https://0xbt.net/blog/archive/chenyan94/1561939200/1564617600 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71460/sammy-watkins-was-supposed-to-be-a-game-changing Wed, 03 Jul 2019 03:21:54 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71460/sammy-watkins-was-supposed-to-be-a-game-changing  star when the Buffalo Bills drafted him fourth overall in 2014 Peyton Manning Jersey , the kind of speedy wide receiver that could make plays all over the field.It never worked out that way.Watkins had a 1,000-yard season and was reasonably productive, but he never quite hit the stardom that was expected of him. And along the way, he gained a reputation for being demanding, difficult and at times downright sulky as the number of passes that went his way reached a nadir."I was young and kind of ego-tripping," Watkins said, quite matter-of-factly, after helping the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 30-23 on Sunday to complete a season sweep.The 25-year-old Watkins played a big part in the win, too. He caught eight passes for 107 yards and two scores, and drew some of the attention from the rest of the Chiefs' stars, who all seemed to produce at crucial times as Kansas City continued its dominance of the AFC West.So what changed between Watkins in Buffalo and Watkins in Kansas City? What has enabled a guy with blazing speed, strong hands and physical size to finally become a breakout star?Well, mostly maturity."I kind of went to the Rams last year and I was in the same situation with a lot of other weapons. I learned a lot," Watkins said. "It's not about me or any one guy on this team."The Chiefs' decision to sign Watkins in free agency raised some eyebrows, not only because they had pressing needs elsewhere but because their offense was already quite potent. They had a star-in-the-making in Tyreek Hill John Elway Jersey , the reigning NFL rushing champion in Kareem Hunt and one of the best tight ends in the game in Travis Kelce, so adding Watkins to the mix seemed to be superfluous.But they wound up signing him to a $48 million, three-year deal anyway, then listened as all the pundits criticized the move throughout the summer and right into training camp.Nobody is criticizing it much these days."His approach has been unbelievable," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He just comes out, works hard. He's not concerned with how many catches he has or any of that. For a big-time receiver, that's unique. He knows there's only one ball and we have a bunch of pretty good players, and when you have an opportunity, be a part of that. He's done that. He's done a nice job of that."Watkins was relatively quiet in an opening win over the Chargers, but he had six catches for 100 yards the following week at Pittsburgh. He had his first TD catch in a win over the 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium, then had his best game to date against the Broncos on Sunday.One was a crafty buttonhook route, where Watkins found a soft spot in the middle of the Denver defense and ran untouched 10 yards for the score. The other was a 13-yard touchdown reception.The fact that both came in the red zone is hardly a surprise: That's where Watkins is dangerous."It feels great," he said, "not just to score two times but to get the win. To do it at a high level and just go out there and play my style of game, running around Ronald Leary Jersey , having fun, throwing some good blocks and have everybody catch a lot of balls."Sounds like a team-first player, rather than the me-first guy Watkins used to be."It's always good to see Sammy go off," Kelce said. "He brings such a confidence in everything he does. You're happy for the guy because of the type of person he is and how hard he works during the week. It's awesome to see him have a day like he had."Notes: Reid said Monday he hadn't heard the comments made by the Broncos claiming that the Chiefs stretch the rules offensively by getting their offensive linemen too far downfield on their run-pass option plays. "I always ask officials beforehand if there is anything I need to tell my guys and that's never been an issue," Reid said. ... Reid did not have any injury updates Monday, though he did say LB Frank Zombo (hamstring) was probably the most serious of them. LB Anthony Hitchens (ribs) and WR Tyreek Hill (groin) also left Sunday's game against the Broncos. The Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas to the Texans in October and lost Emmanuel Sanders to a torn Achilles last week, which left rookie Courtland Sutton as the only one of their initial top three wide receivers left on the roster.Given head coach Vance Joseph’s desire to see a more aggressive passing attack, having Sutton on hand would be a plus for the team’s chances of success. A quad injury is making Sutton’s presence something less than a sure thing.Sutton didn’t practice on Tuesday as the team started prepping for Saturday’s game against the Browns, but Joseph said that the plan is for Sutton to work on Wednesday and Thursday.“That’s the plan: to get him out tomorrow a little bit,” Joseph said, via the team’s website. “We’ll see how much he can do tomorrow, but the goal is to get him ready for Saturday. That’s the ultimate goal.”Sutton caught two passes for 14 yards last week and saw fewer targets than DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick in the 20-14 loss to the 49ers.]]> chenyan94 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71456/the-pittsburgh-steelers-are-heading Wed, 03 Jul 2019 02:58:52 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71456/the-pittsburgh-steelers-are-heading  into Week 10 Maurkice Pouncey Jersey , and they’ve finally surpassed the halfway point of the 2018 regular season. With a surge of Steelers news, it was time to get back on the airwaves and discuss the Black-and-gold.Take a look at the rundown for the latest episode of the BTSC flagship podcast The Standard is the Standard. On this show Jeff Hartman and special co-host Christopher Carter of DKPittsburghSports.com break down all things Steelers, including a fun game of “True or False!”Check out the rundown of the show:News and NotesRecapping the week that wasTrue or False!Predicting Steelers vs. RavensWeek 10 AFC North game predictionsand MUCH MORE!Jeff Hartman, editor of BTSC, and Lance Williams walk you through everything you need to know regarding the Black-and-gold.If you haven’t heard, we have a YouTube channel, and the main reason for this is to increase the sound quality on our shows. But if you’re a visual learner you can watch the show below. Be sure to subscribe to our channel!If you missed the live show Cameron Heyward Jersey , be sure to check out all episodes on the following platforms:Apple Users: CLICK HERESpotify: CLICK HEREGoogle Play: CLICK HEREIf you’re old-school and just want the audio, you can listen to it in the player below. The Pittsburgh Steelers need help on offense, but what is the solution to their problem?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsLatest NewsWith so many Steelers offensive weapons lost the past two years, what is the solution?New,114commentsThe Pittsburgh Steelers need help on offense, but what is the solution to their problem?EDTShareTweetShareShareWith so many Steelers offensive weapons lost the past two years, what is the solution?Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsLe’Veon Bell Ben Roethlisberger Jersey , Antonio Brown, Jesse James, and Martavis Bryant have all moved on from the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2017 season. That high octane offense went 13-3 while generating 377 yards per game, has been all but dismantled. Of the skill players who remain, running back James Conner, wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Vance McDonald accounted for 1,249 of the 6 Jack Butler Jersey ,201 yards generated during the season. The trio saw a major uptick last season while generating 3,506 yards, looming questions remain with the draft less than two weeks away. This leads to some enormous question marks that will impact the Steelers draft. Can Smith-Schuster keep evolving and be productive with additional coverage as the Steelers top wide receiver? Who will be the #2 wideout, second-year James Washington or newcomer, Donte Moncrief? Will Washington or Moncrief gel with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2019? Can Conner remain healthy for 16 games and break a thousand yards? How many games will McDonald miss in 2019? He has never played in all 16 games during his six-year career while missing 21 of a possible 72 games. I am worried about our offense and filling all that lost productivity in the past two seasons. A case can be made by fans that we need an infusion of talent on defense and I agree but not in the first round. The position that has the greatest need for an impact player for the 2019 season is at tight end. As I noted in earlier articles, inside linebacker and wide receiver do not have clear paths for playing time. As I pointed out McDonald, just like most of the top tight ends in the NFL T. J. Watt Jersey , misses games. I have no faith in backup tight end Xavier Grimble being able to be a reliable fill in for McDonald let alone see the substantial snap counts James participated in past years. Do I want a player on the field for 500 snaps who fails to wrap up the football, who carries the ball in the wrong hand, and tries to showcase his tough guy mentality all on the same play, while failing? Pass. I want a guy who is technically sound as a receiving tight end and the best blocking tight end in the 2019 draft. TJ Hockenson is that player. Is Hockenson a SPARQ athlete like fellow Iowa Hawkeyes Noah Fant? He is not. Fant was not asked to block in college which raises a red flag. Just because he was not asked to block in college does not mean he can’t. If he has blocking skills why did Hockenson shoulder such a load? NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks compare Hockenson to Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, which is a valid comparison. They are both big-bodied tight ends separated by only an inch and about 10 pounds. Both ran a 4.7 forty time at the combine and contribute on the field similarly. That is high praise for Hockenson to be compared to a player fourth on the NFL’s all-time reception list and 21 in receiving yards. With so much offense lost it will be hard for the Steelers to replace that with their current players. The 1,720 lost yardage from James and AB departing cannot be absorbed by players currently on the roster. A big chunk should and will but not all of it. Hockenson has the ability not only to open holes for Conners but also find holes in defensive secondaries like Heath Miller did for so many years in Pittsburgh. Hockenson being available at 20 is in doubt so it is up to general manager Kevin Colbert to move up and snag a true difference maker in 2019. Check out his highlight reel on You Tube.]]> chenyan94 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71453/dj-swearinger-released-abruptly Wed, 03 Jul 2019 02:20:49 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71453/dj-swearinger-released-abruptly TEMPE Su’a Cravens Jersey , Ariz. — D.J. Swearinger, released abruptly by the Washington Redskins this week after publicly criticizing the defensive coaching, didn’t need much time to find a landing place.He’s back in Arizona with the Cardinals, where he played part of 2015 and all of the 2016 season.Speaking in front of his new locker on Wednesday, Swearinger called it a “rocky Christmas” and acknowledged that he was wrong to speak out against Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and criticize the team’s strategy in a 25-16 loss to Tennessee.Still, he was surprised, he said, that it led to his release from the team.“Just living and learning,” Swearinger said, “understanding you know it wasn’t my role to call out the defensive coaches even though we had a relationship. Me and the coaches had a good relationship. But it’s just learning. I keep my mouth shut next time and just keep moving and play football, do what I do on the field.”Swearinger acknowledged he’s emotional and that controlling himself is difficult in the minutes after the game.“I’m a very passionate player,” Swearinger said. “I put my heart in this game. You put the camera in my face after we lose a game that we’re supposed to go to the playoffs, I may say some things that I shouldn’t’ say. That’s on me. I’ve got to control that and get better at that Brandon Scherff Jersey , but like I said, live and learn and keep moving forward. That’s life.”After the Redskins practice Wednesday, coach Jay Gruden said this wasn’t the first time Swearinger had problems such as this.“Yeah, repeat offenses. I’ve had many talks with him before,” Gruden said. “Obviously I didn’t get through to him. Again, that’s my responsibility. At the end of the day we decided as an organization to move on.”Swearinger had made significant contributions to the Washington defense. He had four interceptions (matching a career high), 53 tackles, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate.“D.J. did some great things here without a doubt,” Gruden said. “We wish nothing but the best but at the end of the day that’s something that this franchise or any franchise can’t afford to have. We’ve moved on.”Swearinger said he got a nice welcome from Patrick Peterson and other players who were around three seasons ago. Swearinger played four games for Arizona in 2015 and was with the Cardinals the entire 2016 season, finishing with three interceptions, 64 tackles and two sacks. That success led to his three-year deal with Washington.The Cardinals, with the NFL’s worst record at 3-12, were the first team that could claim Swearinger off waivers. He has one year left on the deal he signed with Washington.Arizona’s first-year coach Steve Wilks said that claiming Swearinger was “a great move by us.”“I don’t know him personally but I like his play Preston Smith Jersey ,” Wilks said. “Scouting him, going against him, a very physical guy, tough, nasty, the DNA that we look for. Personality-wise talking to everybody in the locker room, everybody in the building, they love him.”Wilks said he will talk to Swearinger about keeping any criticism in-house.“I don’t stand in front of you guys and throw coaches or players underneath the bus, that’s not my style,” Wilks told reporters. “That’s what we would need to address. I don’t have a problem with his opinion, but we’re not going to have that opinion outside the building. He would quickly understand that.”It’s uncertain whether Swearinger will play in Sunday’s season finale at Seattle or how much he figures in the Cardinals’ plans for next season.“I can only control what I can control,” he said. “Tomorrow I’m going to come get ready for practice like I know how. If I play on Sunday, I’ll be more than ready to play. If I don’t Case Keenum Jersey , I’ll cheer my guys on and do whatever I need to do to help this team win. … I’m just happy to be back in Arizona.”Wilks might not be the coach past this weekend, but Swearinger is planning to stay.“I’m just ready to play, regardless of who the coach is, regardless of who the players are,” Swearinger said. “I’m ready to play and I’m ready to win.”The Redskins’ Josh Norman said it’s just more of the same for his team.“Every week’s been a circus for the last six weeks,” he said.NOTES: Arizona lost yet another offensive lineman when rookie tackle Korey Cunningham was placed on injured reserve. He’s the seventh offensive lineman placed on IR by Arizona this season. WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed could be done for the season because of a strained toe muscle.Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Monday that he thinks Reed was hurt on Mark Sanchez’s high throw on his first pass of a 40-16 loss to the New York Giants a day earlier.Gruden said “there is a level of concern” with Reed, who leads the team with 54 catches and 558 receiving yards.Gruden added that the Redskins will have to wait to see “if it’s one week, two weeks or the rest of the year.”Reed has played in all 13 games so far this season, his sixth in the NFL. He’s never appeared in all 16 games of a season; his career high is 14 in 2015.Washington has a four-game losing streak and is 6-7 with three games remaining, beginning next Sunday at Jacksonville.Gruden mentioned two other injury issues: Receiver Josh Doctson is in the concussion protocol and linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton has a sprained shoulder.]]> chenyan94 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71449/the-latest-on-the-nfl-owners-meetings Wed, 03 Jul 2019 01:35:41 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/71449/the-latest-on-the-nfl-owners-meetings PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on the NFL owners meetings Tuesday (all times EDT):6:45 p.m.There’s nothing on the football field Jon Gruden likes more than a big-time playmaker.His Raiders’ trade with Pittsburgh brought to Oakland one of the game’s most dangerous scoring threats in wideout Antonio Brown.“You have to know where he is Rashaan Melvin Jersey ,” Gruden began. “He can help your running game. Put a safety over the top to double that guy, that helps you run the ball, I tell you. It helps the other guy on the other side. That’s why getting Tyrell Williams was huge. Somebody that can take advantage of some one-on-one looks.“It’s also nice to have a receiver who couldn’t care less what the coverage is. I remember Jerry Rice one year, he was so good. I used to see Jerry break the huddle and three (defensive) guys look for him: ‘There he is. Don’t let him catch the ball.’ Then at the end, Jerry had eight catches for 140 yards. He did it every week.“It is great to have a guy who can win. We have to do our part. It is a great responsibility for us to help Antonio Brown be one of the great Raiders of all time.”Gruden took a moment to catch his breath, then spoke about Brown’s skills at freelancing when a play breaks down. He believes that will provide a huge help to quarterback Derek Carr.“It’s huge. That’s where the great ones … that’s the true measuring stick of what makes a receiver great,” he said. “Because they are disguising coverage not just to fool the quarterback, they are disguising coverage to fool the wideout. Boom, they rotate to him. What are you going to do?“Some guys don’t see it and react as quick as others. The great ones, they see it and they can do it at full speed. It’s awesome. When you watch Antonio play, a lot of his production was on scramble plays.“Hopefully we can get Derek to create more on his own, maybe a little better protection Marcus Gilchrist Jersey , maybe he can buy a little more time and let Antonio go over there, then go over there, then go over there and make a play or two.”Derek Carr put Raiders in ‘manageable situations’ in loss to Broncos, Jon Gruden looking for ‘more big chunk plays’ In one regard, Derek Carr’s stat line last Sunday was stunning. I mean, completing 29 of 32 passes is incredible. Over 30 passes with just three incompletions seems hard to believe. What is also a bit hard to believe about those completion numbers is the yardage total. On 29 completions, he had just 288 yards. That’s less than ten yards per completion.Welcome (back) to the West Coast Offense, folks. It’s basic tenets are to dink and dunk defenses to death. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a you can see by Derek Carr’s stat line, even near perfection in completion percentage wasn’t enough to pull out the win with it. At least not with the defense failing to hold up their end.You’ll recall, Gruden and Rich Gannon had a great deal of success in such an offense back around the turn of the century. It’s a conservative offense and that’s how Derek Carr has been approaching it.After the first week, Gruden said he wanted to see Carr push the ball down the field more. While Carr was reluctant Dwayne Harris Jersey , saying he didn’t want to force it. The game plan didn’t do him a lot of favors either, with just two play action passes the whole game. One sign things are changing is that number went up to eight in the second game.“Play-action, you’re holding the ball for a long time. The rush is coming and trust me I know that from experience,” Carr said. “To stay on schedule, you hear coaches say that all the time, you have shot plays and sometimes you have to check them down to get six yards, well third-and-4 is a lot better than third-and-10 for a missed shot. . . We have certain plays that we like versus certain looks that sometimes, it’s hey, ‘get us in this manageable situation, we like these calls and this grouping.’ I could go on for hours about that kind of stuff, but you know. I think that taking eight play-action shots against Denver was pretty aggressive and we were able to do some good things against him.”Short passes to put the Raiders into more manageable was hit or miss Sunday. He had 12 passes for 7 yards or less that weren’t to get the first down. Exactly half of those (6) they were unable to take advantage and get the first down, resulting in a stalled drive. One of those Emmanuel Lamur Jersey , he opted for a short pass to Marshawn Lynch for a loss of four yards, while missing a wide open Amari Cooper in the back of the end zone.There were some deeper throws in this game from Carr. And more deep completions than in the opener. Despite Jared Cook catching four passes of 27 yards or more, only one of those was a deep pass. The others were short passes with yards after the catch. Carr had six passes go for 20 yards or more in Denver, three of which were deep passes, with one being the laser touchdown pass to Seth Roberts.The increase in bigger plays this game makes it even more surprising Carr was unable to surpass ten yards per completion. Which just goes to show you how many short passes there really were. Short passes aren’t the issue, really. It’s about finding the right receiver and putting it right where it needs to be to gets the most yards out of it.“I just want to be productive when we throw it,” said Gruden. “I think [TE Jared] Cook averaged 20-yards a catch in the first game. Throwing the ball on-time and accurate is a big part of winning football. We hope to get more big chunk plays. We are making an attempt to do that, and I think you will see some more of that as the year unfolds.”That’s how Gannon became a Pro Bowl passer under Gruden; By being a smart quarterback who almost always made the right decision. In those four seasons in Gruden’s offense (one after Gruden was gone) Gannon averaged over 26 TD’s and 11 INT with 11.5 yards per completion. And from a yards per catch perspective, Tim Brown had his second and third best seasons. Which means despite the dinks and dunks, there was plenty of deep shots as well.Follow @LeviDamien]]> chenyan94