Author: Jonah Perez

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Jonah Perez is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He covers USC and the NE Patriots for Gridiron Heroics. Follow him on Twitter @jonahap2.

NFL

The season can end after only one week. Teams have no time to let their guard down, it’s a sprint to the finish line. Quote “We saw some things that showed up in the regular season game that obviously didn’t show up in preseason because it was a different level of competition and we’ll learn from those and we’ll work on those and we’ll improve those but it’s a race against time. Everybody’s trying to improve quickly and have a good record and everything part of the season and get stronger as the year goes on,” said Patriots Head Coach…

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NFL

The Patriots always struggle in Miami, today wasn’t any different. Although both teams played similarly with bad offense and defense’s who shined, the Dolphins were able to score just enough and won 20-7. Patriots “It was a pretty even game . . . we couldn’t get enough points, and we got into their territory, we got in there six, seven times, ended up with seven points so we got to do a better job finishing. Defensively we gave a big play there at the end of the half. A couple field goals, but still need to play better on third…

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When your team has one third down conversions in the first half because they’ve had a single third down, the offense is unlocked. Plenty of fireworks were on display as the Trojans’ rolled over Stanford. Multiple plays over 20 yards offensively and multiple defensive turnovers caused this. This was USC’s first win at Stanford since 2014. ALSO READ: Ranking the Best 5 PAC-12 Logos USC “I thought offensively we played good in the first half, we weren’t very good in the second half, we got to be a lot better. Defensively I thought we stepped up and obviously the turnovers…

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NFL

For the first game of the season New England has to travel to Miami. In recent memory the Patriots always lose on the road to the Dolphins. In the last ten games in Miami, the Patriots are 3-7, losing two in a row. It’s an even harder place to play on opening day. Patriots “I think it’s always different on opening day. No matter if the coordinator’s been there for 10 years it’s still opening day, new season, so we’ll see what that brings,” said New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. Tight End Hunter Henry added how every team…

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It’s always a test of will power when facing the Cardinal. As physical a team as they come, Stanford will separate the men from the boys. They defend home against the visiting Trojans on Sept. 10 at 4:30. USC Last week everything was hitting on all cylinders. The offense was unstoppable and the corners didn’t have much of a test against Rice. The Owls QB’s threw four picks and three of them were returned for a TD. Sept. 6 after practice USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley talked about how cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon and Ceyair Wright have been good for them.…

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NFL

The Chiefs will have it rough going through the AFC slog. However, as a battle-tested veteran team, they will return to their former glory. AFC West: 1 Chiefs, 2 Broncos, 3 Chargers, 4 Raiders Not only do the Chiefs have the best quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) in the division, but they also have the best head coach (Andy Reid), tight end (Travis Kelce) and defensive player (Chris Jones). Not to insult the other teams and their rosters. All three other competitors still make the playoffs as wild card teams. AFC North: 1 Bengals, 2 Ravens, 3 Steelers, 4 Browns The Bengals…

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USC has a dominant performance, they beat the Rice Owls 66-14. Led by the offense and with timely turnovers by the defense, the Trojans showed what their potential can look like. “Great first win, really proud of the team. It’s a fun moment to finally be here. I think the team was anxious and excited . . . to finally go play and I thought we responded well . . . made some adjustments that you’re going to have in first games,” said USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley. “There was some new things on both sides of the ball that…

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Lots of players say the greatest honor of their careers were when they were able to represent their teammates as captain. It shows the respect players earned from their peers. After practice on Aug. 30 former Oklahoma Head Coach Lincoln Riley announced this year’s Trojan captains. They are quarterback Caleb Williams, defensive end Tuli Tuipulotu, offensive guard Justin Dedich and linebacker Shane Lee. Captains are those players who others look too for guidance. When things aren’t going well, the captains are the ones to refocus everybody on their common goal. Coaches Perspective “We had several others (players) that got votes…

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This year’s USC football season starts out with their home opener against Rice University. It’s the beginning of a new era in Los Angeles and it starts on Sept. 3 at three. USC “They’re excited, they’ve handled the preparation well. Right now you kind of fight the urge to want to look ahead. You’ve still got to prepare at a high level, work every day, try to have a singular focus,” said Head Coach Lincoln Riley after practice on Aug. 30. “But we’re all human too and to say that there’s not a real excitement about Saturday, the first one…

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When 12 of 15 competitors compete for seven spots, some good teams are going to fall short and miss the playoffs. A Miami Dolphins L The Patriots never win in Miami. Even during the Brady era, if there was a division matchup to lose, it was in Miami. New England during the Belichick era always struggles in September, they’re usually still finding their footing and typically go on late season runs. It also shouldn’t be a surprise for the new look Dolphins to hit the ground running, and open the season up with a beat down to the team they…

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