Ron Rivera says he regrets limiting QB competition in 2020 training camp

Ron Rivera said that he made a mistake by limiting the quarterback competition in training camp and quickly giving the job to Dwayne Haskins.

The sign of a good coach, and a good man in general, is when he can admit his mistakes. For Washington coach Ron Rivera, there were very few mistakes that took place over the 2020 season, seeing as his team far exceeded expectations and made its first trip to the playoffs since 2015, but according to the coach, there are still some things that he would change if given the chance.

One of the biggest things resides at the quarterback position. While the future seems bright in D.C., with a strong defense and a number of young pieces that can turn into real stars in the NFL, Washington still has a vacant hole at the QB spot, and they enter another offseason on the search for a franchise guy.

On a Monday interview with 106.7 The Fan, Rivera admitted that he could have handled the QB situation better, and it would have been more beneficial to widen the QB competition in training camp this past season.

“The biggest thing I would have done is I would have created a few more opportunities mixing everybody around,” Rivera said, via NBC Sports Washington. “As opposed to saying ‘OK, I’m going to stick with just the one guy and do that.’ I think now in retrospect, and again, hindsight is 20/20, I would. What I’m saying is I made a mistake and I’m owning up to it and that’s the truth. To put it as simple as that, that’s what I’m saying. I’m just being honest.”

Rivera entered the preseason saying that they would watch players like Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, and Alex Smith compete for the starting job, but it was quickly known that Haskins would be the guy, and he got the starting reps from there on out, eventually becoming the QB1 until being benched a few weeks later.

Would things have been much different in Washington had someone else gotten more of a chance early on? Possibly. We didn’t get to see Allen really get going because of his injury, but there’s a chance that he could have found some success early in the season. And who knows what would have happened if Smith had taken the field early in the season either.

It was a successful season no matter which way you look at it, but there are always questions about what could have been. For Rivera, those questions will stay at the QB spot until someone new is found.

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Ron Rivera’s top priority in 2021 offseason should be to re-sign RG Brandon Scherff

Washington has four of their five offensive linemen tied to the team in contracts, and they need to do the same with RG Brandon Scherff.

The hits just keep coming for Washington right guard Brandon Scherff, as he continues to build his resume and stack up reasons for why he belongs in D.C.

With his most recent honor of being named an AP First-Team All-Pro, becoming the first Washington player to do so since 1996, Scherff has now added another accolade to what has been an incredible season, where he was also named to the NFL Pro Bowl for the fourth time, as well as winning the team’s Ed Block Courage Award.

All of us leads us to say that it is clear that Scherff is one of, if not the best right guard in the entire NFL, and he needs to play out the rest of his career in Washington, or at least the next 4-5 years.

This is something that is surely on coach Ron Rivera’s mind, seeing as Scherff becomes a free agent this offseason and has been playing on the franchise tag this past year. After a recent extension was given to C Chase Roullier earlier this month, Rivera stated that he was proud to have four of the five linemen tied down in contracts for the foreseeable future. He also added that he would love to make that all five players soon.

“We’ve got four of those five right now tied up going forward,” Rivera said. via NBC Sports Washington. “I’d love to see if we could get all five back again because it’s one less part of the team you’ll have to worry about as we start getting off to free agency and the draft.”

Coming into the season, there were some serious questions about Washington’s offensive front, with unproven players on the left side, and players who had underperformed on the right side. RT Morgan Moses was coming off of a tough year, and Scherff had been dealing with injuries for much of 2019. However, things have gelled well this season, and it’s clear that Washington seems to have found their guys upfront. Now they just need to put the finishing touches on a new contract for Scherff, and make sure that he doesn’t go anywhere else to play.

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On Dak Prescott, and opening up about depression

Dak Prescott addressed his brother’s suicide and his own recent struggles with depression and anxiety. It is important that he did.

I’m only here because of depression.

I mean that in a general sense, in that before I was a football writer, I was a practicing attorney. For nearly ten years in the Washington, D.C. area in fact. But near the end of that run, I was miserable. Fighting depression and anxiety on an hourly basis. Nothing worked. Therapy, medicine, self-medication. Nothing.

Approaching 40, I changed careers, and I’m lucky I did.

Had I not, there’s no telling where I would have ended up. Probably nowhere good. Probably as a statistic.

Depression does not discriminate. You can be young and seemingly successful, a lawyer at a law firm living what was a lifelong dream.

Or the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

2020 has been a rough year for almost everyone. Dak Prescott is no different. His older brother passed away in April, and the quarterback recently opened up about his brother’s passing, and how his brother took his own life.

Prescott then opened up about his own struggles in the wake of that horrific event:

All throughout this quarantine and this offseason, I started experiencing emotions I’ve never felt before. Anxiety for the main one. And then, honestly, a couple of days before my brother passed, I would say I started experiencing depression. And to the point of, I didn’t want to work out anymore. I didn’t know necessarily what I was going through, to say the least, and hadn’t been sleeping at all.

Fox Sports “Undisputed” responded to that interview today.

What was said on the air really does not matter.

Here is what does.

Depression does not discriminate.

Leadership is also about more than working out.

It is about inner strength.

We live in a society that has yes, come far, but still has a long way to go. One of the areas where we can improve as a collective is by understanding that mental health impacts everyone, of every race, creed and gender. The days of saying “men don’t cry” and that “guys have to be tough” should be left behind. As a man who has suffered with anxiety and depression, I know first-hand how tough it can be to open up. To be vulnerable and to admit to suffering. To take that first step and acknowledge that you are struggling takes courage.

Courage that sometimes, people cannot muster. Leaving them sometimes heading down an even darker path that they cannot avoid.

Which is why what Dak did in coming forward and being open matters. Because it is one thing when another washed-up former college athlete turned-lawyer turned-sports writer is open about this.

It’s another when it is the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

Because what Dak Prescott did probably will save lives. What he did will make it that much easier for others to come forward with their struggles. To be open about their anxiety, or their depression. To be honest and to take that first step towards getting help, and a brighter future.

That is leadership that should be praised and promoted.

Thank you, Dak.

Watch: Bill Belichick, comedy star?

The New England Patriots’ head coach takes a comedic turn in a Subway commercial.

Bill Belichick and high comedy are not words you typically see paired together. The head coach is known more for his gruff press conferences and his cold nature when taking the field:

However this off-season the head coach spent some time filming commercials for Subway, and the first one has been released. And, believe it or not, he makes a rather surprising comedic turn:

Who knows, maybe a turn hosting “Saturday Night Live” is in the coach’s future.

Uncomfortable? It’s supposed to be uncomfortable.

After the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake, protests in professional sports continue. The NFL is no different.

Wednesday afternoon the Milwaukee Bucks were scheduled to take on the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

They never took the floor.

The players, like much of the nation, is grappling with another incident of police violence directed at a Black man, filmed for the world to see. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, just forty miles or so outside of Milwaukee, Jacob Blake was seen on film walking away from police officers in the direction of his car. The officers, two of them with guns drawn at his back, follow him to his vehicle. When Blake opens the vehicle, with his children inside, shots are fired. Seven. Seven into his back.

Blake will never walk again.

The imagery has touched off more protests and sadly, more violence. A summer in America that has been marked bythe specter of COVID-19, the shooting of Breonna Taylor and the imagery of George Floyd’s death continues an almost excruciating march of time. But in what direction, we wonder?

The incident hits home for Bucks players in a number of ways. Yes, there is the physical proximity to Kenosha, but this is an organization that has grappled with a situation of their own, when guard Sterling Brown was approached by police in a Walgreens parking lot on a January night in 2018. That night, Brown found himself where George Floyd would more than two years later, on his stomach, with a knee pressed into his body from above by an authority figure with a badge and a gun.

When the city of Milwaukee offered Brown $400,000 to settle his civil suit for police brutality, Brown said no. In his words, “I rejected the offer because I have a responsibility to be a voice and help change the narrative for my people. In order to do so I have to tell my story, so dialogue and conversations about police brutality can help influence and change a corrupt system. It goes deeper than me just illegally parking.”

The NBA postponed all three playoff games that were scheduled for Wednesday, and other teams have made similar moves. The Milwaukee Brewers, set to take the field Wednesday night, decided as a team not to play. Both moves came in the wake of the Detroit Lions canceling practice on Tuesday as a result of incident in Kenosha, with players and coaches coming together to demand change.

And now there is word late on Wednesday night that the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers voted to strike for the rest of the playoffs:

WNBA players proceeded with scheduled games, but paused to bring continued attention to the issues facing this nation:

Thursday dawned, and more teams, including NFL organizations, were following suit:

As with everything that happens in the modern era, battle lines are immediately drawn and people retreat to their corners on their social media platform of choice. In reaction to the decision by the Bucks, and other teams such as the Lions, to take a stand for change after the shooting of Blake, the criticism of those decisions comes along two tracks: One, “why protest like this?” Two, “what will they change?”

Inevitably, the discussion turns to the decision by Colin Kaepernick to kneel during the National Anthem. This is the standard bait-and-switch that is employed during any discussion along this path. The discussion is reframed around the decision of how to protest, conveniently avoiding the difficult discussion that lies underneath. Focusing on the how, and not the why. Debating the how is easy, particularly for those who wish to avoid the why. Make this an issue of patriotism. Of love of country, or of support for the troops, and the argument is over. Those who cannot stand for the anthem clearly do not love this country.

This is an issue that is sure to emerge, again, this fall. During the heated rhetoric of a presidential election with a candidate who has made this very issue at times part of his platform, it is inevitable that in the leadup to Week 1 there will be a barrage of tweets, again with abusive language directed at players, and perhaps even owners, should they dare not stand in line.

Not the why, but the how.

But if the focus must be on the how, the answer comes with that above tweet from Duke Manyweather, a former offensive lineman who now coaches the position privately. Duke tweeted that in the aftermath of the Bucks’ decision not to take the floor for Game 5. Protests are supposed to be uncomfortable. They are supposed to challenge. They are designed by their very nature to take those who observe them out of their comfort zone and face the starkness of what those who are protesting want them to see. To shine that glaring, and sometimes painful light, on the why.

Those critical of the stance taken by Kaepernick and others often try to soften the rhetoric on their part, and wonder why other means would not be more effective, rather than kneeling. After decades of marches and speeches, protest anthems and calls for equal rights, our nation still finds itself at this moment, still haunted and struggling to come to terms with who we are as a nation, and what we want to be. If the work of decades has yet to bear the ultimate fruit, why not try another means of messaging? After all, it got people paying attention, even if the conversation quickly circled back to the how.

Then there is the second track running alongside. The question of what, if any, “difference these athletes can make.” After all, the logic apparently follows, they’re just “highly-paid babies engaging in performance art.” They cannot generate real change.

But at the start, they generate awareness. Awareness of the underlying issues. Awareness of the why. Everyone that tuned into see the Bucks play the Magic, or tunes into the start of an NFL game, is now confronted with the why, at least for a moment. Sure, their minds might quickly turn towards the how, and question the wisdom of a player strike or the patriotism of taking a knee, but for that split moment, they are confronted with the why.

Sure, for many that will be it, a split moment in time before the attention is turned elsewhere. But for a few, that awareness will be met with curiosity, whci leads to education. Which, for maybe even a smaller few, will lead to action.

Think of what many learned in the wake of George Floyd’s death. How many people learned about Juneteenth for the first time, or about the Tulsa race riots (although for many it was the HBO series “The Watchmen” that introduced that bit of American history). If even a few are driven to learn as a result of these protests, that is change. The kind of change that is lasting, much more than a mural or a slogan or a protest anthem. The kind of change that endures. The changing of minds.

But that is not all that is happening. As we have seen over the past few weeks, and even in the past few hours, more athletes and even teams are stepping forward to actively promote change in this country. A group of athletes headlined by LeBron James have joined together to launch More Than a Vote, addressing poll worker shortages and the need to keep polling stations open in majority Black electoral districts. A group of college athletes led by Kylin Hill pushed the state of Mississippi to change the state flag, a portion of which contained the Confederate battle flag. And in just the past few days the Cleveland teams, including the Browns, the Indians and the Cavaliers joined together to promote community movements such as voting rights, law enforcement changes and education initiatives:

For many athletes, they are realizing the power of their voice, and putting it to use.

But the protests will continue, and we know what is on the horizon.

When Week 1 of the NFL season begins, these debates over how – and not the why – NFL players choose to kneel are going to rage anew. When that happens, try for a moment to think of the why. What you might find is a group of athletes trying to do something that is in fact quite patriotic. They are fighting for a more perfect union. Words of our founding, and a goal that is always just over the horizon.

They are using their voices, and their platform, to push for change.

Few things are more patriotic than that.

Why George Kittle deserves to be the NFL’s highest-paid tight end

San Francisco 49ers tight end earned a big contract extension. This speaks to his value in all facets of the team’s offense.

San Francisco 49ers fans can rejoice. Their favorite team reached a contract extension with perhaps their most valuable offensive player, tight end George Kittle. The parties came to agreement on a five-year contract extension worth $75 million, with roughly half of that coming in the form of guaranteed money. Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver were among the first with the details:

This is a big-time contract for a tight end, and the deal once executed would make Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.

So the question immediately becomes: Is Kittle worth those numbers?

In a word, yes.

The 49ers tight end has been dominant the past two seasons, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards in both years and averaging 15.6 yards per reception in 2018, and 12.1 yards per reception in 2019. Kittle is also impressive after the catch, as he averaged 9.9 yards after the catch in 2018, and another 7.3 YAC/reception last season.

Beyond the statistics, what makes Kittle so effective in San Francisco – and therefore worth this contract – is how he serves as a core component of what the 49ers do offensively. He should be viewed in a similar way that people feel about Julio Jones in Atlanta or Michael Thomas in New Orleans. In essence, the offense runs through him in large part.

Take this completion from Jimmy Garoppolo to Kittle from Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks:

Kittle begins this play in a wing alignment to the left, before motioning across the formation to a boundary alignment on the right. As the tight end tracks across the formation, Garoppolo notices the minor adjustment from the defense, simply sliding the cornerback out over Kittle. This is a clue to  the QB that the Seahawks are in zone converage.

Then, Kittle runs the outside dig in a pair of dig routes, and this gets him into space against the zone coverage. Garopplo hits him between the underneath defenders for the big gain.

Armed with the information available to him before the snap, the QB makes the right decision with the ball. But with Kittle running this route from a traditional WR spot, it puts him in position to be successful on the play.

Here’s Kittle running an over route against the Los Angeles Rams, with Garoppolo working off of play-action:

With the play-action elements in place, Kittle is the primary read here for the quarterback. The hope is that the combination of jet motion and inside run will suck the linebackers downhill, creating space for Kittle working over the middle. This is exactly what happens.

Seth Galina, who does tremendous work covering college football and schemes for Pro Football Focus, wrote recently about the over route and its prevalence in the NFL. His cover boy for the piece? Kittle. Included in the article are clips like this:

Again, Garoppolo is looking to Kittle as soon as he comes out of the play-action fake on this design. The offense seemingly running through the tight end himself.

Something else Galina found, which points to Kittle’s value in the 49ers offense, is this statistic:

The offenses from the old Mike Shanahan tree try to free their crossing route with a corner route instead of a post, and they’ll use it off play action. Overall, 54% of all deep crossers were thrown after play action in 2019 — and 55% of them were thrown off play action over the last six seasons —  but that number is 81% with the San Francisco 49ers, 71% with the Los Angeles Rams, 62% with the Tennessee Titans and 83% with the Minnesota Vikings. All those teams run a very similar offensive system.

The 49ers are a heavy play-action team, as we all know, and using Kittle on these deep crossers is a big component of their game plan.

Perhaps the threat of Kittle and the over route – on a play-action design of course – led to this completion against the Atlanta Falcons:

Kittle aligns as the apex receiver in a three-receiver bunch, and fakes a crossing route before breaking to the outside on a deep route, part of a Sail concept. Again, this is the primary read for the quarterback on such a design, that deep out route that makes up the middle component of a three-level read. Kittle’s footwork and full-body route running gets him open, and he high points the football for a big gain.

But what he does as a receiver is just a component of what Kittle brings to the table. It is a big component of course, but the tight end is also effective when tasked with the blocking parts of playing the position.

On this play from the Divisional Round, Kittle works to the second level to throw a critical block on the middle linebacker:

Take this touchdown run against the Rams from Week 16. The 49ers run outside zone to the right, and Kittle is the player they are running behind:

Kittle throws a big block at the aiming point, leading to the touchdown run.

Simply put, George Kittle is a tight end that the 49ers’ passing game can run through, and their running game can run behind. That is worth a big-time extension.

Everson Griffen signs with the Dallas Cowboys

The veteran pass rusher joined the Dallas Cowboys. What does he bring to the table at this point in his career?

You can never have enough pass rushers, and the Dallas Cowboys seem to be believers in that mantra. They added to their pass rushing unit on Wednesday night, adding defensive end Everson Griffin into the fold.

Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater had the news:

The veteran pass rusher has been a force for the Minnesota Vikings over the bulk of his NFL career. He has notched double-digit sack seasons three times in his career, most recently in 2017 when he tallied 13 takedowns of the opposing quarterback. In Dallas, he’ll ply his trade opposite Demarcus Lawrence, and outside of two more offseason acquisitions, Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy.

Here’s what Griffen, who secured eight sacks a year ago, brings to the table. First up, power and and an array of moves. Watch this play against Joe Staley of the San Francisco 49ers, where Griffen first uses a long-arm move before switching immediately to a swim:

On these plays from Week 1 of 2019, you can see how quick and powerful Griffen remains to this point in his career:

And if you want to talk about some veteran savvy, watch this spin move:

 

It is hard not to think about how this move impacts the balance of power in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles, largely considered to be favorites in the division along with the Dallas Cowboys, are potentially moving to a more downfield passing game. That requires more time for the quarterback in the pocket. Furthermore, they’re looking at some adjustments to the offensive line, with Andre Dillard at left tackle and Jason Peters perhaps sliding over to guard to replace the injured Brandon Brooks. Having a defensive front of Griffen, Lawrence, Poe and McCoy is sure to pose problems for even talented OL groups like Philadelphia’s.

Eagles’ coach Doug Pederson tests positive for COVID-19

Doug Pederson of the Philadelphia Eagles becomes the second NFL coach to test positive for COVID-19, joining Sean Payton from March.

With NFL teams opening up training camps with COVID-19 testing protocols in place, we have seen players from various teams returning with positive tests and/or being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list for potential exposure to the virus.

On Sunday night the second coach in the league tested positive, as Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson received a second positive test:

Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints head coach, was the first coach in the league to test positive for COVID-19. But that positive test came back in March. What makes this different is that it comes as teams are starting up training camp, and the fact that Pederson had two positive tests, causing him to share the news with his players.

According to ESPN’s Eagles beat reporter Tim McManus, it is believed that Pederson contracted the virus “outside the building:”

In addition, it is being reported that at least one other staff member was sent home after close exposure to the head coach:

Hopefully Coach Pederson is back on the sidelines before we know it. According to ABC 6 News, Pedersonis “asymptomatic and is feeling fine:”

The organization confirmed the news with a statement Sunday night:

Matthew Stafford added to COVID-19 list

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford added to COVID-19 list reserve list.

With NFL teams opening up training camps, returning players have been given tests for COVID-19 as they return, leading to some players being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. For some players that is due to a positive test, for others it is due to potential exposure whether from a family member or otherwise.

The biggest name to be placed on this list was announced Saturday, as the Detroit Lions placed quarterback Matthew Stafford on the COVID-19 reserve list:

Stafford is listed as a Reserve/COVID-19 player, and not as a Reserve/Opt-Out player. This means that the quarterback has not chosen to forgo the season, but has been placed on the list for either a positive test or a potential exposure.

Stafford is an interesting case to watch. He and his wife Kelly have a newborn child at home, and Kelly underwent surgery last year for acoustic neuroma, a slow-growing tumor on the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain. Everyone here at Touchdown Wire wishes the Stafford family good health and nothing but the best going forward.

Washington signs G Kevin Pamphile, adding to O-line depth

Washington has added to their offensive line depth by signing former Buccaneer and Titan LG Kevin Pamphile.

The Washington Football Team has added to their offensive line depth, signing former Tennessee Titans guard Kevin Pamphile. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Pamphile is already in the building and has passed his physical in Washington.

Pamphile is a five-year veteran who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first four years of his career, before playing a single season in Tennessee. He was the starter at left guard during his time in Tampa Bay.

So what does this mean for Washington? We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s easy to believe that Pamphile will now be in a competition with Wes Martin and Wes Schweitzer for the starting LG spot, and he will battle for playing time during training camp.

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