The recent canines are out of my home. One thing about the way in which Mike Tomlin emphasised how we don’t wish to know what’s in them compelled me to chuck them … possibly endlessly.
Mike Tomlin simply in contrast the Steelers locker room to a sizzling canine. pic.twitter.com/Fxsl12h1nv
— Terrible Saying (@awfulannouncing) September 17, 2024
Tomin’s 2-0 Steelers are beginning Justin Fields of their residence opener and hoping the elements on this offense begin cooking up one thing scrumptious. I’m listening to they really feel that they’re near it, too. Fields is getting extra assured and comfy in Arthur Smith’s offense. Russell Wilson continues to rehab his calf pressure, however he’s nonetheless not at 100% well being. Whereas the offense remains to be reasonably conservative, they’ll attempt to take off in opposition to the Chargers.
Jim Harbaugh and firm, on a mission to go 3-0 for the primary time in 22 years, have their very own QB issues. Justin Herbert has a excessive ankle sprain however is attempting to play in Pittsburgh. (Context: Former Titans QB Ryan Tannehill had this harm final season; he missed two video games.) For Herbert to play, I’m advised the group goes to wish to see that he can plant his foot and even stand up on his toes.
That’s two accidents in two months to the identical aspect for Herbert. He missed most of coaching camp with a plantar fascia harm in his proper foot. I’m advised the QB, who is understood within the constructing for his toughness, is attempting to play. L.A. is already planning a run-heavy sport in opposition to a really stingy Pittsburgh protection with or with out Herbert below middle.
That is what I’m listening to this week:
• The Packers and Jordan Love made their choice on his standing Friday however don’t need the Titans to know their remaining name.
• Bryce Younger was surprised when advised he’d been benched, and the offense is pissed off. One Panthers participant mentioned, “Younger was making the identical errors again and again.”
• The Vikings are the exact opposite aspect of the coin from the Panthers relating to quarterback improvement constructions.
• Earlier than the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers, the group’s best choice for a veteran QB was Derek Carr.
• Kickers are the brand new star of the NFL.
• And the determined Colts will attempt to be extra bodily on protection this week.
Love is a thriller (when it comes to his Sunday availability)
Jordan Love has been retaining followers (and reporters) on their toes. The quarterback missed final week’s sport in opposition to the Colts however was at follow all week. He was restricted, however I’m advised he’s getting higher by the day. The group and Love made their choice on his standing Friday afternoon however don’t need the Titans to know their remaining name. Matt LaFleur advised reporters they are going to check the harm all the way in which up till kickoff however a veteran NFL coach mentioned, “this isn’t a sort of harm you ‘check’ on the sector; it’s been determined.”
In different phrases: the Packers are all in on retaining the aggressive edge!
Underneath the unique restoration timeline, the Week 3 sport in opposition to the Titans was categorized as “a protracted shot,” however Love is rebounding faster than anticipated. He’s sporting a steel brace on his left knee and a black leg sleeve for added help. This wouldn’t be his first time taking part in with a brace; at Utah State, he wore one after tearing the meniscus in his proper knee.
It’s over for Bryce Younger in Carolina
The NFC South is spicy proper now and will have probably the most wins of any division after three weeks. In addition they have the Panthers…
Issues are dangerous in Carolina proper now. After simply two video games in a brand new offensive system with a brand new head coach, the Panthers made a daring choice and pulled the plug on 2023 No. 1 total decide Bryce Younger.
It’s over. It doesn’t matter what Carolina says, relaxation assured: It’s over.
This isn’t an experiment.
This isn’t a Ross and Rachel break.
That is Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston over.
Bryce Younger heads to the bench 18 video games into his NFL profession, with Andy Dalton (left) stepping in. (Grant Halverson / Getty Photos)
The quarterback was surprised when advised he’d been benched. On the sector, the offense is pissed off. One Panthers participant mentioned, “Younger was making the identical errors again and again.”
Younger was absolutely conscious that he wanted to enhance, however he was reassured that he was nonetheless the man. The teaching workers advised him they have been on this collectively. They advised him that “he was fantastic,” and that they have been all on board to succeed in their objectives.
On Monday, it modified.
It’s why Younger admitted he was shocked by the transfer — he thought he had extra time. First-year head coach David Canales advised the world it was his name, nevertheless it was arduous to seek out anybody within the league who believed that proprietor David Tepper had nothing to do with this choice.
Historical past in Carolina tells us that whereas Tepper has tried to be extra hands-off and permit the soccer folks to make the soccer selections, it’s by no means that simple. Even folks on the Panthers imagine possession mentioned, sufficient. “An excessive amount of modified from Sunday to Monday,” one supply added. Now, veteran Andy Dalton will get a shot at attempting to offer the offense some life.
Eighteen months in the past, Tepper and the Panthers had a alternative: Younger or C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 total decide. Tepper and firm advised folks and have been satisfied that they discovered their Drew Brees in Younger. The peak and weight have been all the time a problem for the group, however they have been keen to choose outdoors the prototype quarterback in hopes of hitting the jackpot.
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In the meantime, in Minnesota
When the Panthers benched Bryce Younger, I texted the information to a trusted league supply. He shortly responded: “They need to bench their program.”
I normally consider school soccer once I hear “program,” however taking a look at quarterback improvement constructions by means of that lens is informative. A program encompasses every little thing: Surroundings, help workers, planning, instructing philosophy, and the record goes on. Communicate to people across the league about QB improvement, they usually’ll usually point out all of those layers as being important. Carolina is one aspect of the coin — Minnesota is the opposite.
Kevin O’Connell, who’s at the moment in his third season because the Vikings’ head coach, has created an organizational setting constructed on intentionality. Circumstances haven’t all the time been optimum, however the various elements haven’t pulled O’Connell away from his perception that development and improvement require consistency over time.
Across the NFL, numerous coaches and execs have paid consideration to what O’Connell has completed. One opposing defensive coach mentioned, “I’d belief KOC greater than anybody in our league to get probably the most out of his quarterback.”
Sam Darnold’s first two video games below Kevin O’Connell have been two of one of the best video games of his profession thus far. (Brad Rempel / Imagn Photos)
Final 12 months, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 7. A revolving door of kinds occurred, with Nick Mullens, Jaren Corridor and Josh Dobbs all beginning in some unspecified time in the future. Bear in mind the run the Vikings had with Dobbs after buying him on a whim? This doesn’t occur if not for an overarching philosophy centered round instilling perception and guaranteeing the participant just isn’t being requested to do greater than they’re able to.
It helps to have a surrounding forged that includes Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, however the ancillary facets communicate to O’Connell’s program. Earlier than the Vikings drafted quarterback J.J. McCarthy, they employed longtime NFL quarterback Josh McCown. After they drafted McCarthy, they explored the biomechanics house, even bringing in a number of the sport’s greatest minds to speak about quarterback actions.
All of this pertains to the stellar play of their present reclamation venture: Sam Darnold, a participant who has bounced round 4 totally different groups (together with the Panthers). Final week, after the Vikings beat the 49ers, San Francisco’s star edge rusher Nick Bosa mentioned: “That’s a superb coach … he’s simply actually good with the scheme. He is aware of methods to scheme up the big-time gamers [against] the protection, and he’s bought a variety of excellent gamers and offensive line. You may really feel it once you’re taking part in coach who is aware of what they’re doing.”
All of this brings up an fascinating matter relating to the Vikings’ future. When the group employed O’Connell and normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in February 2022, it signed them to four-year contracts. That is their third season, and through coaching camp, Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf mentioned extension talks wouldn’t be occurring this season. In the meantime, Mike McDaniel, who was employed similtaneously O’Connell, was prolonged by Dolphins proprietor Steve Ross.
It must be famous that extensions not often occur after two seasons, but when optimum improvement applications are as arduous to seek out as they appear to be, why not make investments now? Within the eyes of many across the league, O’Connell deserves a brand new contract. If one doesn’t come, free company is all the time another.
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Earlier than Rodgers, Jets needed ‘future Corridor of Famer’ Carr
Aaron Rodgers’ Thursday night time efficiency in opposition to the Patriots was unbelievable. That’s what the New York Jets had been ready for.
Earlier than they acquired Aaron Rodgers within the spring of 2023, the group’s best choice for a veteran QB was Derek Carr. Members of the group eagerly recruited him, expressing their unwavering perception in his skills. At a dinner, head coach Robert Saleh advised Carr that he noticed the quarterback as a future Corridor of Famer.
Whereas many doubted that assertion, Carr’s stellar efficiency thus far in 2024, together with Sunday in opposition to Mike Zimmer’s formidable Cowboys protection, means that Saleh may need been on to one thing. First-year Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has injected a brand new degree of dynamism into the group’s offense, paying homage to the high-powered Sean Payton-Drew Brees years.
Although as one defensive coordinator identified: “The Payton offense is out of the constructing, the run sport has made an enormous distinction in ensuring Carr just isn’t carrying the offense solely on his shoulders. Credit score to Carr too, who has been actually environment friendly.”
Pre-snap shifts and play-action passes are all a part of the offense, with Carr below middle 70% of the time. That leads the league, and the Saints lead the league in factors. Who noticed that coming?
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Kickers play the lengthy sport
If Taylor Swift was the discuss of the NFL all of final season, this 12 months there’s an much more fashionable star dominating the sport: your group’s kicker.
Yep, this would be the solely place you ever learn that sentence. There’s nothing attractive about kickers, after all, however what they’re doing proper now has everybody admiring elite toes. Kicking lengthy subject objectives within the NFL rapidly appears to be like simple. (It isn’t.) League-wide this season, kickers have made 35 of 39 (90%) of their subject aim makes an attempt from 50 yards or longer. What’s behind the long-range pattern? I requested across the league.
The most typical reply is that climate circumstances and taking part in surfaces have been superb. Most surfaces are in nice form this time of 12 months — considerably, the pure grass fields — resulting in fewer points for kickers. We are going to possible see the success price go down as soon as it will get colder, windier, and the climate shifts.
One coach mentioned: “There are extra indoor stadiums. There are extra specialist coaches. There’s extra publicity to kicking as a specialised talent. Guys are literally rising up aspiring to be kickers, in comparison with the way it was when guys kicked and performed one other place.”
A normal supervisor added: “Specialists are their entity, and that’s all they work on, so they need to be good at it. Snap, maintain, and kick timing could be labored on usually so you may get good on the course of. And groups possible actually don’t spend an excessive amount of time on FG Block since they’re devoting assets to different areas.”
One other head coach expanded on that final level: “Because the rule modifications in recent times, it’s virtually unattainable to dam a kick. You may’t cowl the middle, you’ll be able to’t leap and land over the road of scrimmage, and you may’t push inside lineman … blocking kicks is sort of a non-factor.”
Three of Ka’imi Fairbairn’s six NFL-leading subject objectives of 50-plus yards got here in primetime on Sunday night time. (Alex Slitz / Getty Photos)
And a particular groups coach added: “They’ve gone the way in which of a variety of the positions — private coaches, and there may be politics in that, however they do a very good job of refining their craft, swing mechanics, approach, energy. They’ve summits like the opposite positions do. They will self appropriate … and if they will’t there’s a expertise pool to go get another person. They don’t essentially have the identical profession path the place they must have instant success, and it’s possible you’ll not hear about them for a number of years. It really must be a ardour for them.”
The strangest half about all these boots on hearth is that the one kicker who has been burning up the report books for years, Baltimore’s Justin Tucker, is off to a gradual begin. He’s already missed two kicks — although his report for longest subject aim, 66 yards, nonetheless stands. For now.
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And eventually…
The determined, 0-2 Colts will attempt to be extra bodily on protection this week in opposition to the Bears. The mixed quarterback age in that sport is 44: Caleb Williams in 22, and Anthony Richardson is 22.
I’m positively not feeling 22. (I’m allowed one Taylor Swift lyric reference a season. Thanks.)
Be sure to take a look at the “Scoop Metropolis” Podcast this Tuesday to get extra data and perception on the Week 3 video games. Two-time Tremendous Bowl champion Chris Lengthy will be a part of co-host Chase Daniel and I to tell us which groups and quarterbacks have him in shock.
(High photograph: Matthew Stockman / Getty Photos)
