Tag: Up & Adams

Terry McLaurin: ‘I’m having the time of my career’

Terry McLaurin shares why this season is so special for him.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is smiling a lot these days. That’s what winning does for you. At 6-2, the Commanders are in first place in the NFC East almost halfway through the season, and McLaurin is on pace for career-high numbers.

On Sunday, McLaurin experienced one of the most, if not the most, exciting moments in Northwest Stadium’s 27 years of existence. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels uncorked a pass 65 yards through the air with injured ribs and into the hands of wide receiver Noah Brown to give the Commanders a shocking “Hail Mary” win over the Chicago Bears.

On Tuesday, McLaurin joined Kay Adams on “Up & Adams,” discussing this dream season.

“I’m having the time of my career,” McLaurin said. “I’m having a lot of fun. The cameras catch me a lot, just being in the moment and being able to let loose, like going into each and every week. Believing in the guys we have in this locker room and the way we’re coming out with some of these games, we don’t really know how it’s going to show up. But all the training we put in since the offseason started is really starting to show up in different ways. So, when you’re doing that, and you’re doing it with a group of guys you really love going to work with, it makes it really fun. And when you’re making plays, too,  and helping your team win, that’s always the cherry on top.”

Is there any player you’re more happier for than McLaurin? Playing a position where players often put their numbers ahead of team success that’s not McLaurin. Despite how bad things have been, McLaurin has always remained positive on the field, in the locker room, and the community.

And if he stays at the same pace for the remaining nine games, he will have established career highs in all of the top receiving categories.

 

Commanders WRs Jahan Dotson and Luke McCaffrey disagree on who the emergency QB is

Which wide receiver should be the Commanders’ emergency QB?

Every NFL team has an emergency quarterback on game day. If a team carries two quarterbacks on the game-day roster, they must designate someone else as the emergency third quarterback if the starter and backup are both injured during the game.

Rookie Jayden Daniels is likely to start for the Washington Commanders in 2024. Veteran Marcus Mariota should be the backup. However, even if the Commanders keep Sam Hartman on the 53-man roster, that doesn’t mean he’ll be active on game days, which means they’ll need an emergency quarterback.

Last year, it was tight end Logan Thomas. Thomas was a record-breaking quarterback at Virginia Tech before eventually moving to tight end a few years into his NFL career. Thomas is gone, and now third-year wide receiver Jahan Dotson holds that distinction.

On Friday’s episode of “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams, Dotson was asked about being the emergency quarterback.

“I am the team’s emergency quarterback, for sure,” Dotson said. “If we ever lose all of our quarterbacks, I am the guy that goes in. I take that role with a lot of pride.

Adams jokingly asked Dotson why he was stealing reps from Daniels.

“I need ’em, too,” Dotson replied. “If he goes down, we need another guy to fill in, and it’s going to be me.”

Adams then reminded Dotson he completed both passing attempts while at Penn State. Dotson said he’s lobbied offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and wide receivers coach Bobby Engram for an opportunity to throw the ball this season.

Finally, Adams asked Dotson about fellow wide receiver rookie Luke McCaffrey, a former college quarterback.

“Luke has been great; he’s been awesome,” Dotson said. “He’s a very smart guy. I played him while I was in college, and he was the quarterback, so he has a great mind on his shoulders.”

Adams interrupts and asks Dotson if McCaffrey is going to come for those quarterback reps.

“No, no, no, no, we’ve talked about this earlier,” he answered. “Luke, you know I’m the emergency quarterback.”

McCaffrey played three seasons as a quarterback in college, including the first two at Nebraska. In 2020, McCaffrey’s Cornhuskers defeated Dotson and the Nittany Lions 30-23. McCaffrey reminded Dotson of that game on X.

McCaffrey completed 13 of 21 passes for 152 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He also carried the ball 13 times for 67 yards and another touchdown. Dotson caught two passes for 27 yards on that day. Penn State’s quarterback in this game was current Tennessee Titan Will Levis. Levis began his career at Penn State before transferring to Kentucky.

So, which wide receiver should be the emergency QB?

Dan Quinn reveals his motto for the 2024 Commanders

Dan Quinn loves a good motto.

In case you haven’t noticed, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn likes a good motto or slogan. Whether it was during his time as head coach of the Falcons or the past three seasons with the Cowboys, Quinn has adopted a motto for his players.

When taking over as Washington’s coach this year, Quinn had another: “Doing hard s–t with good people.”

We’ve seen Quinn wearing the shirt with that motto during practice recently. On Friday, Kay Adams from the show “Up and Adams” was in Ashburn for the latest stop on her training camp tour, where Quinn revealed a new motto for 2024.

Adams asked Quinn if he had to have a motto on the back of his shirt right now, what would it be?

“Anybody. Anytime. Anywhere,” Quinn answered.

“That’s what it says on the back of my shirt right now. It really has less to do about the opponent and more to do about road games, home games, standards, hot, cold, indoor, outdoor, like if you’re ready to get it on, you gotta be able to East Coast, West Coast, Sunday nights, Monday nights, Thursdays, and division games, non-division games, like they all do it. And so that’s what that means; it’s not about proving it, like an opponent, but it’s about….we’re going to be a tough draw.”

Adams then asked the crowd behind her and Quinn if they were ready to run through a wall for their coach, and they responded, “YES.” Rookie offensive tackle Brandon Coleman, who was signing autographs, turned around, pumped his fist, and screamed, “Yeah.”

Here’s the segment:

 

 

Bills’ Josh Allen breaks down WR room: ‘Guys are making plays’

#Bills’ Josh Allen breaks down WR room: ‘Guys are making plays’

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen joined the “Up & Adams” show during its stop at his team’s 2024 training camp at St. John Fisher University.

Just like it is locally, the talk surrounding the Bills is all about Buffalo’s wide receiver room. That’s the nature of the beast when your team has a franchise quarterback but lost its top two receivers from last year in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

Allen explained for the folks across the country that the Bills are hoping to have a lot of different options coming at opponents in 2024, not just a top playmaker or two.

“I don’t really think we have a No. 1 or 2, I think we got a group of guys that are just finding ways to get open and they’re doing their job,” Allen said.

Allen’s full thoughts can be found in the clip below:

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Vikings LB Ivan Pace Jr. confirms he will wear the green dot once again

The second-year linebacker confirmed he would be wearing the green dot on Sundays.

Second-year linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has had a terrific story thus far in his young NFL career. He was a star at the University of Cincinnati in college but went undrafted because teams were concerned with his size and ability to play at the next level. The Vikings brought Pace Jr. in on a UDFA contract, and he turned out to be one of the better linebackers in the league.

When Jordan Hicks went down last year, the coaching staff turned to Pace Jr. to lean on. They gave him the green dot — the speaker to hear what plays are being called to relay to the rest of the team — which shows how much trust they had in the then-rookie.

Appearing in a segment on the Up & Adams show hosted by Kay Adams, Pace Jr. confirmed he would once again wear the green dot entering his sophomore year.

“I believe so,” said Pace Jr. “I believe so. We lost [Jordan] Hicks and when he went down last year, I took over and they gave me that trust that they had. I believe now that he’s gone, I’m definitely going to wear the green dot this coming season.”

It doesn’t happen often with UDFAs, but it shows that if you keep your head down and work hard, the sky is the limit. It is also a credit to Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his staff for finding Pace Jr. as he is shaping up to be a diamond in the rough of his draft class.

WATCH: Bills’ Dalton Kincaid talks Josh Allen when the play breaks down

Dalton talks Josh:

Even heading into the second year of his NFL career, it doesn’t sound like tight end Dalton Kincaid is fully ready for what Bills quarterback Josh Allen can do on the football field just yet.

Kincaid, appearing on the Up & Adams Show, said he knows the QB is always willing to give a teammate a chance to make a play… but then again, you never really know what he’s thinking, either.

“With Josh… having that in-game experience, figuring what he likes to do,” Kincaid said. “It doesn’t matter where the hell you are.”

For more from Kincaid, see the attached Up & Adams clip below:

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Do you want to be a Bill? Stefon Diggs: ‘Yeah’ (video)

Stefon Diggs’ back-and-forth interview was an interesting watch:

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was doing his best to set the record straight during Super Bowl weekend.

Diggs joined the Up & Adams Show and said he wants to remain with the Bills in 2024.

“Yeah. I’ve said that,” Diggs responded. “Interview after interview I’ve said I want to retire a Bill.”

On quarterback Josh Allen who recently noted himself he’s “hopeful” Diggs remains with the Bills, the wideout was just as positive.

“It’s still family,” Diggs said. “He’s always going to be family no matter how it shakes.”

However, that latter part is a bit of the way Diggs gets himself into questionable headlines. At one point during his discussion with host Kay Adams, despite Diggs saying he wants to remain a Bill, she even mentioned how his words ended up sounding like a goodbye.

Check out the Up & Adams clip below for Diggs’ full interview:

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WATCH: Pat Surtain discusses Broncos’ 2023 outlook on ‘Up & Adams’

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain spoke about Sean Payton, Russell Wilson and the team’s 2023 outlook on the ‘Up & Adams’ show last week.

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain went on the Up & Adams show last week to talk about the team’s 2023 outlook with host Kay Adams. Surtain discusses the team’s schedule, new coach Sean Payton, quarterback Russell Wilson and more. The 15-minute interview can be viewed in the above video.

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WATCH: Rob Gronkowski, noted Josh Allen (& Buffalo) guy

Gronk shows some love for Josh Allen & Buffalo:

Rob Gronkowski is one of Buffalo’s beloved sons that most folks hate.

That’s not exactly as personal as it sounds.

A longtime member of the New England Patriots, Gronkowski played for the Pats during the Tom Brady heyday. He always seemed to save some of his best games for the Bills.

But since retiring from football, the former tight end is slowly being welcomed back as a Buffalonian. He took a huge step in the right direction on Fan Duel’s Up & Adams.

Asked what QB and team he’d most like to play for in the NFL playoffs right now, he went with Josh Allen and the Bills.

“Just his play is unbelievable,” Gronkowski said.

Not only that, Gronkowski made sure to immediately note (and more than once) in his answer: He is from Buffalo.

See the attached clip below for Gronk’s full answer on Up & Adams:

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DK Metcalf with the whole scoop on the cart ride to, um, poop

DK Metcalf came clean with why he need a cart to get to the restroom

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf was a guest Tuesday on “Up & Adams,” the FanDuel TV show hosted by former “Good Morning Football” talent Kay Adams.

Of course, the conversation got around to the cart ride Metcalf was given to the locker room in Detroit, which Adams described as “the bowel movement that shook the NFL.”

Metcalf explained how he felt the need to go but then was okay and returned to the field for a couple of plays before realizing he needed relief. There is some salty language in the video.

He said he was surprised it became big news, going viral.

“If anybody has played in Detroit, they know it is a long— walk from the locker room to the field,” he said. “And I was not going to make that walk.”

There were some options — unacceptable ones — presented to Metcalf by head coach Pete Carroll.