Tag Archive for: NFL

Kansas City Chiefs: Damien Williams saved his best for last

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Patrick Mahomes may have won the Most Valuable Player award in Sunday’s Super Bowl, but it was Damien Williams who stole the show for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A former Miami Dolphins castoff, Williams lit up the Miami field. He rushed the ball 17 times for 104 yards. He also managed to score a touchdown. That touchdown was what sealed the deal for the Kansas City Chiefs. A 38 -yard run, it was his longest of the evening.

For Williams, this was only his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. The last time he accomplished the feat was on December 29. In a season-ending win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams rushed the ball 12 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

That final December game seems so long ago  now. Williams shined brightly at the Super Bowl. He looked comfortable running the football, and complemented the passing offense of the Kansas City Chiefs very well. He ran hard on every single play, and it seemed like he didn’t lose any steam in the later stages of the game. Most impressively, it always seemed like he made the first guy miss as they attempted to tackle him with futility.

Williams anchored Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack

The more Kansas City fed him the football, the more comfortable he looked. After the first couple of carries, you could definitely tell that he was getting into a rhythm. His first carry of the game was for seven yards. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

He didn’t try to do too much, he just stuck to running the football with confidence and physicality. It’s something that has made him such a dependable running back for Kansas City over the past couple of years. He’s not going to break off a ton of yards every single carry. On the other hand, he is going to keep his feet moving until the whistle is blown. Williams is a physical and gritty running back in every sense of the word.

This was his chance to shine, and he owned the moment. This is something that he has been working towards his entire career, and he certainly has not taken an easy road to get there. With several former Miami Dolphins players winning the Super Bowl, Williams has perhaps the best story.

Time will tell how he fits into Kansas City’s future plans, but chances are, he probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. One thing is for certain: Damien Williams saved the best for last.

Five Reasons Sports Super Bowl LIV Predictions

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We know everything.

But we know nothing.

Here are some of the predictions from the Five Reasons Sports Network team, for Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium.

Most of us like the Chiefs, and Andy Reid.

Want to bet against us?

Go to BetDSI.com and use the promo code FIVE101

(Follow @EthanJSkolnick, @CraigDavisRuns, @CKParrot and @5ReasonsSports for coverage from the scene).

….

David Friedman SF 30 KC 23

Jake Elman KC 27 SF 17

Ethan Skolnick KC 34 SF 24

Austin Robilliard KC 30 SF 23

David Hondal KC 31 SF 21

Josh Houtz KC 31 SF 27

David Eversole KC 28 SF 24

Luis Sung KC 34 SF 20

Eddie Santana SF 24 KC 14

Alfredo Arteaga KC 27 SF 24

Paul Austria KC 31 SF 23

Michael Sonbeek KC 41 SF 38

Craig Davis SF 34 KC 27

Danny Jaillet SF 31 KC 24

Chris Kouffman KC 28 SF 25

Jazz Santana KC 34 SF 29…

Yung Mayo

Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas snubbed for Hall of Fame

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The Miami Dolphins great will have to wait another year.

The big day arrived for former Miami Dolphins great Zach Thomas. Saturday was the day that he would find out if he would be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The anticipation was building, with many legends chiming in and making the case for Thomas to be selected.

He certainly has an impressive resume. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and five first-team All-Pro selections are just some of the things he can hang his helmet on. In addition, he made the NFL 2000’s All-Decade team.

Unfortunately, Thomas did not make it. failing to be selected. Now, the hope is that he will have a shot in 2021. But it will only get tougher…

Among the first year candidates next season:

Automatic selections Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson.

 

The Miami Dolphoins legend should be part of class

This is extremely unfortunate that Thomas is not going to be a part of the 2020 class. He gets very little credit nationally. Unfortunately, I think it’s partly due to the fact that he played for the Miami Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins have not really been in the national media spotlight over the last decade or so.

Thomas was an extremely consistent player throughout his entire career. He played in 184 total games, starting 182 of them. He played in all 16 games five times in his career. Especially for the way he played, that is certainly impressive due to his physicality.

The Texas Tech product was also a player that could do more than just tackling and sacking the quarterback. He recorded 17 interceptions throughout his career. Nowadays, that number is difficult for a linebacker to obtain.

Brian  Urlacher has comparable statistics, and he was able to earn a spot in Canton. Thomas should have been there as well.

It’s disappointing that he was not a part of this year’s Pro football Hall of Fame class. Hopefully next year will be the year that Thomas makes it. He certainly deserves the honor.

Ryan Tannehill came back from…. Adam Gase?

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This is somewhat confusing.

It’s never been entirely clear what a Comeback Player of the Year is in major sports. Come back from what? Drugs? Tragedy? Incompetence of a team’s management?

This is one reason why the NBA changed the award to Most Improved Player a few years back.

So it’s tough to know what to make of now-Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill winning the award at NFL Honors on Saturday in Miami, during Super Bowl LIV week.

Tannehill, after all, was never terrible.

He hasn’t endured a tragedy.

He has had two significant injuries, yes, but nothing that was considered career-threatening.

So can we say that what he came back from was…. playing for the Miami Dolphins under Joe Philbin and Adam Gase?

Either way, Tannehill did have a solid season. Better than solid. Aided by an elite offensive line and bruising runner (Derrick Henry), a combination he never really had in Miami — 2016 with Jay Ayaji was closest — Tannehill did more than game manage. He led the league in some categories after taking over from Marcus Mariota. And he didn’t mess up as Henry carried the load and the Titans to the AFC Championship Game before they were exposed against Kansas City.

Still, Comeback Player of the Year?

Seems a stretch — just as it’s a stretch to expect Tannehill to be a top-5 quarterback next season.

Super Bowl party and event schedule

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Alabama Athletics

Tua’s father wants son drafted by Dolphins

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As the coverage for Super Bowl week continues, we are hearing from many of the game’s top players. Tua Tagovailoa is someone that has been on the mind of Miami Dolphins fans. With the fifth pick, the Dolphins believe that the Alabama prospect could be the quarterback they’ve been searching for. And according to Andy Slater, Tua’s dad feels the same.

The organization has been looking for a quarterback since Dan Marino. Although there have been several signal-callers that have filled in, none of them have been a franchise quarterback. There is a belief that the Dolphins will do whatever it takes to get the college football star.

In the meantime, it seems like Tua Tagovailoa is taking it all in stride. In speaking to the media on Thursday, the quarterback notes the comparisons to Marino honored him. Nevertheless, he recognizes that he has things to accomplish. If anything, that speaks to his humility and desire to be great. He even shouted out to Marino, saying that “It means the world” that Marino thinks he could be a star.

He also opened up to Mackenzie Salmon of USA Today about his hip injury. The quarterback’s hip is getting better, but he doesn’t have a timeline on when he will be back. A CAT scan and MRI will take place a week from Monday. At that point, it will have been 12 weeks since he suffered a devastating injury.  The injury itself is something that may affect his draft stock

Medicals are something to watch for Miami Dolphins

The Tua-Miami Dolphins connection seems to be stronger than ever. As he prepares for the NFL Draft, one has to wonder if any further developments will come out. The medical piece, in regards to how healed he is from his injury, is something to watch for. This is crucial for him as he looks to solidify his stock as a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft. It’s something that the Dolphins and the rest of the league will be paying attention to. For now, it seems like he is just enjoying the process of being a coveted NFL prospect.

Damien Williams’ journey goes full circle in preparation for Super Bowl

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Things often come full circle in life. Just ask running back Damien Williams. Who’s again where he started his career, calling Miami home for the next week as he prepares to play in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. However, he’s not wearing a Miami Dolphins jersey. Instead, he is donning Kansas City Chiefs colors. His trip from Kansas City to Miami takes around five hours and 35 minutes by plane. Just as the 1,469.7-mile journey seems lengthy, so to has been Williams’ path to get here.

He began his college football career at Arizona Western College. After a few seasons there, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma, a breeding ground for running backs. Here, he encountered his first bump in the road. After a 2012 season saw him rush for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games, he followed that up with an impressive 2013 season. Rushing the rock hundred 14 times for 553 yards and seven touchdowns, he put up those numbers in nine games.

Those numbers were indeed not indicative of a setback.

Miami Dolphins save Damien Williams

The setback came in 2013. where he was dismissed from Oklahoma for violating team rules. Head coach Bob Stoops never gave a reason for his dismissal. Thus, his next step was going to the NFL Draft. Surely someone who put up the type of numbers he had, in albeit a brief college career, would be able to find a team rather easily, right?

Not exactly. Williams went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. Luckily for him, the Miami Dolphins came calling. It would be a four-year partnership between the Miami Dolphins and Williams. He didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but you could tell the talent was there. His best season for Miami came in 2017. He played 11 games, starting four of them. Rushing 46 times for 181 yards, he also proved to be a  bit of a receiving threat. He would also catch 20 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

The 2017 season saw him get tendered by Miami for $1.797 million. After Jay Ajayi was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams was named a starter ahead of Kenyan Drake. He showed glimpses of potential, but injuries set him back a bit. A dislocated shoulder in Week 12 gave the starting job to Drake. Drake blossomed as the starter, and that was effectively the end of Williams’s career with the Dolphins.

Since signing with Kansas City in the 2018 offseason, he has paid his dues. From playing behind Kareem Hunt to getting the starting opportunity last season, he has undoubtedly been biding his time. He ended up having a solid 2018 season, rushing the ball 50 times for 256 yards and four touchdowns, the four TDs were a career-high at the time.

Now, he finds himself back in Miami, set to play in the Super Bowl. In what was a running back-by-committee approach this year for Kansas City, he has adjusted to different roles numerous times throughout the season.

Check out Super Bowl Experience on South Beach

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With the 49ers and Chiefs squaring off in Miami for Super Bowl LIV, Miami will be abuzz for the next two weeks. While tickets to the game itself are approaching all-time highs, the most affordable way to get into the spirit in 2020 may be Super Bowl Experience, which kicks off on January 25th and runs through February 1st. Spread across 500,000 square feet at the Miami Convention center, it’s a must visit for fans of all ages. Kids under 12 years old are free for the first time in the history of the Super Bowl Experience. For local Miami fans, prices are cheaper and crowds will be thinner during the first two days.

Last year, 140,000 people participated in the Super Bowl Experience. For the 2020 edition, the league is expecting 100,000 – 150,000 people per day for the nine day duration.  Tickets remain available from Ticketmaster, and you don’t need to worry about the time slots when purchasing.  Those are only enforced if the event is at capacity which isn’t likely.  As an example, can buy for the 11am slot, but still go at 2pm.

Where Does 2020 Super Bowl Experience Take Place

This year’s Super Bowl Experience will be at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is located in the heart of Miami Beach. The Miami Beach Convention Center is easily accessible from the three major causeways: I-395 (McArthur Causeway), I-195 (Julia Tuttle Causeway) and Venetian Causeway. For more detailed directions and parking options, you can visit the site directly.

Where To Buy Super Bowl Experience Tickets

Fans can purchase tickets for a set date, and the NFL is offering free entry to active military on Wednesday, January 29, as well as kids 12 and under every day. There’s also the opportunity to upgrade tickets. Tickets are available directly from Ticketmaster, the League’s official partner, and it’s important not to shop on the secondary market, where prices can be listed above face value, even though tickets remain available on Ticketmaster.

Tickets range from $20 to $40 based on the day you choose to attend.

SBXTRA access costs $60, and includes priority access to the autograph stage, Vince Lombardi Trophy (pictured below), interactive games and the NFL PLAY 60 Clinic, as well as early entry to the venue. Priority access is similar to a theme-park “FastPass.” and helps navigate the experience as quickly and easily as possible.

The multi-day pass costs $50 allows you to visit as much as you want to enjoy your favorite parts of the event again.

As mentioned above, you don’t need to worry about the time slots when purchasing.  As an example, if you’re checking out and see the below options, and want to go at 11am, you’re fine to buy the 4pm pass and show up at 11am.

 

 

All Super Bowl Experience tickets are time stamped for entry, but according to the NFL, a ticket will be honored on the day for which it was purchased regardless of the time stamp.

What Is The Super Bowl Experience:

The Super Bowl Experience is essentially an NFL theme park where you can get autographs from close to 40 Dolphins and NFL greats, including Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Irv Smith, Jerry Rice, Russell Wilson others (see full autograph schedule by day below).

Fans can participate in football clinics and interactive games, and Instagram-worthy opportunities like a close-up with you and the Vince Lombardi Trophy and a display with all 53 Super Bowl rings. There’s also access to the Bridgestone Fan Gallery, which a row of radio broadcasters and podcasters where you stargaze NFL players and VIP guests.

Below is the full list of activities available throughout the week.

Bridgestone Two Minute Drill: Test your Quarterback Mastery by quickly passing the ball down the field and into three targets before the clock runs out. Score when it matters most!

Castrol® Titanium Training Camp: Stop by Training Camp to race through a series of obstacles and train like the pros. Get ready to show us your titanium skills!

EA Sports Madden NFL 20 Crucial Catch QB Scramble: Take the snap and run through read-and-react obstacles before throwing a pass to a larger than life target!

FedEx Air Challenge: How do your quarterback skills stack up against this year’s FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year nominees? Find out by testing your passing accuracy on specially designed targets.

FedEx Ground Challenge: Prove you have the rushing skills of the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year nominees by catching a punt and weaving through traffic down the field to the end zone. After you score, make sure to get a reusable FedEx tote bag

Lowe’s Field Goal Kick:  Test your ability to kick a field goal through NFL uprights.

Crucial Catch Hail Mary: Test your long-distance accuracy by throwing a deep pass over defenders into a drop-in net. 3 Cone Drill NFL ONEPASS Test your ability to change directions by maneuvering 3 cones at various yardage.

40-Yard Dash: Race down the field against your opponents and NFL players on a giant 40-yard long LED wall! Broad Jump NFL ONEPASS Test your lower-body explosion, balance and strength at the broad jump!

Obstacle Course: Navigate the obstacle course and train like an NFL Player!

Vertical Jump: Take your position at the vertical jump, and find out what the differential between your reach and the flag you hit is, just like at the NFL Scouting Combine!

Below is an image from the Punt, Pass, Kick area for Play60 from the 2018 game in Minnesota to give you a sense:

Here’s a look at the Super Bowl Experience schedule and prices for each day.

When Does The Super Bowl Experience in Miami Take Place:

Below is the full list of dates and hours, as well as full list of autographs signings and times for each.

Saturday, January 25

  • Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • Primary market ticket price: $20

Autograph Signings:

  • 11AM – 1PM – Dexter Lawrence
  • 1PM – 3PM – Irv Smith
  • 1PM – 3PM – Dionte Johnson
  • 3PM – 5PM – Preston Williams
  • 5PM – 7PM – Bilal Powell

Sunday, January 26

  • Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
  • Primary market ticket price: $20 

Autograph Signings:

  • 11AM-1PM – Johnathan Cyprien
  • 4:45 PM – 6PM – Matt Bosher
  • 3PM – 5PM – Lavonte David

Monday, January, 27

  • Hours: Closed

Tuesday, January 28

  • Hours: Closed

Wednesday, January 29

  • Hours: 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
  • Primary market ticket price: $20

Autograph Signings:

  • 6PM – 7PM – Derwin James
  • 7PM – 8PM – Devon Godchaux

Thursday, January 30

  • Hours: 3 p.m.-10 p.m.
  • Primary market ticket price: $40

Autograph Signings:

  • 3PM – 5PM – Robby Anderson
  • 4PM – 5PM – Dan Marino
  • 5PM – 6PM – Quincy Enunwa
  • 6PM – 7PM – Juju Smith-Schuster
  • 7PM – 9PM – Marcus Williams
  • 7PM – 9PM Trae Waynes

Friday, January 31

  • Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • Primary market ticket price: $40 

Autograph Signings:

  • 11AM – 1PM – Jonathan Ogden
  • 1PM – 3PM – Leonard Williams
  • 1PM – 3PM – Dontari Poe
  • 3PM – 5PM – Justin Simmons
  • 3PM – 5PM – Alex Ogletree
  • 5PM – 7PM – Kenny Golladay
  • 5PM – 7PM – Eric Erbon
  • 6PM – 8PM – Brian Burns
  • 7PM – 9PM Terry McLaurin

Saturday, February 1

  • Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • Primary market ticket price: $40

Autograph Signings:

  • 11AM – 1PM – Devin Hester
  • 11AM – 1PM Dante Fowler
  • 7PM – 9PM – James Bradberry
  • 7PM – 9PM – Chris Ivory

Miami Dolphins: Several coaching staff changes made Sunday

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The Miami Dolphins made changes to the coaching staff on Sunday

The Miami Dolphins are going to have some new coaches next year. Robby Brown will be named to the quarterbacks coach position per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. For those unfamiliar, he worked with Chan Gailey in New York while both were with the Jets.

Brown has an extensive football background. He was most recently a member of the West Virginia coaching staff. While there, he was the special assistant to the head coach. He was also the senior analyst for the offense. He was hired in March 2019. According to his West Virginia biography, one of his jobs was to help out with the game planning for the coaching staff.

Miami Dolphins make other changes to coaching staff

Another major move occurring on Sunday was the loss of Patrick Graham to the New York Giants. He was in his first year as the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. Miami gave up 494 points on the year, most in the National Football League.

The defense gave up 397.8 yards per game which was third -most in the league. Giving up six yards per pass, that was also third -most in the league. However, Miami spent most of the year reshuffling and retooling the defense. Statistics certainly do not tell the whole story.

Josh Boyer was promoted to the position of defensive coordinator as a result. Last year was his first season with the Miami Dolphins. He served the roles of defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. Miami ranked 12th in the National Football League with 13 interceptions on the year. They were tied with four other teams in that category.

it will be interesting to see how Boyer and Brown ease into their new roles. There has been a lot of turnover on the part of the coaching staff so far this offseason. Brian Flores wants to make sure he has everything right heading into 2020.

Ryan Tannehill One Game from Super Bowl (in Miami!)

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How to feel about this?

There’s never been a seven-year itch quite like what was caused by Ryan Tannehill’s tenure as Miami Dolphins quarterback, the itch to see something new. He was good here, but never great, and just as he started to get closer — playing at a higher level during a 8-5 start to the 2016 season under Adam Gase — he got hurt, missed a season, returned and got hurt again. So even the durability argument, the one that was always in his favor, was lost.

Remember?

That was the shoulder, after the knee.

Most agreed that it was time to move on.

Even those who didn’t think Tannehill was terrible.

 

But now, what to make of Tannehill moving on to the AFC Championship in his first season as a Tennessee Titan, with the Dolphins paying most of his salary?

 

How to handle the possibility of Tannehill going on the road for a third time, now against either Kansas City or the Laremy Tunsil/Kenny Stills Houston Texans, and playing in Steve Ross’s stadium for Super Bowl LIV? And how much does it matter that Tannehill has thrown for about half as many yards in the Titans’ two playoff wins as teammate Derrick Henry has rushed for? (Check Luis Sung’s excellent column on Henry’s free agency and the Dolphins here).

Here are some of the top Tanny takes from Twitter:

 

A meme got put to good use:

There was Tua talk, of course, especially with the Alabama QB in Miami for the weekend:

 

And this from Jeff Darlington, who knows Tannehill as well as any national reporter, probably sums it up best: