Category Archives: NFL

NFL

New England Patriots: Tyler Gaffney and other thoughts.

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nepatriotsdraft.com
Image: nepatriotsdraft.com

The injury to Tyler Gaffney that puts him on the Waived/Injured list most likely ends his Patriot career before it began. Two consecutive season injuries means two things: Jonas Gray will probably be the Week One starter and that the Pats will continue to retool this position as preseason goes on. A guy to think about: Knowshon Moreno. McDaniels drafted him in Denver and he really showed a lot of promise for the Broncos when they made their Super Bowl run. The one thing he does extremely well is pass protection. If this happens, I wouldn’t be shocked.

The trade for Ryan Groy shows that they aren’t pleased with the depth along the offensive line. Groy is big (6’5, 320) and has had played both tackle and guard positions during his time in Madison. He showed as a powerful run blocker and could be a valuable reserve going forward. He had a 4th/5th round grade coming out last year, so the kid has talent. Giving up Matt Wells shows that they are willing to give up a 6th rounder this early for depth. Could be telling for both Wells and Groy as well as the injury to Wendell.

460340548-ryan-lindley-of-the-arizona-cardinals-throws-gettyimages

Signing Ryan Lindley isn’t necessarily something that is bad. Garropollo will get most, if not all, reps going forward and Lindley is someone who will be 4th Quarter Fodder for the foreseeable future. Although, if he made it through all of preseason, it would be a shocker. I think if Brady gets suspended, they might look at more capable backups to Garropollo. Not to bring up the connection again, but Kyle Orton might be someone to bring out of retirement for a cushy job where he can sit and fill in if Jimmy gets hurt or struggles mightily. He’s only 33 and was competent enough in Buffalo last year (Of course he wasn’t good last year, but Buffalo’s problems extended far past Orton). Either way, they’re going all in on Jimmy this game or I expect him to play as much as he humanly can while we figure out what Brady is going to do. Also, they could bring back Flynn if his hamstring is better.

I expect a different philosophy involving the secondary this year. The press corner will be given up for more of a zone look. Butler and Ryan are looking like the starters, with Robert McClain manning the slot. It will be interesting to see how much this trio will play against Green Bay, but I can see more Darryl Roberts and Jimmy Jean in there. Belichick isn’t afraid to play a rookie early and often and has had obvious success (Butler and Randall Gay comes to mind). Keep an eye out on the secondary and how they play. That can be indicative of what the season will hold defensively.

New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: Tom Brady and NFL Meet In Court For First Time, Judge Berman Seeks Facts

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Brady suit game, 100% on point
Brady suit game, 100% on point

After 7.5 hours, day one of the settlement talks between Tom Brady, NFL Players Association, and NFL in federal court in New York are done. And there is not any progress to a settlement, as both sides are adamant in their positions, but both sides have put out their arguments on day one.

Both Tom Brady & the NFLPA, and the NFL took blows from Judge Berman. For Brady’s side it was mainly the issue of Jim McNally tampering the balls without Brady’s consent. However, the NFL took the biggest blows of the day. Judge Berman continuously asked for direct evidence of Brady’s wrongdoing, which the NFL did not have. It also seems that Berman is “skeptical about the evidence or lack of it linked to Brady and the alleged ball deflation scheme,” according to legal analyst Michael McCann.

<> on August 12, 2015 in New York City.

This court meeting is only the start, and both sides will meet again on Aug 19 for another settlement meeting. But, if both sides do not reach a settlement, Judge Berman will have to make a decision to eliminate Brady’s suspension or uphold it by Sept. 4, a week before the season opener, where the New England Patriots face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, NFL

Things to watch for in Patriots Preseason Opener

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The Patriots start game action tomorrow in their preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. Though it’s preseason and it isn’t very likely to see many starters playing and getting significant time, its still better than watching the Red Sox. Lets take a look at things to watch for during the Patriots preseason opener.

QUARTERBACKS

Tom Brady has been receiving all of the first team reps at quarterback before Tuesday when he was preparing for his meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell and Judge Richard Berman in an attempt to exonerate his four game suspension handed down by the league. With Brady missing yesterdays practice and being in New York today I wouldn’t expect to see Brady in the preseason opener. If Brady does not play I would expect Garoppolo play the whole first half and some of the third quarter before newly signed QB Ryan Lindley sees the field. It is important for Garoppolo to get as much playing time and experience that he can during the preseason just incase Brady ends up missing time due to his suspension. Garoppolo also knows the New England playbook with more than a year of studying under his belt, Lindley has about two days under his belt and the Patriots would likely use a lot smaller playbook focused more on the run with Lindley under center.

via boston.cbslocal.com
via boston.cbslocal.com

HEALTH

Health has been a big concern for the Patriots early in camp and it will be interesting to see who ends up playing in tomorrow’s game. The Patriots offensive line and wide receivers have been plagued the most by the injury bug with Julian Edelman, Nate Solder, Ryan Wendell, Sebastian Vollmer, Brandon Lafell and Matthew Slater among notable names that have missed time. LaGarrette Blount left last weeks practice with an apparent knee injury but suffered no structural damage to his knee and I wouldn’t expect to see Blount suit up against Green Bay. It will also be interesting to see if linebackers Jerod Mayo and Donta Hightower see playing time. Mayo was placed on injured reserve last season after a torn patellar tendon and Hightower an offseason shoulder surgery, have been active in training camp in both contact and non-contact drills but practiced and games are different and the Patriots could choose to hold the linebackers out or limit their playing time.

via patriots.com
via patriots.com

RICHARDS AND ROBERTS

Two guys who have been making a name for themselves so far in training camp have been second round pick Jordan Richards and seventh round pick Darryl Roberts. To be honest I didn’t like the pick of Richards in the second round, I thought he was a good player and was a good fit for the team but thought the team reached for Richards and could have taken him later in the draft and wasn’t even watching the draft in the seventh round when the team drafted Roberts. Throughout offseason mini camps and OTAs Roberts was making plays and getting strong recognition from coaches and media. Richards could only learn the teams playbook and couldn’t participate in OTAs due to Stanford’s late graduation. Once training camp kicked off, Richards made up for his lost time and Roberts continued to shine, both looking like they could be big contributors to the Patriots defense this season. Tomorrow will be the first NFL game action the two see, and though they likely wont be going against Aaron Rodgers or either of the Packers star receivers in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, one thing I will be looking to see is how the two perform in real game action. Last year, a player I was high on during camp and had high hopes for was Malcolm Butler and wrote about it in articles at this time last year, if these guys can contribute and play as well as Butler did his rookie year and continues to do so during camp, the Patriots again may have found a few diamonds in the rough. The only reason I’m not mentioning Butler as someone to watch is I’m not sure how much playing time the Packers receivers and Rodgers will see, I’m confident in Butler against any of the backups, the real test would be him matched up against Nelson or Cobb with Rodgers at quarterback.

via chowderandchampions.com
via chowderandchampions.com

These are things that I will be watching for when the Patriots take the field tomorrow night. It’s only the preseason but Patriots football is back and that is something we can all be happy about.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: The Battle For Fourth Wide Receiver Is Heating Up In Foxborough

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458918699-wide-receiver-aaron-dobson-of-the-new-gettyimages

Going into training camp this year, the New England Patriots were set to have a battle for the number four wide receiver spot between Aaron Dobson and Brian Tyms. Now that the team is almost three weeks into training camp, the battle has turned into a multiple player fight for that ever so important roster spot. A multitude of players have emerged and some have re-established themselves as candidates for the roster.

Throughout the first stretch of training camp, Aaron Dobson was one player that raised eyebrows. After finally having a healthy offseason, Dobson showed how healthy he was by making diving catches and jumping over defenders for the ball. It helps that fellow receiver Brandon LaFell has started camp on the physically unable to perform list, giving a lot of the reps with Tom Brady and company to Dobson. However, Dobson has yet again been slowed down by the injury bug as of late. He has since returned to practice, but other players have now established themselves as candidates for the job.

Brian Tyms has also fought the injury bug so far in camp, but he has also come back and continued to fight for his job. Early on in camp, Tyms saw most of his reps come with Jimmy Garoppolo and the second team offense. Now, he is seeing time with Tom Brady and the starters from time to time. Tyms looks like he has worked on his ability to be a more diverse route runner, as opposed to being able to just run go routes. At times however, he has looked a bit sluggish.

during the 2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs game at Gillette Stadium on January 10, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

For example, on Monday he was not looking for the ball on a short crossing pattern when Tom Brady fired the ball right into his chest. The ball bounced out of his hands and into the arms of Dont’a Hightower. He is sporting the red non-contact jersey so I wouldn’t expect to see him in action on Thursday’s game against the Packers.

Josh Boyce has to be the biggest surprise of training camp thus far. After spending his second season on the practice squad, not many thought that Boyce would have much of a chance of making the roster. Nevertheless, the 2013 fourth-round pick is proving the doubters wrong and showing that he belongs in the National Football League.

He has never been able to gain the trust of Tom Brady, however slowly but surely it looks as if Brady is becoming more and more comfortable with him. This was never more evident than on Monday when Boyce toasted rookie cornerback Darryl Roberts for a sixty-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady. Boyce has consistently beat Roberts this summer. We will truly see how much Boyce has progressed in preseason games when the bright lights come on.

Furthermore, unknowns such as Jonathan Krause and un-drafted rookie Chris Harper have tried to make a name for themselves with the injuries in camp. Krause has had his fair share of troubles, but he has pro-level experience and more experience in the Patriots system.

Harper is a small wide receiver at 5-11, 185 pounds, however he can fly down the field and runs crisp routes. At times last week when Dobson, Edelman, and Tyms were all out of practice Harper saw plenty of time with the first team offense, and he was fairly impressive. He wasn’t intimidated by playing along side of Tom Brady.

In conclusion, the fourth wide receiver spot on the New England Patriots is for sure one of the most competitive battles in training camp this summer. Multiple players are fighting for jobs on the roster, therefore those players will need to prevail during preseason competitions and during joint practices next week against the Saints. In the end, I still believe that Aaron Dobson will win the job because he has the highest ceiling and he is finally starting to show it.

New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: High Noon For The NFL & NFLPA In Deflategate

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Roger Goodell & Tom Brady (Feature Photo: sportige.com)

Could things actually be coming to a head in deflategate? It’s getting tense. The sides have challenged each other to  a showdown at high noon (actually the meeting starts at 11AM, but it will be “High Noon” before the battle truly starts) Wednesday before Judge Richard Berman and it seems neither side has budged. Whispers have circulated that the sides have met, but no solid evidence (evidence…who needs evidence?) has been leaked, so who knows what discussions have led to.

Commissioner Roger Goodell is taking congratulations for sticking to his guns from some, while others are unhappy with how this has dragged on…and on…and on.  When Tom Brady’s camp released transcripts of the appeal hearing held in the commissioner’s office the NFL took a hit…but they are still defending their position.

A confident Roger Goodell (Photo: ora.tv.com)
A confident Roger Goodell (Photo: ora.tv.com)

The NFL office is crowing that they are sticking with their original decision to suspend Brady for four games, while the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is saying they won’t accept any suspension. Now the question becomes, is this just posturing or are we going to see some real movement when everyone is sitting in front of the Judge? Was any movement made over the past few weeks?

WHAT TO EXPECT

It’s anyone’s guess what will actually happen when they all get together, but Judge Berman has been adamant that he wants things resolved before it goes to court.  In fact, both sides and the Judge have acknowledged they want everything resolved before September 4, the start of the regular season.

Judge Richard Berman will be pushing both sides to settle
Judge Richard Berman will be pushing both sides to settle

There’s a good chance Judge Berman will give some sign of what he is looking for at the first of the two scheduled meetings (Aug. 19 for meeting #2) before him. In his words he expected the sides to “engage in comprehensive, good-faith settlement discussions prior to the conference” this Wednesday.

“Let’s see what we can accomplish at that conference.”

It’s obvious the judge has taken a stance and expects some action at this meeting. The media is going to be present and the opening statements are open to the public. After that, Judge Berman will control how things go. The thing to remember is, this isn’t about whether Brady knew about the deflation of the NFL’s balls (oops – sorry about that), but is to decide whether the NFL followed proper procedure and allowed the Patriots’ QB to have “due process.”

THE TWILIGHT ZONE

Welcome to the Twilight Zone
Welcome to the Twilight Zone

 Football fans are beginning to feel like they are in the “Twilight Zone” as this case just keeps on going with both sides digging in their heels. Here’s a quick summary of some of the latest positions:

  • The NFL lawyers are contending that as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement the players agreed to abide by any ruling from the Commissioner
  • The NFLPA is stating there is no precedent for Commissioner Goodell to hand out a suspension without players being aware that their action would be subject to such a penalty.
  • The NFL is now saying they were under no obligation to have an “independent” investigation (Well’s Report) under the CBA
  • The NFLPA is quoting excerpts from the Commissioners many statements assuring the investigation that the Wells report was an independent investigation. The NFL has now backed off that claim and basically said “So What?”

Here’s hoping that by week-end we’ll have a sense of whether this is about to end…or if we are still in store for more litigation.

Follow me on Twitter @SnowdonBob

AFC, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL

NFL: Ted Wells Under Fire Again

451157077-offensive-line-coach-jim-turner-of-the-miami-gettyimages

Ted Wells, the “independent” investigator who has become famous/infamous for his report which led to star quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension, is under fire from another former member of the AFC East. Former Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner is suing Wells over his report done on the Dolphin’s bullying scandal a year ago. The report eventually led to Turner being fired.

The scandal occurred mainly between guard Richie Incognito and tackle Jonathan Martin. Incognito was accused of bullying/harassing Martin constantly in the locker room. Turner claims that Wells falsely accused him of creating an environment that allowed bullying and harassment to occur even though Wells knew this was false. Turner also alleges that the NFL hired Wells and his law firm to essentially find a few individuals to blame, while they were well-paid and well-positioned for future NFL cases, as has become evident with Well’s role in Deflategate.

Richie Incognito came out hard against Wells recently as well, saying, “I just think it’s bogus, the whole system in how it’s set up with Roger and the complete, absolute power he has. He has so much power and he hires independent investigators who are obviously not independent. They come in with an agenda and they come in looking to find facts to back up their argument. All the facts are slanted in their favor. Ted Wells came in with a mission against me. Ted Wells came in slanted against me and everything in his report was slanted against me. There were some things in there that would have helped my cause that were left out, [like] teammate testimony, stuff like that. You see that in Brady’s case. There’s a lot of stuff that got left out. There’s a lot of misinformation.”

It’s certainly understandable why Incognito would be so outspoken. The guard was suspended the final eight games of the 2013 season after the bullying scandal, and was a free agent for the entire 2014 season before the Buffalo Bills signed him in February. Turner was fired by the Dolphins in the wake of Well’s report on the issue, and has been unable to find another job in the NFL since. He believes the report has negatively and unfairly affected his reputation and ability to find work since, and possibly forever.

This is now the second instance where a federal lawsuit calls into question whether or not Ted Wells truly worked as an independent investigator for Roger Goodell and the NFL. This is also a big portion of Tom Brady’s lawsuit against the NFL involving Deflategate. As the old saying goes, once is an accident, twice is a trend, three times is a problem. While this is only the second time, it certainly reflects badly on both Ted Wells and the NFL.

NFL

New England Patriots: Pats Make a Series of Roster Moves

Jimmy G at 2015 Training Camp
Jimmy G at 2015 Training Camp

The New England Patriots made a series of roster moves today. They signed two rookie free agents, running back Tony Creecy out of North Carolina State and tight end Logan Stokes out of LSU. In order to make room, they cut tight end Mason Brodine and linebacker Chris White.

These moves aren’t going to raise a lot of eyebrows. Creecy had just over 1200 yards rushing for his entire career at NC State, and Stokes was a blocking tight end at LSU. Stokes was originally signed by the Pats back on June 11, but they cut him a week later. Brodine was a guy who bounced around a lot since coming out of Nebraska-Kearney in 2011, and has spent time with both the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams in addition to the Patriots. He’s played in two NFL games in his career. White was a sixth round draft pick by the Bills out of Mississippi State in 2011, and also spent time with the Lions before coming to New England last year. He was mainly a special teams player, suiting up for 13 games and all three playoff games last season.

The move that will grab people’s attention was at quarterback. The Patriot’s cut Matt Flynn while also signing former Cardinal’s quarterback Ryan Lindley. New England signed Flynn back in June, a move that seemed to be a little extra insurance for Jimmy Garoppolo assuming Tom Brady’s four-game suspension is upheld. Flynn hadn’t passed his physical, as a hamstring injury was holding him back, and Bill Belichick was growing impatient, with the preseason opener on Thursday. As is tradition for the Patriots, Tom Brady is not expected to play at all in the game, and if he does it will be very little. While there’s a chance Flynn could return in the future, Belichick said, “We don’t have forever here; the train is moving.”

Ryan Lindley is most famous for being forced into playing time for an egregious quarterback situation for the Arizona Cardinals after both Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton went down with injuries. Lindley had been drafted by the Cardinals out of San Diego State, but was cut and went to San Diego. The Cardinals resigned him after Palmer went down, and Lindley got the nod over rookie Logan Thomas after Stanton went down. He struggled mightily in relief of Stanton against St. Louis and then the next week against the Seahawks as the starter. The Cardinals looked to start Thomas in Week 17, but a shaky week of practice gave Lindley another shot. He played fairly well in the last regular season contest, but was extremely underwhelming in Carolina for Arizona’s playoff loss.

AFC, New England Patriots, NFL

New England Patriots: Players to watch heading into the Packers Game

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patriots-training-camp-lg

Training Camp has begun and with it, comes the injuries. As of August 8th, 24 out of the 90 players on the roster are missing practice due to health/rehab issues. So, with that, we get to see more unknown players get more reps and show why they should wear a Patriots uniform come September. Here are some players to keep an eye on as the Packers game approaches on the 12th.

RBs Jonas Gray and Tyler Gaffney: With incumbent RB LaGarrette Blount spraining his MCL and missing Game 1 against Pittsburgh with a suspension, the backup running back position is something that really needs more attention. Gray had that 4 TD game against Indianapolis last year and did nothing else and Gaffney was hurt all last year. Seeing that James White, Dion Lewis and Travaris Cadet are battling for the “Vereen” Role, we need to figure out who can be the road grater for whomever is playing Quarterback. Both Gray and Gaffney are likely fighting for one roster spot, so this is something to look for.

TE Jake Bequette: As Bequette pretty much washed out as a defensive end, the former 3rd round pick was moved to TE this offseason and has been a pleasant surprise in camp. He’s been stretching the field and catching the ball well. With this size (6’5, 275) and quickness (4.07 shuttle and 6.90 three cone drill at his Pro Day in 2013), he could be an intriguing player to watch. Obviously, he is still a big project, but definitely someone to keep an eye on.

G/C Josh Kline: One of the biggest areas of uncertainty is at Guard. With rookies Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason starting together the other day, you still have the void left by not resigning Dan Connolly (and then his subsequent retirement). Kline is a guy who has appeared in 21 games, starting 6 starts (one in the AFC Championship against Indianapolis) since joining the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2013. He has the ability to play all interior spots, and could be a surprise starter at one of the guard spots if he plays well enough. With Ryan Wendell on the PUP, Kline will see more reps and could come out ahead as a starter or top reserve.

DE/OLB Eric Martin: After bouncing around the Saints and Browns rosters in 2013 and 2014, Martin signed to the Pats Practice Squad last year. At 6’2, 250, he ran a 4.53 at his Nebraska Pro Day in 2013. He has raised some eye brows with his pass rush. He could make noise as Dane Fletcher and Chris White are on the PUP as a good special teamer/backup pass rusher. Keep an eye out on how he does with the pads on.

S Tavon Wilson and Jordan Richards: Although the attention has been on the corner back (and rightfully so), the attention needs to be on how well these two have played as of late. Both are getting a lot of playing time and surprisingly enough, Wilson has been a better player. Will he remove his borderline bust status as a 2nd rounder? We’ll see, but it’s an encouraging sign. With that being said, hearing good things about Richards makes it interesting to see if guys like Duron Harmon and Nate Ebner get put on notice with their play.

AFC, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

Vikings v Steelers: Minnesota Leads 7-3 at Half, Bridgewater Finishes 5-for-6 After Playing One Series

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Refresh this page for the latest updates, with the most current update at the top of the page! Be sure to follow us on Twitter @PatsGazette!

With the starters long removed from the game, it’s time to wrap up the first Goalline Gazette live-blog. We weren’t able to gather much from the performances of either team tonight, but that’s not what the HOF Game is for. It’s to remind us that football is just around the corner.

With strong performances from Teddy Bridgewater and Dri Archer, both teams have some laurels to rest on.

Minnesota will play the Oakland Raiders on August 22nd in their 2nd preseason game, while Pittsburgh will next see the field against the Green Bay Packers on August 23rd.

9:19 PM – Another close fourth-and-goal, and another attempt. At least pre-season football is good for SOMETHING. Jesse James, no not THAT Jesse James with a dropped pass that would easily gone for a score. Minnesota takes over with less than a minute until half, still up 7-3.

9:18 PM – Trae Waynes with a big penalty, putting the Steelers on the 3-yard line with a 38-yard pass interference penalty. Those arm grabs might miss the eyes of the college officials, but the big dogs in the NFL are going to call those every time.

9:14 PM – Dri Archer seems to have had the best first half for Pittsburgh, flashing some great speed and decent vision. He’s one of those guys that feels thiiiiiiis close to breaking a big one every time he touches the ball. Two minute warning before halftime, with the Steelers looking to put some more digits on the board before half.

  • SCORE ALERT: 7-3 MINNESOTA.

9:06 PM – Less than five minutes until halftime, and we’ve finally got our first big play. Mike Kafka finds MyCole Pruitt for a 34 yd TD. With an 8-play, 81-yard drive that took four minutes off the clock, the Vikings take a 7-3 lead.

9:05 PM – Matt Asiata with a nice 18 yard run. It will be interesting to see how Norv Turner uses Asiata in the offense this year. He seems like he could definitely do some damage to some beat-down defenses in the fourth quarter.

9:02 PM – Patterson with his first catch of the night, off of a screen pass.

  • SCORE ALERT: 3-0 PITTSBURGH.

9:00 PM – It took almost an hour, but Pittsburgh has drawn first blood with a Shaun Suisham field goal. With about nine minutes until halftime, Minnesota has more than enough time to answer before halftime.

8:57 PM – Trae Waynes, the Vikings first round pick in April’s draft, gets toasted on a go-route. Pittsburgh is knocking on the door.

8:51 PM – Ryan Shazier with a nice drive for the Pittsburgh defense. This man can MOVE, people. Minnesota punting one away, the game remains scoreless.

8:46 PM – Gotta admit… Shocking we made it all the way until 12:00 remaining in the second quarter before our first mention of the dreaded Deflategate. It was good while it lasted.

8:45 PM – Looks like Blair Walsh will have to button up some loose ends before week one. Pushed a 48-yarder wide right. Still scoreless in Canton.

8:42 PM – RED ALERT: We have our first Cordarelle Patterson sighting of 2015. Incomplete pass, tipped by Brandon Boykin, but there’s no question the dread-headed receiver was the intended target. Patterson has a chance to haunt every fantasy owner this season (again), or maybe we we’re all a year too early calling his breakout.

8:41 PM – Looks like we might have our first turnover of the pre-season, as Pittsburgh puts one on the carpet. Mike Kafka, the former Eagle, will take over under center for Minnesota. Teddy Time hasn’t been this short since, well, ever.

  • END OF 1st QUARTER 

8:35 PM – After a TO, the black and gold did what Minny couldn’t – convert a 4th-and-1. First quarter will end scoreless.

8:29 PM – Dri Archer hitting some nice holes to pick up a 3rd-and-14 off of a draw play. Remember, Le’Veon Bell will be sitting for the first two games, so these preseason games carry some extra weight for the Pittsburgh backfield. Scampers like that will go a long way to help Archer solidify some footing in that backfield.

Dri Archer

8:26 PM – I just wanted to take a moment to send condolences to the Gifford family. The NFL, the Giants organization, and the sport of football itself lost a legend.

8:22 PM – Teddy with the first incompletion of the night, a little bit behind Mike Wallace there. You can believe dude wanted paydirt against PITT. Vikes turn it over on downs, going for it on fourth-and-1. #ItsPreseason

8:19 PM – Bridgewater sensed some good pressure on 2nd and 8, completing a dump pass for some easy yardage. Teddy needs to take some steps forward this year, but his rookie season was about as promising as it can get. Some more of those seven yard scrambles, with the clean slides, and this guy might be a regular Russell Wilson.

8:18 PM EST – Looks like we’ll get a few starters for Minny tonight, with Kyle Rudolph snagging Bridgewater’s first throw. Jerrick McKinnon, a fantasy darling from last year, takes one up the gut.

8:15 PM EST – It’s been so long since we’ve some football that even the referees are a welcome sight. Pittsburgh can’t do much on the opening possesion, but that means it’s… #TEDDYTIME!

8:11 PM EST – Looks like we’ll be seeing Pittsburgh take the ball first. No Big Ben tonight, so we’ll be seeing LOTS of Landry Jones, and as a Sooners fan, I’m A-OK seeing what the young kid’s got.

8:07 PM EST – The companionship of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth rivals that of peanut butter and jelly. It’s just… So perfect. The second I hear the NFL Network announcers for the first time this year, I will be reminded of this very fact.

8:04 PM EST – Hello! This should be a fun experience for all of us, with our first live blog, covering the HOF game! Let’s get the inductee’s out here, and kick this thing off!

It seems like virtually forever since live, NFL football graced our television screens. Well gather, my children of the desert, and drink from the pool that is… LIVE. NFL. ACTION.

Okay, okay, it is just the Hall of Fame game, but at this point, it’s a beacon of things to come, and another benchmark met on our way to what we all truly long for: week one of the 2015-2016 NFL season.

The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off the action tonight, at Tom Benson Stadium, in picturesque Canton, OH at 8 p.m. on NBC. I’ll be right here, to update the action as it happens, with some Twitter chatter, some NFL talk, and hopefully a few big plays that can get us even more antsy for September.

Ya know, if that’s even possible.

But first, here are a few things to keep in mind before kick-off.

Pre Game Notes

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin has let it out that almost anyone who could possibly do something exciting, wouldn’t be playing. Big Ben, Le’Veon Bell, Heath Miller and Antonio Brown will all hang out with the towel boys, and James Harrison will let the Martavis Bryantrest of the Pittsburgh defense take care of the Vikes, as he too will sit this one out.

Thankfully, this leaves second year wideout Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant to duke it out to see who might hold some fantasy football relevance going forward. Or, it would’ve, if Bryant wasn’t iffy too. Yeesh.

Ok, so, Landry Jones to Markus Wheaton all night? Could be worse, I suppose.`

On the Vikings side of the field, a lot less is known. Coach Mike Zimmer has yet to specify which of his starters will be playing, or how long they’ll see the field this evening. Well, Coach, thanks for the insight.

Regardless of Zimmer’s espionage attempt, I expect second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to see at least a drive, with his new weapon, and former Steeler, Mike Wallace in tow.

As for Adrian Peterson, don’t expect the polarizing running back to see the field tonight. Peterson hasn’t taken a preseason snap since 2010.

NFC, NFL, San Francisco 49ers

The Downward Spiral That is the San Francisco 49ers

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Oh how the mighty have fallen. Just a few years ago, the San Francisco 49ers were atop the National Football Conference (NFC), and one of the premier teams in the National Football League (NFL). But one off-season later, they are not the power house they used to be, but a mess. After making the NFC Championship Game for three straight years and having an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII (in which they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31), the 49ers went 8-8. The downhill spiral began at that point.

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 20: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers addresses the team in the locker room, for the last time, following the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium on December 28, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jim Harbaugh
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 20: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers addresses the team in the locker room, for the last time, following the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium on December 28, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 20-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jim Harbaugh

The organization had already had a falling out with head coach Jim Harbaugh, and had fired him, hiring Jim Tomsula to take his place. Not only that, but former offensive coordinator Greg Roman jumped ship to become the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, and then the team fired defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. However, that was not all. Several key players on the 49ers roster chose to retire, or find greener pastures in free agency.

ST. LOUIS, MO - OCTOBER 13: Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers fires up the team on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on October 13, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. The 49ers defeated the Rams 31-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Willis
ST. LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 13: Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers fires up the team on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on October 13, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. The 49ers defeated the Rams 31-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrick Willis

Veteran defensive cogs Patrick Willis (Linebacker), Justin Smith (Defensive End), and key offensive lineman Anthony Davis chose to retire. Even the young, (coming off his rookie year) linebacker Chris Borland decided to retire for health reasons. Then came free agency, where even more talented players like Chris Culliver, Mike Iupati, Michael Crabtree, Frank Gore, and Stevie Johnson left the team. To make matters worse, Aldon Smith, who was to be the defensive anchor after all the changes, got arrested again, and was released from the team.

Now what is left is a team in disarray, and in a new era of coaching. All hope is lost, the 49ers are sure to be a bottom feeder team in the NFL, nothing can save them now, right? Not so fast, this team can still play.

Even with the amount of blows this team took, they can still be a competitive team. They still have Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who though had his worst season statistically, has shown growth through a week of training camp. Not only that, but he still has weapons in the form of wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith and tight end Vernon Davis. The offense also has stalwart defenders in the offensive line in the form of Joe Staley and Alex Boone. The 49ers defense is not in shambles, as they still have linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who is coming off injury, and hopefully can stay healthy in the coming season, and he will also have veterans Darnell Dockett and Glenn Dorsey to assist. The defense also has great potential in rookie Arik Armstead from Oregon.

Even with the young potential and returning veterans, the San Francisco 49ers are far from being able to compete for the Super Bowl. The 49ers play in the toughest division in all of the NFL, the NFC West, consisting of the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, and Arizona Cardinals, who each have been busy in the off-season, improving their teams for a playoff push.

The Seahawks are a juggernaut of a team looking to make it back to a third straight Super Bowl,  the Cardinals have stability at quarterback with Carson Palmer and can return to the playoffs again, and the Rams have upgraded and are on the rise to the point where they can compete for a playoff spot. That leaves with the 49ers having to fight through a gauntlet just to make the playoffs. Yes, the 49ers will win some key games, but they won’t top 10 wins, they wont have the chance to win that 6th playoff spot. Year one of the Tomsula era will be tough for the 49ers and 49er faithful to swallow because of this downward spiral nightmare.

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