Tag: Isaac Bruce

Dolphins offense reminds Raiders HC Antonio Pierce of Greatest Show on Turf

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce drew a strong comparison between the Dolphins offense and that of the Rams ‘Greatest Show on Turf’.

Much has been made this week about the sheer speed the Dolphins possess on offense. With the likes Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, and De’Von Achane, they have elite speed. Or as Raiders DC Patrick Graham put it ‘they can run-run‘.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce played in the league for nine years from 2001-09. And when he was asked Friday what offense the Dolphins offense reminds him of, he made a strong comparison.

“The Rams. On the turf,” Pierce said referencing the St Louis Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf offense. “Like that was real. When they were rolling with Kurt Warner and [Tory] Holt and [Isaac] Bruce and Marshall Faulk. Even later on down the road, didn’t even matter if it was on grass, they were fast. Like it was on you right now. The speed is legit. You can’t mimic it. We’re doing the best we can in practice.

“But the good part about it like I said, we went against these guys last year and really felt the speed of Hill and Waddle and those guys over there. So we understand that, and we respect it. But at the at the end of the day, with speed you have put hands on them, right? Physicality needs to show up.”

It’s one thing to have to deal with great speed at receiver where the defense lines up their fastest players. It’s another thing to then also have to account for the running backs coming out of the backfield as well as making plays in the passing game.

De’Von Achane leads the team in rushing (457) and yards from scrimmage (774). He’s a legit game breaker whose career has been mired by injuries, including when the Raiders faced the Dolphins last season.

“Just dynamic. Everything’s explosive. Everything’s a big gain,” Pierce said of Achane. “Everything’s an explosive gain in the run game, the pass game, route-running. I think, obviously you look at the size, you think a smaller guy, but he runs like a big boy. He runs behind his pads, does a good job. He gets on you fast, and the arm tackles is not going to work with a player like this. You have to chest him up. You have to just put the body blows on him to slow him down throughout the game.”

That’s your Holt, Bruce, and Faulk comps right there. Tua Tagovailoa is a far cry from Kurt Warner, but with those weapons he may not have to be.

All-Time Saints Villains: Who has put up the most receiving yards against New Orleans?

Who has put up the most receiving yards against the New Orleans Saints? All-time rivals include Jerry Rice, Julio Jones, and Steve Smith Sr.:

New Orleans Saints fans have had the misfortune of watching a lot of talented receivers play against their team over the years — including bona fide Pro Football Hall of Famers and many of the best pass-catchers to ever suit up for some franchises.

But which of those players did the most damage? Who would you say have been their biggest rivals? Thanks to StatMuse, here are the players with the highest all-time receiving yardage in games against the Saints:

Isaac Bruce breaks down what makes Cooper Kupp so special

Isaac Bruce knows what it takes to excel at wide receiver, so when he talks about Cooper Kupp, it’s worth a listen

Cooper Kupp put together arguably the greatest season in Rams history, catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He set franchise records for receptions and receiving yards, topping marks previously held by Isaac Bruce.

Even though he played one more game thanks to the NFL’s 18-week regular season, Kupp’s campaign was one of the record books. Bruce paid close attention to his performance and the Rams’ season as a whole, so he’s well aware of just how dominant Kupp was.

During an appearance on the Jim Rome Show, Bruce broke down what makes Kupp special, praising the mental aspect of his game and his ability to see the field like a quarterback.

“I always say once a guy has it – what I mean by that is, for a wide receiver to have it, that means he now has quarterback eyes,” Bruce said. “So he can read a defense, he can go pre-snap, he can manipulate. He’s faster than what people give him credit for. He’s very elusive and I just think he’s really strong in catching the football. He catches it in a crowd and he plays at two speeds. That’s one of the things that Torry (Holt) and myself, we always tried to make sure we were doing. It’s kind of like making the defensive back think that we’re running full speed but we’re really not and then once the ball gets in our hands, we’re able to turn it on and he does that perfectly.”

Kupp was outstanding in the regular season, and his stellar play has continued in the playoffs, too. He caught nine passes for 183 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers in the divisional round on Sunday, bringing his postseason average up to 122 yards per game with 14 total receptions this year.

After missing the playoffs in 2018 and being forced to sit out last year’s loss to the Packers in the second round due to injury, Kupp is showing just how valuable he is to the Rams this postseason.

Cooper Kupp pays homage to Isaac Bruce after breaking Rams’ single-season receptions record

Cooper Kupp took to Twitter to share high praise for Isaac Bruce after breaking the Rams’ single-season receptions record.

Back in 1995, Isaac Bruce set the single-season receptions record for the Rams (at the time, they were the St. Louis Rams) with 119 catches. That record has stood for 25 seasons until this year, with Cooper Kupp surpassing the Hall of Fame wideout during Tuesday night’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.

After eclipsing Bruce’s long-standing franchise record for receptions, Kupp went to Twitter to respond to the all-time great’s congratulatory tweet, expressing his respect for Bruce’s contributions to the wide receiver position.

Kupp broke the record on a touchdown reception in the third quarter and he now has 122 receptions entering Week 16. After setting a new single-season record for receptions for the Rams, Kupp is also on track to surpass Elroy Hirsch’s single-season receiving touchdowns record of 17 for Los Angeles.

Besides Bruce’s receptions record, Kupp is well on his way to pass Bruce for the most receiving yards in a season in franchise history. Bruce also set the record for receiving yards in 1995 with 1,781, while Kupp currently has 1,625 yards with three games remaining.

During his 14-year career with the Rams, Bruce was the model of consistency at the wide receiver position. From 1994-2007, Bruce posted eight 1,000-yard seasons and finished his career with the fifth-most receiving yards in NFL history.

Even though Kupp is a special player in his own right, he understands that Bruce was someone that paved the way before him on the Rams.

Watch: Former Rams share heartfelt messages for Isaac Bruce after Hall of Fame induction

Isaac Bruce was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame over the weekend, and his former teammates had some heartfelt messages for him.

Saturday was a big night for one former member of the St. Louis Rams as legendary wide receiver Isaac Bruce was finally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He entered with the rest of the 2020 class, finally earning his place in Canton after four years as a finalist.

He gave an expectedly fiery speech and asked his doubters, “How do you like me now?” He donned the gold jacket and had his bust revealed, which will forever have a place in the Hall of Fame.

He thanked his teammates for their support while they were together in St. Louis, and on Wednesday, the Rams shared a video of his teammates and coaches congratulating him on the accomplishment of making it to Canton.

Among those to share messages with Bruce were Orlando Pace, Dick Vermeil, Ricky Proehl, Torry Holt, D’Marco Farr, Henry Ellard and Jim Everett, as well as many others.

Watch Isaac Bruce’s awesome Hall of Fame speech

Isaac Bruce was finally enshrined as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday and his speech was fantastic.

Isaac Bruce took the stage in Canton, Ohio on Saturday night as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an honor that was long overdue for the former Rams receiver. He was allotted eight minutes for his induction speech, making the most of his time in the spotlight.

Bruce gave his speech after his bust was unveiled on stage, and it was expectedly fiery, just as Bruce was throughout his career. He thanked his teammates and everyone who supported him on his path to Canton, and even called out his doubters.

“How you like me now?” he said.

If you missed Bruce’s speech, watch the full thing below.

https://youtu.be/mOrGuld3MtE

Check out Isaac Bruce’s Hall of Fame bust

Check out Isaac Bruce’s Hall of Fame bust, which was unveiled at Saturday’s enshrinement.

Isaac Bruce is officially a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being enshrined on Saturday night in Canton. The former Rams legend was a finalist four times in six years of eligibility, eventually earning his due by being voted in last year in the Class of 2020.

The enshrinement ceremony was held Saturday after being delayed a year due to the pandemic and with that came the unveiling of his bust. It looks exactly like the Rams great and will forever be displayed at the Hall of Fame with the other members of the illustrious group.

Check out a first look at his bust below.

And the official unveiling in Canton:

How to watch Isaac Bruce’s Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony

Isaac Bruce will give his enshrinement speech on Saturday night in Canton.

Isaac Bruce is not only one of the best players to ever suit up for the Rams, but one of the game’s best wide receivers in history. He ranks 13th all-time in receptions (1,024), fifth in receiving yards (15,208) and 12th in touchdown catches (91), earning four Pro Bowl selections and winning one Super Bowl ring.

That incredible resume is what earned Bruce a spot in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020. He was supposed to take part in the enshrinement ceremony last year, but that was postponed due to the pandemic.

The Hall of Fame moved the event to this weekend and it will be held on Saturday night, with the Class of 2021 having its ceremony on Sunday night. Each member of the class will give a speech to the crowd and they have been told to limit their speeches to six minutes and they will be played off by music after eight minutes.

Below is the order of speeches, with Bruce being eighth in line.

1. Harold Carmichael
2. Cliff Harris
3. Edgerrin James
4. Steve Atwater
5. Paul Tagliabue
6. Steve Hutchinson
7. Donnie Shell
8. Isaac Bruce
9. Jimbo Covert
10. Troy Polamalu
11. Jimmy Johnson
12. Bill Cowher

The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night and is expected to last until 10:30 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on ESPN and NFL Network.

Considering the order of speeches, it’s likely that Bruce will give his toward the end of the evening, likely around 9:45-10 p.m. ET, depending on the length of the speeches ahead of him.

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Look: Isaac Bruce, Hall of Famers take huge group photo in Canton

Isaac Bruce is getting close to being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Isaac Bruce is getting ready for a big week in Canton as he’ll take part in the enshrinement ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, entering as a member of the Class of 2020. The festivities will take place on Saturday, with each member of the class giving a speech and being recognized by those in attendance.

The Rams legend is already in Canton prepping for the memorable day and on Friday, members of the Hall of Fame took a huge group photo with those who will be enshrined this weekend – including the 2021 class, as well.

Take a look at the photo below and see if you can spot any other Rams greats.

The class of 2020’s enshrinement ceremony will take place on Saturday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Isaac Bruce says he and Torry Holt are the best WR duo in NFL history

Isaac Bruce believes he and Torry Holt are the best WR duo in NFL history over Randy Moss and Cris Carter.

Some people would venture to say that Randy Moss and Cris Carter are the best wide receiver duo in NFL history. Moss and Carter played from 1998-2001 on the Minnesota Vikings together. In their first three seasons, Moss and Carter each posted 1,000-plus receiving yards and at least nine touchdowns, striking fear into opposing defenses. Despite the stellar production that Moss and Carter compiled together, Isaac Bruce believes that he and Torry Holt are the best wide receiver duo of all time thanks to their dominance together with the St. Louis Rams.

“It may seem like a whole lot of arrogance to other people, but numbers don’t lie,” Bruce said during a virtual interview on Tuesday, via Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports. “Everything we put on the football field, the film, it is what it is. You can always go back and turn it on.”

When asked whether he and Holt were a better duo than Moss and Carter, Bruce uttered that they have something the Vikings’ duo doesn’t.

“We won a Super Bowl,” Bruce said.

Besides having a Super Bowl ring to flaunt, Bruce and Holt also played together longer than the duo of Moss and Carter. After Holt was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft, Bruce and Holt would spend 1999-2007 together on the Rams. Over the course of those nine seasons, they won a Super Bowl in Holt’s rookie year and proceeded to make the Super Bowl in 2001, only to lose to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Amid Bruce and Holt’s run with the Rams, they were one of the most dominant wide receiver pairings we’ve ever seen grace the gridiron. The numbers speak for themselves as Bruce is preparing to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month and Holt has a chance to be enshrined in Canton at some point in the future, too. While there has been an abundance of gifted wide receiver duos to play in the NFL, Bruce doesn’t believe any of them are superior to him and Holt.