Texas Football: Longhorns drop three spots in USA TODAY Sports ranking

Six other Big 12 programs were listed ahead of Texas in USA TODAY Sports’ latest re-ranking of the top college football teams.

The slide continues for the Texas Longhorns in terms of college football power rankings. Continue reading “Texas Football: Longhorns drop three spots in USA TODAY Sports ranking”

Detroit Lions RB D’Andre Swift up for NFL Rookie of the Week

Detroit Lions RB D’Andre Swift is nominated for this week’s NFL Rookie of the Week Honors. Vote for Swift!

The recognitions keep coming for Detroit Lions rookie running back D’Andre Swift. After being nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of Week 6 award, the young rookie is also up for Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week. Vote for him here!

Swift’s Week 6 performance speaks for itself. He led Lions running backs in snaps, was this week’s LionsWire top star, and headlined in our Stud and Duds. According to PFF, he also earned a grade of 72.0, narrowly missing out on landing in the Top 5 among Lions offensive players. Another fun tidbit, excluding offensive lineman, he was the Lions’ highest-graded pass blocker in Week 6.

Swift was able to capitalize on the increase in snaps this week, rushing for 116 yards with 8.3 yards per attempt clip. He was able to push it into the endzone twice and added three receptions for seven yards.

If you forget how masterful Swift was in Week 6, check out his highlight reel:

Below are the players Swift will be competing against for Rookie of the Week honors:

  • Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson: 9 recs, 166 yards, 2 TDs
  • New York Giants LB Tae Crowder: 10 tackles, 43-yard FR for TD
  • Atlanta Falcons CB A.J Terrell: 7 tackles, TFL, INT
  • Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 26 carries, 161 yards

Get the polls and vote for Swift!

Former photographer is suing Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo, well sort of

The owners and handlers of the Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo are being sued by former Austin-American Statesman photographer.

The year of 2020 has been a wild one. From basketball tournaments being cancelled, baseball and softball as well. Not to mention it has been the most odd football season as well. From week to week no one is certain which football games will be played, cancelled or even postponed to a later day. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that we have another wild story. This one involved a former photographer suing Bevo. Well at least suing for an event that transpired during the 2018 All State Sugar Bowl.

During the meeting of the mascots, Bevo cleared everyone out of the area. The photographer Nick Wagner was one of those who had to move quickly. He is now asking for damages of between $200,000 and $1 million.

According to the report from Brian Davis of the Austin-American Statesman, the owners and handlers of Bevo are being sued according to the lawsuit filed in Travis County.

A former Austin American-Statesman photographer has filed a lawsuit against the owners and handlers of Bevo XV for negligence that caused “permanent injury” when the longhorn steer surged from his holding pen at the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

According to a petition filed in Travis Country district court in Texas on Friday, Nick Wagner was acting in his role as a Statesman photographer on Jan. 1, 2019. He was taking pictures of Uga X, Georgia’s bulldog mascot, prior to the Texas-Georgia game at the New Orleans Superdome.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

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Seahawks slip a spot in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings

The Seattle Seahawks have slipped a spot down to No. 2 in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings after their bye week.

The Seattle Seahawks topped the NFL power rankings last week, jumping up to Touchdown Wire’s No. 1 spot. Now, through no fault of their own and due to their bye week, the Seahawks have dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the rankings. The Steelers have now taken over the top spot.

“Bye weeks can be a double-edged sword. For the football team facing a week off, you get a chance to rest, recover and fine-tune things as you look ahead to the second half of the season,” writes Mark Schofield. “For yahoos like me in the media, you get a chance to artificially slide those teams down in rankings like these for the mere fact that the schedule did not afford that franchise a chance to play football on a given Sunday.”

“Yet that is the fate that the Seattle Seahawks face this week,” Schofield continues. “After climbing to the top of the mountain in last week’s ranking, their bye week sees the Pittsburgh Steelers jump ahead of them at the top of the pecking order. But I’m sure Pete Carroll has bigger fish to fry.”

For more on Schofield’s decision to dock Seattle a spot, click here.

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Rams sign K Kai Forbath off Bears practice squad

Fans have been calling for the Rams to make a change at kicker with Samuel Sloman missing three PATs and two field goals in six games.
They could be on the verge of doing so. The team announced on Tuesday that it has signed kicker Kai Forbath off the Bears’ practice squad, adding him to the 53-man roster.
Sloman is still on the roster, however, so this could be a sign that the Rams will allow him to compete with Forbath throughout the week.
Forbath previously spent time with the Vikings, Jaguars and Cowboys, most recently kicking for Dallas late last season.
He began his career with Washington in 2012 and has made 86.8% of his field-goal attempts in his career

Fans have been calling for the Rams to make a change at kicker with Samuel Sloman missing three PATs and two field goals in six games.
They could be on the verge of doing so. The team announced on Tuesday that it has signed kicker Kai Forbath off the Bears’ practice squad, adding him to the 53-man roster.
Sloman is still on the roster, however, so this could be a sign that the Rams will allow him to compete with Forbath throughout the week.
Forbath previously spent time with the Vikings, Jaguars and Cowboys, most recently kicking for Dallas late last season.
He began his career with Washington in 2012 and has made 86.8% of his field-goal attempts in his career

Rams sign K Kai Forbath off Bears practice squad

Fans have been calling for the Rams to make a change at kicker with Samuel Sloman missing three PATs and two field goals in six games.
They could be on the verge of doing so. The team announced on Tuesday that it has signed kicker Kai Forbath off the Bears’ practice squad, adding him to the 53-man roster.
Sloman is still on the roster, however, so this could be a sign that the Rams will allow him to compete with Forbath throughout the week.
Forbath previously spent time with the Vikings, Jaguars and Cowboys, most recently kicking for Dallas late last season.
He began his career with Washington in 2012 and has made 86.8% of his field-goal attempts in his career

Fans have been calling for the Rams to make a change at kicker with Samuel Sloman missing three PATs and two field goals in six games.
They could be on the verge of doing so. The team announced on Tuesday that it has signed kicker Kai Forbath off the Bears’ practice squad, adding him to the 53-man roster.
Sloman is still on the roster, however, so this could be a sign that the Rams will allow him to compete with Forbath throughout the week.
Forbath previously spent time with the Vikings, Jaguars and Cowboys, most recently kicking for Dallas late last season.
He began his career with Washington in 2012 and has made 86.8% of his field-goal attempts in his career

Rajon Rondo expected to opt-out of deal with Lakers after championship run

The Los Angeles Lakers point guard is looking to opt-out of his current deal with the Lakers in search of a new deal this offseason.

Other than the two Lakers stars, Rajon Rondo is in the running for the player on the Lakers who had the biggest impact on the team’s way to a championship. Ever since Rondo returned from injury, from the Houston series all the way to the championship, Rondo routinely made important plays to help the Lakers work their way to the franchise’s 17th championship and the veteran’s 2nd ring. Now that he is the first player in the modern era to win a championship with the Lakers and Celtics, Rondo is expected to test his value in the market.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports many will view Rondo as a key piece, including the Lakers.

 Sources said Rondo is expected to decline his option, and he will have interest from the Lakers and others believing he is a piece to build on a championship roster.

Rondo showed that his basketball IQ and level of execution in the postseason are still at an elite level. Whatever shortcomings he may have in the regular season, Rondo showed that it’s absolutely worth it to have him if your team is serious about winning at the highest levels of the NBA.

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The Huddle’s Blitzed Fantasy Football Podcast: Episode 131

The guys tackle Week 7 DFS action and touch on the latest player news of note.

In this episode, Steve and Harley bring you B.P.N. NFL news, determining if you should be a buyer, seller or spoiler at the halfway mark of the fantasy season, and “DFS Pay-ups, Stay-aways and Value Plays.” So Huddle up, tune in, and get Blitzed!

Or click here to listen

NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Lions see a small jump after victory over Jaguars

Examing where the Detroit Lions stand in the Week 7 NFL Power Rankings Week 7, after their victory over Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Detroit Lions secured their second win of the 2020 season with a Week 6, 34-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and they have seen the national stock rise a slight amount.

Let’s take a closer look at where the Lions stand in the national eye and what the experts are saying.

USA Today: 17 (Previous 23)

“After losing a league-record six consecutive games when they had a double-digit lead, they hung on to beat Jacksonville by 18. Keep a close eye on Detroit, which plays one team with a winning record (Colts) over next six weeks.” — Nate Davis

Touchdown Wire: 26 (Previous: 29)

“(The Lions) have won two of their last three games, with victories over Arizona and now the Jacksonville Jaguars… So, signs of improvement from Detroit. String a few more of these together, and they’ll be climbing higher up boards like this one.” — Mark Schofield

NFL: 22 (Previous: 25)

“The Lions finally put together a complete effort on Sunday and were rewarded with a rarity for Detroit: the blowout victory. On defense, it was the revival of the pass rush, which consistently got after Gardner Minshew and forced the mustachioed Jaguars passer into hurried throws and mistakes. On offense, we saw a breakout performance from D’Andre Swift, the rookie running back who went off for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Swift became the first Lions rookie with 100 rushing yards and two scores in a game since Barry Sanders in 1989. The performance should lead to a more prominent role for Swift, who has been splitting work with Adrian Peterson, a future Hall of Famer who has — to borrow a Parcells-ism — reached the “progress-stopper” stage of his career.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 23 (Previous: 25)

“Most impactful injury: CB Desmond Trufant, This is largely because it has exposed some of the issues Detroit has in its secondary. The Lions might have played Jeff Okudah early anyway in place of Amani Oruwariye, but Trufant’s hamstring injuries have forced a starting group of Oruwariye and Okudah. Oruwariye has thrived, showing real growth in his second year. Okudah, the rookie, has struggled, but he can’t be replaced until Trufant returns. Being able to watch for a little while after getting used to the NFL speed did wonders for Darius Slay as a rookie. It could do the same for Okudah.” — Michael Rothstein

CBS Sports: 23 (Previous 23)

“They have won two consecutive games and dominated a bad Jaguars team. DeAndre Swift looks like the real deal at running back.” — Pete Prisco

Sports Illustrated: 24 (Previous: 23)

“It was nice to see D’Andre Swift have his first big game as a pro during a get-right win against the Jaguars. The Lions are good enough to escape the league’s bottom tier but I have a hard time believing they’re going to win enough games to keep the Matt Patricia era going into 2021.” — Mitch Goldich

Sporting News: 22 (Previous: 25)

“The Lions needed a win badly coming out of the bye for Matt Patricia and their defense, passing game and dynamic rookie D’Andre Swift all were key in taking care of a lesser Jaguars team. Don’t sleep on them getting back in the NFC wild-card race with a favorable schedule ahead.” — Vinnie Iyer