NFL News

[Futureshock]

Talk about a team fooling themselves:


Chicago’s trade for Nick Foles caused Mitchell Trubisky to “self-reflect”

Posted by Mike Florio on September 21, 2020, 1:39 PM EDT

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The Bears are 2-0. Which means that Mitchell Trubisky has run his record to 2-0 since fending off Nick Foles for the starting spot on the quarterback depth chart.

After Sunday’s 17-13 win over the Giants, Trubisky discussed at length a turbulent offseason that resulted in Trubisky keeping his job.

Trubisky, while driving home from Soldier Field, explained that he developed a new mindset after the Bears traded for Foles. The move came during the early days of the pandemic, giving Trubisky an opportunity to “self-reflect” on “how I wanted my career to go.”

He decided to put in the work necessary to eventually prove that he deserves the job. The team’s decision to not pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021 added “more fuel to the fire,” causing him to “feel like I control my own destiny.”

“Now it’s up to me to prove it,” Trubisky said.

He focused on his craft, embarking on a competition that was as fair and open as coach Matt Nagy and G.M. Ryan Pace told Trubisky it would be.

“The reps were split down the middle,” Trubisky said. “I tried not to think who had the edge. I just wanted to show my teammates what I’d done in the offseason and how badly I wanted it.”

Trubisky had “no idea” he’d won until Nagy shared the decision, nine days before the regular-season opener. The news “came out of nowhere,” and Trubisky had “no idea which way it would go.”

Through two weeks, Trubisky has strengthened his grip on the job. The numbers aren’t spectacular, but they’ve been more than good enough to propel the Bears to an unlikely and unexpected 2-0 start.

More importantly, Trubisky has gained real confidence through re-winning his job and then winning two games. On the phone after Sunday’s game, he sounded different. More confident. More self-assured. More determined. If the Bears keep winning, Trubisky’s confidence will keep growing, which could lead to even more winning.

[Futureshock]

BLAKE BORTLESQB, DENVER BRONCOS
Broncos signed QB Blake Bortles to a one-year contract.


Broncos brought Bortles in for a visit last year but will make his signing official this time given the extended absence of Drew Lock (shoulder). Jeff Driskel is expected to start Week 3 against the Bucs, but Bortles provides a backup option since the team only kept two quarterbacks coming into the year. Bortles also offers veteran experience with 76 career starts compared to Driskel's 13.

SOURCE: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter
Sep 22, 2020, 9:09 AM

[Futureshock]

AARON RODGERSQB, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been kept clean on a league-high 83.1 percent of his drop backs through two weeks.


Rodgers has been under pressure on an incredibly low 16.9 percent of his drop backs this season. Keeping Rodgers upright has led to 604 passing yards and six touchdowns through two weeks. It's a considerable change from 2019, when Rodgers was under pressure on 34.5 percent of his drop backs. He should remain in lineups this week against the Saints, though Davante Adams' hamstring woes could prove problematic for Rodgers.

RELATED:

• Davante Adams

Sep 21, 2020, 11:05 AM

[Futureshock]

2020, at least so far, has been favorable to teams with a lot of continuity. Like GB and KC.

Teams that have had more turn over (and subsequently less time to get on the same page) have had less success.

[Futureshock]

At least 2020 brung us:

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1308498641611640832?s=20

[Futureshock]

At least 2020 brung us:

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1308498641611640832?s=20

After Ryan Fitzpatrick proclaimed beards are cooler than mustaches, Gardner Minshew responded: "I'll let mine speak for itself... but I'm gonna have respect for my elders. Especially when they're much, much elder."

[Futureshock]

Although I would call what Gardner has as a Goat-tee (sp?). The best of both words

[edindetroit]

Carson Wentz gets booed despite Eagles having no fans in the stadium

....after an incomplete pass. Fake fans, it should be said. They piped in boos to give it that authentic Philly experience.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/carson-wentz-booed-eagles-fans/1xj07vhmo9gmo1frqm7uo3f2r5

[Futureshock]

RIP Gale


Gale Sayers Dies At 77




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Former Bears running back Gale Sayers, an all-purpose tailback who took the league by storm as a rookie in 1965, has died. He was 77.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Sayers’ passing.

On December 12, 1965, Sayers scored a single-game record six touchdowns in a game against the 49ers, with an 80-yard catch-and-run, four rushing touchdowns (including a 50-yarder), and an 85-yard punt return. He finished his rookie year with 22 touchdowns.

Sayers made it to the Hall of Fame despite playing only 68 regular-season games, due to knee injuries that shortened his career. As explained earlier this year, Sayers forever will be linked to Brian Piccolo, a teammate who died of cancer at 26. Their close friendship became the subject of Brian’s Song.

We extend our condolences to Gale Sayers’ family, friends, teammates, and other colleagues.

[Futureshock]

Andy Reid: Patrick Mahomes and Brett Favre have the same mental approach

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 23, 2020, 8:30 AM EDT

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Chiefs coach Andy Reid was an assistant coach in Green Bay for Brett Favre’s first seven years with the Packers, and Reid says he sees a lot of Favre in Patrick Mahomes.

Reid said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that when Mahomes rolled out and threw a beautiful deep ball to Tyreek Hill for a touchdown in Sunday’s win over the Chargers, it was a reminder of the way Favre played the game: Improvising, looking to make a big play, and confident in his arm.

“They think alike when that football’s in their hand. It’s the same thought process. They both have phenomenal vision, like fighter pilot vision. They see everything. And then they’re going to rip your heart out. Every throw they’re going to gut you,” Reid said.

Favre is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, but Mahomes has accomplished so much already in his brief career that it’s easy to picture him having an even greater career than Favre. Reid knows he’s been lucky to coach both of them.
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[Futureshock]

And they will. And the Lions will help them by beating them twice. Quintricia will be happy to get 2 division wins. Then we will get lit up by Lawrence for the next 20 years.


The Vikings are likely stuck with Kirk Cousins through 2022

Posted by Mike Florio on September 23, 2020, 6:35 AM EDT

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Minnesota’s overtime win over the Saints in the 2019 wild-card round unlocked new contracts for multiple key members of the organization. The highest paid of the bunch — quarterback Kirk Cousins — likely won’t be going anywhere any time soon, without leaving behind a significant cash and cap burden.

The two-year extension signed by Cousins gave him $30 million up front along with 2020 and 2021 salaries of $9.5 million and $21 million guaranteed for injury, skill, and cap. And here’s the kicker: Cousins’ $35 million salary for 2022 becomes guaranteed for injury, skill, and cap on the third day of the 2021 league year.

This means that, to avoid owing Cousins $35 million in 2022, the Vikings will have to unload Cousins before the middle of March 2021. They’d still owe him $21 million for 2021, a year in which the cap may be as low as $175 million. They also would have paid him $61 million for one season under his new deal.

Their only hope to avoid the extra $35 million in financial obligations and to reduce the one-year investment to $40 million comes from a potential trade. Their best hope in that regard would be to get a phone call from the 49ers, if they decide to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and acquire the quarterback whom 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan had planned to sign as a free agent in 2018, but for the trade that brought Garoppolo to town.

So would the 49ers take on a two-year, $56 million obligation to Cousins? At $28 million per year, that’s a bargain in light of the current market — even with a reduced cap in 2021 due to the pandemic. If, of course, Shanahan still wants Cousins to be the 49ers’ quarterback.

Many will say it’s premature for the Vikings to be thinking about their options with Cousins. Others will say that Cousins’ performances in the team’s first two games are sufficiently abysmal to put the question on the table.

Passer rating of 61.9. Two touchdowns against four interceptions. A pair of safeties prompted by his deer-in-the-headlights reaction to a corner blitz (vs. the Packers) and a quickly-collapsing pocket (at the Colts).

That continues to be the biggest flaw in Cousins’ game. He can run the play that’s called, as long as he has time to run it. When the protection falls apart or a defender otherwise springs free, Cousins can’t pivot to an unscripted play, like some of the best quarterbacks in the league can, and do. Whether it’s a lack of mobility or an inability to improvise, Cousins simply can’t whip up an on-the-fly batch of chicken salad.

Whether the Vikings keep Cousins beyond 2020 ultimately may hinge on how deep the bottom goes. With upcoming games against the Titans, Texans, and Seahawks, 0-2 seems destined to become 0-5 (barring a dramatic turnaround from Week One and Week Two). The question then would become whether the Vikings can hold serve in an empty home stadium against the Falcons in the last game before Minnesota’s bye to avoid taking 0-6 into their annual week off.

If the worst-case scenario happens, there won’t be much the Vikings can do about it, thanks to the various financial rewards handed out after the 2019 season. Still, at that point plenty of Vikings fans will begin clamoring for the team to let what quickly has become a scholarship year run its full course, in order to give the team a shot at Trevor Lawrence.

[Futureshock]

I would say Stafford is the same. Slightly better, but the same:

That continues to be the biggest flaw in Cousins’ game. He can run the play that’s called, as long as he has time to run it. When the protection falls apart or a defender otherwise springs free, Cousins can’t pivot to an unscripted play, like some of the best quarterbacks in the league can, and do. Whether it’s a lack of mobility or an inability to improvise, Cousins simply can’t whip up an on-the-fly batch of chicken salad.

[Futureshock]

It's funny seeing the comments to that story. Most think the Vikings are ran poorly.. Sh!t I would love for us to have Spielman and Zimmerman. They just lost 14 of their best and most experienced players and replaced them with rookies. IN A PANDEMIC, WITH NO OFF-SEASON. WTF did people expect? If you picked the MIN D in FF I'm looking and pointing at you.

[Futureshock]

At least 2020 brung us:

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1308498641611640832?s=20

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gardner Minshew trade facial hair barbs

Posted by Darin Gantt on September 23, 2020, 6:12 AM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick may have found a hole in Jaguars counterpart Gardner Minshew‘s game.

His facial hair game, at least.

Via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union, the luxuriously bearded Fitzpatrick took a little shot at the young Jaguars quarterback.

“The mustache versus the beard, I think the beard is a cooler look,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think guys that grow mustaches a lot of times have patchy sides for their beards, so they just stick with the mustache.”

Minshew defended the honor of his style, while getting a shot of his own in.

“I’ll let mine speak for itself,” Minshew said. “But I think I’ve shown I can grow a beard with no patchy sides. I’m gonna have respect for my elders. Especially when they’re much, much elder.”

That could be as simple as generational differences, as the younger kids may prefer what Minshew has going on.

“A lot of guys tries to do what Gardner does, but it just doesn’t look right,” Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen said. “I feel like everybody can rock a nice beard. I have a nice beard, it’s not like his.”

He’s incorrect on that front. Not just anyone can grow a beard like Fitzpatrick, and we’ll see on Thursday which one prevails. (Though we should bring former Titans president Steve Underwood out of retirement to declare a winner.) Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo That is disgusting

[Fraquar]

It's funny seeing the comments to that story. Most think the Vikings are ran poorly.. Sh!t I would love for us to have Spielman and Zimmerman. They just lost 14 of their best and most experienced players and replaced them with rookies. IN A PANDEMIC, WITH NO OFF-SEASON. WTF did people expect? If you picked the MIN D in FF I'm looking and pointing at you.

Those rooks are going to be well bedded in by the time they see the Lions for the first time. Even losing Barr for the season I think they'll be licking their chops to see DET after coming off 3 games against SEA, ATL and GB offenses. Lions offense will look slow and predictable compared to those 3 offenses. Don't do the FF thing anymore, but I'd consider MIN D for that game.