Grambling State Women’s Basketball faced off against College of Biblical Studies on Jan. 2. By the way the game went for GSU, they most likely will need forgiveness for what they did to their opponents.
After the final buzzer, there was no doubt who won the game. The score was 159-18, in favor of Grambling State. After they thoroughly dominated the College of Biblical Studies, their 141-point blowout set a new record for margin of victory, the previous record being set back in 2018 when “Savannah State beat Wesleyan (Georgia) 155-26,” according to ESPN.
GSU plays in the SWAC, and they set a record for points in a game as well, having 8 players score in double-digits. Scoring was led by freshman Ariana Mosley who finished with 27, junior Kahia Warmsley, who had 20, and Amanda Blake and DeMya Young with 15 apiece.
“A new school record has been set for points earned in a single game.” Grambling State tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The GSU Tigers started the game on a ridiculous 34-0 run, surrendering their first points with 2:15 left in the first quarter.
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas agreed with his WNBA co-host Lexie Brown (daughter of NBA Dunk Contest legend Dee Brown) that he would probably give up basketball if his team lost by that much.
He also found a comical way to downplay the colossal loss by College of Biblical Studies on his Gil’s Arena podcast by saying, “They gonna be nuns,” so who really cares how much they lost by.
After the Tiger went on multiple runs, which included 12 straight points to begin the second quarter, Grambling entered halftime with an 82-10 lead.
While the game should’ve been called right there, dominance and superiority are a part of sports as well, and Grambling earned every right to see this win through until the end.
The Tigers’ record is 6-5 in the SWAC and they look to carry this momentum forward against Prairie View A&M on Jan. 6.
College of Biblical Studies Is A First-Year School With Just Eight Freshman Players
While Grambling State dominated the game, The Athletic reports that the College of Biblical Studies was not only outclassed but they were inexperienced, with this being their first season.
“The College of Biblical Studies, a Houston-based school participating in Division II of the National Christian College Athletic Association, is in its inaugural season. The school’s online roster shows eight players who are all freshmen,” The Athletic wrote.
The team itself is in its infancy stage and will probably lose plenty of more games as they try to establish themselves as a basketball organization. Meanwhile GSU has yet to play an opponent in their conference, so the full potential of this team is unknown at this point, because their meaningful and more competitive games are on the horizon.
The Alabama Crimson Tide saw their 2023-24 season come to an end in Monday’s heartbreaking 27-20 overtime loss to the Michigan Wolverines.
In a game of back and forth, and for a large portion of the second half, the Wolverines outlasted in many ways one of Nick Saban’s least talented teams.
The Tide still has plenty of talent, and despite having the “most talented” roster in the nation in 2023 according to 247Sports rankings, the quarterback and wide receiver positions specifically are inferior to what the football factory has in the past. And that showed in Monday’s loss.
Crimson Tide NIL Collective Didn’t Hesitate To Rally The Troops
In wake of the team’s tough loss, its NIL collective wasted no time in trying to get donations.
In a video posted on X formerly known as Twitter, Aaron Suttles (Alabama’s director of content) implored fans to get involved with fundraising efforts towards building the Crimson Tide’s NIL collective into the top one in the country.
In the pay-for-play era, it’s the way teams are looking to stay ahead. The more a collective can offer a top recruit in NIL opportunities goes a long way in securing that player’s commitment.
Even schools like Alabama, which has had more success than any other program since head coach Nick Saban arrived in 2007, winning six national championships and playing for nine, has resorted to the new way of recruiting players.
“In this disappointment, we need to take action. We need you to build Alabama’s NIL entity into the biggest in the country. Yeah, Alabama needs your support,” Suttles said.
“Take that bitter disappointment you have and let’s move into using it for good for NIL,”he added. “We need to keep this trail rolling and keep this thing moving forward. The way we do that — the way fans have the most involvement — is supporting NIL.”
Seems a bit odd for a video like this to run immediately following a tough CFP loss, but in this era the money hustle never stops.
Alabama has one of the deepest and strongest NIL collectives in all of college football, with only Texas having more cash to pass out of the Final Four teams in the CFP.
In fact, the Bama and Texas NIL setups dwarf those of both Michigan and Washington, who’ll play for the national championship on Monday night in Houston.
Under Nick Saban, Alabama has finished with the No. 1 recruiting class in ten of the past 13 years, and in those other three years they still finished in the top three.
So, yes, the landscape of college football and sports has indeed changed, but the Crimson Tide are still bagging top recruits even without a ton of NIL money.
Saban’s success rate of getting guys to the pros plays a major factor in that.
The legendary Alabama head coach is the only coach in history with a first-round pick at every position on offense and defense.
Saban has been one who’s lobbied hard for more rules and regulations as pertain to NIL. He also mentioned that every player has different circumstances, meaning not all incoming freshmen have deals.
In his opinion most players must earn that right before it’s given, and that’s something he’s consistently stated when speaking on the new way college sports are mandated.
Don’t fret, Alabama will once again be loaded next year with the 2023 No. 1 recruiting class seeing more playing time and the 2024 class (ranked No.2) ready to assist and contribute.
The Eagles are reeling after dropping four of their past five games, surrendering the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the NFC East division lead as well.
Both sides of the ball have looked lackluster and have caused Philadelphia to drop games against inferior opponents.
But to top it off, it seems the locker room is finally starting to show chinks in its armor as well.
AJ Brown, one of the league’s best wide receivers, didn’t want to talk to the media following the Eagles’ embarrassing 35-31 upset loss against the Arizona Cardinals last weekend.
“I’m not about to talk. It ain’t nothing to say,” Brown said, smiling. Eager to clarify the source of his dissatisfaction, Brown told the media, “It ain’t directed toward y’all.”
Not only is Brown the team’s top receiver, but he is also one of the Eagles’ captains and many fans and media alike are calling him out for the way he’s conducted himself amidst the team’s slump.
But according to his teammates, his frustration is with the coaching staff and head coach Nick Sirianni as is every Eagles fan known to man.
What a difference a year makes.
Last season, the Eagles were on the verge of greatness and fans expected them to close the deal this year.
That mission began according to plan, but just like Brown, the Eagles are imploding in real time.
This floundering Eagles squad is reminiscent of the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers who started their season 11-0 and looked like the team to beat before a late season swoon that ended with a disappointing wild-card round loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Similarly, Jalen Hurts’ team started this season like a steamroller, going 10-1 and establishing Philly as the NFL team to beat.
In the span of a couple weeks that same squad is now limping into the playoffs with nobody believing in them.
With the play-calling being predictable, basic, and unproductive, AJ Brown has every right to be upset with the coaching staff, considering he is arguably the best receiver in franchise history, and has another two-time 1,000-yard receiver in Devonta Smith across from him. It should be a piece of cake for Hurts to connect with these two insanely skilled pass catchers.
However, they can’t produce If not targeted and too many red zone drives have finished with a Jake Elliot field goal.
There isn’t much any Eagles fan can say to defend the Eagles, and most Philly fans would also rather hold Sirianni and his coaching staff accountable.
Sirianni isn’t going to panic, and instead, he told the media that the team has to stay the course to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Stick together. Stick together. Everyone’s got to stick together,” Sirianni said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of people trying to point the finger at different things. Everybody’s got to stick together, right? We win as a team. We lose as a team. And together is the most important thing that we can be right now.”
But after giving up a game-winning drive to Drew Lock and the Seahawks with less than 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, barely beating the lowly NY Giants and succumbing to self-inflicted mistakes in a home loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it’s extremely difficult to not lose focus and keep faith.
The Eagles only have one more week to work out the kinks against the Giants before it’s “put up or shut up” time in the playoffs.
As the college football season winds down with one more game left between the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies, all attention will then shift to the 2024 NFL draft.
Now through April each signal-caller will be dissected and analyzed from top to bottom as they prepare to put themselves in position to be a chosen one.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is projected to be the first player taken, followed by UNC’s Drake Maye.
So where does that leave 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels?
Daniels, the former LSU Tigers standout who burst on the scene first at Arizona State, has taken the college football world by storm the past two seasons.
The former four-star prospect via San Bernadino, California, transferred to LSU prior to 2022, and in two seasons he put up some great numbers (6,725 yards, 77 touchdowns and 11 interceptions) through the air as well as on the ground (2,019 yards rushing and 21 more touchdowns), culminating in his winning the Heisman this past season.
Those numbers are no fluke, as Daniels did it weekly in the SEC.
So why isn’t his name being mentioned as the possible top quarterback in this draft?
Coming into the season Daniels was a projected fringe first-rounder, with the likelihood that he’d be taken somewhere between the 25th and 32nd pick of the first round. That’s changed drastically with his great season. He’s now skyrocketed to the top 5 of many mock drafts, with some having him going as high as No. 2. That’s a huge jump for a guy whose teammates at Arizona State taunted him for entering the transfer portal in February 2022.
In a video that went viral Sun Devils players could be heard saying …
“Clean his s— out. He sucked anyway.”
Two seasons later he’s arguably the best signal-caller in the draft.
Daniels is expected to test well at the upcoming NFL combine starting on Feb. 27 and straight kill at his pro day in Baton Rouge. We could see an ascension for him as we did last year with Houston Texans rookie and probably Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, who showed out at both the combine and his pro day, making the Carolina Panthers’ face a tough decision about who to take between him and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young No. 1 overall.
Daniels Has The It Factor
With a defense incapable of getting stops, the onus to score often fell on Daniels and the Tigers offense, who answered the call by averaging 45 points and over 540 total yards per game.
And despite losing three games, the play of Daniels gave them a shot every week. His play also impressed ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who believes “he could” also go as high as No. 2 in the draft, and just not the second quarterback taken in the draft.
“To me, he did some things, that, when plays broke down, the ability to run around, elude, evade, and run through contact was really impressive,” Kiper Jr. said.
Daniels was a better quarterback than Williams and Maye this season. He did his damage against better defenses in the SEC.
Best Fits For Daniels
The 6-foot-4 and 215-pound dual-threat gunslinger has been linked to the Giants, Commanders, Patriots, Falcons and Jets.
With the first four, he could be the projected starter, with the Jets he’d have the opportunity to learn behind future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers if he returns 100 percent.
Fresh off a thrilling College Football Playoff overtime win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Michigan Wolverines are preparing for their date in the national championship game against the Washington Huskies.
As the team locks in, the rumors of head coach Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL are alive and well.
When asked about the possibility of that happening prior to the Alabama game the quirky leader of the Maize and Blue refused to discuss as he had a singular focus on the monumental game at hand.
Now, as he attempts to lead the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997, there are lingering questions about Harbaugh’s plans for next season.
Will he return to an NFL sideline or to Ann Arbor in 2024?
We won’t know until at least next week following the championship game, but there are some hints that Harbaugh, who led the San Francisco 49ers to three consecutive NFC Championship Games (2011-13) and one Super Bowl, could be leaning toward the NFL in 2024.
He went 44-19-1 in four seasons with the Niners.
Any coach taking over a new team always wants to have an established, franchise quarterback already in tow.
That position is so vital, and for someone like Harbaugh, a return to the NFL has to come with an elite situation at QB.
That currently looks like Los Angeles and the Chargers, who have the dynamic Justin Herbert under center, and per Greenberg, Harbaugh is more than smitten by the former Oregon Ducks standout.
During an episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Greenberg talked about how much Harbaugh enjoys watching Herbert work.
“We were just talking about how great the young quarterback play is in the National Football League. All these great young quarterbacks: Burrow, Mahomes … He spent five minutes telling me that he thinks Justin Herbert is the best of all of them. He loves Herbert,” Greenberg said.
“I do not think that Harbaugh will be back at Michigan next year,” Greenberg added.
From the looks and sounds of things, that could very well be true. With the sign-stealing controversy nowhere near over and more to come, Harbs will very likely elect to return to an NFL sideline.
When you hear the name Don Yee that usually means something big is bound to happen.
Yee, who’s the agent for Tom Brady and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, was hired by Harbaugh as he begins a career-defining offseason.
Bringing in Yee tells us everything that we need to know. If Harbaugh wasn’t leaving there would be no reason to hire the NFL super agent.
Yee, a hard negotiator, will get Harbaugh what he wants, and Harbaugh will hopefully be the coach to bring forth the untapped potential of Herbert.
Much like he’s credited with doing for Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco.
But the kicker is Herbert’s much better than both, so Harbaugh has a solid foundation to build the Chargers into a contender.
Although a much-contested snap spelled the end of the 2023 season for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Jalen Milroe’s acronym ‘LANK’ remains. The phrase that has been a rallying cry for the Alabama faithful that was adopted as the Crimson Tide’s phrase following their home loss to Texas earlier in the season. Now the phrase has hit a comical bump in the road for what it doesn’t stand for as initiated by the cringy laughter of Pat McAfee.
But does McAfee’s laughter at the assumption of the usage of a more racially charged N-word say more about Pat McAfee’s comfort in the culture than a 21-year-old quarterback’s misinformed branded phraseology?
“College GameDay” host Pat McAfee showcased the inner workings of his mind when a segment about LANK went left when McAfee kept it too honest. During Monday’s edition of “College GameDay,” Rece Davis introduced a segment about Milroe and ‘LANK.’
However, when he said what the acronym stands for, “Let A Naysayer Know,” McAfee revealed that he thought the phrase stood for something more culturally endearing and stopped Davis to let the world know.
“That is not what I thought,” McAfee said shocked at “naysayer.” “Let a naysayer know? Of course. It got real tight, it got real tight up here.”
The Black co-hosts lost it on air, laughing hard at the awkward moment where McAfee thought Rece Davis was about to risk it all for Jalen Milroe.
In the offseason, Milroe and Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold devised a term to define this Crimson Tide team and its 2023 run to the College Football Playoffs: “Let All Naysayers Know.” The phrase took on a life of its own all season long, and although it didn’t help them win at the Rose Bowl on Monday, it has become ubiquitous within the SEC. Milroe and Arnold’s LANK merchandise benefits their name, image, and likeness (NIL) brands
“LANK was something we built in the offseason,” Milroe said to the media in September. “We came in as one unit to think of a motto to push our team. There was a lot of doubt throughout the offseason. We came together and made that our motto this year.”
In December, Alabama announced all players on the roster could profit off their NIL in conjunction with LANK with merchandise that includes specific players’ likenesses.
While Milroe and Arnold are out here being entrepreneurial and motivating the Alabama faithful with yet another rallying cry, McAfee is showing that he is too comfortable in spaces he is not invited.
Ciara Wilson is your favorite celebrity’s favorite celebrity. She’s extremely talented and beautiful, and has a loving family that includes a Super Bowl Champion husband as well. But now she’s finding out that her extended family includes one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Ciara and her children’s family tree is full of famous people. On one hand, you have her and husband Russell Wilson, as well as her older son’s father, hip-hop star Future. On the other hand, she is related to Derek Jeter.
According to “Finding Your Roots” host Henry Louis Gates Jr., Ciara and the longtime Yankees legendary shortstop are distant cousins.
The exclusive clip of the revelation was played on NBC’s “Today” show on Jan. 2, and it featured Ciara’s reaction to finding out she has more greatness in her already great family.
“What?” Ciara said when finding out the shocking news. “You are kidding me. Derek Jeter!”
According to Gates, Ciara and Jeter share “a long identical stretch of DNA on their 14th chromosome.”
Ciara wasn’t the only one excited about uncovering an unknown family member.
Russell Wilson tweeted out on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Always Knew It!”
Wilson, who is facing a handful of problems on his own, is still extremely supportive of his wife, which is indicative of the type of husband and person that Wilson is.
The Denver Broncos quarterback was recently benched for the remainder of the year after it was revealed that Denver approached him and asked for him to change an injury clause from his contract to save them money.
Wilson, who refused, was threatened with being benched for the remainder of the season, and it ultimately happened.
Shortly after the public benching, it was also reported that Wilson fully expects to be released from the Broncos in the offseason, setting him up to be on his third NFL team in his career, should he sign elsewhere.
According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post on X, “The NFLPA told the Broncos in a Nov. 4 letter that their threat to bench Russell Wilson over injury guarantee in the contract was illegal and violated the CBA, creating the possibility for litigation and arbitration against the team and NFL.”
In other words, this whole contract dispute with the Broncos and Wilson has only opened up a Pandora’s box for more fines, punishments, and an overall terrible look for a franchise that is still trying to rebound from a horrible season last year, as well as finding their footing under head coach Sean Payton.
With Jeter officially a part of the Wilson family now, this sets up a perfect scenario for Russell Wilson to end up being the newest starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
Derek Jeter is part-owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Vikings most likely will be hitting the open market for a quarterback in the offseason. It’s a reach, but maybe Jeter’s Minnesota connections could be used to help Wilson team up with Justin Jefferson next year.
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was benched last week for not agreeing to move the injury guarantee in his contract from 2024 to 2025.
That clause would become fully guaranteed before next season starts if left unchanged. The former Seattle Seahawks stalwart told reporters over the weekend that he’s known about the threat that he’d be benched if he didn’t change the contract since late October.
Imagine playing under that pressure on top of just trying to win in a brutal AFC with a team of average talent and a head coach who had intentions of throwing you under the bus if things went awry.
Head coach Sean Payton made it seem as if it was a performance-based benching when he announced the move. Wilson who signed a five-year, $242 million extension prior to last season, still has three years and $160 million in guaranteed money left on his deal.
As of now no one knows if the Broncos will attempt to trade him or release him, but after this slimy move there’s no way he takes another snap in the “Mile High City.”
Wilson can still help plenty of other QB-strapped teams.
Wilson’s Season Stats:
3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
Wilson’s Career Stats:
43,653 passing yards, 334 touchdowns and 106 interceptions.
He’s 115-72-1 as a starter including 9-7 in the postseason, with two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl win.
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler offered some potential destinations.
“Talked to teams who believe Atlanta, Pittsburgh and New England,” Fowler said. “A lot of teams could use a good veteran who’s still playing relatively well this season.”
With head coach Bill Belichick likely out at season’s end, the Pats will be starting over. Since Tom Brady departed following the 2019 season, the Patriots have not been able to figure out the game’s most vital position. In fact, they’ve gone 29-37, with a revolving door of guys like Cam Newton, Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe at the helm. Wilson would be an immediate upgrade in Foxborough.
The Falcons have a nice nucleus of offensive players, including running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London. What’s missing is a quarterback. Second-year player Desmond Ridder doesn’t look like anything more than a solid backup, and journeyman Taylor Heinicke is just that.
Reports are the team would be interested in trading for Chicago Bears star QB Justin Fields if they decide to take a signal-caller with the No. 1 overall pick. That’s not etched in stone, so signing Wilson wouldn’t be a bad stopgap pickup for them.
If interim head coach Antonio Pierce is given the job permanently, he can’t believe that Aiden O’Connell is the answer going forward. Bringing in someone like Wilson to maybe groom a player like Jayden Daniels or another young QB they may draft could be the way to go. Wilson would also help open up the running game with Josh Jacobs and give receiver Davante Adams a reason to smile again.
Pittsburgh — They drafted Kenny Pickett just last year in the first round.
Washington — New ownership wants to see how they can build around Sam Howell or draft a guy at No. 2
Minnesota — Losing Kirk Cousins killed their season, but is signing a soon-to-be 35-year-old Wilson the way to keep all-world wide receiver Justin Jefferson around?
The NFL postseason is upon us, and here are our top 5 QBs heading into January football.
It hasn’t been the two-time MVP and Super Bowl MVP’s best season statistically, but he’s found a way to roll with the punches and lead the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty to its eighth consecutive AFC West title and sixth consecutive with him at the helm.
He ranks No. 1 because of the playoff success he’s enjoyed in his career. With a playoff record of 11-3, including two Super Bowl wins and three Super Sunday appearances, he’s still the guy to beat until proved otherwise.
This season Mahomes’ receivers haven’t helped him much with a league-leading 41 drops. For the season “Mr. Ketchup On Errthang” has passed for 4,183 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, with six of those coming via tipped passes off of his receivers’ hands.
Except for Super Bowls, Mahomes has never played a road playoff game. That definitely will change this season, and it should be fun to see him lead his team in a hostile environment.
The leading candidate for NFL MVP has led the Ravens to a 13-3 record and the top overall seed in the AFC.
Jackson’s development as a passer has been great to see, as he’s shown a willingness to play from the pocket. He’s no longer considered a run-first QB. In Sunday’s 56-19 blowout of the Miami Dolphins, Jackson had his record-tying third career perfect passer rating game (158.3) by completing 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns.
The dynamic dual-threat has the Ravens peaking at the right time, and with the AFC playoff having to come through Baltimore, he’s never had a better chance of going to the Super Bowl.
This season LJ8 has passed for over 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He’s also rushed for 821 yards and five more touchdowns.
Following Sunday’s win, ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark proclaimed, “The MVP race is over.”
The dynamic leader of the Bills offense just became the first player in NFL history to have 40 combined touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. For a team that was once 5-6 and fighting for their playoff lives, Allen, an offensive coordinator change, and a very resilient defense have led the Bills to five consecutive wins and an AFC East winner-take-all battle with the Miami Dolphins next Sunday night in South Beach.
Allen has the Bills looking like the most dangerous challenger to the Baltimore Ravens along with the new-look Browns and their 38-year-old QB Joe Flacco. Allen has limited his mistakes since new offensive coordinator Joe Brady took the reins, as he’s running the football much more than former coordinator Ken Dorsey did.
Can’t have a list like this and not include the guy who’s in the top three of just about every statistical category at the position. Much has been made about Purdy not being a dynamic signal-caller, and many have attributed his success to the elite talent that surrounds him with the Niners, but he makes the offense go.
“Mr. Irrelevant” has been anything but that this season in leading the NFC’s top seed. The former Iowa State standout has passed for a 49ers single-season record of 4,280 yards with 31 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions this season.
Tagovailoa has enjoyed a breakout season at the helm of the Fins’ speed-based attack. The former Alabama standout has been good just about all season in leading Miami to an 11-5 record and the current No. 2 seed in the AFC heading into Sunday’s showdown with the Bills. The biggest thing for Tagovailoa this season has been avoiding injuries, mainly concussions, after he suffered at least two last season.
Head coach Mike McDaniel has designed an offensive scheme that highlights Tagovailoa’s skill set: his uncanny accuracy and ability to spray the football to all parts of the football field. He’ll need to be at his best going forward during the postseason.
Following a Week 16 win over the Cowboys, McDaniel told reporters this about his QB.
“He has a gift.”
Honorable Mention:
Jared Goff, Lions
Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Jalen Hurts, Eagles
Joe Flacco, Browns
Howard University, known for its rich history and vibrant culture, hosted its famed homecoming celebration this fall, and The Shadow League attended these events being accompanied by notable Howard alumnus actor Laz Alonso. Alonso, renowned for his dynamic roles in film and television, brought his charisma and pride as a Bison back to his alma mater, creating an atmosphere of excitement and nostalgia among the students, alumni and faculty alike.
Joining Alonso were two other distinguished personalities: actor and comedian Chris Spencer, and entrepreneur Derek Webber, the creative mind behind the National Battle of the Bands. Their presence added a unique flair to the event, intertwining the worlds of entertainment, entrepreneurship, and education.
Spencer, with his quick wit and engaging personality, kept the audience entertained, while Webber shared insights from his journey in revolutionizing the band culture in America. The trio’s diverse backgrounds and achievements provided inspiration and a sense of unity to the Howard community.
Alonso had this to say about his time at Howard University: “What made Howard homecoming so special? Reuniting with old friends, meeting new ones & welcoming everyone home. Homecoming is a celebration of excellence, so what better time to give each other their well-earned flowers.
“From the tailgate to the game, the yard fest to the parties, we are reminded of our mutual appreciation for community & safety as the foundation for positive social interactions … all while doing it in style!”
We have captured Laz’s adventure in a series of short films we have prepared for you on The Shadow League. The event not only celebrated the heritage of Howard University but also underscored the impact of its alumni and their contributions to various fields.
Tragedy struck just days before we brought in the New Year. A world-class Olympic medal-winning cyclist was tragically killed when she was struck by a vehicle on Saturday, and as of right now, all signs point to her husband being the prime suspect in her death.
32-year-old Melissa Hoskins died in a crash Saturday night when she was hit by a car in Medindie, South Australia.
Reports say that the Olympic racing cyclist was struck by her husband, Rohan Dennis, 33, and she sustained fatal injuries.
Hoskins was brought to Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment, but she passed away overnight.
“Following an investigation, a 33-year-old Medindie man has been arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life. He was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 13 Marchc” according to the South Australian Police website.
Rohan Dennis and Melissa Hoskins married back in 2018 and have a son and daughter together.
As the unfortunate incident is very recent, there is no clear motive as to why Dennis would have done this to his wife.
While there are plenty of reasons as to why this could’ve happened, Major Crash officers, along with detectives from Eastern District are investigating the incident.
According to ABC, Melissa and Rohan were supposed to lead a family cycling event at the Santos Tour Down Under. However, after the tragic incident, the details of the event were removed from their website.
Melissa Hoskins was a highly talented and accomplished cyclist. Hoskins won gold in the team pursuit at the 2015 World Championships, and she also rode in the team pursuits at two Olympic games, she also competed from 2012 to 2015 with the professional Australian biking team GreenEDGE.
Rohan Dennis is a pretty accomplished cyclist himself. According to the Guardian, Dennis won back-to-back individual time trial world titles in 2018 and 2019.
He also won stages in the Tour De France, Giro D’Italia, and Vuelta a Espana. He also won bronze in the world time trial in Tokyo back in 2020, silver in the team pursuit in London in 2012, and retired in 2023.
The cyclist community quickly came together to celebrate Hoskins’ life and accomplishments, as well as noting the amazing competitor and person that she was.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, CPA Woman, a pro women’s cycling association, tweeted:
“Shocked by the news of #MelissaHoskins’ death, we send our thoughts to those who love her, starting with her children, and were lucky enough to ride with her during an all too short life, We will miss you, Melissa”
The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors executed the first trade of the 2023-24 trade season. The Knicks acquired coveted forward OG Anunoby in a deal that sends RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks also receive forward Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn in the deal.
What does this all mean for the Knicks this season?
For whatever reason Barrett wasn’t working out with the Knicks. The 2019 No. 3 overall draft pick was a net negative player his first four seasons in the league and this year is net neutral, so far. Not what you hope for a player selected that high and with three years and $83 million left on his deal.
The Knicks are eighth in the Eastern Conference and rank ninth in offense and 17th on defense. This is a playoff team and depending on the first-round matchup, could advance to the second round. But the organization has hopes on doing more.
In the East they will have to contend with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and the surprising Orlando Magic. Four of those teams have apex predator wing players and Anunoby is a player who can defend them. He is also a career 37 percent three-point shooter. Your prototypical 3 and D.
Barrett could play inspired defense sometimes and his shot was hit or miss. Nothing else in his game was consistent enough to suggest a winning player. Anunoby’s ceiling might be, and we’re not sure yet, lower that Barrett’s. But he’s very good at two things the Knicks need, shooting and defense.
The Knicks’ bench scoring will take a big hit with the departure of Quickley. He is having a very good offensive season. But what was his long-term outlook on this Knicks team? He was benched in last year’s playoffs due to poor play. Let’s say he exorcised those demons this season, you can’t close playoffs games with a Quickley, Jalen Brunson backcourt. They are too small and will be targeted on defense.
Anunoby gives them size, shooting and versatile defense at the three. He’ll opt out of his deal at the end of the year and look for a big extension. The Knicks will likely re-sign him, especially given that his agent is Knicks’ president Leon Rose’s son.
But a team with Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Anunoby as your leads is not a title contender. This move seems like the Knicks setting up to make their next move.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto suggests the Knicks are scheming on Hawks guard Dejounte Murray along with Anunoby. While they don’t have as many assets after the trade, the Knicks could still be pushing for Murray.
“The Knicks will continue to be active on the trade market, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote. “As previously reported by HoopsHype, the Knicks have been targeting Anunoby and Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. While losing Quickley seemingly hurts a potential trade package for Murray on paper, Murray remains a player the Knicks are interested in acquiring, league sources said.”
If not Murray, Randle will still be on an expiring $27 million contract next season. They can package him and some picks to acquire an All-Star wing to pair next to Brunson and Anunoby. Depending on who that All-Star is, that elevates this team to a different tier.
Anunoby is a better long-term fit for the Knicks than Barrett. How the team chooses to fit players around the rest of the roster will go a long way in determining how successful they can be.
The Carolina Panthers are a mess.
After drafting former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023, things were reportedly looking up.
That could be nothing further from the truth with the team sitting at 2-14, which is the worst record in the NFL.
Team owner David Tepper has quickly earned the reputation around the league as being impulsive with no real plan for success. He fired former head coach Frank Reich after just 11 games and a 1-10 start, further displaying his hasty decision-making.
The team has gone 1-4 since then, following Sunday’s ugly 26-0 road loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
During that loss Tepper got into a verbal spat with Jaguars fans, and for some odd reason the billionaire owner thought it would be justifiable to toss a drink on those fans.
The video has gone viral, and now we await the punishment that will come down from the league office concerning Tepper.
On Sunday evening the league released a statement on the incident…
“The league said it is “aware of the video,” but it has “no further comment at the time,” per Pro Football Talk.
As with any situation of that magnitude, you can expect the NFL to keep everything close to the best until a through investigation into the incident is completed.
Regardless of how bad the incident looks, Tepper is a league owner and has a significant amount of influence. In fact, the best recourse for the offenses fans would be too hit the billionaire in his pockets.
It was latest in a long line of bad decisions by the Panthers owner since he purchased the franchise in 2018.
The league needs to reprimand Tepper as they would if any fan was to do the same thing.
Tepper could be charged with assault and battery, and hit with a civil suit in the court of law. He didn’t throw a punch, so in many facets of the law tossing a drink at someone would be considered as aggravated assault minus the battery.
Either way he could be coughing up some bucks and will most likely face a suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league’s front offices.
During his tenure the team has had six consecutive losing seasons and carries a paltry 31-67 record under his ownership.
He’s also fired three coaches in-season, the aforementioned Reich as well as Ron Rivera in 2019 and Matt Rhule last season.
It’s been sad to watch a Panthers franchise that had such success with Cam Newton running the show, become a doormat who threw a rookie quarterback to the wolves this season.
Tepper is doing everything in his power to make us forget about the disastrous 24-year run former Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder had in the DMV.
Tepper isn’t there yet, but he’s definitely looking the part just six years into his reign.
Denver Nuggets’ starting forward Aaron Gordon suffered a dog bite on Christmas Day and needed stitches on his hand and face. It was unknown how long he would be away from the team as he recovered, but it was only two games and he’s back at practice and explained what actually happened.
“I guess it’s a little bit embarrassing, but not too embarrassing to where I can’t talk about it,” Gordon said after New Year’s Eve practice. “I don’t drink a lot during the season. I probably had a little bit too much eggnog. I was kind of roughhousing with my dog, and I think my dog got a little excited and just basically chomped down. Gave me a bite. And I was basically wrestling him off of me, and then he bit my hand. For lack of better words, I was (messing) around with my dog, and when you (mess) around, you find out.”
In Gordon’s explanation he took the blame for the bite incident, which is what all good responsible dog owners do.
“I love dogs. I grew up with dogs my whole life,” Gordon said. “But because we’re on the road so much, my dad’s taking care of him, so I can’t really train him how I need him to be. …But I feel good. Everything is fine.”
Gordon is 6 feet 8 and somewhere in the neighborhood of 240 pounds. A slightly inebriated large man wrestling with a dog could get out of control. The dog doesn’t know if Gordon is drunk or what. He’s just being a dog and at some point if the wrestling gets overly physical, a natural fight/flight response will kick in for the animal. As it does for humans.
No matter how well trained your dog is, a good and responsible owner knows limits and what is and isn’t acceptable. Gordon having “too much eggnog” impaired his judgment and this was the unfortunate consequence.
But Gordon said everything is all good and he loves his dog.
“He’s a good boy. He’s a good dog,” Gordon said. “Very attached. Very sweet. Very strong. Great dog.”
The Nuggets are 23-11 and in third place in the western conference. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games and are breathing down the necks of the young Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies.
They play five games over the next 10 days and only one of their opponents, Orlando Magic, has a winning record. This is a soft part of the schedule that could get them on a nice roll to start 2024 as they continue their title defense.
Another tragedy took place in Australia just a few days before the New Year. A talented young surfer was killed in a shark attack according to multiple reports.
Fifteen-year-old Khai Cowley was attacked by what is suspected to be a great white shark on Thursday. He was reportedly surfing with his father on the remote Ethel Beach on the Yorke Peninsula which is not too far from his home of Adelaide.
According to NBC News, Cowley was brought to shore and received medical attention, but emergency services couldn’t revive him.
According to The Telegraph, the water he was surfing in was favorable for great white sharks and practically served as their hunting grounds.
Ryan Valente, who is a skipper with Reef Encounters, a local fishing charters company told ABC Radio about those details, and how it attracted the sharks to the area to hunt even more.
“Lightning, strong winds and it was quite a dark day … It’s stuff nightmares are made of.” Valente said.
Adelaide shark expert Andrew Fox also noted that the conditions at Ethel Beach could make sharks more inclined to hunt and attack as well.
“They’re more motivated – bigger swell, dirty water,” he said. “Anything that increases the chances of an ambush predator.”
Cowley was loved by many, and plenty of people knew him for his talent and his passion for it, as well as his great personality.
His principal at Cardijn College, Steve Byrne, spoke about the love that the community had for him and offered his help during these trying times.
The Telegraph quoted Byrne as saying Steve Byrne, Khai’s principal at Cardijn College, said: “The SA surfing community is wrapping around the family, and on behalf of the college I have offered to assist where we can.
“Khai is fondly remembered as a talented young surfer and spirited teenager. Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy are with his parents, Kate and Tim, and younger brother, Jett.”
Like Khai, his father Tim, and his grandfather, Peter, were accomplished surfers, and their entire family is hurting and grieving.
“So hurting…I’ve never seen people so hurt, honestly… it’s something to behold,” Khai Cowley’s grandfather, Peter Barley, told Nine News.
“I keep thinking at any minute he’s just going to keep walking through the front door,” Barley added.
Cowley’s death marks the third shark-related death in South Australia state since May. With 11 reported shark-related fatalities there since 2000, three of those 11 deaths happening in May, October, and December show an alarming increase in shark attacks in the area.
Unfortunately in one of Australia’s most popular beaches and areas, there isn’t much they can do to make it safer, given this is also a natural habitat for sharks as well.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-106 on Saturday night and the Lakers believe a blown call by the officials with replay potentially cost them the game. A potential game-tying three by LeBron James with four seconds left on the clock was called a two. The play went to video review and the ruling was upheld that it was a two and not a three. But it was the right call.
“I mean, it’s obvious it’s a 3,” James said. “My foot was behind the line. You can see the space between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. You can clearly see the wood on the floor, the space in between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. Stevie Wonder can see that, champ.”
Except the thing is, it wasn’t conclusive. In order for a call to be overturned there has to be conclusive evidence the contrary. The “space between the front” of Bron’s shoe and the three-point line wasn’t clear. The outer sole on the front of his shoes were light in color as is the court. It’s not 100 percent clear if there was space between the light shoe color and the three-point line.
Crew chief Tony Brothers, spoke to a pool reporter after the game, and explained why the two point call was not overturned.
“The play was ruled a 2-point field goal on the floor during live play,” Brothers said. “After video review, there wasn’t clear and conclusive evidence to overturn it from a 2 to a 3, and that’s why it stood as a 2-point field goal.”
Period. End of discussion.
Now, if you want to argue what is conclusive evidence or how that should be judged, great. But evidence is something that has to be interpreted by humans. What might be conclusive to one might not be to another.
The NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, has seemingly and endless supply of monitors and angles to view plays, given the amount of cameras in an NBA arena. When the officials are on their headsets in the arena they are talking directly to officials in Secaucus and getting their interpretation and camera angles and views.
There wasn’t consensus on space between the tip of Bron’s shoe and the three-point line. Without consensus there can’t be conclusive evidence to overturn, in this case.
The Lakers lost the game and blamed the “bad call.” But even if it was overturned to a three. The Wolves would’ve had the ball with two seconds left, and could’ve easily drawn up a play for a game winner. Or the game could’ve gone to overtime and the Lakers could’ve still lost.
This one call, while at a crucial moment did not cost the Lakers this game. There were 47 other minutes prior that the Lakers could’ve played differently.
It’s fun for fans and even players to lament over “obvious missed calls.” But games are rarely won or lost because of a single call.
The calendar has flipped to 2024 and the Minnesota Timberwolves are contenders. You read that sentence correctly. Contenders! Now, I didn’t say contenders for what. Truth be told the No. 1 in the West Wolves are poised to be a top playoff seed and could be a title contender if they make a move or one player internally steps up.
The Wolves have the best record in the West for one reason. Their defense is legit and has fangs. They are No. 1 in aDRTG and their roster is full of long athletic players that jump passing lanes and get their hands on everything. They also deploy two 7-footers that can protect the paint and rim. It is really difficult to score on the Wolves consistently with efficiency.
On offense they are led by their young superstar Anthony Edwards. The 22-year-old will be headed to Indianapolis for his second All-Star appearance, and if he keeps up this level of play has a shot at making his first All-NBA team.
Mike Conley, at 36, is still a plus player on both ends of the floor and Karl-Anthony Towns is an elite offensive player who is having a very good defensive season as well.
That should suggest a team that goes on a deep run, right?
Their offense isn’t as good as it needs to be. They’re currently 17th, which is just below middle of the pack. Part of the reason is Edwards is the only real playmaker on the team. Conley is a very good point guard and organizer, but he’s not an elite passer.
As elite as KAT’s offensive game is, we haven’t seen it on full tilt because of the lack of creation for him at a high level. He’s superb in the pick and roll but hasn’t gotten enough opportunities as his skill level would suggest.
Some of it is Edwards balancing when to score versus make plays for others. He’s only 22 years old. But the offense is what’s holding this team back from being a true title contender.
The Wolves are 18th in pace, again just below middle of the pack. A bit more pace would get more possessions and potentially more opportunities to exploit mismatches on KAT. They could run more pick and roll for KAT as well.
The other option is trading KAT and moving Jaden McDaniels down to the four. He’s en elite defender shooting 37% from three and his size would still offer strong paint and secondary rim protection.
Who would they want in return for KAT? Another All-Star at a minimum.
Would the New Orleans Pelicans ever make Brandon Ingram available? What about Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz? Would Julius Randle work on the Wolves?
All interesting questions that might be answered come the trade deadline.
If the Wolves decide to keep what they have then it is incumbent on head coach Chris Finch to work on getting more from KAT offensively, who is averaging 21 points and nine rebounds per game on excellent efficiency.
“There’s a lot of ways to be immature,” Finch said after a recent win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “And generally, this team has been very mature. But we’ve got to grow up offensively. It’s time.”
Finch is right. Teams can get deluded into thinking they have a big window of time to be contenders, but in this league there is no time like the present. Injuries or disasters are lurking around every corner, if you’ve got the chance to win now you go for it.
The Wolves already went all-in when they acquired Rudy Gobert two summers ago. They made a bet on Edwards’ star power. He’s making good on that bet. Time for the team to do the same.
As we enter 2024 we rank our top head coaches in the NFL.
The one-time Super Bowl-winning coach has led the Ravens to the league’s best record (13-3) and home field throughout the AFC playoffs. His hiring of former Georgia Bulldogs offensive coordinator Todd Monken to the same position with his team has changed the entire offensive dynamic.
As the team’s offense has improved its defense hasn’t faltered one bit. 36-year-old defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who was also brought in by Harbaugh prior to last season, has the unit functioning on all cylinders.
With star quarterback Lamar Jackson likely to take home his second MVP trophy and the Ravens now the betting favorites to make the Super Bowl, Harbaugh is very deserving of the top spot.
For some reason Harbaugh has no current odds to win NFL Coach of the Year, but he should.
The 2020 NFL Coach of the Year currently has the second-best odds (+200) to win the award for the second time. Despite using four different quarterbacks this season, Stefanski has navigated the Browns into a playoff spot at 11-5, becoming the first team to accomplish such a feat.
Following the team’s 31-27 win over the Jaguars last month, Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett , who was once very critical of his own team, told reporters Stefanski was, “coaching his ass off.”
Shanny just led the 12-4 Niners to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Having accomplished everything there is to in the regular season and having led the Niners to one Super Bowl already, (loss to Chiefs in Super Bowl 54), Shanahan needs to finish the deal.
His belief in quarterback Brock Purdy was met with skepticism, but the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft has been better than advertised.
The third-year Lions sideline stalker just led the downtrodden franchise to its first division title in 30 years. He’s done it his way by building the team in his image, which is on toughness, grit and character. After showing glimpses last season, it really came to fruition this season.
Campbell has given the Lions hope in three short seasons, and that’s something that just wasn’t happening prior to his arrival in 2021. A win next week will give the Lions their first 12-win season since 1991.
“We have checked the box on one thing, and now it is on to the next thing,” said last week.
The weird scientist has led the Fins to an 11-5 record and currently a top-two seed in the AFC for the first time since 1992.
His arrival has been huge for fourth-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who’s turned the corner in his development and is among the best in the league at his position.
McDaniel led the Fins to the playoffs last season, and despite Sunday’s ugly 56-19 loss to the Ravens, the Fins can wrap up the AFC East title in Week 18 versus the Buffalo Bills.
Andy Reid, Chiefs
He’s “Big Kool-Aid,” still one of the league’s best despite K.C. struggling a bit. Wrapping up the division on Sunday was huge.
DeMeco Ryans, Texans
The first-year Texans head coach has led them to a surprising 9-7 season when no one thought it was possible. If rookie sensation C.J. Stroud doesn’t get hurt, they would have already locked up a playoff spot, but they still have an outside chance at the playoffs.
Shane Steichen, Colts
The first-year coach has led his team to the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs despite not having rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson or star running back Jonathan Taylor for the bulk of the season.
There were many storylines that took place during the 2023 college football season.
Here is our top 5 of the season.
Deion Sanders To Colorado
From the time he was hired by the Colorado Buffaloes in December 2022, Boulder has never been the same. From day one Sanders told Buffaloes players that most wouldn’t be back and he was bringing in his own guys, “Louis Vuitton” luggage, as he called it.
While the regular season started off great (3-0) but ended with eight losses in nine games, Coach Prime and his team still dominated the headlines in college football.
Even in the offseason Coach Prime and the Buffs have dominated the headlines, from the loss of both coordinators (Sean Lewis and Charles Kelly) to him landing the top-ranked class in the transfer portal.
But no story has been bigger than landing Jordan Seaton, the top-ranked offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class. Seaton didn’t sign until the final day of the early signing period, but he did put to pen to paper and join the Buffs.
And who can forget the sidelines littered with celebrities weekly.
Michigan Sign-Stealing Controversy
The Wolverines are the No. 1-ranked team heading into Monday’s Rose Bowl CFP matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide. And while they’re here and undefeated, it didn’t come without controversy.
During the season reports leaked that Jim Harbaugh’s gang had been cheating for some time.
While nothing much has come from it as of now, Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the regular season.
Harbaugh’s name has also come up in NFL head coach talks. But, as his team prepares for Monday’s game, Harbs is doing his best to defuse any drama.
“Such a one-track mind” Harbaugh told reporters after his team arrived in Pasadena. “That’s the way we’re going about things,” Harbaugh said.
Harbs is saying he’s only focused on the task at hand, which is trying to beat Alabama.
Pac-12 Goes Up In Smoke After 108 Years
Late in the summer Colorado announced it would be headed back to the Big 12, which it left in 2011. That move seemed to start a domino effect, as Oregon and Washington then announced they’d be joining conference traditional powers USC and UCLA in the Big Ten.
Utah, Arizona and Arizona State decided to follow the Buffs to the Big 12 leaving only Washington State and Oregon State to pretty much fend for themselves.
They’ll reportedly be a two-team conference in 2024 with six games versus the Mountain West conference. It’s sad to see such a legendary staple in the game of college football dismantle like that.
Former Miami Hurricanes coach Dennis Erickson offered his take on the situation to the Palm Beach Post in August
“It had nothing to do with education. It has nothing to do with players, it had nothing to do with the school. It had to do with money.”
Florida State Snubbed From CFP
Despite doing everything asked of them, winning their conference championship and going undefeated (13-0), the Seminoles were left out of the College Football Playoff.
The ’Noles lost star quarterback Jordan Travis late in the season, and even though they were winning, the committee didn’t believe they were one of the four best teams in college football without their quarterback.
The decision caused a stir amongst the college football world, and as a result 23 Noles players, including 11 starters, opted out of Saturday’s 63-3 Orange Bowl loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.
Caleb Williams Cries In Mom’s Arms After Loss
Following his team’s 52-42 loss to eventual Pac-12 champion Washington, the Trojans star QB and likely No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft wept in his mom’s arms in the stands. The image of Williams went viral, and he of course he caught a lot of blowback for doing such. Williams was obviously overcome by emotion and went to his safe haven, as mom covered his face with a blanket.
It showed the sensitive side of Williams as his chances as a repeat Heisman winner and the Trojans’ playoff chances went up in smoke.
In a matchup of the two top seeds in the AFC playoff race, the Baltimore Ravens proved that there’s definitely a gap between them and the rest of the AFC as we head into the playoffs. Sunday’s 56-19 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins comes on the heels of a huge 33-19 road win at the NFC’s No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers.
The Ravens once again displayed that versatility in all three phases that’s made them the unquestioned best team in the league headed into the postseason.
It was the same theme for the Ravens when facing top competition this season; they’ve literally taken the opposing team apart piece by piece. In wins over the Lions, Seahawks, Jaguars, Niners and Dolphins, teams that were at least three games over .500, the Ravens have outscored them 185-54.
That’s an average score of 37 to 11 each outing, complete domination, and the reason the Charm City has the second-best odds to win next month’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Jackson Likely Solidified MVP Win
After jumping to the forefront of the MVP race following Monday night’s win, Jackson went out and very likely wrapped up the award.
Jackson was masterful as he dissected the Dolphins defense to the tune of 18 of 21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns as he finished the game with a perfect QB rating of158.3.
It was Jackson’s third career perfect game, tying him with Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger for the most in league history (min. 15 attempts).
For Jackson it was proof that he’s definitely gotten better as a passer. It’s exactly what first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken set out to do when he arrived, and Jackson has responded.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh raved about his superstar QB in his postgame interview.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a game,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not sure if I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a season to date. Obviously, we have a lot more to do.
To step up and play the way they have and to put an exclamation point on it — with a performance like this, pretty much a well-rounded, perfect performance like that after the opening bell.”
What’s Next For Ravens?
With the top seed in the AFC secured, next for the Ravens is Sunday’s season finale against the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s very likely that Harbaugh sits his main guys and gives them rest until the divisional round of the playoffs. With the bye in hand the Ravens can now begin to mend some of those nagging injuries over the next three weeks.
Although many of the team’s fans would love to see Harbaugh play his starters next week in an effort to knock the Steelers out of the playoffs, it’s too risky and shouldn’t happen.
This is why you want to secure that top seed and the bye, to rest players and try to get as healthy as possible. It just so happened that the Ravens did it with a week left in the regular season.
