-day-for-first-time-since-2011/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/giants-jaguars-jets-lions-won-on-same-day-for-first-time-since-2011/ |
The Dolphins had one of their biggest and most improbable wins in years on Sunday. The victory was sealed by a touchdown pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to receiver Jaylen Waddle.
The play included some improvisation from Waddle. Speaking to PFT by phone after Sunday’s victory, he acknowledged that he “added a little remix” to the play that was called.
It was a crossing route, a pick play. He initially went from the left slot to the outside. But then Waddle stopped and cut back to the inside. Tua saw Waddle, and Tua got it to him.
How did Tua know that Waddle would freelance?
“That’s that chemistry, man,” Waddle said. “That’s that chemistry we got. Him being a ball player, me being a ball player. That’s just how it’s going to roll.”
It helps that they played together at Alabama. It also helps that they now have Tyreek Hill.
Per the NFL, Hill and Waddle became the first teammates in league history to catch at least 10 passes, gain 150 receiving yards, and score two touchdown receptions in the same game.
“That’s big,” Waddle said. “That’s exciting. For both of us, to be honest. That’s pretty exciting. that’s pretty cool. We’re gonna take it, we gonna move on from it. we try not to soak it in that type of stuff. We got to move on. We got a big task next week.”
Indeed they do. The Dolphins face the Bills in what will be one of the most significant games of Week Three.
1 responses to “Jaylen Waddle performed “a little remix” on game-winning catch”
Six TD passes for Tua. Can’t wait to hear what his haters have to say today. | 2022-09-19T15:45:06Z | profootballtalk.nbcsports.com | Jaylen Waddle performed "a little remix" on game-winning catch - ProFootballTalk | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/jaylen-waddle-performed-a-little-remix-on-game-winning-catch/ | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/19/jaylen-waddle-performed-a-little-remix-on-game-winning-catch/ |
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