Tag: matchup

Titans expected to sign DeAndre Hopkins, setting up Week 1 matchup vs. Marshon Lattimore

The Titans are expected to sign All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, putting him on track for another Week 1 matchup against shutdown Saints corner Marshon Lattimore:

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This is going to be a big-time bout to ring in the 2023 season: The Tennessee Titans are closing in on a deal with former All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, meaning he’ll be on top of their depth chart for the New Orleans Saints’ home opener.

And that puts Hopkins on a collision course with Marshon Lattimore. It’s a pairing we’ve seen before, when Hopkins led the Houston Titans against Lattimore’s defense in New Orleans back in 2019. How did things play out last time?

In that Week 1 matchup, Pro Football Focus charting found that Hopkins was targeted seven times with Lattimore in coverage. He caught four passes for 51 yards, converting a pair of first downs and scoring a touchdown, though he also dropped a pass. Hopkins’ longest catch against Lattimore in that game gained 38 yards. That scoring catch proved crucial in a game won on a last-second Wil Lutz field goal from 58 yards out.

Things are different now. The Titans don’t have a quarterback who can reach the heights Deshaun Watson climbed with Houston five years ago, and both players are older and more experienced than when they last met. Last season, the Saints and Cardinals met in Week 7, which is when Hopkins returned from a six-week suspension, but Lattimore was unavailable while recovering from an injury. Both players should be running at full steam going into the new season. Tennessee’s offense doesn’t lack for firepower with running backs Derrick Henry (who has never played against New Orleans) and Tyjae Spears, the hometown favorite who will be playing in front of a friendly crowd.

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Matchup numbers: How the offense and defense matchup for LSU-Auburn

One final look at LSU and Auburn matchups.

With the game set to kick-off just hours from now, one final look at the matchup of the two Tigers. A look at how the offense and defense matchup when each team has the ball.

When LSU has the ball

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

LSU Offense vs Auburn Defense

Per Game  LSU SEC Rank Auburn SEC Rank
Total Yards 377.5 12th 284.3 4th
Scoring Offense 34.5 9th 15.5 4th
Passing 297.5 5th 185.0 8th
Rushing 80.0 13th 99.3 4th
Third Down Conversion % 38.2 11th 34.6 8th
Red Zone TD% 80 2nd 70.0 12th

It has been a struggle for the LSU offense in terms of total yards and running the football. They are just ahead of Mississippi State in yards per game, they are last in yards per attempt. They need to convert on third down to keep the Auburn offense on the sideline. They are one of the best when they get into the red zone, but the offense needs to sustain drives to give them opportunities.

For Auburn, it is all about slowing down the LSU passing attack with Max Johnson and Kayshon Boutte. Their defense will face a formidable passing game for the first time this season. While they allow a high red zone touchdown percentage, teams haven’t scored a lot against them. The numbers are a bit skewed with games against Akron and Alabama State. This will be a massive test for Bryan Harsin’s defense.

When Auburn has the ball

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Offense vs LSU Defense

Per Game  Auburn SEC Rank LSU SEC Rank
Total Yards 484.3 3rd 345.5 11th
Scoring Offense 44.0 3rd 22.8 11th
Passing 227.3 9th 237.5 12th
Rushing 257 4th 108.0 5th
Third Down Conversion % 38.2 11th 46.97 13th
Red Zone TD % 64.3 9th 66.7 10th

When Auburn’s offense takes the field, it will be strength vs strength when it comes to the run game. Auburn is 4th in the conference in rushing yards and LSU’s defense is top five in the SEC with just over 108 yards per game. If Auburn can’t run the football effectively, it could cause problems for their offense. They haven’t shown to be a big-time offense when it comes to throwing the football.

For the LSU defense, can they force bad decisions by the Auburn quarterbacks? This season they are +3 in turnover differential. They took the ball away twice to help lead the team to the win against Mississippi State. The defense must slow down the Auburn duo of Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter to force Bo Nix or TJ Finley to throw the ball and give their DBs a shot to take the ball away.

Key Players for the Oklahoma Sooners defense vs. Nebraska

A look at the three players on the Oklahoma defense that are key players against Nebraska.

Oklahoma will wrap up its nonconference schedule with their toughest opponent thus far in Nebraska. The game is symbolic as an old rivalry is renewed on the 50th anniversary of the ‘Game of the Century.

On the field, OU will face a noticeable step up in competition as opposed to their games against Tulane and Western Carolina University. Defensively, they will have to contend with one of the best running quarterbacks in the nation in Adrian Martinez.

Martinez, a veteran quarterback has seen a lot of football over the years and will hardly be scared of the moment. However, his relatively young offensive line will line up across from one of the best front sevens in the country. Pressure is something Martinez is very familiar with. We wrote about that here.

Oklahoma will be without some key players on the back end of their defense. Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman are not expected to play. Look for Latrell McCutchin and Jeremiah Criddell to fill in for them in their spots. Here are candidates for the defensive players to watch as Oklahoma tries to bottle up Nebraska and head into Big 12 play undefeated:

Up Next: A Monster in the Middle ready to be unleashed.

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Wisconsin basketball’s updated game-by-game win probabilities for the remainder of the season

A lot has changed since last week, including the Badgers getting blown out at Michigan, winning at Rutgers and Michigan losing to Minnesota

With another week of the Wisconsin Badgers’ Big Ten season in the books, we’re back with another look at their updated game-by-game-win probabilities for the remainder of the season.

A lot has changed since the last run-through one week ago, including the Badgers getting blown out at Michigan, winning on the road at Rutgers and Michigan then losing to Minnesota.

With all the shakeup, Greg Gard’s team currently sits No. 3 in the conference with a 5-2 record, just .5 games behind No. 2 Iowa and 1 game behind No. 1 Michigan.

But, as is the case with every team in the conference this season, the road ahead for the Badgers has a chance to be a really rocky one.

Related: What Rutgers HC Steve Pikiell said about Wisconsin after the game

ESPN.com lists win probabilities for each of those remaining games on their Big Ten schedule. Although these odds will change as the season progresses, it’s interesting to see where the team stands at this point compared to conference foes.

Here is the updated ESPN game-by-game win probabilities and the team’s predicted record for the remainder of the season:

How to watch, wager, and stream Week 16’s Saints vs. Vikings game

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings will kick off Week 16 of the NFL regular season with a prime-time matchup on Christmas Day.

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The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings are poised for a huge matchup in Week 16 on Christmas Day, which could secure the NFC South with a Saints victory. Here’s everything you need to know so you can tune in:

Connect with us on our Facebook page and Twitter account  (@TheSaintsWire)

Follow our friends over at Vikings Wire on Twitter (@TheVikingsWire), Facebook, and VikingsWire.com

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Cameron Jordan expected to face 3rd-string Raiders right tackle on MNF

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan is expected to face Denzelle Good, a Las Vegas Raiders backup guard forced to play tackle.

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So, this might be a mismatch: the Las Vegas Raiders are preparing to start reserve guard Denzelle Good at right tackle against the New Orleans Saints, with both the starter (Trent Brown) and backup (Sam Young) doubtful to suit up because of injuries. That puts Good against All-Pro Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Sure, the situation could change in the time before kickoff; Good normally plays guard, not tackle, but was pressed into action last week when the nominal next-man-up (third-year pro Brandon Parker) was inactive. Parker could get a look instead, but the Raiders were encouraged by Good’s performance against the Carolina Panthers.

“Denzelle has played a lot of football,” Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson told Raiders Wire. “He’s played football at a high level, not only here, but in Indianapolis as well. We have high expectations for him, and he has high expectations himself. You certainly hate to lose your starter, it’s not ideal. Hate to lose a backup to him, it’s certainly not ideal, but again they’ll rise to the challenge.”

Good has appeared in 47 games (28 starts) in his NFL career, predominately at the right guard spot. He did play well at Carolina and didn’t allow a sack, but he wasn’t exactly facing a bunch of world-beaters there.

Now Good is slated to face a five-time Pro Bowler coming off a career year. Jordan typically rushes from the left end spot against right tackles, and he’ll be a sky-high challenge for Good to contain. He bagged a personal-best 15.5 sacks last season and was one of three Saints players to take down Tom Brady in Week 1 (backup defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Carl Granderson also recorded sacks).

We’ll see how it turns out on “Monday Night Football” when the Saints and Raiders kick off at Allegiant Stadium. But this is a battle Jordan has to feel confident he can win.

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Drew Brees wants to play the winner of Tom Brady-Peyton Manning golf matchup

Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson are golfing with Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods. Drew Brees and Sergio Garcia want to play the winning duo.

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Tom Brady and Peyton Manning played against each other often in their long NFL careers, so it’s only natural that they will cross paths again during a high-profile charity golf matchup for charity. While Brady has paired up with legendary golfer Phil Mickelson, Manning teamed up with the sport’s icon, Tiger Woods. It’s shaping up for a star-studded afternoon at “The Match: Champions for Charity” at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla.

And Drew Brees wants to play the winner, offering an opportunity to settle which of the three quarterbacks is the greatest out on the greens. He’s bringing backup, too, by volunteering his cousin-in-law Sergio Garcia (the 2017 Masters Tournament champion) to join him. That’s what Brees wrote from his official Instagram account, wishing Brady and Manning well in their efforts at raising money for a charitable cause.

With golf clubs and courses reopening around the country after closures related to the coronavirus pandemic, more celebrity games like this figure to become more common. And it would be fun to see how Brees compares to the quarterbacks whose records he’s broken in football, even if Manning has had a few extra years of practice in retirement. Hopefully the pros take it easy on them.

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2020 Redskins schedule: Ranking the 7 toughest games this season

Washington hase zero primetime games, other than playing the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which kicks off a tough road stretch in December.

Now that we know the order and time in which the Washington Redskins will be playing their opponents in 2020, we can start to get a feel for how the season might play out. Our biggest takeaway from the Redskins schedule release comes on Thanksgiving and builds from there. The Redskins will travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys on Turkey Day, and that will start a three-game road trip that then goes to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, followed by a trip out west to play the San Francisco 49ers.

So while there are a few games on the docket in which the Redskins should definitely come out victorious, there are also a handful of games in which a win might seem miraculous. Here’s our ranking of those games, from tough to toughest.

No. 7 — at Arizona Cardinals (Week 2)

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

If you went back even a year ago, it would seem absolutely crazy to say that the Cardinals are going to be one of the tougher teams that the Redskins play this season, but I truly believe that Arizona will step up this season in a big way. QB Kyler Murray showed a lot of promise in 2019, and he’s been given All-Star WR DeAndre Hopkins to throw to, who will come in alongside veteran Larry Fitzgerald.

Arizona’s defense isn’t anything that will keep you up at night, but it’s going to take a solid gameplan to slow down their offense and keep points off the board. Washington’s defensive line may be able to get pressure on Murray, but there’s no guarantee that they can get him to the ground before he finds Nuke running wide downfield.

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