Tag: derrick mason

Ex-Titans WR Derrick Mason set to compete in cornhole competition

Former Titans WR Derrick Mason will be competing in a cornhole competition on Friday night, which will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Derrick Mason is a bit of a polarizing figure within the fanbase.

There’s no denying that the Michigan State product is statistically the greatest wide receiver to ever wear the Two-tone blue.

However, as great as Mason was, his departure was one of the toughest things to stomach as a fan considering he joined what was undoubtedly the Titans’ biggest rival at that time, the Baltimore Ravens.

To add more salt to the wound, Mason then turned around and caught the sole touchdown in the 2008 playoff matchup, which ultimately played a large role in ending what could have been a dream season for the Titans.

As with everything else, time helps to heal all wounds, therefore, many have chosen to put the pettiness aside and appreciate what Mason accomplished throughout his eight seasons in Tennessee.

For those fans, they’ll now have the opportunity to cheer for Mason in something completely different than what they’re used to.

The former All-Pro wideout is set to compete in a cornhole competition on Friday night at the Hall of Fame village in Canton, Ohio, with fellow NFL legends such as Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, and Andre Reed also taking part. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET.

I’m not much of a cornhole player myself, so I can’t provide any analysis here, but let’s just hope Mason is as good at cornhole as he was at breaking young Shaun’s heart.

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Derrick Mason disagrees with A.J. Brown, says he wasn’t Titans’ best WR: ‘This isn’t a debate’

Derrick Mason disagrees with A.J. Brown, who called himself the best WR in franchise history.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown sparked quite the debate on social media recently when he stated that he was the best wide receiver in Tennessee Titans history.

The comment came in a Twitter spat with a Titans fan, where Brown claimed the title of the franchise’s best receiver.

“For the love of God, I was the best receiver to play for your franchise. Shut up and move on. You mad at the wrong person,” Brown said.

Upon learning of Brown’s claim, which has often been made by Titans fans themselves, debate raged on social media about who really is the best wide receiver in franchise history.

Some Oilers greats were rightly brought up, but the name most commonly mentioned was Titans great Derrick Mason, who gave his two cents on the debate, according to Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports Nashville:

“I had four 1000-plus yards seasons and missed only six games,” Mason told Reising. “But, people deal in revisionist history. This isn’t a debate.”

Over eight seasons with the Titans, Mason broke the 1,000-yard mark four times, including a pair of 1,100-yard campaigns and one 1,300-yard season. He was also voted to a pair of Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro once.

When you talk about the best receiver of the Titans era, it’s Mason. If you’re talking throughout franchise history that includes the Oilers, that’s another debate, but Brown still doesn’t top the list there.

Brown simply didn’t spend enough years in Nashville to have the numbers to back up his claim. However, had he stayed, this might’ve been a different conversation years down the line.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ 2022 opponents ranked

The Oklahoma Sooners 2022 schedule offers several tough matchups, but how do their opponents rank when stacked up against one another?

The Oklahoma Sooners get the benefit of home-field advantage against the top teams of the Big 12 in 2022. After going on the road to face Baylor and Oklahoma State last season, they’ll get the 2021 Big 12 championship representatives in the friendly confines of Owen Field.

An early-season clash in Lincoln against the Nebraska Cornhuskers will provide a huge test to the new-look Sooners. Late season road trips to Iowa State, West Virginia, and Texas Tech loom large as well.

Every year in the Big 12 provides a tough slate of games, but the Sooners coaching staff is no stranger to preparing for and playing in tough environments and big-time matchups.

In an early look at the 2022 schedule, let’s see how the Oklahoma Sooners stack up as we rank their matchups from worst to first.

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Ravens TE Mark Andrews breaks franchise single-season receptions record

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews broke the team’s receptions record in Week 18 against the Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens have been blessed with great talent at tight end over the course of their 25-year history. One of those players is Mark Andrews, who has become known as not only one of the best players at his position, but arguable the best in team history. The Pro Bowler’s latest performance has put himself in the record books once again.

In Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Andrews notched the all-time franchise record for receptions with 104, passing former Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason, who had 103 during the 2007 season.

Andrews notched the record on a 10-yard catch from quarterback Tyler Huntley late in the second quarter.

Andrews has become the team’s favorite target no matter who is taking snaps at quarterback. Andrews currently has five games of over 100 receiving yards this season. With talented wide receivers like Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins on the team, it makes the record that much more impressive.

Andrews has arguably established himself as one of the best tight ends in the league. He will most certainly go down as one of the best tight ends in team history and may one day find himself a gold jacket in Canton, Ohio.

Ravens have best odds to land Julio Jones according to SportsLine

The Baltimore Ravens have been linked to Julio Jones for years. Could they be interested in Jones if the Atlanta Falcons make him available?

The Baltimore Ravens have been looking to acquire a true No. 1 wide receiver for a long time. While Baltimore has had some great receivers suit up in purple and black that include Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, and Steve Smith Sr., the team has explored plenty of avenues to find their next star pass catcher, whether through the draft, a trade, or free agency.

It was reported on Monday that teams were calling the Atlanta Falcons in regards to the availability of wide receiver Julio Jones, who has had his name come up in trade rumors for years.

Jones, 32, has been one of the best receivers in the NFL over the course of his career, accumulating 848 receptions, 12,896 receiving yards, and 60 receiving touchdowns. His health is a question mark and his touchdown production can sometimes be spotty, but there’s no doubt that Jones would make the Ravens’ offense better.

SportsLine.com released odds for Jones’ next team in the event that he’s traded, and Baltimore leads the way as the favorites.

In the article explaining the odds, Matt Severance explains that he’s shocked that Baltimore hasn’t gone out and acquired a true No. 1 receiver yet.

It’s almost shocking the Ravens haven’t addressed the position yet this offseason (Antonio Brown is still a possibility) and they could take a wideout with their first-round pick Thursday.”

If the Ravens wanted to make a move for Jones, he wouldn’t be cheap, as not only would the team have to give up draft compensation to acquire him, but his contract is somewhat expensive over the next three years.

Jones has been linked to Baltimore for a while, and with reports saying that Atlanta could possibly move Jones due to salary cap purposes, it’s fair to speculate whether the Ravens would be interested. It would certainly take a lot to acquire a player like Jones, but if he can stay healthy he’d be well worth it.

Ravens vs. Titans: 7 fun facts about this Week 11 matchup

There are a lot of similarities between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans heading into their Week 11 tilt.

The Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans in a battle of ailing teams sitting at 6-3. Both teams lost last week and are looking to not only get back to their winning ways but pick up a critical win that will propel them in the AFC playoff picture.

It’s an old-school rivalry that harkens back to the early days of both the Ravens and Titans franchises coming into the league. With revenge on Baltimore’s mind after getting booted from the playoffs by Tennessee last year, there’s a little something extra this week.

Before the teams kick off this weekend, here are seven interesting little facts about this rivalry that you can entertain your friends and family with.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson among 10 ex-Jets eligible for 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that 130 modern-era nominees, including 10 former Jets, would be eligible for the Class of 2021.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that 130 Modern-Era nominees are eligible for the Class of 202l. A total of 10 ex-Jets are eligible, headlined by former OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

Retiring following the 2015 season, Ferguson is one of 14 first-year eligible nominees. That list also includes Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Steven Jackson, Charles Tillman and Charles Woodson.

Occupying the left side of the offensive line for over a decade, Ferguson was a model of consistency. Across 10 seasons, Ferguson played in 160 straight games, never missing one. In fact, he played 10,707 out of 10,708 possible snaps, missing just one his entire career.

Another ex-Jet who is eligible is John Abraham, who is one of the best pass-rushers in franchise history. Nearly 15 years after trading him, the Jets haven’t come close to replicating his production off the edge, which included 53.5 sacks in green and white.

James Hasty played in 111 games for Gang Green from 1988-94 at the cornerback position. His career didn’t take off until he moved on to Kansas City, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors.

The remaining seven were footnotes in Jets’ history, but some played a pivotal role in the organization’s success. Alan Faneca, who is known more for his time in Pittsburgh, spent two seasons with Gang Green but helped the team reach the 2009 AFC Championship Game with his play in the trenches.

Nick Lowery finished out his career with Gang Green from 1994-96 after serving as the Chiefs’ primary kicker for 13 seasons. Lorenzo Neal played one season for Gang Green in 1997, starting all 16 games at fullback. Matt Turk punted in the NFL across 16 seasons and was New York’s legman for the 2002 season.

Derrick Mason, one of the better receivers of his generation, was one of the worst free agent signings in Jets history. He complained about the offense and was later demoted to the scout team; his tenure in New York lasted just two months. Josh Cribbs played just one season for the Jets in 2013; he was known more for his return abilities in Cleveland.

Finally, Tim McDonald never suited up for the Jets, but he was on Rex Ryan’s coaching staff as the team’s defensive backs coach from 2013-14.

After a large cutdown process, the Class of 2021 will be announced the day before Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, Florida.

Derrick Mason feels disrespected by snub on Ravens’ all-time team list

Despite owning most of the Baltimore Ravens’ receiving records, wide receiver Derrick Mason was left off the all-time team list by fans.

To celebrate their 25 years as a franchise in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens asked fans to help create the all-time best starting lineup. While all the selections had merit and it’s a solid team, there were always going to be snubbed players. However, the most egregious had to be wide receiver Derrick Mason, with fans voting Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith Sr. as the team’s starters over him.

Mason was with Baltimore for six seasons after spending his first eight years with the Tennessee Titans (Oilers). He holds the top receiving records in Ravens history, topping the charts in targets (768), receptions (471) and receiving yards (5,777) while finishing third in receiving touchdowns (29). Though Mason missed out on both of Baltimore’s Super Bowl victories, he was a major help in getting franchise-leading quarterback Joe Flacco up to speed quickly.

With how important he was to the franchise and where he stands in the team’s record books, Mason was rightfully upset at the snub. He took to Twitter to voice his displeasure, giving fans a little of the “no respect” line comedian Rodney Dangerfield was famous for.

While both Boldin and Smith have clear places in Baltimore’s legacy, neither come close to topping the franchise’s record books in any major stat. Though both players were with the Ravens for just three years compared to Mason’s six, only Smith managed to put up more yards and receptions per game. At the same time, neither Boldin nor Smith had Kyle Boller, Anthony Wright, or Troy Smith throwing them balls like Mason had before Flacco was selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Ravens fans had a tough job of selecting from a bunch of really great players at nearly every position. But it’s tough to see recency bias kick such a monumental player from his earned spot on the all-time list.

Take a look at the selections for Baltimore’s all-time team below.

Ravens All-Time Team: Offense

QB Lamar Jackson
RB Jamal Lewis
FB Vonta Leach
WR Anquan Boldin
WR Steve Smith Sr.
TE Todd Heap
T Jonathan Ogden
G Marshal Yanda
C Matt Birk
G Kelechi Osemele
T Ronnie Stanley

Ravens All-Time Team: Defense

DE Michael McCrary
DT Haloti Ngata
DT Tony Siragusa
OLB Terrell Suggs
OLB Peter Boulware
ILB Ray Lewis
ILB C.J. Mosley
CB Chris McAlister
CB Marlon Humphrey
S Ed Reed
S Rod Woodson

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7 Ravens that never made a Pro Bowl but should have

Seven heroes from the Baltimore Ravens’ past who never earned a trip to the Pro Bowl during their time with the team.

The 2019 Baltimore Ravens squad, befitting a team that boasted the NFL’s best record of 14-2, saw 12 players originally named to the Pro Bowl at the end of the season. This tied an NFL record for the most players from a single team, matching the 1973 Miami Dolphins – not the unbeaten team, but a squad regarded as superior in almost every way to their 1972 team.

In 2019, quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, pass rusher Matthew Judon, full back Patrick Ricard and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley all made their first appearances on a Pro Bowl roster. Marshal Yanda had been named to eight Pro Bowls, while safety Earl Thomas made his seventh appearance. Mark Ingram, Marcus Peters, Morgan Cox, and Justin Tucker have three Pro Bowl nods each.

Despite this plethora of players representing the Ravens in the league’s all-star game, it did bring to mind that there are a host of Baltimore legends that never graced the Pro Bowl. Here are the seven most notable snubs.

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

QB Joe Flacco

Best known for his propelling the Ravens to their Super Bowl triumph following the 2012 season, Flacco was never deemed worthy of a trip to Hawaii (or Orlando). Though he was an alternate in 2015, Flacco declined the invite, keeping his total Pro Bowl visits blank. This may surprise some, given how long Flacco was with the Ravens, how many franchise records he holds, and how many distinctly ordinary players made it to the Pro Bowl.

But while Flacco comfortably laps all other Baltimore passers, his numbers have never seriously warranted contention to be named among a seasons best. His career-high of 4,317 passing yards came in an 8-8 season for the team. There have been 92 instances of quarterbacks passing for more than 27 touchdowns in a single season since 2008, the year Flacco entered the league. He managed his 27 back in 2014.

Still, while he never made the Pro Bowl, Baltimore and Flacco will always have the Super Bowl. That should be enough to cushion the blow.

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Devin Duvernay has his sights on emulating some Ravens greats

Meet one of the newest Baltimore Ravens, wide receiver Devin Duvernay

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After being taken in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, wide receiver Devin Duvernay was quick to establish what he will bring to the organization.

“I bring versatility, toughness, physicality, being able to not just go deep but go short, take it the distance, be involved in the screen game and with blocking,” Duvernay said at his introductory press conference. “I’ll kind of be an all-around player. I’m super excited.”

Duvernay thought he and the Ravens would be a “great fit” during the pre-draft process. He was thrilled to be compared to some past Ravens greats like Anquan Boldin and Derek Mason, but especially Steve Smith.

“Those are some great players, especially Steve Smith Sr,” Duvernay continued. “I grew up watching him and loved his game. He was kind of somebody I loved watching and wanted to be like – playing with that chip on my shoulder. It means a lot to get a comparison like that. I just have to keep working, continue to get better, and maybe I can be like them one day.”

If Duvernay wants to be considered one of Baltimore’s great wide receivers, it wouldn’t take much to make the top of the list. The Ravens have struggled to draft and develop receivers over the years. Torrey Smith has been their best homegrown talent, putting up 3,591 receiving yards and 30 receiving touchdowns over four years before leaving in free agency.

Steve Smith Sr. was with Baltimore for three seasons, though his second year saw him head to injured reserve after seven games due to an Achilles tear. But over 37 games with the Ravens, Smith caught 195 balls for 2,534 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. Despite his limited tenure in Baltimore, Smith is ranked 10th on the Ravens’ franchise receiving yards list, putting up the second-highest receiving yards-per-game average in franchise history.

Baltimore hopes to have ended their wide receiver woes and have some promising players on the roster now in addition to Duvernay. The Ravens’ first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Marquise Brown, had an outstanding rookie campaign even with injuries slowing him down. Miles Boykin, a third-round pick last year, showed flashes throughout the season.

If Duvernay continues to have the drive of Smith, it seems like a matter of time before he becomes one of Baltimore’s top options.

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