Tag: Highlights

Broncos legend Steve Atwater looks back on famous hit on Christian Okoye

During the 1990 NFL season, Broncos safety Steve Atwater delivered a massive hit on Chiefs running back Christian Okoye.

(via NFL)

After he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, former Broncos safety Steve Atwater was asked about the most famous play of his career: a massive hit on ex-Chiefs running back Christian Okoye on “Monday Night Football” during the 1990 NFL season.

“That story may have to come up a little more now,” Atwater said on Feb. 1. “It was again I think inspired by [former teammate] Dennis Smith. He was my guy, my strong safety. In meetings we’d just look at film and talk about how we were going to attack him. Fortunately, I had the opportunity and it turned out well.

“I’ve been in other games with some guys who probably weren’t as big as Christian Okoye was, but I’d go up and hit them and they got me — they get the best of me. Definitely, the timing was right and I was fortunate I came out on the good side of that.”

Okoye was listed as 253 pounds during his playing days, 33 pounds more than Atwater’s listed weight. That didn’t stop the safety from delivering a massive hit on the running back that would have gone viral in today’s social media age. It was one of the most memorable hits in NFL history.

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Check out these highlights of Steve Atwater’s Hall of Fame career

Click here to watch highlights from Steve Atwater’s amazing career with the Broncos.

Denver Broncos safety Steve Atwater was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Here are highlights from his accomplished career:

A two-time Super Bowl champion and eight-time Pro Bowler, Atwater is the eighth former Bronco to enter Canton, joining quarterback John Elway, running back Floyd Little, tight end Shannon Sharpe, offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman, running back Terrell Davis, cornerback Champ Bailey and late club owner Pat Bowlen.

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Alvin Kamara reminisces on Sean Payton’s most-bizarre motivational tactic

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara recalled the strangest, but maybe most effective, motivational tactic Sean Payton has pulled.

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is known for his sometimes-bizarre motivational tactics. Whether he’s posting corny cartoons on the bulletin board or hanging gas masks in the locker room (cautioning players not to get “gassed up” by media power rankings and their own overconfidence), he’s always looking for ways to fire up his players while keeping them focused on the task at hand. Sometimes that’s resulted in pointedly placing empty gas cans next to older players’ lockers.

Last season, that meant flying in college mascots like “Purdue Pete” and the Michigan State Spartan to celebrate upset wins over his players’ alma maters. During an appearance on Pro Football Talk from Miami ahead of Super Bowl 54, Alvin Kamara recalled one of Payton’s most-bizarre maneuvers yet.

“One week he brought in some fish,” Kamara said, “He was throwing dead fish in the team meeting room. It was for Seattle, with their fish market. I’m talking about, he’s throwing fish in the team meeting room, it smelled like fish for two days. People were catching them, but they were slippery.”

The famous Pike Place Fish Market is one of Seattle’s most iconic tourist draws, and Payton obviously took notice of what winning the important early-season road game could mean to his team. And lighthearted as it is, the move paid off: that Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks was arguably the most-complete game the Saints played all year, featuring a huge scoop-and-score defensive touchdown by Vonn Bell, a long punt returned for a touchdown by Deonte Harris (who went on to receive first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition), and the best performance in recent memory from Kamara, who scored several touchdowns while shredding the vaunted Seahawks defense through the air and on the ground. Maybe Payton should toss some dead fish around the team meeting room more often.

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Highlights from the 2020 Pro Bowl

Click here to watch highlights from the AFC”s win over the NFC in the 2020 Pro Bowl.

The AFC defeated the NFC 38-33 in the 2020 Pro Bowl on Sunday afternoon. Here are the highlights from the game:

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Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller totaled one sack and wide receiver Courtland Sutton caught four passes for 37 yards in the win.

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2020 Pro Bowl: Russell Wilson steps aside, gives Drew Brees the starting nod

Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson stepped aside to give New Orleans Saints veteran Drew Brees the start for the NFC in the 2020 Pro Bowl.

The 2020 Pro Bowl started with an impressive hat tip from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to his backup on the NFC team, Drew Brees. Wilson chose to let Brees start in his place, showing deference to the respected veteran who he’s said opened doors for him as a shorter passer who may have not gotten such opportunities if Brees hadn’t been so successful.

And it didn’t take Brees long to get to work. He gave the NFC an early lead, following up a 59-yard pass to Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay with a touchdown strike to his favorite target, Michael Thomas. With two drives behind him, Brees trotted off the field having gone 4-for-7 to gain 95 passing yards. Not bad for an older quarterback.

Wilson’s motivation in giving Brees the start is curious. It’s likely he was just paying respects to someone whose career meant a lot to him personally, doing what he could to salute his role model. Hopefully this doesn’t suggest anything about Brees’ future as a player who may or may not return to play another year, or potentially switch careers and get into broadcasting. It’s selfish, but we aren’t ready to accept this Pro Bowl exhibition appearance as his last game in a black and gold helmet.

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Watch all of Drew Lock’s throws from 2019 Senior Bowl

Click here to watch all of Drew Lock’s passes from the 2019 Senior Bowl.

Missiouri quarterback Drew Lock helped the North defeat the South 34-24 in last year’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. All of Lock’s throws — and the throws from every other QB in the game — can be seen in the above video.

Lock went 9-of-14 passing for 57 yards with no touchdowns and no turnovers in last year’s game. Most his his team’s production came on the ground as the North rushed for 179 yards and three scores in the win.

Lock shared snaps with Daniel Jones, Ryan Finley and Trace McSorley at the 2019 Senior Bowl. Of those QBs, only Jones was a higher selection in the NFL draft (sixth overall). Lock was selected by the Broncos in the second round (42nd overall).

Lock started Denver’s final five games of the 2019 season and helped the team win four contests. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards with seven touchdowns against three interceptions.

This year’s Senior Bowl will air on NFL Network (game info here).

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Watch: Cam Jordan mercilessly dusts a few kids in a Pro Bowl foot race

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan accepted the challenge to race some kids at the 2020 Pro Bowl, but he didn’t hold back.

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There’s things you don’t do, like choosing to tug Superman’s cape, or pull the mask off the Lone Ranger. You also don’t challenge New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan to a race.

That’s what a few children and young teens discovered at an event ahead of the 2020 Pro Bowl, when they lined up for a sprint against the 6-foot-4, 287-pound sack artist. Some NFL stars would take the opportunity to let the kids enjoy the spotlight for a moment by throwing the race. But Jordan treated it like a competition.

At least he gave them a second’s head start. But by the time Jordan burst out of his stance, it was no contest, leaving all three of his challengers in the dust.

Later, Jordan justified that decision by explaining it as a motivational tactic: he wanted to help these young athletes to “strive and stride to get faster,” leaving a lasting memory of what it’s like to compete against one of the best football players on the planet. Time will tell if the lesson sticks, but for now we’ve got one entertaining video from the charismatic defensive end.

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Teddy Bridgewater fires back at Rex Ryan, moves on from 2019 with epic highlight reel

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater put the 2019 season behind him with an epic highlight reel chronicling his top plays

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We’re on to 2020. That’s the message New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater shared on Wednesday, along with an impressive cut-up of his best plays during the five-game stretch he started last season. The Saints were in a tight spot and had to lean hard on the backup, and he responded well by going undefeated in his time as the starting quarterback.

Not everyone was in on his chances to succeed. Bridgewater took a shot at former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan in the same video, including a brief clip of Ryan appearing in an ESPN segment and emphatically writing him off.

When asked whether Bridgewater or Taysom Hill should step up during Drew Brees’ absence with a hand injury, Ryan said, “It better not be Bridgewater but I think it will be, and if it is, they’re not gonna win. I don’t like Teddy Bridgewater and I don’t think he can play.” The clown emoji edited onto Ryan’s face after that ill-advised hot take is just icing on the cake.

You can see Bridgewater’s new highlight tape where it’s embedded below, or at this link. Hopefully this isn’t his way of saying goodbye. His contract expires in March, but if the Saints are smart, they’ll find a way to renew it.

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WATCH: Broncos’ top defensive plays from 2019 NFL season

Here are the Broncos’ top defensive plays from last season.

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The Broncos brought in a defensive-minded head coach in Vic Fangio last year and his squad lived up to expectations. Denver ranked 12th in yards allowed per game (337.0) and 10th in points allowed per game (19.8).

“We had a bunch of guys that stepped up,” Broncos general manager John Elway said on Dec. 30. “Mike Purcell came in and was tremendous at nose guard. A.J. Johnson at linebacker came in. We’ve got to continue.

“We still have a young roster and the thing is these guys have to continue to focus on getting better. That’s how we get better as a team. Our young guys got to continue to get better. A lot of pleasant surprises, guys that came in and played well for us in tough situations.”

Fangio and Elway will have to make some important decisions this offseason with several key defenders scheduled to become free agents in March. Denver’s list of pending free agents includes cornerback Chris Harris, defensive ends Derek Wolfe and Shelby Harris, and safeties Justin Simmons and Will Parks. NFL free agency will begin March 18.

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WATCH: Broncos’ top plays from 2019 NFL season

Here are the Broncos’ top plays from last season.

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The Broncos’ media department published a video of the team’s top plays from the 2019 season this week. Though Denver missed the playoffs, the team still had some memorable moments last season.

The Broncos started the year poorly but ended on a strong note, winning four of their final five games.

“It feels [good] to finish the way that we finished,” Denver general manager John Elway said on Dec. 30. “I think with Vic [Fangio] and his staff and what they did — I’m excited about what he did. He had a tremendous year for us and battle through some tough times.

“We had a lot of things that didn’t go our way but battled through that. I think the most encouraging thing is you watch how this team played the whole year. They played hard the whole year. That number one is the most exciting thing.”

After ending last year on a strong note, the Broncos will look to build on their momentum and return to the playoffs in 2020.

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