I don’t know, or actually care, who’s going to win MVP this season. However the Payments beating the Chiefs final week actually helped Josh Allen’s case. When two candidates go “face to face”–actually their groups–it offers voters a simple out on rating them. So this week we have now, doubtlessly, a Defensive Rookie of the 12 months present down within the (NFC) West.
An award successful day?
Quinyon Mitchell “vs” Jared Verse, and each could have their alternatives to state their case. Eight of the final ten Defensive Rookies of the 12 months have been both an edge rusher or a cornerback, and these two are the chances on favorites to win.
Verse really trails teammate and former school teammate Braden Fiske in sacks, 4.5 to five.0. Maybe the Rams transferring up within the draft to draft Fiske particularly as a result of he performed alongside Verse at FSU (although only for one season) was a good suggestion?
In early April, the employees held a collection of conferences that argued for and towards “pods” of defensive linemen and outdoors linebackers as potential tandems. Verse and defensive deal with Braden Fiske, teammates at Florida State, had been recognized amongst these tandems as having a novel chemistry. If the Rams may get Verse, they’d additionally go after Fiske.
Verse will get his probabilities towards a QB who has been holding onto the ball for too lengthy too usually just lately. Jalen Hurts has been sacked a number of occasions in 4 of his final 5 video games, and three+ occasions in three of them. The entire protection could have a shot at Hurts, the Rams enter this week ninth in sack fee, one spot forward of the Eagles. Verse can also be sixth within the NFL in tackles for loss, (behind three gamers who’ve performed a further sport) he’ll get his probabilities to point out his run stopping means as nicely.
Mitchell too will get his probabilities towards a Rams offense that’s again to full energy and likes to throw the ball. In six video games with Cooper Kupp, the Rams are throwing the ball 38 occasions per sport, which might lead the league in passing makes an attempt over a full season. Since returning to the lineup 4 video games in the past, Kupp has been focused at the very least 7 occasions in each sport; and Puka Nacua has been focused 9+ occasions in three of 4 video games.
The end result of this “duel” feels form of predictable. Verse will get on the stat sheet with a sack, and a deal with for loss. Mitchell will preserve whoever he’s overlaying to one thing like 3 receptions for 32 yards and no TDs, and Verse could have “received” the matchup as a result of he bought on the stat sheet as a result of he’s an edge rusher. We’ll know for positive in February.
Two birds, one stone
Earlier this week Temple fired its soccer coach. You could not have observed as a result of nobody actually pays consideration to Temple soccer. And for good cause, Temple is just not a great program and doesn’t have the infrastructure, fan/alumni base, location, or college alignment to ever turn into one.
There are loads of harsh realities which are hitting and can hit school soccer packages at each degree as we quickly speed up in the direction of the top level of faculties having to pay scholar athletes as workers. Some exhausting choices must be made. Some faculties, reminiscent of UMass who additionally fired their coach this week, or Kennesaw State, who fired their coach final week and may by no means have been in FBS, could also be higher off transferring again all the way down to the FCS degree. (They won’t transfer down.) Some is perhaps higher off not having a university staff in any respect. Temple could also be one among such program. The unlucky reality is that few would miss Temple soccer if it not existed.
Calls to finish Owls soccer are nothing new, and this week Marcus Hayes wrote one other piece echoing that. I’ve bought an answer that might appease everybody:
Temple will fold its soccer staff if the Inquirer fires Marcus Hayes.
Everybody wins. Temple Owls Soccer, by no means a supply of pleasure, would finish on the best of notes, uniting everybody in a celebratory second. Temple basketball wouldn’t create this sort of pleasure in the event that they made a Ultimate 4 run, as a result of followers of different Massive 5 groups wouldn’t discover pleasure in that. However the finish of Marcus Hayes having any form of relevance is one thing that may unite a complete area. Oh and if the Inquirer ever brings him again, the soccer staff comes again.
School Soccer Week 13 Watch Record
QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
I doubt the Eagles draft a QB, having traded for Kenny Pickett. However the QB Manufacturing facility wants supplies, and Rourke matches the profile that the Eagles typically like, as he’s huge (6-5, 223), and cell sufficient, although his arm energy is missing. He checks loads of the identical containers that Pickett does.
Rourke can also be one of many oldest prospects within the draft, he turned 24 final month. A sixth yr breakout QB who doesn’t do something at an elite degree (once more, like Kenny Pickett) shouldn’t go excessive (although Kenny Pickett did), although this QB class goes to see a number of QBs taken greater than they need to be. If he’s there on day three, he could possibly be an Eagles goal.
RB Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Gordon may match a special kind of participant that the Eagles have tended to draft over time: an early season potential prime prospect who, come April, isn’t a prime prospect. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Kelee Ringo, and Nakobe Dean all match that profile just lately, and Jalen Mills and Matt Barkley in earlier drafts.
In August, Gordon was RB1. Now, he may not even be prime 5. Gordon was close to unstoppable final yr, blowing away nearly each one Oklahoma State performed after they rotated by means of three QBs of their first three video games and struggled within the air and realized they’d one thing particular on the bottom. This yr the Cowboys can’t block anyone and Gordon and the staff are having a depressing season, the worst staff within the sixteen staff Massive 12. Gordon might have fallen from potential 1st spherical decide to a excessive day three decide. That’s the form of participant the Eagles have jumped on.
DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
Corleone, predictably however nonetheless coolly nicknamed “the Godfather” is an enormous human being. Cincinnati lists him at 6-1 320, they might be hiding some kilos there, he’s bought to be 330+, in highschool he says he weighed over 350. As you’ll be able to in all probability think about from that alone, he’s a run stopping nostril deal with. Maybe he may be greater than that, coming in thirty first this yr and sixteenth final yr on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks Record, with fast 10 and 20 yard splits and an 18.7 mph prime pace. He missed the summer season with blood clots in his lungs; and he was injured final week, he could also be a late scratch this week. Corleone received’t go excessive, but when assessments nicely he could possibly be a mid spherical decide at a task the Eagles may use depth at.
