Tag: 2020 NFL season

Remembering Washington’s 2020 Thanksgiving blowout win over the Cowboys

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. We look back at Washington’s 41-16 blowout over the Cowboys in 2020.

“Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”

No, we aren’t posting about owner Dan Snyder’s strange “Happy Thanksgiving” quote during his presser in January 2020 to introduce Ron Rivera as Washington’s head coach.

It’s Thanksgiving Day, and while the Commanders don’t have a game on Thursday, we decided to look back at one of Washington’s most recent Thanksgiving triumphs over the Dallas Cowboys.

On November 26, 2020, the then-Washington Football Team was in Dallas for a meeting between 3-7 teams. By the end of this game, the two teams would be heading in entirely different directions for the remainder of that season.

Washington started veteran Alex Smith at quarterback, while the Cowboys had Andy Dalton at quarterback in place of the injured Dak Prescott. Smith would complete 19 of 26 passes for 149 yards with one touchdown and interception to help lead Washington to a 41-16 blowout win over the Cowboys.

Washington’s running game dominated Dallas on this day, rolling up 182 yards, led by Antonio Gibson’s 115 yards and three touchdowns. Peyton Barber chipped in with 57 yards on the ground.

Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught seven passes for 92 yards, while tight end Logan Thomas caught a touchdown pass — and completed a pass.

It was Washington’s defense that provided the most memorable play on that day. Washington defensive end Montez Sweat pressured Dalton, got his hands up to deflect a pass, caught it and returned it for a touchdown.

Fellow defensive end Chase Young picked up one of four Washington sacks on that day, and the Cowboys finished with only 247 yards.

Washington would go on to win the division that season — albeit with a 7-9 record — but it was an impressive turnaround for head coach Ron Rivera in his first season with Washington.

That was only Washington’s second victory against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. The first, of course, is the memorable 2012 game where Robert Griffin III sliced up the Cowboys defense.

What’s your favorite Washington memory from Thanksgiving Day?

 

 

Commanders Taylor Heinicke went from quarantine QB to starter

Taylor Heinicke’s journey in less than two years is a heckuva story. And it ties back to an undrafted wide receiver for the Denver Broncos.

Commanders fans, do you recall Kendall Hinton?

Hinton is a good percentage of the reason why you have Taylor Heinicke today in 2022.

On Nov. 22, 2020, the Broncos defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-13, raising their record to 4-6. But that was the last good news for the Broncos that week.

Suddenly, Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19, and Drew Lock and Brett Rypien were also declared ineligible, having been with Driskel without wearing masks.

The Broncos were unprepared for such a disaster of suddenly losing, not one but all three of their quarterbacks on the roster. But the (NFL) show must go on. So taking snaps that day was Kendall Hinton.

Hinton was not an NFL quarterback, and he certainly didn’t have enough time to prep, to make much of a difference in his performance. He was only age 23 at the time and was an undrafted wide receiver from Wake Forest.

Yet there he was being forced to play quarterback in an NFL regular season game having no previous NFL experience at quarterback. The Broncos attempted to run the ball as much as they could gaining 100 yards on their 33 rushes.

Hinton attempted nine passes, completing one for 13 yards. He was sacked once and intercepted twice for an NFL passer rating of 0.0. It was a disaster; the Broncos of course lost badly to the Saints 31-3.

With the Minnesota Vikings staff, Scott Turner got to work some with Taylor Heinicke an undrafted quarterback out of Old Dominion. Heinicke had seen some action in the preseason, never appearing in a regular season game over two seasons (2015-16).

The Patriots signed and released Heinicke in 2017, as did the Texans, although he did attempt one pass for the Texans in 2017.

Turner and Ron Rivera signed Heinicke for the Carolina Panthers, and he started one game in 2018.

In December 2020, Turner called Heinicke, and Washington signed Heinicke to be its quarantine quarterback. He would study the offense, work out and pretty much be isolated initially.

Suddenly, Alex Smith’s leg was injured again, and Dwayne Haskins was not taking responsibility. Heinicke was brought up to the practice squad, then the roster appeared against the Panthers on Dec. 27, and got the start against the Bucs in the playoff game.

In 2022, Washington has won four of five games Heinicke has started, and he was named the team’s starter (not Carson Wentz) moving forward.

As Rivera said Monday, “It’s a heck of a story.”

 

Here’s why Chiefs TE Travis Kelce wears a wristband on his left arm

Did you ever wonder why #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce began wearing a wristband on his left arm? Our @EdEastonJr recently learned the answer:

The 2020 NFL season was unlike any other year in the league’s history due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Precautions and multiple safety measures were taken to keep players, coaches, and league personnel safe through uncertain times.

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had a great season in 2020, finishing with career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. recently sat down with Kelce, who revealed that he has a superstition that formed as a result of the COVID pandemic and his career year.

“Yeah, I mean, I really don’t have too many superstitions. I would say that if there is one, I wear a wristband on my left arm,” said Kelce. “Because of the COVID year, the COVID year was 2020, I had the best statistical season of my career that year. And that whole offseason, in training camp and all the practices that we went through, I would wear a wristband with a tracker in it so that you could track close contact between all the players.”

The wristbands were mandatory for players and club personnel at the team facility, during practices, and during team travel. The device gathered information about players’ proximity to each other by distance and time length. Kelce and many others used it for the league to perform quick and accurate contact tracing when someone is symptomatic or tests positive for COVID-19.

“I would get into the game, and I didn’t have to wear it on my arm in the game because it was in my pads,” said Kelce. “Well, I felt naked on my arms because I was so used to always wearing that wristband, so I threw it on, and that’s about as close as it gets for me in terms of superstition. I wore that wristband, I had the best career season for myself. So, I kind of got that thing rolling after that year.”

Kelce caught 105 passes for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020. It is a unique revelation from the six-time All-Pro tight end and a reminder that inspiration can come from anywhere. He’s continued to wear the wristband on his left arm this season and has continued producing at a high level. Through four games in 2022, Kelce is tracking to set a new career high in receptions and for his seventh consecutive season over 1,000 receiving yards.

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Alex Singleton led Eagles in performance-based pay, earned extra $464K

Alex Singleton led Philadelphia Eagles in performance-based pay, earned an extra $464K

Alex Singleton had a breakout season in Philadelphia, and the Eagles leading tackler landed a huge bonus for his efforts.

The NFLPA recently sent agents the numbers on performance-based pay for this past season, and Singleton led all Eagles with an extra $464,296 in compensation.

Nate Herbig ($414K), Greg Ward ($380K), Duke Riley ($365), Matt Pryor ($353K), and Jordan Mailata ($338K) landed the biggest bonuses.

Current Chiefs left tackle Prince Tega Wanogho landed the smallest bonus with $781.

Bucs offensive lineman Alex Cappa led all NFL players with a bonus of $622,056 after playing 99.7% of Tampa’s snaps this season.

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Watch: Part 2 of ‘The Grind’ as recap of unlikely Dolphins 2020 season

Watch: Part 2 of ‘The Grind’ as recap of unlikely Dolphins 2020 season

The 2020 NFL season will be one no one forgets any time soon. And for Miami Dolphins fans in particular, the wild and unpredictable nature of a season amid a global pandemic will be even more unforgettable when factoring in just how well the Dolphins performed relative to expectations — and this year could be looked back upon as the catalyst for the Dolphins breaking the cycle of mediocrity they’ve been stuck in for the past fifteen or so years. If Miami transitions into a contender and the 2020 season was the catalyst for that progress to be made, then Dolphins fans will have even more reason to cherish the unlikely season that was this past year.

To help look back on Miami’s 2020 season, the Dolphins have introduced the latest edition of their annual video documentary series, ‘The Grind’.

The Dolphins angle for this rendition of ‘The Grind’ is looking back on ‘A Year Unlike Any Other’ — and that applies in many ways for both the NFL and the Dolphins in general. Episode 2 spotlights Miami’s early season struggles and the team’s subsequent turnaround after a 1-3 start, culminating with the team’s miraculous Week 16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

You can watch Episode 2 of “The Grind | A Year Unlike Any Other” below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQ5w88M4ak

Two Dolphins plays featured among NFL’s best 25 plays of 2020

Two Dolphins plays featured among NFL’s best 25 plays of 2020

The 2020 season was a memorable one for Miami Dolphins fans. Yes, a playoff appearance and chance to make a deep run would have been a nice added bonus. But the Dolphins, for the second consecutive year under the direction of head coach Brian Flores, outperformed their expectations — marking an exciting trend for fans to look towards for next season. If the expectations are 9 or 10 wins for Miami going into the year and they once again “overachieve”?

Let’s hope we get there.

But for the time being, it is still time to look back at the most improbable of seasons for the entire league. That’s exactly what the NFL is doing, looking back over the best plays from this wild, unpredictable season. And the Dolphins were able to collect two appearances on the league’s countdown of the 25-best plays of the 2020 season:

No. 16 overall – QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s blind heave versus Raiders

In what is likely the last act of “Fitzmagic” as a member of the Miami Dolphins, the veteran quarterback’s blind heave to Mack Hollins in the final seconds of a Week 16 victory over the Raiders is a play Dolphins fans won’t soon forget. Fitzpatrick, who the Dolphins turned to in the fourth quarter while looking for a spark, was able to do what he couldn’t earlier in the season against the Denver Broncos: come off the bench and engineer a victory for Miami to push their record entering Week 16 to 10-5.

No. 10 overall – CB Xavien Howard’s one-handed interception of Patrick Mahomes

This play didn’t come with a win, but it serves as the crown jewel of Howard’s 10-interception campaign in 2020: a one-handing leaping interception of the NFL’s most prolific passer. All while blanketing one of the NFL’s most deadly receivers in one on one coverage.

Howard’s interception sparked a late run for Miami; the team ripped off 17 points in the fourth quarter after Howard’s interception to ultimately drop their clash against the eventual AFC Champions by a score of 33-27.

Was the 2020 season a success for the Ravens?

Though they fell short of winning a championship, the Baltimore Ravens have plenty to be proud of. That makes 2020 a success in our eyes.

The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2020 season as Super Bowl contenders. After two consecutive seasons making the playoffs and coming off a season in which they earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Baltimore fell short once again, losing to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. Was that good enough for the Ravens and should their season be considered a success?

As we look back on the team’s expectations and the end results, the answer is yes. While every team has an ultimate goal to win the Super Bowl, sometimes it doesn’t take a championship to have a successful year in the NFL. Though Baltimore didn’t win a Lombardi Trophy, the season was a smashing success in other ways.

7 Ravens that stepped up in 2020

The Baltimore Ravens reached the postseason for the third consecutive year thanks to several players stepping up when called upon.

Though the season didn’t end where the Baltimore Ravens were hoping, they handled adversity well and finished the regular season strong, earning their first playoff victory since the 2014 season. Obviously, the Ravens’ success has a lot to do with their star power, including quarterback Lamar Jackson. But it was the number of players who elevated their play throughout the season that ultimately got Baltimore over some pretty big hurdles.

Rookies managed to make an immediate impact. Veterans stepped up when injuries and lackluster play elsewhere looked to doom the team. Those ingredients combined to create a team that’s now firmly battle-tested and on the upswing.

Let’s take a closer look at the few players that really stepped up in 2020 for the Ravens.

Calvin Ridley named Falcons’ most improved player in 2020

For the first time in seven years, someone other than Julio Jones led the Atlanta Falcons in receiving yards.

For the first time in seven years, someone other than Julio Jones led the Atlanta Falcons in receiving yards. Calvin Ridley, a first-round pick in 2018, took his game to another level in 2020 while Jones battled a hamstring injury.

Ridley posted a career-high 90 catches for 1,374 receiving yards, and caught nine touchdown passes. While he may have gotten snubbed by the Pro Bowl, Ridley did get named to the A.P.’s All-Pro second team. The third-year receiver’s performance was highlighted in a piece by Pro Football Focus examining each team’s most improved player.

Here’s what PFF’s Ben Linsey wrote about Ridley’s rise to elite status.

Part of that rise was due to increased opportunity, as Julio Jones started just nine of 16 games this year, but Ridley took full advantage. His 1,374 receiving yards were over 500 more than he recorded in either of his first two seasons, and he picked up those yards in big chunks. He racked up 40 receptions of 15 or more yards — more than any other receiver in the NFL. With a healthy Julio, the Falcons have two legitimate No. 1 options in the passing game.

Ridley’s average of 15.3 yards per catch was the third-highest in the NFL among receivers with at least 1,000 yards last season. Atlanta’s big-play wideout routinely got behind defenses and made cornerbacks look foolish with his route-running ability.

Expect Ridley’s big numbers to continue in Arthur Smith’s offense this season as Titans WR A.J. Brown was one of two 1,000-yard receivers to average more yards per reception (15.4) in 2020.

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Former Texas DT listed among top 101 players in the NFL

Former Longhorn, Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford was listed among PFF’s top 101 NFL players from 2020.

Former Texas defensive tackle Poona Ford has quickly made a name for himself after signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Continue reading “Former Texas DT listed among top 101 players in the NFL”