🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Some things mean more than football
The NFL community comes together as you stay ahead of the game, one play at a time
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest on the devastating Texas flood in Press Coverage, which is also the topic of Play Call. Joe Flacco is gearing up again in Get to the Post, while everything has gone XL in Snap!
Dallas and Houston
In the wake of the devastating and deadly floods which have killed at least 82 people in central Texas, the Cowboys, Texans and NFL Foundation have come together to pool their donation efforts to help those affected.
Between them, the sides will contribute $1.5m to the relief efforts and help local communities devastated after the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, leaving a path of destruction and loss in its place.
At least 28 children have died, with more still missing from a summer camp in Kerr County.
The final toll across the state is expected to rise.
“Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the floods in Kerr County and Texas Hill Country, especially for the young girls and their families, as well as all of those lost and their loved ones,” the Cowboys said.
“This has been devastating to see and we hold everyone impacted in our thoughts and prayers. Standing side by side with The Salvation Army’s critical response, we are also donating $500,000 to provide immediate resources for rescue, relief and long term recovery efforts.”
President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday for Kerr County, while other locations have also seen multiple deaths.
“We are heartbroken by the loss and damage that our neighbours in the Texas Hill Country have endured,” the Texans said. “We are especially devastated to hear about the children who are still missing and we are praying they are reunited with their families soon.
“Our hearts will remain with everyone affected and in addition to our donation, we will continue to support the search, rescue and recovery efforts in the coming weeks.”
Meanwhile, Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, said that one of the victims in the floods was a member of their family.
“Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives – including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friends’ little girls,” Hunt wrote on Instagram.
Former Texans star JJ Watt and his wife, Kealia, have donated $100k to a local restaurant feeding the Kerr County community for free during the relief efforts.
Below, you can read my thoughts on this horrible situation and the response to it in Play Call.
KaVontae Turpin
Authorities say Dallas Cowboys All-Pro returner Turpin was arrested on Saturday on misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and unlawful carrying of a weapon, the Associated Press reports.
Turpin recently signed an $18m three-year deal with the Cowboys, who declined to comment on the issue.
The former TCU star is in his fourth season in Dallas and was released on bond.
Pittsburgh Steelers
TJ Watt and the Steelers are a long way apart in talks on his new contract, most notably regarding guaranteed money and length of the deal, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Talking on SportsCenter, Fowler said: "Well, people I've talked to around the league believe that it's guaranteed money, it's term length. A lot of the details that get sticky this time of year, especially as you're leading up to training camp.
“Now I talked to somebody with the team who said, ‘Look, these are complicated deals to do, but we are working on it. We want TJ Watt here.’
“There's not a lot of traction right now as far as a potential trade, although there would certainly be a lot of interest."
There certainly would be interest, as I talked about last week (below), with the Eagles, Patriots and Commanders all linked as potential landing spots for the star linebacker.
🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Rush for the pass rusher
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest on TJ Watt in Press Coverage, a new stadium features in Get to the Post and it’s all about Joe Cool in Snap!
New York Jets
Sauce Gardner is being pushed to be the best version of himself this season.
New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is the man tasked with raising Gardner’s level above his impressive start in the league, reports Rich Cimini.
“I know I’m not perfect,” Gardner said. “But the fact that he’s trying to get perfection out of me is what I need because, you know, I’ve had a lot of success, early success in the league. And the last thing I need is a new regime to come in here and just allow me to be complacent.
“I’m not saying that’s who I am, but it’s great to just have those type of guys that are going to demand a lot out of me and just push me in ways that I’ve never been pushed before.”
For his part, Wilks knows Gardner is a class act and even coasting can still be a standout in the league. “He’s very gifted, and I told him, ‘Sometimes your greatest strength is your greatest weakness,’” Wilks said.
“He’s a guy that sometimes at 85%, he’s still better than everybody around him. So his thing is – and I told him, ‘Compete against yourself.’ That’s where he has to get better, which he will.”
🗣️ Play Call
The Touchdown Collective’s verdict
The harrowing events in Texas over the past few days have been awful to watch. The thought of being there, being involved in searches for loved ones in such circumstances is beyond comprehension.
It is something nobody ever wants to see happen and for those of us lucky enough to have children, the scenes at Camp Mystic are enough to give you nightmares.
As reported above, people within the NFL have lost family members to these tragic events and the league has come together to help with relief efforts in the immediate aftermath and guaranteed help in the longer term for those families which have been affected.
The NFL should be proud of its involvement in helping families in any way they can, and especially proud of people like JJ Watt who, of course, raised over $40m in charitable donations following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and is once again at the forefront of helping those most in need.
He embodies what it means to not only be a great football player, but a great human.
With the floods there are also comparisons to the dark days of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans back in 2005.
We all still remember the emotion on display when the Saints returned home to the Superdome the following season. And while vacating their stadiums is not needed for the Cowboys and Texans, you feel there will be an emotional atmosphere when training camps and games begin again later this month.
My thoughts are with everybody involved in this horrible situation.
↗ Get to the Post
Year 18 for Joe Flacco, but will it be as a starter…?
Some dedication ahead of never seeing him play a snap in the NFL…
Is Kolton Miller even real at this point…?
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Former Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bryan Braman is in a “fight for his life” as he has treatment for a rare, aggressive form of cancer according to his agent, Sean Stellato.
📸 Snap!
A general view of the opening kick-off at Super Bowl XL at Ford Field as Jeff Reed of the Pittsburgh Steelers kicks off to the Seattle Seahawks on February 5, 2006 in Detroit, Michigan.
📩 Who am I? I’m Michael Ham, the Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express Sports Editor – and an avid NFL fan. I have almost 20 years of experience in sports news journalism and I’m the writer behind The Touchdown Collective.
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