Tag: 2021 Week 1

Fox Sports’ Glazer: Cowboys’ Prescott ‘popped some scar tissue’, not a Jordan 11 issue

A new report indicates that while Prescott is just fine, there was more to the injury news than previously let on. | From @KDDrummondNFL

There was a lot of conversation about various Air Jordan releases around The Star in Frisco earlier in the week. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott left practice early on Thursday and the explanation he gave was that he had switched to new cleats and it caused tightness and irritation in his right foot. That’s his surgically repaired “bionic ankle”, after his horrific 2020 injury.

He claimed there was nothing to it and he was totally fine. Well, it turns out that yes he was totally fine but there may have definitely been something to it. In the Sunday pregame show, NFL insider Jay Glazer revealed that Prescott actually felt a pop in that foot and was taken for X-rays. They were negative, and it seems that it was just scar tissue from his double-surgery.

Prescott was indeed fine and was listed as a full participant in Friday’s practice. He’ll take the field for his seventh consecutive season opener on Sunday night against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Stock Up, Stock Down: Cowboys played top-heavy in loss to the Buccaneers

While the Dallas Cowboys got inspired performances from several players there were a few showings that didn’t go so well in Week 1. From @StarConscience

Few people gave the Dallas Cowboys a chance to be competitive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. However, they pushed the defending Super Bowl champions to the limit in a nail-biting two-point loss that came down to the final seconds.

Even if the Cowboys had won the game it was the season opener so there wouldn’t be a reason to overreact about the results. Nonetheless, the Cowboys had some impressive performances and others that left a lot to be desired. Of the players with movable stocks, the stars came through. Here are a few of the players who improved their stock in Week 1 and the ones who need to go back to the drawing board.

Cowboys comeback bid falls short in season opener, lose 31-29 to Buccaneers

The NFL season kicked off with everything the league could’ve hoped for as the Cowboys and Buccaneers went down to the wire. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys entered their Week 1 battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing with house money. The defending Super Bowl champs were unveiling a banner earned in their own house earlier this year, and were 8.5-point favorites and prior to the game, every NBC analyst picked the Bucs to win pretty comfortably. For the Cowboys, the true storyline was the return of QB Dak Prescott who last played a snap of live football in Week 5 of last season against the New York Giants.

How much rust was there going to be after two ankle surgeries and a training camp shoulder injury? None, apparently. Prescott was scintillating in his return, throwing the ball a career-high tying 58 times for 403 passing yards. It wasn’t enough as despite having the late lead, the referees swallowed the whistle on a potential offensive pass interference. Tom Brady found Chris Godwin inside the 20 with time winding down, and Ryan Succup nailed the 36-yarder with two seconds remaining to win 31-29.

While there are no moral victories in the NFL, the Cowboys certainly proved they belong with the best teams in the league by their performance. The defense gave up a lot of points, but they also forced four turnovers while limited the Bucs offense to just 57 yards on the ground.

It was special teams that did them in, with Greg Zuerlein missing both a short field goal and an extra point early in the game. Dallas chased those four points the rest of the game.

Passing Leader: Prescott 42 for 58, 403 yards, 3 TDs 1 INT, 101.4 rating
Rushing Leader: Ezekiel Elliott 11 carries, 33 yards, 2 receptions 6 yards
Receiving Leader: Amari Cooper 13 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TDs
Defensive Leader:

The Cowboys will have 10 days off to rest themselves before traveling out to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers and QB Justin Herbert.

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Oklahoma Sooners drop 2 spots in latest AP Top 25

Though it was a win, the Oklahoma Sooners dropped back two spots in the AP Top 25 after narrowly beating the Tulane Green Wave.

The aftermath of the Oklahoma Sooners 40-35 win has not been favorable to OU in the power rankings or polls. The Sooners dropped from no. 3 to no. 4 in the latest USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll and now have fallen two spots in the AP Top 25.

After receiving six first-place votes in the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25, the Sooners didn’t receive a single first-place vote after their narrow win against the Tulane Green Wave.

Alabama retained the top spot in this week’s poll, picking up more first-place votes this week (59) than they did in the preseason (47) in the process.

Iowa State dropped two spots as well, from no. 7 to no. 9 in this week’s edition after a narrow in over FCS Northern Iowa. For their big win over previously ranked Louisiana-Lafayette, the Texas Longhorns jumped up six spots.

After Alabama, Georgia takes over the second spot from the Sooners after their big win over Clemson who fell to sixth. Ohio State also jumped the Sooners after beating Minnesota by two touchdowns.

Rank Team Points
1 Alabama 1,571 (59)
2 Georgia 1,507 (4)
3 Ohio State 1,437
4 Oklahoma 1,374
5 Texas A&M 1,288
6 Clemson 1,231
7 Cincinnati 1,136
8 Notre Dame 1,070
9 Iowa State 1,045
10 Iowa 942
11 Penn State 908
12 Oregon 883
13 Florida 842
14 USC 789
15 Texas 683
16 UCLA 668
17 Coastal Carolina 384
18 Wisconsin 376
19 Virginia Tech 359
20 Ole Miss 335
21 Utah 334
22 Miami (Fl) 229
23 Arizona State 222
24 North Carolina 198
25 Auburn 83

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 16 LSU, No. 17 Indiana, No. 20 Washington, No. 23 ULL

Others receiving votes:

TCU 80, North Carolina State 69, UCF 61, Liberty 57, LSU 57, Michigan 52, Oklahoma State 39, Indiana 37, Michigan State 28, Nevada 23, Kansas State 13, Louisiana-Lafayette 12, Brigham Young 10, Boston College 8, Ball State 7, Maryland 6, UAB 5, Arizona 5, Florida State 4, Kentucky 3, Army 2, Texas Tech 2, Appalachian State 1

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Where does Spencer Rattler rank among Heisman contenders after week 1?

It wasn’t the start that anyone hoped for, especially Spencer Rattler. So, where does he rank in updated Heisman rankings?

It didn’t take long for all of the hype and preseason accolades to fade into the background. On just his second attempt of the season Spencer Rattler attempted to hit his receiver down the left sideline only to have the ball undercut by the trailing defender and be intercepted.

It was a deflating start to the season for the Oklahoma Sooners, who have as high of expectations as they’ve had in quite some time. Following in the long lineage of great quarterbacks at Oklahoma, Rattler bears the weight of lofty expectations every time he steps on the football field.

On Saturday, in Oklahoma’s 40-35 win to the Tulane Green Wave, Rattler was solid. But that’s about it after two interceptions and a third that was called back on a questionable pass interference call.

Though the stat line will show a nice completion percentage and a 300 yard passing day, it wasn’t as good as he or the Sooners would have liked.

And like the shine that has faded off the high expectations surrounding the Sooners, Spencer Rattler’s Heisman candidacy has taken a hit as well.

David Kenyon of Bleacher Report ranked Rattler fourth in his latest Heisman Trophy rankings.

But Rattler doesn’t see any reason to panic.

“We just gotta be cleaner, gotta be sharper,” he said, according to Austin Curtright of the Oklahoma Daily. “I gotta be better. Everybody’s gotta be better.”

If the 2020 season didn’t exist, the statement might feel empty. But we’re inclined to trust a quarterback who tallied 9.6 yards per pass attempt, totaled 3,191 yards, accounted for 34 touchdowns and led his team to a conference title last year in an offense that has produced two Heisman winners and a runner-up since 2017. – Kenyon

Championships aren’t won in September and neither are Heisman trophies. Though he put himself behind Alabama’s Bryce Young in the Heisman race, Rattler has plenty of time to put himself at the forefront of the discussion yet again.

It’s no longer about potential or possibility, but about production. On Saturday, Spencer Rattler produced decent numbers, but didn’t pass the eye test. He’ll get better as the season goes along and there’s no reason to panic.

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CBS Sports expects Sooners to drop in top 25 rankings

In the wake of the Oklahoma Sooners 40-35 win over Tulane, CBS Sports is predicting a slight fall when the top 25 polls are released Tuesday.

Sooners fans aren’t the only ones a bit disappointed in Oklahoma’s finish to their week one win over Tulane. National observers like ESPN and Pro Football Focus have dropped the Sooners in their latest power rankings.

With the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Top 25 set to come out tomorrow, add CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson to the list of analysts expecting a small slip down the polls for the Sooners.

There won’t be a major drop, but the No. 2 spot behind Alabama is up for grabs after the Sooners let Tulane climb back into the game and threaten to pull off the upset late. QB Spencer Rattler struggled with turnovers, and the offense in general seemed more sluggish as the game neared its conclusion instead of pulling away with aggression. Oklahoma might only drop to No. 3 (No. 4 is probably the floor), but there will be less confidence in the Sooners than there was heading into the weekend. – Patterson

Despite letting Tulane back into the game, the Sooners are still a team that’s talented enough to win a lot of games in 2021. That 23-0 outburst in the second quarter against Tulane is a better indication of what this team’s capable of when they have their minds right.

Of course, Lincoln Riley admitted that they didn’t have the right mentality coming out of halftime. It showed as Tulane took control of the game and outscored the Sooners 21-3 in the second half. They recovered an onside kick with just over two minutes to go, and were a yard away from picking up a 4th and 13 to extend what could have been a game-winning drive.

While the finish left a sour taste in the mouths of fans and analysts alike, the Sooners did some good things that reminded why they’re so highly thought of. Now they need to figure out a way to put together a full 60 minute game week in and week out.

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Sooners drop in Pro Football Focus’ latest Top 25 Power Rankings

Despite their 40-35 win, the Oklahoma Sooners dropped in Pro Football Focus’ latest top 25 power rankings.

Sometimes a football team has to find itself in some self-inflicted adversity to experience a wake-up call. The Oklahoma Sooners got that in the opening week of the season as they let the Tulane Green Wave back into the game after establishing a 23 point lead heading into halftime.

The Sooners were arguably the least impressive of the top teams that won over the first full weekend of college football. Needing a shoestring tackle on fourth down to keep Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt from reaching the line to gain.

Still, the Oklahoma Sooners showed the type of team they can be with their 23-0 outburst in the second quarter. However, it’s not surprising to see them show up on the wrong side of winners and losers lists or to drop back a bit in power rankings and top 25s. In Pro Football Focus’ latest top 25, the Oklahoma Sooners dropped back from the no. 1 team in their power rankings to no. 3 (subscription required) following their narrow 40-35 win over Tulane.

It quickly became evident that Spencer Rattler‘s 2020 form is back for 2021, which is both good and bad. He opened up the game by drifting back far too deep in the pocket, ignoring an open running back in the flat and launching a dangerous heave into double coverage that was picked off. He ended up with two turnover-worthy plays overall but still managed to earn an 80.0 passing grade for the game.

Rattler’s 2020 campaign was full of highs and lows, culminating in a 92.5 passing grade. And he looks to be on that same path in 2021. His few poor throws played a role in the closer-than-expected finish, but so did a Sooners defensive unit that allowed positive EPA per play and produced the eighth-worst unit grade among Power Five programs in Week 1. – Anthony Treash

The Sooners have some things to iron out as they head into their official home opener with Western Carolina in week two. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t pretty, but the reality is the Sooners just need to win football games. If they win every game this season, they’ll be in a position to make the College Football Playoff, regardless of how it looked.

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Sooners’ Kicker Gabe Brkic named Big 12 Special Teams player of the week

After a standout performance on Saturday in the Oklahoma Sooners 40-35 win, Gabe Brkic was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the week.

One of the more positive takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 40-35 win over the Tulane Green Wave was kicker Gabe Brkic. For his impact in the Sooners win, Brkic was named the Big 12 special teams player of the week.

Brkic kept the Sooners scoring as the offense could not sustain drives in the second quarter and provided the only points in the second half for a Sooners team that struggled to find anything consistent.

The Sooners kicker accounted for 16 of the Sooners’ 40 points and was the difference in the ball game. He scored 13 of Oklahoma’s final 20 points to finish the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners needed every bit of Gabe Brkic’s leg to win on Saturday as Tulane stifled the offense several times in the second quarter forcing the long field goals.

Brkic set a school record for field goals made in a game and an FBS record of three field goals of greater than 50 yards in a game. In a win that was a bit of a letdown, Brkic was one of the bright spots.

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The good, the bad, and the ugly from the Sooners 40-35 win over Tulane

The Oklahoma Sooners week one win over Tulane was a roller coaster of performances, but what stood out in this week’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

Football games don’t always go the way one thinks they’ll go. Lincoln Riley admitted as much during his post-game press conference. That’s some of the beauty and the frustration of the game of football. Talent can only get you so far. Beyond talent, the intangibles are what can define a team on any given Saturday.

The Sooners win was a mixed bag of outstanding play and head-scratching performances that left many wondering what this team’s ceiling is in 2021. Though they got the win over Tulane, in the mind of national observers the Sooners came out losers in week one.

With that, let’s take a look at the first installment of “The good, the bad, and the ugly.”

The Good: Complete Performance (in the second quarter)

That 23-0 second quarter that seemingly put the game out of reach was as complete of a quarter as we’ve seen from this football team.

The Sooners defense sacked Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt twice and forced three fumbles. Most importantly, they held the Green Wave to zero points after allowing 14 in the first quarter.

On offense, Spencer Rattler and the Sooners were good. They weren’t great. They scored a couple of touchdowns, but they consistently moved the ball down the field and came away with points on five drives.

You don’t like settling for field goals, and the Sooners will need to finish better, but points are points.

Up next, the bad.

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Where did the Sooners land in ESPN’s Power Rankings after week 1?

Though it didn’t go the way OU would have liked, they picked up the win and stayed amongst college football’s best in ESPN’s Power rankings

It was an up and down effort for the Sooners in week one but it still ended with a win. Oklahoma struggled to find a rhythm after a 23 point second quarter gave them a 37-14 lead at halftime.

Despite the manner in which they won, the Sooners remain one of the top teams in the country according to ESPN’s power rankings.

The Sooners’ 40-35 victory over Tulane showed plenty of room for concern, particularly on defense, where they allowed 5.1 yards per play (Tulane QB Michael Pratt was 27-of-44 for 296 yards and 3 TDs) and allowed Tulane to outscore them 21-3 in the second half. Spencer Rattler, the Heisman favorite, threw two interceptions, including on the second play of the game. Still, a win is a win, and the Sooners improved by leaps and bounds as last season went on. They’ll need that again to live up to this season’s high hopes. – Dave Wilson

ESPN has Alabama as the top team in the country after their annihilation of Miami. Georgia follows at no. 2, and Ohio State comes in at no. 3.

The Sooners have a lot of football to play in 2021, which gives them time to find the killer instinct needed to put teams away once they have sizable leads. The best thing to take from that game is how dominant they were in the second quarter of the game.

If this Oklahoma team can figure out a way to play like that more consistently, they’ll be incredibly difficult to beat.

The only other Big 12 teams to show up in the rankings were the Iowa State Cyclones at 11 and the Texas Longhorns at 16. The Cyclones drop out of the top 10 after a disappointing showing against Norther Iowa. Texas starts its climb to relevance after a win against ranked Louisiana.

Regardless of the week one performances, the Big 12 still runs through Oklahoma and the Sooners will have to navigate the Big 12 to repeat as conference champions.

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