Latest news with #ProFootballReference
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Cornerbacks
Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight. For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange. Here at Bears Wire, we're celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. Next up is cornerback, a group that has featured plenty of ballhawks—and a player who changed the game with forcing fumbles. Charles Tillman We may never see another cornerback quite like Charles "Peanut" Tillman. The lengthy physical defensive back burst onto the scene during his rookie season with the Bears in 2003 when he ripped the ball out of Randy Moss's hands in the end zone to secure a victory, and he became an integral member of Lovie Smith's defense. Tillman ranks third all-time for Bears career interception leaders with 36 and proved to be a great cover corner, having legendary battles with the likes of Calvin Johnson and Jordy Nelson throughout his career. But it was his knack for forcing fumbles that gave him national recognition. Tillman's 44 career forced fumbles are tied for sixth all-time in NFL history, but he's the only defensive back inside the top 10. "The Peanut Punch" became a staple in the 2010s for Tillman's ability to force fumbles on ball carriers. For his efforts, Tillman earned a pair of Pro Bowl honors in 2011 and 2012, as well as being named First-Team All-Pro for his league-leading 10 forced fumbles in 2012. Going against Tillman was difficult in itself for wide receivers, but then they had to watch out if they actually caught the ball. He's one of the most underrated defensive backs in league history and rightfully sits atop the position group for the Bears. Jaylon Johnson Jaylon Johnson has come a long way since his first NFL game when he got trucked by Marvin Jones Jr. The 2020 second-round pick has slowly but surely developed into one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, thanks to his elite cover skills. Johnson may not have the gaudy interception totals like some of his peers, but he's a problem for opposing quarterbacks. So much so that they opt to avoid him altogether. After a solid few seasons in the league, Johnson broke out in 2023, becoming the highest-graded cornerback of the season according to PFF. He allowed an opposing quarterback rating of just 50.9, according to Pro Football Reference, and he nabbed four interceptions. Johnson made his first Pro Bowl that season and was named Second-Team All-Pro. He maintained expectations in 2024 as well, despite a tumultuous season from the team around him. At 26 years old, Johnson is in the prime of his career and has a chance to become the Bears' best cornerback of the 21st century when his career is complete. Kyle Fuller It's easy to forget how wild Kyle Fuller's career was for the Bears. He looked like the heir apparent to Tillman during his rookie season when he shined on the national stage and then was on the verge of becoming a bust in 2016 when he missed the entire season and fell out of favor with Vic Fangio. It took some time, but Fuller found his footing and became a sensational ballhawk beginning in 2017. Despite entering the year as a backup, Fuller became a starter again thanks to injury and didn't let it go. He totaled 22 pass breakups and finally looked like the first-round pick the team invested in three years earlier. Fuller peaked in 2018 with seven interceptions and 21 pass breakups, which led the league, during the Bears' division title run, culminating in a Pro Bowl nod and being named First-Team All-Pro. Fuller took chances playing off the ball and had a knack for jumping routes at the perfect time. It was risky, but he came out on top more often than not. Fuller earned another Pro Bowl trip in 2019 and had a solid end to his Bears career in 2020. It took some time, but Fuller lived up to his potential in the end. Tim Jennings Near the end of the Lovie Smith era, the Bears were in need of a quality cornerback to start opposite Tillman. Nathan Vasher struggled with injuries, and Zackary Bowman was a flash in the pan. The solution was to sign Tim Jennings as a free agent in 2010, and it didn't take him long to become the starter the Bears needed. Jennings helped improve the Bears' run defense early in his tenure and took advantage of the targets that came his way in the passing game when teams were avoiding Tillman. In 2012, Jennings led the league with nine interceptions while also finishing with 21 pass breakups. He earned Pro Bowl honors that season and was named Second-Team All-Pro, finishing just behind Tillman. His strong play continued in 2013, despite the Bears changing regimes and hiring a new defensive staff. Jennings totaled four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He even scored two defensive touchdowns, which led the league for a defensive player. Despite being undersized at 5'8", Jennings was a productive outside cornerback who played bigger than his frame. Honorable mention: Nathan Vasher
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs was reliable and efficient in this key situation in 2024
Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs was very efficient in this key situation during the 2024 season. Regardless of who has been under center for the Indianapolis Colts, Josh Downs has been a steady presence for this offense and the passing game. But during the 2024 season, one area where Downs made his biggest impact was on those critical, must-have-it third and fourth down situations. On these crucial downs, Downs was a go-to option in the passing game. According to Pro Football Reference, Downs had 39 targets last season on third or fourth downs. He would catch 23 of those passes, with an impressive 19 of them picking up the first down. So, not only was Downs a reliable option in these situations, but there was a high probability that if the pass was completed, the first down was going to be picked up. Downs would also catch two touchdowns on third and fourth downs and averaged over 12.0 yards per catch. Being able to move the chains and stay on the field is obviously vital to success for any offense. While Downs was successful in that regard, the Colts' offense overall struggled on third downs, ranking 19th in success rate, which contributed to them also ranking near the bottom in time of possession. Getting better on third downs begins with what takes place on first and second downs, with the Colts offense putting themselves in more manageable down-and-distance situations because when operating regularly in third-and-longs, the defense has the upper hand.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jayden Daniels 'excited' for Deebo Samuel to juice up his stats
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had one of the greatest rookie seasons by a quarterback in recent memory, and his team's addition of wideout Deebo Samuel might make his 2025 stats look even better. During an appearance as a speaker at Fanatics Fest over the weekend, Daniels expressed his excitement to join forces with the speedy receiver, whom the Commanders traded for in March. If things work out as the second-year quarterback hopes, he will get the double benefit of more passing yards for less effort. "I'm excited to throw him a little screen and hopefully on the stat sheet it says a touchdown for 80 yards and I didn't have to do any of the work," Daniels joked in a video posted by The Sports Place. There is some truth in Daniels' joke. In 2024, Samuel averaged 8.3 yards after catch per reception – the third-highest average of any wide receiver in the NFL. Only Denver Broncos wideout Marvin Mims and the Detroit Lions' Jameson Williams were better after the catch, according to Pro Football Reference. That's a skill set the Commanders will be happy to have in their passing offense to complement that of lead receiver Terry McLaurin. McLaurin earned his second career Pro Bowl nod in 2024 as he continued to find success over the middle and in deep parts of the field. According to Pro Football Focus, his average depth of target was 13.9 yards – 14th-highest in the NFL – but his yards after catch average was 3.6 – 59th in the league. Samuel, meanwhile, had an average depth of target of 6.9 yards per PFF (89th) but averaged his aforementioned 8.3 yards after catch per reception to make up for it. He joins the Commanders with hope on both sides that a change of scenery will help enable him to return to his 2021 levels of production, when he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards – leading the league with his 18.2 yards per reception. In the three years since, Samuel has not surpassed 900 receiving yards. Samuel finished the 2024 season with 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in the air. He also had 42 carries for 136 rushing yards and an additional touchdown on the ground.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
78 days till the Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 78?
With 78 days till the Cardinals open the season against the Saints, we look at the players who have worn No. 78. We are counting down to the start of the 2025 regular season for the Arizona Cardinals and are now less than 12 weeks away. They will open the season on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7. That is 78 days away. As we count down the remaining days of the offseason, let's look at who has worn that number uniform over the years for the Cardinals. Who has worn No. 78? Cardinals players to wear No. 78 Undrafted rookie tackle Josh Fryar is the Cardinals player currently wearing No. 78. That number hasn't been worn in a few years. Freddie Joe Nunn wore multiple numbers and was one of the best pass rushers the Cardinals have had since the late 80s. Yankowski was a good pass rusher for a decade for the Cardinals. Sacks were not an official stat in the 70s, but Pro Football Reference credits him with 30 in his career. Perhaps at some point again, the Cardinals will find another impact No. 78. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick 'must bounce back' from poor 2024 season
Dallas Turner didn't have the most impactful rookie season in 2024, leading some to question the Minnesota Vikings' decision to trade up and select him. That makes his 2025 season vital to his future. The Vikings already have two Pro Bowl edge defenders, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. That made it hard to get Turner on the field as much as fans expected heading into last season. But Brian Flores and the Vikings are expecting big things from the second-year defender. This week, Matt Holder from PFF listed Turner among six 2024 first-round picks who need to have a bounce-back season to avoid the "bust" label. Holder acknowledges the obstacles Turner faced as a rookie, but says it's time for him to make a regular impact. But it was a little shocking to see him only take 28 percent of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference, and he could receive a similar workload this fall. . .Both starting edge defenders from last season return for the Vikings: Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. . .Turner has an uphill battle to crack the starting lineup and could have a tough time seeing the field again. Last week, Flores told the media that he doesn't view Turner as a backup, and instead views him as an equal to Van Ginkel and Greenard. Flores isn't one to hype a player up in front of the media, so maybe it's a sign that Turner is coming along. But we still need to see Turner actually do it when the games count this season. Perhaps Flores is scheming ways to get him on the field without taking Van Ginkel and Greenard off. No matter how it happens, the Vikings paid a hefty price to land Turner. That means they need to see results sooner rather than later.
