Practice – Page 50 – Syndication Server

49ers stay in Florida to prepare for Saints in second leg of cross-country road trip

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The NFL does stand for the National Football League, and there are few better reminders of that than the struggles West Coast teams experience when traveling coast-to-coast. The San Francisco 49ers are acutely aware of the difficulties that come with a shortened schedule and rude, early awakening — a noon kickoff at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome comes up two hours earlier than they’re used too at home — so they had to adjust to back-to-back road games with the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.

To help manage that, the 49ers are lodging and practicing in Bradenton, Fla. this week, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. They’ll be working out of the IMG Academy, a local prep school focused on developing professional athletes in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and other sports. Former Saints linebacker Manti Te’o is one of many clients who has used their facilities, having worked out there during his training for the 2013 NFL Draft.

After losing to the Ravens on Sunday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and his crew need all the help they can get to rebound. They opened the season by staying at Youngstown State’s campus in Youngstown, Ohio between road games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals, winning both games. It’s a move Shanahan is comfortable calling for when the situation demands it.

The Saints benefited from an extended stay on the West Coast between Week 2 (losing to the Los Angeles Rams) and Week 3 (rebounding to beat the Seattle Seahawks), so the strategy clearly has some merit. Whether it will make a difference next Sunday remains to be seen. At least Shanahan’s players won’t be sleepy.

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Pete Carroll is counting on Jadeveon Clowney making it back Week 13

Although he won’t practice Wednesday, coach Pete Carroll is counting on defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to be ready to face the Vikings.

The Seattle Seahawks have seen a vast improvement in their pass-rushing capabilities with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney on the field.

Clowney, who was inactive Week 12 against the Eagles with a hip/groin injury, saw a specialist ahead of the matchup in Philadelphia. Likely a sports hernia, Clowney isn’t facing surgery at this time, but will need to prove he’s healthy enough to play ahead of Monday night.

Coach Pete Carroll said Clowney won’t practice on Wednesday, but the team is counting on him to be ready to face the Vikings.

“Not a whole lot more other than we’re counting on him getting back,” Carroll said Wednesday. “We are – we are counting on him getting back, but he’s still gotta make it. So that’s the twinge of optimism there again.

“But he feels good about and he wants to go and he’s going to try to make it.”

The Seahawks have Thursday off for Thanksgiving but will practice Friday and Saturday to prepare for Minnesota.

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UT News: November 21, 2019

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The Tennessee Volunteers basketball program — both men and women — remain unbeaten after after the guys handily defeated the Alabama State Hornets last night, keeping Vols athletics on its current roll. Coming up this weekend, the football team will get its chance to continue the winning trend when it faces the Missouri Tigers on the road, and the swimming and diving team hosts the Tennessee Invitational over the course of three days beginning today. There is plenty on tap as the week winds down for Vols fans, and the teams are ready.

Vols are practicing at their best

The biggest news on the gridiron has been the Vols’ preparation for what amounts to a must-win game if Tennessee wants to keep its bowl hopes alive. According to head coach Jeremy Pruitt, the boys are putting in the work, and it appears to be paying off.

“The last two days have been our best practices all year here in the season and I like the way we practice. Our guys seem to be gaining some confidence, and I’m talking about confidence in what they’re doing. That comes with age and experience. We’ve got to take it from the practice field and take it to a Saturday.”

Pruitt added that the bye week allowed players who have been banged up a little more time to get back up to speed.

“We got guys that our banged up from the last game, but having a week off we tried to get them ready to play, but at the same time use common sense. There might be a couple of guys that might be a little bit limited, but we should have everybody ready to play.”

This news should be extremely encouraging to Vols fans, as the team appears to be peaking as the season wanes. Hopefully, the fruits of UT’s labors will be reaped on Saturday.

NEXT: Lady Vols golf coach honored with award

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Saints WR Keith Kirkwood working to return from injured reserve

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton commended the progress WR Keith Kirkwood has made in working to return from injured reserve.

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The New Orleans Saints had high hopes for second-year wide receiver Keith Kirkwood during the summer. Kirkwood was their preferred stand-in for Michael Thomas during his brief holdout for a contract extension, but he played just a dozen snaps in the season-opener before exiting with a hamstring injury. It continued to dog him throughout the following week and was so badly aggravated in pregame warmups that he landed on injured reserve.

Now, nine weeks later, Kirkwood is working to return to the team. Because of the NFL’s injured reserve rules, players designated to return from that list have a two-week window in which to practice before they can be allowed to suit up for a game. The Saints haven’t given Kirkwood that designation yet, so it means the earliest he could possibly return would be Week 13’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. But Saints coach Sean Payton did offer an update on his status before practice Wednesday.

“He’s doing well,” Payton said. “He’s been moving well and running well, so we’ll keep paying attention to that and keep working with him and getting him to where he’s able to play.”

New Orleans could certainly use his help, whenever he does return. Thomas paces the team (and the NFL) with 86 receptions, but all of their other wide receivers have combined for just 30 catches this season. They’ve gotten by with Thomas putting the team on his back each week and some creative use of their other skills position talent, but a 26-9 loss to the Falcons last Sunday highlighted just how thin the position group is. Somebody has to step up and make a play besides No. 13 sometimes.

Maybe Kirkwood could be the help the Saints need. He came through in clutch moments last season as a rookie practice squad call-up, appearing in nine games (including the playoffs). He went 15-of-23 for 217 yards, a clip of 14.5 yards per catch, converting 12 first downs and scoring three touchdowns. For perspective, here’s how that stat line would rank among Saints wide receivers this year:

Third in receptions
Third in receiving yards,
Second in touchdown catches
Tied for second in first down conversions

Even if his performance came on limited snap counts (Kirkwood averaged 30.9 plays per game on offense, but trailed only Thomas among snaps played by wide receivers in their playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles), it was enough to earn Brees’ trust and build some momentum going into the offseason. Hopefully they can pick up where they left off when Kirkwood returns, if he’s able. Payton is clearly encouraged by his progress so far.

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Josh Gordon appreciates Seahawks culture, playing for Russell Wilson

The Seattle Seahawks’ new wide receiver Josh Gordon expressed an appreciation for the team’s culture and playing for Russell Wilson.

The Seattle Seahawks claimed wide receiver Josh Gordon off waivers after being cut by the New England Patriots and he is very satisfied to be with his new team in the Emerald City.

“I’m just grateful to be here,” Gordon said following Saturday’s practice. “I’m grateful to be here. There’s a lot of gratitude. Definitely thankful to land in a spot like this. Could’ve been anywhere, I couldn’t control that. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to have this opportunity to just go out there and do what I do.

“It has been great. It’s been a smooth transition. A great environment, a great football team, and organization. I’m really happy to be here.”

Gordon expressed his appreciation for the culture in the Seahawks’ locker room from the players to the coaches.

“The energy is high energy, all the time, everybody,” he said. “Top to bottom, all across the board. Offense and defense, staff. I love it. Keeps everybody kind of moving, everybody’s on their toes and in the right frame of mind to come in and do what you have to do and just perform, work, and compete.”

Gordon stated he and Russell Wilson discussed playing together for years, and he is looking forward to finally making it happen.

“Me and Russ have been talking about (playing together) for a long time, for a while behind the scenes – how nice it would be,” Gordon said. “Admire his game. I think maybe he respected mine mutually. I love the way he plays, it’s as simple as that. He’s a great ballplayer, he can make it happen from pretty much anywhere.”

Wilson offered words of praise for his new wide receiver after team practice this week.

“Josh, he’s been great since he’s gotten here,” Wilson told reporters on Friday. “He’s been studying like crazy. He sits up (front) and takes tons of notes. He’s highlighting like crazy. He’s in his playbook nonstop. He’s prepared. He’ll be prepared and ready to roll. He’s a true pro. He’s been in different systems and stuff like that. I think that helps him. I think he’s really fired up to be here. We’re fired up to have him.”

Fans hope Gordon can contribute to Seattle’s ambitions as they head into a brutal stretch of schedule through the second half of the season.

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