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Cowboys O-line audible: Connor McGovern to get snaps at left guard vs. Chiefs, Connor Williams on notice

Published

2 years ago

November 19, 2021

When the Dallas Cowboys take the field against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, all eyes will be on Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes. It’s what will happen in front of the former that might raise some eyebrows though, with the Cowboys looking to make a change on their offensive line they hope will give them a better chance at stealing a victory at Arrowhead Stadium. Connor Williams, the team’s resident starter at left guard, will be replaced by Connor McGovern, a talented former third-round pick who has been quietly improving in the background; and in a game that will likely see the return of All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith.

The swap at left guard is a significant development for the Cowboys, and particularly for Williams, who is playing in the final year of his rookie deal and entered the 2021 season hoping to increase his value in Dallas. Instead, Williams was forced into a preseason experiment at center that was a complete failure before being moved back to left guard — playing mostly well to this point.

His Achilles heel, however, has been penalties that have routinely either killed drives and/or put the Cowboys offense in position to nearly lose critical games (e.g., in Week 6 against the New England Patriots). To date, Williams has been flagged for 10 penalties for a total of 110 yards, league high numbers in both categories, eight of them being holding calls. For contrast, his 10 flags are more than twice as much as center Tyler Biadasz (4), who is in only his second NFL season and four more than Terence Steele (6), who is also in only his second year and despite having been thrust into the starting role at right tackle during the five-game suspension of La’el Collins.

In other words, whether the penalties are all actual or not (spoiler: some aren’t), Williams has put himself in the bad graces of head coach Mike McCarthy, and now he’ll be benched because of it. McCarthy did note that both McGovern and Williams would play against the Chiefs, but not in what capacity — presumably getting some fullback work that belonged to McGovern before now — stopping short of naming the starter in Week 11.

The latter mystery was solved by owner Jerry Jones who, not minutes later to 105.3FM the Fan, named McGovern starter.

“Yeah, [McGovern has] had a frankly great fall and he has really impressed,” said Jones. “He certainly impressed his teammates and coaches. This is a great opportunity for him. And he will really, I think, the way he’s playing — I think it says it all.

“I don’t know when I can remember anybody as an offensive lineman getting the attention he’s gotten as a lead blocker coming out of a special formation in the backfield. He’s doing it, not just with bulk, but he’s doing it with feet. He’s doing it with athletic ability. All of that is just intriguing when you think about it when he gets down in a regular offensive line position.

“I think he’ll do well. He’s earned it.”

One year ago, McGovern found himself starting at right guard due to a rash of O-line injuries that forced Zack Martin out to right tackle, and the then-rookie played well enough to make a name for himself in McCarthy’s inaugural season in Dallas. Having done well at right guard, the Cowboys began testing him weeks ago at left guard, sending a message to Williams in the process. It’s clear they don’t feel Williams got the message, at least not in the realm of avoiding penalties, and so they’ll now give the nod to McGovern — in what will be his 10th NFL start but only second of the 2021 season.

Should he perform well, it might be the swan song for Williams in Dallas, unless he’s fine with being demoted (permanently?), a move that will significantly impact any potential contract talks in the offseason to come.

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Analyst Has Encouraging Message For Jets Fans

Published

33 seconds ago

October 2, 2023

nigemord@gmail.com

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

There are no moral victories in the National Football League.

However, if there were, then the New York Jets would’ve had one of the greatest of all time.

At least, that’s how NFL analyst Peter Schrager seems to feel.

In the latest edition of Good Morning Football, the renowned analyst stated that Jets fans should feel much better about their team now than they did a couple of days ago.

"You've got to wake up feeling far better this Monday as a @nyjets fan than you did last Monday. Zach Wilson went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes, and the building was rocking. It's not all doom and gloom and the season might not be done just yet."
– @Pschrags pic.twitter.com/uWCWmdiLzg
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) October 2, 2023

He claimed that Zach Wilson actually played as well — if not better — than Patrick Mahomes, adding that a questionable defensive holding penalty on CB Sauce Gardner cost the Jets a chance to tie or win the game.

Schrager stated that this offensive game plan was way more similar to what people expected when they hired Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator, adding that it might have been one of Wilson’s better performances of his career.

And now that they have a date with the 1-3 Denver Broncos on the road next week, the Jets might be able to salvage their season by taking them down at Empower Field at Mile High.

Wilson and the Jets had looked quite limited on offense throughout the season, but it seems like Hackett and his staff finally shifted and adjusted the playbook to something more suited to Wilson’s needs and game.

Zach needed an almost-perfect performance to put the doubters at ease, at least for one week.

It’s still early in the season, and while it’ll be tough, the Jets could still turn things around and make the playoffs.

The post Analyst Has Encouraging Message For Jets Fans appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Analyst Has ‘Scary’ Prediction About 1 NFC Team

Published

5 mins ago

October 2, 2023

nigemord@gmail.com

(Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Eagles have started the 2023 season in familiar territory.

They are undefeated through four games, a mark they also achieved last season.

However, a commonly-held belief in the locker room is that they aren’t satisfied with their performances thus far, despite what their record says.

If this is the case, Dave Helman of FOX Sports NFL believes the league is in trouble.

According to Helman, “If this is what the Eagles look like when they’re not clicking, it’s scary to think what happens when they really figure it out.”

"If this is what the Eagles look like when they're not clicking, it's scary to think what happens when they really figure it out." @davidhelman_ talks about Philly's 4-0 start & more in the latest @NFLonFOXPod : https://t.co/m2u6K9mxra pic.twitter.com/mXlMeOyp7Q
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 2, 2023

The Eagles dominated the NFC last season en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

Even though they ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, they cemented their place as a dominant force.

If Jalen Hurts and the offense truly haven’t found their footing, it could be a long year for the rest of the conference.

The Eagles have scored 25+ points in each of their games this season, a mark that many teams would love to have.

However, this team seems to hold themselves to a higher standard, and that this isn’t good enough.

The Eagles had one of the league’s best defenses last year, an area they have only improved in the offseason.

How can they improve from here, as Helman indicates?

The NFL Season is grueling, and teams can get tired and worn down due to injuries.

If the Eagles stay fully healthy, Helman and other analysts believe they’ll be a tough team to beat.

Can Hurts fully unlock this offense, again solidifying himself as an MVP candidate?

The post Analyst Has ‘Scary’ Prediction About 1 NFC Team appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Reporter Says 49ers Have 2 MVP Candidates This Season

Published

8 mins ago

October 2, 2023

nigemord@gmail.com

The San Francisco 49ers have started the 2023 regular season similarly to how they ended 2022.

In a streak that spans to last season, the 49ers have won 13 straight regular season games.

While they are dominant on both sides of the ball, many analysts give credit to two of their offensive players.

Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey are both performing at high levels, causing David Lombardi to call them both MVP candidates.

Through four games, it’s fair to say the 49ers have two MVP candidates:
Christian McCaffrey
Brock Purdy
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 2, 2023
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Purdy has already thrown for more than 1,000 passing yards, adding five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

While he hasn’t necessarily dominated the stat sheet with touchdown numbers, playing mistake-free football is always a good thing.

He has the trust of this locker room and organization and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Purdy might have been Mr. Irrelevant during the 2022 NFL Draft, but that hasn’t stopped him from strong on-field performances this year.

McCaffrey is also performing to new heights, even by his high standards.

He leads the league in rushing through four weeks, averaging more than 100 yards per game.

McCaffrey already has six rushing touchdowns, adding one touchdown through the air.

Both players are seen as some of the top offensive players in the league, which is why Lombardi made this bold statement.

The 49ers are commonly highlighted across the NFL due to their strong defensive play, which has continued this year.

If they’re able to continue the brilliance from that side of the ball, paired with this output from McCaffrey and Purdy, the 49ers’ ceiling could be limitless.

The post Reporter Says 49ers Have 2 MVP Candidates This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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