GREEN BAY, Wis. The Green Bay Packers have gone through so many offensive line combinations that theyve started to recycle.On Sunday against the Rams, Green Bay lined up with Yosh Nijman at left tackle, Jon Runyan at left guard, Lucas Patrick at center, Royce Newman at right guard and Billy Turner at right tackle. Nijman
Pittsburgh Steelers Home Office is the No. 3 left tackle, Runyan wasnt the Week 1 starter at left guard and Patrick wasnt the Week 1 starter at center. But, as unlikely a quintet as that was, it wasnt the first time that Green Bay started a game with that group. It also did in Week 5 against Cincinnati.Thought our offensive line battled, man, coach Matt LaFleur said after the 36-28 victory. I thought they did a great job. I think anytime you go against that type of front, that style on defense, I think that the fact that we dropped back 45 times and Aaron had the one sack, which he tried to scramble up on, I thought they did a hell of a job.The Packers led the NFL in scoring last year. Aaron Rodgers received the bulk of the credit as he won NFL MVP honors. But the offensive line was stellar. Left tackle David Bakhtiari was All-Pro, left guard Elgton Jenkins was a Pro Bowler and center Corey Linsley was All-Pro. However, Linsley signed with the Chargers in free agency, Bakhtiari still hasnt played due to a torn ACL sustained late last season and Jenkins mi sed three games with an ankle injury and now is out with a torn ACL.Offensive line coach Adam Stenavichs rebuilt and reconfigured line has played well most weeks, though. According to SportRadar, Green Bay has been stuffed on 6.7 percent of its running plays, with a stuff being a tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage. Thats the seventh-best
Miles Killebrew Jersey rate in the NFL. In the pa sing game, Packers quarterbacks have been pre sured 23.3 percent of the time, the 13th-best rate. For comparison, Green Bay was No. 2 in stuffed percentage and No.
Dan Moore Jr. Jersey 1 in pre sure percentage last season. So, the line play hasnt been as good no surprise considering the personnel and injuries but it also hasnt been a disaster area, either. ESPN.com, using Next Gen Stats data, has its own metrics called . The Packers are in seventh in both areas. Green Bay, Washington, Philadelphia, Kansas City and the Los Angeles Rams are the five units in the top 10 in both areas.The LaFleur has mostly been able to run his offense with five starting line combinations and three starters out vs. the Rams has been remarkable. Jenkins looked like a legit left tackle in his eight games. Nijman has been no slouch in either phase. According to PFF, heres the starting fives sack numbers: Nijman with two in four starts, Runyan with two in 11 starts, Patrick with zero in eight starts, Newman with five in 12 starts (but none the last three) and Turner with three in 12 starts. Scroll to ContinueIs help on the way? From the moment the season started, the hope was Bakhtiari would return at left tackle, Jenkins could move back to
Pittsburgh Steelers Jackets left guard, and the rookie combination of Myers and Newman would be playing like veterans by late in the season. Instead, Bakhtiari needed a minor procedure on his reconstructed knee, Jenkins suffered a season-ending knee injury, Myers has mi sed the last six games following knee surgery and Newman has battled rookie inconsistency. The hope is Bakhtiari will be ready to resume practicing after the bye. Myers could be back at some point, too. Bakhtiaris return would provide a major boost to the teams championship hopes. Can he return after getting shut down a few weeks ago? And if he can, is it po sible that he can return to his five-time All-Pro form in time for the playoffs?Speaking truth last week was Turner, the bedrock of the line and underappreciated right tackle.The games are won up front, he said. It doesnt matter what defense youre playing. It doesnt matter what offense youre playing. It doesnt matter what team, special teams, none of that matters. At the end of the day, if you cant block up front, you
Karl Joseph Jersey aint gonna get the ball off. Thats my opinion. Makes it a lot easier when you got a guy like Aaron Rodgers, when you got a guy like Davante Adams, Marcedes Lewis, Aaron Jones. Those things make your job easier but, at the end of the day, if you cannot block, you cannot do those things.Packers at the Bye Series
Its always the behind-the-scenes relationships that can come into play on game day.With the Las Vegas Raiders officially a game under the books with interim head coach Rich Bisaccia, both Bisaccia and third-year defensive end Maxx Crosby have talked about "Coach Bisaccia has been incredible my whole time for the Raiders," Crosby
Tye Smith Jersey said. "He took me under his wing since I got there.If I needed literally anything talking about life, talking about football, talking about anything he was always there for me. So I can't say enough good things about him. I'm just happy we got the win for him."Scroll
Minnesota Vikings Hoodies Sweatshirts to ContinueWhile the win was ultimately for the Raiders, the thought for getting the win for a coach, albeit someone who has stood next to and been by a players side is
Zach Davidson Jersey huge.Bisaccia returned the favor to Crosby, noting how he is inspiring to the team."We've all got a chance to watch him (Crosby) practice and mature over the years that he's been here," Bisaccia said. "We loved him coming out of the draft and he's
Troy Dye Jersey had a big influence on me as well.A lot of things that he's gone through and conversations that we've had, they've helped me grow as a man, they've helped me grow as a father and husband, and I know he's doing that with a lot of other guys.Him and Darren Waller, the story they have, the people they're helping; it's inspiring to all of us. So, he
Christian Darrisaw Jersey 's awful kind with his words but he's done it to me as much as I may have done it to him."
GREEN BAY, Wis. Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins suffered a torn ACL on Sunday at Minnesota and will mi s the rest of the season. Its unfortunate, coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday. Elgtons been a big part of this team and still is a big part of this team. But just won't be out there with us. Its just one of those deals that its an unfortunate part of our game and weve had a lot of guys unfortunately have to go through this this year. Jenkins, who dominated at left guard last season and has thrived at left tackle this season, was attempting to block blitzing safety Harrison Smith early
Steve Hutchinson T Shirts in the fourth quarter when his knee buckled.The injury is the latest blow to the Packers, in general, and their offensive line, in particular. By the end of Sundays game, they had nine key players out of the lineup: outside linebacker Rashan Gary (elbow), receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder), running back Aaron Jones (knee) and left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) were inactive. Cornerback Jaire Alexander (shoulder), outside linebacker ZaDarius Smith (back), tight end Robert Tonyan (knee) and center Josh Myers (knee) are on injured reserve. Jenkins, Jones, Bakhtiari, Alexander and Smith were Pro Bowlers last season.If everyone were healthy entering the season, the Packers would have lined up with Bakhtiari at left
Brandon Shell Jersey tackle, Jenkins at left guard, Myers at center, Royce Newman at right guard and Billy Turner at right tackle. When the Packers host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, theyll go with Yosh Nijman at left tackle, Jon Runyan at left guard, Lucas Patrick at center, Newman at right guard and Turner at right tackle.On its own, losing Jenkins is a big blow. He is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, a rare blocker capable of dominating at any of the five positions. In his first two seasons at left guard, Jenkins gave up one sack. He made the move to left tackle a position so difficult that the top players at the position make huge sums of money and the top prospects in every draft cycle go early look relatively
Dakoda Shepley Jersey easy. In eight games this season, PFF charged with only two sacks. Scroll to ContinueI feel like Im the type of person that I can only get beat if I do something to beat me, Jenkins said last week. The person that lined up ahead of me, I dont feel like they can do anything spectacular to beat me no matter what position I play. The only way how I can get beat is if I beat myself, basically.Combined with the uncertainty over Bakhtiaris return from his own ACL tear after participating in nine consecutive practices, he mi sed the last four and the injury to Jenkins could be a devastating blow to the teams Super Bowl chances. LaFleur said he was hopeful Bakhtiari would return to practice after the bye; he will not practice this week, nor will he play vs. the Rams.When Bakhtiari seemingly was on track to return, he would have locked down left tackle and allowed Jenkins to bolster another position. With a potential powerhouse offense, Green Bay looked like a team set to really take off for the stretch run.Instead, theres at least a po sibility that neither of Green Bays premier blockers will be available. That would be a difficult challenge to overcome, no matter quarterback Aaron Rodgers greatne s, coach Matt LaFleurs schematics and offensive line
Ryan Neal Jersey coach Adam Stenavichs teaching skill.Hes been so versatile for us, Rodgers said of Jenkins after Sundays game. I think he can play every position on the line. So, definitely hate to see that happen. Not sure what his official status is coming out of the game but with Daves status unknown, we have to rely on probably Yosh. Hes played some good football for us. Proud of the way he stepped in. Hopefully, the news isnt so bad with Elgton.When Jenkins was out with an ankle injury early in the season,
Derrick Coleman Jersey Nijman played well in three starts. And he was on the field for two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter on Sunday. I feel like Yosh played great, Jenkins said last week. I feel like he played really good for that to be his first time taking regular-season snaps, and I feel like the future is bright for him at whatever position he may play. But I feel like he played great.
Coming off an improbable victory over the Bengals, behind an unforgettable performance from backup quarterback Mime White, the Jets have a prime-time matchup with the Colts.New York is in Indianapolis on Thursday night, facing
New Orleans Saints Hoodies Sweatshirts off with the 3-5 Colts on the national stage.What kind of encore will White provide after his historic day against the Bengals? Indianapolis has a stout defense, but last week proves that anything can happen.Turnovers could be the deciding factor in this one. The Colts are tied with the Bills for the most takeaways in the league this season with 18 (nine interceptions and nine forced fumbles). Meanwhile, the Jets are second in football with 15 giveaways this season, leading the league with 13 interceptions thrown.If New York can take care of the football, and White can move the chains without turning the ball over, expect a close ballgame deep into the fourth quarter.If the Colts can snatch momentum early
Malcolm Roach Jersey on with takeaways and keep White uncomfortable in the pocket, we might see a version of the Jets that lost by 41 points in New England only a few weeks ago.With kickoff moments away, here are some stories to get you set for this Week 9 showdown.Related reading to get you ready for Jets-Colts:Throughout the game on Thursday night, be sure to stick around right here for live score updates and some analysis. As always, refresh this page to make sure you're viewing the latest version.First QuarterAfter a short drive from the Jets ended in a punt, Colts running back Nyheim Hines punctuates an 88-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown run. Indy takes the early lead.Elijah Moore has his first career NFL touchdown! White finds Moore wide open for a 19-yard game-tying touchdown.Second QuarterNew York has no answer for Jonathan Taylor in the first half. Taylor scampers
New Orleans Saints Hats in for a touchdown from 21 yards out to give Indianapolis a lead.Taylor is already approaching 100 yards on the ground Thursday night, dominating New York's defense so far.Scroll to ContinueJack Doyle snags a one-yard touchdown to s from Wentz and the Colts are up two touchdowns. They've scored on all three of their drives so far.New York better turn this around soon or it's going to be a long night...New York cuts
Michael Thomas Jersey the deficit to 11 with a field goal before halftime.HALFTIME: Jets 10, Colts 28Indianapolis added one more touchdown before the end of the second quarter. They've scored a TD on all four of their drives on offense. New York's defense is making this game seem similar to their humiliating 41-point lo s to the Patriots a few weeks ago...Third quarterThis is becoming hard to watch. Offensive lineman Danny Pinter catches Wentz' third touchdown pa s of the game, giving Indy a 25-point lead.On the first play of Indianapolis' subsequent drive, Taylor breaks through for a 78-yard touchdown run.Elijah Moore catches his second touchdown of the game, this time from Josh Johnson.Fourth QuarterToo little too late at this point, but Josh Johnson is playing well. He fires a 13-yard touchdown pa s to Ryan Griffin to cut the Jets' deficit to 19.Michael Badgley drills a 39-yard field goal.Credit to Josh Johnson, the third-string quarterback is holding his own. He throws his third touchdown of the day, finding
Bradley Roby Jersey Ty Johnson out of the backfield for a 22-yard catch and run.
Losing is always hard on a team, but losing 45-7 is going to be even harder. Cleveland was simply bullied for sixty minutes of football
Davante Adams T Shirts and it was not close. The Browns are now 5-5 on the season and their backs are against the wall. It may look dark, but there is still hope. The boat can still be steered the right way. It is not going to be an easy feat by any means. Cleveland needs to likely go 6-1 over their next seven games, 5-2 at worst.11-6 will surely get you in the playoffs. 10-7 might, but it is le s likely. Lo ses against the Chargers and Patriots make it a tough bridge to cro s when it comes to getting a wildcard spot with a 10-7 record. Maybe winning the division is more likely, but that is going to be just as tough.Cleveland simply needs to take it one week at a time from here on out and focus on a few things in particular. The Browns simply have to bounce back this week and get to 6-5, then they will deal with the Baltimore Ravens. A chance to bounce back comes against the Detroit Lions, a team that has yet to win a game. Cleveland cant overlook the Lions, but will be undoubtedly favored and should win convincingly at home. Not only do the Browns need to bounce back, they need to play well. An ugly win against the Lions would not give much optimism going forward into the Ravens twice in three weeks. Cleveland simply has to play better on both sides of the football. Baker Mayfield needs to have a bounce back week if he plays against the Lions. Clevelands quarterback needs to play well after his bad outing against the New England Patriots. Though, it was not just Mayfield, the team played bad overall. Browns gave
Davante Adams Jersey up 45 points. An outing for the Browns defense similar to the one against the Minnesota Vikings or Cincinnati Bengals would be ideal and a confidence boost. The motto one week at a time has its focus on the Lions. Mac Jones absolutely destroyed the Browns, he looked like a seasoned vet. It was not that he did anything special, he took what the defense gave him. Coming into the season the Browns looked to be very good on defense, especially on the back end. To this point the safety position has been mediocre at best. John Johnson III has had some good moments, but has to continue to play free majority of the time simply because no
Las Vegas Raiders Hats one else can. Ronnie Harrison has been a negative in coverage and the Browns cant rely on him there. Grant Delpit is inconsistent, but has flashed. Scroll to ContinueBest case scenario is Delpit puts some work together and the Browns dont have to operate with Harrison on the field, besides in certain packages. An ideal Browns defense would have Johnson moving around, Delpit and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out on the defense at the same time. This gives the Browns flexibility and versatility, Harrison doesnt offer a ton of either. It may not be this season, but when Delpit can win-over Harrisons role, it will be for the best of the team. Before the season Harrison looked primed for some sort of extension. At this point I would not even think about extending Harrison. There are other problems on the defense, such as linebackers being burnt toast. A lot of it has to do with bad interior play putting them in a bad spot. But, the safety position needs figured out. On their first drive Cleveland found the end zone against the Patriots, it would be the only time that the Browns would score. The rest of the game plenty went wrong and little went right. Offensive line was in shambles, mi sed throws and questionable play calling and execution were all present. Jedrick Wills Jr. had a bad game, but there is no reason to believe that he will not bounce back. The Browns are without Jack Conklin a few more weeks at least, that problem will eventually fix itself. At that point
Alec Ingold Jersey the hope is that Cleveland can stay healthy up front. Not only will that help the offense, but it will protect the beat up quarterback. Mayfield has to be better. There is no question that he is pretty hurt. But, if he is going to be out there he is expected to play well. Kevin Stefanski must
Ken Stabler Jersey put him in a spot to exceed and help out with comfortability. Quick pa ses, bootlegs and play action should all be a huge part of the offense, it has been lacking. Nick Chubb should be back against the Lions and Kareem Hunt will return before long. The name of the game for the Browns offense is to run the ball and run the ball well. Getting back to those roots will be pivotal for any playoff hopes. Cleveland doesnt have a wide receiver outside of Donovan Peoples-Jones that is ready to beat a defense. This is a problem and there probably isnt an immediate fix. Playing around that and doing other things can mask it for the time being. The Browns seem to be down right now, but theyre not out. String together a couple wins in a row and youre right back in this thing. Lose a couple more games and more questions will arise. Clevelands next few weeks will tell all.
GREEN BAY, Wis. Maurice Drayton talked the talk. But because his units couldnt walk the walk, he was one-and-done as the Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator. In the wake of a playoff debacle of epic proportions, Drayton has been fired by coach Matt LaFleur, . Whoever LaFleur hires will be the Packers third coordinator in three seasons and the latest in a long line of coaches trying to fix the teams perennially downtrodden units. . That came on the heels of finishing 29th in 2020 and 26th in 2019 under Shawn Mennenga, and 32nd under Ron Zook during Mike McCarthys final season of 2018. . They have not fielded a top-10 unit since 2007, which shows its an organizational problem as much as anything.Drayton was the latest coach tasked with turning lemons into lemonade. .We have to continue to get better and just continue to take baby steps each day, Drayton said before the first preseason game. If we get a little bit better each day, by the first time the first preseason game
Brandon Bolden Jersey hits, the second preseason game, the third preseason game, opening game, we should be exactly where we need to be.Drayton talked with similar bravado throughout his abbreviated tenure.The beauty of it is, I call our room where we are the Truth Room. Were going to tell the truth, Drayton said during his introductory news conference when asked about the two disappointing 2018 draft picks he inherited, punter JK Scott and long snapper Hunter Bradley.The truth is Draytons units started poorly and never even got close to being exactly where we need to be. The problems werent all his fault. General manager Brian Gutekunst, who made the mistake of drafting Scott and Bradley in the first place, didnt commit to replacing them until it was too late. Gutekunst acquired punter Corey Bojorquez at the end of training camp and dumped Bradley at midseason. Those changes helped put reliable kicker Mason Crosby who didnt mi s any field goals in 2020 into a funk he could never quite shake.I know the guys are working at it. We are working at it, . No one feels worse than those three individuals who it directly affects, meaning the snapper, holder and kicker. And I can tell you and a sure you that we are fighting hard to get on the same page to have that operation down pat like a fine well-oiled machine.The changes in the field-goal operation werent an excuse, Drayton added.I tell my children this all the time: Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, used to build bridges that lead to nowhere. Those who deal in excuses build monuments dedicated to nothing. Therefore, were not
N'Keal Harry Jersey going to deal in excuses. So, thats not an excuse. That is the facts, thats the factual answer to what were going through at this time.With an unreliable kicker and the lack of an impact returner, Green Bay was all-around bad. The Packers finished 32nd in average starting field position following a kickoff, 26th in opponent starting field position after a kickoff, 20th
Rob Gronkowski T Shirts in net punting average, 24th in opponent net punting average and 31st in field-goal accuracy. Rookie receiver Amari Rodgers struggled to even field punts and rookie running back Kylin Hill averaged le s than 20 yards on kickoff returns before a season-ending knee injury. Special teams might have cost the Packers a chance to win with Jordan Love at quarterback at Kansas City, and seven enormous mistakes put the Packers on upset alert against Chicago.Scroll to ContinueWere really close, Drayton said in October. To the uninitiated, and what I mean by that is those who do not study special teams and understand it, they think its still the same old Packers. Thats not the case on some of these units. Were really close, but if you dont the trained eye to see where thats really close, youll think were in the same spot. But were really close. Were going take these baby steps and just keep going on it, making it bigger. And by the end of the season, well be where we need to be, when it really counts.It all came to a head in the playoff lo s to San Francisco with three season-killing mistakes. The first was a blocked field goal just before halftime in which veteran defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster didnt block Jimmie Ward. The second came on the kickoff to start the second half, with Deebo Samuel taking the ball to midfield to set up the 49ers for a field goal. The third was the back-breaker. With Green Bay clinging to a 10-3 lead late in the game, Jordan Willis bull-dozed snapper Steven
Jonathan Jones Jersey Wirtel. The personal protector, safety Henry Black, was too busy running out on coverage to help. The punt was blocked and scooped up for the tying touchdown.That was a 13-point swing in a game the Packers lost by three points. For the pice de rsistance, the Packers had only 10 players on the field for the field goal that ended the 49ers season. Of course, the Packers could have 14 players on the field and not blocked the kick. The words of the coaches leading up to the game were incredible. For San Francisco, the goal entering the game was simple.My No. 1 goal is to not lose on special teams, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.For Green Bay, it was more of Draytons bravado.Over the last three weeks, were definitely trending up, Drayton said. I think I mentioned before that our practices have been on point and the guys are now transferring what theyre doing in practice to the game field, so we feel very encouraged, they are very encouraged and Im excited to see what theyre
David Andrews Jersey going to do here on Saturday night.Two days after the season, LaFleur spoke of personnel problems and not Draytons shortcomings. San Francisco had a lot of their starters on special teams, LaFleur said. Thats going to be something that I want to do some studies around the league and see how many teams operate that way.That sounds good. The only problem is it wasnt true. Perhaps showing that hes out of touch with the third phase of the game: 21 Packers played at least half the snaps on offense and defense in that game. Those players logged 38 snaps on special teams. The 49ers had 23 players with 50 percent playing time. Those players logged 41 snaps on special teams. Now, its back to the drawing board. Having fired his coordinator after each of the past two seasons, LaFleur must convince someone with intelligence, creativity and coaching ability to turn around a group that has been bad year after year after year. Ultimately, LaFleur said, it all falls on me.
Brace yourselves, winter is coming.While the aforementioned pop culture reference might be a bit past its prime, the wrath of old man winter will be felt on Saturday as the New England Patriots take on the Buffalo Bills at 8:15pm ET at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. In addition to being a playoff matchup between two bitter division rivals, Saturday nights Wild Card Weekend showdown may be played in some of the coldest game time temperatures in the teams history.Should the current forecast hold true, this game may stand beside the 2004 divisional round matchup with the Tenne see Titans for the coldest game ever played by the Patriots. It also has the potential to be just the third single-digit kickoff in team history (including 2004 against the Titans and December 1989 versus Pittsburgh.)At present, the National Weather Service is predicting partly cloudy skies with minimal winds, along with a po sible low temperature of 2 degrees at the time of Saturday nights kickoff.YIKES! or should I say, Brrrrrrr.With the
Donte Jackson Jersey frigid temperatures in Western New York are certain to have, at least, a marginal effect on game play, it will not be the first time that these two teams have met in weather conditions, which significantly factored into the action on the field. In fact, just over one month ago, the Pats and Bills took the field at Highmark Stadium amidst grueling sustained winds of 25-35 miles per hour (mph), with gusts up to 60 mph. As a result, the Patriots wisely shelved their pa sing game, opting instead to run the ball 46 times for 222 yards. Conversely, the Bills did not alter their gameplan to account for the elements as quarterback Josh Allen attempted 30 pa ses, yet completed only 15. Buffalo paid the price for doing so, dropping the Week Thirteen contest 14-10.Weather conditions, however, were not a
Wesley Walls factor in their second meeting. In a post-Christmas Day matchup at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Ma sachusetts, running back Damien Harris was the lone bright spot for the Pats. The Alabama product carried the ball 18 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns. However, quarterback Mac Jones finished the game completing just 14 of 32 pa ses for 145 yards and two interceptions. Still, the story of the day for New England would be costly penalties, and the inability of both the Patriots offense and defense to make plays when most needed. For the second straight week, the Patriots could not overcome an early, self-inflicted deficit, falling to the Bills 33-21 in Week Sixteen in Foxboro.In their first matchup, the Patriots found succe s by winning their battles in the trenches. A superior game plan, combined with more-experienced coaching also played a role in New Englands victory. Two weeks later, Buffalo earned their victory by demonstrating greater talent on both sides of the ball. Ironically, Saturdays rubber match, with a spot in the conference semifinals to be awarded to the winner, will be decided on a middle groundat least in terms of the weather. Neither wind, nor precipitation is expected to affect the outcome. However, freezing temperatures can impact several elements, including player conditioning, field surface and ball control.Scroll to ContinueMost notably, a close eye will be kept on the quarterbacks. Though the edge of playing during sub-freezing temperatures goes to Allen, the Bills QB still has his struggles with frigid temperatures. The four-year veteran recently told reporters that the toughest part of playing in cold weather is managing his feet. I've got bad circulation in my feet, Allen said. For a quarterback who relies heavily on his movement outside the pocket to make plays, the compromising of feeling in his extremities could be problematic. For Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, the arctic conditions will present a new challenge for the rookie; one which he must meet if the Patriots wish to remain competitive on Wild Card Weekend. The problem is that Jones
Terrace Marshall Jr. Jersey has minimal experience playing in such frigid temperatures. I think just take each day day-by-day and try not to focus on it too much, Jones told reporters prior to New Englands Week Twelve matchup with the Tenne see Titans. You just wear whatever you're supposed to wear and take the advice from the older people that have played a lot in the cold. Im just trying to figure it out. It's just another challenge, but you just have to look at it positivelyas if it was raining or really windy or whatever the situation is. It's football,
Clay Johnston Jersey and you're going to have days where it's cold and days where it's. windy and days when it's raining, so you have to be ready for all situations.Though Week Twelve was played in cold conditions, the temperatures on Saturday will be unlike anything Jones has ever seen as a pro. His ability to make throws in such a climate will be a determining factor in the succe s on Saturday.In the final analysis, Saturday nights game will be played, regardle s of the weather conditions. From a Patriots perspective, head coach Bill Belichick is confident that his team will be prepared to brave the cold, even in the most extreme circumstances. Weve practiced in just about everything we could, any type of conditions we could have and played in quite a few as well, Belichick told reporters on Wednesday. Theres no way to turn the temperature down, up, or anything else. It is what it is out there. I think, over the course of the year, weve dealt with, again, almost everything. I have a lot of confidence in our players. Through the course of their careers, theyve dealt with multiple situations of all various types, so, hopefully, were prepared for that. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels echoed Belichicks remarks, and also added that the pa sing game would not be impacted by low temperatures.The temperature will be what it will be, he said. Weve certainly played and practiced in cold weather. Maybe we havent practiced in that type of weather yet this year, but Id say its been below 20 degrees at times. It is what it is. Youve got to dre s appropriately for it and go out there and coach and play.Still, the Pats toughest opponent on Saturday will not be the weather conditions. It will be the defending AFC East Champions, a team which is strong in all three phases of the game. No one knows this as well as Belichick, himself. Im more worried
Bravvion Roy Jersey about the Bills than the weather.I think the Bills are what we have to focus on and thats who we have to beat. The weather is the weather.In the words of Herodotus, Belichick and the Patriots will need to avoid being stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkne s from accomplishing their appointed course on Saturday night. Otherwise, the offseason may be arriving sooner than expected.
The New England Patriots are in frigid Western New York for a Saturday night date with quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. This Wild Card Weekend showdown will take place at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York at 8:15pm ET. Though many Patriots players are expected to garner some attention during Saturdays
Darnell Savage Jersey matchup, here are three players on offense that might raise an eyebrow when the Pats take the field against the Bills.Mac JonesAll eyes will be on Jones as he makes his pro-level postseason debut on Saturday night. Bills fans are licking their chops (perhaps literally, as well as figuratively) at making the rookies night in Orchard Park a miserable one. However, it would be wise for them to tread lightly. The armchair scouting report on the Patriots young quarterback is to prevent him from utilizing play action to facilitate the short, intermediate pa sing game. In Week Sixteen, the Bills did this quite effectively, using a combination of safety blitzes with stout front-seven pre sures. Therefore, they will likely attempt to do the same on Saturday. While solid at all three levels, the Bills defensive brain trust is likely to attempt to confuse the Pats rookie by deploying strategically placed blitzes from the second and third level of the defense. Buffalos secondary ranked first in the league this year, allowing just 163 yards per game through the air and first with 5.2 yards per pa s. Despite the lo s of star cornerback TreDavious White to injured reserve, Buffalo still po se ses the ability to take the ball away, logging 19 interceptions on the season. Their prolific safety tandem of Jordan Poyer (5 INTs) and Micah
Aaron Rodgers Jersey Hyde (5 INTs) are more than capable of making life difficult for Jones in the pa sing game. Despite his recent struggles, Jones has shown flashes of brilliance during his rookie campaign. However, he will need his best game of the season to conquer a daunting Bills defense. How might he do this?Scroll to ContinueIn the immortal tenets of , Jones must strike first and strike hard. Though avoiding an early deficit is as much on the defense as it is on the offense, Jones can help to mitigate the pre sure of New Englands preventive unit by taking some early shots down field on vertical routes. Ironically, Sundays lo s to the Dolphins may have laid the foundation for the Pats potential game plan on the offensive side of the ball. When adding a deeper ball to his repertoire, Jones completed five of his eight pa ses beyond 20 yards in the air. He will not only need to replicate that performance on Saturday, but also to build upon it. Damien HarrisHarris rushed for over 100 yards in both netting with the Bills this season. As a result, he will be called upon once again to get the offense in gear. If there is an area in Buffalos defense which can be exploited, it is against the run. The Bills finished 13th in the league, allowing an average of 109.8 yards per game and 11th with 4.2 yards per rush. Still, the Bills have tightened their defense against the run in the recent weeks heading into the postseason. Buffalos run-stoppage unit is anchored by defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, their premier run-stuffer in the middle. He is joined by a stout unit including Ed Oliver, Harrison Phillips and Vernon Butler on the inside. The Bills also rely heavily on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to
Davante Adams Jersey a sist in run coverage. With fellow linebacker Matt Milano alongside him in the middle, Harris will have his share of difficulty attempting to find his footing on the ground in Orchard Park on Saturday night. The Patriots need the ground game to be productive, particularly early, in order to move the ball and avoid falling behind. While rookie Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to get his share of touches, Harris will rightfully continue
Chauncey Rivers Jersey to be New Englands feature back on Saturday night. Justin HerronWith Wynn officially out of the lineup on Saturday, the duties of left tackle will likely be left to reserve lineman Justin Herron. Though he has his share of detractors within the fan base, the Patriots will mi s Wynn in this matchup. Despite the occasional breakdown in protection, Wynn largely performed well in 2021. He made 15 starts during the regular season, finishing fifth on the teams offensive unit in logging 916 snaps. Pro Football Focus charted him for six sacks and five quarterback hits allowed. Prior to this week, Wynn had also been one of the most durable Patriots in 2021. The former Georgia Bulldog mi sed only one contest, New Englands Week Five victory over the Houston Texans, while on COVID-19/Reserve. Wynn left Sundays season-finale between the Patriots and the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter with said ankle injury and did not return. Herron served as Wynns replacement, playing on 52 offensive snaps. Given the circumstances, it appears that Herron will be called upon to sub for Wynn once again. Despite his struggles, Herron has been a solid depth piece along the Patriots offensive line in 2021. There are positive components to his work in pa s protection in terms of how he frames rushers and keeps them at the end of his reach. He is a patient lineman that works to stay square on the perimeter while displaying decent quickne s in his feet. Herrons lack of functional strength and body control in the run game are restrictive to creating vertical push. However, it should be noted that the Pats 2020 sixth-round draft choice will now be a signed primary protection duty for quarterback Mac Jones in his postseason debut. It will also be Herrons first playoff game as a pro. The lights will be bright amid the frigid temperatures in Orchard Park, but hopefully not too bright
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It just keeps getting worse for the San Francisco 49ers.Right tackle Mike McGlinchey reportedly tore his quad against the Cardinals and is expected to mi s the remainder of
Charles Harris Jersey the season, per When McGlinchey exited the game, Tom Compton filled in for him. That did not go well as he quickly allowed two sacks. The 49ers would do best to keep Compton away from any playing time as much as po sible. The fact he is even on the team makes no sense since he does nothing at an average level.Rookie Jaylon Moore could slide over as a
Will Harris Jersey fill in for the rest season.Shanahan alluded to Moore being considered there at his postgame pre ser.Moore has typically backed up Trent Williams, but at this point he is a much better option than Compton. The 49ers have to consider all po sibilities.Scroll to ContinueMcGlinchey has had a solid year thus far. His pa s blocking looked
Julian Okwara Jersey a bit improved and he was still anchoring strongly as a run blocker. Outside of the initial Cardinals matchup where J.J. Watt wreaked havoc on him, McGlinchey was been fairly stout.Losing him
Daryl Worley Jersey for the rest of the season is a sizeable blow to the 49ers. There isn't going to be any "backup magic" again like how the 49ers skated by with McGlinchey and Joe Staley out of action in 2019. This has all the makings of a downhill crash for the 49ers' offense. Then again, the offense has been that way since Week 1.Everything is unraveling with the 49ers after they were embarra sed by the Cardinals who were led by Colt McCoy.As they continue to stack lo ses, the playoffs just become a figment of
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The Indianapolis Colts' fanbase had some high expectations for first-round pick Kwity Paye coming into the season. Honestly, why wouldn't they? The front office was gushing about this pick for months after the draft.
Isaiah Dunn Jersey The only problem was that Paye was a bit of a raw pa s rusher that didn't have a ton of production in college. He was more of a projection pick rather than an immediate impact player. Still, Paye had some big shoes to fill, since he was taking over for veteran Justin Houston (who signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency). It has been a predictably slow start for the talented edge rusher, as he totaled just eight pre sures in his first six games. That all changed on Thursday against the New York Jets, though, as he accumulated seven pre sures in that game alone. So in today's film room, I take a look at Paye's first standout game with the Colts and talk about how this could be a sign of things to come for the young player. This feels like the first time this year that Paye has been able to really fire off and attack off the edge in the pa s game. Some of his other starts have featured more contain rushes that focused more on keeping quarterbacks stable and in the pocket. The gameplan in this one, though, was attack all game long from Paye. He lined up in the wide-nine alignment for most of the night, which allowed him to fire off downhill on the overmatched offensive tackles. He flashes his elite athleticism in this first clip. He explodes out of his wide-nine stance and quickly swipes the hands of veteran offensive tackle Morgan Moses. Once he wins inside, he accelerates to the quarterback and delivers a huge hit on third down. Even when
John Franklin-Myers Jersey he wasn't showing up in the stat sheet, Paye was having a positive impact as a pa s rusher in this game. On this next clip, he was slanting down to the inside on the stunt call. He crashes to the 'B' gap next to left tackle George Fant with great speed and acceleration. He
Folorunso Fatukasi Jersey nearly gets a sack on the rush, but does force the QB to slide up in the pocket. Once the quarterback slides forward, defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth is there to clean up the play for a sack. This next clip may be the best rush of Paye's young career. He showcases his strength, his motor, and his ability to bend on the outside all on one play. Scroll to ContinueThe Jets became wary of Paye late in the game and started chipping him in obvious pa sing situations. He fights through the chip well on this play before engaging with the left tackle. He puts on a quick head-fake and gets the corner on the much slower tackle. He dips around the outside and nearly gets to the quarterback for another hit/sack.I really enjoyed how Paye mixed up his rushes throughout this game. It kept the offensive tackles off-balance and he was able to hit on a couple moves that the tackles just didn't see coming. Fant and Moses attempted to quick-set Paye in this game to offset his power and speed. Paye did a great job of recognizing this and attacking the inside on many of his rushes. Here, Paye notices the quick jump-set and is able to counter with a swift swim move to the inside to send the veteran Fant to the ground. Paye was simply all over the place in this game. He showcased so many of the traits that made
New York Jets T Shirts the Colts select him with the 21st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. This next clip is just another move in Paye's arsenal. After a quick head fake, he starts to work his long arm into the chest of Moses. Once he is in good position, he quickly clubs away Moses' hands and works himself around the edge to the quarterback. The quarterback does a nice job of sliding up to avoid the pre sure, but this was another play where Paye nearly had his first career sack. I completely understand the frustrations from some Colts fans when it
Jermaine Johnson II Jersey comes to Paye's play this season. He had some pretty big shoes to fill, and he simply hasn't produced up to this point. An important thing to keep in mind is that young pa s rushers take some time adjusting to the speed and power of NFL offensive tackles. Paye has had his flashes and Thursday was an excellent outing that showed that he is steadily getting better. The key for Paye going forward is to compile these types of performances and become a player that can win off of the edge consistently. I am personally very impre sed with his play thus far, and I think he is only going to keep getting better and better.
