Month: October 2021

Everything we know about Chargers’ 27-24 loss to Patriots

Highlighting everything notable from the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the New England Patriots.

The Chargers fell to the Patriots by the score of 27-24.

To recap Week 8, here is everything we know:

It was over when…

Nick Folk connected from 30 yards with a little over two minutes remaining.

Notable numbers

The Chargers were 4-of-12 on third-down situations.

The Patriots won the time of possession battle, 35:24 to 24:36.

Quarterback Justin Herbert was picked off twice.

Herbert was sacked three times.

The Chargers allowed a punt return average of 20 yards.

The Chargers’ first down yards per play average was only 4.94 yards.

Stars of the game

RB Justin Jackson: 3 carries for 79 yards, long of 75

RB Austin Ekeler: 124 yards from scrimmage, touchdown

S Derwin James: 12 tackles, tackle for loss, forced fumble

WR Josh Palmer: First NFL receiving touchdown

Quick takes

Bill Belichick knows how to get the better of Justin Herbert. In two games, Herbert averaged just 216 yards, had a completion percentage of 50, threw for two touchdowns, four interceptions, and was sacked six times.

Aside from the Patriots’ solid defensive game plan, a handful of Herbert’s throws were off the mark and his decision-making was questionable. However, the offense’s lack of execution also included…

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s play-calling on early downs continued to hinder the unit. As opposed to letting Herbert throw the ball, designed run plays were called far often than not.

Lombardi’s decisions put Herbert in many unfavorable positions, and it did not help that the team’s skill players struggled with dropped passes in crucial situations throughout the duration of the game.

Last season, the Patriots defense got to Justin Herbert with primarily twists/stunts. This time around it was blitzes on the right side of the line, which continues to be exploited.

Justin Jackson is the clear-cut RB2. Larry Rountree turned four carries into just 11 yards.

The run defense looked (slightly) better today with the presence of Justin Jones. Even though they allowed a total of 141 yards, the group allowed an average of only 3.6 yards per carry. Still an evident issue nonetheless.

Mac Jones was held to just 218 yards passing, but he mustered big plays that went for 44 yards and 33 yards. Jones also took advantage of the favorable field positions, which were attributed to…

The punt coverage unit, which allowed returner Gunner Olszewski to average 20 yards per punt, continues to be an issue.

Recapping the newest additions performances:

Andre Roberts: Returned three kicks for an average of 23.7 yards and a long of 29 yards.

Dustin Hopkins: Made all three extra points and his lone field goal attempt from 48 yards out.

The Chargers still have some work to do in terms of discipline. Too many costly penalties, including a Michael Davis hold on third down that turned into a touchdown.

Kind of fitting that the former Chargers had big plays. Adrian Phillips picked off Herbert twice and Hunter Henry recovered the onside kick at the end to seal the deal.

What’s next?

The Chargers are on the road to take on the Eagles next Sunday, Nov. 7 at 2:05 pm PT.

Report: Taysom Hill expected to clear concussion protocol by Week 9 Falcons game

Report: Taysom Hill expected to clear concussion protocol by Week 9 Falcons game

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NBC Sports’ Mike Florio shared a big update on Taysom Hill on the “Football Night in America” preview show before Sunday night’s kickoff between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. Florio reported that the New Orleans Saints quarterback/do-it-all offensive weapon is expected to clear concussion protocol this week and become eligible to play in Week 9’s home game with the Atlanta Falcons.

That’s huge considering the starter, Jameis Winston, could be done for the year after suffering a significant knee injury in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Hill is all the way back from the concussion that’s sidelined him by Oct. 10, there’s a very real chance he’ll be starting against Atlanta on Nov. 7. He beat the Falcons twice in his four-game stint as the Saints’ starting quarterback in 2020.

But that hinges on whether he is fully recovered from a serious brain injury that’s kept him out of action for weeks. It’s also up to Sean Payton to reach that decision; he could very well stick with Trevor Siemian under center while Hill continues to recover. We won’t know until it happens. At any rate, there’s no doubt now that the Saints can compete with any team in this league, no matter who is running the offense.

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Predicting the first College Football Playoff rankings

This could very well be what we see unveiled on Tuesday night.

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On Tuesday, we’ll finally know where each team really stands as the College Football Playoff committee releases their first rankings of the 2021 season.

There are a handful of undefeated teams left in the Power Five and one big Group of 5 player in Cincinnati. Many of the seeming elite teams still have flaws, so it will be a challenge for the CFP committee to properly rank all of these teams.

What we do know is that they do try to prioritize the eye test, head-to-head matchups, and, of course, overall record — though not always in that order.

With that in mind, this is what we’re predicting we’ll see on Tuesday night’s unveiling.

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Colts’ fall 34-31 to Titans in OT: Here’s how Twitter reacted

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Colts’ 34-31 loss to the Titans.

The Indianapolis Colts (3-5) failed to take advantage of the many opportunities they had to sneak out a victory and instead dropped a crucial game 34-31 in overtime to the Tennessee Titans (6-2).

Even with a hot start to the game, the Colts couldn’t find a way to finish. They squandered a 14-point lead and Carson Wentz’s inability to elevate the Colts to a win late in the game will be a major talking point.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Colts’ 34-31 loss in overtime to the Titans:

College Football Rankings 1 To 130: Week 9. Readjusting For November

College Football News 2021 college football rankings after Week 9 for all 130 teams with results and who’s up next week. We readjust and gear up for what should be a big November.

College Football News 2021 college football rankings after Week 9 for all 130 teams with results and who’s up next week.

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And here we go.

We’re going into the final month of the season, and now we readjust the rankings to – as always – account for what happened from the start as we respect the results, but also look more at who’s starting to improve and play better and who’s trending down.

What do we do with the total outliers like Bowling Green beating Minnesota or some of the stunning FCS over FBS wins? They’re taken into account, but by this point, teams have gotten better – or worse – over time, things have settled in, and now we can get a better handle on how good everyone is.

Contact @ColFootballNews

CFN 2021 Rankings: Week 9
101-130 | 76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
– Week 9 Scoreboard, Predictions For Every Game
Big Game Reactions: MSU, Georgia, OSU & more
Week 9 AP Rankings | Coaches Poll

CFN College Football Rankings: Week 9

130 UConn Huskies (1-8)

Last Week’s Ranking: 130
Week 9: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Opponent: OPEN DATE

129 FIU Golden Panthers (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 129
Week 9: Marshall 38, FIU 0
Week 10 Opponent: Old Dominion

128 UMass Minutemen (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 128
Week 9: Liberty 62, UMass 17
Week 10 Opponent: Rhode Island

127 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 127
Week 9: Middle Tennessee 35, Southern Miss 10
Week 10 Opponent: North Texas

126 Ohio Bobcats (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 126
Week 9: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Opponent: Miami University (Nov. 2)

125 Akron Zips (2-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 124
Week 9: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Opponent: Ball State (Nov. 2)

124 New Mexico State Aggies (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 123
Week 9: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Opponent: Utah State

123 Arkansas State Red Wolves (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 120
Week 9: South Alabama 31, Arkansas State 13
Week 10 Opponent: Appalachian State

122 UNLV Rebels (0-8)

Last Week’s Ranking: 119
Week 9: Nevada 51, UNLV 20
Week 10 Opponent: at New Mexico

121 Georgia Southern Eagles (2-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 118
Week 9: Georgia State 21, Georgia Southern 14
Week 10 Opponent: Coastal Carolina

120 Texas State Bobcats (2-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 116
Week 9: Louisiana 45, Texas State 0
Week 10 Opponent: ULM

119 New Mexico Lobos (3-5)

Last Week’s Ranking: 114
Week 9: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Opponent: UNLV

118 South Alabama Jaguars (5-3)

Last Week’s Ranking: 117
Week 9: South Alabama 31, Arkansas State 13
Week 10 Opponent: at Troy

117 Tulane Green Wave (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 113
Week 9: Cincinnati 31, Tulane 12
Week 10 Opponent: at UCF

116 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (4-4)

Last Week’s Ranking: 112
Week 9: Middle Tennessee 35, Southern Miss 10
Week 10 Opponent: at WKU

115 Rice Owls (3-5)

Last Week’s Ranking: 99
Week 9: North Texas 30, Rice 24 OT
Week 10 Opponent: at Charlotte

114 Troy Trojans (4-4)

Last Week’s Ranking: 115
Week 9: Coastal Carolina 35, Troy 28
Week 10 Opponent: South Alabama

113 North Texas Mean Green (2-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 122
Week 9: North Texas 30, Rice 24 OT
Week 10 Opponent: at Southern Miss

112 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 111
Week 9: Old Dominion 23, Louisiana Tech 20
Week 10 Opponent: at UAB

111 Kansas Jayhawks (1-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 108
Week 9: Oklahoma State 55, Kansas 3
Week 10 Opponent: Kansas State

110 Vanderbilt Commodores (2-7)

Last Week’s Ranking: 107
Week 9: Missouri 37, Vanderbilt 28
Week 10 Opponent: OPEN DATE

109 Charlotte 49ers (4-4)

Last Week’s Ranking: 98
Week 9: WKU 45, Charlotte 13
Week 10 Opponent: Rice

108 UTEP Miners (6-2)

Last Week’s Ranking: 110
Week 9: Florida Atlantic 28, UTEP 25
Week 10 Opponent: UTSA

107 Buffalo Bulls (4-5)

Last Week’s Ranking: 101
Week 9: Bowling Green 56, Buffalo 44
Week 10 Opponent: OPEN DATE

106 Old Dominion Monarchs (2-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 121
Week 9: Old Dominion 23, Louisiana Tech 20
Week 10 Opponent: at FIU

105 Duke Blue Devils (3-5)

Last Week’s Ranking: 106
Week 9: Wake Forest 45, Duke 7
Week 10 Opponent: Pitt

104 Temple Owls (3-5)

Last Week’s Ranking: 92
Week 9: UCF 49, Temple 7
Week 10 Opponent: at East Carolina

103 Bowling Green Falcons (3-6)

Last Week’s Ranking: 125
Week 9: Bowling Green 56, Buffalo 44
Week 10 Opponent: OPEN DATE

102 Marshall Thundering Herd (5-3)

Last Week’s Ranking: 102
Week 9: Marshall 38, FIU 0
Week 10 Opponent: at Florida Atlantic

101 Florida Atlantic Owls (5-3)

Last Week’s Ranking: 105
Week 9: Florida Atlantic 28, UTEP 25
Week 10 Opponent: Marshall

CFN 2021 Rankings: Week 9
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
– Week 9 Scoreboard, Predictions For Every Game
Big Game Reactions: MSU, Georgia, OSU & more
Week 9 AP Rankings | Coaches Poll

NEXT: CFN 2021 College Football Rankings: Week 9 Top 100

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Nebraska cruises past Colorado in final preseason exhibition

Nebraska beat Colorado in a preseason exhibition

Thankfully, that was just an exhibition.

The Colorado men’s basketball team didn’t exactly shine during its final preseason tuneup. Tad Boyle’s Buffs allowed Nebraska to shoot for nearly 50% in an 82-67 stomping of CU on Halloween morning.

“This is exactly what our team needed right now,” Boyle said. “To get smacked in the face like we did and hopefully learn from it, and do something about it as we move forward.”

As the Cornhuskers drained three-pointers with ease, the Buffaloes were just 3-for-19 from deep. But, three sophomores that need to step up in 2021, Luke O’Brien, Nique Clifford and Tristan da Silva, impressed on Sunday. The trio made for 33 of CU’s 67 points and Clifford brought down eight rebounds.

While it’s too early to be concerned, Evan Battey’s 0-for-10 shooting performance wasn’t great. Likewise, Jabari Walker and K.J. Simpson struggled with ball control, which contributed to Nebraska scoring 21 points off turnovers.

“We learned we’ve got a long way to go both offensively and defensively,” Boyle said.

The Buffaloes will have just over a week to correct their mistakes before Montana State opens the regular season on Nov. 9.

What Titans said after Week 8 overtime victory over Colts

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was not happy about the shoddy officiating on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans had to overcome a lot during their Week 8 contest versus the Indianapolis Colts, but they were able to do so en route to a 34-31 overtime victory.

Not only did the Titans make several mistakes via turnovers and penalties — some of which were the result of poor officiating — they also couldn’t get anything going on the ground with Derrick Henry.

Thankfully, the passing attack was able to step up, the defense made some big plays when it mattered most, and Randy Bullock was money once again to seal the deal in the extra frame.

Following the contest, head coach Mike Vrabel and several Titans players shared their reactions to the mistakes, penalties, Bullock’s game-winner, and the rest of what went down in Week 8 against the Colts.

Here’s what they had to say.

Sean Payton says Jameis Winston has ‘significant’ injury, QB celebrates win on crutches

Sean Payton says Jameis Winston has ‘significant’ injury, Saints QB celebrates win on crutches

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Bad news continues to filter in on Jameis Winston. The New Orleans Saints starting quarterback was knocked out of his team’s huge win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday with a knee injury which head coach Sean Payton briefly addressed after the game.

“I think it’s significant,” Payton said at his postgame press conference, adding that he expects an update soon after more evaluations are completed. Winston was spotted celebrating the win with his teammates in the locker room while wearing a large brace on his left leg and using crutches, his spirits no less dampened by a season-threatening injury.

It’s easy to see why Winston has endeared himself to those around him so well. But it also makes this win that much more bittersweet to know that his year could be over just when it’s heating up. Hopefully the initial diagnosis turns out to be not as severe as feared, but fans should prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Stay tuned up for updates.

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Julian Edelman had epic response to Patriots win over Chargers

Julian Edelman summed up the Patriots win over the Chargers on Sunday.

Retired New England Patriots receiver and Inside the NFL analyst Julian Edelman couldn’t have been more spot on about his former team.

Edelman had a simple two-word tweet to describe the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday by a 27-24 margin. The win gave New England their second victory in a row, and put them at an even 4-4 on the season.

An undrafted free agent in 2009, Edelman knows a little bit about clawing his way back to the top. It comes as no surprise that he was rather excited about New England’s victory over the Chargers. The entire team seemed to play, including slot receiver Jakobi Meyers and punt returner Gunner Olszewski, two youngsters Edelman helped develop.

New England will face the Carolina Panthers next Sunday, November 7. Kickoff time is set for 1:00 PM.

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