Month: February 2020

Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa were named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year respectively.

The first two picks in the 2019 NFL draft have already lived up to their billing. 

On Saturday, No. 1 pick Kyler Murray was named the 2019 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, while No. 2 selection Nick Bosa took home the 2019 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Bosa finished his regular season with 47 tackles and nine sacks, and proved to already be among the league’s best pass rushers. He added 16  tackles for loss and 25 QB hits for the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. 

In two playoff games, the Ohio State product has 10 tackles, four QB hits and three sacks. He will look to continue to frustrate opposing offenses on Sunday when Bosa’s 49ers go up against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. 

Murray finished his first professional season with 3,722 passing yards, 544 rushing yards, 24 total touchdown and 12 interceptions. He helped the Arizona Cardinals improve on their 3–13 2018 campaign and gave Arizona no reason to question its selection as a result of his play. 

Murray was awarded the honor, beating out Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who total 1,150 rushing yards, 166 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in just 13 games of action. His 88.5 rush yard per game average was the third highest in the NFL. 

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Luwane Pipkins scored 22 points and made six consecutive free throws in the final minute Saturday to help Providence hold on for a 65-61 victory.

Stephon Gilmore is the first Patriots player to ever win AP Defensive Player of the Year.

Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore was named AP Defensive Player of the Year on Saturday night at the NFL Honors ceremony.

Gilmore, 29, was tied for the league with six interceptions, while his 20 passes defended also led the NFL in 2019. He was a key member of the Patriots’ defense that ranked first in yards allowed, first in points allowed and second in passing defense this past season.

The three-time Pro Bowler snapped Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s two-year winning streak. Gilmore is the first defensive back to win the award since Troy Polamalu in 2010 and the first cornerback to receive the honors since Charles Woodson in 2009.

Gilmore is the first Patriots player to ever win AP Defensive Player of the Year.

After Seton Hall and Villanova lost earlier, Butler became the third Big East ranked team to fall at home on Saturday.

INDIANAPOLIS — Luwane Pipkins scored 22 points and made six consecutive free throws in the final minute Saturday to help Providence hold on for a 65-61 victory over No. 16 Butler.

The Friars (12-10, 5-4 Big East) snapped a three-game losing streak by beating a ranked team for the first time since March 19, 2018. It was also their first road win over a team in the AP Top 25 since Feb. 22, 2017.

Kamar Baldwin finished with 14 points and Justin Tucker had 12 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bulldogs (17-5, 5-4). Butler has lost two of its last three home games.

The Friars made a lineup change to slow down Butler and it worked perfectly. Defensively, Providence jammed up the middle and still had enough speed on the perimeter to prevent Butler’s shooters from getting many open looks.

After going 5 of 17 from the field and committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Butler charged back from an eight-point second-half deficit to take a 43-41 lead with 12:02 to play.

But the Friars answered with six straight and never trailed again.

David Duke’s putback finally gave Providence a 58-54 cushion with 2:22 left — and Pipkins closed it out.

Brady Manek scored 30 points to help Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 82-69

Kaleb Wesson scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, dominating Indiana in the paint in a 68-59 Ohio State win on Saturday.

Tannehill was 7-3 a starter in the regular season and led the Titans to an AFC Championship appearance.

Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has won the 2019 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

The Tennessee signal-caller took over six games into the regular season and helped lead his struggling Titans attack to a 7-3 record as a starter and a postseason appearance. Tannehill threw for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns and just six picks in the regular season. He also ran for another four scores.

The former Dolphins quarterback finished first in the NFL in passer rating and third in completion percentage, earning the highest Pro Football Focus grade of any NFL quarterback.

Tannehill brought the Titans within one game of the franchise’s second-ever Super Bowl appearance. Behind Derrick Henry’s dominant play on the ground and Tannehill’s timely playmaking, the Titans knocked off last year’s Super Bowl winner in New England and the AFC’s 2019 No. 1 seed in Baltimore.

Tannehill is set to become a free agent this offseason, and the QB who was traded last offseason in exchange for a 2019 seventh-round draft pick and a 2020 fourth-round pick remarkably is set for a big pay-day.

He is the second consecutive quarterback to win the award — former Colts signal-caller Andrew Luck won the award last year.

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