<![CDATA[0xbt: liny's blogs]]> https://0xbt.net/blog/owner/liny195?offset=450 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43250/that-was-quite-an-oversight-so-the-san-francisco-49ers-somehow-forgot-to-add-colin-kaepernick Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:27:39 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43250/that-was-quite-an-oversight-so-the-san-francisco-49ers-somehow-forgot-to-add-colin-kaepernick <![CDATA[that was quite an oversight So the San Francisco 49ers somehow forgot to add Colin Kaepernick]]> Golden Nuggets: Wow Youth Arik Armstead Jersey , to their photo gallery of memories against the Green Bay Packers. I don’t doubt for a second that was an oversight. An oversight by someone else to not notice that somehow Kaepernick was omitted from photographs. While the 49ers organization is supportive of Kaepernick, that doesn’t have to mean everyone within it is. So one has to wonder if this was an oversight or something calculated by some knucklehead in the building. The good thing is, the 49ers owned up to it and quickly adjusted things once they were called on it. There’s no way they said, “Hey, let’s omit Kaepernick and if no one notices, great, if they do, we’ll put him in there.” They had to know the consequences of that. They also didn’t make an executive decision to omit Kaepernick and ignore any pleas. They had to know how that was going to go. At the same time, how does someone getting these photographs together just ‘forget’ Kaepernick?Especially after Kap destroyed a team hated by many 49ers fans in the playoffs. Twice. The 49ers didn’t want this to happen, but I wonder if someone within did. At the very least, the 49ers owned up to it and fixed things immediately—good on them, because Kaepernick is a very crucial part of 49ers history.Kyle Shanahan urges 49ers to stay motivated (Cohn)Richard Sherman says youth is no excuse for 49ers’ woes (Biderman)Shanahan discusses being ‘kicked out’ of prime time with 49ers (Branch)49ers-Packers injury report: Three wide receivers sit out Friday’s practice (Maiocco)49ers receiving corps needs help: Can Marquise Goodwin’s return open things up? (Brown)Biggest takeaway: 49ers work to avoid giveaways, ‘it’s not rocket science’ (Maiocco)49ers notes: Kittle gets credit for blocking; receivers banged up (Biderman)Monday Night Football has been very good to 49ers (Madson)Ranking all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL through Week 5 (Neumann—PFF)49ers apologize for omitting Colin Kaepernick from photo gallery(Sporting News)Will 49ers Buckner or Foster upstage Sherman on Monday night? (Inman)What a horrible night to have a curse... Colin Kaepernick scored first in his legal showdown with the NFL.In the end, there aren't likely to be any real winners.Kaepernick's collusion case against the league that doesn't have a place for him took a big step forward when an arbitrator turned back the NFL's request for a summary judgment — in essence, ruling that there was at least enough evidence to proceed to a full-blown, binding arbitration hearing for the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback.The longer this whole mess drags on Womens Jimmy Garoppolo Jersey , the worse it is for a league that has already taken quite a public-relations battering over its players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest social injustice.Then again, it's hard to see an outcome where Kaepernick gets what he really wants: a chance to play again in the NFL.His playing career, in all likelihood, is over."This is good news for Kaepernick that it goes forward, but my feeling all along has not changed: This is uphill climb for him," said Andrew Brandt, executive director of the Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova University."To prove collusion is more than just teams deciding for whatever reason that they prefer other quarterbacks to Colin Kaepernick. That's not collusion," Brandt went on. "Collusion is two or more teams — backed up with evidence — deciding not to sign Colin Kaepernick. Colluding is two or more NFL entities colluding against signing him."While it seems abundantly clear that the NFL has blackballed Kaepernick, as well as his former teammate Eric Reid (who also has a collusion grievance against the league), actually proving this is a coordinated effort is a whole different matter."This has been going on for quite a while and we've not seen any smoking guns, at least not publicly," Brandt said Friday in a telephone interview. "In our 24-hour media, with so much focus on this, I would think if there's a smoking gun, we would've seen it by now."Even if one emerges and Kaepernick claims an overwhelming legal victory, he'll have to settle for being a very rich but still very much unemployed former NFL quarterback.Arbitrator Stephen Burbank can award tens of millions of dollars in damages.He can't order a team to give Kaepernick a job.That said http://www.the49ersfootballauthentic.com/marquise-goodwin-jersey-authentic , the NFL can't seem to break free of a divisive issue that could have far-reaching implications down the road, especially when the collective-bargaining agreement expires after the 2020 season. An already testy relationship with the players — some of whom have carried on Kaepernick's cause by kneeling or raising a fist during the national anthem — only figures to get worse.Heck, the league already had to back off the supposed national anthem policy it adopted in late May, which would've allowed players to stay in the locker room as a form of absent protest but required them to stand if they came on the field."This is really a lose-lose situation for the league," said Jodi Balsam, who worked in the NFL's legal office from 1994-2007 and now teaches sports law at Brooklyn Law School and New York University. "Obviously if the NFL loses, they have a lot at stake. But even if they win on the merits — and, by the way, all the odds-makers say they will win on the merits — it's still a loss. They will have had to litigate this with all the distractions and expense. That means Colin Kaepernick is still on the public stage for another few months as the hearing plays out."Now that the case is moving forward, it could be ripe for a settlement.The minute Burbank turned them down, the NFL's lawyers were surely advising their billionaire clients that it might be a good time to write out a big fat check to Kaepernick as part of a confidential settlement that makes this whole thing go away."This is a leverage point in the arbitration," said Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago-based arbitration attorney who has handled more than 1,000 claims. "Reason would seem to dictate that if there's going to be a settlement, it's going to happen now, after this arbitrator's decision Womens DeForest Buckner Jersey , or a couple of weeks before the hearing begins."But even if the league wants to settle, there's no indication that Kaepernick is willing to back down. By all indications, he sees this as a higher calling, a chance to carry through on something far more significant than one man's professional and financial future. He showed how much it all means to him by donating $1 million to various social causes even though he didn't have a job."It's extremely dangerous for the NFL that you might have a plaintiff in Kaepernick who doesn't really care about the money, but rather wants to embarrass the NFL," Stoltmann said. "But think about it: If you're an unemployed former athlete and someone dangles a $50 million check in front of you, or a $75 million check, that's extraordinarily hard for any person to reject."Even if a financial settlement is reached, the NFL will make sure that there's no admission that it worked in unison to keep Kaepernick out of the league.The owners have no intention of giving up their ultimate power over the players: the right to sign — and not sign — whoever they want."There's another principle at stake here, the principle that you have significant discretion as an NFL owner and coach to construct a squad that's not just based on talent but on character and camaraderie and a community to win," Balsam said."Are they entitled to make decisions about roster spots and playing time based on players being team players and conducting themselves in the public image that the owners want to project? Absolutely. Are they allowed to say Colin Kaepernick is not right for our team because he's a disruptive presence and we don't want him on our team? They absolutely have that right."So, on we go.Toward an ending with only one likely outcome.Everyone loses.Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry@ap.org or at pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at s://apnews/search/paul%20newberry]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43248/chase-blackburn-was-a-popular Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:12:30 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43248/chase-blackburn-was-a-popular <![CDATA[Chase Blackburn was a popular]]>  http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/b.j.-hill-jersey , over-achieving player and a hero of the 2011 Super Bowl victory for the New York Giants. His time with the team will always be remembered fondly. Sunday, though, Blackburn was one of the villains as the Carolina Panthers crushed the Giants’ comeback hopes on a game-ending 63-yard Graham Gano field goal, winning 33-31.Blackburn is the Panthers’ special teams coordinator. Albert Breer of SI.com explains Blackburn’s role in Gano’s extraordinary kick, second-longest in NFL history:Maybe you were wondering why the Panthers chose to run the ball on third-and-one from the Giants 46 with 35 seconds left, down 31-30, on Sunday. Social media sure was. And it was logical to ask the question.Just another cruel tidbit in a cruel turn of events for the Giants. For nearly two weeks we have wondered how, and if, the New York Giants would rebound from their Thursday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After what seemed like an eternity between games, we got our answer in yet another loss, this time against the Atlanta Falcons. Just watching the game revealed some good and entirely too much bad with the Giants. Let's take a closer look at the stats from the game and see what they have to tell us. OffenseQuarterbackMonday night’s loss to the Falcons was a mixed bag for Eli Manning. The Giants’ quarterback had one of his best games from a raw statistical point of view. He threw for 399 yards and a touchdown, completing 71 percent of his passes and a season-high 10.5 yards per attempt. Manning attacked every level of the Falcons’ defense, finally taking advantage of a poor secondary to employ their playmakers. However, Eli also missed some passes he probably should have connected on, and also made some poor decisions which cost the offense opportunities for points. All in all, Manning had his issues Womens Riley Dixon Jersey , but he also did about as much as he could to compensate for a nonexistent running game and bad pass protection.Offensive LineThe third version of the Giants’ offensive line — Nate Solder, Will Hernandez, Spencer Pulley, John Greco, and Chad Wheeler —was hardly an improvement on the previous two combinations. Once again, Manning was under duress all game long, adding four more sacks to his season total. He is on pace to be sacked 55 times this season, shattering his career-high of 39, set in 2013. As has become a theme this season, each of the Falcons best pass rushers got well within league-average of Eli on their pass rushes, per Next Gen StatsMeanwhile, the blocking for Saquon Barkley in the run game was nearly nonexistent.Skill Positions Speaking of Barkley, who was on the field for 59 of the Giants’ 64 snaps, the looks he received in the passing game weren’t any better than those he got in the run game. He was targeted the second most times with 10, but all of them were in the backfield on either swing passes or as check-downs. The Giants relied on Barkley for easy completions, but never actually set him up to do much of anything with them. Unfortunately Authentic Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey , his streak of games with 100 or more scrimmage yards was broken, as he compiled 94 total yards. Given his extreme explosiveness in the open field, it simply doesn’t make sense that the team doesn’t let him run routes down the field, either from the backfield or from the slot or wide receiver positions. But while the Giants’ usage of Barkley is mystifying at best, they finally seemed to figure out how to use Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard. Beckham played 61 snaps (95 percent), while Shepard played 59 (92 percent). The two combined for 210 yards on 13 receptions ( 8 for 143 yards and a touchdown for Beckham, 5 for 167 yards for Shepard), an impressive enough box score. But more importantly was how they were used. Finally, the Giants used Beckham and Shepard as the complimentary weapons they are and moved them around the offensive front and targeted them down the field. DefenseFront sevenThe Giants’ front seven had one of their best performances of the season against a porous Atlanta offensive line. The team had three sacks in the first quarter, and notched another 5 quarterback hits and 6 tackles for a loss over the course of the game. For the first time since their Week 3 win at Houston, the Giants consistently got closer than league-average to the quarterback. Olivier Vernon, who played an incredible 64 of 65 snaps — only Alec Ogletree played more — was the spark for the Giants’ defense early in the game. He routinely beat his man and set up his teammates for their own success. However, it was plain to see by the end of the game that he was gassed. He is a very well-conditioned athlete and has a non-stop motor, but playing every defensive snap but one is a lot to ask of a player in his second game back from a leg injury. Fellow starting EDGE player Kareem Martin played 34 snaps (54 percent), making three tackles and a tackle for a loss. Lorenzo Carter (24 snaps) and Kerry Wynn (22 snaps) rotated with Martin. Carter picked up a tackle, a tackle for a loss Womens Sterling Shepard Jersey , a sack and a quarterback hit, while Wynn notched a tackle, a tackle for a loss, a sack, a quarterback hit, and a pass defensed.For the first time this season, B.J. Hill lead the defensive tackles in snaps, with 37 (57 percent). He didn’t record a sack, but the rookie tackle once again flashed his power, leverage, and technique with four tackles and a tackle for a loss.Dalvin Tomlinson was close behind, logging 32 defensive snaps (49 percent), and notching four tackles of his own. Damon Harrison brought up the rear for the starters, with 30 snaps (46 percent). Mario Edwards Jr. came up with a quarterback hit and a sack — wiped out by penalty — in his 23 defensive snaps.SecondarySafeties Landon Collins and Curtis Riley each played all of the Giants’ 65 defensive snaps, while Janoris Jenkins played 61, and the recently-traded Eli Apple played 58 snaps. B.W. Webb — who will now be the Giants’ starting corner in place of Apple — played 39 snaps Authentic Evan Engram Jersey , getting two tackles, as well as two tackles for a loss, a sack, and a quarterback hit.The play of the Giants’ secondary against the Falcons’ passing game is difficult to quantify. On one hand, they held Julio Jones to his lowest per-catch average of the season, but he still caught 9 passes for 104 yards. The problem for the Giants was that they simply did not have the defensive depth to match up with the Falcons’ passing game. James Bettcher found early success by having defensive backs blitz rather than try their hands in coverage, but Atlanta eventually countered by replacing the blitz with the ball. The defense did its job, holding the high-powered Falcons’ offense to just 23 points and giving the Giants’ offense a chance (which it squandered) to build an early lead. But once Atlanta adjusted, they did a fantastic job of finding the holes created by the Giants’ blitz packages and spreading the ball around. Ten different receivers caught passes from Matt Ryan, nine of whom caught at least two passes. All in all, the Giants’ defense had its work cut out for it against Atlanta’s potent offense. And while they were far from perfect, they did about as well as could be expected without the offense providing anything like a lead.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43245/odell-beckham-%E2%80%9Cfinding-that-balance%E2%80%9D-key-for-giants%E2%80%99 Tue, 11 Dec 2018 03:01:05 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43245/odell-beckham-%E2%80%9Cfinding-that-balance%E2%80%9D-key-for-giants%E2%80%99 <![CDATA[Odell Beckham: “Finding that balance” key for Giants’]]>  offense With a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. Alec Ogletree Jersey , a spectacular back like No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley, a rebuilt offensive line, a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and coach with a reputation for building quality offenses the New York Giants were expected to feature an explosive, high-scoring attack in 2018.At 1-3, averaging just 18.25 points per game and having failed to reach the 20-point mark in all of their losses that has yet to come to fruition.Beckham, without a touchdown catch and averaging a career-worst 10.7 yards per catch, thinks he knows why.“It’s really about finding the balance. I think that might be the answer. We just haven’t found that balance,” Beckham said. “We haven’t found a way to get up and down the field, move it here, move it there, throw it, run it, reverse it, whatever it is. We just haven’t found that balance.”Because I can, that means were taking a break for this:Can the Giants find that balance?We have been discussing all week the things the Giants need to do better in order to find that balance. They include:Making sure they don’t forget to hand the ball to Barkley often enough to make defenses respect the Giants’ running game.Protecting Eli Manning and avoiding costly penalties and negative plays.Getting more big plays, specifically involving Beckham 4Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey , from the passing game,Brett Favre says Eli Manning needs better OL protectionSaquon Barkley wants to get back to “Giants Football” on offenseLet’s talk about Eli Manning, risk management and the Giants’ offenseValentine’s Views: Whoever you blame, Giants’ struggles land at the feet of the offenseDownfield opportunitiesBeckham gave what amounts to a non-answer as to whether or not he thinks there have been chances to get the ball down the field.“They’re there, they’re not there, it’s just a matter of doing it. There’s only so much – they’re there, they’re not there. I don’t know how to answer that. There’s opportunities, there’s not opportunities. It’s just about taking advantage of the opportunities that are there.The word “frustration” keeps being tosses around“Frustration, I don’t know if that’s the right word. It’s just a matter of when it’s going to click. Like I said, we missed the first quarter of the season, we can’t have it back, but there’s still another three quarters. It’s about making the most of those. At any point in time, you could win seven games in a row, then you’re sitting at what? 8-3. I always say this, you could’ve won the first eight and lost the first eight. It’s just about when you catch fire. But there does need to be a sense of urgency to play better, do better Eli Manning Jersey , execute, win games, but there’s definitely not a panic in my mind, in my body, soul, my heart. I’m not panicking.“I always hear the word frustrated. I’m sorry, it’s funny. Yeah, there is a lot of attention that goes on me, there’s times I’ve been in that red zone and I watch the nickel who’s over me covering me, the linebacker drop out to my side, the safety be over the top. There’s a lot of attention that goes there, so I joked with everybody in here, I was like, you know that I’m coming back off the ankle surgery, I’m thinking maybe I’ll get a chance, you have to prove yourself Authentic Odell Beckham Jr Jersey , and it’s like they just jumped right back into what they were doing last year, doubling up and doing those things. We just have to find ways to get around that.”Eli Manning can handle criticismThe quarterback is under fire as the offense continues to be stuck in neutral, but Beckham isn’t worried about that.“I feel like he’s fully capable of handling whatever comes his way. He’s been doing this for a long time, so I don’t think there’s anything guys could say that is going to bother him.”He’s a Saquon Barkley fanBeckham enjoys what Barkley does so much that he sometimes forgets to do his job while watching the rookie running do Barkley Things with the ball in his hands.“What he can do is unreal. So whenever he gets the ball in his hands, I’m supposed to turn into a blocker but I turn into a spectator. I sit there and I’m watching him because it’s like a mirror image, I’m watching him break tackles and this and that, and I’m like ‘oh I’ve got to pick somebody up on a block.’ We trust fully what he can do and just putting the ball in his hands and letting him make plays. I know it’s early to say it, but in my opinion, he’s going to be one of the best in the league.”Giants roster moves: Ereck Flowers waived, OT Brian Mihalik added The New York Giants have announced that they have waived former starting offensive tackle Ereck Flowers.News first surfaced Monday that the Giants were trying to trade Flowers, and failing that, they would cut him by 4 p.m. Tuesday. There had been rumors of a team interested in trading for Flowers, but if there were indeed any such talks, they obviously fell through. Now Flowers will go to the waiver wire, and it wouldn’t surprise to see teams put in claims on the former first rounder. The Giants drafted Flowers ninth overall in the 2015 NFL draft, and at the time Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin said of Flowers Color Rush Jon Halapio Jersey , “The kid is an outstanding athlete. He is very young, as you know. He is a battleship, an aircraft carrier or however you want to describe him at six-foot-six, 329 [pounds]. Strongest guy in the draft. Outstanding feet. [He] just turned 21 a couple of days ago here in mid- to late-April. Those things, together with the desire to improve both our offensive and our defensive lines, to be honest with you, we think we have made a good start here.”The move opens a spot on the roster and offensive line depth chart, and the Giants will reportedly promote OT Brian Mihalik to fill it. Mihalik, 6-foot-9 and 315 pounds, played in 15 games for the Detroit Lions in 2017. He started twice at left tackle, vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 29 and at Green Bay on Nov. 6.The Giants viewed Mihalik up close when they practiced with the Lions for three days in August. He was released by Detroit on Sept. 2 and signed to the Giants’ practice squad on Sept. 13.Placekicker Marshall Koehn added to practice squadCoach Pat Shurmur had indicated Monday that the Giants would need to add a placekicker to the practice squad to protect themselves with Aldrick Rosas dealing with a quad injury. The Giants did that Tuesday, adding Marshall Koehn to fill the practice squad spot vacated by Mihalik’s promotion. Koehn was with the Giants in the preseason. Shurmur indicated Tuesday that the Giants will wait as long as possible before deciding whether they need to promote Koehn to the 53-man roster.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43243/on-sunday-against-the-new Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:49:45 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43243/on-sunday-against-the-new <![CDATA[on sunday against the New]]> The New York Giants collected their third loss of the 2018 seasonOrleans Saints. It seemed as though the Giants had turned a corner against the Houston Texans and were moving in the direction of competing with the rest of the NFL. Instead Youth Patrick Omameh Jersey , the game had a sickeningly familiar feel to it, with the offense seeming like an ineffective exercise in futility. In many ways, this game reminded of the Giants’ week two loss to the Dallas Cowboys, particularly on offense. But how similar was it, really? Let’s take a closer look at the stats from the game and see what they have to say.OffenseQuarterbackAt first blush, Eli Manning had an efficient day against a poor Saints defense. He completed 31 of 41 attempts, good for a completion rate of 75.6 percent, for 255 yards and a touchdown. This marks the third time this season he has completed at least three quarters of his passes and thrown a touchdown pass.However, a closer look at the stats reveal that the Giants were playing “keep away” with their passing game, rather than actively trying to attack a defense which had given up just over 34 points per game and the most passing yards in the NFL through the first three weeks. Per Next Gen Stats, Manning was tied for the third fewest intended air yards among quarterbacks Sunday, with averaging just 6.1 yards through the air. His average completion was the shortest in the NFL, at just 3.6 yards per completion. Finally, Manning also threw the ball the second furthest from the first-down marker, averaging 2.9 yards behind the sticks. “Short,” “quick,” and “safe” are the words to describe the Giants’ passing game against the Saints, but like with a similar game plan against the Dallas Cowboys, “ineffective” comes to mind. An offense featuring Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and Saquon Barkley simply is not built to play it safe and chip away at a defense. Offensive lineAll told, the Giants played 62 snaps on offense, and the entire offensive line of Nate Solder, Will Hernandez, John Greco, Patrick Omameh, and Chad Wheeler played all of them. It might be assumed based on Manning’s passing stats that they failed in protecting him. While saying that they ‘failed’ to protect him is a bit strong, Manning was sacked three times and each of the Saints’ top rushers came closer than league average to Manning on their average rush. However, he did have time to throw, averaging 2.66 seconds from snap to throw, which was only about two hundredths of a second less than league average. Skill positions The Giants didn’t run the ball much as the game slipped away. But even so, Barkley (54 snaps, 87 percent) only had two carries further than five yards. Given what we have seen of Barkley’s ability to pick up extra yards with a quick cut or powering through an arm tackle Aldrick Rosas Jersey , the line did not block for many of the rookie’s yards. Considering he only saw an eight (or more) man box on just 20 percent of his runs — per Next Gen Stats — that does not reflect well on the line. Barkley did rate as the NFL’s fourth-fastest ball carrier, topping 20 miles an hour on his breakaway run.He was once again successful as a receiver, catching six of eight targets for 56 yards.Odell Beckham played 59 of 62 snaps, catching 7 of 11 targets for 60 yards. As indicated by Manning’s average of 3.6 yards per completion, Beckham caught most of his passes short, and did what he could against a defense which was allowed to play downhill all game. Sterling Shepard, who also played 59 of 62 snaps was the Giants’ leading receiver, catching each of his 10 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Giants spent almost all of the game in their 11-personnel set, with TE Rhett Ellison playing 54 of 62 snaps, and WR Russell Shepard playing 51 of 62 snaps. The Giants receivers were getting open, per Next Gen Stats, with four of the Giants’ top five receivers getting much more than league-average separation. Manning just wasn’t finding them down the field. After that primary personnel set, TE Scott Simonson got the most snaps at 14 of 62. The Giants clearly came in with the plan to spread the Saints out. DefenseFront SevenOnce again, true defensive linemen Damon Harrison and Dalvin Tomlinson lead the way in the snap count, getting 37 of the defense’s 70 snaps. Per Next Gen Stats, Tomlinson was the Giants’ best pass rusher, and the only one to come closer than league-average on his average rush.Rookie defensive tackle B.J. Hill saw an uptick in his snap count, from 14 to 24 snaps, after an effective day against the Houston Texans.EDGE players Kareem Martin and Connor Barwin played the most snaps, between outside linebacker and defensive end. Martin played 56 of 70 snaps, while Barwin played 45 snaps, coming up with three tackles and a pass defensed. Both players were among the Giants’ top pass rushers, but both were only about league average in terms of their average distance to the quarterback.Linebackers Alec Ogletree and Ray-Ray Armstrong played the most snaps among the front seven, with Ogletree playing all of the defense’s 70 snaps, notching 12 total tackles. Meanwhile Armstrong played 57 snaps, and came up with 7 tackles. SecondaryEach member of the Giants’ starting secondary played all of the defensive snaps, with Janoris Jenkins, B.W. Webb, Landon Collins, and Curtis Riley each playing 70 snaps. The Giants’ secondary played well overall, limiting Drew Brees to just 18 of 32 for 215 yards and no touchdowns. That is impressive work for the defense, considering Brees had been on a historic run to start the game, completing well over 80 percent of his passes and dissecting every defense he saw.Nickel corner Donte Deayon was the final member of the secondary to see a major share of the snaps Authentic Rhett Ellison Jersey , with 53 of 70.The Giants were largely suffocating in coverage, with four of the Saints top five receivers averaging about half a yard less separation than league average. Particularly impressive was the work of Jenkins on wide receiver Micheal Thomas. Thomas had been having an excellent season to date, and Jenkins held him to just four catches for 47 yards. He only allowed Thomas, who is quickly becoming one of the NFL’s best receivers, an average just 2.38 yards of separation — four tenths of a yard less than the average NFL receiver.Final thoughtsThe stats suggest that the Giants should have won against the Saints. Instead they lost in an ugly landslide. The Saints were showing looks which should have allowed the Giants to run the ball — yet they didn’t. The Giants’ receivers were getting wide open, yet the passing game made no effort to look down the field. The defense played far better than the lopsided 15-point loss would have suggested, and if a team holds a quarterback the caliber of Drew Brees to the day he had, they should expect to win. The problem was with the Giants’ offense and an ineffective game plan. The question going forward is whether the Giants coaching staff will open up the offense as they did against Houston, or continue to play the ineffective horizontal scheme which lost against Dallas and now New New Orleans.Odell Beckham contract carries responsibilities with it One of the big reasons the New York Giants felt comfortable entering into negotiations that ended up making Odell Beckham Jr. the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history is that they were impressed by how Beckham handled the last few months. It made them believe that at age 25 and coming off the first serious injury of his life, that Beckham had finally found the maturity the Giants have been looking for him to display.“I think Odell personally is moving in the right direction,” co-owner John Mara said at the beginning training camp when he acknowledged that contract negotiations would be coming. “It certainly had an effect on our desire to start negotiating. So, he’s had the right attitude all along and we expect him to have a great season.”Now that Beckham has that mega-deal, one that puts him 10th in the NFL in terms of guaranteed money at $65 million, second among non-quarterback to Von Miller ($70 million) and just behind Eli Manning ($67 million) Beckham has responsibilities beyond being a great player.Beckham is the face of the Giants franchise. That used to be Manning, but in reality it’s been Beckham for a while. One day, that mantel will pass to Saquon Barkley. The historic commitment the Giants just made to one of the two most talented players to ever wear a Giants uniform — the other, of course, being Lawrence Taylor — places that responsibility officially on Beckham.And it is a responsibility.Mara said Tuesday that it was “important” for the Giants to see how well Beckham handled the last few months.“I think he’s matured quite a bit. I think that stuff [off the field distractions] hopefully is in the past,” Mara said. “I think he’s ready to go on and be the type of player and citizen that we expect him to be, and I think he will be.” The numbers show just how historically good Beckham has been, especially of course in his first three seasons. In those first three seasons, Beckham netted more than 1,300 receiving yards, 10+ touchdowns and 90+ receptions each year.His records include:Most receptions through the first 15 games of an NFL career (110)Fastest player to reach 100 career receptions (14 games)Youngest player in NFL history (22 years, 53 days) with multiple games having 10+ catches in a single season (4)First player since 1967 with 30 receiving touchdowns in his first 35 gamesOnly receiver with 3,000 receiving yards or more in his first 30 games (3,035)Only player in NFL history to reach 200 catches in 30 or less gamesSecond-most touchdowns by a wide receiver in his first two NFL seasons (since 1992)Second-most 60+ yard touchdowns (9) by a wide receiver in a three-year spanBeckham also holds Giants franchise records for most receptions (91) by a rookie, most rookie receiving yards (1,305) and touchdown catches (12) by a rookie and is already 10th on franchise’s all-time receptions list.He is a great player. He’s lightning, a guy turns the ordinary into the extraordinary in the blink of an eye.What Beckham needs to do now is keep the focus on those extraordinary talents. He needs to show that the last few months were a real sign of a maturing person and not just an orchestrated effort to be on his best behavior so that he would get paid.There can’t be any more boat trips. No more peeing in the end zone celebrations that embarrass the head coach, especially one like Pat Shurmur who has gone way above and beyond in an effort to forge a bond with Beckham. There can’t be any more on-field meltdowns that lead to suspensions.There has to be a Beckham who focuses solely on displaying those extraordinary gifts he has on the field. A Beckham who leads his teammates, teammates who love him and want him to lead them. A Beckham who represents the Giants, an iconic NFL franchise Youth Kerry Wynn Jersey , the way such a franchise deserves to be represented.A Beckham who’s purpose is to help the Giants win football games, to win titls, and who doesn’t find ways to draw attention to himself for things that have nothing to do with how wonderfully gifted he is.Beckham’s legacyBeckham know what he wants his legacy to be.“This [contract] is kind of just something that you get out of the way,” Beckham said of the five-year contract extension he signed yesterday. “Honestly, it sounds crazy enough, but I don’t think I’ve done anything really since I’ve been here. I have goals for myself. I don’t think I have truly been able to achieve them, even with the success that I’ve had. It’s not really where I want to be. Like I said, before I was even in the NFL I wanted to be legendary. Yeah the money is great, you can take care of your family, you can take care of kids one day that you’ll possibly have. But my goal was always to be in the Hall of Fame, to win trophies, to be able to leave a legacy that will be remembered way past any money that you make.”Some things will have to be different if he is to be remembered the way he wants to be.Beckham was asked directly if he felt he had matured. His answer?“Do you see this polo? I’m growing up,” he said. “Honestly, it just was something that, I won’t say proud of anything that’s ever happened, but I’m able to take everything that’s happened for me and make myself into a man and learn from those mistakes and be able to look myself in the mirror and have to deal with those things. It wasn’t the best thing to happen to me to date, but what I got to learn and take and grow from, was everything that I needed in my life and now I’m able to take that and keep going forward and just be the best me that I can be.”Does he feel added responsibility because of the money?“I don’t know if it puts any extra that I haven’t already put on myself. Coming in early in training camp, being able to be here and knowing where I’m at in life, and knowing that I do need to be a leader, and there are guys that are watching me and I need to be there on days that I need to be bringing energy somewhere else,” Beckham said. “I don’t know if it’s any extra responsibility that I didn’t already put on myself going into this year, year five, being a vet. I couldn’t say it was any extra, but I know that my goals are if not the same, higher. I just want to be able to be my very, very best.”Beckham’s “very, very best,” on and off the field is what the Giants are paying for. Right now, there is lots of optimism that they will get it.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43239/if-ryan-fitzpatrick-can-pull-this-off Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:36:23 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43239/if-ryan-fitzpatrick-can-pull-this-off <![CDATA[If Ryan Fitzpatrick can pull this off. . .]]> .The Bucs have never overcome a 17-point Womens Demar Dotson Jersey , fourth-quarter deficit. They trailed by 20 at halftime. It’s down to 10 now, with half the fourth quarter remaining.Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 28-yard field goal for the only points in the third quarter, and Fitzpatrick hit Chris Godwin early in the fourth.DeSean Jackson thought he had it down to a 3-point game, but his 83-yard punt return for a touchdown was negated by a holding penalty on safety Isaiah Johnson.Fitzpatrick now is 25-of-39 for 336 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.Ben Roethlisberger, who was 21-of-25 for 273 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the first half, now is 28-of-35 for 330 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.The problem is the Steelers miss Le'Veon Bell. They have no running game to run clock. James Conner has 10 carries for 12 yards Authentic Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey , and Stevan Ridley has three carries for 18 yards. Coach Ron Rivera received a text from Cam Newton immediately after the Carolina Panthers selected Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore in the first round of the NFL draft that read: "Thank you!"The Panthers gave Newton more help on offense Thursday night by selecting Moore 24th overall in hopes of upgrading a passing game that finished 28th in the league last season.Moore was the first wide receiver taken in the draft.Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said Moore's best quality is his ability to make plays after the catch."When he has the ball in his hands he turns into a running back," Hurney said. "He breaks tackles and makes big plays. And still he has the speed to stretch the defense and go deep. He runs good routes and has a lot of strengths."Newton apparently took notice."Cam stays up on all of this stuff and he came right to us with all of the offensive guys," Rivera said. "He pays attention to it."Newton isn't the only one high on Moore.Steve Smith Sr., the Panthers all-time leader in most receiving categories, said he likes the toughness with which Moore approaches the game and thinks he can be a big time player."To be truthful, they have never been able to replace me" said Smith Womens Ali Marpet Jersey , now an analyst for the NFL Network.Smith thinks Moore might finally be the receiver that can."You get that guy and you've got instant grits all day long," Smith said."For Steve to say that is high praise," Rivera said. "I'm pretty fired up. I believe D.J. is a guy who can come in and play all three of our wide receiver positions."Moore is the latest skill position player selected early by the Panthers in the hopes of giving Newton more to work with on offense. Last year Carolina selected running back Christian McCaffrey in the first round and wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the second to take some of the pressure off Newton after he had a down season statistically in 2016."It was nice to know that whatever I did in college did not go unnoticed," Moore said.Moore joins what is becoming a crowded wide receivers room in Carolina.The Panthers traded with the Eagles for Torrey Smith and signed free agent Jarius Wright from the Vikings earlier this offseason. Devin Funchess returns as Carolina's No. 1 receiver after a breakout season in 2017 and Samuel hopes to battle back following an injury-plagued rookie season.Moore said he had a good idea the Panthers were going to select him."It was a sigh of a relief when I saw North Carolina (area code) come up on my phone," Moore said. "I was like, 'OK http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/vinny-curry-jersey , this my pick.' They told me when I was on my draft visit they were going to (draft me), so they kept their promise."Moore was the 2017 Big Ten Receiver of the Year and first-team all-conference selection. He had a school-record 80 receptions for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games last season for the Terrapins. He also led Maryland in receiving as a sophomore with 41 receptions for 637 yards and six touchdowns.Rivera said Moore could also contribute right away as a returner in addition to playing wide receiver.The 6-foot, 210-pound Moore said he feels like he can be a week one starter at wide receiver "if I put the work in."Moore is the first draft pick chosen by Hurney's since 2012. Hurney was fired by the Panthers that year after conducting 11 drafts as GM, but returned to the team on an interim basis last summer and was hired full time in February.Hurney said he didn't think Moore would drop to No. 24.He said Moore reminds him a little of Smith."He has that play strength and that ability to break tackles and make yards after the catch," Hurney said. "That is a pretty high bar to set (comparing him to Smith) but there are a lot of things we liked about him.The Panthers have made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons http://www.tampabaybuccaneersteamonline.com/lavonte-david-jersey , but were knocked out in the first round last season by division foe New Orleans. The Saints swept all three games from Carolina, which made finding ways to match up better with them an offseason priority.Carolina's offense stalled most of the season in 2017 and it was often the defense that had to bail them out.The move comes on the same day the Panthers gave three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen a two-year contract extension.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43237/preseason-is-about-the-process Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:22:16 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43237/preseason-is-about-the-process <![CDATA[Preseason is about the process]]> Cheap Gerald McCoy Jersey , not the results As Nat Moore said on the Dolphins broadcast last night, the preseason is the opportunity to work on some things you didn’t do so well at last year. So what did the Buccaneers need to work on? On Offense, it’s the running game and playcalling. On Defense, everything. Preseason games are basically glorified scrimmages so what we can take away from them isn’t too much, but we can glean a few things.OffenseOffensive coordinator Todd Monken called the plays last night, and I thought he did a really good job. Better than Dirk Koetter in my opinion, if we’re being honest. He mixed in the run and the pass on first downs:On first downs in the first quarter with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, Monken called five passes and three runs. Fitzpatrick finished 5/5 with 8.66 yards per attempt (ypa) on first downs and 6/8 for 6.9 ypa overall. Monken called two passes before calling running back Peyton Barber’s number on a first down and he ran well; his three carries yielded 5.66 yards per rush (ypr) as a good change-up.On first downs in the second quarter with Jameis Winston in, Monken called nine passes and two runs. Winston finished 6/8 with 8.5 ypa and one sack on his first down attempts, and 11/13 for 7.8 ypa overall. Ronald Jones III didn’t have a great night behind the Bucs’ patchwork second-team offensive line, and his two first-down rushes went for one yard (a goal-line rush, so to be fair we should factor that out), and a loss for one yard. Together, the offense on first downs finished 11/13 for 111 yards at 8.5 ypa and one sack and four rushes for 4 ypr. Juxtapose that with Koetter’s NFL-high rush rate of 66 percent on first downs early in games over the last two seasons, at a 3.3 yards per rush rate. It may have been the preseason, and maybe the Dolphins won’t end up being any good, but the process finally looks right; over the course of a season that’s a lot more yards, and opportunities to score. In large part because, perhaps counter-intuitively, passing on first down puts the offense in more manageable second downs much more often than running does. That in turn makes second down a standard down (as opposed to an obvious passing down where defenses have an advantage of likely knowing what’s coming) where the defense will again have to respect the threat of the run, which in turn also helps play action, and so on for third downs. Balance begets balance. On top of that Buccaneers Chandler Catanzaro Jersey , we actually got to see an RPO (run-pass option) in the red zone. Winston’s throw was a bit too high for WR Bobo Wilson, but to Mike Evans it would have very likely been at least a first and goal and maybe even a touchdown. I’m not sure but I believe this is a second level RPO; Winston is reading the linebacker. Winston holds it just long enough to get the linebacker to take a couple steps forward to help open up the passing lane, and then pulls it and throws it. I’d like to see his decision-making here be just a bit quicker and his throw placed better, but the linebacker did a great job forcing a tough decision and throwing angle. But, process and not results. Execution is something to work on, but any play call that gives your quarterback an easier read and throw in compressed space is a good play call. This is something the Bucs need a lot more of in the red zone this season and I hope it continues. So, why did Monken call plays? It’s a change I’ve been calling for for a while now, but now that we’ve seen it, I’m more convinced than ever that Monken should call the plays going forward. But it raises plenty of questions. If Dirk’s plan was to call plays this season, why let Monken have a shot? If he does it better than you, how can you go back? And if Monken is a better play caller, is it fair to ask what we’re even doing here? I’m not saying Monken should be the head coach or anything, far from it. But if Koetter is an average playcaller (his offenses have historically not scored points, only finishing in the top 10 in points per drive three times in the last eleven seasons and not since 2012) and average head coach (14-18 record), and your assistant does what you’re known for better than you...where do we go from here?DefenseTo be honest, I don’t think Mike Smith has changed his scheme up that much and I don’t think it was a good night for him or the defense. I still saw a lot of what we saw last year - McCoy being an unblockable beast, occasional flashes of a pass rush from others, problems with run fits, and a lot of what looked like soft quarters coverage. I can’t adequately describe how much I hate how far off they have the corners playing.Ryan Smith had a particularly rough night; he can’t start for this defense, and that makes the battle between Davis and Vernon Hargreaves one of the key ones to watch. The Bucs badly need Carlton Davis to lock down the other outside cornerback spot opposite Brent Grimes, who is 35, so Hargreaves can play the nickel/slot Cheap Mike Evans Jersey , where he’s much better suited. And if Davis does, was it because he’s legitimately starter quality, or because no one else on the roster is? I’ve seen a variation of the above crossing play be successful vs this defense so often in the last two years I’ve lost count. I didn’t really see much of what I was hoping to see in terms of improvement, and I don’t have great expectations for the defense this season. I think they’ll be better than last season, but they were the worst in the NFL last year. I’m not sold on Mike Smith being the answer to fix what’s wrong, but to be fair, at this point the secondary doesn’t seem to be there, whether it’s because of scheme, talent, or inexperience. Is Smitty playing his scheme because he thinks it works or because he doesn’t think he can run anything else with the talent he has? I don’t know. What I do know is your first team defense giving up over 10 ypa to David Fales is really, really bad.General Manager Jason Licht spent premium draft picks on physical corners Davis and M.J. Stewart. I wish we could see more of that physicality being displayed. Let Davis use his size; playing ten yards (ten yards!) off the line of scrimmage isn’t his game. And to be sure, Davis and Stewart had pretty good nights, and Davis had two pass breakups. This offense is much closer to being a finished product than the defense, and unlike the defense appears to be trending in the right direction, but we’ll look for week to week improvement in both squads as the preseason goes on. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play host to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The two teams play in different divisions, but do have quite a bit of history against each other. Both teams are coming off of week one wins, and will each try and get to 2-0 on the season.Sunday will be a battle of of journeymen quarterbacks. Ryan Fitzpatrick “FitzMagic” and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles are set to square off.This is the third season in a row that the Buccaneers will play host to a Super bowl champion from the previous year. The Buccaneers haven’t fared well the last two years, dropping games to the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. Hopefully this year, Tampa can come out on top. All-time series matchup: Philadelphia leads 10-8.Playoff matchups: Teams are tied at 2-2. Last playoff meeting was in 2002 and the Buccaneers won 27-10.Last meeting: Bucs won 45-17 in Philadelphia. If you remember, this was probably Jameis Winston’s best game as a Buccaneer.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43236/the-tampa-bay-buccaneers-suffered-yet-another-devastating-loss Tue, 11 Dec 2018 02:08:22 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43236/the-tampa-bay-buccaneers-suffered-yet-another-devastating-loss <![CDATA[The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered yet another devastating loss]]>  on Sunday as they fell to the Atlanta Falcons 34-29. With that being said Carlton Davis Jersey , the people out there blaming Jameis Winston for the defeat need to get lost. I mean, seriously, enough is enough when it comes to blaming Winston for everything that goes wrong with this team. He can’t control the defense, nor the kicking game, or the coaching. If it wasn’t for Winston on Sunday, the Buccaneers would have lost this game by 20+ points. To those who say Fitzpatrick would haveyielded a better outcome, please go look at the majority of Fitz’s career, as well as the Chicago game, or the first half against the Steelers and try and convince me differently. Jameis Winston finished the game 30-41 (73.2%) for 395 yards and four touchdowns. The Buccaneers also posted their first 100+ yard rushing game for a grand total of 500+ yards of total offense, but still lost. Oh, by the way, the Buccaneers are only the second team since 1940 to lose with those offensive numbers in a game. Teams overall were 51-1-1 with those offensive numbers, and with two turnovers, teams were 17-0, but yeah...it’s Winstons fault.Yes, Winston threw two interceptions, one of them being in the end zone, which obviously cannot happen, but that was his first red zone INT since his rookie season in 2015, and certainly wasn’t the reason the Buccaneers lost this game. Interceptions happen, even Tom Brady throws them, but if Winston goes three more years until his next red zone interception, I’d be happy. Look, I would be the first to tell you that Winston must cut down on the turnovers just a little bit, but do you really want two yard check downs every play? Do you really want to watch an offense similar to the New York Giants? The Buccaneers run a vertical offensive scheme, which requires many throws down the field. It’s just natural for interceptions to happen. Does anyone remember what happened before halftime? Winston executed a perfect drive to cut the lead back down to eight with only 26 seconds remaining in the half. Yes, only 26 seconds were remaining in the half, but Mike Smith’s defense allowed Matt Ryan to drive 47 yards in four plays and it took less than 20 seconds. Again, a step forward by Winston, forgotten because of the defense.This defense that Jameis Winston has to contend with is historically bad. Currently, the Buccaneers defense has allowed opponents to score 34.6 PPG. No defense in the history of the NFL has allowed 30 PPG or more. The defense is also dead last in pass defense as they are allowing an average of 355.6 YPG. In more embarrassing stats, the defense is well on it’s way to setting a new record in opposing completion percentage, as well as opponent passer rating. The all-time record for completion percentageis 72.6%, currently, Tampa Bay is allowing 76.8%. The passer rating record is 116.2. Tampa Bay, through five weeks, is at 129.5. Those are just a few things that Winston has to contend with on a weekly basis. He isn’t only battling the other team, but he is also battling his own defense and has for the better part of four years now. So, basically, if the Buccaneers want to win, Winston and company must score over 35 points every week, never make a single mistake, and accumulate over 400 yards of offense. That’s just unrealistic Authentic Mike Evans Jersey , but still, fans will find a way to blame Winston. There islittle room for error on offense because of the inability of the defense. Watching the game, it almost feels as if once the offense doesn’t score on a possession or two, the game is over. This was evident in the first half as Tampa Bay jumped out to a 6-0 lead (thanks Catanzaro), but before you know it, it was 21-6 because the offense didn’t score on their next two possessions. It’s simply unfair to expect any offense to score a touchdown on every possession and as a result, the last three games have been the Buccaneers playing catch up the entire game.Once the Buccaneers get Winston an average defense (which won’t happen this year), the wins will start piling up. Until then, Winston will continue to be the scapegoat for many fans who want him out of town.Chasing the Booty: Dirk Koetter, the Buccaneers D-Line against the Saints, and more. Each and every Friday, managing editor Gil Arcia and deputy editor James Yarcho will discuss topics from the week pertaining to the Buccaneers and the rest of the NFL. Some things may have a positive spin while others may get under their skin.This column is broken up into different parts with brief takes: a hot button topic, a team headline, a wild card topic, and a point-counterpoint. We will also include the weekly Bucs Nation staff pick for Tampa Bay’s game.The Hot Button - Playcalling DutiesGil: A lot of folks are up in arms about playcalling-gate. Will head coach Dirk Koetter call the plays this season? Will offensive coordinator Todd Monken continue on from preseason? My thing with that is, it was preseason. So what the Bucs offense did against players playing for jobs or no longer employed has to be taken into account. Now I will say this. Monken deserves credit. His preseason playcalling was much better thanKoetter’s preseason playcalling — hence why they averaged more points per game. But I still take it back to what it was, preseason. I’m fine with Koetter calling plays. My issues have always been in the red zone when he wants to run four verts from inside the 20-yard line. Like, seriously? Just do better in that area, coach.James: This isn’t the first time I’ve commented on this, nor will it be the last. All signs point to Koetter retaining call playing duties as soon as 1:00 p.m. hits and the Bucs and Saints kick off. That’s what he’s told us, that’s what we have to go on.However, with a smoothly as things went in preseason with Monken making the calls, Koetter may realize that the offense is every bit as productive - maybe even more so - with Monken steering the ship. Koetter touched on how Monken calling plays allows him to focus on other aspects of game management and he may realize that he needs to trust Monken to do that job if he is going to keep his own. Either way, no matter who is calling the plays, the offense needs to execute. There were far too many red zone issues last season, too many blown opportunities for it to be all on the play calling.So, to Gil’s point and to add my own; Everybody, just do better in that area.Bucs Headliners: Koetter’s SecretsGil: I love Dirk Koetter press conferences. They are the greatest things in the world next to yellow rice and chicken. OK, maybe not that great. But they are at times spectacular. The Buccaneers head coach is in mid-season form with keeping things out of the media. When asked about the kick returner, he responded sarcastically. When asked about the starting running back position, he responded sarcastically. When asked about changing the offense for Ryan Fitzpatrick, he responded sarcastically. While I enjoy he’s sarcasm and find his way of throwing things in the face of media members with certain questions to be very entertaining, I just don’t understand the secrecy.I get the attempts at gaining a competitive advantage, but the only thing I can truly understand is not releasing information on whether or not the offense was altered for Fitzpatrick.James: Really, Gil? Yellow rice and chicken is the best comparison you’ve got? You could’ve gone Reese’s Cups, a perfectly cooked filet, or an ice cold beer but you went yellow rice and chicken? *Sigh* Anyway, here’s the thing about the Koetter pressers - I get it. He isn’t a fan of the media, he doesn’t want to give anything away, he isn’t the transparent and fun loving guy he was when he was the Offensive Coordinator.That’s all well and good, but here’s my issue: if you’re going to take a page out of Bill Belichick’s “How To Treat The Media During Press Conferences” memoir, you better have the skills to back it up.The reason guys like Belichick and Nick Saban (mostly) get away with the answers and attitude that they do is because they win. When you win all the time, you can say whatever you want however you want (within reason - not like the Saban/ESPN fiasco over the weekend) when you speak to the media. I get the “competitive advantage” but how much of an advantage is it really when you’re talking about the guy who is returning kicks when he might return two or three at the most? Koetter should probably ease up a tad.Week 1 Wild CardGil: For me Youth Kwon Alexander Jersey , I think the biggest NFL-related story has to be the partnership between former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Nike. The kneeling movement created by Kaepernickand the reasoning behind it all gets lost in the thoughts and opinions of many. And people seem to forget that it was a military veteran who gave him the suggestion of kneeling and has spoken publicly about it.Bucs Nation’s David Harrison touched on this same topic in his Hard Count column Thursday as I was already formulating my take on the matter. He brings up excellent points about the ad campaign, especially about the improper use of the term “sacrifice” by Nike.However, in a sense Kaepernick did sacrifice everything. He sacrificed his ability to play football and despite to constant warnings of kneeling, he continued to stand for what he believed in. In my opinion, you have to look at the bigger picture here and that is this campaign was a good move for both sides — despite the fact that this was already in the works. James: Good heavens. What a dumpster fire this is. Oh, Gil’s take on Kaepernick? No no no...I’m talking about Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders. How many Bucs fans that were screaming for this guy to return are eating a big, steaming pile of crow right now? He trades one of the best defensive players in the league, trades away a third round pick for a player that he cut (and took a shot at his GM’s drafting skills in the process), and has turned the roster into the oldest one in the NFL.Sound familiar?This is the same guy that had a constant rotation of geriatric quarterbacks at the helm in Tampa Bay, gave deals to nursing home residents like Charlie Garner and Tim Brown, while running Warren Sapp and John Lynch out of town.And people thought this was going to work?He wants to take the game back to 1896, refuses to integrate technology, and is being paid $100-Million dollars in the process. I literally cry laughing every time his name pops up in my Twitter feed because I know he’s done or said something else completely asinine and all I can think of is how great it is that the Bucs dodged that bullet. No, Koetter may not be the best coach we’ve ever seen, but if Gruden had come to town we may have seen portions of the young core shipped out of town in favor of guys that were still playing during Gruden’s last tenure.Point-Counterpoint: Bucs DL against the SaintsGil: The Buccaneers defensive line will make or break the team this weekend. There was so much emphasis on the trenches this offseason that all the time and money spent on piecing together a stellar defensive front, there should be no reason why the line does not “wreak havoc” like this year’s team slogan states.Granted, I get that there may be another reason for the team to be successful this weekend, as you alluded to, James. But, if games are truly won in the trenches then Week 1 is the perfect time for the defensive line to show up. Not next week. Not later in the season. This Sunday.James: I’m certainly the last one to discount the importance of the defensive line - especially in a divisional game with a first ballot Hall of Famer under center. It’s going to be crucial that the revamped defensive line get pressure after Brees and blow Kamara up in the backfield if they’re going to stay in it.But it can’t all be on the defense. Another key factor to the Bucs staying in it is production on offense.Chris Godwin, to me, is the key to victory. Yes, Mike Evans is one of the best receivers in the league. One could make the case he’s top ten. That’s exactly why the Saints will do everything they can to eliminate him from the game. Between Marshon Lattimore and the safety help he will receive, Evans will be covered like a pig in “slop” all game long. That means the go to guy in the passing game will be Godwin. With his big body and phenomenal hands, he will be the most reliable receiver outside of Evans to help move the ball up and down the field. Yes, DeSean Jackson will still be the big, explosive play guy, but if the Bucs are facing 3rd-and-9 from the 32 or it’s 3rd-and-Goal from the 8, Fitzpatrick will be looking for Godwin to expose the one-on-one opportunities he will face.Gil: Well, damn. You had a lot to say...Week 1 Game PredictionsLatest line: - Saints by 9.5, over/under: 49.5Gil: Bucs 23, Saints 20James: Saints 31, Bucs 23 Evan: Bucs 23, Saints 22Alex: Saints 28, Bucs 24Jon: Saints 34, Bucs 13Kyle: Bucs 24, Saints 20David: Bucs 31, Saints 24Bailey: Bucs 28, Saints 24Dustin: Saints 31, Bucs 20]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43235/the-baker-mayfield-era-has-arrived-bust-open-the-fridges Tue, 11 Dec 2018 01:50:13 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43235/the-baker-mayfield-era-has-arrived-bust-open-the-fridges <![CDATA[The Baker Mayfield era has arrived! Bust open the fridges]]> .Cleveland’s long winless streak is over Youth Chris Hubbard Jersey , as they defeated the Jets 21-17 on Thursday Night Football, improving to 1-1-1 on the season. What had the makings of another embarrassment of a game instead turned a chapter for the organization, as Mayfield relieved an injured Taylor and took charge of the offense in a major way. Let’s recap the action.The Browns’ first quarter was a pathetic showing on offense and special teams. QB Tyrod Taylor was 1-of-7 for 2 yards, and the playcalling did not fool the Jets’ defenders whatsoever. Cleveland’s defense was getting after QB Sam Darnold for several possessions, but then toward the end of the first quarter, RB Nick Chubb whiffed in his protection on special teams, leading to P Britton Colquitt’s punt being partially blocked.That gave the Jets starting field position within field goal range. On the first play of the second quarter, RB Isaiah Crowell punched it in from 7 yards out to give the Jets a 7-0 lead.On the first play of the Browns’ next possession, Taylor had WR Antonio Callaway wide open down the middle of the field for a touchdown. Taylor let the ball hang way too long, though, allowing CB Trumaine Johnson to make up ground for a giving knockaway. Before you knew it, it was another three-and-out for the offense.On the Jets’ next drive, they ran the ball repeatedly down Cleveland’s throat to the left side. Over and over — and then Crowell punched it in again from 2 yards out, making it a 14-0 lead mid-way through the second quarter.After that, the Browns finally moved the ball for the first time all game, but even that was ugly. It needed two 15-yard penalties by CB Trumanie Johnson to be sustained (one unsportsmanlike after a third down incompletion Womens Kevin Zeitler Jersey , and another personal foul that allowed for a Cleveland hold to be offset). After getting into field goal range, Cleveland had a 2nd-and-2...and then took a timeout, saw Taylor throw to no one deep in the end zone for an intentional ground (while not being pressured), and then was sacked on third down, leading to a punt.Taylor then went to the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion as rookie QB Baker Mayfield got ready for his debut. Cleveland’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, allowing Mayfield to run the two-minute offense. Mayfield got a couple of completions on darts, but was then sacked for a loss of eight, forcing the team’s final timeout to be burned with 0:49 left and 43 yards away from the end zone. Another completion set the Browns up from 45 yards out, and K Greg Joseph pushed a 45-yard field goal through the uprights to put the team on the board at 14-3.The Jets were unable to move the ball much to begin the third quarter, leading to a punt. The punt, plus a block in the back, forced Mayfield’s first drive to start at the 5 yard line. He was able to move the offense to just past midfield, but the team elected to punt on 4th-and-4 from the 45 yard line.The Jets got a big first down throw on their next drive to WR Robby Anderson, but then CB Denzel Ward stripped the ball away and recovered it, returning it to the 8 yard line. Unfortunately, even that was not good enough to set the offense up for a touchdown Youth Baker Mayfield Jersey , and Mayfield was fortunate that his third-down pass to WR Jarvis Landry wasn’t picked off by the crossing safety. Joseph just barely made a 27-yard field goal to make it a 14-6 game.The defense forced another quick three-and-out, and then Mayfield led the Browns right down the field, including a beautiful catch by Landry down to the 1 yard line. RB Carlos Hyde punched it in from 1 yard out to make it 14-12. The Browns went for two, and after failing the first time, they got a re-do because of offsetting penalties. Cleveland pulled a trick play by having Landry throw a pass to Mayfield for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 14-14!Cleveland’s defense finally yielded points on the Jets’ next drive, but they were able to hold them to a 28-yard field goal with 9 minutes to go, now down 17-14.Mayfield then proceeded to put together a six-minute drive, dropping dimes left and right to his receivers, to get the ball to 1st-and-goal at the 1 yard line. With 2:04 to go, Hyde punched it in again on 3rd down to give the Browns their first lead of the game! The extra point made it 21-17, now putting the game in the hands of the defense.The Jets faced a 4th-and-10 in their own territory, and with all three timeouts, they still decided to go for it. An incredible catch at the marker by WR Jermaine Kearse extended the drive, but on the next play, LB Joe Schobert dove and intercepted Darnold Youth Emmanuel Ogbah Jersey , making up for his dropped pick earlier in the game!Cleveland took over at the Jets’ 43 yard line with 1:21 to go, but it wasn’t over yet because New York still had all three timeouts remaining. The Browns got it down to 4th-and-2 with 1:05 to go at the 34 yard line. Instead of going for it or attempting a 53-yard field goal, they punted down to the 6 yard line with 0:54 left.Darnold’s first pass was a 25-yard completion to WR Terrelle Pryor. On his next play, replay review determined Darnold’s knee was down on a sack before he could throw it away. With 0:19 to go, Darnold’s heave was picked off by CB Terrance Mitchell, sealing the win! Wooooooo!!!Quick HittersQB Baker Mayfield: 17-of-23 for 201 yards.QB Tyrod Taylor: 4-of-14 for 19 yards. 4 rushes, 22 yards.RB Carlos Hyde: 23 carries, 98 yards (4.3 YPC). 2 TD. 2 catches, 5 yards (3 targets).WR Jarvis Landry: 8 catches, 103 yards (15 targets).DE Myles Garrett: 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass defended.DT Larry Ogunjobi: 8 tackles, 2 for a lossCleveland Browns’ first depth chart of training camp The Cleveland Browns released their first unofficial depth chart of the season on Sunday. This is one of the first years where we don’t have to monitor who is atop the chart at quarterback.It’s always important to stress the word unofficial for these preseason depth charts, because typically, they are put together by staff members in the organization and not the head coach. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to look at where players fall. NOTE: We have manually amended this chart at WR to reflect the trading of WR Corey Coleman.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;!--.excel1 {padding-top:1px;padding-right:1px;padding-left:1px;color:black;font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;font-family:Calibri Youth Nick Chubb Jersey]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43234/daily-dawg-chow-browns-news-10318 Tue, 11 Dec 2018 01:35:53 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43234/daily-dawg-chow-browns-news-10318 <![CDATA[Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (10/3/18)]]>  Cleveland Browns:“Browns elevate DB Jeremiah McKinnon; place DB Terrance Mitchell on injured reserve” (Browns.com) - “Originally signed by Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2016 http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-emmanuel-ogbah-jersey , McKinnon spent the first four weeks this season on the Browns’ practice squad.”“Big plays could lead to more carries for rookie Nick Chubb” (C-T) - “In a game in which his team wasted chance after chance to secure a victory, rookie running back Nick Chubb made the most of his opportunities. And then some.”“Hue Jackson backs off officiating, doesn’t want to get fined” (ABJ) - “A maddening decision in which a strip sack of Derek Carr was ruled a non-fumble didn’t change Sunday’s Browns game in Oakland, much.”“Browns might cut Antonio Callaway’s snaps” (PFT) - “Callaway dropped several passes and had an offensive pass interference penalty while playing 70 percent of the snaps against the Raiders in last Sunday’s loss.”NFL:“Injuries: Rob Gronkowski (ankle) did not practice” (NFL.com) - “Ezekiel Elliott will be good to go for Sunday night’s tilt versus the Houston Texans, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.”“NFL indefinitely suspends Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks” (USA TODAY) - “The NFL on Tuesday indefinitely suspended the linebacker for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in the wake of his guilty plea to insider trading.”“Jets’ Isaiah Crowell gets wipe endorsement after celebration” (ESPN) - “New York Jets running back Isaiah Crowell has a new endorsement deal that may not, uh, sit well with his coach.”“Officials called five roughing the passer penalties in Week Four” (PFT) - “There were five roughing the passer penalties over 15 games after 34 of them were called in the first 48 games of the year.” Duke Johnson wore a backpack on Monday that seemed symbolic.The Browns finally asked him to carry a larger load.Of the handful of positives to emerge from Sunday's 37-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, capping another stormy week of change and uncertainty in Cleveland, Johnson's two-touchdown performance was at the top of the list.After being overlooked — some would argue misused — for much of the season, Johnson was the primary focus of the Browns' offensive game plan. He finished with nine catches for 78 yards, added one rush for eight and drew extra attention from Kansas City's defense, which allowed his teammates to make plays.Johnson was hesitant to say it, but Cleveland's change at offensive coordinator, with running backs coach Freddie Kitchens replacing the fired Todd Haley, made a difference."Um," Johnson said sheepishly when asked if the Kitchens-for-Haley swap was the reason for his rise in production. "I guess you could look at it that way. Again Duke Johnson Jersey , it's the same plays we've been calling, the same offense. There's just certain things that coach Kitchens likes better than coach Haley did."Before Sunday, Johnson's season-high was four catches and there were times when he wasn't on the field at all. What made that even more perplexing was that Johnson led the Browns (2-6-1) with 74 catches for 693 yards last season and developed into one of the NFL's best dual-threat backs.But with Haley concerned about getting touches for running backs Nick Chubb and Carlos Hyde, who was recently traded to Jacksonville, Johnson became the odd-man out.A proven playmaker not getting a chance to make plays.Johnson was targeted by rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield against the Chiefs, and he hopes to get even more opportunities as the season progresses."I think it is possible," Johnson said. "Just going out there and showing what I'm capable of doing, especially showing the reason why I'm here. It was a great showing for myself, but not so much for the team and we're about team here. We should have gotten the win, that's most important."Following his first game since being chosen Hue Jackson's interim replacement, defensive coordinator/head coach Gregg Williams said Johnson's breakout was caused by a combination of things, including Kitchens and Mayfield working together for the first time."Freddie did a good job and Baker, too," Williams said. "Baker's understanding of that from the read process — when a play is called as a quarterback, you don't automatically know it is going to go to that person. There is a read definition that takes you to that person, but from Baker and Freddie Authentic Christian Kirksey Jersey , they did a good job with that."It was good to see that with Duke. Just like what we have talked about with other people, I think he can do more and he will. He had a good fire about him, and he will continue to improve too. We need him to improve."Getting Johnson more involved didn't result in a win for the Browns, but it was a small step toward improvement.Cleveland matched a season-low with only four penalties, and Williams, who decided early on he was going to be aggressive, liked that his offense converted three times on fourth down.The Browns couldn't keep up with Kansas City's high-speed, high-scoring offense, but Johnson was impressed with the team's character in the aftermath of Jackson and Haley's firings."I never saw them blink," he said. "One, two, scores down or whatever, we were always in a position to continue to fight. I never saw them blink. That is good. That is what we are supposed to do as professionals. Young team, old team, I do not care — that was good. There was a lot of positive that way. Defensively, we have to play better."Another bright spot was left tackle Greg Robinson. The 2014 No. 2 overall pick made his first start for Cleveland filling in for Desmond Harrison Youth Chris Hubbard Jersey , who was out with an unspecified illness. Robinson not only protected Mayfield's blind side, but handled all his other duties."He played well, didn't he?" said Williams, who was on the Rams' staff when they selected Williams. "I've seen him develop as a young guy. I've seen him have his battles, ups and downs, and it's been good."Following the game, Mayfield singled out Robinson, who was grateful for the QB's praise."It felt good to just get out there with the boys, taking it to the game field rather than just practicing," said Robinson, signed by the Browns in June. "It was encouraging and I'm really happy that he spoke well about me."NOTES: Williams did not have updates on rookie CB Denzel Ward (hip), CB E.J. Gaines (concussion) or LB Christian Kirksey (hamstring), all injured Sunday. Williams reiterated his decision to sit DB Damarious Randall (groin) was so he can be healthy for multiple games and not just one.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43232/you-have-every-right-to-be-madit%E2%80%99s-been-twelve-hours Tue, 11 Dec 2018 01:20:26 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/43232/you-have-every-right-to-be-madit%E2%80%99s-been-twelve-hours <![CDATA[You have every right to be mad.It’s been twelve hours]]>  Womens Larry Ogunjobi Jersey , and i’m still nearly as frustrated as I was when I watched the winning field goal clear the uprights.Browns fans have every right to be upset. It’s a different excuse or moral victory for each game, but the fact remains; the Browns have had a decisive win in the palm of their hands for the first 4 weeks of the NFL season, and in 3 of these cases, lost the game due to persistent errors and mental mistakes. For all 3 losses, the Browns snatched a loss from the jaws of victory multiple times.The moral victory Monday crowd, or those looking for a silver lining, will have an easy time finding joy in the Browns thrilling yet ultimately heartbreaking 45-42 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. The emergence of Baker Mayfield as a bonafide QB prospect, looking unreasonably prepared for his first start in a tremendously hostile environment, will provide an undercurrent of hope and joy in the weeks to come. Nick Chubb electrified the offense with two runs yesterday, and the young standout defensive talent of Myles Garett, Denzel Ward, and Damarious Randall was on full display. Browns fans will find comfort in those facts as the week goes on, but in the moment, it’s difficult to look past the mostly ridiculous reasons the Browns couldn’t escape with a win.Objectionably awful missed calls from the referees in the key moments of the game will undoubtedly bear the majority of the fan angst, but a potential win was frittered away by all three phases of the Browns attack.Without further adieu...Special teamsI bring this phase of the team up first, since it’s objectively the most embarrassing and incomprehensible failure of the current Browns coaching staff. (This is a high bar!) It’s remarkable that after years of grumbling about the repeated under performing special teams units led by Chris Tabor, the Browns would manage to find the coach that makes Tabor look like a hall of famer.Bad starting field position due to coverage. The Browns gave up enormous chunks of field position every time they exchanged the ball. The punt coverage units, for four straight weeks, have been absolutely abysmal. Plays that don’t feature a holding penalty typically show undisciplined gunners flying past ball carriers, and the Browns are unable (or unwilling) to funnel returners into the heart of the coverage unit.Kickoff and punt returning is a catastrophe. Jabrill Peppers continues to only return balls when defenders are near, and had multiple awful returns driven by indecision and hesitation or by executing “Leeeeeroy Jennnnnnkins” maneuvers out of the end zone. Antonio Callaway (after much wailing and gnashing of teeth) finally got an opportunity to return a kick, and promptly almost fumbled the ball.Every single punt, received or kicked, that doesn’t produce a holding or block in the back penalty is a surprise. The Browns even managed the rare “procedural shift” penalty (I don’t think this is the correct name, but i’m too lazy to look it up) Oakland hadn’t heard of it either, and declined.The place kicking didn’t have a chance to impact this game, but i’m putting it in here because i’m sure Joseph would have borked it up, if he was given the opportunity. As a reminder, the Browns weren’t forced to add a 69% career kicker to the roster; they did this to themselves.DefensiveBrowns fans and national pundits lauded the team defense through three weeks Authentic Darren Fells Jersey , and that left me with a sense of unease. The play from individual contributors such as Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell, Joe Schobert and Damarious Randall was stellar through the first 3 weeks. Even during close games, Gregg Williams continued to relentlessly bring 5 and 6 defenders on blitz packages, leaving enormous holes in the defensive secondary. In week 1 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, the weather assisted around 6-10 different misfired passes from Ben Roethlesburger to various targets, landing just out of reach of pass catchers that were wide open with plenty of grass in front of them. Forced fumbles in the first 3 weeks flipped the field position frequently, but receivers were open for chunk plays and teams failed to capitalize on it. Despite the litany of dropped balls for Derek Carr’s pass catchers, including a walk in touchdown, it was easy pitch and catch for most of the day, en route to Oakland piling up a staggering 565 yards of offense. These numbers could have been significantly worse if it wasn’t for turnovers and the Raiders starting deep inside Browns territory on a number of drives. The luck finally ran out for this defensive unit.Gregg Williams continued to play same aggressive scheme and leave 4th and 5th string defensive backs alone on coverage islands. EJ Gaines has been active in practice for two weeks, and TJ Carrie is primarily an inside corner. It showed, as Carrie failed multiple times to jam receivers on the line or keep his balance, giving Carr easy throwing lanes for pass catchers on the boundary.Williams continually left Schobert alone in space with Jared Cook, who was being played as a WR, and the results shouldn’t surprise anyone. Fans should remember Gregg telling on himself and saying that this result is the soft spot of his defense, while also hoping to keep 3 and 4 linebackers on the field at all times. The Browns were unable to stop the run consistently all day, while keeping these linebackers on the field for the litany of screen passes and TE actions, created easy opportunities for the pass game. Gregg Williams scheme was the biggest reason 42 points was insufficient for the Browns to get the W, not the referees. Snap counts!Inevitably, the heavy snaps played for key defenders was going to pay a toll. Late in the game, the Browns defenders (especially on the defensive line) had trouble getting lined up, were on their heels, and had hands on hips as they struggled to match the tempo of Oakland’s offense. The Browns don’t trust the backup players up front, aside from Chris Smith, and it showed late in the game.Coverage breakdowns in the defensive backfield showed up relentlessly as the Browns failed to pass receivers between coverage zones. I’ve never seen as many receivers without a body around them as I did in the Browns game on Sunday. OffensiveIt’s difficult to trash the Browns offense after scoring 42 points. It has been years since the Browns were able to put 30 points or more on the board, and this was a bonanza of offensive output. Yet Authentic Damarious Randall Jersey , we soldier on.The Browns offense spotted Oakland more than 14 points off of self inflicted errors. A pick six generated from a receiver falling down in a route, and two fumbles in the heart of the Browns end zone, created impossible situations for the Browns defense. After going up 14 points in the second half, the Browns went five straight drives without a first down, coupled with the aforementioned turnovers in their own half of the field.The first time the Browns run a jet sweep in which the timing isn’t clunky and where they aren’t nearly fumbling or turning the ball over will be the first. Haley ran this play more than 4 times on Sunday, and while they weren’t always catastrophes, they’re an poor idea within 3 yards of the end zone, and the hand offs/exchanges were always fraught with a tremendous amount of risk. The reward from this play isn’t worth the danger it presents, and the Browns were lucky it didn’t get worse. 6 total touches for Duke Johnson, 3 for Nick Chubb. Total. Chubb had long house calls on two of his three touches, and was still out touched 22 to 3. I understand that it’s difficult to play a rookie running back, with typically suspect pass blocking, in front of a rookie quarterback. It’s especially difficult when you’ve got a pass-first offense. There’s still no excuse for failing to get both of these players involved for the, well.....always-th time. The Browns do this every week.Lack of first team reps for Baker Mayfield and the familiarity it would develop were primary proponents for the fumbled exchange and lack of chemistry on the timing plays, like the jet sweeps and the RPO passes. The Browns offense is still getting used to Mayfield, and it showed. Offensive motion/action was off all day.LAST, but certainly not least, is the decision to punt the ball back to the Raiders with an 8 point lead. Once the spot, unfairly or not, was established as 4th and inches, the Browns had the opportunity to put the game away for good. The defense had already given up over 450 yards to the Raiders, was gassed, and was missing half of the starting cornerbacks. A QB sneak or ISO dive play has an 80%+ chance of getting the first down and deciding the outcome. The Browns, conservatively, gave the ball back to Oakland with a chance to score and tie. On the road, in that environment, i’d like to see an aggressive play call. Browns fans, the future is bright. The talent on the 2018 Browns is evident. Extracting the most from this talent, who will continue to act their age Womens Denzel Ward Jersey , will be the biggest challenge for the coaching staff, who have (at many levels) shown an inflexible nature and unwillingness to change. If this staff wants another chance in 2019, they will have to adapt and improve, quickly. It's finally game week and Earl Thomas' contentious holdout from the Seattle Seahawks continued on Monday, meaning the questions about their mostly unproven secondary remain the same on the cusp of the regular season beginning.The position group that's been the most recognizable on the Seahawks' roster will be markedly different when they take the field in Denver on Sunday.Richard Sherman is in San Francisco. Kam Chancellor won't play this year because of last season's neck injury that likely will end his career. Thomas is away while unhappy with his contract situation, and Byron Maxwell, the last of Seattle's veterans that was around during training camp, was placed on season-ending injured reserve.That will leave Shaquill Griffin and Dontae Johnson as the expected starting cornerbacks, and Tedric Thompson and Bradley McDougald as the likely starting safeties for the opener.And while that collection has talent and could end up being very good for Seattle, for most non-Seahawks fans it may draw a collective, "Who?"Seattle coach Pete Carroll seemed to answer the biggest lingering question by saying Thompson is expected to be ready to start at free safety. Thompson had been the starter for most of training camp, but suffered a shoulder stringer and rib injury in the third preseason game against Minnesota and sat out the final week of the preseason."He practiced today a little on a limited basis but he is ready to go," Carroll said.Johnson's action in the preseason was also limited. He played only the final two weeks, but Seattle saw enough to feel comfortable with him as the expected starter. Their decision was made easier when Maxwell couldn't get healthy."He was banged up for a while and really didn't have a chance to show it but once he did he's showed us he has picked everything up, he has bought into the style we want him to play," Carroll said of Johnson. "He's been really consistent. He's a big, good-looking kid out there, really on the spot, and has given us the confidence to go ahead and put him where we have."Seattle's cornerback depth could be a concern if there's another injury. Rookie Tre Flowers has impressed during training camp but is making the switch from safety. Nickel cornerback Justin Coleman has proven to be a smart acquisition before the start of last season but plays a specialized position.Seattle did address some of its safety depth by acquiring Shalom Luani from Oakland for a seventh-round pick over the weekend. And perhaps there's a glimmer of hope regarding Thomas. Asked Monday if there had been any additional contact with Thomas, Carroll said there was "nothing to report," which was a minor upgrade from his blanket "no" the last time he was asked about his missing safety.CUT DAY: Two of the notable moves Seattle made to reach the 53-man roster limit were placing tight end Ed Dickson on the non-football injury list and activating defensive end Dion Jordan from the physically unable to perform list.Carroll said he's not ruling out the idea of Jordan playing against the Broncos even though this is his first week of practice. Whenever Jordan returns it'll be a boost to Seattle's pass rush."He's close. We'll see. I'm not going to be opposed to playing him this weekend," Carroll said.Dickson missed all of training camp with a variety of leg muscle injuries. Carroll said there were three different issues that kept Dickson out, but the time he's required to be out by being on the NFI list should allow him to get healthy and contribute later in the season.NOTES: Seattle placed RB J.D. McKissic on injured reserve Monday and claimed linebacker Jermaine Grace off waivers. McKissic has been out following foot surgery, but by being placed on injured reserve after the 53-man roster was set, he can be activated following the eighth game of the season. Grace, who was in camp with Cleveland, was waived by the Browns on Sunday and gives Seattle depth at weak-side linebacker with K.J. Wright still recovering from knee surgery last week.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42869/the-san-francisco-49ers-do-not-yet-know-who-their-quarterback-will-be-on-thursday Tue, 27 Nov 2018 03:54:46 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42869/the-san-francisco-49ers-do-not-yet-know-who-their-quarterback-will-be-on-thursday <![CDATA[The San Francisco 49ers do not yet know who their quarterback will be on Thursday]]>  when they host the Oakland Raiders. Well Cheap Ahkello Witherspoon Jersey , they are not publicly acknowledging who will it be, other than to say it will be a game-time decision with C.J. Beathard.Regardless of who is playing quarterback, one big issue will be the Raiders pass rush — or should I say, lack thereof. The 49ers offensive line has struggled in pass protection, but the Raiders pass rush has been the worst in the NFL. Here are some notable stats regarding the Raiders struggles getting to the quarterback.7 sacks: ranks 32nd56 QB pressures: ranks 32nd20 QB hits: ranks 32nd3.1% adjusted sack rate: ranks 32ndBy comparison, the 49ers rank 26th in adjusted sack rate, and 25th in Pro Football Focus’ pass blocking efficiency stat.Something has to give in this matchup, and it could be a difference-maker for the 49ers. When there has been no pressure this season, Beathard has completed 66.1 percent of his passes, and PFF grades him out at 80.7. When he has been under pressure, he completes 44.4 percent of his passes, grades out at 43.3 on PFF’s grading system, and ranks 33rd in passer rating.Nick Mullens has yet to appear in the regular season, but did get 47 dropbacks during the preseason. He completed 78.6 percent of his passes (22 of 28) when not under pressure, and graded out at 90.1. When pressured, he completed 60 percent of his passes (9 of 15), and graded out at 42.9.If the 49ers are going to handle their business and win this game, it will be critical Beathard or Mullens has time to operate in the pocket. Of course, it will also be incumbent on the quarterback to make quick decisions to keep things moving. The 49ers offensive line has been hit or miss in pass protection, but this game provides the unit an opportunity to head into the second half of the season with at least a modicum of moment. 49ers-Giants final scoreThat was brutal. The 49ers had a 23-20 lead after exchanging field goals with the Giants. Eli Manning then drove the Giants down the field for what would prove to be a game-winning touchdown. It was an odd nine play drive over 1:53, with multiple penalties exchanged. Manning eventually found Sterling Shepard in the front corner of the end zone for the score. The 49ers got down to the Giants 21 with one second left, but Nick Mullens threw it out of the back of end zone on the final play. The 49ers dropped to 2-8 with the loss, and the Giants improved to 2-7.Giants strike back quicklyThe Giants did not waste time getting back into this game. Odell Beckham was the key on this one, catching a 30-yard pass and then scoring on a 20-yard touchdown reception. The 49ers lead 20-17.49ers build on their leadThe 49ers had the ball to open the second half, and they turned it into seven points. Matt Breida was the key on this drive. He picked up a 19 yard reception to get the 49ers into Giants territory. He added 12 rushing yards to get the 49ers down to the Giants 13. Finally, he capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown reception. The 49ers lead the Giants 20-10.George Kittle, Matt Breida take care of businessThe 49ers have recaptured the lead on a Matt Breida rushing touchdown. The drive was keyed by a pair of big George Kittle catches. He had an 18-yard catch late in the first quarter, and then had a 22-yard catch to start the second quarter. A Giants facemask penalty set up 1st and goal, and Breida scored on a three-yard touchdown run. The 49ers lead 10-7.Giants take the leadNick Mullens made his first big mistake as 49ers quarterback. He was to the right side of the field and looked for a receiver near the sideline on the opposite side of the field. Janoris Jenkins got in for the PBU and the ball popped into the arms of B.J. Goodson. On the 3rd and 8 on the ensuing drive, Eli Manning found Odell Beckham Jr. for a touchdown. The Giants lead 7-3 late in the first quarter.49ers get on the boardThe 49ers got on the board first, taking a 3-0 lead on a Robbie Gould field goal. The Giants went three-and-out to start the game. Nick Mullens and the 49ers moved 19 yards, but eventually the drive died out. Gould converted a 53-yard field goal to give the 49ers the lead.InactivesThe 49ers will have Trent Taylor back one the active roster for Week 10. He is dealing with back issues, but was inactive last week even though he did not appear on the injury report. He will split time in the slot with Richie James. Kendrick Bourne will likely replace Pierre Gar莽on in the starting lineup opposite Marquise Goodwin.49ers inactives: QB Tom Savage, WR Pierre Gar莽on, SS Jaquiski Tartt, LB Reuben Foster, OL Erik Magnuson, DL Jullian Taylor, OL Shon ColemanGiants inactives: QB Kyle Lauletta, DB Tony Lippett, S Kamrin Moore, DT RJ McIntosh http://www.49erscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-george-kittle-jersey , C Evan Brown, WR Jawill Davis, DT John Jenkins 49ers-Giants previewThe San Francisco 49ers are giving Nick Mullens another shot at this starting quarterback thing and he’ll be going on primetime again for Monday Night Football. That’s about the only interesting story this game has as the 49ers are going up against a Giants team with a single win. When two people in a Week 10 primetime game have three wins between them, then you know it’s not exactly a ratings draw. Regardless, we get to see the 49ers on prime time once more to close out 2018. The Sunday Night game will no doubt get flexed if it hasn’t already. The game will kick off at5:15 PM. The game will air on ESPN and you can also stream it via their Watch ESPN app. Joe Tessitore and Jason Witten will be in the booth whileBooger McFarland blocks fans’ views with that Booger-mobile of his on the sidelines.Lisa Salters will also be reporting. Like last week, the 49ers are going to be looking a lot at what they have for next year. Nick Mullens’ near-record setting debut will be something to watch. The Giants have an awful defense, but they also provide a step up from the pits of despair that the Oakland Raiders offered. The Giants are having their own issues. Despite having a rookie running back that is establishing themselves as one of the league’s best and a wide receiver that’s already done so, their quarterback in Eli Manning is on his last dance. Despite winning two Super Bowls in his career, Manning has begun a severe regression and all his flaws are being exposed. The Giants have (currently) decided to stick with Manning for the game Monday Night, but this could change either before or during the game if Manning’s inept play continues. For Week 10, the Giants have a thin injury report and are looking to not have any players down. All players added to it were full participants for the two final practices. The 49ers meanwhile will be without safety Jaquiski Tartt, wide receiver Pierre Gar莽on, and linebacker Reuben Foster. George Kittle was limited in practice but it looks like he’ll suit up. Nuts and boltsLocation: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara CaliforniaGame time: Monday, November 12th, 5:20 P.M. PTTV channel: ESPN (also on ABC in 49ers broadcast region)Online streaming: Fubo, Watch ESPNLocal Radio: 810-AM, 107.7 (Ted Robinson, Tim Ryan) | Full listingsSports USA national radio: Bob Fitzgerald, Hank BauerSpanish Radio: KTRB 860-AM (Jes煤s Z谩rate, Gabriel Sotelo)Matchup history: 20-20Announcers: Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland, Lisa Salters Enemy blog: Big Blue ViewTwitter: @ninersnationFacebook: Go ahead and give us a like!Instagram: @ninersnationsbnRegular season scheduleWeek 1: @ Minnesota Vikings — 24-16 LossWeek 2: vs. Detroit Lions, — 30-27 WinWeek 3: @ Kansas City Chiefs, 10:00 a.m., FOX, Sunday, September 23 — 38-27 LossWeek 4: @ Los Angeles Chargers, 1:25 p.m., CBS, Sunday, September 30 — 29-27 LossWeek 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, October 7 — 28-18 LossWeek 6: @ Green Bay Packers, 5:15 p.m., ESPN, Monday, October 15 — 33-30 LossWeek 7: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 5:20 p.m. http://www.49erscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-laken-tomlinson-jersey , NBC, Sunday, October 21 — 39-10 LossWeek 8: @ Arizona Cardinals, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, October 28 — 18-15 LossWeek 9: vs. Oakland Raiders, 5:20 p.m., NFL Network, Thursday, November 1 — 34-3 WinWeek 10: vs. New York Giants, 5:15 p.m., ESPN, Monday, November 12Week 11: BYEWeek 12: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 10:00 a.m., FOX, Sunday, November 25Week 13: @ Seattle Seahawks, 5:20 p.m., NBC, Sunday, December 2Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos, 1:05 p.m., CBS, Sunday, December 9Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1:05 p.m., FOX, Sunday, December 16Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears, 1:05 p.m., FOX, Sunday, December 23Week 17: @ Los Angeles Rams, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, December 30]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42868/should-the-giants-be-interested-in-george-iloka Tue, 27 Nov 2018 03:40:14 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42868/should-the-giants-be-interested-in-george-iloka <![CDATA[Should the Giants be interested in George Iloka?]]> It isn’t often that a player becomes available half-way through the pre-season and it makes ears around the league perk up. That happened today when Ian Rapoport reported that the Cincinnati Bengals made the decision to release veteran safety George Iloka. Iloka is relatively young at 28 years old and possesses rare size for the position at 6 feet Authentic Rhett Ellison Jersey , 4 inches and 225 pounds. He also has experience as both a strong safety and free safety, and has been productive for the Bengals — generally averaging 75 tackles and 7 passes defensed in a 16 game season. The Giants’ secondary is a looming question mark as the the regular season approaches. The bigger questions are at the cornerback position, but adding talent to the secondary as a whole would help the defense. Even at the more-stable safety position, both potential starting free safeties, Curtis Riley and Darian Thompson, have missed time with injury recently.From a schematic point of view Authentic Kerry Wynn Jersey , James Bettcher likes to rotate safeties to disguise coverages and the source of potential pressure. Iloka’s size could also make for creative alignments to help neutralize the passes to tight ends and running backs which have generated most of the offensive production against the Giants’ defense to date.There is also the salary cap question. The Giants don’t have much room with which to work, and while creating space is possible, it could create problems for them down the road. So, with all that in mind, should the Giants be interested in Iloka? A national TV audience will get to witness whether the New York Giants save their season on Thursday night or doom themselves to yet another losing, playoff-less year.The 1-4 Giants face the 2-3 Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. With no team in the NFC East having more than two victories at this point in the season the last-place Giants still have an opportunity to be competitive in the division.Linebacker Olivier Vernon will play for the Giants tonight Authentic Alec Ogletree Jersey , making his season debut after suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason. Tight end Rhett Ellison [foot] will not, meaning the Giants will be without both Ellison and Evan Engram. [Complete inactives]Use this as your first-half open thread. Chris will be along with a thread for the second half, as usual.[E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com or via the Big Blue View Contact Page | Follow Big Blue View on Twitter | ‘Like’ Big Blue View on Facebook | Follow Big Blue View on Instagram]]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42867/the-new-york-giants-are-trying-to-crawl-out-of-a-1-5 Tue, 27 Nov 2018 03:29:04 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42867/the-new-york-giants-are-trying-to-crawl-out-of-a-1-5 <![CDATA[The New York Giants are trying to crawl out of a 1-5]]>  hole that has created more questions about the team than it has answered. With that in mind http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-janoris-jenkins-jersey , let’s get to the Big Blue View mailbag for this week.Ed says: No, Teddy Bridgewater isn’t a “must-have” for the 2019 season. And right now I’m not saying Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is a “must-have” either. The 2018 season is in Week 7. We have no idea what’s going to happen. We don’t know how Kyle Lauletta will perform if he gets an opportunity. Those things matter. That decision can’t be made now.I get the fascination with Bridgewater, especially since Pat Shurmur coached him in Minnesota last season, but Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury and hasn’t played a meaningful snap since 2015. No one really has a clue what kind of player he is at this point, or if he can hold up physically.When the offseason rolls around maybe Bridgewater emerges as a good option. Now? Way too early for that.Ed says: The Giants are projected right to have roughly $21 million under the 2019 cap, with only five teams having less. In my view, that number is pretty meaningless.First, we don’t know exactly what the cap will be. Second, we don’t know what moves the Giants will make. The big contracts they have to make decisions on belong to Janoris Jenkins, Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison. I would expect at least one of those guys to be cut, probably Jenkins. Designating Jackrabbit a post-June 1 cut would save the Giants $11.25 million against the cap and leave them with only $3.5 million in dead money.Gino Phillips asks: Do you think the quick move to IR for Latimer was a statement on Giants’ evaluation of his value or more a chance to look at guys like Davis more? I am not aware of how significant his injury was.Ed says: I think the move of Latimer to IR wasn’t any sort of quick hook for him or condemnation of his ability. He’s a useful player as a wide receiver, special teams gunner and kickoff returner. We don’t know the severity of his hamstring injury, but at 1-5 what’s the point of carrying a guy on the roster for several weeks if he can’t play and the games would be meaningless by the time he got back? This is part of why you get a parade to IR on bad teams. It actually gives the Giants a chance to bring in a player like Corey Coleman for what amounts to a lengthy tryout, or give someone like Jawill Davis or Quadree Henderson, who is on the practice squad, an opportunity.Henry Mildener asks: Can Corey Coleman return kicks?Ed says: Well ... he did that some at Baylor, returning 26 kickoffs and three punts. The last time he did it with any regularity, though, was 2013. He has never been asked to do it in the NFL. So, he has done it — but it’s been a long time. Maybe the Giants take a look at him there, but I really don’t know if that’s the plan and I doubt it’s the primary reason he was signed.Ed says: Honestly, I can’t answer that question. Unlike BBV draft expert Chris Pflum I don’t study college prospects now. I’m immersed in the day-to-day of current season and won’t do that until the season is over. Besides, how do you answer that question when there are 10 games to play and there is no way to know where they will be selecting and who might be on the board? It’s just waaaaay too early.[E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com or via the Big Blue View Contact Page | Follow Big Blue View on Twitter | ‘Like’ Big Blue View on Facebook | Follow Big Blue View on Instagram]Giants vs. Saints: For Giants’ offense, it all starts with Eli The New York Giants return home on Sunday to host the New Orleans Saints after two weeks in Texas. The Giants looked down and out against division rival Dallas Cowboys, but found some life against the Houston Texans. Back home, the Giants have a chance to get back to .500 against the Saints — a mark many might not have thought possible entering the season.New Orleans has been hemorrhaging yards in the passing game http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-connor-barwin-jersey , and the Giants have the skill position players to take advantage. And they will need to, as the Saints still boast as potent an offense as ever, averaging just under 35 points per game. This game looks to be a shootout, so the Giants will need to win with the ball in their hands. Their offense finally started to get traction against Houston, so can they build on that against New Orleans? Stats at a glance Giants’ offenseRushing yards: 87.7 yards per gamePassing yards: 231.7 yards per gameTotal yards: 319.3 yards per gamePoints: 18.3 points per gameSaints’ defenseRushing yards: 84.3 ypgPassing yards: 336.7 ypgTotal yards: 421.0 ypgPoints: 34.3Chad Wheeler vs. Cameron JordanSecond-year offensive tackle Chad Wheeler had a rough time in his first start of the 2018 season at right tackle. He was routinely beaten by J.J. Watt who notched his first three sacks of the season last week. Wheeler struggled as well against outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, but he had few answers for Watt’s size, power, and explosiveness. Likewise, he was hampered by technical flaws which limited his ability to deal with inside moves. Unfortunately, Wheeler will face Cam Jordan, who is nearly as big, powerful, and explosive as Watt — and has been consistently getting to quarterbacks this season. The Giants need to hope that Wheeler will be able to make a jump from his first week to his second week as a starter.Game plan The Giants had an excellent game plan against the Houston Texans. Their use of passing concepts to create quick, simple reads for Eli Manning, as well as some wide open passing windows, helping to hide some of the issues on the offensive line. Pat Shurmur and Mike Shula also showed some intriguing play design, such as lining Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Cody Latimer up on the left side of the offense, while Saquon Barkley lined up as a wide receiver on the right to influence the defense and open up a void in the coverage for Rhett Ellison at tight end. Hopefully this is a harbinger of things to come, because while the Saints have a pair of good young defensive backs in Marshon Latimore and Marcus Williams, they have given up a lot of yards through the air. Despite missing Evan Engram, the Giants’ passing attack can still be potent and threaten the defense anywhere on the field. Since drafting Latimore and Williams, the Saints have adopted much more of an aggressive, man coverage defense. While the Giants’ smaller receivers can be vulnerable to press-man coverage, there are schemes and concepts to defeat those coverages http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-b.j.-goodson-jersey , such as mesh or scissors concepts — which Beckham and Shepard run very well.Ultimately, the Giants’ game plan will need to be one which finds a rhythm and gets Beckham and Barkley going early. Beckham is just 740 yards from ranking second on the Giants’ all-time yards list (behind only Amani Toomer), and Barkley already has three 100-yard performances, in addition to two touchdowns. With those two active and producing, it will open up the defense for the other skill position players.Keep the cape on, EliThe Giants fielded a reworked offensive line featuring Wheeler and veteran John Greco, as well as a much-improved game plan, against the Texans. However, the biggest change from the losses in weeks one and two to the win in week three came from Eli Manning. Manning seems to have found his stride within Pat Shurmur’s offense, completing 25 of 29 passes vs. Houston. But more than the sky-high completion percentage, Manning played with a precision and poise we haven’t seen in years. When throwing on the run, Eli consistently put the ball where only his receivers could get it, often putting them in position to pick up yards after the catch. When he hung in the pocket, Eli showed a disregard for pressure which we haven’t seen from him since the first half of 2012. It wasn’t that the offensive front protected him markedly better than in previous games — in fact, per Next Gen Stats, the Texans rushers’ average pass rush came closer to Manning than those of either the Jaguars’ or Cowboys’. But Manning had the confidence to flow within the pocket and buy an extra second for a receiver to work open or risk taking a big hit to get the pass off.For the first time in his career, Manning is in a truly quarterback-friendly offense with weapons he trusts, and he appears to finally be getting comfortable after barely playing in the pre-season. The result is the quarterback in whom the Giants went all-in on in January, dissecting the defense, finding favorable match-ups, doing what he has to find the time to exploit them, and making accurate throws. If the Giants want to claw their way out of the hole they have dug for themselves, and beat the Saints in the process, they will need Eli to keep his cape on until February. He might not match this performance, but the Giants will need this Eli to stick around.
 
 
]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42866/mike-shula-looking-forward-to-giants%E2%80%99-%E2%80%9Cversatile%E2%80%9D-offense-debuting-on-sunday-on-sunday Tue, 27 Nov 2018 03:14:50 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42866/mike-shula-looking-forward-to-giants%E2%80%99-%E2%80%9Cversatile%E2%80%9D-offense-debuting-on-sunday-on-sunday <![CDATA[Mike Shula looking forward to Giants’ “versatile” offense debuting on Sunday On Sunday]]> Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey , the New York Giants open their 2018 regular-season slate at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is much new about this iteration of the Giants, and much of that is on the offensive side of the ball. That includes their offensive coordinator, with Mike Shula taking over for Mike Sullivan in February following the hire of Pat Shurmur as the Giants’ new head coach. Shula spoke with the media on Thursday.On his offensive weaponryThe Giants aren’t lacking for offensive playmakers this year. The healthy return of Odell Beckham, Jr. means that quarterback Eli Manning again has an elite-level target to throw to, while the addition of running back Saquon Barkley in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft should make both the running and passing games better. Add in receivers Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram and the offense presents myriad options to take advantage of opposing defenses.Shula’s goal is “to use the guys the best way we can,” adding that “the number-one thing is to have our guys playing fast, and knowing what to do and doing it fast because we feel like if they do that, it gives us our best chance.” It starts with Manning: “We want to have Eli make good decisions and take what they give you, you hear that all the time, find the one on ones and things like that.” Ultimately, Shula knows that the key to the Giants’ offensive success will hinge on finding the best ways to use their collection of talent. “We want to be versatile with our scheme, whether we’re running it, throwing it, quick game, drop back, play action, misdirection, but also versatile with where the ball’s going based on our personnel,” said Shula. And though Shula cited Beckham as having “really, really good hands and he’s a guy that has made big plays in big situations,” he was also quick to point out that Beckham is “a big piece to our puzzle, he’s not the only piece.”Why Kyle Lauletta got the nod over Davis WebbOne of the more surprising decisions the Giants made as part of the weekend’s roster cuts was the decision to release backup quarterback Davis Webb, whom the team selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, Manning’s backups will be Alex Tanney and Kyle Lauletta http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/saquon-barkley-jersey , the latter selected by the Giants in Round 4 of this year’s draft.Shula cited Lauletta’s ability to learn the position quickly as a major factor in his earning of a roster spot. “We think Kyle is a young guy that just has continued to get better with reps. He’s got very good football intelligence, I think he’s got some intangibles that you need at that position,” said Shula. “You can kind of sense that day in and day out, the learning process that [Lauletta’s] going through and how quickly he’s picking things up — not just by what you see on the field, but how he is in the meeting rooms with the other players, always kind of thinking about things other than maybe just the way it’s drawn up.”Giants’ Odell Beckham leads with his words, now needs to do it with his play It would have been easy on Friday afternoon to jump straight into an “Odell Beckham Jr. should just shut up and play better” rant or otherwise rip him for using an ESPN interview to vent his frustrations at his teammates over the New York Giants 1-3 start.I’ll admit. The first thing that came to mind was “here goes Beckham, making it about him again.”This, though, is one of the reasons why, after 11 years here at Big Blue View and 40 years of writing for a living, I try not to do “hot takes.” They can be great reads. They can get reactions, good or bad. They can also be wrong.Was Beckham venting frustration at the team’s 1-3 record and poor offensive start, was he throwing his quarterback and his other teammates under the bus when he questioned their energy and said the Giants”need to play with some heart?” Was he saying “look at me, I’m doing everything and these guys are dragging me down?” Was this Beckham speaking out of turn and causing an unnecessary headache for Pat Shurmur.Or, was Beckham — more mature in his fifth season from everything we have seen to this point and with the richest contract ever given to a wide receiver in his pocket — trying to step up, trying to get his teammates’ attention, trying to hold them accountable?Was this Beckham’s Antrel Rolle moment? You remember back in 2011 when Rolle called out his teammates, in particular defensive captain Justin Tuck, and the Giants went on a Super Bowl run. That’s the view expressed by Art Stapleton of northjersey.com. Was this Beckham, as Pat Traina wrote for Forbes, trying to be a leader?Beckham’s teammates didn’t have a problem with what he said. Shurmur didn’t seem to have a problem with it, basically telling reporters to go find Beckham and clarify what he meant.Having thought about it for a day, I don’t have a problem with it http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/patrick-omameh-jersey , either.Beckham is the Giants’ heartbeat. He is their energy source. Beckham is for the Giants what Reggie Jackson once called himself for the Yankees, “the straw that stirs the drink.”In retrospect, I think Beckham tried to deliver his message about losing not being acceptable on Thursday during his weekly locker room scrum with the media. During that chat he used the word “energy” 12 times. That barely registered on anyone’s radar. Perhaps, and we don’t know for sure because Beckham wasn’t in the locker room during Friday’s media session to clarify anything, he felt that when he spoke to ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he would have to go a step further to get the impact he was hoping for. Thus, the word “heart.” Or, maybe he didn’t mean to go there at all. Beckham is right that the Giants need to be better on offense. He’s right that they need to challenge defenses down the field more often. He’s right that you need to put in the work all week and not just on Sunday. He’s right that their season isn’t doomed because of their 1-3 start, although the heartbeat — sorry — is faint.Maybe Beckham’s words will spur his teammates. Also, though, Beckham needs to play better. Yes, Eli Manning has missed Beckham on a few throws — throws that he needs to make. The fact that Beckham hasn’t gotten into the end zone and is averaging a career-low 10.7 yards per catch is not, though, all Manning’s fault. Or, the offensive line’s fault. Or, Shurmur’s fault. Beckham has admitted to being hesitant at times to reach for the extra gear that made him special. He said Thursday that “I don’t feel like I can be covered,” but at times he has been covered — even 1-on-1. There are examples of both missed throws and times Beckham isn’t open in the video below.If Beckham is trying to lead, which I think he is, that’s good. He should. As I said, he’s the team’s heartbeat. He is the face of the franchise. The Giants, though, will look like they have a lot more energy and heart when they are playing better. When they stop making mistakes and going backwards more than 17 percent of the time as an offense.They need Beckham doing the things on the field that made him special to make that happen.]]> liny https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42865/coming-off-a-weekend-of-drama-and-story-lines Tue, 27 Nov 2018 03:01:09 +0000 https://0xbt.net/blog/view/42865/coming-off-a-weekend-of-drama-and-story-lines <![CDATA[Coming off a weekend of drama and story lines]]>  Cheap Jameis Winston Jersey , the Buccaneers’ initial injury report is raising some eyebrows - and concerns. Fitzmagic is back in Tampa Bay, but there are some stars that missed practice Wednesday that could be huge blows should they not be able to play in Sunday’s game at Carolina.Leading receiver Mike Evans was held out with a knee injury. Hopefully this is just a day for him to rest and by Sunday he’ll be good to go.Jason Pierre-Paul also missed practice, as has become the norm for him on Wednesdays.Gerald McCoy did return in a limited capacity which is encouraging, while Vita Vea wasn’t listed at all despite getting an MRI Monday for fear of a torn ACL.Ronald Jones will miss some time due to the pulled hamstring, so don’t expect him to suit up this weekend.For the Panthers Ryan Fitzpatrick Jersey , Cam Newton and Greg Olsen were limited but expect both to play while Julius Peppers was held out. Every year it seems as if each NFL season goes by quicker than the last. It’s already Week 8 in the 2018 season. 107 games have been played in the NFL. Thousands up thousands of snaps have been counted, analyzed, scrutinized, and praised. Fortunately, there are thousands left to play. Let’s recap and preview this week’s action:Pretty damn good: The staff went 5-2 in last week’s unanimous picks and are now 16-5 on the season when selecting the same team. Sounds about right: The two teams that were picked to win by a 5-4 margin in Week 7 - the Bucs and Dolphins - went 1-1.Week 8 lone wolves: Dustin Lewis takes the Jets over the Bears whileGil Arcia is running with the New York Giants over Washington.Week 8 unanimous picks: The Chiefs Cheap Carlton Davis Jersey , Steelers, Colts, and Patriots are this week’s unanimous selections. Week 8 toss-ups: The 49ers vs. Cardinals and Ravens at Panthers are the closest-matched games.Week 8 NFL PicksBucs Nation AlexBaileyDavid DustinEvanGilJamesJonKyleBucs Nation AlexBaileyDavid DustinEvanGilJamesJonKyleWho do you think will win this week? Let us know below in the comments!
 
 
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