Tag: Defense

Broncos DE Shelby Harris on pace for career year

Broncos defensive end Shelby Harris is on pace to total career highs in tackles and sacks under new coach Vic Fangio.

Denver Broncos defensive end Shelby Harris is having a career year at just the right time. Harris (6-2, 290 pounds) is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020 and his 2019 stats will partially determine how much he earns on his next contract.

Harris has totaled 36 tackles through 10 games, which is three tackles shy of a career high. After notching three sacks on Sunday, Harris now has four sacks on the year, just 1.5 sacks shy of his career high of 5.5 sacks.

Harris has benefited from an in-season position switch. He started the year as a nose tackle but was moved to defensive end in Week 5. Harris is better suited to play as an end and he’s taking advantage of the switch.

“He’s just playing good,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Harris on Nov. 18. “I think he’s feeling more comfortable playing within the defense. He had some good opportunities [Sunday] with the way the plays played out.

“He had the nice caused fumble on the one sack where he came from the blindside. He’s just been playing better. If you keep playing good, the opportunities come.”

Harris will earn $3.095 million this year before free agency in 2020.

[vertical-gallery id=627997]

Texans expect to get Colts RB Jonathan Williams’ best effort on Thursday night

The Houston Texans will have a challenge on their hands with Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Williams Thursday night and expect his best effort.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Williams was a big part of the club’s 33-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Houston Texans expect Williams to be a big contributor Thursday night.

Williams posted 116 yards on 13 carries and caught a 31-yard pass as part of his big day against the Jaguars. The Texans know they have to find a way to stop Williams, especially since he will the Colts’ lead back now that Marlon Mack is out with a hand injury.

“He did a great job last week,” defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel told reporters Tuesday. “I mean, he really did. He runs hard. I think he’ll be energized and he’ll run hard Thursday night. So, we’re going to have to tackle him and if we tackle him, then that’ll give us the best chance.”

The Texans run defense gives up 4.7 yards per carry, tied with the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers for the seventh-most in the NFL. While they have given up just 1,021 yards, the 12th-fewest overall, and 50 first downs, tied with Seattle for eighth-fewest, the Colts run game has been a challenge for everyone through 10 games. Indianapolis produces 141.1 rushing yards per game, the fourth-best in the NFL, and is tied with Minnesota and Dallas for the seventh-best yards per carry at 4.7.

“Mack is a pretty good runner and has good numbers,” Crennel said. “Now, he’s banged up so the next man up, and Williams is the next man up.”

In Week 7’s matchup between the Colts and Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium, Mack had 18 carries for 44 yards. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was the driving force behind the Colts’ offense with four touchdown passes and 326 yards passing. A good run game could only help Brissett’s ability to pick apart the Texans’ defense if Williams has a big game.

Twitter reacts to controversial Mack Wilson tweet

Former Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson took to Twitter in order to celebrate the Cleveland Browns’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and NFL fans are not too happy about it. In a game where the biggest highlight was Myles Garrett hitting Steelers …

Former Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson took to Twitter in order to celebrate the Cleveland Browns’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and NFL fans are not too happy about it.

In a game where the biggest highlight was Myles Garrett hitting Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with his own helmet, tensions were high.

Wilson tweeted out a photo of him standing next to Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, who was laying on the ground in pain – Smith-Schuster would not return to the game after later being placed in concussion protocol.

Photo credit: @HeartofNFL on Twitter

Shortly after receiving some backlash, Wilson deleted the tweet and issues this apology:

Here’s what Twitter is saying about the post:

Some fans believe Wilson was happy about the Steelers’ star-receiver being injured.

Others just outright condemned the tweet.

NFL fans were quick to call out Wilson for the post.

‘Yikes’ is probably an appropriate word to use here.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Players of Week 10 awards hit Cowboys with disheartening double-whammy

The Dallas defense has, for the third time in five games, allowed an opponent to collect Offensive Player of the Week honors.

It’s happened again. For the third time in ten weeks of regular season play, an opponent of the Dallas Cowboys has been named their conference’s offensive Player of the Week. This time, it’s Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who compiled 97 ground yards and a rushing touchdown on Sunday night in Arlington, and then added 86 receiving yards for good measure.

Cook was his team’s leading rusher as well as its primary receiver; his 183 scrimmage yards on 33 touches accounted for over half of Minnesota’s total offensive output for the game.

Cook, in his third season after being drafted in the second round out of Florida State, is currently the league’s top runner with 991 ground yards after 10 games. Despite a reputation across his first two pro seasons for being injury-prone, Cook is suddenly on pace for a monster year in 2019 that could net him more than just the rushing title.

Cook is just the latest to have a breakout performance against a Cowboys defense that is proving to be barely a shadow of the unit that fans were promised coming into the regular season. Week 5’s loss to Green Bay resulted in NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Packers running back Aaron Jones, the first rusher to ever score four touchdowns against a Dallas squad in a single game. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold won AFC honors a week later, returning from mononucleosis to torch the Cowboys’ secondary in Week 6.

Over the Cowboys’ last five games, the defense has allowed the Offensive Player of the Week to emerge out of three of them. Lions stars like wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, Jr. and rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson may be salivating right about now. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is likely lobbying Detroit’s medical staff hard to allow him to return to action after missing last week. But at this rate, even backups Jeff Driskel and J.D. McKissic have to like their chances should they step into a starting role once again.

If the news of Cook’s honor didn’t rub in a sickening loss quite enough for Cowboys fans, the Player of the Week announcements added an extra sucker punch on the AFC side.

Jets safety Jamal Adams, who the Cowboys tried unsuccessfully to acquire before the season’s trade deadline, went on to win the Defensive Player of the Week award for the game he had in Week 10. Adams racked up nine tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble-return touchdown against the Giants.

A defensive stat line like that sure would have come in handy against Cook. Maybe it would been enough to make someone else the Week 10 NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

For a group that had its sights set on elite-caliber accolades, the Cowboys’ defense has become a clear league leader in letting their opponents shine on offense.

[vertical-gallery id=634000][vertical-gallery id=633754][vertical-gallery id=633628][lawrence-newsletter]

Texans Wire discussion forum: Will Houston miss Jadeveon Clowney down the stretch?

The Houston Texans traded away Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 31. With J.J. Watt out, will that decision come back to hurt Houston?

The Houston Texans traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for draft picks and edge defenders Jacob Martin and Barkevious Mingo in return. Will this decision come back to hurt the Texans now that defensive end J.J. Watt is out for the season?

Houston didn’t miss neither Clowney nor Watt in Week 9’s 26-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. The combination of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s play and the run defense shutting down Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette gave the Texans the ability to choke out Jacksonville and put the onus on rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew.

All of that is well and good, but Houston has Lamar Jackson, Jacoby Brissett, Tom Brady, and Ryan Tannehill left on the schedule. Who will get after these quarterbacks? Will Martin and Mingo help outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and defensive tackle D.J. Reader?

Houston returns from their bye week Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium to face the Ravens.

5 takeaways from Seahawks’ thrilling 27-24 OT win over 49ers

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers with a statement victory. Here are five takeaways from the game.

The Seattle Seahawks (8-2) defeated the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers (8-1) on the road in overtime as the clock expired, obtaining perhaps their most important victory of the season. They now head into their bye week in the thick of the NFC West race. Here are five takeaways from Monday’s game.

The defense stepped up and showed drastic improvement at times

The Seahawks consistently got to the quarterback for seemingly the first time all year, in perhaps their most crucial game of the season. After surrendering 10 unanswered points to begin the game, the defense stiffened up and made plays in key moments. Jarran Reed strip-sacked Jimmy Garoppolo and Jadeveon Clowney recovered the ball, returning it for his second touchdown of the season and putting Seattle on the board. Quandre Diggs had a key interception off a pass that deflected off Kendrick Bourne’s hands and set up Seattle’s second touchdown to take a 14-10 lead. The defense also did enough in overtime to stop the 49ers offense and force a field goal try, which Chase McLaughlin shanked badly. However . . .

The defense dropped interceptions that could have sealed the game in regulation

On the 49ers’ final drive before overtime, Tre Flowers dropped an interception off another deflection by Bourne, bobbling it but failing to come up with the ball. Garoppolo then threw a ball directly to K.J. Wright, but he also failed to catch it. The ball to Flowers was tough to corral, but the pass to Wright was thrown right to him, and he could have sealed the game for Seattle right then and there.

Crucial fumbles and takeaways galore

Both offenses routinely had the ball stripped, and two of these fumbles were returned for touchdowns. In addition to Clowney’s fumble recovery for a TD, 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner scooped up a fumble by Germain Ifedi after a fumble by Russell Wilson, returning it for a touchdown that San Francisco would put an exclamation mark on with a two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 21-18. Clowney also had a strip-sack of his own, with Poona Ford recovering to set up a rushing TD by Chris Carson (who also had a fumble before the Seahawks’ second TD) to make the score 21-10 in favor of the Seahawks. Speaking of key fumbles . . .

DK Metcalf’s red zone fumble before halftime was costly

With just over a minute to go before the half, Wilson completed a pass to Metcalf. The rookie second-round pick tried to power his way through to the end zone, fighting through tacklers along the sideline. As Metcalf spun inside the 5-yard line, 49ers defensive back Jaquiski Tartt stripped the ball from Metcalf at the 2. It was more of a great play by Tartt than a mistake by Metcalf, but a golden opportunity to score was squandered.

Sweet redemption for Myers

After nearly costing the Seahawks the game against Tampa Bay last week with two misses, one of which came as regulation expired, Myers made two clutch field goals. His first was a 46-yarder that gave Seattle a 24-21 lead with 1:45 in regulation, and his second was the game-winning 42-yarder that went just inside the right upright after Kyle Shanahan nullified Myers’ first attempt (which he also made) by burning his final timeout. There were many fans wondering if Myers should have been cut after last week, and some outright clamoring for it. It’s safe to say he got redemption in Santa Clara.

[lawrence-related id=50736]

Does Minkah Fitzpatrick have a case for DPOY?

Minkah Fitzpatrick has had an interesting welcome into the NFL, but it doesn’t seem to have stopped him from playing his best football yet. After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, it had looked …

Minkah Fitzpatrick has had an interesting welcome into the NFL, but it doesn’t seem to have stopped him from playing his best football yet.

After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, it had looked like Fitzpatrick was poised to be the lead man in the team’s secondary.

Instead, he was bounced around three different positions, and was unable to solidify himself as a large contributor because of this.

When the Alabama product requested a trade early on in the 2019 regular season, the Dolphins granted his wish – it also helped that they were looking to build up draft stock in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft.

A trade was made with Pittsburgh after Week 2, and thus, the breakout year had begun.

In his seven weeks as a Steeler, it’s been hard to not find Fitzpatrick’s name in a headline.

He’s made flashy plays and crucial plays in the black and yellow, almost as if he wanted to show the Dolphins’ front office ‘what could have been.’

So far in 2019, Fitzpatrick, with both teams, has accumulated five interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, eight pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and 45 total tackles.

This stat line is not only impressive for a second-year player that struggled with his original team, but for any defensive back in the pros.

If he is able to continue making big plays that positively affect his team, and keep his name in the headlines – for positive, on-the-field, reasons – he could enter the 2020 season as the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]