Tag: ESPN

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.

[vertical-gallery id=420193]

Falcons Week 12 Fantasy Forecast: Matt Ryan will feast on Bucs defense

The Falcons will look to keep things rolling on offense when they take on a Buccaneers defense that’s allowing an NFL-worst 31.3 points per game in Week 12.

Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley stole the show in Week 11, catching all eight of his targets for 143 yards and a touchdown during the team’s win over the Panthers.

Atlanta will look to keep things rolling on offense in Week 12 when it goes up against a Buccaneers defense that’s allowing an NFL-worst 31.3 points per game.

Let’s examine the Falcons’ Week 12 fantasy football projections, focusing on ESPN’s standard league scoring system.

QB: Matt Ryan

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN Projection: 21.2 points — 2 pass TDs, 306 pass yards, 1 INT, 9 rush yards

Season Total: 172.2 points — 18 pass TDs, 2,663 pass yards, 9 INTs, 1 rush TD, 77 rush yards

Week 12 Analysis: Ryan moved into tenth place on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list in Week 11, and is averaging 295.8 yards per game this season. While he’s still not 100 percent as he recovers from a nagging ankle injury, Ryan is facing a Tampa Bay defense that’s giving up 290.3 passing yards per game — the second-highest average in the league. Expect some big-time numbers from Ryan, who is ESPN’s No. 2 rated QB for Week 12.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

ESPN’s basketball analytics is underrating Ohio State, too

ESPN’s BPI does not yet think Ohio State is one of the best teams in the country. That will change soon.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have opened the men’s basketball season in impressive fashion. The Buckeyes are 4-0, and have a notable blowout win over Villanova. That win propelled the Buckeyes into the Top 10 of the major rankings.

Much like in football, though, ESPN’s analytics are slow to catch up.

Much talk was made this football season, especially early, about where FPI ranked the Buckeyes. I explained, multiple times, that it had a very reasonable explanation. Justin Fields and Ryan Day were unproven, and therefore there were a lot of potential variance in how the season would go. As Ohio State performed well, FPI reverted to the top-end possibilities, and now Ohio State is setting records in FPI.

The exact same is true in basketball. ESPN’s BPI ratings currently put Ohio State at No. 21, with a projected record of about 21-10. The reason for this is clear, though. The Buckeyes have two good wins (which is why BPI’s resume has the Buckeyes at No. 6), but the overall SOS is No. 144 so far, while the remaining SOS is ranked No. 28.

BPI has not yet had the chance to learn to trust Ohio State. The Buckeyes played two great games, but were still unproven coming into the season. Much like FPI, BPI simulates games and seasons to get a bearing on teams. Ohio State’s simulations had high-end and low-end estimates. The Buckeyes are clearly performing at (or above) the high-end estimates so far. However, with so many new faces in key spots (and old faces that were very good but not elite in previous years), it makes sense that BPI still has the low-end possibilities dragging Ohio State’s ranking down.

As Ohio State keeps impressing–and overperforming its BPI estimates (something the Buckeyes have done in all four games so far this year)–that BPI number will skyrocket. Just how high is the limit will take time to tell. We might even have to wait for the December trip to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

Former Jags HC Jack Del Rio believes Jags have issues, but Nick Foles isn’t amongst them

Former Jags coach Jack Del Rio believes the Jags are flawed but Nick Foles isn’t the reasoning behind their issues.

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

While Jack Del Rio is no longer a head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, he does occasionally speak on the team as an analyst for ESPN. With the team entering the most critical stage of their season after losing handily to the Indianapolis Colts, Del Rio discussed the Jags’ flaws this week but said he felt that veteran quarterback Nick Foles wasn’t one of them.

In Week 11’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, Foles came out strong in the first quarter but he wasn’t overly impressive past that point. However, the Jags’ run defense looked significantly worse than he did, giving up 264 rushing yards.

Heading forward, the team as a whole will need to play better and that includes Foles, who made some throws in double coverage and had a very questionable pick in which he threw off his back foot. It’s worth noting he missed eight games prior due to breaking his collarbone so his struggles are more excusable than those of the defensive unit. However, if his play doesn’t gradually improve over time, fans will begin to start calling for Gardner Minshew II to become the starter again as the experience would benefit him more, as some view him as the Jags’ quarterback of the future.

ESPN’s Molly McGrath kept America informed on Tua Tagovailoa

When Tua Tagovailoa didn’t immediately get up after being tackled by two defenders during last Saturday’s matchup against Mississippi State, ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath knew something was wrong, seriously wrong. That’s when she knew what …

When Tua Tagovailoa didn’t immediately get up after being tackled by two defenders during last Saturday’s matchup against Mississippi State, ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath knew something was wrong, seriously wrong. That’s when she knew what she had to do.

“Tua went down closer to the Mississippi State side, so I crossed over to the other side of the field to just get a better vantage point to get closer, to try to hear what the trainers were saying to him, to look into Tua’s eyes and see the pain that he was in, and just try and figure out what is the injury.”

Molly McGrath, who was a guest on the Dan Patrick show earlier this week, immediately sprang into action to gather the news as to why one of, if not the best quarterback in college football, wasn’t getting up.

“There was concern at first, like what’s going on with his face? Why is he bleeding from his face? And he had a towel covering his face and they kept that on his face longer than needed, and I could see it was because he was crying. Because he was kind of balling in pain. So I knew he was in serious pain.”

Nov 16, 2019; Starkville, MS, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) assisted by team personnel after an injury during the second quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

McGrath, who has worked for ESPN since 2016, did an outstanding job not only gathering information regarding Tagovailoa, but she did a phenomenal job in her delivery. There were only a few minutes Tua’s injury, and her sideline report update.

Personally, I am mostly impressed with her passion and perseverance. While some reporters might have waited on an inside source to provide ESPN the news, she gathered the news herself. So much so, she sprinted across the field to follow Tua.

“I knew it was crucial that I be there when they take him off the cart because I need to see how he got of the cart. If he was able to put weight on his right leg, or the right side of his body, or if he had to be carried. So the cart goes down the field and I sprinted the length of the field from the 10 though the other end zone basically………That was the crucial moment where I witnessed he couldn’t get off the cart on his own. Medical training staff had to pick him up and carry him almost like a child. And when they picked him up, that’s when he screaming in pain and then they brought him into the X-ray room.”

Nov 16, 2019; Starkville, MS, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) is carted off the field due to an injury during the second quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

McGrath went on to share in the interview with Dan Patrick, that an inside source confirmed it was indeed his hip and not his ankle.

Had McGrath not sprang into action, not only would rumors and speculations have popped all around social media, but it could’ve been much longer before an official word was released. McGrath did an excellent job not only finding out exactly what happened to Tagovailoa in a very punctual time frame, she also did a fantastic job keeping America up to date with Tua’s status the rest of the game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How to Watch Los Angeles Clippers, Preview, NBA Live Stream, Clippers vs Celtics, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch the Los Angeles Clippers Live Online.

Tonight for the first time this season Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will suit up and play together. This is what fans have been waiting for and should be an entertaining game, to say the least. The Celtics have been cruising along this year and will be a tough test for them on the road.

Watch the Los Angeles Clippers 2019-20 Season

Next game: vs. Boston Celtics, Nov. 20, 10:00 p.m. ET 

Local TV affiliate: Fox Sports West

Streaming option for the season: fuboTV (watch for free)

The Clippers may have landed the best player in the NBA when acquiring Leonard during the offseason. As the reigning Finals MVP, Leonard’s combination of defensive ability and scoring acumen has him consistently talked about as the best all-around player in the league. Combined with the newly acquired Paul George, the Clippers have two stars that can potentially carry them to the promised land.

But the NBA is about depth as much as it is about star power, and the Clippers have that as well. Defending sixth man of the year Lou Williams is still available to give second units around the league nightmares, while players like Montrezl Harrell should see easier opportunities now that defenses have to focus on Leonard and George. Whether this group can get on the same page in time for a postseason run remains to be seen, but this unit could be the most exciting in the history of the Clippers.

Clippers November 2019 Schedule

All Times ET

Mon. Nov. 18 vs. Thunder, 10:30 PM

Wed. Nov. 20 vs. Celtics, 10:00 PM

Fri. Nov. 22 vs. Rockets, 10:30 PM

Sun. Nov 24 vs. Pelicans, 9:00 PM

Tues. Nov. 26 @ Mavericks, 8:30 PM

Wed. Nov. 27 @ Grizzlies, 8:00 PM

Fri. Nov. 29 @ Spurs, 8:30 PM

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

WATCH: Colin Kaepernick considering holding second pro-day style workout

The Kaepernick camp is making good use of the video footage that moving the workout allowed them, as well as all media, access to. Agent Jeff Nalley says that he sent copies of the film from Kaepernick’s workout to all 32 NFL teams.

Colin Kaepernick’s gunshot NFL workout Saturday ended with the former 49ers quarterback abandoning the setup that the league arranged and held sole control over in order to provide transparency, as he and his representatives explained it.

The Kaepernick camp is making good use of the video footage that moving the workout allowed them, as well as all media, access to. Agent Jeff Nalley says that he sent copies of the film from Kaepernick’s workout to all 32 NFL teams.

ESPN’s Howard Bryant reports that now, Kaepernick is considering holding another similar workout during the NFL owner’s meetings in March.

All 32 owners, general managers and head coaches of NFL teams will be at the meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. in March.

When Nalley sent all of the teams’ unedited video footage from the workout Saturday in Atlanta, he also sent a note offering to have Kaepernick speak with the teams either in person or over the phone, but he is not optimistic his client will be signed.

Kaepernick & legal team considering holding second pro-day style workout for QB at NFL owners meetin

The Kaepernick camp is making good use of the video footage that moving the workout allowed them, as well as all media, access to. Agent Jeff Nalley says that he sent copies of the film from Kaepernick’s workout to all 32 NFL teams.

The Kaepernick camp is making good use of the video footage that moving the workout allowed them, as well as all media, access to. Agent Jeff Nalley says that he sent copies of the film from Kaepernick’s workout to all 32 NFL teams.

Kyle Allen’s rankings among 2019 QBs prove Panthers need a change

Kyle Allen rankings among 2019 NFL QBs prove Panthers need a change.

Sometimes stats can be misleading, especially with a small sample size. A lot of analysts got caught up in Kyle Allen’s win/loss record early this season when he took over for an injured Cam Newton at quarterback. Now that he’s played eight games, we have a much better idea of what Allen is all about. The numbers are not kind.

Allen doesn’t even rank among the top 32 quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus this year and he’s No. 30 in ESPN’s QB metric. He’s also been inefficient and inaccurate. Here’s a handful of devastating stats.

Ron Rivera told reporters yesterday the plan is to continue developing Allen, but this is a mistake.

Will Grier might not be any better than Allen has. However, the Panthers invested a third-round pick in him. Prioritizing the progress of an undrafted QB over a No. 100 overall pick simply doesn’t make any sense. Despite his recent struggles, Allen should have the backup job on lock-down. Now it’s time to find out what the team has in Grier.

[lawrence-related id=614327]

[vertical-gallery id=614348]

NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Lions hold steady in the early twenties

The Week 12 national NFL Power Rankings have been released and the Detroit Lions are holding steady in the early twenties in most rankings.

[jwplayer 6Q40ShvH-ThvAeFxT]

The Week 12 national NFL Power Rankings have been released and the Detroit Lions (3-6-1) are holding steady in the early twenties in most rankings.

Let’s take a look at where the Lions stand in the national eye.

USA Today: 28 (Previous: 27)

“Did they find gem in former Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough, who ran for 55 yards in debut? No other Detroit back averages 55 rush yards per game in 2019.” — Nate Davis

Touchdown Wire: 22 (Previous: 23)

“The Lions faced an interesting question in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. Would they stick with their primary man coverages against a Dallas passing offense that has been highly effective against that kind of tight coverage this season? Only Seattle’s Russell Wilson has a higher passer rating this season against man coverage than Dak Prescott’s 110.5. So in the end, it was fairly predictable that a defense that wants to play man coverage most of the time and isn’t very good at it — Detroit has allowed seven touchdown passes to just one interception in man coverage this season — would find itself at Prescott’s mercy. Dallas’ quarterback completed 29 of 46 passes for 444 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 35-27 win. Detroit’s offense couldn’t quite keep up, though backup Jeff Driskel played decently in place of Matthew Stafford, who could miss several weeks with a back injury. What becomes apparent is that Detroit’s desire to align itself with a specific defensive philosophy, and the abilities of their players to execute that philosophy, are at a distinct impasse.” — Doug Farrar

NFL: 25 (Previous: 24)

“Same old story for the Lions, who can score points (with or without Matthew Stafford) but have a defense that’s a total liability. The unit was unable to get any pressure on Dak Prescott, who roasted the Lions for 444 yards and three touchdowns in Dallas’ 35-27 win over Detroit. The Lions’ issues are manifold: They can’t rush the quarterback, they can’t cover in the secondary and they don’t force turnovers. They’re on pace for their worst defensive season, from a total yardage allowed standpoint, worse even than the winless 2008 team. It’s a shame, too, because Jeff Driskel showed us once again that he has some ability. The backup quarterback — starting in place of the injured Stafford for the second straight week — made plays with his arm and legs, and he even had Detroit on Dallas’ side of the field in the final minutes with a chance to tie. The kid gives them a shot … the defense doesn’t.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 21 (Previous: 21)

“Most underrated player: Marvin Jones Jr. wide receiver. It might sound weird that a known quantity would be underrated, but Jones has been a consistently strong presence since signing with Detroit in 2016. He is tied for the NFL lead in touchdowns with eight and has had four or more catches in eight games this season. He has been playing under a reasonable contract and people know who he is, but his overall value to the Lions often goes unnoticed because of the presence of Kenny Golladay and the team’s collective struggles.” — Michael Rothstein

CBS Sports: 23 (Previous 23)

“Why would Matt Stafford play again this season? Shut him down. This season is over.” — Pete Prisco

Sports Illustrated: 24 (Previous: 24)

“A full week of prep helped Jeff Driskel (15-of-26, 209 yards, 2 TDs, 109.3 rating), but Detroit couldn’t stay in it late without their trusty starter, especially since Driskel almost lead the way on the ground with eight rushes for 51 yards and a touchdown.” — MMQB staff

Sporting News: 23 (Previous: 22)

“The Lions are showing plenty of offensive fight with Jeff Driskel filling in for Matthew Stafford, but their defense takes turns being destroyed by the run and the pass, much to the chagrin of Matt Patricia after the team’s big offseason investments.” — Vinnie Iyer