Tag: expectations

What to expect from Tua Tagovailoa in Week 9 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa will face off against kyler murray and the arizona cardinals in the Week 9 matchup.

Former Alabama quarterback, and current Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had an intersting debut start in the NFL last week, securing an unorthodox win over the Los Angeles Rams.

In the defensively dominated win, Tagovailoa completed 12 passes for 93 yards, a touchdown and a lost fumble.

Not a great showing, but certainly not a bad one considering he walked away with a win.

Now, his focus turns to the Arizona Cardinals and his former foe from the University of Oklahoma, Kyler Murray, as the Dolphins travel across the country for the Week 9 contest, a game with playoff implications as both teams are second place in their respective divisions.

ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST

Without a solid idea of how Tagovailoa can manage the game and make plays, there are still plenty of variables heading into this matchup.

The Cardinals defense ranks No. 18 in the NFL for fewest passing yards allowed per game with an average of 247.3 yards. They also rank No. 9 in the league in fewest points allowed per game with 20.9 points.

The Dolphins offensive line has allowed 11 sacks through seven games, which ranks as the ninth-fewest in the league. Arizona will look to get through the Miami offensive line and sack, or at least put pressure on Tagovailoa, as they have 19 sacks on the season.

Cardinals defensive tackle Corey Peters says pressuring Tagovailoa is all part of their plan.

“Obviously, with somebody who lacks experience, you want to put him in situations where he’s uncomfortable,” Peters said during a Zoom press conference with the media. “I’m sure their whole game plan is going to be figuring out what he does well and where he’s comfortable and trying to get him in as many of those opportunities as possible. From a defensive standpoint, we’ve got to try our best to pressure him, move him off the spot, change up some looks, try to deceive him post-snap, and hopefully, we encourage him to make some mistakes.”

While pressure on Tagovailoa could certainly cause some rash decision making and poor passes, a decent game from the Crimson Tide product could spell trouble for Arizona as he threw for an average of 315.6 yards per game in his final year at Alabama.

The Cardinals have only held one quarterback, Sam Darnold, under 265 yards. Russell Wilson also went off against Arizona in the Seahawks’ Week 8 loss where he completed 33 passes for 388 yards three touchdowns and three interceptions.

ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST

The Dolphins may now look to have Tagovailoa pass more in his second start in the NFL, since starting running back Myles Gaskin is out for at least three weeks after being put on the Injured Reserve list.

Last week, the Miami offense was split down the middle, but favored the run game.

This is a contest that could go one of two ways for Tagovailoa: a hard-fought contest vs. a quarterback who he last saw in Miami at the 2018 Orange Bowl, or succumbs to inexperience, paired with the strength of the Cardinals defense, and walks away with a potentially ugly loss to tie his career record up at 1-1.

 

WATCH: The Minister of Culture talks Texas Football

Watch as the “Minister of Culture” Matthew McConaughey joins Colin Cowherd to talk Texas Longhorns football and how to get back.

Everywhere you turn someone has an opinion on Texas Longhorns football. Who better to hear from than the Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey.

Continue reading “WATCH: The Minister of Culture talks Texas Football”

Rookie expectations for Lions at Jaguars in Week 6

Setting the rookie expectations for Detroit Lions Week 6 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Now that they’ve been able to rest up over the bye week, the rookies of the Detroit Lions are set to take the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in hopes of helping turn the team’s season around.

Here’s what to expect from the Lions’ 2020 rookie class in Week 6:

CB Jeff Okudah

The third-overall pick from this year’s draft has had his struggles as a starter but still has taken an average of about 82-percent of defensive snaps throughout the three games he’s appeared in.

Overall, he’s had mixed success when on the field. The rookie has already notched his first career interception and has yet to allow a touchdown. Unfortunately, he has struggled overall in coverage, allowing 15 of the 20 passes against him to be completed.

With starting cornerback Desmond Trufant ruled out due to injury, Okudah will be slated to start alongside Amani Oruwariye and Darryl Roberts (slot). The Jaguars offense is better than their record shows, so Okudah will have to step up and be a playmaker if the Lions want to pull off a win in Jacksonville.

RB D’Andre Swift

Swift has been the most productive running back on the Lions’ roster. The rookie’s abilities as a pass-catcher has made him one of Matthew Stafford’s go-to guys, catching 13-of-16 passes thrown his way for 124 yards. Six of those receptions went for first downs, and one has gone for a touchdown.

In the run game, he sits behind both Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson on the depth chart but still has been able to contribute two first downs and a touchdown on just 12 carries.

Jacksonville’s defense has allowed an average of about 44 receiving yards from running backs per game this season, but have been improving week-by-week at preventing running backs from making plays as receivers. In Week 1, they allowed 142 receiving yards from running backs, versus just 18 last week.

Expect Swift to maintain his role as the Lions’ primary third-down back and receiving option at running back this week.

OL Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg

Jackson has started on the offensive line for the Lions in every game this season. In his first two games, he played right guard but moved to the left side after Halapoulivaati Vaitai returned from his injury in Week 3.

This week, it may be unclear where Jackson will play due to injuries along the offensive line. Center Frank Ragnow is listed as questionable heading into this game, which means there could be a massive shake-up at almost every spot on the line.

If Ragnow is out, the Lions could move Jackson to center, a position he played in his sophomore year of college. Offensive lineman Joe Dahl may also return from injured reserve before this game, meaning Jackson could go back to right guard and Vaitai could move to right tackle.

Stenberg may have the chance to take the field for the first time in his career as well, but it’s an unlikely possibility. The fourth-round rookie practiced as the team’s backup center in training camp and also has experience at left guard. Depending on what the Lions opt for with their starting five linemen, Stenberg could have a chance to make his pro debut.

EDGE Julian Okwara

The younger of the Okwara brothers has yet to make any sort of impact for the Lions so far this season.

Appearing in three games, he has yet to record any stats on defense but has barely had the chance to, given he’s only been on the field for 25 snaps.

With no changes to Detroit’s pass rush, don’t expect Okwara to be making any big plays this week.

WR Quintez Cephus

After bringing in six receptions for 97 yards in his first two games as a pro, Cephus has been delegated back to the backups due to Kenny Golladay’s return to the starting lineup.

Don’t expect Cephus to have a big game this week, as he now appears to sit behind every receiver on the depth chart.

DL John Penisini

The rookie nose tackle has seen the field for a quarter of all of the Lions’ defensive snaps so far this season. Serving as the team’s backup nose tackle behind Danny Shelton, Penisini has done much to contribute thus far.

His role has begun to increase week-by-week. After not recording a single stat for the first two games, he logged one tackle in Week 3 and five more the week after that, one of which went for a loss of yards.

With both his snap counts and stats rising steadily each week, it’s safe to assume that the Lions have plans for the sixth-round rookie. Expect his role to increase even more this week as he and the defensive line try to stop Jacksonville’s up-and-coming undrafted rookie running back James Robinson.

Rookie expectations for Lions versus Saints in Week 4

Setting expectations for the Detroit Lions rookies as they prepare to take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.

After winning their first game of the season in a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals last weekend, the Detroit Lions host the New Orleans Saints in hopes of keeping that momentum going.

The Lions have been slow to incorporate some of their rookies into their game plan, but that does not mean that these young players won’t contribute.

Here’s what to expect from Detroit’s 2020 rookie class against the Saints:

CB Jeff Okudah

With Desmond Trufant questionable to make his return to the football field today, what will Okudah’s role be in the defensive backfield?

Okudah struggled in his first game against Green Bay, and while he wasn’t perfect against Arizona, he made some major improvements. The rookie has allowed 13 of 17 passes thrown his way to go for a reception but has not allowed a touchdown. He also has already notched his first career interception and has racked up 13 tackles in the last two games.

If Trufant plays, Okudah could end up having limited snaps on the outside while sitting behind both Trufant and Amani Oruwariye. But, slot cornerback Darryl Roberts is also listed as questionable for this game, so Okudah may find himself in that role if Roberts is unable to play.

RB D’Andre Swift

If anything has been made clear throughout the last three weeks, it is that D’Andre Swift sits firmly as the team’s third option at running back behind Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson.

Despite that, Swift still has managed to make a positive impact on the Lions’ offense thus far.

The rookie has contributed 94 receiving yards and just 20 rushing yards to Detroit’s offense over the last three weeks. Expect him to continue playing in his role as a third-down and receiving option at running back.

OG Jonah Jackson

Jackson has started every game so far this season and that is not expected to change this week.

The one thing that could change is the spot he lines up at on the offensive line. In the first two weeks of the season, Jackson played right guard. After Halapoulivaati Vaitai recovered from his injuries and took the field last week, Jackson was moved to left guard and Vaitai took over on the right side.

With every offensive lineman healthy this week, it is likely that Jackson remains on the left side of the line.

JACK Julian Okwara

Okwara has appeared in two games this season and sat out one as a healthy scratch on the inactive list. When he was active for game day, he was sparsely used on defense, with just 15 total snaps.

This week, if he is active, don’t expect much from the rookie linebacker.

OG Logan Stenberg

As mentioned earlier, the Lions’ offensive line looks healthy and set with its starting five players. For Stenberg, that means he will likely be on the bench — or inactive –for this matchup against New Orleans.

WR Quintez Cephus

With Kenny Golladay healthy and back in the starting lineup, Cephus has been relegated back to the reserves. The rookie receiver caught six passes for 97 yards in his first two games and was not targeted at all in Week 3.

Expect Cephus to be the team’s fourth option at receiver this week.

DL John Penisini

Penisini has played a rotational role as the Lions’ backup nose tackle. The rookie defensive lineman has been on the field for 23-percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps but has only recorded one tackle.

Expect him to continue playing in that role this week, with the tough matchup against New Orleans’ star running back Alvin Kamara.

TE Hunter Bryant

Bryant has missed every game so far this season due to a prolonging hamstring injury. He is listed as questionable this week and may have the chance to take the field for his first NFL game.

If he plays, the undrafted rookie has the chance to make a major impact on offense.

The Saints defense has allowed 290 yards and four touchdowns by opposing tight ends over the last three weeks. In each game, that production has come from multiple tight ends, meaning that Bryant, who is behind T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James on the depth chart, could still have a chance to make some big plays.

Texas QB Sam Ehlinger interview with USA TODAY Sports

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger sat down with Mackenzie Salmon of USA TODAY Sports and tackled a variety of topics including COVID-19.

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Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger sat down for an interview with USA TODAY Sports’ host Mackenzie Salmon. They spoke about the mentality of the comeback win, expectations, COVID-19 and the tired question of is Texas back?

Sam’s mentality in the final minutes against Texas Tech

“My mentality was kind of like we have to believe,” Ehlinger continues “if we don’t then we really don’t have a chance at all. I was just trying to inflict confidence on my teammates. It was amazing that were actually able to come back”

Sam Ehlinger on COVID and what they have to do to ensure they can play football.

“Well everyone on the team is a student. There is a lot of stuff going on [here] on campus that students are participating in. So it is important for us to eliminate those activities in order for us to play the game that we love. So you have to make a sacrifice there to protect the team and protect yourself.”

When asked about contact with people outside of the team

“I think there are a few guys that have hybrid classes where a few of their classes are on campus. But for the most part a lot of the interaction with regular students and other people who aren’t part of the football team is very minimal.”

On team expectations

“I am really excited for the rest of the year and the development that we are capable of making. Obviously we started the year off 2-0, but the mistakes and area of improvement is so large. We have such a great opportunity to get better every single day.”

Is Texas back?

“That is up for interpretation from other people. We are just focused on ourselves”

WATCH: Gators CB Marco Wilson Talks Season Opener, 2020 Expectations

Redshirt junior cornerback Marco Wilson, one of the veteran leaders on defense, talked about the matchup with the Rebels to the media.

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Florida’s 2019 offense, which featured the program’s most successful air attack in nearly 20 years, received a lot of praise during its 11-2 campaign last season. But the true anchor of the team was its ferocious pass rush and swarming secondary, which made life difficult for SEC quarterbacks not named Joe Burrow.

That defensive unit faces a challenge in UF’s 2020 opener against Ole Miss, who has the ability to put up points despite coming off a 4-8 season that resulted in the firing of coach Matt Luke.

Redshirt junior cornerback Marco Wilson, one of the veteran leaders on defense, talked about the matchup with the Rebels to the media.

“I’m excited,” he said. “The season got delayed, so it’s been a lot of practice against our own team, so we’re just excited to go against somebody else and start competing.”

Asked about his goals for the upcoming season, Wilson said he wants to lock down his fundamentals while having a greater impact on the game. He had 36 total tackles and three interceptions a year ago after coming back from a season-ending knee injury early in the 2018 season.

“Make sure I’m touching the ball every game, and just make sure my coverage is on point. I want to get more interceptions than I got last year, and that’s pretty much it. I just want to win.”

If Florida’s going to start off in the win column, it has to be prepared for not just one Mississippi passer, but two.

Coach Lane Kiffin is yet to announce a starter between sophomores John Rhys Plumlee and Matt Corral (a one-time Florida commit). Both quarterbacks split time fairly evenly last season, but Plumlee was much more productive in the ground game, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Both could see the field on Saturday, and Wilson said the defense is prepared to contain the dual-threat attack Plumlee could pose.

“We’ve just got to make sure we contain him,” Wilson said. “We’re aware that he’s a guy who can run, he’s a guy who’s fast, so we’ve got to make sure we keep an eye on that, don’t get lazy in our techniques up front, and make sure we hone in on that.”

Kickoff between the Gators and Rebels is set for noon on ESPN, and Wilson and the Florida defense will hope to spoil Kiffin’s debut in Oxford.

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Lions rookie report: Expectations for Lions at Packers in Week 2

Projecting expectations for Detroit Lions rookies as they travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers in Week 2.

After a quiet showing in Week 1, will the rookies of the Detroit Lions be able to make an impact versus the Green Bay Packers?

The Lions have announced several roster moves and have had more than their fair share of injuries since the season began, leaving an opportunity for some members of their 2020 rookie class to make an impact.

Here’s what to expect from Detroit’s rookies this week against the Packers:

CB Jeff Okudah

Okudah missed the first game of the season due to a hamstring injury but will make his NFL debut today against Green Bay as he was a full participant in practices all week.

The third-overall pick from this year’s draft will likely start on defense opposite Amani Oruwariye while Desmond Trufant recovers from a hamstring injury.

It’s hard to know what to expect from the rookie cornerback, as we haven’t been able to see much of him in training camp or practice due to his injury, but there is a reason he was regarded as the best defensive back in this year’s draft. Hopefully, his college production will translate quickly to the pros.

RB D’Andre Swift

After a heartbreaking debut against the Bears, Swift will be determined to bounce back in Week 2.

The rookie running back wasn’t utilized much on offense last week — only getting six touches — and was the third back off the bench behind both Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson. Despite all that, he did prove that he can be of value to the team both in the passing game and two-minute offense.

Expect his role to remain the same this week.

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RG Jonah Jackson

Jackson was the Lions’ starting right guard last week, playing 90-percent of snaps on offense, and will reprise that role again this week.

His debut wasn’t perfect as he committed one false start penalty and was credited with allowing one sack from Bears’ defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. This week, he’ll have to brush off those rookie mistakes and prepare to face off against Green Bay’s elite pass rush.

JACK Julian Okwara

The younger Okwara brother had a near-silent game against Chicago, with just seven snaps on defense. He isn’t expected to contribute much on defense beyond a situational pass-rushing role but should see a lot of time on special teams.

OL Logan Stenberg

Despite a change-up to the starting offensive line this week, Stenberg likely won’t make his debut as a Lion today. He was a game-day inactive in Week 1, and is still sitting behind Oday Aboushi and Kenny Wiggins on the depth chart.

WR Quintez Cephus

Judging by the way he was utilized on offense last week, it’s clear that the Lions front office has confidence in the rookie fifth-round pick. In fact, he was the most-targeted receiver out of all rookies in the league. But despite having ten passes thrown his way, he was only to come away with three receptions.

With Kenny Golladay out again this week, expect Cephus to get the nod as a starter alongside Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola.

NT John Penisini

Though he didn’t see the field much in Week 1, Penisini may have more of an opportunity against the Packers. With starting defensive tackle Nick Williams designated out due to injury, the rookie out of Utah will likely split his snaps with Kevin Strong, who was called up from the practice squad and serves as the only other backup defensive tackle on the roster.

Both will still sit behind Da’Shawn Hand and Danny Shelton on the depth chart, but the chance of earning more defensive snaps has gone up this week.

TE Hunter Bryant

Bryant has been ruled out for the second week in a row due to a lingering hamstring injury.

Texas Football: Tom Herman discusses 2020 season expectations

Tom Herman was asked what the standard was for the 2020 season. He responded, saying to be “competing for and winning Big 12 championships.”

When Tom Herman was brought to Texas in 2017, it had been eight years since the Longhorns were serious contenders for a Big 12 championship. Going into year four, Herman has yet to make Texas a conference contender year in and year out.

The 2018 season is the only year in which Texas has even made the Big 12 championship, losing out to arch-rivals Oklahoma. Last season was a disappointment, going 7-5 in the regular season and watching the Sooners win a fifth straight conference title.

After Saturday’s scrimmage, Herman was asked what the standard was for the upcoming season. His response was what it always has been, for Texas to be “competing for and winning Big 12 championships.”

If there has been a season during Herman’s tenure to compete for a conference championship, it is 2020.

Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger is a big factor in those expectations. The Austin native is coming into his third full season of being the starting quarterback and is arguably the best in the Big 12. His experience and talent are going to go a long way, especially in a brand new offensive system.

However, what the Longhorns missed out on dearly last season was experience on the defensive side of the ball. Now, nine starters return, including Jack Joesph Ossai and safety Caden Sterns. In a conference dominated by offensive talent, the Longhorns’ defense was not up to a championship level standard.

Even during weird times in college football, Texas should be a top contender in the Big 12 at a minimum. Herman has expressed that is the goal of the program every single year.

Now, it is time for delivery. A normal Big 12 schedule will be played for the Longhorns, even if the order is mixed up from the original one. Not only playing at AT&T Stadium in December should be the goal but winning the game as well.

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What are reasonable expectations for Redskins’ Terry McLaurin in 2020?

We were all blown away by McLaurin’s abilities in 2019, so what should we expect from him during his second year in the NFL?

Terry McLaurin blew us all away in his rookie season with the Washington Redskins. His first three games in the NFL acted as a coming-out party, and the rest showed what he could do at this next level. All-in-all, McLaurin finished his rookie season with 58 receptions, 919 yards, 36 first downs, and seven touchdowns.

So, going into the 2020 season, what’s an accurate bar to set for the young speedster? Is it fair to expect him to continue to improve and become even more of an asset, or can we predict a sophomore slump for him? According to Pro Football Focus, it’s time to raise the bar, and don’t be afraid to set it higher than feels comfortable. He has the skills to improve in 2020, and it might be the level of the play around him that allows McLaurin to take that next step.

No rookie receiver saw a lower percentage of accurate passes on downfield throws than McLaurin. Only 45.2% of his targets of five-plus air yards were charted as accurate in 2019, which ranked 52nd among all qualifying pass-catchers and dead last among rookies.

It’s unlikely that McLaurin’s misfortune carries into 2020 — at least not at the rate we saw a year ago — if second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins comes closer to the accuracy numbers he put up at Ohio State.

The piece from PFF dived into many of the numbers that make McLaurin such a great player, including breakdowns of his routes run, his separation percentage, and what an incredible ability he has to play well against the league’s top defenders. While it was apparent that he could get the job done on his end of things, the QB play in Washington held him back a bit. If Haskins is able to make the leap that we all expect this next year, the college teammates could solidify their connection this season, and the duo could soar to new heights in Washington.

If you were ever worried about getting your hopes up when it came to Terry McLaurin, don’t sweat it. Chances are they aren’t high enough.

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