Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Isaac Seumalo ruled out vs. the Rams with a knee injury
The Philadelphia Eagles have now downgraded left guard Isaac Seumalo to out after he left Sunday’s game against the Rams with a knee injury.
Injury Update: G Isaac Seumalo (knee) has been downgraded to out.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 20, 2020
Veteran guard Matt Pryor is in for Seumalo at left guard as the Eagles trail the Rams 24-16 at the start of the fourth quarter.
In the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles Jefferson made an impressive sliding 21-yard gain on a pass from quarterback Jared Goff
Former Florida Gators continue to fill the fans’ Twitter feeds with excellent plays in the professional ranks this Sunday. Rookie receiver Van Jefferson, who made an amazing haul last week for his first career NFL catch, has continued his brilliance in his second game in the league with the Los Angeles Rams.
In the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jefferson made an impressive sliding 21-yard gain on a pass from quarterback Jared Goff which took his team down to the 5-yard line. Los Angeles scored two plays later, along with a successful PAT by kicker Samuel Sloman, to up their lead to 14-3 with the clock winding down on the first frame.
Rams rookie WR Van Jefferson has had a nice 1st half so far, including this sliding grab. pic.twitter.com/1hxD5JlVjt
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 20, 2020
Jefferson caught three passes for 39 yards on three targeted throws in the first half of the game, including the one featured above, and the Rams took a 21-16 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks in part to his efforts.
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Philadelphia Eagles to wear Midnight Green jerseys vs. the LA Rams
The Philadelphia Eagles will face the LA Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday and the Birds will pull out the Midnight green uniforms for the home opener.
Midnight green jawns for #LARvsPHI@UnibetUS | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/hG980dRXNR
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 18, 2020
Last season the Eagles had a losing record in the Midnight green top and white pants combo.
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Former UGA RB Todd Gurley, now with the Atlanta Falcons, was recently featured in Gatorade’s new “Ready To Play Anything” campaign.
Former Georgia running back Todd Gurley, now with the Atlanta Falcons, was recently featured in Gatorade’s new “Ready To Play Anything” campaign.
In a 30 second ad, Gurley was featured alongside Zion Williamson, Elena Delle Donne, Sydney McLaughlin and Bryce Harper, showing the athletes playing a variety of sports.
Gurley discussed his participation in the commercial:
“There’s nothing better than sports, and athletes can’t wait to get back to get back to doing what they love with their teams. Gatorade is inspiring the next generations of athletes by showing how the pros are down to play any sport, at any time, just because we love to play,” said Gurley.
In part two of this three-part series, we review an opponent that will compete with the Seahawks for the 2020 NFC West title – the LA Rams.
As the Seattle Seahawks look to make another playoff run in the 2020 season, they face stiff competition in what could be the NFL’s toughest division next year. In the second entry of this three-part series, we review the team that finished third in the NFC West in 2019 – the Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles Rams
2019 record: 9-7, 3-3 NFC West
Against Seattle: 1-1
Key additions: LB Leonard Floyd, DT A’Shawn Robinson
Key losses: WR Brandin Cooks, EDGE Dante Fowler, RB Todd Gurley, LB Cory Littleton, EDGE Clay Matthews, S Eric Weddle, K Greg Zuerlein
After winning the NFC in 2018, the Rams surprised many in the 2019 season by missing the playoffs entirely (albeit with a winning record). This season, coach Sean McVay and his team look to return to their former glory in their brand-new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA., but will have to overcome the hurdle of fielding one of the thinnest rosters in the league after the departure of several key players in free agency.
The 2020 NFL Draft class could prove key to the Rams’ success this year. Second-round pick Cam Akers will immediately compete with Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown to replace the void left by Todd Gurley at the RB1 position. A quick and explosive back who accumulated 3,361 yards from scrimmage and 34 touchdowns in three seasons at Florida State, Akers has plenty of experience producing big numbers behind a subpar offensive line. This bodes well for the Rams, who had the No. 26-ranked rushing attack in the league in 2019.
Their other second-round pick, wide receiver Van Jefferson, is a “vicious” route-runner who will be a strong contender to take over Brandon Cooks’ former starting spot alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.
Other intriguing names from this year’s class include edge-rusher Terrell Lewis (a first-round talent and physical specimen at 6-foot-5, 262 pounds with a worrying history of injuries) and safety Terrell Burgess, who should bolster the Rams’ young safety corps with his backfield presence to balance out the strong-safety skillsets of John Johnson III and Taylor Rapp.
After receiving a substantial extension (four years, $134 million) in September of 2019 that set an NFL record for guaranteed money, quarterback Jared Goff has plenty to prove in 2020 after a disappointing post-Super Bowl campaign in which he passed for just 22 touchdowns while also throwing 16 interceptions.
He is not fully to blame, Gurley’s regression essentially took away the Rams’ rushing threat and put more pressure on the passing attack, while several key injuries ravaged the offensive line, which frequently sent Goff running for his life. In December, he showed signs of returning to 2018 form, throwing 11 TDs and four picks with a 66.2 completion percentage.
New offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell certainly has faith in Goff, announcing an intention to give the fifth-year quarterback “some ownership” of the offense. However, the jury is out on how much of an impact O’Connell will have on gamedays, as McVay has previously stated that he is unlikely to ever give up playcalling. Still, the hire of O’Connell, who worked with McVay under former coach Jay Gruden in Washington, indicates that McVay might be ready to relinquish some control of the offense.
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Ranking the defenses Carson Wentz will face during the 2020 NFL season
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NFL offenses sell all the tickets but everyone knows that “Defense wins championships.”
Carson Wentz is a talented quarterback and he’ll face several talented defensives capable of leaving the best signal-caller confused.
With training camp just around the corner, here is a ranking of the best defenses Wentz will face in 2020.
***
The Giants added cornerback James Bradberry and former Green Bay Packers linebacker Blake Martinez, who is a tackling machine.
Bradberry should improve the secondary while defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should improve the defense as they switch to the 3-4.
Second-round pick Xavier McKinney, a safety out of Alabama, should add a playmaker to the secondary as well.
The addition of defensive end Leonard Williams was huge as well.
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CBS Sports released a list of the top ten running backs for the 2020 NFL season and included two former Georgia football stars.
CBS Sports recently released its list of the top-ten running backs in the NFL for the 2020 season and included two former Georgia Bulldogs.
#9 – Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons
Though I agree with Gurley being ranked inside the top-ten, I was not expecting to see him on this list, as he’s been written off by almost every media outlet all year.
But when he gets the ball in his hands, whether is he knee is at 100% or even 80% he’s still one of the best in the game.
Via CBS Sports:
It’s easy to take the lazy route and write off Gurley as damaged goods, but there’s nothing that actually indicates he’s damaged — unsubstantiated narratives and headlines aside. Gurley is only two years removed from having been made the highest-paid running back in NFL history, and he was awarded that contract (and early) by the Los Angeles Rams for a reason. The team released him this offseason in a move that felt more for cap workings and to end a mushrooming rift with head coach Sean McVay than due to an actual regression on the field, considering Gurley delivered 1,064 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns in 2019, and he did it despite seeing his utilization scaled down by McVay.
#5 – Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Chubb may even be higher up on this list next year.
Via CBS:
Like Gurley, Chubb is a former Georgia Bulldog who has proven he can dominate at the NFL level as a runner and a receiver — landing honors as a Pro Bowler in his first season as a full-time starter. The Browns, yet again, have a lot to figure out, but the running back position isn’t one of those things. Chubb is an animal by any and all measure, and the fact Cleveland was able to secure him without using a first-round pick is a coup.
Looking at the NFL betting odds to win the NFC West Division in 2020 and predicting the exact order of the standings.
The San Francisco 49ers won the NFC West Division in 2019 but will they be able to repeat? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds for the NFC West Division in 2020 and make our best bets for who’ll win the division title and predict the exact order of the division standings.
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Monday, May 25 at 11:25 a.m. ET.
Here are the odds to win the division.
The 49ers played in the Super Bowl last season and should still be considered the favorite to win the division. The Seahawks look like they are getting worse defensively, while the Cardinals look much improved, but not yet on the 49ers’ level. With the addition of first-round picks WR Brandon Aiyuk and DL Javon Kinlaw, San Francisco still should win the West, although it will probably be a more competitive division. Take the 49ERS (+105).
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Here are the odds.
As long as the Seahawks have Russell Wilson at quarterback, despite the fact the defense is not as good as it was when they were going to Super Bowls, they are always a good bet to be a playoff team. Since we have the 49ers winning the division, the best bet for second place are the SEAHAWKS (+195).
Here are the odds for third place.
Here is where you can make some money. The Rams are favored for third place, but they are a mess. They lost key offensive and defensive players (RB Todd Gurley, WR Brandin Cooks, DB Eric Weddle and LBs Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews). The Cardinals were three defensive stops from finishing 8-8 last season and had arguably the worst defense in the league. They added three new defensive starters through free agency and drafted four other defensive players, including No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons (Clemson). So, Arizona’s defense should be much improved. The offense now has WR DeAndre Hopkins, while second-year QB Kyler Murray is expected to take a leap in his development. The Cardinals will make the leap and pass the Rams. They might not make the playoffs, but the best bet for third place is to take the CARDINALS (+325).
Here are the odds.
The Rams are in transition. They are not in a good cap situation. QB Jared Goff regressed, and they lost so many starters. With the expected improvement of the Cardinals, the Rams get passed up. Take the RAMS (+300) and make some money off the third- and fourth-place teams.
The exact order combo of 49ers-Seahawks-Cardinals-Rams will win you big money at +1000. That is your best bet.
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We assembled a starting lineup full of former Georgia football players who are currently on NFL rosters.
Georgia continues to be one of college football’s leading producers of NFL talent, with seven players being taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.
At almost every position does Georgia have an NFL star — linebacker and running back being the most notable.
From veteran passer Matthew Stafford to new Falcons back Todd Gurley, to rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, former Georgia Bulldogs look to put up big numbers again in 2020.
We’ve gone through an exercise of picking the best at each position to field a starting team of former Georgia players, all from a current pool of those currently on NFL rosters.
Remember, free agents did not make the team.
So, let’s get it started shall we?
