Frank Reich returns to Carolina, to face Bill Belichick again
Bill Belichick isn't the only former NFL coach making his head-coaching debut at the college level this year. Former Colts and Panthers coach Frank Reich is serving as the full-year interim coach at Stanford. On Saturday, they meet for the fourth time as opposing head coaches.
The game also marks Reich's return to Carolina, two years to the month after he was abruptly fired by an owner who applied an unprecedented and illogical mispronunciation — twice — of Reich’s last name in the press conference explaining the decision to part ways with Reich during his first season on the job.
Belichick's team is favored for the first time against a Power Four opponent, by 7.5 points. Which says less about the 3-5 Tar Heels than it does about the 3-6 Cardinal.
The game, which begins at 4:30 p.m. ET, will be televised by the CW. Which is good news for YouTube TV customers, since the network isn't owned by Disney.
At the pro level, Belichick leads the series, 2-1. All three games happened during Reich's time with the Colts. Their last meeting was also Reich's last game in Indianapolis. He was fired three years ago yesterday and replaced by Jeff Saturday.
Belichick and Reich had another fairly important meeting during Reich's last game as offensive coordinator with the Eagles. In Super Bowl LII, Philadelphia upset Belichick's Patriots. And when New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels decided not to follow through on a verbal agreement to take the Colts' head-coaching job, Indy pivoted to Reich.
There's another interesting piece of connective tissue in this one. Stanford's G.M. is Andrew Luck. He was the quarterback of the Colts in the 2014 AFC Championship, a blowout win for the Patriots that sparked the #Deflategate scandal.
Both Belichick and Reich have had the air taken out of their first seasons at the college level. The stakes this time around are much more modest than they were in February 2018; both coaches need a win to keep alive their slim hopes to become bowl eligible.
James Dun has made 57 appearances for the Bristol Bears [Getty Images]
Bristol Bears second row James Dun will leave the club at the end of the current season when his contract expires.
The 26-year-old has made 57 appearances since signing a first professional deal with the club in 2017.
"This has been one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make," Dun said. "From coming through the academy to running out at Ashton Gate, the Bears have shaped me as both a player and a person.
"I'm hugely grateful to every teammate, coach, and staff member who's believed in me, and to Pat (Lam) for giving me the opportunity to establish myself in the Premiership.
"Being a homegrown player for Bristol has been a real honour, but I feel it's the right time to embrace a new chapter and test myself in a different environment, until the end of the season, I'm fully committed to giving everything for this team and finishing on a high."
Neither Bears nor Dun have revealed where the player is heading next but the club's director of rugby Pat Lam hinted at what might be next in the club statement.
"He's faced some real challenges on and off the field, but I'm proud of the resilience and toughness he has shown to become the player and person he is today," Lam said.
"While we're naturally disappointed to see him move on, we fully respect his decision to pursue a change of lifestyle in London and take on a fresh challenge at this stage of his career."
Matthew Stafford and Rams eager to avenge their heartbreaking loss to 49ers
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks to pass during an overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 2. Stafford is having one of the best seasons of his 17-year career. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It’s been just more than five weeks.
But for the Rams that seems like ages ago.
On Oct. 2, the San Francisco 49ers came to SoFi Stadium and handed the Rams their second loss in four weeks, a 26-23 overtime defeat on “Thursday Night Football” that ended when the 49ers stopped running back Kyren Williams on fourth and one at the 49ers’ 11-yard line.
Much has changed for the Rams that defeat.
In victories over the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints, the Rams offense broadened its scope by utilizing four tight ends, receiver Davante Adams emerged as the hoped-for red-zone threat and quarterback Matthew Stafford is enjoying one of the most productive and efficient stretches of his 17-year career.
The Rams have largely shut down three consecutive opponents with a dominant defensive front, a steady linebacker corps and an improving secondary.
One phase, however, remained the same: The kicking game has been a liability.
But the Rams addressed the situation by signing veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide and bringing in Harrison Mevis to compete with kicker Joshua Karty.
“There has been a lot of growth,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of the team in general. “The biggest thing that I would say is that I've been pleased with the way that we've started fast, played good complementary ball, been able to jump out to some leads.”
The Rams started slow in their first matchup against the 49ers, who took the first possession and drove for a touchdown. Early in the second quarter, the Rams trailed, 14-0.
“We didn’t come out hot, and we let them get the first strike in and we were battling for the rest of that game,” Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. “So, we’ve got to come out hot.”
In the three games that followed, the Rams led or were tied at halftime and limited opponents to 10 points or fewer in victories that helped put them in a tie with the Seattle Seahawks for first place in the NFC West.
“It’s exciting to be able to see that come back and be able to put on display our growth,” Turner said, “and to be able to hopefully make a statement to the rest of the NFC West, to the rest of the NFC, to the rest of the league that we’re the team to watch.”
Stafford and the Rams offense have put on a show the last two games.
“He doesn't miss,” Rams receiver Puka Nacua said, “and I feel like the level of confidence that he plays with right now is just oozing out into everybody else.”
Stafford, 37, followed a five-touchdown performance against the Jaguars in London with four touchdown passes in last Sunday’s 34-10 victory over the Saints.
“Man, he still slings it,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told Bay Area reporters. “His arm talent is still ridiculous.”
Stafford leads the league with 21 touchdown passes, and only two interceptions. He has not had a pass intercepted in five games, tied for the longest interception-free stretch of his career.
Stafford’s “total command” of late is no different from what McVay has seen from Stafford during the quarterback's four-plus seasons in L.A.
“Everybody makes a big deal about these numbers, but what I do think he's doing a great job of is he's not leaving the ball in harm's way, either,” McVay said. “Sometimes you might have low picks, you might have had some turnover-worthy plays, he's been really great with that.”
After struggling at times to establish a consistent connection with Stafford in the first five games, Adams has five red-zone touchdown catches in the last two games.
He leads the NFL with eight touchdown catches, and his 111 career touchdown catches ranks eighth all-time.
“He's been doing it for a long time in the league, especially down in the red zone,” Stafford said. “He's got a hundred and something touchdowns and it's really impressive to see what he can do in a small area, both at the line of scrimmage and at the catch point.”
Said Adams: “Basically, if they want to go one-on-one, we like that matchup.”
