The defense keeping the Bears in the game while the offense was flailing was nothing new, but as quarterback Justin Fields started making plays, the defense didn’t let up. That’s what got us the game - keep wearing on them, keep going, and they ended up breaking down.” Really just keep finishing, going at them, keep attacking. “I thought we had some turnovers - started off with the punchout on the first turnover. “I felt like it really won us the game,” Johnson said. Sunday, the cornerback credited “HITS” for the Bears’ 19-10 upset win over the 49ers at Soldier Field. ![]() Jaylon Johnson acknowledged last month that he didn’t buy into the “HITS” principle right away. I’ll comb through it from an analysis standpoint on Tuesdays like I always do.”īut was it the game plan put in place for Trubisky or the offensive line? “We are 1-0, just like special teams and defense. He never made the defense defend a short field, and that’s exactly what they want from him. He didn’t turn the ball over once and took only one sack. Heading into the season opener at Paycor Stadium against the defending AFC champion Bengals, it made all the sense in the world for the Steelers to do whatever was in their power to protect an offensive line that was quite terrible in all three preseason games.Īs I said, it made all the sense in the world, especially with a new quarterback who won the starting job because he was most likely the one who - let’s face it - wouldn’t make the mistakes that put the defense in a bad position against one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL.Īnd Trubisky didn’t do that. This all can be prefaced by saying that the Steelers were playing their first game, on the road, with a new offensive line, a new offensive line coach, a new quarterback and an offensive coordinator who all of a sudden can call what he wants to call with the correct personnel around him. The Cardinals, the unfortunate opponent the NFL selected to open the season against the Chiefs, were really just a conduit for a larger, quite explicit message Mahomes wanted to convey to the rest of the league: Even without star receiver Tyreek Hill, one of the league’s most potent skill-position players, the Chiefs will still be an offensive juggernaut. Mahomes, at just about every moment in his performance Sunday, a 44-21 spanking by the Chiefs, left the Cardinals irritated, overwhelmed and, finally, demoralized. And then, with their hands on their hips, the three players looked up at the large JumboTron inside State Farm Stadium, watching the replay to see how they let Mahomes complete an intermediate pass to star tight end Travis Kelce, who was wide open. The trio, in the middle of the third quarter against the Chiefs, bowed their heads after yet another completion from superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. and star safety Budda Baker - exuded the same body language, the ultimate display of what it feels like to be amid an embarrassing defeat. In perfect synchronization, three Arizona Cardinals defenders - linebacker Isaiah Simmons, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. 1 receiver (in the league),” veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith said after the game.Īgainst one of the NFL’s most vaunted secondaries, Jefferson, 23 years old and in his third season, amassed 158 yards in the first half - a record for a franchise that counts Cris Carter and Randy Moss as alumni.Īt times, Jefferson was surrounded by so much grass and so few defenders that even he said he was surprised. ![]() The football world knew this before the Vikings’ convincing 23-7 victory over the Packers on Sunday, but Jefferson’s nine-catch performance for 184 yards and two touchdowns further cemented his limitless potential in a new system designed to highlight his ability. 18 in purple on the shoulder, chatted with him for a few seconds, then slapped Jefferson’s helmet with a smile as if to say: You are special. Jefferson was readying for pregame drills when O’Connell stopped him. The rookie head coach had been making his way up and down the sideline, hugging Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, playing catch with wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell and shaking the hand of his quarterback, Kirk Cousins. MINNEAPOLIS - About a half-hour before his first game as a head coach in the National Football League, Kevin O’Connell found Justin Jefferson.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |