Tag: NFL Network

GMFB’s Kyle Brandt predicts Bills’ Josh Allen wins 2024 MVP (video)

GMFB’s Kyle Brandt predicts #Bills’ Josh Allen wins 2024 MVP (video):

Analyst from NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” Kyle Brandt wanted something specific in his MVP selection for the 2024 NFL season.

Brandt explained he thinks this player should have  a “story or saga” attached to them.

Based on the first few years of his career plus all the departures his team has had this offseason, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was his selection.

Check out the GMFB clip below for Brandt’s announcement:

https://twitter.com/KyleBrandt/status/1831343281789386967

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Washington Commanders waive former Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman

Tough break for him

After using up his college eligibility at Notre Dame, quarterback [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] set his eyes on professional football.

After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders scooped him up as a free agent. If it didn’t work out, he also could go to the Birmingham Stallions, who drafted him into the UFL a few months later.

While the door isn’t completely closed on Hartman’s NFL aspirations, he’ll need to prove that he belongs in the league. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network is reporting that Hartman will not be on the Commanders’ roster to start the season but could remain part of the organization:

Hartman’s preseason showing left a little to be desired. He completed eight of 13 passes for 83 yards and no touchdowns, only playing in the Commanders’ preseason opener against the New York Jets. The longest pass he completed was for 19 yards.

The NFL can be unforgiving, so let’s hope Hartman eventually can clear the necessary hurdles to make it there.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger sees big upside in Jets rookie Leonard Taylor III

Leonard Taylor gets praise from NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger.

NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger is liking what he is seeing from New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III. The rookie looked good on Saturday night in the preseason finale against the New York Giants.

Taylor was an undrafted rookie free agent signing by the Jets. Last year in 10 starts at Miami, Taylor had 19 total tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.

In his last collegiate game, at No. 4 Florida State, he had four total tackles, a season-high output.

Against the Giants over the weekend, Taylor had four total tackles and 1.5 sacks. It was this performance that led Baldinger, a popular NFL Network analyst and a former offensive lineman, to praise the Jets rookie.

Baldinger started his analysis by saying that the “pass rush of the Jets against the Giants was fierce.” Then Jets All-Pro Quinnen Williams was brought up in the comparison.

“He was good, he was really good,” Baldinger said.

“His ability – he plays the same position as Quinnen does. And he plays in the same stance, can tell he watches him a lot.”

 

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In 2022 as a junior, Taylor was an honorable mention All-ACC selection.

Jets rookie Olu Fashanu gets praised by NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger

Olu Fashanu had some good moments in Saturday’s preseason game.

Not only is Olu Fashanu adjusting to life in the NFL, but the New York Jets rookie is also learning a new position. There is some promise here, so says NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger.

Fashanu, a first-round pick of the Jets, was a standout left tackle at Penn State and a multi-year All-Big Ten selection. On Saturday night, Fashanu played right tackle for the Jets in their preseason win at the Carolina Panthers.

For Baldinger, a former standout NFL offensive lineman who does outstanding work for the NFL Network as an analyst, there are some good building blocks here.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Baldinger highlighted some of the areas of development needed for Fashanu from Saturday’s preseason game. But, there were some significant signs of the Jets top draft pick getting it.

“When he gets his hands on guys, and he is moving his feet at the same time, he’s almost unbeatable,” Baldinger said.

“That’s good, he drops an anchor. You watch him right here, and this is good. Watch him…He likes to get underneath guys, and his legs are so strong.”

Baldinger cautioned that it will take time. Two years ago, he said that Tristan Wirfs was an All-Pro at right tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He moved to left tackle last year and “He said it took him 10 games until he started feeling comfortable.”

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Wirfs was an All-Pro selection in 2021 and 2022. He was named to the Pro Bowl last year for the third time in his career.

Baldly’s breakdowns: Bills’ Joe Andreessen was ‘star’ vs. Steelers (video)

Baldly’s breakdowns: #Bills’ Joe Andreessen was ‘star’ vs. #Steelers (video):

The local legend of Joe Andreessen is expanding outside of western New York.

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger is the latest to praise the Buffalo Bills linebacker.

After reviewing the film of Buffalo’s 9-3 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Andreessen caught Baldinger’s attention. In breaking down Andreessen’s efforts, the analyst went on to call him a “star”

“You watch this now and you go, ‘they’ve got a player here,’ Baldinger said.

His full “Baldy’s Breakdown on Andreessen vs. the Steelers can be found below:

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Manti Te’o knew Alvin Kamara would be special from his first day at minicamp

Manti Te’o knew Alvin Kamara would be special from his first day at minicamp. He had to demonstrate how the then-rookie running back put him in a blender:

Manti Te’o says he knew Alvin Kamara would be special from their first day at minicamp back in 2017. The veteran linebacker had followed his position coach Mike Nolan to join the New Orleans Saints that offseason, and he was eager to show the team what he could do at their first real day of practice.

But Te’o had to shrug when he was matched up with a rookie running back for individual drills, only to feel confused when the offensive coaches started grinning knowingly.

Te’o has joined NFL Network’s Good Morning Football studio show, and this week he had to get up and demonstrate how Kamara put him in a blender. It’s clear that he gained a lot of respect for Kamara after an eye-opening rep at practice.

And Te’o hopes the new offense being called by Klint Kubiak will feature Kamara doing what he does best in situations just like what he described: “He’s somebody that I hope, I hope that the New Orleans Saints don’t use him to block like they were using him last year. That’s the worst thing you do with him. That’s not what he’s going to make the Hall of Fame for. He’s going to make the Hall of Fame for getting the ball.”

Te’o said there’s just one other running back who is as challenging to cover as Kamara — San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey. Hopefully Kubiak’s firsthand experience to how McCaffrey has been used applies to his vision for Kamara. Since entering the league in 2017, McCaffrey is the only player in the NFL with more receptions (509) than Kamara (505). Te’o added, “I played against both of them. Them in the backfield, it is impossible to guard them.”

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Legendary Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o joining NFL Network

Good luck, Manti!

Look at those who have played for Notre Dame over the past 15 years, and it’s hard to find anyone who made a bigger impact than [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag].

He was a Heisman Trophy finalist when the Irish came within a game of winning the 2012 national championship. Even after his embarrassing catfishing scandal, he played in 62 NFL games over seven seasons.

Now, Te’o is ready for the next chapter in his football life. In an appearance on “Good Morning Football”, he announced he’s joining the NFL Network. Here’s a portion of what he said while making his announcement:

It’s great to see Te’o put his past behind him enough that he’s able to move forward and take a gig like this. He’s made it clear that he won’t let catfishing become his legacy. While that’s a tall order in a world defined by social media, at least he’s making an effort to change the narrative. We wish him well with this venture.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Packers vs. Broncos preseason game will be broadcast live on NFL Network

The Packers’ preseason game against the Broncos on Sunday will be broadcast live on NFL Network.

The preseason clash between the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos on Sunday night will be broadcast live to a national audience on NFL Network.

While Packers coach Matt LaFleur isn’t planning on playing most of his veteran starters, including Jordan Love, Packers fans across the country will get to see the rest of the roster battle for roles and roster spots against Sean Payton’s team in Denver.

The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. CT kickoff from Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. There are only two games scheduled for Sunday night: Packers-Broncos, and Saints-49ers.

For viewers in the local market, the game will be broadcast on the Packers TV Network (and blacked out on NFL Network):

Packers TV Network

WGBA-TV in Green Bay
WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee
WAOW-TV in Wausau
WKOW-TV in Madison
WXOW-TV in La Crosse
WQOW-TV in Eau Claire
KQDS-TV in Duluth-Superior
ELUC-TV in Escanaba-Marquette.
KWWL-TV and WHBF-TV in Iowa
KATN-TV, KYUR-TV and KJUD-TV in Alaska
KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, SD

TELEMUNDO will also broadcast the game.

For in-market fans, the Packers will also live-stream the game on Packers.com.

The game can also be heard on the Packers Radio Network, or through the team’s live stream of the radio broadcast on Packers.com via desktop.

NFL+ subscription also provides access to live preseason games.

NFL Network will re-air the game between the Packers and Broncos on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Steelers LB T.J. Watt cracks Top 10 of NFL Network Top 100 players

T.J. Watt got his props from the other players in the NFL in this year’s Top 100 list.

Every season, when the conversation of best defensive player in the NFL comes up, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is in the mix. Steelers fans believe Watt never gets the respect he deserves from the media and fans of other teams. However, when it comes to fellow NFL players, they understand just how good Watt is.

Watt checked in at No. 8 on the NFL Network’s Top 100 players. This is voted on by NFL players and it the highest Watt has been ranked. Last season, Watt was at No. 27 which was down from No. 21 in 2002. Seeing Watt in the Top 10 feels right for maybe the best all-around defender in the NFL.

In 2023, Watt led the NFL with 19 sacks. That’s the third time in four seasons Watt has led the league in sacks. No other player in NFL history has done that. Watt is also tied with Lawrence Taylor for the single-season sack record. He did that in 2021 when he won Defensive Player of the Year.

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Steelers LB Patrick Queen checks in at No. 64 on NFL Top 100

Patrick Queen had a breakout season in 2023 and is poised for an even bigger 2024.

Perhaps the biggest of several big additions the Pittsburgh Steelers made in the offseason was the addition of linebacker Patrick Queen. Queen is exactly the type of playmaker this defense needs and is the best linebacker the Steelers have had on the roster since Ryan Shazier.

Plus the team got to poach him from arch-rival Baltimore Ravens.

NFL Network put out their annual Top 100 player list based on player vote and this season Queen checked in at No. 64. In 2023, Queen didn’t make the list at all. Queen finished 2023 with a career-high 133 total tackles along with 3.5 sacks and six passes defended.

Queen gets a perfect opportunity in Pittsburgh to break away from the notion that he was only great because he played next to Roquan Smith. This season Queen will be the man and can lead along with veteran Elandon Roberts and work as a mentor to rookie inside linebacker Payton Wilson.

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