Thoughts to come after the weekend, in the meantime feel free to use this thread to debate today’s games.
Comedy moment of the weekend goes to Florida State, who suspended quarterback Jameis Winston for the whole of today’s game against Clemson. Winston still dressed in full pads, but was sent back to the locker room by Jimbo Fisher to change. The look on his face is priceless…
That is ridiculous RT @TMitrosilis: The look on Jimbo Fisher's face when he sees Jameis Winston in full uniform … https://t.co/FIS3BraFij
— Nick Burch (@_NickBurch) September 21, 2014
As PFT’s Michael David Smith writes, I’m not sure Winston “gets it”:
Florida State announced late last night that Winston will not play at all in today’s game against Clemson. He had initially been suspended for the first half of the game for screaming an obscene phrase in the student union; the suspension for the second half reportedly comes because Florida State discovered that Winston lied to school authorities about some of the circumstances surrounding that incident.
Winston, of course, has had many prior off-field incidents that will make NFL teams question whether his immense talent is worth the headaches. By far the most serious is the accusation from a female Florida State student that he raped her. Winston was not charged, and the Tallahassee Police Department botched that investigation so thoroughly that we’ll never know what really happened.
Winston’s other incidents were far less serious than a sexual assault, but the sum total of them is to question whether he cares at all about the potential consequences of his actions: He was arrested for shoplifting crab legs. He was involved in a BB gun battle that damaged his apartment complex, and hours later Florida State police stopped him and handcuffed him for carrying a pellet gun near campus (he said he was using it to shoot at squirrels). Before last season’s national championship game, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher kicked Winston out of practice and explained later that he wanted Winston to understand that “it’s not about you.”
For me it’s quite clear, Jameis Winston isn’t ready to be a professional football player and has no place declaring for the 2015 draft. Whether he does or not remains to be seen. But he isn’t ready.
Starting off the Saturday watching a good ACC matchup of Georgia Tech at VA Tech. GT is a team that always intrigues me.They run an entirely run-based option offense. With six minutes left in the game their team passing totals were 3/11 for 42 yds(!) and 232 yards rushing. Their QB looks a lot like Russell Wilson, with all of Wilson’s scrambling ability but unfortunately none of his accuracy. Yet despite not being a passing offense they always have these huge, NFL-archtypical wideouts year after year (Megatron, Demarius Thomas…), and this season is no exception with two very intriguing seniors:
#15 DeAndre Smelter 6-3/222
#88 Darren Waller 6-5/241
Both these guys are are just freaky-looking specimens, Waller especially who is essentially a TE but moves like a WR. Unfortunately the diminutive GT QB is so inept at passing the ball that I have not been able to see either in action much.
UPDATE: In the last three minutes GT put together a game-tying drive that saw three clutch catches by Smelter capped off with about a 20-yard TD pass and a catch on their next drive to put them in game-winning field goal range. On that last catch he absolutely owned CB Kendall Fuller, younger brother of Chicago rookie CB Kyle Fuller who ruined Kaep’s day last weekend. Smelter is an impressive looking player. Two other GT players of note:
#54 Quayshawn Nealy LB 6-1 235 RS SR
This guy might have been 235 in high school, but he is a lot bigger now. He is a prototypical big, thick MIKE linebacker that is going to look good in the NFL. He is quick and agile for his size (not Wagz-quick, but what MIKE LB is?) with a nose for the ball, strong pass-rushing skills, and is one of those players that always seems to be in the right spot. On a GT defense with few flashy playmakers Nealy really stood out.
#70 Shaquille Mason OL 6-1 300 SR
Mason looks taller than 6-1 and way bigger than 300, built solidly and just stood out standing next to everyone else on the LOS. He mostly played RG and was a force blocking in all those option running plays, most of which were QB keepers.
I also caught a little of the Iowa/Pitt game mostly paying attention to:
#24 James Conner 6-2/250 RB SO
There is a lot of buzz about this guy, and while he had a good box score line – 29/155, 5.3 avg, 1TD – what I saw of him didn’t wow me much. He consistently moved the ball forward but often got stood up on first contact and never really ran anyone over for such a big back. I’m still intrigued, though, and will be following him this year.
Rob, we are seeing what a healthy Amari Cooper can do. 10 more catches today for 201 yards and 3 more TDs to lead the nation in all receiving categories. And this with a running QB, with a team dedicated to the run. Alabama 42, Florida 21. Amari’s receiving skills are truly elite. …As an aside, Lane Kiffin is off to such a great start as the Bama OC, I wonder if his old buddy Pete Carroll will summon him when Darrell Bevell takes a HC job after this season…. or does Nick Saban have Kiffin locked into a contract unless he lands another head coaching job?
He had a good day, but it’s hard to not look elite when the defense lets you get behind them more than once for wide open touchdowns. I would like to see Smelter and Waller mentioned above in an offense with some semblance of a passing game. Another good looking underclassman receiver is De’Runnya Wilson 6-5 225 Soph of Miss St. Through three quarters of their drubbing of LSU he is 4/91 and a TD with some ferocious run blocking.
Still watching the Huskies, and of course Shelton and Kikaha look great, as does Peters, but that’s what you expect them to do against a team like Georgia State.
Anyone else just see Leroy Hill on the Clemson sideline, or am I hallucinating?
Rob,
With all this business about Ray Rice, Dwyer, etc (and to a lesser degree Manziel), do you think that character concerns will become a huge focus in the next draft? I can’t help but think that this is going to be a primary for NFL teams focus going forward.
*primary focus for NFL teams going forward
Absolutely. Any hope Dorial Green-Beckham had of still going early has evaporated given his recent issues. Teams will be under so much pressure in 2015 to make the right moral decisions.
I really like Gurleys all around ability but I would take gorden over him any day. The guy just looks next level explosive! I doubt the hawks take a rb I the 1st but I see them taking in the top half of the draft, which means both probably won’t be available. Let’s hope I’m wrong because I want one of them on the team.
Can someone explain to me why everyone thinks Darrell Bevell is a genius? I’ve never seen a more unimaginative second half. Dive by Lynch. Dive by Lynch. Dive by Lynch. My god.
Glad for the win. Denver deserves a lot of credit, but seattle really needs to look at things. That last drive before the end of regulation was inexcusable (despite that the defense won this game for its play overall). I don’t care if its peyton manning. You can’t let that last drive happen.
The offense? Lots of work needs to be done. Lots and lots of work.
The bye week looks to be a blessing this year to get it together.
What happened to our other two running backs, Turbin and Michael? Is our line so bad that only the toughest pounding running back in the league can make it work? What happened to the rotation?
I watched Ware blow by Turbin once and sack RW. Didn’t see Turbin again all game. We need to either play our running backs or cut them and find backs that can gain yardage. Maybe that seems extreme, but running backs are cheap compared to other positions. So find some that can rotate with Lynch.
Interesting rumors on Winston. The incident in the Student Union Building supposedly involved him yelling out “F- her in the p—y”, which apparently was a quote on a viral video of a fake newscast and involved a hooded man ‘jumping’ in front of the camera and yelling that on a “live” broadcast.
The more interesting rumor is that in a much lower voice, while looking at a female student, he added “even if she says ‘no'”. Rumor was posted by someone with some background of breaking scandals.
No clue whether or not it is true, but if it is and is proven, I don’t see him playing in the NFL.
Not in the current climate surrounding the NFL. Teams will do their own homework on that botched investigation too.