Alvin Kamara's contract dwarfs all other running backs in guaranteed money

September 12, 2020

Alvin Kamara now makes the most guaranteed money of any running back in
the NFL.

It seemed like yesterday when the New Orlean Saints were shopping
running back and impending free agent Alvin Kamara after reported
failed contract negotiations. But over a week later, both parties
agreed to terms on a five-year, $75 million contract extension,
ensuring Kamara is in a Saints uniform for the next six seasons
maximum. Even though Kamara doesn't top the running back charts for
total money, he is the leader in one specific category.

Kamara leads all NFL running backs in guaranteed money with $34.3
million. That's more than what Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin
Cook, Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliott and Le'Veon Bell
were given on their respective deals.

the Alvin Kamara guaranteed $ is WAAAY up there.

Guaranteed RB $ on new deals:

$34.3M – Alvin Kamara
.
.
.
$30.1M – Christian McCaffrey
$28.1M – Ezekiel Elliott
$28.0M – Dalvin Cook
$27.0M – Le'Veon Bell
$25.5M – Derrick Henry

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 12, 2020

Alvin Kamara is getting a big-time payday for his contributions as a runner
and receiver out of the Saints backfield

Even though Kamara leads in guaranteed money, his $15 million annual
salary ranks behind McCaffrey, who's getting paid $16 million a season
on his four-year, $64.1 million contract.

Minutes prior to Kamara's deal being made public, the Minnesota Vikings
came out of nowhere and gave Cook a five-year, $63 million
extension to make sure there are no hard feelings entering the
regular-season opener. And then, Kamara essentially stole his
spotlight, but it was by no means intentional. The Saints have an
important matchup on Sunday afternoon against the Tom Brady-led
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are looking to take the NFC South crown this
season. Having a happy and motivated Kamara on the field improves New
Orleans' chances of retaining this season.

Through 14 games last season, Kamara rushed for 797 yards and five
touchdowns on 191 carries, while catching 81-of-97 targets for 533
yards and one touchdown.

There are two happy individuals in the football world after seeing
Kamara's total guaranteed money, and they are Saquon Barkley of
the New York Giants and Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers, both
of whom are due for new contracts in the very near future. They can
personally thank the Saints for that, salary cap be damned.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Vikings have Eric Kendricks to thank for Dalvin Cook extension

September 12, 2020

Minnesota Vikings fans are going to love Eric Kendricks even more after
finding out he helped the team get the Dalvin Cook extension done.

Ask teammates about Eric Kendricks, and they'll surely tell you he's
all about helping the Minnesota Vikings. That much was proven once
again on Saturday.

News broke that the Vikings and Dalvin Cook agreed to a monster
extension, adding five more years and $63 million to his deal. But, how
did the front office manage to get this kind of a contract done? As it
turns out, Kendricks agreed to restructure his deal to help make things
happen.

To help make room for Dalvin Cook's new contract, the Vikings
restructured the deal of LB Eric Kendricks, shifting $6 million in
base salary to signing bonus to help spread out the cost, per
source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2020

Eric Kendricks agreeing to restructure his contract shows what kind of a teammate he is

Yup, Vikings fans surely are thankful for Kendricks right now, as he
played a role in helping Saturday's breaking news get completed. At the
same time, it must be nice for the veteran linebacker, who is getting a
$6 million signing bonus in the process. Everyone wins.

A new captain for Minnesota, Cook said in August that he never
considered holding out over a new contract. He's trusted the front
office to pay him like one of the best running backs in the game, which
they went ahead and got done this weekend.

Now, Cook will look to live up to his new deal. He'll have his first
shot at that on Sunday, with Minnesota taking on the Green Bay Packers
in a highly-anticipated season opener. Last season, Cook rushed for
1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

He's entering his fourth season with Minnesota, rushing for 2,104 yards
and 17 touchdowns since 2017. It's now time to see what kind of numbers
the 210-pound running back will be able to put up this fall and winter. extension
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Titans first-round pick Isaiah Wilson arrested Friday night

September 12, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 26: Isaiah Wilson #OL52 of the Georgia
Bulldogs speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 26: Isaiah Wilson #OL52 of the Georgia
Bulldogs speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on

Liverpool vs. Leeds United live stream: Watch Premier League online by
Adam Stocker

Tennessee Titans first-round pick Isaiah Wilson arrested for DUI

Wilson was expected to play a major role on the Titans offensive line,
as he was selected with the 29th overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Wilson was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list earlier in training
camp, which is where he still resides.

“We are aware of the situation,” the Titans said in a statement. “This
is not conduct that is indicative of the character of our football team
and we are working through details on how to proceed.”

Wilson was arrested around 11:30 p.m. on Friday night, and released on
bond around 1:30 a.m. He's scheduled to appear in court in early
October.

This isn't the first time Wilson has been mentioned on a police report this offseason

Wilson also attended an off-campus event at Tennessee State University
earlier this offseason. While he wasn't arrested, Wilson was directly
named in a police report, and received a trespassing warning. At the
time, head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the unsettling offseason
activity of the Titans' first-round selection out of Georgia.

“You're not going to be able to control a professional football player outside the building,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said during training
camp. “Always hopeful that we're making the right decisions away from
here and doing everything we can to maintain the best health we can.”

Obviously, such actions aren't ideal so early in the career of a
promising young NFL player. Hopefully, this incident can serve as a
turning point for a man the Titans have high hopes for entering
the 2020 season and beyond.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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10 RB sleepers to target for fantasy football Week 1

September 12, 2020
Fantasy Football, NFL

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 05: Boston Scott #35 of the
Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the
NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 05,

Which running backs can be classified as sleepers heading into Week 1 of the 2020 season?

Throughout your fantasy season, Fansided will provide this weekly
strategy guide detailing 10 sleeper running back picks for your
last-minute fantasy needs. The term sleeper describes a player that is overlooked by fantasy owners, not coveted, or generally not expected to
pique your attention.

Sleepers, as part of this reference tool, will include players that
could meet some or all of the following criteria. First, the player may
merely exceed expectations. He may be a player that is projected to
perform in a mediocre manner, but we have him forecasted to do fare
better. Next, the player may not even be rostered in some leagues.
Therefore, that player is accumulating points for nobody in your league
and is destined to inspire a mad dash by owners to the waiver wire for
his services.

An important note: This particular analysis will not adjudicate
sleepers based on a season-long computation. All sleepers suggested are recommended for this week only. In this respect, sleepers will vary
from week to week.

Notable sleepers from the 2019 season, for example, included Lamar
Jackson, Austin Ekeler, and A.J. Brown. These players were
not heavily sought after in 2019 fantasy drafts, but they blossomed to prominence not long after the season kicked off.

So, let's find out who could emulate those three men this year during
Week 1.

**Please note: The selection of these 10 sleepers is assessed from a
10-team, PPR league perspective.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Sean McVay will stick with masks, thinks only Andy Reid can pull off the face shield

September 12, 2020
Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay won't try to pull off a face shield like Andy Reid's this
season.

Aside from the Kansas City Chiefs looking every bit the Super Bowl
champions they are, the top talking point of Thursday Night Football
was Andy Reid's face shield.

Rams head coach Sean McVay has no plans to follow Reid's lead on that
front.

“I'll probably stick with the mask,” McVay told ESPN's Lindsey
Thiry.

That's a good idea for the 34-year-old who doesn't have the gravitas of
Reid, especially after his NFL title.

“Coach Reid is one of the few that can pull off whatever it is, man,”
McVay added. “He's the man.”

Sean McVay will let Andy Reid have all the face shield glory.

It's open to interpretation whether Reid pulled off the mask, which was
coated in fog from his breathing for most of the night. Twitter
enjoyed the spectacle of it at least. And his team certainly
pulled off a resounding victory.

The Chiefs trounced the Texans on Thursday night. The 34-20
scoreline didn't do the battle much justice as Kansas City responded to Houston's opening score by scoring 31-unanswered points. The Texans
tacked on two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Patrick Mahomes was the beast you'd expect, tossing three touchdowns
with 211 yards on 24-of-32 passing. The real surprise was the
performance of rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He sliced
through the Texan defense for 138 yards and a 27-yard touchdown in an outstanding debut.

McVay and the Rams will have to wait until Sunday night to match Reid
and the Chiefs for opening night fireworks. They take on the Dallas
Cowboys at the newly-opened, but fanless, SoFi Stadium.

The masked-up McVay will look to get Jared Goff firing while
introducing a committee of running backs.

On the other sideline, new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy will be making
his debut. He too will be wearing a mask instead of a face shield.

“Well Andy is definitely a trendsetter, but I don't think I'll be
following suit there. I'm going to stick with the mask,” he told
reporters on Friday.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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2 of Demaryius Thomas' pit bulls accused of violent attack

September 12, 2020

Two pit bulls owned by former NFL receiver Demaryius Thomas allegedly
attacked a woman and her dog.

Former NFL receiver Demaryius Thomas is the subject of a police
investigation after his two pit bulls allegedly attacked a woman and
her dog in Georgia this week.

The woman told local news outlet WSB-TV she was standing in her
front yard with her dog Berkley when Thomas' two pit bulls attacked.

She suffered bites on her arms while protecting her dog, who needed
surgery after the encounter.

“They shaved his entire body and there's punctures and tubes all in
him,” she said.

Police reportedly have video of the incident which was recorded on a
neighbor's security camera. They are still deciding if charges

According to the woman's mother, Thomas had been previously warned
about his dogs roaming the neighborhood.

Demaryius Thomas is a free agent after 11 years in the NFL.

Thomas last played in the NFL for the Jets in 2019, but he entered
2020 as a free agent and has yet to find a team. From 2010 to 2018 he
played for the Denver Broncos. He was a four-time Pro Bowler with
five-straight 1,000-yard seasons.

In 2018, the Broncos traded Thomas to the Texans but he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear late in the season. They cut him in
early 2019 and he was ultimately signed by the Patriots. They, however,
traded him to the Jets.

Thomas went on to catch 58 passes for 433 yards and one touchdown
before his one-year deal expired.

Before the alleged attack by his dogs, the biggest reason for his name
to make headlines was for speculation over the Jets' potentially
resigning him.

This isn't the first time Thomas has ended gotten into trouble with the
law though. In 2019 he was charged with vehicular assault and reckless
driving after crashing his car while going 70 mph in a 30 mph zone.
He pled guilty to careless driving for the incident.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Jamal Adams trolls Jets after Seahawks debut

September 13, 2020

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Shaquill Griffin #26 and Jamal Adams
#33 of the Seattle Seahawks react after tackling Julio Jones #11 of the
Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 13, 2020 in

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 13: Shaquill Griffin #26 and Jamal Adams
#33 of the Seattle Seahawks react after tackling Julio Jones #11 of the
Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 13, 2020 in

Joe Burrow scored his first Bengals touchdown (video) by Rucker
Haringey

Jamal Adams may still have some friends inside the Jets organization,
but his most recent comments make it clear he's happy to be with the
Seahawks.

The Jets didn't win a lot of games during Jamal Adams' tenure with the franchise. Many of those losses were due to the offense's inability to
light up the scoreboard. It's safe to say Adams enjoyed his new
offense's 38-point outburst in Week 1.

The Seahawks defeated the Falcons with ease in their opener. Russell
Wilson and his offensive teammates gave their defense 38 points to work
with one the afternoon. After the game, reporters asked Adams what he
thought about watching an offense put up that kind of production.

He simply replied that he wasn't “used” to watching that kind of
thing. Adams' deadpan response was a clear shot at his former teammates
with the Jets. More specifically, it was an effort to troll Sam Darnold
and the other member of his former team's offense.

The Jets, for the record, only managed to put up 17 points in their
loss to the Bills this week. Darnold started the game horrifically
before salvaging a decent performance by improving his play in the
second half. The upgrade at quarterback from Darnold to Watson is still
going to be a pleasure for Adams to watch all season long.

In fairness, not many Seahawks defenders are used to watching their
offense march up and down the field either. This season's opening game
was an encouraging sign for fans in Seattle who want to see Wilson and
the offense empowered to take more chances. Head coach Pete Carroll has
been criticized for keeping things too conservative for the offense in
recent seasons.

Seattle fans should enjoy watching Adams play and listening to his
interviews this season. He is entertaining on both fronts. The Seahawks
gain will continue to be the Jets' loss for the foreseeable future.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Carson Wentz is having himself a bad time with the Washington defense
(Videos)

September 13, 2020
Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team

We think you're better than this, Carson Wentz, so prove us right, man.

Carson Wentz is single-handedly letting the Washington
Football Team stick around in Week 1.

Though the Philadelphia Eagles are the defending NFC East
champions, they may not end up repeating because the Dallas Cowboys
have a strong team as well. However, the biggest reason the Eagles can
repeat is because of their quarterback. Too bad he was seeing ghosts
like he's Sam Darnold or something vs. Washington. It was not a banner
day for the Eagles' signal-caller at all.

Should the Philadelphia Eagles start to be concerned about Carson Wentz?

Well, it's not great having to sweat ball games in the second half vs.
Dwayne Haskins, Ron Rivera and the rest of the Washington
Football Team. Wentz threw two interceptions, fumbled a football and
was sacked eight times.

While the pass rush is Washington's strength, Wentz was completely and
mentally checked out of this ball game. He is the face of the
franchise. Do better.

The narrative of him being a top-five quarterback in football is
officially dead. The 2017 season when he was serious NFL MVP
candidate looks to have been a Derek Carr mirage. If you're supposedly
the best quarterback in your own division, go out and prove it with a dominating performance over a team that doesn't even have a name yet.
Why are you playing this badly?

Though Philadelphia may benefit from playing in a weak division, you
can't exactly be thrilled what you've seen out of The Birds today. Statistically, Haskins has had a better game up to this point over
Wentz. This is a quarterback Rivera may end up replacing in the
starting lineup with Alex Smith, who still can't even believe he's
walking these days. Wentz needs to get it right fast.

There was no urgency from him and no awareness whatsoever. You can't
just cakewalk into FedEx Field and have the Washington Football Team
hand you a victory. 2017 was three years ago, and it's time to prove
you're the franchise quarterback capable of winning the Eagles their
second Lombardi Trophy.

If the Eagles get more nonchalantness out of Wentz this season, they're
going to have a bad time.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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10 WR sleepers to target for fantasy football Week 1

September 13, 2020

CINCINNATI, OHIO – DECEMBER 15: N'Keal Harry #15 of the New England
Patriots greets fans after the Patriots defeated the Bengals 34-13 in
the game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 15, 2019, in Cincinnati,

Which wide receivers can be classified as sleepers heading into Week 1
of the 2020 season?

Throughout your fantasy season, Fansided will provide this weekly
strategy guide detailing 10 sleeper wide receiver picks for your
last-minute fantasy needs. The term sleeper describes a player that is overlooked by fantasy owners, not coveted, or generally not expected to
pique your attention.

Sleepers, as part of this reference tool, will include players that
could meet some or all of the following criteria. First, the player may
merely exceed expectations. He might be a player that is projected to
perform in a mediocre manner, but we have him forecasted to fare
better. Next, the player may not even be rostered in some leagues.
Therefore, that player is accumulating points for nobody in your league
and is destined to inspire a mad dash by owners to the waiver wire for
his services.

An important note: This particular analysis will not adjudicate
sleepers based on a season-long computation. All sleepers suggested are recommended for this week only. In this respect, sleepers will vary
from week to week.

Notable sleepers from the 2019 season, for example, included DeVante
Parker, D.J. Chark, and Kenyan Drake (late in the season). These
players were not heavily sought after in 2019 fantasy drafts, but they blossomed to prominence not long after the season kicked off.

So, let's find out who could emulate those three men this year during
Week 1.

**Please note: The selection of these 10 sleepers is assessed from a
10-team, PPR league perspective.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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NFL Week 1 Fantasy QB POV: Start Jackson, Prescott; Sit Murray, Jones

September 13, 2020
Fantasy Football, NFL
logo

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to spammers, scammers, or the like.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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3 running backs who deserve extensions next after Alvin Kamara and Dalvin
Cook

September 13, 2020
Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants

<a rel=

After Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara each received lucrative contract
extensions just minutes apart, these three should be next in line to
get a deal.

The next group of running backs to get paid owe Dalvin Cook and
Alvin Kamara a big thank you for helping set the market.

In recent years, trends indicated that paying a running back was
frowned upon amongst NFL general managers. Why pay a running back
given their rather short shelf-life in the league, when you can just
draft his replacement? Well, the 2020 offseason proved differently.
Teams that had a great running back on their roster was retained via
lucrative contract extensions, as highlighted by Christian
McCaffrey‘s deal with the Carolina Panthers and Derrick Henry of
the Tennessee Titans.

But on Saturday, two of the game's best rushers in Cook and Kamara
received new five-year contract extensions minutes apart from each
other. Cook received $63 million from the Minnesota Vikings, while
Kamara earned $75 million from the New Orleans Saints. Given that
running backs are getting paid again, that leaves the question: who's
next?

Here are three running backs who are deserving of new contract
extensions.

3.

Nick Chubb

RB Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns

In 2018, the Cleveland Browns used their two first-round selections on quarterback Baker Mayfield and cornerback Denzel Ward. The
next position of need on Cleveland's checklist in the NFL Draft was
running back, and rather luckily, Georgia's Nick Chubb was still on the
board with their first pick in the second round (No. 35 overall). That selection worked out perfectly for Cleveland.

Chubb proved in just two seasons that he's one of the more electric
running backs in the game. In 32 games, Chubb has accumulated 2,490
rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 490 carries (5.1 yards per carry).
Perhaps what was most impressive was that Chubb managed to rush for
1,494 yards behind Cleveland's struggling offensive line last season.
That's a testament to how talented Chubb is.

Since he's a mid-round draft pick, Chubb's rookie contract expires
after four seasons, which means he'll be an unrestricted free agent in
2022. Browns fans began panicking earlier this week after the team gave
backup Kareem Hunt a two-year, $13.25 million contract
extension. This deal isn't going to prevent the Browns from reaching an agreement with Chubb in the near future. They just wanted to secure a
nice one-two punch for their backfield.

Chubb will get paid big running back money soon, and you can bank on
that.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Check out LeBron watching NFL opening weekend in the presidential suite

September 14, 2020
NBA, NFL

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 08: NBA player Lebron James of the Miami Heat
throws a football at AT&T Stadium before a Sunday night game between
the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys on September 8, 2013 in

ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 08: NBA player Lebron James of the Miami Heat throws a football at AT&T Stadium before a Sunday night game between
the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys on September 8, 2013 in

Browns lose David Njoku for extended period with knee injury by Matt
Verderame

LeBron James had a fantastic setup to watch the NFL's Week 1 games,
with games streaming on three different screens in his hotel suite.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James remains in the NBA's Orlando
bubble as his team looks to bring its fans their first title since
2010. However, that did not stop the four-time MVP from enjoying
the NFL's Week 1 slate as he awaits the result of a Game 7 between the
Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.

James posted the above video to his Instagram story, with game
streaming on three different screens. While his Dallas Cowboys faltered
in their Sunday night matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, James seems
as excited as the rest of us to have football back on his screen.

LeBron James knows how to get his fan on

After a seemingly endless offseason, many fans shared the superstar's sentiment, celebrating the return of America's game to screens across
the country.

The first Sunday of the season provided no shortage of headlines,
either, with Aaron Rodgers turning in a vintage performance, the Ravens
looking as unstoppable as ever, and Tom Brady struggling in his first
game with Tampa Bay.

While James had the day to enjoy the NFL's opening weekend on Sunday,
he will likely miss next week's games. The Lakers are scheduled to play
Game 2 of their series against either the Clippers or Nuggets next
Sunday, and a day of preparation will hinder James's ability to focus
on other sports.

However, with a long season ahead, the NBA legend will have plenty of
time to enjoy football once the basketball season wraps up. The NBA
Finals are expected to end sometime in October, and with the Lakers
currently sitting atop the Western Conference, James is likely to
remain in the bubble for the long haul.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 2

September 14, 2020

HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Jordan Akins #88 of the Houston Texans
breaks the tackle attempt by Logan Ryan #26 of the Tennessee Titans and
Derick Roberson #50 during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium on

Week 2 begins Thursday night, and here are some potential stars of the
week.

NFL Football finally began. The Kansas City Chiefs, even in an
unprecedented time, still appear to be one of the best and most
explosive teams in the league. Rather easily, they took down the
Houston Texans to take the first win of the fresh campaign.

In that game, Sammy Watkins went for a massive fantasy game. As he did
in Week 1 of 2019 as well. If you drafted him, kudos to you. If you
ended up starting him, even bigger props. He was rostered under 50% (as
of 9/11/20) in both ESPN and Yahoo leagues.

Now you are preparing for Week 2. Hopefully, you are coming off a win.
Either way, here are the five adds you should look into for the second
week of the season.

Roster % as of 9/13/20

5. Jordan Akins, TE, Houston Texans

Roster %: ESPN 0.4%. Yahoo 1%

For the Houston Texans, there was not much to hang your hat on after
the first game of the season. Deshaun Watson was constantly dealing
with pressure, and you nearly forgot who most of the team's receivers
were due to the lack of action they had.

One player who was somewhat noticeable was third-year tight
end Jordan Akins. Against the Chiefs, he only received two
targets. Although, he caught each one and had 39 yards and a touchdown.

With more time in the pocket, Watson should be able to find his
receivers easier than he did in the season opener. Akins is a big
target for the quarterback and someone who can end up getting a lot of touchdown targets due to the lack of top receivers on the outside.

In Week 2, things do not get any easier for the Texans. Just a
week after playing the AFC favorites, they will host the other
candidate to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens.

It is hard to imagine the Texans having an easier time against another
top defense. But after a week of preparation, the team can game plan
better and give Watson more time.

Akins can break it open down the seam and provide a large target on
crucial downs for his young quarterback. With a few more catches and
another score, Akins provides a nice fantasy return.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Week 1 NFL observations you can steal to impress your friends

September 14, 2020

The NFL is back, and so is our grab bag of observations you can steal
to sound smart in your next Zoom meeting.

Football is back.

It's perfectly alright to feel conflicted about that for any number of
reasons, but the NFL returned this weekend, and a little bit of
normalcy returned with it. The irony of NFL announcers talking about
empty stadiums and the absurdity of rewarding ourselves for not having
done anything to combat COVID-19 as though we actually have shouldn't
be lost on anyone.

But two things can be true at once, and you're not a bad person for
being excited that the NFL is back in our lives. You can both
acknowledge that we don't deserve to have sports back but also accept
that we do — that duality is the least complicated thing about the
state of the world at the moment.

So before get ahead of ourselves and start breaking down Week 2, let's
dwell on what we saw the first week of the season and what it all
means. Reach into our grab bag of observations and pull one out so that
you can start the season off sounding smart in whatever Zoom meeting
you need to kill five minutes in because everyone shows up late (you
all know who you are).

1. Cam Newton's Revenge Tour Starts Now

One of the biggest self-owns the general football community has pulled
is convincing itself that Cam Newton is merely okay.

Even when he signed with the New England Patriots this summer, and it
was pointed out just how incredible all the things Newton was able to
do in Carolina given the talent that surrounded him, or how motivated
he'd be to redeem himself, there was still this hazy doubt that any of
it would work out.

Then Sunday happened. Newton didn't use his debut to sear a middle
finger into the foreheads of those that have doubted him his entire
career so much as he's gleefully twisted the iron in the fire to warm
it. He knows what's coming next and so do we, and there's nothing
anyone can do to stop it. This wasn't his ‘Eff You Game', he's only
getting started and is going to savor every moment of what he does this
year.

To simply call the new Patriots offense Not Tom Brady's is to
tremendously undersell just how entirely different New England looks.
Josh McDaniels called for 13 designed quarterback runs on Sunday, with
Newton rushing for 75-yards and the Patriots rushing for over 200 yards
as a team. That hasn't been done since 2018 when Sony Michel
single-handily rushed for 116 yards against the Buffalo Bills and
Cordarelle Patterson racked up 66 yards. But in that game, Michel
rushed 18 times and Patterson stitched together four huge runs to pad
the total; on Sunday the no Patriots rusher other than Newton carried
the ball more than 10 times.

Newton's ability to run the ball adds dynamic creativity to the
Patriots offense we've never seen it have before. Five Patriots rushed
the ball on Sunday and Newton set up options that paid off later in the
game once the Dolphins realized they had no idea what he was going to
do under center. We saw this in Carolina (See: The awesome
trash-talking wheel route he ran against Clay Matthews and the Packers)
but now he has McDaniels to collaborate with and emphasize his skills
in new and dangerous ways.

There's still work to be done, as Newton only threw for 155 yards, but
similar arguments were made against Lamar Jackson last season and that
ended with him winning an MVP award. The Chiefs and Ravens are still
the class of the AFC, but if Week 1 was Newton settling in, the rest of
the league isn't prepared for what he'll look like once he truly hits
his stride.

2. Aaron Rodgers Is Going To Be Just Fine

On the list of quarterbacks in the NFL who are easily motivated to kick
your ass, Aaron Rodgers' name is tattooed near the top. We saw on
Sunday that angst does not age out of someone who has made a Hall of
Fame career out of finding ways to remind everyone who good he is.

The only thing anyone could talk about with Rodgers heading into the
season was how the Packers were starting to plan life without him.
Green Bay traded up to draft Jordan Love in the first round back in
April and ever since it's been impossible to talk about the team
without mentioning the end of the Rodgers era in some way.

Rodgers put all talks on hold by turning in a vintage performance on
Sunday that featured four touchdowns, nearly 400 yards of passing, a
handful of astonishing dimes, and an absolute pantsing of a division
rival.

Does this look like a guy who is going anywhere anytime soon?

Jordan Love had better get comfortable because this team is not getting
handed over until Aaron Rodgers says it is. Maybe that was Matt
LaFleur's master plan all along, to anger Rodgers into tapping back
into his well of talent (it wasn't but I have three different beach
houses I purchased with LaFleur stock), but whatever is going on in
Green Bay it feels like just the beginning of a vintage year for a guy
ready to remind us of just how good he can be.

3. Bucs Are Victims Of A COVID Offseason

Sunday was supposed to be a first big step for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
out of obscurity and back into the NFL spotlight. Instead, Tom Brady's
woeful debut with the Bucs became a therapy sessions where NFL Twitter
unloaded two decades worth of pent-up Brady rage that had been waiting
to be let out at the first possible chance.

Brady provided that chance, throwing two interceptions — of which was a
Pick Six that proved everyone was sitting on the exact same Jameis
Winston joke — and losing his first game away from New England.

But the joy many felt from unloading their Brady hate quickly unspooled
into misguided grave digging. Just like all those times we prematurely
said the Patriots dynasty was dead, Brady is not as washed as your
favorite Twitter personality wants you to think.

Let's be clear: Brady was not good on Sunday. If alarm isn't being
raised then we should at least be reaching for the button. He overthrew receivers, looked out of sync with the offense, and made some truly
terrible decisions. But nothing that happened on Sunday isn't
correctable, nor is it unexplainable. As much fun as it was to dunk on
Brady at the first sign of him showing mortality, unpacking the Brady
baggage will reveal that this is more likely a slow burn than instant
success.

It can't be overstated how bad a spot teams that underwent massive
change are in without a full offseason to let that change settle. The
absence of preseason games for teams to try things out and allow new
pieces to sync up is less an excuse and more an explanation as to why
half the league is starting the year a step behind. Rather than have a
Friday night exhibition game against the Dolphins to begin the gelling
process of this new Bucs offense, they had to do it on national
television against one of the most talented teams in the league. The
Saints tried to bodybag the Bucs by running up the score while already
winning by double-digits with less than two minutes in the game — this
was the furthest thing from a preseason run-through.

This is less an excuse than it is an explanation, and it's also not
exclusive to the Buccaneers. The Colts lost at home to a severely
depleted Jaguars team and the 49ers lost a stunner to the Cardinals.
The common thread here is continuity and what's lost when that
continuity is thrown off even a little. The Bucs are an extreme
example, as major pieces of their team are brand new and need time to
sync up. What made Brady so dangerous in New England was timing with
his receivers, and once he gets on the same page as his weapons, the
Bucs might look a lot more like what we expected to see and less than
what we saw. The Colts are in a similar situation, as Philip Rivers is
still assimilating himself into the offense and Frank Reich should be
trusted to know what he's doing once that process is complete. The
49ers found out what having only George Kittle rather than their full
boat of receivers looks like the hard way.

The bottom could still fall out on all three of these teams, but
judging based results of the first week after the weirdest offseason in
NFL history is foolish. Continuity benefited teams like the Saints,
Chiefs, and Bills — all of whom rolled through their first game of the
year. Don't hold it against teams that didn't have time to establish it
until they truly give you a reason to.

4. Lamar Jackson Is Still The MVP

If Tom Brady and the Buccaneers are on one end of the continuity
spectrum, Lamar Jackson sits on the throne positioned on the other end.

Baltimore steamrolled the Cleveland Browns on Sunday — who also on a continuity spectrum in which the continuity is terribleness. Lamar
Jackson threw three touchdowns, rushed for 45 yards, and turned in a
handful of highlights straight out of the gate.

But if you're looking for the type of highlights that helped Jackson
win the MVP last year, you won't find them. Instead, his Wow Factor was
almost exclusively in the passing game, which is a new wrinkle that
should freak the rest of the AFC out.

Get a load of this deep dime that he dished out:

The trope with Jackson — which he and Ravens fans fully leaned into
last year — was that he's a running back who plays quarterback. That's terrible phrasing but it touches on the biggest issue analysts had with Jackson's highlight reel style. What happens if he needs to rely not on
his legs but his arm to win games for Baltimore.

Well, it'll look a lot like what the win on Sunday looked like:

Jackson finished with 275 yards passing, which is the second-most in
his career and his highest total since Week 1 of last year. He also
completed 80 percent of his passes on 25 attempts, which is notable
because he only threw 25 or more passes seven times last season and
didn't have a completion percentage higher than 80 percent since Week
10.

This is to say, Jackson is off to a hot start in answering questions
about his accuracy. We expected to see him catching defenders
flat-footed, which is not only his bread-and-butter but will be easier
than ever to do after an offseason where teams didn't get their normal
amount of time to adjust to his style of play. Usually, when a player
has a breakout year like Jackson had, defenses have an entire offseason
to install systems that will figure him out. That didn't happen this
year, which means Jackson is picking up where he left off in his MVP
season without the usual catchup from defenses.

So he was already set up to succeed without missing a beat, but it
appears he's added to his already prolific game. Jackson won the MVP
last year and got even better in an offseason where most teams
plateaued — let that sink in for a second.

5. Does Mitchell Trubisky Deserve Credit?

Let's be clear, the Chicago Bears coming from behind to beat a bad
Detroit Lions team was not some sort of glowing endorsement that
Mitchell Trubisky has figured it out. It might be tempting for Bears
fans to buy the snake oil the team has been selling ever since Trubisky
was handed the starting job, but try to resist. If we truly believe
that biggest value of Sunday's win was it served as a confidence
booster to a guy who has been starting for four years, that's a
problem.

Franchise quarterbacks blossom well before the last year of their
rookie contract. They also don't need a full four quarters to find the
will to beat a team that should have never been in a position to win in
the first place.

Make no mistake, the Lions are not a good football team. Detroit blew
its 11th fourth-quarter lead since 2018 and its eighth dating back to
last season. Last year, the Lions became just the third team in NFL
history to hold a lead in each of its first 11 games, and win three or
fewer. The Lions are built to implode exactly the way we saw on Sunday.
D'Andre Swift dropped the game-winning touchdown pass for no other
reason than the football gods saw that Detroit was about to do
something right and intervened.

That's who Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears beat on Sunday.

Chicago winning no doubt eases whatever Trubisky tension there was
heading into the game but it doesn't get rid of it. Lest we forget, at
one point in the game Trubisky was 5-for-13 for 63 yards. He still
completed just over 50 percent of his passes and less than 300 yards.
He saved his job for a week, and gave a desperate Chicago sports scene
and excuse to decry the notion a quarterback controversy
exists but it almost certainly does. If a more talented quarterback
than Nick Foles was behind Trubisky on the depth chart, we would not be
having this conversation. The Bears had no choice but to start Trubisky
until he fails out of the job for a final time, and to his credit, he
managed to pass his first test with serious C's Get Degrees energy. But
there are 15 more tests ahead, and Trubisky will have to do a lot
better than what he did on Sunday if he wants to truly rebrand himself.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Cowboys screwed by late, weak OPI call versus Rams

September 14, 2020
Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas
Cowboys looks to pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles
Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Inglewood, California.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 13: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas
Cowboys looks to pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles
Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Inglewood, California.

This broadcaster has the absolute worst take on the Astros cheating
scandal (Video) by Alicia de Artola

A questionable offensive pass interference call screwed the Cowboys
against the Rams.

Refs on the field of the Cowboys–Rams game on Sunday night
denied NFL fans everywhere a thrilling finish with a weak-sauce
offensive pass interference call.

With half a minute to play and trailing by three, Dak Prescott lofted a beautiful ball to Michael Gallup 47 yards downfield to put Dallas into
field goal range.

And then the yellow flags came out to ruin it all. Gallup was penalized
for pushing off against cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the Cowboys drive
came to nothing.

The offensive pass interference call against the Cowboys was soft.

Was it OPI? You be the judge.

Did Gallup stretch his arm out to help create some separation from
Ramsey? Sure.

Did the contact rise to the level of offensive pass interference? It
was a weak call even if you think it was the right one by the letter of
the law.

Had the pass stood, the Cowboys would have had the ball in field goal
range with just a few seconds remaining. A touchdown would have been a spectacle to cap a great day of pro football. A field goal attempt
could have prompted an opening-week Sunday Night Football overtime
period, extending an entertaining matchup. It could have been glorious.

Then again, nothing says “The NFL Is Back!” quite like a good old controversial reffing decision. Sports talk radio on Monday morning
will have plenty to discuss.

Aside from the annoyingly soft call to end the game, the Rams and
Cowboys delivered a fun debut for SoFi Stadium. There was never more
than a touchdown between the two teams.

Malcolm Brown led the Rams rushing attack with two touchdowns while
Goff utilized Robert Woods in the passing game to the tune of six
catches for 105 yards in the victory.

Ezekiel Elliot made the Cowboys offense go, scoring a rushing touchdown
and catching Prescot's lone passing score. He had 96 yards on 22
carries.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Bruce Arians blames Tom Brady for Sunday's loss

September 14, 2020

The emotional head coach didn't mince any words when talking about Tom
Brady's two interceptions on Sunday.

This NFL offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers openly said that
they were a good quarterback away from competing for a playoff spot in
2019. So, they allowed Jameis Winston to hit the open market, and
replaced him with former New England Patriots signal caller Tom Brady.
The Buccaneers fan base entered the season spoiled, expecting them to
push the New Orleans Saints out of their perch in the NFC South
standings. On Sunday, that didn't happen.

Brady completed 63.9-percent of his passes for 239 yards, two
touchdowns, and two interceptions in the team's 34-24 loss. The first
pick came in the second quarter after he and wide receiver Mike Evans
had a bit of miscommunication, resulting in the throw going directly
into the hands of Saints safety Marcus Williams. Brady's second
interception arrived in the third quarter, where a pass flew into the
grasp of New Orleans cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who immediately
returned it for an uncontested touchdown. [https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnfl%2Fbuccaneers__108x10
8.png]
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During the postgame press conference, head coach Bruce Arians didn't
mince any words when discussing the two interceptions. In fact, Arians
said that they were Brady's fault, straight up.

“One was a miscommunication between he and Mike ,” Arians said,
via 247 Sports. “He thought Mike was going down the middle. It's a
different coverage. Mike read it right. He should've bent across his
face, but Tom just overthrew it. The other one was a screen pass with
an outlet called. He threw the outlet, and there was a pick six. Bad decision.”

Still room for growth in Tampa

Arians is known for telling it like it is, regardless if you're a
six-time Super Bowl champion. Brady learned just that on Sunday.

After Brady recorded the red zone rushing touchdown in the first
quarter, he followed it up with two interceptions. However, he did
rebound later on, as he hit tight end O.J. Howard for a nine-yard
touchdown on the drive after the pick-six. Brady would later hit Evans
on a two-yard score in garbage time.

Plenty of NFL teams had to work out the kinks on the fly because there
was no preseason action due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Those
were instead replaced with intra-squad scrimmage games, which is
nothing like playing an opponent.

Expect Brady and Arians to study the Week 1 game tape to ensure similar
errors aren't made next week against the Carolina Panthers. They can't
afford to be two games behind the Saints from the onset of the 2020
season, especially with how competitive the NFC is.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Derrick Henry's suit pinstripes were actually names honoring victims of
racial injustice (Photo)

September 14, 2020

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 19: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee
Titans looks on in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs in the
AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 19: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee
Titans looks on in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs in the
AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in

Bruce Arians blames Tom Brady for Sunday's loss by Scott Rogust

Derrick Henry wore a special suit for his trip to Denver.

Derrick Henry is back with the Tennessee Titans in 2020 after
signed a brand new four-year, $50 million deal. Last year's rushing
champion is a key reason why the Tennessee Titans are still a
contender after making the AFC Championship Game last season.

The Titans are heading to Denver for the late Monday night game this
week and Henry was seen wearing a special suit. The unique pinstripe
suit featured the countless names of victims of racial injustice.

Derrick Henry's important suit

The tragedy of the situation is that this entire outfit of names does
not come close to covering all the victims of racial injustice and
police brutality in recent history. But the gesture is still notable
because it highlights just how many names there are to share.

Just one name is unacceptable and Henry is the latest NFL player to
draw attention to a real problem in this country. The problem has not
gone away so the awareness will continue until change is made.

Henry will switch up the suit for his uniform Monday night as the
Titans take the field in Denver. But the message remains and anyone
getting mad at Henry's suit is clearly part of the problem.
Highlighting people who have died or been killed is not controversial
at all. The actual deaths taking place in the first place are the
controversy.

The Titans running back has turned himself into a star and his voice
and actions carry weight. It is great to see him find a unique way to
join in on the silent protests against racial injustice in the country.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Aaron Rodgers misses having fans in the stands during games

September 14, 2020

Aaron Rodgers missed having fans in the stands when the Packers beat
the Vikings.

Aaron Rodgers has appeared in 201 NFL games. He's seen a lot of things throughout his 15-year career.

What he didn't see on Sunday during the season opener against the
Vikings was fans in the stands. And it weirded him out.

“ one of the strangest experiences I've had in the NFL,”
Rodgers said after leading his team to a 43-34 victory over
Minnesota.

Without fans, Aaron Rodgers wasn't sure what plays were good.

It wasn't just seeing no fans in the stands that set the game apart. It
was not hearing the roar of the crowd.

“It doesn't let you know that a play is a good play sometimes,”
Rodgers said.

To be fair, Rodgers wouldn't have heard so much when the Packers put up
43 points in Week 1 since they were playing on the field of a hated
rival. Boos would have been more likely. Groans from the crown on
completed passes of 45, 40, 38 yards would have given him some idea
about how those plays panned out.

Vikings fans would say they didn't have enough to cheer about on the
opening Sunday of the 2020 season. While Kirk Cousins threw two
touchdowns and Dalvin Cook justified his contract extension by
punching in two more on the ground, Rodgers was the star of the day. He
threw four touchdowns while racking up 364 yards.

Even though Minnesota managed to score 34 points, the scoreline was
deceiving. Green Bay was up 29-10 at the end of the third quarter and
three Vikings touchdowns came in what amounted to garbage time.

Rodgers will miss the crowd much more next Sunday when the Packers play
their home opener against the Detroit Lions. Another
four-touchdown, 300-yard performance would be welcome, whether he can
hear the cheers or not.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Tom Brady and Matt Schaub have something in common, and not in a good way

September 14, 2020

Tom Brady's bad debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got even worse, if
that was even possible.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered Sunday with a huge smile across
their faces. Tom Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback,
was making his debut in the red and pewter on Sunday against the rival
New Orleans Saints. This was the Buccaneers' chance to prove that
they're ready to take the NFC South crown. But then, the game started.

Brady and the Bucs looked lost with the lack of preseason games caused
by the coronavirus pandemic. After going down 17-7, Brady was trying to
cut Tampa Bay's deficit in the third quarter. But then, Brady threw an interception to New Orleans cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who took
it to the house for the touchdown.

After that play, Brady became the first quarterback to throw a pick-six
in three consecutive games since one Matt Schaub accomplished the feat
between the 2014 and 2015 seasons when he was a part of the
then-Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. Of course, that's not good.

Tom Brady became the first NFL QB to throw a pick-six in three
straight games since Matt Schaub did so for the Raiders and Ravens
in 2014-15

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 14, 2020

Tampa Bay snapped back to reality

Prior to this game, Brady threw a game-ending pick-six in the AFC Wild
Card Round against the Tennessee Titans and during their 2019
regular-season finale loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Tampa Bay learned the hard way that they're still steps away from
competing with the Saints for the divisional title. Brady and wide
receiver Mike Evans were visibly not on the same page, which led to the quarterback's first interception of the game in the first half. Then,
the Buccaneers were penalized a staggering nine times in the game,
which was nothing new if you watched them last season, where they led
the league in penalties.

Through four quarters, Brady completed 23-of-36 pass attempts for 239
yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The main beneficiary of
Brady's passes was Chris Godwin, who caught 6-of-7 targets for 66
yards. Tight end O.J. Howard outproduced Rob Gronkowski, as he four
passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Evans secured one catch, a
two-yard touchdown, on four targets.

Brady will look to put this game behind him next week, as they face the rebuilding Carolina Panthers on the road. Hopefully for Brady's sake
that the pick-six streak ends there, instead of being extended to four
games.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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49ers clearly need more out of Jimmy Garoppolo

September 14, 2020

Jimmy Garoppolo must play better for the San Francisco 49ers going forward.

The San Francisco 49ers lost their home opener in Week 1 and we're
looking at Jimmy Garoppolo.

While he's used to getting looked at because he's so darn handsome,
it's hard to not feel disappointed by what we saw out of him in the
49ers' 24-20 home loss to Kyler Murray and the Arizona
Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. Even though he was fine on Sunday, he
needs to do more if the 49ers even want to dream about getting back to
the Super Bowl this season.

Has Jimmy Garoppolo hit his definite ceiling as a franchise quarterback?

On paper, Garoppolo played decently. He completed 19-of-33 passes for
259 yards, two touchdowns an no interceptions, scampering for an
additional nine yards on his one rushing attempt. While he had a 103.0 quarterback rating, he was sacked three times and averaged only a
decent 7.8 yard per attempt. Though he was better than Murray, it was
Murray's team who won.

While we don't expect Garoppolo to make nearly as many plays with his
legs as Murray, who rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries,
we thought we'd see a bit more dynamism out of Garoppolo in his second
full season as the starting quarterback in Kyle Shanahan's system. He's
been in it since getting traded over mid-season by the New England
Patriots back in 2017.

While the 49ers receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired, this is an offensive system that allows the quarterback to really sling it and
achieve greatness. Just ask Matt Schaub, Brian Hoyer and Matt Ryan what
the Shanahan offense can do for their careers. It made Schaub a Pro
Bowler, Hoyer a quality starter and Ryan an NFL MVP. It has gotten
Garoppolo to a Super Bowl, though.

But the big difference between him and Ryan's trips to the Super Bowl
is Ryan was the reason the 2016 Atlanta Falcons were winning big, while Garoppolo largely played off the running game and an absolutely filthy
2019 49ers defensive line. The end result was the same, heartbreak in
the fourth quarter to an AFC team you should have beaten hoist the
Lombardi Trophy.

With 15 regular-season games left on the slate, Garoppolo has time to
get right and play better.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Jets place Le'Veon Bell on IR, out for at least three weeks

September 15, 2020

ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 13: Le'Veon Bell #26 of the New York Jets
makes a catch before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium
on September 13, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. Bills beat the Jets 27

ORCHARD PARK, NY – SEPTEMBER 13: Le'Veon Bell #26 of the New York Jets
makes a catch before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium
on September 13, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. Bills beat the Jets 27

MLB postponing Giants-Mariners due to air quality issues by Mark Powell

Le'Veon Bell seemed sure to miss multiple games, and the Jets have
confirmed it by placing him on IR.

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase expressed regret for leaving
Le'Veon Bell in last Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills, as he
clearly had suffered a hamstring injury. On Tuesday the severity of the
injury was confirmed, as Kim Jones of NFL Network reported Bell
was placed on IR.

The new IR rules this year means Bell is eligible to return in as
little as three weeks, or as soon as Week 5 against the Arizona
Cardinals as it applies here.

Frank Gore would be the next man up in the Jets' backfield. But Josh
Adams had a rushing touchdown and two receptions in Week 1 against the
Bills, and rookie Lamical Perine is in line to return from an ankle
injury soon.

This won't help Bell and Gase's relationship

Bell's relationship with Gase has been strained from the start, with indications Gase was not on board with the decision to pony up and pay
Bell. Trade possibilities have lingered in the background, and Bell
remaining in the game longer than he should have in Week 1 seems fishy
on the surface. Bell was also not happy with Gase pulling him from a
camp scrimmage…due to concern over a possible hamstring issue.

Gase didn't even try to play up any idea he wasn't aware of the
situation, as a head coach might in pointing to other things going on
mid-game, saying he was “mad at myself” for leaving Bell in against
Buffalo after he was injured in the first half.

Adam Gase said he's “mad at myself” for letting Le'Veon Bell play in
the second half after he obviously hurt his hamstring in the first
half.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) September 13, 2020

If things go off the rails for the Jets, Gase and Bell may both not be
long for the team. Gase is an easy bet to be fired in-season, while
Bell could make his exit with a trade before the deadline once he's
healthy.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Should we be worried about how sloppy Drew Brees and Tom Brady looked?

September 15, 2020
New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Both Drew Brees and Tom Brady didn't look overly confident in their
Week 1 showdown last Sunday.

In one of the more highly-anticipated games of the NFL's season-opening weekend, Drew Brees and Tom Brady faced off last Sunday. However,
things felt quite different for multiple reasons. No. 1, Brady is no
longer with the Patriots and made his debut with the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers.

Secondly, both quarterbacks, future Hall of Famers, didn't look like
their usual selves whatsoever. Both Brees and Brady struggled to
showcase their usual talented arms, leaving fans wondering why they
looked so rusty. Is this something we all need to worry about the rest
of the season?

Tom Brady's debut with the Buccaneers turned out to be one to forget

New Orleans ended up coming away with the 34-23 victory, but the
talking points after the final whistle surely revolved around the two
veteran quarterbacks. Starting with Brady, he clearly didn't have the
same zip on the ball. He finished the day throwing for 239 yards and
two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions, one of which Janoris
Jenkins took back to the house for six.

After the loss, Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians was quick to say
Brady was at fault for both of his turnovers.

“One was a miscommunication between he and Mike (Evans),” Arians said. “He thought Mike was going down the middle. It's a different coverage.
Mike read it right. He should've bent across his face, but Tom just
overthrew it. The other one was a screen pass with an outlet called. He
threw the outlet, and there was a pick six. Bad decision.”

For Brees, he had a rather pedestrian day too, throwing for only 160
yards and two touchdowns. Those are not the kinds of numbers fans are
used to seeing from him at all. He struggled to connect with his
downfield throws as well, which obviously isn't a good sign.

Moving forward, both Bucs and Saints fans will hope that Brees and
Brady can clean things up and get their offenses humming. Week 1 was
surely a wake-up call for both signal-callers, though.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Stephen Gostkowski is having a horrific night for the Titans

September 15, 2020

Stephen Gostkowski is having a really bad night in his Titans debut.

If first impressions are everything, there is no way Stephen Gostkowski
will survive with the Tennessee Titans.

The veteran kicker had by far the worst night of his career on Monday,
missing all three field goal attempts and shanking a point after
attempt against the Denver Broncos.

The first miss was on Tennessee's second drive from 47 yards out. He
put it wide right.

The second could have put the Titans up by three with the game tied
before the end of the first half. However, a Bronco got a hand on the
44-yard kick.

The third miss was on a 42-yard attempt. That one went wide left and
again failed to break the 7-7 tie.

By the fourth quarter, the Titans had enough. Facing a 4th-and-goal at
the Denver 1-yard line, Tennessee opted to go for it. The move paid off
as Ryan Tannehill found Jonnu Smith for a touchdown.

That's when Gostkowski's night went from bad to much, much worse. He
lined up for the point after attempt and pulled it wide left.

Stephen Gostkowski's misses cost the Titans dearly.

The Titans immediately regretted all of Gostkowski's missed
opportunities and the missed PAT in particular. The Broncos stormed
down the field to score a touchdown and take a 14-13 lead.

Gostkowski was a two-time All-Pro First-Teamer and four-time Pro Bowler
for the New England Patriots. In 14 seasons, he hit 87.4 percent of his
field goal attempts and 98.3 percent of his extra points.

As he so often does, Bill Belichick must have known what the future for Gostkowski might be. After the kicker suffered a hip injury in 2019,
the Patriots released him the following spring.

Gostkowski went on to sign with the Titans on Sept. 3, reuniting with
his former Patriots teammate Mike Vrabel. There will likely be an
awkward conversation between the two after the game.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Vic Fangio roasted on Twitter for awful clock management against Titans

September 15, 2020

Stephen Gostkowski is having a horrific night for the Titans by Alicia
de Artola

Vic Fangio took his two timeouts with him to the postgame press
conference

Fangio's clock management has come under question after the Titans
eventual drive to take the lead late in Denver left Drew Lock with just
under 20 seconds to get to his opponent's 30-yard line for a realistic
chance at a game-winning field goal. Such expectations are unfair, and
despite Denver's lackluster offensive output, this loss falls squarely
on the shoulders of their head coach who was ill-prepared to give his
team one final chance to win.

The Broncos were lucky to even be within striking distance after
three missed field goals and a failed extra point by Stephen
Gostkowski, who continued the Titans kicker curse on Monday Night
Football. Yet, Gostkowski's redemption eventually sunk Denver given
Fangio was apparently counting on the longtime Patriot to go 0-for-4…or
so we hope.

Twitter roasted Fangio, and for good reason

vic fangio is smart because the broncos will start with 6 timeouts
next week

— charles (#1 summer allergy hater) mcdonald (@FourVerts)
September 15, 2020

Vic Fangio hoping you can trade in timeouts for points after the
game?

— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 15, 2020

Apparently the crowd noise was just too much for Fangio and he
couldn't think clearly.

Any other explanations?

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) September 15, 2020

I really think Fangio thought his best chance of winning the game
was a Gostkowski field goal attempt.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 15, 2020

Did Fangio's gaff alone cost the Broncos a win? Of course not, but in
the end every result falls squarely on his shoulders, especially with a
young quarterback at the helm. Fangio's been in the league for decades,
and falling asleep at the wheel in such a big moment is inexcusable.

The Broncos looked far from a threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the
AFC West on Monday night, and while it's only Week 1, that's a takeaway
they'll have to live with for now.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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ESPN's John Elway graphic is going viral for the wrong reasons

September 15, 2020

ESPN's John Elway graphic on Monday Night Football was less than ideal.

The graphics team at ESPN needs to rethink some things after disgracing legendary quarterback John Elway on Monday Night Football.

During the Denver Broncos‘ primetime showdown with the Tennessee
Titans to open the 2020-21 NFL season, the graphics team, which
apparently has never seen John Elway, tried to give us John Elway.

The result was … stunning, to put it nicely, and it had their Elway
graphic trending for all the wrong reasons. The Broncos legend would be
rolling over in his grave if he weren't still walking the earth, which
makes this graphic all the more indefensible — the man is still walking
this earth and y'all still made him look like this?

John Elway deserved better than this

I mean, between the Hummer behind him and his Incredible Hulk-like
body, what was the end goal here? It was only fair to wonder if the
graphics team had simply never seen the man before.

Twitter couldn't help but notice that, based on this graphic, John
Elway must have spent his entire quarantine in his own personal weight
room.

The comparisons started rolling in, and Ron Perlman and Vince McMahon
honestly weren't too far off.

Looking at such a horrendous rendering of John Elway had some of us
here at FanSided fondly reminiscing about some of the other all-time
atrocious representations of sports legends.

Congrats Mr. Elway, you've officially joined the ranks of Tom Brady and Cristiano Ronaldo!

Or, you know, a two-bit character from Grand Theft Auto works too.

Putting together 3D, moving graphics on a week-to-week basis must be challenging, but come on. A major media company that's part of the Walt
Disney juggernaut should be able to do better than this when it comes
to graphics representing some of football's all-time greats.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Zach Banner visibly upset on Steelers sideline after potentially severe
injury

September 15, 2020

Steelers lineman Zach Banner struggled to keep it together after a serious-looking injury.

Zach Banner was one of the great stories of the NFL offseason. So it
was especially painful to watch him limp off the field with an apparently-serious knee injury late in his first game as the
Steeler's starting right tackle.

Banner's knee appeared to collapse under his weight in the fourth
quarter of Pittsburgh's 26-16 win over the New York Giants.

He stayed down on the field for a long time before being helped off.
Banner sat on the bench and was consoled by Ben Roethlisberger. That's
when the camera captured his heartbreaking expression.

That's the face of a man who knows his season might be over.

Zach Banner was visibly shaken on the sideline after his injury.

Anyone who knows Banner's story knows why he was so emotional.

The behemoth offensive tackle was an All-American at USC who the
Tennessee Titans drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

However, his time with the Colts wasn't very long. The team cut Banner
at the start of the 2017 season and he ended up playing for the Browns
winless Cleveland Browns as a rookie.

The Browns waived the lineman the next spring. Then the Panthers took a
chance on him. He was cut again after a few months in Carolina.

Banner's weight had been the primary concern keeping him from finding a permanent home in the NFL. He has said previously he weighed 420
pounds at the end of his rookie season.

One last chance to remain in the league came from the Steelers, who
signed Banner for the 2018 season. In Pittsburgh, Banner found his
place and took his career more seriously. He transformed his body,
weighing in ahead of the 2020 season at 335 pounds.

Slimmer and fitter than ever, Banner won the starting right tackle job
for the Steelers.

Considering the ups and downs of his journey to that role, it was
devastating to see it potentially taken away so soon. Hopefully, the
injury was not as bad as it seemed.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Rashaan Evans just got tossed for throwing a punch (Video)

September 15, 2020

Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans was ejected for throwing a punch during
Monday Night Football.

The return of the NFL season included all the things you love to
see like touchdowns, sacks and interceptions. It also included some of
the worst things in the sport, like one grown man punching another in
the face mask.

Rashaan Evans of the Tennessee Titans was the one who whose
brainless swing resulted in an ejection on Monday Night Football.

The linebacker grappled with Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt
after the whistle and let the moment get the better of him.

It was an easy ejection to determine.

Rashaan Evans lost his cool and threw a boneheaded punch.

Here's the thing about football players throwing punches: What's the
point? The only one in danger of being hurt by a punch thrown at a
helmeted player is the player who threw the punch.

That's how you break your own hand.

Evans' punch wasn't particularly forceful, but it was clearly a punch.
He was never going to get away with it.

Adding insult to the injury, the Broncos went on to take a 7-0 lead in
the aftermath of the ejection. They would have faced a 3rd-and-6
without the penalty picked up by Evans.

Now the Titans are down a linebacker as they attempt to grab an opening
week win on the road. It's not an ideal position to be in, especially
while facing running backs like Phillip Lindsey and Melvin Gordon.

Evans, the former first-rounder, is now in his third year in the
league. Last year he started all 16 games, logging a second-best 111
combined tackles, including nine tackles for loss. His presence will be
missed.

Evans' backup is William Compton, who signed with the team as a free
agent in August. He last played for the Raiders in 2019. He had 41
tackles in nine games and started four times.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Jadeveon Clowney devours Drew Lock on his first Titans sack (Video)

September 15, 2020

Jadeveon Clowney, Tennessee Titans, Drew Lock, Denver Broncos. (Photo

Jadeveon Clowney, Tennessee Titans, Drew Lock, Denver Broncos. (Photo

Freddie Freeman took break from Braves road trip to be a great dad by
Steven Kubitza

Jadeveon Clowney gets his first Tennessee Titans sack on Drew Lock.

The Tennessee Titans got an immediate payoff with Jadeveon
Clowney on this Drew Lock sack.

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of South
Carolina has been reunited with his former Houston Texans defensive
coordinator Mike Vrabel in Nashville. It was scheme fit and
familiarity that brought Clowney to the Music City in 2020.

On Monday Night Football in Week 1, he's already asserting his SEC
dominance over Lock in the NFL‘s version of the Battle of
Columbia.

Jadeveon Clowney is not a sack artist, but this play was special for him.

Being able to drag the opposing quarterback to the turf is not
Clowney's forte. He is at his best when he's dominating in run defense
and setting up his teammates to make plays in the backfield on the
quarterback. It's why he was a multi-time Pro Bowler with the Texans in
the earlier part of his career. Now that he's back with Vrabel, he
might have another Pro Bowl in him for 2020.

Though it was a heads up play by Clowney to get the sack of Lock, it
had more to do with him being in the right place at the right time than anything. It was not a smooth exchange between Lock and the Denver
Broncos center on the snap. Clowney was largely left uncovered coming
off the edge, as he swooped in and made the big play on the second-year starting quarterback.

Tennessee was a game away from reaching Super Bowl 54 last year.
The Titans shockingly caught fire once the weather changed, as they
made it all the way to the AFC Championship game as the No. 6 seed.
They ran into the buzzsaw that is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City
Chiefs, but the Titans have the personnel in place to win the AFC South
for the first time in over a decade. [https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnfl%2Ftitans__108x108.pn
g]
Related Story

First look at Jadeveon Clowney in Titans uniform

Read now >>

By adding Clowney to an already strong pass rush, he might be what it
takes to help get the Titans over the top and to the Super Bowl for the
second time in franchise history. Tennessee has its competitive window
wide open and needs to do whatever it takes to win as many games as
possible for as long as running back Derrick Henry can carry them to
the promised land.

Clowney's first sack came in his very first half of Titans football, so
you have to love that.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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George Kittle hurting, but could play against the Jets

September 16, 2020

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: George Kittle #85 of the San
Francisco 49ers walks off the field with trainer Tim McAdams just
before halftime of their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 13: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers walks off the field with trainer Tim McAdams just
before halftime of their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's

5 of the best MMA to WWE crossovers by Chad Porto

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle remains questionable to
play Sunday.

George Kittle and the entire San Francisco 49ers team had a
rough outing in Week 1. The team lost 24-20 to the Arizona
Cardinals and Kittle suffered a knee injury that sent him into the
locker room early before halftime.

But the tight end returned for the second half and all seemed fine.
That is clearly not the case as he will be held out of practice this
week.

49ers' TE George Kittle wont practice this week due to his knee
injury, but SF still hopeful he will play Sunday vs. Jets.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2020

All eyes on George Kittle

Kittle just got his brand new $75 million contract and is already
dealing with this knee injury. Holding him out of practice seems like
the proper precaution to take so early in the season. The New York Jets
also looked awful in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, so this is a
winnable game for the 49ers without Kittle on the field. Yet there is
still hope he will play Sunday after getting the week to rest.

Kittle had a quiet outing in Week 1. He finished with four catches for
44 yards and no touchdowns. He was particularly quiet in the second
half, but we now know he may have been more of a decoy given his knee.

The 49ers are already without Deebo Samuel again this Sunday and
just signed Mohamed Sanu after running back Raheem Mostert led the team
in receiving in Week 1. Kittle is obviously the focus on offense,
however, the receiving corps will have to step up even if he can go
this Sunday.

Kittle is only in his fourth NFL season and the 49ers will want to be
careful with him in 2020. The team has what appears to be two very
winnable games against the Jets and then the New York Giants in Week 3.
The tough part of the schedule follows and that is when Kittle will be
needed most.

The 49ers are hoping he can play. Is that the smartest move? It all
comes down to how Kittle feels and being honest to the trainers about
his own health.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Robby Anderson hilariously learns name of Panthers mascot (Video)

September 16, 2020

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 13: Robby Anderson #11 of the
Carolina Panthers breaks free for a touchdown against the Las Vegas
Raiders at Bank of America Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Charlotte,

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 13: Robby Anderson #11 of the
Carolina Panthers breaks free for a touchdown against the Las Vegas
Raiders at Bank of America Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Charlotte,

U.S. Open: Expect a massacre this week at Winged Foot by David Salituro

Robby Anderson provided fans with a hilarious video clip in Week 1.

Robby Anderson joined the Carolina Panthers this offseason and had
a huge debut in Week 1. The former New York Jets receiver had six
catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in what was a tough 34-30 loss
against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The loss was not ideal, but fans did see the Panthers' new number one
receiver show off his abilities. Perhaps the most entertaining part of
his debut came on the bench when he was trying to figure out what the
team's mascot was doing in the stands. Luckily, it was caught on tape.

Robby Anderson: What's that bear doing?

DJ Moore: Bear????

Robby: Panther

DJ: That's Sir Purr, Bro

Robby: Y'all call him that?

Me: 🤣😂🤣😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/rbU9mN2yns

— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) September 16, 2020

Robby Anderson discovers Sir Purr

Anderson thinking the Panthers mascot was a bear is pure gold. Has the sentence, “That's Sir Purr, bro” ever been said before?

The new receiver was clearly never told the rich history of the
franchise's mascot when he arrived in town. Seeing him figure it out in real-time shows that players can have a bit of fun on the sidelines
during a game.

It has to be a weird sight for the players to be in a near-empty
stadium and see a dancing mascot up in the stands. The usually
deafening crowd noise has been swapped out for pumped in noise and
video of Sir Purr dancing on the scoreboard.

Anderson had his first 100-yard day with the Panthers and learned the
name of Sir Purr all in his first game with the team. Next up is
getting his first win. That will be another tough task in Week 2
as the Panthers head south to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers.

Listening in on what players say during games can give fans insight
into the intricacies of a football game. It can also share a more
lighthearted part of the game and Anderson can't be the only player to
question mascots in the middle of an otherwise intense game.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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NFL MVP Stock Watch, Week 2: Josh Jacobs debuts

September 16, 2020

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 13: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle
Seahawks stands during a timeout against the Atlanta Falcons at
Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 13, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Who are the frontrunners for the MVP award after Week 1?

This is the second installment of Fansided‘s 17-part series of MVP
award analysis. Each week, the top five players in contention to take
home the NFL's most esteemed individual award will be examined.

The series is a running tabulation of statistics, player performance,
and of course, impact on team success. In that respect, this analysis
should considered a linear or non-episodic process. For example,
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky nearly made the cut this
week but fell just short to the Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs.

Going forward to remain on the MVP Stock Watch, Jacobs must keep up the
pace. If he arrives at Week 2 only to rush for 20 yards and no
touchdowns, he likely will not be apart of the following week's
rankings.

Two players exit the rankings from last week — Christian McCaffrey and
Saquon Barkley. McCaffrey had a wonderful game, but his team, the
Carolina Panthers, lost at home to Jacobs' Raiders. Temporarily, at
least, McCaffrey tumbles down the list.

As for Barkley, the third-year back played with zest but not enough to
crack the top five MVP Watch.

After Week 1, here are the top five MVP award contenders for 2020.

**Please note: This series will consider sportsbooks odds but will
largely weigh individual statistics and impact on the team by the
particular player.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Fantasy Football: 5 bold predictions for Week 2

September 16, 2020
Fantasy Football, NFL

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 13: Christian McCaffrey #22
of the Carolina Panthers spikes the ball after scoring a touchdown
against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Bank of
America Stadium on September 13, 2020, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What are five bold fantasy football predictions for Week 2 of the NFL season?

Each week, FanSided offers five bold predictions pertaining to your
fantasy football matchups. This is the second edition of a series that
will accompany you deep into your fantasy postseason travels.

Generally speaking, these prognostications are assessed from a 10-team,
PPR league perspective. Most of the time, the assertions will apply to
all aspects of fantasy football. If some sleepers are honorably
mentioned, don't be upset that the player is considered a sleeper when
he may be the best option you have to plug-and-play. Not all leagues
abide by the traditional 10-man format, and some leagues are even more
exciting when they're out-of-the-norm leagues.

But now, let's hold ourselves accountable from last week:
1. Cam Newton shows little rust and dominates the Miami
Dolphins. Correct. Newton was the sixth-best fantasy quarterback in
Week 1.
2. George Kittle personally thumps the Arizona
Cardinals. Incorrect. Kittle was the league's 15th-best Week 1
tight end option.
3. The Buffalo Bills defense exits of Week 1 as the top fantasy
group. Close to correct. The Bills finished the week as the
sixth-best fantasy defense.
4. Kyler Murray struggles fantasy-wise in San
Francisco. Incorrect. Murray was quite effective and was the
league's 5th-best quarterback in Week 1.
5. Josh Jacobs is a menace during Week 1 and leads all skill
players in scoring. Quasi-correct. Jacobs was the NFL's best
fantasy running back — Davante Adams led all non-quarterbacks
in PPR fantasy scoring.

Onward. Here are five relatively brazen predictions that are associated
with Week 2 only. Not all of these projections will be accurate all of
the time. Fantasy football dealings are topsy-turvy. Overall, though,
let this season-long series serve as a pocketbook to your fantasy
strategy.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Deshaun Watson sued over images posted to personal Instagram page

September 16, 2020

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 12: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston
Texans warms up prior to the AFC Divisional playoff game against the
Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 12, 2020 in Kansas

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 12: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston
Texans warms up prior to the AFC Divisional playoff game against the
Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 12, 2020 in Kansas

Clippers vs Nuggets NBA live stream reddit for Game 7 by Mark Powell

Deshaun Watson allegedly used images without a photographer's
permission

Aaron Speecher filed suit against Watson over a pair of
photographs, both taken between 2017-18, which show the Houston
Texans quarterback off the field preparing for a game. Per Speecher,
who works for the Associated Press as a freelancer, Watson neither gave
him the appropriate credit or reached out to him or the AP for
permission to post on his personal Instagram page.

“He and his licensing agency, AP, are always happy to license images to
NFL players for personal uses such as this. But as a freelancer, he
can't allow players to just take photos without payment or even giving
him proper credit, since this is how he earns his living. And no one
can seriously dispute this. In fact, it is our understanding that the
NFL has made this clear to players,” Kevin McCulloch, Speecher's
attorney, said via ABC 13 in Houston.

Could Watson face financial retribution for said lawsuit?

Speecher has allegedly been denied access to future Texans games, and
his social media accounts have become a frequent target of Watson fans,
who have called him out publicly.

“Since it has happened many times, he finally felt he had no choice but
to retain our firm to help him resolve this matter. We think it is
unfortunate that it came to this point, but we hope that the issue can
get resolved quickly and amicably, as Mr. Sprecher certainly has no
intention of making this simple matter any more contentious than
necessary,” said McCulloch.

The issue wasn't able to be solved via social media, as Speecher claims
he tried to approach Watson rather than take him to court. Sadly for
the Texans QB, this is another off-field distraction he'll have to deal
with.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Browns uniform combination for Thursday Night Football is awesome

September 17, 2020

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland
Browns celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumble against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on September

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland
Browns celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumble against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on September

Celtics vs Heat NBA live stream reddit for Eastern Conference Finals
Game 2 by Mike Luciano

The Cleveland Browns will be donning a great uniform combo for their
home opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 2020 NFL season didn't get off to the greatest starts for the
Cleveland Browns. With many predicting that head coach Kevin
Stefanski can turn the around and bring them to the playoffs, they were
smacked around by the powerhouse of the AFC North: the Baltimore
Ravens. Now, the Browns open up First Energy Stadium on Thursday night
against the Cincinnati Bengals. We've seen Cleveland wear their
home uniforms last week in Baltimore, but for Week 2, they're changing
things up.

Executive vice president of the Browns, J.W. Johnson, revealed
that the team will be wearing their home jerseys with orange pants for
the “Battle of Ohio.” Take a look at the awesome uniform combination
for yourself!

Can the uniforms bring Cleveland some much-need good luck?

Cleveland switched up their uniform designs back in 2015 and let's face
it, wasn't the most popular decision. They were met with universal
disgust. However, one uniform combination that Browns fans enjoyed for
that five-season tenure were the brown jerseys with the orange pants.
Now, with Cleveland reverting back to their original design, the
uniform combo designated for Thursday night was met with praise and
applause.

Last week, the Browns lost the game just as it started. On the opening
drive of the contest, quarterback Baker Mayfield threw an interception
to Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey. After that, the Browns were
pummeled by Baltimore's highly explosive offense. It certainly didn't
help that Cleveland were without linebacker Mack Wilson and cornerbacks
Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson for that game.

As for Thursday night, Cleveland faces a Joe Burrow-led Bengals offense
that put up 295 total yards in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
On paper, this is a game that the Browns should win. But that can only
happen if Mayfield can get the offense rolling. If not, they can expect
a disappointing end result.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Fantasy football sleeper for Week 2: Justin Watson if Chris Godwin is out

September 17, 2020
Fantasy Football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If Buccaneers' wide receiver Chris Godwin misses Sunday's game against
the Carolina Panthers, Justin Watson is a sneaky fantasy play.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin took a hit to the head
in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, so it wasn't a surprise he
landed in the league's concussion protocol on Wednesday. That remained
the case on Thursday, casting his status for Sunday against the
Carolina Panther into serious doubt.

If Godwin is out on Sunday, as seems more likely than not right now,
the easy fantasy sleeper target is Scott Miller (five catches for 73
yards on six targets in Week 1). Mike Evans, a week further recovered
from a hamstring issue, is in line for a big game against Carolina's
bad secondary. But looking a further down Tampa Bay's depth chart,
Justin Watson also becomes interesting.

Watson only played 11 snaps in the season opener, with one catch
on two targets. But Greg Auman The Athletic points to Watson playing a
lot more in Week 2 if Godwin is out.

Who steps up if Chris Godwin can't play Sunday? He was on the field
for 66 of 70 snaps vs. Saints, had team highs in targets (7),
catches (6) and yards (79) in Week 1. Scotty Miller was close behind
(6, 5-73) and takes on a larger role. Justin Watson (11 snaps) plays
much more.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 17, 2020

If you're without Chris Godwin this week in fantasy football, consider adding Justin Watson off the waiver wire

Last season, Evans missed the final three games while Godwin missed the
last two. That paved a path for Breshad Perriman to help win a lot of
fantasy leagues. Count the game Evans was hurt early in, and he
essentially missed the last four games.

Here's what Watson did in those last four games:
* Week 14 vs. Colts: five receptions (eight targets) for 59 yards,
one touchdown; 55 percent snap rate
* Week 15 at Lions: two receptions (two targets) for 17 yards; 56
percent snap share
* Week 16 vs. Texans: five receptions for 43 yards, one touchdown; 96
percent snap share
* Week 17 vs. Falcons: two receptions (four targets) for 27 yards; 92
percent snap share

As expected, Watson was on the field nearly every snap in the two games
Godwin and Evans both missed. Double-digit fantasy points in Week 16
may have been helpful to an Evans or Godwin owner who took a flier on
him in a deep league.

The Panthers weren't dominated by the Las Vegas Raiders' wide receivers
in Week 1. But Derek Carr only targeted his wide receivers nine times
last week (a league-low), and Tom Brady won't be doing that on Sunday
in a get-right opportunity.

Watson's Week 2 fantasy potential is tied to Godwin's status. But if he
gets a bigger role in a good matchup, a handful of catches and possibly
a touchdown is a reasonable expectation for those in deep leagues who
will be looking to replace Godwin.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Titans are allowing fans into their stadium starting Week 4

September 17, 2020

Starting on Oct. 4, the Tennessee Titans will allow a limited number of
fans to attend the team's home games.

With the Tennessee Titans getting ready to host the Jacksonville
Jaguars for their first home game of the season this weekend, countless
fans out there are no doubt bummed they won't be able to pack Nissan
Stadium like normal to support the team. Due to COVID-19, there will be
no in-person attendance throughout September.

However, it looks like the Tennessee faithful won't have to wait too
much longer before they can start packing the seats once again. On
Thursday morning, it was announced that the organization will be
welcoming back fans at a limited capacity starting on Oct. 4 for the
showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Allowed attendance will rise incrementally:
-Approx 7,000 for Oct.. 4 vs Steelers
-Approx. 8,600 for Oct. 11 vs Bills
-Approx. 10,400 for Oct. 18 vs Texans
-4 remaining home games could be 14,500 fans
https://t.co/08JcCTeemu

— John Glennon (@glennonsports) September 17, 2020

Around 7,000 fans will be allowed inside of Nissan Stadium for the team's
first game in October

This is welcome news for Titans fans, who are hoping the team can
improve to 2-0 this weekend after taking down the Denver Broncos in a
Week 1 Monday Night Football battle. Things will no question will be
weird on Sunday inside an empty stadium for the Titans-Jaguars tilt,
but in the coming weeks, more and more fans will be able to make their
way inside.

As of now, the plan is for the Titans to host around 7,000 fans on Oct.
4, with the numbers growing each week after that. The front office
clearly wants to experiment with the low number of die-hards, and then
expand on the numbers depending on how things go.

We're seeing multiple teams experiment with a small percentage of
people being allowed to attend games. For Thursday Night Football‘s
Week 2 matchup between the Browns and Bengals for example,
6,000 fans will be let inside the gates to catch the action.

While it most certainly feels like strange times in the NFL, the Titans
are ready to slowly but surely start welcoming back their fans. At the
same time, they're going to be taking all the necessary precautions to
make sure everyone is safe.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Fantasy football 5-for-5: Bold predictions for week 2

September 17, 2020
Fantasy Football, NFL
bold predictions

LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 30: Nina Bregvadze (C) and guests attend the
Girls Guide To Fantasy Football Draft Party at KessPro Studios on

The offseason is over. Fantasy football is back! And while the running of the season is fragile, and the offseason was uneasy, off we go nonetheless.

In the offseason and preseason, I made 15 bold predictions for the
upcoming NFL season. Some of these predictions have already been
disputed. Some, however, I am still confident in – and proud of. And
before you call me a liar, take my word for it. These first 15
predictions were truly made pre-week-one.

In this edition of 5-for-5, I categorize these 15 bold predictions into
ones that I believe, ones that I don't, and ones that I'm still on the
fence about. But that's only three! I have also come up with 5 new
predictions after week one, and 5 super overreactions based on one
crazy week in the volatile NFL.

Enjoy, dispute, laugh, and ogle at my prophecy!

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Cowboys hosting fans at 25-percent capacity for home opener

September 17, 2020

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy confirms that the team will
host fans for their home opener.

The first week of the 2020 NFL season has come and gone, and the
main sticking point was the lack of a crowd. That of course happened
for good reason, as the United States is still dealing with the
coronavirus pandemic, with no end in sight. Out of the 16 teams that
hosted games this past week, only two actually allowed a limited number
of fans: the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars. Entering Week
2, we can confirm one team that will allow fans inside their stadium.

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys head
coach Mike McCarthy revealed that the Cowboys will allow fans inside
AT&T Stadium for their home opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but at
a 25-percent capacity.

No word from Jerry Jones on stadium capacity for Cowboys home opener
this weekend. Mike McCarthy, meanwhile, weighs in.

“I think it'll be a lot different in AT&T Sunday because obviously
we'll have 25% capacity,” McCarthy said. “So we'll have some live
energy in the building.”

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) September 16, 2020

No specific stadium protocol details have been confirmed

It's important to note that this news comes from the mouth of McCarthy.
On Tuesday, team owner Jerry Jones didn't provide any specific details
about the stadium protocol, saying that they will “play it by
ear.” Jones hinted back in August that the team was considering a
pod system, which will allow fans to sit with family and friends
at games, where they'll be socially distanced from others in
attendance.

Jones said they won't announce a specific attendance number until the
day of the game. So if that is the case, we're getting an answer on
Sunday.

AT&T Stadium lists their capacity at 80,000 seats, which means that if
we are to follow McCarthy's comments, then a maximum of 20,000 fans
will be allowed to attend the Cowboys' home opener. The Jaguars capped
off their capacity at 25-percent for their home opener against the
Indianapolis Colts, while the Chiefs allowed 22-percent for the NFL's
Kickoff Game against the Houston Texans.

Having fans in attendance during a global pandemic is a tall task for
any team who opts to do so. Considering how far and quickly COVID-19
can spread, stadiums need to have specific protocols in place to ensure
that social distancing is enforced and that those in attendance wear
their masks at all times. In fact, teams are working with local
government and public health officials to hatch out a plan that will
allow fans to attend safely. [https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnfl%2Fcowboys__108x108.p
ng]
More

Cowboys have another crushing injury in Sean Lee

Read now >>

The Cowboys have opted to play it coy, so we won't know the protocol
until we see it in action on Sunday afternoon.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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FanSided Reads: Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back

September 18, 2020
MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Soccer

Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back, by Jessica Luther and
Kavitha A. Davidson, is a look at the complicated moral dilemmas of the
modern sports fan.

Throughout the last four years, since Colin Kaepernick first knelt
during the National Anthem, a sort of reckoning has taken place in the
sports world. His activism, and subsequent blackballing by the NFL,
galvanized other athletes who felt prompted to join in and amplify a
variety of social justice causes while he waited for a team willing to
risk the “distraction” of signing him. These protests have met with a varying amount of support from the leagues themselves, but for the most
part, they have been accommodating, trying to have it both ways —
visually and vocally lending support to social justice movements while
not actually doing anything that would threaten their multi-billion
dollar hegemony.

However, even the most anodyne acts of resistance have predictably met
with reactionary pleas to keep politics out of sports. Of course,
sports and politics have always been inextricably intertwined, with
athletics promoting particular prized ideals while silencing voices
that counter them. This is to say nothing of the money involved, the
antitrust exemptions granted major leagues, and the way sports affect
the practical, lived experience of millions of people. At the same time
though, athletes speaking out is not new. There are the iconic examples
of Muhammad Ali refusing to fight in the Vietnam War, John Carlos and
Tommie Smith raising their gloved fists on the medal stand in Mexico
City, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf's own anthem protest in the 1990s, among
countless others.

Yet apart from those who long for a non-political sports world, there
are also those who love the games but struggle to reconcile the reality
of big-time athletics with their own principles and ideals. Fans who
love a team with a morally repugnant owner or a star player accused of
violence against women; fans who love watching the Olympics or going to
games at the stadium downtown, but are all too aware of the taxpayer
cost or the human displacement necessary to make these things possible.

It is for these conflicted fans that Jessica Luther and Kavitha A.
Davidson have written their new book, Loving Sports When They
Don't Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Fan. Throughout, they cover
several topics such as “Cheering for a Team with a Racist Mascot,” “Doubling Down on Your March Madness Bracket Even if the Athletes Don't
Make a Dime,” and “Enjoying the Olympics Despite the Harm to Your Community.”

Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back doesn't offer easy answers, it encourages introspection

The book does not have many solutions to offer its readers, which it
readily admits in the introduction. Part of this is the fact that there
can be no single solution when there is “no single sports fan” — what
it means for one to reconcile their conscience with the reality of
big-time athletics is not necessarily the same for each person. Also,
solving these problems would also mean figuring out massive social
issues such as “racism, sexism, homophobia, class inequalities, among
many others.” Instead, the book is more focused on bringing these
conflicts to the surface, offering fans who have long felt a dissonance
between their principles and the reality of sports a way to live with
this reality in ways that may lead to change.

The tone of the book is also very inviting as if they know that these
are issues that are not often talked about on ESPN or in most major
media outlets, being drowned out instead by endless analysis and
rumors. Here, they are able to create a space where inquisitive fans
can think about them and have their concerns addressed and validated.
Bringing up these issues among other fans can often be uncomfortable
and a book that promotes thoughtful approaches to complex issues in an
age where binaries dominate most sports discussion is very welcome.

While whole books could, and in many cases have been written about each
topic covered here, Luther and Davidson do a great job of capturing
each topic succinctly and insightfully. In each chapter, they focus
intently on a select few examples instead of trying to give a
comprehensive survey of what they are discussing. They also tend to
profile a fan who is wrestling with these issues in order to
personalize it and show how particular individuals have made relative
peace with the game they love in spite of its glaring imperfections.

In the chapter about “Loving Your Team When You Hate the Owner,” they
open by telling the saga of Donald Sterling before focusing on the
Wilpons, James Dolan, and Dan Snyders — owners of the New York Mets (at
least for a little while longer), New York Knicks, and Washington's NFL
team. Luther and Davidson detail just what makes them such terrible
owners, apart from these franchise's perennial lack of success. Really,
they're all just pretty repugnant people, though at least Snyder
finally agreed to drop the team's slur of a nickname. Interspersed
throughout the chapter are also interviews with fans of these teams,
who tell about how they have come to cope with their horrific owner — cheering for a team owned by a man or family they loathe — or why they finally had to give their fandom up.

This book is not concerned with prescribing a certain response to these quandaries, with telling you exactly how you as a reader and fan should
behave. Instead, it prompts you to thoughtfully consider things you may
have never thought about before or to think about them in a new light.
As Davidson writes near the book's end, “every word we print attempting
to hold players and teams and institutions accountable can be a small
step toward ultimately reconciling the dilemmas we face as sports
fans.” While most readers do not have the national platform these
writers have, perhaps every difficult conversation one has with a
fellow fan or every small action that shows some bit of resistance to
the way things are is pushing towards a more equitable future in its
own, small way.

For example, they write of Tonya Bondurant, an SBNation editor and
Yankees fan, who was disgusted by their acquisition of Aroldis Chapman
— the first player to be suspended under the MLB's domestic violence
policy. Bondurant was conflicted, finding herself wishing for Chapman
to blow his save opportunities while the Yankees would go on to win in
extra innings. Unable to force the Yankees to cut him or stop caring
about the team, what she chose to do was donate a dollar to the
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence each time Chapman recorded
a strikeout in 2017. It's one of the multiple ways shown that fans can
work towards justice while also loving sports in all their flawed
glory.

While to some, this book may seem like an inherently negative
undertaking, no reader could doubt the genuine love felt by the authors
for the games they write about as well as many of the athletes who play
them. Quite simply, if they did not want to see the world of sports
become more equitable and justice-driven, it's hard to imagine the
authors taking the time to write this book in the first place. As they
state near the end of the book, “Sports are worth saving and
changing.” Their book shows both why and how that is the case.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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NFL spreads, picks, and predictions for Week 2, 2020

September 18, 2020
Betting and Odds, Fantasy, NFL
spread

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 13: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on

Week 1 is behind us and now we can get a feel for what to expect from these teams. Let's pick some spreads!

Week 1 Recap:

Things that shouldn't happen, but did happen:
* Colts (-7.5) losing outright to the Jaguars
* Eagles (-5.5) losing outright to the Washington Football Team
* Titans(-3) missing 4 kicks and only winning by 2.

Just to name a few. It was not a great week to say the least. We were
one point on Monday night from breaking even for the week.

Week 1: Record: 6-8-1

Not great, but this week we pull it together. Nothing went our way last
week, and Week 1 is all about getting a feel for the teams. The picker
is calibrated and we are going 15-0 this week. Speak it into existence.

Disclaimer: these are my picks, not betting/gambling advice, just my
thoughts and opinions. I don't want to be responsible for the loss of
money, or items broken in rage (we've all been there). If you win some
money based on the picks below, congrats! If you lose money, Venmo
request the team you picked because they are the real ones that let you
down, not me.

Let's start with the 1:00 Games.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Baker Mayfield bounceback game isn't biggest Browns takeaway from TNF

September 18, 2020

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: Baker Mayfield #6 hands off to Nick
Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns against the Cincinnati Bengals during
the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 17, 2020 in

CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 17: Baker Mayfield #6 hands off to Nick
Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns against the Cincinnati Bengals during
the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 17, 2020 in

Enes Kanter defends Celtics after Marcus Smart report by Alicia de
Artola

The Browns rushing attack, not Baker Mayfield, was the key to their win
over the Bengals.

Don't waste your breath talking about Baker Mayfield's performance on
Thursday Night Football. The Browns‘ 35-23 victory over the
Bengals was all about the run game.

Yes, Mayfield had a bit of a bounceback. After an awful Week 1
performance against the Ravens, the third-year quarterback was improved
with 219 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2.

The fact of the matter is, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were the
lynchpins in the win and they should be the focal point of the offense
going forward.

Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were the real stars of the Browns' win over the Bengals.

Nick Chubb's first touchdown run was like watching an 18-wheeler
barrel through a highway full of stalled cars in a zombie movie. He
finished with a hard-earned 124 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

He should get that kind of work every week, not the 10 carries he was
thrown in the Week 1 loss to Baltimore.

The same goes for Kareem Hunt, who was an excellent change of pace to
Chubb on Thursday with 10 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown of his
own on the ground and another through the air.

Last week, Chubb and Hunt combined for 28 touches and the Browns were
trounced while Mayfield struggled. On Thursday, the two had 35 touches
and Cleveland won with a controlled performance by the quarterback.
It's not rocket science to see what works and why.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are great. The former caught four
passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. The latter had three catches for
46 yards. They did their part. But they're not a good enough reason to
put the two-headed rushing attack of Chubb and Hunt on the backburner
in favor of a Mayfield-led passing attack.

The big takeaway from the Browns' Thursday night win is simple:
Emphasize the running game.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Baker Mayfield gets leveled by Bengals defender after throwing interception (Video)

September 18, 2020
Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski ripped for fourth down decision against Bengals by
Alicia de Artola

Baker Mayfield threw an interception and was in the wrong place at the
wrong time

Mayfield's pick was his worst decision of the night to that point, as
he'd had a solid bounce-back game after a brutal Week 1
performance against the Baltimore Ravens. William Jackson cut across
the middle to latch on to Mayfield's attempted pass to Austin Hooper,
the Browns high-priced tight end.

While Mayfield's got a war chest of weapons at his disposal, he's still learning how to use them, and that was reflected in the forced throw to
Hooper despite the fact the Bengals cornerback had safety help over the
top.

Mayfield got leveled after the play, which is about the only time it's legal
to hit the QB

Michael Johnson took advantage of his one chance to hit Mayfield as
hard as possible, and put the former Heisman Trophy winner on his back.
It wasn't necessary, as Baker wasn't going to make a play on the ball,
but given the scoreline the Bengals defense needed to take out
their frustration some way.

Cincinnati is in for a long year despite the emergence of Joe Burrow.
The LSU product is a shining light of hope in Ohio, but the Bengals are
at least a year behind their neighbors in terms of developing a winner.
Now, whether the Browns actually take that next step is another
question entirely.
Browns

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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LeBron James impressed with Joe Burrow on Thursday Night Football

September 18, 2020

The Los Angeles Lakers star took notice of how special an NFL
quarterback Joe Burrow can become.

When you're a first-overall pick in any professional sport, all eyes
are going to be on you. Perhaps no NFL Draft prospect entered with more
hype than Joe Burrow, especially following his historic season as the
starting quarterback for the LSU Tigers. Burrow's NFL debut with
the Cincinnati Bengals was hindered by an ill-timed cramp from kicker
Randy Bullock. But, Burrow had the chance to open some eyes in
primetime on Thursday against the Cleveland Browns. And did he ever.

After throwing his first-career touchdown pass to tight end CJ
Uzomah in the second quarter, Burrow received hefty praise from Los
Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, whom said the quarterback has the
“it” factor.

Burrow is SPECIAL! He has the “IT” for sure.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 18, 2020

LeBron James' praising Burrow is example of game recognizing game

James happened to be watching this game because he's a diehard
Cleveland Browns fan (and sometimes a Dallas Cowboys fan). Plus, the
Lakers aren't beginning their Western Conference Finals series against
the Denver Nuggets until Friday, so James had some time to kick back
and enjoy some football in his presidential suite at Walt Disney World.

Like Burrow, James was a first-overall draft pick back in 2003 as a highly-touted high school hoops player. He was a can't-miss prospect
and luckily for him, he got to play for his hometown team in the
Cleveland Cavaliers. James proved to be the real deal, as he's won
three NBA Championships and four NBA MVP Awards in 17-seasons. More
importantly though, James is showing no signs of slowing down.

Burrow skyrocketed up draft boards this past year after leading LSU to
an undefeated record and a CFP National Championship, all while
throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns on a 76.3 completion
percentage. Even before his collegiate season was over, Burrow was
dubbed the savior of the Bengals franchise, making his first-overall
selection the least shocking news of the 2020 NFL Draft. This summer,
the team was so blown away by Burrow's abilities and leadership in
training camp, that he was named a captain…as a rookie. And just two
games into the season, Burrow is showing that he has the potential of
becoming the next great NFL quarterback.

After this game, you best believe Burrow is going to be stoked once he
unlocks his phone and sees the praise from LeBron.
NFL Mock Draft
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Kevin Stefanski ripped for fourth down decision against Bengals

September 18, 2020

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: head coach Kevin Stefanski of the
Cleveland Browns reacts to seeing a missed touchdown against the
Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium on

CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 17: head coach Kevin Stefanski of the
Cleveland Browns reacts to seeing a missed touchdown against the
Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium on

Joe Buck finds out he's been elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame on
live TV by John Buhler

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was ripped up and down for his
fourth-down call.

The tough part about a decision to go for it on fourth down is how much
the outcome impacts perception. If you get it, all is well. If you
don't, you're the goat.

Browns' head coach Kevin Stefanski fell victim to that phenomenon on
Thursday night when he went for it on fourth down at the two-yard line
in a 21-13 game.

Stefanski could have taken the field goal attempt and put his team up
by two possessions. The fact that he didn't get any points out of made
him the subject of some serious criticism.

Browns fans were furious with Kevin Stefanski's fourth-down call.

Whether it was the timeout called before the fourth-down attempt, the
play call or the context of the decision, a lot of folks on Twitter
just didn't get it.

Kevin Stefanski, I really wanna like you. But you make it a 2
possession game. Oh, and you wasted a timeout for literally no
reason. CC'mon. Don't be an attractive, well-spoken Freddie.
#Browns

— Willie D (@YoungKevorkian) September 18, 2020

Browns couldn't punch it in running from the 1, so Kevin Stefanski
decides to go for it on fourth, sends the offense out, calls a
timeout, sends them back out, only to call THAT?? That is the least
inspiring call I've ever seen lol at least do something creative.

— bomaYe (@rap_language9) September 18, 2020

Another big, big mistake by rookie head coach Kevin Stefanski. I
know you trust Chubb, your O-Line to get 1 yard for 6.. But a field
goal puts your team up 2 scores.

Just take the 3 points. #Browns now hand it over to Burrow with
a chance to tie it.

— Russell Williams (@Cavs247dotcom) September 18, 2020

As much as fans ripped Stefanski, his team got the last laugh.

After the Bengals took possession, Myles Garrett got loose and sacked
Bengals QB Joe Burrow, dislodging the ball in the process. The
fumble gave Cleveland the ball back exactly where they had it before at
the goal line. It's like they'd never even been stuffed on fourth down.

This time it didn't come to that critical down. Nick Chubb charged
off the right guard on second down for a one-yard touchdown. The score
gave the Browns some much-needed breathing room at 28-13 midway through
the third quarter.

Regardless of the outcome, it's clear Stefanski got lucky. He took a
huge and unnecessary risk and got away with it when a more conservative decision would have given his team the cushion they needed.

He really should do something nice for Garrett if the Browns escape
Thursday with the win.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Joe Buck finds out he's been elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame on live TV

September 18, 2020

Week New York)

Week New York)

Marcus Smart goes off on Celtics in locker room after Game 2 loss by
Alicia de Artola

Joe Buck was not expecting to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Thursday.

Joe Buck had no idea he had been elected into the Pro Football Hall of
Fame on live television.

When David Baker comes knocking, you answer the door. Though Buck
couldn't see the 6-foot-9, 400-pound friendly giant in person, the
effect was the same. Baker surprised Buck with his election into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame as the 2020 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. This has been a long-time coming for the lead play-by-play guy for FOX.

Joe Buck joins his late father Jack Buck in Canton, Ohio with this honor.

As the son of one of the greatest play-by-play guys in the history of
sports, Buck had massive expectations placed on him as a 20-something
starting out with FOX's NFL coverage in the mid-1990s. When you
think of St. Louis Cardinals baseball, you think of his late
father Jack Buck. With his election, Joe Buck joins his father as the
only father-son recipients of this esteemed honor.

Buck's broadcast partner for the last 19 years has been Pro Football
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who spent his entire career
with the Dallas Cowboys, winning three Super Bowls in four
years as the signal-caller of The Triplets. They've called so many unforgettable games over the years, including the famous David
Tyree Helmet Catch in Super Bowl 42. It was “CAUGHT!”
Football

Buck not only is the lead play-by-play for FOX's NFL coverage, but he
does the same thing in the MLB with National Baseball Hall of
Famer John Smoltz providing the color commentary. Being able to call
one sport at a high level is incredibly difficult, but to be at the top
of your industry in two for as long as Buck has, you must be among the
very best at your craft of your generation.

Buck might get dumped on by many folks on Twitter, but he's a Hall of
Famer and the eggs are not.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Patrick Mahomes closing in on career milestones in Week 2

September 19, 2020

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City
Chiefs looks to pass against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV
at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The Chiefs

MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 02: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City
Chiefs looks to pass against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV
at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The Chiefs

Updated Ohio State football schedule 2020: Game-by-game predictions by
John Buhler

Is there anything Patrick Mahomes can't do?

Mahomes and the Chiefs are taking on the Los Angeles Chargers in
Week 2, and the pound-for-pound best quarterback in the NFL is
preparing to notch a pair of career milestones of his own early in the
2020 season. Mahomes has a chance to reach 10,000 career passing yards
in just 32 career games, which would be the fastest anyone has hit such
a mark in the history of the NFL. Kurt Warner currently holds the
record at 36 games, with Mahomes currently at 9,623 career passing
yards.

A 377-yard day wouldn't be out of the norm for Mahomes, despite his
relatively modest Week 1 against the Houston Texans. The emergence of
Clyde Edwards-Helaire gives Andy Reid and Co. another way to beat you.

That's not the only milestone Mahomes can reach on Sunday

While it's less likely, Mahomes can pass Dak Prescott and Peyton
Manning on the list of three-touchdown games. It's a less prestigious
record, but one filled with some of the best quarterbacks in recent
memory. It's headlined by the one and only Dan Marino, who owns the
record with 27 three-touchdown games. With Derwin James out long-term,
Mahomes has every opportunity to add to his resume.

The Chiefs are favored to come out of the AFC yet again this season, as
they added to a Super Bowl-winning roster with the likes of
Edwards-Helaire and others. Brett Veach found a way to lock down
several key contributors, including Mahomes, who signed a ten-year
extension this offseason worth $500 million.
history

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Allen Robinson and Bears resume extension talks

September 19, 2020

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 27: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears
rects after catching a pass during the game against the Los Angeles
Chargers at Soldier Field on October 27, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 27: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears
rects after catching a pass during the game against the Los Angeles
Chargers at Soldier Field on October 27, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.

Austin Peay vs Cincinnati: Betting odds, TV channel, live stream,
prediction by Richard Kimball

After a dramatic week, Allen Robinson is back on track

Robinson deleted any reference to the Bears on his social media
earlier this week, and reportedly wanted a trade out of the Windy City,
but he's reversed course on that mindset and is now willing to talk a
new contract with Chicago. Mitchell Trubisky's top target signed with
the Bears from Jacksonville in May of 2018, inking a three-year
deal worth $42 million.

While that was a solid deal at the time, Robinson's proven himself far
more valuable than that initial contract, hence the need for a new
valuation. The Bears relented, but initially didn't want to negotiate
during the season. They've been willing to bend on that mindset,
thankfully.

After a tumultuous week that saw Allen Robinson delete references to
his team on social media, the #Bears & the star WR resumed
contract talks, sources say. There is still a significant gap to
close to finish it before kickoff but the #ExtendAR movement of
support gains momentum.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2020

Social media tirades don't change Robinson's importance to the Bears offense

Chicago's quarterback controversy has little impact on Robinson, though
his familiarity with Trubisky increases his value long-term, especially
if the North Carolina product can finally prevail through his on-field
demons. Trubisky and Nick Foles' quarterback battle continued into the
regular season.

Robinson's only made one Pro Bowl in his NFL career, though he was
arguably slighted last year when he caught 98 passes for 1,147 yards
despite the Bears poor quarterback play. Perhaps most impressive about
Robinson is that in both Chicago and previously Jacksonville, he's
hasn't had a capable signal-caller. The Bears hope that eventually
changes as Trubisky develops, but for now it's a footnote on a resume
Robinson will happily forward to Bears GM Ryan Pace in contract talks.
Robinson a new contract

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Cam Newton and Greg Olsen embrace over Panthers' roots (Photos)

September 20, 2020

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 17: Greg Olsen #88 celebrates with teammate
Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers after a touchdown against the
Green Bay Packers in the third quarter during their game at Bank of
America Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 17: Greg Olsen #88 celebrates with teammate
Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers after a touchdown against the
Green Bay Packers in the third quarter during their game at Bank of
America Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Christian McCaffrey undergoing MRI for ankle injury by Scott Rogust

Cam Newton and Greg Olsen embrace over Panthers' roots.

Have you ever had an in-office friend who you kept in contact with long
after you stopped working together? Seems like that's exactly what Cam
Newton and Greg Olsen have done as they are seen having a mini-reunion
on the field ahead of their Sunday night football game … on opposing
teams.

Newton, who is now the quarterback for the New England Patriots and
Olsen, who is now on the Seattle Seahawks, are old friends from their
time on the Carolina Panthers.

The pair have been friends for a while and even had a pretty wild
dinner, caught by TMZ in January before COVID hit. Perhaps this is
the first time they've been able to interact in person since lockdown?

Which team will claim the win on Sunday night?

Even though they will be rivals on the gridiron on Sunday night they
embraced and looked to be on great terms earlier in the day. Only time
will tell which team comes up the victor, and kickoff is at 5:20 p.m
PT.

Stay tuned to FanSided NFL for all your live NLF news and coverage.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Steelers LB Vince Williams takes shot at refs after beating Broncos

September 20, 2020

Texans just went for it on 4th down at their own 34 (Video) by Scott
Rogust

The Steelers moved to 2-0 on Sunday with a win over the Broncos, but
the team got in its own way

Pittsburgh committed over 10 penalties on their way to victory,
something Mike Tomlin surely will not take kindly to. The Steelers
will hear all about this in the locker room and in film sessions during
the week, and rightfully so. They looked downright undisciplined at
times, especially late in the game, as they gave the Broncos six first
downs thanks to penalties. That's a reflection on Tomlin, fair or not.

Vince Williams wants us all to know that said penalties weren't
necessarily that.

Does Vince Williams have a point in suggesting the officials made some inconclusive calls?

Being an NFL official is among the toughest job in sports. Similarly to
the offensive line, at their best no one will credit them, yet at their
worst they draw the ire of every fanbase. Sunday afternoon featured a
few questionable decisions, but nothing obvious in terms of a truly unfathomable call. Sure, the crew didn't allow much contact if at all,
hence many of the yellow flags directed at the Steelers.

Pittsburgh's secondary plays a physical style of coverage. It flirts
with illegality, and in a game when the officiating crew refuses to
give any leeway, they're bound to feel victimized. Jeff Driskel
receiving said calls is a little surprising, but once the Steelers
understood how the game was being officiated they should've adjusted.
All they can ask an officiating crew to be is consistent.
Steelers

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Drew Lock heads to locker room after taking hard hit against Steelers

September 20, 2020

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Drew Lock #3 of the Denver Broncos sets to
pass against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of a game at
Empower Field at Mile High on September 14, 2020 in Denver, Colorado.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 14: Drew Lock #3 of the Denver Broncos sets to
pass against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of a game at
Empower Field at Mile High on September 14, 2020 in Denver, Colorado.

Nick Bosa carted off field after knee injury by Mike Phillips

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock was taken to the locker room after taking
a monster hit against the Steelers on Sunday.

Denver Broncos fans everywhere are holding their breath right now,
as Drew Lock is being checked on for a potential injury. In the Week 2
game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the second-year signal-caller
took a hard hit after fumbling the rock and was clearly shaken up.

Now, Lock, in the middle of the first quarter, has been taken back to
the locker room to see if he's suffered an injury.

Drew Lock is immediately being checked on by the Broncos medical
staff. Jeff Driskel is now warming up

— Charlie Batch (@CharlieBatch16) September 20, 2020

Drew Lock looked to be in pain as he slowly got off the field against the Steelers early on

With Lock getting looked at by the team's medical staff, backup
quarterback Jeff Driskley will be called upon if Lock is unable to
return.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Welcome to the Bird Gauntlet: Can Cowboys take flight vs. Falcons?

September 20, 2020
Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys face the Atlanta Falcons to commence The Bird Gauntlet.

While other teams want to win the Super Bowl, the Dallas
Cowboys look to run the Bird Gauntlet.

It's a weird scheduling quirk, but it's something on the table for
“America's Team” this year. The Cowboys will face all five of the
NFL teams with birds for mascots in 2020, beginning with the
Atlanta Falcons coming to town on Sunday afternoon. There are only
12 NFC teams ever capable of running the Bird Gauntlet and 2020 chose
the Cowboys. Can they take off vs. the Dirty Birds?

It'd be a shame if the Cowboys fail in the first run of the Bird Gauntlet.

Before we get into the whole “can they beat the Falcons at home?”
thing, we must fully understand and appreciate what the Cowboys have in
front of them this year. Why are they in this Bird Gauntlet? What did
they do to deserve this type of avian punishment? And what are the
chances they'll be able to navigate this aerial onslaught to become The Champion of the Birds?

First, let's understand what is the Bird Gauntlet. There are five teams
who decide if an opponent can ever run it: The Arizona Cardinals,
the Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles
and the Seattle Seahawks. Unless the Washington Football Team
becomes a sixth bird team in 2021, this is the quintet of warm-blooded, feathered, winged killers from the sky.

Because there is a 4:1 ratio of NFC bird species compared to the AFC prototypes, only NFC teams not named after birds can take part in the
most sacred run of the Bird Gauntlet. For the sake of branding, here
are The Bird Gauntlet Dirty Dozen. These 12 teams can be summoned by
the most hateful football gods to run it every so often. For now, it
can only be the dirtiest of dozens.

The Bird Gauntlet Dirty Dozen

* Carolina Panthers
* Chicago Bears
* Dallas Cowboys
* Detroit Lions
* Green Bay Packers
* Los Angeles Rams
* Minnesota Vikings
* New Orleans Saints
* New York Giants
* San Francisco 49ers
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Washington Football Team

To be able to run the Bird Gauntlet, this is what is required out of
the Dirty Dozen's 16-game schedule. The most important thing is their respective division must play the AFC North as part of the four-year
divisional rotation. You must face those Ebony Birds if you want
to run this gauntlet. Otherwise, it doesn't count and deep down in your
very soul, you know that to be true.

To get the other four teams (Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, Seahawks), you
can't be one of those teams, I'm sorry. It helps to play in one of
Fearsome NFC Foursome's divisions, as you'll be getting a bird team
twice in the NFC East and NFC South, and four times if you play in the
NFC West. The three-year NFC divisional rotation and competitive
balance is the way to get all four on this quest.

Now that we understand how one of the Dirty Dozen is selected, we must
look at what the Cowboys are up against this year in their run of the
Bird Gauntlet. Because they play in the NFC East, they must face the
hated Eagles twice. They'd have to go 6-0 to run the Bird Gauntlet.
Since the original Cleveland Browns became the Ravens, no team has run
the Bird Gauntlet since 1992.

The @dallascowboys will face all 5 bird teams this season

No team has defeated all 5 bird teams in a season (inc. playoffs)
since the @Ravens joined the NFL in 96

The last time a Bird Gauntlet was accomplished was the 92 season –
@Redskins & Cowboys

The Cowboys won SB XXVII

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) May 13, 2020

Dallas Cowboys 2020 Bird Gauntlet Schedule
* Sept. 20: vs. Atlanta Falcons (AT&T Stadium)
* Sept. 27: at Seattle Seahawks (CenturyLink Field)
* Oct. 19: vs. Arizona Cardinals (AT&T Stadium)***
* Nov. 1: at Philadelphia Eagles (Lincoln Financial Field)**
* Dec. 3: at Baltimore Ravens (M&T Bank Stadium)*
* Dec. 27: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (AT&T Stadium)

*= Thursday Night Football
**= Sunday Night Football
***= Monday Night Football

The good news for the Cowboys is they don't stink this year. They have expectations to win the NFC East and maybe have an outside shot at
reaching the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1995. Unfortunately, the five teams comprising the Bird Gauntlet this season
are also playoff-viable. Baltimore and Seattle are elite, while
Arizona, Atlanta and Philadelphia are feisty.

So are the Cowboys beating the Falcons in the Bird Gauntlet or not, Buhler?

Because the Falcons are seen as arguably the weakest of the Cowboys'
five winged foes this season, it gives “America's Team” a good shot at running it out of the gate. Atlanta couldn't stop Russell Wilson
last week at home through the air in their Week 1 defeat. However,
Seattle might win the NFC and them Dirty Birds led the NFL in passing
last week with 450 yards through the air.

While the margin of defeat in Week 1 was significantly closer for the
Cowboys in their primetime road loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Rams
aren't nearly as good as Seattle is. They're in the same
middle-of-the-pack pecking order with the Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons,
Cowboys, etc. These are not Super Bowl teams, but could certainly be
playoff teams if they don't lay too many eggs.

For the Cowboys to beat the Dirty Birds, here's what they must do. In
case you didn't know, the Falcons are my team and I am well aware of
their ability to suck at football most of the time. They are extremely
beatable because Dan Quinn's team loves to beat itself, especially when
it has a 25-point lead in a Super Bowl and an offensive coordinator who
can't get out of Dodge fast enough.

To stop the Falcons' offensive attack, find weaknesses in the
overdrafted offensive line with the pass rush, breathe on Matt
Ryan and he'll hit the turf like a sack of potatoes. Then, you must
eliminate Todd Gurley from doing anything in the ground game. If
he's averaging three yards per carry after 10 rushing attempts, Dirk
Koetter will abandon the run like a bad dad does his family.

Sure, Ryan will move the sticks because he's a borderline Hall of Famer
with three excellent wide receivers in Julio Jones, Calvin
Ridley and an emerging Russell Gage. However, he doesn't have
elite arm strength, so he'll get a pass tipped for sure the Cowboys
defense can definitely pick off and return to most glorious and
delicious defensive pay dirt. It happens ALL THE TIME, guys!

Now that you know how to stop them Dirty Birds, you need to further
attack them offensively. Atlanta has a good pass rush (finally, we
think, maybe). Grady Jarrett is going to be a problem, as will
likely be Dante Fowler Jr. and maybe even Takkarist McKinley,
who dressed up like he plays in the University of Texas marching band
on his two-hour flight to Dallas on Friday. He's a funny guy.

There are other good players on the defense like linebacker Deion
Jones and strong safety Keanu Neal. However, the Falcons are at
their most vulnerable at cornerback. Dak Prescott needs to play
like a top-10 quarterback in the league and attack the Dirty Birds
outside the numbers as if they were stupid Ole Miss Rebel Landsharks in
an Egg Bowl deciding which team will be bowl eligible.

Mix in a few punishing runs with Ezekiel Elliott and his
tacky belly tat, and you might get this. Do your part to tell
Amari Cooper to not drop passes near the sticks because he loves
to do that more than Zeke does getting fed. Also, remember that Mike
McCarthy is a Super Bowl-winning head coach and Quinn infamously blew a 25-point lead in the third quarter over in Houston in 2017.

Simply put, the Cowboys have no excuses to not run the Bird Gauntlet
here in Week 2, so just do it!
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Even Arthur Blank thinks Falcons didn't understand onside kick rules

September 21, 2020
Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys

Arthur Blank supporting his team and coaches isn't helping out at all.

Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons have no idea what the rules
are with onside kicks.

The Falcons owner went on SiriusXM NFL Radio Monday and had to
address what the hell happened in his team's embarrassing road loss to
the Dallas Cowboys. Atlanta blew a 15-point lead with less than
eight minutes in the ball game. The play everyone is talking about is
the atrocious attempt at recovering an onside kick. Even Blank is
perplexed by the whole thing.

“There's 14 more games to play in the season,” said Blank. “We have a
lot of games left to play and there are certain aspects of our
performance in the first two games which have been really good. Some
other parts have not been good. Clearly our defense is not playing at
the level we want to see it play at.”

“And clearly on the last play of the game yesterday our players, you
know, didn't do what they, you know, either what they were instructed
to do and they didn't understand it, or, it's clear though they didn't,
in my view, they didn't clearly understand what the rules were and
exactly what they had to do. I think that's demonstrated when you watch
the video of it.”

If you can fire Frank de Boer in a bubble, you can fire Dan Quinn after this.

Blank, along with Bernie Marcus, founded The Home Depot in Atlanta back
in the late 1970s. They both became billionaires for revolutionizing
the art of home improvement. So Blank should know a thing or two about
the importance of building a good foundation. While he's a great owner
and an unbelievable ambassador to the city of Atlanta, picking head
coaches is not his forte.

Since purchasing the Falcons back in 2001, Blank has been a part of six
head coaching hires for his two professional clubs: The Falcons and
Atlanta United FC of MLS. Fate would have it easily the best
head-coaching hire of them all was Gerardo “Tata” Martino as Atlanta United's first manager. He won MLS Cup back in 2018 before leaving to
go coach the Mexican Men's National Team.

After Martino left, Atlanta United hired former Ajax manager Frank de
Boer. While he did help the Five Stripes win the Campeones Cup and the
U.S Open Cup in 2019, de Boer was sacked after not scoring a single
goal down in the Orlando bubble during the MLS is Back Tournament.
Atlanta was the only club to not put a single ball in the back of the
net during Group Stage. How embarrassing.

Not as embarrassing as the Falcons' deplorably bad coaching when it
comes to defense and special teams. Matt Ryan and his receiving
corps of Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage and
tight end Hayden Hurst have played like gods the last two weeks.
Too bad Quinn and Raheem Morris' defense thinks they're playing Big 12 shootouts on college football Saturdays. It's Sunday!

After a 1-7 start to last season, Quinn was a dead man walking until a
6-2 second-half finish kept him alive to fight for another year. I'm
not sure if yesterday was as bad as Jim Mora lusting over the
Washington Huskies job back in 2006 or Bobby Petrino leaving in the
middle of the night to go coach the Arkansas Razorbacks back in 2007,
but this is sure right up there with 28-3, dammit!

There is a very, very simple managerial concept out there. Everything
is binary, as you're either coaching it or allowing it to happen. An
employee is either being told to do something or rampant negligence
takes over and dysfunction manifests. In most instances, the latter is
the worse of the two options. However, Sunday was about being coached
down to suck at recovering onside kicks.

There is no excuse for that chicken s**t crapola. Don't the Falcons
have the best onside kicker to ever live in Younghoe Koo? He was
utterly sensational last year in his first season as a Dirty Bird. The
former Georgia Southern star has been excellent this year in his sort
of homecoming, so how can you say that Hurst and Jaeden Graham are
clueless as handless members of the hands team?

This is yet another example of why when you go to Atlanta and ask a
random person if they're a Falcons fan, more than half the time they'll
say, “Oh, no. I'm a fan of Team X.” The Falcons have been in Atlanta
for over 50 years, play in a state of the art facility and have a
first-class owner. Yet, they have one of the biggest bandwagon fanbases
in the sport. This. Is. Why. Coaching. Matters! [https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnfl%2Ffalcons__108x108.p
ng]
Related Story

Cowboys thank Falcons for letting them stay alive in the Bird Gauntlet

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The final years of Ryan's prime are being wasted by a head coach who
claims to be about the ball, when in fact, his team is not about the
ball, as illustrated by the saddest excuse of recovering an onside kick
in the history of humanity. It's time for Uncle Arthur to hire Korn
Ferry again so he can vet which coaching candidate is best between
Eric Bieniemy, Brian Daboll, Jay Gruden or whoever.

The joke is getting about as old as Quinn's redundant cliches, as we've
all earned better than this.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Vikings lose linebacker Anthony Barr for season with torn pec

September 21, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 08: Anthony Barr #55 of the Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 08: Anthony Barr #55 of the Minnesota

With the return of SEC football, college football is officially back by
John Buhler

Anthony Barr will not play another snap in 2020.

The Minnesota Vikings are not the only 0-2 team in the NFL, but they
might be the most disappointing. After giving Kirk Cousins and
Dalvin Cook new contracts in the offseason, their offense has
looked pathetic without Stefon Diggs and Kevin Stefanski. The defensive
side of the ball has been sliced apart over the first two games, and
things are going to get much uglier after this injury update regarding linebacker Anthony Barr.

Ian Rapoport has confirmed that Minnesota's ugly start to the
season is about to get even worse, as Barr will miss the remainder of
the 2020 season after tearing a pec muscle during their loss against
the Indianapolis Colts. This defense is already missing star pass
rusher Danielle Hunter.

#Vikings LB Anthony Barr has a torn pec and is out for the
season. A difficult loss in a tough start to the season.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 21, 2020

Anthony Barr has been a mainstay of Mike Zimmer's defense for years

After the Vikings picked Barr ninth overall in the 2014 NFL Draft out
of UCLA, Zimmer made him one of the league's best off-ball linebackers.
Barr has made four Pro Bowls during his Vikings career, routinely
serving as one of the leaders on a Vikings defense that ranked near the
top of the league in many important categories.

Injuries have been a bit of a problem for Barr, as he's only played in
a full 16 games just twice in his seven-year career. The Vikings picked
up Ryan Connelly off waivers from the New York Giants and used a
fourth-round pick on former Oregon stud Troy Dye. Both of them should
get a crack at replacing Barr.

The Vikings have stumbled out of the gate, and both the Bears and
Packers starting the season off 2-0 has to be concerning for their
chances of making it to the postseason. For a defense that thrived off
of Barr's ability to line up basically anywhere and do anything, this
has to be a debilitation blow.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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5 candidates to replace Mike Zimmer as Vikings head coach

September 21, 2020

They've looked incredibly bad in going 0-2 and Mike Zimmer seems to
have no answers, so here are 5 candidates to be the next Minnesota
Vikings head coach.

The Minnesota Vikings dropped to 0-2 with a 28-11 loss to the
Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. They have been outscored 71-45 in two
games, and if not for a chunk of garbage time points in Week 1 that
margin would be worse. The once-vaunted defense, designed by head coach
Mike Zimmer, is toward the bottom of the league by any measure.

The offense led the ugliness in Sunday's game, as Kirk Cousins threw
three interceptions and took a sack for a safety for the second time in
as many games. The defense has been put in tough position by the
offense's inability to sustain drives, but the unit of Zimmer's
expertise is not exempt as the Colts had a 100-yard rusher (Jonathan
Taylor) and a100-yard receiver (tight end Mo Alie-Cox) in Week 2.

Looking at and hearing Zimmer's postgame quotes after Sunday's loss,
does he come off as a coach who has any answers? Lot's of crutch
buzzwords and strained phrases, with no substance.

Mike Zimmer on Kirk Cousins: “‘He didn't play very good.”

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) September 20, 2020

Mike Zimmer on what he's told his team: “We can't start winning
until we stop losing.”

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) September 20, 2020

Coming off a playoff win last year, contract extensions for Zimmer,
Cousins, general manager Rick Spielman and running back Dalvin Cook
gave the Vikings stability into and looking beyond what will be a
unique season. But it also removed a sense of urgency, and invited
excuses (lack of OTAs, no preseason games, a bunch of young
cornerbacks). There's no motivation to not just go 3-13 and “go get 'em
next year.”

The risk with extending Zimmer, Spielman and Cousins — it's easy to
cling to “comfortable.” But the Vikings have been “comfortable” for
50 years.

Super Bowl should be the target – even if it means taking a step
back to build it the way it needs to be built.

Seems far away now.

— Phil Mackey (@PhilMackey) September 20, 2020

The Vikings face long odds to make the playoffs now, and a head
coaching change might no be ideal with what it would mean in the big
picture of more changes. But Zimmer is firmly on a warm (and should be
getting hotter) seat, and mostly looking to 2021 here are five
candidates to be the next Minnesota Vikings head coach.

5 candidates to replace Mike Zimmer as Vikings head coach

5. Josh McDaniels, Patriots Offensive Coordinator

If feels like a matter of time before McDaniels gets another shot to be
a head coach, and his (to this point) successful reshaping of the
Patriots offense around the talents of Cam Newton will only bolster his candidacy after the season.

McDaniels could stay in New England, on the idea he'll eventually
succeed Bill Belichick. But at age-68 Belichick doesn't appear to be
going anywhere anytime soon, and five more years might be the minimum
for him. Even with some sort of unofficial succession plan, no one
would blame McDaniels if he didn't want to wait for Belichick to
retire.

That said, McDaniels seems to be carefully considering the
opportunities that come his way in each hiring cycle. The stain of
leaving the Indianapolis Colts at the proverbial alter a few years ago
should be gone. Looking toward 2021, firing Zimmer and at least
reaching out to McDaniels for an interview should be emerging on the
Vikings' radar.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Injuries ravage in Week 2, NFL power rankings, Chiefs-Ravens and more

September 21, 2020

The NFL was ravaged by injuries in Week 2. For some teams, the problem
might be too much to overcome.

The lede could have been about Cam Newton or Russell Wilson. It could
have talked about any of the 2-0 teams or the Dallas Cowboys rising
from the dead.

Instead, it's about the crush of injuries we watched ravaged the league
in Week 2.

The San Francisco 49ers were besieged more than any other. In the first
half of their game against the New York Jets, Niners fans watched in
horror as the cart came out twice in three plays, once taking off
resining Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and then, later,
Solomon Thomas. While neither is confirmed, it's believed Bosa
sustained a season-ending torn ACL. Thomas' remains more uncertain.

Additionally, star running back Raheem Mostert was held out of the
second half with an MCL sprain, while quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
missed the final 30 minutes with a high-ankle sprain. It's unclear how
long either will be out, but considering the strength of the NFC West,
even a few missed weeks for Garoppolo could spell doom.

The 49ers are already without receiver Deebo Samuel (foot), edge
rusher Dee Ford (neck), cornerback Richard Sherman (leg) and tight end
George Kittle (knee). While those injuries aren't thought to be long
term, San Francisco is taking on more injuries than any team can
rightfully be expected to overcome.

In Denver, the Broncos are holding their collective breath with
quarterback Drew Lock undergoing an MRI come Monday morning. Lock
was sacked in an awkward position by Bud Dupree, spraining the AC joint
in his right shoulder, sidelining him 2-6 weeks.

Then there was New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who also
likely sustained a torn ACL in the second quarter against the Chicago
Bears. Barkley was carted off in obvious pain, potentially prematurely
ending the superstar's third pro season.

There were myriad others as well, including Indianapolis Colts safety
Malik Hooker (Achilles) and receiver Parris Campbell (knee), Kansas
City Chiefs receiver Sammy Watkins (head), Carolina Panthers running
back Christian McCaffrey (ankle) and many others.

All told, it was a day of injuries, with all the aforementioned ones
happening in the first 90 minutes of play on Sunday afternoon. It was a season-altering period, with the NFC champions potentially capsizing
while the Broncos, a sleeper pick of many, may be finished at 0-2 and
without their starting quarterback.

While the injuries are incredibly unfortunate, the carnage isn't
altogether shocking. Without OTAs, minicamps or preseason games, only
truncated training camps were left to prepare players. As one league
source texted me during the early games, only speed trains speed.

During the summer, FanSided ran a feature on how NFL players
trained throughout the pandemic. Almost everyone interviewed for the
piece brought up the 2011 lockout unsolicited as a loose comparison of
the offseasons. The following season was a mess of injuries. Hopefully
this weekend was an aberration, not a harbinger.

Of course, it's wrong to speculate the odd offseason is the only
possible cause for the rash of injuries on Sunday. Ultimately, this is
the NFL. Every player is at risk on every play, and even those in the
best shape with the best training can succumb. A bad hit. A sticky
patch of turf. The wrong amount of torque at the wrong angle. On the
reasons go.

What's reality is ample teams are already down key contributors two
weeks into the season. Depth is always tested in the NFL, but after
Sunday, some teams are looking at situations bordering on the absurd.

Power rankings

Top 10 realistic trade targets on teams potentially selling at deadline

1. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears
2. William Jackson III, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
3. Brandon Scherff, G, Washington Football Team
4. Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions
5. Shelby Harris, DT, Denver Broncos
6. Markus Golden, EDGE, New York Giants
7. Desmond King, CB/S, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Curtis Samuel, WR, Carolina Panthers
9. Avery Williamson, LB, New York Jets
10. Alex Mack, C, Atlanta Falcons

Quotable

“We're obviously frustrated,. You never want to start 0-2. Last
week, the way we lost to Washington, starting 0-1, obviously not
what we want and not how we expect to finish ballgames, and then
today, coming out behind again. … There's enough things through two
games, offensively speaking, that we can put on the tape and know
we're right there. … Don't panic; we'll be OK. I've always had all
the confidence in the world in our defense. … We're not panicking.”

– Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz says the team will
rebound from its 0-2 start

Wentz can say this, and he should, but it rings hollow. Philadelphia
has looked abysmal through two weeks, losing a 17-0 lead to Washington
before being easily handled by the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln
Financial Field. The blame can be spread around, but right now, Wentz
has been the biggest problem. That can't continue in a city fickle as
they come.

Podcast

Random stat

From 1995-97, the Pittsburgh Steelers went 20 consecutive home games
without allowing a rushing touchdown at Three Rivers Stadium. During
that span, the Steelers ran for 26 touchdowns at home. Yes, '90s
Steelers football at its best.

The streak was buttressed by Natrone Means of the San Diego Chargers
(1995) and Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos (1997).

Info learned this week

1. Chiefs, Ravens set up for mammoth Monday night tilt

The matchup of two titans coming into Monday night undefeated almost
didn't happen. While the Baltimore Ravens crushed the Houston Texans,
33-16, the Kansas City Chiefs took the harder route.

Kansas City was mired in an atrocity against the Chargers at SoFi
Stadium, trailing 17-9 late in the third quarter. Then, an interception
by rookie L'Jarius Sneed, his second in two games, propelled the
Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes — who started 9-of-20 for 60 yards — got
rolling in the fourth quarter. The former MVP threw for 155 yards in
the stanza, highlighted by a 54-yard, on-the-run-touchdown bomb to
Tyreek Hill.

In overtime, Kansas City watched Harrison Butker drill his second
58-yard field goal of the afternoon, capping a 23-20 rally.

Now, the two foes meet for the third time in three years, with Mahomes
having bested Lamar Jackson in the first two affairs. This time,
though, it's in Baltimore after the previous contests were held at
Arrowhead Stadium.

We'll have all week to write/talk about this one, but it should the
game of the year.

2. Newton proves far more in loss than in prior victory

The New England Patriots lost on Sunday. In the long term, though, they
won.

In Week 1, the Patriots beat an undermanned Miami Dolphins team with
Cam Newton throwing for 155 yards. No starting quarterback threw for
less on opening weekend. He also ran 15 times, an unsustainable amount.

On Sunday night against the Seahawks, Newton was sublime. The former
MVP threw for 397 yards despite having Julian Edelman and nobody else
worth mentioning as targets. New England needed Newton to make throws
early and late to simply compete with Seattle. Despite it all, Newton
led the Patriots to within one yard of victory, falling short 35-30.

The loss stings in Beantown, but the real truth is easy to see. If
Newton continue playing like he did against the Seahawks, the Patriots
will challenge for another AFC East title.

3. Cowboys jumpstart their campaign, but McCarthy remains a problem

The Cowboys made a million mistakes against a high-octane offense. And
won.

Yes, the Atlanta Falcons are kings of losing huge leads. Still, the
Cowboys came back from deficits of 20-0, 29-10 and 39-24, the latter
coming midway through the fourth quarter. Somehow, Dak Prescott led a
trio of scoring drives in the final minutes, culminating in a recovered
onside kick and Greg Zuerlein drilling a game-winning 46-yard field
goal at the gun.

Prescott threw for 450 yards, helping Dallas overcome a pair of failed
fake punts, seven penalties and three lost fumbles.

While the Cowboys and their fans have to be thrilled with the victory,
new head coach Mike McCarthy isn't engendering good will. Those
aforementioned fake punts were both questionable at best, while the
offense was a quagmire for the first half after being lackluster in
Week 1.

In short, McCarthy better dial it up in Week 3 against the Seahawks.
Both the owner and fanbase aren't overly patient.

With the Philadelphia Eagles in shambles at 0-2, the Cowboys have to
feel good about their situation. While the defense is shoddy and
injured, the offense is suddenly rolling and the schedule soon becomes favorable. After the Seattle trip, their following three games are in
Dallas with the Browns, Giants and Cardinals coming to JerryWorld.

4. Packers look like an offensive juggernaut through two weeks

Aaron Rodgers is in vintage form, and the Green Bay Packers are
absolutely rolling.

While Rodgers will get the headlines — and deservedly so — the Packers
are doing a phenomenal job running the ball. Aaron Jones ran for 168
yards on 18 carries in the 42-21 rout of Detroit, while Green Bay
totaled 259 rushing yards. Last week, the Packers ran for 158 yards
against the Minnesota Vikings.

Rodgers was sublime against the Lions at Lambeau Field, throwing for
240 yards while being let down by a half-dozen drops. The biggest
difference than recent years? The ball is out on time, Rodgers is
taking the checkdowns, and Green Bay is utilizing play-action
beautifully.

Next week, Green Bay goes to the Superdome for a tilt with the New
Orleans Saints. It'll be a tougher test than what has been faced so
far. But for all those screaming regression, Rodgers appears motivated
to prove the doubters wrong.

5. Minshew will be a very intriguing player to watch now, and in offseason

The Jacksonville Jaguars are playing tough at 1-1, and Gardner Minshew
is playing like a kid with vast potential.

Minshew is a case study in draft position. Selected in the sixth round
from Washington State, he played well as a rookie (3,271 yards, 21 TD,
6 INT) but was largely dismissed as putting up bloated numbers on a bad
team.

Two games into his sophomore campaign, with the team trading off myriad
stars, Minshew has thrown for 512 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions while completing 75.3 percent of his attempts against the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.

So why is he intriguing? Because the upcoming draft has a trio of stud quarterback prospects in Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance and Justin Fields.
If in a high draft slot, will Jacksonville trade back for a slew of
choices, take one of the aforementioned youngsters and deal Minshew, or
take a top-tier prospect at another position to help Minshew in his
third year?

It's long way off, but it bears watching.

Gambler's game

Love the Arizona Cardinals laying six points against the Lions in the
desert come Sunday. With due respect to our beloved Detroit readers,
it's tough seeing Motown stopping Kyler Murray, Kenyan Drake, DeAndre
Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald.

After watching Arizona carve up Washington's legitimate front seven,
Detroit is in a tough spot.

Two cents

If the Cincinnati Bengals don't break Joe Burrow, he's going to be a
star.

While the stats show a long yard per attempt and a ho-hum TD:INT ratio,
the film shows something much different. Burrow has a fantastic pocket presence, is accurate under duress, possesses good mobility and has
enough arm to make all the NFL throws. Through two games, he absolutely
looks worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.

Now, the Bengals have to make sure he doesn't go the way of David Carr. Cincinnati's offensive line is atrocious, and Burrow has already taken
a beating. With the team consistently trailing, opponents are going to
rush him with no regard for the run. It's a bad situation.

Still, the Queen City should be excited. The Bengals have a real talent
in Burrow, an unflappable hometown kid with all the abilities needed to
turn around the moribund franchise.

Inside the league

The Chargers may have lost a tough game Sunday, but the future looks
bright behind their youth.

This offseason, I traveled to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine.
Luckily, I got to speak a few times with UCLA's Joshua Kelley while
getting a three-day, up-close look at Justin Herbert in Mobile.

Talking to league executives, the belief was Kelley was a productive
back with good hands who lacked top-end speed to make him a Day 1 pick.
As for Herbert, scouts typically loved the size and arm, but worried
about his quiet nature and accuracy under duress.

Los Angeles gambled on both, taking Herbert No. 6 overall before
nabbing Kelley — the most likable kid you'll ever meet — in the fourth round.

So far, both look terrific. Kelley has made an immediate impact
replacing Justin Jackson as the second back, totaling 124 rushing
yards, 49 receiving yards and a touchdown. Herbert made his first
career start after Tyrod Taylor injured his chest in pregame warmups
and played excellent ball against the defending champs, throwing for
311 yards and a touchdown.

Los Angeles has more gaps to fill on the roster, but Kelley and Herbert
appear part of the answer.

History lesson

The Saints and Las Vegas Raiders play on Monday night. Back in 1979,
the franchises hooked up — albeit with the Raiders in Oakland — for one
of the most memorable contests in the show's history.

In the Superdome, the 7-6 were fighting for their first playoff berth
(and winning season) in franchise history. The Saints built a 35-14 third-quarter lead over quarterback Ken Stabler and the Raiders, only
to watch Oakland hang 28 unanswered points on them. Stabler threw for
295 yards and four touchdowns, all but finishing off postseason hopes
in the Big Easy.

Parting shot

Being 0-2 in the NFL is a massive hole to escape. This year, eight
teams must grab shovels.

While history says one or two will dig out, the 2020 crop is a rough
one. The Dolphins might be the best candidate, considering the AFC is
weaker and they lost close games to Buffalo and New England. The Eagles
are also a decent bet considering the talent, if not the results, are
there.

Conversely, the New York Jets are beyond cooked. Adam Gase turning them
around should have equal odds with the upcoming election going
smoothly. Their co-tenets, the New York Giants, share a similar fate.
It's over.

Then there's the Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Lions and
Falcons. Considering the NFC's strength and the complete lack of a
defense for all four, odds say an early winter is forthcoming for the
quartet. However, Minnesota has a playoff pedigree, and with Danielle
Hunter not far away, maybe things change.

With a seventh team added to each conference's bracket, 0-2 isn't the
doom once was. But it's not good, and it's going to require a swift
turnaround.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Cowboys thank Falcons for letting them stay alive in the Bird Gauntlet

September 21, 2020

The Dallas Cowboys chicken fried the Atlanta Falcons in the Bird Gauntlet.

The Dallas Cowboys died in the Bird Gauntlet, but the
Atlanta Falcons brought them back to life.

Leave it to a team notorious for blowing leads to do what they do.
Not even four first-half fumbles and a Mike McCarthy boneheaded
decision to go for two points down nine could stop the Almighty Dan
Quinns from not being about the ball.

They let the Cowboys take that onside kick from them, just like Atlanta
let Canada take two NHL teams from it. I guess some things aren't
that important.

This is not what Jimmy V envisioned when it came to survive and advance.

There's never a wrong time for Twitter to try to fire Dan Quinn.
I tried half-dozen times last year, and it didn't work. When
Zac Brown sang about liking a little bit of chicken fried and a
cold beer on a Friday night, this was not what he was talking about.
Dallas will probably die next week in Run 2 of the Bird Gauntlet vs.
the Seattle Seahawks, but I will forever hate that I love Atlanta.

This is Buhler's Way Off…

Sam Darnold is seeing the ghost of himself in the mirror, and Adam Gase is
not okay.

I never said I'd lie and wait forever for Sam Darnold to be
good. Well, he's not and Adam Gase is not o-f*****g-kay. As the
New York Jets prepare their famous last words before being
officially crossed off as a playoff-contending team, what's the
worst thing I could say? Things are better if Gase stays? So long and goodnight, Gang Green.

When the ghost of you is you and you can't look at yourself in the
mirror, how can you be honest with yourself? Teenagers may scare
the living s**t out of us, but there's nothing more frightening than a delusional Jets fan calling into WFAN on Monday afternoon after another
pitiful showing. Save yourself, dog. I'll hold them back tonight.

I hate myself for booing you, Carson Wentz.

We've waited all day for Sunday afternoon.
Though we didn't get a cherry bomb of a performance out of
Carson Wentz, I hate myself for booing you. It's abundantly
clear we don't give a damn about the Philadelphia Eagles fanbase's
bad reputation, but I can't go for that. Congratulations,
FOX. You made all of our dreams come true with some epic fake
crowd boos.

Three years ago, we saw Jason Kelce give the greatest parade
speech of all time in a Mummers costume. Now we have fake fans booing
their former No. 2 overall pick like he's No. 2.

Additionally, a No. 2 pencil resides in Motown, adjacent to a laminated playsheet. The Detroit Lions are a mess.

The Dude of the Week, Man: A boy named Goo grew up to be Josh Allen, sorry about your name.

Give a little bit of your love to the Buffalo Bills this
week. They're 2-0 and the little boy named Goo grew up real fast.
I promised I wouldn't tell no one your name, but I guess I have to
now, bruh, because you're The Dude of the Week, Man, Josh Allen.
I just want the world to know who you are. Admittedly, this
is stranger than the sympathy I felt for you on Draft Day two years
ago.

You made the Miami Dolphins cry and made me have to consider
force-benching my bearded doppleganger genius brother Ryan
Fitzpatrick. Though I don't only wanna be with you, you pretty
much hit a golf ball into the Blowfish's collective blow hole on
Sunday. You were great, but too bad Tua Tagovailoa is a
marine biologist from Hawaii ready to win with the laces out,
Dan!

Jeff Fisher 7-9 B.S.: Sorry Ma, forgot to take out the Kirk Cousins trash

Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever. When Shane
Falco was a replacement player for the Washington Sentinels, he gave us
a more awe-inspired performance than whatever Kirk Cousins
laid on the field today. On Any Given Sunday, Tony D'Amato
may give you a great speech about inches, but on this Sunday, Cousins
gave us an Ooh-wee letdown and we didn't like that.

Children by the million may have sung for Alex Chilton to come
around, but they're not doing that for Cousins tonight. Minnesota
Vikings fans can't hardly wait for Captain Kirk to be benched. It
might be a little left of the dial to bench your starting
quarterback before the end of September, but if you will dare, I
will dare. You be me for a while and I'll be you, Mike Zimmer, and
bench him.

So did we learn anything this week? Again, BWO isn't about learning
things.

The sword is always mightier than the pen here. What Week 2 reaffirmed
is JETS is an acronym for Just End The Season, nobody boos their own
players like Eagles fans and the Falcons can never be trusted with a
lead.

28-3 foreshadowed them Dirty Birds bringing America's Team back to life
in the Bird Gauntlet.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Tyrod Taylor missed Week 2 start after chest pains, hospital visit

September 21, 2020

CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 13: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Los
Angeles Chargers looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during
the first half at Paul Brown Stadium on September 13, 2020 in

CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 13: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during
the first half at Paul Brown Stadium on September 13, 2020 in

San Diego Padres time capsule: A letter from a 2006 postseason odyssey
by John Buhler

Tyrod Taylor had to go to the hospital Sunday.

One of the bigger stories from Week 2 came when the Los Angeles
Chargers called upon rookie Justin Herbert to start against the Kansas
City Chiefs. This came as a shocking move, but it had nothing to do
with the play of Tyrod Taylor.

The veteran was a late scratch and the initial report was lingering
problems with a rib injury. It turns out Taylor actually complained of
pain in his chest and was even sent to the hospital Sunday
afternoon.

Tyrod Taylor still in the mix for Week 3

This is somewhat concerning news for Taylor. He did go through the week
with pain in his ribs, so it is possible that was part of the issue. Regardless, it must have been bad if he was sent to the hospital.

His absence allowed rookie Justin Herbert to step in as the starter and
throw for 311 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to the Chiefs.
This came after Taylor struggled in Week 1 against the Cincinnati
Bengals. The quarterback finished with 208 yards and went a brutal
16/30 on the day.

The easy move is to keep Herbert in as the starter after his big day.
However, head coach Anthony Lynn did come out after the game and say
Taylor is still the starter as long as he is healthy for Week 3.

Taylor struggled but clearly not enough for Lynn to use Herbert's
performance as an excuse to bench his veteran. The team is 1-1 so
that does give Lynn more time before he is forced to make a change if
Taylor is limiting the offense. Herbert is also still a rookie and did
not have a preseason. One game won't define him, good or bad.

Taylor was kept around to start once Philip Rivers was let go and the
Chargers aren't wavering from that plan just yet.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Darren Waller's MNF breakout proves he's an All-Pro caliber tight end

September 22, 2020

Darren Waller proved he is an elite tight end last night in the Las
Vegas Raiders' win over the New Orleans Saints.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller has done just about
everything in his power to get you to notice him.

After nearly washing out of the NFL due to substance abuse, Waller
converted from a wide receiver to a tight end, eventually becoming one
of the league's best. While his breakout 2019 raised some eyebrows, few
were willing to put him in the upper tier of tight ends. Waller
might've changed hearts and minds on Monday night against the New
Orleans Saints.

Waller eviscerated the Saints yesterday, catching 12 passes for
103 yards and a touchdown to help Jon Gruden and Vegas pick up
their first win in their shiny new arena.

Darren Waller has flown under the radar, but his production is elite

Given the relative absence of hype, the Raiders' poor performance last
year, and the belief that the offense runs through running back
Josh Jacobs, it's easy to see why Waller has been so overlooked.

However, Waller is coming off of a season in which he amassed
1,145 yards receiving. Waller is actually on pace to break his own
personal best in terms of yards this year.

No one will mistake him for George Kittle as an in-line blocker, but
Waller hasn't lost his wide receiver speed despite bulking up, Doing so
allowed to him to obliterate Malcolm Jenkins, as the veteran Saints DB
couldn't keep up with the fleet-footed Waller.

The Raiders have the vertical component in their passing game all set
up in Henry Ruggs III, and both Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow can
handle things underneath. Waller allows them to own the middle of the
field due to his speed and mismatch potential.

Carr's performance last night showed that even in a very deep division,
the Raiders are not to be discounted. If they can sustain their winning
ways into November and December, Waller will finally be coronated as
one of the few elite tight ends in the league.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Eli Manning heating up retirement and ‘homegating'

September 22, 2020

Eli Manning is now an NFL spectator for the first time in 16 years, and
he seems to be doing just fine with it.

You can't keep a Manning down, even after they leave the game of
football, and former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is no
exception to that rule. As he has transitioned from face of the
franchise to NFL spectator, he's also learning the fine art of the
NFL tailgate.

Of course, with the global pandemic still raging on, tailgating has
been curtailed in 2020 so far. Thus, the ‘homegate' was brought forth,
and Eli — along with several former teammates and special guests — put together a massive virtual homegate, sponsored by Frank's RedHot.

While the food and Frank's sauces were plentiful, there was still a lot
of football talk going on with Manning and co-homegate-host, Shaun
O'Hara.

Manning and company were joined by about 200 lucky fans in a Zoom
hangout this past Sunday, some of whom were lucky enough to be able to
ask the two-time Super Bowl winner a question.
Eli Manning

Fans wearing Giants merch are seen during the Eli Manning and Frank's
Frank's RedHot)

The first question, of course, was how it felt to now be a spectator
rather than in the midst of an NFL game on Sundays.

“My body is less sore, don't have to go into a meeting room and got to
enjoy the Sunday” Manning said.

As expected, some fans wanted to know what Manning thought of current
Giants quarterback, Daniel Jones, who has the unenviable task of
following in Eli's footsteps.

“I think Daniel Jones has worked extremely hard. He has a great worth
ethic, wants to be a leader and wants to take over that team and I
think he's doing all those things in the right way. I think he'll have
a big season,” Manning told fans.

“I talked to Daniel throughout the offseason a little bit and I don't
have any advice for him. He doesn't need advice from me, I just said I
can be a resource for you if you want.”

The questions didn't all revolve around football, as it seems several
fans were interested in Manning's appearance as a host on NBC's
Saturday Night Live.

“Taping for SNL was an awesome week. It was like a football week. You
go in Monday to meet the crew and cast. You're in a room with almost 40
people in there and they're pitching ideas. This is a brand new week
for them and they are just kind of meeting the opponent,” Manning
mused. “It was a great thrill for me to do SNL and the people in the
show are just hilarious.”

Eli Manning talks with Emmy and Liam

Eli Manning

A guest speaks with former NY Giants Shaun O'Hara and Eli Manning via livestream during the Eli Manning and Frank's RedHot Host Virtual

Two very special fans from the Children's Hospital of Mississippi, Emmy
& Liam, also got ask Eli and Shaun questions, where O'Hara revealed
that Manning would “carb load” the night before a game.

“Before a game, we always had a Saturday night snack before going to
bed. Every night I'd make a big tray of french fries and Eli would come
over and take half of them.” O'Hara said.

Speaking of food, let's face it, you can't have a tailgate (or
homegate) without food, even a virtual one, and the spread at this
event was quite the caloric spectacle. Wings, ribs, chips, cookies,
brownies, and every other kind of tailgate food you can think of were available, complete with a Frank's RedHot Sauce dipping fountain.

Be sure to check out some of the tailgating food ideas and recipes
that were shared here on FoodSided, including a Red Solo Cup 7-layer
dip that Adam Richman helped coach Eli and Shaun through making.
Eli Manning

Former NY Giants Shaun O'Hara and Eli Manning eat during the Eli
Images/Getty Images for Frank's RedHot)

Along with the food came the party fouls, for what tailgating event
would be complete without some games?

Manning attempted to throw some passes to fans via Proxy (the human
stand-in with a tablet face), and it's clear the time off has affected
his arm. The future hall-of-famer only completed two of more than a
dozen pass attempts to various fans as well as former teammate, Victor
Cruz.

Eli and Shaun competed in games of giant Jenga, cornhole, and ladder
golf, with the loser of each game having to perform a penalty.

If you ever wanted to see an offensive lineman turn-up a bottle of hot
sauce, this was your opportunity. O'Hara gave it his all and downed a
huge gulp of the original Frank's RedHot.
Eli Manning

Former NY Giants Eli Manning and Shaun O'Hara playing party games

Another surprise guest, once the party was winding down, was Daina Falk
of The Hungry Fan, who tried to teach Eli and Shaun how to
properly eat a flat chicken wing

“Take the pointy end and push the meat down so it becomes more like a lollipop then you can get all in one sweep”

While Dana's technique was impeccable, Eli and Shaun struggled with
deciding which end was pointy and precisely how to push down the meat.
Their result was a bit more … well … primal.

As the games began to kick off for the day, the homegate wrapped up
with O'Hara and Manning cutting loose with Frank's RedHot signature
phrase, “Remember to put Frank's RedHot on everything, that sh*t goes
on everything!”

You can see a recording of the entire virtual homegate here on Twitter.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Fantasy Football 2020 Week 3 rankings: Who to start and sit

September 22, 2020
Fantasy Football, NFL

Week 3 of who to start and sit is here and it could be needed now more
than ever.

The NFL saw maybe its toughest week of any regular season in a long
time during Week 2. It saw multiple devastating injuries to some of its
biggest names, leading a number of names out for the season or set to
miss multiple weeks moving forward.

Those names who will not play the rest of this season include Nick
Bosa, Saquon Barkley, and Courtland Sutton. Oh, and
Christian McCaffrey will reportedly miss the next 4-6 weeks, just
to the add-in. There was a lot of bad in the NFL, meaning there was a
lot of bad for the Fantasy Football 2020 season.

That makes Week 3 rankings and start and sit options so important, as
there will be some names that need to make a major splash for a lot of
owners. This week's version should be among the deeper dives of Fantasy Football 2020 due to the number of names gone due to injury. There will
be backups taking over, new options learning how to be effective, and
young studs ready to break out once and for all.

Hopefully, I can help you calm the storm this week in order to save
your season, continue your hot start, and give you some answers as to
who is worth the start now that you are without your first picks of
Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley. A terrifying reality, but
one that we live in. Let's go on this journey together then. Here are
your start and sit options for Week 3 of the NFL season.

Note: Superstars like Lamar Jackson or Julio Jones will not
be involved in this, rather players who stand at the second spot or
lower in hopes of finding a boom for your lineup that someone may not
expect.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Drew Brees got absolutely roasted by Twitter over his lack of arm strength

September 22, 2020

Twitter had a field day making fun of Drew Brees' arm strength during
Monday Night Football.

If the New Orleans Saints truly care for Drew Brees, someone in
the organization will take his phone and delete Twitter from it. He
won't want to look at social media any time soon.

During the Saints' loss to the Raiders on Monday Night Football, the quarterback's arm strength became fodder for a tidal wave of jokes.

It was merciless and hilarious all at once.

Let's start with some actual numbers courtesy of ESPN Stats and
Info.

Brees has averaged 4.82 air yards on his passes so far in 2020. No
quarterback has averaged such a low number in two games since Brett
Favre in 2009. Favre was 40 years old that season. It's not a
coincidence the 41-year-old Brees is producing similar numbers.

Of course, the internet is less concerned with the stats and more
interested in the memes. There were a ton of them.

Matt Harmon of Yahoo! Sports skipped the Favre reference and went
straight to Peyton Manning:

In fact, Manning took a ton of collateral damage on the night:

Pro Football Focus, who are normally consumed by numbers, went with a
brutal Spongebob reference:

Keeping with the theme of childhood favorites being wielded as deadly
weapons, Barstool came out swinging:

NFL Memes hit a few bombs on Monday night — certainly more than Brees managed:

For the record, PFF was able to back that criticism up. Brees was
5-of-9 on passes of 10 yards or more downfield. He attempted just one
pass 20 yards or more downfield and that was incomplete. That means 28
of his pass attempts were for less than 10 yards.

But enough of that actual analysis. Let's get back to the memes.

Like this:

And this:

And another:

With Brees struggling, Derek Carr came out on top in his first
game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He completed 28-of-38 passes
for 282 yards and three touchdowns.

Brees, by comparison, completed 26-of-38 for 312 yards, a touchdown and
an interception.

In the grand scheme of things, Monday night wasn't a horrendous
performance for Brees. It was just lacking enough for Twitter to enjoy.
And for the Jameis Winston conversation to begin.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Real people want Drew Brees benched for Jameis Winston

September 22, 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 05: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans
Saints celebrates after a second quarter rushing touchdown by Alvin
Kamara #41 (not pictured) against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild
Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 05: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans
Saints celebrates after a second quarter rushing touchdown by Alvin
Kamara #41 (not pictured) against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild
Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New

WWE Monday Night Raw: RETRIBUTION competes in main event by Raphael
Garcia

Drew Brees doesn't look like Drew Brees so far in 2020

The unthinkable is being considered on Twitter. Drew Brees is old.
Like, not actually old, but NFL player old. He can't throw like he used
to and without Michael Thomas he looks like a shell of himself.

The Saints offense is still capable, but they're forced to pick up
yards in small chunks assuming one of their receivers doesn't break
free on a short or intermediate route. Win or not, Brees is limited and
the Saints are learning how to win with that version of him as signal
caller. It's going to take some time.

Time isn't something Twitter pundits have much of these days.

Real NFL pundits — and Saints fans — want to see what Jameis Winston can do

Who are we to disagree with the great Mina Kimes?

pssssst
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
Jameis time…?

— Canal St. Chronicles (@SaintsCSC) September 22, 2020

Psst…not too loud. We don't want Drew to hear us.

Jameis is enjoying his clipboard time. Perhaps the Microsoft Word
paperclip can join him.

The Saints have Jameis and apparently Steve Young 2.0 on the
sideline.

How long does Brees have playing at this level before they've got
decisions to make?

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) September 22, 2020

It's definitely too soon to have this conversation. Brees is going to
pad his numbers, win or lose, because he has a solid receiving corps
even without Thomas in the equation. Brees is a future Hall of Famer
for a reason, let's give him the benefit of the doubt, even if Winston
seems like the younger, more attractive option for now. The Saints
haven't gone 2-0 since 2013. it just doesn't happen, so maybe we should
pump the brakes a little.

That opinion will probably flip a few times between now and the end of
the season.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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5 candidates to replace Matt Patricia as Lions head coach

September 23, 2020
Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions

DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 13: Detroit Lions head football coach Matt

Matt Patricia could be replaced if the Lions keep losing.

The Detroit Lions were apparently not satisfied with the 9-7 record
head coach Jim Caldwell helped the team achieve in 2017, so they
decided to hire a coach in Matt Patricia who has managed the same
amount of wins in 34 games as Lions head coach.

The Lions fired Jim Caldwell for going 9-7.
Matt Patricia took over and is now 9-24-1.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) September 20, 2020

The Lions can't keep Patricia if he continues to keep this team, who
has lost 11 straight games dating back to last year. If, or more likely
when, Patricia gets the ax they should look at one of these five
replacements.

Detroit Lions: 5 candidates that can put fans out of their Matt Patricia
misery

5

Matt Eberflus

DC Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts

There is a lot of hype around Frank Reich, Nick Sirianni, and the
Indianapolis offense, but Eberflus might've done a more impressive job
on the defensive side of the ball. Eberflus, a former linebackers coach
with the Dallas Cowboys, has helped Indy have one of the league's most
feared pass rushes while molding Darius Leonard into arguably the
most productive linebacker in the game right now. Hiring a defensive
coach in Patricia hasn't worked out, but Eberflus seems a bit
different.

It's becoming more apparent by the day that Patricia's success as a
defensive coordinator was largely due to Bill Belichick. Eberflus, has
was a defensive coordinator at Missouri for seven years before working
as a linebacker coach for the last decade, was also a passing game
coordinator during Dak Prescott tremendous rookie season. A
well-traveled coach who knows both sides of the ball and commands
respect, Eberflus can take a roster that has plenty of quality starters
on it and help them compete for a division title sooner rather than
later.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Steelers' Tyson Alualu becoming a breakout star at age 33

September 23, 2020

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 08: Tyson Alualu #94 of the Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 08: Tyson Alualu #94 of the Pittsburgh

Bowl games will be glorified participation trophies if new waiver
passes by Leigh Oleszczak

Tyson Alualu is dominating this season at age 33.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are building a team that is more reminiscent of
the teams who have brought six championships to this franchise, as
Benny Snell and James Conner have revitalized the running game at
the same time Devin Bush and Minkah Fitzpatrick are leading a
turnaround on defense. A complete afterthought coming into the season, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu has emerged as a legitimate star
throughout the first two weeks of the season.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Alualu, who has nine tackles
and a sack through two games, is leading all interior defensive linemen
in pressure rate so far this season. With Cam Heyward also on the same defensive line, Pittsburgh's defense is bordering on an elite level of
play to start the season.

Tyson Alualu has been critical to Pittsburgh's defense this year

Alualu was picked in the first round, tenth overall, of the 2010 NFL
Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but his career never took off during
his seven years in Duval County. He started regularly but was
usually just a space-eating run-stuffer. After vacillating in and out
of the starting lineup during his first three seasons as a Steeler,
Alualu has finally unlocked his vast reservoir of talent.

Alualu himself cites this upturn in production to his teammates on the defensive line, saying that he is afforded more 1-on-1 opportunities
because teams are focusing on trying to stop Heyward and Stephon
Tuitt. If he keeps getting to the quarterback at this rate, the
offensive gameplan better include stopping him.

While the Giants and Jeff Driskel-led Broncos aren't exactly the Walsh
49ers on offense, Alualu's journey from draft bust to quality started
to backup to elite interior pass rusher has been a treat to watch, and
he's helped Pittsburgh establish themselves as contenders in the AFC
North.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Justin Herbert is now a viable waiver wire add in fantasy football leagues

September 23, 2020
Fantasy, Fantasy Football, Los Angeles Chargers

With the starting gig in Week 3 and possibly for good, Justin Herbert
is now a viable waiver wire add in fantasy football.

At the proverbial last minute, with Tyrod Taylor dealing with chest
pains, Justin Herbert made his NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs
in Week 2. He looked the part, completing 22 of 33 passes for 311 yards
with a touchdown and an interception. He also had 18 rushing yards and
a score on the ground, on his way to 23.24 fantasy points (Yahoo!
scoring).

Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has remained committed to Taylor as
the starter, with the caveat of when's he's 100 percent
healthy. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Wednesday morning
that Herbert would likely start Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers.
Then, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported what exactly Taylor is dealing
with.

The Chargers' team doctor accidentally punctured his own quarterback
Tyrod Taylor's lung just before kickoff Sunday while trying to
administer a pain-killing injection to the quarterback's cracked
ribs, league and team sources told ESPN.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2020

As if the Chargers medical staff is to be trusted after puncturing his
lung, they have apparently advised Taylor not to play “indefinitely.”

Doctors have advised Tyrod Taylor not to play “indefinitely” due to
his punctured lung. The Chargers were hoping Taylor would be able to
start Sunday, but doctors are against it.
https://t.co/FHm7aJXC8o

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2020

In Week 3 the Chargers will take on the Carolina Panthers, who have
allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks through two
weeks. But they are also in the bottom-10 in pass attempts against
(32.5 per game), as a residual of being the worst fantasy defense
against running backs thus far. In short, the Panthers do not have a
good defense.

Herbert was on the radar as a speculative waiver wire add in fantasy
when the week started, and now on Wednesday he's a certified solid
roster add with the starting job his until further notice. Week 4
against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Week 5 against the New Orleans
Saints look like possible pass-heavy game scripts for the Chargers,
then a soft stretch is coming from Week 6-Week 9 (New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders).

A comp I've consistently landed on for Herbert is Buffalo Bills
quarterback Josh Allen. As a rookie in 2018 Allen started 11 games and
played in 12, with an elbow injury that cost him four games as a
symmetrical split point. In his first six starts (Week 2-6, with an
early exit in Week 6), he was QB27 in fantasy. He returned in Week
12, and from there to Week 17 (six starts), he was QB1 in fantasy.
Allen topped 95 rushing yards in four of those final six starts (over
100 yards twice).

The Chargers offense looked different with Herbert under center in Week
2, and he has talent around him (Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike
Williams, Hunter Henry). While his raw rushing numbers weren't great at
Oregon, owing in part to sacks being taken off a quarterback's rushing
yardage, Herbert is mobile and he scored 13 rushing touchdowns in
college.

Herbert's ownership rates will start to spike now. But as of Wednesday afternoon, he is only owned in 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues and 6.8
percent of ESPN leagues. He's a locked-in top-end quarterback streamer
for Week 3 now, and in two-quarterback leagues the rookie signal caller
is a must-add this week. He might be a must-add in every fantasy league
looking toward Week 4.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Chiefs-Ravens should be epic, Packers and Saints play critical NFC tilt

September 23, 2020

In Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes
meet on Monday night, while the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans
Saints clash.

For all the stats you could ever want, check out Pro Football
Reference.

Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars

Best mismatch for Dolphins: Play keep-away. The Jaguars allow 77.1
percent of throws to be completed, only better than the Falcons. Ryan Fitzpatrick has to avoid turnovers and play smart.

Best mismatch for Jaguars: The money down. Jacksonville leads the NFL
with a 62.5% conversion rate on third down. The Dolphins are 26th in
defensive rate on third down (50.0%).

Stat to know: Miami allows an average of 12.7 passing yards per
attempt, worst in football.

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons

Best mismatch for Bears: Make a play. Atlanta ranks last in 355 yards
after catch allowed, giving Allen Robinson and Co. a chance to break
free.

Best mismatch for Falcons: Pass to move. The Falcons have the most
passing first downs (38) in football. Chicago is a pedestrian 17th
against in this department.

Stat to know: The Falcons have allowed touchdowns on 90 percent of red
zone trips, worst among all 32 teams.

Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles

Best mismatch for Bengals: Shorten the game. Cincinnati averages the
longest drives per play in the NFL (7.7). To beat the Eagles, the
Bengals must control the ball.

Best mismatch for Eagles: Make a special play. The Bengals are dead
last in covering kickoff returns at 46 yards per attempt. Philadelphia
will have opportunities to score or grab great field position.

Stat to know: The Eagles lead the league in giveaways with six, ending
a league-worst 24 percent of their drives with one.

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers

Best mismatch for Texans: Find the deep ball. Houston needs to protect
with seven and dial up some shots. Pittsburgh ranks fourth-worst with
392 air yards against in the passing game.

Best mismatch for Steelers: Here it comes. The Steelers lead the league
in blitz percentage (61.7 ) while Houston has allowed the most sacks
with eight.

Stat to know: Despite playing Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson,
Houston has allowed the third-fewest passing yards (380) this season.

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants

Best mismatch for 49ers: Passer beware. San Francisco is permitting 8.7
yards per completion, the lowest number in the sport. New York ranks
27th offensively with 10.2 YPC.

Best mismatch for Giants: Make a play. Special teams might be where the
Giants win. New York is sixth in yards per kick return (28.0) while San Francisco ranks 24th against (29.5 yards)

Stat to know: New York is averaging 2.7 yards per carry, worst in
football. Now, Saquon Barkley is out for the season.

Los Angeles Rams at Buffalo Bills

Best mismatch for Rams: Goff has comfort. The Bills struggle to
generate pressure, ranking 24th in hurry rate at 6.6 percent. The Rams
check in third in yards per pass attempt. at 9.3.

Best mismatch for Bills: Don't run that in here. Buffalo is stout
against on running plays, No. 9 in the NFL on yards per carry (4.1).
Los Angeles has a banged-up Cam Akers and is average on there ground,
at 4.4 YPC (14th-best).

Stat to know: Look for chunk plays. The Rams and Bills rank second and
third respectively in yards per completion at 13.6 and 12.8.

Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots

Best mismatch for Raiders: Size matters. Las Vegas is huge up front
with right tackle Trent Brown (380 lbs.), guard Richie Incognito (325
lbs.) and center Rodney Hudson (315 lbs.). They can move a smaller New
England front and create lanes for Josh Jacobs.

Best mismatch for Patriots: Win on third. The Patriots have the
fourth-best third down conversion rate in football (54.5%) while Las
Vegas is dead last defensively (58.3%).

Stat to know: The Raiders have scored on 66.7 percent of their drives
this season, tops in the NFL.

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings

Best mismatch for Titans: Sustain the momentum. Minnesota allows 43.8
yards per drive, the fourth-worst figure in football. The Titans have
the run and play-action game to exploit the weakness.

Best mismatch for Vikings: Ground and pound. Minnesota averages 5.4
YPC, fourth-best in football. Tennessee's defense ranks 29th (5.1 YPA).

Stat to know: Kirk Cousins has had a league-worst 7.8 percent of his
attempts intercepted.

Washington Football Team at Cleveland Browns

Best mismatch for Football Team: Harass Baker Mayfield. The Football
Team has notched 11 sacks, most in the league. For an upset, they'll
need to get home.

Best mismatch for Browns: Stay on the ground. Cleveland averages 5.7
YPC, second-best in football. Washington checks in 17th against at 4.4
YPC. It also slows down the pass rush.

Stat to know: Washington is last in third-down conversation rate at
30.0 percent.

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers

Best mismatch for Panthers: Return to sender. Carolina checks in
seventh in yards per kick return (27.3) while Los Angeles is
third-worst at 37.5 yards/return against.

Best mismatch for Chargers: Seeing red. Los Angeles is third-best
defensively in the red zone (33.3%) while Carolina was 15th offensively
(57.1%) before losing Christian McCaffrey.

Stat to know: The Panthers are the only team without a sack this year.

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts

Best mismatch for Jets: Get pressure. The Jets knock down the
quarterback on 15.1 percent of attempts against, the best figure in
football.

Best mismatch for Colts: Thou shall not pass. The Colts rank first
defensively in yards per play against (4.4) and net passing yards per
attempts (4.6) The Jets check in 30th and 29th, respectively.

Stat to know: New York has missed 40 tackles, 11 more than anybody else
in 2020.

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks

Best mismatch for Cowboys: Go deep. Seattle has allowed a staggering
655 air yards against this year. The second-worst team, the Browns,
have surrendered 441.

Best mismatch for Seahawks: Let Russ cook. Russell Wilson has thrown
for 10.4 average net yards per attempt (ANYA), tops in the game. Dallas
is 27th at 8.2 ANYA against.

Stat to know: The Seahawks are averaging 17.5 yards per punt return,
best in the NFL. Dallas is yet to have any result but a fair catch or
touchback against.

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals

Best mismatch for Lions: Run it back. Detroit is tied for second with
16.0 yards per punt return. Arizona is average (16th), allowing 7.7
yards per punt. The Lions may need a big play or two in the kicking
game to win.

Best mismatch for Cardinals: Run that rock. Arizona is eighth in yards
per carry (5.0) while Detroit is dead last against, allowing 6.5 yards
per attempt (0.9 worse than anybody else).

Stat to know: Arizona is tied with Pittsburgh for the best red zone
defense in football (28.6%).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos

Best mismatch for Buccaneers: Don't run from us. The Buccaneers are
tied with Pittsburgh for the best run defense, allowing 2.9 yards per
carry. That's tough news for the Jeff Driskel-led Broncos.

Best mismatch for Broncos: Get off the field. Tampa Bay is 28th in
average drive duration (2:15) and 27th in yards/drive (26.9). The
Broncos have a chance for quick 3-and-outs.

Stat to know: The Broncos have scored on only 25 percent of their
drives, the lowest figure in the league.

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints

Best mismatch for Packers: The Packers are averaging 7.1 yards per play
through two weeks, the highest mark in the NFL.

Best mismatch for Saints: Go up top. Green Bay is surrendering 12.9
yards per completion, ranking 29th. New Orleans, especially if Michael
Thomas plays, can take advantage.

Stat to know: Green Bay and New Orleans are the only teams to allow
less than two sacks this year.

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens

Best mismatch for Chiefs: Time for Patrick Mahomes. The Ravens rank
20th in pressure rate (19.5%) despite blitzing third-most (47.1%).
Kansas City is third in sack rate against (2.5%).

Best mismatch for Ravens: Elusive speed. The Ravens have Lamar Jackson,
Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins against a Chiefs' defense which has missed
29 tackles, second-worst in football.

Stat to know: Kansas City has the NFL's second-best pressure rate at
37.2 percent. The Ravens have allowed a league-worst 10.7 sack
percentage on dropbacks.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Better Week 3 performer: Davante Adams, Chris Godwin or Kenny Golladay?

September 23, 2020
Detroit Lions, Fantasy Football, Green Bay Packers,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Davante Adams, Chris Godwin and Kenny Golladay are dealing with injuries.

Injuries have been a big story in the first two weeks of the 2020
NFL season. This was excepted given the lack of a preseason, as
it's hard to get into football shape without playing football. Three
star wide receivers of note are dealing with injuries, but might be
ready to roll in Week 3. Who will be better on Sunday between
Davante Adams, Chris Godwin or Kenny Golladay?

The Fantasy Footballers addressed the good news that all three of
these fantasy football stars might play this week. Adams is
dealing with a hamstring injury, but has played in both games with the
Green Bay Packers. Godwin missed Week 2 for the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers due to being in concussion protocol. Golladay looks to be
good for his season debut for the Detroit Lions.

Check out The Fantasy Footballers for all their advice.

Adams' status for Week 3 is the most up in the air, as Green Bay takes
on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football. Godwin should
be good to go in the Buccaneers' late afternoon window game vs. the
Denver Broncos. It feels increasingly more likely Golladay will
play his first game of the 2020 campaign vs. the Arizona Cardinals
in the late window as well. Who will do the best?

Chris Godwin has the more favorable matchup of these three wide receivers.

IFRAME: https://www.youtube.com/embed/qtk77tPkMXg

Though all three players are fortunate to not play in the early
afternoon window in Week 3, Godwin has by far and away the best
matchup. Denver is 0-2 and so many of its best players are dropping
like flies. This could also be the first time the Buccaneers will have
both of their star receivers fully healthy heading into a game for a
season. Tom Brady will have to love that.

While we're not sure just how good the Cardinals are, Golladay
immediately becomes Matthew Stafford's No. 1 receiving target again
upon his return to the lineup. We think Arizona is good, but the
San Francisco 49ers don't look to be as good as they were last
year and we don't think the Washington Football Team is even a
.500 team at this point. Golladay could have a big day here.

As for Adams, he's playing in the most high-profile game of the Sunday
slate. The Saints desperately want to avoid falling to 1-2 after losing
on the road to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.
Green Bay will need Adams to play well to win in New Orleans. Though he
might, Godwin has the better matchup this week and then probably
Golladay ahead of him.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Patrick Mahomes game-tying 2-point play was even tougher than we thought

September 24, 2020

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas
City Chiefs looks on from the sidelines during a 23-20 win over the Los
Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Inglewood,

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 20: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas
City Chiefs looks on from the sidelines during a 23-20 win over the Los
Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Inglewood,

Padres leave door open for Mike Clevinger postseason return by Scott
Rogust

Patrick Mahomes had to innovate on the Chiefs game-tying 2-point
conversion

The Chiefs came from behind in Los Angeles last Sunday thanks to some
late-game heroics from Mahomes, a role he's become accustomed to
playing in his last season-plus, including several unreal comebacks in
the postseason. The Chiefs Super Bowl run was filled with double-digit
deficits that just didn't stick, and the Chargers' 17-6 advantage
wasn't enough to contain Mahomes, either.

After narrowing the deficit on a deep ball to Tyreek Hill, in
which he had to throw the ball 50 yards while escaping the pocket, the
Chiefs still needed a two-point conversion to tie the game. Mahomes
found Mecole Hardman for the clutch conversion, but simply describing
the play as that isn't giving the former MVP the credit he deserves.

Hardman wasn't Mahomes first, second, or third target

We'll let ESPN's Adam Teicher tell the story. Per Teicher,
“Patrick Mahomes said the tying 2-point conversion in the fourth
quarter on Sunday vs. Chargers was supposed to be a shovel pass to
Clyde Edwards-Helaire. But he heard one of the Chargers players scream
“Watch for the shovel pass” shortly before the snap. Mahomes had before breaking the huddle told Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill, his last reads
on the play, to stay alive just in case. Mahomes threw to Hardman in
the end zone to tie the game at 17-17.”

The play drawn up by Andy Reid was meant to be a shovel pass to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, which under normal circumstances would've been a good
idea. The Chargers defense was coached up by Anthony Lynn to see that
play coming, however. Upon hearing this, Mahomes had to adjust
mid-play, rolling out and throwing across his body to Hardman.

Life isn't fair. The Chargers found that out the hard way.
(Video)

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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The Fire Adam Gase protest is sadder than the Jets somehow

September 24, 2020

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 22: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 22: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head

Raiders missing Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller at practice again by Mike
Luciano

A few Jets fans got together for a sad protest regarding Adam Gase.

New York Jets fans are not happy. The team hasn't been to the
playoffs since the 2010 season and the master plan was to bring in
Adam Gase to turn things around.

The result in 2019 was a 7-9 finish, which was actually the team's best
record since finishing 10-6 in 2015. Baby steps. Now the team is off to
an 0-2 start and appears hopeless on offense. That led a few fans to
lead the saddest protest ever.

From what I can tell, this is the extent of the “Fire Adam Gase”
protest outside of the Jets facility. It was supposed to start at 1
pm. It's 1:21. I did see another guy in a Jets jersey parked in a
nearby car. But he drove away. pic.twitter.com/aA5EdiOcHN

— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) September 24, 2020

The Adam Gase protest is a flop

This is the state of the Jets right now. The team is down several key
players, Sam Darnold is not looking like the franchise quarterback, and
even the fans can't piece together a solid protest. However, those two
braves souls are not alone in their call for Gase to be fired.

The head coach was an odd choice from the start. He had one winning
season with the Miami Dolphins and for some reason was seen as the
savior the Jets needed. He proceeded to alienate his star running back
in Le'Veon Bell right away and is a master of casting blame elsewhere
or being sarcastic when asked legitimate questions.

Gase and the Jets are currently preparing for a Week 3 matchup against
an Indianapolis Colts team that just made the Minnesota Vikings look
like a jayvee squad. This is with most of the starting skill
players out as well.

So this protest was a flop. A few more losses may be what it takes for
Jets fans to take to the streets. That is if they are even interested
in the team at that point. Some may just want a call once Gase is
fired.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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NFL Week 3: Trends which will decide each game

September 24, 2020

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 20: Quarterback Gardner Minshew #15 of
the Jacksonville Jaguars plays against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan

This week's NFL slate features a half-dozen interconference match-ups.

For the first time since 2008, there are 11 NFL teams that have won
their first two games. Conversely, it's also the last time that the
same amount of clubs opened the season 0-2. Six of those teams 2-0
squads would reach the postseason while three of the 0-2 clubs also
went to the playoffs.

Of course, that was during the 12-team format. This year, 14 teams will
be headed to the postseason. So much for those winning much-discussed
winning percentages from 1990-2019.

Hence, here's some trends to keep an eye on this week.

NOTE: All times ET

Thursday, Sept. 24

Miami Dolphins (0-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1), 8:20 pm

Dolphins: Brian Flores' team is off to a 0-2 start for the second
consecutive year, although this club has been much more competitive
than the squad that opened the season a year ago. Two weeks into 2019,
the Dolphins had been outscored a combined 102-10. This time around,
the club has been much more competitive but has really struggled early
in games. All told, the ‘Fins have scored a combined 39 points in
losses to the Patriots and Bills. But the club has totaled just 16
points and one touchdown in the first three quarters, compared to 23
points and three TDs in the final quarter. The running game and rushing
defense were issues in ‘19 and that has continued to date.

Jaguars: A club that has finished dead last in the AFC South the
previous two seasons and a franchise that parted ways with several
prominent players this offseason was thought to be in rebuilding mode.
But Doug Marrone's squad stunned the Colts in Week 1 and gave the
Titans all they could handle in Nashville last Sunday. Second-year
quarterback Gardner Minshew is hitting on 75.4 percent of his throws,
rolling up 512 yards through the air and toss three TD passes in each
of these first two games. Despite being sacked six times, he's fumbled
just once and did avoid a turnover. As a rookie, he coughed up the ball
a disappointing 13 times and lost seven of those fumbles.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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4 teams interested in snacking on Damon Harrison

September 24, 2020

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 09: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Damon
Harrison #98 of the New York Giants in action against the Jacksonville
Jaguars on September 9, 2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 09: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Damon
Harrison #98 of the New York Giants in action against the Jacksonville
Jaguars on September 9, 2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New

Vikings got a steal in former Broncos starting linebacker Todd Davis by
Mike Luciano

Veteran defensive tackle Damon Harrison is ready to play again and has
multiple teams looking to land his services.

While it seemed like Damon Harrison, also known as Snacks, was ready
for his life after football, a bit of a curveball has arrived this
week. The massive defensive tackle is reportedly ready to get back on
the field and has multiple teams ready to chase his signature.

Per NFL insider Adam Schefter, Harrison is set to have a visit with the
Seattle Seahawks soon. On top of that, three other organizations
have expressed interest in him and could work to get him to town for a
visit as well. Where will Harrison end up?

Former NFL All-Pro DT Damon “Snacks” Harrison, who openly
contemplated retirement last year, has decided to play this season
and is scheduled to visit next week with the Seahawks, per source.
The 31-year-old Harrison also has received interest from the Bears,
Packers and Bengals.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2020

Damon Harrison isn't ready to retire just yet and could end up with the Seahawks

Per Schefter, Harrison will head to Seattle next week for his visit.
He'd be a welcome addition for the Seattle defensive line, a unit which
has failed to put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks in the
first two weeks of the season.

Seattle isn't the only team in the mix here, though, as Harrison is
also drawing interest from the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati
Bengals and Chicago Bears. It's not often a 6-3, 350-pound stud is
available like this early on in the season, which is why you have these
four teams reaching out to Harrison. Now that the word is out he wants
to suit up this campaign, that list very well could end up growing.

In his eight-year career, Harrison has 485 tackles and 11 sacks to his
name. In 2016, he earned First-Team All-Pro honors with the Giants
after posting 86 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

The man clearly has some gas left in the tank and wants to get back on
the field to continue his tackling ways. We'll find out sooner than
later where he ends up.
Sunday

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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NFL Week 3: Bills, Titans and more on upset alert this Sunday

September 24, 2020

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 20: John Brown #15 of the Buffalo
Bills makes a catch over Bobby McCain #28 of the Miami Dolphins for a
touchdown during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on September

Which NFL teams should be on upset alert entering Week 3?

After a truly wacky Week 1 things stabilized a bit in the NFL during
Week 2. The chalk pretty much held across most games, although there
were a few close calls along the way. Let's take a look at this
week's slate and look at some teams that should be on upset alert
entering Week 3. All lines for the week are courtesy of the
FanDuel Sportsbook.

3. The Buffalo Bills need to be on their game against the Los Angeles Rams

This space featured the Bills last week when they were favored by
5.5 points against the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo ended up squeaking out a
win but Miami covered the spread after rallying to take the lead in the
fourth quarter.

No one is saying that the Bills aren't a good football team, especially
as Josh Allen appears to be blossoming as a passer before our eyes. The oddsmakers are clearly all in on Buffalo, who they have established as
2.5 point favorites at home against the 2-0 Rams.

Travel could be rough on the Rams, who had to fly out East to beat the Philadelphia Eagles last week and opted to return home before another
East Coast flight, but this team is more than capable of giving Buffalo
a run for their money. Los Angeles' pass rush, led by Aaron Donald, is
more than capable of pushing around the Bills' offensive line to make
life difficult for Allen.

The spread indicates that most oddsmakers expect a close game and
Buffalo could still prevail thanks to the travel factor. Los Angeles is
a very good team, however, and is more than capable of knocking off the
Bills in Buffalo this Sunday.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Colin Kaepernick issues strong call to action after Breonna Taylor ruling

September 24, 2020

Steven Stamkos returns and scores in Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final
(Video) by Scott Rogust

Colin Kaepernick called for the police to be abolished after the
Breonna Taylor ruling.

Colin Kaepernick is a household name after becoming a leading voice for
the Black Lives Matter movement in sports.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise he was one of the most outspoken
athletes in the wake of Wednesday's grand jury ruling regarding the
Breonna Taylor case.

“The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna
Taylor's life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being
of our people,” Kaepernick wrote on Twitter.

Colin Kaepernick didn't mince words in the wake of the Breonna Taylor ruling.

On Wednesday, a Kentucky grand jury opted to bring no charges
against the police officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor during a
botched drug raid in March. One officer was charged with three counts
of wanton enganderment for firing his weapon into a neighbor's
residence, but there were no charges related to the emergency medical technician's death.

Taylor's story sparked outrage across the country and her name has
become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

In sports, Taylor has been used as a symbol to protest racial
injustice. Lebron James wore a hat calling for the officers
involved in her death to be arrested. The WNBA honored Taylor with
a special jersey design. Tennis star Naomi Osaka wore a mask with
her name during a tournament.

The stance by Kaepernick went a step further politicallly by more controversially calling for the abolishment of the police.

Kaepernick is still awaiting his chance to return to the NFL, though no
team has yet to bring him in. Multipe suitors considered the
option this offseason apparently, but the only place the former
quarterback is throwing passes is in this year's edition of EA's
Madden game.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Mike McCarthy has strong words about CeeDee Lamb

September 25, 2020

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas
Cowboys warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 13: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas
Cowboys warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi

Texans have had big interest in bringing in Antonio Brown by Steven
Kubitza

Mike McCarthy shared some great praise for rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb.

The Dallas Cowboys decided to continue focusing on the offense in
the 2020 NFL Draft by taking receiver CeeDee Lamb with the No. 17
overall pick. He made his debut in Week 1 at the age of 21 and is the
team's second-leading receiver through two games.

Lamb does not appear to be having any sort of rookie struggles and that
comes without even having a preseason. His head coach in Mike
McCarthy recently spoke on how mature Lamb is during his first season.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy called WR CeeDee Lamb “mature beyond his
years. You can see it from Day 1. Clearly understands the components
of being a professional, just the way he communicates, the way he
goes about the meetings, the way he interacts, the way he asks
questions.”

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 25, 2020

Cowboys got it right with CeeDee Lamb

The Cowboys are lucky to be 1-1 right now. Week 2 saw the Atlanta
Falcons have yet another legendary collapse that got the Cowboys
back to .500. Lamb led his team with 101 receiving yards in the game
and was targeted nine times.

The rookie was thrown right into the offense and forms a dominant trio alongside Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. All three have over 100
receiving yards, but all sit with zero touchdowns through two games.

Blake Jarwin going down with a season-ending injury opened up the
offense a bit more in terms of targets. Tight end Dalton Schultz has
gotten his fair share in place of Jarwin, but the receivers should not
be targeted even more. That means Lamb will have even more
opportunities to prove himself.

McCarthy coming out and sharing such praise for Lamb after two weeks
shows the Cowboys got it right. They saw the receiver shine at Oklahoma
and took a chance on him over other top prospects. The sample size is
small, but the move appears to have given the offense a huge boost and
takes away any drama surrounding the receiving corps. The remaining
drama all has to do with Dak Prescott's future in town.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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John Harbaugh and Andy Reid know each other well, and it will show

September 25, 2020
Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs

There's a heavyweight battle of AFC powers in Baltimore on Monday
night.

One team has won 11 consecutive games dating back to last season,
including three postseason contests. The other is riding a 14-game regular-season winning streak.

One club is under the command of the 2018 MVP and Super Bowl LIV MVP.
The other is under the command of the reigning NFL MVP.

Patrick Mahomes led the NFL in touchdown passes in '18 in his
first full season as the starting quarterback of the Kansas City
Chiefs. Lamar Jackson threw a league-high 36 touchdown passes in his
first full campaign as the starting signal-caller for the Baltimore
Ravens.

This Monday evening, the battle between these two electrifying players
will be much discussed. But the real chess match will take place on the sidelines between two men who know each other quite well and have a
history of working together.

John Harbaugh is in the midst of his 13th season as the head coach of
the Baltimore Ravens. Before that, he spent 10 years in the City of
Brotherly Love as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. Those last
nine seasons were under the command of Andy Reid (the first under Ray
Rhodes in 1998). Harbaugh was Reid's special teams coordinator for
eight years (via Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com) and then
took over the secondary in 2007.

This will mark the sixth time that these two men will square off as
head coaches against each other. The first came in Harbaugh's first
season in Baltimore when Reid's Eagles were flattened, 36-7, in 2008.

And it's worth noting that both teams came within a win in their
respective conference championship games that year of squaring off in
Super Bowl LIII. But the Ravens fell at Pittsburgh and the Eagles were
taken down at Arizona. Both Baltimore and Philadelphia were No. 6 seeds
in the playoffs that year.

As for the last four meetings between the two sideline leaders, it's
been all Reid ever since. The Eagles knocked off the Ravens, 24-23, at Philadelphia in 2012. Kansas City went to Baltimore in 2015 and came
away with a lopsided 34-14 victory.

And in both 2018 and '19, the Chiefs hosted Harbaugh's team and handed
it a tough 27-24 overtime loss that first year and a 33-28 setback in
Week 3 this past season. Of course, both of those clashes between
Mahomes and Jackson were at Arrowhead Stadium. This prime time affair
takes place in Baltimore, for what that it truly worth these days.

While it sounds somewhat cliché, the defenses will have to step up in
this game. In 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs scored 565 points – the third-highest single-season total in NFL history. This past season, the
Ravens led the NFL with 531 points. It's also worth noting that neither
of those teams managed to get to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs have turned things around on the defensive side of the ball
after struggling the first 10 games of 2019 and Steve Spagnuolo's unit
has been pivotal to Kanas City's current winning streak. This
offseason, the Ravens bolstered their defensive front after that group
was pushed around in the playoffs by Derrick Henry and the Titans.
Baltimore traded for Calais Campbell and added veteran defensive end
Derek Wolfe via free agency.

It's a small sample size but the Ravens have already totaled six sacks
and an NFL-best five takeaways this year. The Chiefs also have a
half-dozen QB traps albeit only a pair of interceptions and no fumble recoveries. But trying to come up with miscues from the opposition will
be easier said than done.

A year ago, both Kansas City and Baltimore turned over the ball just 15
times in 16 regular-season outings. This year, Jackson has not thrown
an interception and fullback Patrick Ricard has the team's lone
turnover. Reid's team is clean after two games when it comes to giving
up the football.

The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions for a reason.
And Harbaugh and the Ravens will have their hands full with a team that
has now learned how to win ugly and not panic when falling behind. And
don't dismiss the fact that Reid has gotten the best of his former
assistant in each of their last four meetings.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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What can the Vikings front office do to fix their Kirk Cousins problem?

September 25, 2020

Kirk Cousins has been horrible through two weeks of the 2020 NFL
season. The Vikings front office now faces a bleak future at the
quarterback position.

The Vikings front office never believed Kirk Cousins was going to
be a transcendent quarterback capable of leading them to playoff glory.
The plan in Minnesota was always to deploy him as a signal-caller
capable of activating the talent around him at a satisfactory level.
That plan has gone up in flames for the Vikings front office in 2020.

Calling Cousins' play through two games “awful” would be an
understatement. He's looked absolutely lost in both of his team's
losses on the young season. The former Pro Bowler has only completed 30
of his 51 passes for 372 yards and two touchdowns. The fact that he's
already thrown four interceptions is a huge concern for Mike Zimmer and
his offensive coaching staff. It's also worth noting that a healthy
portion of his production in the team's Week 2 loss to the Colts came
in garbage time.

What can the Vikings do immediately?

The ugly truth is that Minnesota's front office doesn't have any good
decisions to make in the short-term. Sean Mannion is a serviceable
backup but he lacks the talent to turn the team around. Unless the
Vikings believe there's a free agent out there who can provide an
immediate upgrade they're going to be stuck with Cousins for the
remainder of their 2020 campaign.

Cousins' contract is a huge problem

The big issue with Cousins is that the Vikings have $41 million
committed to their starting quarterback next season. Cutting him is not
a financially feasible option. The idea of trading him would cause
other GMs around the league to laugh Minnesota out of the room.

That doesn't mean Minnesota has to sit back and trot Cousins out there
as the starter next season. Unfortunately, free agency is not going to
be a tonic for the franchise's quarterback woes. The Vikings already
have a ton of money committed to their roster for next season. Adding a
new quarterback. on anything other than a minimum deal would cause the
front office to completely gut the rest of the roster. That's not a
tenable solution for anyone in Minnesota.

The NFL Draft is the answer

The only possible way for the team to upgrade their quarterback options
in 2021 is to work through the draft. Using a first round pick on a
promising rookie could accelerate the Vikings' efforts to pivot away
from relying on Cousins.

The big question to ask is just where Minnesota's first round pick
might land. It's hard to envision a scenario where Cousins continues to
play this poorly over a full season. If he does, Minnesota might be in contention to land a top-three selection.

The more likely outcome is that Cousins elevates his play moving
forward to some degree. That doesn't mean he'll turn into a Pro Bowler
again, but he should stop killing any chance the Vikings have at
winning games with his putrid play. In the end, Minnesota is more
likely to end up as a bad team instead of being one of the worst
franchises in the entire league.

So who should the Vikings target?

Neither Trevor Lawrence nor Justin Fields is going to drop
out of the top five unless something truly remarkable happens before
the draft. That means the Vikings front office can go ahead and cross
both young signal-callers off their wish list.

The three guys Vikings fans should be paying attention to are Trey
Lance, Kyle Trask and Jamie Newman. Neither projects as a guy
who can come in and immediately play a starring role, but each guy has
a chance to put immediate pressure on Cousins.

Lance is the player who the Vikings should really be coveting. He's got
a massive arm and enough mobility to make defenses think twice about
committing too many men to the blitz.

Trask is arguably the most polished passer of the group. He excels at
putting the ball right where receivers want it time after time in
Florida's offense. Don't rule out the possibility that he could
skyrocket up draft boards with a strong season for the Gators.

Newman is the wild card here. NFL experts were anxious to see him ply
his wares at Georgia after his standout career at Wake Forest. His
decision to opt-out of the season with the Bulldogs will make him a
mystery man during the pre-draft process. The Vikings could easily fall
in love with his physical tools if he performs well during workouts.

What will the Vikings actually do?

This is bad news for Vikings fans hoping to see Cousins moved on as
soon as possible. Minnesota's most likely course of action is to trust
their current quarterback to bounce back and continue to be their
starter for the next two seasons. That will require immediate and
substantial improvement from him this season, but there's no reason to
think he's lost the ability to play football in one offseason.
playing

That means the Vikings will likely go into next season with the idea
that building around Cousins is the way to propel the franchise
forward. That makes adding more weapons for him to play with an
offseason priority for the team. Vikings fans can take solace in the
fact that those weapons should also help Cousins' successor achieve
success in Minnesota.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Tyron Smith likely out again Week 3 vs Seahawks

September 26, 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 29: Tyron Smith #77 of the Dallas
Cowboys in action during a game against the New Orleans Saints at the
Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans,

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 29: Tyron Smith #77 of the Dallas
Cowboys in action during a game against the New Orleans Saints at the
Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans,

Auburn's Seth Williams has most disrespectful TD catch you'll see all
weekend (Video) by Patrick Schmidt

The Cowboys are still waiting to get the all clear on Tyron Smith

Smith's absence has created a hole on Dallas' usually-reliable
offensive line. He's now expected to miss a second straight week with a
neck injury.

“Smith's medical situation is a concern, something the Cowboys believe they'll have to manage carefully over a prolonged period,” Todd
Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reported Saturday. “Trotting him out
now, after he hasn't practiced since suffered the injury during
individual drills on Sept. 17, may not compute.”

Backup Brandon Knight filled in admirably last week against the Atlanta Falcons. Dallas managed 40 points and an improbable comeback win over
Atlanta. The Cowboys will be counting on Knight once again to fill
in for Smith against the Seattle Seahawks. Smith is a seven-time Pro
Bowler for a reason, but Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have hardly
seen a drop in production so far.

Without Smith, the Cowboys are clearly underdogs on Sunday

Dallas heading to Seattle makes their win over the Falcons last week
all the more vital. Facing a 1-2 record after three weeks is far better
than a winless effort.

The Cowboys have Super Bowl aspirations, as they do every year, but
they're not playing at the level of the Seahawks early this season.
Barring a sudden change of pace, Dallas could be playing from behind
early and often come Sunday.

But as we saw last week when this Seahawks defense gave up over 300
yards passing to Cam Newton, there's room for improvement in their
secondary. Prescott should be able to take advantage of that, assuming
he has the necessary time to throw without one of the best linemen in
the game.
question vs. Seahawks

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Bills' Devin Singletary is a must-start vs. Rams in Week 3

September 26, 2020
Buffalo Bills, Fantasy Football

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary must get the start in fantasy.

With rookie running back Zack Moss out for Sunday's game with a
toe injury, this means you have to start Buffalo Bills running
back Devin Singletary if he is on your fantasy football team.
Buffalo may have a tough matchup in Week 3 vs. the Los Angeles
Rams, but this battle of unbeaten teams will be taking place on early
Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park, New York. Advantage Bills.

The Fantasy Footballers didn't bat an eye when debating if you
should start Singletary or not in Week 3. He will be getting even more
carries than he already does in this Buffalo offense. Even though
quarterback Josh Allen has gotten off to a great start, as he is
leading the NFL in passing, the Bills will move to 3-0 if they win
with defense and the ground game on Sunday afternoon.

Check out The Fantasy Footballers for all their advice.

You may have a few choices to make over where you start Singletary in
your fantasy lineup, but he's a good play for you at RB2 and definitely
in the flex if you want to go that route. The Rams may have a strong
defense, but so do the Bills. For that reason, we should anticipate
more of a ground-centric ball game between these two early playoff NFL contenders this weekend.

Don't think about it and just start Devin Singletary in Week 3 in fantasy.

IFRAME: https://www.youtube.com/embed/-4Rz04RGgT0

Had Moss been healthy enough to play in this game, you may have decided
against starting Singletary at RB2 or in the flex because of how strong
the Rams defense has been through two weeks. Then again, the Rams' two
wins are over NFC East opponents, which is widely seen as the worst
division in the NFL at this juncture. This will be the Rams' first big
test of the 2020 season.

And let's be real for a second. This will be the Bills' first real test
of 2020 as well. Their two wins may be over division rivals, but the
Miami Dolphins aren't good yet and the New York Jets might be
the worst team in football. Again, good teams should be able to beat
bad teams on their schedule. What this comes down to is how well a team performs against the worthwhile competition.

Though we may be in the midst of a breakout year for Allen, this is not
the game where he throws for over 400 yards through the air again. The
Rams have plenty of great defensive players. If the Bills want to
improve to 3-0, they will need to go back to their tried and true
recipe of winning with defense and the running game. This is why you
need to be all-in on Singletary in this one.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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11 incredible sports photos from Getty Images this week

September 26, 2020
MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer

The sports world makes for a beautiful palette but individual images can get lost in the constant shuffle. Here are the best Getty Images sports
photos from this week.

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees throws to first to force out Cesar
Puello of the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park
on Sept. 20, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Longtime rivals, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox series always make
for exciting games to photograph. There's a lot of heart and intensity
from both of these teams, and I try and illustrate that whenever I have
the chance to cover their games. While I missed the usual roar of the
crowd in a packed Fenway Park, the athletes played with the same
precision and concentration that they would to a sold-out ballpark. In
this photo, DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees flashes a quick throw to first
to force out Cesar Puello of the Red Sox during the seventh inning, but
it just wasn't enough for the Bronx Bombers. The Red Sox went on to
score three more runs that inning and another in the eighth, making the
final score 10-2 — an upset for the Yankees — however just hours later
they luckily punched their ticket to the postseason.

— Maddie Meyer

Harry How / Getty Images

Kicker Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with
teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Los
Angeles Chargers during overtime at SoFi Stadium on Sep. 20, 2020 in
Inglewood, California.

Miami Dolphins fans look on from the stands prior to the game between
the Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 20,
2020 in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Dolphins are allowing 13,000 fans
socially distanced in the stands.

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Ryan McDonagh of the Tampa Bay Lightning checks Corey Perry of the
Dallas Stars during the third period in Game 3 of the 2020 NHL Stanley
Cup Final at Rogers Place on Sep. 23, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada.

With the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final series in a 1-1 deadlock, things
got ratcheted up for a pivotal Game 3. Ryan McDonagh of the Tampa Bay
Lightning was a target most of the night due to a questionable hit in
Game 2, and the Dallas Stars Corey Perry was heavily involved with
McDonagh all night with multiple attempts to plant his 6-foot-3 frame
in front of the net. That provided me the perfect angle to keep my
camera on for this shot. That and some theatrical celebrations in the Lightning's 5-2 victory.

— Bruce Bennett

Julian Finney / Getty Images

Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal scores his team's first goal past Lukasz Fabianski of West Ham United during the Premier League match between
Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on Sep. 19, 2020 in
London, England.

Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates celebrates on the
podium during the 107th Tour de France 2020, Stage 21 on Sep. 20, 2020
in Paris, France.

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis of the Los
Angeles Lakers react after their win against the Denver Nuggets in Game
4 of the Western Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at
AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on Sept.
24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

After a loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3, the Los Angeles Lakers
were looking for a win to take control of the series in Game 4 of the
Western Conference Finals. With an early lead and fight to keep the
Nuggets at bay, the Lakers were up by six points and the game had just basically ended with time running off the clock. I saw LeBron walk up
to teammate Anthony Davis where he shot him this look, which said a lot
about what he was feeling at that moment. LeBron conveyed so much in
this one frame; it is the look that says we're very much still in this
fight and to keep pushing on.

— Mike Ehrmann

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

Robby Anderson of the Carolina Panthers is upended as he is tackled by
Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jason Pierre-Paul of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium on Sep. 20, 2020 in
Tampa, Florida.

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Eric Hosmer and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres react with
teammates after defeating the Seattle Mariners 7-4 to clinch a spot in
the playoffs at PETCO Park on Sep. 20, 2020 in San Diego, California.
The game was moved to San Diego due to air quality concerns in Seattle
from the wildfires.

Kevin C. Cox / Staff

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat blocks Kemba Walker of the Boston
Celtics during the first quarter in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference
Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN
Wide World Of Sports Complex on Sep. 19, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista,
Florida.

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Anton Khudobin of the Dallas Stars makes the save on a shot by Alex
Killorn of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in Game 1 of
the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on Sep. 19, 2020 in
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Cowboys injury update: Tyron Smith, DeMarcus Lawrence in question vs.
Seahawks

September 26, 2020

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 04: Tyron Smith #77 of the
Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sidelines during their game against
the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on November 04, 2019 in East

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 04: Tyron Smith #77 of the
Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sidelines during their game against
the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on November 04, 2019 in East

The Miami Marlins are the unlikeliest postseason team by David Salituro

Tyron Smith and DeMarcus Lawrence may not be available for the Cowboys
in Week 3.

The Dallas Cowboys could take on the Seattle Seahawks without
two key figures in the trenches, one on each side of the ball.

On Friday, head coach Mike McCarthy tagged veteran left tackle Tyron
Smith and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence as questionable for the
upcoming game.

He also confirmed cornerback Chidobe Awuzie will be out with a
hamstring injury, according to Michael Gehiken of the Dallas
Morning News.

The Cowboys are hurting heading into the Seahawks game.

Smith missed last week's narrow win over the Falcons with a neck
problem, forcing the Cowboys to start Brandon Knight at left tackle.
Even if Knight did an admirable job filling in for the future Hall of
Famer, there's simply no replacing Smith's ability.

McCarthy and company will want the veteran back as soon as possible,
but they aren't in control when it comes to the neck injury.

Lawrence started at defensive end but was limited in the second half
against Atlanta after tweaking his knee. That concern kept him out of
practice for much of the week and could put his prospects for starting
in Seattle in jeopardy.

If Lawrence can't go, the Cowboys would likely give the start to
Everson Griffen.

Dallas lost their first outing of the season to the Rams by just three
points before sneaking past the Falcons 40-39 thanks to a 17-point fourth-quarter comeback.

The Seahawks are likely to present an even bigger challenge this
weekend.

On the positive side, Seattle has its own problems with injuries
on defense, so the prospect of Smith missing out could be less of a
worry. However, the Cowboys will need their defensive front at their
best to contain Russell Wilson and company.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Athens High School has changed the name of its football stadium to honor QB
Joe Burrow

September 26, 2020

Joe Burrow's high school stadium in Athens, Ohio is now officially
named after him.

Last year, Athens High School declared their intention to name their
high school football stadium after proud alumnus Joe Burrow.

This week, they followed through.

The new signage on Joe Burrow Stadium is complete and it looks pretty
sweet.

Athens High School will now play football at Joe Burrow Stadium.

Not many living people can claim to have a stadium named after them, so
the Bengals‘ new QB is in rare company.

It was after winning the Heisman Trophy that the quarterback
highlighted the Athens area where he grew up and its high poverty rate.
His speech sparked $400,000 worth of donations to the Athens County
food bank, per ESPN.

In that way, honoring Burrow with the stadium's name isn't just about
his outstanding play on the field. It's about his dedication to helping
the local community. All involved should be proud.

The amazing thing is how quickly Burrow's legend came into being.

He was a star in high school, voted the Ohio Gatorade Player of the
Year as a junior and senior. He landed a dream offer from Ohio State
and signed with the Buckeyes, but a chance to play never materialized.
He looked destined to follow in the footsteps of many a heralded high
school quarterback who didn't take off at the college level.

Then Burrow transferred to LSU and won the starting job in 2018. Even
then, his debut season in Baton Rouge didn't herald the things to come.
He threw for 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions. He
was good, but not great.

Everything changed in 2019 as Burrow catapulted himself and the Tigers
into the stratosphere of all-time college football greats. He rained 60 touchdowns down on opposing defenses during arguably the single
most impressive season for a college quarterback ever.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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10 funniest tweets after the Falcons blew another late lead to the Bears

September 27, 2020

Watch Chicago Bears insane comeback against Atlanta Falcons (Video) by
Josh Hill

The Atlanta Falcons did it again, if you can believe it

Yes, really. Just one week after blowing a 20-point lead to the Dallas
Cowboys, Dan Quinn and the Falcons lost a nailbiter to the Chicago
Bears, in which they held yet another substantial advantage.

This time there was no devastating onside kick, no ridiculously dumb
play that'll give Falcons fan nausea. However, Quinn is very
clearly digging his own grave.

Sure, Nick Foles came in and led another ridiculous comeback when
called upon. Bears fans think they've finally found a quarterback. But
that's not the storyline, and NFL Twitter knows that.

NFL Twitter destroyed the Falcons for blowing another late lead

The Falcons fell victim to one of the classic blunders: being a
football team from Georgia.

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 27, 2020

If you can believe it, there were more that didn't make the cut.

The Falcons are the lovable losers in the modern NFL. Atlanta sports
fans have become far too used to that fact, with their most recent
significant conundrum being the blown 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots.

Regular season losses are just that, and don't end a season. But losing
games in the manner of which the Falcons have become accustomed to —
despite Matt Ryan and the offense putting up solid numbers — is bound
to linger. For Atlanta to truly overcome this mental block, they need a
win next week, and even that might not be enough.

A culture change is needed. It's time for Arthur Blank to provide it.
coach

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Cowboys 2020 Bird Gauntlet, Run 2: Can they peck the pesky Seahawks?

September 27, 2020
Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

The Dallas Cowboys will now face the Seattle Seahawks in the next phase of
the Bird Gauntlet.

The Dallas Cowboys shouldn't have advanced in the Bird
Gauntlet to play the Seattle Seahawks. America's Team was so dead
in Run 1 of the 2020 Bird Gauntlet vs. the Atlanta Falcons at home
in Week 2.

Yet with a less than zero percent chance of surviving, the Cowboys
did thanks to so many self-inflicted wounds by the Dirty Birds. With
the special teams blessings of the most sacred Watermelon Man John
Fassel, the Cowboys take their first victory up to the Pacific
Northwest.

Does Dallas have what it takes to advance past Run 2 of the Bird Gauntlet?

Though the Seahawks are 2-0 and have an NFL MVP frontrunner in
quarterback Russell Wilson, these aren't the same osprey from
yesterday. Seattle has given up a combined 55 points in the first two
weeks of the season. While the defense isn't as bad as what Dan Quinn
is running into the ground at Flowery Branch, Seattle has won the last
two weeks because of its offense.

The good news for Dallas in being able to survive Run 2 of its 2020
Bird Gauntlet is you can run and throw on this Seattle defense.
Matt Ryan and Cam Newton looked great in their games vs.
Seattle, regardless of the Falcons and the New England Patriots
falling to the Seahawks. If Quandre Diggs gets ejected again,
Jamal Adams said he'd ghost him, so that's in play as well.

If this game were played in front of a packed house of 12s, you could
not trust the Cowboys to win this one on the road. Yes, they may have a
bit of a letdown game on Sunday, as they will come down from the false
high of beating a Falcons team that lives to beat itself. However, the
Seahawks were a play away from losing on Sunday Night Football last
week. They are vulnerable.

For Dallas to advance, here is what the Cowboys must do. They cannot
turn the football over at will in the first half as they did against
Atlanta. Seattle has a bad defense too, but the Seahawks have a winning football culture in place, while the Falcons do not. If you allow an
extra possession or two in the hands of Wilson, you will get burned
because Russ is being allowed to cook in 2020.

This is an opportunity for Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to
really shine. He hasn't been as dominant as we hoped he'd be at the
start of the year. However, a physical runner like him, as well as a
mobile quarterback like Dak Prescott, could have success against
this underwhelming run defense of Seattle. By winning time of
possession, it aids in the Cowboys' chances at an upset.

In terms of being able to run the 2020 Bird Gauntlet, Run 2 will be one
of the Cowboys' toughest tests. Atlanta may be the easiest of the six
runs, but a lot of that remains to be seen on what becomes of the
arch-rival Philadelphia Eagles in the coming weeks. We should
expect the Baltimore Ravens to be menacing and the Arizona
Cardinals to be tough. Seattle is a challenge. [https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnfl%2Fcowboys__108x108.p
ng]
Related Story

Cowboys thank Falcons for letting them stay alive in the Bird Gauntlet

Read now >>

Ultimately, Sunday is the game many of us expected the Cowboys would
die in the 2020 Bird Gauntlet. Seattle is an NFC West favorite and a
major contender to get to Super Bowl 55 in Tampa. However, this
isn't the same Seahawks team from years past. If you can win a shootout
as you did against Atlanta, then you've got a shot at upsetting Seattle
and its vaunted offense on Sunday.

The Cowboys have the tools to survive and advance past Run 2 of the
sacred 2020 Bird Gauntlet.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Patrick Mahomes was in a glass case of emotions during Texas Tech-Texas overtime thriller

September 27, 2020
Kansas City Chiefs, NCAA Football

Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes was an emotional wreck watching his
alma mater try to upset Texas before falling just short in overtime.

This week of college football has been completely bonkers. On Saturday,
the shorthanded Kansas State Wildcats managed to come back from a 35-14
deficit to defeat the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners 38-35. It appeared we
were close to having our second upset win of the day in the Big 12, but
it didn't happen because of a late-game collapse.

The No. 8 Texas Longhorns hosted the in-state rival Texas Tech Red
Raiders and were considered the heavy favorites in the matchup.
However, Texas Tech refused to bow down, and managed to hold a
commanding lead over the Longhorns late in the fourth quarter! Red
Raiders quarterback Alan Bowman threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to
a diving T.J. Vasher to give them a 49-41 lead late in the fourth
quarter.

No Texas Tech alum was happier than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Patrick Mahomes, who gave a shoutout to Vasher following the
touchdown.

Patrick Mahomes is lucky the Kansas City Chiefs have Sunday off before
playing on Monday Night Football so he can collect himself after watching his alma mater put him through an emotional ringer

Mahomes' happiness grew to exponential levels on the very next drive.
After Texas punted the ball following a three-and-out, the Red Raiders increased their lead to 56-41 on a two-play drive, ending on a 75-yard
run by SaRodorick Thompson. Mahomes expressed his joy with a
simple smiley face emoji.

Yet, Mahomes got ahead of himself, and it came back to haunt him. Texas
would score on their next drive after quarterback Sam Ehlinger hit
wideout Brennan Eagles for a 12-yard touchdown, which caused the
reigning Super Bowl MVP to start sweating.

It only got worse for Red Raiders fans, as the Longhorns recovered the
onside kick and tied things up on an Ehlinger touchdown pass to
Joshua Moore to tie things up at 56 points apiece, forcing the
game into overtime. That was when Mahomes immediately regretted jumping
the gun on those tweets and even tagged “Old Takes Exposed” in case the
Red Raiders ended up blowing the perfect opportunity to win.

This is why i can't get excited 😐

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) September 26, 2020

Texas received first possession in extra time and immediately
capitalized with yet another Ehlinger touchdown pass to Moore, giving
them the 63-56 lead. The Red Raiders couldn't do anything on their lone overtime drive, as they lost four yards on three plays before Bowman
threw a game-ending interception to Texas safety Caden Sterns on
fourth down.

Mahomes was not available for comment after the loss, and by that, he
didn't tweet.

Texas Tech was on the verge of pulling off an unthinkable upset, but
they fell back down to Earth at the worst possible time. Expect Mahomes
to let out his frustrations on the Baltimore Ravens this upcoming
Monday.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage
by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football
Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Eagles announcer sounds ready to cry during overtime disaster (Video)

September 28, 2020

Nobody captured the Eagles overtime meltdown better than play-by-play
announcer Merrill Reese.

Please get the Philadelphia Eagles off of our television. Get them out
of print, block them on social media, and put them in an indefinite
timeout. Few supposedly good teams have exposed themselves as actually
bad more prominently than the Eagles, and Sunday's overtime meltdown
was the final straw.

The Eagles had one job, to beat the winless Cincinnati Bengals and
rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. While Burrow has been capturing
everyone's attention with his solid play through the first three starts
of the season, those starts are also the first three of his career. A
team like the Eagles — one with Super Bowl aspirations — should be able
to handle a rookie quarterback at home.

That's the exact opposite of what Philly did. In fact, they didn't even
screw up bad enough to lose the game, rather Matt Pryor's boneheaded
penalty late in overtime forced a tie and pushed the Eagles into
football purgatory.

Philadelphia was set up for a game-winning field goal — one that was
already a long shot as it stood — when Pryor false started and the
Eagles were pushed further away from a potential win and deeper into
whatever pit in hell they've been cast.

Merrill Reese has seen a lot of Eagles football in his years as a
play-by-play announcer, but the overtime penalty put him over the edge.

That's every Eagles fan personified in a single voice. It's the sound
of a thousand fans screaming helplessly into the void of this season,
knowing that there are still 13 more games that need to be played
before this season mercifully comes to an end.

Philadelphia's season gets no easier after their disaster against the
Bengals. Philly gets the 49ers, Steelers, and Ravens up next in a
gauntlet that will surely result in the team starting this season 0-6 —
not exactly what you're looking for.

Stranger things have happened, and they've happened in Philly, but this
is looking like a lost season where more soul searching than ever will
be needed this offseason to figure out what the future holds.
This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Why Chiefs-Ravens is the best game of the NFL season

September 28, 2020
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Emmanuel Ogbah, Kansas City Chiefs

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Emmanuel Ogbah, Kansas City Chiefs.

Tonight, the Chiefs and Ravens are giving us the best game of the NFL season

You are busting at the seams from a full platter of 15 NFL games
already this week. You've already witnessed supreme matchups like
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers at New Orleans
Saints. But you must make room for one more contest — one that promises
to live up to all the hype.

It's Monday Night Football in Baltimore, Maryland, at 8:15pm EST
tonight, and it's probably the most salivating showdown you could
script into a gridiron storybook. The NFL serves up sublime games each
week, but this one promises to transcend the traditional “should be a
great game” designation.

Schedule-makers knew what they were doing when the slyly slid this duel
onto the schedule in Week 3. Quarterbacks are the headliners, for the
most part, in any professional football game, and it gets no more
star-studded than Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson. The two men have
started 57 games between them, and this might just be the most
anticipated regular-season tryst to date.

Millions of televisions will be tuned to ESPN tonight. There are a
plethora of reasons as to why. Here are seven of the most enticing ones
if you need any more reason to tune in.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Alvin Kamara improbable touchdown was literally jaw-dropping (Video)

September 28, 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 27: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New
Orleans Saints carries the ball against the Green Bay Packers during
the first half at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 27, 2020 in New

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 27: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New
Orleans Saints carries the ball against the Green Bay Packers during
the first half at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 27, 2020 in New

NBA Twitter reacts to LeBron James facing old team in Finals by Mark
Powell

Alvin Kamara had an impressive touchdown catch and run Sunday night.

The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers represent one of the
best matchups in Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season. The Saints took a
lead into halftime and the game was tied up 27-27 heading into the
fourth quarter.

That is thanks to a huge catch and run from Alvin Kamara. His play
was so great it may put Mike Pettine's job security in question.

Alvin Kamara looking like a star

The Packers defense has to be embarrassed after this one. There are
four or five missed tackles on the play and the lack of wrapping up
Kamara is enough to drive any fan in Green Bay insane. The play was
officially a 52-yard touchdown, but Kamara covered much more ground
than that.

The narrative surrounding the running back before the season was
whether the Saints would give him the extension he wanted and deserved.
That drama was put aside this month when he received a five-year
extension worth $75 million.

The do-it-all back shares his carries with Latavius Murray, however, he
is invaluable in the passing game. Kamara was well over 100 yards after
his touchdown catch and is the top target on a team still without
Michael Thomas on the field.

New Orleans moved on from Mark Ingram in 2019 and paved the way for
Kamara to be a featured star on offense. The extension gave him
security and this touchdown run to make the Packers defense look
foolish proves why the organization made the smart move to pay the man.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Dak Prescott makes Cowboys history in loss to Seahawks

September 28, 2020

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 27: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas
Cowboys reacts after throwing an interception to Ryan Neal #35 of the
Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter in the game at CenturyLink

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 27: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas
Cowboys reacts after throwing an interception to Ryan Neal #35 of the
Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter in the game at CenturyLink

Alvin Kamara improbable touchdown was literally jaw-dropping (Video) by
Steven Kubitza

Dak Prescott made history in a losing effort Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys are off to a bizarre start in 2020. The
team is 1-2 and the only win came in a dramatic Week 2 comeback
against the Atlanta Falcons. But that record is good enough to be tied
for first in what appears to be a dreadful NFC East division.

Things get weird when considering the numbers the offense has put up so
far. Specifically, Dak Prescott. He threw for exactly 450 yards against
the Falcons and followed that up Sunday with 472 yards against the
Seattle Seahawks. Even in a loss, that mark was good enough to make
Cowboys history.

With that pass, Dak Prescott has gone over 400 yards passing. It is
the first time of his career to post back-to-back 400-yard passing
games, and the first time any Cowboys quarterback has ever posted
back-to-back 400-yard games in franchise history.

— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) September
27, 2020

Dak Prescott putting up huge numbers

Notice how that history isn't about 450-yard games. It has to do with
400-yard performances and Prescott easily set this record. Fans in the
Twitter comments will call out how the Cowboys lost Sunday, but the
final score was 38-31 so it's not like the quarterback didn't put
points on the board.

The records go further as Prescott joined Jameis Winston as the
only two quarterbacks to post back-to-back 450-yard games. Winston
accomplished that feat last season.

One knock against Prescott is he did throw two interceptions Sunday. A
pick also ended the game and prevented another amazing Cowboys
comeback. He did still go 37/57 for 472 yards on a day when Ezekiel
Elliott only managed 34 yards on 14 carries.

The big story of the weekend was Mississippi State quarterback K.J.
Costello throwing for a mind-boggling 623 yards in an upset victory
over LSU. That surely had Prescott fired up and the former MSU Bulldog
has made it look like he is playing in a Mike Leach offense in Dallas.

The Cowboys defense appears to be a big problem for Mike McCarthy in
his first season with the team. What fans do know is Prescott is doing
his part to put his team in a position to win while also boosting his
own value in a contract year.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Aaron Rodgers revenge tour is the most underrated storyline in the NFL

September 28, 2020
Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 27: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green
Bay Packers attempts a pass under pressure from Trey Hendrickson #91 of
the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Mercedes-Benz

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 27: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green
Bay Packers attempts a pass under pressure from Trey Hendrickson #91 of
the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Mercedes-Benz

Dak Prescott makes Cowboys history in loss to Seahawks by Steven
Kubitza

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers had another huge day on
offense.

Aaron Rodgers was immediately put on the clock with the Green Bay
Packers the second the team drafted Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Would the team look to move on from Rodgers right away? Even
mentioning such a possibility is ridiculous given the way he has
started the 2020 season.

Rodgers and the Packers put up 37 points Sunday night in an
impressive win over the New Orleans Saints. He threw for 283 yards,
three touchdowns, and once again went without an interception. The
veteran is playing out of his mind and the Packers look like one of the
best teams in all of football.

The Aaron Rodgers revenge tour continues

Love continues to be shown on the sidelines during Packers games.
However, all the focus is on how great Rodgers is playing. His rating
has been above 107 in his three games and his nine touchdowns have
helped the Packers score at least 37 points in every game this season.

Next up is an Atlanta Falcons team that got picked apart by Nick Foles
in yet another collapse Sunday. Rodgers taking on the Falcons at
Lambeau may be an unwatchable sight for Falcons fans.

One crazy thing about the Packers drafting Love was it came after
Rodgers led the team to the NFC Championship Game. Drafting a receiver
would have helped the team win now, or at least that problem seemed
glaring before the season began.

The Packers were even without Davante Adams in New Orleans and
Rodgers managed to spread the ball around to eight players. Allen
Lazard had a huge game with six receptions for 146 yards and a
touchdown. Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis each added touchdowns as
well.

Cris Collinsworth rightfully pointed out how Rodgers was not at all
happy with the Love selection, even if he acted like it when asking
about the topic. The best way for him to prove the team made the wrong
move is to dominate and show that Love won't be making his debut any
time soon.

Rodgers has first-hand experience with this process and doesn't want
his Green Bay tenure to end by being pushed out. Playing at his current
pace won't just keep him in town. It may put him up for MVP
consideration and also keep the Packers as Super Bowl favorites as the
season goes on.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Saints OG Andrus Peat carted off field after gnarly leg injury

September 28, 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 27: Andrus Peat #75 of the New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 27: Andrus Peat #75 of the New Orleans

Lovecraft Country episode 7: Hippolyta makes a mysterious breakthrough
by Mia Johnson

Andrus Peat was carted off the field against the Packers

The New Orleans Saints were finally starting to find a groove against
the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, as Drew Brees had
them ahead 17-13 at halftime. Not everything was all rosy for Sean
Payton, however, as veteran left guard Andrus Peat had to be taken off
the field on the cart.

Peat was carted off the field late in the second quarter, as a teammate accidentally fell on his lower leg near the end of a play in New
Orleans' two-minute drill. The severity of this injury currently
remains unknown.

Andrus Peat is a key member of New Orleans' elite offensive line

Injuries have been a problem for Peat, as he has missed nine games
over the last two seasons. Despite all of that, Peat has been named a
Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons. Peat signed a
five-year, $57 million contract this offseason, keeping one of the
best linemen in the league in New Orleans.

The Peat injury means that starting guard Nick Easton will shift over
to the left side. Cesar Ruiz, a former center a Michigan that New
Orleans picked in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, will slide in
for Easton on the right side. Given Green Bay's quality defensive line,
Ruiz will have his hands full in one of his first extended doses
of NFL action.

Andrus Peat is leaving the field on the cart. So it'll be Nick
Easton at LG, Cesar Ruiz at RG

— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) September 28, 2020

Hopefully, Peat can return to action in the near future, as the
immobile Brees needs a rock-solid offensive line to get the ball out of
his hands quickly. If Peat has to miss some time and an unproven rookie
in Ruiz has to replace him, New Orleans' offense could start going
down the tubes in short order.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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Texans and Bill O'Brien decide they don't need Earl Thomas

September 29, 2020

Yeah, we totally jinxed Lucas Giolito's perfect game bid by Mark Powell

Earl Thomas will not be signing a deal with the Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans are 0-3 and looking for answers. To be fair,
Bill O'Brien's squad did have games against the Kansas City Chiefs,
Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers to begin the season. But to
be a great team you must beat other great teams.

The main focus is on offense. Houston could desperately use
DeAndre Hopkins, and David Johnson isn't doing much at running back.
The team was also reportedly looking at Earl Thomas to upgrade the
defense.

That pursuit is reportedly off as a visit between the two sides was
canceled.

After a lot of internal discussion, Texans decided Earl Thomas
wasn't a good fit.

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) September 29, 2020

Earl Thomas remains a free agent

Thomas signed a four-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. He
seemed to be a core piece on that defense until he punched a teammate
in practice this year and was promptly let go. 2018 saw Thomas' season
end early with a broken leg and he famously gave his own coach the
finger.

Character issues surround the safety, for what those are worth, and
that likely played a role in the Texans ultimately deciding not to sign
him. Money may have also been an issue if Thomas is asking for annual
values close to the four-year, $55 million deal he signed in Baltimore.

Thomas is 31 years old and the Texans already have internal problems to
deal with. Adding more may not be worth it as O'Brien looks to turn
things around right away.

The Texans have loosely been linked to Antonio Brown, so don't
think O'Brien is avoiding players with drama just yet. But the offense
is where the Texans need the most help so it may be worth taking such a
big risk.

Thomas will continue to search for a job and all the injuries seen so
far in 2020 boost his chances of getting signed somewhere. He may just
have to take a pay cut and prove he is not a problem for his new team.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com.

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