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To get things started in Philadelphia http://www.thevikingsfootballauthentic.com/riley-reiff-jersey-authentic , toss and elected to defer to the second half, meaning that the Minnesota Vikings got the football first. The kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, giving Kirk Cousins and company the football at their own 25-yard line to start things off.Cousins got things started with a couple of short completions, one to David Morgan and one to Stefon Diggs, to pick up a quick first down. Cousins then launched a long pass towards Adam Thielen, and Thielen made a great diving catch for a gain of 24 into Philadelphia territory at the 39. The Vikings then got a rushing first down thanks to a Latavius Murray burst on 3rd-and-1, and Minnesota was on the move.The Vikings pushed the ball down to the Philadelphia 10-yard line, but Kirk Cousins’ pass intended for Roc Thomas was knocked down and fell incomplete. Dan Bailey came into the game for a 28-yard field goal attempt, and he. . .bounced it off of the left upright and it fell no good. The game remained scoreless and the Eagles took over at their own 20-yard line following the miss.Carson Wentz led the Eagles onto the field, but the Eagles’ offense couldn’t do much, as Linval Joseph recorded a sack of Wentz to force a three-and-out. Mike Hughes fielded the punt and got the ball to midfield, setting the Vikings up with outstanding field position.Cousins found Diggs for a 24-yard catch-and-run to start the drive for Minnesota, and after a short run by Mike Boone, the offense stalled out after another Cousins pass on 3rd-and-2 fell incomplete. In came Dan Bailey again to attempt another field goal, and he connected from 37 yards out to make it a 3-0 Vikings lead.The Vikings’ defense showed up big again on the second drive Womens Eric Kendricks Jersey , as they forced another three-and-out after a nice play by Danielle Hunter and Anthony Barr. The Eagles got a nice bounce and roll on the ensuing punt, and the offense set up shop at their own 10-yard line.Minnesota did not go three-and-out, thanks to an outstanding effort from Laquon Treadwell on a third down conversion. Cousins then got taken down on a sack by Brandon Graham, and as we move to the second quarter of play, the Vikings are looking at a 3rd-and-13 from their own 17-yard line.Fifteen minutes in the books from Philadelphia, and the Minnesota Vikings hold a 3-0 lead. Come on in and join us for the second quarter of play! Good Morning!Hope your work week is going well, I’m fully engaged with my new job so words and links will be limited for the next couple of days. I’ll take a mea culpa about the game thread Monday night, I wasn’t sure anyone would be interested in it and I was jammed for time so I didn’t do one.I’ll try to set one up for games in the future, however I’m not doing one for the Thursday night game as I’ll be at work.Feel free to do a fanpost game thread if you like.In the meantime, while we’re waiting for the next Vikings game to start we’ll continue with our Open Thread full of beer and rib recommendations, nap strategies, crock pot and smoker recipes. Have another cup of coffee and drop by for some fan wisdom and snark.Happy Birthday yesterday to ABG!With that, let’s do this.Around the DN since our last thread:Chris and Eric have a spot where you can keep up with all Vikings - Jets news.From Chris a handful of former Vikings will be playing in the Alliance of American Football.Good luck to them as they continue to pursue their dream.Some New York media folks are still mad about Kirk Cousins, y’all.The Vikings initial injury report via Chris: Linval Joseph, Andrew Sendejo Youth Linval Joseph Jersey , Riley Reiff sit out.It’s Podcast time with Gang Green Nation, they sat down with Chris to talk Vikings football.Vikings news from other sources:At Vikings.com from corner to Coaching: Terence Newman’s transition.Presser Points: Zimmer on toughness, Alexander and the turnover battle.From their lunch break series: traditional and advanced stats have WR Adam Thielen among NFL.com’s most impactful WR’s.Finally, DT Sheldon Richardson sidestepping emotions before facing the Jets.League news: From NFL.com Roger Goodell: Exciting games, players pushing growth. Fix the damn rules Roger.What to watch for in Broncos vs. Cardinals on ‘TNF’Belichick on Khalil Mack: No player is in L.T.’s class.We come to today’s media selection: Pearl Jam - I Am MineAgain, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:-No discussion of politics or religion-No feeding of the trolls-This isn’t a male version of The View, so leave the gender hatred at the door-Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)-Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags-No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer-If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away-While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm.
What’s up Who Dats http://www.saintsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mark-ingram-jersey , of the Week for week 3 of 2018! The Saints picked up win number 2 in a thrilling overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. The game was as hard on both team’s players as it was on the hearts of fans of both fan-bases. The Saints prevailed 43-37 and Drew Brees was amazing en route to earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Who am I to not recognize the Greatness that is Mr. Brees?In a game that featured very little defense and players exiting the game with season ending injuries, it was obvious that an offensive player would earn player of the week once again. The expected standouts threw their hats into the ring, including Brees, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and the suddenly surging Cameron Jordan. #Cantguardmike was near unstoppable while catching all 10 targets for 129 yards but was held out of the end zone on the day. His 95% catch rate on the season is impressive as he’s hauled in 38 of 40 targets and pitched in 3 TDs through 3 games. Kamara had his best rushing output of the season with 16 carries for 66 and 4.1 yards per carry average. Jordan has picked up his pace since a quiet week one and recorded back-to-back 2 sack performances including 4 tackles and 1 assisted tackle against the Falcons in week 3. But the day belonged to Brees, who refused to be denied the end zone or victory. At the final gun, Brees had accumulated 39/49 completions for 396 yards and 3 touchdowns. But his most sensational play was a 7-yard TD scramble that featured an amazing spin move away from two defenders and a dive for the goal line that set up the game tying PAT to force overtime. Brees got off to a hot start and played turnover-free football early while carving up a depleted Falcons defense at will. He completed passes to nine different receivers on the day including a 4-yard TD to Ted Ginn Jr. to open the scoring, then later an 11-yard TD to Cameron Meredith Max Unger Jersey , and finally a 1-yard TD to Zach Line. After setting up overtime with his sensational 7-yard TD, Brees closed the game with a 1-yard goal line plunge to cap a 15 play, 80-yard drive for the win!In a see-saw battle of division rivals, the Cool Brees proved once again why he is still considered one of the best in the game. And to put icing on the cake, Brees broke another record in victory by becoming the all-time completions leader, passing Brett Favre with 6,326 completions in his career. Another nice achievement is the fact that Brees is the only quarterback to defeat an opposing quarterback who threw for 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. Matt Ryan (2018) and Eli Manning (2015) are the only two QBs to fall short in such a way. Brees was the assassin both times!As always, Thanks for reading, Be Cool Who Dats!Wide Receivers Are New Orleans Saints Fatal Flaw In the era of tragic heroes Authentic Sheldon Rankins Jersey , a “fatal flaw” typically is one where an otherwise heroic character eventually leads to his own demise. For Bleacher Report, a fatal flaw is a weakness of a team that could derail hopes of a Super Bowl run. For the New Orleans Saints, Bleacher Report believes to their wide receiver corps.It’s no secret that the Saints group of wide receivers behind Michael Thomas fails to instill much confidence in the fanbase. And while Ginn is far from a spring chicken, Cam Meredith (himself coming off a serious knee injury), is only two years removed from his age 24 season when he amassed 888 yards in only 14 games (starting only 10).If Meredith is fully healed - which is a big “if” - the Saints could have something special at wide receiver. What looked to be a weakness, could be a strength by season’s end.
on in Sunday’s win over the Eagles that he’d be progressing past his first and second options.Brees said this week that within a few plays of the game Alex Anzalone Jersey , he could see that the Eagles’ priority was covering Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, that he was going to have to go elsewhere, and he told the Saints’ other receivers they needed to be ready to have a big game.“Right after the first drive, where they doubled Mike like three plays in a row and they doubled Alvin like three plays in a row, I went over to the sideline and I said, 鈥楳ike be patient, your opportunities will come. And you young guys: you guys are the matchups Authentic Josh LeRibeus Jersey , the ball’s coming to you. So get ready. We’re gonna have a big day,'” Brees told ESPN.The primary beneficiary of that was wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith, a third-round rookie who exploded for 10 caches and 157 yards against the Eagles. Smith said after the game that he was “so happy” Brees trusted him enough to keep going back to him. Brees seems to feel confident that he can beat opposing defenses know matter which receivers they try to take away.Fleur-de-Links, September 7: Saints fans revel in Falcons loss Falcons vs EaglesEagles deny Falcons’ last-second push to seal win in NFL season openerIt wasn’t always pretty, but the defending champion Eagles mounted a stand in the final moments of the season opener for a win.Trick play “Philly Philly” sparks Eagles’ offense vs FalconsThe Eagles offense started off sluggish, and another trick play by Nick Foles and company helped get them back on track. All Things SaintsWe analyzed all of Drew Brees' 7,485 passes with the Saints. Result? A clear picture of greatness | Saints | theadvocate.comIt isn’t easy to remember all of the plays Brees has made Youth Austin Carr Jersey , which is why The Advocate recently watched, charted and categorized all 7,485 passes the quarterback has thrown during his time in New Orleans. With Brees trailing Peyton Manning by 1,495 on the all-time yards passing list, it seemed prudent to gather a greater understanding for how one of the NFL’s greatest careers came together.Saints might not go into Tampa game with just two RBs: 'That'd be hard to do' | Saints | theadvocate.comA New Orleans Saints running back position that was murky at the beginning of training camp has only gotten more muddled this week.Easiest, hardest games for Saints in 2018The NFL gave the Saints a tough road this season.Michael Thomas is succeeding by making everything seem 'the same' | Saints | theadvocate.comMaybe the key to Michael Thomas' success is always being the same.The key for the guys behind The Guys on the Saints o-line? Be versatile | NOLA.comThe Saints currently have five backup offensive linemen, and all have shown the ability to play multiple positions.Saints notebook: Third down an increased emphasis in 2018 with ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ as backdrop – The AthleticThird-down struggles Ken Crawley Jersey , Alex Okafor nearly 100 percent, and more, from Larry in this week's notebook ahead of the season opener.
Saints Vs. Browns It’s officially Week 2 of the NFL Womens Customized New Orleans Saints Jerseys , and chances are you have already drafted your teams for the 2018 season. If you're a Saints fan like I am, its pretty impossible to go through your draft without picking at least one guy from the team. Lucky fans of the Black and Gold with the 5th-7th pick this year were excited to take Alvin Kamara to lead their teams, while those with the 9th-12th grabbed Michael Thomas. Whether you reached for Kamara first overall or waited to grab Ted Ginn Jr. towards the end, chances are you got at least one guy from the home team to pull for on your road to victory this season.Since this is my first time writing for this publication, I feel that it’s important that I lay down some framework for how I make my picks. Like most things in life, fantasy football is not one size fits all. There are many different platforms to play on, and more importantly different scoring settings from league to league. I personally prefer the ESPN Fantasy Football platform and use PPR scoring. All of my work will be based on PPR leagues, and obvious starters like Alvin Kamara will not be written about. Each week, I will evaluate both teams and list my picks from the matchups.START’ EMTed Ginn Jr. (NO) -We all know that Michael Thomas cant be guarded but sometimes everyone needs a break. Ted Ginn is that break. Last week against the Bucs, Ginn put up 20.30 FPTS with 5 receptions, 68 yards and a touchdown. With those kinds of numbers, you've got to have faith that Drew Brees and the Saints offense will continue this trend going into Week 2. The Browns defense has improved from last year, but with Michael Thomas likely being double covered, Ginn will be an excellent WR2 this week.Duke Johnson Jr (CLE) -John Dorsey announced today that wide receiver Josh Gordon has been cut from the Browns roster, leaving Jarvis Landry as the obvious receiver that will see the most targets. For those of you with little knowledge on Duke Johnson, you wouldn't know that he can be a handful catching the ball out the backfield. He should see plenty of those targets this week against a Saints defense that under delivered in Week 1. Carlos Hyde will be running between the tackles, but there is big opportunity with Johnson in the FLEX spot.SIT’ EMSaints Defense (NO) - Watching the Boonk Gang last week against the Bucs was about as hard as sitting through a four hour lecture on knitting! So much hype has been built around this unit, and watching them fall to Ryan Fitzpatrick in a divisional game was brutal! I’m not saying that this will be a thing every week, but for now I’m not taking any chances. The Browns are showing true signs of life and until we see some smash mouth defense like we did in 2017, I’m holding off.Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesAntonio Callaway (CLE) - With Josh Gordon being cut from the team, the obvious substitute will be Callaway. The rookie out of Florida had an impressive preseason, but had some off the field issues that I wont go into detail about (Watch Hardknocks). Callaway is good receiver, but I see Cleveland being more focused on the run and Tyrod Taylor scrambling to get Landry and David Njoku the ball down field. Hes just not worth the risk and for most this wont be an issue for those not in deeper leagues.For any NFL Start/Sit questions you have, feel free to ask me on Twitter @GarageGuyChase The New Orleans Saints came into the 2018 season with high expectations for their defense. Their 2017 defense www.saintscheapshops.com , led by a young corps of playmakers, was a vastly improved unit that helped lead the team to an NFC South title and a playoff berth. Those expectations were sent reeling after giving up over 400 yards passing to Tampa Bay in a season opening loss, and a pass defense that looked helpless over the first month of the year. Defensive improvement in some areas have been evident over the course of the Saints seven game winning streak since that opener, and the team does have some key playmakers on this side of the ball. With half of New Orleans' regular season complete, let's grade the team's first half defensive performance. DEFENSIVE LINE Chuck Cook-USA TODAY SportsThe team leader on the defensive side of the ball is All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan, who is having another standout campaign. Jordan has a team best five sacks, leads the team in quarterback pressures and tackles for loss, as well as being an excellent run defender. While Jordan is firmly among the best defensive linemen in the NFL, his linemates are finally playing up to his equal. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, the 12th overall selection in the 2016 draft, has been a disruptive force this season. He has already matched his career high with 4 sacks, is second on the team in tackles for loss and quarterback pressures, and has taken up residence in the opposing backfield even against double and triple team blocking. Another top draft choice along the line is defensive end Marcus Davenport, who the Saints traded up to draft with the 14th overall pick this past spring. Davenport impressed early on with his natural pass rushing skills, he has four sacks, and was earning more snaps weekly due to his improving skills at defending the run. He is expected to miss a few weeks due to a toe injury, but has already established himself as a difference maker up front. It isn't just high draft picks that are making their presence felt up front. Undrafted rookie free agent Taylor Stallworth has been a handful for blockers from his defensive tackle position as both a run stuffer and pass rusher. Mid-round picks in 2015 and 2016, respectively, Tyeler Davison and David Onyemata give the Saints one of the deepest and most skilled defensive tackle crews in the league. End Alex Okafor looks fully recovered from an Achilles injury suffered at mid-season a year ago, and provides very good run defense and underrated pass rush skills while filling in for Davenport. Trey Hendrickson, a third round pick in 2017, gives the team good depth at defensive end. The Saints defensive line has been responsible for 15 of the defense's 17 sacks, and have largely dominated opposing offensive lines, helping New Orleans to a top ranked run defense. Defensive line grade = BLINEBACKER Dale Zanine-USA TODAY SportsThe offseason addition of free agent linebacker Demario Davis has added an overall athleticism New Orleans Saints T-Shirt , physicality, and a skillset at linebacker that the team has not had in quite some time. Davis leads the team with 62 tackles, has added 2 sacks, and is tied for second in tackles for loss. He has given the defense a sideline to sideline every down force, and can skillfully play any of the linebacking positions. A.J. Klein is second on the team in tackles (42), and has been a force against the run along with Davis, can be an effective blitzer, while also holding up adequately in pass coverage. Alex Anzalone has been able to stay on the field, and is beginning to show why the Saints thought so highly of him as a 3rd round draft choice in 2017. Anzalone may be the team's most athletic linebacker, on display with his athletic interception in a victory over the Rams. He flows to the ball well against the run and has been effective in his drops in pass coverage. Manti Te'o has struggled with injuries, but is a strong run defender when in the lineup. Craig Robertson has not seen many defensive snaps in 2018, but has been a special teams leader and is a proven versatile linebacker able to fill in at any of the linebacker spots. New Orleans has been able to match up with tight ends and running backs in pass coverage, long a team weakness, thanks to a linebacker unit that may be the deepest and most versatile of any during coach Sean Payton's time in New Orleans. Linebacker grade = B-DEFENSIVE BACK Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY SportsSecond year cornerback Marshon Lattimore has not played quite to the level that earned him a Pro Bowl berth and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as the 11th overall pick last year. He is still the Saints best defensive back, often locking up with the opponent's top receiver. Lattimore, who has an interception and two fumble recoveries this season, has played much better in recent weeks, often forcing quarterbacks to look another way. That other way has often been in the direction of cornerbacks Ken Crawley or P.J. Williams, who have each badly regressed and are often the defense's biggest liability. Williams has made a few key plays in wins over the Vikings and Rams, is a sound tackler, and is able to stay with most receivers in coverage, but still struggles with ball awareness. The struggles of Crawley and Williams, along with an injury to corner Patrick Robinson, forced the Saints to make a trade for former Giants cornerback Eli Apple at the trade deadline. Apple New Orleans Saints Hats , the 10th overall pick of the 2016 draft from Ohio State, has played well in his first two games with his new team. He gives the Saints the type of man to man coverage ability that compliments Lattimore's skillset perfectly. Another young New Orleans playmaker who struggled early on was second year free safety Marcus Williams, an All-Rookie team member in 2017. Communication on the back end of the defense struggled, and was evident in the results. Free agent safety Kurt Coleman was expected to add a veteran presence to the young secondary when added from division rival Carolina, but has done little when in the lineup. Fellow safety Vonn Bell, who struggled during preseason, has taken over most of Coleman's expected snaps and played well. Lattimore, Apple, and Bell were teammates in an outstanding Ohio State secondary, and communication in deep coverage has gotten progressively better. Defensive back grade = DPhoto by Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesThe Saints defense has dominated opposing offenses in the run game. They rank 1st in both run yards surrendered and opposing yards per carry. A midseason favorite for NFL M.V.P., Rams running back Todd Gurley, was held to just 68 yards on the ground and 79 total yards a week ago. New Orleans has held every team but one, Tampa Bay in the season opener, to under 100 yards rushing as a team. The pass defense, particularly deficiencies in the secondary, continue to be a major concern. The Saints have allowed four quarterbacks to throw for over 350 yards and seven wideouts over 100 yards receiving. Although able to pressure passers well up front, they must be more consistent, and must be able to prevent the backbreaking big plays deep. Eli Apple may prove to be a good compliment to Lattimore in coverage, and they will benefit greatly from a hopeful return to the lineup of Patrick Robinson later this year. One of the glaring differences between this year's defense and it's 2017 counterpart is the ability to create turnovers. The Saints have only 4 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries this year, numbers that must improve if this defense is going to be a reason that the New Orleans Saints remain in the hunt for a championship. 1st half defensive M.V.P. = Rankins1st half defensive grade = C-
officially began September 23 Authentic Stephon Gilmore Jersey , in more ways than one.Sunday night’s debacle in Detroit tumbled the Patriots down the power rankings ladder, falling six spots on average and hitting a close-to-the-bottom rung of 24th, (Nate Davis of USA Today).Ouch! Might need some ice on that.The negatives are legion and descriptors such as ‘lost, bad, crazy, insane, doomed, dud, porous, whippings, ‘lack of elite talent’, ‘slow and shorthanded’, etc... are sprinkled throughout as expected.But all hope is not lost — of the 20 comments collected below, most aren’t willing to declare the team all dead just yet.To paraphrase Miracle Max from A Princess Bride, The threshold for ‘all dead’ apparently is losing three in a row.Let’s hope we don’t have to worry about crossing that one.The successful addition of Josh Gordon and return of Julian Edelman are only small pieces of what needs to happen for these Patriots to right the ship. Injuries to Rex Burkhead (neck) and Ja’Whaun Bentley (undisclosed) severe enough to put them on IR certainly don’t help. My new approach starting with Sunday vs. Miami will be to take just one game at a time and try to watch each one a little more dispassionately.Will I be able to do it, especially as game time approaches, is the real question. As Miracle Max would say http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/elandon-roberts-jersey , “It’ll take a miracle.”Or an early lead. Patriots win by 6.GO PATS!Around the AFC East:New England (1-2) vs. Miami (3-0)Buffalo (1-2) at Green Bay (1-1-1)NY Jets (1-2) at Jacksonville (2-1)AFC Matchups:Kansas City (3-0) at Denver (2-1)Tennessee (2-1) vs. Philadelphia (2-1)Cincinnati (2-1) at Atlanta (1-2)Baltimore (2-1) at Pittsburgh (1-1-1)Cleveland (1-1-1) at Oakland (0-3)LA Chargers (1-2) vs. San Francisco (1-2)Indianapolis (1-2) vs. Houston (0-3)************************************************6th - Experts (ESPN): The Patriots rank 31st in receiving yards from WR (230). New England has just one catch this season that went for 30 yards, a 30-yard reception by TE Rob Gronkowski in Week 1. Is this bad start different from others?.6th - Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): A quick note on the order this week: It’s insane to try and logically order this madness right now. I know we say “The NFL is crazy this season!” every year, but it really feels wild after the first three weeks. If you’re ranking teams you can’t make a reasonable argument to me the Dolphins, for example, are one of the five or six best teams in the NFL. The same can go for the Ravens, Bears or plenty of other 2-1 teams. I’m just going to assume the craziness of the first three weeks settles down and some normalcy returns. That’s why the Patriots are still here.6th - Christopher Price (BostonSportsJournal): Since 2012, the Patriots are 18-9 in the first four games of a season, which is tied for the second-best record in the NFL. In the next four games, they’re 21-3, three games better than any other team in that span. This week: vs. Dolphins.7th - Expert Consensus (Bleacher Report): This ranking will no doubt rub some folks the wrong way. Despite losing back-to-back games in decisive fashion, the Patriots remain in the top 10—ahead of teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, who each have two wins, and ahead of the undefeated Dolphins. ... However, if New England loses a third straight in Week 4, it will justifiably be time to panic. It’s true, the Patriots haven’t looked much like the big bad bullies of the AFC in losing to first the Jaguars and then the Lions. The defense has been porous. The offense has been hit-or-miss. Here’s the thing Authentic Jeremy Hill Jersey , though. It’s the Patriots. They are like Freddie Kreuger. The first nine times you think they’re dead, it turns out not so much.9th - Tyler Lauletta, Scott Davis (Business Insider): One thing to know: The Patriots’ lack of elite skill players has shown during the first three weeks. The team looks slow and short-handed at times. Asking Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon to fix these problems on offense is asking a lot.9th - Lindsay Jones (The Athletic): September slip-ups are nothing new for the Patriots, and it would be crazy to write off a New England team this early. And yet, it’s fair to wonder if the things that doomed the Patriots in convincing road losses at Jacksonville and Detroit — lack of playmakers at receiver, a porous run defense and a non-existent pass rush — can be fixed this time around.10th - Staff (AP Pro32).11th - Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): What was that? The Patriots seem to be in a holding pattern until they can get Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman in their offense together. Neither can help a struggling overall defense, however.11th - MMQB Staff (SI): And the Patriots have fallen “all the way”—by their standards at least—down to 11.11th - Mark Maske (Washington Post): The Patriots were 1-3 in 2001 and won the Super Bowl. They were 2-2 in 2003 and won the Super Bowl. They were 2-2 in 2014 and won the Super Bowl. They were 2-2 last season and reached the Super Bowl. Maybe the rest of the league should just give up now.12th - Rebecca Toback (SB Nation): What’s going on in New England? Bill Belichick watched his former defensive coordinator beat the Patriots, 26-10, as Lions head coach Matt Patricia got his first win. The Patriots are now 1-2 and will need more than Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman entering the lineup to get back to winning.13th - Elliot Harrison (NFL.com): Watching the Patriots on Sunday night, you got the feeling that Lions coach (and former New England defensive coordinator) Matt Patricia provided his team with a Power Point tutorial and a BMI assessment on every last player on New England’s roster. Meanwhile, the Patriots could not make life uncomfortable for Matthew Stafford. Anytime they dedicated more personnel to the back end to play coverage, the Lions ran the rock -- effectively, too. With recently acquired receiver Josh Gordon in the mix, defensive end Trey Flowers presumably coming back and receiver Julian Edelman set to return from suspension in two weeks, this is not time to panic. (Well, not too much, anyway).14th - Adam London (NESN): There’s not much to be excited about with the Patriots at the moment. If they turn in another dud against the Dolphins this Sunday Womens Dont'a Hightower Jersey , it might be time to start worrying in New England.14th - Joe Giglio (NJ.com): The Patriots have lost back-to-back games by double digits for the first time since 2002. That year’s team went 9-7 and missed the playoffs.14th - John McClain (Houston Chronicle): The Patriots have lost consecutive road games by double digits. They’re two games out of first place for the first time since 2002.14th - Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): “On to Cincinnati” apparently doesn’t apply in Michigan.16th - Bryan Fischer (Athlon Sports): It’s not time to panic yet given the team’s penchant for slow starts but that effort against Detroit show there’s a long ways to go with both sides of the ball. Everybody keeps wondering about Tom Brady’s age but he’s clearly not the most glaring issue with this group right now.16th - Dave Birkett (Detroit Free Press): The buzz: I don’t think the dynasty is crumbling yet, but they need Julian Edelman back.18th - Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): It’s way too early to bury this team. Haven’t we learned that lesson already?.24th - Nate Davis (USA Today): After two whippings, on pace to miss playoffs ... for what would be first time since 2002 in terms of a season when Tom Brady wasn’t injured.AVERAGE RANK: 11.5 (-6.1) The New England Patriots offense showed some encouraging progress over the last three games. Scoring 38, 38 and 43 points during their current three-game winning streak, Tom Brady and company appeared to have finally found their rhythm after an inconsistent start to the season. Today, however, the unit will face its biggest challenge since the Jacksonville Jaguars defense in week two: a Chicago Bears team that ranks fourth in the league after allowing just 19.2 points per game so far.New England – shorthanded due to injuries suffered by starting right tackle Marcus Cannon and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Jacob Hollister – therefore needs to play its best football. In order to do that and come away with a victory, three things need to be done.Keep Tom Brady cleanMaking sure that quarterback Tom Brady is given space and time in the pocket is something that needs to be high up on the Patriots’ list of priorities every single week. However, against a defense like Chicago’s, this rings especially true. After all, the Bears are one of the NFL’s best clubs when it comes to pressuring opposing passers and taking them down for a loss of yardage: only two teams average more sacks per game than Chicago’s 3.6.After some questions earlier this week when it comes to the availability of star pass rusher Khalil Mack, the unit will be at full strength today: Mack, who leads the team with 5.0 sacks and is coming off an ankle injury, is expected to be active against the Patriots. New England, meanwhile, will be without stalwart right tackle Marcus Cannon who has already been declared “out” on Friday after suffering a concussion during last Sunday’s game. In Cannon’s place, LaAdrian Waddle will start at right tackle and go against Mack.Naturally http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/deatrich-wise-jr-jersey , this matchup favors the Bears. The ex-Oakland Raider is far from the only player to worry about from New England’s perspective, though: defensive tackle and ex-Patriot Akiem Hicks is one of the NFL’s most productive interior rushers, while the rest of the front seven has also shown tremendous ability to get after the quarterback. After allowing only two sacks over the last three games, Dante Scarnecchia’s unit therefore needs to bring its A-game not just when it comes to slowing down Mack.Don’t get greedyThe Patriots and especially Tom Brady have a tendency to try to make something out of nothing this season with oftentimes negative results: at multiple points over the first six games, the greatest quarterback of all time tried to force a play when the better decision would have been to just throw the football away or take a sack. This, in turn, led to an increased number of Patriots turnovers this season.Now, New England has to go against one of the NFL’s premier squads when it comes to taking the football away: the Bears defense registered a league-best 14 takeaways so far this season. Chicago came away with 10 interceptions and also recovered four fumbles. All in all, 24.1% of the team’s defensive drives ended in a takeaway, which is clearly the best number in all of football.Taking care of the ball is therefore imperative for New England. One way to do that is by limiting the risk of negative plays through smart decisions and not trying to get greedy when no chance to gain yards presents itself.Use misdirection to gain an advantageOne of Chicago’s defensive strengths is the athleticism of its linebacker corps. Led by the aforementioned Khalil Mack, former first-round draft picks Roquan Smith and Leonard Floyd, and veteran Danny Trevathan, the group has been able to play aggressively against both the run and the pass and so far held its own in both areas.But while this approach has yielded very good results for the Bears defense this season, New England could try to take advantage of it by challenging the linebackers’ instincts and quickness through misdirection plays. Whether it is classic play-action passes or more elaborate schemes like jet sweeps or reverse runs, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should try to put pressure on Chicago’s hyper-athletic linebackers early and often.Why? Misdirection counteracts defensive aggressiveness by forcing players to trust their eyes and knowledge of an opponent over their athleticism and instincts – and the Patriots have the right personnel to attack the Bears’ hyper-athletic linebacker group that way. Don’t be surprised therefore to see Julian Edelman or Cordarrelle Patterson carry the football, or to see Sony Michel get regular carries early on against one of the best run defenses in the NFL.
Sony Michel’s second touchdown of the night increases New England’s lead The New England Patriots are playing arguably their best game of the season tonight considering the quality and record of their opponent. The 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs have been outplayed on offense and defense so far: the Patriots are holding their high-powered offense to field goals instead of touchdowns New England Patriots Hats , while the team’s very own offense has been efficient.The latest example of this is the team’s third touchdown of the night:The one-yard touchdown run by first-round rookie Sony Michel capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive that saw a pass interference penalty against Kansas City set up New England at the 1-yard line. The penalty was drawn by Josh Gordon, who got behind the defense and had to be stopped via tackle before hauling in a potential touchdown.New England took advantage of the prime field position with Michel scoring his second touchdown of the night – and fourth overall of his pro career.5 questions about the Jaguars: Copying Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers could pay dividends for the Patriots on Sunday The NFL season is only entering its second week of action, but it will already see one of the most anticipated matchups of the year on Sunday: the New England Patriots will travel to Florida to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game. Just like the 2017 title game, the meeting again projects to be a closely contested one that could come down to the wire.In order to gain a better understanding of the Patriots’ upcoming opponent and what to expect on Sunday, we spoke to Ryan O’Bleness – a staff writer for our sister page Big Cat Country. Here’s what he had to say about Jacksonville.1. Who is the one player Patriots fans probably don’t know much about right now but that could play a big role on Sunday?Well, a player who I believe may be in for an extended role on Sunday is somebody that some Patriots fans may actually remember from the AFC Championship: running back Corey Grant. This is especially true if Leonard Fournette is unable to go on Sunday. Grant was not used often in Week 1 following Fournette’s hamstring injury, however, recent comments from head coach Doug Marrone seem to point toward Grant getting more reps this week. Grant was a factor in the first half of the AFC Championship game, and if offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett can find creative ways to get the ball in his hands New England Patriots Hoodie , it should help the Jaguars offensively. 2. What do you think are some of the lessons the Jaguars drew from the AFC Championship Game? And how will they try to apply them?One thing that I hope the Jaguars learned from that game is that conservative play-calling with a lead isn’t enough against a team of New England’s caliber. If Jacksonville finds itself in that scenario on Sunday, I really hope the coaching staff is able to come up with more creative sequences and that the players — namely Blake Bortles — are able to execute in those situations. Another lesson, or mindset really, that the Jaguars took from that game is not to dwell on the past. Marrone preached all offseason and training camp long that the team should not be looking at the past, but rather at the present. With such a talented team, the Jaguars have huge goals in 2018. The team has seemed to buy into this mindset, and the collective focus has looked strong by all accounts. We will really see what the Jaguars are made out of when the Patriots come into Duval.3. The Jaguars’ defense is among the best in the NFL. Does it have any weaknesses the Patriots could try to exploit?No, not one. Just kidding, but this defense is absolutely incredible, and looks poised to be just as good or even better as the 2017 squad. If I were the Patriots Youth Customized New England Patriots Jerseys , I would look at what the San Francisco 49ers were able to do against the Jags last year. Kyle Shanahan drew up a nice scheme that allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to find wide open players, such as full backs and tight ends, in the flat and pick up big yardage after the catch. Challenging players like Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye one-on-one is not ideal for any team, so dinking and dunking downfield may be in New England’s best interest — though Myles Jack has now moved over to middle linebacker and is pretty strong in pass coverage (he can cover just about anybody). Telvin Smith is no slouch, either. A couple of worries on defense heading into the season were how nickel cornerback D.J. Hayden would do replacing Aaron Colvin, and how seventh-round rookie Leon Jacobs would perform at strong-side linebacker. Hayden played really well in Week 1 according to Pro Football Focus, and Jacobs was only the field for 11 snaps, so it’s hard to judge him at this point. 4. Which areas of Jacksonville’s offense do you think New England will try to attack defensively?The Jaguars want to run the ball down your throat. If Fournette plays, he’s going to be in for a heavy workload. So the Pats will need to create penetration in the trenches and shut down the ground attack. New England’s best bet is to take away the rushing game and make Blake Bortles beat them. Bortles played well in the AFC Championship game, and he is capable of doing so again. However www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com , Bortles’ arch enemy has always been consistency. Jacksonville likes to run a lot of 11 personnel with three receiver route combinations, one tight end and one running back. So, if New England is able to get pressure on Bortles, force him into some poor decisions and disrupt the timing of the wide receivers’ routes, things will go very well for the Pats. 5. How confident are Jaguars fans and writers in the team’s coaching staff, especially when it comes to going against Bill Belichick and company?Personally, I am a big fan of Doug Marrone and his staff, and that feeling seems to be shared amongst the majority of Jags fans. This fanbase suffered through the Gus Bradley era where there never really seemed to be much accountability or an emphasis on winning. Marrone, and vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin brought discipline and a winning attitude back to Jacksonville, and the team bought in and responded strongly.In terms of going against Belichick New England Patriots T-Shirt , I think that most of the Jacksonville faithful agrees that Belichick is one of the best coaches of all-time, and, as a football coach, he is well-respected. I don’t believe anybody will claim that Marrone is in the same stratosphere as Belichick overall, but I do believe that Marrone is very familiar with Belichick’s tendencies and can surely formulate a game plan to beat him. Fan confidence is not an issue with this staff. Bonus for fun: do you think Myles Jack was down?Not a chance in the world. ;) (Hate to admit this, but I do understand how the referees could make that call in live action, though).Thanks to Ryan for taking the time to answer our questions. Make sure to follow him on Twitter and visit Big Cat Country for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis.
Julian Edelman makes his return TEAM TALKPatriots-Colts Wednesday Injury Report.Andy Hart’s Keys to the starting lineup: Keep it rolling vs. Colts.Game Predictions: Expert picks for Colts at Patriots.Coffee with the Coach: Challenges of facing the Colts. (4.15 min. video)Get Hyped: Colts vs. Patriots. (1 min. video)LOCAL LINKSEvan Lazar Patriots Gameplan: Colts head coach and former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich brought Philadelphia’s playbook with him to Indy.Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Patriots Gameplan: Once again http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/patrick-chung-jersey , it’s likely up to Sony Michel, James Develin and the offensive line to kickstart the offense.Andrew Callahan gives us his Patriots vs. Colts preview: Game plans, predictions, point spread, top matchups and more.Ryan Hannable gives us three keys to Pats-Colts, some fun facts and a prediction. 1. Get the passing game going.Kevin Duffy tells us five things he’ll be watching tonight: 1. Hitting the ground running.Karen Guregian believes Julian Edelman’s return will kick the offense into high gear.Hal Bent (FullPressCoverage) Week 5 preview: Offensive strategy vs Colts. 1. Keep the running game going.Hal Bent (FullPressCoverage) Week 5 preview: Defensive strategy vs. Colts. 1. Third down pass defense.Matt Dolloff sees Andrew Luck as the Patriots’ biggest QB test yet by far.Rich Thompson reports the Patriots are expecting the best of Andrew Luck.Andrew Callahan notes that if Rob Gronkowski misses Thursday’s game vs. Indianapolis, Dwayne Allen insists he’s ready.Matthew Geagan tells us what he’ll be watching for tonight: 1. Julian Edelman’s return.Thomas Murphy (BostonDiehardSportsFans) Monster keys to Patriots vs. Colts. 1. Bring your A game fat people.Chris Blackey (BostonDiehardSportsFans) 5 Patriots to watch against Indy.Steve Atkinson (BostonSportsExtra) Tom Brady’s history vs. Andrew Luck.Joy Manning (BostonSportsChick) What happens when the Patriots possess the ball for at least 2 minutes?Matthew Geagan reports the Indy Star is throwing some serious shade at Josh McDaniels ahead of tonight’s matchup.Kevin Duffy Patriots Notebook: Rob Gronkowski returns to practice but is still big question for Colts game.Doug Kyed addresses his Patriots Mailbag: Does Tom Brady now have one of his best set of weapons?Ian Glendon (FullPressCoverage) Sights on 500: Tom Brady approaches career milestone.Staff (AP) Edelman returns, Gronk on the mend for Patriots Thursday night.Staff (AP) Could this be Adam Vinatieri’s last game at Gillette Stadium?Alex Reimer points out since the Colts started Deflategate, they’ve been hampered with nothing but embarrassment and misery.Nicole Yang passes along a report that Julian Edelman trained at the Celtics’ practice facility during his suspension and he also played ping pong with Gordon Hayward.Ryan Hannable passes along a report that the Patriots worked out two defensive players yesterday.Jim Lazar says Josh McDaniels will be able to see what he’s not missing, and makes his Thursday Night pick: Patriots win 34-14.NATIONAL NEWSMike Wells and Mike Reiss (ESPN) The Patriots-Colts ‘rivalry’ in their words: From Deflategate to now.Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) Colts and Patriots resume a rivalry, if it’s one anymore, on the Yahoo Sports app.Herbie Teope (NFL.com) Five things to watch for in Colts-Patriots on ‘TNF’: 1. Is it really a rivalry if recent results produced one sided results? /No.Terez Paylor (Yahoo! Sports) Sony Michel gives Pats life Womens Eric Rowe Jersey , and Mitchell Schwartz shines.Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Rob Gronkowski to play Thursday night.Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) T.Y. Hilton among seven Colts ruled out for Thursday.Cynthia Frelund (NFL.com) Game Theory: Why Julian Edelman changes everything in Colts-Patriots on TNF. (1.04 min. video)Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady currently on pace to earn none of his incentives.Albert Breer (SI) Game Plan: Six reasons for the NFL’s early offensive explosion.Kevin Seifert (ESPN) Illegal contact penalties triple from 2017 to 2018 through four weeks.Nate Davis (USA Today) Seven questions for NFL Week 5: Will Drew Brees take Peyton Manning’s career passing record?Jonathan Jones (SI) Morning Huddle: Early candidates for NFL MVP.Chris Wesseling (NFL.com) Top ten MVP candidates.David Carr (NFL.com) Offensive player rankings, Week 5: Pats’ downfield woes over?Gil Brandt (NFL.com) Top rookie-veteran duos.John Breech (CBS Sports) Saints coach Sean Payton says NFL was pushing to have him fired after Bountygate.VIEW FROM INDIANAPOLISJim Ayello (Indy Star) Bill Belichick has a way of bringing out the worst of Andrew Luck.Scott Horner (Indy Star) NFL Week 5 picks: Colts are huge underdogs to Patriots.Jake Arthur (Colts.com) Bill Belichick has high praise for Andrew Luck, Adam Vinatieri, Kenny Moore II.Frank Reich (Colts.com) Three things to watch for: New England Patriots. 1. “Defensively we have to disrupt Tom Brady.” (1 min. video)Instant Analysis from the Patriots 38-7 win over the Dolphins Well, I hope that game buried any sort of concern that New England Patriots fans had about their team. That was a complete game by all three facets of the team and Julian Edelman returns next week.Here’s what we learned from the team’s 38-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins.Tom Brady needs to stop throwing dumb interceptionsThis might be the only negative I’ll highlight. Brady had an otherwise solid day at the office, but he threw two incredibly dumb interceptions that look similar to other dumb interceptions he’s thrown this year. Twice Brady decided to chuck the ball deep down the field into double coverage as a defender was in his face and instead of eating the sack, the Dolphins were rewarded with interceptions.Brady always has a knack for throwing head-scratching interceptions, whether out of desperation or out of panic, and now he has four interceptions on the season. He hasn’t thrown double-digit interceptions since 2013 and now he’s on pace for a career-high 16. He needs to be smarter with the football.Sony Michel and James White are going to be fun to watchThe Patriots needed some offense and the running backs delivered. Michel finished the day with 112 hard-earned rushing yards and the first rushing touchdown of his career, while White had 44 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown and 68 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown.The two backs combined for 224 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns. This is exactly what the team needs out of their backfield every week and the return of Edelman should make it even easier for the team to duplicate their success.Phillip Dorsett, Josh Gordon, and Cordarrelle Patterson might all be bigger contributors than Chris Hogan once Edelman returnsDorsett had 4 catches for 55 yards. Patterson collected a 55-yard touchdown. Gordon made two catches for 32 yards. All three have made their cases to be the #3 or #4 target in the Patriots offense http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/phillip-dorsett-jersey , behind Rob Gronkowski and Edelman (and White as the #3). I would expect Dorsett and Gordon to get the most time on the outside because Dorsett’s been the team’s best receiver over the first four weeks of the season and Gordon has undeniable talent.But Chris Hogan continued to be quiet. He had 1 catch for 25 yards and it was in the fourth quarter. I expected Hogan to emerge when Edelman was suspended, but it didn’t happen. And Bill Belichick will always play those that earn their time on the field and it’s pretty undeniable that Dorsett has outplayed Hogan and has earned that time. I wouldn’t be shocked if Hogan was relegated to a smaller role moving forward.Trey Flowers really fixed the entire defenseIs Flowers really the key to the entire defense? He’s certainly making a strong case as New England pitched a shutout with Flowers on the field. After missing the bigger part of the past two games with a concussion, Flowers boosted the New England run defense and pass rush. While Flowers only had one tackle on the day, his presence and impact was undeniable.As for the rest of the defensive front seven, Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy looked really good, as did Lawrence Guy and Danny Shelton. This defensive unit made a clear improvement.Jonathan Jones should be the starter opposite of Stephon GilmoreThe Patriots completely shut out Ryan Tannehill and the starting Dolphins offense, holding the Dolphins passer to 100 yards and 1 interception on the day. No Miami receiver was able to get open the entire day, with Kenny Stills leading the team with 40 receiving yards, 11 of which came on their final drive against the Patriots back-ups.Jonathan Jones has made a strong case all year to start opposite of Stephon Gilmore and his ability to both shut down Kenny Stills and move in and out of the slot against Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson means that he’s the ideal #2 cornerback in the same way that Logan Ryan was the perfect #2 opposite of Malcolm Butler. Gilmore can stay on the outside, while Jones can cover from anywhere.Jones had 1 pass defended and almost had an interception and led the team with 8 tackles, helping with strong run defense and coverage. He’s earned the job.
The Los Angeles Chargers have had a kicking problem for a while. It has gotten worse the last two seasons resulting in a head to head kicking battle in training camp this year between veteran kicker Caleb Sturgis Youth Trevor Williams Jersey , and already crowned “draft bust” Roberto Aguayo. This battle seems to have been pretty back and forth so far. 2 weeks ago Aguayo was winning the competition in practice, converting more of his attempts than Sturgis. Then the first preseason game happened and Sturgis missed a 41 yard FG attempt. Which brings us to this week and Sturgis converted all 7 of his attempts in practice yesterday (all the way out to 54 yards) while Aguayo took a step back and only converted 4 of 7 attempts. In Sturgis’ defense, he has apparently been dealing with some leg soreness, although the team is now saying he is good to go. Aguayo is slated to be the kicker in the second preseason game this Saturday so we will see how he does in a game situation, if the team is able to give him some opportunities to attempt some kicks. This will be important because head coach Anthony Lynn confirmed yesterday he values game kicking performance over practice kicking. Which makes sense. However, Lynn also said something that makes much less sense.“Is there a possibility of carrying two kickers?” Lynn - “Thats a possibility as well. No doubt”“As in two kickers on the active roster, not one on the practice squad?”Lynn - “I’ve had two kickers before”“How would that work?”Lynn - “Well you’re gonna take a hit somewhere else so you better be deep at another position”I am not a fan of even considering carrying two kickers right now. First of all, I don’t think the Chargers are deep enough at any position to “take a hit” there. They’d never do it, but to me the most viable option there would be to just carry Philip Rivers on the active roster because, let’s be honest here, if Rivers goes down, thats a wrap. Second of all, what does carrying two questionable kickers solve? The only scenario that makes sense for carrying two kickers is the one like Lynn described where you have a reliable http://www.chargersfootballauthentics.com/keenan-allen-jersey-authentic , accurate field goal kicker, and a kick off specialist. Hopefully over the next three preseason games, one of these two kickers really stands out and makes this an easy decision. If it continues to be back and forth, Lynn might be tempted to keep both guys, and that’s the wrong answer.Chargers Training Camp: What To Watch For On First Day of Pads It’s here, Chargers fans. Full pads. Grown man football.One of the most anticipated days of the offseason has finally arrived and with it comes expectations, intrigue, and a healthy dose of caution. After all, it was this day during last year’s training camp that Forrest Lamp was lost for his rookie season due to an ACL-tear.But crazy and fluky injuries happen all the time. Today needs to embraced by every player, regardless of experience. The rookies must get acclimated to the level of physicality at the professional level while the veterans need to shake the dust off and remember what it feels like to let it rip after the long offseason.Heading into today’s practice, here are several aspects to keep your eye on once the stretching ends and the pads start popping.1. After passing the eye test, will rookie LBs Kyzir White and Uchenna Nwosu continue to impress?Both White and Nwosu looked excellent and seemed to make the most of their reps during the first two days of camp. According to our very own Matthew Stanley (@boltfanindenver), White’s athleticism stood out while they went through individual drills:When asked about the first padded-practice Womens Mike Pouncey Jersey , White didn’t attempt to hide his excitement. “It’s been a while since I’ve put pads on so I’m ready. It feels great just getting adjusted to everything, being around my teammates (and) trying to get this thing rolling for a great season.”Nwosu was also able to put his explosiveness off the edge on display as he made several disruptive plays against the second-team offense:2. With the pads on, will WR Dylan Cantrell be able to embrace the extra contact and take advantage of his size against the smaller DBs?On the first day of training camp, it was obvious that the former-red raider was struggling whenever a defender would press him off the line of scrimmage in 1-on-1 drills:However, Cantrell rebounded with a much-improved practice the next day, hauling in a number of catches on the outside and from the slot:The young receiver was another rookie who got to describe his mindset heading into today’s practice. “I think intensity’s going to be even higher (and) competition is going to be great. You get a better feel for actual football. We’re going to try to be safe and keep each other off the ground and protect each other.”3. Will the young UDFA corners be able to bounce back after a rough start to training camp?Two of the most interesting UDFAs among the 2018 crop have been CBs Tony Brown from Alabama and Brandon Facyson out of Virginia Tech. Over the last several years, the Chargers have had quite the luck finding diamonds in the rough at the position, with Trevor Williams and Mike Davis the most recent examples.With Brown, there is the elite athleticism (4.35 in the 40). With Facyson, you have excellent size as he stands 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, but less long-speed (4.53 forty).According to our own Garrett Sisti, the two young corners had their fair share of growing pains through the first pair of practices:
Los Angeles Chargers Daily Links: 10 to avoid in the first 5 rounds of fantasy drafts - Mike CastiglioneHowever http://www.authenticlosangeleschargers.com/cheap-drew-kaser-jersey , last year’s ceiling as the RB5 (PPR) feels like a best-case scenario for Gordon, who ranked outside the top-20 RBs with 0.47 fantasy points per opportunity. With a late-first-round pick, consider instead a potential top-five WR like Michael Thomas, followed by pass-catching RBs such as Dalvin Cook and Jerick McKinnon in the following rounds.AFC West Roundup: Arrivals, Departures on Defense - Chris HayreOther notable free-agent additions to Oakland’s defense include linebacker Tahir Whitehead and safety Marcus Gilchrist. Whitehead, who spent six seasons with the Detroit Lions, had 110 tackles in 2017. Gilchrist was drafted by the Chargers in 2011 and spent four seasons with the team. He started 13 games last year for the Houston Texans.Los Angeles Chargers: Who will win the team's fullback job? - Travis WakemanAt 6’0 and 257 pounds, Manzo-Lewis has a great build and as a result, packs a punch as a blocker. Though Watt has sufficed as a blocker, Manzo-Lewis might be an even better option in that regard. One area where he is definitely a better option is as a receiver.3 players with the most to prove -Sebastian OrellanaWilliams has a lot to prove due to his status as a first-round pick and a very impressive collegiate resume. If he can’t compete on the Chargers, chances are he won’t be able to compete anywhere else and will have a short and forgettable NFL career.Social Media Information:BFTB Facebook Page: Click here to like our pageBFTB Twitter: Follow @BFTB_ChargersThe Lightning Round Twitter: Follow @Lightning_RoundThe Lightning Round Facebook: Click here to like our pageBFTB Manager: Richard Wade: Follow @RichardWadeThere are 16 players in the draft worth taking in the 1st round I usually come up with some ridiculous ideas. 2 years ago it was comparing guys to Kanye. Last year it was to cities. This year? TV Characters with the help of my good pal Matt Bowe. Football is a sport that shouldn’t be taken seriously by us and this is just another example of that. It should be fun. It should be silly. So that’s what I’m doing. The character might be a drug-lord, alcoholic, mob boss, etc. No, I’m not calling the young man that. Grow up. There are 16 players that I would take in the first round. Their positional value might not warrant them getting a massive contract, but I’m not talking about that right now. I’m just talking about the best players, period. I’ll compare them to a character and give you their signature play of last season in my opinion.16. Justin Reid, safety, StanfordJesse Pinkman-Breaking BadThese two are linked together as Reid is a high energy, jittery even, player that will be on the other side of the field and chase the running back down because he can. His energy is contagious. Much like Jesse, who seemed like he was always running and trying to avoid trouble. Jesse would run into things. Look over his shoulder running away from people. Was always on the move. Reid has shown he can come downhill and avoid blockers, but turn and run and go get the ball as well. Reid has the smarts and athleticism to be a much better pro than collegiate.He had some high quality plays but this one shows his strength and how he does whatever it takes to get to where he needs. 15. Roquan Smith, linebacker, GeorgiaFlashLike Barry Allen, Roquan Smith has been given the power of super speed. Roquan is well aware of his gifts and uses them to his advantage. I’m a little lower on him as his take on skills are below average and in short yardage situations that will show it’s face. Still, in coverage, getting sideline to sideline, he can get there in a...flash. 14. Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn StateMichael Scott, the OfficeBarkley has as many highlight plays as Michael Scott has memes and quotes. You can’t watch an episode without him saying something ridiculously stupid just like you can’t watch a game without Barkley doing something ridiculously stupid. Is he one of the most overrated characters of all-time? Hmmm. Barkley has obvious flaws that for whatever reason are swept under the rug. He’s far from perfect and I’d be shocked if he reaches that level of some of the players he’s being compared to. Ladainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, to name a few. He’s more Matt Forte, and there’s nothing wrong with that. He has obvious value Youth Michael Schofield Jersey , just like Michael Scott. This is the play that really captures Barkley and what he brings to the next level. Flashy catch, change of direction and burst that only he can do. Electric. 13. Isaiah Wynn, OT, GeorgiaRon Swanson, Parks & RecThe show doesn’t work without Swanson like your line doesn’t work without Wynn. Both are just really, really good. They keep to themselves. You might not notice them all the time, but when you do, it’s gold. If you told me Wynn has gold buried in his backyard because he doesn’t trust the government, I’d believe you. Swanson is a handy kinda guy that can fix anything. You can probably plug Wynn in at a few different positions and instantly fix your offensive line, too. Both are all meat and potatoes kinda guys. Get those veggies outta here. Wynn doesn’t have the mustache, but the beard is there. Don’t sleep on Wynn. 12. Isaiah Oliver, CB, ColoradoInspector GadgetI feel like this is too low for Oliver and can easily see him on another former Colorado corners trajectory as a top 5 corner in the league in Jimmy Smith. Oliver has arms that are forever extending and can bail him out even when he’s beat. Some of the plays he was able to make the last couple years would make Inspector Gadget proud, because he’s the only other person who’d be able to make them. Oliver has everything you want at the position and should be in the discussion early in the first round.Oliver had plenty of plays to show off his athleticism but I want to show you his technique and craftiness. So you see the patience then how he can get his hands on you to reroute you just enough. He has a knack for pinning receivers to the sideline. He’s playing the receivers eyes and turns his head at the last minute to find the ball. A lot of times when corners go to look they don’t “lean and locate”, which creates separation. Oliver does that to perfection here. Not only that, he sneaks his left arm in and the receiver can’t get his right arm up. Such a beautiful play.11. Bradley Chubb, edge rusher, North Carolina StateTony SopranoSoprano ran his business in a way that was straight-forward and quiet and tried to come off as humble. That made him very rich. When it came time to work it could be done very violently and he or his goons would not hesitate to execute. That’s a lot like NC State’s defensive line last year, and Chubb was the leader. Chubb has some explosiveness and his hand usage is above average that you can tell he’s going to be good. But how good? Will his shortcomings do him in like it did Tony? Chubb had the production, but you’re always left wanting more. Tony was in his own head and it affected his marriage and parenting as well. With Chubb, there’s questions still. Both have good instincts that could take them very far. 10. Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety, AlabamaDexterLike Minkah, Dexter is mild-mannered, sort of quirky, and can fit in anywhere. Nick Saban has often praised Fitzpatrick as being one of the most studious players he’s been around. It shows on the field. Both he and Dexter are clearly smart and they put a lot of thought into their craft. One of trying to kill the opposing offenses drive the other is trying to kill a human. Some say he’s too smart for his own good and he gets bored. Minkah can fit in anywhere but can he excel anywhere? That’s the question many are asking.9. Rashaan Evans, LB, AlabamaThe Hound, Game of ThronesThere’s not much for me to say about Evans that I already haven’t. I compare him to The Hound as he’s a great fighter that will give hell to anyone big or small. Obnoxiously violent. Not really here for the BS. 8) Lamar Jackson, QB, LouisvilleMarius, Sneaky PeteLike Evans, there’s not much that I need to say that I already haven’t said. Marius can escape any situation using his mind to out smart people. He can also talk his way out of anything, much like Lamar can play his way out of any trouble. Marius is great at achieving his goals. Lamar won a Heisman and we still haven’t seen his best football yet.7) Sony Michel, RB, GeorgiaJordan PeeleEveryone knows Sony can play. It’s figuring out just how talented he is. Peele was often in the shadow of his partner Color Rush Mike Williams Jersey , much like Michel. The duo was really good, but for Peele to truly be the best version of himself, he had to step away from that duo. With Michel, I see the same thing happening. Peele gave us Get out in his rookie year. The future is bright for him. Michel is that talented and should give us a terrific rookie season and beyond that as well. He brings a lot to the table and I don’t think we’ll know until he’s on his own. He has all the traits needed to be successful.6) Harold Landry, edge rusher, Boston CollegeJessica JonesLandry is highly athletic with tremendous flexibility and can fly around the edge. Jessica Jones can literally fly and you can see how quick she is when she fits. Jones is reluctant to use her power, much like Landry. When Landry does use it, as you’ll see below, it’s devastating. Landry in 2016 was a terror. Damn near unblockable. He wasn’t bad this year and I’m not sure where that’s coming from. If I needed to get after the quarterback, I’m taking Landry before any edge rusher.5) Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre DameLuke CageA straight-edge mauler that you just do not get the best of. You don’t. That’s Cage. That’s Nelson. He’s not the best in the draft because there are legit questions about him in space and against better athletes. But in the trenches, it doesn’t get better than Nelson.4) Derwin James, safety, Florida State,Ari Gold, EntourageEccentric but commands your attention the minute he steps into the room. Alpha. Asshole. Aggressive. You might not like him but you’re going to respect him. How can’t you with what he’s done? Whatever he does, he’s good at it. This is Derwin James. If you want to change the culture of your defense, grab Derwin. Like Ari, wherever he plays, he excels at.3) Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio StateOmar, The WireWard isn’t just a world-class athlete, he’s a sneaky big hitter. One of the most popular TV characters ever and no surprise it’s coming from Ohio State. He has the conidence to win against anyone. Omar stayed in the shadows to make a play. Ward will stay in your hip pocket and when the ball comes his way, it’s his. He robs receivers of catches like Omar did drug dealers. 2) Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Kramer, SeinfieldI’m not sure which one is quicker, Kramer firing back crazy ideas or Hurst getting into the backfield. Hurst busts in the backfield like Kramer bursts through the door. Both are lunatics in their respective fields. Both are also a bit misunderstood. Hurst will prove each and every doubter wrong. He’s a monster. 1) Derrius Guice, RB, LSUJax Teller, Sons of AnarchyI don’t know if Guice has a tattoo of his dad like Jax does. I do know he’s a bad ass like Jax is. Both are violent in their own ways. The police department struggled to bring Teller down. Much like defenders did with Guice. A background that might turn some people off but he’s an obvious leader. He’s the man. To me, Guice will be the best player in the draft.
of October http://www.sandiegochargersteamonline.com/dan-feeney-jersey , and just when they were close, disaster struck.With Tennessee poised to score late in the second quarter, Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota had a pass tipped and intercepted in the red zone. Mariota, who for so long had earned a reputation of outstanding play in the red zone, had to walk away from that possession with no points.That allowed the Chargers to preserve a 10-6 lead at halftime. Los Angeles scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Tyrell Williams on its first offensive play and added a field goal on its second drive. That’s been enough so far.The Titans are off next week, so if they don’t score a touchdown in the second half today, they’ll have gone a full calendar month without a touchdown. That’s hard to do in today’s NFL. The Chargers even hit a field goal yesterday http://www.sandiegochargersteamonline.com/denzel-perryman-jersey , at least, one of them.But their pattern of strange and unusual ways of losing games continued unabated from last year, frustrated with their own dropped passes and fumbles in a 38-28 loss to the Chiefs.鈥淚鈥檓 always careful to say that 鈥榳e lost鈥?this one because there was an opponent over there,鈥?quarterback Philip Rivers said, via Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. 鈥淏ut we did do some self-inflicted things.鈥漌hen coach Anthony Lynn was asked about the drops, he mentioned four, and that may have been a generous assessment.鈥淚 think a couple of those might be touchdowns 鈥?plays that we need to make http://www.sandiegochargersteamonline.com/mike-williams-jersey , plays that we have been making,” Lynn said. “We鈥檝e just got to make those plays.”The problems were widespread. Travis Benjamin was guilty. So was Tyrell Williams. Receiver/return man J.J. Jones did his part by muffing a punt in the fourth quarter to set up an easy Chiefs score.鈥淲e did everything we wanted to do. We got the looks we wanted,鈥?wide receiver Keenan Allen said. 鈥淲e just left a lot of money out there.鈥滱llen may have caught most of his (eight for 108 yards and a touchdown), but he’s right about the theme. If the Chargers don’t get this problem corrected, it’s going to be very costly.