Tag: Zach Baun

Eagles to host Commanders in NFC Championship game after 28-22 win over Rams

Eagles to host Commanders in NFC Championship game after 28-22 win over Rams in the NFC Divisional Round

The Eagles are headed to the NFC title game and host their division rival, the Washington Commanders. After holding on for a 28-22 win over the Rams in the NFC divisional round, the Eagles will play the Washington Commanders.

In what can only be described as a barn burner, Philadelphia looked like they put the game away after going up 28-15, but the Rams scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown to pull within seven. After the Eagles could not maximize their final offensive drive, the Rams had one final shot on a ten-play, 60-yard drive that fell short with an incomplete pass to Puka Nucau at the Philadelphia 22-yard line.

The No. 2 seed Eagles will host the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders (12-5), who defeated the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions (15-2) 45-31 at Ford Field on Saturday night.

Washington’s 45 points were the most in a playoff game in franchise history.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff threw three interceptions and was uneven all night. He went 23-40 passing for 313 yards (7.8 avg), one touchdown, and a 59.7 quarterback rating. The Lions’ running game was dynamic but underused, as Jahmyr Gibbs had 14 carries for 105 yards (7.5 avg) and two rushing touchdowns.

NFL Playoff picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions

For Washington, Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite and Pro Bowler, Jayden Daniels was 22-31 passing for 299 yards (9.6 avg), two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 122.9 quarterback rating.

In an offensive shootout, the two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense and 57 first downs.

Philadelphia and Washington split the season series, with the Commanders pulling off a 36-33 home win in Week 16 after Jalen Hurts was ruled out with a concussion.

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles holds a 13-10 lead over Rams in divisional round

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles holds a 13-10 lead over Rams in divisional round

The weather came as expected, but there were plenty of big plays in the first half as the Eagles hold a 13-10 lead over the Rams at home in the divisional round game on Sunday. A Philadelphia win and Nick Sirianni would host the Washington Commanders in the NFC title game next week. The Eagles lost rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first half with a shoulder injury, and Isaiah Rodgers matched up with Rams wide receivers on the outside, which will be something to watch. With the second half quickly approaching, here sights and sounds from the first 30 minutes. ***

Eagles vs. Rams: Pregame sights and sounds from NFC Divisional Round game

We’re looking at pregame sights and sounds from the Philadelphia Eagles matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round

We’re now minutes away from the Eagles, and Rams kicking off their divisional-round matchup at Lincoln Financial Field.

Philadelphia is look to reach 7-0 in the Divisional Round at home in their franchise history and advance to another NFC Championship Game. With kickoff moments away, here are the pregame sights and sounds from a gigantic matchup.

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Saquon Barkley runs the Rams out of SoFi Stadium, carrying the Eagles to their 7th straight win

A sea of Eagles fans took over SoFi Stadium, carrying Philadelphia to its 7th straight win on Sunday night as Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards on the night

The Eagles are 9-2 and have won seven straight games after Saquon Barkley exploded in the running game, and A.J. Brown was dominant in the passing game. Philadelphia put the league on notice with a 37-20 win at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

If not for a late Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp, Philadelphia would have exited Los Angeles with a 37-14 road win just seven days before a monster matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13.

Barkley rushed for 255 yards on the night and had 302 total yards of offense in a game that saw A.J. Brown log 109 yards receiving and a touchdown on seven targets.

Eagles limp into bye week after a 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a disastrous 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

With A.J. Brown (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (concussion), and Lane Johnson (concussion) out with injuries, the Eagles didn’t have enough depth in key positions. They suffered a disastrous 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Jalen Hurts was sacked six times on the afternoon, and the star quarterback committed another turnover (fumble), as Philadelphia could not sustain any offensive consistency without the big three in the lineup.

Saquon Barkley had ten carries for 84 yards (8.4 avg). Still, with the Eagles playing from behind all afternoon, the running back was unable to get the Philadelphia offense over the hump against a motivated Tampa defense.

An Eagles defense that shut New Orleans down in Week 3 was gashed to 445 total yards for the Buccaneers offense, including 111 rushing yards and a twelve-minute advantage in time of possession.

Baker Mayfield was on fire early, and even after an inefficient second half, he still was 30-40 passing for 347 yards, two touchdowns, and a 100.2 rating.

Philadelphia (2-2) will now have a week off, during which questions about Sirianni’s job security and the Eagles’ playoff hopes will dominate the airwaves.

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Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Buccaneers

Jalen Hurts was 7-15 passing for 49 yards and one touchdown, and the Eagles offense was non-existent in the first half as Tampa jumped out to a 21-0 lead before finishing the first half with a 24-7 lead. The Buccaneers dominated time of possession, …

Jalen Hurts was 7-15 passing for 49 yards and one touchdown, and the Eagles offense was non-existent in the first half as Tampa jumped out to a 21-0 lead before finishing the first half with a 24-7 lead. The Buccaneers dominated time of possession, holding for 20:14 seconds, compared to Philadelphia’s 9+ minutes with the football.

With the second half set to begin, here are sights and sounds from the first half.

10 players the Lions should consider on Day 2 of the draft

Identifying 10 players the Detroit Lions should consider selecting on Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Detroit Lions filled a very important role on Day 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting corner Jeff Okudah in the first round, but Day 2 brings a whole new crop of players and the Lions hold three picks in the next two rounds.

The Lions will begin the day with picks No. 35, 67, and 85, and while there could be some trade movement, they should still be able to land a few key players.

Here are 10 options — five who were with the Lions at the Senior Bowl — who should be considered on Day 2.

A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa

The Lions have a need at EDGE rusher and Epenesa is the perfect fit for the Lions scheme. In my final 7-round mock draft, Epenesa was my choice at pick No. 35 and a player I still believe to be a Top-10 player on the Lions draft board.

Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

Senior Bowl

If it’s not Epenesa, Mims’ ability to drastically improve the Lions offense would make him incredibly tempting in the second round. At 6-3, 207, with 4.38 speed, Mims is an ideal vertical threat with starter upside as a rookie.

Zach Baun, LB, Wisconsin

Senior Bowl

A hybrid linebacker who fits the mold of what the Lions have recently targeted in their second-level defenders. He would play primarily off-the-ball but has the ability to situationally pass-rush from the JACK linebacker spot.

Josh Uche, JACK/LB, Michigan

Senior Bowl

Uche is also a hybrid linebacker but his insane speed off the edge would keep him pass-rushing often, while also offering the ability to drop into coverage. Both Uche and Baun would fit in like perfect puzzle pieces with the Lions linebackers and would allow them to disguise the defense’s intentions.

Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Senior Bowl

Jones is an athletic tackle who could line up on the right side as a rookie and his ability to be a left tackle would give the Lions insurance if they move on from Taylor Decker in 2021.

RBs J.K. Dobbins (OSU) and Jonathan Taylor (Wisc)

Pick your flavor here as both backs would fit in nicely in the Lions scheme. I have Dobbins slightly ahead of Taylor on my tiered Lions draft board, but if the Lions decide to upgrade their backfield, it’s hard to argue with either player.

Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

A first-round talent who likely dropped to Day 2 because of injuries. He has a versatile skill set and plays physical, creating yards after catch (YAC) with power and athleticism.

K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State

Hamler is a YAC machine who fits the mold of a pure slot receiver, similar to what the Lions have in Danny Amendola. The Lions met with Hamler at the Combine and if they are looking for an explosive playmaker, he would be high on their list.

Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama

Lewis is another first-round talent who has a lengthy injury history that is surely going to impact where he gets selected. At 6-5, 262 pounds and 33.88″ arms, Lewis is a prototype player in coach Matt Patricia’s defensive scheme.

Bradlee Anae, EDGE, Utah

Senior Bowl

Anae is likely more in play in the third round, but there is no doubt that Lions’ coaches loved what they saw from him at the Senior Bowl. Anae is a high effort pass rusher who lives off his first step as we saw in Mobile when he registered three sacks:

Bonus names to keep in mind for Round 3

In my final 7-round mock draft, my Lions picks in the third round were Robert Hunt (RT/G, Louisiana) and McTelvin Agim (DT, Arkansas), and are names Lions fans should keep in the back of their minds.

2020 NFL Draft: Tristan Wirfs gaining traction as Giants’ choice in first round

As the 2020 NFL Draft approaches, it’s becoming more obvious that experts anticipate Tristan Wirfs going to the New York Giants.

The New York Giants hold the No. 4 overall selection in this month’s NFL Draft and one player is being linked to them more and more as the mock drafts keep rolling in.

Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is not only our internal favorite, but that of our sister site Draft Wire. They have the Giants taking the 6-foot-5, 320-pound athletic left tackle prospect at No. 4 and not looking back.

In his weekly Monday column, veteran football reporter Peter King also agreed that offensive tackle will the Giants’ top choice in this draft.

Hard to see Dave Gettleman go anywhere but tackle in this urgent draft for the G-men. Gettleman shocked the world with Daniel Jones at six last year, but the meat-and-potatoes GM is likely to go meat-and-potatoes this year with a tackle. Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs or Alabama’s Jedrick Wills are 1-2 or 2-1 on many draft boards.

The latest Draft Wire mock, compiled by Luke Easterling, goes the full seven rounds. After the Giants take Wirfs in Round 1, here’s how he sees the rest of the draft playing out:

Day 2

  • Round 2, Pick 36: Zach Baun | EDGE | Wisconsin
  • Round 3, Pick 99: John Hightower | WR | Boise State

Some have Baun as a late first-rounder, but it’s possible he slides the Giants here in the second. If he’s on the board, they’ll almost have to take him. He’s a very productive, full-service linebacker that can get to the passer. By passing on Isaiah Simmons, they can make up for it here by taking Baun.

Hightower is a bit of reach here for me. He’s more of late rounder, not only in my eyes but many others. He’s got 4.43 speed, but that’s not enough to warrant taking him on Day 2. He can, however, return kicks so if the Giants are thinking multi-prong usage with him then it makes the selection more palatable.

Day 3

  • Round 4, Pick 110: Matt Hennessy | OL | Temple
  • Round 5, Pick 150: Markus Bailey | LB | Purdue
  • Round 6, Pick 183: Jordan Fuller | S | Ohio State
  • Round 7, Pick 218: Kindle Vildor | CB | Georgia Southern
  • Round 7, Pick 238: Dalton Keene | TE | Virginia Tech
  • Round 7, Pick 247: Javon Leake | RB | Maryland
  • Round 7, Pick 255: Bravvion Roy | DL | Baylor

Hennessy is a nice fourth round pick up. Chances are, though, he’ll be gone by then. The rest of these picks address the Giants’ needs across the board. I’m not sure if these particular players would have been my choices, but at least they will be bringing in new blood at some positions that sorely need it.

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2020 NFL Draft: The 6 best edge rushers the Jets should target

Jets Wire takes a look at six edge rushers the Jets could potentially target in the 2020 NFL draft.

It’s safe to assume the Jets won’t be in the market for an edge rusher with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but that does not mean Joe Douglas and company will not look to address the position later on in the draft.

New York has lacked an elite pass rusher since the days of John Abraham. This year’s draft class is not exactly stacked with pass rushers as it has been in the past, but there are still plenty of solid players available for the taking.

So, who could the Jets target once day two of the draft rolls around? Let’s take a look.

Zach Baun, Wisconsin

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Since the Jets are all but a guarantee to not use their first-round pick on an EDGE, that excludes LSU’s L’Kavon Chaisson from this list. Don’t slip on what Wisconsin’s Zach Baun brings to the table, though.

Baun is trending more towards the end of the first round, but there is still a chance he slips into day two of the draft. If he does and he is still on the board when it’s New York’s turn to pick, it would be foolish to pass on easily the second-best EDGE in this year’s class.

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Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0: Anticipating trades and surprises

In Touchdown Wire’s mock draft 4.0, trades alter the strategy of several teams, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the heart of the action.