Tag: The Athletic

Justin Jefferson on status for Week 12: ‘If I’m feeling good, I will play’

Jefferson sounds a little bit closer to returning to the field

The million-dollar question for the Minnesota Vikings is surrounding the health of wide receiver Justin Jefferson. He has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs but has been practicing with the team now for three consecutive weeks.

Jefferson spoke to the media on Friday, which came a day after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that Jefferson was unlikely to play on Monday night against the Chicago Bears.

“We’ll see,” Jefferson said. “We still have more days to practice and really evaluate everything. We’re going to weigh the options correctly, making sure that I’m feeling well and prepared to play a game, and if I’m feeling good, I will play.”

This toes the company line that the Vikings have followed throughout the course of Jefferson’s recovery. The coaching staff has been steadfast that he wouldn’t be rushed back with any sort of urgency as they wanted the hamstring injury to be fully healed. Jefferson was hitting top speeds in practice, which is a really good sign.

The earliest we will get any real clarity on this subject is going to be Saturday afternoon, when the final injury report comes out, or when the Vikings are required to finalize their rosters prior to game day.

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According to The Athletic, Jimbo Fisher ignored character concerns while recruiting top talent

According to The Athletic, now-former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher readily ignored character concerns when recruiting top talent.

Now-former Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher has been relieved of his duties for nearly two weeks as the Aggies 2023 football regular season ends on the road Saturday vs. No. 13 LSU.

While Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork is hard at work during the expansive coaching search, Fisher’s underwhelming six-year tenure is still being examined with a fine-tooth comb, as The Athletic (Subscription required) writers, including Sam Khan Jr., Bruce Feldman, and Max Olson recently wrote yet another in-depth look at what when wrong in College Station under the West Virginia native.

From Fisher’s undeserved massive contract extension to his blatant lack of quarterback development after the departure of former Kevin Sumlin recruited signal caller Kellen Mond, it was Fisher’s ignorance when recruiting some of the top classes year after year, most notably the historic 2022 recruiting class.

Known to the public and mentioned in the article, since singing the 2022 class, then director of player personnel Marshall Malchow departed to join Oregon head coach Dan Lanning in Eugene, leading to the hiring of Kevin Mashack from Indiana, who barely lasted a full year before his sudden dismissal back in June.

As Ross Bjork noted, this position is vital in the raucous transfer portal environment that will likely impact the Aggies once the portal officially opens on Dec. 4. With the lack of stability hindering any actual progress, Fisher reportedly took the same approach most college football fans take when researching their favorite team’s recruiting success, while completely ignoring any red flags tied to the various five-star rated prospects in the 2022 cycle.

“But the pursuit of the top-ranked 2022 class, which is the highest-rated in the modern era, became an obsession for Fisher and his staff, to the point that Fisher inquired about the 247Sports Class Calculator and how certain commits would affect A&M’s recruiting ranking. The former A&M recruiting staffer said Fisher ignored character questions if the recruits were five-star prospects.”

“He’s like, ‘Nope, he’s a five-star, we wanna take him,’” the staffer said.

Four of the seven players who left the program from the 2022 cycle were indefinitely suspended at various times last season, while wide receiver Chris Marshall entered the JUCO ranks after being dismissed from Ole Miss, cornerback Denver Harris is no longer on LSU’s active roster after both transferred last offseason.

Texas A&M has not dealt with the same suspension-based issues during the 2023 season. Still, more than anything, the close losses, nine-game road losing streak, and insufficient on-field development were the final straw for a program needing an infusion of new blood at the top of the mountain.

Ranging from vast resources to fan support, everything is in place to be successful for whoever succeeds Fisher in the coming days or weeks; a new era of Texas A&M Football is finally coming in 2024 and beyond.

Texas A&M will take on 14th-ranked LSU on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. CT., and ESPN will carry the game.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Justin Jefferson not expected to play on Monday vs. Bears

Jefferson is expected to miss his seventh-consecutive game on Monday night

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is not expected to play on Monday night against the Chicago Bears.

This was always a possibility, especially with the bye week immediately after Monday night’s game. It would give Jefferson a chance to really ensure that he is 100% for the Vikings playoff run. Russini said as such in her piece that dropped Thanksgiving morning.

Justin Jefferson is not expected to play on Monday Night Football in Week 12 against the Bears because of his hamstring, per a team source. The Vikings are not going to push their best player to get back on the field despite the fact that they are in the playoff hunt. This all makes sense as it will give the receiver two more weeks of rest from game action, thanks to the Vikings being on their bye in Week 13.

Staying out Monday would mean Jefferson would return Dec. 10 against Las Vegas. Remember, he didn’t sign a contract extension this offseason, and it’s something both sides are hoping to get done after this season.

It’s frustrating to not have Jefferson on the field once again but having him back on the field at 100% is the most important thing for him and the Vikings. Theoretically, the Vikings should beat the Bears even without Jefferson, something they did a month ago at Soldier Field.

This timeline would set Jefferson up to return in week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Gators ranked 11th in The Athletic’s Week 12 SEC Vibes update

After falling to Missouri and extending a five-game losing steak, Florida is heading into Week 13 at No. 11 in The Athletic’s SEC rankings.

After losing to the Missouri Tigers last week, the Gators enter a Week 13 matchup with Florida State ranked 11th in the conference, according to the latest SEC vibes update from The Athletic.

Most of the talk this week involving Florida has focused on the quarterback situation, but The Athletic’s Seth Emerson reminds us that the defense failed to close out the win last week against a now top-10 opponent.

“Fourth-and-17. That’s all the Florida secondary had to do, keep Missouri from getting 17 yards on one play, and it was over,” Emerson wrote. “Maybe keep an eye on Luther Burden and put a man or two on one of the best receivers in the country just in case Missouri thought of passing the ball to him. That’s all. Not asking for much. And yet … sigh.”

Emerson didn’t pull any punches, and he shouldn’t have. Florida had that game in its hands and couldn’t put a bow on it. Good teams win in those scenarios.

Upsetting Florida State, which is also down its starting quarterback, would be a nice way to close out a disappointing season. Hopefully, Year 3 under Billy Napier sees Florida finish the season in the upper half of these rankings.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Anonymous NFL players uninterested in playing for Dennis Allen, but they like Dan Campbell

The Athletic’s anonymous survey found NFL players aren’t interested in playing for Dennis Allen, but they like former Saints assistant Dan Campbell:

The more time passes the more it looks like Dan Campbell is the one who got away. The former New Orleans Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach has risen to prominence while rebuilding the Detroit Lions and leading them to their greatest season in decades, and players around the league have taken notice. The same can’t be said for Saints head coach Dennis Allen, Campbell’s former peer in New Orleans.

85 players participated in The Athletic’s anonymous survey covering a variety of topics, but this one caught out eye. Players were asked: Which current coach, aside from your own, would you want to play for?

And not a single one brought up Allen’s name. But a lot of them like Campbell, who placed just Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid for the fourth-most votes (8.3% of the total). Mike Tomlin (26.4%), Mike McDaniel (14.6%), and Andy Reid (10.4%) received more votes than any other coaches around the league. 16 head coaches and five defensive coordinators received votes, so half the league’s head coaches are not exactly seen as sources of inspiration — including Allen.

Of Campbell, one player was quoted as saying, “I appreciate coaches that are players’ coaches and get the best out of their players.”

It’s not too surprising that players are drawn to Campbell. He has built a competitive team and successfully installed a winning culture with an organization that has never known much success; he’s already 20-23-1 as Lions head coach. Allen took over a talented Saints team that had won its division in three of the last four years and has since struggled to maintain a .500 record, much less win enough games to get anyone’s hopes up for the playoffs. They’re 12-15 with Allen as head coach, who is 20-43 in his NFL career going back to his time with the Raiders.

Hopefully Allen can turn that perception around by keeping hold of the NFC South title; the Saints are currently in first place in the division and they’re coming out of the bye week with a very winnable seven-game stretch ahead of them. If Allen can’t get this team to the postseason with his handpicked quarterback in place and a largely-healthy roster at his disposal (plus the easiest slate of opponents in the league), the Saints will have to seriously consider going in a new direction with their organization, starting with Allen’s job as head coach.

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Florida falls in The Athletic’s weekly re-rank after Missouri loss

Florida dropped three spots in this week’s update from The Athletic. 

It was a close game despite the oddsmakers expecting a one-sided affair, but the Florida Gators were unable to close out against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field in Week 12, resulting in a demoralizing 33-31 loss to the then-11th-ranked team in the country.

The Orange and Blue lost its starting quarterback near the end of the third quarter, but backup Max Brown filled in admirably. However, the redshirt freshman made a huge mistake that led to a turnover that likely represented the difference in this one.

After the final horn sounded on Saturday, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini took on the task of ranking all 133 members of the Football Bowl Subdivision, including Florida. Billy Napier and Co. dropped three spots to No. 52 in this week’s update.

Next up for the Gators in what could be the final game of the 2023 campaign are the Florida State Seminoles, who travel to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 25, for a matchup between two in-state rivals. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be watched on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Missouri’s offense will be too much for the Florida Gators, per the Athletic

Another college football analyst from The Athletic is confident in their pick for the showdown between the Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers on Saturday night.

The Florida Gators are set to take on the Missouri Tigers in SEC action on Saturday night, and the college football experts are making their predictions ahead of kickoff.

Another staff member from renowned sports publication The Athletic put in their pick and, once again, the Gators are being looked down upon when it comes to the matchup in Columbia, Missouri.

Senior writer Bruce Feldman thinks Mizzou has a clear advantage at home, as the Gators have been struggling to find their footing and hold a 1-3 record while playing on the road.

“The Tigers offense is playing with a ton of confidence right now and RB Cody Schrader is really cranked up,” Feldman said. “The hunch here is the visiting Gators who have been really bad on the road this season (1-3 with only a 41-39 win at a bad South Carolina team) won’t be able to slow down the Mizzou attack. UF has allowed 555 rushing yards the past two games and now they face the top RB in the SEC in Schrader.”

The Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers are slated to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

The Athletic thinks Mizzou has advantage against Gators this weekend

The Athletic made its pick for this week’s Florida-Missouri matchup.

The Florida Gators are traveling for the second week in a row to take on the Missouri Tigers for the final road game of the season.

The teams will battle on primetime television and the Gators are fighting against the ropes, hoping to win a game before the conclusion of the regular season and gain bowl eligibility.

Senior columnist and editor-and-chief of The Athletic Stewart Mandel made his selections for Saturday’s slate of games. Mandel is picking the Tigers to win in Columbia, Missouri by a double-digit margin, 42-24.

“The Tigers are finally getting the respect they deserve after giving Georgia a scare in Athens, then thumping Tennessee the following week,” Mandel said. “Now, QB Brady Cook, RB Cody Schrader and WR Luther Burden get to face a Florida defense that just allowed a program-record 701 yards to LSU and is on its heels as the Gators must turn around and play another primetime SEC road game.”

Mandel makes a good point about the Florida defense needing a dire turnaround after its lackluster performances the last two weeks against LSU and Arkansas. Gators QB Graham Mertz is capable of utilizing the weapons around him and keeping his team close, but the defense has given up more than 39 points in the last four contests.

The Gators and Tigers will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida football in bottom-4 of The Athletic’s ‘vibe check’

The vibes of the Florida Gators are almost completely gone, according to The Athletic’s senior writer Seth Emerson.

It’s pretty safe to say the vibes in Gainesville have been very mixed all season.

The Florida Gators suffered yet another loss after traveling to Baton Rouge and challenging the LSU Tigers. The Florida offense hung around as long as they could, but the defense faltered and allowed the Tigers to run away with the victory in the fourth quarter.

The Athletic released its weekly SEC “vibe check,” an unofficial measurement of how football programs are feeling while comparing the expectations in the preseason, to the present week and the future.

The Athletic’s senior writer Seth Emerson still doesn’t want to put the Gators all the way at the bottom of his list, considering the Gators’ future is looking bright on the recruiting trial.

“Gator fans take in another maddening day,” Emerson wrote. “See the final two games are at Missouri and against Florida State, then click on the recruiting rankings to see they’re still in the top five and take a deep breath and say: “Well, no one said this would happen overnight. (But we kinda hoped it would be quicker than it looks like it’ll be).”

Missouri and FSU are in the top 25 of both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, creating a gauntlet for the back nine of the Gators’ season.

The Gators will travel to challenge the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, with the matchup slated to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game can be followed on ESPN.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Dianna Russini claims Kevin O’Connell is Coach of the Year

What Kevin O’Connell has done with this Minnesota Vikings team should put him in the Coach of the Year conversation

The Athletic’s Diana Russini let it be known who her choice would be for the Coach of the Year award, and it shouldn’t shock anyone that it’s Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.

Russini has been around the game of football for a long time. Before her time with The Athletic, she spent eight years at ESPN, so she knows who belongs in these conversations and who does not. So, for her to say that the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach, Kevin O’Connell’s name should be in Coach of the Year conversation means a lot.

The Vikings started 1-4 amid unprecedented turnovers and simply unlucky bounces. They lost their star receiver, Justin Jefferson, for at least five weeks to a hamstring injury. Lost their star quarterback, Kirk Cousins, who was playing near the top of the league in nearly every advanced metric, for the season to an Achilles tear.

But yet, they are currently on a five-game winning streak, are 6-4 on the season and firmly in the third wild-card spot in the playoffs with a 1.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, O’Connell may not win the award at the end of the year, but what he has done with this Minnesota team is admirable.

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