Tag: Week 3

Cowboys John Fassel optimistic, sees quick thinking amidst physical error

There’s reason to be optimistic about John Fassel and the special teams despite the performance through three games.

The Dallas Cowboys special teams unit has been a sore spot since 2017. It was the unit of misfit toys. It reached it’s breaking point last season when it performed so poorly that it knocked the team out of playoff contention and got everyone fired.

So to say there was hope that the January hiring of John “Bones” Fassel would result in vast improvement is an understatement. And to say that special teams has been a disappointment through three games would also be understatement. Outside of the onside kick in Atlanta and a modest boost to the punt return game, which is likely due more to CeeDee Lamb than anything else, the results have not been good.   Field goals and extra points have been missed and blocked, fake punts have failed miserably. Kickoff returns have pinned the Cowboys inside their own 20 on multiple occasions.

Still, Fassel remains optimistic, and there’s reason to find hope, even in the worst special teams play of the year so far.

With the Cowboys trailing 7-3, running back and kick returner Tony Pollard muffed the ball on the ensuing kickoff. There was a clear mental debate on whether or not he should pull the ball back into the end zone and down it or attempt to take it out.

In the past, Dallas has been bad at situational football. The team seemed unprepared for the stranger moments that are sure to come up throughout a 16 game schedule. And while Pollard hesitated, he ultimately did the right thing.

Here’s Fassel’s thoughts on the play:

The first one is a tactical one where if he muffs it while he was still in the end zone and if the ball stayed in the end zone he can just take a knee and he knows that from a Pittsburgh-Tennessee play years ago. Once the ball kind of leaked into the field of play, quickly he thought about pulling it back into the end zone but he knows he can’t do that because we showed him that Pittsburgh-Tennessee play from years ago. And so at that point he knew he was screwed and he had his eyes on the ball because they’re coming. He was just in a real tough spot right there. He made the right decision on getting on it because you can’t pull it back in for the immediate safety.

This is coaching situational football. At some point it will be the difference between a win and a loss. Through three games there’s not a person on earth who would suggest that the Cowboys special teams has performed at a high level, but the attention to detail suggests that it can improve throughout the year.

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket — conference semifinals

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Seahawks down to No. 5 in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings

Despite starting the season 3-0, the Seattle Seahawks have dropped to No. 5 in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings for Week 3.

The Seattle Seahawks are undefeated and lead the NFC West in the standings but they aren’t the only team to start the season 3-0. Those other clubs – Steelers, Bills, Packers and Chiefs – all top Seattle in Touchdown Wire’s latest NFL power rankings.

Despite their impressive start to the year, the Seahawks have dropped from No. 2 to No. 5 heading into Week 4.

“The 2020 Seahawks have the NFL’s ultimate cheat code in Russell Wilson, and perhaps the NFL’s ultimate susceptibility among playoff-worthy teams in a pass defense that couldn’t be farther from the Legion of Boom days if it tried,” writes Doug Farrar. “Through three games in 2020, Seattle has allowed 1,292 passing yards, which is the most any team has allowed in that early span in NFL history.”

“Perhaps this is why the Seahawks are Letting Russ Cook as they are — because without that, and were they to script a series of situation-neutral game plans as Pete Carroll would generally prefer, they’d be 0-3 instead of 3-0,” Farrar explains. “Russell Wilson has been the glue holding this team together and keeping it competitive for the last half-decade, and never more so than in 2020.”

Wilson and crew next head to Miami for an early start Sunday against the Dolphins.

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Catch This Fade! (Premium) S5E8: Cowboys special teams = trash, my guy

In the latest ep, the guys are fed up with the ST failures. What was supposed to be a strength has submarined Dallas in their two losses.

The Dallas Cowboys returned to the loss column in Week 3 so Patrik Walker(CBS Sports) and  K.D. Drummond (USA Today SMG’s Cowboys Wire) are here just in time to walk everyone through their emotions after the game. The Cowboys are doing a lot of things good, and a lot of things bad, which can lend to mixed feelings about where this team can be headed and where they actually are.

Fades are meant to be given, and give the fades they shall. No one is immune. No one is safe. From the special teams failures, to the defensive breakdowns, K.D. and Pat go through each of the failures, but also take time to recognize the reasons these breakdowns are happening and that it doesn’t have to mean this roller coaster ride will continue throughout the season.

Audio (Patron Tier) | Video (Friend of the Show Tier)

No one covers the Cowboys like we do, and the podcast gives you direct access to the hosts, unfiltered and uncut.

Subscribe to the Catch This Fade! Pod on Patreon.com/CatchThisFade.

There are two tiers of support. For $3 a month, just a cup of coffee, you’ll get new audio episodes every Tuesday and Friday mornings to both recap the last game and then look forward to the coming matchup.

For $10 a month you get not just the audio, but full video including K.D. and Pat cutting up before the audio recording kicks off. Not only that, but you’ll get early access to the content on Monday and Thursday evenings.

Don’t miss out on exclusive interviews, like this episode with George Teague ahead of last week’s 20th anniversary of the confrontation at the star with Terrell Owens.

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Chiefs snap counts, Week 3: Trends from Monday night

What can we learn from the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 3 snap counts?

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 34-20 during “Monday Night Football” in Week 3. The team had a new leading skill player on offense in terms of snaps and a new player in the secondary leading the way at the cornerback position.

Here’s how the snaps shook out in Week 3:

*Snap counts via NFL Game Statistics and Information System

Observations

  • Mike Remmers had a full helping of snaps in place of Andrew Wylie. He did a good job of getting in there on short notice and matching the preparedness of his teammates.
  • Sammy Watkins was the lead snap-getter among skill players for the Chiefs this week. His status was in question for the game, but he played throughout. He was a bit tentative at times, getting down instead of fighting for extra yards, after taking that big hit in Week 2.
  • Mecole Hardman had a big night with less than 50% of the snaps. He seems to always be involved in the gameplan against the Ravens.
  • Darwin Thompson, who had a costly fumble, played in just six snaps all game. He’ll surely get another opportunity in the future, but he didn’t do himself any favors putting the ball on the ground.
  • Rashad Fenton led the way in snaps for the cornerback position, playing in 96% of the defensive snaps. He had a nice performance too, not allowing much in coverage and playing physical when coming up to tackle in run defense.
  • L’Jarius Sneed played in just 22 snaps before exiting the game with an injury.
  • Tedric Thompson nearly matched his season-high in snaps. He came up and made a big tackle to force three-and-out at a crucial point in the game.
  • Tershawn Wharton had a season-low with just 11 snaps in Week 3. With Mike Pennel back in the mix, receiving 18 snaps, there weren’t a lot of snaps to go around for the defensive tackle group.
  • Willie Gay Jr. is slowly but steadily receiving more snaps. After six defensive snaps in Week 2, he played in nine defensive snaps in Week 3. We’ll see if that slight upward trend continues.
  • Dorian O’Daniel and Armani Watts were the leading snap-getters on special teams with 19 snaps apiece.

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Matt Patricia: ‘You could feel the energy’ during the Lions game-winning drive

The vibrant performance in crunch time in Week 3 was a welcome new energy to Patricia’s Lions

There was a palpable energy to the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. The players had an energy and air of confidence about them in the fourth quarter of the tightly competitive game.

Even in the largely empty stadium, Patricia and the Lions could feel the momentum and energy as the team drove for Matt Prater’s game-winning field goal.

“You could feel the energy on the sideline,” Patricia said in his Monday meeting with the press. “You could feel (the) offense and defense, and really both of them rooting for special teams. You could feel those guys encouraging them out there to just be ready to go and execute and keep pushing each other. I think that was really good. I think that’s needed. I think that’s part of the new 2020 with the way that the stadiums are. Sometimes even on the road trips, even just having hostile fans yell at you, I mean that’s enough to motivate you. But I think it’s kind of getting used to all those different atmospheres. I think the guys know that they’re relying on each other to pick up that energy. I thought they did a really good job of it in the fourth quarter.”

After a largely flat finish in Week 2, the vibrant performance in crunch time in Week 3 was a welcome new energy to Patricia’s Lions.

By the numbers: Examining the Lions Week 3 victory over the Cardinals

Examining the Detroit Lions 26-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals by identifying the numbers that helped them secure the win.

Examining the Detroit Lions 26-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals by identifying the numbers that helped them secure the win.

0 — receiving yards for Larry Fitzgerald. This was only the second time in 253 games he was held without a yard (per the Athletic’s Chris Burke)

3 — Lions’ interceptions, after not having a single turnover through the first two weeks of the season. This was also the first time under coach Matt Patricia that the Lions managed more than one interception in a game.

4.78 — average hang time on Jack Fox’s punts, best in the NFL.

11 — team-leading tackles by Tracy Walker. He also led the team in tackles in Week 1.

14 — YAC above expectations for Marvin Jones Jr.’s on his reception that set up Matt Prater’s game-winning field goal. Jones’ catch was only expected to go six yards, but his extra effort allowed him to gain 20 on the play.

15th — Game-winning field goal in Prater’s career.

20.33 — miles per hour Okudah ran on his first career interception (per NFL’s Next Gen Stats).

23 – percent of defensive snaps played for Jarrad Davis, a career-low.

29th — Matthew Stafford 4th quarter comeback. This was also his 35th game-winning drive.

32:50 — Lions time of possession, compared to the Cardinals 27:10.

43 — total rushes on the season for Adrian Peterson. Kerryon Johnson has 18, while D’Andre Swift has just eight.

44.4 — percent of the time the Lions used zone coverage in Week 3. This was considerably higher than what the Lions did over the first two weeks — and really Patricia’s entire tenure — using zone 17.9- and 18.2-percent respectively (per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein).

49 – snaps for Kenny Golladay (73-percent) in his first game back after his hamstring injury.

51.1 — Net punting average for Jack Fox, best in the NFL.

53.1 — Average yards per punt by Fox, also best in the NFL.

63 — Total plays by the Cardinals, 12.5 below their average. The Lions game plan of winning the time of possession and limiting the Cardinals opportunities with the ball worked.

83 — Jesse James jersey number. You may not have recognized it because he hadn’t been targeted through the first two weeks, but in this game, he secured three of his four targets for 28 yards and a touchdown.

88.2 — Kerryon Johnson’s PFF pass-blocking grade, No. 1 among running backs. D’Andre Swift’s 83.3 is PFF’s No. 11 among running backs. Jamal Agnew is PFF’s No. 1 run-blocking running back, while Jason Cabinda is No. 4 on PFF’s run-blocking list.

92.8 — Jack Fox’s PFF score. He is so far ahead of the rest of the NFL that the distance separating Fox’s grade from the next best punter (Bradley Pinion 73.0) is larger than the distance separating Pinnon from punter #32 (Dustin Colquitt 57.0).

100 — percent of snaps for Tracy Walker, Will Harris saw just 29-percent after out snapping Walker in Week 2.

270 — passing yards and two touchdowns by both Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray. Stafford did it on 31 attempts, Murray on 35, but the difference was Stafford threw zero interceptions, while Murray had three.

NFC West roundup: How the division fared Week 3

The Seattle Seahawks moved into first place in the NFC West standings Week 3 – here’s a look at how the rest of the division fared.

Sunday was a very good day for the Seattle Seahawks. First and foremost, the most important thing was the fact they won. It may have been a rather wild and unusual victory, but at this point, the unusual is becoming routine for the Seahawks.

The second best reason is the fact quarterback Russell Wilson had a historic day by setting two records by becoming the first quarterback in league history to have at least four touchdown passes in the first three games, and by setting the record for the most touchdowns (14) through the first three games.

Third, the Seahawks moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Let’s take a look to see how Seattle achieved their lofty position in the standings.

Los Angeles Rams: Lost @ Buffalo Bills – 35-32

The Los Angeles Rams almost had a historic day of their own, Sunday afternoon, as they very nearly had one of the greatest comebacks the NFL has ever seen.

The Rams fell behind the Buffalo Bills 28-3, but then managed to fight back in remarkable fashion to even take a 32-28 lead. However, the Bills avoided the same fate of the Falcons in Super Bowl LI and staved off bitter defeat by retaking the lead with only seconds left on the clock.

Los Angeles falls to 2-1, but they won’t be alone in this regard.

Arizona Cardinals: Lost vs Detroit Lions – 26-23

The trendy pick this offseason by just about everyone to compete for a playoff spot was the Arizona Cardinals. With the addition of star receiver DeAndre Hopkins added to the mix, Arizona looked ready to take the next step with second-year coach and quarterback, Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray.

After a 2-0 start, the Cards seemed like the real deal, but on Sunday they got a wake-up call. The pitiful Lions, who were in the midst of an 11-game losing streak, and a four-game losing streak where they had blown double-digit leads, snapped both with perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend.

Kyler Murray threw three picks to a Lions defense which hadn’t created a single turnover all year, showing the young star and his team still have a little bit of a ways to go.

San Francisco 49ers: Won @ New York Giants – 36-9

The only other team to claim victory from the division was the injury-depleted San Francisco 49ers. The Niners made yet another visit to MetLife Stadium in back-to-back weeks, where they faced the equally hapless New York Giants.

Playing essentially the JV team, San Francisco didn’t need the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle and Nick Bosa to take one of the worst teams in the league to task.

The Niners injury woes at MetLife continued, as tight end Jordan Reed and safety Jaquiski Tartt both left banged up.

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Chiefs vs. Ravens live tweets and scoring updates

Follow along as Chiefs Wire staff and other media members tweet throughout the third Chiefs game of the 2020 season.

One of the most anticipated games of the 2020 NFL season is here.

Kickoff is coming up at 7:15 p.m. CT as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Baltimore Ravens on “Monday Night Football” in Week 3. You can find all the important details about how to watch the game and more here.

Looking for live scoring updates? We’ll update those in the chart below. Be sure to bookmark the page or click this link for the latest updates.

Chiefs vs. Ravens score

Quarter Chiefs Ravens
First 6 3
Second – –
Third – –
Fourth – –
Final – –

53-man roster guide

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Follow along as the Chiefs Wire staff and other media members tweet during the game. Get the absolute latest updates on our twitter list down below.

https://twitter.com/TheChiefsWire/lists/chiefs-gameday

Chiefs’ 2020 schedule

Week Opponent Time (CT) | Date Channel
1 vs. Houston Texans 7:20 p.m. Thu, Sept. 10th NBC
2 at Los Angeles Chargers 3:25  p.m. Sun, Sept. 20th CBS
3 at Baltimore Ravens 7:15 p.m. Mon, Sept. 28th ESPN
4 vs. New England Patriots 3:25 p.m. Sun, Oct. 4th CBS
5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders 12:00 p.m. Sun, Oct. 11th CBS
6 at Buffalo Bills 7:20 p.m. Thu, Oct 15th FOX/NFLN/Amazon
7 at Denver Broncos 3:25 p.m. Sun, Oct 25th CBS
8 vs. New York Jets 12:00 p.m. Sun, Nov. 1st CBS
9 vs. Carolina Panthers 12:00 p.m. Sun, Nov. 8th FOX
10 BYE BYE BYE
11 at Las Vegas Raiders 7:20 p.m. Sun, Nov. 22nd NBC
12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3:25 p.m. Sun, Nov. 29th CBS
13 vs. Denver Broncos 7:20 p.m. Sun, Dec. 6th NBC
14 at Miami Dolphins 12:00 p.m. Sun, Dec. 13th CBS
15 at New Orleans Saints 3:25 p.m. Sun, Dec. 20th CBS
16 vs. Atlanta Falcons 12:00 p.m. Sun, Dec. 27th FOX
17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers 12:00 p.m. Sun, Jan. 3rd CBS

 

Chiefs don’t elevate any players from practice squad for Week 3

The Chiefs made no transactions, but the Ravens added three players to their lineup.

The Kansas City Chiefs have opted to not elevate any practice squad players to their active roster ahead of their “Monday Night Football” matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. While the Chiefs did protect RB DeAndre Washington and DB Chris Lammons earlier in the week, neither player has been called up to the active roster for Kansas City.

One of the new features of NFL practice squads during the 2020 season is the “Standard Elevation Addendum.” This gives teams the ability to elevate two players from the practice squad to the active roster on game day. The Chiefs haven’t really used this much so far. Last week they elevated Braxton Hoyett to provide some defensive tackle depth with Khalen Saunders being placed on injured reserve and Mike Pennel still on suspension.

This bodes well for WR Sammy Watkins, LB Dorian O’Daniel and CB Charvarius Ward who were each listed as questionable heading into the game. The Chiefs have shown us that they really only intend to elevate players in case of an injury. I’d expect each of Watkins, O’Daniel and Ward to be available to play in Week 3.

The Ravens, on the other hand, have added some three players to their roster for tonight’s game. According to the NFL’s transaction report, Baltimore signed DB Jordan Richards and elevated both DB Terrell Bonds and DB Khalil Dorsey. This will provide some depth in the secondary after losing CB Tavon Young for the season with a knee injury.

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Younghoe Koo expected to miss time due to groin injury

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Koo was dealing with a groin injury that he aggravated in Week 3 and is expected to miss a few games.

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo didn’t have his best game on Sunday, missing a field goal and an extra point during Atlanta’s 30-26 loss to the Chicago Bears.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Koo was dealing with a groin injury that he aggravated in Week 3, and is expected to miss a few games.

Koo could end up on the NFL’s short-term injured reserve list. In three games this season, the former Georgia Southern kicker has made eight of nine field goal attempts and six of eight extra points.

Expect the Falcons to try out some kickers this week to fill in during Koo’s absence.

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