BEREA Joe Schobert Color Rush Jersey , Ohio (AP) — Mike McCarthy’s connections with the Browns could land him his next job.Dumped by Green Bay on Sunday after 13 seasons, a Super Bowl win and amid a seemingly growing rift with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy’s candidacy to become Cleveland’s next coach has gotten more legitimate.The 55-year-old McCarthy was already being mentioned as a possibility for the Browns, who dismissed Hue Jackson last month and will wait until after the season before hiring his full-time replacement.As far as center JC Tretter is concerned, the Browns couldn’t go wrong with McCarthy.“I’ve always enjoyed working with Mike McCarthy,” said Tretter, who played four seasons under McCarthy before signing as a free agent with Cleveland in 2017. “I think what he has done in his career in Green Bay has been extraordinary. I think he’s a great man, too. I don’t have a bad thing to say about Mike McCarthy. He was really an awesome leader and an awesome coach.”McCarthy is no stranger to the Browns.General manager John Dorsey, who has revamped Cleveland’s roster and is leading the team’s coaching search, spent 21 years as an executive in Green Bay and helped hire McCarthy. Browns assistant GM Eliot Wolf, son of former Packers GM Ron Wolf, worked in Green Bay’s scouting department for 14 years, and vice president of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith was with the Packers for 19 years before he was hired by Dorsey.Tretter said he can’t provide any more information to Cleveland’s executives about McCarthy than they have already.“They know enough upstairs,” Tretter said. “They got Eliot and Alonzo and they’ve got other guys from the Green Bay organization. I don’t think I can bring anything more to the table than they already know. They were with him longer than I was and they were upstairs with him more than I was downstairs with him, so I think they know everything they need to know. I’m just looking forward to seeing the direction we go with this team.”Dorsey hasn’t revealed much about his plans to hire Cleveland’s 17th full-time coach — and sixth in the past 10 years.Interim coach Gregg Williams, who took over for Jackson, will be interviewed; Dorsey has not disclosed who else is on his list. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has been mentioned as a possible candidate along with Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Minnesota offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels among the most prominent names being mentioned.It will be tough for any candidate to have a resume as impressive as McCarthy’s.He went 125-77-2 in 13 seasons with the Packers, leading them to a Super Bowl title in 2010. However, Green Bay has struggled the past two seasons, missing the playoffs last year for the first time since 2008.The Packers are 4-7-1 this season, with McCarthy’s relationship with Rodgers becoming a weekly drama around the team.Tretter knows both men well https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Ricardo-Louis-Jersey , and said any of differences have been exaggerated.“That whole story line gets a little overblown,” Tretter said. “They are just two competitive people and I think they are both competitive in the same direction in that they both want the team to win. They just are very confident in what they think is best for the team to win, so I never really interpreted it as a bad thing.”Cleveland’s coaching gig has never looked so attractive.Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield has shown signs of being the franchise QB the Browns have coveted for years, and any coach who comes to Cleveland will be required to further develop him.Tretter feels McCarthy would be ideal for Mayfield.“They would do great, he said. “He started working with Aaron when Aaron was a rookie, too, and Aaron’s developed into a hell of a player, so I think that relationship would be fine. I see a lot of similarities between Aaron and Baker personality-wise, competitiveness, and that’s all the things that Aaron came in with, too, when he was a young player, so I think they’d work well together.”NOTES: S Denzel Ward remains in concussion protocol after getting hurt in Sunday’s loss to Houston. … DL Larry Ogunjobi (biceps) said he doesn’t think his injury is serious. Williams said Ogunjobi was still undergoing tests. … The Browns did not put a claim on former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, waived Saturday after a video showed him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. Dorsey drafted Hunt in the third round in 2017. BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Freddie Kitchens got intensely defensive about the Browns new offensive star. Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t in any trouble with his coach.Kitchens’ voice rising to deliver his message, Cleveland’s first-year coach said Saturday he’s not upset that Beckham has skipped the first two phases of the team’s voluntary offseason workout program.“Of course, I would rather him be here than not here, but I understand why,” Kitchens said. “I talk to Odell every day. He knows what we’re doing offensively every day. He will be ready to play. Don’t worry about that.”While his teammates — with the exception of disgruntled running back Duke Johnson — have been practicing and developing camaraderie, Beckham, who was acquired in a March trade with the New York Giants, has been training in California.Kitchens dismissed the idea that Beckham not being around could have a negative effect on the Browns. He pointed out that NFL defensive stars Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald have not been with their teams in previous years for offseason workouts.“Now, it benefits and it is better for us to have them here us being a new staff David Njoku Jersey , but if we can’t have him ready to play when he shows up, they need to find a new head coach and they need to find a new position coach,” said Kitchens, hired in January after a successful interim stint as offensive coordinator last season.Beckham has drawn some criticism for his absence, which some have viewed as more evidence that he’s a selfish player.And while Kitchens would prefer Beckham was at every practice and meeting, he’s not letting the issue sidetrack the Browns.“I also understand that you guys are trying to define and draw lines in the sand between coaches and players and players and players and that ain’t gonna happen anymore,” Kitchens told reporters. “And there’s no problem with Odell not being here. I’d rather him be here. He’s not here. It’s voluntary. That’s what the word voluntary means. He can decide to come or he can’t.“But under no circumstance am I going to say that I’m pissed off at Odell for not being here. He’ll be ready to play and ultimately that’s the only thing I want, for him to be ready to play when we start kicking off in September and he will be — I promise you.”Beckham spent five sometimes rocky seasons with the Giants. He was excited for a new start in Cleveland, but other than coming in for an introductory news conference on April 1, he’s been elsewhere.Earlier this week, Jarvis Landry posted on social media that he’s training and promised Browns fans that he’ll be “the best version of myself on and off the field.”Kitchens isn’t concerned about Beckham’s time away impacting his connection with Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. The pair has trained together in the summer.“I’ll tell you this about Odell Beckham and Baker Mayfield,” Kitchens said. “I think they have a pretty good relationship and they’ve formed pretty good camaraderie. They’ve worked out for two summers in California and I don’t see their camaraderie being a problem.”As for Johnson, who asked to be traded after the team signed Kareem Hunt, there had been speculation the Browns would deal him this weekend. But that didn’t happen, and Kitchens seemed confident Johnson may stay around.“Duke is under contract,” he said. “I have said this for like a month now, I don’t know where all this trade talk started happening. People just assumed that we are going to trade him because we signed another good football player. Me, personally, I like good football players and I like as many of them as we can get. Then, it is our job to get them the ball and to help to enable them to help us win in whatever role that is.“Duke Johnson is on this football team, Duke Johnson will have a vital role in this football team and Duke Johnson will help us win football games. Am I surprised that he’s still here? No, not one bit. I haven’t wavered and never said anything different other than that.”
l Justin Vogel Jersey , but we knew that already.His ability to make plays with his feet — and running back Aaron Jones‘ ability to catch big plays — became a key Sunday night, as they led the Packers to a 31-24 win over the Chiefs.With the Chiefs trying to keep Rodgers under pressure by blitzing often, Rodgers was able to keep the Chiefs off-balance with a few nice scrambles, allowing him to do what he does best.And when he can keep a defense guessing, he can do what he does best. A pair of runs (for 15 and 9 yards) came on the fourth-quarter possession when he threw one of his prettiest passes, which went on the stat sheet as a 3-yard touchdown to Jamaal Williams.But that required Rodgers evading a rush, running backward, and dropping the ball in the bucket as he was going down from about 28 yards away from Williams in the back of the end zone.He could only grin when he got to the sidelines, after making one of the throws that few can.Here are five more things we learned during :1. The other thing Rodgers is really good at is recognizing a mismatch.When the Chiefs tried to cover Jones with a linebacker, Rodgers made them pay.In the fourth quarter, Jones turned a quick pass into a 67-yard touchdown, using his speed to turn a routine play into a big one.Jones and running Jamaal Williams each had a pair of touchdowns (two receiving for Jones, one rushing and one receiving for Williams), providing the kind of complement the Packers desperately need while they’re without Davante Adams.Jones finished with 159 receiving yards, including a 50-yarder in the first half which appeared to be a touchdown before he was ruled to have stepped out of bounds. He also ran for 67 yards.2. Chiefs quarterback Matt Moore‘s not one to be awed by being thrown into situations he wasn’t expecting.The veteran backup has stepped in as a starter before, and has even done so on .In 2009 when he was with the Panthers, he led them to a win over the Brett Favre-led Vikings, throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns.Sunday, he was 24-of-36 for 267 yards and two touchdowns Justin McCray Color Rush Jersey , a creditable performance and the kind that would beat many teams.3. The Chiefs punted it to the Packers with five minutes and 13 seconds left, on fourth-and-3 from their own 40, down by a touchdown.They didn’t get the ball back.It was a curiously conservative call for a team that was missing three starters on defense.Playing without defensive ends Chris Jones and Frank Clark and cornerback Kendall Fuller, the Chiefs didn’t have the manpower to play the Packers straight-up, but with the game on the line, the Chiefs asked the leftovers to get the ball away from Rodgers.They did not.4. With or without the injured Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs have plenty of guys who can make plays.Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce continues to make plays at a ridiculous rate.He topped the 450-reception mark in the first half, in his 88th game.That made him the fastest tight end to reach that mark in league history. The previous record was Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow, who got to 450 in his 89th game.Winslow, however, either couldn’t or didn’t dance like Kelce, who celebrated in style after Moore found him for a 29-yard touchdown in the first half.5. The Packers have two more games before their bye (against the Chargers and Panthers), but they could use a week off.In addition to missing Adams, they were without a number of key parts with injuries during the game.At one point, Jones was questionable to return with a shoulder injury, but he returned. Outside linebackers Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith each left briefly but returned. Tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga each took turns receiving medical attention on the sidelines.They’re 7-1 and feeling pretty good about that, but clearly they’ll be feeling sore in the morning. The Green Bay Packers have developed one of the best one-two punches of running backs in the NFL this season. While some other teams around the league have leaned heavily on a single excellent running back, the Packers have received a breakout season from Aaron Jones while getting major contributions from fellow third-year pro Jamaal Williams.To date, the carries between the two are almost exactly a two-to-one breakdown. Jones has carried the football 135 times https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Marwin-Evans-Jersey , while Williams has 65 rushing attempts. The two players’ usage has been closer to even in the passing game, with Jones responsible for 46 targets and 35 receptions to Williams’ 29 and 25, respectively. That is a 65/35 breakdown of intended touches through ten games. Furthermore, the way the players have rotated has kept Jones fresh for fourth quarters, when he has typically been the player on the field to run off clock with a lead. Snap counts to this point in the season are skewed even more towards Williams than the touches are: Jones has taken the field for just under 60 percent of the Packers’ offensive snaps, while Williams has been on the field for 37 percent.However, in those ten games, Jones has proven to be the more effective player all-around, the back who causes the most matchup problems for defenses and who contributes most to the Packers’ offensive success. In a breakdown of likely NFC playoff teams on Monday, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell discussed each back’s contributions to the offense in terms of Expected Points Added. Here’s what he had to say, with emphasis added:It’s pretty clear to see from this that the Packers’ offense functions better as a whole when Jones is on the field versus when Williams is the lone running back. (Note that this does not account for plays when both are on the field — something that will come up again in a bit.) Some of this is because of Jones’ better efficiency moving the football, but it also likely results in part from his superior athleticism making him a bigger matchup problem for defenses. Williams is a nice player, to be sure, and he has a role to play on this team; he just does not force defenses to change what they’re doing to account for him.Jones clearly does — or else, if defenses choose not to respect him properly, they pay the price. The Chiefs saw this perhaps more than any other team, as Jones lined up wide on a number of occasions, drawing single-coverage from a linebacker and burning him regularly en route to 159 rushing yards and 226 total yards from scrimmage.This season, Jones has been the third-most efficient runner in the NFL based on Football Outsiders’ DVOA. His +18.2% value puts him behind only Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott. Meanwhile Jermaine Whitehead Jersey , Williams does not qualify for the top leaderboard, but ranks well behind Jones with a DVOA of -5.3%. Interestingly, Jones’ yards-per-carry average is actually a tenth of a yard lower than Williams’, but the difference is explained largely by two factors: success rate* and touchdowns.* A rushing success is determined by gaining 40% of needed yards on first down, 60% on second down, or 100% on third/fourth downs.Jones has 11 rushing touchdowns, tying him for the top mark in the NFL. Per Football Outsiders, he also boasts the league’s best success rate on the ground (among qualifying backs) at 61%. Although FO has not published success rate numbers for backs with Williams’ level of carries, Warren Sharp of SharpFootball.com has him at 51%, which would put him closer to the middle of the pack in the NFL — for example, FO’s rate of 47% for McCaffrey sat him at 18th among 35 qualifiers prior to week 11.Interestingly, FO rates Williams’ efficiency as a receiver highly, quite a bit more so than Jones. Jamaal’s +28.4% receiving DVOA ranks him sixth among qualified running backs, while Jones sits 13th at +9.2%. As with Jones’ gap in rushing, this is due in part to touchdowns, as Williams has five this season to Jones’ three, and has done so in fewer targets. Interestingly, however, Jones has a better yards per reception average (10.1 vs. 6.6) Aaron Ripkowski Color Rush Jersey , and even if you erased Jones’ absurd day in Kansas City, the two players are even at 6.6.The fact remains that Jones is the more explosive player in both facets of the game, while somehow remaining the more consistently productive player when running the ball — and by a large margin. As such, the Packers would do well to reallocate their running back usage in the critical games down the stretch, starting this Sunday night against the 49ers. Ideally, the team should go from the 60/40 breakdown of snaps and touches between the two players to a 75/25 or even 80/20 split, at least in games that project to be competitive. With a defense that has struggled in giving up yardage since around week four, the Packers would benefit from the consistent production Jones provides as a means of controlling the football. Furthermore, Barnwell’s EPA discussion underscores the fact that the offense is simply and clearly better when Jones is on the field instead of Williams.Obviously, there are times when using Williams is the right play. Certain situations call for a more bruising runner as opposed to Jones’ more fluid, explosive style. Anecdotally, it often appears that Williams picks up three yards when a play is blocked for no gain. But Jones has shown great ability in short-yardage situations as well, with eight of his rushing touchdowns coming from five yards out or less. Using the two backs on the field together is also a fun wrinkle for Matt LaFleur, and one that has been a challenge for defenses. With Jones often splitting or motioning out of the backfield, opposing teams must decide how to account for the matchup nightmare that he presents on the boundary while also respecting Williams’ physical running style.To be sure, deciding on how to divide up the touches between two good backs is a good problem to have. But as the Packers get into the final stretch and a push for home-field advantage, it’s clear that Jones is a special player and one who is essential to the team’s offensive success.
Pardon us Parris Campbell Jersey , but there’s no deflating the focus whenever Andrew Luck and the Colts head to Gillette Stadium.Like everyone else, Pro Picks would be leaving its readers flat if it didn’t mention the saga of footballs without enough air that penetrated the AFC championship game in the 2014 season when New England hosted Indianapolis.It would also be shirking our responsibility to ignore the fact that, like four years ago, this is pretty much a mismatch. The Patriots get back Tom Brady’s favorite wideout, Julian Edelman, a few days after seemingly fixing their problems on both sides of the ball as they routed Miami.The Patriots have won the past five regular-season matchups and the past seven overall.New England, No. 7 in the AP Pro32, is a hefty — some might say inflated — 10½-point favorite over No. 25 Indianapolis. We think it’s no problem giving up that many.PATRIOTS, 33-19KNOCKOUT POOL: The Jaguars did the job rather easily against the Jets last weekend. This week, we’ll get it out of the way early with the PATRIOTS.No. 27 (tie) New York Giants (plus 7) at No. 9 CarolinaThe Giants are showing no reason to think they can stay with the fresh and skilled Panthers.BEST BET: PANTHERS, 27-13No. 11 Green Bay (minus 1) at No. 24 DetroitThis line basically means who will win. Detroit will.UPSET SPECIAL: LIONS, 26-24No. 3 Jacksonville (plus 3) at No. 2 Kansas CityThe Jaguars have a defense to slow Chiefs Express, end KC’s unbeaten season.JAGUARS, 23-21No. 1 Los Angeles Rams (minus 7) at No. 18 SeattleChiefs loss would leave one unbeaten team http://www.coltsfanshop.com/Ben-Banogu-Jersey , which will remain so.RAMS, 27-16No. 5 Baltimore (minus 3) at No. 23 ClevelandDangerous game for Ravens after win at Pittsburgh.RAVENS, 30-24No. 20 Atlanta (plus 3) at No. 19 PittsburghTwo hugely disappointing, struggling outfits. Go with the healthier team.STEELERS, 23-21No. 15 Miami (plus 5 1-2) at No. 6 CincinnatiThe Dolphins were exposed in New England and face a surprisingly strong Bengals squad.BENGALS, 27-17No. 14 Minnesota (plus 3) at No. 12 PhiladelphiaA rematch of NFC title game, with both teams struggling in 2018. The Eagles are a different club at home.EAGLES, 23-17No. 21 Dallas (plus 3) at No. 26 HoustonA Texas showdown to be decided by the defenses. Houston’s is better.TEXANS, 19-17No. 13 Washington (plus 7) at No. 4 New Orleans, Monday nightLooks like these Saints can beat you a bunch of ways, not just with Drew Brees.SAINTS, 31-20No. 10 Tennessee (minus 3 1-2) at No. 30 BuffaloThe Bills showed just how bogus that upset of Minnesota was last week by getting routed at Green Bay.TITANS, 20-9No. 16 Denver (plus 2 1-2) at No. 29 New York JetsWe don’t believe in the Giants or the Jets.BRONCOS, 17-13No. 2 (tie) Oakland (plus 6) at No. 17 Los Angeles ChargersSomehow the Raiders keep every game close. This one Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , too.CHARGERS, 26-21No. 32 Arizona (plus 4) at No. 31 San FranciscoBoth teams showed more than expected last week. And lost.49ERS, 13-10 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Adam Vinatieri just needed some time to clear his head.The rumored retirement apparently was never under consideration.In his first public comments since leaving the stadium Sunday, the NFL’s career scoring leader explained he misspoke when saying he would answer questions on the players’ normal day off — a comment that drove speculation about Vinatieri’s possible NFL exit.“That was one of those situations where I was walking out of the locker room and you guys were talking to me and to be quite frank, for two decades we’ve always had open locker rooms on a Monday. Granted, our schedule has changed now, as of last year,” Vinatieri said.“When I walked out and said ‘I’ll talk to you guys on Monday,’ I just needed a little bit more time and none of us should assume stuff.”It’s certainly been an unusual stretch for the 46-year-old kicker.He missed part of training camp and part of the preseason with knee tendinitis in his plant leg. Then he missed two field goals and an extra point — a career first — in a season-opening overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and two more extra points in Sunday’s 19-17 victory at Tennessee.Vinatieri has made only 3 of 8 kicks to open the season, has already matched a career high for extra points missed in a single season. He’s also missed an extra point in three straight games and four of the past five, including two playoff games last season.Team owner Jim Irsay acknowledged Sunday the misses have become a “concern,” and now fans are openly debating whether Father Time has finally caught up to the seemingly ageless Vinatieri, who was long ago dubbed the best clutch kicker in NFL history.His teammates are still believers.“People are like ‘He’s missing, he’s missing https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Le_Raven-Clark-Jersey ,’ and I’m like, ‘Man, he’s the GOAT,'” linebacker Anthony Walker said. “I expect him to make every kick from here on out.”If he can, it certainly would ease some of the angst in Indy (1-1) less than three weeks after Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement.Some thought if Vinatieri didn’t retire, he might get cut by the Colts. Or he could spend the rest of the season on injured reserve. He dealt with a lingering groin injury much of last season and is still receiving treatment on his sore left knee.But Vinatieri blames only himself for the errant kicks.“You all know I went through some stuff earlier, I feel fine,” he said. “You don’t reinvent the wheel, you just rely on what you’ve done in the past.”Coach Frank Reich reiterated Monday that he had complete faith in Vinatieri and expects him to kick — and kick well — in Sunday’s home opener against Atlanta (1-1).“There’s nobody else I’d trust more than I would trust Adam Vinatieri,” Reich said. “It doesn’t mean he’s going to make every kick. I mean, shoot he’s human. The greatest players at every position still make mistakes, they still throw interceptions — we’re all human. But still no one I trust more.”And why wouldn’t he given Vinatieri’s virtually spotless resume?In addition to being the league’s career scoring leader (2,605 points), he’s also the career leader in field goals (583) T.Y. Hilton Jersey , participated in a league-record 216 regular-season wins and made some of the most memorable kicks in NFL history, including two Super Bowl winners.So after flying back Sunday night and quietly sitting around a fire with his wife, Vinatieri turned the page on perhaps the worst two-game slump of his career, walked back into the team complex Monday, met with Reich and left without saying a word.When he returned Tuesday, Vinatieri apologized for misspeaking and reiterated his commitment to finding a solution.“I guess, like golf, if you’re out there and you hook a couple of balls you’re thinking about it till you get it figured it out,” he said. “I’ll get it figured out.”
But is it the best contract in NFL History? Maybe not.An argument could be made that the contract signed last year by Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is better than Wilson’s new deal.(Let me know when you stop laughing.)Wilson’s deal commits him to the Seahawks through 2023 Dontae Johnson Color Rush Jersey , at an average payout of $31.4 million per year. Of the $157 million payout, 68 percent is guaranteed for injury and 44.5 percent is fully guaranteed at signing.Cousins’ contract covers only three years, with an average of $28 million per year. The full amount — all $84 million — is fully guaranteed at signing.While Wilson is getting $3.1 million more per year, Cousins will hit the market again in 2021. Wilson won’t hit the market until 2024, at the earliest. And there’s an important difference regarding whether Cousins and/or Wilson will hit the open market. Wilson will be subject to the franchise or transition tag. Cousins has a no-transition tag in his contract, and the 44-percent rule (since he’s twice been tagged before) would make his franchise tender a whopping $44 million in 2021.Whether Cousins will get a market-value deal in 2021 will depend largely on whether and to what extent he plays well enough to merit one. But with the top of the quarterback market already spiking from $25 million per year to $35 million per year in less than 22 months, and with the salary cap poised to continue to spike with a new labor deal, new TV deals, and the growth of legalized gambling, Wilson may soon regret being committed through 2023.Cousins, on the other hand, may be very happy to be hitting the market at a time when agents and teams will know much more about where the cap is heading than they do now. RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Now that it's over, Russell Wilson's belief in the comparison of where the Seattle Seahawks were during his rookie season in 2012 and this season has only grown stronger.Seattle fans can only hope Wilson is correct in his vision because, if so, 2019 could end up being a special year for the Seahawks."It makes you a little sick to wake up this morning and know you don't get to compete with your guys today," Wilson said Sunday D.J. Fluker Color Rush Jersey , a day after a 24-22 wild-card round loss at Dallas. "It's part of the journey. I look at this season very similar, as I've said 100 times over to you guys, like 2012 a lot. We weren't able to beat Atlanta at Atlanta, but coming off the field, we felt like great things were in store. "We feel like with this team great things are in store."While there was a healthy dose of optimism as the Seahawks packed up their lockers Sunday, there also was a level of regret after Seattle lost its opening game of the playoffs for the first time since January 2005. The loss to the Cowboys on Saturday was littered with missed chances and what-ifs all around.Whether it was an offensive game plan that was seemingly too stubborn to make adjustments away from the run, a defense that gave up a handful of big plays in the fourth quarter, or the special teams issues, the Seahawks were left with plenty to lament about the loss."It's still frustrating, especially watching football and knowing you still could be competing," Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "We had to do a little bit more to win the game and we didn't do enough."Seattle's loss was the first time it dropped its opening playoff game since losing to St. Louis in the NFC wild-card game after the 2004 season. Whether it was the wild-card or divisional round, Seattle had won at least one game in nine straight postseasons until losing to the Cowboys.A major issue was the struggles on offense as the best running team in the NFL couldn't get going against a stingy Cowboys front. Seattle had just 73 yards rushing against Dallas and seemed almost determined to run no matter the success rate. Wilson compared it to Seattle's win at Carolina in late November when the Seahawks were held to 75 yards rushing and Wilson threw for 339 yards.This time, though, the switch to being more pass heavy didn't happen in time for Seattle to have enough offensive success."We were throwing it pretty well in the game and I think we could have kept doing that some more, but you also want to stay true to running the ball, too," Wilson said. "So I think that Barkevious Mingo Color Rush Jersey , like I said, this game was kind of similar to the Carolina game, I felt like, a little bit. They did a pretty good job stopping us on the run and in that game we had to throw the ball and make some plays, and I think this game was kind of similar in a sense."While there was anger among fans about the lack of adjustments on offense, the Seahawks also had defensive breakdowns in the fourth quarter that played just as large a role. Dallas had 234 total yards through the first three quarters, then had 148 in the fourth quarter with a pair of long scoring drives. Dallas had touchdown drives of 67 and 54 yards in the final quarter, the last one capped by Dak Prescott's scramble to convert third-and-14 and led to the deciding touchdown."To let him have a third-and-14 and allow him to get that close to scoring again is bad," Wagner said. "But you know, I'll see him again."Seattle doesn't have many major contract issues going into the offseason with K.J. Wright, Frank Clark, D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy the most notable unrestricted free agents among starters. Carroll has made clear they want Clark back coming off a career-high 14 sacks, which could mean using the franchise tag for the first time since 2010.While they are both under contract through the 2019 season, the contract situations with Wagner and Wilson will be two of the more interesting stories of the offseason for Seattle. Both said Sunday they would like to have contract certainty with the Seahawks beyond 2019, but both indicated they would be willing to play out the 2019 season without a new deal if necessary."I know essentially after (the 2019) season I can be a free agent," Wilson said. "I don't think that way. I see myself being in Seattle. I love Seattle. It's a special place for me. I also understand it's a business world and everything else."
Field for the first time in three weeks when Buffalo hosts the Tennessee Titans (3-1) in a 1 p.m. Eastern clash Sunday afternoon. The Bills are searching for consistency on offense following a two-week stretch where they scored 27 points in a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 Color Rush Jaquan Johnson Jersey , but followed up with a shutout in Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. What version of Brian Daboll’s offense will show up vs. the Titans? That and many more topics are discussed on the new and improved Billieve: a Buffalo Rumblings Podcast.On the latest edition of podcast, we have everything you need to know to get ready for the game between the Bills and the Titans. Each week during the regular season, our podcast will feature an in-depth interview with a blogger from the opposing team’s website. This week, co-host John Boccacino was joined by Jimmy Morris from Music City Miracles — apologies to Bills Mafia for the blatant reference to the 2000 Wild Card game, which may or may not have included an illegal forward pass to propel the Titans to a 22-16 win — to dissect this match up.Boccacino and co-host Anthony Marino also gave their keys to the game, which had Buffalo opening up as a five-point underdog vs. the Titans. Hear what our podcast duo had to say about these topics and more.After breaking down the Titans’ red-hot start to the season — including a Week 4 win where Tennessee rallied from a 17-3 deficit to knock off the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles Youth Jaquan Johnson Jersey , 26-23 in overtime — the development of Marcus Mariota was discussed. Mariota has taken a giant leap forward with his development under new head coach Mike Vrabel, as has his No. 1 wide receiver, Corey Davis, who broke out in a big way when he amassed 161 receiving yards and the game-winning TD on nine catches vs. Philadelphia. The two addressed the important Week 5 battle between Davis and CB Tre’Davious White, who in his second year in Buffalo has emerged as a lockdown cornerback. Another key to the game: how the Bills offensive line will need to play at its best to slow down Jurrell Casey, Harold Landry Womens Jaquan Johnson Jersey , and an aggressive Titans defense that has amassed 12 sacks in four games. Boccacino and podcast co-host Anthony Marino also discussed what Buffalo needs to do to get back in the win column, with both of our podcasters billeiving that a heavy dose of LeSean McCoy and the running game, along with more short passes, should set the stage for Josh Allen to succeed vs. Tennessee. This will be the 46th meeting between these teams. The Titans lead the all-time series 28-17.The last time the Bills hosted the Titans, Tennessee rallied for a 35-34 win on Oct. 21, 2012 as Matt Hasselbeck connected with Nate Washington on the game-winning touchdown with 1:03 remaining. Morris admits this could be a trap game for the Titans coming off their win over the Eagles Authentic Jaquan Johnson Jersey , while Boccacino predicts the Bills will hang around before falling late to the Titans. Marino, on the other hand, perhaps still reeling from the crushing shutout loss in Lambeau, predicted the Titans to roll to their fourth-straight win. Check out our Billieve: a Buffalo Rumblings podcast for answers to these questions and more!SoundCloud | iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn | Podbay | Podfanatic |Subscribe, rate, and review our Buffalo Rumblings podcast now and leave your comments below. You can also download an MP3 version of the podcast by signing up for a free account at SoundCloud. We’re looking for feedback and want to hear from you! ORCHARD PARK Jaquan Johnson Jersey Boys , N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have promoted Chad Hall to wide receivers coach and hired Ken Dorsey as quarterbacks coach.Hall is a former NFL receiver who spent the past two seasons as an offensive assistant on Bills coach Sean McDermott’s staff. He replaces Terry Robiskie, who was fired last month after one season in Buffalo.Dorsey spent last year as an assistant athletic director at Florida International. He spent the previous seven seasons with the Panthers, including five as Carolina’s quarterbacks coach.It was in Carolina where Dorsey worked on the same staff as McDermott, who was the Panthers’ defensive coordinator.Dorsey is a former NFL quarterback and played a role in grooming Cam Newton in Carolina. In Buffalo, he will be responsible for helping continue developing Josh Allen, who had a 5-6 record as a rookie starter.Dorsey replaces David Culley Youth Josh Allen Jerseys , who was hired by the Baltimore Ravens last week to become their assistant head coach, receivers assistant and passing game coordinator.
EAST RUTHERFORD Color Rush Daniel Jones Jersey , N.J. (AP) — Four games into his NFL career, New York Giants halfback Saquon Barkley has a good understanding of life in the NFL.The No. 2 overall draft picks knows there are no easy games. There are going to be ups and downs every game, and mistakes usually are going to determine the outcome. All a player can do is to work hard and not get too down when things are going badly.The other thing that’s obvious is losing can’t become a habit.With a 1-3 record heading into Sunday’s game at Carolina against the Panthers (2-1), the Giants need to start winning if they want to have any hope of making the playoffs in coach Pat Shurmur’s first season.“The season is obviously not over,” Barkley said Wednesday. “It’s a long season, but you can’t say: ‘It’s a long season’ forever because you get to a point where you get redundant and you keep saying that, then there’s no chance for you to make the playoffs. Everything that we still want, all of our goals are still in reach. Coach said something perfect today, he said the only thing that we’re not capable of doing this season is an undefeated season.”One thing to expect this weekend is Barkley getting his hands on the ball a lot. He had 10 carries for 44 yards and caught six passes for 56 in the 33-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints last weekend.Shurmur was quick to admit Barkley didn’t get enough touches. Barkley will take the ball any time.“Whatever the team needs me to do, however many touches they need me to do, however many carries they need me to do, however many plays they need me to do, I’m willing to do it,” he said. “It wouldn’t bother me, my mind wouldn’t be different, my body wouldn’t be different. At the end of the day you still have to come in here and take care of your body; I’m still going to do that no matter if I touch the ball twice or touch the ball 25 times.”Barkley has had at least 100 total yards from scrimmage in each of his first four games. If he extends the streak to five games Sunday, he will join Adrian Peterson and Kareem Hunt as the only rookies to do that in the NFL’s 99-season history. His 453 total yards are No. 8 in the league.Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he sent Giants general manager Dave Gettleman — his old boss in Carolina — a congratulatory note after New York drafted Barkley.“The young man has tremendous power Youth Daniel Jones Jersey , speed and talent,” Rivera said.Barkley is 11th in the league in rushing with 260 yards on 56 carries, a 4.6 yard average. He is tied for 13th in receiving with 27 catches for 193 yards. He also believes he can do more.“I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of breaking tackles so far, I’ve got to find a way to break more tackles,” the former Penn State star said. “I was brought here to be an efficient player, and when the opportunity comes, create big plays, and I’ve got to do a better job there. A lot of the reason we haven’t been successful is we haven’t been able to run the ball, we haven’t run the ball as well as we are capable of.”The Giants also haven’t been winning. They have been within striking distance in the fourth quarter of every game, but only won at Houston.“I don’t think really any team so far that we’ve played, obviously at the end of the game they had the win and they had more points than we had, but there’s a lot of things we did ourselves to put us in that situation,” Barkley said, referring to penalties, turnovers and mistakes. “If we can fix ourselves and just focus on ourselves, I think the rest of the season will take care of itself.”NOTES: WR Sterling Shepard did not practice because he was having a cyst on his back removed. Shurmur hopes to have him back Thursday. … Shurmur said LB Olivier Vernon (high ankle sprain) is getting closer to playing for the first time this season. … Chad Wheeler, who replaced Ereck Flowers at right tackle Womens Daniel Jones Jersey , is a laid-back guy until game day.“You got to be calm around family and friends and then you got to turn into a savage when you enter the building,” he explained. Eli Manning and heir apparent Daniel Jones threw first-half touchdown passes against Chicago backups and the New York Giants had an easy Friday night in posting a 32-13 preseason victory over the Bears.Free agent rookie Jon Hilliman scored on a 10-yard run, Kyle Lauletta threw a 10-yard TD to Garrett Dickerson, Aldrick Rosas kicked a 47-yard field goal and New York (2-0) got a safety on a botched shotgun snap.Chicago coach Matt Nagy rested many key starters in falling to 0-2.Rookie Kerrith Whyte Jr., who had a 103-yard kickoff return in the second quarter nullified by a late holding penalty, scored on a 1-yard run. Eddy Pineiro kicked field goals of 41 and 27 yards for the undermanned Bears.Much like the preseason opener against the Jets, the focus for Giants fans was on Jones, the sixth pick overall in the draft and a young man many think will lead the team back to respectability.Jones looked good throwing the ball, hitting 11 of 14 for 161 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown to TJ Jones. The kid from Duke also showed some flaws, turning over the ball twice on fumbles. He failed to handle a snap at the Bears 19 and coughed up the ball when sacked by James Vaughters.Manning was very solid, leading the Giants on a 10-play, 79-yard drive that was capped with an 8-yard toss to Bennie Fowler III. He was 4 of 4 for 42 yards.BILLS 27, PANTHERS 14CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Josh Allen completed 9 of 11 passes for 102 yards and led two scoring drives, while Kevin Johnson returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown.Allen, 5-6 as a rookie starter last season Authentic Daniel Jones Jersey , led a 13-play, 63-yard drive that culminated in a field goal, and a touchdown drive capped by a 1-yard run by LeSean McCoy to put Buffalo (2-0) up 10-0 early before exiting the game.Five of Allen's completions went to Cole Beasley for 54 yards.Matt Barkley also looked solid, completing 8 of 10 passes for 110 yards, including a 9-yard TD pass to Duke Williams.The Panthers (1-1) struggled mightily on offense without Cam Newton, who didn't play for the second straight week. Buffalo's defense held Carolina to 132 yards in the first half after spending two days facing the Panthers in joint practices earlier this week. The Panthers didn't help themselves with five holding penalties before halftime.BUCCANEERS 16, DOLPHINS 14TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Second-year quarterback Josh Rosen was a surprise starter and went 10 for 18 for 102 yards during the first half for Miami. Rosen, battling with 15-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for the Dolphins' starting job, helped Miami to a pair of field goals and a 6-3 halftime lead. Rosen was 13 for 20 with one interception in last week's 34-27 victory over Atlanta.Fitzpatrick, who spent the previous two seasons with Tampa Bay, entered to start the second half and completed 3 of 9 passes for 20 yards before being replaced by Jake Rudock five minutes into the fourth quarter.Tampa Bay rookie Matt Gay had two field goals, including a go-ahead 48-yarder with 6 seconds to play.Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston played one series for the second consecutive week, completing 2 of 4 passes for 24 yards. He is in the final year of his rookie contract at a salary of nearly $21 million.The Dolphins got within 13-12 on an 8-yard strike from Rudock to Patrick Laird with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth period. Rudock then put the Dolphins up 14-13 by hitting Trenton Irwin for the 2-point conversion.
."Entering the day with five scheduled selections Womens LaAdrian Waddle Jersey , Friday’s second and third draft rounds turned into a busy affair for the New England Patriots. The reigning world champions picked four players and made three trades, and when all was said and done had added the following men to their roster:Let’s take a closer look at how the second day of the draft went for New England:Patriots draft CB Joejuan Williams: 2-45After an early run on defensive backs to start the second round, the Patriots decided to invest two draft picks — the 56th and the 101st selection — in order to move up the board. New England then invested in Vanderbilt’s Joejuan Williams at 45, securing a tall and physical press-cornerback capable of defending the boundary and helping against bigger targets in the passing game. One thing is certain: his acquisition adds further intrigue to an already deep defensive backfield.Patriots trade 2-64 to the Seahawks for 3-77 and 4-118After trading up to get Williams with the 45th overall selection, the Patriots decided to trade down from their 64th pick — despite plenty of players to address potential needs still being on the board. New England, however, felt that a trade presented the better value and received two selections from the Seahawks. Seattle, meanwhile, invested pick number 64 in wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.Patriots trade 3-73 and 6-205 to the Bears for 3-87, 5-172 and a 2020 4th round pickNine picks after trading down for the first time, the Patriots again opted to move down the board when they sent the 73rd overall selection and a sixth-round compensatory pick to the Chicago Bears. In return, New England received three draft choices: a third-round and a fifth-round pick this year as well as a fourth-rounder in 2020. Chicago invested the highest of the selections involved in running back David Montgomery.Patriots draft DE Chase Winovich: 3-77New England drafted its third player with one of the two picks originally acquired through the trade-down with the Seahawks: at 77 overall http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-malcolm-mitchell-jersey , the Patriots brought Michigan’s Chase Winovich on board. An outstanding athlete that had tremendous production in college, the 24-year-old will get a chance to carve out a role on his new team’s defensive edge rotation. Playing alongside Michael Bennett, Deatrich Wise Jr. and John Simon, Winovich gives the Patriots depth and a young developmental option.Patriots draft RB Damien Harris: 3-87After adding to what is already the deepest position on defense — cornerback — in round two, New England picked a player for the deepest position on offense in round three: Alabama’s Damien Harris was made the 87th overall pick of the draft and will join a talented running back corps led by Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead. Given his nature as a versatile downhill runner, Harris will likely join the rotation as the 1B option alongside Michel on early downs and short-yardage situations.Patriots trade 3-97 and 5-162 to the Rams for 3-101 and 4-133New England was not done trading, and also opted to move out of the 97th spot. The club sent the pick, which later turned into offensive tackle Bobby Evans, to the Los Angeles Rams alongside the previously acquired 162nd selection. In return, the Patriots received the 101st overall pick and a fourth-rounder. All in all, a good move for the club.Patriots draft Yodny Cajuste: 3-101With the second-to-last pick of the day Dwayne Allen Jersey , the Patriots again drafted a player: West Virginia offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste. Addressing a major need, Cajuste will serve as the third tackle alongside presumed starters Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon. A developmental option, he could fill the backup swing tackle role previously held by LaAdrian Waddle — and maybe even take over for Cannon one day. Rob Gronkowski looks like he has lost weight because he has lost weight. While the former Patriots tight end said Wednesday he has not lost as much as it appears, Gronkowski’s new physique is the best indication he is serious about retirement.In a picture from an appearance at a Showtime event for Julian Edelman‘s new documentary, Gronkowski looked much lighter than his listed playing weight of 268 last season. “I’m actually down to 250 right now,” Gronkowski said on the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, via NFL.com. “It must’ve been the angle or the shirt that was on me. I ain’t that skinny that the picture going around [shows]. I have definitely lost some weight. I’ve been 260 since I was 18 years old, from 260 to like 270. I just always wanted to see what it feels like to get down, to feel light, to feel loose.” Since announcing his retirement in March, Gronkowski said he has relaxed, traveled Womens Vincent Valentine Jersey , visited family and enjoyed life. He has not missed football yet, but it’s not football season yet.Gronkowski acknowledges he doesn’t expect retirement to hit him until September.“There’s definitely going to be times when you miss it and everything,” Gronkowski said. “I would always say that it’s still the offseason right now. I mean I can’t really say how I’m going to feel about it when the games start rolling around and everything. You know, I just felt like it was time. I feel really good right and it was just definitely something I felt like it was the right time and the right thing to do. To have that load off your back, I mean I’ve been playing football for 15 years straight in a row of that grind. Just relaxing right now feels good.” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady already has campaigned for Gronkowski’s return at some point during the season. Gronkowski doesn’t plan on that happening.“Thank you; I love you; I miss you,” Gronkowski said, laughing. “But I’m just relaxing, Tommy. . . .Call me when you get to the playoffs.”
are home in MetLife Stadium to take on their New York rivals White Rishard Matthews Jerseys , the Giants.After opening the season with a daunting seven game stretch against mostly playoff contenders, the Jets thought that last week they finally had reached the easier stretch of the season. The then winless Miami Dolphins seemed like the perfect elixir for what ailed the Jets. Then old friend Ryan Fitzpatrick torched the Jets atrocious secondary, and the unthinkable happened, the Jets losing even to the Tanking Dolphins. After that loss no opponent seems like the easy part of the schedule. Enter the New York Giants. Two wins on the season and losers of five straight Rishard Matthews Jerseys 2019 , the Giants are a lot like the Jets, with a stud running back, a terrible offensive line, a bad secondary and a struggling young quarterback. This game is like playing your twin brother. Let’s see which brother is stronger. It’s the Jets and the Giants in what many are calling the Toilet Bowl. Please leave your comments in the section cleverly marked “comments” below. Enjoy the game everybody. The Bills tried a field goal at the end of the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Jets White Avery Williamson Jerseys , but their bid for points was thwarted when Steven Hauschka‘s kick was blocked.That was the high point of the play for Hauschka. As the Jets tried to return the ball, he got drilled by Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson from behind on a hit that went unpenalized.Hauschka stayed down on the field as other players went to the locker room, but returned to kick in the second half. He missed another field goal and said after the game that it was hard to kick after hurting his lower back and pelvis on the play. On Monday, Bills coach Sean McDermott was critical of both the hit and the lack of response from officials.“There鈥檚 no place in football for it Avery Williamson Jerseys 2019 ,” McDermott said, via the . “He鈥檚 like a quarterback, you know he gets hit in the back — any player that gets hit in the back — should be a foul, and then he鈥檚 a kicker. To me White Rashard Robinson Jerseys , he鈥檚 afforded the protection. It’s a shame he took the hit that he did. It thought it should have been called. They didn’t see it obviously. … He’s a little sore today. We’ll see how he feels when he comes back tomorrow.”Anderson was on the receiving end of unpenalized unnecessary roughness when Patriots wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson grabbed his crotch at the end of a play. Patterson wound up being fined by the league and it wouldn’t be surprising if Anderson faces the same fate this week.
Minnesota Vikings’ 38-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles from this past Sunday Minnesota Vikings Jerseys Stitched , but we still need to decide who gets the Game Ball for the big win. We’ve got some pretty solid choices this week, so let’s get right to them.Kirk Cousins, QB - Yes, for the second week in a row, he’s on here, and with good reason. Cousins had what might have been his best game as a member of the Vikings on Sunday, completing 22-of-29 passes for 333 yards and four touchdown passes. Sure, he did throw his third interception of the year, but that really wasn’t his fault. The Eagles’ secondary is pretty terrible, and Cousins did what good quarterbacks should do to bad secondaries by shredding them for four quarters.Stefon Diggs, WR - On Sunday, Diggs really looked like a guy that wanted out of Minnesota, didn’t he? He had the first three-touchdown game for a Vikings receiver since Marcus Robinson pulled it off in a 2005 victory over the Cleveland Browns, and on his two long touchdown passes (a 62-yarder and a 51-yarder on consecutive offensive plays), he was wide open. His third touchdown catch Olisaemeka Udoh Jersey nfl draft , though shorter than the other two, may have been the most impressive in terms of body control and getting his feet down. All in all, a pretty solid day for #14.Everson Griffen, DE - Danielle Hunter has gotten the bulk of the attention this season, and with good reason, but Griffen has been outstanding as well and I wanted to give him some recognition here. On Sunday, he was a constant thorn in the side of the Eagles, including destroying rookie offensive tackle Andre Dillard from the first snap after he came in due to an injury to Jason Peters. He also came up with an interception on the botched fake field goal by the Eagles, which was pretty cool.Eric Kendricks, LB - I haven’t seen a lot of games outside of those played by the Vikings this year, but it’s hard for me to imagine that there are a lot of linebackers out there that are having a better season than Kendricks is having so far. In every game this year, he’s been everywhere, and the game against Philadelphia is was no exception. He forced a fumble that was recovered by the Vikings, nearly had an interception on an incredibly athletic play, and blew up a screen to Alshon Jeffery on a third-and-short that squelched Philadelphia’s offensive momentum at just the right time.Alexander Mattison Super Bowl Olisaemeka Udoh Jersey , RB - Another guy that deserves to get a little bit of recognition here, it was actually Mattison (and not Dalvin Cook) who led the Vikings in rushing on Sunday. Yes, he had a fumble at the end of the game, but the Vikings were up by 18 points and they were just trying to kill the clock. A lot of people panned the Vikings for selecting Mattison in this year’s NFL Draft, but he’s turning out to be a very solid complement to Cook thus far.Those are the players I have, ladies and gentlemen. If you have another player that you think was slighted, feel free to put them in the comments section.Week 1 - Anthony Harris, SWeek 2 - Dalvin Cook, RBWeek 3 - Dalvin Cook, RBWeek 4 - Nobody (because everyone was awful)Week 5 - Kirk Cousins, QB You can talk all you want about some of the top wide receivers in the NFL. Throw out all the numbers you want for Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Tyreek Hill, whoever.None of them are better than Adam Thielen. If you’re not sure what I mean Garrett Bradbury Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , then read the headline again, then read this:Adam Thielen is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Period. Dot. Full stop.Are guys faster than Thielen? Yeah, but not much. Do some other guys have better career numbers? Sure, I’m not going to dispute that. But does anyone have better hands than Thielen? No. Does anyone run better routes than him? Nope. AND HE HAS MORE GRIT THANANYONE BABY WOOOOOOO!Seriously, he leads the NFL in targets, catches, yards, and yards per game. He’s the only player in the Super Bowl era to begin the season with 100 or more receiving yards in each of his first six games. Jerry Rice didn’t do that. Neither did Randy Moss. Same for Cris Carter, Andre Reed, and Terrell Owens.Adam Thielen is it. List of one, baby.That’s more receptions yards and 100 yard games this year than Antonio Brown. Or Michael Thomas. Or Julio Jones. Or Tyreek Hill.Or anyone. Just look if you don’t believe me:So come at me all you want with ‘Tyreek Hill is the best WR in the NFL’ takesChris Simms (seriously stop because that take was as bad as your accuracy when you played), or that Thielen is ‘just’ a top 5-10 WR in the NFL. Let’s see how the top receivers in Washington are doing, since the Redskins went with Alex Smith, a guy that clearly elevates the players around him (he said sarcastically):I also love extrapolating numbers out when a guy sets a ridiculous pace to start the season. Here’s what Thielen will do if he keeps it up through a full 16 games:Whew, that’s pretty good. So is this:It had Cardinals defensive backs up in arms:And look Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , you can’t tell Thielen’s story without some background, because NO ONE HAS HEARD THIS BEFORE I’M QUITE CERTAIN:Look, Thielen isn’t doing this alone. he has a great QB in Kirk Cousins, and opposite him is Stefon Diggs, another fantastic WR that defenses are still focusing on more than Thielen:When you have two true number one wide receivers like the VIkings do, it’s definitely a Sophie’s Choice on who to cover, and teams are still trying to prevent Diggs from burning them deep. And for most teams, the guy they roll out to cover Thielen simply can’t, and it’s allowed him to pile up huge numbers through six games. Because let’s face it, for all the help he gets from Diggs in drawing coverage away from him, and Cousins in getting him the ball, he still has to catch it and make something happen. And he does, with amazing regularity.So compile all the ‘best WR in the NFL’ lists you want......but if Thielen isn’t number one on said list, your list is invalid and bereft of football knowledge.
GREEN BAY http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-mason-crosby-jersey , Wis. — With Jordy Nelson long gone and Randall Cobb in Dallas, there now is an undisputed leader in the Green Bay Packers wide receivers’ room.Davante Adams spent a portion of the team’s practice Wednesday during mandatory minicamp coaching young wideouts on routes and concepts, a role the sixth-year veteran says he has embraced.More Packers coverage from FOX Sports WisconsinBucks’ Wes Matthews loves Wisconsin, is a Vikings fanPreview: Packers look to slow Vikings’ revitalized run gameTop Tweets: Yelich thanks fans for support after season-ending injuryAmos sparks rebuilt Packers defense in debutPackers to be tested again by familiar foe in Zimmer, Vikings“That’s just a trait that I have,” he said. “I feel like I’ve always been a leader. Obviously you come in and you’re not as vocal when you’re a younger player just because that’s just how it goes. You’re a small fish in a big pond again and you want to let guys like Jordy, Randall, James Jones, those type of guys, take the brunt of the leadership role and don’t step on any toes.“But now obviously I’m the clear-cut oldest guy in the room. It’s just natural, and these guys definitely look up to me and they value my opinion on different things, so I try to lead by example first and foremost and if they need that vocal leadership, then that’s when I’ll step in with that.”Adams, at 26, is not only the oldest guy in the room, he’s also the most productive, by far.Adams’ 35 receiving touchdowns since 2016 trail only Antonio Brown‘s 36 for most in the NFL during that span. His 111 receptions and 1,386 receiving yards last season were both career highs and earned the 2014 second-round pick out of Fresno State a second straight Pro Bowl selection.But even Adams admits it has been a challenge learning a new offensive system under new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and first-year head coach Matt LaFleur.“It’s been like being a rookie again,” he said. “Starting off learning it, we’re all starting off with a clean slate. I’ve never been in an offense quite like this before, so to be in this position, it’s fun. You get kind of, not complacent JK Scott Jersey White , but you get a little comfortable, because I’d been in the old offense so long. So being in this one now where we have a little bit of curveballs that we weren’t quite used to, all getting to learn at the same time, it’s fun.”The 39-year-old LaFleur took over the Packers in January as one of the top young offensive minds in the league. He served as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator last season and the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator before that.6<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Things we learned at Packers OTAs (and elsewhere)Matt Ludtke | APAdams says LaFleur is hands-on, has an open mind and has already done a lot, including one-on-one discussions, to make sure Adams and two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers don’t lose any of the chemistry that has made them one of the most prolific offensive tandems in the league.“A lot of it is not necessarily corrections, but him wanting to just get some feedback and see how I felt about something or why I ran a route a certain way so we can kind of get that cohesion,” he said.BIG ON JAKEAdams says he has seen an early spark in second-year pro Jake Kumerow. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Wisconsin-Whitewater product had only eight receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown last season for Green Bay, but Adams said Kumerow is primed to have a breakout year.“I think Jake has shown it for a while,” he said. “You saw a lot of it in preseason (last year). He made some big plays, some splash plays. You see those all the time. But he’s a guy that, every day, you never have to tell him how to work. … That makes it easy for that leadership role for me, it makes my job a hell of a lot easier. He asks a lot of questions, and you can tell he’s starting to come into his own.“Obviously with everybody learning the offense at the same pace right now, it levels the playing field even more. You can see the confidence, and we’ve always seen the ability.”Rodgers agreed, making Kumerow an early favorite to secure a spot in the game-day receiver rotation that will likely include Adams, Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown.“He’s an extremely intelligent guy who’s in the right place at the right time,” Rodgers said of Kumerow. “He makes fantastic catches Za'Darius Smith Jersey White , he makes the plays that are there and he does the little things. … You know the guy’s going to do it right. He’s going to always be in the right spot. He knows what he’s doing all the time and what the other guys are doing. And then when we gets the chance to make plays, he makes plays, and he does it in a super classy, understated way.”NOTE: The Packers will begin training camp on Thursday, July 25. Players will report to Green Bay on July 24, which is also the date of the Packers’ 2019 shareholders meeting at Lambeau Field. When a head coach gets fired during an NFL season, it’s as much about the culture of his team as it is about performance.That was the case in Green Bay, which in a move almost as stunning as its feeble showing against Arizona on Sunday, Mike McCarthy was canned. The same McCarthy who was 125-77-2 in almost 13 seasons at the helm. The same McCarthy who guided the Packers to the 2010 championship. The same McCarthy who helped nurture Aaron Rodgers into a seeming shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Yet, with what the Packers have become recently and where they appeared headed at 4-7-1 in a season when NFC wild-card berths are up for grabs, it probably was the correct move to let McCarthy go.The offense, even with Rodgers, has stagnated. The secondary, as it is pretty much every year, is ravaged by injuries. The offensive line is a mess more often than it is a plus.And the skills of one of the great quarterbacks of his era — an era when offense is paramount for success — are being wasted.Team president Mark Murphy in a statement said the 2018 season “has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers. As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately.”“Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field,” Murphy said.True. McCarthy also might find himself employed running another team in need of developing a quarterback (Jets? Buccaneers? Browns?) in 2019. For now, though, with the Packers severely underachieving and McCarthy unable to find answers against strong opponents or weak ones, his departure made sense.“We haven’t played very well,” Rodgers said before being told McCarthy was fired. “We all take part in the disappointments and the failures that we’ve had this season. We’ve had a number of opportunities. It’s not like we’re getting blown out in a bunch of games. We’re in games.“I hate to repeat myself Kyler Fackrell Jersey , but it’s applicable. … We’re not executing the right way.”Rodgers has never started a game for another coach, and he deserves some input into who replaces McCarthy. Whoever that might be, the least of his problems is quarterback, barring more injuries to Rodgers, who turned 35 on Sunday. Rodgers should have a few excellent years left.The deeper problems in Green Bay stem from years of injuries to key players, particularly on defense, that approach an epidemic. Is players’ health not being vetted properly before they join the team? Are they not diagnosed or treated properly when they get hurt? Is it bad luck?The Packers probably need to look into adding some talent through free agency before Rodgers is past his prime. That’s rarely been the approach on the tundra — yes, we know about Reggie White and Julius Peppers — but with Ted Thompson no longer the general manager, perhaps the thinking will change.In the NFC North, where Chicago is on the rise and Minnesota has more overall talent than Green Bay, a quick infusion of talent is essential.It would be somewhat ironic if McCarthy surfaced in Cleveland to work with Baker Mayfield. The Browns are the only other team to fire its head man thus far, and it would be surprising if Browns GM John Dorsey, who formerly worked for the Packers, isn’t interested.The Jets, who lost their sixth in a row in ignominious fashion at Tennessee on Sunday, almost certainly will be letting go of Todd Bowles soon. They also have a rookie QB in need of a guru.Meanwhile, the Packers begin a search they rarely make. Since 2000, they’ve had two coaches, Mike Sherman and McCarthy.Joe Philbin is the interim. Whoever is next, Green Bay, make sure Rodgers has a say.
FLORHAM PARK Vosean Joseph Jersey Boys , N.J. (AP) — Josh McCown is going from mentor to starter this week for the New York Jets.The 39-year-old quarterback will be under center Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in place of injured rookie Sam Darnold, who’s sidelined with a strained right foot.“I’m ready to rule him out as a starter for this week,” coach Todd Bowles said of Darnold on Thursday. “I don’t know if I’ll rule him out yet for the game.”That means Darnold still could potentially be the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday. If not, Davis Webb would be promoted from the practice squad to serve as McCown’s backup.Either way, the starting job is McCown’s — at least for this week.“I’m extremely comfortable with him,” Bowles said. “We talk all the time. He understands the game and the team, and we see things the same way. So I’m comfortable.”McCown has not taken a snap in a regular-season game this season as the Jets have focused on developing Darnold. The No. 3 overall pick won the job out of training camp, but was injured during New York’s 13-6 loss at Miami last Sunday.McCown was the Jets’ starter last season and had a career year before being sidelined the last three games with a broken left hand. Since the summer, McCown has spoken highly of Darnold and expressed excitement about being able to have a hand in the youngster’s development.Darnold has received lots of advice and tips from McCown on the sideline and practice field. Now, he’ll have no choice but to watch.“I say it all the time: That’s why we do this, to play,” McCown said Wednesday when Darnold’s injury was announced. “If that’s the case, you’re torn because your friend and a teammate, it means he can’t go. In that regard, I don’t wish that on anybody Infant Dawson Knox Jersey , but at the same time as a professional, as a backup quarterback you have to serve your team in that role and go in and play winning football.“That’s what’s fun, that’s what you look forward to and that’s why you play this game. And, we’ll go out and compete.”The Jets are ranked 29th in overall offense, including 28th in the passing game. Some of the struggles can be attributed to the inexperience of Darnold, who has an NFL-leading 14 interceptions. During New York’s current three-game losing streak, the rookie has thrown two touchdown passes and seven INTs.So, some might consider the injury a blessing in disguise. It allows Darnold to take a breather and give McCown a chance to perhaps get the offense back on track.“Obviously, Josh has played a long time in this league,” wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said. “So throughout the weeks, he sees things a lot quicker. Just the mental aspects, he’s a lot further, just with his experience and being in the league. So, him just being able to see things a lot quicker, you know Dawson Knox Jersey Draft , the tempo kind of picked up a little bit.”Bowles made it clear, however, that this is no long-term solution. When Darnold is healthy, he’ll step right back into the starting role.“Yeah,” Bowles said, “he’s our quarterback.”Even if McCown is playing well when Darnold is fully healthy?“Sam is our quarterback,” Bowles answered.Bowles was then asked why that would automatically be the case with Darnold.“Because he’s our starter and he won the job,” the coach said. “I feel comfortable with him in there and I feel comfortable with Josh in there.”While Darnold is the easy target and he has shouldered the blame for the struggles on offense, the Jets have several other culprits. Center Spencer Long has dealt with a finger injury that has led to several wayward snaps out of the shotgun, disrupting the timing of plays. Wide receivers Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson have been dealing with ankle injuries, and there have been blown plays and dropped passes by several players.“Like I’ve said, we didn’t play well as an offense,” Bowles said. “He didn’t play well last game, but there’s a couple people that have had bad games here and there, so we go from there.”Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has taken some heat Dawson Knox NFL Jersey , as well. The Jets are 18th in points with 198 and have scored just 17 touchdowns on offense. They also rank 30th in the league in first-down success (15.8 percent) and third-down conversions (30.8 percent).“We have to score more points and that’s on me,” Bates said. “I need to put our players in better positions to be successful, need to put our players in better position to score touchdowns and that’s my responsibility. We have to score points in this league to win football games.”NOTES: CB Trumaine Johnson was a full participant at practice for the first time in more than a month after being sidelined with an injured right quadriceps. He’s planning to play Sunday. “Man, it’s been a month and a couple days, so I’m definitely ready,” he said. “Just sitting out there supporting the team and my teammates is a different feeling, but I’m anxious to get back out there.” … Long (knee/finger), Anderson (ankle), Enunwa (ankle), TE Neal Sterling (concussion) and NT Steve McLendon (ankle) didn’t practice. … LG James Carpenter (shoulder) was limited.The Buffalo Rumblings Podcast, episode 22: Josh Allen, o-line struggle vs. Bengals One week after picking up their first win of the preseason against the Cleveland Browns, the Buffalo Bills welcomed the other Ohio-based NFL team to New Era Field in Week 3 of the preseason and suffered a disheartening 26-13 setback to the Cincinnati Bengals. On the latest edition of the Buffalo Rumblings Podcast, co-hosts John Boccacino and Anthony Marino offered up their thoughts on what they liked and what they didn’t like from the loss to the Bengals, while trying to maintain perspective after the Bills’ lackluster effort on Kids Day. If you came to the Bills’ dress rehearsal preseason game late Dawson Knox NFL Draft , consider yourself lucky, because you didn’t miss much from the sputtering Buffalo offense. The first-team unit struggled against an aggressive and talented Bengals’ defensive line, ruining the professional starting debut of prized rookie Josh Allen. Allen was sacked five times and completed only 6 of 12 passes during a scoreless first half. While Allen failed to direct any scoring drives, it wasn’t all his fault, as he barely had two seconds to search for a receiver downfield on most of his passes due to porous play from the offensive line. The patchwork offensive line should be a major concern for Bills fans heading into the regular season. The one positive for the first-team offense? The struggles came as Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy and starting left tackle Dion Dawkins were on the sidelines for Week 3 of the preseason, but there is major work to be done in the trenches for the Bills. The good news? Second-year QB Nathan Peterman continued his strong preseason play as he makes a push to be Buffalo’s regular-season starting quarterback. Playing behind most of the same offensive line that was pushed around by Cincinnati’s defensive line in the first half, Peterman played the entire second half, completing 16-of-21 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown.Among the other things Boccacino and Marino liked from the loss: the emergence of tight end Jason Croom, who has played his way into the discussion for the No. 2 tight end job, surpassing Nick O’Leary, Khari Lee, and Keith Towbridge on the depth chart. Running back Marcus Murphy also continued his strong preseason, rushing 11 times for 58 yards (5.3 yards per rush), while linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was in on seven total tackles, burst through the gaps to make several stops Dawson Knox Buffalo Bills Jersey , and held his own in pass coverage. On the flip side, the duo discussed disappointing performances from the entire offensive line, linebacker Matt Milano, and cornerback Vontae Davis, who was burned on a 57-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to John Ross on the first play of the game. His day didn’t get any better after the opening snap, and now Davis could be in jeopardy of losing his role as starting CB opposite Tre’Davious White. Check out our Buffalo Rumblings podcast to catch the complete breakdown from Week 3 of the preseason! Listen here. 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Jamaal Williams Jersey , Green Bay had a good showing but will be shut out of the top 25 again this year."Each year, the NFL releases a ten-part weekly series counting down the Top 100 players in the league, as voted on by their peers. That usually comes out in the late spring to help bridge the gap between the NFL Draft and the start of training camps.Pro Football Focus, however, is publishing their list of the Top 101 players in the 2018 season this week. Although the Green Bay Packers did not land a player between 50 and 101, in the third installment — players 26 through 50 — the team is well-represented. Four Packers showed up in that grouping White Darnell Savage Jersey , including three members of the offense. Let’s look at them one-by-one.#48: Wide receiver Davante AdamsWe’ll have to wait to see how many receivers rank ahead of Davante, but he was unquestionably one of the best wideouts in the NFL this year. He finished the season sixth in receptions, seventh in receiving yards, and second in touchdowns, and he would have been higher in at least the first two categories had he not sat out week 17’s game with a knee injury. Although his DVOA numbers don’t match up to his lofty PFF grade (87.8) or raw stats, much of that is likely due to Mike McCarthy’s scheme doing him no favors.#43: Defensive tackle Kenny ClarkLast year: 69thThe monster in the middle of the Packers’ defense Kenny Clark Jersey , Clark was more than deserving of a Pro Bowl honor in 2018, though he was denied. In 13 games, he racked up six sacks and provided far more pass rush than one would expect from a traditional 3-4 nose tackle. In fact, PFF credited him with a pass-rush grade of 88.8 on the year, while also noting that he ranked 16th among interior linemen in run stop rate (9.9%).#41: Quarterback Aaron RodgersPFF gave Rodgers the sixth-highest grade of any quarterback in the NFL this season, and had him ranked third in passer rating when throwing the ball 20 yards or more downfield. We all know that what we saw from Rodgers in 2018 was less than stellar Ka'dar Hollman Green Bay Packers Jersey , but his yards per completion number finally climbed back near 12 (11.9, to be exact), the first time it has been above 11.0 since his last MVP season in 2014.#39: Left tackle David BakhtiariLast year: 30thTwo spots ahead of Rodgers is the man named the best pass-protector in the league by PFF. They credited him with allowing just 25 pressures in 16 games, only seven of which resulted in hits on Rodgers.The Packers’ four best players all showed up on the second-to-last portion of this list, so don’t expect any more members of the Green and Gold to appear in the Top 25. The 2017 team also failed to place anyone in the top 25, with Bakhtiari’s #30 ranking being the top spot held by a Green Bay player. Hopefully they won’t be shut out of that upper section for a third year in a row in 2019. The Green Bay Packers signed punter Drew Kaser Justin McCray Jersey , the team announced Saturday afternoon.More Packers coverage from FOX Sports WisconsinPhotos of the Week: 7/21/19 – 7/27/19Packers rookie Gary’s biggest critic is himselfTop Tweets: Former Badger TJ Watt has impressive four-year transformationPHOTOS: 2019 Green Bay Packers training campPackers’ Rodgers, LaFleur ironing out offense, building chemistryPunter JK Scott was not included on Green Bay’s injury report, so it appears the Packers will have two punters on their active roster Sunday night against New England.Selected in the sixth round by the (then) San Diego Chargers in 2016, Kaser has played 36 career games and is averaging 47.4 yards per punt with a long of 69 yards.Outside of a down performance last week in Los Angeles, Scott has been solid as Green Bay’s punter Ka'dar Hollman Jersey 2019 , as he has placed eight kicks inside the 20-yard line in seven games and is averaging 45.3 yards per attempt.In other Packers news, wide receiver Geronimo Allison has been ruled out for Sunday.
Trae Waynes Jersey , and the incentives he’s earning may just be the beginning.According to聽Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Thielen has added $3.6 million in incentives and escalators to his contract with his performance so far this season.The Vikings signed him to a four-year, $19.25 contract prior to the 2017 season, and he continues to outplay that deal. He leads the league with 93 catches, is second with 1,138 receiving yards and is tied for fifth with eight touchdowns. He’s the 49th-highest paid receiver in the league in terms of average annual value.But he keeps adding to his bank account, a little at a time. He hit a $600,000 bonus by catching 80 passes this year, and can make another $500,000 if he makes the likely trip to the Pro Bowl. He gained $1 million in salary this year by topping 90 catches last year, and will make an extra $2 million next year with second such season. A third straight 90-catch season could make him an extra $3 million in 2019.But by any measure, he’s woefully underpaid, and a tremendous bargain for the Vikings. They’ve been extremely proactive about taking care of their own in recent years, and he could be next to get a raise commensurate with his value. In a way, it was the perfect ending to the 2018 Minnesota Vikings season.It had all the tropes we had grown accustomed to over the past four months, especially when facing a talented opponent. The defense allowed an easy early score, then did well enough to keep the Vikings hanging around for most of the game. We kept waiting for Kirk Cousins and all the talented skill position players to get going, but the offensive breakthrough never happened. (On Sunday Mackensie Alexander Jersey , not even for the patented garbage time drives that made the overall numbers look respectable.) The offensive line was a mess. Every time the Vikings were presented with an opportunity to seize control of their destiny, they failed to do so.And so a season that started with so much hope and promise ended with a fittingly unspectacular thud on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. All the Vikings needed to do was take care of business at home. They had to beat a Chicago Bears team that was only mildly interested in winning after their postseason seeding was determined fairly early in the contest. If the Vikings had, you know, maybe got a first down before halfway through the second quarter, perhaps Chicago would have called off the Bears dogs and started preparing for a very winnable rematch in the Wild Card round.Instead, the offense put up a season-low 164 yards while allowing four sacks and 24 total pressures. While the defense managed to keep the game close for much of the day, they didn’t exactly bring their A-game either. They allowed the Bears to convert 8 of 14 third downs, didn’t sack Mitchell Trubisky once, and were carved up for 169 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, and three touchdowns on the ground. Chicago had no choice but to snuff out their division rival on Sunday; their superiority on both sides of the ball was that blatantly evident throughout the game.Suddenly, we have been thrust into the painful chasm that is the NFL offseason much earlier than we anticipated. Today is the last day of the 2018 calendar, but fans of teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason will face months of anguish and debate before anything meaningful happens in 2019. The league year doesn’t start until mid-March. The NFL Draft isn’t until late April. Training Camp starts in late July. And the next game that actually counts for the Vikings isn’t for another eight-plus months. So before we embark on the agony of the offseason, let’s take one final look back at the torment we endured. It’s our final chapter of looking back at the most important plays of the game.Play 1: Bears ball, 2nd & 3 at the Chicago 36. First quarter, 13:39 remaining. J.Howard right tackle ran ob at MIN 22 for 42 yards (D.Hunter).After the Vikings had taken a whopping 36 seconds off the clock in their game-opening three-and-out, the Bears did this on their second play of the game.It took the Vikings 21 offensive plays and 28 minutes of game time to equal what Jordan Howard gained on this single run—42 yards. Four plays later, the Bears were up 7-0 after Howard scored his first of two touchdowns. Trubisky passed one time for nine yards on the drive. Once again Laquon Treadwell Jersey , a poor first drive from the defense while the offense did next to nothing was an awful opening act.The Vikings defense held firm for the next two Chicago drives, but as we had seen all too often this season, that didn’t matter much. The Vikings offense still couldn’t even muster a first down on their next three drives, much less points. With just under ten minutes left in the first half, the Bears caught a break that helped them break the game open.Play 2: Bears ball, 3rd & 11 at the Chicago 24. Second quarter, 9:48 remaining. (Shotgun) M.Trubisky pass incomplete deep left to J.Bellamy [S.Weatherly]. PENALTY on MIN-S.Weatherly, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at CHI 24 - No Play.Before this play, Chicago’s offense looked in disarray. After taking a delay of game penalty, the Bears were forced to take a timeout in order to avoid moving back another five yards. The home crowd was in a frenzy. It looked like the Vikings were about to get the ball back with good field position in a one-score game after Trubisky sailed a deep pass over Josh Bellamy.But instead of the Bears punting back to the Vikings, Stephen Weatherly was called for roughing the passer after this “vicious” “late” hit:Weatherly was attempting to hold up from walloping Trubisky as he was throwing the ball, but the officials somehow interpreted his actions as a penalty. OK then. It kept the drive alive, and Trubisky didn’t miss on his next deep shot down the left sideline just five plays later.Play 3: Bears ball, 3rd & 7 at the Minnesota 41. Second quarter, 7:43 remaining. (Shotgun) M.Trubisky pass deep left to T.Gabriel for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official reviewed the runner was not down by contact ruling Ben Gedeon Jersey , and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) M.Trubisky pass deep left to T.Gabriel to MIN 1 for 40 yards (H.Hill).Trubisky didn’t have an incredibly impressive game overall, but it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t the better quarterback on Sunday. This incredible throw to Taylor Gabriel was certainly better than anything Cousins did.The play was originally called a touchdown, but after review Gabriel was ruled to be down at the 1 yard line. Howard scored on the next play to give the Bears a 13-0 lead. Vikings fans can complain about the call that led to this play all they want, but they still have to give credit to the Bears for taking advantage with a huge play like this on third down.There was still plenty of time for a comeback at this point, but the Vikings hadn’t won any of the previous seven games were they were down by double digits at any time in 2018. Even though the Bears were up two scores before the Vikings even had a first down, Minnesota still had a chance to get within a touchdown late in the first half.They did not.Play 4: Vikings ball, 3rd & 6 at the Chicago 27. Second quarter, 1:03 remaining. (Shotgun) K.Cousins pass incomplete deep right to A.Thielen.Sure, the Bears have a great defense. Sure, you have an interim Offensive Coordinator in his third game on the job. But if you’re Cousins and Adam Thielen, you have been working together for five full months now. You have connected on over 100 passes this season. So how, on a crucial third down in a must-win Week 17 game, are you this far apart on which route you think will be run?The Vikings had to settle for a Dan Bailey field goal, but the real fireworks came after the offense went to the sideline.Cousins and Thielen had a heated conversation about the play, including an impromptu clinic in route running from Cousins:I have zero problem with teammates getting after it the sidelines, especially when it appears to be constructive and not just bitching at each other. But the miscommunication on the field and subsequent argument off of it were excellent microcosms of the entire season for the Vikings offense. For whatever reason, they could never consistently get on the same page, especially when it mattered most.Still Jaleel Johnson Jersey , even after all this turmoil and disappointment, the Vikings trailed by only three points heading into the fourth quarter. Minnesota finally pieced together a touchdown drive—with some help from two huge defensive penalties by the Bears on third down—capped off by a two yard pass to Stefon Diggs. Just one more big stop from the defense, and who knows? Maybe the Vikings could steal this one and sneak into the postseason after all. Crazier things have happened, right?Play 5: Bears ball, 3rd & 7 at the Minnesota 17. Fourth quarter, 9:07 remaining. (Shotgun) M.Trubisky pass short left to J.Wims pushed ob at MIN 8 for 9 yards (H.Hill).Nope.The Bears marched 16 plays for 75 yards in a drive that spanned 9:05 over two quarters and included five third down conversions. This pass from Trubisky to Javon Wims was the final third down conversion, which led to a touchdown from Tarik Cohen two plays later. Matt Nagy rubbed Mike Zimmer’s nose in it by going for two after the score, and the Bears were back up by 11 points with less than eight minutes to go. Game, set, season.It feels a little unfair to put four Vikings defensive plays out of the five we listed this week. To be honest, it’s hard for your offense to have an “important” play when they did next to nothing for 60 minutes. There wasn’t even the signature game-sealing turnover to include this time around. I suppose I could have included one of Cousins’ deep passes that wasn’t even in the zip code of its intended target, but that would have been more for comedic purposes. It was simply a thorough domination by a deserving NFC North champion against a paper tiger petering out in their final game.Sigh. There’s always next year. Or something.As always, we welcome you to vote in the poll to tell us which play you thought was the biggest and encourage you to suggest any we may have missed in the comments.
FLORHAM PARK http://www.jetslockerroom.com/authentic-keyshawn-johnson-jersey , N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets placed right tackle Brandon Shell on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday with a knee injury.Shell was hurt last Saturday in the Jets’ loss to Houston. He was carted off the field in the third quarter after left guard Spencer Long rolled into his left leg. Shell immediately grabbed at his knee as trainers ran onto the field to check on him.Coach Todd Bowles wouldn’t provide details Wednesday as to the nature of Shell’s injury, other than to say it was “pretty bad.” He also said the offensive lineman will need surgery.Shell started 29 games over the past three seasons since being drafted in the fifth round out of South Carolina. He’s the great-nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Shell.Brent Qvale took over at right tackle against the Texans and could do so for the last two games. Bowles said it’s early in the week and the team is still considering its options. The Jets also have offensive tackle Eric Smith, claimed Tuesday off waivers from the Patriots Brent Qvale Jersey , and Dieugot Joseph, who’s on the practice squad.Linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu was also placed on IR after missing the game against Houston with a concussion. He had two sacks and a forced fumble in 11 games for the Jets.The Jets also claimed linebacker Emmanuel Lamur off waivers from Oakland, and promoted linebacker Anthony Wint from the practice squad.Lamur has 193 tackles in seven NFL seasons Womens Marcus Maye Jersey , most recently with the Raiders after stints with Minnesota and Cincinnati.Wint has spent the entire season on the practice squad after being signed by New York after rookie minicamp. He was an undrafted free agent out of Florida International. The defenses have gotten the better of the offenses at the Meadowlands on Sunday, but the Jets defense is the only one taking the ball away and that’s gotten them to halftime with a 6-0 lead.Linebacker C.J. Mosley returned an interception 17 yards for the only score of the opening half of the 2019 season. Jets kicker Kaare Vedvik put the extra point off the left upright on his first try since being claimed off of waivers last weekend.The interception was one of four Bills turnovers in the first half. Josh Allen lost a fumble on a sack by Jordan Jenkins, Mosley came up with the ball when Allen and center Mitch Morse botched an exchange on a fourth down try and linebacker Neville Hewitt picked off a pass that was batted at the line.Hewitt’s pick set the Jets up at midfield and Sam Darnold hit Jamison Crowder for a 19-yard gain on the next play. That set the Jets up in field goal range http://www.jetslockerroom.com/authentic-kelechi-osemele-jersey , but Vedvik was wide right to make it a matched set of missed kicks.That pass to Crowder was the longest gain of the half for the Jets, who went three and out twice and punted four times in the first 30 minutes. Le'Veon Bell has had some good runs when the blocking allows him a little space to run and has 38 yards on nine carries in his Jets debut. Darnold is 9-of-15 for 81 yards and has been sacked three times as the line has struggled in both phases of the gameThe Bills have gone with a pass-heavy game plan — Allen dropped back on their first 18 offensive plays — and Allen is 15-of-23 for 141 yards while also running the ball seven times. Frank Gore has the only other carries as the Bills clearly think throwing the ball is the best way to beat the Jets.That hasn’t worked out for them thus far, but the Jets haven’t been able to put the game anywhere close to out of reach thanks to their offensive issues.
writes how change at the top is the only constant in the non-Patriots portion of the AFC East.Paul Perillo and Andy Hart discuss whether the NFL should switch to a draft lottery. /No.Angelique Fiske honors National Foster Care Month by sharing how Kyle and Marissa Van Noy hosted foster families for a day of aerial adventures.LOCAL LINKSMike Reiss shares his quick-hit weekend thoughts: Devin and Jason McCourty continue to redefine success; James Develin’s non-Pats ring tattoo; Rookies’ helmets don’t have team logo decals; More.Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Sunday Patriots news Rob Gronkowski Jerseys 2019 , AFC East notes: N’Keal Harry and Damien Harris, are representing the Patriots at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere this weekend; More.Tom E. Curran’s Sunday Notes: Ja’Whaun Bentley may be the key to the Patriots defense leveling up; Dont’a Hightower is continuing to train for speed; More.Ryan Hannable’s Sunday 7: OTAs begin this week with sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; Big week coming up for young Patriots quarterbacks; More.Michael Deprisco points out an interesting Pro Football Focus stat: JC Jackson ranked as the top corner in the NFL in 2018 in Passer Rating allowed (42.0), nearly 18 points higher than 2nd place Avonte Maddox of the Eagles. Phil Perry gives us his second version of his Patriots 53-man roster projection, with a spot for Jamie Collins.David Latham (LastWordOnSports) Patriots linebacker depth chart.Matt Dolloff wonders if Jamie Collins will find consistency in his second stint with the Pats.David Latham (LastWordOnSports) Patriots camp battles: Jamie Collins vs Elandon Roberts.David Latham (LastWordOnSports) CBS Sports ranks Tom Brady, Sony Michel, Julian Edelman as NFL’s ninth-best triplets.Ryan Hannable passes along the details of Jamie Collins’ one-year deal.CBS Boston says the Jamie Collins contract details show the Patriots aren’t risking much by bringing him back.Darren Hartwell NFL Rumors: Jamie Collins taking massive pay cut in return to Patriots. /Um, did he have other offers?Ryan Hannable believes Ben Watson’s contract indicates that the Patriots view him as a potential No. 1 tight end.Ryan Hannble notes special-teamer Brandon King reportedly signed a two-year extension.Zack Cox shares Chris Long reflecting on his Patriots tenure after announcing his retirement.Adam London relays why Chris Long was ‘blown away’ by Tom Brady upon joining the Patriots.David Latham (LastWordOnSports) Demaryius Thomas likely to start season on PUP list.Dakota Randall posts a photo of Bill Belichick at the Preakness finish line that is picture perfect.Alex Reimer announces that longtime Patriots reporter Andy Hart is joining WEEI as columnist and host. /Eh.Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) NFL Fan Therapy: Patriots superfan Francis reviews his trip to Nashvegas. (1.48 min. video)Sierra Goodwill, Evan Lazar and Alex Barth Foxboro Report: The New York Jets debacle and how it relates to the Patriots. (6.44 min. video)Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) Bruins pay homage to Patriots “Still Here” motto following conference championship.Michael Deprisco reports “Tom vs Time” receives an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary.NATIONAL NEWSAlbert Breer (SI) Monday Morning QB: The Colts are quietly winning the offseason. /Dolphins gonna be mad.Peter King (ProFootballTalk) FMIA: Smart NFL people share 25 ways to make pro football better.Adam Schein (NFL.com) NFL’s most complete teams. Patriots squeak in at No. 9.Arnie Stapleton (AP) Only four players in 100 years have won six NFL titles.Bill Bender (Sporting News) NFL overtime: 11 playoff games that have fueled call for change in OT format. “Patriots took advantage of the ‘Tuck Rule’ in regulation... “ /Ridiculous White Tom Brady Jerseys , bias-revealing phrase.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Will NFL change postseason overtime rule in October?Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Proposed “tweak” of replay review for pass interference is more like an amputation. “The NFL went too far one way in March. It may now go too far the other way in May.”Scooby Axson (SI) Report: Competition Committee to look at pass interference review rule.Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) NFL Notebook: NFL’s top 5 rookie-veteran passing duos; did Jets miscalculate?Reuters (Yahoo! Sports) NFL Notebook: Patriots signed LB Brandon King to a 2-year extension; Giants LT Nate Solder will miss offseason workouts, recovering from arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs in ankle; More.Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Patrick Mahomes the betting favorite to repeat as MVP.Gallery (NFL.com) 2019 NFLPA Rookie Premiere. QB Jarrett Stidham, RB Damien Harris and WR N’Keal Harris included.Ben Weinrib (Yahoo! Sports) Dolphins to break out throwback uniforms against Patriots again in Week 2.Manish Mehta (NY Daily News) Behind the scenes of the final straw in the Jets rift between Adam Gase and Mike Maccagnan.Brian Costello (NY Post) Jets’ GM job isn’t the easy sell Christopher Johnson portrays. /Ya think?Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Rumors fly of the Jets pursuing Peyton Manning.EXTRACURRICULARDom Cosentino (Deadspin) The NFL concussion settlement just keeps getting worse and worse.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Prosecution appeals suppression order in Kraft case.Brent Schrotenboer and Jori Epstein (USA Today) What’s behind the Kansas City Chiefs’ brutal history of domestic violence? CINCINNATI (5-8) at MINNESOTA (10-3) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS OPENING LINE – Vikings by 10 RECORD VS. SPREAD -Cincinnati 7-6, Minnesota 9-4 SERIES RECORD – Tied 6-6 LAST MEETING -Bengals beat Vikings 42-14, Dec. 22, 2013 LAST WEEK – Bengals lost to Bears 33-7; Vikings lost to Panthers 31-24 AP PRO32 RANKING – Bengals No. 23, Vikings No. 4 BENGALS OFFENSE – OVERALL (32) Tom Brady Jerseys 2019 , RUSH (31), PASS (26) BENGALS DEFENSE – OVERALL (19), RUSH (32), PASS (8) VIKINGS OFFENSE – OVERALL (7), RUSH (8), PASS (10) VIKINGS DEFENSE – OVERALL (3), RUSH (2), PASS (5) STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Bengals have never won in five all-time trips to Minnesota. Vikings were division champions in four of those seasons: 1977 Rob Gronkowski Jersey , 1989, 1998, 2009. … Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was defensive coordinator for Bengals under current coach Marvin Lewis from 2008-2013. Bengals and Vikings held joint practices prior to exhibition game in 2016, but this will be first regular-season matchup for Zimmer against former team. … Lewis has never lost to any former assistant, going 6-0-1. … Combined record of teams Bengals have beaten, counting Browns twice, is 14-51. Defeat would ensure for Bengals back-to-back losing seasons for first time since 2007-08. …. Cincinnati had streak of 22 straight games allowing less than 30 points end vs. Bears. It was longest run in club history and longest active in NFL. Bengals were missing five defensive starters vs. Bears. … Andy Dalton had tipped pass picked off in third quarter vs. Bears, his first interception in seven games since Oct. 22 vs. Steelers. His streak of 193 passes without pick was personal best and second in Bengals history to Neil O’Donnell’s 238 consecutive attempts in 1998. … Dalton has 22 career 300-yard passing games, one shy of Boomer Esiason’s club mark. … WR A.J. Green has 31 career 100-yard receiving games Womens Elandon Roberts Jersey , tied with Chad Johnson for Bengals record. … Bengals LB Carl Lawson leads all NFL rookies with 7 1/2 sacks, two shy of Carlos Dunlap’s franchise rookie record from 2010. … Vikings can clinch NFC North for second time in three years with win or loss by Packers and Lions. … Vikings are 10-4 in regular season at home since U.S. Bank Stadium opened. … Combined record of teams Vikings have lost to is 27-12. … Vikings have 11 scoring drives of 80-plus yards, after just four of those last season. … Vikings WR Adam Thielen is second in league with 30 third-down catches and 23 first-down conversions. … Vikings still lead league in third-down defense (27.8 percent conversion rate) despite allowing all four TDs vs. Panthers on third downs last week. … Vikings’ defense still leads NFL in fewest 10-plus-yard runs allowed (17), though Jonathan Stewart (60 yards) and Cam Newton (62 yards) had big gains on ground for Panthers last week. … Fantasy Tip: Vikings WR Stefon Diggs has played in four home games this season, accumulating four of his five TDs and 394 of 694 yards on season. —
No one knows Sterling Shepard Jerseys Stitched , however, when Daniel Jones will become the heir actual. And Manning doesn’t seem to care.“He’s had no response,” coach Pat Shurmur said Saturday, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “I will say this again: I’ve never been around a person that can stay in the moment better than Eli. And I think that is something that is really, really unique about him. He’s staying in the moment.”The moment for Eli entails embracing the last year of his contract and Dexter Lawrence New York Giants Jersey , possibly, the last year of his tenure with the Giants.“He’s training to play and have a terrific season,” Shurmur said. “He looks really good out here throwing and moving, doing all the things necessary. It’s his second year in our system. So he knows what he’s doing better than some of the guys teaching it.”Knowing it and executing it are two different things. If Eli and the rest of the offense can’t make it work, and if the defense likewise struggles to the point where the Giants fade from contention Womens Dexter Lawrence Jersey , it may be time for the team to turn the page and embrace the future. With one sportsbook setting the over-under on Jones’ starts at 7.5, someone sees a very real possibility that one of the moments in which Eli is staying will be the one in which he’s told that he’s taking a seat.And this time it won’t be a one-game blip. This time it will most likely be the last time Eli plays for the Giants. ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast covers NFL Draft, Landon Collins decisions"SB Nation draft analyst Dan Kadar joined the latest episode of the ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast. Kadar told me that if the Giants don’t get their quarterback at the top of the first round they would be “wasting a pick” to grab one on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft.“Personally, to me, if you don’t take [Dwayne] Haskins at 6 or higher I would not take a quarterback this year Men Dexter Lawrence Jersey ,” Kadar said. “I think you’re wasting a pick.“Just looking at the Giants’ roster I would find better value in a different position at 37 than a probably just decent quarterback.”Also ...Kadar opines on whether or not the Giants should move up in the draft for a quarterback.Kadar offers thoughts on which safeties in the class could help the Giants, especially in the later rounds.Kadar says Montez Sweat should be in the conversation at No. 6, with his ability to set the edge vs. the run the only concern.Ed offers his thoughts on the Landon Collins situation.Where to subscribeYou can find and subscribe to Big Blue View radio from the show’s home page.You can find all the shows on our Big Blue View Radio Hub Page.You can also find the shows and subscribe on all your favorite podcast apps:Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFinally, be sure to check out the home page for all of the shows across the expanding Vox Media Podcast Network.
The Buffalo Bills have a tall task today—they traveled to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings (not to be mistaken with Wisconsin Dawson Knox NFL Draft , where they’ll play the Green Bay Packers next week), and now they’ll have to play the game without their best offensive player.LeSean McCoy has been ruled out for today’s contest due to a rib injury he suffered in last week’s 31-20 defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers. McCoy suffered cracked rib cartilage when center Ryan Groy fell on him at the end of a play. Ian Rapoport first reported this morning that the Bills were likely to be without McCoy.While Shady’s absence is the main story, he isn’t the only player missing this weekend due to injury. Here is Buffalo’s full list of inactive players.RB LeSean McCoyIn Shady’s absence, the Bills figure to feature plenty of Marcus Murphy, with a healthy dose of Chris Ivory to go with him. Ivory scored Buffalo’s only rushing touchdown of the season last week, a one-yard plunge that brought the Bills within 15 points of the Chargers. Both players have flashed so far in the season Dawson Knox Buffalo Bills Jersey , but this will be the first time that they’ll be asked to do so without the Bills’ lead back.DE Shaq LawsonBuffalo’s 2016 first-round draft pick will miss his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. He was injured during Buffalo’s 47-3 blowout loss at the Baltimore Ravens during the season-opener. While he is not a starter, he was expected to be an important rotational piece along the defensive line backing up Trent Murphy and Jerry Hughes. Eddie Yarbrough remains the top reserve defensive end, with Nate Orchard active as the fourth defensive end.OT Ike BoettgerOT Conor McDermottThe Bills continue to roll with three offensive tackles on game day, leaving starters Dion Dawkins and Jordan Mills backed up by veteran Marshall Newhouse. G Wyatt TellerThe Bills’ fifth-round pick has been a healthy scratch all year. John Miller and Vladimir Ducasse remain the starting guards.TE Logan ThomasThe Bills continue to deploy three tight ends, but this time it’s Thomas out instead of Khari Lee. Thomas is the inferior blocker of the two, which could be a reason for Lee’s elevation this week. Charles Clay and Jason Croom are the other two tight ends.CB Phillip GainesThe Bills are down two starters at outside corner as Gaines is inactive and Vontae Davis retired. The Bills will presumably go with Lafayette Pitts outside and Taron Johnson in the slot. Ryan Lewis Color Rush Dawson Knox Jersey , elevated from the practice squad this week, is the other active corner.As for the Vikings, they are without two starters: running back Dalvin Cook (hamstring) and defensive end Everson Griffen (knee) have been ruled out for today’s contest. Also ruled out are tight end David Morgan (knee) and cornerback Marcus Sherels (ribs). Here are all of the Vikings’ inactives:Bills Links, 10/4: Buffalo Bills make defensive line addition The Buffalo Bills addressed the depth along the defensive line on Wednesday, as the team claimed Jordan Phillips off of waivers from the Miami Dolphins. Today’s edition of the links includes plenty of information on Phillips, along with updates on LeSean McCoy Youth Dawson Knox Jersey , the struggling offense, Brian Daboll’s press conference and much more.Bills claim DT Jordan Phillips off of waivers | WGR 550 SportsRadioThe Bills make moves at DT by claiming Phillips, releasing DT ThomasBuffalo Bills claim DT Jordan Phillips off waivers from Dolphins | NewYorkUpstate.comPhillips posted on Instagram that he's glad to be "free at last" after getting cut by Miami.Vic Carucci: Bills can’t treat LeSean McCoy, running game as afterthoughts – The Buffalo NewsThere’s no denying that, through scheming and/or play-calling, the Bills have managed to make one of the league’s most talented running backs disappear. (Subscription required.)Bills film room: Rodgers picks the Bills’ defense apart – The AthleticAaron Rodgers expressed disappointment with how the Packers' offense performed against the Bills on Sunday. But taking what the Buffalo defense allowed proved to be more than enough. (Subscription required.)Buffalo Bills' LeSean McCoy says no rebuild: 'I think guys we have can win now' | NewYorkUpstate.comMcCoy: "With Josh being a young superstar in the making he needs to go through these times where we're in close games."What they're saying: Bills search for ways to jump start the offense - BuffaloBills.comLeSean McCoy Womens Dawson Knox Jersey , Andre Holmes, Zay Jones and others talk about how the team is preparing for this week's home game against the surging Tennessee Titans.Buffalo Bills Studs and Duds: Week 4 vs. Packers | Cover 1This one was ugly. The Bills couldn't find any rhythm on offense and were annihilated by the Packers in Green Bay, 22-0.Brian Daboll: "Work Hard to Get it Fixed" - BuffaloBills.comOffensive Coordinator Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday topics include; making positive plays, getting the play to the playmakers, and using teachable moments.‘What did I do now?’: Facing new allegations of domestic abuse, LeSean McCoy doubles down – The AthleticAsked about the fact the police said he hasn't cooperated with the investigation Authentic Dawson Knox Jersey , McCoy abruptly ended his news conference. (Subscription required.)Featured on Buffalo RumblingsBuffalo Bills claim DT Jordan Phillips off waivers, release DT Robert Thomas - Buffalo RumblingsThe Bills announced some back end roster shuffling on the defensive lineAll-22 Analysis: Buffalo Bills offensive line struggled against Green Bay Packers, Josh Allen isn’t helping - Buffalo RumblingsWhat are they doing?LeSean McCoy denies new accusation of domestic abuse by ex-girlfriend - Buffalo RumblingsMcCoy’s ex-girlfriend continues to edit her lawsuit, adding claims.
After two years out of the NFL Cody Ford NFL Jersey , Rob Ryan is thrilled to be back coaching as part of Jay Gruden’s staff with the Washington Redskins.In an interview with NBC Sports Washington, Ryan said he had twice interviewed for jobs with Washington and is extremely glad he can join Gruden and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky in D.C.“Oh man, I’m excited,” Ryan said. “This is going to be so much fun. So much respect for Jay Gruden for years and to actually now… I’ve interviewed twice I wanted to be there so bad. The first time didn’t work out but this time I’m so happy to be joining him. Him and Greg (Manusky), these guys they make you feel like you just want to go in there and do something and be a little part of their success.“There’s so much enthusiasm in that building. Man, you can feel it and it’s just going to be special.”Ryan last coached with the Buffalo Bills in 2016 as the assistant head coach/defense under brother Rex Ryan. He said he reached out to the team when he heard that previous inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti would not be back.“I’ve just been a long admirer of them and I kept my eye on them and when I knew Olivadotti was leaving, then I jumped in and said ‘hey, come on man, give me a chance here. I’d love to interview for it.’ And I did that and it went well and man, I could feel it then Color Rush Cody Ford Jersey ,” Ryan said.“This is going to be fun. This is going to be an exciting team. This is going to be a great team, so well-coached. You got (Jim) Tomsula coaching D-line. You’ve got a Pro Bowl staff over there. (Ray) Horton is a heck of a secondary coach and Manusky is a tough as they get.” With free agency set to begin on March 11, we discuss areas the team needs to improve most"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections NewsNotesOpinionAnalysisDiscussionPodcastNFL DraftSalary CapOpinionNotes2019 Buffalo Bills free agency2019 Free agency: Offensive line, pass catchers highlight biggest positional needs for BillsNew,6commentsWith free agency set to begin on March 11, we discuss areas the team needs to improve mostESTShareTweetShareShare2019 Free agency: Offensive line, pass catchers highlight biggest positional needs for BillsWith less than one week until the NFL’s legal tampering period begins, free agents are at the forefront of football fans’ and front offices’ minds. There will be some big names (Le’Veon Bell) and big numbers (Bell, CJ Mosley) making headlines, but as always Youth Cody Ford Jersey , our focus is on New York’s only true professional football franchise. Instead of highlighting potential free agent targets, let’s look at positional groups that the Buffalo Bills can and should target once they are allowed to negotiate contracts on Monday. Pass CatchersSome will argue that the Bills need reinforcements on the offensive line more than they need them on the outside, but hear me out. Josh Allen held onto the ball longer than any quarterback last year (3.22 seconds), a number that is not as clear-cut as you would think. For starters, Allen has the ability to scramble around and try to make a busted play into a positive. More importantly, however, we all know that aside from Robert Foster and Zay Jones, Bills wideouts and tight ends weren’t winning their one-on-one battles and getting separation—resulting in Allen having to put on his Superman cape far too often. With better options in the passing game, both at the tight end and wide receiver positions, Allen would be able to deliver the ball quicker and that would help mask some shortcomings along the offensive line. Potential targets: Golden Tate (WR) Womens Cody Ford Jersey , Devin Funchess (WR), Tyrell Williams (WR), Jared Cook (TE), Tyler Eifert (TE), Jesse James (TE)Offensive LineThe other obvious shortcoming for the Bills entering the meat of the 2019 offseason is the big guys up front. Aside from Dion Dawkins (starter at one of the positions) and Wyatt Teller (at minimum a backup) nothing is settled up front. Buffalo got an early jump on adding bodies to the offensive line when they inked Spencer Long to a three-year deal. Long, coming off a down year with the New York Jets, has the potential to be an above average guard or center, something that would be a marked improvement over last year. There are some decent options for the Bills at tackle (Trent Brown, Ja’Wuan James) and the interior OL (Rodger Saffold, Matt Paradis Authentic Cody Ford Jersey , Mitch Morse, and John Sullivan). Defensive LineThe initial reaction may be: “The defense is fine.”Once you dig a little deeper, it’s obvious the defensive line is an injury away from being a hot mess. That irreplaceable part would be Jerry Hughes. While his splash numbers are down (seven sacks and three forced fumbles in 2018), Pro Football Focus said this about No. 55: “His 10.9 pass-rushing productivity was tops among edge defenders.”Some will argue that Trent Murphy couldn’t show all he had because of injuries, but even when he was on the field, he was virtually invisible. Shaq Lawson had a rebound year in 2018, but can he take the next step and become a force on all three downs? Much like with the signing of Long, the Bills got a jump on the defensive line by re-signing Jordan Phillips. That isn’t enough, however. Buffalo needs reinforcements along the front and there are plenty of options on the open market. They include Andre Branch, Vinny Curry Cody Ford Jersey Boys , Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson. CornerbackThis is kind of a sneaky need for Buffalo heading into free agency. Don’t believe the Bills are looking for some much-needed depth? They already have had Kevin Johnson in for a visit (former first round pick of the Houston Texans who has been plagued with injuries during his career). Tre’Davious White, Taron Johnson, and Levi Wallace provide a solid base for Leslie Frazier’s defense, but depth is almost non-existent, and the youngsters would benefit from a veteran presence. With that in mind, the Bills could target the following players: K. Johnson, Pierre Desir and Kareem Jackson.
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