The are in the midst of a playoff run at 5-5, a perfect team to be featured on the first midseason edition of 'Hard Knocks.' After a disappointing summer edition featuring the , HBO and NFL Films introduced a new twist to the series, following a team and the challenges they face during the season.Indianapolis recovering from an 0-3 start and rallying to a 5-5 record in a crazy AFC is the perfect scenario for 'Hard Knocks' over the final eight weeks. This week' Philadelphia Phillies Jersey s premiere featured a season recap how the Colts got to 4-5 and how the team prepared for the Week 10 matchup against the .The episode was different than previous editions of 'Hard Knocks' and certainly had its moments following NFL stars and -- two "girl dads" that introduced us to their personal lives this week. Let's break down the winners and losers of the midseason premiere.Leonard was the star of the show, on and off the field. The Colts All-Pro linebacker, listed at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, had some gripes about his weight on the practice field during the week to Colts staffers. Leonard earned the "maniac" nickname during his senior year at South Carolina State, and went maniacal at Colts staffers about his frame. "Tired of hearing about my weight," Leonard said. "It's been the same thing since 2018. 220. 8% body fat...They said I was too small in high school, too small in college, too small in the league. It's crazy."The smallest guy on the field always produces. I just want a little bit of respect."Leonard has two interceptions and four forced fumbles this season -- on his way to another All-Pro campaign. The Colts can leave him alone about his weight. Part of the reason the Colts were able to take an early lead on the Jaguars in Sunday's contest was because Urban Meyer revealed the adjustments to his defense in a pre s conference that caught notice of Colts head coach Frank Reich. Meyer said the Blank Jersey Jaguars have morphed to a zone defense, which helped them hold the to six points. Reich pointed out to the coaching staff in a meeting that was an "interesting" comment. Basically Reich thanked Meyer for the information as he used early and often in Sunday's win -- as Taylor had 93 of his 116 rushing yards in the first quarter. Frank Reich scouts opposing coaches the same way I do ColtsOnHardKnocks (@ColtsOnHBO) Thanks Urban.This week's episode featured all the Colts' players that had wives expecting children, mainly Wentz and his wife Madison awaiting the birth of their second daughter, Hudson Rose (who was born Tuesday). Wentz was already committed to playing in Sunday's game with Madison watching from the suite in Lucas Oil Stadium -- one day away from incision. As Wentz pointed out this week, he didn't get a lot of sleep over the last few days. had a gender reveal on the Jumbotron at Lucas Oil Stadium, same with -- with Wentz on FaceTime watching. Both are expecting girls.Finally, the show goes to Leonard -- showing his life as a girl dad. Leonard, battling an ankle injury that has lasted throughout the year, alleviates the pain by spending time with his daughter Mia. Leonard brushes Mia's teeth and tries to do her hair, but admits he only knows the ponytail -- which is what he goes with.During the game, Mia was seen with Kayla Leonard (Darius' wife) sitting on her lap and sipping a cup of Sprite. The Leonard's sat in the same suite as Mike Schmidt Jersey the Wentz's, as Hadley (Wentz's first born) comes over to hug Mia during the game. Madison Wentz tells Kayla Leonard she's practicing being a big sister, a very cute moment. After the game, Mia is more than energetic as her father is home for some down time resting his ankle. Darius asked Mia how many cups of Sprite she had. Leonard made it clear with Mia's age, Chase Utley Jersey he leaves work at work -- making sure he has a smile on his face when he gets home. Seeing Darius Leonard wth Mia is really cool. She's adorable. ColtsOnHardKnocks (@ColtsOnHBO) The Reich relationship with Wentz goes back to their days with the , as Reich described how the pairing was great from the start when he hopped into Wentz's truck after a pre-draft workout at North Dakota State in 2016."I thought he in a very mature way connected faith and football. I quoted a verse to him, 1 Peter 3:15," Reich said. "When we pulled up to the facility, he said, 'Look at my screensaver.' He had that verse on his screensaver. That's where we connected." When Wentz's days in Philadelphia were numbered, Reich told Colts general manager Chris Ballard that Wentz " Rhys Hoskins Jersey has what it takes," spearheading the Colts' pursuit of Wentz. There was a huge opportunity mi sed.Wentz really hasn't discu sed what went wrong in Philadelphia and if the Eagles wanted to move on from him or if he wanted to move on (or both). He was hoping to be reunited with Reich again, but not many details of the trade were told from the Wentz point of view.This is a subject Wentz really doesn't like to talk about. Him opening up to HBO would have made this episode even better, especially since part of the premiere focused on the Reich-Wentz backstory. Irsay wasn't featured much in the premiere, but his presence was felt. After the Colts' Week 7 win over the to get to 3-4, a fired up Irsay made a speech in the locker room that he wanted the Colts to follow.Naturally the Colts followed after Irsay started the beat. Jim Irsay is a legend ColtsOnHardKnocks (@ColtsOnHBO) Irsay was at his finest there -- an episode that didn't feature much of the Colts' vocal owner. This was the perfect moment for Irsay and how the team loves working for him.
I didn't quite get the results I wanted picking NFL games last week, but it was close.I went 9-5 both straight up and against the spread, which is a good week in those two areas. But I flopped with my Best Bets on the Pick-Six Podcast, going 2-4 against the spread. The good news is that I still beat host Will Brinson, who went a sizzling 0-6. For the season, I am 49-42-3 ATS, 57-37 straight up and 18-20 with my Best Bets. It's time to pick it up with the Best Bets this week after two poor showings.As for the others, give me another 9-5 ATS week and Curtis Granderson Jersey I will be more than happy about it. The Browns are so banged up as they head into this game on a short week, which makes it tough to pick this one. They could be without quarterback , although it looks like he is . They are also down a bunch of other players. The Broncos haven't played as well as expected on defense, but I think in prime time they show up here. It's close, with Denver pulling off a small upset.Pick: Broncos 24, Browns 23 The Panthers have lost three straight, while the Giants have lost their last two and have looked awful in doing so. But this is a good spot for the Giants to get back winning again. The Panthers have offensive i sues of late and the Giants should be able to limit them. The problem is the Giants are banged up on offense, but I think they can do enough to pull this one out.Pick: Giants 19, Panthers 16 The Jets are coming off their bye, while the Patriots are coming off a tough home lo s to the . Jets rookie quarterback really struggled before the bye, and this isn't a great way to try to get going facing a Bill Belichick-coached team. David Freese Jersey He dominates rookie pa sers and he will here as well. gets the best of his opposing rookie quarterback. Pick: Patriots 27, Jets 10 The Titans impre sed with their home victory over the on Monday night, but now face another tough challenge in . With all the injuries in the secondary for the Titans, Mahomes should have a big game. The Chase Utley Jersey Chiefs defense was better last week, but that's not saying a lot. Look for a lot of points in this game. But the Chiefs will find a way.Pick: Chiefs 37, Titans 30 Washington has major defensive i sues, which is a surprise, but also not a good thing when facing at Lambeau Field. Look for Rodgers and the Green Bay offense to again have a big day as Washington continues to be a major disappointment this season. Packers big.Pick: Packers 34, Washington 17 The Dolphins are playing a week after being in London, while the Falcons are coming off a bye. That's a big edge for the Falcons. The Dolphins have injury i sues in a big way. Look for and the Falcons to win two in a row after winning at London two weeks ago. The Falcons take it. Pick: Falcons 28. Dolphins 21 This is the game of the week, a game for first place in the AFC North. It's a huge proving game for the Bengals. I expect the Bengals offense to move the ball with , so it will come down to whether they can slow . I don't think they can. The Ravens win it, but it's close.Pick: Ravens 31, Bengals 28 The Lions are winle s and coming off their worst lo s of the year. The Rams blew out the Giants last week and clearly are the better team. This will match Rams quarterback against his former team and Lions quarterback against his former team. The problem is Goff doesn't have enough firepower to keep up. But the Lions will hang around.Pick: Rams 27, Lions 20 The Eagles are rested after playing on a Thursday, while the Raiders are coming off a victory in Julio Urias Jersey their first game without Jon Gruden. They played well on both sides of the ball in that game. But I think the Eagles will be able to hang around in this one. It's close, and both teams will score a bunch. Pick: Raiders 31, Eagles 30 The Cardinals will have coach Kliff Kingsbury back for this one after beating the Browns on the road last week without him because of COVID-19. The Texans are playing consecutive road games, which is tough for a bad team. The Cardinals are a cla s above the Texans, which will show. Blowout.Pick: Cardinals 38, Texans 13 Tampa Bay Jackie Robinson Jersey will have two advantages here in being rested after playing on a Thursday and the Florida heat impacting the Bears. Tampa Bay's offense has been outstanding, and that won't change here. The Tampa Bay defense hasn't been as good as expected, but that will change against . Bucs big.Pick: Bucs 34, Bears 16 The 49ers are coming off their bye and will have back at quarterback. That's a good thing. But this is a big game for him to show he can be the guy the rest of the way. The Colts struggle against the pa s, which is why I think he does. has been playing well, but the 49ers will limit in the pa sing game. 49ers take it. Pick: 49ers 28, Colts 17 The Saints are coming off the bye, which will help make this trip a tad easier to handle. The Seahawks will again start in this game at quarterback against a good Saints defense. Look for to play well against a bad Seattle defense. Saints take it. Pick: Saints 31, Seahawks 20
State of the Franchise: Can the Browns live up to expectations? Published: Jun 10, 2019 at 03:36 AM NFL.com Writer Members of the organization, fans of the and all of you BakerManiacs around the world: What a time to be alive in Cleveland! I know that I say something like this for a lot of teams. But I really do mean it for the . How great is it to back the right now? Fans are Mikko Koivu Jersey already slamming the doors shut on the bandwagon. The velvet rope is out, and the bouncers are checking the list to make sure that you truly deserve to walk through the doors. And this team won seven games last year. But there is a good reason for the optimism. For the first time in a long-a s time, there seems to be an answer at coach and quarterback. The team was already a pick to click acquiring one of the best receivers on the planet. There's a lot happening right now. Let's get started. How the Browns got here The highs: -- Finally a game!Yep, itwas a big deal when, in Week 1 of the 2018 campaign, the tied the , ending a game for the first time since beating the in Week 16 of 2016. -- a game! (And kicking off BakerMania). Taking over for an injured after Cleveland fell behind the , 14-0, in Week 3, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 dazzled the home crowd (and prime-time Thursday night audience) while snapping an epic winle s streak and turning a definitive page in franchise history. Oh, ! -- Winning five of their last seven games. It was the team's longest sustained stretch of succe s since 2014 -- you know, back when it made sense to see -- Losing to the in Week 17. This lo s ended up helping to keep the . So I'm saying that's a win. The lows: -- Not beating the in Week 1. Pulling off the upset could have kicked things into gear sooner for a team that eventually became a semi-viable playoff threat. -- Blowing a chance to win in New Orleans in Week 2. Similarly, helped ruin an otherwise-winnable game against the . Of course, both of these lows are related to No. 3: -- Not starting BakerMania soon enough. I can see, in theory, why it would have made sense to let Mayfield grow as a rookie while watching the veteran Taylor steer the ship. But knowing now what Mayfield was able to accomplish, it's not hard to imagine his presence turning the tide in either Week 1 or Week 2, potentially setting Cleveland on a very different course. 2019 VIPs Head coach: Freddie Kitchens. He kind of looks like a guy who would be typecast to play "football coach" in an ABC sitcom, or the guy you inevitably end up with when you use the "create-a-coach" feature on "Madden." But make no mistake, it seems like the dude can coach. Through the first eight weeks of the season, the were struggling under head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who always seemed to be . They were like that bickering couple at a party who makes everybody else uncomfortable -- and then, once they call it a night, the party comes alive. That was what it like when Kitchens took over the ' offense last year, stepping up as coordinator under interim head coach Gregg Williams. People were doing shots. Everyone hit the dance floor. Somebody in the wedding party ended up in a trashcan. It was like that. With Kitchens as coordinator, the averaged 395 yards per game. With Kitchens as coordinator, they averaged 6.86 yards per play. With Kitchens as coordinator, they scored 12 touchdowns on their first 12 trips inside the red zone. With Kitchens as coordinator, the offense scored 25 touchdowns. With Kitchens as coordinator -- you know what, you kind of get the point now, don't you? It's fair to wonder if someone whose first non-position-coach job came is ready to be a head coach. But the in-house promotion makes plenty of sense Alex Stalock Jersey when you think about the chemistry he demonstrated with the most important piece of the franchise puzzle ... Quarterback: . I'm a huge believer in Baker. And it's not like I'm jumping on the bandwagon just now. . Baker was the quarterback we 
all believed he could be. He broke Peyton Manning's record for touchdown pa ses as a rookie (27) despite not entering a game until Week 3. I mean -- and as I say this, I should point out that I -- Mayfield was no doubt the best quarterback in the room. Maybe he did benefit from not bearing the weight of the expectations that come with starting Week 1. The bottom line is, from Week 10 to Week 17, when the went 5-2, Mayfield ranked first among quarterbacks with 200-plus attempts in yards per throw (8.86) and fourth in pa ser rating (108.4). That first number is a significant factor that we'll come back to later. Projected 2019 MVP: Baker. I mean, he's a dark-horse candidate to be MVP of the league. Projected 2019 defensive MVP: , DE. That's right, the have a great young leader on the side of the ball, too. The first overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Garrett finished last season with 13.5 sacks and expects to have even more in 2019. The added defensive tackle and defensive end this offseason to make life a little easier for Garrett. And even if he's not freed up in one-on-one battles, he's going to open it up for his talented teammates. The ' defense could be legit. Or, at least, it just needs to be better than what Kansas City's D was last year, which, frankly, it already is. 2019 breakout star: , DT. A third-round pick by the in 2017, Ogunjobi had a mini-breakout last year with 5.5 sacks, serving as one of the most consistent players up front. He could easily be the biggest benefactor of having Garrett, Richardson and Vernon on the defensive line. Don't be surprised if you hear his name called a lot. Jermaine Whitehead is another name to monitor, as he's from new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Also worth noting: Wilks is a damn good defensive coordinator, even if things didn't work out so great in Arizona. New face to know: Jr., WR. I'm not sure if you heard about this move, but the traded OBJ to the . Crazy, right? Well, I know there isn't much new ground to cover regarding one of the biggest transactions of the offseason, but I did want to make some key points: 1) QB has done well during his NFL career. But he's clearly on the downside. This is the first time OBJ will play with a quarterback whose career is taking off. 2) But what I really want to impre s on you is that OBJ has always wanted to make more plays downfield. I want to be careful with the way I word that, because Beckham is not a malcontent. aside, he's never really pouted. about the ' play-calling last year -- "How come we can't throw the ball for more than 20 yards? How come we don't attempt or try to throw the ball for more than 20 yards?" -- it seems clear that his angst was focused on his ability to contribute on the field rather than stemming from concern over personal glory. And he never stopped working hard. Quite the opposite. OBJ is loved by his teammates. He just wanted to make more plays. 3) And that's the thing: During Cleveland's fiery season-ending stretch, when Mayfield and Kitchens were really clicking, Mayfield in yards per attempt, which suggests OBJ could really have the best numbers of his career this season. (Once he gets used to playing with someone who's that is.) I'm in on this. If you think OBJ will be a bust because of what you saw over the last few years, then you're clearly selling him short. I will die on this hill. The 2019 roadmap The competitive urgency index is: ELEVATED. In a perfect (or fair) world, we would give the a chance to grow. Kind of like the way no one expects their child to go out and drain buckets like Steph Curry the first time he/she picks up a basketball. But the internet is going to internet, and if the don't win the , people are going to wonder what the hell is wrong with this team. Which seems for Nino Niederreiter Jersey an organization that hasn't won a championship since the 1960s. I think. I didn't look it up. Fine. I looked it up. It's 1964. They haven't won a title since '64. Will the be able to ... Deal with expectations? I mean, it's a whole new world for the , coming in as the expected AFC North champs. Even their got a little (David Caruso puts on his sungla ses, "CSI Miami" style) "Greedy," proclaiming that the . We've seen "super teams" fail in the past. But I don't get the impre sion that the are in danger of that. There are a lot of guys who still have something to prove, despite all the hype. They're more like the Indians in "Major League" than the Indians in "Major League II." Find balance between and ? How have we not talked about this yet? The ' , who had been released by the after a video showing Hunt shoving and kicking a woman in a February incident at a Cleveland hotel , was surprising. Why bring him in when Chubb was coming off a rookie year in which he averaged 84.8 rushing yards per game during the final half of the season? If you're an on-pace guy, that would come out to close to 1,400 rushing yards in a full season at that level of usage. Chubb also had three of his four 100-yard rushing games during that span, which came after the veteran back . (Seriously, I don't mean to bash Hue Jackson; that's not fair. But wow.) How will Cleveland continue to get the most out of Chubb while also working in Hunt, who ranked sixth in the NFL in touches (532) in 2017-18, when he returns from his eight-game suspension? And that's not even factoring in dual-threat back , though he long-term. Keep the momentum going on the offensive line? In 2017, the allowed 50 sacks, sixth-most in the NFL. In 2018, they brought that total down to a more manageable figure of 38, 19th in the league. Plus, they allowed just five sacks over the final eight games of the season, the lowest total in the NFL over that span. Four-fifths of the line that finished out the season is set to return. Can second-year pro replace former right guard , who was sent to the in the Beckham trade? Will Cleveland regret the lo s of depth that came with ? Three key dates: -- . The were given kind of a break early in the schedule, which will present them with the (who finished 9-7 in 2018) in Week 1 and the (4-12) in Week 2, before this stiff Sunday night test against the reigning NFC champs. What that means is, the will probably start 0-2 and then beat the , because that's just the way football works. -- . Two huge games in back-to-back weeks. After this difference-making stretch, we'll know if the are a serious team ready to make a playoff run or, well, the same old . -- . This will function as the mid-term exam for Cleveland, coming right after the ' bye week. And it might be the regular-season matchup I'm looking forward to the most. One storyline people are overlooking:Todd Monken is a pretty good offensive coordinator. What a fantastic addition to Cleveland's staff. Remember last year, when was tearing up the league with the Charlie Coyle Jersey ? Gue s who his offensive coordinator was. (Seriously, if you gue sed anyone other than Monken, what are you doing with your life?) It's expected Kitchens will call the plays for the . And why not? He was pretty good there last year. But adding Monken is a pretty great move. He had other chances out there, because he's a well-respected coach. But he wanted to be a part of Kitchens' staff and work with Baker. Just another reason to start believing the hype. One storyline people are overthinking:How will they distribute all of these targets? Whenever something cool is happening, people are always drawn to the negative. It's like when your bo s springs for free pizza at the office. You always have that one co-worker who has to say stuff like, "Oh man, that's so many calories." Just stop it, already. Nobody is forcing you to eat that pizza. Yes, over the five years they've been in the NFL, and OBJ each rank in the top 10 in total targets (Landry is fifth with 719 and Beckham is 10th with 622). But the former LSU teammates seem to have where they can share in each other's succe ses Matt Dumba Jersey . Nobody is going to get upset when the other guy is out there scoring touchdowns. It's also fair to point out here that Kitchens is at his best trying to distribute the ball to everyone. Eight different players caught at least one touchdown pa s over the final eight games last year. So everyone is going to get a slice. One more thing: Hey guys, . Look, I'm one to talk about this. But sometimes you need to let it go. You know who you are, and you know who I'm talking about. I mean, I love the moxie. And calling out opponents is what made you one of my favorites at Oklahoma. And ... you know what? You do you, Baker. Go nuts. For 2019 to be a succe sful season, the Browns MUST ... -- Get off to a good start. They can't afford to overlook those two teams mentioned above, because the stretch from Week 3 to Week 9 -- which includes the two other key dates mentioned above, vs. the and , as well as contests with the and in Denver -- is fairly gnarly. -- Make the playoffs. Or at least win nine games. It is one thing to win seven games when nobody is expecting much from you. When people are counting on you, it's time to step up and deliver. In closing Here is why I believe in the . We've seen Cleveland take positive strides before, making (what we thought at the time) were good picks, or maybe by making a nice signing. They've settled on coaches who seemed like the right hires. And we've bought in before, only to learn that none of the hype was really warranted. This time, I truly believe things are going to be different. Kitchens pa sed his offensive-coordinator audition last year, and he strikes me as a Bruce Arians-type. Mayfield is a good quarterback. OBJ is a proven NFL superstar. Garrett is a good NFL player. There are legitimate football reasons -- -- to support the thesis that the are legit. This isn't hope; this is real life. The are going to be good this year. See if you can sneak by that bouncer and hop on this bandwagon. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
The are following ' season-ending Achilles injury, and New Erick Aybar Jersey York reportedly considered poaching a signal-caller from another team's practice squad. , the Jets showed interest in quarterback before on Thursday.Rypien was likely going to be promoted from the practice squad either way, as rookie quarterback was recently placed on the . However, ESPN reports that the Rams were indeed aware of the Jets' interest in Rypien, who spent last year Anibal Sanchez Jersey with the under now-Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.Rypien is the nephew of XXVI MVP Mark Rypien. Undrafted out of Boise State in 2019, he found his way to Denver and has played in Bert Blyleven Jersey eight total games over the last three years. In all, he's completed 61.5% of his pa ses for 778 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions. Rypien has actually started in three career games, winning two of them. The Jets have maintained that will be Jason Castro Jersey , but they are still expected to add another player at the position. The Jets are clearly looking over practice squads around the league, so maybe general manager Joe Douglas will find another quarterback he's intrigued by, such as Miguel Sano Jersey veteran of the ,
Who's PlayingGreen Bay (home) vs. Carolina (away) Current Records: Green Bay 7-2; Carolina 5-3What to Know After two games on the road, the Green Bay Packers are heading back home. They will square off against the Carolina Panthers at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Green Bay is the favorite here -- although they were the favorites in their last matchup, too, so the odds might count for a little le s. The game between the Kendrys Morales Jersey Packers and the Los Angeles Chargers last week was not a total blowout, but with the Packers falling 26-11, it was darn close. One thing working slightly against Green Bay was the run-of-the-mill game of Marcus Stroman Jersey their most targeted running back, RB Aaron Jones, who rushed for 30 yards on eight carries. Meanwhile, Carolina was able to grind out a solid win over the Tenne see Titans last week, winning 30-20. RB Christian McCaffrey had a stellar game for Carolina as he rushed for 146 yards and two TDs on 24 carries. McCaffrey put himself on the highlight reel with a 58-yard Jaime Garcia Jersey TD scramble up the middle in the fourth quarter. Carolina's defense was a presence as well, and it made life painful for QB Ryan Tannehill and got past Tenne see's offensive line for a total of four sacks for a lo s of 18 yards. It was a group effort with four picking up one sack apiece. Carolina's victory lifted them to 5-3 while Green Bay's lo s dropped them down to 7 Devon Travis Jersey -2. A couple stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Green Bay rank third in the league when it comes to interceptions, with only two on the season. But the Panthers enter the contest having picked the ball off 12 times, good for second in the the NFL. These opposing strengths should make for an exciting matchup.How To WatchWhen
unday at 4:25 p.m. ETWhere:Lambeau Field--Green Bay,WisconsinTV:FOXOnline streaming: (Try for free)Follow:Ticket Cost
85.00OddsThe Packers are a 5-point favorite against the Panthers.Vegas had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Packers as a 6-point favorite.Over/Under: 49Series HistoryCarolina have won both of the games they've played against Green Bay in the last five years.Dec 17, 2017 - Carolina 31 vs. Green Bay 24Nov 08, 2015 - Carolina 37 Joe Carter Jersey vs. Green Bay 29Top Projected Fantasy PlayersChristian McCaffrey: 19.61 pointsAaron Jones: 12.81 pointsDavante Adams: 10.82 points
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