The Dugout - Counting the Days (& the ACLs)
How soon is too soon for NFL fans to start worrying about the regular season?
If you’re the Green Bay Packers or the Carolina Panthers, now’s good. Both of them just lost their star wide receivers for the season with ACL injuries, Kalvin Benjamin (CP) and Jordy Nelson (GBP). Benjamin’s loss is brutal for the already weak Panthers WR corps, he was their only genuine star there and his loss makes their playoff hopes a fair slice thinner.
But they’re a borderline playoff team even with him. The Green Bay Packers are eying the Super Bowl and now they’ll have to do it without Aaron Rodgers’ favourite receiver. A man who had 98 catches for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. A man who just signed a four year $39m contract extension in July 2014.
The injury seemed to happen as he slipped on the artificial turf against the Steelers after catching a pass in pre-season. An MRI confirmed the injury, he’ll miss all of 2015. The Steelers also lost centre Maurkice Pouncey for most of the upcoming season with an ankle injury.
While those teams get weaker at wide out, the Patriots get stronger. Reggie Wayne has signed on for 2015. If any team can get the best out of the 36 year old future Hall of Famer then it’s Belichick and the Pats. And if any other team needs a veteran receiver, well, Randy Moss says he hasn’t lost “the itch” just yet.
Speaking of itches, here are a few being scratched in a dual training session between the Cowboys and Rams. Someone clocks Dez Bryant in there somewhere.
Robert Griffin III got monstered by the Lions. A pathetic effort from their offensive line basically gave him no chance and he was on the end of a couple crushing blows before leaving the game with a concussion. It’s no secret that the R**skins staff and office have lost faith in RG3 as their franchise guy, but this was ugly.
On the plus side, there were solid outings from Jameis Winston, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota and even Johnny Manziel looked solid. But there will be no talk of Tim Tebow here until he does something in a real game.
Also, the Houston Texans are set to name Brian Hoyer as their week one starting QB. A fair choice, we’ll no doubt hear all about it on the next episode of ‘Hard Knocks’.
Hayne Plane Still In Flight
Or is it the Hayne Train now that he’s a running back in the NFL? Hmm.
Last week we went on about the situation that Hayne’s facing and his chances of making the final roster. After his latest pre-season game, it’s getting hard to imagine he won’t be there.
Hayne torched the Dallas Cowboys for three consecutive great punt returns. Each time he got by the first man without being touched. You can be forgiven for thinking that his first week was a flash in the pan but he went and topped it in game two.
Returns of 27, 34 and 23 yards. 54 yards rushing on 8 carries including a 34 yard break. Just as he did in the NRL, Hayne is showing that all he needs is the ball in his hands.
The return game is his immediate avenue into the NFL but the most promising thing about his game was that 34 yard run. Check out that stiff-arm fend, that’s downright nasty. Plus he stays inbounds at the end and takes the hit, earning a few extra yards in the process. Coaches will adore that sort of thing. Showing that he can get the hard yards as well as the open field stuff, that’s huge.
One thing we do need to keep in mind is that he's not playing against the best the oppositions have to offer. He's playing against second and third team guys, players trying to make a case that they deserve a spot on the roster too. Unprovens. Still, he's making more of an impact than most.
Now, traditionally a team will take three or four running backs on their roster. The 49ers will certainly have Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush there. Bush has missed both pre-season games but has been training with the starters and working on his rhythm with QB Colin Kaepernick (especially as a backfield pass option). That dude’s a veteran, pre-season means nothing to him. The other guy who hasn’t featured yet is Kendall Hunter.
Hunter is entering his fifth season with the team but missed the entirety of 2014 with a torn ACL. In his career he’s rushed for 1202 yards at 4.6 per carry, very solid backup numbers. The Niners actually had four RBs in their 53 to start last season, and at one stage had five, but mostly ran with three. A starter, a backup and a third option.
Hayne could even make the team as a special teamer alone. He looked useful in his rep in kick coverage too, his versatility 100% makes him more likely. But again, there are limited spots. Fullback Bruce Miller will get one of them, his position is more about blocking than rushing, though he’ll do both and that means less need for an extra pure running back. Mike Davis has looked impressive in pre-season, the 22 year old rookie picked up 34 tough yards in 8 carries without busting a long one as Hayne did. Plus he's a fourth round pick in the latest draft and teams tend not to waste those.
Kendall Gaskins is a journeyman. 32 yards in 15 carries so far in the exhibition stuff is hardly gonna get him a roster spot, Hayne has far exceeded him. The way it stands, this could come down to a 1v1 between Hayne and Hunter. Kendall Hunter is back in full training as of last week but hasn’t featured in pre-season yet. He should have two more games to prove that he’s ready to go because right now it looks like the Aussie has the upper hand.
One thing that shouldn’t happen now is Hayne ending up on a practice squad. PS players can be claimed by another team offering a full roster spot and Hayne will have plenty of interest from others if that comes to pass. The Cowboys, maybe?
Also, have you noticed that the yanks are starting to pick up on the rugby/rugby league distinction?
Nash-Ville
The legendary Steve Nash is set to be inducted into the Phoenix Suns ‘Ring of Honor’ at the end of October, a fitting gesture for an all timer as he was. If the last couple years of his career madeyou forget what a talent Nash was, there are thousands of youtube vids that make it abundantly clear. Very cool, very deserved.
But there’s bigger news than that this week on the Steve Nash front. Nash was involved in some ESPN 30 for 30 stuff in the past and he’s expressed a love of film and a desire to get into that world now that he’s retired. Looks like he’s found his inroads.
Nash is set to produce an independent film about the rave movement of the 80s, back when ecstasy was legal and before it was called Molly. It’s set in Dallas (Nash is a former Maverick) and will be directed by Dori Oskowitz and written by Richard Stratton. There’s no working title yet.
“Having played in Dallas for six years, I was drawn to this project for its relationship with the city. After poring over the material I found an incredibly unique story with so many vibrant characters and a bold history known as the origin to the rave scene ecstasy culture. Its footprints are now all over the world.”
If you’re wondering what an inebriated Dallas looks like, it’s probably something like this:
Or maybe this:
Dirk + Steve 4EVA!
Make Money, Make Money
Madden: The Movie
Do. Not. Drop. Gronk.
America’s Power Couple
“Dog, I hate to ask for it”
Iman Shumpert, ladies and gents. With his latest track, a philosophical meditation about the burdens of fame and success.
La Mamba Returns
Burned
Rumour of the Week
“The Los Angeles Lakers are discussing the possibility of signing free agent forward Metta World Peace to a one-year contract, league sources told Yahoo Sports.” - Woj
Lamar Odom next, perhaps? Hey, what’s Andrew Bynum up to?
Quote of the Week
"Every man needs one of these in their closet. It's very European, ladies love it. You know if you've got a little yorkie or a dog, you can put it in there...
[Next Scene] I'm thinking of getting a little dog, I'm thinking about getting a little yorkie. So I can have like a man bag, and I can have my dog in my man bag...
... Yeah like, be in the club with my dog..."
- DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans, 'Hard Knocks' 2015
Seriously, he said those words. And that wasn't even all of it.
Good Week:
Chicago Cubs – Don’t look now but the Cubbies are surging! Five wins in a row, they’ve got a 6.5 game jump on the Giants for the last wildcard spot and there’s a little over a month to play. Manager Joe Maddon says “of course” they can win the World Series. Well, it’s been 107 years since they last did that, no pressure.
Chase Utley (LA Dodgers) – There’s nothing like saying goodbye to remember how much you meant to someone. Utley was traded to the Dodgers this week after 12 and a half years with the Philadelphia Phillies. The full-page newspaper ad was a lovely touch.
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) – Every week is a good week when a single tweet of yours is worth about US$140,000. And when you’re so rich and famous and successful that you don’t even need to say yes when the ad men come calling.
Bad Week:
Robert Griffin III (Washington R**skins) – Can you hear that sound? That’s the reverberations still lingering from all those hits that RG3 took against the Lions in pre-season. Look, he’s struggling enough already, at least block for him! Given the concussion he left with, this tweet from the ‘skins he next day might be a little insensitive too:
Kelvin Benjamin (Carolina Panthers) – And by extension the entire Panthers team. Benjamin, far and away the best receiver on that team, has done his ACL and will not play in 2015. For a team already weak on WRs, this is a devastating bit of news for them.
Cris Carter (NFL Legend) – For telling rookies that they should have a “fall guy” in case they get into trouble. Someone to take the heat when they mess up. Not a great bit of advice given recent scrutiny on player behaviour. He’s been widely criticised since.
Player of the Week:
A.J. Pollock (Arizona Diamondbacks) – How about 14 hits in 29 at-bats this week with 8 runs and 4 RBI? Not enough, add in four stolen bases and some solid defence and there ya go. Pollock’s having one of the undercover great seasons of 2015, hitting .325 with 89 runs and 33 steals.