Opportunistic Saints defense can take advantage of Jared Goff’s mistakes

An opportunistic Saints defense can take advantage of Jared Goff’s mistakes. The Lions quarterback has committed six turnovers in his last two games:

An opportunistic New Orleans Saints defense must take advantage of Jared Goff’s mistakes. The Detroit Lions quarterback has committed six turnovers in his last two games, losing three fumbles to the Green Bay Packers last week after throwing three interceptions to the Chicago Bears a week earlier. Goff is in a bit of a rut, and the Saints need to capitalize on it. He’s thrown eight interceptions and fumbled five times this season.

That’s easier said than done for most teams, but New Orleans is known for its ballhawks. The Saints defense has intercepted the second-most passes in the NFL this season (14 in 11 games) while doing an admirable job of recovering fumbled balls from the offense — nine different defenders have recovered a fumble this season, and cornerback Paulson Adebo has two of them.

Adebo also has four interceptions in just nine games, leading the team. Strong safety Tyrann Mathieu is second with three picks, and his tag-team partner Marcus Maye has two of his own (though the free safety may not play this week due to a shoulder injury). Five other Saints defenders have intercepted passes this season, too.

Taking the ball away becomes even more important when you consider all the struggles the Saints have experienced offensively. The more opportunities the defense can create for Derek Carr and company, the better. Shorter fields and swings of momentum are going to be critical against a talented and well-coached Lions team. If Goff does a better job protecting the football, Saints fans may be in for a long afternoon.

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Player grades: Thunder snap two-game skid with 133-110 win over Lakers

Player grades for the Thunder’s 133-110 win over the Lakers:

OKLAHOMA CITY — Repositioning in the post, Chet Holmgren let off a fadeaway turnaround jumper over Anthony Davis that swished in.

It was that type of scoring night for the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they snapped a two-game losing skid with a 133-110 blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

“It was like an energy, work win tonight,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the win. “I just thought we really exerted ourselves on the game. Our defense; how we scrambled; our running. We were just fast tonight. I thought we worked for that win.”

After a slow start saw them trail the Lakers by seven points following the first quarter, a 42-point second quarter boosted OKC’s winning odds as it entered halftime with a 72-60 lead.

The halftime break didn’t deter OKC’s well-oiled scoring machine as it scored 36 points in the third quarter to enter the final frame with a 108-88 lead.

The Thunder maintained a healthy distance on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter despite the Lakers’ comeback attempt. Los Angeles only managed to cut it to as little as 15 points in the final frame before a Davis miss resulted in a Lu Dort 3-pointer that pushed OKC’s lead back to 18 points with four minutes left.

Following a timeout in the aftermath of that sequence, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham waved the white flag and cleared his bench the rest of the way.

Points were easy to come by for the Thunder against the Lakers, who played on the second night of a road back-to-back. OKC shot 53% from the field and went 14-of-42 (33.3%) from 3. It enjoyed a friendly whistle as it shot 19-of-22 (86.4%) from the free-throw line. The fast break was the Thunder’s friend as they outscored the veteran Lakers in that area, 26-12.

Meanwhile, the Lakers also had a decent night from the floor as they shot 44% and went a respectable 11-of-33 (33.3%) from 3. They enjoyed an even friendlier whistle with a 27-of-32 (84.4%) night from the charity stripe.

The difference in this game can be assessed by shot volume — OKC attempted 94 shots while Los Angeles only had 81 shots. The Thunder displayed excellent ball security with just seven turnovers while the Lakers turned it over 13 times.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams also contributed with 18 points and 21 points respectively. Seven players for OKC scored double-digit points.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were led by Davis, who had a monster night with 31 points and 14 rebounds — but was held to 16 points in the final three quarters. In his first game at OKC since Dec. 2021, LeBron James — who was a game-time decision — was limited to 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

“I just thought we had a really, really good recognition of who they tried to play through,” Daigneault said on their defense of the All-Star duo. “We put him in a crowd. I thought we did a good job, an appropriate job on James… I thought there were a lot of possessions where we forced them out on what they wanna do.”

Overall, this was a solid win for the Thunder after losing two consecutive games. They played a respectable — albeit likely fatigued — opponent with a two-star duo.

“We went out and earned a win in an NBA game, which is the mentality we have to have every night,” Daigneault said.

Williams mentioned postgame he can start to feel teams take the young Thunder more seriously this season compared to the last, noting how James likely would’ve previously sat out this game.

At 12-6 and third place in the West, it feels like the tides are starting to turn for OKC — if they haven’t already.

“It’s a lot more serious,” Williams said on how teams treat them this season. “This might’ve been one of the games where they might rest people… Now people are taking us more serious… I think everybody is starting to respect us a little more.

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Patriots are so bad Amazon used Bill Belichick instead of player in TNF preview

This is the new rock bottom for the Patriots…

The New England Patriots got flexed out of their prime-time Monday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 18, but a week before that game, they’re still locked in for a Thursday Night Football clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When previewing the game on Thursday, during the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys game, an interesting graphic went up on Amazon Prime Video.

Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt was used as the player graphic for the Steelers, while a picture of coach Bill Belichick was used for the Patriots. There clearly aren’t many players that could be classified as superstars on the Patriots’ roster.

Matthew Judon would have been perfect for the picture, if he was healthy. There are other healthy players that would have been worthy of a snapshot, like Jabrill Peppers, Christian Barmore, Rhamondre Stevenson, Matthew Slater, Kyle Dugger or Ja’Whaun Bentley.

But Amazon went with Belichick, and it had all of social media pointing and laughing once again at the expense of the 2-9 Patriots. Imagine losing a prime-time spot against the Chiefs and this happening all in the same day.

Yikes.

Seahawks fall narrowly on the road, lose 41-35 to Cowboys in shootout

Now the Seahawks fall to 6-6, and are dangerously close to falling out of the playoff picture entirely.

Despite being heavy underdogs, the Seattle Seahawks gave the Dallas Cowboys all they could handle on Thursday night. Regrettably, it was not enough, as Seattle could not outgun the Cowboys, and fell in a 41-35 shootout defeat.

It was a thrilling game from wire to wire. Seattle took an early 7-3 lead, but fell in a 17-7 deficit in the second quarter just as quickly. But the Seahawks offense stayed strong, and managed to actually claim a narrow 21-20 lead right before halftime.

Right out of the gate in the third quarter, the Seahawks marched down the field and extended their lead 28-20 on the opening drive of the second half. After a Cowboys field goal drive, Geno Smith found DK Metcalf for his third touchdown of the night moving to a 35-27 advantage.

Unfortunately, it was all she wrote for the Seahawks. After another field goal drive for Dallas, Seattle turned the ball over on downs near midfield. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys then marched 59 yards in only seven plays to reclaim the lead. After a touchdown and two point conversion, it was a margin that Dallas would not relinquish.

Things did get interesting late, as the Seahawks managed to hold the Cowboys to a field goal after another failed turnover on downs. Geno Smith and Co. got one final chance. But like the previous two drives, this one stalled on 4th-and-short near midfield… again.

The final three possessions for the Seahawks ended as such:

Turnover on downs at Dallas ‘ 46-yard line (4th-and-one)
Turnover on downs at Seattle’s 49-yard line (4th-and-4)
Turnover on downs at the 50-yard line (4th-and-2)

The short yardage play calling was an absolute disaster, and directly contributed to Seattle losing a game they could have stolen a win in.

However, the story of the game was atrocious officiating. Dallas and Seattle are the two most penalized teams in the league, and there was plenty of laundry flying. Both teams combined for 19 total penalties and 257 yards. There was a stretch where the Cowboys were gifted five first downs on penalties, a drive where they finished with a touchdown.

Now the Seahawks fall to 6-6, and are dangerously close to falling out of the playoff picture entirely. Seattle will travel to Santa Clara for a rematch with the 49ers, who have dominated them in their last four meetings. Things are getting incredibly desperate for the Seahawks.

Alabama pass rusher most-picked player in PFF mock drafts for Saints fans

Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner is the most-picked player in Pro Football Focus mock drafts by New Orleans Saints fans:

It’s obvious that the New Orleans Saints need more help rushing the passer — their 18 sacks as a team are tied for the second-fewest in the NFL going into Week 13. Cameron Jordan, their franchise leader in sacks, has just two takedowns through 11 games this season. He can’t keep doing this on his own even if Carl Granderson has developed into a solid player for the Saints off the other end of the line.

So it’s no surprise that Saints fans using the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator are making the pass rush a priority. PFF analysis found that the most-picked player by Saints fans is Alabama edge defender Dallas Turner, with 14.8% of mock drafts choosing him. Here’s what PFF’s Trevor Sikkema had to say about the fit:

It feels like it’s going to be a trench pick for the Saints this offseason, whether that’s the offensive or defensive line. Turner is more of an outside linebacker type of edge player and is having a career year as a pass-rusher for the Crimson Tide, sporting an 88.6 pass-rush grade. Turner has always displayed good explosiveness, but he is flashing added strength this season, too.

In scenarios where Turner has been unavailable, Saints fans have gone with Florida State defensive end Jared Verse 11.2% of the time. He’s someone we’re high on here at Saints Wire thanks to his speed off the edge and big frame meeting what the Saints look for athletically at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds.

Turner is a great player in his own right, but his listed size (6-foot-4 and 242 pounds) would keep him from doing what he does best in New Orleans. Just like Zack Baun before him, he’d be miscast in a coverage role rather than playing close to the line of scrimmage — unless Dennis Allen’s defense drastically changes what they look for at the position in the spring.

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Photos: BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference

Check out these photos from the BKFC 56 press conference featuring Mike Perry vs. Eddie Alvarez in Utah.

Check out these photos from the BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference ahead of the event featuring [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

Cormac Ryan’s ‘sense of urgency’ was big in return

UNC basketball guard Cormac Ryan had a ‘sense of urgency’ for his return during Wednesday’s game.

During the loss to Villanova on Thanksgiving, senior wing Cormac Ryan was injured on one of the final plays during a free throw attempt. Ryan would then miss the win over Arkansas the following day.

But Ryan returned for the Tennessee game after not practicing Monday and Tuesday as he made the decision. Hubert Daivs told the media that Ryan went into his office on Tuesday and told him that he was playing.

One of the reasons why? It’s Ryan’s final season and there’s a ‘sense of urgency’ with him to go out and help his team when he can.

“There’s a sense of urgency for him,” Davis said after the game. “There’s no more ‘extra year’ for him. And his intensity and passion and a desire to be a part of a team and to be good is exactly what this team has needed. And he came up big tonight.”

Ryan didn’t start but did come off the bench to play 24 minutes and scored 15 points including making two three-pointers and making all seven of his free throws. He also provided a big spark for the Tar Heels on both sides of the court.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Commanders vs. Dolphins: Thursday injury report for Week 13

Tyreek Hill was back on practice field for the Dolphins Thursday.

The Washington Commanders host the Miami Dolphins Sunday in the first game since defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio’s firing. Washington could be without rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, who missed practice again on Thursday with an elbow injury. Forbes also missed last week’s game at Dallas, with what head coach Ron Rivera called a “pretty significant” injury.

The first-round pick has struggled this season but has played much better since returning to the lineup in Week 9. With the Commanders in full evaluation mode for the remainder of the season, every rep is valuable for Forbes and other young players.

Here’s a look at Thursday’s injury report for the Commanders:

CB Emmanuel Forbes: DNP (elbow)
C Tyler Larsen: Limited (knee)
DE James Smith-Williams: DNP (hamstring)
FB Alex Armah: Limited (hamstring)

The Dolphins’ injury report is a long one, but in some good news, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and running back Raheem Mostert were back Thursday on a limited basis. I’d expect both to play on Sunday.

DNP:

S Jevon Holland (knees)
OT Kendall Lamm (back)

Limited:

WR Tyreek Hill (ankle)
RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee)
OL Lester Cotton (illness)
RB De’Von Achane (knee)
LT Terron Armstead (knee/quad)
RB Chris Brooks (knee)
DB Elijah Campbell (shoulder)
LB Bradley Chubb (knee)
WR Chase Claypool (knee)
LS Blake Ferguson (ankle)
RG Robert Hunt (hamstring)
FB Alec Ingold (foot/ankle)
OL Robert Jones (knee)
TE Durham Smythe (ankle)
C Connor Williams (illness)
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was listed on the injury report with a right arm laceration but was a full participant.

7 Seahawks highlights from their Week 13 loss to Cowboys

Here are the highlights for Seattle this week, featuring several appearances by DK Metcalf.

The Seattle Seahawks got into a shootout with the Dallas Cowboys tonight and they came up just short, losing on the road by a score of 41-35.

Here are the highlights for Seattle this week, featuring several appearances by DK Metcalf.

Is New Mexico Close To Finding Its Next Football Coach?

Is New Mexico Close To Finding Its New Football Coach? Who are the Lobos targeting? Follow @MWCwire Finding the replacement for the Lobos New Mexico is searching for a new head coach after parting ways with Danny Gonzales last Saturday. Over his …

Is New Mexico Close To Finding Its New Football Coach?

Who are the Lobos targeting?

Follow @MWCwire

Finding the replacement for the Lobos

New Mexico is searching for a new head coach after parting ways with Danny Gonzales last Saturday.

Over his four-season tenure, Gonzales, a former player at New Mexico, progressed from various roles, including stops at San Diego State and Arizona State as defensive coordinators. Then, he finally assumed the head coach position at his alma mater in 2020.

The Lobos, at the end of the year, really started to begin showing signs of a competitive, balanced football team, even pulling the upset on the road against MWC Fresno State 25-17, despite being a 23-point underdog and then losing in overtime to Utah State 44-41.

Many fans thought this would be good enough to earn his fifth year on his contract before AD Eddie Nunez decided that it was time to get a new head coach.

Since 2016, the Lobos have been without a winning season, and until this year, they had not secured more than three victories in any single season.

Despite Gonzales prioritizing in-state recruiting over junior college recruitment compared to his predecessor, the bulk of the roster continues to be sourced from outside the state due to limited local resources.

In a recent radio interview, Gonzales acknowledged that he likely waited a year too long to utilize the transfer portal to address the needs of the Lobos team.

One does not have to look too far to understand the immediate impact that Coaches like Barry Odom (MWC Coach of the Year) and instate rival Jerry Kill at NMSU had on Nunez’s decision to go in a different direction.

Athletic director Eddie Nunez acknowledged Gonzales’s contributions to stabilizing the football program and fostering a positive culture.

However, the on-field results fell short of expectations. Nunez expressed gratitude for Gonzales’s impact on student-athletes, declaring him a “Lobo for Life.”

As the university looks to fill the coaching vacancy, key factors come into play. Despite his familiarity with UNM, Gonzales had to learn the head coaching role on the job.

Sources suggest the university may prioritize candidates with previous head coaching experience, pointing to successful turnarounds at other regional and conference programs.

The job in New Mexico is undeniably challenging. The Lobos have struggled, with no winning seasons since 2016 and minimal success in recent years.

The university boasts an indoor practice facility, and the recently inaugurated New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center, located in the end zone of the University Stadium, spans 11,000 square feet.

This state-of-the-art facility features a new weight room and cardio mezzanine, marking the first addition to athletics infrastructure since 2015, so improvements are being made by the athletic department.

Regarding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives, the school has aligned with the 505 Sports Venture Foundation as its preferred collective.

Reportedly, the collective disbursed $525,000 to athletes through June, according to On3 which Danny Gonzales was one to be very proactive knowing UNM Success depending on this to work out, to be able to compete in FBS.

Despite efforts to emphasize in-state recruiting, most of the roster is sourced from outside the state.

The candidate pool may be competitive with several Mountain West schools concurrently seeking new head coaches, including Boise State and San Diego State. Potential names in the mix include Gary Patterson, Bryan Harsin, Bronco Mendenhall, Matt Wells, Ken Niumatalolo, Jason Eck, Brent Vigen, and Brennan Marion.

Each brings a unique set of experiences and qualifications, raising questions about the resources and fit that New Mexico can offer to attract the right candidate.

Some of the candidates’ credentials are:

Bryan Harsin, the former Auburn coach, is anticipated to be a contender for various Mountain West coaching positions. Harsin achieved a notable record of 69-19 as the head coach of Boise State from 2014 to ’20. While securing a Fiesta Bowl victory in his inaugural season, he did not quite replicate that success afterward. Nevertheless, he did amass a commendable 45-8 record in Mountain West play, claiming three conference championships.

Bronco Mendenhall, the former head coach of Virginia and BYU, was considered for the Colorado position last year and has been linked to several other coaching opportunities in the current cycle. With a coaching record of 135-81 from 2005 to ’21, Mendenhall consistently achieved success, boasting 11 seasons with at least eight wins. As a Utah native, he previously served as New Mexico’s defensive coordinator from 1998 to ’02, contributing to the development of Urlacher into a first-round pick. Mendenhall possesses substantial familiarity with the region and the Mountain West.

Bryant Vincent He may not fulfill all the criteria on Nuñez’s wish list. However, during his tenure as Gonzales’ offensive coordinator, Vincent achieved remarkable improvements with an offensive unit that had struggled significantly in the two years preceding his arrival. Serving as the interim head coach at Alabama-Birmingham in 2022, he led the Blazers to a bowl game victory before joining the UNM staff. Notably, Vincent played a crucial role in developing RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt into one of the most prolific ball carriers in school history. He is also the only Lobo coach with one year left on his contract and is extremely popular with the current Lobo football team and brings all the current offensive staff back as a plus.

Matt Wells enjoyed a prosperous stint as the head coach of Utah State, amassing a commendable 44-34 record from 2013 to 2018, with three seasons of at least nine victories. He played a key role in developing Jordan Love into an NFL-caliber quarterback. Despite holding a promising 5-3 record in his third season at Texas Tech, Wells was let go. Furthermore, Wells is familiar with UNM, having served as the Lobos’ wide receivers coach in 2007-08 and 2010.

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