Tag: Pro Dawgs

In a game that should be called the “Snooze Bowl,” the Chicago Bears took on the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. Both offenses struggled to get anything going in the rain, and one of the victims was former Washington Huskies star, Rome Odunze.

Odunze saw his first target in the middle of the first quarter when quarterback Caleb Williams sailed a throw high that went off his hands, but he would’ve had to make a spectacular play to reel it in. The next target came with only 53 seconds remaining in the quarter. Odunze was expecting the pass from Williams out of his break and then had to reach for it, but he and his fellow rookie weren’t on the same page and the ball sailed beyond his reach.

Late in the second quarter with the Bears on Seattle’s 17-yard line, Williams on a scramble on third and 10, making an incredible jump pass across his body to hit a wide-open Odunze in the end zone. But, unfortunately for Odunze, it was called back a holding penalty.

The third quarter was very quiet for the 2023 consensus All-American. He didn’t see one target.

Chicago made a late fourth-quarter charge to try and tie the game as they trailed the Seahawks 6-3. On third and 14 from their own 45, Williams made a desperation throw on the run in Odunze’s direction. The No. 9 overall pick made a spectacular diving catch, splitting two Seattle defenders to pick up a first down and keep the drive alive while barely keeping the ball off the turf.

Three plays later, Williams missed an open Odunze on a play that would’ve gotten the Bears deep into field goal range on the way to sealing their fate as Chicago fell to Seattle 6-3.

While the season has been full of ups and downs and Odunze’s receptions and yardage totals were his lowest since Week 4, interim head coach Thomas Brown had high praise for the former Husky earlier in the week.

“I think he’s been good. I think obviously he’s continued to emerge here recently,” Brown told members of the media. “Rome’s been consistent since Day 1, the ball hasn’t always found him throughout the year as far as his role, and the plays are from a progression standpoint. But when he’s had opportunities to make plays, the guy constantly shows up. You talk about critical moments, fourth-down calls, two-minute drives, and winning one-on-one. He’s a separator, has elite twitch, really good ball skills, and is a really detailed route runner. He’s been good overall.”

Odunze, Williams, and the Bears will finish off the season facing their divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers, next Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded standout wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in March 2022 for five draft picks. Then, a month later, general manager Brett Veach was able to three of those picks into a trade with the New England Patriots and move up to select First Team All-Pac-12 cornerback and Washington star Trent McDuffie with the No. 21 overall pick.

McDuffie was considered the third-best corner in the 2022 NFL draft by many pundits behind Sauce Garner and Derek Stingley Jr., who were both selected in the top five. In his third season in the league, McDuffie’s accomplishments have overshadowed the two cornerbacks picked ahead of him.

As a rookie in 2022, McDuffie was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning roster. Kansas City went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2023, giving him a championship in each of his first two years in the league. McDuffie was also selected to the NFL’s All-Pro First Team in 2023 and had one of the best games of his career in the Super Bowl against another All-Pro, wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

The Bellflower, California native hasn’t missed a beat in his third season and has continued his All-Pro caliber play. Not only has he hauled in his first two career interceptions, but he also has been the NFL’s premier lockdown cornerback according to Pro Football Focus.

The analytics website has tracked McDuffie as the No. 1 cornerback when it comes to preventing separation, doing so on 66.7 percent of 198 opportunities in coverage. An impressive feat no matter what, McDuffie has done it against the best competition, as the Chiefs have asked him to shadow some of the NFL’s top receivers, including Ja’marr Chase, Drake London, and Nico Collins.

McDuffie has emerged as one of the league’s top all-around and has proven to be well worth the price Kansas City paid to acquire him.

The best CBs at preventing separation this season 🔒 pic.twitter.com/jKptf6aEKf

— PFF (@PFF) December 26, 2024

Thursday Night Football between the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks was nothing short of a disaster. The rain-soaked game ended 6-3 after some horrendous clock management by Chicago’s interim head coach Thomas Brown, who shouldn’t have many positives to take away from the game outside of cornerback Kyler Gordon.

The former Washington Huskies star had a strong night against his hometown squad, tying for the team lead in tackles with 6, adding a pass breakup and a fumble recovery to his bottom line. Gordon, a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft has stood out on an underwhelming Chicago team, ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 71 and fifth with 5 pass breakups.

His fumble recovery in the third quarter was also No. 3 on the year for the 2021 All-Pac-12 First Team honoree, a category he leads the team in. Gordon’s highlight play came near the end of the third quarter when Chicago’s defense forced a fumble on tight end Noah Fant.

Gordon came out of the pile with the football and returned it 63 yards to the end zone. Originally, the play was ruled a touchdown, but after review, the officials determined he was down by contact.

The Bears also held Seattle to just 143 passing yards on the night thanks to Gordon, who drew a tough assignment in Jaxson Smith-Njigba. He played a big role in holding the former first-round pick to just 3 catches for 32 yards.

Former Washington Huskies standout tackle Roger Rosengarten had a tough matchup on Christmas Day. He was asked to block one of the NFL’s top pass rushers, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year and former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr.

While the rookie lost a few reps on the day, it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, as Rosengarten helped clear the way for quarterback Lamar Jackson in the Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 win over the Houston Texans. Jackson, who is vying for his second-straight and third MVP award, has been helped immensely since Rosengarten was added to the starting lineup.

On Wednesday, he took 4 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, and made history. That number was just enough to surpass Michael Vick as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher at quarterback, with 6,110 career yards on the ground.

“It feels unreal, to be honest with you,” Jackson told the media after the game. “I’m grateful because that’s a record that’s been there for a long time. Michael Vick is one of my favorite players. That’s just dope.”

Jackson also went 10-16 through the air for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns while the Ravens’ ground game, behind Rosengarten and the rest of the offensive line, dominated the Texans. Alongside Jackson, Derrick Henry ran for 147 yards and a score, as the Ravens ran for 251 yards on the ground.

In what was also a dominant defensive effort for Baltimore, the Ravens rushed for more yards than the Texans gained in the game.

When the Chicago Bears selected Rome Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick in April’s draft after his stellar career with the Washington Huskies, general manager Ryan Poles expected the 2023 consensus All-American to form a dynamic combination with the top pick in the draft, quarterback Caleb Williams.

While the two have shown exciting upside, as Odunze ranks second on the team in receiving yards (701), third in receptions (51), and fourth in touchdowns (3), the Bears have struggled. Part of that is due to playing in the toughest division in football, with the NFC North holding three playoff teams, but Chicago’s coaching staff has done its young, promising roster no favors.

The 4-11 Bears have fired head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and thanks to Williams, Odunze, and that young roster, it will be the most desired job in the NFL coaching carousel. According to recent reports, the two most notable names on the market are interested in what the Bears have to offer.

Pete Carroll

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the longtime Seattle Seahawks coach and father of Huskies offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll is intrigued by the job.

His defensive-minded philosophy would go a long way toward helping former Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon establish himself as one of the NFL’s top defensive backs but would need to make a top-notch offensive coordinator to help build the future of the franchise.

Ben Johnson

Instead of making Carroll search for an offensive coordinator, the Bears could go after the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator instead. Johnson has become the most-coveted coach on the market over the last few seasons, but he has been very patient about his first head coaching position.

“My understanding is: Johnson is intrigued by the Bears’ job and he is going to be willing to listen,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said over the weekend. “There’s a lot to like in Chicago, with Caleb Williams, tons of cap space, extra draft resources. Also, a major market and they’re expected to break ground on a new stadium next year.”

Either hire would be a strong one for the organization, which can’t afford to make another hire like Eberflus, who went 14-32 in his tenure, after drafting several strong building blocks.

Trent McDuffie has quickly established himself as one of the best playmaking cornerbacks in the NFL. In just his third season, the former first-round pick and Washington Huskies star has already won two Super Bowls and was named to the All-Pro First Team in 2023.

In 2024, he’s determined to secure his third championship and second All-Pro nomination. McDuffie has already tallied a career-high 12 pass breakups, but until a few weeks ago, had struggled to force any turnovers after forcing 6 fumbles in 2023, mainly because teams have refused to throw the ball in his direction.

Against the Cleveland Browns on December 15, he hauled in his first career interception and followed that up with his second just six days later. Now, playing on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he forced his first fumble of the year.

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, the Steelers were facing a third and 15, and quarterback Russell Wilson chose to dump the ball off to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Even though Friermuth is seven inches taller and more than 60 pounds heavier than the cornerback, McDuffie showed no fear and went straight at him.

He was able to rip the ball away before it was recovered by linebacker Nick Bolton, which set up a 12-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce, sealing a 29-10 win for the Chiefs, and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

McDuffie finished his day with 4 tackles and a pass breakup to go with the forced fumble.