Mac Jones & Micah Parsons named November Rookies of the Month
The two ROTY favourites have finally been recognised.
Two of the most prized picks from the 2021 NFL Draft have been rewarded for their phenomenal performances during the month of November.
New England’s stud quarterback Mac Jones has the Patriots on a six-game winning streak after starting the season 2-4, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Now, heading into their Monday Night Football clash with Buffalo, the Patriots sit atop the AFC with an 8-4 record.
The Patriots went 4-0 during the year’s eleventh month, disposing of the Panthers, Browns, Falcons and Titans in comfortable fashion. Throughout the period, Jones maintained a 76.8 percent for 854 passing yards, while throwing seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. Jones’ 117.2 quarterback rating ranks first among all NFL QBs since Week 9.
The Pats’ No. 10 is just the second Offensive Rookie of the Month, with Deion Branch’s September 2002 nomination being the first. Jones also joined former classmate Najee Harris as the second Alabama rookie to win the award in 2021.
The Dallas defense has been transformed in 2021 and the Cowboys’ 12th overall pick is an enormous reason why. Micah Parsons has had an incredible start to his degree in The Lone Star State, amassing 10 sacks across 12 games.
During the month of November, where the Cowboys went 1-3, Parsons forced two fumbles, totalled 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. Parsons’ sack and tackle for loss total in November ranked first among all defensive players throughout the league. The former Penn State product is the first Nittany Lion to ever win a Rookie of the Month award.
Parsons is the fourth Cowboys linebacker to win Defensive Rookie of the Month, joining Dexter Coakley (October, 1997), DeMarcus Ware (October, 2005) and Leighton Vander Esch (November, 2018).
Why Dak Prescott doesn’t want to throw 6,000 yards this season
After having secured a big bag from Dallas in the offseason, Prescott has his eyes transfixed on success, even if it’s at the expense of his personal statistics.
Returning Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is opting for an unselfish approach to the upcoming season.
After having secured a big bag from Dallas in the offseason, Prescott has his eyes transfixed on success, even if it’s at the expense of his personal statistics.
“I don’t want to throw for 6,000 yards, to be honest with you,” Prescott told local media today. “That means we’re not running the ball. That means we’re not probably doing the things we need to do to be a balanced, winning team.
“Sure, it would be great to have those numbers and to break that or to have that record or whatever it is. But it’s not something that I put in my head.”
Putting his personal targets aside, Prescott wants to take his side of the ball to the NFL’s mountaintop.
“As I said, I want to be the best offense in the NFL, and I think the best way we can do that is if I’m not throwing that many yards, and our run game is working, and we’re playing complementary football, and we’re winning a lot of games.
“And I think if that’s the case, then hopefully I’m not playing as many fourth quarters trying to come back and do the two-minute drills we were doing in the first five games that got me a lot of those numbers.”
Prescott has statistically been a revelation since his rookie season. Last season, before his season-ending injury against the Giants in Week 5, Dak was on pace to pass for 6,310 yards.
It’s likely the Cowboys offense will fire on all cylinders with Prescott back and Zeke looking fitter than ever, the biggest question remains their defense. Over to you Dan Quinn.
Dak, Amari & DeMarcus Lawrence among 16 Cowboys out for Steelers HOF game
It will be Dallas vs. Pittsburgh, but it won’t be Dak vs. Big Ben, with the ‘Boys prized quarterback staying back in Texas as he recovers from a right shoulder (throwing arm) strain suffered in camp last week.
The annual curtain-raiser to the 2021 NFL season begins in Canton where two of the NFL’s most traditional powers will face off.
It will be Dallas vs. Pittsburgh, but it won’t be Dak vs. Big Ben, with the ‘Boys prized quarterback staying back in Texas as he recovers from a right shoulder (throwing arm) strain suffered in camp last week.
Prescott won’t be the Jerry Jones’ only leading light left back in Dallas; star wideout Amari Cooper, defensive end Chauncey Golston, defensive tackle Trysten Hill, and kicker Greg Zuerlein are all on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.
Veteran o-line pair Tyron Smith and Zack Martin are also confirmed outs alongside T Josh Ball, LB Francis Bernard, CB C.J. Goodwin, S Malik Hooker, TE Blake Jarwin, and CB Jourdan Lewis.
The Cowboys and Steelers face off on Thursday 8PM ET on Fox, or NFL Game Pass for international fans.
NFL announces Preseason TV schedule
An enormous 23 games will be shown on the league’s broadcast channel…this includes to quadruple-headers in Weeks 1 and 2 before two doses of triple-headers in Week 3.
The NFL announced this week there will be a record number of preseason games will be shown on NFL Network.
Let’s hope we’ll see more of this!
Importantly, all preseason games will be shown on NFL GamePass, which is fantastic news for international and American fans alike.
An enormous 23 games will be shown on the league’s broadcast channel will show eight games through Weeks 1-2 before a final seven during the third and final week of preseason.
This includes to quadruple-headers in Weeks 1 and 2 before two doses of triple-headers in Week 3.
The Football Team kick off NFL Network’s coverage on August 12 at New England, where we should get our first official look at Mac Jones in a Patriots uniform.
Trevor Lawrence is likely to hit your screens on August 14 as Urban Meyer and the Jags host AFC rivals, Cleveland.
Media and fans alike will be hoping to get a glimpse of Jordan Love too, which may come as early as Week 2 (August 21) at home to Zac Wilson and Gang Green.
Below is a full list of the games to air on NFL Network across the preseason:
Week 1
Thursday, August 12
7:30 PM ET – Washington Football Team vs. New England Patriots
Friday, August 13
7:00 PM ET – Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
10:00 PM ET – Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals
Saturday, August 14
1:00 PM ET – Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears
4:00 PM ET – Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings
7:00 PM ET – Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, August 15
1:00 PM ET – Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 2
Thursday, August 19
7:30 PM ET – New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Friday, August 20
8:00 PM ET – Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Football Team
Saturday, August 21
1:00 PM ET – Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears
4:25 PM ET – New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers
7:30 PM ET – Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
10:00 PM ET – Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, August 22
1:00 PM ET – New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns
7:30 PM ET – San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 3
Friday, August 27
8:00 PM ET – Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday, August 28
1:00 PM ET – Green Bay Packers vs. Buffalo Bills
7:00 PM ET – Chicago Bears vs. Tennessee Titans
10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, August 29
1:00 PM ET – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys
4:00 PM ET – Las Vegas Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers
6:00 PM ET – New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
For American fans — NFL Network will blackout live games shown concurrently in local markets.
NFL announces joint practices - Who your team is playing and why
After practicing against your own same players throughout OTAs and training camp, it is a great opportunity to move through different plays, schemes against foreign opponents.
Not all 32 teams are participating in joint practices though. Only 21 teams are will involve themselves with another organization.
Joint practices aren’t a new phenomenon in the NFL. They essentially act as an opportunity for teams and players to go through scrimmages against different personnel.
After practicing against your own same players throughout OTAs and training camp, it is a great opportunity to move through different plays, schemes against foreign opponents.
Not all 32 teams are participating in joint practices though. Only 21 teams are will involve themselves with another organization.
New Orleans and Jacksonville were set to meet in Louisiana on August 20, but since the release of the schedule both teams have confirmed otherwise.
Teams NOT involved in joint practices this offseason:
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Washington Football Team
Some teams will engage in two bouts of joint practices; the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and both the New York clubs (Jets and Giants).
Arguably, the most famous joint practice moment of recent memory involved then-Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins and Washington’s DeAngelo Hall getting into it. Things got interesting, real quick…
Thankfully for DB’s everywhere their ankles won’t be tested by D-Hop until preseason at the earliest.
Full list of this year’s joint practices:
Courtesy of NFL Communications
Who will play under the franchise tag in 2021?
The NFL list of franchise tagged players is relatively short this season. Only six players will go through the 2021-22 NFL season under the conditions of the tag.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams and Broncos safety Justin Simmons were all tagged and looked likely to remain that way until they agreed new deals with their respective teams.
Carolina right tackle Taylor Moton was similarly fortunate after agreeing a four-year, $72 million deal with the Panthers just before today’s deadline.
The unlucky six on this season’s franchise tag are:
Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR)
Allen Robinson (Chicago Bears WR)
Marcus Maye (New York Jets S)
Marcus Williams (New Orleans Saints S)
Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars T)
Brandon Scherff (Washington Football Team G)
Ezekiel Elliott ‘way quicker, way more explosive’
The Cowboys running back is set for a phenomenal comeback year according to his personal trainer and teammate Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys running back is set for a phenomenal comeback year according to his personal trainer and teammate Dak Prescott.
Prescott said Elliott was in “the best shape of his life” back in June. Now, his trainer Josh Hicks has backed those claims.
“Zeke’s in good shape,” Hicks told Jon Machota of The Athletic.
“I agree with Dak. I agree with Tony [Pollard]. I was on the outside looking in. They’ve been with this man three, four years. They see him way more than I see him. They’ve seen him work in practice, and they’ve seen him work in the offseason.
“I don’t think Zeke has ever worked like this in the offseason. I could be mistaken. But me, personally, when it comes to my drills and what I do and how I do it, I know he hasn’t worked like this.”
Hicks asked Elliott to perform a drill he had completed three months earlier and the results were stark, Zeke was “way quicker, way more elusive, more fluent.”
Elliott had his worst year as a pro in 2020, rushing for a career-low in yards (979) and yards per attempt (4.0). Many questioned whether No. 21 was as quick as previous seasons.
“Everybody said it,” Hicks said, “and he probably saw it and felt it himself, that he probably slowed down a little bit or lost a step a little bit or whatever.”
Judging by what we’ve seen on social media too, Zeke could be feasting on defenses once again in 2021.