Author: DaynaOG

Fighting for just one chance: Meet Jarvis “Tank” Courtney

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

Canceled combines. Delayed or canceled Pro Days. XFL and indoor football seasons gone or pushed back.

While football fans are reveling in the fact that free agency and trades for current NFL players are still happening (despite the situation our nation is in), we can’t forget about those players whose lives have been put on hold.

One of these players is Jarvis Courtney, or as most know him as, Tank. Tank is an indoor arena player who was hoping to catch the eye of the NFL this season. A man that has been fighting his whole life for his dream.

A dream he promised his grandmother he would never give up on.

Continue reading “Fighting for just one chance: Meet Jarvis “Tank” Courtney” →

NFL Trades and Free Agency… Let the games begin

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

It’s time. It’s the time when every team has a perfect record. It’s time for teams to trade for “that guy” who will be exactly what they need for their team. It’s time for free agents to get their money and run with it. Happy NFL New Year!

With the craziness that the world is going through right now while we deal with COVID -19 and all that comes with it, it is so nice to get a break and have my Twitter timeline full of football news.

As a sports reporter, I am SO DAMN HAPPY to have something to write about. I feel for my peers who cover MLS, MLB, NHL, XFL, golf, NCAA, etc, as I know it is a news desert out there right now. But for us covering the NFL, it is one of the best times of the year. Let the games begin!

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Drafting from other teams: Is it smarter to use draft picks for established players?

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

The Super Bowl is officially 2 weeks old. Congratulations to Kansas City, but… the football world has already moved on. As Kate mentioned in her article about quarterbacks last week, the free agency frenzy and the trade block rumors have already started and it is at full steam.

While yes, the draft is just a few months away and we are seeing plenty of articles and mock drafts online, the focus has definitely turned to who is available via trade. We know the free agents traditionally go with who throws them the biggest amount of cash, which I’m all for, but trades are a little different. A surprising trade… now that makes a splash!

Ok ok, you’re right. Trade rumors usually start early and can often be ridiculous. I mean, it’s almost like a game to see who can come up with the most insane trade.

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The Kansas City Chiefs: Your 2020 Super Bowl Champions

Dayna O’Gorman
Senior NFL Reporter
AFC North/West

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

The San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs faced off in Miami, fighting for the Lombardi trophy and the right to call themselves champions. While the 49ers seemed to dominate most of the game, it was the Chiefs who took control at the end, winning 31-20 and becoming the 2020 NFL World Champions.

It was a clash of a red hot offense and a screaming defense. It was two young quarterbacks and a handful of seasoned veterans. It was the two best teams from each conference battling until the end. Most of all, it was a great game.

Continue reading “The Kansas City Chiefs: Your 2020 Super Bowl Champions” →

Is adding extra games to the season a good idea? Players say no.

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

The NFL and NFLPA are headed to the table to work on the next collective bargaining agreement as the current one ends after the 2020 season. Both sides have already started talking, but negotiations will ramp up over the next few months and into the next season.

One of the big items on the table is adding one to two extra games. I took a few minutes after the end of Saturday’s Pro Bowl practice to talk to a few players about how they felt about adding more playing time to their season.

There are a lot of things on the table when it comes to this next CBA. Guaranteed salaries, increasing minimums for veterans and rookies, drug policies, revenue sharing, lifetime health insurance… it’s a long list. One of the biggest changes the owners would like is to add at least one game to the season. And it’s not something the players are necessarily happy about, but may not have a choice in.

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For the players, the 2020 Pro Bowl is about more than a game

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

It was the second day of practice for both the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl teams at the 2020 Pro Bowl. It was a typical Pro Bowl practice, lots of dancing, goofing off, and defensive players playing offensive positions. It’s a time for players to relax, enjoy time with fellow NFL players, spend some quality time with their families, and interact with fans.

But if you ever are able to come to the Pro Bowl and watch these practices, what you notice most is the fun the players are having on the field. It looks like one giant backyard game, where rules are loosely applied and roles are interchangeable.

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AFC Championship Preview: Titans vs Chiefs

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

On Sunday, the 6th seed Tennessee Titans will head to Kansas City to take on the 2nd seed Chiefs for the AFC Championship Game, with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake.

During the season, there were many who imagined the high powered Chiefs making it to this stage, but I don’t remember anyone mentioning the Titans taking a trip to Miami in February.

I’m going to be honest. I think most people outside of the two teams’ fandoms will be thrilled to see either team win. Not just because it will be two young, fun teams playing, but also because it is the first time in a LONG time that the words New England Patriots haven’t been mentioned in an AFC Championship preview.

Oh, wait… I just mentioned them. Sorry.

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The Chiefs steamroll the Texans, go on to AFC Championship

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

By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG

It was a rocky first quarter for the Kansas City Chiefs. Down 21-0, it looked like the underdog Houston Texans were going to destroy the home team. That wasn’t to be the case as the Chiefs took the game over, beating the Texans 51-31. This loss brings up a lot of questions for the Texans coaching staff’s future.

Not many people gave the Texans a chance to win in Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs and their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes were slated to march right through anything the Texans defense could give them. But in that first quarter, the Chiefs looked lost, confused, and like they had completely underestimated their opponents. Kansas City receivers couldn’t hold on to the ball. Their special teams were a disaster, giving up 2 touchdowns. It was ugly.

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Houston at Kansas City: Divisional Round Preview

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

By Dayna O’Gorman //@DaynaOG

The Houston Texans will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs in what could be a fantastic divisional round match up. Or it could be a total blow out…by either team. What we learned from the Wild Card round is to never be comfortable, as something completely unexpected will happen.

I still can’t get over last weekend. Underdog road teams winning over teams that were almost shoe-ins for the AFC and NFC Championships. It taught us all that, at least in football, to always expect the unexpected. This weekend could easily follow suit.

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Crazy, fun, exhausting. NFL Wildcard Weekend: Bills vs Texans

Dayna O’Gorman
Senior NFL Reporter

By Dayna O’Gorman //@DaynaOG

Before Saturday, this was the game most people had a hard time picking a winner for. The Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills are similar, well-matched teams. In what turned out to be another heart breaker for the Bills fans, the Texans held on to win 22-19, advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs.

This game wasn’t close, to begin with. The Bills had a 16 point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter. But then Houston flipped the switch and turned this game on its head. In what felt to be frantic fashion, Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson showed everyone why Texans fans love him so, tying the game up and taking it to overtime, and winning the game.

But that simple recap doesn’t begin to tell the story of this wild Wildcard game. This game was crazy, in the most fun way possible.

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