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https://news.yahoo.com/lions-trey-flowers-helped-healthcare-011704470.html
Tue, December 29, 2020, 8:17 PM EST
Lions DE Trey Flowers helped healthcare workers, and finding
inspiration in his sister's battle with cancer | Brad Galli has more with the
Lions nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year
By STEVEN WINE
December 23, 2020 1:02 pm
3
min read
MIAMI
(AP) — In one year the
Miami Dolphins have gone from worst to first in the NFL in points allowed,
which is a big reason their playoff hopes are on the rise.
So why is cornerback Xavien Howard the Dolphins’ only Pro Bowl
player?
“Miami always gets overlooked,” Howard said. “If some of the
guys were on a different team, they’d get recognized. As a team, we can pick
that off with a Super Bowl, and everybody will be happy.”
The Super Bowl is heady talk coming from a franchise that hasn’t
won a playoff game in 20 years, and the Dolphins are probably still
not-ready-for-prime-time players — in February at least.
But their improvement under second-year coach Brian Flores has
been dramatic, especially on defense.
Last season the Dolphins
gave up a franchise record 494 points, 30.9 per game and the most in the NFL,
and went 5-11. This season they’re allowing 18.4 per game, the league’s lowest
average, and are contending for an AFC wild-card berth at 9-5.
Because defense is often the best way to win on the road,
especially in December, the Dolphins’ final two games — at Las Vegas and at
Buffalo — don’t seem quite so daunting. They probably must win both to reach
the postseason for only the third time since 2001.
Flores’ defense is a blitz-loving, ball-hawking bunch that leads
the league in takeaways (26) and third-down conversions (33%) but ranks near
the bottom in star power. That was confirmed by this week’s Pro Bowl picks,
when Miami’s lone selection was Howard, who leads the league with nine
interceptions, more than nine teams.
“He’s
just a guy that you can count on consistently week in and week out,” Miami defensive coordinator Josh
Boyer said. “He’s really a complete player.”
But as with any good defense, the Dolphins’ success is a
collective effort that includes five new starters this year: four free-agent
acquisitions and second-round draft pick Raekwon Davis.
“We wanted to add the right people — guys who are tough and
smart and competitive and team-first,” Flores said. “With every addition, we
have that in mind.”
Safety Bobby McCain has been with the Dolphins since 2015, which
gives him seniority on the defense and a unique perspective on this year’s
transformation.
“We’ve got 11 guys who want to do their job well and play for
each other,” McCain said. “That’s one of the biggest things — understanding
that we’re a family, not just a football team. We have a lot of guys who are
being selfless, just doing what they’re supposed to do and having fun doing
it.”
McCain
is part of a secondary
that has allowed only 16 touchdown passes, second fewest in the NFL,
after getting torched for a league-high 39 in 2019.
Sacks have increased to
37 from a league-low 23 last year. And the Dolphins’ streak of at
least one takeaway in 20 consecutive games is the NFL’s longest.
“It’s just playing hard, just all effort,” the 330-pound Davis
said. “It’s not a secret, not a scheme, not a play. It’s just chasing the ball
down, getting to the ball and getting the ball.”
Davis’
teammates echo that attitude, a reflection of a unit that may be low on big
names but is also low on ego.
“We’ve had a number of
interceptions this year where there has been good pressure, and there have been
a number of sacks where there has been good coverage,” Boyer said. “It all kind
of goes hand in hand. We’ve got a good group of guys who play for each other
and are all genuinely happy when somebody else has success.”
The disruptive nature of the defense diminishes the significance
of some statistics. The Dolphins rank in the bottom half of the league in yards
allowed rushing, passing and overall. They’ve been outgained by 426 yards, but
are tied for the fifth-best point differential.
Which stat best defines a
good defense?
“Wins,” Boyer said.
You wanted a Pro Bowl season out
of T.J. Hockenson. Looks like you got it.
The NFL announced
the top vote-getters at each position Monday after the fan ballots closed last
Friday and Hockenson came in at No. 1 among NFC tight ends.
Not bad for the
former eighth overall pick.
It's a deserved honor for
Hockenson. He leads all NFC tight ends in receiving yards (675) and ranks
second in touchdowns (six) and receptions (60).
His second-year surge is the result of more
opportunities and a more 'professional' mindset.
Kelce garnered 309,710 votes, fourth most overall after
Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Derrick Henry. Hockenson garnered 148,713.
Former Lions co-captain Quandre Diggs garnered the most
votes among NFC free safeties after another strong season for the Seahawks.
Official rosters for the 2021 Pro Bowl, which is going
virtual via Madden 21, will be announced Monday night. The fan vote counts for
one-third of the final tally, with the players and the coaches getting an equal
say as well.
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
It should come as no surprise that Blythe improved after moving back to his natural position of center. He’s been an anchor in the middle of the Rams’ offensive line, helping shore up what was one of the weakest parts of the offense last season.
His overall grade of 73.1 puts him sixth among all centers, according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s allowed just one sack with one penalty committed in 913 snaps. That’s an impressive ratio, especially considering the defensive tackles he’s gone up against.
Ryan Homler
Tue, December 15, 2020, 12:45 PM
EST·2 min read
When
referencing "The Hogs" of the Washington Football Team,
it's assumed that one is speaking about the dominant offensive lineman
that sported the Burgundy and Gold in the 80s and early 90s.
That
is usually the case, as the likes of Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Jeff Bostic and
others set the standard for what superb offensive line play looks like.
However, former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger believes there is still
one "Hog" on Washington's current roster.
His
name is Brandon Scherff.
Reviewing his tape from Washington's
win over the San Francisco 49ers, Baldinger was blown away by Scherff's
performance and effort. From start to finish of each play, he was clearing
lanes for runners. That had Baldinger viewing him as a descendant of "The
Hogs."
“All the
'Hogs' would welcome him to the club," Baldinger said. "They
take him into the shed. This is how you get after it.”
Scherff, a three-time Pro Bowler, has
been a consistent force along Washington's offensive line since entering the
league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Set to
enter free agency after the season, Scherff wants to continue his career
nowhere else but Washington.
That
is good news for Washington, should the team get a deal done. Keeping Scherff,
according to Baldinger, would allow Washington's offensive line to continue on
"The Hogs" tradition.
“There’s only one sheriff in
Washington, Brandon Scherff...That’s Hog football right there, is it?
That’s the Hog football," Baldinger said.
Spenser Davis | 1 day ago
Iowa
linebackers coach Seth Wallace is expected to be a candidate for major
defensive coordinator openings in this cycle of the coaching carousel,
according to a report.
That’s per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, who
says Wallace, 41, could be a candidate to replace Clark Lea at Notre Dame. Lea
is expected to be the next head coach at Vanderbilt.
Indiana’s defensive coordinator position
is also vacant, as Kane Wommack took the South Alabama head coaching job
earlier this week.
Iowa’s
defense has been one of the best in the Big Ten this season. It’s a key reason
why the Hawkeyes are on a six-game winning streak heading into Championship
Weekend.
Wallace has been the linebackers coach at
Iowa since 2016 and has been on staff since 2014. He was previously the
Hawkeyes’ recruiting coordinator and has also coached defensive backs and the
defensive line. Wallace served as a graduate assistant from 2006-08.
Prior to re-joining the Iowa coaching
staff in 2014, Wallace was the defensive coordinator at Valdosta State from
2010-13. In 2012, he
helped Valdosta State win the NCAA Division II national title with a 12-2
overall record.
Wallace is an Iowa native and attended
Grinnell High School. In
his playing days, he was a team captain at Coe College, which is located
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
By Ben Standig, Mark Bullock and Zac Boyer Dec 11, 2020
There are a lot of myths around the NFL. If you’re a fan of the
show “MythBusters,” you might enjoy how we’ve decided to examine football myths
this week. We’re using the show’s template to poke holes in some of the NFL’s
biggest myths. Read the full series here.
Washington right guard
Brandon Scherff embodies the team-first, tough-guy mindset every NFL coach
desires. That the fifth selection in the 2015 draft has largely lived
up to that status — which is not easy, considering he plays an unsexy position
— says plenty about his ability as a pass blocker and his athleticism in the
run game. Pro Football Focus ranked Scherff fifth among guards through Week 13.
The issue with the three-time Pro Bowl selection is his
durability. Since the start of 2017, Scherff has missed 18 games, including
three this season, with an assortment of pectoral, shoulder, elbow and knee
injuries.
The ability-versus-availability debate is one to watch as
Washington ponders a long-term contract extension for Scherff, who is a free
agent after the season and is playing on a $15 million franchise tag. After
trading longtime left tackle Trent Williams during the offseason, there’s also
something to be said for stability. That’s something Scherff provides when he’s
out there, but whether he’s among the best in the league at his position — or
perhaps whether his talent warrants paying out a lucrative, multi-year contract
— is up for debate.
— Ben Standig
• Rivera:
“I really like what we’re getting from him. I think he’s done a great job. He
really has. It doesn’t matter who he lines up next to, he’s a great
communicator. I think that’s as important as it gets. He does a great job.
He and Chase Roullier are really good together in terms of their combinations.
Watching them with Morgan (Moses) has been really cool. He’s helped David
Sharpe really nicely. He’s helped David out a lot. I think when you have a guy
like that it really doesn’t matter who you put next to him. He’s going to be
able to communicate and get things worked out, and that’s what he’s shown us.”
• Offensive
coordinator Scott Turner: “Brandon’s toughness, his consistency, and then just
the resiliency that he shows, dealing with that (knee) injury earlier in
the year, being able to come back … he’s just the steady rock. Him and (tackle) Morgan (Moses)
playing on that right side together. … Those guys working together, playing
together … those are the leaders so far for us. They’ve done a great job, Brandon in particular. He
brings it every day … the toughness, the blue-collar mentality. It helps (as)
the engine that drives our team. … He’s a guy that we trust is going to get his
block done. If we can ask a little bit more of him than someone else and
give a little help to the other side, that’s definitely something that we do.
That’s definitely a factor we know, I know, when he’s out there.”
• Quarterback
Alex Smith: “I think Brandon’s the total package. From a talent standpoint, I
think that he’s the best player in that position in the league, one of the best
teammates I’ve ever had. It means so much to him. He’s so invested into
this team. You can feel his energy in the huddle. You certainly miss it when
he’s gone. It’s significant. He’s that type of player. Not just from like I
said a talent standpoint, but certainly his leadership, his energy and the
attitude he brings to the huddle every day.”
— Standig
From a film perspective,
Scherff has the total package as a guard. He’s very athletic, which enables
Washington to use him in various schemes, such as pulling to the edge on
sweeps, leading the way on screen passes and climbing to reach linebackers at
the second level of the defense in zone run schemes.
He also possesses
outstanding strength combined with a nasty streak coaches love to see in
offensive linemen. That means he’s capable of knocking over
defenders at any point in the game, either pulling to kick out on a power run
scheme or simply tossing them aside in gap schemes.
In pass protection,
Scherff uses his athleticism and strength and backs them up with great
technique. He’s excellent with his hands, landing strong
punches to knock defenders off balance and regularly mixes in quick sets, in
which he jumps toward the defender in front of him to close the gap and lands a
quick punch, taking away the defender’s initial rush plan and forcing him to go
to Plan B quickly.
He’s overall an excellent player with
just about every trait a team could ask for in a guard. He’s certainly one of
the best in the league when on the field and gives Washington great flexibility
in what it can do schematically, which is rare from the guard position.
— Mark Bullock
If you’ll remember, Scherff was a left tackle for much of his
time at Iowa, where he earned the Outland Trophy after his senior season in
2014. He figured to start at right tackle upon being drafted by Washington, but
not long after training camp began, he was moved to right guard and has
remained there since.
Evaluating offensive linemen is tricky given the lack of
certainty over their responsibilities on any given play, but that doesn’t mean
it hasn’t been tried. Essentially, analysis boils down to one underlying
criterium, regardless of run or pass: Was the player beat by a defender on that
play?
Scherff rarely is. Pro Football Focus graded him as its
seventh-best guard overall last season, giving him a 75.2 on a scale that
considers players reaching the low 80s to be elite, and through Week 13, he’s
ranked fifth with a grade of 82.5. Over his first five seasons, he routinely ranked in at least the 90th
percentile in run blocking, and he was the only guard who played at least 250
snaps who allowed 10 or fewer pressures in each of the past two seasons.
Last season, he earned PFF’s fourth-highest run-blocking grade
among guards behind the Eagles’ Brandon Brooks, the Colts’ Quenton Nelson and
the Cowboys’ Zack Martin — fairly elite company. Through 12 games this season,
PFF has given Scherff a grade of 79.9, good for eighth. In ESPN’s run-block win-rate
metric, which evaluates the
percentage of snaps on which linemen sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or
longer, Scherff is first at 78 percent, with a strong performance
Monday against the Steelers moving him fractionally ahead of Nelson.
Those scales have historically regarded Scherff more highly in
the running game than in the passing game. Last season, PFF handed Scherff a 72
in pass protection — his lowest mark since he was a rookie. He was credited
with giving up just one sack and allowed pressure on just 2.7 percent of his
snaps. Through 580 snaps this season, Scherff has graded out at a 78, putting
him seventh among guards. ESPN, which lists only its top 10 performers in its
pass-block win-rate metric, did not include Scherff in its rankings after last
season, but he appeared in the picture after Monday’s game, ranked eighth at 94
percent.
One other less-scientific method to consider: In a vote of his peers, Scherff
has been selected to the Pro Bowl in three of the past four seasons —
though offensive linemen know that honor is mostly reputation-based. Once
you’re in, you’re in for life. On the flip side, he’s yet to be named an
All-Pro, and that’s as much of a product of his injury history as it is the
quality of the other players who have been honored.
— Zac Boyer
Standig: Part of this exercise
is considering whether Washington should keep the Pro Bowl guard knowing the
cost. Scherff’s one-year
deal on the franchise tag for $15,030,000 gave him the highest annual salary
among guards, but three others with longer-term deals were close behind,
including NFC East rivals in Philadelphia’s Brandon Brooks (four years, $56.35
million) and Dallas’s Zach Martin (six years, $84 million). Therefore, offering
Scherff a similar annual salary isn’t out of line with the market’s top end.
Bullock: I have no doubt Scherff is one of
the best guards in the NFL. His film is full of consistently excellent play
with great technique combined with strong athleticism for the position. His
presence allows Washington to be extra creative because of the range of things
he can do at a high level. He’s an anchor on an offensive line
that is starting to find some rhythm and momentum. His talent merits the
contract it would cost to keep him, and Washington should be doing everything
it can to keep him as the key piece on the offensive line to build around.
Boyer: No matter which way he’s
evaluated, Scherff is one of the best players at his position.
Washington was comfortable having him play on the franchise tag knowing that
meant he’d be paid as one of the best. He has been recognized by those around
the league, and the ways his performance can be quantified, as one of the best.
Could he improve? Sure, but he’s taking care of business, and that’s worth
rewarding, especially given Washington’s salary-cap situation.
Scherff has proven he
ranks among the top at his position. Considering the questions on Washington’s
left side, the team trading away a Pro Bowl lineman in Williams and its strong
2021 salary-cap situation (approximately $50 million available), paying one of
the best guards in the league seems like a prudent move,
even if that’s not a traditional position on which teams spend big.
(Photo: Daniel Kucin Jr. / Associated Press)
Dec 10, 2020 at 08:55 AM
Allen Park, Mich.— The Detroit Lions announced
today DE Trey Flowers as the team's nominee for the Walter
Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide. Considered one of the
league's most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
presented by Nationwide recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community
service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
Each of the league's 32 nominees were announced today.
LIONS DE TREY FLOWERS
"Walter Payton was a great person, what he stood for. A
legacy lives on forever. It's about the things that you do with the time that
you have on this Earth. I just hope that a long time from now, people can
remember the impact that I had on their lives and the impact that I had on the
community. I hope that my foundation can continue to do great things in the
community. I just want to inspire, I want to encourage because I know how
important it is. This world, in order to get better we have to inculcate the
things that we've experienced and the knowledge that we have on to the youth,
which leads them to be even better."
In April 2019, Flowers founded Flowers of the Future Foundation,
a 501(c)3 organization with the mission of establishing community engagement,
promoting physical fitness, developing positive values and engaging in
philanthropic endeavors that aid in the overall betterment of the youth in an
effort to plant seeds that continuously grow 'flowers for a better tomorrow.'
Currently the foundation supports these efforts in Flowers' hometown of
Huntsville, Ala. and Detroit, with plans to expand nationwide.
Dec 09, 2020 at 03:29 PM
Senior Writer
When the Lions drafted tight end T.J. Hockenson No. 8
overall in the 2019 draft, they knew there would be some growing pains as a
rookie. Playing tight end in the NFL is tough business for first-year players,
and while Hockenson showed flashes as a rookie, he needed to get more
comfortable playing in the NFL.
Now in his second season, his
production has seen a significant uptick. Hockenson currently leads all NFC
tight ends in receptions (52), yards (614), yards after the catch (288), first
downs (33), 10-plus-yard completions (28), and he's second in touchdowns (5)
and third in 25-plus-yard receptions (4). As a result, Hockenson leads the Pro
Bowl voting at tight end in the NFC.
"I think he's doing a really nice
job for us," Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said
Wednesday of Hockenson. "He
can kind of do it all. He can block, he can run, catch and do all that sort of
stuff for us. So, his role just keeps expanding. His route tree does the
same just keeps expanding in the things that he can do. Hock's obviously a
young player, but a talented player, and he's doing a nice job."
Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell was asked Wednesday what
he's seen as the biggest development from year one to year two with Hockenson.
"I
think that's the most important part about this thing, is he's willing to learn
the X's and O's, he's really willing to put the time in, out on the field he's
getting extra stuff with Matthew (Stafford) and the quarterbacks at
times," Bevell said.
"It's the behind the scenes things
that you don't get to see that he's doing every day. He works hard at his craft.
There is stuff you get a comfort level – remember, at the beginning of the year
he's coming off that injury; we're limiting him a little bit. So he has that
comfort level with Matthew, I think they have that good relationship where they
know what each other is getting ready to do. I think that helps as well. Right now, he's playing really
well for us."
Hockenson
will look to keep his impressive season going this week against a Green Bay
defense that hasn't allowed a 100-yard performance by any opposing tight end
this season and has only allowed three touchdowns to the position all year.
Dec 03, 2020 at 09:49 AM
Geoff Hobson
Senior Writer
Shawn Williams looks to captain another
stalwart special teams day.
BENGALS S SHAWN WILLIAMS VS.
DOLPHINS S CLAYTON FEJEDELEM
Darrin Simmons, the superstitious long-time
coordinator who broke the
Bengals special teams hex while making them one of the most consistent kicking
games in the NFL's 21st century, is doing more than knocking on wood
this week.
But, as usual, he won't say what as he prepares for Sunday's (1
p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) showdown in Miami against the Dolphins' top-ranked
special teams. With the help of two successful fake punts in the last three
weeks, the Bengals have climbed back to No. 6, according to Football Outsiders.
Simmons won't say if he called the play from the bench or if Williams, his
on-field alter ego as punter Kevin Huber's personal protector, made the check
and ran for the first down.
"I," says Simmons, "wouldn't answer my own mother
if she asked me that."
According to Williams, it doesn't much matter. Other than Huber
and his personal long snapper Clark Harris, Williams has taken the most snaps under Simmons since he arrived
in 2013. In that stretch, according to Football Outsiders, the Bengals have
finished in the top 10 in that hidden phase of the game four times and that
includes last year's No. 1 ranking.
(Remember what Simmons
inherited. The year before he arrived in 2002, the Bengals allowed four return
TDs. Under Simmons, they didn't allow their fourth TD until the opener of his
eighth season.)
And they care about stuff like that. "We want to be one of
the reasons we win, not the reason we lose," Huber says of his fellow
specialists. They know where they're ranked and where their foe is ranked.
"Darrin and I are kind of on the same wave pattern as far
as thoughts," Williams says. "I can ask in my head, 'What would
Darrin do here?' I know Darrin like nobody on this team does. Well, not as much
as Clark and Kevin."
If Simmons won't answer his mother, Williams can remind
Fejedelem, "Who his Daddy is." Williams checked in with Fejedelem
after Sunday's game the Bengals teamers almost stole one from the Giants and
reminded him of this Sunday's appointment.
"I taught Fej everything he knows," Williams says.
"Darrin is still his Daddy. But I'm his big brother. Brayden is his
uncle."
"Brayden," is Brayden Coombs, Simmons' former
assistant who took the Lions' head special teams job this season. All of them
went to Fejedelem's wedding back in March in Chicago and a few days later
Fejedelem signed with the Dolphins.
Fejedelem, the fearless NAIA Illinois walk-on the Bengals took
in the seventh round in 2016, blossomed into a Pro Bowl alternate under Simmons
and Coombs and now what does that make Danny Crossman, the Dolphins special
teams coordinator?
When Simmons came to Cincinnati with head coach Marvin Lewis in
2003, Crossman replaced Simmons as the Panthers assistant special teams coach.
With both raised under the special teams tree of Scott O'Brien, you wouldn't
exactly call them twins but X and O cousins would be pretty close.
"There's probably not much different what he's telling his
guys than what I'm telling my guys," Simmons says.
When Simmons flipped on the tape this week, there were no
surprises. Crossman has his people playing hard and in the right spots. Jakeem
Grant leads the NFL in punt returns, the Dolphins are second in the league
covering them and in a memo to Bengals kick return ace Brandon Wilson they are No.
1 covering kickoffs.
And as insurance, the balmy South Florida air has big-footed
kicker Jason Sanders seventh in touchbacks.
Even though he missed the first three games, Simmons can see
that Fej is Fej, leading the Dolphins in tackles as their special teams
quarterback in the role of punt team personal protector.
That's the job he had here and when Simmons went searching for a
new PP he didn't have to go far. Running back Giovani Bernard, who arrived a
round before Williams in the 2013 draft, had done it before in spurts. But when
running back Joe Mixon got hurt back in mid-October and Bernard became the No.
1 ball carrier, Simmons had to find someone else.
"Darrin has higher standards for you than you
probably think you could ever reach," Williams says. "That never
changes regardless of the score in the game or the record at any point in the
season. That's what makes
Darrin the great coach that he is. His standards are not only high for the
team, but for each player specifically."
That was a short search, too, once he lost Bernard and landed on
Williams. But then, that's what the best NFL special teams coaches do. Their
No. 1 trait has to be reacting because during the week the other coaches take
from them to fill their own holes and the kicking game is left with guile,
improvisation and not much else.
Especially in a year for the Bengals that has been devastated by
injury and racked by COVID uncertainty.
"Special teams coordinators get the short end of the
stick," says Huber, the longest-tenured Bengal. "They find out late
Saturday, early Sunday who is going to be active, who is going to be inactive
after a week of practicing guys. So he has to have multiple guys prepared,
multiple lineups prepared in case one guy is down vs. another guy.
"Darrin
does a great job with detail. Guys know what to expect. There aren't many looks
we're going to see that we haven't seen already in practice. I'd say our guys
are more prepared than any other special teams unit in the league."
Head coach Zac Taylor
recognized Simmons' organizational skills when he appointed him assistant head
coach during the offseason and while that probably kept interested teams at
bay, it has also helped the club.
"He's a guy I turn
to 20 times a day," Taylor says. "(We) talk about the roster, talk
about schedules, talk about how to handle the game, how we're going to win this
game on Sunday. I run everything that I'm thinking through him. He's been a great, great
resource for me."
If Williams can hear Simmons in his head, Simmons can also hear
Williams. He could hear him watching the tape of last Sunday's game. He heard
him on that last punt return with two minutes left and the Bengals needing the
29 yards Alex Erickson got them to stay in it.
"I think our guys like the challenge of going against a
team ranked like that," Simmons says. "They care about winning and
doing the job well."
With pros like Williams. He blocked the gunner out of bounds and
went back on the field to help out and get another block. That was after he
helped spring Wilson for his franchise-long 103-yard kick return in the first
quarter. It was after he ran seven yards on fourth down with a fake punt two
weeks after he got 39 against the Steelers with another one.
That's how Simmons sees his unit. Everyone, and maybe most
importantly his captain, a veteran like Williams who lost his starting safety
job this year, making a big contribution no matter what.
"It's hard," Williams says of trying to adjust to a
different role. "It's hard. Everyone sets out to have goals and standards
and seeing it not come true, you deal with it. You do what you can to get over
it, get through it and help your team."
So that means watching tape of the 5-7, 171-pound Grant gobbling
up nearly 14 yards per return while taking one 88 for a score. "The little
returner is really good," says Williams, who leads a crew that is ninth
covering punts despite the revolving door at cornerback. Wilson, the Bengals'
defending NFL kick return champ, has moved up to sixth and faces a Miami kick
cover team that has put teams inside the 20 nine times when Sanders doesn't
boot it out of the end zone.
"It should be a nice little game," Williams says.
"Two good (units). Two coaches that came up together. Let the chips fall.
"We'll do what always try to do and help the team by
bringing the juice."
