NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Adam Butler better get in line and close his mouth. Rookies shouldn’t talk, especially to ESPN. Wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t dress.

 

Malik Jackson says the Jaguars are tired of being disrespected

Talk out of Pittsburgh last week focused not on whether the Steelers would beat the Jaguars, but on whether they would beat the Patriots after beating the Jaguars. Players on the Jaguars noticed that.

Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson said on PFT Live that after beating the Steelers in the regular season, he and his teammates thought they should have earned the respect as a team to be reckoned with. Instead, they heard all the doubts about their chances of beating the Steelers again.

“We earned the respect we had when we went out there and handled them the first time, to to be disrespected the second time, people said it was a fluke and this and that, it was disrespectful,” Jackson said. “Just tired of being disrespected, tired of being questioned. In the final four, nobody can question you.”

Jackson said he and his teammates absolutely discussed the Steelers’ players talking about the Patriots before the game.

“It gave us a lot of motivation,” Jackson said. “Players on their team were saying it.”

Bill Belichick always keeps his players tight-lipped, so it’s safe to say the Patriots won’t give the Jaguars any bulletin-board material. And it’s also safe to say that if the Jaguars win in New England on Sunday, no one will disrespect them again. (PFT)
___________
_________________________

Lotta talking going on. Where's the Eagles and Vikings battle of words? Oh well, its the same ol' same ol' anyway. Some talk, some let their actions on the field do the talking for them... I prefer the latter.

 

Wouldn't bet on it if they win and the Vikings go from the NFC the Jags will likely be the underdog.

 

As it stands now the Pats would be favoured by 7 over the Eagles and 3 over the Vikings.
The Jags would be 5.5 point underdogs to the Vikings but favoured by 2.5 over the Eagles.

 

Which means if Jags win and Vikings win we get to hear about how the Jags still arent respected
If the Jags win and the Eagles win then we get to hear about how the Eagles are being disrespected
If the Pats win they are likely favored over both NFC teams so either nfc team could play the disrespect card or they could say hey that are the Pats of course they are going to be favored its our job to knock them down.

 

Vikings would be the only team with a true disrespect card outside of the Pats getting a 2-score spread over someone. Vikings playing well and at home as underdogs would be huge material outside the typical underdog material.

 

I think the gap between Luck and Mariota is big enough that I wouldn't care that much. They can build a team.

 

I would take the Vikings at home +3... in a Super Bowl? Fuck yeah.

 

Here are the other injuries we've been tracking on this Thursday before Championship Sunday:

1. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady didn't practice after suffering a hand injury Wednesday. His scheduled availability with the media was pushed back to Friday. A source informed of Brady's injury told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Thursday morning that Brady will play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle (knee) also didn't practice and defensive lineman Alan Branch (knee) and running backs Rex Burkhead (knee) and Mike Gillislee (knee) were all limited.

2. Philadelphia Eagles linebackers Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring) and Kamu Grugier-Hill (ankle) were both limited in practice. Rookie cornerback Sidney Jones (hamstring) practiced fully.

3. Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette (ankle), defensive tackle Malik Jackson (ankle), and safety Barry Church (shoulder) were limited at practice. Safety Tashaun Gipson (foot) did not participate.

 

if the Vikings win, will there be an uproar for a team to have a home game in the Super Bowl ?? I don't believe it's been done before ?

 

The Rams played the Steelers in SB 14 in the Rose Bowl when they were the LA Rams.

 

thx Gid. I was like 8 or 9 then. I didn't remember. I think the opposing team won't like to be basically playing a Vikings home game for the sports biggest prize.

 

Media question: “When Bryan Hoyer steps in there like he did yesterday, how does that affect at all that team practice that leads to the team execution that you’re looking for on game day? Do you feel like when he’s in there your guys are getting the work that helps you get that team execution that you’re looking for?”
Belichick: “Brian does a great job for us. He works hard. Practices hard.”

Q: “Does not having Tom out there limit your preparation for Jacksonville?”
Belichick: “We’re going to continue to get ready for Jacksonville, all the way to the game.”

Q: “Now that Brady is dealing with this injury, looking back on the season, do you have any regrets about trading Jimmy Garoppolo?”
Belichick: “We’re getting ready for Jacksonville.”

Q: “Does it look like Tom will be a game time decision?”
Belichick: “Today is Friday.”


might not be the best guy to hang out with but god damn is he a master of the press conference.

 

That's brilliant... BB rocks!

 

Diggs: Shurmur's offense will be fun for Odell Beckham

The New York Giants plan to hire Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to help diversify and open a stagnant offense.

No one knows how well Shurmur can scheme open receivers better than Stefon Diggs. The Vikings receiver said Odell Beckham Jr. should thrive in Shurmur's offense next season.

"As a player, [Beckham] does a lot of things well, so it's gonna be a fun offense for him to be in," Diggs said on Thursday, via the New York Daily News. "Because Pat knows how to get people the ball. He's special. Good coach."

Shurmur deserves credit not only for thriving with a shuffling quarterback situation, but also helping build one of the top receiving corps in the NFL from the ground up. Diggs was a fifth-round pick in 2015, while Adam Thielen has grown into a star in Shurmur's system after being an undrafted local tryout participant.

In Minnesota, Shurmur's displayed an ability to mix in West Coach principals and spread techniques to great effect. Sunday's victory displayed several instances where he helped scheme receivers wide open running through the Saints' secondary.

"He's gonna call plays that work for you," Diggs said. "He's gonna do what you're good at. He's not gonna make it hard. He's gonna make it as easy on you as possible. Whatever you're good at, he's gonna let you do. That's it. As a player that's what you want. So whatever you do well, he's gonna let you do it to the best of your ability -- and a lot."

The last Giants offense overly relied on Beckham's transcendent talent to move the ball. While OBJ will continue to pace Big Blue, Shurmur's offense should open things up for other players to take advantage of the rolled coverage on the star wideout. With Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram as complementary weapons, the Giants have the tools to threaten defenses on the outside in 2018. (NFL.com)

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...y-causing-big-moves-in-patriots-point-spread/

Brady's injury hand causing the betting lines to move or to be pulled completely.

 

NFL says Raiders complied with Rooney Rule

The Rooney Rule is no more. Or it might as well be. Time of death, 2:29 p.m. ET.

The NFL has put out word that the Raiders complied with the Rooney Rule before hiring coach Jon Gruden.

Even though they agreed to hire Gruden before they fired Jack Del Rio, which owner Mark Davis admitted to at Gruden’s press conference.

Even though the two minority candidates they interviewed after they agreed to a deal with their next coach were guys with no head coaching or coordinating experience in the league, who they didn’t even give assistant coaching jobs to. They dragged Southern Cal offensive coordinator Tee Martin and tight ends coach Bobby Johnson through interviews, and even interviewed Martin for a job on Gruden’s staff later.

But the league determined that’s just fine, after talking to Gruden, Davis and General Manager Reggie McKenzie. They will not be punished.

By doing nothing about a flagrant violation of the rule, the NFL has effectively set a precedent that no one will be punished for violating it, ever.

Maybe they’re hoping for a government shutdown today, or maybe they just don’t care. But under no circumstances can anyone interested in fairness in hiring practices believe that the right thing was done here today. (PFT)
___________
___________________

The Looney rule.

 

Tom Brady listed as questionable for Sunday

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady offered little about the condition of his right hand on Friday, but he was able to get in a limited practice after being listed as a non-participant in Thursday’s session.

That information came on the Patriots’ final injury report of the week and it also revealed that Brady is considered questionable to play against the Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. A report on Friday afternoon suggests that his chances of playing are pretty good.


Mike Felger of WBZ in Boston reported that Brady received four stitches after hitting a teammate’s helmet during Wednesday’s practice and that the injury should not have a great impact on his ability to play. Brady refused to say if he threw passes during Friday’s practice, but wide receiver Danny Amendola intimated that he did and that he was throwing well during his own press conference later in the day.

Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle, running back Rex Burkhead, defensive lineman Alan Branch and running back Mike Gillislee were also listed as questionable for New England, and all of them joined Brady as limited participants in Friday’s practice. (PFT)