Tag: Jamal Adams

Players of Week 10 awards hit Cowboys with disheartening double-whammy

The Dallas defense has, for the third time in five games, allowed an opponent to collect Offensive Player of the Week honors.

It’s happened again. For the third time in ten weeks of regular season play, an opponent of the Dallas Cowboys has been named their conference’s offensive Player of the Week. This time, it’s Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who compiled 97 ground yards and a rushing touchdown on Sunday night in Arlington, and then added 86 receiving yards for good measure.

Cook was his team’s leading rusher as well as its primary receiver; his 183 scrimmage yards on 33 touches accounted for over half of Minnesota’s total offensive output for the game.

Cook, in his third season after being drafted in the second round out of Florida State, is currently the league’s top runner with 991 ground yards after 10 games. Despite a reputation across his first two pro seasons for being injury-prone, Cook is suddenly on pace for a monster year in 2019 that could net him more than just the rushing title.

Cook is just the latest to have a breakout performance against a Cowboys defense that is proving to be barely a shadow of the unit that fans were promised coming into the regular season. Week 5’s loss to Green Bay resulted in NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Packers running back Aaron Jones, the first rusher to ever score four touchdowns against a Dallas squad in a single game. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold won AFC honors a week later, returning from mononucleosis to torch the Cowboys’ secondary in Week 6.

Over the Cowboys’ last five games, the defense has allowed the Offensive Player of the Week to emerge out of three of them. Lions stars like wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, Jr. and rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson may be salivating right about now. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is likely lobbying Detroit’s medical staff hard to allow him to return to action after missing last week. But at this rate, even backups Jeff Driskel and J.D. McKissic have to like their chances should they step into a starting role once again.

If the news of Cook’s honor didn’t rub in a sickening loss quite enough for Cowboys fans, the Player of the Week announcements added an extra sucker punch on the AFC side.

Jets safety Jamal Adams, who the Cowboys tried unsuccessfully to acquire before the season’s trade deadline, went on to win the Defensive Player of the Week award for the game he had in Week 10. Adams racked up nine tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble-return touchdown against the Giants.

A defensive stat line like that sure would have come in handy against Cook. Maybe it would been enough to make someone else the Week 10 NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

For a group that had its sights set on elite-caliber accolades, the Cowboys’ defense has become a clear league leader in letting their opponents shine on offense.

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6 takeaways from Christopher Johnson’s Wednesday comments

What did Jets acting CEO Christopher Johnson say on Wednesday? Here are the Jets Wire’s six takeaways.

Christopher Johnson ended his media hiatus Wednesday to deliver an unsurprising bit of news.

Johnson announced that Adam Gase will return as the team’s head coach in 2020 despite his failings thus far. Gase has gone 2-7 and Sam Darnold has struggled under his direction. Instead of listening to reactionary fans, though, Johnson will stick with Gase next season — for better or worse.

Gase, however, was not the only subject Johnson spoke about when he met with reporters. With that said, here are six takeaways from his Wednesday press conference.

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Jets S Jamal Adams named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Following a lackluster performance, Jamal Adams silenced critics and played well enough to be named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

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Jamal Adams was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his impressive performance against the New York Giants on Sunday.

After struggling against the Dolphins amid frustrations with the Jets’ consistent losing and trade rumors, Adams silenced critics with arguably the best game of his career.

Adams finished with a team-high nine tackles and two sacks in the 34-27 win over the Giants, including a strip-sack in which he pick-pocketed the ball out of Daniel Jones’ hands and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. It was his second touchdown of the season.

“Before the game, he told us, ‘Match my intensity today,'” linebacker Brandon Copeland said. “And he delivered. Not too many players you see can say something like that and deliver.”

Adams’ intensity on Sunday helped lead the Jets out of a three-game losing streak.

In nine games played this season, Adams has 43 solo tackles, five for a loss, five quarterback hits, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets jump up 2 spots

Check out where the Jets stand in the latest edition of the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

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After knocking off their roommates in a come from behind victory at home, the Jets moved up two spots in the latest edition of USA TODAY’s NFL power rankings.

New York moved up from No. 31 to No. 29 after beating the Giants, 34-27, Sunday. After three consecutive losses, one more embarrassing than the next, the Jets bounced back with a much-needed win.

The Jets were able to harass Daniel Jones all game long while containing Saquon Barkley. Gang Green sacked Jones six times, causing multiple fumbles. The Jets’ front seven also held Barkley to one rushing yard on 13 carries. The defense rose to the occasion, including Jamal Adams, who easily had the best game of his young career.

The safety had nine tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and the play of the game when he pick-pocketed Jones, leading to his second touchdown of the season.

Fortunately for New York, its ensuing schedule may allow the team to get back on track. Future rises in the power rankings shouldn’t come as a surprise.

As for the rest of the AFC East, the 6-3 Bills dropped from No. 15 to No. 17 after losing a road game in Cleveland. The No. 28 Miami Dolphins moved up two spots following a surprise win over Indianapolis. Finally, the Patriots moved up two spots like the Jets and Dolphins while on their bye week.

Rounding out the top five are the Ravens at No. 1, the Patriots at No. 2, the 49ers at No. 3, the Saints at No. 4 and the Seahawks at No. 5.

Jamal Adams is Jets Wire’s Player of the Game vs. Giants

Jamal Adams was a man on a mission in the Jets’ second win of the season, a 34-27 victory over the Giants Sunday.

Jamal Adams was a man on a mission in the Jets’ second win of the season, a 34-27 victory over the Giants Sunday.

Adams was flying around the football field all day. He had nine total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass defense and a defensive score. For his performance, Adams is Jets Wire’s Player of the Game for Week 10 of the regular season.

The Pro Bowl safety said earlier in the week that this game had a little extra meaning to it given it was the battle of New York. But he was on a completely different level in this game. It seemed everywhere the football went, he was there, too.

One of those plays came on a strip-sack of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Adams was coming in hot on a blitz and obliterated Saquon Barkley before getting to Jones and ripping the ball out his hands to take it to the house for a touchdown. Right before that drive, Adams told Adam Gase that he was going to create a turnover on that drive, Turns out he was right.

You don’t see many safeties with Adams’ playing style. He’s brilliant around the line of scrimmage and is solid in pass coverage, too. Most safeties only have one of those qualities, but Adams is a one of a kind player.

It definitely felt like a weight was lifted off of Adams’ shoulder after the dispute he had with the front office over the last couple of weeks. Adams finally spoke to both Joe Douglas and Gase about his name being brought up in trade rumors and cleared the air with both parties. The noise finally calmed down around him and he went out and balled.

He’s clearly the leader of this defense and there’s no way to envision him not on it. His play on Sunday continued to show why he is in the elite category at his position.