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NFL

Cardinals rookie tackle Josh Jones shares a history with Kliff Kingsbury

TEMPE, Ariz. — Whenever the Arizona Cardinals get back to work, rookie offensive lineman Josh Jones won’t have the same steep learning curve that his fellow first-year players have.

Sure, he’ll have to learn about life in the NFL and how to take care of his body, but Jones is already intimately familiar with the Cardinals’ offense. He ran an extremely similar scheme as a left tackle under coach Dana Holgorsen at the University of Houston last season — a version of the Air Raid that relied heavily on the run in the same way the Cardinals do.

Kingsbury and Holgorsen both come from Mike Leach’s coaching tree. Kingsbury played for Leach at Texas Tech while Holgorsen played under Leach at Iowa Wesleyan and then coached with him at Valdosta State and Texas Tech. In fact, Holgorsen hired Kingsbury to be an offensive quality control coach at Houston in 2008, kickstarting Kingsbury’s coaching career.

“There’s a lot of good synergy there,” Kingsbury said after Jones dropped to the Cardinals unexpectedly in the third round. “We’re so thrilled it worked out. We did not expect him to be there.”

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Soccer

Bundesliga top scorer: Can Werner catch Lewandowski?

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When the Bundesliga season was suspended in March, so to was Robert Lewandowski’s bid to lead the league in goals for a third successive campaign.

The Bayern Munich forward has long established himself as the Bundesliga’s most feared striker. He’s been the league’s top scorer in four of the last six seasons – finishing second the other two years – and was on pace to top the scoring charts again in 2019-20.

PLAYER GOALS
Robert Lewandowski 25
Timo Werner 21
Jadon Sancho 14
Robert Quaison 12
Marco Reus 11
Sebastian Andersson 11
Serge Gnabry 11
Rouwen Hennings 11
Florian Niederlechner 11
Wout Weghorst 11
Jhon Cordoba 10
Erling Haland 9
Kevin Volland 9

Given Lewandowski’s cushion in the golden boot race with nine games remaining, oddsmakers have set him as a healthy favorite to finish as the Bundesliga’s top scorer.

PLAYER ODDS
Robert Lewandowski -500
Timo Werner +300
Jadon Sancho +5000
Erling Haland +15000
Marco Reus +25000

Let’s examine the top candidates for the Bundesliga scoring title.

Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich

Appearing in 23 of Bayern’s 25 league matches this season, Lewandowski is on pace for 34 goals this season – Koln’s Dieter Muller was the last player to reach that total, in 1976-77. That’s largely due to his initial torrid pace, as he scored 16 times in the first 11 games of the season. He’s since cooled off, netting nine goals in 12 matches before injuring his shin and missing Bayern’s final two games before the season was suspended.

If this lengthy layoff proves to halt Lewandowski’s momentum, or if he requires a few matches to get back to fitness, it would open the door for a tighter-than-anticipated race for the golden boot.

Timo Werner, RB Leipzig

If Lewandowski’s form dips, could Werner pounce? The RB Leipzig forward is very much a streaky scorer and the schedule is set up nicely for him to end the season on a high-scoring run. As mentioned in the title odds article earlier this week, Leipzig still get to play against five of the bottom six clubs in their nine remaining matches. Furthermore, the club will play seven of the eight worse defensive teams this season. Werner has the potential to feast.

He went on a remarkable run between November and January, scoring 14 goals in a span of nine league matches, and a similar run to end the year would almost assuredly see him top the scoring chart. There’s some value here at +300.

Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund

With Erling Haland and Marco Reus also residing in Dortmund, Sancho doesn’t spend any time as the club’s primary forward. Playing solely as a winger, the young English attacker has been involved in more goals than any other player this season, with 16 assists to go with his 14 markers. But it’s the fact that he’s not the focal point of the Dortmund attack that holds him back from scoring more himself, and that’s even truer now with Haland in the fold. Sancho is putting together a sensational campaign, but he’s hardly a threat to Lewandowski.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

NFL

Father knows best: Talk changed route for Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr.

INDIANAPOLIS — High school freshman Michael Pittman Jr. was in denial.

He didn’t want to listen to his father, even though the elder knew a lot more about football than his son.

The conversation took place after a game at Valencia (California) High School when Pittman Jr. didn’t get a lot of carries out of the backfield.

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Michael Pittman Jr. grew up as a running back, wearing No. 32 like his father, an 11-year NFL pro and Super Bowl champion. Courtesy Michael Pittman Sr.

First-round talent

He was right. Pittman Jr. in 2019 was a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the top receiver in college, after finishing with 101 catches for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was one of only four receivers in the FBS to have at least 100 receptions last season.

“I think in any other year, he’s a first-round pick,” USC coach Clay Helton said. “Because of the strength of the receiver class, you get a first-round talent early in the second round. I’ve had great fortune to be around some really good receivers during my 11 years here at USC. Mike falls right in line with

So Pops knew what he was talking about, huh?

“He constantly reminds me of it,” Pittman Jr. said laughing. “He’ll bring it up an

y time we’re talking about old stories. But it’s really from his playing experience. It really didn’t become a big deal until I was in high school, and then it really hit me that my dad played 11 years as an NFL running back, which is almost unheard of.”

Pittman Sr. was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998. He rushed for 5,627 yards and 25 touchdowns during his 11-year career that also featured stops in Tampa and Denver. He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs — rushing for 124 yards in the victory over the Raiders — and played on teams that featured some of the best coaches and future coaches in the NFL, such as Jon Gruden, Sean McVay and Mike and Kyle Shanahan.

Michael Pittman Jr. grew to 6-foot-4, making him an ideal size for an NFL receiver. And that’s what he now is as the second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts. Courtesy Michael Pittman Sr.

Pittman Sr. was forthright to his son about what it takes to make it to the NFL — and his younger son

“I was very hard on my boys,” Pittman Sr. said. “I never tore them down or belittled them, but I told him if their goal is to play in the NFL, they have to be the best. Not one or two games — every game. So when he and his brother didn’t perform the way they needed to, I didn’t tear them down but gave them the constructive criticism they needed, and I told them the things they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. That transitioned them into becoming top athletes in high school.”

Pittman Jr. had an eye-opening experience when he arrived at USC. He had only six catches for 82 yards and no touchdowns as a freshman in 2016 while playing behind Smith-Schuster, now a star with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittman got more snaps his sophomore season, but it didn’t come without his father getting involved.

Pittman Sr. went to Twitter to voice his displeasure over his son’s lack of playing time following an embarrassing 49-14 loss to Notre Dame in October 2017. His son was playing special teams, but not much receiver.

“I’m not asking for anybody to be fired. I’m just asking for them to give my kid the same opportunity. Me and his mother’s patience have ran out,” Pittman Sr. wrote in one tweet.

“Just in case somebody over there at #USC forgot what they had in my son,” he wrote in another tweet.

“I handled it the best way that I possibly could, but I felt like in the beginning I didn’t feel like they were utilizing Michael’s talent to the fullest,” Pittman Sr. said. “I’ve been around football for a long time and when you see something that’s not working — and I’m not here to talk about anybody else’s job — I support everybody on USC. USC was getting beat really bad and they’re rotating in every receiver, but not Michael Jr.

“I was watching on TV and wondering why they weren’t using his ability. It boiled over with the frustration. I knew if they used him, he would have performed. I didn’t ask anybody to get fired or anything. I have respect for them. There’s no way I would go to the NFL and do that now.”

Michael Pittman Jr. caught 41 passes at USC in 2018 and 101 in 2019. Harry How/Getty Images

Plenty of fish

Pittman Jr.’s numbers improved to 41 receptions for 758 yards and six touchdowns during his junior season.

It was just a start, Helton said.

“He asked me what he had to do better for senior year and I told him he was 6-4, 220 pounds — anytime we have a one-on-one matchup, the ball was going up to him and he had to make a play,” Helton said. “You have to live with the thought in your mind. If you ask him, if we say, ‘We touch it,’ he’ll follow with, ‘We catch it.’ He worked tirelessly on the deep ball and rising up and getting it. He worked pre-practice and post-practice, creating one-on-one situations and going up and having natural-catch ability. Playing up by the rim.”

Pittman Jr. brought a 50-gallon fish tank into the receiver’s room last season, and they added fish every time they got the upper hand on defensive backs, including the ones on their own team in practice.

Pittman Jr. added plenty of fish to that tank. He had four games of at least 146 yards receiving, including a 10-catch, 232-yard performance against Utah last season.

But you won’t see him enjoying it too much, at least not outwardly.

Soccer

Ranking every goal that's won the Puskas Award

If voting for the annual Puskas Award winner seems like a tall order, ranking the past victors of the prestigious honor is nearly impossible. Nevertheless, theScore ranks the 11 goals that were considered the most aesthetically pleasing in their respective years.

11. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (2018)

This might not have even been the best goal that Mohamed Salah scored during his epic debut campaign at Liverpool. But, on the heels of his record-breaking season, who can blame FIFA for wanting to celebrate the Egyptian star and the beautiful goal he bagged in his first Merseyside derby?

10. Wendell Lira, Goianesia (2015)

It’s difficult to argue that Wendell Lira’s goal, though incredibly impressive, was anywhere near as good as Lionel Messi’s legendary solo effort against Athletic Bilbao in 2015. But, in the end, the Puskas Award went to the Brazilian, who somehow ended up finishing well in front of second-place Messi.

9. Mohd Faiz Subri, Penang (2016)

Intentional or not, Puskas Award voters were obviously impressed with Mohd Faiz Subri’s swerving, long-distance strike in the Malaysian Super League. One of the wildest free-kicks of all time, we’ll never know if Subri even aimed for that top corner, or what exactly the goalkeeper was thinking as the ball dramatically curved from the left side of the goal to the right.

8. Miroslav Stoch, Fenerbahce (2012)

Whether you’re a pro or an amateur, most could only dream of pulling off a strike as sweet as Miroslav Stoch’s volley. While Stoch hit it just right, it’s the type of audacious attempt that could have easily landed in Row Z.

7. Hamit Altintop, Turkey (2010)

Hamit Altintop preceded Stoch with a similar walloping effort from the top of the box in 2010, but the edge goes to the Turkish midfielder since he managed to make the sweet connection as the ball came across his body.

6. Neymar, Santos (2011)

While he wasn’t entirely unknown at the time, Neymar didn’t officially introduce himself to the world until he produced this dazzling goal – two years before his arrival at Barcelona. However, he failed to break the top five thanks to Flamengo’s questionable defense.

5. Daniel Zsori, Debrecen (2019)

Even Daniel Zsori couldn’t believe his eyes after his long-distance overhead kick found the back of the net. Zsori executed the acrobatic strike perfectly to score an injury-time winner in his senior debut.

4. Olivier Giroud, Arsenal (2018)

The play looked dead before Olivier Giroud’s scorpion kick off of a poor cross produced one of the most ridiculous Premier League goals ever. After seeing his no-look, backheel volley, TV audiences were probably hitting the rewind button to see if they could figure out how the then-Arsenal forward pulled off his incredible strike.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden (2013)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s eyes probably lit up against England when he saw a chance to fire the type of shot that players only try on the training ground. Although he’s built a reputation for scoring goals that seemingly defy logic, even he must have been surprised when his long-distance bicycle kick found the net. Or maybe not.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United (2009)

Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring this rocket against FC Porto to win the first-ever Puskas Award. Once he realized there was space, it was over, as the then-Manchester United star didn’t think twice before having a go from over 35 yards out to hit one of the cleanest shots you’ll ever see.

1. James Rodriguez, Colombia (2014)

Along the way to becoming the 2014 World Cup’s top scorer, James Rodriguez provided a magical moment football fans will never forget.

Rodriguez had already cemented himself as the competition’s breakout star before Colombia’s quarterfinal clash. But his stock seemingly skyrocketed even higher when he stole the show against Uruguay with a stunning volley, which he executed by knocking a pass down with his chest as defenders closed in before adjusting his body to perfectly strike the ball.

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