Tag: huddle

WATCH: Demario Davis addresses Saints pregame huddle for maybe the last time in 2023

WATCH: Demario Davis addresses Saints pregame huddle for what may be the last time in the 2023 season

The New Orleans Saints have underachieved this year, but you can’t put the blame on Demario Davis. The veteran linebacker has continued to step up when his team has needed him — proving yet again why he’s such a valuable leader in the locker room. He leads by example and works hard to elevate those around him.

And on Sunday, Davis delivered his traditional pregame speech to his huddled teammates for what may be the final time during the 2023 season. The Saints will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the archrival Atlanta Falcons. A win won’t clinch a playoff berth either, but the roads to the postseason all start there. Hopefully Davis and his Saints teammates can do enough to win the day and see if their season will keep going.

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WATCH: Demario Davis delivers passionate pregame speech to his Saints teammates

WATCH: Demario Davis delivers fiery pregame speech to his Saints teammates before kickoff with the Buccaneers

The New Orleans Saints have had to lean hard on their captains this year, and Demario Davis has responded. The veteran linebacker is the heartbeat of the defense — if not the entire locker room — and he’s continuing his weekly pregame ritual even under the adversity this team has battled through in 2023. Davis delivered a passionate pregame speech to his teammates before kickoff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Davis implored his teammates to rain on the Buccaneers’ parade: hit them hard, spoil their playoff hopes, and play the game on the Saints’ terms. Tampa Bay can win the NFC South with a victory, which would all but eliminate New Orleans from the playoffs. The gravity of the moment isn’t lost on Davis. Let’s hope everyone in the organization is working with the same level of urgency.

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WATCH: Demario Davis addresses the Saints pregame hurdle in Week 10

WATCH: Demario Davis addresses the Saints pregame hurdle before kickoff with the Vikings in Week 10

We’re minutes away from kickoff between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings, and All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis is here to lead the way. Davis addressed his teammates in their traditional pregame huddle from U.S. Bank Stadium, delivering a speech to get everyone hyped up. It’s a practice he took over from Drew Brees who led the huddle each week for a decade.

And he’s someone who leads by example. There aren’t many linebackers who play every down for their defense, and even fewer of them do so after turning 34. Davis has beaten Father Time thus far, and the Saints will be counting on him to do it again on Sunday against the Vikings.

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WATCH: Demario Davis leads the Saints pregame huddle before Week 3 kickoff

WATCH: Demario Davis leads the Saints pregame huddle before Week 3 kickoff

No one can say the New Orleans saints lack for veteran leadership. Not with All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis leading them each week. The team’s defensive captain has taken over Drew Brees’ long-running tradition of delivering a pregame speech, gathering his teammates around to hype them up before kickoff each week.

They’ll need it. Facing a 1-1 start and a tough road game against an always-pesky divisional opponent, it’ll take everything Davis and the other leaders on the team have to keep everyone focused and energized in a high-pressure scenario. Let’s see if they can come away with a win at Bank of America Stadium.

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Grant Williams se coló en el huddle de los Bucks y disfrutó enormemente el Juego 7, el juego de su vida

Los Celtics llegaron a su Juego 7 sintiendo mucha presión. Milwaukee y Giannis Antetokounmpo eran los campeones defensores. Incluso con la evolución hacia una estrella de Jayson Tatum, Boston ya había perdido un Juego 1 y un Juego 5 muy complicados …

Los Celtics llegaron a su Juego 7 sintiendo mucha presión.

Milwaukee y Giannis Antetokounmpo eran los campeones defensores. Incluso con la evolución hacia una estrella de Jayson Tatum, Boston ya había perdido un Juego 1 y un Juego 5 muy complicados como locales. Con todo sobre la línea, otra derrota frente al escandaloso TD Garden hubiera sido imposible de soportar.

Afortunadamente, los Celtics tenían a Grant Williams de su lado: uno de los principales jugadores de la NBA. Él guardó los mejores de sus mejores trucos para cuando los Celtics necesitaran de una actuación crítica por parte de uno de los jugadores de la banca.

Por ejemplo, colarse al huddle de los Bucks para ver qué planes tenían para derrotar a la defensiva opresiva de los Celtics:

Traducción: Grant Williams trató de ser parte del huddle de los Bucks.

 

Caray, Williams, ¡qué astuto! Nosotros realmente apreciamos que Jrue Holiday se diera cuenta de la presencia de Williams con un golpecito de cadera mientras que Antetokounmpo se le quedaba viendo sin chistar.

Claramente, Williams encontró todos los planos de contraataque de los Bucks pues los Celtics terminaron ganando el partido 108-81. Ahora jugarán contra el Heat en las Finales de la Conferencia del este. Con lo sigiloso que resultó ser, Williams terminó anotando 27 puntos muy oportunos con siete tiros de tres puntos. Perdón, pero es no fue coincidencia.

Eso sí, la intrusión de Williams probablemente se sienta como realmente se siente jugar contra los Celtics. Cada vez que piensas que tienes un momento para relajarte y recuperar el aliento, uno de sus jugadores literalmente te está respirando sobre el cuello. ¡Mucho cuidado, Miami!

 

Artículo traducido por Ana Lucía Toledo

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Watch: Cameron Jordan leads the Saints pregame huddle

Cameron Jordan stepped in for Demario Davis and Kwon Alexander to lead the Saints pregame huddle before kickoff with Miami:

The pregame speech has become an important ritual for the New Orleans Saints over the years, with Drew Brees’ weekly speeches giving way to Demario Davis’ passionate deliveries. But neither of them were available on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins. Davis’ usual partner in the huddle, Kwon Alexander, was unavailable too. So naturally speculation swirled on social media as to who would step into the role.

It ended up being Cameron Jordan. Regularly voted a team captain, Jordan has been known for leading by example rather than by his words — he’s funny and charismatic but isn’t really a rah-rah “rally the troops” kind of guy. So it was surprising to see him address his teammates in the Caesars Superdome end zone, which we’ve embedded above.

Let’s hope his message resonates. The Saints need all hands on deck to handle the Dolphins after losing dozens of players to the COVID-19 reserve list. If they’re going to come away with a win, it’ll be because Jordan and those around him made some game-changing plays.

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Watch: Demario Davis hypes up the Saints before kickoff vs. Cowboys

Watch: Demario Davis hypes up the Saints before kickoff vs. Cowboys

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This will get you fired up: here’s this week’s look inside the New Orleans Saints pregame huddle, with defensive captain Demario Davis addressing his teammates before kickoff with the Dallas Cowboys. Things haven’t gone their way in recent weeks, but it’s a long season and Davis is putting in the work to keep everyone’s attention focused on what’s important — fighting hard to come away with a win.

As injuries continue to mount and adversity grows in front of this Saints team, they’re going to need team leaders like Davis to step up and make an impact. Let’s see if they have what it takes to save their season.

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Fantasy preview: How will Broncos’ stars perform against Chiefs?

Wondering how the Broncos’ stars will fare against the Chiefs? The Huddle offers fantasy projections for Sunday’s game.

In advance of Sunday’s Denver Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs game, Broncos Wire examines the matchup with fantasy football projections for Denver players courtesy of our colleagues at The Huddle.

This week is the first meeting of the season for these AFC West rivals. The Denver Broncos (6-5) handled the Chargers last week and are in a three-way tie for No. 2 in the division (or the cellar, depending on how you look at it). The Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) are on a four-game winning streak and tragically logged three wins while never scoring over 20 points.

Played in Kansas City, this is expected to be one of the bigger winning margins of the weekend. This game either spreads the division out more in the standings, or AFC West becomes a giant knot with no clarity until the end of the season.

The Chiefs swept the Broncos in 2020, winning 22-16 at home and 43-16 in Denver.

The win over the visiting Chargers last week knotted up the AFC West, and if they’re able to beat the Chiefs, the division could end up with all four teams at 7-5. But the Broncos are inconsistent and have wild swings in scoring from week to week. The biggest determinant of the Broncos winning is if their opponent can stop the run, because Denver’s backfield duo presents a powerful 1-2 punch, but quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t turned in a notable performance since Week 6. The Broncos’ destiny is in their own hands. The final six games contain a road trip to each AFC West team and a Week 18 hosting of the Chiefs.

Quarterback

Bridgewater injured his lower leg in the win over the Chargers but returned to play after Drew Lock threw an interception, fumbled, got sacked, and only completed four of seven passes for 25 yards. There’s been no word that his injury is expected to be an ongoing issue, but he’s not been a significant factor in recent weeks. Bridgewater hasn’t passed for more than 250 yards in the last five games and totaled just five passing touchdowns in that time. Bridgewater threw a touchdown to a wide receiver just once in those five contests.

Teddy Bridgewater projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy Points: 16
Passing: 240 yds, 1 TD

Running backs

The backfield has been effective in splitting the workload between Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon, and with around 25 carries or more in games, there is enough to ensure both carry fantasy value, even if it is less than being a true primary rusher. Williams scored his third touchdown of the year in Week 12 when he gained 54 yards on 14 rushes, and he also became the leading receiver with three receptions for 57 yards. Melvin Gordon is the more likely to score a short touchdown, but Williams does a little more as a receiver. The Broncos use their backfield for at least one score in each of the last six weeks.

Melvin Gordon III projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy points: 13
Rushing: 40 yds, 1 TD
Receiving: 2 rec, 10 yds

Javonte Williams projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy points: 11
Rushing: 40 yds
Receiving: 4 rec, 30 yds

Wide receivers

Denver has a capable trio of wideouts, and each has produced well in the past. But Courtland Sutton‘s hot start to the season ended in Week 7, and he’s never scored or gained more than 68 yards. In the two recent homestands against Washington and the Chargers, Sutton was held to fewer than 15 yards. Jerry Jeudy returned from injured reserve in Week 8 but hasn’t fared any better. He’s been mildly more productive with yardage and comes off a Week 12 where he only caught two passes for 25 yards. Throw in Tim Patrick, and the wideouts are mostly blocking and offering mediocre production in recent weeks. As disappointing as the results are with Bridgewater as the passer, there’s nothing better on the depth chart.

Jerry Jeudy projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy points: 11
Receiving: 6 rec, 50 yds

Courtland Sutton projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy points: 9
Receiving: 4 rec, 50 yds

Tim Patrick projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy points: 7
Receiving: 3 rec, 40 yds

Tight end

Noah Fant shows up about every other week and totals four touchdowns on the season. But in the same vein as the wideouts, his production has taken the same nosedive, and he’s had two games with fewer than 15 yards over the past three weeks. Even against the No. 28 defense versus tight ends in the Chargers, he only caught three passes for 12 yards.

Noah Fant projection vs. Chiefs
Fantasy points: 15
Receiving: 5 rec, 40 yds, 1 TD

Match to defense

The problem this week is that the Chiefs haven’t allowed any runner to score since Week 4. The only running back in that time to rush for more than 60 yards was the healthy Derrick Henry (29-86). The Broncos could have moderate success running the ball if they keep the Chiefs’ scoring down. But even then, it gets split into two between Gordon and Williams.

The Chiefs’ secondary was much victimized over the initial five games of the season but has since improved. They’ve not allowed more than two passing touchdowns and kept most opponents below 225 passing yards including Dak Prescott in Week 11. Bridgewater’s string of low-yardage, one-touchdown passing fits right into what the Chiefs allow.

The Chiefs’ biggest weakness is versus tight ends, who have scored six times on them — and five gained over 50 yards when they played. All of the Broncos receivers have been more risk than reward for the past month, and that extends to Fant. The wideouts are even less likely to score than Fant.

Fantasy preview: How will Broncos’ stars perform against Chargers?

Wondering how the Broncos’ stars will fare against the Chargers? The Huddle offers fantasy projections for Sunday’s game.

In advance of Sunday’s Denver Broncos-Los Angeles Chargers game, Broncos Wire examines the matchup with fantasy football projections for Denver players courtesy of our colleagues at The Huddle.

This matchup is the first meeting of the season for these AFC West rivals. The Denver Broncos (5-5) fell to the visiting Eagles in Week 10, a week after beating the Cowboys in Dallas. The Los Angeles Chargers (6-4) are 3-1 in road games and just beat the Steelers in a 41-37 shootout.

This game is a coin flip, with the Chargers owning the better offense but the Broncos at home sporting a better defense. The problem for the Broncos is that they’ve struggled to score points in recent weeks other than the trap game in Dallas.

These divisional rivals traded home wins in 2020. The Broncos won 31-30 in Denver, and the Chargers won 19-16 in Los Angeles.

The positives from beating the Cowboys in Dallas went away the following week when the Broncos couldn’t handle the visiting Eagles. But even at 5-5, the Broncos are in the thick of the AFC West race, with this first matchup with the Chargers and then the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. They lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6 but will face them again in Week 16.

The aspect of the Broncos that is going to limit them is the passing offense that’s gone four games without posting any significant production, even though that also matches up to the return of Jerry Jeudy, which should have improved the attack. Teddy Bridgewater isn’t making a strong case to return as a starter in 2022, if that was ever in the plans. Fans are also growing restless with third-year head coach Vic Fangio.

Quarterback

The inconsistency in passing with Bridgewater does play off the success of the rushing offense, but only in the way that when the Broncos can run well, they pass much better. If the rushing effort tanks, the passing game is sure to falter as well. Last week against Philly, Bridgewater only managed 226 yards and no scores in a game with 36 pass attempts. He threw for just one score and moderate yardage against the Cowboys and Washington. More troubling still is the fact that the return of Jeudy back in Week 8 didn’t make any positive difference, even though Bridgewater now has three viable weapons for wide receivers.

Teddy Bridgewater projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy Points: 16
Passing: 240 yds, 1 TD

Running backs

The backfield split continues with no changes. Melvin Gordon has been given slightly more carries and all of the goal-line work in the past three games, and he’s scored in each of his past four games. Javonte Williams has just two touchdowns on the year and only one as a rusher. Williams broke 100 yards in Week 9 in Dallas with 111 yards on 17 carries versus the 21 rushes for 80 yards and a score for Gordon. Against Philadelphia, Gordon (9-45, TD) and Williams (8-48) still split up the meager workload.

There’s likely nothing that will change the committee approach, but Gordon is only signed for this year. They’ll have to decide if he’s worth bringing back in 2022, though his salary is $8 million to only $1 million for Williams.

Melvin Gordon III projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy points: 16
Rushing: 50 yds, 1 TD
Receiving: 3 rec, 20 yds

Javonte Williams projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy points: 13
Rushing: 60 yds
Receiving: 4 rec, 30 yds

Wide receivers

Jeudy only has appeared in four games and still has not scored this year. Since his return in Week 8, he’s been stuck around six catches for 50 to 70 yards each week. Meanwhile, Courtland Sutton‘s production has all but evaporated. After scoring in Weeks 7 and 8 and locking down five or more catches per game, Sutton hasn’t received more than four targets in the past three weeks and topped out at only two catches for 40 yards back in Week 8. Tim Patrick‘s production tends to vary from week to week, but he just signed a new three-year contract worth up to $34.5 million — not bad for a previously undrafted player and a lot considering that Sutton becomes a free agent in the offseason.

Jerry Jeudy projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy points: 11
Receiving: 5 rec, 60 yds

Tim Patrick projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy points: 8
Receiving: 3 rec, 50 yds

Courtland Sutton projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy points: 5
Receiving: 2 rec, 30 yds

Tight end

Noah Fant isn’t a difference-maker, but he’s a part of the passing puzzle and returned from a one-week absence due to COVID-19 to post five catches for 59 yards in the loss to the Eagles. He’s much more likely to score and post significant stats at home.

Noah Fant projection vs. Chargers
Fantasy points: 17
Receiving: 6 rec, 50 yds, 1 TD

Match to defense

The Chargers defense is unique in that it’s great against quarterbacks (No. 3) and wideouts (No. 2), and yet terrible versus tight ends, who have totaled eight scores on them. All wideouts combined have just six touchdowns against this defense and only two in the past five games. The Bolts gave up four tight-end scores in just the past two games alone. Fant should be a lock for one of his better efforts.

The other weakness of the Chargers is stopping the run. Most opponents feature a running back with over 80 rushing yards, and three already have topped 100 rushing yards. They’ve yielded 14 scores to the position, and that includes five touchdowns in just the past two road games. Both Williams and Gordon are must-starts this week. Jeudy has the most upside for wideouts, but there’s just as much risk of a down game.

Week 5 fantasy preview: How will Broncos’ stars fare against Steelers?

Wondering how the Broncos’ stars will fare statistically against the Steelers? The Huddle offers fantasy projections for Sunday’s game.

The 3-1 Broncos suffered their first loss of the season to the Ravens last week, while the 1-3 Steelers are on a three-game losing streak thanks to a brutal opening schedule that still is not improving.

The Broncos may be without their quarterback, and the Steelers will have to play with a deteriorating Ben Roethlisberger. This is a coin flip in a game that is bound to be low scoring, so any play may tip the game to one team or the other.

The Steelers won 26-21 when the Broncos visited in Week 2 last year.

Team notes

The Broncos remain tied with the Raiders for the AFC West lead since both lost in Week 4. If Teddy Bridgewater misses time with his concussion, the offense drops another notch, and it’s already below average in most categories. The schedule opened with three easy wins over teams that combined for 2-10 records. But the Ravens proved to be too much, and the schedule shifts with the next three matchups against the Steelers, Raiders and Browns. A mediocre passing offense can be compensated for by a good defense and rushing game. But these next few weeks will require more than handoffs to win.

Quarterback

Teddy Bridgewater is in the league’s concussion protocol, and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. I’ll assume that he’ll get one week off and update if needed. Shifting back to Drew Lock is not what this offense needs heading into a tougher stretch of the schedule. Lock entered last week’s game after halftime and only completed 12-of-21 for 113 yards and one interception. Jeff Driskel threw for 256 yards and two scores on the Steelers last year.

Drew Lock projection vs. Steelers
Fantasy points: 14
Passing: 200 yds, 1 TD

Running backs

Melvin Gordon was limited in practices because of his ribs and leg last week, but he was active and ran nine times for 56 yards while Javonte Williams gained 48 yards on seven runs. The backfield runs a near-exact split of carries so that neither back is logging significant production. Gordon totals two touchdowns to only one for Williams. The duo combines for above-average running back points but only offers moderate yardage individually. The Broncos ran for 90 yards on 22 carries at the Steelers last season.

Javonte Williams projection vs. Steelers
Fantasy points: 10
Rushing: 40 yds, 0 TD
Receiving: 3 rec, 30 yds

Melvin Gordon projection vs. Steelers
Fantasy points: 9
Rushing: 50 yds, 0 TD
Receiving: 2 rec, 20 yds

Wide receivers

The passing stats were marginal even when the Broncos played the Giants, Jaguars, and Jets. Tim Patrick scored in Weeks 1 and 2 as the only touchdowns for the unit. Courtland Sutton produced one monster game in Jacksonville and never more than 50 yards in any other game. Almost all fantasy value is stripped from the wideouts, even Sutton, who was held in check in all but one game. Patrick managed 98 yards in Week 3 but otherwise never gained more than 39 yards.

Courtland Sutton projection vs. Steelers
Fantasy points: 8
Receiving: 4 rec, 40 yds

Tim Patrick projection vs. Steelers
Fantasy points: 7
Receiving: 3 rec, 40 yds

Tight ends

Noah Fant tends to do better when the Broncos face a top secondary. He posted touchdowns against both the Giants and Ravens and totals 18 catches on the year to tie with Courtland Sutton for the team high.

Noah Fant projection vs. Steelers
Fantasy points: 15
Receiving: 4 rec, 50 yds, 1 TD

Match to the defense

The challenge is that the strength of the Denver offense is rushing. And the strength of the Pittsburgh defense is run-stopping. The Steelers have not allowed any touchdowns by a running back this year. The Broncos will force the run until it works, even more so if they have to start Drew Lock, but their split of carries will ensure that neither back has more than moderate results.

The Steelers always allow at least one touchdown pass, but even if Bridgewater starts, it is not an attractive fantasy situation. And less so if Lock is there. The passing stats have all dropped recently, anyway, and now on the road at the Steelers, it gets worse. Noah Fant is still a moderate start and the most likely to score if there is a touchdown. Gordon and Williams both add a few catches to help their fantasy value but are only flex options at best.