Tag: Kyler Gordon

Former Saints draft pick, Alabama football star takes high-profile college coaching job

Former Saints draft pick and Alabama football star Vinnie Sunseri has taken a high-profile college coaching job at Washington:

Here’s some good news for a former New Orleans Saints draft pick: Vinnie Sunseri has taken a high-profile college coaching job as the Washington Huskies safeties coach, where he’ll be tasked with developing the next generation of defensive backs at a West Coast powerhouse with national championship ambitions.

Things have come full circle. Sunseri was a standout at Alabama during his own college playing career, and Alabama’s decision to hire Washington’s former head coach Kalen DeBoer led to a lot of turnover for the Huskies coaching staff.

Sunseri, 32, was picked by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. But he struggled to get on the field after dealing with a series of injuries. He finished his NFL playing career with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers.

After hanging up his cleats, Sunseri began a coaching career at Alabama as a graduate assistant; he returned to the Patriots in 2020 to get more experience, where he first worked with the defense before moving to the offensive side of the ball for three years coaching running backs. Now he’s going back to his roots with much more responsibility under new Washington head coach Jedd Fisch.

The job comes with high expectations. Washington is fresh off a national title bid, and the school has sent many defensive backs to the NFL draft in recent years; Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon were both top-50 picks in 2022, while Elijah Molden was selected at No. 100 overall (followed by Keith Taylor in the fifth round) in 2021. Byron Murphy and Taylor Rapp were each second-round picks in 2019 with Jordan Miller also drafted in the fifth round. Sunseri will be charged with recruiting and developing players to follow in their footsteps. Good luck to him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Bears CB Kyler Gordon was flagged for taking his malfunctioning helmet off and NFL fans were irate

How do you get a penalty for this?!

The Chicago Bears got one of the most baffling penalties of the season while playing the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon was the victim of the horrible officiating, as his facemask got dislodged and dangled loose from his helmet.

As you’d expect, Gordon took his helmet off after the play was over since it was no longer safe for him to wear it. Rather than do nothing for a player making a sensible decision to remove a piece of faulty equipment, Gordon got called for taunting (?!) for removing the helmet.

On the sideline, Gordon seemed to be trying to show the referees that his helmet was temporarily broken, but to no avail. That seemed to have changed the penalty from taking the helmet off to the eventual taunting call, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain.

 

We’re going to be honest. This genuinely makes no sense whatsoever.

Calling someone for taunting for trying to show you they removed a malfunctioned piece of football gear so they could get it fixed is the kind of nonsense that gets sports officials so much flak from fans and analysts alike.

There was no reason to make this call since Gordon did nothing even remotely close to what the officiating crew alleged, and NFL fans just weren’t at all on the same page with how this call went.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

6 things to know ahead of Bears vs. Raiders in Week 7

The Bears are looking to get back in the win column when they host the Raiders in Week 7. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the game.

Pessimism regarding the Chicago Bears is at a season-high following last week’s disappointing loss to the rival Minnesota Vikings.

Not only did the team fail to match their offensive splendor that they displayed in Week 5, but the Bears also lost quarterback Justin Fields to a thumb injury that may keep him out a few weeks. Any hopes of a miraculous playoff run are all but dead, and questions are once again being raised about the future prospects of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as well as Fields himself.

With so much ire polluting the air, it’ll be good to take a breath and look forward to next week’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The two teams have a surprising amount of connective tissue, from both starting signal-callers having various injury issues to a blockbuster trade that fundamentally changed the direction of their respective franchises.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Bears vs. Raiders in Week 7.

Good, bad, and ugly from Bears’ Week 6 loss to the Vikings

The Bears suffere another loss to the Vikings in Week 6. We break down the good, bad and ugly from the Week 6 game.

The Chicago Bears failed to take down a shaky Minnesota Vikings team in Sunday’s 19-13 loss, and several questions have been raised about the team’s future.

People are concerned on how serious the injury quarterback Justin Fields suffered in the third quarter of the game is, but the whispers of replacing the quarterback in the long term have only gotten more brazen. The same goes for head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who failed to give the team the tools it needs to string together a potential win streak.

Week 6 was an absolute mess, so let’s try to sort through the muck as we go over the good, bad and ugly from the Bears’ Week 6 loss to the Vikings.

Bears activate CB Kyler Gordon off injured reserve

The Bears welcome back CB Kyler Gordon just in time for Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

The Chicago Bears have activated cornerback Kyler Gordon off injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Gordon missed the last four games after suffering a broken hand in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Gordon returned to practice this week, where he was limited Wednesday and Thursday before practicing in full Friday.

With no injury designation, expect to see Gordon back in the lineup at nickel against the Vikings.

“We’re excited where he is,” head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Friday. “That nickel spot is a big spot for us, and he’s done a good job with that. [There’s] a lot of things in there to do, and he does them well. He’s done a good job all week with that. He’s a real positive guy, so it’s always great to have his energy out there as well. He certainly brings that passion.”

But Gordon isn’t the only defensive back returning to the lineup. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, is good to go against the Vikings. Meanwhile, safety Eddie Jackson, who’s been sidelined for the last three games with a foot injury, is officially questionable. But he’s certainly trending toward playing Sunday.

5 biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Vikings in Week 6

The Bears are aiming to build a winning streak against the Vikings. Here’s a look at the biggest storylines for Week 6.

Week 6 is upon us, and it’s shaping up to be a good one. The Chicago Bears will host the Minnesotqa Vikings for Sunday afternoon action.

The two teams are surprisingly evenly matched, as Minnesota has fallen well short of the expectation they set following their 13-4 season that included a postseason berth. It’ll be a game of two explosive offenses, with two fittingly bad defenses that will allow the opposing offense to do their work.

Chicago has the chance to create a winning streak, and the Vikings have the opportunity to begin to right a disastrous start to the season. With so much at stake, there are bound to be interesting narratives to keep track of.

Let’s discuss the five biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Vikings in Week 6.

4 bold predictions for Bears vs. Vikings

A big day for D’Onta Foreman and Tyler Scott’s first NFL touchdown are among our bold predictions for Bears vs. Vikings.

It’s been over a week since the Chicago Bears (1-4) were last on the football field, but the wait is finally over this Sunday when they welcome the Minnesota Vikings (1-4). It’s a division game that will give one team their second victory of the season, while the other will remain at the bottom of the NFL standings.

The Bears might be on the verge of breaking out, so to speak, though. They’re coming off their first win of the season after defeating the Washington Commanders 40-20 thanks to a suddenly potent offense led by quarterback Justin Fields.

The Vikings, meanwhile, have played their opponents close this season but have just one win to show for it. Last week, they fell in a close one to the Kansas City Chiefs, losing 27-20. They lost much more than the game, though, as Justin Jefferson was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury after getting hurt in the game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins will be without his top target for at least the next four games.

With conditions likely to be wet and rainy at Soldier Field on Sunday, this could be a sloppy game all the way around. But big moments will always happen in an NFL game, no matter what. Here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Vikings.

5 keys to a Bears victory over the Vikings in Week 6

The Bears take on the Vikings looking for their second straight win. Here are five keys to a Chicago victory.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up to host the rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 6, and it’s a tale of two 1-4 teams who have drastically different outlooks on their seasons.

Chicago is coming off a statement win against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football, which saw quarterback Justin Fields throw four touchdown passes, and the team is nearly at full strength as key players return from injury.

Minnesota, on the other hand, is falling well short of expectations following a 13-4 2022 campaign. And their most recent loss to the Chiefs was only made things worse when perennial All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson was placed on injured reserve this week. The Vikings are wounded, and they’re looking at the Bears as a real Viking would look at his prey after starving for days.

Despte the loss of Jefferson, the purple and gold will not give up the win easily. Chicago needs to succeed in five key categories in order to take down their divisional foe from the snow-capped north of Minnesota.

Let’s break down the five keys to a Bears victory against the Vikings in Week 6.

Bears expected to have healthy starting secondary vs. Vikings

The Bears could have their entire starting secondary on the field for the first time since Week 1.

The Chicago Bears have struggled injuries in the secondary this season, where they haven’t had the entire starting secondary on the field together since Week 1.

But Chicago’s defensive back group is starting to get healthy ahead of a divisional showdown against the Minnesota Vikings, where there’s a good chance the Bears will have their entire starting secondary on the field.

Chicago has been without safety Eddie Jackson and cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon for various games this season. Jackson has missed the past three games with a foot injury, Johnson has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury and Gordon has been on injured reserve with a broken hand since Week 2.

With Johnson and Jackson returning to practice (in limited fashion) and Gordon designated to return from IR, they’re all on track to return in Week 6.

Johnson talked about the potential return of all three of them, and he sounded like someone who believes they’ll all suit up against the Vikings.

“Shoot. That’ll bring the energy, bring the juice,”Johnson said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I think the DBs last week started that off. I think they played a very solid game holding that down for us. So we definitely have to get back and up the energy, up the execution. Just get back what we were missing.

“Kyler was out there early. And then BoJack was out the next game. Just getting everybody back, we have to come back and we have to start that click. We don’t have time for any more mess-ups or anything like that. We’ve got that all out the way. We have to come back and execute at a high level.”

The good news is the Bears won’t have to face Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson, who landed on IR with a hamstring injury. But there are still some weapons to contend with in the passing game, including rookie Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn and T.J. Hockenson.

We’ll see if the return of some key starters in the secondary can serve as a boost for this defense as Chicago looks to stack back-to-back wins.

What needs to happen for Bears CB Kyler Gordon to play vs. Vikings

Bears CB Kyler Gordon needs to check a few boxes if he’s to make his return to the lineup for Sunday’s game vs. Vikings.

The Chicago Bears have been ravaged by injuries this season, but they’re starting to get some players back, especially in the secondary.

Cornerback Kyler Gordon, who landed on injured reserve a few weeks ago with a broken hand, has been designated to return from IR for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Gordon certainly appears on track to return to the lineup, alongside fellow defensive backs Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson, who have missed some time. But head coach Matt Eberflus made it clear Gordon is going to have to check some boxes if he’s going to suit up Sunday.

“I mean there are a couple of things you’ve got to evaluate,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “First of all, it’s the conditioning level. We’ll see where he is there. And then we’ve got to look at his movement. His movement should be good. But really just with his conditioning and then with the use of the hand. How is he going to use that hand? How does he feel good in terms of his position? At that position, you have to take on blocks, you have to take on stalk blocks, you have to take on fan blocks, you’ve got to be able to fold in there and make plays in the run game in certain games inside.

“How does he feel that way and then really just executing his coverages? I think that he’s always done well with that. He’s always been quick. He’s always been instinctive. We anticipate seeing that as well. But just really how he is going to use that hand in his job.”

With Gordon sidelined, veteran Greg Stroman Jr. has stepped up at nickel cornerback. He was a significant contributor in Chicago’s prime-time win over the Washington Commanders, totaling seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, one sack and one pass breakup.

So if Gordon isn’t able to go this week, the Bears are in good hands with Stroman in the slot.