Tag: Throwback

Remembering Chiefs RB Knile Davis’ 108-yard kick return touchdown vs. Texans

Before the #Chiefs face the #Texans in Week 15, we’re reminiscing about Knile Davis’ 108-yard kick return touchdown at NRG Stadium during the AFC Wild Card in 2015.

The Kansas City Chiefs are getting set to face the Houston Texans on the road in Week 15. Before we delve into that game, we’re taking some time to remember a classic play from this particular matchup. It’s a notable play because it didn’t just set a franchise record that had stood for nearly 50 years, but it also got the scoring started in what would be the first playoff win for Kansas City after a 22-year drought.

So let’s take you back to that glorious day and set the scene.

The Chiefs had made the playoffs for just the second time during the Andy Reid era and had traveled to Houston to face the Texans in the AFC Wild Card round. The atmosphere was loud and raucous as it was the first home playoff game for the Texans since the 2012 NFL season. Knile Davis lined up to take the opening kickoff and catches it eight yards deep in the end zone. Typically, it’s not a situation where you bring a kick out, but you know that Dave Toub encourages his players to take return opportunities.

The play went from looking like it’d be a five-yard loss to opening up very quickly. Kansas City was probably fortunate to not get hit with any illegal block or holding penalties on the play. Davis would accelerate through traffic around the 15-yard line and before you know it he was celebrating in the opposite end zone.

The play went for 108 yards, which is tied for the second-longest kick return in NFL history. It crushed a franchise record 106-yard kick return touchdown set by Noland Smith back in 1967. The best part of the play, however, was that it took the wind out of the sails of the opposing crowd almost immediately and gave life to a Chiefs team that badly-needed playoff vindication.

It inspired the defense to put Texans QB Brian Hoyer in hell for four quarters. He was sacked three times, threw four interceptions, fumbled twice and lost a fumble once. Travis Kelce posted his best game to that point in his NFL career with eight receptions for 128 yards on the day. When the dust settled after the game, Kansas City would defeat Houston 30-0 to notch their first playoff win in over two decades. It gave fans the hope that the franchise was heading in the right direction — and sure enough that was the case.

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Saints to dust off their throwback uniforms for the first time since 2016

The Saints plan to dust off their throwback uniforms for the first time since 2016. Of the 45 players who last wore them, only 6 remain in New Orleans:

Hey, that’s cool. The New Orleans Saints announced Wednesday that they’ll be wearing their throwback uniforms in Week 11’s game with the Los Angeles Rams, dusting off their old-school black and gold kits for the first time since 2016. The Saints lost that game, but they’re 2-1 in throwbacks dating back to 2006.

Of the 45 players who got on the field in that 2016 game against the Detroit Lions, only six remain: left guard Andrus Peat, wide receiver Michael Thomas (on injured reserve), running back Mark Ingram II, defensive end Cameron Jordan, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and kicker Wil Lutz.

If you’re curious, here is the record New Orleans has achieved in each of their different uniform sets since 2006:

  1. White jerseys, white pants: 9-4 (.692)
  2. “Black and Gold” throwbacks: 2-1 (.667)
  3. White jerseys, black pants: 42-27 (.609)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 24-15 (.615)
  5. White jerseys, gold pants: 37-24 (.607)
  6. “Color Rush” alternates: 9-6 (.600)
  7. Black jerseys, black pants (.571)

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Ranqueamos los nuevos cascos alternativos de la NFL del mejor (Falcons) al peor (Texans)

En julio del año pasado, la NFL anunció que finalmente quitaría la prohibición que tenía sobre los cascos alternativos. Un año después, los equipos están develando los uniformes alternativos que harán su debut esta temporada y los fans están …

En julio del año pasado, la NFL anunció que finalmente quitaría la prohibición que tenía sobre los cascos alternativos. Un año después, los equipos están develando los uniformes alternativos que harán su debut esta temporada y los fans están emocionadísimos.

Mientras que algunos equipos tienen una historia muy rica de dónde sacar uniformes pasados increíbles para usarlos como base del diseño de los nuevos, otros equipos optaron por looks completamente nuevos. La mayor parte de las reacciones han sido de emoción, pero no todos los cascos tuvieron la misma recepción. Algunos simplemente son mejores que otros, así que los vamos a ranquear.

Para este ejercicio únicamente ranquearemos los cascos, no el uniforme alternativo completo. El mayor factor para determinar la posición fue qué casco nos gustaría usar más si nosotros fuéramos jugadores, pero la nostalgia y la creatividad también tuvieron un papel importante. Empecemos.

On this date in 1998: Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII

On this date in 1998, the 11-point underdog Broncos defeated the Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII.

The Denver Broncos upset the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII on Sunday, Jan. 25, 1998, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, marking the first championship victory in franchise history.

After previously losing four Super Bowls in the 1970s-1980s, the Broncos were considered big 11-point underdogs against the Packers.

Led by a productive rushing attack and opportunistic defense, Denver overcame those odds to pull off an upset win.

The Broncos’ offense was carried by running back Terrell Davis, who rushed 30 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns in the win, earning Super Bowl MVP honors. Davis would later go on to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 after retiring from the NFL in 2002.

On defense, Denver forced three turnovers (two fumbles and an interception) to help slow down a high-powered Green Bay offense.

Five members of the Broncos’ starting lineup that day — Davis, quarterback John Elway, tight end Shannon Sharpe, left tackle Gary Zimmerman and safety Steve Atwater — are now in the Hall of Fame.

After securing their first Super Bowl victory in 1998, Denver went on to win again in 1999 before winning a third title in 2016.

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Could this be a preview of Packers’ new alternate uniforms?

An ambitious Twitter user has followed the breadcrumb trails from the team and delivered an educated guess on what the Green Bay Packers’ new alternate uniforms could look like this year. 

An ambitious Twitter user has followed the breadcrumb trails from the team and delivered an educated guess on what the Green Bay Packers’ new alternate uniforms will look like this year.

The team will reveal the uniforms next Thursday, August 19, per president Mark Murphy.

The Twitter user (@TheGPackers) used a few clues to narrow down the options. The Packers are expected to use a uniform with a shade of green while also honoring a previous championship team, providing only a few potential options from past uniform combinations.

The final prediction? A green-and-gold jersey honoring the 1936 championship team.

The mock up is provided in the Twitter thread above.

The helmet would remain gold with stickers removed. The uniform would have gold shoulders and numbers on a green background. And note: the green from the 1936 look is a different shade than the current green, matching Murphy’s own words.

It’s not a revolutionary look, but it’s clean and simple, and as the Twitter user points out, the 1936 team marked the first time the Packers wore green and gold together.

Could this be the new uniform? It certainly looks possible. Would you love it or hate it as the Packers alternate uniform in 2021?

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Packers can wear alternate helmets again in 2022

Alternate helmets are coming back to the NFL in 2022. Should the Packers bring back the brown helmet, or do something else?

The brown helmets that once accompanied the Green Bay Packers’ throwback uniforms can be worn again as soon as 2022.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the NFL has approved alternate helmets for teams wearing an alternate uniform beginning in 2022.

The Packers wore brown helmets to replicate old-school leather football helmets with their 1929 throwbacks during the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. The NFL outlawed alternate helmets in 2013 for safety reasons, so the Packers just wore all gold helmets – or the team’s traditional helmet without stickers – with the throwbacks.

Now, the Packers can go back to the brown helmets or introduce a completely new look.

The throwback options are limited. The team has worn the traditional gold helmet since 1957. The “G” was added in 1961.

Team president Mark Murphy confirmed the team will soon introduce a new throwback uniform for the 2021 season. The alternate helmet rule doesn’t go into effect until 2022, however.

The new helmet rule can be used with an alternate uniform, throwback uniform or Color Rush uniform.

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From Sweet to Elite: Looking back on Wisconsin’s last NCAA Tournament battle with North Carolina

That was the case in the Sweet 16 in 2015 when the Bo Ryan-led Wisconsin Badgers squared off against the famed North Carolina Tar Heels.

One of the great things about each year’s NCAA Tournament is the inevitable matchups between some of the nation’s top teams that normally never face each other during the regular season.

That was the case in the Sweet 16 in 2015 when the Bo Ryan-led Wisconsin Badgers squared off against the famed North Carolina Tar Heels.

Related: Wisconsin vs UNC tip time and location set for NCAA Tournament Round of 64

The end of Wisconsin’s tournament run that year is obviously a forgettable moment, losing a tight game to Duke in the final after ending Kentucky’s run at an undefeated season the previous round.

But with the Badgers set to play the Tar Heels in the first round of this year’s tournament, we look back at the two team’s most recent NCAA Tournament battle.

Summed up perfectly by UWBadgers.com, it was resilience and a career day from Sam Dekker that helped propel the Badgers to a 79-72 victory.

Related: Two Big Ten basketball programs ‘parted ways’ with their head coaches this morning

North Carolina came out strong, jumping out to a 33-28 lead right before halftime thanks to an 11-1 outburst.

But the Badgers battled, Dekker tipping in a shot at the halftime buzzer to make it a 33-31 contest and the rest of the Wisconsin team holding it together even when North Carolina built a five-point lead with under 13 minutes to play.

When you think about that Badger team and the capabilities of Frank Kaminsky, Dekker, Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig and Traevon Jackson, one thing that sticks out is their ability to win a game down the stretch.

That is exactly what they did, Zak Showalter coming up with two huge buckets late and Dekker coming up with a late-shot clock drive-and-score to put the Tar Heels away.

The story will likely be different this time around, with both Wisconsin and North Carolina not playing to the level of their 2015 squads. But the history between the two programs is there, and the next chapter is now ready to be written.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94KCE-zeBtU

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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BadgersWire Throwback: Corey Clement leads the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory

What led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title was Wisconsin product Corey Clement’s explosion on the national stage, the former Badger

Three years ago today the Philadelphia Eagles captured the first Super Bowl victory in their franchise’s history with a 41-33 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The story of the game was backup quarterback Nick Foles outdueling Brady, the sport’s greatest player of all time. What led the Eagles to that point, though, was Wisconsin product Corey Clement’s explosion on the national stage.

Related: Full-season statistics for every former Wisconsin Badger in the NFL

Clement played four years in Madison, totaling 39 games, 576 rushes, 3092 yards, 36 touchdowns, 29 catches, 279 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. His most dominant season was by far his last, a year which saw the New Jersey native carry the ball a whopping 314 times and rush for 1375 yards and 15 touchdowns.

But he wasn’t selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, so if it wasn’t for the Eagles signing him as an undrafted free agent I would not be telling this story today.

It took this long in the piece for me to admit that I am from Philadelphia and am a huge Eagles fan. That said, though, even myself as a Badger fan did not foresee Clement cracking the running back rotation heading into the year.

Want it summed up perfectly? Eagles writer Shamus Clancy did exactly that.

Anyway, Clement entered the big game with less than 80 touches and wasn’t a huge part of their offensive game plan.

Against the Patriots that changed, and he instantly became a Philadelphia legend. He came up huge in pivotal moment after pivotal moment, though never did so carrying the football.

That’s right, he became WR Corey Clement—catching four passes for 100 yards that included an impossible 22-yard touchdown.

He was the only Eagle with more than 100 scrimmage yards, broke open when the team desperately needed a play and helped the world understand what being a Wisconsin running back is truly about.

I said it earlier, but it was a game-changing play after game-changing play.

I could go on and on about what he meant to the 2017 Eagles and their Super Bowl victory, but you get the idea.

Badger fans (including myself) celebrate their NFL stars including Russell Wilson, T.J. Watt, J.J. Watt, James White, Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor, Joe Thomas and Ryan Ramczyk.

But on the three-year anniversary of the 2017 Super Bowl it’s necessary to look at one of the unsung Wisconsin products in the NFL that instantly became a hero on the world’s biggest stage.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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