The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) announced today that College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer, who led the University of Oklahoma to three national championships, will be the keynote speaker at a 2014 football kickoff event on Sept. 9 at the historic venue in New York City. The event will begin at 6 p.m. ET with Coach Switzer speaking at 7 p.m.
The Giants suddenly have a vacancy on their first-team offensive line after left guard Geoff Schwartz suffered a dislocated toe Friday night in a 35-24 preseason victory over the Jets. Schwartz is out for an indefinite time period and until he returns, Weston Richburg, the Giants’ second-round draft choice this year, is likely to play the position. the Giants’ second-round draft choice this year, is likely to play the position.
The Baltimore Ravens and their league leading rushing offense square off against the Washington Redskins’ prolific passing attack on Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Both teams enter Saturday’s game with a 2-0 record as two of the leagues top preseason offenses square off.
Trailing 10-0 late in the second quarter, Eli Manning and Co. marched 91 yards in 11 plays, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rueben Randle with five seconds left in the half. Manning completed seven of 10 passes on the drive, which took just 1:48 to complete.
Backup Ryan Nassib threw three touchdowns in the second half and the Giants went on to defeat the Jets in the annual MetLife Bowl, 35-24. The Giants improved to 4-0 this preseason with a game remaining against New England.
The Eagles finally got a preseason win knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-21 at Lincoln Financial Field in a game not nearly as close as the score might indicate.
Pittsburgh looks like a team headed nowhere in 2014, so the domination of the Steelers in the first half should be taken with a grain of salt.
Undrafted out of Auburn, Parkey signed with the Colts following this spring’s NFL Draft. He went 2-for-2 on field goals with the Colts during the preseason, including a 45-yarder. At Auburn, Parkey finished his senior season 14-of-19 on field goals while ranking first in the nation with 69 touchbacks.
The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back and returner Kenjon (Ken-YON) Barner from the Carolina Panthers for a conditional seventh round draft choice in 2015.
Defensively, there’s a lot to improve on from last fall, but plenty to be optimistic about as well. Senior cornerback Anthony Robey leads a secondary that loses a number of starters from a secondary that was one of the least productive in the nation in 2013.
The good news? Reinforcements arrived this offseason in the form of seven additions on Signing Day, including junior college transfer Alex Wells, who should see early time at safety. All Temple football games to be aired on 97.5 The Fanatic. See Temple’s schedule for dates and times.
The Giants wanted to use this preseason to work out the kinks in their new offensive system and get it running smoothly for the regular-season opener three weeks from tomorrow in Detroit. But the unit has sputtered. The Giants are 3-0, but in 11 possessions in which all or most of their offensive starters played, they have punted eight times and lost a fumble. The offense had just one sustained drive, an 80-yarder on the second possession vs. Buffalo that ended with Andre Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run. The only other first-team touchdown was Rashad Jennings’ 73-yard run last week against Pittsburgh.
Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham was a solid but unspectacular performer during his first four years as a Giant. Against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, Mannnigham caught a spectacular 38-yard pass from Eli Manning with four minutes left in the fourth quarter that kept a drive alive and helped Big Blue win its second title in four years.
