Dolphins take division lead after beating Jets The second week of NFL action is in the books and it saw a new time rise to the top of the standings to take the AFC East lead
http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/patrick-chung-jersey ;, while the New England Patriots were beaten by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before getting ahead of ourselves, however, let’s take a look at the division in this week’s installment of the AFC East Report:1. Miami Dolphins (2-0)Week 2: 20-12 win against the New York Jets, in East Rutherford NJThe Miami Dolphins have climbed to the top of the AFC East thanks to a 20-12 road win against the New York Jets. It was a successful overall day for Miami, but one that can be divided into two halves: the team dominated the first two quarters while nearly allowed the Jets to come back into the contest by playing a sloppy second half.The Dolphins’ defense made the first big play of the day when safety T.J. McDonald (1 tackle, 1 INT) intercepted Sam Darnold (25/41, 334 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) and returned the pick to the Jets’ 15-yard line. Three plays later, Kenyan Drake found the endzone to give the team a 7-0 lead. The game continued to be dominate by defense: following a series of punts, Miami had another takeaway when Kiko Alonso (13 tackles, 2 FF) forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow linebacker Raekwon McMillan (3 tackles, 1 FR).Two plays after the takeaway, the team scored again when quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17/23, 168 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) connected with Albert Wilson (3/37 yds, 1 TD) on a 29-yard scoring pass. Miami’s next possession – a well-executed two-minute drill – created even more points: ex-Patriot A.J. Darby caught a pass by Tannehill from 19-0 out to give his new team a 20-0 lead after a missed extra point attempt.From that point on, the game was almost all Jets. Miami’s defense almost allowed a touchdown before the half – New York simply ran out of time at the 1-yard line – before giving up six points on the first possession of the second half. On the very next play from scrimmage, Tannehill lost a fumble that set up the Jets in good field position. However, an interception by Xavien Howard one play later kept Miami’s 14-point lead intact.Miami’s defense continued to struggle, though, and another Tannehill fumble led to three more New York points. The Jets scored another field goal with six minutes left in the game but at that point, the Dolphins rose to the occasion and were able to run out the clock with a perfect possession that ended with Miami’s passer kneeling out the contest.To watch highlights of the game, click here.t-2. New York Jets (1-1)Week 2: 20-12 loss against the Miami Dolphins, in East Rutherford NJTheir game against the visiting Miami Dolphins was also a tale of two halves for the New York Jets. Gang Green had its moments but ultimately made too many mistakes in key situations to come back out of the hole which it found itself in after the first two quarters – despite gaining more yards (362-257) and first downs (21-18) than its opponent.New York’s very first possession was a sign of things to come: quarterback Sam Darnold (25/41, 334 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) fumbled the football. While he was able to recover, it was a first sign of the ball security issues that would haunt the Jets all game long. One play later, those issues produced the first turnover of the game when Darnold threw an interception when he was too focused on wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (7/92 yds).The pick set up Miami’s first touchdown of the day – and things did not get a lot better afterwards. While New York’s defense kept the score at 7-0 until late in the second quarter, another Jets turnover – a fumble by wide receiver Robby Anderson (3/27 yds) – gave the Dolphins good field position once more and ultimately led to the visitors’ second touchdown and a 14-0 deficit for the home team.New York gave up another six points before the half but was able to drive all the way to the opponent’s 1-yard line afterwards. However, the clock expired before the Jets could do anything with the possession and the team’s headed into halftime at 20-0 in Miami’s favor. the lead was cut to 20-6 on the first drive of the second half as Darnold and company finally were able to get into a rhythm, capped by a 28-yard pass to Bilal Powell (5/74 yds, 1 TD).After a forced fumble and recovery by Jordan Jenkins
Womens Eric Rowe Jersey , the Jets were in prime position to come even closer but an interception by Darnold killed all hope of another quick touchdown – and the momentum his team had built. While another fumble recovery by New York’s defense led to a field goal, the Jets were unable to quickly move down the field when they had to. This allowed the Dolphins to run out the clock with a six-minute possession at the end of the fourth quarter.To watch highlights of the game, click here.4. Buffalo Bills (0-2)Week 2: 31-20 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Orchard Park NYAfter their opening day loss in Baltimore, the Buffalo Bills opted to make a change at quarterback: out was inefficient starter Nathan Peterman, in was first-round rookie Josh Allen (18/33, 245 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs). The change was only a slight improvement for Buffalo’s offense. While Allen and the unit scored more points than in week one, it still was unable to keep the team consistently competitive.The first few minutes of the game already were a reflection of that: two quick three-and-outs by the Bills were each followed by Chargers touchdown drives. While Buffalo managed a field goal drive to bring the score to 14-3 early in the second quarter, things did not improve for the team’s offense and defense: the visitors scored touchdowns on their next two possessions as well, to put the Bills in a 28-3 hole.Buffalo was able to add another field goal shortly before the half, and scored its first touchdown immediately after it: Chris Ivory (2/7 yds, 1 TD) found the end zone from one yard out. At that point, the game turned into a defensive battle with neither team being able to generate much offense. The biggest plays were two interceptions by Allen – the second of which setting up a Chargers field goal.While Buffalo responded with its second field goal drive of the day, it was too little too late: Josh Allen’s first career touchdown pass – a three-yarder to Kelvin Benjamin (2/19 yds, 1 TD) – did little to change the outcome of the game and push the Bills to an 0-2 record.To watch highlights of the game, click here.Week 1 Patriots vs Texans: Under-The-Radar Players You Should Be Watching When the Patriots kick off this afternoon, everyone will be watching Tom Brady, Dont’a Hightower, and Rob Gronkowski. But there are lots of players that fly under the radar. I wanted to focus on a few that I think will have a major impact on the team today and throughout the season. James Develin, FB - The fullback, one of the most overlooked starting positions in all of sports. Every now and again one comes along that does things different, like Larry Centers, but mostly these guys are treated like a snow plow on a truck. They clear the road for the guys behind them to get all the glory. Develin is one of the best in the league, and, when he actually touches ball, he’s incredibly hard to stop. David Andrews, C - Center is a position that just naturally gets overlooked. The tackles get the big money, and have to face some of the most athletic freaks in the game. The guards do all sorts of pulling(Andrews actually does a decent amount of pulling for the Patriots) and are generally considered more agile and better athletes than the tackles. That leaves the center in the middle as the forgotten guy. He’s actually the most important person on the line. He calls the blocking scheme for the play. He’s reading the defense, usually with the QBs hands up his butt, and calling out protection for passing and running plays. Not to mention, the hardest pass rush to avoid is one that comes from straight up the middle. Andrews is a captain for the second straight year this year, so he’s clearly respected by his teammates, even if he may not get the recognition he deserves from the casual fan. Duron Harmon
http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/phillip-dorsett-jersey ;, S - One of the biggest signing for the Patriots last offseason was bringing Harmon back. A lot of people thought it was silly to bring back a guy who, they thought, just got back and didn’t let anyone behind him. It sounds silly, but being able to stay back and not let anything behind you is harder for most guys than you would think. Harmon’s ability to not make mistakes in the back end of the secondary is huge for the Patriots, and they proved that when they signed him to a 4 year, $17M deal last year. He’s also started getting more interceptions. Some, like the one in the Pittsburgh and the Super Bowl, is the result of him being near the play when it was happening and catching a batted ball, and some are him reading the play and getting there on a deep ball. Either way, his numbers are starting to reflect his importance to the team. He may not be talked about as one of the best safeties in the league, but he might be approaching that if he can build on what he did last year. Joe Cardona, LS - I have a soft spot for the long snapper. I was the snapper in high school and the backup when I play in college freshman year. His ability to be on time and in the right spot with his snaps is vital to the process. Bill always talks about Cardona, Allen, and Ghost as a unit on field goals, and he’s totally correct. One of them screws up, and it’s most likely a miss. He also always seems to be in on the tackle if the punt is returned, showing off his effort and pursuit skills. An added bonus on top of a solid snapper. Cardona is also a graduate of the Naval Academy, and still serves in the military during the offseason. Brandon King, S/LB - King is listed as a LB on the active roster, but he’s been listen at S too. Neither of those designations matter, because he is on the team to do one thing: play special teams. He’s an excellent kick coverage guy, and while Matthew Slater deservedly gets a ton of credit, you’ll see #36 around the ball on returns just as frequently as #18. With Brandon Boldin not returning this year, it’s going to be even more important that he is great in kick coverage.Lawrence Guy, DT - People have been talking about the defensive line depth all summer, but one guy that has not been included in most of those conversations is Guy. He was a force in the middle last year, and should continue to be so this year. With guys on the outside that can get to the passer, and a guy like Adam Butler inside who can do the same, you need guys who are stout against the run. Typically, people mention Malcom Brown when talking about the interior defensive line, but I think Guy was just as important last year. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll start to focus not just on the star players, but also on the role players who make the Patriots great.Pat is the host of the Weekend Warrior PodcastInteract with him on Twitter @wtplane
Dolphins take division lead after beating Jets The second week of NFL action is in the books and it saw a new time rise to the top of the standings to take the AFC East lead http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/patrick-chung-jersey ;, while the New England Patriots were beaten by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before getting ahead of ourselves, however, let’s take a look at the division in this week’s installment of the AFC East Report:1. Miami Dolphins (2-0)Week 2: 20-12 win against the New York Jets, in East Rutherford NJThe Miami Dolphins have climbed to the top of the AFC East thanks to a 20-12 road win against the New York Jets. It was a successful overall day for Miami, but one that can be divided into two halves: the team dominated the first two quarters while nearly allowed the Jets to come back into the contest by playing a sloppy second half.The Dolphins’ defense made the first big play of the day when safety T.J. McDonald (1 tackle, 1 INT) intercepted Sam Darnold (25/41, 334 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) and returned the pick to the Jets’ 15-yard line. Three plays later, Kenyan Drake found the endzone to give the team a 7-0 lead. The game continued to be dominate by defense: following a series of punts, Miami had another takeaway when Kiko Alonso (13 tackles, 2 FF) forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow linebacker Raekwon McMillan (3 tackles, 1 FR).Two plays after the takeaway, the team scored again when quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17/23, 168 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) connected with Albert Wilson (3/37 yds, 1 TD) on a 29-yard scoring pass. Miami’s next possession – a well-executed two-minute drill – created even more points: ex-Patriot A.J. Darby caught a pass by Tannehill from 19-0 out to give his new team a 20-0 lead after a missed extra point attempt.From that point on, the game was almost all Jets. Miami’s defense almost allowed a touchdown before the half – New York simply ran out of time at the 1-yard line – before giving up six points on the first possession of the second half. On the very next play from scrimmage, Tannehill lost a fumble that set up the Jets in good field position. However, an interception by Xavien Howard one play later kept Miami’s 14-point lead intact.Miami’s defense continued to struggle, though, and another Tannehill fumble led to three more New York points. The Jets scored another field goal with six minutes left in the game but at that point, the Dolphins rose to the occasion and were able to run out the clock with a perfect possession that ended with Miami’s passer kneeling out the contest.To watch highlights of the game, click here.t-2. New York Jets (1-1)Week 2: 20-12 loss against the Miami Dolphins, in East Rutherford NJTheir game against the visiting Miami Dolphins was also a tale of two halves for the New York Jets. Gang Green had its moments but ultimately made too many mistakes in key situations to come back out of the hole which it found itself in after the first two quarters – despite gaining more yards (362-257) and first downs (21-18) than its opponent.New York’s very first possession was a sign of things to come: quarterback Sam Darnold (25/41, 334 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs) fumbled the football. While he was able to recover, it was a first sign of the ball security issues that would haunt the Jets all game long. One play later, those issues produced the first turnover of the game when Darnold threw an interception when he was too focused on wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (7/92 yds).The pick set up Miami’s first touchdown of the day – and things did not get a lot better afterwards. While New York’s defense kept the score at 7-0 until late in the second quarter, another Jets turnover – a fumble by wide receiver Robby Anderson (3/27 yds) – gave the Dolphins good field position once more and ultimately led to the visitors’ second touchdown and a 14-0 deficit for the home team.New York gave up another six points before the half but was able to drive all the way to the opponent’s 1-yard line afterwards. However, the clock expired before the Jets could do anything with the possession and the team’s headed into halftime at 20-0 in Miami’s favor. the lead was cut to 20-6 on the first drive of the second half as Darnold and company finally were able to get into a rhythm, capped by a 28-yard pass to Bilal Powell (5/74 yds, 1 TD).After a forced fumble and recovery by Jordan Jenkins Womens Eric Rowe Jersey , the Jets were in prime position to come even closer but an interception by Darnold killed all hope of another quick touchdown – and the momentum his team had built. While another fumble recovery by New York’s defense led to a field goal, the Jets were unable to quickly move down the field when they had to. This allowed the Dolphins to run out the clock with a six-minute possession at the end of the fourth quarter.To watch highlights of the game, click here.4. Buffalo Bills (0-2)Week 2: 31-20 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Orchard Park NYAfter their opening day loss in Baltimore, the Buffalo Bills opted to make a change at quarterback: out was inefficient starter Nathan Peterman, in was first-round rookie Josh Allen (18/33, 245 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs). The change was only a slight improvement for Buffalo’s offense. While Allen and the unit scored more points than in week one, it still was unable to keep the team consistently competitive.The first few minutes of the game already were a reflection of that: two quick three-and-outs by the Bills were each followed by Chargers touchdown drives. While Buffalo managed a field goal drive to bring the score to 14-3 early in the second quarter, things did not improve for the team’s offense and defense: the visitors scored touchdowns on their next two possessions as well, to put the Bills in a 28-3 hole.Buffalo was able to add another field goal shortly before the half, and scored its first touchdown immediately after it: Chris Ivory (2/7 yds, 1 TD) found the end zone from one yard out. At that point, the game turned into a defensive battle with neither team being able to generate much offense. The biggest plays were two interceptions by Allen – the second of which setting up a Chargers field goal.While Buffalo responded with its second field goal drive of the day, it was too little too late: Josh Allen’s first career touchdown pass – a three-yarder to Kelvin Benjamin (2/19 yds, 1 TD) – did little to change the outcome of the game and push the Bills to an 0-2 record.To watch highlights of the game, click here.Week 1 Patriots vs Texans: Under-The-Radar Players You Should Be Watching When the Patriots kick off this afternoon, everyone will be watching Tom Brady, Dont’a Hightower, and Rob Gronkowski. But there are lots of players that fly under the radar. I wanted to focus on a few that I think will have a major impact on the team today and throughout the season. James Develin, FB - The fullback, one of the most overlooked starting positions in all of sports. Every now and again one comes along that does things different, like Larry Centers, but mostly these guys are treated like a snow plow on a truck. They clear the road for the guys behind them to get all the glory. Develin is one of the best in the league, and, when he actually touches ball, he’s incredibly hard to stop. David Andrews, C - Center is a position that just naturally gets overlooked. The tackles get the big money, and have to face some of the most athletic freaks in the game. The guards do all sorts of pulling(Andrews actually does a decent amount of pulling for the Patriots) and are generally considered more agile and better athletes than the tackles. That leaves the center in the middle as the forgotten guy. He’s actually the most important person on the line. He calls the blocking scheme for the play. He’s reading the defense, usually with the QBs hands up his butt, and calling out protection for passing and running plays. Not to mention, the hardest pass rush to avoid is one that comes from straight up the middle. Andrews is a captain for the second straight year this year, so he’s clearly respected by his teammates, even if he may not get the recognition he deserves from the casual fan. Duron Harmon http://www.newenglandpatriotsteamonline.com/phillip-dorsett-jersey ;, S - One of the biggest signing for the Patriots last offseason was bringing Harmon back. A lot of people thought it was silly to bring back a guy who, they thought, just got back and didn’t let anyone behind him. It sounds silly, but being able to stay back and not let anything behind you is harder for most guys than you would think. Harmon’s ability to not make mistakes in the back end of the secondary is huge for the Patriots, and they proved that when they signed him to a 4 year, $17M deal last year. He’s also started getting more interceptions. Some, like the one in the Pittsburgh and the Super Bowl, is the result of him being near the play when it was happening and catching a batted ball, and some are him reading the play and getting there on a deep ball. Either way, his numbers are starting to reflect his importance to the team. He may not be talked about as one of the best safeties in the league, but he might be approaching that if he can build on what he did last year. Joe Cardona, LS - I have a soft spot for the long snapper. I was the snapper in high school and the backup when I play in college freshman year. His ability to be on time and in the right spot with his snaps is vital to the process. Bill always talks about Cardona, Allen, and Ghost as a unit on field goals, and he’s totally correct. One of them screws up, and it’s most likely a miss. He also always seems to be in on the tackle if the punt is returned, showing off his effort and pursuit skills. An added bonus on top of a solid snapper. Cardona is also a graduate of the Naval Academy, and still serves in the military during the offseason. Brandon King, S/LB - King is listed as a LB on the active roster, but he’s been listen at S too. Neither of those designations matter, because he is on the team to do one thing: play special teams. He’s an excellent kick coverage guy, and while Matthew Slater deservedly gets a ton of credit, you’ll see #36 around the ball on returns just as frequently as #18. With Brandon Boldin not returning this year, it’s going to be even more important that he is great in kick coverage.Lawrence Guy, DT - People have been talking about the defensive line depth all summer, but one guy that has not been included in most of those conversations is Guy. He was a force in the middle last year, and should continue to be so this year. With guys on the outside that can get to the passer, and a guy like Adam Butler inside who can do the same, you need guys who are stout against the run. Typically, people mention Malcom Brown when talking about the interior defensive line, but I think Guy was just as important last year. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll start to focus not just on the star players, but also on the role players who make the Patriots great.Pat is the host of the Weekend Warrior PodcastInteract with him on Twitter @wtplane