Tag: The Athletic

Gators hit rock bottom in The Athletic’s SEC vibes ranking after Week 1

The vibes are in the cellar after Florida’s Week 1 home-opener loss to the Miami Hurricanes.

The Gator Nation witnessed a slaughter in the Swamp on Saturday in a lackluster loss to the Miami Hurricanes, 41-17. Following the devastating defeat, the sports media is still trying to wrap its collective mind around the circumstances of failure and what it means moving forward.

Among them is The Athletic’s Seth Emerson, who put together his SEC vibes rankings after Week 1’s action. Unsurprisingly, Florida came in at the bottom of the standings ranked No. 16 placing [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. firmly in the conference cellar.

“Look, there’s an argument to be made for Florida to stop cycling through coaches, that stability would do the program some good,” Emerson begins. “There’s also no point pulling the plug right away — like, this week — when the team has to let some games play out. Maybe Miami is really good! (Cam Ward certainly looked good.)

“But Florida’s showing was atrocious,” he continues. “A loss in a competitive game could’ve been excused but not a blowout at home with a lot of the same mistakes. It also showed that with the right hire, a once-proud program with years of mediocrity can get back to relevance, as Mario Cristobal and Miami seem to be doing. (Albeit in a weaker conference.)”

The trouble is not limited to just mistakes on the field but also looming issues hovering over off the field as well.

“Napier, along with his school, is being sued by former recruit Jaden Rashada for the NIL deal that fell apart,” Emerson offers. “Rashada is now at Georgia, and it has been a curiosity whether he and Napier will interact before or after the game on Nov. 2. As things stand now, we probably won’t get that visual.”

Next up for the Gators

The Gators will get a chance to even up their 2024 regular season record against the Samford Bulldogs next Saturday inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.

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Dianna Rusinni says ‘vibes are high’ around Saints QB Spencer Rattler

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini says the Derek Carr vs. Spencer Rattler is situation “we need to keep an eye on.”

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The Spencer Rattler hype train isn’t slowing down. Matter of fact, it’s only gaining more steam by the day. The Athletic’s Dianna Rusinni is the latest member of the national media to praise the potential of Rattler. She changed the game, though, by mentioning Derek Carr.

She sat with former New Orleans Saints quarterback Chase Daniels earlier this week. Russini was adamant there is no immediate quarterback controversy but said, “we need to keep an eye on this one.”

This stems from a text message from someone in the building saying the vibes are high around the rookie quarterback. This feels like the first time we’ve heard the Saints possessing this level of belief in Rattler. It’s good insight on how they view him long term… or maybe even immediately.

Russinni mentioned the Saints next to quarterback situations like Pittsburgh and New England. These are not the situations you want to be mentioned next to. Russini views this as a situation where hypothetically, “once things go a little weird, could they be calling for the backup?”

Russini is a reputable reporter and easily the first source of any merit to express the idea that Rattler could play as a rookie. The hope is Carr does deliver, but it’s interesting that the idea of Rattler replacing Carr is being floated around more.

Florida fans split on football team’s chances in 2024

It’s been rough for Gators fans the past few years, but the Florida fan base still has hope that Billy Napier and Co. will turn thing around in 2024.

The start of a new college football season means fans are brimming with expectations — both good and bad — but where exactly do Florida fans stand entering Year 3 of the Billy Napier era?

The Athletic conducted its annual Hope-O-Meter ahead of Week 0, and the Florida faithful is closer to a 50-50 split than many would expect. Gators fans voted 54% pessimistic, which is solid considering Florida is coming off its worst finish since 2017.

The detractors are loud, though, and it is hard to ignore their criticisms of the program.

“Billy ain’t it,” one pessimistic Florida fan wrote in. “Inflexible. Boring high school offense. Cannot and will not make adjustments. Terrible in-game decision-making.”

But not everyone in Gator Nation is feeling the doom and gloom after three straight seven-loss seasons.

“If they could have tightened the screws just a quarter-turn last year, it would’ve been 7-5,” another fan said. “Definitely expect improvement this season, though not sure how that reflects in the record with our schedule. Offense should be good, defense remains a question mark. But I’m hopeful.”

Noting Florida’s schedule is important for anyone trying to analyze whatever the Gators manage this season. Florida played eight preseason top-25 programs, leading some to believe that the Gators are up against the toughest college football schedule in the 21st century.

Life is all about perspective, and so are sports. Some Gators fans will be disappointed with anything but a playoff experience, while others will celebrate reaching bowl eligibility like it’s a national championship.

One thing is for sure, though. Florida needs to win two of three against in-state programs this year. Florida State, Miami and UCF are on the schedule, which means a clean sweep lands UF on top of the in-state rankings.

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

The Athletic gives its outlook for Florida-Miami matchup in Week 1

The Gators might not have enough to overcome the Hurricanes in the Swamp on Saturday.

The start of Florida football’s 2024 campaign is nearly at hand with the Miami Hurricanes coming to the Swamp on Saturday to renew a once-heated in-state rivalry.

Both teams brought in new head coaches ahead of the 2022 season and neither have performed up to the standard expected from their respective schools. However, the ‘Canes have earned enough confidence from the voters to place at No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches Poll‘s preseason ranking while the Gators are an afterthought in the major polls.

The season-opener on Saturday is a pivotal game for both programs — particularly for Florida, which faces possibly the toughest schedule among FBS schools this fall. The Athletic’s Manny Navarro penned up his college football Week 1 oddly specific predictions and offered the following on the battle in the Swamp.

What The Athletic expects from UF-UM

“Florida has won 34 consecutive home openers and finds itself as a home underdog in a season opener for only the second time since 1970,” Navarro begins.

“The last time that occurred? Two years ago, when the Gators held on to beat Utah, 24-19, in Billy Napier’s debut as the boss in Gainesville. Those Utes, however, didn’t have the type of talent at the skill positions that the 2024 Hurricanes will bring to the Swamp.”

Napier and Co. have made some improvements to the team’s roster, but it might not be enough to make it over the hump against Mario Cristobal’s squad on Saturday.

“Florida should be improved defensively, but this is a team that gave up 450-plus yards and an average of 41.2 points in its final five SEC games a year ago,” Navarro continues.

“Miami will put up more than 30 points and 400 yards in a tone-setting two-score victory on the road,” he concludes.

Florida’s season opener for 2024

The Florida and Miami square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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

Kylie Kelce wants to know what football fans’ biggest superstitions are on NFL game days

Kylie Kelce is leading The Athletic’s fall football superstition swap Campaign for the NFL season kickoff

This year, game days will look a little different for the Kelce family after the legendary center retired from the NFL and took a job as an ESPN analyst in addition to his role on the New Heights Podcast.

Kyle and Jason Kelce will now watch Philadelphia Eagles games as a family, but the true leader of the household will continue some GameDay traditions and superstitions.

A former star athlete in her own right, Kelce always has her gear ready for kickoff and anything Eagles-related.

“Whether I’m at the stadium or out with the kids, this hat’s always on. It’s my go-to for game day, but I’ll rep my team any day of the week. I’m all about team pride, and staying up to speed with The Athletic before kickoff is major—in Philly, we support our teams with our head and heart just the same.”

This season, to help celebrate the world of (ir)rational fan love ahead of Week 1, The Athletic has teamed up with Kylie Kelce to launch the new “Fall Football Superstition Swap” campaign – featuring a watch party, displays in Philly to bring good luck to the city, and free access for your audience to expert football analysis!

A die-hard Philly sports fan and wife of former star center Jason Kelce, Kylie wears her lucky hat for every game to bring good luck to her favorite team. And as we’ve found out over the years, many sports fans are just like Kylie, as new research from The Athletic found that over 70% of football fans who do game-day rituals for good luck truly believe they DO make their team play better. More than a third (37%) of fantasy players change their lineups based on whether they have done their game-day ritual.

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Asked about some of her biggest pregame superstitions, the former field hockey star keeps a green hat. She avoids social media on game day, sticking to a simple yet effective routine. As many saw, Kylie stays true to the Eagles. Even when attending Travis’ Chiefs games last year, she didn’t wear any Kansas City gear.

Kylie says that despite her unwavering loyalty to the Eagles, her daughters will continue to cheer for their dad’s team and their uncle Travis’ Chiefs, keeping the family’s football spirit strong.

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The Athletic’s preseason prediction for Florida’s bowl game

Any bowl prediction is a good one for the Gators as it assumes at least a .500 regular-season finish.

Florida football faces one of the toughest schedules in recent memory this season which includes a gauntlet of top-25 teams. While some struggle to foresee a bowl appearance for the Gators this winter, others can squint hard enough to envision the Orange and Blue in the postseason.

The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman and Stewart Mandel put together their college football preseason bowl projections recently and the good news is that [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. earned a December berth — which assumes at least a .500 finish during the regular season.

Dochterman and Mandel picked Florida to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Liberty Bowl held in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. ET.

Other bowl predictions

USA TODAY Sports writer Erick Smith submitted his preseason bowl projections and foresees Florida making it into the Gasparilla Bowl against the Duke Blue Devils. That game is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Florida’s season opener for 2024

The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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

The Athletic’s QB rankings put Derek Carr at the bottom of Tier 3

The Athletic ranks Saints quarterback Derek Carr at the bottom of Tier 3 among the NFL’s starting quarterbacks, and second-worst in the NFC South:

The New Orleans Saints quarterback situation has been the subject of controversy pretty much ever since Derek Carr signed with the team  last offseason. Some fans swear up and down he is going to return to form and be a top 10-to-15 quarterback that the Saints need, others insist he is the worst player on the team and should be replaced. It’s tough to find many takes that fall in the middle ground.

Ultimately the reality is somewhere between, and that might be the case for Carr in these quarterback rankings from The Athletic’s Mike Sando. They put Carr on the lower end of their rating system. Here is their blurb about the Saints quarterback, where he ranks in Tier 3, and why:

Carr’s No. 20 ranking ties for his worst in 10 Tiers appearances. His 3.00 average is his worst since 2015, when Carr was entering his second season and on the upswing.

“He’s a 3 without (Jon) Gruden,” an offensive coach said. “Gruden could carry the mantel of all the leadership, where Carr could just snuggle up under the umbrella of Gruden. He is exposed now. He is the umbrella. It’s not comfortable. That takes away from his production.”

Carr’s statistics from last season aligned with Mayfield’s. Both led teams that finished 9-8. But voters see Carr as a declining player lacking the intangibles they think are strengths for Mayfield.

“We talk like Baker is some revitalization story,” a head coach said. “No, Baker has taken two teams to division titles. Derek Carr was in that same NFC South division with a better defense.”

The Saints ranked ninth and the Buccaneers were 18th last season in EPA per play on defense, per TruMedia.

“What holds (Carr) back is a lack of toughness in the pocket, and some of his decision making within the scheme,” another exec said.

According to their ranking system, Carr is tied for No. 20 on the list with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, which in my eyes is… honestly not the worst comparison of talent. However, Carr ranks second-worst in the NFC South among the starting quarterbacks. He’s behind new addition Kirk Cousins (No. 13) and Baker Mayfield (No. 19), but ahead of Bryce Young (No.28). Out of the 30 starters listed, Cousins was the only one from the NFC South to make it into their “Tier 2” category, with the remainder falling below that mark.

Ultimately, this placement for Carr is not unjustified. Even if he does take a step forward this year, he has not done it yet, and the criticisms provided are generally an accurate assessment. Hopefully better days are on the horizon for Carr, for the sake of the Saints. But if not, who knows what the outcome of the team is for the 2024 season and potentially even beyond.

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Bengals QB Joe Burrow has surprise ranking in The Athletic’s QB Tiers

Joe Burrow ranked No. 2 quarterback in The Athletic’s QB Tiers

The Athletic’s Mike Sando has unveiled one of his excellent summer projects, the annual QB Tiers list, ranking the top 30 quarterbacks and placing them into various tiers. Cincinnati Bengals fans may be intrigued in this year’s edition.

Tier 1 is made up of quarterbacks that “can carry his team each week. The team wins because of him. He expertly handles pure-passing situations. He has no real holes in his game.” Only three quarterbacks landed in this tier this season: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen…and one Joe Burrow.

In fact, only Mahomes was ranked higher on the overall list than Burrow with Allen coming in at No. 3.

A mix of head coaches, general managers and executives, 50 in total, made up the voting panel for this list. Of the 50, 43 had Burrow as a Tier 1 quarterback. The other seven placed him in Tier 2. That gave him an average tier vote of 1.1, just above Allen’s 1.2 — Allen had 39 Tier 1 votes, 10 Tier 2 and even one Tier 3. It goes without saying that Mahomes was a unanimous Tier 1 pick.

Burrow had six fewer Tier 1 votes this season compared to last season, mainly due to his wrist injury from 2023.

Here’s what The Athletic wrote about Burrow in their rankings:

The 43 Tier 1 votes for Burrow are six fewer than he received last year after his latest injury, which required surgery on his throwing wrist, amplified durability concerns.

“You love everything about him, but at some point, physically, his body is going to fail,” a defensive coach who has faced Burrow multiple times said.

Burrow’s confidence is one of his most endearing qualities.

“He is a cool, calm, collected, confident version of Kirk Cousins,” another coach said. “He might have a little better arm strength, but the skill set is very similar, except Burrow is not an overthinker. He just has this confidence that he’s right, and he throws with that purpose and that confidence, and normally, he is right.”

Injuries cost Burrow six games as a rookie (knee) and seven last season (calf).

“He is definitely a 1,” a head coach said. “He is an accurate, touch passer with anticipation, but they gotta be careful. He is getting hurt on his throwing arm. You have injuries to your legs like he’s had, that will affect your arm. I’m curious to see how the ball comes off his hand this year.”

As long as Burrow stays healthy, and so far he looks great, the Bengals are going to be right back in contention after missing the playoffs but still finishing with a winning record (9-8) last season with a limited Burrow and Jake Browning at quarterback.

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The Athletic moves Dan Lanning up in their coaching rankings

According to The Athletic, Oregon coach Dan Lanning is a rising star among its coaching rankings.

Right now, Oregon couldn’t even think about having someone else leading the Ducks out of the tunnel and on that sideline leading other than Dan Lanning.

In two short seasons, Lanning has taken the Ducks to new heights and they begin the 2024 season No. 3 in the country and one of the favorites to win the College Football Playoff.

The Athletic just published its coaching rankings and Lanning is movin’ on up quicker than The Jeffersons. Among the five coaching tiers, with Tier One being elite and Tier 5 being new coaches and those eventually moving up. That’s where Lanning started, but he is now in Tier 3, coaches that are very good more often than not, and has had a breakthrough season.

According to writer Chris Vannini, what Lanning has done off the field is just as important as the Ducks on-the-field success.

Oregon’s Dan Lanning also moves up two tiers after a 12-2 season and a Fiesta Bowl win. He’s 22-1 against teams that aren’t Georgia (0-1) or Washington (0-3), and he just signed the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class. He took over a good situation but has put the Ducks back in the national championship picture. — Chris Vannini

If Oregon does what we all think and hope it does this season, Lanning will be doing the George Jefferson strut into Tier 1 sooner rather than later.

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Minnesota Vikings beat writer believes team will trade Akayleb Evans

With roster cutdown day just a day away, will the Minnesota Vikings look to trade cornerback Akayleb Evans? One beat writer thinks so.

Tomorrow is the official roster cutdown deadline in the NFL. By tomorrow afternoon, every team in the league needs to have their roster trimmed down from 90 players to the 53-man roster. A lot of that player movement has already occurred, but a lot of movement has yet to happen. And that movement doesn’t necessarily just mean players being waived or released.

Trades are a real possibility as teams look to get a return on players they would otherwise cut, and other teams look to add players without competing with the entire league on the free-agent market. For the Minnesota Vikings, one of those players who could be enticing trade bait is cornerback Akayleb Evans.

According to Alec Lewis, Minnesota Vikings beat writer for The Athletic, it’s likely that the Vikings are looking to trade the third-year corner. Trading Evans would free up a roster spot for someone like Dwight McGlothern, who has been was a standout during training camp and the preseason.

More than allowing a talented young player a shot at the roster, though, if the Vikings can flip Evans for a late-round draft pick, it could improve their flexibility going into the 2025 NFL Draft. As things stand today, the Vikings only have three picks in the upcoming draft. They’re likely to receive a compensatory pick for free agents lost, but those have yet to be announced.

Flipping Evans for a draft pick would help the team feel slightly better about their lot going into the draft, and give them a bit more ability to maneuver during it. It’s still not much, but it’s a start. And that could be further improved if the team looks to, and is successful in, trading fellow defensive back Lewis Cine.