Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/24/2023

After a week hiatus due to personal circumstances, we animate the Blog again.  The story of the NFL was blowouts, and none were bigger than the upstart Miami Dolphins looking like a Don Shula dominant Super Bowl team like they haven't in 40 years.  A surprise star thrashed the Denver Broncos defense for one of the greatest offensive games of all time.  Rookie De'Von Achane made his NFL statement in his third NFL game by lighting up the scoreboard in a 70-20 beat down.  18 carries, 203 yards, and 2 TDs on the ground.  4 catches for 30 yards and two more TDs receiving.  So 22 touches, 4 TD, that's a pretty good ratio.  Achane was overlooked as a third-round pick projected to be a utility back return guy but may be the key to a Miami Dolphins TD run with a loaded offense.  Achane is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/18/2022

One of the surprise teams in the 2022 NFL season so far is the Miami Dolphins.  They may have turned the corner with their franchise QB and former 1st round (5th overall) pick Tua Tagovailoa.  Having built some offensive weapons around him Tagovailoa suddenly is filling the superstar shoes he aspired to fill.  This week in what may be a key AFC matchup against North Division favorite Baltimore Ravens, he outdueled former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.  Tagovailoa hit 36 of 50 passes for an eyebrow raising 469 yards and 6 TDs (both career highs, his first more than 375 / 6).  He had 3 TDs in the 4th quarter, fueling a 14-point 4th quarter (21-point overall) comeback and scoring with 14s left.  Winner.  And Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/15/2019

The Baltimore Ravens have suddenly surged to favorites in the rugged NFC North thanks to the emergence of their quarterback.  Lamar Jackson was handed the reigns of the offense this offseason as former Super Bowl Champion quarterback Joe Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos.  And Jackson has seized his chance in two weeks.  This week he tallied 392 total yards and 2 passing TDs, including 120 on the ground as the Arizona Cardinals had no answers.  Week 1 he notched 324 yards before the offense called off the dogs against the hapless Miami Dolphins.  With Division opponents already with 5 losses, the undefeated Ravens seemed poised to breeze to the playoffs.  Then it will be even a bigger stage for the former Heisman Trophy winner.  But for this week, Lamar Jackson has been the story of the NFL and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/23/2016

When you're in the company of Earl Campbell, O.J. Simpson, and Ricky Williams, you know you're in an elite running back fraternity.  That's exactly where Miami Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi finds himself.  The second year running back torched the Buffalo Bills for 214 yards and a TD on Sunday in a 28-25 for the surging Dolphins.  This was after a week in which he ran for 204 yards and two TD against perennial playoff contending Pittsburgh Steelers.  So he joins Campbell, Simpson, and Williams as the only RB in history to run for back-to-back 200 yard games.  During the two game stint, he carried the ball 53 times, which edges near 8 yards per carry.  For a whole lot of carries.  With the retirement of Arian Foster, he is the back of the present and future in Miami.  And a surprise Sportsman of the Week!