Month: November 2021

Deebo Samuel’s insanely hot start has reached historic levels

No WR in #49ers history has gotten off to a better start than Deebo Samuel has this year, and he’s on pace to break some records.

It’s hard to get off to a better start than Deebo Samuel has in his third season. In fact, his start is the best in 49ers history for a receiver, one of the best ever for any NFL receiver, and through only seven games he’s had the best year of his career.

To put Samuel’s start into perspective, we dove into the numbers with the Stathead tool on Pro Football Reference.

There are zero wide receivers in 49ers history who’ve had more receiving yards through seven games than Samuel. He’s up to 819 yards after his 171-yard outburst Sunday in Chicago. The previous high through seven games in 49ers history belonged to Jerry Rice, who posted 781 yards in that span in 1986.

Since the merger, only six players have posted higher receiving yard totals through seven games:

2000: Colts WR Marvin Harison, 853
1995: Rams WR Isaac Bruce, 833
2016: Falcons WR Julio Jones, 830
2011: Patriots WR Wes Welker, 824
2018: Vikings WR Adam Thielen, 822
2000: Rams WR Isaac Bruce, 821

With his 171 yards in Chicago, Samuel now has three games with more than 150 yards this season. The all-time record for 150-yard games in a season is five, which Antonio Brown, Tim Brown, Roy Green and Jerry Rice all did. No 49ers player has ever done it three times in the first seven games.

It’s also worth noting that Samuel’s torrid pace, combined with the 17th game just added this season, puts him on track to break the all-time receiving yards record set by Lions WR Calvin Johnson in 2012. That year in 16 games, Johnson put up an astonishing 1,964 yards. More than 100 yards clear of Jerry Rice’s previous record of 1,848 set in 1995. Samuel’s 117 yards-per-game pace puts him on track for 1,989 yards in 17 games, which would set a new NFL record.

Even his 16-game pace eclipses Rice’s best season at 1,872 – 24 yards north of Rice’s record-setting 1995 campaign.

Removing the historical context and just focusing on Samuel helps put the improbability of this season in perspective. The 2019 second-round pick from South Carolina had a very good rookie season where he put up 802 yards and three touchdown catches on 57 receptions in 15 games.

His sophomore campaign was riddled with injuries and he posted just 391 yards and one receiving touchdown on 33 catches in seven games.

This season he’s not only blown past last year’s seven-game totals, he’s eclipsed most of his rookie season numbers as well. He’s up to 44 catches, 819 yards and four receiving touchdowns. If he didn’t catch another pass this season he’d have new career-highs in yards and touchdown catches.

The 49ers needed Samuel to make a leap this year, and leap he has into a stratosphere that’s putting him in a place with the NFL’s all-time greats.

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Sunday Snippets – Week 8

Sunday game reviews from a fantasy perspective

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

CAR 19, ATL 13
The Panthers end their four-game losing streak in a low-scoring and disappointingly defensive matchup.  Sam Darnold only passed for 129 yards and left with a concussion. DJ Moore was the top receiver with only four catches for 59 yards, while the passing effort was mediocre for both teams. Chuba Hubbard made the difference with 24 runs for 82 yards and the fourth-quarter touchdown that provided the winning margin.  The 4-4 Panthers host the Patriots this week.

Calvin Ridley was absent and said he is leaving the NFL for mental health reasons. Matt Ryan struggled in this one with just 146 passing yards and one score against two interceptions. Russell Gage was never thrown a pass. Cordarrelle Patterson (5-37, TD) caught the only touchdown and added 35 yards on nine carries. Tajae Sharpe (5-58) was the leading receiver. Mike Davis ran for 44 yards on nine runs and added five catches for 22 yards, but none of the Falcons had much fantasy value despite being at home against a team on a four-game losing streak. The Falcons drop to 3-4  and host the Saints for Week 9.

MIA 11, BUF 26
This game was far closer than expected, considering the Bills won 35-0 in Miami earlier this year. It was a mail-in game until the fourth quarter when the Bills scored a touchdown and field goal in the final six minutes. Josh Allen threw for 249 yards and two scores between Stefon Diggs (5-40, TD) and Gabriel Davis (4-29, TD). Cole Beasley (10-110) was the top receiver. Allen also rushed for 55 yards on eight runs and scored the only rushing touchdown while Devin Singletary (7-28) and Zack Moss (8-19) never got on track. The 5-2 Bills  play at the Jaguars this weekend.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 205 yards and no scores, but at least DeVante Parker (8-85) led the receivers after missing three games. Jalen Waddle (4-29) and Mike Gesicki (3-48) were the next best but made little impact. Myles Gaskin (12-36) and Salvon Ahmed (7-22) handled the rushing duties to little effect. The Dolphins were in this game that was close but never felt in danger. The potential points were there, but the Bills didn’t care until late in the game. The 1-7 Dolphins host the Texans for a chance to end their seven-game losing streak.

SF 33, CHI 22

Yet another game that was low-scoring and close throughout until the 49ers scored ten points in the final six minutes to nail down the win. The Bears were without their COVID-laden head coach Matt Nagy, but they might consider keeping him away because Justin Fields looked preseason-good. He threw for 175 yards and one score plus ran ten times for 103 yards and a touchdown.  He looked like they played him towards his strengths – go figure. Darnell Mooney (6-64) was the top receiver, and Allen Robinson (3-21) was still the forgotten receiver. Khalil Herbert ran for 72 yards on 23 rushes as he controlled the backfield. The 3-5 Bears play in Pittsburgh this week.

The 49ers got the job done but needed two second-half rushing scores from Jimmy Garoppolo to secure the win. He threw for 322 yards but no scores while Deebo Samuel (6-171) included an 83-yard catch that almost scored. No other receivers gained more than 59 yards for the 49ers who relied mainly on Elijah Mitchell (18-137, TD) to keep the sticks moving.  The win sends the 3-4 49ers  back home to host the Cardinals.

PIT 15, CLE 10
This game was the low-scoring yawner of the day.  Najee Harris (26-91, TD) made the difference, along with his three catches for 29 yards. Ben Roethlisberger passed for 266 yards and one score to Pat Freiermuth (4-44) while Diontae Johnson (6-98) and Chase Claypool (4-45) were the only other receivers of any note, and Claypool added two runs for 16 yards. The 4-3 Steelers never scored a touchdown until the end of the third quarter, but the defense keep them in the game. They host the Bears this week.

Baker Mayfield threw for 225 yards but never scored. Jarvis Landry (5-65) only caught half of his ten targets but no other receiver gained more than 39 yards. Nick Chubb was back but only gained 61 yards on 16 carries. Just to make it worse, D’Ernest Johnson scored the only touchdown during his five rushes in the game. The loss drops Cleveland to 4-4 and they play in Cincinnati this week.

LAR 38, HOU 22

Make no mistake – this was never a game. The Rams led 38-0 in the third quarter before they let random season-ticket holders take their turns defending the Texans. Davis Mills threw for 310 yards and two scores between Brandin Cooks (6-83, TD) and Brevin Jordan (3-41, TD) and Cooks continues to be a fantasy star solely because of garbage time yards and scores. Rex Burkhead (4-21, TD) was the best of the FOUR different running backs that the Texans used that now include Scottie Phillips (5-11), Phillip Lindsay (3-8), and David Johnson (2-4). The loss drops the Texans to 1-7 and they head to Miami for Week 9.

The Rams cruised to this win behind Matt Stafford who passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper Kupp (7-115, TD) cared enough to dominate even in an easy win, and Robert Woods (3-35, TD) added a score to salvage his fantasy value. Darrell Henderson (14-90, TD) was effective and shared with Sony Michel (9-42) during the blowout win. The Rams took this one seriously until the fourth quarter. The 7-1 Rams host the Titans this week.

CIN 31, NYJ 34
Let’s see, the best record in the AFC plays a team with one win, so naturally, the Jets beat the Bengals who led 31-20 midway in the fourth quarter. Mike White becomes one of the greatest fantasy desperation starts of all time by throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns in the first game of his career. Michael Carter (9-95) was the top receiver and the top rusher (15-77, TD), while Jamison Crowder (8-84) and Ty Johnson (5-71, TD) also turned in great efforts as receivers. They hung in despite trailing most of the game and then stepped up when it counted most. The win sends the 2-5 Jets to Indianapolis this week.

The oddity in this upset was that Joe Mixon only gained 33 yards on 14 rushes but ran in a touchdown and added four catches for 58 yards and a second score. Joe Burrow threw for 259  yards and three touchdowns but  Ja’Marr Chase (3-32, TD) was held in check other than the one obligatory score.  Tee Higgins (4-97) and Tyler Boyd (5-69, TD) were the busiest receivers. The Bengals seemed sure to win but let up in the final seven minutes and let the Jets pull off this surprising win. They rise to 2-5 on the season and host the Browns in a divisional matchup that maybe they just got caught looking past the Jets to the Browns.

NE 27,  LAC 24

Are there any good teams in the AFC anymore? The Chargers lose their second in a row thanks in part to throwing a pick-six to the Patriots in the fourth quarter. Mac Jones threw for 217 yards and no scores. Nelson Agholor (3-60) and Kendrick Bourne (4-38) were the top receivers, and Damien Harris (23-80) scored the only offensive touchdown. Rhamondre Stevenson (8-26) spent a day out of the doghouse, but the game was won with four field goals and the defensive touchdown. The win sends the 4-4 Patriots  to Carolina this week.

For the second week in a row, Justin Herbert had a down game. He threw for 223 yards and two scores with two interceptions. Keenan Allen (6-77, TD) was the top receiver, but Mike Williams (2-19) was the guy the Pats defense targeted. Austin Ekeler was limited in practices but ran for 64 yards and a score on 11 rushes and added six catches for 60 yards. Justin Jackson broke off a 75-yard run but later left the game with a quad injury. The Chargers fall to 4-3 and play at the Eagles for Week 9.

JAC 7, SEA 31
No surprises here other than Alex Collins injured his ankle and let Carlos Hyde (9-32) become the lead rusher for the Jags, who were never remotely in this game. Trevor Lawrence passed for 238 yards and one score and an interception. Jamal Agnew (6-38, TD) was the lone scorer, while Dan Arnold (8-68) and Carlos Hyde (6-40) were the top receivers. The Jaguars never scored until 1:49 left in the game and even then, the Seahawks returned the onside attempt for a touchdown. The 1-6 Jaguars  host the Bills this week.

Geno Smith was more than adequate against the visiting Jaguars. He threw for 195 yards and two scores to D.K. Metcalf (6-43, 2 TD). Tyler Lockett (12-142) had a monster game but there were only two completions other than Metcalf and Lockett. Alex Collins ran for only 44 yards on ten rushes but the Seahawks let Travis Homer (4-9) and Rashaad Penny (7-7) also take turns in the blowout win. The 3-5 Seahawks head onto their bye.

WAS 10, DEN 17
Another yawner. And a fantasy wasteland. Antonio Gibson ran for 34 yards on eight carries and added three catches for 20 yards, but J.D. McKissic (8-83) was the top receiver, and Jaret Patterson (11-46) was their top rusher. Taylor Heinicke threw for 270 yards and a score to DeAndre Carter (3-51, TD). Terry McLaurin was held to only 23 yards on three catches. The backfield is a full-blown committee but at least the defense was better this week. The 2-6 Football Team heads onto their bye.

The Broncos didn’t do much, but at least they scored with a pass and a rush. Both belonged to Melvin Gordon, who ran for 47 yards on ten rushes and caught three passes for 15 yards. Javonte Williams only gained 35 yards on nine runs and added two receptions for 13 yards. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 213 yards and the one score. Tim Patrick (3-64) and Courtland Sutton (2-40) led the receiving effort, and Jerry Jeudy (4-39) returned from injured reserve for a muted game. The 4-4 Broncos head to Dallas for Week 9.

TB 27, NO 36
Sunday was a good time to be using backup quarterbacks. The Saints lost Jameis Winston and turned to Trevor Siemian with no drop-off. Alvin Kamara ran for 61 yards and a score on 19 carries but only caught three passes for 15 yards. Mark Ingram’s return to New Orleans had him run for 27 yards on six carries and two receptions for 25 yards. There were no standout Saints receivers, not that there usually is anyway. Tre’Quan Smith (3-33, TD) scored, but no receiver broke 40 yards. And despite switching to Siemian, the Saints had no turnovers, unlike the three by Tom Brady, who the Saints just have his number. The 4-2 Saints stay at home and host the Falcons this week.

The Buccaneers lost, but Tom Brady still threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns but with two interceptions and a lost fumble. Chris Godwin (8-140, TD) and Mike Evans (2-48, TD) both scored, but Godwin enjoyed having CB Marshon Lattimore lock onto Evans. Rob Gronkowski was active but left with back spasms. Leonard Fournette (8-26) added three catches for 17 yards, but the Buccaneers kept falling behind, battling back, and then eventually had an interception returned forty yards for a score with only 1:24 left to play. The loss drops the Bucs to 6-2 just in time for their Week 9 bye.

DAL 20, MIN 16
This game wasn’t the shootout that was hoped, but again – why use a starting quarterback when it seems all the backups were winning games this week? Cooper Rush’s first NFL start ended with 325 yards and two touchdowns, and that spawned two monster games by receivers. Amari Cooper (8-122, TD) and CeeDee Lamb (6-112) both broke the century mark and even Cedrick Wilson ended with three catches for 84 yards that included a 73-yard score. Ezekiel Elliott was limited to 50 yards on 16 rushes and added four receptions for 23 yards to salvage some value on the night.  It was the first game that the Dallas defense failed to intercept a pass, but they held the Vikings to only one touchdown. The 6-1 Cowboys host the Broncos this week.

The Vikings didn’t meet expectations versus the Cowboys. Kirk Cousins only passed for 184 yards and one score to Adam Thielen (6-78, TD) on their opening drive and then only managed three field goals for the rest of the game. Justin Jefferson was held to only two catches for 21 yards. Dalvin Cook ran for 78 yards on 18 rushes but failed to catch either of his passes. This game met the common theme of the day – backup quarterbacks ruled. The 3-4 Vikings head to Baltimore for Week 9.

 

The Game-o-the-Week

TEN 34, IND 31 OT

This was the sort of game that every matchup in the AFC South should provide. These two teams were always within one touchdown of each other during the game and while it appeared that the Titans wrapped it up with a ridiculously easy interception touchdown with 1:26 left to play, but the Colts scored their touchdown with 22 seconds left to send it into overtime. After each team had a punt in overtime, Carson Wentz threw his second interception in the game to give the Titans the ball at the IND 32-yard line, and they kicked the winning field goal.

Derrick Henry was held to only 68 yards on 28 carries in one of his rare down games. Ryan Tannehill threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns with A.J. Brown (10-155, TD) as the only receiver with more than 33 yards. Julio Jones was out, and tight end Geoff Swain (4-23, TD) and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (2-16, TD) also scored. The Titans didn’t get the usual boost from rushing Henry, though with 28 carries, they gave him plenty of chances. Tannehill proved he could win games too. The 5-2 Titans play at the Rams for Week 9.

Carson Wentz passed for 231 yards and three scores but tossed two critical interceptions. Michael Pittman scored twice on his ten catches for 86 yards but no other wideout or tight end gained more than 43 yards. Jonathan Taylor ran for 70 yards and a touchdown on his 16 carries and added three receptions for 52 yards.  Wentz threw for three scores but only turned in a 68.3 QB rating because of the interceptions and only completing 27-of-51 passes. The 3-5 Colts host the Jets this week, so there is a light at the end on a one-week tunnel.

Trevon Diggs, Tyron Smith suffer Week 8 injuries in Cowboys win over Vikings

The Cowboys played without their franchise quarterback and lost their left tackle, top wideout and corner at various points of the game. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys escaped their trip to Minnesota with a sixth-straight win, but they did not escape unscathed.  During the second quarter of the contest they lost left tackle Tyron Smith for the remainder of the contest to an ankle injury. Smith was listed on the practice report as limited throughout the week with the ankle, and he was unable to finish the first half.

Then, on the game’s final drive, cornerback Trevon Diggs had his leg crashed into, injuring his ankle as well.

The worse injury news appears to be related to fourth-round rookie linebacker Jabril Cox. Cox was injured on special teams and it appears his season may be over due to an ACL tear.

The game’s hero, WR Amari Cooper, was in and out of the lineup on the game-winning drive. While catching two big targets to get Dallas into scoring position, including one off the defender’s chest, he continued to go to the sideline and work with a hamstring massager to try and get the troublesome muscle to respond. At one point, he laid on the ground rolling over a neon softball to try and work out the kinks.

Suffering from a myriad of injuries, as usual, Cooper returned to the field to catch the game-winning score, a five-yard fade into the back-left corner of the end zone with 0:55 left in the game.

Of course, the Cowboys played the game without starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott tried out his sore calf, injured on the game-winning play in New England in Week 6, but returned to the locker room and was ruled inactive a few hours before the game started.

It is expected Prescott will be available to face off against the Broncos in a week, but the status of Smith and Diggs will require further evaluation.

Diggs was replaced by second-round rookie Kelvin Joseph, who made his pro debut on Sunday night after missing the first six games with a groin injury suffered in the final preseason game.

Smith was replaced by veteran Ty Nsekhe, who had a couple very shaky moments but settled down in time for the winning drive. La’el Collins returned from suspension but was not put into the game when Smith went out.

 

A tale of two screens: How Deebo Samuel catch compares to similar play in 2019

The #49ers used a screen pass to kickstart their offense vs. the Bears. It wasn’t the first time Kyle Shanahan has done that.

The Bears in the third quarter of Sunday’s game at Soldier Field kicked a field goal on their opening drive of the third quarter. The 49ers offense responded with a gasp, a sputter and looked to be wilting into the sordid mess that had chatter about a starting quarterback change louder than ever. Then head coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a screen pass to wide receiver Deebo Samuel that turned the Week 8 matchup on its head. It was reminiscent of another time a screen pass flipped a game during Shanahan’s tenure.

Sunday in Chicago the 49ers trailed 16-9 when they took over at their own 25. A run for running back Elijah Mitchell went nowhere. Their second-down play was negated by a block in the back by fullback Kyle Juszczyk. On second-and-20, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tried to find tight end Charlie Woerner, but the throw fluttered to the turf. Then Garoppolo threw a screen to Samuel. It was perfectly blocked, and Samuel knifed his way behind his blockers and through the Bears defense en route to an 83-yard pickup and a first-and-goal at Chicago’s 1-yard-line. The 49ers scored to make it a 16-15 ball game four plays later, and they’d ride that momentum to a 33-22 win.

In 2019 the 49ers found themselves in a similar scenario at home against the Arizona Cardinals. They trailed 16-0 midway through the second quarter after punting and failing on a fourth down conversion in their first two series. San Francisco was 8-1, but coming off their first loss of the season and going into a brutal stretch against the Packers, Ravens and Saints. Losing to a bad Arizona team could’ve been the start of a spiral that derailed a promising season.

After a Cardinals touchdown made it 16-0, Shanahan dialed up a screen on a first-and-10 from the 49ers’ 25. This one went to Richie James, who got down the sideline for 57 yards to the Arizona 18. Four plays later Garoppolo hit tight end Ross Dwelley for a touchdown that made it 16-7. The momentum flipped the same way it did after Samuel’s big run Sunday, and San Francisco would take a 17-16 lead with a field goal and a touchdown on their next two possessions.

The situations weren’t apples-to-apples, but the game-changing big play on a screen pass stood out Sunday the way it did two seasons ago at Levi’s Stadium. On a day where it looked like the offense was out of gas, they got a jolt from a quick throw and an explosive run after the catch.

San Francisco hosts Arizona in Week 9 as they look to get back to the .500 mark. Another screen pass may be in order, perhaps before they dig themselves in a hole this time.

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No Dak, no problem as Cooper Rush, defense leads Cowboys to 20-16 win over Vikings

The Cowboys overcame a halftime deficit to win their sixth game in a row, and did so without their franchise quarterback. A look at how.

The Dallas Cowboys gambled and won on Sunday Night Football. All week long, the biggest question on every fan and reporter’s mind was whether or not franchise QB Dak Prescott was going to be able to play. A calf injury sustained on the game-winning throw against New England in Week 6 would’ve definitely kept him out if there was a game in Week 7. A bye week made things interesting as he rehabbed throughout practice, ramping up as the week went along.

While he worked with trainer Britt Brown, backup QB Cooper Rush was taking all of the first-string snaps. The words were coy, but it appeared Dallas’ coaching staff was prepared for the inevitable while trying to leave some intrigue to keep the Minnesota Vikings guessing. Then Prescott worked out for the pre-game and by most accounts looked capable of playing. But he didn’t. And then all Rush did in his first career start was go out and throw a game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to lead the Cowboys to their sixth straight win, 20-16.

Rush passed for 325 yards on the game, tossing two scores against one interception and a lost fumble. Unlike the previous six games this year and last four of 2020, the defense didn’t force two turnovers ending a streak. They didn’t force a single one, but had perhaps their most impressive performance of the season, locking down Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense after an opening drive put the Cowboys in a 7-0 hole.

Dallas shut down the run game of the Vikings and limited Cousins, despite only sacking him once, to just 184 passing yards. When the Cowboys held the Vikings to a field goal despite several questionable penalties escorted them down the field late in the game, Rush was able to answer by igniting his connection with WR Amari Cooper. The pair connected three times on the drive, including a fade to the back left corner of the end zone with under a minute remaining.

The Cowboys’ defense stopped Minnesota on their last 12 third-down attempts, finishing 1-for-13 on the evening. They got that 12th stop and then followed with their first fourth-down stop of the game as time expired to move their record to 6-1 on the season.

Top Passer: Rush 24-40, 325 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 INT, 92.2 rating
Top Rusher: Ezekiel Elliott 16 rushes, 50 yards, 4 receptions, 23 yards
Top Receiver: Cooper 8 receptions 122 yards, 1 touchdown
Top Defender: Micah Parsons, 10 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 QB Hit, 4 TFLs

Next Game: November 7, vs Denver Broncos, Noon CT

NBA weekly awards: Jimmy Butler wins inaugural MVP

HoopsHype chooses major award winners for the week in the NBA world, headlined this week by Jimmy Butler as MVP.

HoopsHype is beginning a new weekly series for the 2021-22 NBA season in which we select the major award winner for every accolade each Monday, all the way from weekly MVP to Most Improved Player to Coach of the Week.

So here goes…

Jared Goff explains throwing the ball away on 4th down as a ‘mistake physically not mentally’

Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff makes yet another head-scratching error this week, calling it a physical error not a mental one

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Walking into their matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Detroit Lions were hoping to take advantage of a team that has come under fire as of late. In Philadelphia, the heat will cool a little after the Eagles whooped the Lions in a 44-6 convincing victory.

Many issues led the Lions to their worst performance of the season, from their pitiful line play to inexcusable mental errors from players and coaches. However, there is one player that has lost the patience of many, especially after yet another disturbing showing.

Jared Goff has found himself at the forefront of another heavily ridiculed performance, especially after the same mistakes keep rearing their ugly head. Between the constant deep dropbacks and lack of awareness and response to pressure that led to the four sacks he endured today, Dan Campbell felt Goff could be held accountable as much as the offensive line.

“To me, here’s what a lot of that is—he’s (Jared Goff) trying to make a play,” Campbell said after the game. “He’s trying to hold it a little longer, he’s trying to—when you start getting down like that or you’re lacking production.”

The problem is that Goff continues to stare down his reads, and the simplicity of the current offense is making it quite easy for the team to scheme around, giving him very little room for error to sustain drives. The unfortunate part is not a matter of “if”; it is about when surrounding Goff’s mistakes, especially when he made the same mistake last week.

Against the Rams, Goff threw the ball away on fourth down thinking there was a holding call against them, so he thought, no harm,  let me throw away the ball and live to try again or punt it away. But, unfortunately, he failed to remember that teams can decline a penalty, which the Rams did. So instead of trying to make the play, he handed over the ball to the Rams.

He did not learn from the error and decided to double down and look to have thrown the ball away again on a fourth-down attempt, opening the floodgates to some very heavy booing from every corner of the earth.

When asked about the throw, Goff seemed to bring into question some of his mental lapses and some of his physical incapabilities.

“That was a misfire,” Goff explained in his postgame press conference. “I was not trying to throw that ball away. That ball came out high. I knew what the situation was and that was a mistake physically, not mentally. I explained the first one, though. I thought there was a holding call.”

But that was a heavy misfire because that ball was not even close to the intended target. If the cameraman was the intended target, he nailed it because that was the only one who could’ve caught that ball.

When asked about the offensive performance, Dan Campbell was also not happy with the lack of execution of that fourth-down call.

“Aside from the fact that on the fourth down, he threw it into the stands, which yeah, that’s not a good decision.”

The Lions have their bye week coming up, and you can bet they will take a long hard look at the film to figure out what exactly happened that led to this atrocious performance. First and foremost, it starts with Goff’s mental and physical issues that have caused this offense to stay neutral or some points heading into reverse.

Surely, the Lions braintrust of Dan Campbell, Anthony Lynn, and Mark Burnell will hopefully try to bridge some of those lapses Goff is experiencing. But you can believe they have not lost the trust of the signal-caller. It may be hard to wrap your head around that, but they are invested in him for better or for worse.

At this point, confidence is wearing thin among many fans surrounding the organization, and you can bet they want that win just as much as everyone else. Goff assured many the confidence is still there even with the team’s slow start, but at the same time, there needs to be massive jumps and improvement from Goff to get the offense driving.

“I don’t. I don’t. I really don’t and I think that’s been kind of the theme of the whole year is, as bad as it’s been, the efforts there. We’ve got young guys who are fighting. We’ve got veteran guys who are fighting and we love each other,” Goff stated.

Who is Dallas Cowboys’ QB Cooper Rush?

Cooper Rush’s road to starting for Dallas in Week 8 was long and took a while

There was a fairytale ending to Sunday Night Football for Cooper Rush, his family, and the Dallas Cowboys.

Only it was real. Oh, so real.

The career backup started in place of an injured Dak Prescott and threw for 325 yards and the game-winning TD in the final minute of a 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Coming into Week 8, the 27-year-old Rush had appeared in six games with 58 snaps and attempted three passes. He was 1-of-3 for 2 yards in 2017.

So, who is Cooper Rush?

Per his wiki page:

In 2010 and 2011, he led his team to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. In 2011, he led his team to the state runner-up title. In the Division 5 regional championship game against Dowagiac Union High School, he set Michigan state records with 5 touchdown passes in one quarter and 8 for the game.

He played college ball at Central Michigan.

As a sophomore, he played in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl against Western Kentucky. By the middle of the third quarter, his team had fallen behind 49–14, but scored 4 unanswered touchdowns and were down by only 7 points near the end of the fourth quarter. With one second remaining on the contest, Central Michigan had the ball on their own 25 yard line. The would be final play started with a 45-yard Hail Mary pass from Rush to wide receiver Jesse Kroll. As Kroll was being tackled he lateraled the ball to teammate Deon Butler, who ran 20 yards before lateraling to Courtney Williams. With no space to run, Williams made a quick third lateral pass to leading receiver Titus Davis who ran the final 13 yards, scoring a touchdown that would have tied the game with a kicked extra point and sent the game into overtime, but instead Central Michigan attempted a two-point conversion for the win, which was unsuccessful,

He finished his college career with 49 straight starts, 12,894 passing yards, and 90 touchdowns.

Rush went undrafted in 2017.

He spent time with Dallas but eventually wound up with the New York Giants. On May 5, 2020, Rush was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants, reuniting with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who was his head coach with the Cowboys. On Sept. 5, he was waived and signed to the practice squad the next day. On Sept. 29, Rush was released from the Giants practice squad to make room for another former Cowboys quarterback (Clayton Thorson).

On Oct. 30, Rush was signed to the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, to provide depth after starter Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He was elevated to the active roster on Nov. 7 for the team’s week 9 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Cowboys on January 4, 2021.

And he remained the backup to Prescott until Sunday when he threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left.

The team that wears a star on its helmet has another star — for a night — to add to its lore as America’s Team.