Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports Ghobrial indicates there is still much to learn about new kickoff setup There are still a lot of variables for coaches and players to learn about the new NFL kickoff rule. New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has, though, learned one thing. “It hits pretty damn quick,” Ghobrial said. “Speed is always a huge attribute of any returner. A returner that can eat up grass initially with good catch mechanics, catching it forward, that can get to that initial line of defense has the best chance of actually having an explosive return in this league. “I think at the end of the day, any player that has the ability to make smart decisions with the football and can eat up grass is going to have a chance to have success in that specific play.” In the redesigned kickoff, 10 defenders are at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, with blockers aligned at the 35-yard line. Ghobrial would not commit to who the Giants will use on kickoff return, saying that will be “game plan specific.” Ghobrial knows that teams probably did not show everything during the preseason in regards to how they will approach blocking for the new rule, kicking the ball, or covering the kickoffs. He said the Giants played the play close to the vest. “There’s balance to it because it was a new rule. It still is a new rule, so you wanted to be able to gather useful information. You did’t want to necessarily just go out there and say, ‘we’re going to be very vanilla the whole preseason’ and not actually get good at potentially stuff that you want to do,” he said. “But at the same time, yes, you are keeping some stuff close to the vest there. I felt like we did a good job, and our players did a great job in terms of just owning the fundamentals and the technique, which I feel if you can do that in this play, you have a chance.” Here are more takeaways from Ghobrial’s Wednesday media availability. Adoree’ the punt returner? Gunner Olszewski is the Giants’ primary punt returner. His groin injury, though, might lead to Adoree’ Jackson having to return punts against the Minnesota Vikings. “I’ll never close the door on getting the ball in the playmaker’s hands,” Ghobrial said. “He’s dynamic with the ball in his hand. I do know that.” Jackson has a career average of 8.4 yards returning punts. He averaged just 1.3 yards on three returns for the Giants in 2022, and suffered a knee injury that cost him seven games. Does Graham Gano still have it? Veteran placekicker Graham Gano is returning from knee surgery. Now having suffered two serious leg injuries, it is fair to wonder if the 37-year-old still has the leg strength that has made him the best long-distance placekicker in franchise history. “I’ve seen Graham, the Graham Gano that wins football games in this league,” Ghobrial said. “I’m really excited to see him put pen to paper. He is a proven kicker in this league and I’m fully confident in his ability to go make kicks at any distance.” Bryce Ford-Wheaton’s potential Ford-Wheaton made the 53-man roster over Miles Boykin, Allen Robinson, and Isaiah Hodgins. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Ford-Wheaton missed last season due to a torn ACL, but has immense potential on special teams. “I love Bryce Ford-Wheaton, by the way. He’s wired the right way. I think it starts with the mentality. When the mentality is right, the rest of it comes into play,” Ghobrial said. “Obviously, as a receiver, he has a natural feel for being able to get people off the spot. He’s a really good catcher. He gives that possession position flexibility in terms of that. Anybody that’s a receiver that’s out there, you’ve got to obviously regard them in terms of coverage. I think the mentality, number one, is awesome because he approaches it like he is going to go win that rep every time. Then again, the experience of him being a receiver also translates in other parts. “So, with him being a younger player, you always question whether the experience will come to life and how quickly he can translate to play that position at a high level … To the kid’s credit, he studies his tail off. He does. He’s always there after practice working extra drills, and he truly wants to be great with whatever role that he’s given.”
Giants’ ST coordinator Michael Ghobrial: Speed still big factor on kickoff returns
5 things I’m excited and nervous about heading into the Rams season
Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Here’s what I’m most nervous and excited about heading into the Rams season? The NFL season has finally arrived and the Los Angeles Rams will kickoff the 2024 campaign on the road on Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions. With the season finally set to begin this week, here are the things that I’m the most excited and nervous about heading into the year. Excited: How do the Rams Expand on Run Game? Last season, Rams head coach Sean McVay incorporated more power and gap scheme concepts into the run game along with duo. The result was one of the more efficient run games in the NFL. During the offseason, the Rams signed Jonah Jackson in free agency while bringing back Kevin Dotson. They also drafted running back Blake Corum to pair with Kyren Williams. With the offseason moves, it’s very clear that McVay wants to lean into the run game concepts that were developed last year. This could mean running more out of the pistol and incorporating more play-action into the passing game to marry the two sides together. It’s going to be interesting to see what McVay has drawn up and it will be exciting to see how it works. Nervous: Is Size an Issue in the Defensive Front Seven The Rams are very small on the defensive side of the ball which is very concerning when it comes to needing to stop the run. This is a team that usually runs lighter from a weight standpoint along the defensive line. Kobie Turner is only 6’2, 290-pounds while Braden Fiske is also a fringe above 290. The Rams will likely insert Bobby Brown in the middle of the defensive line, but he will be the only player that eclipses the 300-pound mark. With offensive lines getting bigger, it’s easy to see this group getting pushed around at the line of scrimmage, especially in lighter nickel packages which is what most NFL defenses operate out of in today’s game. Now, it’s possible that the Rams can use five-man fronts to add more size. Despite being smaller from a weight standpoint, it will be important for them to get leverage underneath offensive linemen. This size issue is a reason why the Rams have to play Troy Reeder at linebacker early on in the season. The Rams have always run a little smaller on the defensive line even with Aaron Donald. However, with a more inexperienced group and sub-par linebackers, it’s possible that this group could get gashed. Excited: Is Cooper Kupp in For a Bounce Back Season? The player that I’m most excited for heading into 2024 is Cooper Kupp. We haven’t seen a healthy Kupp since the first half of 2022 and that was him coming off of a triple crown year. Since then, the Rams wide receiver has dealt with ankle and hamstring injuries that have very clearly affected his overall play. Kupp has had a healthy offseason. Throughout training camp, all reports were that Kupp looked like his old self. In a sense, this is a make or break year for Kupp. While he doesn’t need to be the top wide receiver in the offense, he needs to show that he can stay healthy and remain efficient in his touches. When Kupp is playing to his potential, he’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. This season it will be an opportunity for him to remind people of that. Nervous: How Healthy is the Offensive Line and is There Cohesiveness? Throughout the offseason, the Rams seemed to suffer injury after injury along the offensive line. The team held out Jonah Jackson in OTAs so that he could recover from an injury last year. However, Jackson only got injured early in training camp and missed most of the summer. Alaric Jackson spent time injured along with Rob Havenstein. The big question here is whether or not this group has been able to develop any chemistry and cohesiveness. Throughout the McVay era, it’s been clear how important that chemistry and having the same five guys on the field is to the offense’s success. Heading into Week 1, Jonah Jackson will be playing center after Steve Avila trained there all offseason. There’s a chance that the offensive line struggles early on and then finds their stride after the Week 6 bye. Excited: What Does the Rams Secondary Look Like in Action? How defensive coordinator Chris Shula activates this secondary is something that will be very exciting to see in action. All offseason, the secondary has been described as being sticky in coverage which is something that hasn’t been seen for much of the last two years. With Tre White and Darious Williams at cornerback, the cornerbacks should be able to be a little more aggressive at the line of scrimmage. However, it’s not just cornerback where there could be some exciting things happening. With Shula calling the defense, it seems as if the Rams may be safety-heavy in the secondary. The Rams have some versatile players when it comes to Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, and Russ Yeast. How Shula utilizes those players within the defense and the creative looks that he dials up could be a lot of fun to see. Nervous: Can Rams Survive First Six Weeks? When the Rams bye week comes around in Week 6, it’s possible that while an early bye week, they may need it at that point in time. It will be important in those first five or six games to simply not dig a hole that the can’t climb out of later in the year. This season could be a lot like last year where the Rams take time to find their identity. Some of that could be injury related, especially along the offensive line. However, the defense may also need time to find what they want to be as a young group without Aaron Donald. Looking at the first five games, the Rams have the
Ravens RB Justice Hill on relationship with Derrick Henry: ‘We’re just having fun’
Ravens RB Justice Hill on relationship with Derrick Henry: ‘We’re just having fun’ Kevin Oestreicher The Baltimore Ravens will rely heavily on their running back room during the 2024 season. The team signed veteran rusher Derrick Henry away from the Tennessee Titans and has other talented players, such as Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill, waiting in the wings. While Mitchell is currently injured, Hill is expected to have a big role behind Henry as the team’s main backup at the position. Hill was asked about the relationship that he has with the veteran and said that the two are just having fun and working, trying to get better every day while they’re at it. “We’re just having fun, and we’re working; we’re trying to get better every single day, and that’s what [Derrick Henry] brings to the room, too. He’s just serious, making sure we’re working and getting better every day, and that just feeds throughout the whole room. And then, when we’re out here, we’re just having fun; I mean, it’s a game, and we just try to have fun with it. It’s easy to get caught up in all the business side of stuff, but we’re just having fun, too.” Hill has shown his value over the years but took a step forward in his offensive role last season. He looks prepared to take even more of a jump in 2024, something that would be of great delight to the Ravens.
Ja’Marr Chase and Amarius Mims present for Bengals’ Wednesday practice
Set Number: X163917 TK1 Very good news! The Cincinnati Bengals are hitting the field for their first official game-week practice of the 2024 season. As they continue preparing to host the New England Patriots, all eyes are on contract hold-in Ja’Marr Chase, who has sat out all but two practices since training camp began. For Wednesday’s practice, Chase was present and in uniform, so it looks like he’s ready to rock this week. And we got a positive update on the situation from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler… Ja’Marr Chase is in uniform heading to practice. — Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) September 4, 2024 There’s some optimism inside #Bengals that Ja’Marr Chase will practice today. His participation has been a moving target, but Chase has at least given the impression that he will be out there. He was a part of team meeting for Week 1 prep. Contract talks ongoing. — Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 4, 2024 This development comes on the heels of ESPN’s Ben Baby saying, “If things don’t get wrapped up quickly, Chase will trend toward not playing in the team’s season opener.” So yeah, seeing Chase return to practice would be a great development. There’s effectively a deadline to get a deal done by Sunday, or else this hold-in could drag out into the regular season. Now that Chase is practicing, you have to wonder if he’s committed to playing this week regardless if he gets a contract extension. If Chase were to miss Sunday’s game, the Bengals would really need second-year wide receivers Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas to step up and help take pressure off of Tee Higgins. It doesn’t sound like we should expect rookie Jermaine Burton to make much, if any impact this week. In other news, Amarius Mims was present for Wednesday’s practice as he works his way back from a pectoral injury suffered in the preseason opener. Mims was sidelined for several weeks but has slowly worked his way back to practice, so that’s a good sign he could be available this week. Check back later today for the first injury report of the new season. https://t.co/1Mz0EveNns pic.twitter.com/IfxR8MCYtH — Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) September 4, 2024 Want more Cincy Jungle coverage? Then follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get all the latest Cincinnati Bengals news and views. And Who DEY!
Will Chris Ballard’s ‘run it back’ Colts secondary survive the Texans’ C.J. Stroud?
Filed under: Will Chris Ballard’s ‘run it back’ Colts secondary survive the Texans’ C.J. Stroud? One of the biggest questions facing this year’s Colts is whether a largely young, unproven secondary can hold up—starting with the regular season opener hosting the Houston Texans. By Luke Schultheis Updated Sep 4, 2024, 11:15am EDT
Raiders-Chargers Week 1: Rookie watch
Jackson Powers-Johnson | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images What to expect from Raiders’ rookie class in opener The Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie class will make its NFL debut Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. PT. Here is what to expect from the class: Brock Bowers: The team is hopeful he will play despite missing a few weeks of practice with a foot ailment. Expect the No. 13 overall pick to be a big part of the offense and play at multiple spots, including, of course, in the a double tight-end set, with second-year tight end Michael Mayer. Jackson Powers-Johnson: The initial thought was the second-round pick from Oregon would be the starting left guard in Week 1. But he missed the first three weeks of training cap due to a concussion and will start the season as a backup to Cody Whitehair. It’s conceivable, Powers-Johnson could be starting within a few weeks. D.J. Glaze: The third-round pick is backup and will only play on offense in this game if there is an injury to starting right tackle Thayer Munford. He will likely play on some special teams units Sunday. Decamarion Richardson: The fourth-round pick a backup and should play on some special teams units Sunday. Tommy Eichenberg: The fifth-round pick missed time in the preseason due to a personal reasons and an injury. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders activate him for the game or they give him more time to practice before playing. He will be mostly a special teamer to start his career. Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty ImagesDylan Laube Dylan Laube: He is starting out as a fourth-string running back, who will likely mostly play on special teams. But there could be some designed plays for him on offense as well, even though he followed up a strong training camp with a lackluster play in the preseason. Not on roster Seventh-round pick, safety Trey Taylor is on the injured reserve, for, at least, four games, and seventh-round pick, cornerback M.J. Devonshire was cut and is on the practice squad. Undrafted free agents: Linebacker Amari Gainer, wide receiver Ramel Keyton, safety Thomas Harper, defensive tackle Jonah Laulu. It will be intriguing to see if any of these players will be active in the game. It wouldn’t be a shock if Gainer will get a chance to play on special team right away after a terrific preseason that earned him a spot on the 53-man roster.
Damar Hamlin to start at safety for Bills vs. Cardinals
McDermott’s announces it: Damar Hamlin to start at safety for Bills vs. Cardinals Nick Wojton Damar Hamlin will be the other starting safety for the Buffalo Bills against the Arizona Cardinals in their 2024 NFL season opener. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott revealed the news via video conference on Wednesday ahead of the matchup. Like many, Hamlin’s incredible journey over the past few years, suffering cardiac arrest and now a starting defensive back in Buffalo, is what stood out the most for the coach. “What else can’t this young man do?” McDermott said. “To come back from that, you know, it’s one thing to come back off of an ACL or a broken bone. It’s another thing to come back off of what he came back off, right? Let alone just to decide to play football and contact football in full pads at the NFL level.” Hamlin will start for the Bills defense alongside Taylor Rapp. Rapp was named a starter early on in the offseason but Hamlin was in a three-way battle for the job. The others in contention were Mike Edwards and second-round rookie Cole Bishop. While Hamlin is the Day 1 starter, that could always change. McDermott even noted that part of the reason Hamlin edged out the competition was because of availability. Edwards (hamstring) and Bishop (shoulder) missed extensive time during training camp due to injury. That hampered their ability to learn the defensive scheme which Hamlin has already spent years in. All things considered, Hamlin will be one of the top players to watch on the Bills defense against the Cardinals. McDermott discussing Hamlin being named a starter can be found in the clip below: https://billswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2024/09/mcdermott-hamlin-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4 Read all the best Bills coverage at the Democrat and Chronicle and Bills Wire.
Giants-Vikings Wednesday injury report: All 53 Giants participating in practice
Drew Lock | Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The big question still seems to be whether Gunner Olszewski will be able to return punts All 53 members of the New York Giants’ active roster practiced on Wednesday as the Giants prepared for Sunday’s season-opening game against the Minnesota Vikings, per head coach Brian Daboll. While the official Wednesday injury report is not out yet, Daboll expected wide receiver/punt returner Gunner Olszewski (groin), linebacker Mich McFadden (hip), quarterback Drew Lock (hip/oblique), and safety Dane Belton (back) to be listed as limited. The biggest concern has been the availability of Olszewski, who is now on the long end of what had been estimated as 2-4 week recovery period from his groin injury. Here is what Olszewski looked like returning punts on Wednesday: Gunner Olszewski, working back from a groin injury, fielding punts on Wednesday during NYG practice. pic.twitter.com/lruSnypt8e — Big Blue View (@bigblueview) September 4, 2024 If Olszewski can’t return punts on Sunday, the Giants might have to turn to newly-signed cornerback Adoree’ Jackson to handle that role. If they don’t want Jackson, who was injured returning punts for the Giants two seasons ago, to do it they might be forced to make a roster move. On Wednesday, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said Jackson is a “dynamic” player with the ball in his hands. Jackson said this week he would be happy to return punts in the opportunity presents itself. “I’m always in the mindset that I’m a returner. I’ve always been one at heart, regardless of what may happen,” Jackson said. “As you all have seen, I go back there and it’s just second nature, just like you get up, walk out of bed, go wash your face, brush your teeth. I get up, go back there, punt return, catch it and figure out what’s going to happen next.” Lock was expected to test his injuries by participating in team work on Wednesday. Daboll also expected McFadden to participate in team work. Lock, the backup quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings Reacts Survey: Gearing Up for Week 1
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Let’s start the party! Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Minnesota Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for our first official SB Nation Reacts poll of the regular season as we get ready to watch the Vikings take on the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon. Today, we’ve got a trio of questions for you to weigh in on. Reminder that if you want to sign up to be polled on the national questions that are e-mailed out every week, there is a link for you to do so above. For this week, our first question is the one question that we’ll be asking our readers every week: How confident are you in the direction of the Minnesota Vikings? We’ll be doing our best to track these from week-to-week. As far as things that are specific to this week, we are asking everyone to call their shot about how many wins you think the team will have this year. The expectations for the Vikings from most of the Really Smart Football People™ aren’t terribly high, but maybe we’ll get a different result from those of us who keep closer track of the team. Last, we want to know who you think will be the first to find the end zone for the Vikings on Sunday. We’ve got some of the more obvious options for you to pick from, as well as a couple of catch-all choices if you don’t like any of those. If you do like one of the catch-all selections, you can always let us know which specific player you think it will be in the comments section. With that, feel free to cast your vote in our survey and make your opinions known in the comments! We’ll have the results of the survey for you here in a few days. Please take our survey
Jaguars vs. Dolphins Week 1: Reviewing the recent history between the teams
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK The Miami Dolphins open the 2024 NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. How have the teams fared in recent matchups? The Miami Dolphins open their 2024 regular season with a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game will be the 11th all-time regular-season meeting between the two Florida AFC franchises, breaking a 5-5 time in the head-to-head standings. The teams have met one time in the playoffs – but we should all continue to repress the memory of that debacle. The Jaguars finished the 2023 season in second place in the AFC South with a 9-8 record. They missed the playoffs, landing ninth in the AFC standings, with the top seven teams qualifying for the postseason tournament. The Dolphins did make the playoffs, finishing second in the AFC East with an 11-6 record, good enough for the sixth seed. They did not last long in the tournament, however, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round – extending a streak that is now at 24 seasons since their last playoff win. What is the recent history between the Dolphins and the Jaguars? Time to take a look. All-time Dolphins vs. Jaguars record Tied at 5-5 (Regular season) Jaguars 1-0 (Playoffs) Most recent meeting 2021 Week 6 (Oct. 17, 2021)Tottenham Stadium, London, England Dolphins 20 – 23 Jaguars The Dolphins opened the scoring with a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on the game’s opening drive. The Jaguars answered with a field goal four minutes later. The first quarter ended with the Dolphins at the Jacksonville 20-yard line and leading 7-3. Three plays into the second quarter, the Dolphins extended the leader with a Jason Sanders field goal. The next three drives, two by the Jaguars one from Miami, ended with punts before the Dolphins were able to add a second field goal in the quarter. After another round of traded punts, the Jaguars started a possession at the Miami 49-yard line, using the field position to score on a touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Marvin Jones. A missed 58-yard desperation field goal attempt from Miami with no time on the clock ended the first half with Miami leading 13-10. The Jaguars scored on the second half’s opening possession when running back James Robinson punched the ball into the endzone from one-yard out. Miami punted on their first drive of the half before defensive lineman Zach Sieler recovered a Lawrence fumble on a defensive lineman Christian Wilkins sack, giving the Dolphins the ball back. Miami did not hold onto the ball for long, with Tagaovailoa throwing an interception on the next play. The quarter ended with Jacksonville leading 17-13. Jacksonville attempted to convert a fourth-and-one early in the final period, but failed to gain a first down when linebacker Jerome Baker was able to stuff Robinson at the line of scrimmage. Miami scored on a 91-yard drive after the turnover on downs, with Tagovailoa finding Waddle in the endzone for a two-yard score. A trade of points was followed by a Jaguars field goal, tying the game at 20 with 3:40 to play. Miami failed to convert on a fourth-and-one attempt of their own, leading to a Jaguars field goal as time expired, giving Jacksonville the 23-20 victory. Surplatives Current streak: Jaguars – 1 win Recent results: Jagaurs 3 wins in last 4 Longest Dolphins streak: 3 wins (2009-2014) Longest Jaguars streak: 2 wins (2015-2018) Largest Dolphins victory: 21 points (24-3, 2012 Week 15) Largest Jaguars victory: 14 points (24-10, 2006 Week 13 – Regular season); 55 points (62-7, 1999 AFC Divisional Round – playoffs) Closest Dolphins margin of victory: 4 points (14-10, 2009 Week 14) Closest Jaguars margin of victory: 3 points (23-20, 2015 Week 2 and 2021 Week 6) Most Dolphins passing yards: 359, Ryan Tannehill (2015 Week 2) Most Jaguars passing yards: 319, Trevor Lawrence (2021 Week 6) Most Dolphins rushing yards: 108, Ricky Williams (2009 Week 14) Most Jaguars rushing yards: 135, Fred Taylor (2000 AFC Divisional Round) Most Dolphins receptions: 10, Jaylen Waddle (2021 Week 6) Most Jaguars receptions: 8, Fred Taylor (2003 Week 6) Most Dolphins receiving yards: 121, Chris Chambers (2006 Week 13) Most Jaguars receiving yards: 155, Allen Robinson (2015 Week 2) Former Teams Dolphins who played with/coached for Jacksonville: Darrell Bevel, quarterbacks coach (Offensive coordinator/interim head coach in 2021) Calais Campbell, defensive tackle (2017-2019) Max McCaffrey, offensive assistant (played WR in 2017) Jalen Ramsey, cornerback (2016-2019) Jaguars who played with/coached for Miami: Doug Pederson, head coach (played QB in 1991-1994) Kris Richard, defensive backs coach (played DB in 2005 training camp)
