https://0xbt.net/blog/archive/linchao/1543622400/1546300800 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44041/ten-years-after-their-first-trip-to-london-los-angeles-chargers-veterans-phillip-rivers-and-antonio-gates-are-keen-to-see-how-much-the-british-audience-has-learned-about-the-american-version-of-football Tue, 25 Dec 2018 10:19:37 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44041/ten-years-after-their-first-trip-to-london-los-angeles-chargers-veterans-phillip-rivers-and-antonio-gates-are-keen-to-see-how-much-the-british-audience-has-learned-about-the-american-version-of-football Rivers and Gates took part in the second regular-season game played at Wembley back in 2008, when the NFL was still a bit of a curiosity and large parts of the crowd didn’t quite understand the sport.“I remember like if it was yesterday,” Gates said. “The ball would be punted in the air and the crowd would be making noise. We were like, ‘what are you making noise about?’ But it was just their way. They’re used to watching soccer, and the chants and things of that nature. It was foreign to us, just like we were foreign to them.“And now I think over the years, they’ve learned to grasp a little bit more a better Isaac Rochell Color Rush Jersey concept of the game of American football. Most people understand it now here.”That was the goal behind the NFL’s decision to stage annual games in London — to grow the interest and understanding of the game overseas. When the Chargers (4-2) host the Tennessee Titans (3-3) at Wembley on Sunday, it will be the 23rd game played in London since 2007.“I’m interested to see again the atmosphere in the stadium,” Rivers said. “Last week, I hear it was an unbelievable crowd for Oakland and Seattle. I remember there being a great crowd 10 years. I just remember so many different jerseys from so many different teams represented. The energy was in there. A long pass, or a ball getting kicked, all those things got the crowd going pretty good.”The Chargers arrived in London on Friday morning after spending the week in Cleveland following a win over the Browns, a move aimed to shorten the trip and make it easier to adjust to the time difference.It also helped the players bond while spending that time together, coach Anthony Lynn said.“We did have a team-building activity and 100 percent participation. And I thought the guys liked it a lot,” Lynn said. “I left it up to my sports psychologists. The coaches get the hell out of the room and let the players talk and do their own thing. But everyone says it went really well.”The shorter flight didn’t completely help Rivers stave off the jet lag.“Today was one of those days where I don’t think anything could help. It got to the point where that third, fourth cup of coffee wasn’t working at all,” the quarterback said after finishing a training session in North London at 8 a.m. California time. “But it’s not bad. I think if we can push through and get to 8, 9 o’clock tonight, we should be OK.”Running back Melvin Gordon was limited in the practice session, but Lynn said it was mainly a precaution after the long trip.“He was just sore. Long plane ride. Probably didn’t drink enough water,” Lynn said. “We were being extra cautious with him.”For those European fans who have really studied the game since the Chargers’ last visit, Rivers did have some disappointing news. The Alabama native won’t be wearing his famous bolo tie after the game https://www.chargersfanstore.com , although he does plan on sporting his traditional cowboy boots.“I did not bring the bolo tie. I’ve got the cowboy boots,” Rivers said. “I always make sure to have those with me on game day. The same boots I probably wore here in 2008, I’ve had them for that long. They’re almost like slippers now.” The Los Angeles Chargers are on a roll with a three-game winning streak.Philip Rivers is determined to keep the momentum going, even with an overseas trip and a game in London looming.“The guys have been great and we know we’re in kind of a groove right now,” the 36-year-old quarterback said. “This is a different week, but our mindset is whatever you normally do, just do it. We want to keep this going.”The Chargers returned to the practice field Wednesday, brimming with confidence after their 38-14 victory over the Browns three days earlier. The decisive win raised their record to 4-2 and kept them one game behind AFC-leading Kansas City.The team remains in Cleveland and is training at suburban Baldwin Wallace University, hoping to maintain some normalcy before its Sunday game against the Tennessee Titans at Wembley Stadium in England.“We practiced today at the same time that we’ll play (6:30 a.m. Pacific time), so that should help our bodies get accustomed to the time change,” said Rivers, who has thrown 15 touchdowns and has the second-best passer rating in the NFL at 115.1.“As a player, Wednesday always feels like the start of the workweek 鈥?and we were all ready for it today. The challenge will be Thursday night to Friday morning with us flying all night to get to London.”Los Angeles linebacker Denzel Perryman joked that avoiding jetlag will be easy, saying, “If you get some sleep medicine, you’ll be all right.”The fourth-year pro turned serious when asked if the Chargers’ focus was where it should be, namely stopping Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and running backs Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis.“It’s a different environment and different weather here, but we got some good work done today,” Perryman said. “We know Tennessee has got a lot of nice weapons and an explosive offense with a nice duo back there. And Mariota, he can run and pass, so he’s a difficult matchup. But we’ll be ready for them, no doubt.”The extended road trip has taken on special significance for Rivers Chargers Customized Color Rush Jerseys , who has only played in London once in 15 pro seasons. He threw a costly late interception in the Chargers’ 37-32 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 26, 2008.Rivers noted this will likely be his last game in England, given his age and the league’s rotation of all 32 franchises for international games.“It’s been 10 years, but shoot, I remember everything about it,” he said. “Staying right next to the stadium before the game, and every time the ball went in the air, there were oohs and aahs.“That was one of the first times the NFL had been to Wembley, so it’s a little more common now, but I’m sure we’ll see a lot of Chargers and Titans fans there supporting their favorite teams.”Making this trip even more important, a win would make Los Angeles 5-2 on the season, which Rivers has only experienced twice before in 2006 and 2014. The latter team faltered down the stretch and missed the playoffs.With Melvin Gordon now one of the top running backs in the league and standout defensive end Joey Bosa expected back in early November from a left foot injury, Rivers doesn’t want to let this opportunity slip away.“We’ve got a chance to get to 5-2 and we’ve got to do whatever it takes to get there,” he said. “If you had told us back in August we’d be in this position, we’d have taken it. We feel pretty good about ourselves right now.”NOTES: Chargers coach Anthony Lynn expects linebacker Jatavis Brown (groin) and kicker Caleb Sturgis (right quadriceps) to be game-time decisions. Michael Badgley made his NFL debut filling in for Sturgis against the Browns, making all five of his extra points and his lone field-goal attempt. … C Mike Pouncey (knee), WR Travis Benjamin (foot), TE Virgil Green (ribs), NT Damion Square (shoulder) were limited in practice, while Bosa and LB Kyzir White (knee) remain out.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44039/at-least-one-report-that-emerged-in-the-hours-before-the-nfl-pulled-the-plug-on-playing-the-chiefs-rams-game-at-azteca-stadium-in-mexico-city-characterized-the-league-as-being-%E2%80%9Cdetermined%E2%80%9D-to-play-the-game-as-scheduled Tue, 25 Dec 2018 10:07:01 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44039/at-least-one-report-that-emerged-in-the-hours-before-the-nfl-pulled-the-plug-on-playing-the-chiefs-rams-game-at-azteca-stadium-in-mexico-city-characterized-the-league-as-being-%E2%80%9Cdetermined%E2%80%9D-to-play-the-game-as-scheduled That characterization was grossly optimistic https://www.ramsfanstore.com/Ethan-Westbrooks-Jersey , as best.Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Rams field inspectors and NFL game-day operations representatives “immediately” realized that the field would not meet the NFL’s standard for play.That realization came early enough to shift the game to L.A., but late enough to be an embarrassment to the NFL and an inconvenience to fans that had planned to travel to Mexico City for the game. Yes, the NFL did the right thing; based on the quality of the field, the NFL did the only thing it could have done.Moving forward, what can be done (what should be done) is that these assessments need to be made much sooner than the week before the game. Even though the league requires the home team for international contests to keep its home stadium available, shifting an international game back to domestic soil less than a week before kickoff isn’t a good look Torry Holt Jersey , and it gives fans who already view dimly the effort to export the top American sport another reason to grumble about the league’s ongoing obsession with globalizing football. 2nd QuarterBig 3rd down to start things off...and LB Cory Littleton tracks the run well to get the stop and force the field goal.Offense continues to look a mess. Just can’t deal with Packers’ variety on defense.Packers 10, Rams 0The Rams defense has stepped up in a huge way. The offense? Not at all. Continues to struggle to get open for Jared Goff and playcalls are getting mistimed.SAFETY! The Rams crammed the middle after a perfect punt by P Johnny Hekker and coverage.Packers 10, Rams 2WOWRams get the stop and put together a touchdown drive, but the 2-point conversion fails. Going to be a very, very big second half...Packers 10, Rams 81st QuarterRams won the toss and deferred. They’ll start on defense with Aaron Rodgers getting the ball first.After each time stalled out on the first drive, Rodgers hit WR Davante Adams on third down as CB Marcus Peters got tripped up on the double move. Then hits TE Jimmy Graham down to the 1 and they pound it in on 2nd down.Packers 7 Eric Dickerson Color Rush Jersey , Rams 0Offense stalls out. Struggling to get going, though the no calls on the holds on WR Brandin Cooks didn’t help...Packers driving. Big turnaround needed soon to keep this one in check.End Q1. Packers 7, Rams 0GREAT timing between Goff and Cooks to pull this one off:Pre-gameHearing a TON of Packers fans are at the game today. Should make for interesting environs come kickoff.Also, randomly...Suffice to say there are gonna be some empty seats at kickoff...and a lot of them will get filled in by Packers fans.InactivesHere’s the inactives:RB Justin DavisDT Sebastian Joseph-DayRB John KellyWR Cooper KuppTE Johnny MundtDB Darious WilliamsOLB Trevon YoungNo real surprises here.Here are the Pack’s inactives:QB Tim BoyleCB Bashaud BreelandCB Tony BrownLB Korey ToomerG Justin McCrayT/G Alex LightWR J’Mon MooreTrying out something a little different today. Will be updating the gamethread(s) with major moments throughout from today’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers.WR Cooper Kupp is out warming up right now for his pre-game evaluation. Both he and rookie LB Trevon Young were both listed as DOUBTFUL on the final game injury report. We’ll see if either can go.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44038/we-are-about-an-hour-away-from-kickoff-in-philadelphia-between-the-minnesota-vikings-and-the-philadelphia-eagles Tue, 25 Dec 2018 09:56:09 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44038/we-are-about-an-hour-away-from-kickoff-in-philadelphia-between-the-minnesota-vikings-and-the-philadelphia-eagles  This is a pretty significant game for both teams Kirk Cousins Color Rush Jersey , but it sure would be nice if the Vikings could find a way to pull this one out, wouldn’t it?Here is everything you need to know about today’s contest.Time: Sunday, 7 October, 3:25 PM Central timeLocation: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaTelevision coverage: KSTP-9 in the Twin Cities, and FOX affiliates across the country that you can see on the maps right hereRadio coverage: Vikings Radio Network Anthony Barr Jersey , Sirius Channel 127, XM Channel 225 (PHI feed)Line: Philadelphia -3, over/under 48.5Prediction: Eagles 31, Vikings 27Three keys1) Try actually playing defense - The Minnesota defense has been getting torched up and down the field against pretty much every team they’ve played this season. There’s too much talent on this defense for them to continue to be this bad, so they need to figure out their issues and start stopping opposing offenses. If they get into a shootout with the Eagles, I’m not sure if they can keep up.2) Limit mistakes - The Vikings need to win the turnover battle this week to have any chance of winning. They were very good at taking care of the football in their win over San Francisco, and less so in every game since then. When you’re facing a team the quality of the Eagles Eric Kendricks Color Rush Jersey , there’s no reason to give them extra opportunities, so Kirk Cousins needs to continue making good decisions and everyone needs to ensure they hold on to the football.3) Keep your focus - I’m sure the Vikings have spent their week being reminded of the last time they played in this stadium. They’re still also dealing with one of their teammates fighting a significant issue. However, they need to do what they can to put all of that in the rear view mirror and concentrate on the task at hand. We can’t see the same sorts of lapses that have plagued this team the past couple of weeks if they want to win this game and turn their season around.Know the Foe: Bleeding Green NationTwitter: Right hereFaceBook: www.facebook.com/TheDailyNorsemanTweets by DailyNorseman As usual, we will have a new Open Thread at the start of each quarter, ladies and gentlemen, so keep your eyes peeled for that. With that, enjoy the game https://www.minnesotavikingsshop.com/Latavius-Murray-Jersey , folks!SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!! In the Minnesota Vikings’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, running back Latavius Murray put up what was, by far, the best performance by a Minnesota running back this season. Now, he’s getting recognized for it.Murray is one of three nominees for the Week 6 FedEx Ground Award. He received this nomination after rushing for a career-high 155 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in the Vikings’ 27-17 win.The competition that Murray is facing for the award is pretty significant, however. Also nominated this week are Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (208 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Denver) and Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (132 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Cleveland).The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday, and the winner will make a $2 Trae Waynes Color Rush Jersey ,000 donation in the winner’s name to the USO.If you want to cast your vote for Latavius Murray to win the FedEx Ground Award for Week 6, you can head over to NFL.com and cast your vote now!]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44035/the-bears-might-have-linebacker-khalil-mack-in-the-lineup-on-sunday-after-listing-him-as-questionable-with-an-ankle-injury-but-the-patriots-won%E2%80%99t-have-right-tackle-marcus-cannon-available-to-go-against-him-or-anyone-else-on-the-chicago-defense Tue, 25 Dec 2018 09:42:32 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44035/the-bears-might-have-linebacker-khalil-mack-in-the-lineup-on-sunday-after-listing-him-as-questionable-with-an-ankle-injury-but-the-patriots-won%E2%80%99t-have-right-tackle-marcus-cannon-available-to-go-against-him-or-anyone-else-on-the-chicago-defense Cannon has been ruled out of Sunday’s game because of a concussion he suffered against the Chiefs https://www.patriotsfanstore.com/Rex-Burkhead-Jersey last weekend. LaAdrian Waddle stepped in for Cannon against Kansas City and seems likely to get the start against Chicago.Cannon is the only player who has been ruled out for the Patriots this week, but, as usual, they have a sizable contingent of players listed as questionable. Ten players fell into that category on the injury report.One of them is tight end Rob Gronkowski, which isn’t new as he’s been dealing with an ankle injury for several weeks. What is new (or a reminder of past ailments) is being listed with a back injury as well. Gronkowski was limited in Friday’s practice. The list of connections between the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans is a fairly long one.And that shouldn’t serve as much of a surprise.Heading into Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Nissan Stadium, Titans general manager Jon Robinson’s coaching staff includes fellow names from Patriots past ranging from head coach Mike Vrabel, to defensive coordinator Dean Pees, to inside linebackers coach Tyrone McKenzie.Then there’s the Tennessee roster.Five members of the 53 in Nashville once resided in Foxborough, and there is a sixth if accounting for the Titans’ practice squad.Each of whom owns at least one Super Bowl ring from their respective Patriots tenures.Here’s a glance back through those tenures ahead of Week 10.TENNESSEEDion Lewis, running back – One of three futures signings announced by the Patriots on Dec. 31, 2014, Lewis hadn’t appeared in a game in two regular seasons. The 5-foot-8, 195-pounder by way of the University of Pittsburgh, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cleveland Browns and briefly the Indianapolis Colts would go on to appear in 30 for New England. Lewis amassed 13 touchdowns and 2,109 yards from scrimmage on 378 offensive touches over that span – and ran a kickoff back for six as well. He tacked on another TD return in postseason play, along with ones both rushing and receiving. Lewis departed to Tennessee on a four-year, $19.8 million pact as free agency opened in March. He logged his second touchdown of the season on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys.Josh Kline, guard – Originally entering the league in April 2013, Kline received $14,000 guaranteed from New England as an undrafted free agent. The guard via Kent State was waived at the 53-man cutdown that fall, yet remained in the fold on the practice squad James Harrison Jersey , riding up and down on the merry-go-round to finish his rookie season with seven games and one start under his belt. By the end of 2014, Kline had started an additional four games and played in a dozen. And by 2015, he found himself a full-time Patriots starter. Kline played 1,021 of a possible 1,022 offensive snaps for Tennessee in 2017. He’s started all 38 Titans contests he’s appeared in since being claimed off waivers in September 2016.Jamil Douglas, guard – With his fifth organization since arriving as a Miami Dolphins fourth-round pick in 2014, Douglas joined New England’s practice squad in October 2016 and remained there through Super Bowl LI. The Arizona State Sun Devil, who accrued 17 games and six starts while with Miami, re-upped with the Patriots on a futures contract after that campaign but was waived on Labor Day weekend of 2017. The Titans signed Douglas to the practice squad last month after the 26-year-old made stops with both the Atlanta Falcons and Colts.Darius Kilgo, defensive tackle – Kilgo has twice been part of preparations for the Patriots since the 2018 season began. The 6-foot-3, 319-pound defensive tackle, who signed a futures contract with the Houston Texans in January, was on the Texans’ practice squad for Week 1 and now finds himself on Tennessee’s active roster. A former Denver Broncos sixth-round draft choice out of Maryland, Kilgo was claimed off waivers by the Patriots in November 2016. He’d go between New England’s 53-man roster and scout team that year, and was waived following the 2017 preseason. Kilgo notched his first tackle of the year in Week 9.Malcolm Butler, cornerback – No SparkNotes version is needed when it comes to the former rookie-minicamp invite from West Alabama and Hinds Community College. Butler was a story from the 2014 preseason on through Super Bowl LII in February, and signed with Tennessee on a five-year deal worth $61.25 million a month later. “It seems like it all went so fast,” Butler said during his introductory Titans press conference. “It seems like I was just in New England on a two-day tryout yesterday. And it just all goes so fast. I’ve worked so hard for this.” Butler’s coverage has been charged with 618 yards and seven touchdowns this season, according to Pro Football FOcus, with two scores coming Monday opposite Dallas’ Amari Cooper and Allen Hurns.Logan Ryan, cornerback – The 2013 Patriots third-round pick out of Rutgers left for Tennessee on a three-year, $30 million pact in early 2017. Over the four years prior Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey , Ryan had checked into every game for New England and started a playoff-including 45 of them. The two-time Super Bowl champion finished his Patriots stay having amassed 243 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 41 pass deflections, 13 interceptions and a touchdown. Ryan, now 27, has started 23 games in the Titans’ secondary since then.NEW ENGLANDBrian Schwenke, guard – Schwenke, a member of the Titans’ 2013 draft class, started 30 of his 57 games for the team that selected him No. 107 overall. The interior lineman out of Cal joined the Colts after 2016, yet returned to the Titans following roster cutdowns. Schwenke later signed with the Patriots as training camp got underway this July. He was active for three games before being placed on injured reserve Tuesday.Jason McCourty, cornerback – A familiar face for reasons other than his eight years in Tennessee, McCourty’s NFL r茅sum茅 nevertheless began there. Drafted in the sixth round out of Rutgers back in 2009, McCourty went on to tally 90 starts, 496 tackles, one sack, six forced fumbles and 13 interceptions as a Titan. The longtime captain was released prior to 2017, and was acquired by New England from the Cleveland Browns in a swap of late-rounders this spring. McCourty has since started each of the last seven games alongside his identical twin, Devin, in the Patriots’ defensive backfield.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44033/monday-night-football-week-5washington-redskins-2-1-at-new-orleans-saints-3-1 Tue, 25 Dec 2018 09:35:21 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44033/monday-night-football-week-5washington-redskins-2-1-at-new-orleans-saints-3-1 Are you ready for some football?!!!The Saints take on the Redskins in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome tonight looking to improve their record to 4-1 as they head into the bye week.Drew Brees comes into this game looking to become the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader. He needs to pass for over 201 yards tonight to make NFL history in front of the home crowd.Another huge story for the Saints is the return of Mark Ingram to the team following his four game suspension.It will be good to have #22 back on the field and he will certainly be excited to be back as well. The Saints have had their struggles against the Redskins in the Payton/Brees era though Bobby Hebert Jersey , as New Orleans has posted a 2-4 record against Washington during this timeframe. In those six games, the only two Saints victories took overtime to attain.The Redskins have the 3rd ranked defense in the league and will not be a pushover, so the Saints will need to be focused in this one.Kickoff:Monday, October 8th - 5:15pm PST / 7:15pm CST / 8:15pm ESTLocation:Mercedes-Benz Superdome - New Orleans https://www.thesaintsfanshop.com/Archie-Manning-Jersey , LouisianaWeather Forecast:Perfect conditions under the domeTV Broadcast:ESPN’s Monday Night Football (National Broadcast)- Joe Tessitore and Jason WittenRadio:WWL 870AM/105.3FM New Orleans-Featuring: Zach Streif, Deuce McAllister, and Kristian GaricSIRIUS XM 225 / Internet 821 New Orleans Saints radio network affiliates can be found hereWashington Redskins radio network affiliates can be found hereOnline Streaming:ESPN.com/watchiOS/Android Streaming:ESPN appOdds:Saints -6; Over/Under 53Here’s to a huge night for Drew Brees leading the Saints to their fourth consecutive win!Who Dat!!! The Saints offense fared well in the first four weeks of the season and they’ll be getting a piece back in the lineup as they try to keep it going in the second quarter of the season.Running back Mark Ingram is back after serving a four-game suspension to open the season and that restores the backfield tandem that the Saints rode to great success last season. Alvin Kamara remained productive with Ingram out of action, but head coach Sean Payton said that Ingram’s return will help keep “wear and tear” from catching up on him later in the season.After four weeks off Drew Brees Color Rush Jersey , Ingram doesn’t have any wear and tear and said Thursday that he’s raring to go.“I’m going to be excited, for sure,” Ingram said, via the team’s website. “I’ve had a lot of stuff pent up and built up and I’m ready to go. I’m hungry and I’m ready to play ball and help our team. We’ve been playing well so I’m just trying to make us stronger Willie Roaf Jersey , to make us more explosive. That’s what I’m trying to do.”Kamara saw nearly 23 touches a game over the first four weeks, which is a big jump from his workload as a rookie. That number will come down, but his success in the expanded role makes it seem likely that Ingram will also see a drop from the 18 touches he averaged last season.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44031/1st-quarter-in-game-update2nd-quarter Tue, 25 Dec 2018 09:25:53 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44031/1st-quarter-in-game-update2nd-quarter In-Game UpdateDespite a dominant performance by Jacksonville Xavier Grimble Color Rush Jersey , they led only 9-0 heading into halftime, and the Steelers followed suit with their first possession of the third quarter. A three-and-out gave the Jaguars the ball back, but the Steelers’ defense led by T.J. Watt pushed Jacksonville back giving the offense their best field position of the game. James Conner moved the Steelers inside the red-zone for the first time of the game, but the result was more of the same — a Roethlisberger interception...again by Jalen Ramsey. It was Roethlisberger’s third interception of the game, and took points off the board when the team needed them the most.How did the Jaguars respond? Try with an 80 yard drive down the field which was highlighted by Bortles moving the ball through the air, and Fournette leaping into the endzone from the 4 yard line to give the Jaguars a 16-0 lead — which felt insurmountable for the dead Pittsburgh offense.With just under 2 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, Pittsburgh’s offense found life when Roethlisberger threw a 78 yard touchdown to Antonio Brown for the first touchdown of the game. Pittsburgh, down 16, chose to go for the two-point conversion, and failed making the score 16-6 with 1:17 left in the third quarter.The quarter would end with the Jaguars leading 16-6 and facing a 3rd and 11. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers took part in a big prime time game at Heinz Field on Thursday Night Football, and the Steelers presented their loyal fan base a 52-21 whopping for their fifth straight win of the season.During the game, some perform well, while others fall short of the standard. This is where the Winners and Losers column comes in. After the game, when the dust settles, we decipher who falls into which category. As always, feel free to comment on the list in the comment section below. Be part of the conversation!WinnersBen RoethlisbergerStat Line: 22/25, 328 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT https://www.steelerssportshop.com/Anthony-Chickillo-Jersey , 158.3 Passer RatingRoethlisberger lit up the scoreboard with a perfect passer rating. The fourth time he has done that in his career. Putting Roethlisberger on this list is easy, but I wonder how many points this team could have scored had he played the full game?Antonio BrownStat Line: 6 rec., 96 yards, 1 TD, 6 targetsEveryone was expecting a big game from Brown, and he delivered. On the day he was cited for a traffic violation, Brown put together a fine outing, catching every pass thrown his way — including a 53-yard bomb for a touchdown. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Brown’s stats (receptions and yards) might be down this year, but as long as he is hitting pay dirt and the team is winning I don’t think he will be complaining much.JuJu Smith-SchusterStat Line: 3 rec., 90 yards, 1 TD, 1 rush, 13 yards, 5 targets Right when Steelers fans starting sweating after watching the Panthers drive down the field with ease and put up a TD, JuJu struck again. The first play from scrimmage set the tone for what comes next, more on that in a second, but remember when everyone said Smith-Schuster doesn’t have the speed to get deep? In his second year he has proven this is laughable.Vince WilliamsStat Line: 4 tackles James Conner Jersey , 3 solo, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 Pass Defense, 1 QB Hit, 1 TFL, 1 TDWilliams looked bad on the opening drive. He looked as if he couldn’t hang with McCaffrey for a full game, and maybe he couldn’t, but it didn’t matter after Smith-Schuster struck on the first offensive play for the offense, and then Williams’ pick-six completely changed the game. Going from 7-0 to 7-14 in a blink of an eye is remarkable, and Williams had himself a night - very worthy of being in this category.Bud DupreeStat Line: 2 tackles, 2 solo, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QB HitDon’t look now, but Dupree has been on this list for two straight weeks. Dare I say, he is starting to resemble an NFL pass rusher. Is he elite? No. He is about elite as Joe Flacco is elite, but he is becoming a threat. And that is just what the Steelers need out of Dupree. If the offense wants to put extra attention to Watt, it is up to Dupree to win his matchup — and he has been. He has notched 4.5 sacks so far this season Roosevelt Nix Color Rush Jersey , and is on pace to be on the verge of a double-digit sack total season. Bet you didn’t see that coming this year!Roosevelt NixStat Line: 2 receptions, 17 yards, 2 targets, 1 FFIn an effort to get some players on the list who aren’t normally here, Nix deserves a spot. His two receptions for 17 yards weren’t just fun to watch, but also helped move the chains on Pittsburgh drives. But what Nix brings to this team is so much more than fullback play. His special teams play, and his forced fumble on a kickoff, was the final nail in the coffin.Cameron HeywardStat Line: 3 tackles, 2 solo, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QB HitsSince the Steelers have altered their gap assignments for their defensive front, Heyward has been more of a plugger, and less of a dynamic playmaker. But on Thursday night we all were treated to some of the 2017 Heyward who registered double digit sacks. Heyward was dominant and did his part in collapsing the pocket and giving Cam Newton happy feet on more than on occasion.T.J. WattStat Line: 1 tackle, 1 solo, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QB HitsWatt didn’t necessarily light up the stat sheet, but he was a force on the field. It was his pressure which forced Newton’s bad throw to Vince Williams. It was Watt who sent a message to Newton with a wicked hit to his throwing shoulder. Not every game is going to be for padding stats https://www.steelerssportshop.com/Chukwuma-Okorafor-Jersey , and Watt’s Week 10, while statistically mundane, was disruptive.Coaching StaffStat Line: 52 points, and a huge prime time win on a short weekKudos to Mike Tomlin, Keith Butler and Randy Fichtner. They all deserve a pat on the back after a tremendous game play on a short week. I can only imagine the hours spent from Sunday night till Thursday morning watching film, meeting with players, practicing and just overall prep on a short week. Oh, and the Steelers were only penalized ONCE in this game. 3rd Down UnitsStat Line: Offense: 8-10, Defense: 4-11More 3rd down dominance on both sides of the ball. This is an indicator of a team on the rise, and if they keep this up they will be tough to beat down the stretch.Red-Zone OffenseState Line: 4-for-4Remember when the knock on the Steelers was their poor red-zone numbers? Not anymore. After a perfect evening in the red area, it will be interesting to see where they rank come Week 11. My guess is at the top of the league, or very close to it.David DeCastro and Maurkice PounceyStat Line: The enforcersWhen Eric Reid hit Roethlisberger high while sliding, the enforcers stepped in to make sure Reid knew exactly what he did, and that it wasn’t acceptable. For a second I felt I was watching a hockey game when the team goes after someone for going after their superstars. They can be called enforcers on the ice, and I think it is safe to say the Panthers wanted no part of No. 66 or No. 53. I loved the response by the Steelers.LosersArtie BurnsStat Line: Garbage time play, still gets burntI don’t even know what to say about Artie Burns anymore. He doesn’t see the field outside of special teams until the fourth quarter, and while in the game gets burned and commits a horrible defensive pass interference call in the process (the Steelers’ only penalty of the night). Burns is in a bad place right now.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44018/the-los-angeles-rams-5-0-are-an-offensive-powerhouse-but-they-have-lacked-in-one-key-area-and-that-is-on-defense-where-they-also-give-up-a-lot-of-points Tue, 25 Dec 2018 09:12:47 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/44018/the-los-angeles-rams-5-0-are-an-offensive-powerhouse-but-they-have-lacked-in-one-key-area-and-that-is-on-defense-where-they-also-give-up-a-lot-of-points Not quite as bad as the Kansas City Chiefs, but bad enough to give the Denver Broncos (2-3) some hope if they can find a way to, well, get out of their own way.The mood around Broncos Country is one of despair and acceptance of losing. Losing is something we have all come to except in the Vance Joseph era and collectively we don’t think it will be much different this week with the Mile Brendan Langley Jersey High Report staff predicting a 37-21 home loss.Here is how we expect things to play out individually.Broncos 31, Rams 28Never give up, never surrender! That is my motto this week as I predict yet another Broncos win - which is something I have done every week this year. I feel like this is Joseph’s last chance to change the narrative of this season and get things back on track in a big way. Do I think it’s likely? Not really, but I have to go into each game hoping for the best - especially this early into a season. - Tim LynchRams 44, Broncos 2431-3 at halftime. Then Case Keenum is benched and Chad Kelly comes in to usher in a new era as our franchise quarterback.What will the final score be? Not a clue as I’m not sure if the Rams will call off the dogs and prevent defense their way home, or if Chad Kelly lights it up and keeps it within 3 scores. But I know at some point, it will be a 28+ point game. - Pete BaronRams 32, Broncos 17The Rams are going to want to make a statement against the Broncos on Sunday. Wade Phillips will have his defense fired up, and things could get ugly quick. As I mentioned on The MHR Radio Podcast, after three quarters the Rams will probably be up by enough to call off the dogs. The game will be over at 32-0 heading into the fourth, but Keenum will snag a few garbage time points in the fourth against the backups. 32-17 Rams. - Adam MalnatiRams 38, Broncos 21I think Lindsay and Royce go HAM against a weak Rams run D but the Broncos turn into the same pass happy outfit they’ve been so far as Jared Goff torches the secondary. Denver scores 21 but gives up more than 5 touchdowns. - Joe RowlesRams 51, Broncos 23I think its 51-23, Rams.That was the score of the Eagles game last year and this season is shaping up to look pretty close to last year’s season.I think Denver comes out with some energy, but succumbs to turnovers and their losing ways in the second half. - Jeff EssaryRams 34 https://www.broncosfanstore.com/Justin-Simmons-Jersey , Broncos 9Most seem to agree the weather is the only chance the Broncos have on Sunday. The Rams want to prove they have what it takes to win on the road in the cold and snow. Todd Gurley is going to absolutely shred the Broncos defense — think Bo Jackson on Tecmo Bowl — and the Rams D will own the line of scrimmage, thus taking away the only thing Denver does well on offense. At least Bill Musgrave won’t be surprised by the calls this week. Of course, Wade Phillips and the Rams will benefit from the Broncos not playing one of their better run-blocking offensive lineman. - Ian St. ClairGive us your score predictions in the comments section below. If you dare... Despite the Broncos record, and the optics at a glance, the Denver offense has shown improvement this year. There is an explosive component to this offense that hasn’t been there in years past.Denver has also finally found a consistent running game. After three years of hearing “we want to establish the run” or “we want to lean on the running game” from the various coaching staffs, the fans are actually seeing the product on the field.The Broncos rank 3rd in the league in total rushing yards, and 1st in the league in yards per attempt.However, it’s the passing game that while it produces some explosive plays, just cannot get things done when it counts.“3rd down and red zone”I probably bring up this quote at least once a month during the NFL season, because I love it so much. David Shaw, head coach at Stanford is one of my favorite coaches and he described quarterback play in the NFL as 3rd down and red zone. That’s what sets the greats apart from the “stat stuffers” or “fantasy quarterbacks”. Sure it’s fun to rack up yards between the 20s on 1st and 2nd down, but where quarterbacks make their money is in those critical spots for their team.3rd DownSo how has Denver’s passing offense fared on 3rd downs? First of all, it’s critical to understand the importance of a passing offense in this spot and why the quarterback must be effective on 3rd downs. If you have a strong running game like Denver has, is there as big a need for the quarterback and passing offense to shoulder the load on 3rd down?In short, yes. In today’s NFL, 3rd down is essentially the quarterback’s down. Out of the 3,129 3rd down plays across the league so far this year, only 21% have been runs. That is because the league average for yards to gain on 3rd down is 7.1 yards (Denver is right at league average). Of the times teams have run the ball on 3rd downs Domata Peko Color Rush Jersey , 50% of those runs have come when the offense had less than six yards to gain. So when offenses have less than six yards to gain, it’s about a 50/50 split whether they run or pass on 3rd downs. Thus, offenses are passing the ball 80% of the time on 3rd downs. So, if you want to convert and be efficient on offense, you’re quarterback has to at least show up on 3rd down.Unfortunately, this is precisely where Denver has failed in the passing game.Case Keenum currently ranks 31st in the league at converting on 3rd downs at a paltry 22.5%. Additionally, Denver ranks 7th in the league on sacks given up on 3rd down with 12. In a future post, I’ll be breaking down each of those sacks to look at who’s to blame - the offensive line, or the quarterback, so more to come on this.At first glance, when looking at raw stats like completion % or QB rating, Keenum’s performance doesn’t necessarily dip that much when it gets to 3rd down. Which is why it is important to look at more telling metrics like success rate and yards per attempt that take into account the context of the situation. For instance, when passing on 3rd down, Denver has averaged around 8 yards to gain for a first down. Compare that to Case Keenum’s average yards per attempt on 3rd downs, at 5.6, and it becomes clearer that while he may be completing passes, they are falling short of the needed yardage. In fact, Keenum’s Y/A on 3rd down drops nearly three yards per attempt from his first down Y/A. This leads to Denver being one of the worst teams in the league at not only converting on 3rd down Demarcus Walker Jersey , but on gap between yards needed versus yards actually gained.I broke this down in a handy chart.3rd Down DifferentialTmGamesPlaysYardsToGoYds GainedDifferentialRank1st%TmGamesPlaysYardsToGoYds GainedDifferentialRank1st%(here is a more mobile friendly chart)As you can see, Denver is 28th in the league at closing the gap between the needed yards on 3rd down, and actual yards gained. On average, Denver’s passing game is four yards short of their needed yardage on 3rd downs, with the league average being around two yards.This is why regardless of how effective your running game is, the quarterback and passing game is critical to the success of the offense as a whole - and Denver hasn’t just been not good in this area, they have been downright bad.Red ZoneThe second critical area for an offense is finishing when in scoring range. This is where things begin to really look ugly for Case Keenum.Keenum’s QB rating drops nearly 40 points when inside the red zone, and his completion percentage drops over 20%.This is even more of a startling drop off considering Case Keenum was a top five quarterback in the red zone last year. I mentioned this a little bit last week while on Orange and Blue 760. Case Keenum threw 15 touchdowns last year in the red zone with zero interceptions, and six of those went to Kyle Rudolph. Another deep dive I will be doing in the future is a look at Keenum this year in the red zone, so stay tuned, but not having a go-to guy down in the red zone has clearly been an issue for Keenum and Denver’s offense.When looking at the numbers like this, it is easy to see why Denver has struggled so much this year, and why fans are not happy with the quarterback play. This is just the start of a series of posts on this topic, but it begins to paint a picture of just how bad the passing offense has been in key situations. You just can’t win in the NFL with this kind of play. If the Denver Broncos want to improve their fortunes this year or next, this has to be where they start.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43295/the-2018-green-bay-packers-reboot-has-been-a-bit-of-rollercoaster-ride-through-six-games Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:49:12 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43295/the-2018-green-bay-packers-reboot-has-been-a-bit-of-rollercoaster-ride-through-six-games At 3-2-1 Los Angeles Rams Hats , the Packers success is still largely defined by their All-Galaxy signal caller Aaron Rodgers; but led by their new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, the Packers’ defense has also been vastly improved. After successful stints with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, Pettine currently has the Packers defense ranked 8th in yardage allowed and 15th in points allowed. Their improvement has been most pronounced when defending the pass, where the Packers have recently invested some high-end draft stock. This week Jared Goff will have to navigate around safety Clinton Dix, who has bounced back from a lackluster 2017 season; as well as emerging corner Kevin King. In the trenches, the Packers have had issues stopping ball carriers, despite having a fairly tough three up front in nose tackle Kenny Clark, and defensive ends Dean Lowry, and Mike Daniels. They are without former Pro Bowler Muhammad Wilkerson, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury back a in Week 3 loss to the Washington Redskins. Inside linebacker Blake Martinez has provided the Packers’ defense with quality play against both the run and pass this season. The Packers biggest issue has been a lack pressure from their edge rushers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. If the Rams can keep Jared Goff clean, and Todd Gurley is able to enjoy the success that other teams have had against the Packers on the ground, then the Rams could end up putting up mounds of points again. Despite having one of the best, and most clutch quarterbacks of all time, the Packers’ offense is currently ranked only 16th in scoring Los Angeles Rams Womens Hoodie , despite being 4th in yardage. Rodgers has had a statistically solid season with 12 touchdowns, 1 interception, and nearly 2,000 yards so far. However, much of those stats have come with Rodgers trying to scrape back when the Packers have fallen behind by massive deficits. Rodgers heroics have added to his legend, but the comeback formula is not head coach Mike McCarthy’s ideal formula for sustainable success. At times, Rodgers has been critical of the offense as a whole and even criticized the play calling following the Packers’ Week 5 loss to the Detroit Lions. The Packers will hope their very-capable offensive line can buy Rodgers enough time to find his favorite targets, wide receiver Davante Adams, and tight end Jimmy Graham. Given the issues that the Rams have had against tight ends like the Jared Cook, and George Kittle, Graham will have Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips full attention this week. Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari could be a tough nut to crack for Rams edge Samson Ebukam, but containment could be critical for the Rams, as their tsunami of interior pressure will likely flush Rodgers from the pocket frequently. If the Rams allow him to drift around for several seconds, Rodgers will usually find a target Womens Customized Los Angeles Rams Jerseys , or take the consolation prize and scramble for a gain. The Packers ground game hasn’t been especially noteworthy so far. They rely on a pair of second-year running backs Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones to carry the bulk of the load, as well as veteran Ty Montgomery who is their best pass-catching back. This game could go a variety of ways, but the Rams would be best served to not let Rodgers and the Packers hang around within striking distance. If the Rams offense can control the clock and their defense can eliminate the Packers running backs early, then the Rams could end up dictating the pace and flow of this game. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is hopeful wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp will pass the league's concussion protocol and be available to play at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but he also knows he has solid contingency plans if they're sidelined.McVay said Monday that Cooks and Kupp did not display any concussion symptoms the day after both were hurt in a 33-31 comeback win at Seattle."We're hopeful to get good positive results with how Cooper and Brandin come back, and if we get them back, then we know that would be a big boost to our offense," McVay said.Cooks was evaluated for a concussion after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Seahawks safety Tedric Thompson late in the second quarter, a play McVay said he did not believe was made with any malicious intent.Kupp hit his head on the artificial turf at CenturyLink Field after making a catch later in the same drive. McVay said Kupp communicated his discomfort at halftime, which led to him being placed in the concussion protocol."And both of those guys, their symptoms, they didn't really have any symptoms a couple hours after the game. Brandin actually did a great job responding immediately, but you can never be too safe and too cautious with those kind of things. Those were the first two guys waiting for us when we got back into the locker room," McVay said.McVay was impressed with how reserve receivers Josh Reynolds and KhaDarel Hodge stepped in against the Seahawks.Reynolds had 22- and 17-yard receptions and ran for 10 yards on a jet sweep on three consecutive plays on the first possession of the second half Cooper Kupp Jersey Elite , a drive that ended with a short touchdown run by Todd Gurley.Hodge made his first career reception, a 14-yard catch in the fourth quarter, to start a drive that ended with Cairo Santos kicking the go-ahead field goal for the Rams (5-0).Reynolds, in his second season out of Texas A&M, and Hodge, an undrafted free agent from Prairie View A&M, were in those roles because of injuries to backup receivers Pharoh Cooper and Mike Thomas."It's tough because there was a lot of different things specifically that maybe we wanted to do, and to (wide receivers coach Eric) Yarber's credit and really to those players' credit, they did an excellent job stepping in on short notice," McVay said. "Didn't really get a whole lot of reps throughout the course of the week, and when their number was dialed they did a great job delivering."McVay said starting receiver Robert Woods was instrumental in allowing Los Angeles to continue to operate its base offense. Not only did Woods move into Kupp's position, it was his communication that helped the inexperienced Reynolds and Hodge process calls, routes and formations.Woods, who also took over returning punts with Kupp out Aaron Donald Jersey Elite , finished with five receptions for 92 yards and two carries for 53 yards. It was his third straight game with more than 100 yards from scrimmage."What he did for us yesterday, delivered every opportunity that he had whether it was running the football, whether it was catching it, and then you watch some of the key blocks he had at the point of attack, some of our touchdown runs, he was a guy that was very deserving of a game ball yesterday," McVay said.NOTES: CB Sam Shields sustained a shoulder injury against Seattle, but McVay said it was not serious. ... K Greg Zuerlein (groin) "hasn't had any setbacks," McVay said. The Rams will have a better sense of whether Zuerlein will be available for the first time since sustaining the injury during pregame warmups in Week 3 on Wednesday. ... The Rams claimed CB Darious Williams off waivers Monday. Williams, an undrafted rookie from UAB, appeared in three games for the Baltimore Ravens.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43293/the-cowboys-had-two-takeaways-in-the-first-quarter-monday-night-and-converted-with-only-seven-points Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:37:02 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43293/the-cowboys-had-two-takeaways-in-the-first-quarter-monday-night-and-converted-with-only-seven-points  They got an interception early in Sunday’s game and ended up with only a field goal.Rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch Dallas Cowboys Hats , who is starting in place of the injured Sean Lee, made his first career pick.He intercepted Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who appeared to have never seen Zach Ertz as he hit Vander Esch between the numbers. Vander Esch returned it 28 yards to the Philadelphia 38.The Cowboys gained 31 yards on eight plays but stalled at the Philadelphia 7 yard-line.Brett Maher sneaked his 25-yard kick inside the right upright for a 3-0 lead with 6:59 remaining in the first quarter.Dak Prescott threw an interception in the end zone after a second Marcus Mariota fumble against the Titans last week, denying the Cowboys points. They lost 28-14.The Eagles have only one first down and 28 yards late in the first quarter. Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick said Wednesday he has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder that causes weakness in various parts of the body, and the four-time Pro Bowl player isn't sure on a timetable for a return.Frederick said he has received two treatments for Guillain-Barre Syndrome over the past 48 hours and that the treatments will continue for several days."I am very optimistic about my condition and the immediate future, as I have been told that the illness was detected at a fairly early stage," Frederick said. "My doctors have told me that it is not possible to determine a timetable for a return to the field right now, but I am hopeful that I will be able to play as soon as possible."The 27-year-old Frederick has started all 83 games Dallas Cowboys Hoodie , including three playoff games, since the Cowboys drafted him late in the first round in 2013. That streak is likely in jeopardy with the opener 2 1/2 weeks away, Sept. 9 at Carolina.According to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke , Guillain-Barre causes the body to attack a network of nerves around the brain and spinal cord. Most people recover from even the most severe cases of the auto-immune disease, but some will continue to have some degree of weakness, according to the institute.Frederick saw a specialist in California while the Cowboys were still in training camp there because of feelings he said were similar to stingers in his neck and shoulders. When he returned to camp, he told reporters he checked out OK. He was on the sideline for the preseason game against Cincinnati on Saturday.Coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday tests for Frederick continued with doctors in the Dallas area. Garrett declined to be more specific.Joe Looney has been working at center in Frederick's absence, but the Cowboys have always considered 2014 All-Pro right guard Zack Martin a possibility there. Martin will miss the rest of the preseason after hyperextending his left knee against the Bengals.Frederick was the second of three first-round picks in a span of four years Youth Customized Dallas Cowboys Jerseys , a group that anchors what is considered one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Left tackle Tyron Smith, the 2011 choice, has battled back issues in recent years. Frederick, Smith and 2014 pick Martin have all been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons.Dallas is banking on a healthy offensive line in front of 2016 NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott, with the Cowboys hopeful that quarterback Dak Prescott and a largely unproven group of receivers can feed off a powerful running game.Two years ago, Frederick signed a $56 million, six-year extension that at the time made him the highest-paid center in the NFL. He's now fourth on that list.]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43292/the-chicago-bears-are-heading-into-their-week-5-bye-with-a-3-1-record-and-they-own-the-top-spot-in-the-nfc-north-for-the-second-straight-week Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:25:57 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43292/the-chicago-bears-are-heading-into-their-week-5-bye-with-a-3-1-record-and-they-own-the-top-spot-in-the-nfc-north-for-the-second-straight-week Despite being 3-point favorites and being heavily picked by most experts Bryce Callahan Jersey , no one saw a 48-10 blowout coming. Even more, this was the most complete game the team has played in close to five years, dating back to their blowout win against the Dallas Cowboys late in the 2013 season.With so much good play in Sunday’s outing, who comes away with the game ball on each side? Let’s find out.QB Mitchell TrubiskyPhoto by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesHoly cow. That’s my initial reaction of the second-year quarterback’s performance on Sunday.19/26 (73%) 354 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, 53 rushing yards and a 154.7 quarterback rating. That was Trubisky’s final line in route to the 38 point blowout at Soldier Field.Where do we even start?Trubisky was one touchdown away from tying the all-time NFL record (shared by Sid Luckman) and if it wasn’t for such a lopsided score, there’s little doubt that he would have reached it.For all of the talk of Trubisky’s “low ceiling” and “bust” label after 15 professional games, he silenced many doubts (at least for the time being) with the performance of a life time in Week 4.Make no mistake, this was a game Trubisky and Bears fans needed, even against a struggling Buccaneers defense. As I have continued to preach for the better part of the last 16 Trubisky starts, patience is needed. Yes, he has struggled more often than not but this is the type of game that could get him and this offense over the hump.On the other side, it’s key not to get too high on a performance like this. For as impressive as it was, this won’t be a weekly occurrence. The biggest key moving forward is building off his career game and continue to grow into a franchise quarterback that can lead them to the promised land. Honorable Mention: RB Tarik CohenPhoto by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesFor the second straight week, Cohen was the featured running back in head coach Matt Nagy’s offense. Cohen finished the game leading the team in rushing (53 yards) and receiving (121 yards), while adding a touchdown to his prolific day. The former fourth round pick became the first Bear to eclipse the 100-yard mark, shortly followed by Taylor Gabriel (7 catches for 104 yards) later in the game.Cohen’s value was on full display in Nagy’s offense on Sunday afternoon and I don’t expect that to disappear any time soon.S Eddie JacksonPhoto by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesThe former Alabama Crimson Tide product is quickly turning into one of the bigger playmakers in the league at the safety position.Jackson added another interception to his impressive 2018 season and locked down a prolific Buccaneers deep passing attack that had dominated through the first three weeks of the season.The second-year safety finished the game with 3 tackles, an interception and a pass defensed, but it was what the Bucs offense didn’t do that gives Jackson this week’s game ball.Outside of DeSean Jackson’s deep catch in the second quarter (that was on Adrian Amos’ side of the field), the vertical game was not there for either Tampa Bay quarterback in today’s game. All of this without the team’s best cornerback in Prince Amukamara.I highlighted Jackson as a player that had to come up big in today’s game and he did just that. Jackson’s ceiling appears high and if it wasn’t for an off-sides penalty in the final minute of last week’s win in Arizona Authentic Charles Leno Jersey , Jackson would have another interception that resulted in a pick-six to add to his resume through four games.Outside linebacker Khalil Mack could’ve easily landed the honors for the third time this season but Jackson’s impact on the field deserves to be seen. Jakeem Grant won the longest game with the longest play.Grant struck like lightning when he scored on a tiebreaking 102-yard kickoff return with 14 minutes to go, and the Miami Dolphins overcame two weather delays to win the longest game since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, beating the Tennessee Titans 27-20 Sunday.Delays for lightning lasted a total of 3 hours, 59 minutes, and the game took 7 hours, 8 minutes to play. The previous longest game since 1970 was a Bears overtime victory against the Ravens in 2013 that took 5 hours, 16 minutes.Grant's touchdown triggered a late flurry of big plays in a season opener that was lackluster for the first six hours.After his score, Ryan Tannehill hit Kenny Stills deep for a 75-yard touchdown. Darius Jennings returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a Titans score, and they were driving when Miami's Reshad Jones helped to clinch the win with a 54-yard return after he intercepted Blaine Gabbert."I love the way we responded — the way we were able to overcome the delays, to come out with energy after sitting around," Tannehill said. "To come away from this long day, this grind of a game, and get a win, it feels good."Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota threw two interceptions in the third quarter and then came out of the game with an elbow injury. Tight end Delanie Walker was carted off the field later in the period with a right leg injury, and tackle Taylor Lewan suffered a concussion, all of which meant a miserable start for Mike Vrabel in his head coaching debut.Walker's injury appeared the most serious."I haven't seen him since he left the field," Vrabel said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him."Miami led 7-3 when the game was suspended for nearly two hours late in the first half. The teams went to the locker room during the delay and stayed on the field for halftime, which was shortened to 3陆 minutes.Lightning forced a halt again midway through the third quarter, and the second stoppage lasted just over two hours. Perhaps 10,000 fans remained at the finish."That's the job we have — to make sure we play through whatever situation Youth Akiem Hicks Jersey ," Vrabel said. "I felt we handled it well, but in the end we didn't do enough to win the game."Sandwiched between the delays was a brawl that started after Lewan appeared to be briefly knocked out . Jordan Phillips and Bobby McCain of Miami and Dion Lewis of Tennessee received offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for taunting, and Lewan missed the rest of the game.Gabbert drove the Titans 75 yards to make the score 10-10, but Grant needed only 13 seconds to break the tie, splitting the coverage untouched and racing into the clear near midfield."I saw it was just him and the kicker," Miami coach Adam Gase said. "I was going, 'Please run by me.'"Tannehill, playing for the first time since a knee injury in late 2016, went 20 for 28 for 230 yards with two scores and two interceptions."I left a lot out there," Tannehill said. "There are a lot of plays I wanted to have back."INJURY REPORTTitans: Mariota was hurt early in the third quarter when hit on the right side by William Hayes. Mariota missed one play, and then returned to throw two interceptions before again coming out of the lineup.He said he couldn't feel his fingers or grip the ball well, and hinted he shouldn't have returned to the game."I'm not using it as an excuse, but I should have made sure I was making the best decision for the team," he said.Teammate Adoree Jackson hurt his shoulder on a 26-yard punt return in the third quarter. ... LB Wesley Woodyard was shaken up and left the game in the third quarter.FRACASLewan was flattened on Andre Branch's blindside block during an interception return by Jones. Lewan sprawled face down on the turf, then suddenly sprang to his feet, and players exchanged words and shoves.NATIONAL ANTHEMDolphins receivers Stills and Albert Wilson knelt during the national anthem, and defensive end Robert Quinn raised his right fist. They followed the same practice before preseason games. No Titans appeared to protest.UP NEXTThe Dolphins play at the New York Jets next Sunday.The Titans face Houston in their home opener next Sunday.Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: ://Steve_Wine]]> linchao https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43291/the-bengals-got-whooped-on-sunday-there-is-no-way-around-that Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:13:30 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43291/the-bengals-got-whooped-on-sunday-there-is-no-way-around-that   Injuries no doubt played a slight part, but Cincinnati is dealing with enough issues that a 51-14 loss to the Saints isn’t anything to be Dre Kirkpatrick Jersey brushed off. Some of the more telling answers to the game lie in the game’s snap counts.Here are the snap count takeaways:75 snaps to 43. That was how many snaps the Saints had compared to the Bengals. The fact that Cincinnati had the ball for that many plays was a bit surprising when it seemed as if New Orleans had the ball for almost the entire game. The Saints did in fact have the ball for just over 39 minutes, so that actually is kind of true. It is hard to say every week that the Bengals have to get better on third down. Still, this week Cincinnati’s defense never forced the Saints to punt, and the offense was 0-6 on third downs. Not quite the winning recipe you expect.With A.J. Green injured, we saw a taste of how the snaps could shake out at receiver. Tyler Boyd (41) and John Ross (36) led the way, but for some reason the third receiver was essentially Cody Core (20) who had two catches for 17 yards on the day. To be fair to all the receivers, Andy Dalton didn’t have his best outing. He under threw a couple deep balls to Ross when he had a step on his defender. However, it is still baffling that this team is trotting Core out for meaningful offensive snaps when he has shown he won’t do almost anything with them. Especially when this was rookie wide receiver Auden Tate’s first active game of the year Authentic Geno Atkins Jersey , but he didn’t even see a snap or target until Jeff Driskel had taken over for Dalton.Speaking of Driskel, the Bengals used him as an option quarterback on their touchdown drive, and it really took the defense off guard. Then we never saw that concept again until Driskel ran it when they had the white flag unit in, and he scored their second and final touchdown of the game. The Saints have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, so we can’t be too harsh on the defensive line. At some point you’d expect the defensive coordinator to bring a fifth guy on the pass rush more often, but it has become clear that isn’t this teams style. Jordan Willis actually led the way with 60 snaps. He had almost nothing to show for it though. For some reason Josh Tupou (42) played more snaps than Adolphus Washington (21) and Sam Hubbard (47), but it is easy to infer that was probably due to the score being so out of hand early. It will be interesting to see how this changes with Washington reportedly out multiple weeks. Jordan Evans appeared to be the guy at linebacker for the Bengals on Sunday. He played 71 snaps, but he is the player we expect him to be at this point. He is a huge liability in pass coverage, but a pretty good run defender nonetheless. Obviously Youth Carlos Dunlap Jersey , injuries have forced him into a bigger role than he should have, but he got the most snaps of any linebacker, so we have to talk about it because he gave up quite a few big pass plays. It was pretty obvious the Saints didn’t target him by accident either.It looked like the Bengals planned on having Clayton Fejedelem play a role as the third safety to help out against the pass. He played 17 snaps before getting hurt and leaving the game. That caused the team to use more of Darius Phillips (42) who also helped fill in for an injured Dre Kirkpatrick. We saw an extended amount of KeiVarae Russell (26) after that as well. Some may try to point to those injuries as a reason the Bengals got rolled over, but they were already down by at least three touchdowns before anyone went down.The biggest question mark Sunday was the lack of Joe Mixon. He only had 13 touches on the day, and he finished with 85 yards. It doesn’t make sense to abandon the run as early as the Bengals did, and it really doesn’t make sense to take your best offensive player out of the game. He only played 29 snaps. That is unacceptable when the team is without Green already.Bengals’ Snap Counts#POS.NAMESnapsPercentage of snaps#POS.NAMESnapsPercentage of snapsBengals sign former Ohio State star Adolphus Washington from Cowboys’ practice squad; Ryan Glasgow to IR UPDATEOn Wednesday, the Bengals announced that Ryan Glasgow had been placed on season-ending injured reserve. The team also signed Adolphus Washington off the Cowboys’ practice squad. Another former Ohio State Buckeyes star is joining the Bengals.According to ProFootballTalk, Adolphus Washington is being signed from the Cowboys’ practice squad to Cincinnati’s 53-man roster.This move will likely come as Ryan Glasgow goes to season-ending injured reserve due to a torn ACL.Washington, who starred at Ohio State from 2012-15 http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-shawn-williams-jersey , was a former third-round draft pick of the Bills (of course) in 2016. However, he’s had a rough start to his pro career, as he ended up being cut by the Bills one week into the 2018 season before landing on Dallas’ practice squad.In 31 career games in Buffalo, Washington recorded 3.5 sacks, three pass deflections and 56 total tackles. He was someone the Bengals took a hard look at in 2016, especially after he grew up in Cincinnati and played at Taft High School.The thought was Cincinnati would sign rookie fifth-round pick Andrew Brown from the practice squad to replace Glasgow, but Washington actually has experience in the NFL, something the Bengals valued more in this instance. Depending on how fast Washington can get up to speed in Cincinnati’s defense, he could be active as early as Week 4 vs. the Falcons Kevin Huber Jersey , especially if Michael Johnson remains out with his knee injury. The Bengals obviously would rather have Johnson active and playing defensive tackle on passing downs, but if he’s out, the Bengals may have to activate Washington. Cincinnati does also have Josh Tupou, so he could be active this week after being a healthy scratch in two of the first three games. It looks like Washington’s former Bills teammate and now again Bengals teammate is excited about the news.]]> linchao