Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preseason #1 Post

By Robert Mills

ORLANDO – Well, what can be said about week one other than UGLY. But to be fair, this can be expected in the first preseason game of the year. In a game that was “highlighted” by a drenched field thanks to storms earlier in the day, and both teams combining for seven turnovers overall, the Buccaneers fell short to the Bengals 14-19. Though not all was bad, we did get to see some of the star prospects for the Buccaneers come out and showcase their skills.

Kyle Trask, we got to see the former University of Florida star come onto the field mid-way into the 3rd period to rather generous applause. We were fully expected, seeing as his signing was one of the biggest highlights from the Bucs draft. Though he did not put up stellar numbers (4/15, 35 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int.), in my opinion, he played well for the time he was out there. We don’t expect to see a lot of him in the next few seasons, but if he can show NFL caliper play-making on some plays this early in his career, he can make a real impact later. He did just that. With receivers dropping passes (no fault of Trask) and him extending plays with his feet, I would say his debut was very good, maybe not great, but very good.

Blaine Gabbert, the backup QB I think many Buccaneers fans forgot about, played early in the game coming on for Brady after the opening drive. Expect him to be the backup to Brady for this season. Gabbert made his 2021 debut going 6/11, 64 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int. Again not the most significant numbers similar to Trask, but hey, it’s just week 1, right? On his debut drive, he leads the Buccaneers down the field (79 yards) to finish the drive with a 2 yard run by Vaughn. This drive was enough to make me feel at least easy about him being the backup. I give this an excellent debut for 2021. Gabbert is a nine-year veteran in the league, so I expected nothing less. I will be more critical of his performance in the next few preseason games.

The last takeaway I have for this game is the Buccaneers defense as a whole. Simply put, they showed why they are in the top 5 for defenses in the NFL. They were able to force four turnovers (two ints., two fumbles) on the Bengals. This would prove fruitless as they allowed over 303 yards of total offense and allowed the Bengals to finish off the game with the win. We did get to see the first-round draft pick, Joe Tryon, in action. Getting to take part in the pass rush, he was able to, simply put, crush Brandon Allen on a brutal sack late in the 2nd quarter. Unfortunately, this led to a very questionable roughing of the passer call due to helmet-to-helmet contact, but it showed what he (and the rest of the defense) is still capable of doing.

Overall the first week was ugly, very ugly, but considering it’s only the first week, I think we can go easy. Look for Gabbert/Griffin to likely play more reps going into week 2 with Trask being limited. The Buccaneers will be at home for game two vs. the Titans. Let’s all hope the rain holds off for this one, and we can get a slightly cleaner football game.

Dallas Cowboys Preseason #1 Post

By Mark Halpern

Arizona- So, this week, we saw a better showing from the Dallas Cowboys even though they lost to the Cardinals 19-16. For the second week in a row, we saw primarily second and third-string players from Cowboys with a few appearances from first-string starters. The same could be said for the home team The Arizona Cardinals.

The battle for a second-string quarterback for the Cowboys is off to a good start. So far, in 2 preseason games, neither Gilbert, Rush nor DeNucci have thrown an interception in either of the first two games. Throwing for a touchdown has only been done by DeNucci to Brandon Smith for a 1-yard TD at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Neither of the three quarterbacks eclipsed the 100-yard mark. Gilbert is currently leading the way but, DeNucci and Rush are not out of the running yet.

The Offensive line, including the backups, have done an excellent job protecting the quarterback as they did not give up a sack on the day. We saw Michael Gallup catch two passes for 23 yards of the first-string starters, including a nice pass from Gilbert in the first quarter for 20 yards. Cee Dee Lamb also made a small appearance but had two passes come his way, but both were off target.

The Dallas defense was stellar in not letting either of the Cardinals throw for a touchdown and did a great job keeping them out of the red zone. The Dallas defense forced two fumbles but only recovered one. The Dallas defense recorded four sacks, including two from Dorrance Armstrong, who is off to a good preseason.
As for the player of the game, I give it to rookie Jabril Cox who had eight total tackles, two of them being for losses. Honorable mentions to Cedric Wilson, who had 40 yards receiving.

The Cardinals second and third-team players played a good game with a stellar game from Rondell Morre, who had three recs for 23 yards, but the player of the game for them was perennial all-pro placekicker Matt Prater who went 4-4 on field goals, including a last-second four yarder to win it.

Again preseason is for the coaches to find out who belongs and who needs to go. Cuts will begin happening soon. Dak Prescot, Demarcus Lawrence, and Amari Cooper have all returned from injury and are ramping up their workouts, and Malik Hooker, who we probably won’t see until the fourth game. Next Saturday, the Cowboys face the Houston Texans in the battle for the Lone Star State.

Detroit Lions Preseason #1 Post

By Mark Halpern

Detroit- The Detroit Lions took the field against the ever might Buffalo Bills in their first preseason game yesterday. Unlike many games, we saw the starting Quarterback take the first snaps. Jarred Geoff needs all the time he can use to get acquainted not only with a new playbook but a new team of offensive player

    Geoff came out for the first quarter and completed 7/9 passes for 56 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He completed a nice 15-yard pass to Tyrell Williams and then spread the ball around in his first drive. The running game for the Lions was dominated by rookie running back Craig Reynolds, who had six rushes for 49 yards and Detroit’s only touchdown of the game.

   The offensive line for the Lions was a little inconsistent throughout the game. In the beginning, with a mix of first and second-string starters, we saw only one sack but many quarterback pressures. Once it made it to the second and third-string, we saw three more sacks and 5 Quarterback hits. It’s a new team all-around, and players are getting their feet wet. However, they better not let their feet dangle too long, or they could be riding the bench come opening day.

    The Defense for Detroit was not bad at all. They held the Bills to 16 points and had two sacks. This defense must become a little more aggressive as the weeks go on. Third-year player Kevin Strong had a strong day tallying seven total tackles. However, this defense held the Bills to only 259 yards of total offense, mind you against second and third-string but, an important statistic. 

    For the Bills, we saw all three backup quarterbacks play. Josh Allen is the starter, and we won’t see him until week 3 or 4 of the preseason. Davis Webb, Jake Fromm, and Mitchell Trubisky are all fighting for that coveted backup spot. Of the three, Davis Webb was the best on the field, completing 11/16 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. He was the bright spot in game one for the Bills. 

      This week the Lions will take on a formidable offense and defense. They play the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they better be ready to roar, or they will be chasing their tails back into the locker room.

Jacksonville Jaguars Preseason Week 1 post-game

By; Noah Trombley

The Jaguars preseason game against the Cleveland Browns is in the books, and we learned a couple of things from this game.

The first thing is that Trevor Lawrence is on the right path to being the future of the Jaguars QB position. Lawrence went 6/9 for 71 yards with no touchdowns or picks. While those may not seem impressive, the thing that caught my attention the most was Lawrence’s poise and calmness in the pocket. The Browns have one of the most improved defenses in the league, and their pass-rushing should be one of the big reasons. They were getting pressure on Lawrence all night long, up the middle, around the edges, you name in the Browns were there. However, despite that, Lawrence stayed calm and relaxed in the pocket, delivering accurate passes and not, even after a sack on his first play from scrimmage, letting the defense rattle his confidence to stand in the pocket and deliver accurate throws to his receivers. There was a lot to like during Lawrence’s two drives and even more to look forward to.

The second thing is that the defense will still need some work during and after this upcoming season, most notably the secondary. While these are not all the starters for the secondary, the Jaguars looked very weak during the game, allowing Case Keenum and Kyle Lauletta to go a combined 31/44 for 327 yards and two touchdowns. This was a huge problem last year as the Jaguars gave up the 6th most passing yards during last season and were absolutely carved up most of the season by opposing quarterbacks. That same theme continued this past weekend, as mentioned before, with Keenum and Lauletta getting anything they wanted during the game down the field.

Hopefully, next week we can see more of some of the Jaguars offensive players, including running back James Robinson, coming off his 1000 yard season last year, and newly signed quarterback turned tight end Tim Tebow or in his first game back had no catches and was only in for 16 offensive snaps.

Best Food in Stadiums and Venues Pt 2 (NFL)

By Mark Halpern

In my first article, I reviewed 13 MLB stadiums and their famous foods. In this part, we are going to see what NFL Stadiums have some of the crazy food. As we all know when going to a football game you are going for two meals. The first meal is all the food you eat from your tailgating time. Most fans arrive 3-4 hours early to the game and park, get out that grill, and start cooking, eating, and drinking. You can fill up very fast, but you have time to digest before tackling what exceptional food can be found. Today I am reviewing ten stadium specialty high-priced foods. Stadium foods will be ranked #1 must try to #10. Maybe one day I will try.

#10. We are heading to New York for this twist on an American classic. The Buffalo area of NY has county fairs all the time, and at this stadium, you can sometimes see certain finds from them for sale during the season. One of the menu choices is Fried PB&J on a stick. Now I love a good PB&J on a typical day but fried? The sandwich consists of a crustless PB&J sandwich, dipped in a batter {that is used to make funnel cake} and then right into the fryer to make it all crispy. A Bamboo skewer is placed through the sandwich, and you eat it off the stick. Some people take it back to their seats and discard the skewer and eat it like a sandwich. It can be messy but, any Bills Mafia member will tell you that you have to dive on this before it’s all gone

#4 Heading to Texas to see what the other team in Texas has to offer. The Houston Texans have a crazy taco for you to have, called the Battle Red Taco. This tasty snack comes with three soft tortilla shells filled with Hot Cheetos crusted chicken finger, small mango pieces, red cabbage slaw, and topped off with Sriracha mayo. This spicy treat is said to be a barn burner so make sure you are prepared and have antacid tabs.

#2 The Washington Football Team stadium is known for its food choices, even though many fans tailgate before the game and have their hotdogs and other grilling treats before the game. However, when the fans get inside the stadium, they flock to a stand that sells The Pitbull. It is a footlong hotdog topped with hot and spicy Italian Giardiniera and topped off with spicy horseradish sauce. This hot dog is one the most sought-after hot dogs to try and again be prepared to have a fire in your belly but, use that anger and yell at the WFT for not having a real name.

#6 The Los Angeles Chargers have a burger on the list, but this is no ordinary burger by any means. The Burger is named the Tsunami Burger, and it consists of a seared tuna steak, applewood bacon, tomatoes, avocado, a light lemon aioli placed on a toasted brioche bun. This hamburger is a nice twist of a burger, and it is one of the more popular items ordered at the stadium.

#9 When I think about the Chicago Bears and food, I can’t help thinking of the guys on Saturday Night Live talking about the bears, and the foods and drinks they all had were standard food. However, inside the stadium, you can get a taco like no other. It’s a soft taco shell filled with braised pork bellies, with an Asian carrot style slaw, grilled scallions {Green onion} and topped off with a spice sriracha pepper sauce. This food is one of the most sought out food items at the stadium, and make sure you come hungry cause there are three to an order.

#5 Going back out to California, we head to the home of the 49ers, were a new take on the standard pretzel. The name of this shellfish treat is simple. It is called The Dungeness Crab Pretzel, and it consists of a toasted brioche pretzel stuffed with Knuckle and Claw meat from the crab, topped with garlic aioli, Dijon mustard, and chopped chives sauce. I have never had a stuffed pretzel like this one but creative nonetheless.

#5 Going back out to California, we head to the home of the 49ers, were a new take on the standard pretzel. The name of this shellfish treat is simple. It is called The Dungeness Crab Pretzel, and it consists of a toasted brioche pretzel stuffed with Knuckle and Claw meat from the crab, topped with garlic aioli, Dijon mustard, and chopped chives sauce. I have never had a stuffed pretzel like this one but creative nonetheless.

#8 Heading back to the WFT, have another treat on this list, and it’s a monster burrito called The Super DMV. The burrito consists of 3lbs of beef, and chicken smoked and rolled with Spanish rice, lettuce, tomato, black beans, and avocado in a soft tortilla. This is not a food that’s for one person to try and eat all of it. This is for at least a few people at your party. I mean, three pounds is a lot. If this were a challenge on a show like Man vs. Food, I would try it to see if I could sack this monster, but, otherwise, maybe one day.

#3 The Kansas City Chiefs have a sandwich that will warm your insides up during the cold months of the season and make you spitfire as well. The concoction is called The Kingdom Inferno Chicken Sandwich. With a name like this, there should be a warning before eating. Start with a toasted brioche bun, then top it with a breaded chicken finger, Carolina Reaper pepper mayo, sliced jalapenos and then add hot buffalo sauce. This is a sandwich that I will love to try one day. This sandwich was tough not to be #1 because I love spicy chicken sandwiches and can handle the heat. Bring it on. The more, the better. 

#3 The Kansas City Chiefs have a sandwich that will warm your insides up during the cold months of the season and make you spitfire as well. The concoction is called The Kingdom Inferno Chicken Sandwich. With a name like this, there should be a warning before eating. Start with a toasted brioche bun, then top it with a breaded chicken finger, Carolina Reaper pepper mayo, sliced jalapenos and then add hot buffalo sauce. This is a sandwich that I will love to try one day. This sandwich was tough not to be #1 because I love spicy chicken sandwiches and can handle the heat. Bring it on. The more, the better. 

 #7 Moving to one of the most famous teams in the NFL, we head to Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the Packers, for a food that you wouldn’t be surprised that they have. Wisconsin is known for its cheese and brats. However, they have made a sandwich called Brat in a Blanket. When I saw this name, I was thinking, oh, like pigs in a blanket, but I was way off. This sandwich comes together with a Brat wrapped up in melted Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds, lettuce, tomato, and beer mustard on a brioche pretzel bun. This sandwich looks excellent and is a true staple of Green Bay delicacies.

#1 Now, this wouldn’t be football unless some food challenged the buyer. Remember how I mention Man VS Food for the burrito? This is a true Man VS Food challenge. The Arizona Cardinals did just that with their sandwich called The GridIron Burger challenge. A challenge brings it on, and I said until I saw what went into this thing. A 10” bun has 5 1/3 pound burgers, five all-beef hot dogs, five brats, 20 slices of American cheese, eight slices of thick bacon, eight chicken tenders, 12oz of fries, lettuce and pickles, and their secret sauce called Tanker Sauce.

You would think this is for more than one person, but it isn’t a challenge for nothing. This is a challenge for one person to finish this monstrosity in under an hour. Now I would think the prize would be a free angioplasty or at least a Lipitor shake for dessert, but if you complete this sandwich in the time frame, you get a Cardinals Jersey and your picture on the wall. I hope the jersey is at least autographed.

  I hope you all enjoyed this in-depth look at NFL stadium food finds. NBA and NHL will be up next up so stay tuned for that one.

All defense and fan brawls as Rams lose 13-6

By Zakary Haines

The late-night viewing of the Rams and Chargers was an all defensive battle. With a final score of 13-6, it is easy to brush this off as a boring game. Except for a fan brawl that broke out between Rams and Chargers fans in the stands during the 2nd quarter. While some see this as an embarrassment, this shows that fans are in mid-season form. 

As for the game itself, it was an intense night for a few players. It was a slow offensive game, but for the defense, it was a busy game. The Rams recorded two sacks and four tackles for losses and getting four hits on the opponent’s quarterback. This was not enough, as the Chargers managed to gain 112 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Larry Rountree III was able to run over the defense and get 63 rushing yards on his own. The secondary was not much better either, allowing 167 passing yards despite no receiving touchdowns, which did not stop the Chargers from going to the air. 

As for the offense, there is still some work to be done. The Rams only had 73 rushing yards total, mostly from quarterback Bryce Perkins (23 yards). It was a slow night as the Rams only scored one touchdown the whole game. Triston Jackson had the Rams single score on 1st & Goal during the late 2nd quarter, as he found himself wide open in the endzone. As for the quarterbacks, Bryce Perkins had a good night ending with one passing touchdown, 43 yards passing, and a QB rating of 111.3. He did end up taking one sack from the Chargers’ defense. As for Delvin, Hodges had 85 yards passing, one interception, and a QB rating of 47.1. Granted, most of the starters are sitting out this game, so it is hard to see where the team’s offense will be when it comes to week one. 

For special teams, this is an area that is still struggling. The only field goal attempt of the night was a miss by Austin MacGinnis. Kickoff returns only had 85 total yards, with Jeremiah Haydel recording 38 yards on two returns. Johnny Hekker and Corey Bojorquez punted for a combined 177 yards, with Bojorquez hitting a ball deep within Chargers territory. There was one bright spot on special teams. Raymond Calais made a 46-yard punt return from the Rams’ 7-yard line. Calais turned on the jets and took this punt back to the Chargers territory. He would end the night with 52 total yards as a punt returner. 

As a whole, the Rams have some work to do to tighten up their game. Head coach Sean McVay had a lot to say about consistency and moving the ball on the ground. He said, “I think there was some leakage, but there was also some good removal we had, so it was kind of hit or miss. There wasn’t much consistency, but there were a couple of good looks.” The Rams now have a small taste of NFL play and can begin to patch up the leaks. The Rams play on the 21st against the Raiders in SoFi Stadium at 10 pm est. 

New York Giants Preseason Post Game #1

Jeff Knapp

New York- On Saturday, we saw the return of football when we witnessed the New York Football Giants take on the New York Jets from Metlife Stadium. Although they lost 12-7, they used that game to have a feeling-out session for many newer players and those who will not start when the season begins. Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram didn’t play. Still, we saw assumed backup quarterback Mike Glennon take some early snap and went 3 for 7 for 20 yards, followed by Clayton Thorson, who had difficulties of his own but had a nice TD pass to newcomer Damion Willis. The pleasant surprise last night was the nice-looking 48-yard run by Austria’s Sandro Platzgummer, who joined the Giants last season as part of the NFL’s International Players Pathway program.

One of the biggest takeaways from Saturday’s game was the O-Line and just how bad it will get if any of the starters go down. Last night the Giants started their 1st string o-line, not counting Shane Lemieux. The Giants tried to address that issue slightly by signing traveling guard Ted Larsen, who has played for the Patriots, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Bears, and the Dolphins. By night’s end, the Giants allowed five sacks.
Besides signing Larsen, the Giants have recently signed DTs Willie Henry and Elijah Qualls. They have also waived LB Cale Garrett, WR Derrick Dillon, and DE RJ McIntosh.

Next week for preseason game #2, the Giants travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns, where the starters should see some playing time, but I don’t believe more than a few series and not past the 1st quarter.

Bengals Preseason Post Game #1

By Liam Sullivan

Tampa Bay- It was a shocker to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans and a sign of hope for the Bengals faithful. In a 19-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champs, the Bengals proved to the league that their offense is ready to perform this season.Kyle Shurmur, whose father Patrick is the former Head Coach of the NY Giants and current Offensive Coordinator for the Denver Broncos, completed 12 of 19 of his passes, a 63% completion rate. He was pretty productive, despite throwing a pick-six.

He is a Rookie from Vanderbilt.Catching the most of those passes was Trenton Irvin, the rookie Wide Receiver from Stanford. He had 35 yards on three receptions, an average of 11.7 yards per catch.Running the rock for most of the night against the Bucs was running back Jacques Patrick, the rookie from Florida State. Patrick had 71 yards on 15 carries, finishing the night with an average of 4.7 yards per carrying.The defensive side of the ball was able to ruin Florida rookie Kyle Trask’s preseason debut. Kevon Frazier, Trayvon Henderson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, and Markus Bailey all had four tackles on the night.Cam Sample sacked Kyle Trask to end the game. It was a “super way to end it,” according to Head Coach Zac Taylor.There was a very frightening moment for Buccaneers fans.

Tom Brady was sacked and found himself under Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai. Brady did not play another snap the rest of the night.Blaine Gabbert, an eleven-year veteran from Missouri, presented himself as the best backup QB on the Tampa Bay roster, with a fifteen-play drive to score. The drive ended when Ke’Shawn Vaughn ran the ball in from the two to score. Vaughn had 11 carries for 27 yards.Bucs QB Ryan Griffin, the eighth-year veteran from Tulane, had two passes tipped and picked off.Tanner Hudson, the third-year veteran from Memphis, had 48 yards on four receptions, an average of 12 yards per reception.

Cincinnati had the football for much of the game; therefore, Tampa Bay had little opportunity to score any points. Next week the Bengals will travel to Washington DC., where they will face the Washington Football Team.

New York Jets Preseason #1

By Eric Ford

Another year and another start for another optimistic Jets fan. Well, at least until week 1. Here’s to week 1 of the preseason. This preseason we get to see a short glimpse of the Jets 2021 season. Reports as of late have been that Zac Wilson will see at least one quarter. My presumption is we will see more reps from backups, James Morgan and Mike White. No report on if we will see any reps with veteran and journeymen Josh Johnson.

We have a few new receivers from the off-season, some signed from free agency, others drafted Corey Davis, who had a good year with the Titans, and Keelan Cole from the Jaguars. A big name I hear a lot is Elijah Moore, who was taken from the second round of this year’s draft who has been receiving praise from many coaches and players, including Odell Beckham Jr from the Browns. Reports say he is injured, but his MRI was good. No sign if he will play. Not-so-good reports are from Denzel Mims, who was a second-round draft pick in the 2020 draft. Reports have said that he has taken a step back from last year, which isn’t a good sign. Will he get out of the slump he is in or not. He has spent most of last year injured. Based on the depth chart, the starting running back is Tevin Coleman.

Coleman is very familiar with the new system because he had Mike Lefleur as an offensive assistant on the Falcons and passing game coordinator on the 49ers. Lefleur is the Jets Offensive Coordinator. A positive sign is that we hope to see CJ Mosley. He was mainly injured in his first year as a Jet and did not play last year because of COVID. My big concern is the pass defense. Can they keep up with the receivers or not. The goal I want to see for this game and preseason, in general, is for the Jets to show others that they are a better team than last year’s record. My other goal is not to focus on a win but to let everyone play and see what adjustments we can make before our first game on September 12th in Carolina.

Preseason week 1 Titans @ Falcons Recap

By Bill Murphy

Atlanta – The Tennessee Titans opened up their preseason last night with a 23-3 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Titans did not start any of their significant starters, such as quarterback Ryan Tannehill, Running Back Derek Henry, Wide Receivers, AJ Brown, Julio Jones, and Cornerback Caleb Farley. As you can see, even without them, it wasn’t a factor at all.

In place of Tannehill, The Titans started Logan Woodside, who threw ten completions out of 15 attempts and threw for a total of 84 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown backhanded catch to Cameron Batson. After Woodside left the game, Matt Barkley entered and ended up making five completions out of 8 attempts, throwing for 54 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mason Kilter. These performances by these two respective quarterbacks have shown the backup quarterback competition of who will be the number two to Ryan Tannehill. After tonight’s performance, let us see through the preseason of who is worthy of getting that spot, but if I were to make a prediction, I would put my money on Woodside to get the job as of this moment.

When it comes to the defense, which is an area that Titans struggled with last season, tonight they stepped it up. Tonight they held the Atlanta offense to 139 yards, six first downs, and a field goal. We saw an interception by David Long and a total of five sacks by the defense.

While Julio Jones was injured and did not play, others got injured, such as running back Darryton Evans, who left the game with a knee injury, Offensive Lineman Trevor Cooley, who left with a foot. Safety Bradley Breeze and linebacker BJ Bello left with an ankle injury.

Overall, I think the Titans had an excellent performance in last night’s game. It is hard to tell how the rest of the season will be because they had none of the starters last night, but the backup squad held its own. Many questions need to be answered in the season, like who will be the backup for Tannehill when the season rolls around? Next week, the answer may become more apparent when the Titans take on the defending Super Bowl Champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.