Tag: top performances

Florida’s two Kyles lead PFF’s top 10 performances from NFL draft prospects in Week 4

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts are perhaps the most iconic duo in college football this season after UF’s win Week 4

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Florida quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts are perhaps the most iconic duo in college football this season. The two Kyles are among the best at their respective positions in the country this season, and their individual performances in Florida’s season-opening 51-35 win over Ole Miss led to them headlining this week’s top-10 performances from Pro Football Focus.

Pitts leads the way, following an eight-catch, 170-yard game that netted him four total touchdowns.

1. TE KYLE PITTS, FLORIDA

Pitts’ performance Saturday wasn’t simply stud tape by tight end standards, it was stud tape by wide receiver standards, as well. He got open nearly at will and at every level of the field. And even when he wasn’t open, Pitts was hauling in passes.

His combination of athleticism and ball skills is unlike anything we’ve seen at the tight end position in recent classes. The true junior finished with eight catches for 170 yards, four scores and two broken tackles on the day.

Meanwhile, Trask became the second Florida quarterback to throw for six touchdown passes in SEC game and the first since Chris Leak in 2004. He passed for over 400 yards on 30-of-42 passing.

2. QB KYLE TRASK, FLORIDA

For as good as Pitts was, Trask wasn’t too far behind. He finished with an elite 90.0-plus overall grade and had four big-time throws on 43 dropbacks. It was a far cry from the quarterback who had only nine big-time throws all last season. He looked so much more comfortable pushing the ball down the field and giving his guys chances to make plays.

The sort of accuracy he showed when throwing into tight windows or to closely guarded receivers was something we didn’t get to see nearly as much in 2019. For the quarterback many have tabbed as “this year’s Joe Burrow,” he had a Burrow-esque Week 1.

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Winners and Losers from Cowboys dry, gravy-less Turkey Day performance

The Dallas Cowboys had the family gathered around the table for Thanksgiving and had the audacity to trot out a bird that was simultaneously undercooked and dried out. Their normally potent offense sputtered for the second week in a row, and this …

The Dallas Cowboys had the family gathered around the table for Thanksgiving and had the audacity to trot out a bird that was simultaneously undercooked and dried out. Their normally potent offense sputtered for the second week in a row, and this time without the elements to blame. The defense gave up scoring opportunities to the Buffalo Bills on six straight drives (five cashed in with one missed field goal).

The special teams dropped the sweet potato too, leaving points on the board. In the end, Cowboys Nation had little to be thankful for as Dallas fell to the Buffalo Bills 26-15 to fall to 6-6 on the season. There were a few, not many, but a few bright spots mixed in with some head-scratching performances.

Winner – Ezekiel Elliott

Whatever that offensive offensive display was on Thursday where the team marched up and down the field only to turn the ball over, miss the field goal or lose possession on downs, it certainly wasn’t Elliott’s fault. It looked like the breakout game everyone was waiting for out of Elliott with a a 10, 20 and 30-yard gain in the first quarter.

But after having 10 carries in the first half, Elliott saw just two of them in the second and finished with just 71 yards on the ground with another 66 on six catches. 137 yards is a really good day, but it appeared Elliott could have reached 200 if the team committed to him.

Loser – Dak Prescott

Prescott had one of his worst days of the season, throwing an ill-advised screen pass that was intercepted by a lineman, having another pick canceled by a questionable defensive penalty and having multiple other passes tipped. He was also strip sacked multiple times as the clock in his head – the thing he usually has great control over – failed him. He was holding the ball entirely too long and paid for it. With Prescott struggling, it’s a major question why the play caller didn’t look to the other possible solution to get the game back on track as it was slipping away.

Loser – Whoever booked this act

What was this? One of the worst halftime performances of recent memory.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Winner – Amari Cooper

Right on schedule, Cooper had a good day in front of the home crowd, catching 8 of 11 passes for 87 yards, though he was held out of the end zone for the third straight game. Earlier in the week Cowboys Wire studied the numbers and discovered a gamut between Cooper’s home and road performances and saw that it stretches across his entire career. If Dallas is going to pay him big money in the near future, he’ll have to continue having days like Thursday, and figure out how to convert that to when he has to get on an airplane.

Loser – Amari Cooper

Guess who has to get an x-ray on his knee Friday after going down in the second half?

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Loser – Brett Maher

Maher misssed another two field goals, dropping his rate under 68% on the season. He struggled last year, but made some awe-inspiring long kicks that kept him around. He started decent this year from short range, but the guy has never been a consistent kicker and it’s befuddling how Dallas continues to trot him out there without any competition.

Winner – Michael Bennett

Bennett finished with five tackles but didn’t get to touch the quarterback, so how is he a winner? Apparently, the player who was digging into his teammates to the point that Dallas closed the media from the locker room was Bennett, a guy who’s only been with the team for about a month now.

It’s presumptuous to say the team quit, but certainly there were a bunch of guys looking disinterested and Bennett apparently was imploring the team not to go down that road. He’s hinted that he’s considering retiring at the end of the year and one cannot be mad at him for joining a team with this much talent that looks this miserable right now.

Loser – Jerry Jones

All of this is on him.

He spoke at length with the media after the game and basically begged Jason Garrett to figure out a way so Jones doesn’t have to fire him after the season.

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