Tag: Domonique Foxworth

ESPN analyst explains how Patriots can become ‘legitimate contenders’

Is it time to unleash the playbook and let Mac Jones air the ball out?

Mac Jones can throw the ball.

His reputation around the league with the New England Patriots thus far is that he can only throw short to mid-level passes. The rookie is still learning the Patriots’ complex playbook and he’s much more than a game manager.

Over the past few weeks, Jones has proven that he’s capable. He had a deep ball to Kendrick Bourne that was perfectly placed against the New York Jets and he also a 44-yard strike to Nelson Agholor against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jones threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions with a 77.4 completion percentage last year with the Alabama Crimson Tide — in a year that he played all SEC opponents. He’s capable, but his time just hasn’t came yet.

ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth had the same sentiment while discussing the Patriots on “Get Up” on Wednesday.

“I’ve been rooting for them to kind of take the reins off of Mac Jones and they’ve done it a little bit more,” Foxworth said, as transcribed by Boston.com. “But I think if we were going to consider them legitimate contenders, they’re going to have to let him throw the ball a lot more than they have up until this point, and take more aggressive shots down the field.”

The Patriots are 4-4 and coming off their most impressive win of the season, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 on the road. The week before, Jones had his first 300-yard game and the Patriots blew out the New York Jets, 54-13.

New England is heating up at the right time and as Foxworth mentioned, the AFC is currently a mess right now.

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ESPN analyst: Brian Flores should be considered for Coach of the Year

ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth made his case on “Get Up!” for Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to be considered for Coach of the Year.

The Miami Dolphins’ organization has arguably already shattered expectations for 2019 in going out and winning a handful of football games. At 2-8 the Dolphins own two more wins than the common fan (or common analyst) would have pegged them to finish with. And folks are starting to take note. Not just that the Dolphins own a crooked number in the win column, either — but that this Miami Dolphins team has completely shifted the narrative and is playing competitive football each and every week.

One of the Dolphins’ biggest critics at the beginning of the season was former NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth calling the Dolphins’ approach to 2019 “morally reprehensible” and “unethical”. In the 10 weeks that have passed since Foxworth ripped the Dolphins, he seems to have come around to to Miami’s process and, more importantly, head coach Brian Flores.

Foxworth went on ESPN’s “Get Up!” program this past week and stated that he feels Dolphins head coach Brian Flores should be considered for the NFL’s Coach of the Year.

That’s quite the departure from “morally reprehensible” but Foxworth is an interesting one. The idea that results minus expectations would give Miami a greater return than any other team in the NFL is debatable. But Flores may have a few more wins up his sleeve. The Dolphins play an undisciplined Browns team this week, the New York Jets, the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals yet this season.

Make no mistake: the culture the Dolphins are instilling is a good one. And if the team makes progress throughout the offseason and improves their record in 2020, the efforts to instill a positive locker room environment are really going to catch fire. What Flores has been able to do with many second and third string players shouldn’t be overlooked — Miami enters every game with a talent deficiency and yet shows something new (and impressive) every week.

But something tells us Coach of the Year isn’t in the cards for Brian Flores in 2019. Here’s hoping it won’t be too long, though.

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