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Emmanuel Ogbah and Xavien Howard had high praise for Mac Jones

They’ve been impressed by the rookie’s first season.

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With the Miami Dolphins preparing to play the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon, they will face rookie quarterback Mac Jones for the second time this season.

In their first matchup, Jones completed 29-of-39 pass attempts for 281 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t overly impressive, but he did enough to keep them in the game, but a late-game fumble from Damien Harris ended up giving the Dolphins the victory in their season opener.

On the year, New England’s first-year signal-caller has brought them to a 10-6 record while completing 67.6% of his passes for 3,540 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. His play has even garnered the attention of some of Miami’s best defenders.

“Mac Jones is a really good player for them,” Emmanuel Ogbah said. “Coach Belichick found a gem in this draft, so we just gotta do a good job containing him. We gotta stop the run game too. He’s doing a phenomenal job them so far.”

Ogbah will be tasked with getting after Jones on Sunday. Jones gets the ball out quicker than most, so Ogbah and his fellow pass rushers won’t have the easiest time getting to him. However, the man Jones will try to complete passes on had some kind words for him as well.

“I feel like he’s been improved this whole season,” Howard said. “When I first played him, in Week 1, and I see him play and the stuff he was doing I’m like ‘bro, he’s not a rookie.’ He was doing some stuff like he’d been in the league a minute. I just been seeing him improve, and I’m looking forward to seeing him this week.”

Jones has looked good for a rookie, but Miami’s defense, led by Howard, has shown that they are one of the stronger units in the league. They should be able to frustrate the quarterback and get him to make a mistake or two.

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Browns rookie CB Greg Newsome has high praise for Denzel Ward as a mentor

Browns rookie CB Greg Newsome has high praise for Denzel Ward as a mentor and a player

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Greg Newsome II has had an interesting ride in his rookie season with the Browns. Cleveland’s first-round pick from Northwestern has had some really strong moments at cornerback, but also battled injuries and adversity in his first NFL season.

Newsome was quick to give loads of credit and praise to fellow CB, Denzel Ward. He spoke highly of Ward’s leadership and mentoring nature in Newsome’s press conference on Thursday.

“I learned a ton from him,” Newsome said of Ward. “Just how to be a pro in general. The biggest thing I learned from him – I have said it before – is just every single day find one thing to focus on at practice and get better at that day. As you do that throughout the season, you will see yourself jumping, becoming more confident and things like that out there on the field. That is probably the biggest takeaway that I learned from him. Just to be a pro all the time, you have to practice how you play; you can’t take a practice off at all.”

So what stands out to Newsome about Ward as a player?

“Everything. He can do it all, literally,” Newsome said with emphasis. “He can play man. He can play zone. You are not going to find pretty much a better corner in the NFL than Denzel Ward. He is a leader by the way he plays and things like that. I honestly feel like he does not have a flaw in his game. He can play press. He can play off. He has tremendous ball skills, as you see him getting picks and pick-sixes. His return skills are good. I feel like he does not have a flaw in his game.”

Newsome has played well in tandem with Ward, but a concussion suffered in practice cost the impressive rookie three games down the stretch. In 11 games, Newsome has 34 tackles and nine PDs. Ward earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2021 for the second time in his four-year career.

Tua Tagovailoa has noticed this huge difference with Patriots since Week 1

The Patriots have grown tremendously since their Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins.

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The New England Patriots’ Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins is one that Damien Harris wishes he could take back.

The Patriots were driving in the final minutes with a score of 17-16 and Harris fumbled the ball at Miami’s 11-yard line. The Dolphins ran the clock down and eventually won the season-opener in Gillette Stadium by one point.

Mac Jones finished his rookie debut throwing for 281 yards and a touchdown — while Tua Tagovailoa threw for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The game came down to the final minutes and it was the start of a year that had huge ups and downs for both teams.

The Patriots are now 10-6 and heading to Hard Rock Stadium to face the Dolphins in a late-season game that is always interesting. New England has a much-improved defensive unit and the Dolphins understand this.

On Wednesday while speaking with reporters, Tagovailoa discussed the difference with the Patriots from Week 1.

“We always knew that they were a good team, well-coached,” Tagovailoa said, via NESN. “I think they found their rhythm playing with each other. They have a good front, they have good ‘backers, they are a good overall team in all three phases. It’s going to be a challenge and to me, this isn’t the same team that we saw in early September. They look a lot more confident, so it’s going to be a challenge for us.”

He dove specifically into the Patriots’ defense and explained what made this unit so good.

“I think they force the quarterback to get the ball out of their hands quick,” Tagovailoa said. “They force quick decisions. They don’t give up big plays. They want you to work for your touchdowns. If it’s a checkdown that works for 10 yards, that’s the kind of game they want to play, I think. It’s a take what they give you and when you have your shots, you’ve got to take your shots when they arise.”

The Dolphins are out of the playoff race, but the Patriots have clinched and can make the path easier with a Week 18 victory.

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Mock draft: Browns draft Alabama WR to be what Odell Beckham Jr. couldn’t be

The Browns offense needs help. This Alabama WR would be perfect.

The Cleveland Browns were desperate for an elite, No. 1 receiver when they traded for Odell Beckham Jr. And even after he arrived, they were still in desperate need of a WR1. Now that he’s gone … they still need that no. 1 guy.

Beckham never panned out in Cleveland’s offense. Donovan Peoples-Jones could emerge as a top wideout, but it’s probably a longshot, even after a promising rookie season. So that’s why Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Browns adding Alabama receiver Jameson Williams in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. The mock draft imagines Williams joining Peoples-Jones and the rest of the offense to inject some life and playmaking ability.

Here’s what Easterling wrote:

“Cleveland’s quarterback situation will obviously be the team’s biggest offseason storyline, but whoever ends up throwing passes for them next year, that guy will need a big-play pass-catcher like Williams. He quickly established himself as one of the most explosive threats in the nation this season, and should be the first receiver off the board.”

In this mock draft, the Browns land Williams at 13th overall, a really good value for the class’s top receiver. Williams had a quiet set of seasons in 2019 and 2020 when he was buried under a depth chart that included a swath of first-round picks at the receiver position. In 2021, Williams got his shot to shine — and he did exactly that, with 75 catches, 1,507 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He still has one more game to play: the college football national championship.

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Ian Rapoport details which teams he believes make sense for Josh McDaniels

Could this be the year that Josh McDaniels makes his exit from New England?

It’s the time of the year where speculation starts stirring about Josh McDaniels’ future.

The New England Patriots offensive coordinator has been involved in head-coaching rumors over the past few years, and there’s a few places that could make sense. McDaniels began his career in Foxborough in 2001 had a short hiatus from 2009-2011, before returning and starting his role as the offensive coordinator in 2012.

One team that drew conversations was the Jacksonville Jaguars, but his name wasn’t in their list of coaching candidates. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport joined the WEEI’s Gresh & Keefe on Thursday and discussed a couple more options.

“Would he go to a place that already has a GM? I would have my doubts there,” Rapoport said. “If he’s going to do it, he’s going to do it his way. He’s going to do it properly. He’s going to do it with the right structure and personnel. I would imagine he’d go to a place where there’s not a current GM in place. The Raiders would make some sense. We’ll see what happens with the Vikings.”

.@Rapsheet today on Josh McDaniels' head coaching candidacy:

"He's gonna do it his way…I'd imagine he'd go to a place where there was not a current GM in place. Raiders would make some sense, we'll see what happens with the Vikings…"

Full Hit: https://t.co/bsKc2LZiRf pic.twitter.com/3WtDQxg8mo

— Gresh & Keefe (@GreshKeefe) January 6, 2022

For now, McDaniels and the Patriots have the Miami Dolphins and a playoff run to worry about.

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Dolphins CB coach breaks down what he’s seen from Noah Igbinoghene

The second-year cornerback still has some growing to do.

Chris Grier’s draft picks have been one of the more scrutinized aspects of his job since being promoted to general manager back in 2016.

While he drafted three solid rookies in wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, safety Jevon Holland, and linebacker Jaelan Phillips in this past draft, he’s had some that haven’t worked out as well. The selection of Noah Igbinoghene with the 30th pick in 2020 is among them.

Through two seasons, Igbinoghene hasn’t been able to get on the field much. He was active for 16 games in his rookie season, playing just 28% of defensive snaps, and this year he’s only been available for seven games, playing just 17% of snaps. That’s not exactly ideal for a first-round pick.

This week, Dolphins cornerbacks coach Charles Burks spoke on Igbinoghene’s career to this point. He was asked which one of the cornerback’s traits gives him faith that he’ll be a successful player in this league, and the coach gave the one thing that can’t be coached.

“Just his athletic ability,” Burks said. “I think he definitely has tools to be successful in the league, but there’s a lot more to that. Not saying that he doesn’t have those other things, but it’s just not necessarily an athletic skill… It’s not just necessarily being a really good athlete. It’s the preparation. It’s the instincts. It’s the film. It’s all that encompassing that can really change your game and take you to a high level.”

Later in his media availability, Burks was asked what he’d like to see Igbinoghene work on this offseason.

“The main thing is routine and attention to detail and being self-motivated,” he said. “Again, not saying that he’s not. That’s just what everybody that I’ve coached. It’s those three things, if you do those at a high level, it’s gonna put you in a position to do good things when your opportunity arrives again. He has two guys in front of him that are playing at a high level. Those guys, in the offseason, they will have the same message to them from me.”

With Xavien Howard and Byron Jones clearly being the top two cornerbacks on the roster, Igbinoghene has to continue to work if he wants to get opportunities to prove himself worthy of that draft selection. It’s an uphill battle, and these quotes from Burks don’t feel like there’s a ton of faith that he can get there.

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Giants’ Kenny Golladay wants to end season on a positive note

After what’s been an extremely disappointing season to date, New York Giants WR Kenny Golladay is hoping to end things on a high note.

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The New York Giants flew in the face of convention (once again) this past offseason when they opened up the vault in free agency to sign several oft-injured players to above-market deals.

One of those players was wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who the team inked to a four-year, $72 million contract ($40 million guaranteed) — a deal that was widely panned by former and current NFL executives.

It’s not that teams didn’t have interest in Golladay — they did — but just not at that price. The knock on Golladay was that he could not stay healthy.

Nearly 15 weeks into the season, Golladay hasn’t been able to stay healthy. He has missed games and not been 100 percent in a good portion of others.

As a result, he has 24 receptions for 424 yards and no touchdowns in 10 games played. The Monday morning quarterbacks are killing the Giants over his signing.

Golladay can only do what he can do. He can help change the perception with some strong performances to end the season.

“Well, it’s four games left. Just trying to end on a good, positive note. That’s the best I can do, really,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“I’m not frustrated. I’ve dealt with some injuries this year, but at the same time I feel like I’m coming out here working every day in practice, for sure preparing the right way. That’s all I can really do, is do my part and that’s producing during practice so I can get the ball during the game and everything. I’m just going to continue to just do my part.”

That won’t be easy. The Giants are dealing with a ton of issues on offense right now. Mike Glennon is in at quarterback and there are rumblings that he could be pulled for Jake Fromm at any time. That won’t help Golladay’s numbers.

The Giants were hoping that Golladay — a receiver who is know for contested catches — could help the quarterbacks raise their completion percentages but that hasn’t happened. Golladay isn’t making those plays this year and he also hasn’t been a force in the end zone.

It’s not all Golladay’s fault. The Giants haven’t really presented him with those opportunities. Those ‘jump balls’ have been few and far between.

“Well, maybe the first one was what, last week? Maybe 12 seconds after going into halftime. Maybe that was, maybe. I’m not sure. Yeah, so, I don’t know,” he said.

Typical Giants. Drafting and signing players then not utilizing them properly.

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Giants land safety Kyle Hamilton in latest Draft Wire mock

In the latest mock from Draft Wire, the New York Giants use one of their two first-round picks on Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.

The New York Giants will enter the offseason with a desperate need to repair their lines. That means finding a right tackle and some interior guys to fix their O-Line once and for all, while also landing an edge rusher who can create organic pressure.

But offensive line and defensive line aren’t the only positions that will need attention. The Giants will also need some running back depth, a tight end, a linebacker or two and potentially a quarterback.

The quarterback debate can wait for another day.

In the most recent mock from our friends at Draft Wire, the Giants immediately address one of those needs by selecting Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 5 overall.

This is a huge win for the Giants, who land this year’s top offensive tackle prospect with their first of two top-10 picks. Neal has been dominant against top competition in the SEC, and would team up with Andrew Thomas to give the Giants a pair of young studs at tackle to protect whoever ends up being their franchise quarterback.

What even needs to be said? If the Giants can land Neal come April, it’s a win for the organization.

It’s the next pick that may be considered somewhat controversial. Rather than going back-to-back on offensive linemen or snagging an edge rusher, Draft Wire has the Giants selecting Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton at No. 6 overall.

After landing an blue-chip prospect for the offense, the Giants do the same for the other side of the ball with Hamilton. Despite missing a decent chunk of the 2021 season due to injury, Hamilton is still the rare safety prospect who warrants a top-10 selection.

The Giants may move on from Jabrill Peppers, but will still have Logan Ryan, Julian Love and emerging superstar Xavier McKinney at safety. As talented as Hamilton is, is he worthy of the team’s second first-round pick when there are so many other more pressing needs?

Moving on down the line, Draft Wire has the Giants addressing their pass rush in Round 2 by selecting Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II.

Then, in Round 3, Draft Wire has the Giants going back to the well in the secondary and along the offensive line. At No. 70 overall, they select Oregon cornerback Mykael Wright and at No. 78 overall, they select Notre Dame offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson.

How would you feel about this three-round scenario, Giants fans? Sound off in the comments section.

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