Tag: milestone

Chiefs HC Andy Reid encouraged by Rashee Rice’s week one performance

Andy Reid liked what he saw from rookie receiver Rashee Rice in the #Chiefs’ loss to the #Lions.

One slightly bright spot in the Chiefs’ loss to the Lions last week was Rashee Rice’s ability to make an impact on the game.

Although the stat line may seem pedestrian (three catches for 29 yards and one touchdown), it was a solid building block for a receiving room that is begging for consistent production.

Andy Reid highlighted Rice’s ability to find space and feel for open areas on the field, which was demonstrated by his one-yard touchdown reception.

“He [Rashee Rice] did a nice job. Both him and Blake [Bell] did nice jobs on theirs [touchdown receptions], kind of feeling the area,” Reid said. “And that’s one of Rashee’s strengths, and we could use them a little bit more in those types – different situations where space is important. We’re trying to bring these guys along as we go, and I thought he sure did a nice job right there.”

With Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore unable to take over as the WR1 up to this point, Rice could see himself as the top target behind Travis Kelce once the 33-year-old tight end returns from injury.

Justin Fields enters Week 16 with seventh-most rushing yards in the NFL

Fields has set the league ablaze with his abilities in the rushing game this year and enters Week 16 as the NFL’s seventh-leading rusher

Justin Fields has turned heads across the league with his exceptional rushing abilities in 2022, though they haven’t necessarily translated to winning the Chicago Bears games to this point in the season. Entering Week 16, Fields is the NFL’s seventh-leading rusher by yardage with exactly 1000 yards under his belt on the ground this season.

Prolific though he may be, Chicago’s fans are more concerned with the team’s ability to turn his raw production into marks in the win column. At 3-11, the Bears boast the NFL’s second-worst record and are in need of a big win against a top-tier opponent to get Chicago’s denizens back behind the team heading into the 2023 season.

Fields has done his best, and nobody has ever doubted that he is making the most of the opportunity presented to him, but without wins to show for his efforts, thousand-yard seasons and potential only go so far. The Bears’ goal when they traded up to draft him was to secure themselves a franchise quarterback with which to compete for a Super Bowl championship and, to this point, it just hasn’t been in the cards for him to be able to meet that loftiest of expectations.

As he continues to develop, the game-breaking plays that Fields makes with his feet will need to give way to more traditional traits that championship-caliber teams get from their quarterbacks; the ability to find receivers downfield with consistency, limit turnovers, keep defenses guessing, etc.

For now, in a failed season where Chicago is likely in for a rebuild in the new year, Fields’ counting stats will have to suffice for a silver lining that fans can point to as an area of improvement this season. But soon, the most basic of stats, wins and losses, will come to define his legacy more than what he has accomplished with his legs in 2022.

Justin Fields seeks to secure first career win vs. Eagles on Sunday

Fields will be facing the #Eagles for the first time in his career and will look to secure the #Bears a win in the highly anticipated matchup

Second-year starting quarterback Justin Fields is set to play the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in his NFL career on Sunday, and hopes are high that he will be able to help the Chicago Bears secure their fourth victory of the season in the matchup. Fields has had a remarkable season despite his team’s struggle to get into the win column, and Chicago’s chances of finding success against the 12-1 Eagles will hinge on his performance.

The Bears have faced their share of adversity in 2022, but Fields has been a rock amid all of the moving pieces that have caused them to slide to their current record. To be sure, there remains room for improvement in his game, but his natural talent has started to push his play into more productive territory than it was last season.

If he is able to put up big numbers on the ground against Philadelphia, Chicago should stand a legitimate chance of knocking off the NFC’s top team in this Week 15 tilt. It will take a solid effort from the Bears’ defense to keep quarterback Jalen Hurts from blowing the game wide open with his exceptional cast of capable receivers in the passing game, but if they can hold up their end of the bargain, Fields should be able to help Chicago keep the score close.

This Bears team has already played every other team in the NFC East this season and is winless against the division to this point. Fields will look to reverse that trend on Sunday and seek to gash the Eagles’ defense at every opportunity he gets.

In previous matchups against NFC East opponents this year, Fields combined for 515 passing yards and three touchdowns while also managing to add 200 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Look for these numbers to improve in a game where Chicago has nothing to lose against this playoff-bound Philadelphia squad.

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Jaire Alexander tied for fourth place in NFL for interceptions ahead of Week 15 matchup vs. Rams

Alexander will look to climb the NFL’s interceptions leaderboard with a big game against the #Rams in Week 15

Jaire Alexander has had a phenomenal 2022 season in the Green Bay Packers secondary and is looking to add to his list of achievements with a big game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. He is currently tied for fourth place on the NFL’s list of players with the most interceptions this season and could climb higher with a few more picks before the season comes to a close.

Matched up against the Rams’ struggling offense, Alexander will have to compete against the likes of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson to ensure that Green Bay maintains an edge over Los Angeles’ air attack. The 5-8 Packers cannot afford to let quarterback Baker Mayfield keep this game within striking distance after he orchestrated an outstanding comeback against the Las Vegas Raiders last week.

Though Alexander will have his work cut out for him against the defending Super Bowl champions, it isn’t out of the question that he could make an outsized impact on the final outcome of this crucial tilt. Los Angeles has struggled to move the ball on the ground all season, and will likely resort to a pass-first strategy as they pursue their fifth win of the year.

Green Bay is sure to be hard at work studying the Rams’ offensive tendencies and readying themselves for the challenge of playing an exceptionally well-coached team that will never be an easy out on Sunday. Even without Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles has shown grit and tenacity in 2022 that any team or fanbase would be envious of, and the Packers would be wise to not overlook their opponent, despite their losing record.

If last week’s comeback win by the Rams was any indication, Green Bay is in for an exceptionally demanding game that should give Alexander plenty of chances to make a difference on the outcome.

Amari Rodgers set career high in receiving in Texans debut

Rodgers made short work of setting his career high in yardage in the #Texans’ loss to the #Cowboys in Week 14

Speculation abounded surrounding the Houston Texans’ claim of wide receiver Amari Rodgers off waivers in November, and fans finally got a glimpse of his talent in the team’s Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Rodgers was among the team’s most effective receiving threats with both Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins inactive due to injury, and capitalized on every opportunity he was given to make an impact for the struggling franchise.

The second-year wideout caught four passes on five targets for 57 yards and a touchdown in the game. His yardage was enough to set a new career high in his Texans debut, and the touchdown he caught off the arm of quarterback Jeff Driskel was the first of his young career in the NFL.

It is unclear whether Houston will elect to continue activating him on Sundays through the end of the season, but judging from his performance against Dallas, he can clearly make a difference in their lackluster offense.

Rodgers was a highly coveted prospect when he declared for the draft in 2021 and seemed to have found a long-term home when the Green Bay Packers drafted him in the third round with the 85th overall selection. However, things didn’t go to plan for him in Green Bay, and the Packers decided to waive him in the middle of November to cut their losses on their failed investment.

Houston has a rare chance to develop this talented prospect in their offensive system, and should not take Rodgers’ talent for granted just because they got him for a bargain. The team is headed into the 2023 season with some serious work to be done in terms of roster construction, and Rodgers could be an elegant solution to their lack of high-end playmakers who could thrive with a high volume of targets and usage within their various passing schemes.

Ka’imi Fairbairn scored 600th career point vs. Cowboys in Week 14

Fairbairn scored his 600th career point in the #Texans’ loss to the #Cowboys in Week 14

Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn scored his 600th career point against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, cementing himself as the Houston Texans’ second-leading scorer all-time behind kicker Kris Brown. Fairbairn was three-for-three on his three-point attempts and converted both of his extra-point attempts in the Texans’ loss.

His 11 total points helped keep Houston within striking distance of their second win of the season, but a late defensive collapse on the Texans’ final defensive drive gave Dallas the edge they needed to escape the matchup as the victor. If it weren’t for Fairbairn’s expert kicking performance, this game would’ve gotten out of hand for Houston, and they would have struggled to put up such a competitive showing.

Fairbairn, a native of Hawaii, has played for the Texans since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2016 after an illustrious career at the University of California, Los Angeles. He became the second UCLA Bruin to win the coveted Lou Groza Award for his performance in 2015 and made an instant impact for Houston as soon as he stepped foot on the field.

After a few years to get his footing in the NFL, Fairbairn ended the 2018 season as the league’s leading scorer and has been a steady contributor to the Texans’ special teams unit ever since. He has an all-time conversion percentage of 84.8 percent on field goal attempts, and his career-long field goal is 61 yards.

Houston will continue to rely on Fairbairn’s golden leg for years to come, and especially through the end of their 2022 schedule as they seek to find their second win of the season in the next five weeks. The highly respected kicker will have his work cut out for him amid the Texans’ recent quarterback controversies, which will surely give him ample opportunities to kick for three points over the remainder of the regular season.

 

Linebacker Christian Kirksey recorded 700th career tackle vs. Commanders

Kirksey became just the 11th active player to cross the 700-tackle threshold in the #Texans’ loss to the #Commanders in Week 11

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey recorded the 700th tackle of his career against the Washington Commanders in the team’s Week 11 loss at NRG Stadium. He became just the 11th active player in the NFL to achieve the feat and is just nine tackles shy of reaching the top 10, which may be a possibility for him by the end of the season.

While the final score of the matchup was far from ideal, Kirksey’s contributions were paramount to the Texans’ ability to keep it from getting completely out of hand. They managed to lose by just 13 points in the game after trailing by an even 20 heading into halftime.

The Texans have had their share of poor performances over the course of the 2022 season, but Kirksey’s presence has helped buoy their young defense amid what is turning out to be the beginning of an arduous rebuilding process. Houston’s coaching staff and front office will want to tear their roster down to the bare studs in the offseason, and Kirksey has proven with his consistently competent play that he deserves to be part of the defense next year.

What is becoming increasingly unclear, however, is the commitment of the team to Kirksey moving forward. Though he hasn’t been a liability for the Texans, they drafted up-and-coming linebacker, Christian Harris, back in April, and may look to a youth movement to solve some of the structural issues plaguing their team in 2023.

Veterans like Kirksey are a necessary component of any well-formed roster, but with the results that the Texans have drawn from their 2022 campaign, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them part with a significant amount of the older talent currently taking up space on their team. Time will tell if Kirksey is able to crack their roster once again next season, or if this milestone might serve as the last signficant accomplishment he makes in a Texans uniform.

Linebacker Christian Kirksey reflects on upcoming career milestone

Kirksey is just two tackles away from the 700-mark on his career but he told reporters on Tuesday that he’d rather be winning football games

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey has had quite the career in the NFL since entering the league in 2014 as a third-round pick from the University of Iowa. He found early success as a member of the Cleveland Browns until 2019 when the team parted ways with him and played for one season with the Green Bay Packers before finding his way to Houston last year.

Now in his ninth year of professional football, Kirksey is closing in on marking his 700th career tackle, a mark that is indicative of his knack for being at the right place at the right time over the course of his playing career. He reflected on the upcoming accomplishment in comments to reporters on Tuesday, when asked about what achieving such a concrete marker of success meant to him.

“To be honest, playing linebacker in this league, yeah, you look at the tackles and say it’s a good milestone, but I’m worried about winning,” Kirksey explained. “What good is it if you’re making tackles and you’re not winning? For me, where I can really excel in my game is the big plays, the takeaways, the game-changing plays. That’s what I’m concerned about. It is a milestone, and you never want to overlook anything, any type of success you have. I give it up to god, and thankful to play a long time to get to that milestone. I’m more worried about winning games and seeing where I could be the best fit to help my team.”

While his somewhat flippant response belies the fact that the milestone will reflect highly on his achievement at the professional level, one can certainly appreciate that his mind is on winning football games and not career milestones. He will need just two tackles against the Washington Commanders on Sunday to cross the 700-tackle mark, and for his benefit, fans should hope that the Texans manage to pull out their second win of the season in the matchup so that Kirksey’s outstanding accomplishment isn’t made bittersweet by the team’s underachievement.

Frank Ross comments on long snapper Jon Weeks’ upcoming 200th career game milestone

Jon Weeks has been a rock for the #Texans’ special teams unit since 2010 and will start his 200th career game at long snapper vs. Tennessee

One underrated contributor on the Houston Texans’ roster this season has been long snapper Jon Weeks, who will mark his 200th game at the position this week against the Tennessee Titans. The milestone drew praise from Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross at the team’s Thursday press conference, where the seasoned coach remarked on Weeks’ uncanny consistency in the role over the course of the last several years.

“Selfishly, I’m fortunate and lucky to coach that,” Ross explained, “because people like Jon Weeks in our business, in the NFL, have the ability to do it day in and day out, season in season out for an extended period of time for years is difficult. Okay, now we’re talking about 200 games. I’m fortunate to learn from him to have him on or roster where I know week in and week out he’s going to do exactly as asked and work hard every week to do so.

“Talking about 200 games specifically, it’s an achievement that I honestly don’t know how many times that’s happened and the ability that it’s been consecutive is a testament to consistency, every day coming in, showing up, hard work but doing work with intentionality and focus. As you know, once you hit a certain age in life to be able to continue to work on your body and improve your body, becomes more and more challenging and he’s done just that. Excited for him, happy he was able to achieve that. Big goal for him and congrats to Jon.”

Weeks is a consummate pro and has certainly helped keep Houston’s special teams unit on an even keel through all the trials and tribulations the Texans’ have battled through in the last few seasons. He has been with the team since 2010 and has not missed a single game due to injury since he was picked up via free agency after going undrafted in the 2008 draft.

Few players at any position in the NFL boast the consistency that Weeks has shown over the course of his career, and even fewer can say that they have been a member of the same team for more than 10 seasons. As he heads into Sunday’s matchup, Weeks is sure to be reflecting on his successful career.

Cooper Kupp marks third game of 100-plus receiving yards vs. 49ers

Kupp made his mark in the primetime matchup, but it wasn’t enough to get the #Rams a win on the road against the #49ers

Star receiver Cooper Kupp was on his A game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, notching his third game with 100 or more yards receiving in the 2022 season for the Los Angeles Rams. With 14 catches on 19 targets, Kupp set a career high for raw receptions in a game, and was involved in the Rams’ longest play from scrimmage in the matchup on an 18-yard catch.

His contributions were one of the only reasons that Los Angeles’ offense was able to get into field goal range in the primetime blowout, and without Kupp to present a downfield threat, the Rams likely wouldn’t have been able to score. He is reliant on quarterback Matthew Stafford to get him the ball with consistency, but when the signal-caller struggles as he did last night, the team is at a marked disadvantage.

Los Angeles’ defense didn’t do him any favors either, letting the 49ers score seemingly at will and forcing the offensive strategy to get desperate starting in the first quarter. Next week, the team’s game plan will need to find a more suitable balance between the run and pass games, so as to minimize the amount of time that the opposing defense can spend keyed in on Kupp on a drive-by-drive basis.

The Rams will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, and the prospect of starting quarterback Dak Prescott’s return looms large over the discourse around the game’s possible outcome. Los Angeles will look to get back on track in their divisional standings with a win, but given their defeat to the 49ers on Monday, it seems unlikely that they will be able to take sole ownership of first place, even if they emerge victorious.

For now, the team will re-group and seek to find solutions on both sides of the ball, focusing on getting star talents like Kupp involved in more creative ways against their next opponent.