Falcons coaches spreading read-option plans

Reuters

With offseason work time limited like never before, teams have to be focused on what they can install during the offseason.

So when a day is devoted to one thing, it’s obviously important.

The Falcons have been careful to study college defenses as they work up a plan to counteract the pistol and read-option stuff they’ve seen in the past from the Panthers and 49ers and others. Coaches studied with the Clemson staff, and began sending out instructions to players.

“We’ve already put one day in the books, where it was pretty much just about the way we are defending the read-option,” Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re heading in that direction.”

In addition to two against the Panthers and Cam Newton, the Falcons will also play against the 49ers, Seahawks and Redskins, all of whom employ some degree of the system.

That’s 30 percent of their schedule, which is why the time spent is necessary.

“We’re definitely crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s because the league is kind of coming to that, with these athletic quarterbacks,” Weatherspoon said. “It’s kind of becoming a little bit like college in that aspect and some teams are multiple [threats]. They do the regular, traditional-style offenses as well as going to the pistol and the read-option. That’s something that you really have to focus on.”

How the read-option is able to last (or not) where the Wildcat did not will be one of the intriguing storylines of the coming season.

But rest assured, if it continues, it won’t be because opponents are unprepared.

AP

Complain all you want about catch/no-catch or any other quirk of the NFL rule book. No NFL rule is worse than the rule that applies when a runner loses possession just before breaking the plane of the goal line and the ball rolls out of the end zone unrecovered.

In that situation, the defense gets possession at its 20. Never mind the fact that the offense would have kept possession if the ball had squirted out of bounds short of the end zone. Once it crosses the goal line and goes out of the bounds, the defense gets the ball, even if the defense fails to recover the ball.

The worst rule in football stung the Chiefs on Sunday, with a ruling that running back Spencer Ware had pushed the ball into the end zone reversed into a ruling that he had fumbled and the ball had gone out of the end zone.

End result? Points came off the board, and the Jets got the ball on their 20.

There has never been any real momentum to fix the rule. The most fair outcome would be to give the offense the ball at the spot of the fumble. That would happen if the ball goes out of bounds before bouncing into the end zone.

If the defense wants to possess the ball, the defense should recover the fumble. Otherwise, the rule that applies from goal line to goal line should apply beyond at and beyond each goal line.

Getty Images

The Eagles are routing the Steelers.

Carson Wentz lofted a pass towards the sidelines on the first series of the second half, and Darren Sproles caught it and took off for a 73-yard touchdown. After the Steelers turned it over on downs, the Eagles marched 67 yards in seven plays.

Wendell Smallwood’s touchdown run made it 27-3.

The Steelers have moved the ball but haven’t finished drives. Wentz keeps finding open receivers; midway through the third quarter, he’s 21-of-28 for 287 yards and two touchdowns.

The Steelers have lost a bunch of players to injury. Most recently, a toe injury knocked wide receiver Eli Rogers out of the game.

Getty Images

Buccaneers kicker Roberto Aguayo appeared to have gotten over his case of yips in the preseason.

But they may be back.

Aguayo just missed a 41-yard field goal, after missing an extra point in his first attempt of the game. That kept the Bucs from building on a 20-17 lead over the Rams, and the Rams responded with a touchdown to reclaim the lead.

The pressure will only magnify after he went through a bout of misses in the preseason, and had his own fans heckling him in training camp.

The pressure was always going to be there, however, after the Bucs traded up so they could take the Florida State kicker in the second round.

He did hit his other two extra points today, so he’s got that going for him.

Getty Images

The Odell Beckham–Josh Norman rematch started with officials talking to both players before the game to tell them to be on their best behavior and the game unfolded without any scrapes between the two men.

Beckham did wind up with a bruise under his right eye, although that appeared to come from a kicking net on the sideline that reacted to a shot by Beckham by bouncing back to hit him in the head. Beckham, who was flagged for offensive pass interference late in the game, said he didn’t remember how he got the welt after the game, but did recall what the officials said to him before the 29-27 Redskins victory.

“Today, they came up before the game and said, ‘If you do anything we’re throwing you out of the game.’ That was before the game,” Beckham said, via NJ.com. “There was no, ‘You get a warning.’ There wasn’t any of that. You’ve just got to be on your best behavior. Unfortunately, this is what we’ve come to. It’s not really football any more as much as it is all of the other things that play into it. … Today, I think we did a great job making it a lot about football even though there were a lot of outside implications that went on that kind of predetermined the matchup before it happened instead of letting us play football like we’ve done our entire lives.”

Norman said that officials told him not to make a “mockery” of the game, but didn’t say if they laid down the same zero tolerance message. He picked up a personal foul for hitting Giants receiver Sterling Shepard in the head when he was protected as a defenseless receiver. Norman was not penalized for grabbing Beckham and carrying him for a few steps on a first quarter play.

Norman and Beckham met on the field after the game and shared a hug. We’ll see if that detente holds for the second Redskins-Giants game this season.

AP

Now Russell Wilson is dealing with injuries to both legs.

Wilson, the Seahawks quarterback who was already playing through a high ankle sprain of his right ankle, suffered an injury again today against the 49ers. This time it was his left ankle that bent awkwardly underneath him, an injury that at first appeared to be serious.

However, Wilson came off the field for just one play before going back in the game. He was moving around gingerly, but he indicated that he was good to go, and the Seahawks’ coaches and medical staff allowed him to keep playing.

With the Seahawks winning 27-3,the Seahawks took Wilson out to let him rest on their next possession. Even if Wilson is OK to play, he looks like he could use a break right now. And maybe some NanoBubbles.

Getty Images

The Redskins got a much-needed win over the Giants on Sunday, but they may have lost safety DeAngelo Hall for the rest of the season.

Hall left the game with a knee injury in the first half and did not return. After the game, he told Josina Anderson of ESPN that he was told he tore his ACL, although Anderson reports that Hall appeared to be walking fine. He will have an MRI to confirm that initial diagnosis.

If it is confirmed, it will leave Hall with only 16 games played over the last three seasons.

The Redskins also lost cornerback Bashaud Breeland to an ankle injury during the game. He said that x-rays didn’t show a break, although there will be further evaluation to assess the severity of his injury.

AP

The Rams have touchdowns, plural, and are actually involved in a bit of a shootout with the Buccaneers.

No, really.

Todd Gurley ran one in just before the half, and the Bucs are up 20-17 at the break.

Bucs running back Charles Sims (subbing for an injured Doug Martin) scored a touchdown to cap a 75-yard drive, and Jameis Winston followed with a touchdown pass to tight end Cameron Brate (subbing for a cut Austin Seferian Jenkins) to build a 20-10 lead.

But Case Keenum led what looked almost like a professional offense, getting the Rams to within a field goal at the break. For a team averaging 4.5 points per game entering this one, it’s a start.

Getty Images

Winning a game on the road in the NFL is tough under the best of circumstances, but the Jets spent the first half making life much more difficult for themselves.

The Chiefs turned three Jets turnovers into points and lead 17-3 at the half as a result. Ryan Fitzpatrick got the ball rolling with a first quarter interception that turned into a Travis Kelce touchdown on the ensuing drive and the Chiefs were able to convert three third downs after a Bilal Powell fumble to add three points to that total.

Jets rookie Jalin Marshall fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris returned it for a touchdown to make it a painful 10 minutes for the Jets. They were able to recover for a field goal drive, but there’s not much margin for error if they’re going to make a run at a second straight win over the final two quarters of the game.

Alex Smith is 16-of-22 for 117 yards and Kelce has been tough to bring down on a few of his five catches, helping the Chiefs to capitalize on the Jets mistakes and push themselves closer to their second win of the season.

Getty Images

The Steelers are losing to the Eagles, 13-3, at halftime.

More importantly, the Steelers have already lost multiple players to injury.

Among the injured are linebacker Jarvis Jones, Lawrence Timmons, guard Ramon Foster and cornerback Robert Golden. All except Golden could return to the game.

Linebacker Ryan Shazier was taken to the locker room with a knee injury but returned to the game late in the second quarter. The team said Foster has a chest injury and his return is questionable.

Carson Wentz has been sharp for the Eagles, and the Steelers have moved the ball but haven’t finished drives.

AP

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is off to another solid start, and the Eagles lead the Steelers midway through the second quarter, 10-3.

Wentz threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews to make it 10-0. Wentz has hit 11-of-14 passes for 133 yards early on.

The Steelers missed a field goal to start the game. Ben Roethlisberger has been sharp, too, completing 11-of-15 for 137 yards. The Steelers just haven’t been able to finish drives with touchdowns.

AP

Ryan Fitzpatrick avoided turnovers in last week’s victory over the Bills, but he couldn’t make it out of the first quarter without one this Sunday.

Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters went up high to snag a pass intended for Jalin Marshall and gave the offense the ball at the Jets’ 32-yard-line. Alex Smith capitalized with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to give Kansas City an early 7-0 lead.

The Chiefs also moved the ball fairly well on their first drive as Spencer Ware has found room to run against the Jets defense. A holding penalty on Mitch Morse and sack by Jets rookie Darron Lee killed the drive before the Chiefs could put any points on the board.

The Jets didn’t get anything going offensively on their first drive, leaving them with some work to do if they’re going to leave with a road win this weekend.

Getty Images

Chargers linebacker Manti Te’o suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter of today’s game at Indianapolis.

Te’o wasn’t touched on the play. He dropped into coverage, tried to plant his feet and change direction, and immediately crumpled to the ground. He was helped off the field and then carted to the locker room.

The Chargers announced that Te’o is out for the rest of the game with an Achilles injury, and it didn’t look like a good situation for Te’o.

Te’o is in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract as the Chargers’ 2013 second-round pick.

AP

The Dolphins tried to give it away, but the Browns missed chances — and missed field goals, specifically — and the Dolphins eventually won in overtime, 30-24.

Jay Ajayi ran 11 yards for the winning touchdown after the teams had traded punts to start overtime.

The Browns won the overtime coin toss but elected to kick. It went to overtime because Browns kicker Cody Parkey missed a 46-yarder on the final play of regulation.

It was Parkey’s third miss of the game. The Browns just officially signed him Saturday after Patrick Murray suffered a torn ACL on Friday. The Browns had chosen to take a knee despite having a timeout with 20 seconds left at the Dolphins’ 28-yard line.

The Dolphins led by 11, 24-13, late in the third quarter before the Browns rallied. The Browns used ex-quarterback turned wide receiver Terrelle Pryor at quarterback and all over the field, really. Pryor threw for 35 yards, ran for 21 yards and a touchdown and caught eight passes for 144 yards.

Browns rookie quarterback Cody Kessler, making his first start, threw for 244 yards.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 319 yards but threw two interceptions, one that Briean Boddy-Calhoun returned for a touchdown in the first half. Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry caught seven passes for 120 yards.

The Dolphins move to 1-2 and are at Cincinnati Thursday night. The Browns fall to 0-3 and are at the Redskins next week.

AP

Odell Beckham looked like he had tears in his eyes on the sideline as he threw a tantrum after an Eli Manning interception in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Redskins and there will definitely be more tears in Giants country as a result of the final score as well.

Su’a Cravens intercepted Manning with 1:02 left in the game to seal a 29-27 win in a game that the Giants led 21-9 in the first half. Cravens’ pick came a few plays after Dustin Hopkins put the Redskins up in the fifth lead change of the second half.

The play ended a wild afternoon that saw the Giants look good early before imploding. Three turnovers hurt their cause as did 11 penalties for 128 yards. There may not have been any fisticuffs or overt dirtiness between Beckham and Josh Norman this time, but center Weston Richburg was ejected after two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and defensive back Andrew Adams negated a blocked punt in the fourth quarter when he was flagged for a totally uncalled for and unnecessary shot to the head of a Redskins gunner well away from the play.

Washington took advantage of those self-inflicted wounds by avoiding turnovers of their own and making big plays in the passing game. DeSean Jackson caught a 44-yard touchdown from Kirk Cousins in the first half and Jamison Crowder ran away from the Giants on a 55-yard catch-and-run for a score in the third quarter, although the biggest play might have come from the arm of punter Tress Way. With the Redskins trailing late in the third, Way hit defensive back Quinton Dunbar for a 31-yard gain on a fake punt that set up a Hopkins field goal and kept the Giants from grabbing momentum.

Dunbar also made an athletic play to account for Manning’s first interception of the game and the Washington defense was able to get pressure on Manning on several key plays, including both interceptions.

The Norman-Beckham matchup lacked the shenanigans of last year and Beckham wound up with seven catches for 121 yards, but none resulted in the touchdowns the Giants couldn’t find after opening the game with three in the first 25 minutes of the game. Norman was penalized for a hit to Sterling Shepard’s head and was on the receiving end of Richburg’s disqualifying penalty, but the matchup between the leading players was a quieter one this time around.

The Redskins secondary also held up despite the losses of cornerback Bashaud Breeland and safety DeAngelo Hall to injuries, which adds up to a big win for the unit and a big win for the team as a whole.

Getty Images

The Rams finally scored a touchdown.

Then, not wanting to feel greedy, they gave the other team one too.

Los Angeles quarterback Case Keenum celebrated his 44-yard touchdown to wide receiver Brian Quick by throwing a pick-six, and they’re left holding onto a 7-6 lead.

They’re up a point because Bucs kicker Roberto Aguayo missed an extra point, which will dredge up all those preseason stories about their second-round pick missing extra points after never missing from inside 40 yards in college.

The Rams hadn’t scored a touchdown all year, getting shut out in the opener and then kicking three field goals to beat the Seahawks last week.

But Keenum’s interception to Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander was as ugly as his bomb to Quick was pretty, leaving the Rams again playing a close one.