Month: August 2020

NFC West 2020 Preview

Dayna O’Gorman
Senior NFL Reporter
NFC West/AFC West

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

Most agree this is the toughest division in football. It has produced the NFC Champion 4 out of the last 7 seasons, and many think that with the expanded playoffs, the NFC West could end up with three teams in the postseason.

Going into the 2020 season, this is also one of the hardest divisions to predict. You have the growth of a second-year QB and massive offseason additions in Arizona. There are the questions surrounding a Super Bowl hangover, and a growing list of injuries in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles Rams dropped off in 2019 after their Super Bowl loss, but are looking to rebound strong. And then there is the Seattle Seahawks with their elite QB and break out wide receiver, but that defense was seriously questionable.

What can we expect from all of this? Let’s take a look.

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Miami Dolphins are fine tuning the team before mandatory cut down

Lisa Johnson
AFC South AFC East Reporter

By Lisa Johnson // @LJ1303

We are a few weeks shy of the start of the 2020 NFL season. The Miami Dolphins are spending these weeks finalizing their offense and their defense.

Since league rosters were preset to only 80 players rather than the maximum 90 players due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dolphins coaches have had to use this time carefully evaluating players.

With the mandatory cut down day looming September 5th, all NFL teams must have rosters set at 53, leaving teams with extra talent to make decisions based on the extended training camps.

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ProFootball Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Bobby Dillon

By Kate Arhar // @ClvlndK8 

One of the sad realities of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is that sometimes a man passes away before his enshrinement.

Green Bay Packer legend, safety Bobby Dillon passed away August 22, 2019, so he never got the “Call from the Hall.”

However, he has been included in the Class of 2020 – The Centennial Class. While the ceremonies will have to wait until next year due to Covid-19, his legacy will live on.

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Detroit Lions have a good conversation

Sonja Greenfield, Detroit Lions Reporter

By Sonja Greenfield //@Mom23RN

**The views expressed here don’t necessarily reflect the views of everyone at OurTurf Football**

The Detroit Lions rarely lead the way in anything. And if they do, it’s usually something not good, like being the first team to go 0-16, or plenty of other odd little things that you can come up with.

But on Tuesday, August 25th, the Lions took the lead on speaking up about current events.

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AFC North 2020 Preview

Kate Arhar
Senior Sports Editor AFC North / NFC South

By Kate Arhar // @ClvlndK8 

The 2020 NFL offseason has been anything but typical. Training camps are underway with no fans in attendance and our glimpses of the teams have been sketchy at best.

But in looking around the AFC North, at the additions from the draft, the free agency moves and the returns from injury, it seems as if it’s just another normal off-season.

I have to say the team to beat is the Baltimore Ravens – regardless of what Steeler Fan wants to believe. And while Pittsburgh and the Cleveland Browns battle to be second fiddle, I think we all know the Cincinnati Bengals need a lot more help than #1 draft pick Joe Burrow as quarterback.

Let take a look at what each team has been up to so far this year.

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NFC North 2020 Preview

Sonja Greenfield, Senior NFL Reporter NFC North, NFC East

By Sonja Greenfield //@Mom23RN

Happy New Year!  Not really. But the new NFL season is upon us. Or is it?

As of now, it’s still on.  Let’s get down to my 2020 season preview of the NFC North before they change their minds!

Chicago Bears (8-8 record last season)

Earlier this offseason, the Bears decided to decline their quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s 5th-year option. They also traded for QB Nick Foles, which makes a quarterback competition inevitable at camp. Along with Foles, they added tight end Jimmy Graham and EDGE Robert Quinn. They also drafted TE Cole Kmet. The Bears defense is overall the same, with linebacker Khalil Mack leading the way.

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AFC West 2020 Preview

Dayna O’Gorman
Senior NFL Reporter
NFC West/AFC West

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

I have to admit, this is hard. I’ve been writing these previews for almost 10 years and without question, this is had some serious challenges. No preseason games, very little information coming out of camp, and limited media coverage has made 2020…difficult. BUT! Onward we go with my 2020 AFC West preview.

There is little question that the AFC West is a strong division. The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, defeating a very talented San Francisco 49’ers team. The Denver Broncos added fantastic talent and look to hone the skills of their young quarterback. The Las Vegas Raiders made the move to their new city and added a challenger to their QB room, and the Las Vegas Chargers got a new home, cut the face of their franchise, and are looking forward.

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ProFootball Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Ed Sprinkle

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @Wandaw63

With the current NFL teams trying all sorts of schemes to gain an edge, we are seeing more and more versatile players on both sides of the ball. Throughout NFL history, players wore different hats.  The newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, Ed Sprinkle is no stranger to playing different positions.

For 12 seasons Ed “The Meanest Man in Pro Football” Sprinkle played for the Chicago Bears, from 1944 to 1955, and was signed by Papa Bear George Halas himself. In the beginning of his career, Sprinkle played both defense and offense. As a tight end he caught 32 passes for 451 yards and seven touchdowns, while alternating as an offensive guard during the life of his career.

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OTFB Fan Forum: Good, bad, and a little weird. The 2020 Offseason.

Dayna O’Gorman
Senior NFL Reporter
NFC West/AFC West

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

In this edition of the OTFB Fan Forum, I decided to have everyone take a look at this odd offseason. The all-virtual, Zoom edition of an offseason.

Since free agents weren’t allowed into any facilities, it made signing them more difficult for teams. Rookies weren’t allowed anywhere near the rest of the team until training camp. It was a little weird. I was curious about how our forum members thought their team faired. Did they improve? Get worse by losing important pieces? Did they make any moves at all?

Or, seeing as the circumstances were, well… unusual, did they just hang on?

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ProFootball Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Donnie Shell

Dayna O’Gorman
Senior NFL Reporter
NFC West/AFC West

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

When we were dividing up the inductees of the ProFootball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 for our articles, I immediately asked for safety Donnie Shell.

A highly decorated member of the Pittsburg Steelers Steel Curtain defense, Shell was one of the most decorated players to ever play the game, and I am so thrilled he finally made it to Canton.

You guys know me. I LOVE defense. I love old school, knock ’em in the dirt defense. The Steelers Steel Curtain was the epitome of that type of football, and Shell was a big part of it.

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