![[SPORTS] JAGUARS HC: SAM DARNOLD NOT A ROOKIE BACK THERE](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_7873.jpg?resize=600%2C418&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Sep 26, 2018 | SPORTS
Doug Marrone Has High Praise For Sam Darnold
As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for a New York Jets team trying to find their identity after two consecutive losses, Head Coach Doug Marrone is wary of the quarterback they’ll be facing.
Doug Marrone praised New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold at his weekly press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Week 4 matchup.
“We watched him at USC and he’s a guy that obviously can make all the throws,” Marrone said at the press conference. “He’s has really good feet in the pocket. He can escape and extend. I think he does a really good job with his eyes [and] being able keep it down field and not really look at the rush.”
Darnold, drafted with the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft this season, won the starting quarterback job in training camp as he impressed New York Jets’ head coach Todd Bowles and others with his maturation and passing prowess.
Sam Darnold, 21, is the youngest quarterback to start an NFL season opener since 1970 and the second youngest to ever start a game.
Doug Marrone, who coached at the college level at Syracuse University, doesn’t see Sam Darnold in a light as others do.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about him being the youngest quarterback to start and things of that nature but I don’t look at him as a rookie back there,” Marrone said. “Maybe (he’s a rookie) technically that way … I really don’t see it that way. I see a guy that can make all the throws, is dangerous and is getting better each week.”
Sam Darnold’s NFL debut didn’t start how any New York Jets fan hopefully forecasted as the former University of Southern Cal alum threw a pick-six on his first play of the game vs the Detroit Lions in Week 1.
Darnold would bounce back after the brutal start, throwing a pair of touchdown passes as the New York Jets dominated the Lions in a 48-17 win at Ford Field.
When asked what he thought about Darnold’s ability to bounce back from a nightmarish start to his NFL career, Marrone expressed it wasn’t something new regarding the young signal caller.
“I think you saw some of that (poise and maturation) in college,” Marrone said. “The quarterback [or] the left tackle gets beat, how does he come back the next play? The cornerback gets beat, how does he come back the next play? Some guys just have the right mindset to put it behind them and move on. Those are the guys that continue to play and if they continue to get better play for a long time.”
A week after facing a rugged and opportunistic Browns defense, Sam Darnold will be faced with the toughest test of his young NFL career vs what many believe is the NFL’s best defense in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Through the first three weeks of the season, Jacksonville is 4th in the NFL in total defense. They are surrendering 171.0 passing yards per game (3rd in the NFL) and 14.7 PPG (2nd in NFL).
Sam Darnold has thrown for 701 passing yards, completing 60.2 percent of his passes with 3 TDs to 5 INTs and a 72.0 Passer Rating.
What are your thoughts on San Darnold facing the Jacksonville Jaguars defense in Week 4? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NEW YORK GIANTS OPEN AS 3.5 POINT UNDERDOGS VS SAINTS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_7871.jpg?resize=625%2C352&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Sep 26, 2018 | SPORTS
Vegas Is Riding With Who Dat Nation In Their Trip To Jersey
The New Orleans Saints defensive vulnerability is not enough to sway Vegas to side of Big Blue for their Week 4 matchup.
Oddsmakers from the Las Vegas Superbook have pegged the New York Giants as +3.5 underdogs for a home challenge from the New Orleans Saints.
The New York Giants (1-2) are coming off their first victory of the season, a 27-22 win against the Houston Texans on the road. Eli Manning was at his very best from an efficiency standpoint, completing 25 of his 29 pass attempts for 297 passing yards and 2 TDs.
The Giants defense — which force two turnovers and recorded 3 sacks — would hold up throughout as the Texans got a meaningless touchdown with one second left in the game.
The New Orleans Saints (2-1) are coming off a dramatic 43-37 overtime win vs the Atlanta Falcons on the road. Drew Brees would finish the game with 396 passing yards and 5 TDs (2 rushing) with the game-winner being a 1-yard touchdown run in which he dived over his offensive line to get the score.
The two teams last met in Week 2 in 2016 when the New York Giants behind Eli Manning’s 368-yard day and a smothering Giants Defense outlasted the Saints 16-13.
What are your thoughts on the Giants Week 4 matchup with the Saints? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NEW YORK JETS OPEN AS 7.5 POINT UNDERDOGS AT JACKSONVILLE](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_7869.jpg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Sep 26, 2018 | SPORTS
Formidable Jaguars Await Darnold, Jets On Sunday
10 days to prepare for the Jacksonville Jaguars may play a factor on Sunday, but not according to Vegas.
Oddsmakers at the Las Vegas Superbook have listed the New York Jets as +7.5 underdogs for this Sunday vs the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The New York Jets (1-2) are coming off a 21-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns last Thursday. The team squandered a early 14-0 lead as the Jets scored only 3 points in the second half. Todd Bowles’ Jets committed three turnovers in the second half, two being interceptions by Sam Darnold in the final two minutes of the game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) will be looking to bounce back from a loss of their own after losing 9-6 to the Tennessee Titans at home.
A week after going for 376 passing yards and 4 TDs, Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback Blake Bortles went without a touchdown pass and finished with only 155 passing yards.
These two teams met last season in Week 4 as the New York Jets upended Jacksonville 23-20 in overtime at MetLife Stadium. Josh McCown was at quarterback for the Jets as he watched Bilal Powell (21 carries, 163 rushing yards, 1 TD) and the Jets rushing attack run wild on Doug Marrone’s team.
If the Jets want to escape Jacksonville with a victory, they’ll need to lean on their rushing attack and take away Jacksonville’s rushing attack that may get the return of Leonard Fournette.
What are your thoughts on the New York Jets Week 4 matchup? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 4 POWER RANKINGS: NEW NUMBER ONE; HOW FAR DO CONTENDERS FALL?](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/img_7866-1.jpg?resize=600%2C425&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Sep 26, 2018 | SPORTS
There’s A New Number One And A Plunge For Contenders
Week 3 of the NFL season gave us yet another number of sensational performances from of quarterback position. From Drew Brees and Matt Ryan combining for 10 touchdowns in Atlanta to Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton and Jared Goff leading their teams to victory in strong showings.
While there were great quarterback performances, there were also a few stinkers. Tom Brady, Sam Bradford, Andy Dalton and Case Keenum turned in awful performances that played a significant factor in their teams losing.
How big of a drop will the Patriots, Packers and Vikings take following losses? Where do the Browns land after their first win in two years? Which new team just cracked the top 10 in this week’s power rankings?
Let’s jump into this week’s NFL power rankings below!
1. Los Angeles Rams (3-0)
Owning the NFL’s best point differential by a wide margin (+66), the Los Angeles Rams exploded offensively vs the Los Angeles Chargers in a 35-23 win.
The Rams went for 521 total yards while going 8-for-11 on 3rd down. Next up? A Vikings team having to travel West on a short week coming off a humbling defeat at home to a lowly Bills team.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
With Carson Wentz back, the Eagles offense still struggled to put points on the board in a come-from-behind 20-16 win vs the Indianapolis Colts. One thing ailing the Eagles is a lack of a deep threat.
With Alston Jefferey still out and Mike Wallace now likely done for the season, Philadelphia’s vertical pass game has been limited. Philadelphia is averaging 6.0 yards per completion, 28th in NFL.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
Patrick Mahomes broke yet another record when he threw three more touchdown passes vs the San Francisco 49ers to give him 13 through the first three games. He broke Peyton Manning’s record of 12 touchdown passes, which was set back in 2013.
He’ll have a chance to continue his success in Week 4 vs a Denver Broncos defense giving up a 102.2 Passer Rating this season.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
Jacksonville just can’t shake the Tennessee Titans. Dating back to the 2015 regular-season, the Jaguars have dropped five of their last six to their AFC South rivals. They should get a reprieve this Sunday vs a Jets offense that leads the NFL in giveaways this season with 8.
5. New Orleans Saints (2-1)
The Saints aren’t having much trouble through the air, and Alvin Kamara has been a big reason why. Kamara leads all running backs with 30 receptions and 289 receiving yards. He has 430 yards from scrimmage to begin the season.
6. Carolina Panthers (2-1)
Carolina’s defense bounced back with four interceptions of Andy Dalton in a 31-21 win last Sunday, which is the most interceptions Ron Rivera’s defense has recorded in a game since he became head coach.
7. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Baltimore sure does like playing at home. In two games at M&T Bank Stadium this season the Baltimore Ravens are outscoring their opposition by 57 points while holding opposing quarterbacks to 121.5 passing yards per game.
8. New England Patriots (1-2)
The New England Patriots looked lethargic once again offensively in a 26-10 loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday. What made matters worse was their inability to slow a Lions rushing attack that was nonexistent the first two weeks. They’ll need to fix that problem quickly for an offense that needs as much time as it can get to be on the field.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers won on Monday night, but they have to be concerned as the penalties pile up. The Steelers have committed 37 penalties in the first three weeks for a whooping 361 yards.
10. Miami Dolphins (3-0)
The Miami Dolphins are winning with defense, and also an efficient Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill is completing 73 percent of his passes and has a 121.8 Passer Rating, 4th in the NFL.
11. Chicago Bears (2-1)
Chicago had a scare in Arizona in a 16-14 win, and the offense has to pick it up. The Bears rank 26th and offense and are only averaging 21 PPG this season.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
The Buccaneers played well on Monday in a 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers if you discount the four second quarter turnovers. Tampa Bay’s still scoring, but the offensive line led to Fitzpatrick reverting back to some of his old habits.
With Jameis Winston set to return, head coach Dirk Koetter has not yet named a starting quarterback for Week 4 at the Chicago Bears.
13. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Atlanta defenders are dropping like flies.
Add safety Ricardo Allen — who tore his achilles in a 43-37 loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday — to the list of defensive players put on IR to begin the year. Atlanta’s hurting, and it may not get any better with their upcoming schedule that features three of the NFL’s highest scoring offenses.
14. Tennessee Titans (2-1)
The Titans have recovered well from a Week 1 loss in Miami to jump ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South standings early. Tennessee securing two early division wins, the latest a 9-6 road win in Jacksonville, positions them nicely as they get a visit from the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Cincinnati’s run defense was exposed vs the Carolina Panthers in a 31-21 loss and Andy Dalton threw four interceptions. Despite that, they still had their chances late, which speaks to the talent level of this team. They get to visit a banged up Falcons team that just gave up 43 points at home next.
16. Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1)
No one saw Minnesota’s shocking 27-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills coming to fruition last Sunday, but maybe we should’ve.
Minnesota has been inconsistent to start the year, incapable of having their play carry over from quarter to quarter and half to half. They haven’t been able to run the ball and the offensive line looked abysmal in trying to slow Buffalo’s pass rush.
17. Washington Redskins (2-1)
The Redskins have made it clear that when they win, they do it in impressive fashion and when they lose, likewise. The Redskins have won two games by a combined 24 points and lost 21-9 vs the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)
The Los Angeles Chargers have struggled vs the pass to begin the season, something they didn’t do in 2017. A silver lining in their 35-23 loss last Sunday vs the Rams is that Philip Rivers at age 37 continues to look amazing.
Against a tough Rams defense that didn’t allow a touchdown pass in the first two weeks, Rivers went for two more touchdown throws to give him 8 total in the first three weeks.
19. Green Bay Packers (1-1-1)
Green Bay is lucky to not be 0-3. They’re a fourth quarter miracle and a 35-yard field goal miss away from being just that.
Aaron Rodgers certainly is not healthy and according to him that knee sprain may only get worse. That’s bad news considering Green Bay, a predominately cold weather venue, will only make that worse for Rodgers to play through moving forward.
20. Denver Broncos (2-1)
Denver’s pass rush for a second consecutive week failed to get much pressure on the quarterback. After recording six sacks in Week 1, Von Miller and company have just three sacks combined in the last two weeks. That has to improve with Kansas City’s high-powered offense coming to town.
21. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)
Seattle’s defense has recovered well after getting shredded by Case Keenum in Week 1.
Opportunistic, the Seahawks continued to force turnovers last Sunday in a 24-13 win as Earl Thomas recorded two interceptions. Seattle is tied for 2nd in the NFL in takeaways with 8.
22. Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
The Cowboys have issues on offense at wide receiver. Dak Prescott has only developed a trust with wide receiver Cole Beasley who is at best a #3 receiver on most teams depth chart. Allen Hurns and Michael Gallup have struggled to make an impact.
23. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)
Losing to the Kansas City Chiefs was tough, but losing Jimmy Garoppolo puts San Francisco’s once promising season up in the air. The 49ers quarterback tore his ACL in his left knee last Sunday in a 38-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and will miss the rest of the season.
24. Cleveland Browns (1-1-1)
The Cleveland Browns defense has been terrifying in the first three weeks of the season, giving Cleveland a more than realistic chance to win each of their first three games. While their last win is their first since December 2016, don’t be surprised if it’s the start of something fans aren’t used to in Northeast Ohio.
25. Detroit Lions (1-2)
Detroit picked up a much needed victory over the New England Patriots and did so by running the ball, something that’s a direct influence from former Patriots defensive coordinator now Lions head coach Matt Patricia.
Patricia identified a weakness in his former team as the Lions ran the ball 33 times for 159 rushing yards in last Sunday’s 26-10 victory.
26. New York Jets (1-2)
The New York Jets defense couldn’t hold a 14-point lead last Thursday, but it was hardly a rough performance for them. The Jets are ranked 8th in the NFL in total defense but the offense is a concern. After 48 points in Week 1, the Jets have averaged 14.5 PPG the last two weeks.
27. New York Giants (1-2)
The G-Men got into the the win column last Sunday in a 27-22 win vs the Texans thanks to a tremendously efficient day from Eli Manning. Manning went 25-for-29 throwing the ball for 297 passing yards and 2 TDs. That’s something head coach Pat Shurmer hopes to continue to see from his quarterback … and also some pass protection.
28. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
The Indianapolis Colts could be 3-0 if they had a few plays bounce their way. Nonetheless, it’s a 1-2 start for a team showcasing a much better defense than what we’ve seen in past years. If you take away a late fumble return touchdown in Week 1 by the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis is allowing only 18.6 PPG this season.
29. Oakland Raiders (0-3)
The Oakland Raiders just can’t find their way in the second half. Up 17-14 to begin the fourth, they would be outscored 14-3 in the quarter as they lost yet another game there for the taking. Up next is a Cleveland Browns team leads the NFL in takeaways with 11.
30. Houston Texans (0-3)
Houston is 0-3, and in each of those games Deshaun Watson has committed at least one turnover. Cause for alarm? Not exactly, the second-year quarterback had his first multi-touchdown game of the season last Sunday vs the Giants as he passed for 385 passing yards, 2 TDs and a INT.
31. Buffalo Bills (1-2)
Josh Allen had a coming out party vs the sleepwalking Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. The rookie quarterback had nerves of steel in his first career road start. Allen finished the game 15-for-22 for 196 passing yards and 3 TDs (2 rushing).
32. Arizona Cardinals (0-3)
The Arizona Cardinals stunned even their own fans when they jumped out to a 14-0 lead early vs the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, it would be all downhill from there. The Cardinals went to rookie quarterback Josh Rosen late in the game, which is worth monitoring going into Week 4.
What are your thoughts on this week’s power rankings? Leave your comments below!
by sloppyvinyl | Aug 22, 2018 | SPORTS, Uncategorized
Photo by Ben Margot/Associated Press
The Los Angeles Chargers finished the 2017 NFL regular-season as one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
The Chargers went 9-3 over their last 12 games, winning by an average margin of 14.6 PPG as their defense clicked and their offense led by a man I believe has the talent, readiness, confidence and potential to have an MVP season in 2018 in running back Melvin Gordon.
Melvin Gordon is a dynamic and flashy back who has the athleticism, change of pace shiftiness and agility to leave his defenders in the dust (literally). He’s become a bell cow back for the Chargers offense, and coming off his last two seasons, figures to be in the discussion as the NFL’s leading rusher by season’s end.
It’s all too triumphant a story to tell when it comes to the fourth year Charger, selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the former Wisconsin Badger had a less than impressive introduction to the NFL in his rookie season.
With much hype behind the former Big 10 Conference star, Gordon failed to live up to expectations in year one as he finished the season with 184 carries for only 641 rushing yards. The worst part about his dud of a rookie campaign? He failed to score a single touchdown in 14 games played.
It was an albatross of a result for the Chargers, who have longed to find the replacement back for NFL Hall of Famer and Chargers legend LaDainian Tomlinson — who recently was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2017.
Working hard in the off-season and bulking up more, Melvin Gordon came into the 2016 running with a purpose. Gordon finished the 2017 NFL season with 997 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
A development in Gordon’s versatility as a effective route runner also made him a valuable asset for the Chargers in short distance situations for the Californian-based team as he recorded 41 receptions for 419 receiving yards with 2 receiving touchdowns. In his rookie season he recorded 33 receptions for 192 receiving yards.
Gordon followed up a strong 2016 by setting career-highs in carries (284), rushing yards (1,105), receptions (58), receiving yards (476) and receiving touchdowns (4).
Still, something was missing from Gordon last season, and it’s been something that’s followed him for his entire NFL career to this point: Injuries.
The fourth-year back played in all 16 games for the first time in his career last season but played through pain. Gordon’s shown toughness in battling through nagging injuries lower body issues like a bone bruise in his left knee that he tore in 2015 in his rookie season and needed season-ending surgery on.
In 2016 he failed to reach 1,000 rushing yards because of a knee PCL sprain that sidelined him for the final three games.
While Melvin Gordon’s long-term durability questions might be something later on in his career to worry about for the Chargers, he is as of now a sure-thing for major offensive production.
As for winning the NFL MVP, with a continued focus on diversifying his ability as a receiver coming out of the backfield, Melvin Gordon still has a chance to put up respectable if not great numbers vs some of the NFL’s stingest defenses. It won’t be easy, however, as Gordon is set to face off vs five teams who finished in the top 10 last season rushing defense (TEN, DEN 2x, ARI, CLE, and PIT).
The silver lining though is that Gordon’s stiff competition thereafter is met with a number of welcoming matchups. Below are the run defense ranks of teams that Gordon will face in 2018.
San Francisco 49ers 22nd
Kansas City Chiefs 25th
Buffalo Bills 29th
Seattle Seahawks 19th
Los Angeles Rams 28th
Gordon will face the Chiefs run defense twice in 2018 if healthy, which means that the star runningback will have a chance to run wild on a team he totaled 170 yards from scrimmage against in a Week 15 game last season.
During the 2016 regular-season Melvin Gordon reached 100 rushing yards just twice, but when it came to yards from scrimmage he topped 100 yards or more five times (not counting his 100 yard rushing performances).
The key for Gordon in 2018 will be turning his 70% completion rate from Quarterback Phillip Rivers into 80% and to improve his 3.9 yard per carry rate to 4.3 yards per carry or more. If Gordon improves on his yards per carry by that measure, his numbers will boon from 1,105 to 1,221 rushing yards on exactly 284 carries, his 2017 total.
If Gordon improves on his completion rate from Rivers, going from 58 receptions to 67, his receiving yards will go from 476 receiving yards to 549 receiving yards on 83 targets, his 2017 total.
When adding together the numbers, Gordon eclipses 1770 yards from scrimmage, topping 2017’s career-high 1581 yards from scrimmage. With more targets and more carries, his touchdown totals figure to improve from the 12 total touchdowns he scored in 2017.
Of course beating out Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Russell Wilson will be tough.
What are your thoughts on the NFL MVP race in 2018?
