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Quick hits and notes from the first New Orleans Saints minicamp practice: Derek Carr’s take on new teammates, plus a unique task for Pete Werner | @MaddyHudak_94
Who stood out when the New Orleans Saints hit the practice field on Tuesday? Which trends and takeaways are most interesting? That’s what we set out to answer after taking in an afternoon of work at the Saints training facility.
Here’s what our own Maddy Hudak learned about Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, Pete Werner, and many of their teammates after the first Saints minicamp practice:
Latest on the #Chiefs’ receiver pursuits, Chris Jones and more from the NFL’s annual meeting in Arizona.
The annual league meeting is underway in Phoenix, Arizona.
NFL owners, head coaches, general managers and other NFL executives are discussing the biggest topics for the upcoming season. They’ll meet and work to ratify or vote down proposed rule changes. They’ll discuss all aspects of the business side of the league. Media members in attendance also get a chance to speak with coaches to touch on some hot topics.
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid did some one-on-one interviews and spoke at the NFL’s coach’s luncheon on Monday. Here’s a look at some of the latest news nuggets to come from that and more:
From meetings with the #Chiefs to interesting quotes and notes, here are the latest updates from DB/ST media availability at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
Workouts for the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine are getting underway this afternoon. The media scrum continued on Thursday morning with special teamers, cornerbacks and safeties speaking to members of the media.
Meetings and interviews with teams are continuing throughout the week, so we’re getting a few updates on the players that have met with the Kansas City Chiefs. We’re also hearing plenty about what makes this latest group of NFL draft prospects tick.
Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. is again out at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis speaking with prospects along with other members of the media. Be sure to follow along below for the latest updates as they come in:
The #Texans continue to take losses despite forcing turnovers at a high rate
The Houston Texans’ loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 was a frustrating affair, especially given that it constituted their 10th defeat of the season at the hands of their former quarterback. The 13-point margin that ultimately doomed their efforts was indicative of how they’ve squandered opportunities at every turn in 2022, and though they fought hard to the bitter end, Houston remains the league’s most inept team, unable to secure victory at any cost.
Perhaps the only thing that went right for them in the matchup was their ability to force turnovers, which kept the game from getting completely out of hand. Rookie safety Jalen Pitre turned out an admirable performance, snagging his third interception of the season and combining for 16 total tackles in what should be considered his breakout performance.
Likewise, defensive back Demond King II managed to recover a fumble in the game, helping to mark the fifth time that the Texans have forced multiple turnovers this season. Usually, multi-turnover games are considered a rarity, but it seems that when opponents have played against Houston this season, all normal customs and tendencies go out the window.
The most frustrating reality of this milestone is the fact that the Texans can put together a competent defensive gameplan that would normally result in a positive outcome, but the ineptitude of their offense is an insurmountable obstacle that the team just cannot seem to overcome to get a win.
At this rate, Houston will finish the season with one win and a tie to show for their efforts and will lose no less than 14 games en route to securing themselves the first-overall pick in April’s draft. Ostensibly, they’d use that selection to take their pick of the 2023 quarterback class, but it seems that whomever they choose will be up against the gun from day one as they battle the team’s overall incompetence in what is sure to be a whirlwind rookie season.
For better or worse, we’ve learned a lot about the Saints through the first four weeks of the season. 10 takeaways via @RossJacksonNOLA:
Through the first four weeks of the NFL season, the New Orleans Saints aren’t where many expected them to be. At just 1-3 coming off of three-straight losses, it wouldn’t be unwarranted to focus on the negatives. The penalties, turnovers and special teams blunders are at the forefront. But the truth is that there are positives to take away from how the team has responded and continued to fight as well. Good or bad, here are ten things we’ve learned about the Saints through their first four weeks.
Saints improve in some areas, continue to struggle in others. 7 takeaways from Sunday’s loss vs. Vikings, via @RossJacksonNOLA:
NFL fans across the pond in London, England were treated to a great game on Sunday between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. However, Saints fans were displeased after the team dropped its third-straight game and fell to 1-3 on the season. While New Orleans only missed sending the game into overtime by an inch or two, things feel much further away when it comes to turning the corner.
However far away things may feel, the Saints believe they’re close. Certain signed of life throughout the international matchup warrant that confidence. But New Orleans still has a lot to prove after a disappointing start of the season so far.
Here are our takeaways from today’s loss to the Vikings:
Live updates from Saints’ second joint practice with Packers
We’re live from the Green Bay Packers practice facility, where the New Orleans Saints are joining them for a second joint training session on Wednesday, Aug. 17. Here’s everything you need to know as Jameis Winston, Aaron Rodgers, and all of their teammates hit the field:
All the notes, observations and takeaways to know from the Packers’ fourth training camp practice on Saturday.
The Green Bay Packers took the field on Saturday for their fourth training camp practice of the 2022 season. I was able to be in attendance, so here are some of my key observations and takeaways:
– Aaron Jones was back returning kicks on Friday, but as LaFleur would tell reporters, it’s “just an emergency situation.” Jones, along with De’Vondre Campbell, is also sitting in the special teams meetings.
Takeaway: Following the playoff loss to San Francisco, LaFleur mentioned that the Packers would look into utilizing starters more on special teams. Rich Bisaccia would also make a similar comment this offseason, noting that late in Ronde Barber’s career, he was still a core special teams player. I do believe that we will see more key contributors on special teams than in years past, specifically on the blocking units, but for players like Jones, Campbell, and Adrian Amos — who have all taken special teams reps this summer — my guess is that they are being prepared for that just in case scenario but won’t begin as the preferred starters.
– LaFleur on edge rusher Randy Ramsey via Ryan Wood: “He’s one of the guys who are going to be in competition. Right now, it’s pretty clear cut who are 1 and 2 are, but as for 3 through 5, it’s anyone’s guess.”
Takeaway: Ramsey suffered an ankle injury last summer that sidelined him the entire season. Earlier this offseason, Brian Gutekunst would say that the team was “excited” to have Ramsey back in the mix. In addition to competing for playing time on defense, he was also fourth in special teams snaps in 2020 per PFF.
– As Matt Schneidman would note, the Packers will ease Sammy Watkins back into the mix. He was practicing on his own today and will rejoin team drills next week.
– David Bakhtiari was working with the rehab group, which was the first time that has happened during training camp.
– Zach Tom was back at left tackle with the starters today and had an impressive performance. For a tackle, he lacks some length, but his athleticism is apparent on the edge. He finished his Wake Forest career with 1,474 snaps at left tackle, allowing just four sacks and 23 pressures in that two-year span, according to PFF.
– The other starts along the offensive line were Jon Runyan, Josh Myers, Royce Newman, and Yosh Nijman from left to right. With versatility being the hallmark of this offensive line unit, as Matt LaFleur said earlier this week, things will be “fluid” as players are moved around in search of the best five.
– The second team offensive line was made up of Tom – who was getting more reps – Michal Menet, Jake Hanson, Sean Rhyan, and Cole Van Lanen. To my knowledge, we have yet to see Rhyan taking snaps at tackle, where he spent most of his time at UCLA.
– With a deeper interior defensive line rotation, there were several snaps with Kenny Clark lined up as the five-tech. Getting Clark on the edge and in space is always a good thing as it will mean fewer double-teams and more one-on-one opportunities.
– Romeo Doubs just continued to make plays, including one downfield pass from Jordan Love where he had his man beat and another in traffic. Doubs was playing with the ones, twos, and threes on Saturday and was the first return man on punts as well. Doubs averaged over 12 yards per return at Nevada on 37 attempts with a touchdown.
– There appeared to be an emphasis on running the ball today, and the defense was well prepared, flying to the ball and filling gaps. The defensive front also generated a number of “pressures” as well.
– The secondary was very good as well – sticky in coverage. Rodgers and Love rarely had an opportunity to push the ball downfield and oftentimes had to go get to their second and third reads before finding a target. Overall, the defense won the day – which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even Rodgers mentioned there could be some long days during his last appearance on the Pat McAfee Show:
“It could be a long training camp for the offense. I like the way our defense is looking and playing, and just on paper, it looks like they’re going to be pretty formidable,” said Rodgers on the Pat McAfee Show. ”So there could be some growing pains for the offense, which would be great for us, it would be nice to take our lumps from time to time and help us to get better facing a really good defense like that.”
– Jack Coco was the long-snapper with the first team field goal unit. In addition to Doubs returning punts, we also saw Amari Rodgers and Ish Hyman back as well.
– La’Darius Hamilton and Tipa Galeai were the second-team edge rushers once again, with Galeai putting together some really nice pass rush reps where he utilized that speed of his. After Gary and Smith, the third through fifth spots on this roster at this position are wide open, but what we do know is that the Packers need more impact plays from the rotational players in 2022 than what they received in 2021.
– Tight end Tyler Davis, who there has been a lot of hype around, very much held his own as a blocker today. While it was a small sample size, last season, he ranked 17th among all tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade.
– There were several plays where Aaron Jones was lined up out wide. When discussing the passing game and the questions at receiver, we can’t forget about Jones, who has finished second on the team in receptions for three straight seasons.
– On a few of those instances when Jones was split out, AJ Dillon was in the backfield. Between 2020 and 2021, the Packers went from using two running back sets 16% of the time to just 2%, according to Sharp Football. This is a very small sample size, but as Pete Dougherty would write following the Packers’ late-season win over Minnesota, there were seven plays that game with both Jones and Dillon in the backfield, and the offense averaged 7.4 yards per play.
– Rashan Gary was incredibly impressive. Whether using speed or power, he lived in the backfield, oftentimes matched up against Nijman. Also, this was another practice where neither Rodgers nor Love tested Jaire Alexander.
– Cornerbacks Rico Gafford and Kabion Ento had very nice days as well, with Gafford tallying three pass breakups and Ento two. Gafford is a recent convert from wide receiver and possesses 4.22 speed – which could make him a valuable member of the special teams unit either as a gunner or return man. He also played under Rich Bisaccia in Las Vegas. Ento, meanwhile, really flashed last summer, but an area where he struggled was with tackling.
– Juwann Winfree, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kingsley Enagbare, and Dallin Leavitt all had reps with the starters today. Winfree is fighting for a roster spot that may hinge on the Packers keeping a seventh receiver. Jean-Charles could see some playing time in the slot this season depending on the matchup, while Leavitt brings special teams experience from his time under Bisaccia in Las Vegas, with Enagbare trying to carve out a rotational role on pass rush downs.
– In addition to struggling to move the ball, it was a sloppy day for the offense with a pair of fumbles and two false starts as well.
– Last preseason, LaFleur mentioned that he wanted to see Jordan Love “let it rip.” There were a few instances of that today where he made nice, decisive reads and got the ball out quick and on target. Hopefully, this means his confidence in the system is growing.
– The starting defense took a few reps as the field goal block team. Perhaps this is one way to cross-train each player to a specific position–just in case they are needed at some point this season.
Our notes and observations from re-watching Sunday’s win over the Bears.
The Green Bay Packers won a fifth-straight game after an 0-1 start and a fifth-straight game over the Chicago Bears by delivering a 24-14 victory at Soldier Field on Sunday.
Here are some notes and observations after rewatching the Packers’ 10-point win over the Bears:
– The Josh Myers injury was an unfortunate one. The Packers sent a man in motion, but Bears safety Tashaun Gipson recognized the look and made himself into an unblocked blitzer from the edge. He collided with Myers as he entered the backfield and wrapped up A.J. Dillon for no gain. Without the blitzer, Myers walks away from the play unharmed.
– Aaron Rodgers’ deep accuracy remains inconsistent to start 2021. A play after Myers was hurt, Rodgers had Davante Adams a step behind the one-on-one coverage of Jaylon Johnson but overshot his All-Pro receiver. He was 1-for-5 on throws over 20 yards in the air on Sunday.
– Stunts gave the Packers offensive line problems early on. Rookie Royce Newman had issues with identifying stunts and passing off rushers.
– The Bears found Isaac Yiadom immediately. He gave up the 20-yard completion on third down and then had an inexcusable defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone. His coverage was actually decent before the unnecessary contact. The Packers pulled him immediately after the opening series.
– Robert Quinn beat Elgton Jenkins with pure speed. Great rush against an offensive lineman still shaking off some rust after missing three games.
– Chandon Sullivan quietly played a nice game covering the slot. He had speedy receiver Darnell Mooney locked up on a few deep throws.
– The Bears were unfortunate on the Darnell Savage interception. Kenny Clark clearly jumped into the neutral zone. Instead of 3rd-and-2 from near midfield, Justin Fields’ throw ended up being an arm punt.
– Jon Runyan was so quick off the ball on the fourth-down quarterback sneak. He got to double team and cleared the path for Rodgers.
– Twice, Davante Adams cooked Jaylon Johnson with his release from the slot. His 32-yard catch in the second quarter set up the first touchdown.
– It was such a creative playcall on the Allen Lazard touchdown. The Packers have run several variations of a play with Aaron Jones in jet motion. Inside the 5-yard line, the look and all the different options give second-level defenders so much to see and think about pre- and post-snap.
– A.J. Dillon’s 36-yard run was football poetry in motion. The perfectly executed and timed blocking cleared the lane for the 247-pounder, and Dillon made moves in the open field to create the explosive play.
– The offensive pass interference penalty on Equanimeous St. Brown was questionable at best. The throw from Rodgers was excellent. Without the penalty, the Packers would have finished 4-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone.
– Rasul Douglas had a rough series to end the first half. He gave up a pair of completions and had the personal foul penalty, but aside from this one drive, he was tough and competitive as a boundary corner. Expect to see more of No. 29 if Kevin King remains out.
– Adrian Amos was an inch away from snagging his third interception in three games at Soldier Field as a Packer.
– Dean Lowry went right through the Bears left guard and sacked Fields to take the Bears out of field goal range before the half. He is becoming more and more disruptive as a pass-rusher recently.
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– Jaylon Smith looked explosive while blitzing and pressuring Fields on a screen pass.
– Jonathan Garvin ended two different drives on third down with pressure. His production was really needed with Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith out.
– Lucas Patrick did a terrific job on Aaron Jones’ 28-yard run in the third quarter. He hit the initial block, and then came off and got the linebacker at the second level to spring Jones into the secondary. Excellent timing and execution.
– Jones’ value as a receiver was on full display on back-to-back plays in the third quarter. He ran a sprint to the flat and picked up 10 easy yards to get the Packers into the red zone, and then he made a man miss on a late-developing screen pass and waltzed into the end zone. Two easy throws, 22 yards, seven points.
– Jaylon Smith swung and missed on a tackle attempt on Khalil Herbert in the flat. Good move by Herbert, but Smith was out of control.
– Rashan Gary was excellent. His power, speed and energy can be overwhelming at times.
– Most times, outkicking your coverage is bad as a punter. Not when you boot one 82 yards into the end zone. A net of 62 yards is still pretty, pretty, pretty good. With one lucky hop, Corey Bojorquez’s moonshot could have stopped inside the five. It was still a field-flipper.
– Justin Fields could be a scary player in time. He has the arm to make all the throws, and his legs can extend plays and create explosive scrambles. The Packers gave him issues with coverage and pressure, and the rookie held the ball at times, but Fields has the traits to be very good with the right development.
– Miscommunication in the red zone again results in an easy touchdown. If there’s a theme to the red-zone issues for the Packers, it’s breakdowns in coverage.
– The completion to Allen Lazard with eight minutes left was a big one. The Packers were facing second-and-long right after the Bears scored. The crowd was getting into it. Third-and-long would have been a big challenge, but Rodgers connected with Lazard to move the sticks and quiet the crowd. It jumpstarted the game-sealing touchdown drive.
– As stated above, Adams cooked Johnson from the slot for a second time with about seven minutes left. A devastatingly effective release move created tons of separation, and Rodgers hit him moving to his right. Extra style points for the front flip into the end zone, even if it didn’t count.
– Alec Ogletree took the bait on Rodgers’ pump fake on the touchdown run.
– Kenny Clark, closer. Two sacks on the final drive to finish it. On the second, Clark beat a double move with a spin move to set up 4th-and-26. Game, set, match.
– Getting the ball back late allowed A.J. Dillon be the hammer to the game’s nail. Tackling him late in a game that was already decided must have been miserable.
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All the notes and observations from the Packers’ 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers in the NFC title game.
The Green Bay Packers made too many critical mistakes and missed too many opportunities during Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, so now Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the conference champions and will play in Super Bowl LV.
Here are all the notes and observations from rewatching the Packers’ 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers:
– The Packers run defense started well and maintained throughout the game, especially on early downs. They were physical at the line of scrimmage and active rallying to the football.
– The Buccaneers clearly identified Chandon Sullivan as a player to attack in big spots. They beat him twice from the slot for third down conversions on the first drive and really never stopped attacking him.
– Kevin King was actually in a decent position on the Mike Evans touchdown. If he times his jump right, he almost certainly knocks the ball away and the Bucs attempt a field goal. It almost looked like he panicked a little bit with the ball in the air, knowing Evans was behind him, then attempted his awkward-looking leap too early and was left completely out of position. The start of a miserable day for King.
– What does Aaron Jones need to do to get a facemask call? Devin White had a big handful of his facemask on a second-down catch on the first series.
– Just like the first meeting, the Packers’ dropback passing game really struggled early. The third-down sack was the result of the Bucs winning with seven in coverage and four rushing.
– The Packers special teams were responsible for a bunch of hidden field position yardage in this game. JK Scott’s first punt was an example.
– Kenny Clark’s third-down sack was a huge early play in the game. The Bucs were driving with a chance to take a two-score lead, but Clark bullied the backup right guard, driving him into the pocket and sacking Brady at the top of his drop.
– Terrific chemistry on display between Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard on the 3rd-and-long conversion to start the second drive. Rodgers anticipated Lazard spinning back to the quarterback along the sideline and threw the ball accordingly, and Lazard did exactly what he expected.
– Using Davante Adams in the slot really opened up some downfield opportunities for Marquez Valdes-Scantling against two-high looks. Often, the Bucs used the deep safety to bracket or double Adams, even on short or intermediate routes. That left Valdes-Scantling in one-on-ones. This is exactly what happened on the 50-yard touchdown. The safety comes down to double Adams, leaving Valdes-Scantling with a chance to run by the corner and make a big play.
– Like King, Darnell Savage also misplayed the ball in the air on Chris Godwin’s big catch on third down that sparked the Bucs’ second touchdown drive. The second-year safety actually had a great opportunity to intercept the pass, but Godwin made a much better play on the ball. Tracking the deep ball on this type of play has been an occasional issue for Savage during his first two seasons.
– For the most part, the Packers tackled well all game. But for one play, all their tackling warts showed up, and it resulted in a touchdown. Penetration from Tyler Lancaster had the run stopped in its tracks, but Leonard Fournette gathered himself, avoided Snacks Harrison, broke the tackle attempt of Jaire Alexander, spun past Adrian Amos and then beat the rest of the defense to the end. Another ugly play for the defense during a first half full of them.
– Marcedes Lewis blocked Jason Pierre-Paul into oblivion on a toss play to Jamaal Williams in the second quarter. Drove him 10 yards off the line of scrimmage and escorted him loudly to the ground.
– The Packers got the run game going at times, but they also abandoned it at times as well. Throwing three straight times from the 6-yard line after starting to gain some traction on the ground was an interesting sequence for Rodgers and LaFleur.
– Such a disappointing miss from Rodgers and Adams on the back-shoulder throw into the end zone. Got the perfect coverage, Adams won off the line, the ball was in a good spot away from the defender, and the All-Pro receiver just couldn’t finish the play. It’s a play they hit almost every time. It’s usually stealing.
– The third-down play in the red zone was also uncharacteristic. Sure, Lazard was open on the slant. But Adams was the go-to player on the play and he was open in rhythm. Rodgers waited a second too long. If he anticipates that throw like he needed to, it’s a touchdown. No doubt.
– The Packers linebackers tackled really well in the passing game. Brady checked down a bunch, but the linebackers in coverage were usually right there ready to make a tackle.
– Not sure what else to say about the Packers’ end of half calamity. Just an avalanche of errors. Interception. Dropped interception. Missed fourth-down stop. Giving up an over the top touchdown with seconds left.
– Will Redmond has to make that pick. Has to. Defensive backs practice making that exact catch hundreds of times during a given year.
– Regardless of the coverage called, King made a terrible play on the touchdown. Even in Cover-3, he can’t let the ball go over his head. A massive individual error. One of the biggest in the franchise’s postseason history. Giving up a fluke Hail Mary is one thing (see: Giants, 2011). This is something much worse. Just a complete breakdown.
– Credit the Bucs safeties. They were flying downhill to stop the short to intermediate passing game all game. On the first possession of the second half, Jordan Whitehead closed down Jones in a flash and knocked the ball loose. Game-changing play.
– The offensive tackles struggled, particularly Rick Wagner. Shaq Barrett won with speed to the edge and also a devastating spin move back inside. Wagner was on his heels all day.
– The Bucs lost Whitehead, their other starting safety, to an injury to start the Packers’ second drive of the second half. It was big. The Bucs started running more vanilla coverages and the Packers’ dropback passing game came alive. That’s no coincidence.
– The Packers ran some excellent concepts off their staple mesh plays. Many caught the Bucs napping in the middle of the field. Robert Tonyan’s touchdown was an example. Get the second-level defenders moving horizontally and then attack the middle of the field. Smart.
– It was amazing how often the Bucs ran the ball unsuccessfully on first down.
– Jaire Alexander had smothering coverage on Mike Evans on Adrian Amos’ interception.
– Very odd that Rodgers didn’t look Davante’s way on the free play. He usually takes his time and finds the best vertical route in those situations. Adams was wide open.
– The Packers got A.J. Dillon going on the one touchdown drive but never really went back to him.
– Cool concept working off the double motion with Davante, throwing a changeup on the play that worked for the touchdown against the Rams. The Bucs played it perfectly, passing off the motion and not falling for the double move.
– Give Davante a hop step release at the line and it’s game over.
– King is fortunate Evans dropped a deep ball to start the fourth quarter. King was out of position again.
– Sullivan gave up a third third-down conversion late. And he was very fortunate Evans dropped another one on the first Alexander pick. Rough game for the Packers slot corner.
– Six straight passing plays after Alexander picks, no first downs, no points. Pressure was a major factor.
– Terrific blitz call on the second Alexander pick. Anytime you can get Darnell Savage running unblocked at the quarterback, you’re probably going to get a disruptive play. Brady just arm punted it.
– Rodgers was very disappointed in his throw on 2nd-and-11 following the second Alexander pick. He had MVS on the same go-route as the first half. The ball flattened out and drifted inside too much. With a good throw, it’s probably another touchdown.
– Huge kick from Ryan Succop from 46 yards in a pressure spot.
– MVS was great off the line and getting into routes. He has improved notably in this area.
– Rodgers wasn’t happy with Lazard on the RPO in the red zone on the final drive. That could have been a walk-in touchdown. Lazard wasn’t ready for the football.
– Rodgers had a lot of green grass to his right on the third down, but he also had Jason Pierre-Paul chasing him from behind with an angle, plus Devin White lurking at the goal line. I don’t blame him for not running it, especially when he hesitated for a moment. At that point, he had to get rid of it.
– Did King interfere with Tyler Johnson? Probably not. Did he clearly hold Johnson? Yes. It’s a penalty by the book. The Packers didn’t like it because of the lack of consistency. In a vacuum, it’s a penalty. I can see both sides of it. One thing you can’t argue: Johnson sold the hell out of it.
– Too many mistakes. Too many missed opportunities. The autopsy of this game reads a lot like the one from 2014.
