9/5/2017 Tennessee vs Georgia Tech Double OT Thriller Caps Off Insane Opening Weekend of College FootballRead NowBy DjackGeorgia Tech and Tennessee put on a show last night to close out the opening weekend of the college football season. A game many thought would be pedestrian at best, turned out to be a classic that'll be looked backed on all season as one of the best games. The Georgia Tech triple option took on an SEC power in Tennessee, so many thought the tough SEC team would sniff that BS option out right away, and run away with the game. Well, that most certainly didn't happen. It was actually Georgia Tech that would control the majority of this game putting Butch Jones on the hot seat right of the bat, as his "this is our year" Tennessee team was about to ruin all expectations of the season in the first game.
The triple option is nothing to be played with, I thought a tough SEC defense would eat it right up, however when it's run to perfection like the Yellow Jackets were doing last night, it's almost impossible to stop. Video game numbers were being put up, TaQuon Marshall, the QB of the Yellow Jackets, rushed for 249 yards, and scored 5 touchdowns. Like I said, video game numbers. The Georgia Tech offense as a whole rushed for over 500 yards, I didn't even think that was possible prior to last night. They controlled the clock, they controlled the tempo, they basically dominated the game in every facet, yet somehow they were unable to put Tennessee away. All Tennessee needed ways a few breaks to go their way, and that's exactly what happened. More than a few breaks went their way actually, Georgia Tech had not one, but two crucial fumbles in the game on drives that would've resulted in points, a missed field goal, a turnover on downs, and the Tennessee volunteers found themselves within striking distance. They were down 14 points, 28-14 was the score, it was early in the 4th quarter, and Quinten Dormady connected on a 50 yard bomb to Marquez Callaway for a touchdown to bring the Vols to within one touchdown. The Volunteers offense relied on big plays to open things up for their offense. Dormady was doing a solid job managing the game, although you could tell he was being ultra conservative, so for Callaway to go up and make plays for his young inexperienced QB was a huge deal. Oh yeah, this was Dormady's first collegiate game, so that explains why he was being conservative, and just trying to avoid the big mistake. Anyways, the Vols were still down a touchdown, and time was beginning to wither away. That's when they got the big break they needed. There was under 5 minutes left, Georgia Tech was deep in Tennessee territory, ready to put the dagger through the chest of Volunteer fans everywhere, when a fumble inside the 10 yard line occurs. Tennessee recovers the ball and are rewarded a second life. It was now time for Quinten Dormady to show what he was made of. He led the Vols on a 93 yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. Tie game and Butch Jones life was resurrected. Georgia Tech still had time and with the way they were moving the ball they wouldn't need much of it. Tennessee defense couldn't stop a nosebleed let alone the high powered Georgia Tech offense, so within what felt like second Georgia Tech is already within field goal range looking to end this game in regulation. Butch Jones decided to double ice the kicker using his final two timeouts back to back without hesitation. Turns out it didn't matter, the Vols were able to block the kick, and this instant classic was headed to OT. In OT it was much of the same. Georgia Tech continued to run down the throats of Tennessee scoring at will. They struck first and now all the pressure was on Tennessee to match with a touchdown of their own. Tennessee ran the ball 3 straight times finding the end zone rather quickly themselves as the Georgia Tech defense finally looked gassed. They'd start the second OT with the ball and once again it only took them 3 plays to find the end zone. Georgia Tech's defense was gassed out and their coach knew it. That's why after Georgia Tech scored their touchdown the coach decided to go for the win with a 2-Pt conversion. Tennessee hadn't stopped the option all night, what makes you think they could stop it now, well somehow when it mattered most they were able to stuff TaQuon Marshall at the line of scrimmage, and the Volunteers left the game victorious. Tennessee wins 42-41 in a double OT thriller. Butch Jones was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and every fan watching at home got to experience one of the better games we'll see all year. No one could've predicted or anticipated what happened on Labor Day night to close out an awesome week 1 of college football. Next week's slate of games are stacked as well, so hopefully there's many more moments like this to come.
0 Comments
By DjackThe Los Angeles Rams and their star defensive lineman Aaron Donald, are still yet to reach a new contract extension, and it is beginning to look like he'll miss some time this season because of it. The Rams are in a tough spot right now, they're battling with the Chargers to win over the fans of Los Angeles, they need to be competitive, and having Aaron Donald on the field is essential if they want to win football games. Now, technically Aaron Donald is under contract for them this year and the following year, so the Rams should have the leverage here and they do if they aren't completely spineless. I will say they're in a tough situation due to this being by far their best and most important player, however no one player is bigger than the team unless he's a franchise quarterback. The Rams need to call Aaron Donald's bluff and not let him walk all over them, which seems to be the case right now.
The Rams should honestly just say you aren't getting a contract extension until after the season. In most cases that's what happens and that's how it should continue to happen. Most players coming off their rookie deal have to wait until after the 4th year of the deal to get their big long term extension. Obviously, Aaron Donald deserves big money, he's proved that time and time again, I know injury is apart of football, and it can ruin his chances of getting the big long term deal, but that's the nature of this business. If the Rams give in to Aaron Donald, then what's to stop every player on their rookie deal that's worth extreme value from doing this. If that's the case why did the rookie deal limitations even get implemented to begin with, let's just give them huge deals from the start again, and avoid this headache all together. Well, clearly that plan of action didn't work out so well the first time around, so why would it this time. Aaron Donald was 16 games away from being paid, instead he decided he deserves the security blanket now for whatever reason. The Rams have held firm and they should continue to do so since they have all the power in this situation. In business leverage is everything and they have all the leverage in this situation. Aaron Donald has nothing to gain from sitting out this season. If he does so he'll still be under contract with the Rams, what is he going to do continue to miss games and lose his value since he's away from the field. This is all about money and Aaron Donald can't make money unless he plays football, meanwhile the Rams will still make a boat load of money without him, so the Rams should just take the approach of it's your loss not our's. The Rams still have Todd Gurley and Jared Goff that they can rely on to interest fans and carry the franchise. Aaron Donald on the other hand has nothing if he's not on the football field being a dominate force. I don't want to come off as an asshole being for the billion dollar owners and against the players who are just trying to get what they rightfully deserve, but it's a slippery slope. The last thing you want is for Donald to get an early extension and then next thing you know it's the norm around the league. Then, once it's the norm, teams can't afford to build teams the way they are now because the salary cap restrictions are killing them and they aren't getting the players on cheap rookie deals anymore. It'll make the product in the NFL much worse and then the fans will really be bitching. Everyone has to pay there dues, that's what it takes in this league, you grind on the low for 4 years, and then you break the bank. Aaron Donald acts like he isn't going to be the highest paid defensive player soon, just wait your turn big fella, your pay day is coming. That's all, I just want the Rams to stand firm and show that this league isn't all about power of the players like the NBA because we see how that has worked out. Now, teams in the NBA get handcuffed by giving huge contracts to the wrong players because that's what it takes to keep them around. The product in the NBA is now trash because of it, there's no parity in the league, and that's exactly why. Yeah the players are happy because they're making hundreds of millions of dollars, but the people that are the reason for them making that money aka the fans, get the short end of the stick since the product is now garbage. The NFL is about protecting the shield and it's been successful, so why change that now. Rams need to keep this precedent in check and not fuck this up for selfish reasons. 9/4/2017 UCLA Completes Miracle Comeback Over Texas A&M as Josh Rosen Shows Why He is the Best QB in College FootballRead NowBy DjackUCLA overcame a 44-10 deficit in the 3rd quarter last night to defeat Texas A&M 45-44. It was a major miracle, led by none other than the chosen one, Josh Rosen. One of the highest touted QB prospects in recent memory, just proved why there's a ton of hype around him with the master performance he displayed last night. Most top prospects would've rolled over after being done 30 plus with a little over 20 minutes to go, knowing they're going top 5 in the draft regardless of their team's success, but Josh Rosen isn't most prospects.
Josh Rosen is the chosen one for a reason, so for anyone to expect him to just give up that easily was sadly mistaken. He had an abysmal first half, you had the recency biased hardo's coming out saying he's overrated, he sucks, and he's going to be the next first round bust, boy did those takes age well. Anyone with a semblance of knowledge for the game of football clearly saw that his offensive line was delivering him no time or comfort in the pocket, the running game was non existent, and Texas A&M was playing pretty fucking well. I've always said a QB is only as good as his offensive line allows him to be, and Rosen's left tackle was a revolving door in the first half. The second half rolled around, Josh Rosen was finally affored some time to let his receivers get open, and he begun ripping through the Texas A&M defense. The UCLA offense put together two methodical drives in which they just kept executing their assignments and making plays as a result. Josh Rosen did catch a break on the third drive of the second half when he heaved a pass down field that should've been picked off, however the defensive back let it go right through his outstretched hands, and it landed right in the lap of an open UCLA receiver for a 42 yard touchdown. All of the sudden we had ourselves a game with all the momentum swinging towards UCLA. The UCLA defense is the unsung hero of this game, they haven't received the credit they deserve whatsoever. Yeah they might've let up 44 points, however when it came down to making stops when they had to, they got the job done. Also might've been in part to the Texas A&M QB getting injured, regardless I'll show some love for the Bruins tenacious D late in this football game. The Bruins brought it to within 2 touchdowns, the offense was going to get a shot to not only bring the game within one possession, but maybe even win it if the defense could make a stop. With just over 4 minutes left they took the field for their second to last drive. This is where I was really interested in seeing what Rosen was made of, it was time to put him to the test, and boy did he pass with flying colors. He led the Bruins down the field in no time making big completion after big completion, he faced a big 4th down conversion, made the right throw, and never really looked fazed in the process. Then he dropped back inside the red zone, faced pressure, threw a great ball off his back foot, which his receiver made a great play on by coming back to ball before the defender could, and reeled it in for a touchdown. Then, he went back out with a chance to win after the UCLA defense forced a 3 and out. Rosen did more of the same making big throw after big throw, converting on big 4th down situations. After converting on a big 4th down inside the red zone, Rosen hurried to the line scrimmage, made it seem as if he were going to spike the ball, completely fooled the defense, and threw what was a perfect fade with just the right amount of touch on it where only the receiver could bring it down in the corner of the endzone. Rosen caps off his legendary night with 491 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. UCLA completes the 34 point comeback as Josh Rosen is the hero of the night and the savior of the UCLA season. Unfortunately, in sports there's only one winner, so on the other side Kevin Sumland just watched his head coaching job at Texas A&M disappear along with his 34 point lead last night. Today, Texas A&M suits are calling for his job as it was one of the most pathetic displays of second half coaching I've ever seen. To blow a 34 point lead, to allow 35 unanswered points is just completely unacceptable at any level of coaching, but at this level it's a total abomination. I don't like calling for people's jobs, however there's no defense for Kevin Sumland after that embarrassing defeat. Josh Rosen just showed every damn person on the planet why he should go #1 overall in the 2018 NFL draft. Kevin Sumland showed everyone why coaching in college football is so damn important and why the SEC is faultering due to a lack of quality coaching. What a night of college football and what a way to finish an exhilarating first weekend of the football season. Here's to many more like this past one. By DjackThe Browns have cut two time pro bowl cornerback Joe Haden, who was one of the only good players apart of this abysmal franchise. This has got to be the highlight of Joe Haden's career. A great cornerback that has been overlooked for years because he's played for the worst franchise in the NFL since being drafted. Haden has basically been the only bright spot for the Browns in recent years besides for Joe Thomas. Due to his injury history, the Browns wanting to get younger, and the Browns trying to save as much cap space as possible they decided to cut Haden just a week before the 2017 season kicks off. Most players are usually devastated after getting cut by a team, however in Joe Haden's case he probably felt like he just hit the lottery.
Haden has accumulated plenty of individual awards and has made tons of money with the Browns, so the only thing he has left to do in his NFL career is win. That's why when he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a 3 year $27 million deal, he essentially secured a few winning seasons under his belt. The Steelers only major flaw defensively was their secondary and Joe Hayden will help patch the bleeding back there. He's a true number #1 corner when healthy, something the Steelers haven't had in ages. He's only 28 years old, so he's still got a couple more years of being at an elite level before Father Time decides to start taking away his agility and acceleration. Now, Haden will finally get to experience what playing for an above .500 team feels like and will get to finally taste postseason football, barring a major collapse in the Steelers season. Overall, this is a great signing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were 16th in pass defense last year, isn't terrible, but isn't great either. Joe Haden will surely help tighten up the back end of that defense. Steelers need all the help they can get if they want to finally slay the New England Patriots in the playoffs, something they've never really been able to do. I'm not sure if this move quite puts them over the top, although it surely doesn't hurt. Honestly, I'm just happy Joe Haden's suffering is finally over. By DjackAnquan Boldin, one of the most underrated and under appreciated wide receivers of this past generation has decided to step away from the gridiron. Anyone that knows the game of football and really pays attention to what's going on in the league knows Anquan Boldin is a sure fire hall of famer. He wasn't flashy so he didn't receive the recognition from the casual fan because he just went about his business, but boy could that man play ball. The guy had the strongest hands in football, he wasn't afraid to throw deadly blocks, and he quietly put up numbers each and every year no matter who his quarterback was. Him and Larry Fitzgerald were one of the best wide receiver duos in NFL history. They are right up there with Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, Torry Holt and Issac Bruce, and whoever else you wanna throw on that list. Boldin and Fitzgerald crack the top 10 in all time receptions and receiving yards, so to say they aren't in that conversation would just be ignorant.
Boldin's retirement came as a shock to many around the league. He had just been signed by the Bills and then two weeks later he decides to call it quits. When asked why he decided to retire he said it was because he wanted to do bigger things. The NFL had given him the platform to move on with his life and change the world for the better and that's what he plans on doing from here on out. That's a true hero right there. Willing to give up millions to help the greater good is something only a handful of people would be willing to do. Bolden is out here setting a great example for players on life after football with this move. He was still a productive player and would've been the #2 receiver on the Bills this year. He realized he already had an accomplished career and was ready to move on and help the world instead of going through the grind of another NFL season. I'd say he made the right decision. Nothing but respect for Boldin. He's a class act and is a true role model for any kid that wants to be a wide receiver. He's a rare bread nowadays, not all receivers like to do the dirty work, but Boldin did it better than most and it showed with how successful his team's were. He went to the Super Bowl with Arizona, a team no one would've thought had any business being in that game, and then he won a Super Bowl in 2012 with the Ravens. Boldin played a big part in that postseason run with the Ravens putting up big numbers. I wish Boldin nothing but the best in life after football, I hope he accomplishes bigger things off the field than he did on the field because that'll mean he's made a major impact in society, and I hope he doesn't get snubbed of that gold jacket that he rightfully deserves. 6/21/2017 New England Patriots Sign David Harris as The Evil Empire Continues to Grow StrongerRead NowBy DjackJust when you thought the Patriots couldn't get any better, they do. Today, the Patriots signed middle linebacker David Harris to a 2 year deal. Harris was once a beloved Jet who faced off against the Patriots twice a year for his entire career, but now he joins them after his release from the Jets. Now, Harris will finally get to experience what winning the AFC East division title actually feels like for once. He'll get to win that, and then he'll get to win the AFC championship, and then as long as the Giants don't make it to the Super Bowl he'll probably get to win one of those as well. All the meanwhile he's making millions of dollars, not a bad gig for the guy. I guess he deserves it after spending so many miserable seasons with the Jets.
Anyways, the Patriots continue to add to their arsenal of talent and it's starting to get unfair. I'm not one to usually complain about teams trying to improve, but I'm sick of this bullshit where these old, yet not completely washed up players, take these pay cuts to play for the Patriots to win rings. Obviously it took the Patriots years of success to earn that reputation, but c'mon now, this team just won a Super Bowl, and they added a crazy amount of talent. Is that really necessary. I get it's football and nothing on paper is guranteed, however I can't see this team not making the Super Bowl again this year after adding this many players in the offseason. For those of you not keeping track at home the Patriots have added Brandin Cooks, Dwayne Allen, Kony Ealy, and Stephon Gilmore to their team this offseason. Those aren't the only guys they've added just the only ones really worth noting. They were also able to keep Donte Hightower, Malcolm Butler, and Alan Branch, something no one thought they'd be able to do. Of course Bill Belichick was able to fannagle his way into creating maybe his best team yet. Good luck to the rest of the AFC this year, you all thought the Patriots were tough to beat last year, that team will look like a bunch of cupcakes compared to the team they'll have this year. Scary fucking stuff. The thing is as a Giants fan the Patriots getting better actually makes me happier because it means destiny is trying to set up another matchup between the two of us. Giants are the Patriots kryptonite, we only feel the need to win Super Bowls when the Patriots are at their peak, so this should be the year we get part 3 to the historic Giants vs Patriots Super Bowls. Are the Patriots the clear cut favorites to win the Super Bowl again? Can anyone take them down? Will we get part 3 of Giants vs Pats in the Super Bowl? Leave a comment and let me know what you think. By DjackThe Chiefs came straight outta left field this morning with the announcement that they were releasing Jeremy Maclin. Maclin was a big time acquisition when they acquired him via free agency for the 2015 season. The Chiefs had high hopes for him to join this offense and be a force to be reckon with, unfortunately it never quite materialized. The Chiefs brought in Maclin to give Alex Smith a real weapon to open up the passing game. Problem being that Alex Smith can't throw the ball down field, so ultimately it didn't matter if he had weapons or not. Now, the Chiefs have a stud in Tyreke Hill and they get to pay him a lot less money leaving them with the luxury of being able to cut Maclin..
At the end of the day this was a business decision like most decisions made in the NFL. The Chiefs save a bunch of money off the cap by releasing him, although they do lose a good weapon in the process. Free agency is basically over so I don't see why they'd bother releasing him now since their roster should be basically filled out by now. All I know is the Chiefs did this solely for financial purposes. There's a ton of speculation that Maclin will wind up with the Baltimore Ravens. Apparently, he has ties to the offensive coordinator there, but they certainly could use the help so I don't see why it wouldn't be a good fit. Maclin can work out of the slot or on the outside and with Flacco throwing him the ball I'm sure he'll be able to put up big numbers like he did in Philly. Ultimately, Maclin did what he was brought into do in year one, unfortunately he couldn't match that same production for the Chiefs in year 2, and that's why they saw him as expendable. By DjackFirst things first, rest in peace Calvin Pryor's career. As any football fan knows, the day you join the Cleveland Browns is the day you become irrelevant to the football world. Anyways, Pryor was traded to the Browns for Demario Davis. If the name Demario Davis sounds familiar it's probably because he was on the Jets for 4 years prior to last year. The Jets let him walk in free agency and then a year later they trade a former first round pick to get him back. Granted Pryor hadn't lived up to his 1st round pick potential, but how can this trade not look bad for the Jets.
The Jets had this linebacker already, obviously he wasn't special enough then for them to resign him, so makes him so special now that they were willing to trade for him. I understand the Jets had no place for Calvin Pryor after they drafted Jamaal Adams, although getting a guy they already had and that is only getting older doesn't make much sense. Just goes to show Pryor's trade value wasn't really worth much. The Browns won this trade without a doubt, got rid of Demario Davis' contract, and they added a young safety at a good price. If Pryor pans out to be what the Jets drafted him to be in 2014, then the Browns are going to be very fucking thrilled with this deal. Peppers and Pryor could make a nice young tandem in the back of that secondary. Finally seems like the Browns have a plan and they're excuting it nicely. As for the Jets, they look as lost as ever with this head scratcher of a deal. They get a solid, yet nothing special linebacker, and they got rid of the "bust" that was taking up roster space. Browns are winners for once, it might be a small step forward, however moving forward is always better than moving backwards. By DjackThe salsa dancing sensation that briefly took the New York football Giants by storm has found a new home in Chicago. Victor Cruz, the veteran receiver that was cut earlier this offseason by the Giants, signed a one year deal with the Chicago Bears today. This news pretty much came out of nowhere and would've been a bigger deal if he wasn't just a shell of himself last season. He blames the Giants for that. Yes, what do you know a former stud player that doesn't get what he wants from the Giants and then starts bitching about them. Tiki Barber knows a thing or two about that. Basically, all Cruz said was the Giants conspired against him to not get him the ball so they wouldn't have to pay him incentives. He also said it'd make him easier to cut since he didn't produce as much. Fact of the matter is Cruz just isn't the receiver he used to be. He couldn't get open quick enough, he wasn't a red zone threat, and it just so happened they already had two better receivers on the team. Cruz can say what he wants, but it just isn't true. It's sad he feels that way. I wish him the best in Chicago and I know he'll always appreciate New York, however those unnecessary shots aren't going to sit well with the fans. Anyways, this is how we all found out Cruz would be playing in Chicago. Cruz joins a force of veteran wide receivers that joined the Bears this offseason in an effort to replace the production of Alshon Jeffrey. Cruz looks to be the most elite receiver on their roster now besides for Kevin White, although no one knows if White is any good because he hasn't really played. Cruz should be able to put up big numbers this year since he'll be a top target, so we'll really get to see if he is the receiver he still thinks he is. That'll put an end to this debate that the Giants stopped giving him the ball, if he puts up big numbers than it's more likely to be true, if not he's just salty.
By DjackNormally, Andrew Hawkins wouldn't be a big acquisition, yet the Patriots make him one. Remember Wes Welker, the great slot receiver that was absolutely nothing before Tom Brady was throwing him passes, well this is going to be a situation just like that. Andrew Hawkins, is a great route runner with outstanding quickness and speed, add in Tom Brady to the equation and this guy is going to be a star. I'll be the first to tell you, if this guy stays healthy he's going to put up monster numbers.
Hawkins apparently turned down bigger offers because he wanted to play for a winner and the Patriots give him the best shot to do that. The other reason he's going to the Pats is because he'll put up big numbers, show the world he can ball the fuck out when he's not playing for shitty Cleveland, and will get a sick payday after the season by some other sucker team. Genius move by Hawkins to sign with the Pats. The Patriots offense has been upgraded to an extent this offseason that I've only seen them do once before, that was 2007, the same year they went 18-1. The additions of Dwayne Allen, Brandin Cooks, and Andrew Hawkins will be huge for Tom Brady. Now, Brady will have weapons and more depth in case some of his weapons are to go down with injury. This could be the best we've seen the Patriots offense in a very long time, which is unbelievably scary since they were already amazing. |
Details
AuthorDjack- Chief editor Archives
April 2018
Categories |