Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals Corey Peters Knows Reading is FUNdamental

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Corey Peters, Arizona Cardinals

They say reading is fundamental and Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Corey Peters, who graduated from Michigan University with a Master’s in Education, is embodying that message perfectly. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Peters saw fit to spread his love of reading and use it to uplift others during this difficult time.  To provide a source of recreation for high school students in Arizona, Peters created the Corey Peters Playbook, a virtual book club via Zoom a segment of his Peters Educational Enrichment Project, which galvanizes the passion of learning to local youth. 

Teaming up with powerhouse publishing company Scholastic, Peters provided three books Looking for Alaska by John Green in which protagonist Miles Halter embarks on a quest for adventure, realizing along the way that the relationships we forge can deeply have an effect on us, Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork and Dear Martin by Nic Stone, a heartbreaking look at the unjust and despicable racism that exists for young unarmed African American men in America, free of cost to each participant.

The book club kicked off its inaugural session this past Wednesday, June 10th, starting off on a light note discussing students’ future hopes and aspirations, with Peters ending with words of encouragement and guidance on how to deal with the trying times in our lives.   Peters and participants discussed the book the opening chapters of the acclaimed book Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork, which chronicles teen Marcelo Sandoval affliction with a disorder akin to autism and his journey of immersion into the “real world”.  Along the way, Marcelo learns a lesson of how we can create great change (no matter how insignificant it may seem to us) from negativity, a vital message we can all glean and enact in our own lives.

Sessions will continue each subsequent Wednesday and those wishing to participate are encouraged to visit https://forms.gle/kRL1o8gZE3GGyMo16  to sign up.  Participants of this book club will not only glean a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the books they will be reading, but they will also ponder and mull over the more profound lessons in life.

A leader in every sense of the word, it is no surprise that Peters has been named team captain, been inducted in his alma mater the University of Kentucky’s Hall of Fame, and supports his teammates both in on the fields in their careers and off the field by participating in their respective charities.  

Peters has always been one to turn a negative into a positive and has always given back in any way he can.  Throughout his long and successful career, Peters has utilized his platform to help others and promote change, garnering him the Ed Block Courage Award, which recognizes NFL players for their contributions in the community.  

Whether it be taking students on a shopping spree during the holidays, guiding young kids as part of the NFL’s Huddle for 100, making the Thanksgiving season a little brighter for elementary school students, showing appreciation to veterans, taking kids to the aquarium. reading to toddlers at a daycare center and so much more, Peters does everything with heart.  He is an absolute shining star with a heart so pure and giving!  They say a book is a gift you can open and open again and Peters is not only a gift to the NFL, but to the world!

5 NFL Teams that Could Surprise Fans This Season

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New York Giants, Darius Slayton, Saquon Barkley

The Kansas City Chiefs won their first Superbowl in 50 years this past February. The team was lead to victory by their former MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes led the Chiefs to overcome a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter of the game. While the Chiefs are expected to make another strong run for a championship title, there are a few teams that have had their potential flying quietly under the radar. Here are five teams that could surprise people with a strong season this fall. 

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons had a worrisome start to their 2019 season. Through their first eight games before their bye week, the team had only won one game. Atlanta had appeared to be heading for a top pick in the draft. Some fans had lost hope on the remainder of the season. However, after the bye week, the team came back with a new identity. The Falcons won six of their last eight games including wins against playoff-caliber teams such as the Saints and the 49ers. Atlanta finished their year on an impressive four-game winning streak, leaving their fans with high hopes for the next season. The team followed up their strong end of season performance by adding running back Todd Gurley in the offseason and drafting one of the classes best corners in A.J. Terrell out of Clemson. The Falcons improved on both sides of the ball and are definitely a team to look out for in 2020. 

Denver Broncos

Late last season the Broncos handed over their offense to their rookie quarterback Drew Lock. Denver drafted Lock in the second round last year and knew he would eventually take over as the teams starting QB. It wasn’t until Week 13 when Lock finally got his chance as the starter. Lock definitely didn’t disappoint as he performed very well and helped the team win four of their final five games since he took over. Denver continued to support Lock this offseason by adding more weapons on the offensive side of the ball. The team signed running back Melvin Gordon to play alongside running back Phillip Lindsay. The Broncos also added two more weapons on the outside. Denver drafted wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the first two rounds. Not only did the team add two fantastic receivers in the draft, but they already have Courtland Sutton who had a breakout season last fall. The team has set Drew Lock up for success after surrounding him with tons of talent. The ceiling is high for the Denver offense in 2020 as they’ll look to compete with the best of the best this year. 

New York Giants

The Giants made plenty of big moves this offseason, including major changes to their coaching staff. New York hired former Patriots special teams and wide receivers coach, Joe Judge to be the next head coach of the team. Judge has since come in and made significant changes to the teams coaching staff. He brought in former head coaches such as Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens to coach alongside him. Despite the team having a poor performance last season, there were some bright spots that displayed their potential. Last offseason the team drafted quarterback Daniel Jones sixth overall and the pick came with lots of controversies. Jones took over as the starter in the third week of the season replacing the franchise’s great Eli Manning. Jones performed well despite having trouble with turnovers. He displayed flashes of qualities of a franchise leading quarterback. The Giants added some key players in free agency such as cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez. New York continued their offseason by drafting one of the top offensive tackles in the draft in April. With a revamped defense and offensive line, the Giants will look to surprise people this season. 

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals made one of the biggest moves this offseason by trading for superstar wide our DeAndre Hopkins. Arizona fans were provided with much hope after watching their number one overall pick last April be named the NFL offensive rookie of the year. Kyler Murray provided a spark to the Cardinals offense that turned him into one of the most electric players in the league. However, the team did not stop after trading for a superstar. They followed it up with a fantastic draft. The team selected do-it-all player Isaiah Simmons from Clemson. Simmons was considered by many the most talented player in the entire draft. Arizona had been lucky enough for Simmons to still be on the board by the eighth overall pick and there was so chance the Cardinals would let him getaway. The team also took another top offensive tackle in Josh Jones in the third round of the draft. The Cardinals could quite possibly become a must-watch team this upcoming season. 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins struggled badly at the start of last season. It seemed for sure that the team would end up with the first overall pick and likely not win a game all season. However, head coach Brian Flores kept his team fighting as they put on impressive performances against competitive teams late in the year. Despite having such a young and inexperienced roster, Miami was able to win a couple of games including beating their rival Patriots on the road in December. Miami landed arguably the top free agent corner in Byron Jones, giving them possibly the best cornerback duo in the entire league. The Dolphins also drafted what they consider to be their future franchise quarterback in this April’s draft with the fifth overall pick. Dolphins fans are extremely excited about their future as they believe their rebuild has been executed perfectly so far. The Dolphins will definitely be a sleeper team to watch this fall.

New York Jets: Should the Jets Look into Adding David Johnson?

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New York Jets, Sam Darnold

There is speculation around the league that former all pro running back David Johnson might be released from the Arizona Cardinals at some point this offseason. David Johnson is a very accomplished running back and would be the perfect replacement for Le’veon Bell who is expected to be moved this offseason. The Jets offense was arguably the worst in the league this year so they need to add all the talent they can get, but should they be interested in David Johnson.

Production

David Johnson has been very productive over the course if his career with his best year coming in 2016 where he racked up over 2000 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns. Recently it seems that Johnson has lost a step after posting only 345 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in 9 games for the Cardinals this past season. Johnson has also dealt with injuries two of the past three years so it’s fair to question if that has anything to do with his decline in production.

Contract

If the Arizona Cardinals cut David Johnson, they would have to pay him 10.2 million dollars minus whatever his new team will pay that season. Essentially the Jets could get David Johnson on a short-term deal and they wouldn’t have to worry about it affecting their cap heavily. If David Johnson were to be cut the Jets could offer him a two-year contract worth ten million dollars with the majority of the money backloaded into the second year of his deal.

Prediction

Although it wouldn’t be smart financially for the Cardinals to get rid of Johnson it could happen because of the emergence of Kenyan Drake this past season. I think the New York Jets would certainly entertain the idea of adding Johnson on a cheap deal but would rather go towards the draft to find younger talent.

New York Giants news, 10/22 – Sterling Shepard injury update, Daniel Jones learns a tough lesson

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

When New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones was sacked for his eighth time on Sunday afternoon in the pouring rain, he pried himself off the turf and walked somberly toward the sideline. Eli Manning stood towards the back, near the quarterback’s bench, likely thinking to himself…”I’ve been there too many times, little guy.”

Manning has been a punching bag for a large portion of his career, whether it be at the expense of his offensive line or the media. The veteran has always handled it with grace and class. Jones is learning how to be a quarterback in the NFL the hard way — holding onto the ball too long in hopes of a long completion, which often results in a sack considering the lack of consistency in the trenches from his protection.

Learning this lesson through experience is not the ideal scenario, but it’s one that he will continue to live through, unfortunately.

Hopefully, the New York Giants’ line can begin to improve and give Jones more time in the pocket, allowing him to move through his progressions effectively and not force throws into double coverage. Better days are ahead, but he needs support before he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

Where is Sterling Shepard in his return?

Shepard missed week seven against the Arizona Cardinals after suffering his second concussion of the season in week five. Two consecutive games missed was the minimum he would be out, and it’s always unclear whether he will be available in week eight against the Detroit Lions either.

Shepard worked through individual drills last week, honing a yellow jersey to indicate non-contact. I anticipate that he will miss one more week as a precaution and will return in week nine against the Dallas Cowboys at home.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Tom Canavan – Despite skid, Daniel Jones shows he is the Giants’ future

Matt Lombardo – Cardinals discovered Giants QB Daniel Jones’ kryptonite, Patrick Peterson says
Ryan Gaydon – New York Giants’ Pat Shurmur eviscerated over play-calling in loss to Arizona Cardinals
John Schmeelk, Dan Salomone, Lance Medow – Cover 3: Takeaways from Giants vs. Cardinals
Alexander Wilson – New York Giants: Is head coach Pat Shurmur on the hot seat?

New York Giants: Evan Engram Returning To A Favorable Matchup

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The New York Giants offense was short-handed in their week six matchup with the New England Patriots. The Giants traveled to Foxborough without Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Wayne Gallman, and Evan Engram. This week, it looks like the Giants will be getting a couple of their stars back.

Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram have been full participants in practice and are said to be ready to go for Sunday’s week seven matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Fortunately for New York, their tight end will be returning against a team that has been getting torched by tight ends this season.

Tight Ends Have Been Torching The Cardinals

Through the first six weeks of the season, the Arizona Cardinals have struggled to defend tight ends. Week in and week out, the Cardinals’ opposing tight end has gotten the better of them.

Opposing tight ends have been having a statistical field day against the Cardinals averaging 8 receptions and 99.5 yards per game. They have totaled 46 receptions, 597 yards, and 7 touchdowns, too. Here is a game-by-game statistical breakdown of what tight ends have done to the Cardinals in 2019:

Lions: 7 receptions 146 yards 1 TD
Ravens: 10 receptions 127 yards 2 TD
Panthers: 6 receptions 75 yards 2 TD
Seahawks: 8 receptions 83 yards 1 TD
Bengals: 4 receptions 28 yards
Falcons: 10 receptions 138 yards 1 TD

According to Pro Football Focus, here is how the tight end production that the Cardinals have surrendered so far: 56 targets (fourth-most), 46 catches (most), 82% catch rate (second), 599 yards (102 more than anyone else), and seven touchdowns (three more than anyone else).

Evan Engram is coming back against the right opponent. He has a very favorable matchup against the Cardinals and should see a fair share of targets on Sunday, especially considering how well he and Daniel Jones have been connecting this season.

The Strong Daniel Jones To Evan Engram Connection

Since Daniel Jones took over as the starter for the New York Giants, Evan Engram has seen 7 or more targets in each game he has played in. In these three games, Engram has accumulated 16 receptions for 209 yards and 1 touchdown. Engram looked to be in for a career year prior to his injury that kept him out of last week’s game.

Engram was out last week, but he will be back this Sunday and looking to get his career-year back on track with a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Evan Engram has a tremendous big-play ability for his position. Here is an example of Evan’s big-play ability against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week three (Daniel Jones’s first career touchdown pass):

Giants’ Upcoming Schedule: what it’ll take for playoff hopes in December

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A modest 2-3 record for the New York Giants heading into week 6 hasn’t felt so good for fans in a while. The team did suffer a tough loss against the Minnesota Vikings losing 28-10 last week but entering October with a 2-2 record wasn’t something that happened since 2016.

The team certainly has its flaws, but if they were to make a push for the playoffs there are certain matchups they need to capitalize on. The Patriots likely push this team down to 2-4, pushing their backs a little closer to the wall.

Without going too far ahead, since its a week to week league, let’s take a look at the opponents after week 6 leading up to December:

Arizona Cardinals, 10/20, 1:00 PM

This will be a battle of the top two rookie quarterbacks drafted between Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones. The Cardinals have a 1-3-1 record through 5 games. Their lone win came against a winless team in the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Giants also have a rookie quarterback this Arizona team has proven to be very a beatable team. They have a decent rushing attack that ranks 11th in the league in yards and they are a middle-of-the-pack team in first downs gained.

That much is encouraging but they also have a defense that’s 29th in yards allowed. This needs to be a bounce-back game for the team if they suffer another loss against the Patriots on Thursday. Letting the Cardinals potentially push the Giants down to 2-5 would be detrimental to their season with tougher matchups down the road.

Detroit Lions, 10/27, 1:00 PM

The Giants don’t have the best record against the Lions in recent history but they’re one of the more friendly matchups left on the schedule. While their offense is top 10 in yards gained with big names like Matthew Stafford and Kerryon Johnson, their defense is struggling. Their best rank in defense is a 20th ranked run-stopping unit. The Lions aren’t among the leagues best in rushing defense but still have Damon “Snacks” Harrison who will give the interior of the Giants offensive line a good fight.

Much like the upcoming matchup with the Cardinals, a top-ranked offense and bottom-ranked defense should at least give the Giants the chance to keep up in these weeks 7 and 8 matchups. While they’ve struggled on defense the Lions won’t lay down for Daniel Jones, they’ve only given up 4 passing touchdowns in 4 games. Winning both of these games is most likely a must with tougher teams around the corner. Improving to 4-4 with wins against the Lions and Cardinals (assuming they lose to NE) would be a record they haven’t matched since 2016.

Dallas Cowboys, 11/4, 8:15 PM

It would’ve been nice for most fans to take a long break from the Cowboys but in less than a month they’ll be in NJ for a rematch. We all know how bad Dak Prescott embarrassed the young Giants defense but they should have their sea legs this time. After a strong 3-0 start against beatable teams like the Giants, Dolphins, and Redskins they’ve stumbled against solid teams like the Saints and Packers. James Bettcher committed to neutralizing Elliott in the first game but at the expense of exposing his secondary, they let Dak Prescott reach a career-high efficiency.

The defensive coordinator will need to ease up in the trenches next time. Daniel Jones will need to bring his A-game against a defense that currently ranks 9th in passing yards allowed. Pat Shurmur will also need to bring his A-game by calling rushing plays more often this time, Dallas currently ranks 23rd against the run. With Saquon likely back to his normal self, the second time around Shurmur will have a chance to redeem himself. A win at home against Dallas would greatly brighten the playoff outlook.

New York Jets, 11/10, 1:00 PM

We can put the Jets in the same category as the Cardinals and Lions for must-win matchups. This is one of the last friendly matchups of the year, although the team will get tougher with Sam Darnold returning soon. They’ve been sinking without their starting quarterback at 0-4 but they aren’t exactly a pushover either. They are 21st in yards allowed which isn’t terrible and giving up 5 touchdown passes in 4 games is respectable as well. Only finding a single touchdown pass so far on offense is the main reason they can’t build any momentum. They’re not as bad as their record and will have some catching up to do themselves but still an opportunistic matchup compared to most of the other remaining opponents.

Chicago Bears, 11/24, 1:00 PM

If the offensive struggles looked bad against the Vikings expect the same, if not worse against the Bears. This defense is stacked from top to bottom, currently ranked 11th against the pass and 6th against rushing offenses. The only hope at taking down a team like this has a lot to do with Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback. He’s held their offensive unit back so far, failing to score a touchdown in his first 2 starts this year and continues to struggle with reading the entire field in his 3rd season. This will most likely be a low-scoring grind but the Giants could possibly come out on top with an edge in quarterback play. Daniel Jones has looked much better than Trubisky, even as a rookie. Beating either the Bears or Cowboys is most likely crucial for playoff hopes in December.

That’s it for the games leading up to December, excluding the terrifying matchup with the Patriots on Thursday night. The Cowboys and Bears are obviously tough upcoming matchups with overwhelming defenses. Outside of those 2 teams, the Cardinals, Lions, and Jets are matchups this young Giants team should capitalize on if they have playoff hopes.

If the team is really about to fall to 2-4, winning those 3 friendly matchups and managing to pull 1-1 from the Cowboys and Bears games would put this team at 6-5 going into December. A record many New York Giants fans would ultimately be pleased with heading into the final month that includes matchups with Washington and Miami.

It’s a week to week league and a lot can change at any time, however, taking a look at the next couple months this team could have a shot at their first playoff berth since Dave Gettleman took over as GM just a season ago.