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liny195  
#1 Posted : Wednesday, September 19, 2018 11:22:58 AM(UTC)
liny195

Rank: Advanced Member

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Joined: 4/28/2018(UTC)
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U.S. Minor Islands

Minnesota and Jacksonville had the top two defenses in the NFL last season Roger Craig Jersey , a major reason why the Vikings and Jaguars reached their respective conference championship games.

Two joint practices and one exhibition game produced yet more evidence of the exceptional skill and sound scheme each team has on that side of the ball.

Yannick Ngakoue had an 11-yard sack that helped Jacksonville hold Kirk Cousins and Minnesota's starting offense to three completions and three points, before the Jaguars reserves rallied for a 14-10 victory over the Vikings on Saturday.

"The defense got after them pretty good, and their defense got after us pretty good," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "That's kind of how it looked all week."

Cousins was crisp in his only series last week , but the Vikings went three-and-out on two of their four possessions with their new quarterback. Latavius Murray's second fumble, stripped by Malik Jackson and recovered by Calais Campbell, stopped another drive. Cousins finished just 3 for 8 for 12 yards.

"Frankly, I think that's what we need and maybe want at this time of year," Cousins said. "Nobody feeling comfortable."

About all the ever-demanding Zimmer was pleased with was that the Vikings didn't actually win.

"It kind of looked like we didn't practice this week, to be honest with you," he said.

Minnesota's defense was closer to midseason form, with an interception by Harrison Smith of Blake Bortles and another sure pick by Mackensie Alexander that was bobbled and dropped.

Bortles played the entire first half and went 12 for 20 for 159 yards, producing a touchdown run by Leonard Fournette on one of his seven series, the last of three possessions the Vikings starters were still in the game.

The Vikings, who led the league with the fewest yards and points allowed in 2017 while the Jaguars finished second, gave Bortles trouble during drills in practices on Wednesday and Thursday at Minnesota's suburban facility.

"We've still got some things to fix," Bortles said.

The Vikings had six sacks , two by Ifeadi Odenigbo. Mike Boone, in a stiff competition for the No. 3 running back spot John Brown Jersey , had 13 carries for 91 yards and a score .

T.J. Yeldon helped his cause to be Fournette's backup with five catches for 73 yards and 10 carries for 39 yards. With a 57-yard punt return by Rashad Greene to set up the touchdown just after the two-minute warning, Jacksonville took a late lead on a short run by Brandon Wilds.

FLAGS FLY

The Jaguars were called for 13 penalties for a whopping 140 yards, including 10 infractions in the first half. Ngakoue celebrated his sack with an incendiary hip-thrusting dance, taking one of the 15-yarders.

"Penalties cost you games," Ngakoue said. "We still were lucky enough to win today, but we've got to clean it up."

Cornerback A.J. Bouye was singled out for the NFL's new targeting rule, for lowering his helmet on a tackle attempt.

"Both of our heads were lowered," Bouye said. "I think they should offset, but I've just got to learn from it."

Vikings linebacker Antwione Williams was also flagged for unnecessary roughness, negating a sack of Cody Kessler for driving him into the turf, another point of emphasis this year for officials on the field. Zimmer initially argued, but said afterward he thought the call was correct.

ON THE LINE

Left tackle Riley Reiff was the only starter from last year suited up on Minnesota's offensive line, with guards Nick Easton (neck) and Joe Berger (retirement) gone. The new right side, Mike Remmers and Rashod Hill, was held out with ankle injuries. Center Pat Elflein is still recovering from offseason shoulder and ankle surgeries.

The Vikings failed to move the chains on all 12 of their third-down attempts.

SPARANO TRIBUTE

The wife (Jeanette), daughter (Ryan) and son (Tony Jr.) of former Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano, who died suddenly last month of heart disease, were honored before the game. The entire Vikings offensive line joined the family at midfield for the coin flip. Tony Sparano Jr. is the assistant offensive line coach for the Jaguars . Sparano's other son, Andy Kareem Martin Jersey , was unable to attend. Berger blew the ceremonial Gjallarhorn kickoff.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Last week , four Jaguars players remained in the locker room during "The Star-Spangled Banner," cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Telvin Smith and running backs Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon. Ramsey was not at this game, left at home like Dante Fowler for disciplinary reasons related to the fight at practice last week between Fowler and Ngakoue . Fournette and Yeldon were spotted on the sideline during the anthem, though Smith was not.

INJURY REPORT

Jaguars: Left guard Andrew Norwell, the team's premier free agent addition, was held out for the second straight game because of a calf injury, as was rookie defensive end Taven Bryan (abdomen). Center Brandon Linder (knee), strong safety Don Carey (hamstring) and left guard Chris Reed (knee) were injured during the game. Reed started for Norwell.

Vikings: Alexander, who's competing with rookie Mike Hughes to play the slot position in the nickel package, hurt his ankle on his dropped interception. Five other backups were hurt during the game: defensive end Ade Aruna (right knee), guards Josh Andrews (right ankle) and Cedrick Lang (right leg), wide receiver Jeff Badet (head) and fullback Johnny Stanton (left leg). Multiple players will be out for the season, including Lang, Zimmer said.

UP NEXT

The Jaguars host Atlanta next Saturday.

The Vikings host Seattle on Friday.

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Jason Witten sat in a room with his new teammates going over video of his latest performance.

It wasn’t much different than what he did for 15 seasons as a tight end with the Dallas Cowboys. But instead of being one of the faces of perhaps the NFL’s most high-profile franchise, Witten holds one of the most prominent television jobs in the sport: lead analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

Witten is approaching his new role in similar fashion as he did his old one, when his comprehensive film work made him the second-most productive tight end in NFL history.

“That’s where you really learn and grow Rob Gronkowski Jersey , the ability to go back and see it,” Witten said. “Sometimes it’s good and you’re like we need to build on that. Sometimes it’s not so good and you’re like, man, I’m so disappointed that was a bad rep.

“No different than a route that you run and that’s not what you’re looking for. What gives me confidence is diving into that process and doing it with guys who I enjoy being around and they have the same mindset.”

Witten is part of a brand new announcing team for ESPN after Jon Gruden left the analyst chair for a second stint as Oakland Raiders head coach. Witten joins play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore, who switched jobs with Sean McDonough, who went back to college games; on-field analyst Booger McFarland; and the only returning member of the team in sideline reporter Lisa Salters. The group makes the regular-season debut Sept. 10 when Gruden’s Raiders host the Los Angeles Rams.

This team was put together following an exhaustive search that featured auditions with about 13 analysts. The tests were thorough, featuring dinners at Tessitore’s house to see what kind of off-screen rapport could be built, as well as practice games in a studio.

Tessitore and producer Jay Rothman were in agreement that the team of Tessitore, Witten and McFarland was the best. Then began the process of making that belief come true.

The offseason has been spent doing rehearsal games in studios and at stadiums; holding film sessions; having countless discussions and text message exchanges; sharing dinners and drinks; and broadcasting two preseason games.

All in an effort to build the chemistry that will make for a smooth telecast each week.

Tessitore said he’s already spent more time with this team before the start of this season than he did in an entire season with his college crews.

“In all my years of broadcasting, I only know one way to be on a crew, and that’s you’re now my brothers and my family. That’s the only way I know it to be,” Tessitore said.

“That means that you’re at my house for dinner, we’re hanging out together and we’re working out together, drinking wine together, traveling together, texting each other, communicating and we know each other’s families inside and out, and we’re serving each other. That just gets extended to the broadcast when the red light turns on. That’s critically important to me.”

This new group of announcers is being thrust onto one of the biggest stages in broadcasting. “Monday Night Football” has featured some of the industry’s titans over the years: announcers Howard Cosell, Al Michaels and John Madden; Super Bowl-winning coaches and quarterbacks Gruden and Joe Theismann; and Hall of Famers Frank Gifford Jaleel Johnson Jersey , Dan Dierdorf and Dan Fouts.

This crew starts with far fewer accomplishments. Tessitore has had several roles at ESPN for 16 years, doing boxing, horse racing and college football and basketball. This is by far his highest-profile job.

McFarland started at the SEC Network in 2014 and has done only a handful of games in his career. Witten is a television rookie following in the footsteps of his former Cowboys teammate Tony Romo, who went from the field to the broadcast booth to great acclaim last year as CBS’ lead analyst.

“He did an incredible job,” Witten said. “As a friend, I’m proud of him. It’s not easy for him to have that success. Although I recognize I’ll always be compared to that and that’s what’s going to happen, I really don’t try to compete from that standpoint.”

The new crew will also have a bit of a new approach with McFarland, a former NFL defensive tackle, serving as an on-field analyst from a mobile crane that will be positioned about 10 feet off the ground at the line of scrimmage.

McFarland will have a desk with monitors showing replays, stats and a live look into the broadcast booth, where Tessitore and Witten will have a camera on McFarland to make it a seamless team.

“I kept using the words extension of the booth,” Rothman said. “How can we give Booger the resources that Jason has up top to truly be an extension of the booth, and how can we make that work and not worry about the orchestration and stepping on each other?”

Rothman came up with the idea while shaving in May and immediately presented it to his technical staff. Four months later, McFarland did his first game from the “Booger Mobile.”

He said this setup allows him to contribute as a full-fledged third man in the booth rather than a sideline analyst needing permission to get on the broadcast, and gives him a better appreciation of what’s happening on the field.

“It’s an entirely different feel,” he said. “You can see the play, but there’s a difference between seeing it and feeling it. Feeling a guy’s speed and power is just a different deal. It’s actually been pretty cool. Once you understand the mechanics of it, it’s worked pretty well.”

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