Tag: Mike Gesicki

Mike Gesicki owning leadership role with defense of his quarterback

Mike Gesicki owning leadership role with defense of his quarterback

Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki is entering into a critical season with the team. The Dolphins, as an organization, are expecting big things as they come off of a 10-win season. And the offense, re-tooled with more firepower, is expecting a big role for Gesicki as well. With Gesicki coming into a contract season and with many other financial decisions looming, Gesicki’s role for the season may help go a long way in determining what kind of offer the former Penn State tight end will get from the team for a second contract.

It’s a big year in a lot of ways. But before the team even steps foot onto the practice field for their first day of training camp, Gesicki’s presence has been felt. And if it’s half as authoritative on the field as it was during yesterday’s press availability, the Dolphins will likely be ready to make sure Gesicki stays in-house beyond 2021.

Gesicki has always been a matter-of-fact personality in the press — but his defense of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is as blunt, firm and staunch of a defense as we’ve seen from any Miami Dolphins player over the course of the past year. And remember, Gesicki shared a great rapport with former Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, too. So there’s no politics here; Gesicki just seems fed up with the noise.

“(Tagovailoa has) dealt with adversity whether it’s injury or whatever it may be. He’s fought back from that and he’s also dealt with people saying stupid, uneducated stuff about him that they’re not right about. So he’s dealing with that and he’s continuing to work and continuing to come in here each and every day, and I’m happy that he’s our quarterback,” said Gesicki, igniting interest from just about every member of the press in attendance.

 “The problem with the criticism is it’s not – there’s nothing behind it. The kid came in here and people were already calling for him. He played nine games and he did a lot of really good things for us, stepped up in some big situations, made plays and I think got better each and every week. And now everybody’s been talking about his confidence and how he looks this year obviously in a couple walkthroughs and all that kind of stuff, but he still looks good. He’s been working hard and investing a lot of time into the season. I’m excited for his future.”

And given some of the flashes that Gesicki showed down the stretch with Tagovailoa in the game, he should be excited — because a bright future for Tagovailoa means a full stat sheet for Gesicki. That certainly doesn’t have to be Gesicki’s only motivation in the staunch support of his quarterback, as he’d tell you winning on Sunday is the most important thing. And you’d be wise to believe him if he did. But Gesicki never the less appears to be on the ledge of claiming a valuable leadership role within this organization and he’s not backing down from the challenge.

And if his faith in Tagovailoa is rewarded with a season filled with targets and touchdowns this fall, then a sizable contract to stay in South Florida should be the expectation.

LOOK: Mike Gesicki returns to Happy Valley with a present for James Franklin

Penn State head coach James Franklin is amassing quite the football jersey collection this offseason, so it would seem. Over the weekend, as the Penn State world focused on the updates coming out of the 2021 NFL draft, Franklin received a visit from …

Penn State head coach James Franklin is amassing quite the football jersey collection this offseason, so it would seem. Over the weekend, as the Penn State world focused on the updates coming out of the 2021 NFL draft, Franklin received a visit from a former Penn State tight end already making a name for himself in the NFL. Mike Gesicki returned to Happy Valley to pay his former head coach a visit, and he came with a present for Franklin.

Earlier this spring, Franklin received a signed jersey from another former Nittany Lion, wide receiver KJ Hamler.

While he was in town, Gesicki may have witnessed for himself that one of his old records in the Penn State football facilities has been dethroned. Freshman tight end Theo Johnson shared a photo on Twitter of a round of 40-yard dash times, which included Johnson’s team-best 4.51. That time clipped the previous best by a tight end of 4.54 seconds set by Gesicki in the winter of 2016.

Gesicki had a successful career at Penn State. By the time he left for the NFL, Gesicki had owned the school record for most catches by a tight end (129) and ended his career No. 17 on Penn State’s all-time leading receivers list with 1,481 career receiving yards (also a record for a tight end). Gesicki was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft and was the second tight end drafted. Similarly, in this year’s draft, Pat Freiermuth was also a second-round draft pick (by the Pittsburgh Steelers) and was the second tight end off the board in the draft.

 

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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Jahan Dotson moving his way up list of Penn State’s all-time leading receivers

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson is projected to finish in the top 10 among Penn State’s all-time leading receivers.

Penn State wide receiver has commented on how he wants to be a legend like Saqon Barkley before he leaves the Nittany Lions. One step toward becoming a legend would be to move his way up the list of Penn State’s all-time leading receivers with one final and full season in 2021.

Dotson will begin the 2021 season already in the top 20 in the Penn State record books for most career receiving yards. Dotson is 17th on the all-time list at Penn State, just behind his former teammate KJ Hamler. Dotson would have to turn in a record-setting single-season performance for Penn State to climb to the top of the list, as he is 1,451 receiving yards away from the Penn State career record of 3,026 yards held by Bobby Engram. Allen Robinson holds the single-season receiving record with 1,432 yards in 2013.

With Dotson setting his own personal goal to leave Penn State with legendary status, here is a look at the top 20 players in Penn State history with the most career receiving yards.

Will Fuller agrees to become a Miami Dolphin

What does the move do for Fuller’s fantasy football worth?

Former Houston Texans first-round pick Will Fuller began a breakout season as Houston’s true No. 1 in 2020, the first season without DeAndre Hopkins. He has agreed to take his services to South Beach to catch passes from Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The deal is believed to be a one-year, $10 million contract, which allows Fuller to set himself up for a run at more money in 2022. (Keep that in mind for full-retention keeper/dynasty formats.)

In 11 games last year, Fuller posted eight touchdowns. An extrapolated total of 77 receptions for 1,278 was within reach prior to being suspended for the final five games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs. He will miss Week 1 in the upcoming season.

Miami provides a so-so situation for Fuller. While Tagovailoa was a winner as a rookie, his presence certainly didn’t help the receiving corps, and he’s no Deshaun Watson. The Dolphins were focused on putting more talent around him, and this could be the most talented top three of any receiving corps in the NFL right now.

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DeVante Parker took some time to come along but established himself as a WR1 in 2019. He had great chemistry with Ryan Fitzpatrick but took a step backward during Tua’s stint as the starter in 2020. The talent is there, for sure, so it may come down to a more traditional offseason worth of working together.

WR Preston Williams (foot) has missed the second half of each of his first two seasons but has scored seven touchdowns in 16 pro games. He underwent surgery in November and should be fine in time for fantasy purposes.

Tight end Mike Gesicki is a talented pass-catching option, too, and there’s going to be an issue at times of not enough footballs to go around. Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s system hasn’t been particularly favorable for tight ends throughout its history, but if Gailey is great at anything, it’s his ability to morph an offense to fit the talent.

Fantasy football outlook

With a litany of injuries on his rap sheet, and now a serious suspension concern looming for any future misstep, Fuller is one risky dude.

There shouldn’t be any argument over his talent being in the conversation of a No. 1 receiver, but he now will play one fewer game off the bat and has capped upside with Parker, Williams and Gesicki in the fold.

Then there’s the worry about Tua as a passer. He’s a great athlete, but we have yet to see enough to firmly say Tagovailoa is ready to take his aerial game to the next level. If you’re a  believer in Tua, feel free to bump Fuller up a few notches. It really could go either way, so understand what degree of risk is being assumed.

The 2021 Dolphins will be an interesting bunch and could surprise in the passing game, but there are more issues here than desired when considering someone of Fuller’s talent. It would have been nice to see him land in a more favorable setting, but here we are …

Gamers have a shaky WR2 on their hands, and Fuller is more safely drafted as a third option. Chances are, though, drafters will be forced to spend market value if they want to roster him.

Consistency Rankings – Tight Ends

Fantasy Football consistency rankings for tight ends

Below is each tight end that played at least eight games and scored at least ten fantasy points in at least 20% of their games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per  10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN TE SCORED AT LEAST 10 FANTASY POINTS

Tight ends are notoriously bad at scoring fantasy points relative to the other positions and last year only Travis Kelce and Darren Waller made any significant difference on fantasy rosters. About a dozen that produced at least ten fantasy points in half or more of their games.

George Kittle and Zack Ertz were top players in 2019 but suffered through injury and offensive problems. Austin Hooper was one of the most consistent tight ends (77%) in 2019 but changed teams and dropped significantly.

The surprises from last season were Logan Thomas (63%) and Robert Tonyan (60%) who were both Top-5 for consistency and yet had never done much in their previous careers. The Top-5 tight ends are all that matter in fantasy but one or two usually surprise each season.

BEST IN CATEGORY

The position did not fare as well as it had in 2019. There were only two tight ends with more than three 75-yard games for 2020 and yet seven players with four or more the previous year. There were a few tight ends that excelled at scoring – like Robert Tonyan – but fewer turning in high yardage. Again – there are so few tight ends that make any difference in fantasy but at least a couple that surprise.

BEST over last three years

Hunter Henry did well ignoring his lost 2018 season, but he’s never played all 16 games in any season so his consistency gets an asterisk.  Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Darren Waller have run away with the value in the position. Zach Ertz spent several seasons in the top grouping but looked like he was heading downhill and gaining speed last year.

Notable too is that the scoring is much less in the position with just 10 points considered as a “good” game. Kelce, Kittle, and Waller have been both consistent and highly productive, so they’ll deservedly remain as the top drafted in the position again this year.

Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki hypes Tua Tagovailoa at Penn State fundraiser

Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki hypes Tua Tagovailoa at Penn State fundraiser

Get yourself a hype man like the one Mike Gesicki is for Tua Tagovailoa. We have to imagine life is much better with one. Miami’s fourth-year tight end enters a contract season in 2021 looking to secure himself a long-term contract with the team — and Tagovailoa serving as his quarterback will be an essential piece of the puzzle as Gesicki and the rest of the Dolphins receivers look to get over the hump in 2021.

But while the skepticism and criticism of Tagovailoa’s 9-game sample size as the Dolphins’ starter will be non-stop all offseason, Gesicki seems pretty pleased with what Tagovailoa showed in those 9 starts. So much so that he’s offered a bit of praise to his quarterback during his alma mater’s annual fundraising marathon.

Gesicki’s receiving splits between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tagovailoa in 2020 were fairly even — but hearing Gesicki offer some praise for Tua ability and how seamless the transition was for him personally amid the swap from a right-handed quarterback to a left-handed one is still reassuring for Dolphins fans.

Especially given that Gesicki might be the only one of Miami’s receivers who can honestly say that’s the case. The Dolphins’ offense group was shorthanded on talent regardless of who was at quarterback. But the team certainly saw an abysmal number of drops down the stretch when looking to catch passes from Tagovailoa — especially in the brutal blowout loss to the Bills to bring the season to a close.

The silver lining here, of course, is that Miami has an offseason effort ahead of them to change the dynamics of the room and get the receivers to a more appropriate level of talent and skill. And when that transition is complete, expect to see Gesicki’s name atop the tight end depth chart. And no, it won’t just be because he had nice things to say about Tagovailoa at THON.

Despite frustrations, Dolphins offense enjoyed best season in a while

Despite frustrations, Dolphins offense enjoyed best season in a while

By the end of the 2020 regular season, it seemed as though most Miami Dolphins fans were ready for a change offensively. Chan Gailey, the team’s offensive coordinator, was seeming to have trouble getting his rookie quarterback firing on all cylinders with consistency. And, with the season now behind us, we know that the change so many Dolphins fans desired will indeed be coming. Gailey resigned earlier this week.

And there were certainly fair gripes about Miami’s offense in 2020 that will need to be addressed. Miami would take the wind out of their own sails at times with the play calling. The Dolphins started slow in too many games down the stretch and nearly put themselves in holes they couldn’t dig out of. And the flashes of strong play design were bogged down by other unimaginative stretches.

But when you look at the complete body of work, Gailey’s offense in 2020 was actually one of the best offensive campaigns we’ve seen from the Miami Dolphins on this side of Dan Marino. In just about every major statistical category, the Dolphins’ offense measured very well versus other recent versions of the unit.

  • Points scored: 404
    • The highest figure Miami has logged since 1986
  • Yards per game: 339 ypg
    • Highest since 2014
  • Total first downs: 345
    • T-2nd best since (at least) 1991
  • Average time of possession: 31 minutes, 16 seconds
    • Best since 2009

The third down and red zone conversion rates need to get better. And the Dolphins’ marks this season being the best cumulative effort in a decade (at least) is a testament to how inept this team has been in the past offensively as much as anything. But never the less, consider this progress. Especially when you account for three rookie starters at times along the Dolphins’ offensive line and just how frequently RB Myles Gaskin, WR DeVante Parker, WR Preston Williams and other key skill players were out of the lineup for Miami in 2020.

If this Dolphins team could post these numbers with those hurdles in place, you’d like to think an encore awaits that will affirm that the Dolphins’ offensive awakening is no mirage.

Mike Gesicki listed as limited participant on Dolphins’ injury report

Mike Gesicki listed as limited participant on Dolphins’ injury report

The last time we saw Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, it felt like it would be the last time we’d be seeing him all season long. The Dolphins’ third-year tight end is enjoying yet another breakout season in 2020 and has already logged a career high in receiving yards (602) and touchdowns (6) while logging a career high 13.7 yard per reception. But his season appeared to be threatened with a shoulder injury suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14; an exchange which saw Gesicki dropped on his head on a tackle attempt and escorted off the field with his arm supported by the training staff.

But while the severity of the injury appeared significant, the Dolphins have been surprisingly mum on the issue all week long, with Brian Flores suggesting we’ll all need to see what happens with the standout tight end in the coming days.

The first new development is a big one — Gesicki was listed as “limited” for Thursday’s injury report. That, of course, is no guarantee that Gesicki will be available to the Dolphins on Sunday against the New England Patriots. But it felt at the time of the injury that it was more likely that we’d see Gesicki placed on injury reserve than it was that we’d see him at practice in half a week.

Gesicki fed the speculation on Thursday with a social media post with the quote “the show goes on”.

If, and this is a big if, Gesicki can play against the Patriots on Sunday — even in an adjusted and limited capacity, it will go a long way in helping the Dolphins secure their ninth win of the 2020 season. The Dolphins’ tight end has caught 14 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns over the course of the last two weeks (and he missed nearly the entire fourth quarter against the Chiefs). He’s clearly starting to vibe with QB Tua Tagovailoa and that newly found chemistry can go a long way to positioning the Dolphins to secure their first winning season since 2016.

But we need to see Gesicki play, first. The good news is that feels more likely today than it did yesterday.

Tunnel Vision of Week 14

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Aaron Rodgers 290-13 4
 Tua Tagovailoa 316-24 3
 Derek Carr 316-12 3
 Mitchell Trubisky 267-23 3
 Patrick Mahomes 393-9 2
Running Backs Rush
Receive		 TD
Derrick Henry 26-215
2-7		 2
Jonathan Taylor 20-150
2-15		 2
Miles Sanders 14-115
4-21		 2
Mike Davis 11-51
5-42		 2
David Montgomery 11-113
3-42		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Allen Robinson 9-123 1
Calvin Ridley 8-124 1
Tyreek Hill 1-32
3-79		 2
Stefon Diggs 10-130 1
Davante Adams 7-115 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Travis Kelce 8-136 1
Mike Gesicki 5-65 2
T.J. Hockenson 6-43 1
Irv Smith 4-63 1
Robert Tonyan 5-36 1
Placekickers XP FG
Rodrigo Blankenship 5 3
Greg Zuerlein 3 3
Dustin Hopkins 2 2
Jason Meyers 4 2
Cairo Santos 4 2
Defense Sack-TO TD
Rams 6-1 1
Football Team 4-3 2
Cardinals 8-3 0
Cowboys 2-3 1
Bears 7-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Daniel Jones – Benched
QB Matthew Stafford – Ribs
QB Alex Smith – Calf
QB Brandon Allen – Knee
TE Noah Fant – Illness
TE Mike Gesicki – Shoulder
WR Devante Parker – Leg
WR Jakeem Grant – Leg
WR Deebo Samuel – Hamstring
WR Mike Williams – Back

Chasing Ambulances

It just feels like I missed someone when I could not locate any injured running backs.

QB Daniel Jones (NYG)– While technically he was benched after a dismal showing against the Cardinals, Jones was rushed back too early from his hamstring injury in the belief he gave the Giants their best chance to win. That may have still been true, given the lack of success of Colt McCoy. The Giants host the Browns this week and cannot afford any more losses. A home game usually helps, but neither Jones nor McCoy are relevant in fantasy for now.

QB Matt Stafford (DET)– Stafford was crushed in an awkward position when he ran the ball against the Packers and injured his ribs. The severity should be known as early as Monday and the Lions have an enticing matchup at the Titans this week. Chase Daniels would replace him if he missed any time but that doesn’t offer much confidence that the passing game can maintain its average stats.

QB Alex Smith (WAS)– Injured his calf  but X-rays were negative and early speculation is that it is not serious. The Football Team hosts the Seahawks this week which usually benefits the passing game. Smith should return, but if he doesn’t, Dwayne Haskins just reminded everyone why he was benched.

TE Noah Fant (DEN) Left the game with a stomach bug and was replaced by Troy Fumagalli who led the team with five targets. He caught four for 53 yards and Nick Vannett ended with four catches for 20 yards and a touchdown.  Fant is expected back this week but just missed out on eight catches for 73 yards and a score that the other Denver tight ends produced.

TE Mike Gesicki (MIA)– Already scored twice on his five receptions for 65 yards in the loss to the Chiefs, Gesicki was dragged down on a tackle late in the game and landed heavily on his right shoulder. He did not move his right arm as he went to the locker room, which is not a good sign for this week versus the Patriots. Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe would just split up the workload if Gesicki remains out. After the game, Tua Tagovailoa said that he saw Gesicki and that he was “really hurting.”

WR DeVante Parker (MIA)– Left the loss to the Chiefs in the second quarter with a leg injury. He later returned to the sideline but never re-entered the game. Jakeem Grant also left the game with a leg injury. Added to the loss of Gesicki, the Fins receiving corps was largely stripped of starters. Parker is the only fantasy-relevant wideout and his status should be better known on Monday.

WR Deebo Samuel  (SF) – Only lasted for one play in the loss to the Football Team and left with a hamstring injury. HC Kyle Shanahan said that it “didn’t look good.” Samuel has already missed previous games with a hamstring issue and there is a concern that this time could end his 2020 season. Brandon Aiyuk blew up with ten catches for 119 yards in his absence and Kendrick Bourne (3-42) saw seven targets replacing Samuel. If he misses any games or the rest of the season, Aiyuk stands to benefit the most as the only remaining weapon of any note in the passing offense.

WR Mike Williams (LAC) – Left with a back injury on the opening drive and was  replaced by Tyron Johnson, who caught 6-of-7 for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons.  The Chargers play on Thursday night, so Williams won’t have much time to heal.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR KJ Hamler (DEN) – The rookie has had a quiet first season with only one touchdown coming into Week 14. He led the team against the Panthers with 86 yards and two touchdowns on just two catches – 37 and 49-yard scores. The 2.14 pick out of Penn State is small at only 5-8 and 178 pounds but he runs a 4.27/40 and was drafted to run deep routes just as he did this week.

RB Duke Johnson (HOU) – The beatdown by the Bears prevented Johnson from doing much as a rusher (7-38) but at least he added 53 yards on his two receptions. Buddy Howell (11-42) led the backfield only because he finished the game after the Texans surrendered. Next week is at the Colts, where the receiving ability will be relied on again.

RB David Montgomery (CHI) – What would the NFL be like without a weekly rant about the usage of Montgomery? He ran for an 80-yard touchdown in the first quarter and the Bears won 7-36 and led 7-30 at the half. And yet Montgomery was limited to 11 carries for 113 yards. Special teams gimmick Cordarrelle Patterson ran six times for 26 yards. That’s two weeks of great production from Montgomery who may never know what a workhorse is. He even added 42 yards on just three catches. What are they saving him for?

WR A.J. Green (CIN) – Faced the Cowboys very average secondary and Green  led the Bengals with six catches for 62 yards and caught the only Bengals’ touchdown. He’s doing himself a big favor since he’s due to be looking for a new employer in 2021.

QB Gardner Minshew (JAC) – Mike Glennon got the hook in the loss to the Titans and Minshew entered the game midway in the third quarter. He threw for 178 yards and a score in the final 21 minutes of the game. The Jags play in Baltimore next week, so he’s not likely to save anyone in fantasy  playoffs.

QB Tua Tagovailoa (MIA)  – He did throw 48 passes in the loss to the Chiefs, but he completed 28 for 316 yards and two touchdowns. And he did that without Preston Williams (IR) or Devante Parker (injured). He threw to 11 different receivers and made use of Lynn Bowden (7-82) and Mack Hollins (5-66). What’s he going to be like in 2021 when he has a full set of receivers?  He also ran for 24 yards and a touchdown.

TE Dan Arnold (ARI) – The Cardinals haven’t used the tight ends much as receivers for years (maybe decades). But Arnold caught a touchdown in Week 11 at Seattle.  Had just one catch in Week 12. Then he turned two receptions into touchdowns against the Rams. And on Sunday, he caught another score in the win over the Giants. He scored four touchdowns over his last four games played. All Cardinals’ wideouts combined for just one touchdown over the last four games. And Arnold has four.

TE Irv Smith (MIN) – With Kyle Rudolph out this week, Smith led the Vikings with 63 yards on four catches and one touchdown – their only passing score. The Buccaneers all but shut down the Vikings’ wide receivers somehow, but Smith stepped up and even Tyler Conklin  ended with five catches for 40 yards.

RB Leonard Fournette (TB) – He was a healthy scratch against the Vikings. Ronald Jones ran for 80 yards and one touchdown on 18 rushes and had one catch for a moderate game. Interesting was that they allowed LeSean McCoy to run four times for 32 yards and threw him a pass as well. That was McCoy’s first action since Week 6. This feels like more of a negative for Fournette than a positive for McCoy.

RB Jonathan Taylor (IND) –  The rookie saw moderate use in a committee backfield this year and fell below ten touches a few times around mid-season. He’s apparently on the same plan as Cam Akers since Taylor ran for over 90 yards in Weeks 11 and 13. And on Sunday, he ravaged the Raiders with 20 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard scoring run during the third quarter. Nyheim Hines still ran the ball seven times for 58 yards, but Taylor is reliable again after three impressive weeks.

RB Josh Jacobs (LV) – This is an issue with fantasy leaguers at the least. And maybe a few gambling types as well. Jacobs was a game-time call against the Colts with an ankle injury. He had an Instagram post that said “SORRY GUYS IM NOT PLAYING TODAY.” But he was active and did indeed play, gaining 49 yards on 13 rushes and adding three catches for 25 yards. He was apparently trolling fantasy owners.

QB Matt Ryan (ATL) – The Falcons quarterback struggled this year  and the loss of their head coach back in Week 5 further signaled the team’s dysfunction. But he failed to throw any scores in his two previous road games and at the Chargers, he had to settled for just 224 yards and one touchdown – plus three interceptions. Calvin Ridley (8-124, TD) managed to remain a top receiver but Julio Jones missed his third game of the year.  Ryan was the No. 6 fantasy quarterback last year with 4,446 yards and 27 touchdowns. His decline has been very steep.

RB Alvin Kamara (NO) – He rushed for 50 yards and a score on 11 carries in the loss to the Eagles. But highly favorable was that his ten targets led the offense and he caught seven for 44 yards. His role as a receiver had been missing since Taysom Hill took over.

QB Jalen Hurts (PHI) – The Eagles rookie was given the start over Carson Wentz and proceeded to beat the Saints (or at the least, was there while the Saints lost). He passed for 167 yards and one score to Alshon Jeffery. He threw no interceptions but lost one fumble. And he rushed for 106 yards on 18 runs. That was just 13 yards short of Lamar Jackson’s  NFL record 119 yards in the first start for a quarterback.

RB Miles Sanders (PHI) – Quite the day for the second-year running back. He had not scored since Week 5 and battled a knee injury this year. The last two weeks saw him with only eight and ten touches for minimal yardage. But against the Saints and their No. 2 ranked rushing defense, he ran for 115 yards and two scores on 14 carries and added four catches for 21 yards.

Huddle player of the week

Derrick Henry  –  He ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and added two receptions for seven yards in the win over the Jaguars. He should be the NFL MVP this year. This is the third time this season that he’s been the highest-scoring fantasy player in the NFL. With three games left to play, Henry leads the NFL with 297 carries for 1,532 yards and 14 touchdowns. That is a pace to end with 365 carries for 1,885 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Tua Tagovailoa 316-24 3 QB Matt Ryan 224-3 1
RB Tony Pollard 11-39
2-9		 1 RB Todd Gurley 6-19
2-12		 0
RB Jeffery Wilson 11-31
1-13		 1 RB Ezekiel Elliott 12-48
2-11		 0
WR KJ Hamler 2-86 2 WR DeVante Parker 0 0
WR Brandon Aiyuk 10-118 0 WR Terry McLaurin 2-24 0
WR Nelson Agholor 5-100 1 WR Adam Thielen 3-39 0
TE Irv Smith 4-63 1 TE Evan Engram 2-18 0
PK Rodrigo Blankenship   5 XP   3 FG PK Will Lutz  3 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 153 Huddle Fantasy Points = 41

Now get back to work…

WATCH: Tua Tagovailoa throws miracle TD into triple coverage

Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is making some rookie mistakes, but is also showing flashes of what he could be with some more …

Tua Tagovailoa is not having the worst outing against the reigning Super Bowl Champions. In the first half, the Miami Dolphins had a 10-0 lead, but they have since been playing catchup as the Kansas City Chiefs scored 30 unanswered points.

Without scoring in the third quarter, the Dolphins started the fourth with a very impressive interception by Xavien Howard that was made with one hand into the endzone, No. 9 for Howard on the season.

With the ball back in his hand, and down three touchdowns, Tagovailoa knew it was time to start taking deep shots.

Having already thrown a touchdown to tight end Mike Gesicki, the Alabama product found him in the endzone again. However, this is a ball that maybe should not have been thrown.

A 29-yard touchdown into triple coverage somehow landed in Gesicki’s hands after hitting a defender. Risky, but complete for six.