Firing head coaches at a high cost is the newest craze, as Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher is the latest. The coach won a national title and was brought in to help the school become a championship contender.
However, in his six years as the coach of the Aggies, he couldn’t catch the lightning in a bottle that he had at Florida State.
Fisher went 45-25 and 27-21 in the Southeastern Conference. He won at most nine games in any season and, coming off a 51-10 victory against Mississippi State on Saturday night, the Aggies are 6-4 with two games left.
Still, on Sunday, Aggies Athletics Director Ross Bjork fired the coach even though he owed him more than $75 million.
“That’s the hard part in all of this,” Bjork said. “How many sitting head coaches won national championships? So, everyone had tons of optimism. But it just goes back to the last couple of years. Do we have momentum? Do we have hope? How do we see things trending? And we just didn’t see the trend lines improving.”
Fisher won a national championship for Florida State in 2013 but was snagged away by Texas A&M with a considerable 10-year, fully guaranteed contract at the end of the 2017 season. During the 2020 pandemic season, Fisher’s contract was extended after posting A&M’s best year under his watch, where he led the Aggies to a 9-1 record.
After the firing, per his contract, Fisher’s buyout is reportedly more than triple the largest known given to a fired head collegiate coach, and he is owed the totality of what remains on his deal. If he gets another job in coaching the Aggies still have to pay him.
The firing comes after a similar situation when the Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler. Team owner Mark Davis announced the firing in a statement on Nov. 1. The firings of McDaniels, Ziegler, and some of the coaching staff reportedly will cost Davis approximately $85 million.
“After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave,” Davis said. “I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best.”
Pivoting in the face of the tremendous expense that might come with firing your head coach happens in the NFL and in the collegiate ranks. Fisher and McDaniels prove that new energy costs are priceless for football organizations.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and first-year Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders is preparing his team for a road trip to Pullman, Washington, to face the Washington State Cougars. It’s a game the Buffaloes must win along with their season-ending trip to Utah to face the Utes if they want to become bowl eligible.
Losers of four straight and five of six games, it’s now or never for Coach Prime and his team after such a promising start to the season.
The news of Texas A&M firing their head coach Jimbo Fisher came as a shock, and the $76 million buyout they must pay him to go away makes the move even more surprising. Not long after the school made the announcement did rumors start to swirl of Sanders being on a short list of possible replacements. Maybe that played a role in 2025 four-star wide receiver Winston Watkins all of a sudden de-committing from the school over the weekend.
Watkins Thinks Sanders May Leave Boulder
Watkins, the No. 7 overall recruit and No. 3-ranked receiver, in the class of 2025 per Rivals, just happened to be the very first commit for Coach Prime when he took the Colorado job last December.
The talented wideout has had almost an entire season to observe how things are moving in the mountains, and he’s now reopening his recruitment with the belief that Sanders won’t be in Boulder when his time comes to head there in 2025.
Watkins told Rivals Adam Gorney:
“I didn’t want to limit the opportunities that I already have, because when you’re committed some schools try not to talk to you,” Watkins said. “I have a lot of schools I want to make sure I’m still good with them because I don’t know if Prime will still be there when I get there. I want to make sure I have all my opportunities. I’m still messing with Colorado super, super heavy, but I just want to make sure I’m making the right decision. I have love for them and all that type of stuff, but business is business. “
It’s sort of ironic that the Watkins news dropped on the same day that the Aggies moved on from the aforementioned Fisher.
Sanders recently mentioned that both of his sons Shedeur and Shilo will return to Boulder next season and enter the 2025 NFL draft. Maybe that has something to do with Watkins’ decision.
Deion Sanders To Texas A&M?
Don’t tell that to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who believes the Aggies should hire Sanders. During Monday’s episode of “Get Up,” Smith let it be known that he’d love to see Coach Prime in College Station.
“Deion Sanders in the SEC. With that vault that they have available to them,” Smith said. “Them hogs that he could recruit. He doesn’t have them at Colorado, and he ain’t going to get them. I don’t think they’ll do it. Texas A&M, Primetime, Deion Sanders in the SEC? That needs to happen.”
While it likely won’t happen, Smith joins fellow ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum in believing that Sanders will be a candidate, but probably not the choice. Plus Coach Prime has his sons sticking around one more season at Colorado.
Following the Baltimore Ravens’ 37-3 shellacking of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, star quarterback Lamar Jackson was being looked at as the midseason MVP. In fact, ESPN and The Athletic both chose the 2019 unanimous MVP and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner as the favorite to win his second MVP award.
We all know the NFL really stands for Not For Long, and what a difference a few days can make.
Just days after being crowned with that distinction, Jackson didn’t have one of his better days in the team’s loss to the Browns. On Monday he was being called out for it. Speaking on ESPN’s hit debate show “First Take,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe had a lot to say about Jackson’s play, and he even insinuated there’s a cause for concern.
Sharpe’s Worried About Jackson’s Play
The Ravens are 7-3 and have some of the most dominating wins of the season. They completely overwhelmed a good Detroit Lions team, the aforementioned Seahawks, and the Browns the first time around by a combined score of 103-12. Those teams have a combined record of 19-8, and for that Jackson received a lot of love. But if we’re being honest, he isn’t the biggest reason for those wins. It’s been the team’s running game and defense. Jackson’s play has been solid but nowhere near spectacular, and Sharpe seems to be alluding to that with his comments.
“What you can’t do is turn the ball over,” Sharpe said. “Do you realize that Lamar Jackson has thrown as many touchdowns as Mac Jones. Lamar Jackson has fumbled the football 10 times. … Do you realize that Lamar Jackson has as many turnovers as touchdowns passes? But see when we call that stuff out, ‘Oh, y’all hating, y’all want the narrative, y’all trying to bring a brother down.’”
“I don’t do conjecture,” Jackson continued. “I don’t do innuendo. I don’t do speculation. Those are facts, you can go look them up at your choosing. Lamar Jackson has been up and down, and it’s been masked because they’re winning. Now that they didn’t win, and you see what is happened, it’s hard for me trust him. It is hard for me trust Lamar, it’s hard for me to trust this team.”
Sharpe Is Speaking STRAIGHT FACTS
To hear Jackson being called the midseason MVP was shocking, to say the least, because he really hasn’t had a great game yet this season. Some good moments, but rarely any consistency outside of the team winning, as Sharpe stated. And to have the same amount of touchdowns and turnovers isn’t MVP numbers.
But, to be mentioned in any way with struggling New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is the ultimate slap in the face. Jones is leading a dysfunctional 2-8 team that can’t do anything right. That in itself should immediately disqualify you from any MVP chatter. For the season Jackson has 2,177 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also rushed for 481 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, but those five fumbles and five interceptions are a problem.
Team success does weigh heavily in MVP races, and Jackson’s team seems to be carrying him much more right now this season. In Sunday’s loss Jackson had two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — and a fumble.
Not exactly MVP numbers.
The 2023 season has seen a return to defenses actually winning games around the league. Here are our top five units after an eventful Week 10.
Houston Texans (5-4)
This team has been the surprise of the 2023 season thus far. Each week we laud rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s playing his way into the MVP conversation weekly. But on the other side of the football first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans has the defense humming. Each week this unit seems to get better, while also making timely plays (sacks, forcing turnovers, etc.).
Houston’s defense currently ranks just 19th overall, but they rank 16th in points allowed and eighth in run defense. That’s a far cry from last year, when they ranked 30th in total defense and at the bottom of the league in rush yards allowed and points allowed. It’s a credit to the defensive-minded Ryans, who’s made his chops in the league as a defensive guru.
Cleveland Browns (6-3)
This team has real Super Bowl aspirations, and with DPOY favorite Myles Garrett leading the way on the defensive side of the football the Browns have what it takes to make a serious run at Super Sunday. In Sunday’s huge comeback win over division rival Baltimore, Garrett led a defense that got after the elusive Lamar Jackson, sacking him three times and intercepting him twice, one being returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Browns held the Ravens to 2 of 8 on third down, and for the season they’ve held opponents to 27 of 104 on third downs, a low league-leading 26 percent conversion percentage. Through nine games the Browns haven’t even allowed 2,000 total yards (1,878), which is roughly 208 yards per game. In his postgame interview, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh credited the Browns following their big win over his team.
“They’re very aggressive. They’re very attack oriented. They’re kind of the mindset of a puncher, they come out swinging, and they’re downhill at every level — tight coverage all the way up to the linebackers, downhill versus the run, defensive line up field — that’s kind of their way. They understand who they are, and they play well, very hard.”
New York Jets (4-5)
The problem in New York isn’t the Jets’ top-flight defense. It’s an offense being led by a quarterback in Zach Wilson who can’t play. Each week this defense keeps the team in the game, and way too often their effort goes by the wayside. In Sunday’s road loss to the rejuvenated Las Vegas Raiders, the Jets gave up just 274 yards, 33 percent third-down conversion and forced two turnovers and three sacks, but an inept offense continues to haunt them.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley, the heart and soul of the defense, had 14 solo tackles before leaving with an injury that’s not thought to he serious.
San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
Coming into Sunday’s matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Niners were riding a three-game losing streak, and they’re once vaunted defense couldn’t get generate a consistent pass rush or get off the field on third down. That all changed in Duval County as the Niners with the addition of former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young now playing opposite of reigning DPOY Nick Bosa recorded five sacks. All the defensive line, the aforementioned Bosa, Young and inside guys Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead all accounted for at least a half a sack.
As a whole they allowed just 221 total yards to a Jags offense that came in rolling, while forcing four turnovers. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about his new edge rusher Young in his postgame interview.
“From what I saw there, it seemed like he had a big impact.”
Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
Even though the Ravens gave up a nearly 400 yards in a 33-31 home loss to the Browns, the defense still made a ton of plays. Another pick-six, four sacks and a forced fumble. For arguably the best defense in the league, Sunday’s outing is something the team will be stewing over all week until the Cincinnati Bengals invade Baltimore on “Thursday Night Football.”
All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith had 14 tackles and numerous other big plays, as he does weekly as the leader of the defense.
The New Orleans Pelicans dropped their fifth straight game on Sunday to the Dallas Mavericks, and comments from Zion Williamson have been circulating around the internet. Zion scored 20 points but was a -21 for the game, and the late-game execution between him and All-Star teammate Brandon Ingram has been awkward and clunky. But this is to be expected.
“Last year, we had a team meeting and we brought up some things I can do better, especially with buying into the program,” said Williamson. “Right now, it’s tough. I’m taking a little bit of a back seat right now. Im trusting the process. I’m trying my best to buy in right now.”
Zion is a competitor. When you lose games that you feel you could’ve won and you’re not able to make the impact you want, it’s going to bother any competitor. Add in media availability postgame when you’re still in your feelings and things happen.
The reality is the Pelicans are having trouble because the team lacks continuity. They lack continuity because out of a possible 164 regular-season games over the last two seasons, Zion has played in 29 and Ingram in 100.
It’s impossible to build chemistry on the floor without significant reps. Teams need to go through the fire together and experience the good, bad, and the ugly.
“Last year, I was able to facilitate a lot more,” Williamson said after a loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 10. “This year, it’s kind of like taking a back seat a little bit and letting everybody else get in their rhythm and being unselfish.”
The team had to adapt and build a different identity because its best players are not always available.
By all accounts out of New Orleans, this is the first summer that Zion has taken his offseason work seriously. We’re in year five.
If he’s able to play in at least 65 regular season games and if Ingram is with him for at least 50 of those games, we’ll see improvement and be able to gauge where this team is.
The injury bug in New Orleans hasn’t been limited to the two All-Stars. CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Jose Alvarado are all dealing with injuries and have missed time. In Murphy and Alvarado’s cases they were on the injured list to start the season and have a long road to recovery.
This is life in the NBA.
Zion needs to be all the way in and committed to doing what is necessary to be more available than he has been historically. Once that happens then he and the Pelicans can assess where they stand.
The Memphis Grizzlies currently have the worst record in the Western Conference, standing at 2-8, and never has the team and the league felt the loss of Ja Morant more than now. His absence has made Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. become one of the new driving forces of the team.
However, he understands the impact of the player.
“Ja is also still very much around,” Jackson told Sportskeeda about Morant still being around the team through his 25-game suspension. “It’s normal. He’s not playing. But it’s normal.”
Morant returns to the court in mid-December. He can’t be in the arena when the Grizzlies are playing games, but his presence and energy are felt with the team.
“Very positive,” Jackson said about Morant’s spirits. “They’re always very positive. I’m not tripping about it. I’m going to blink, and he’s going to be back. We’re halfway to that point.”
The Western Conference without Ja Morant has leading storylines that are strongly about James Harden’s need to prove himself on a new veteran superteam in the Clippers or Anthony Davis’ lack of leadership on an aging Lakers.
The earliest that Morant is eligible to return to the NBA hardwood is Dec. 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The league punished Morant as the result of twice being filmed on social media displaying a gun.
Although initially suspended eight games in March after a video of him brandishing a gun at a strip club in Denver, Shotgun Willies, that was upgraded to 25 games at the start of this season after another video recorded inside a car in May.
In the Grizzlies’ second win this year, against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, Jackson posted 12 points (3-15 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), four rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 29 minutes during 105-101 victory.
That was Jackson not at his best, as he’s been off to a strong start this season. In 10 games, Jackson has averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 three-pointers. This is with Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke having season-ending injuries and Ja’s suspension.
“You feel for the guys who are out,” Jackson said to Sportskeeda. “There are new lineups every other game. So you have to get that chemistry any way that you can. It’s not necessarily a challenge. But there’s always something new. Everybody is enjoying it, though. Everybody has different opportunities. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Grizzlies guards Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart have been integral leaders this season, and along with Jackson they are working to keep the energy alive until the floor general in Ja returns to the game.
“We just talk about stuff off the court on how we want to do certain things,” Jackson continued. “We’re grown as hell now. It’s pretty simple. We’re leaders in our own lives. Now you just bring it to the team and mesh it well. They’ve been responsive. We have new guys coming in that had leadership roles on their teams. Then you have us. Everybody takes on the responsibility.”
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is attempting what still seems impossible. Rodgers said his personal goal is to return to the lineup in mid-December, just three months after rupturing his achilles tendon. While Jets fans will be happy, former NFL All-Pro WR Chad Johnson thinks it’s a bad idea for the four-time league MVP.
“Don’t come back. You’ll hurt yourself,” said Johnson to TMZ. “Don’t do it. You’re going to reinjure yourself. It’s too soon.”
The Jets played the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football and Rodgers spoke to NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark, and advised her of his goal.
Stark reported that Rodgers told her his goal is to “come back mid-December,” according to Stark.
“He said, ‘I know it sounds insane, but you do a good surgery and you have a good patient it makes this possible,’ ” Stark said.
According to Dr. Kevin Stone, orthopedic surgeon at The Stone Clinic, the recovery process for an Achilles tendon repair is about eight to nine months.
Considering that Rodgers is an elite athlete and is capable of more work load than your average human, what kind of curve does that allow him to accelerate? Six months? Is Rodgers such a good patient that all he needs is three months?
No two surgeries, patients, recovery speed, etc. are the same. That’s true.
Rodgers underwent a “speed bridge procedure on Sept. 13 to repair his torn left Achilles tendon. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The new procedure is designed to have an athlete fully recovered in as little as four months from what is normally a season-ending injury. The speed bridge is designed to protect the repair and expedite a potential return to the field. While the speed bridge does not guarantee a quicker return, it is designed to enhance the strength of the repair and guard it against stretching.
Maybe Rodgers is superhuman and he’ll be back and good as new in mid- December. I remain skeptical.
Walking around and feeling good in day-to-day activities, even NFL practice, is very different from a live game.
Johnson, who never tore his Achilles, said that injury is one you don’t mess around with.
“You have to understand,” Johnson said, “there are few injuries that you don’t want to play with. You don’t want to play with anything having to do with your groin, your Achilles, or your knees. You don’t rush back from those. I don’t care what your doctors tell you.”
We’ll see what Rodgers’ recovery looks like over the next month.
The Jets are 4-5 after Sunday night’s loss to the Raiders. Their next five games include three against divisional opponents: two against the Miami Dolphins and one against the Buffalo Bills. The other two games are against the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans.
The team would have to go 3-2 over that stretch or better, 4-1, for this comeback to even make sense. The closer they get to a playoff berth the better.
Still, a long way to go for both Rodgers and the Jets.
According to multiple reports, Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was struck by a vehicle while walking near his home on Saturday, Nov. 11. Oubre Jr. suffered broken ribs, and injuries to his leg and hip.
He moved to the starting lineup after the 76ers traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Oubre was playing well. He will now miss significant time this season as he heals from his injuries.
“He’s back home and he’s doing OK,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said before Sunday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. “It’s a pretty traumatic incident [but] he is home and resting fairly comfortably. That’s where we are right now.”
According to police, a vehicle was heading west, the same direction as Oubre, “at a high rate of speed” and tried to turn south onto the street Oubre Jr. was crossing. He was struck in the “upper chest area.” The vehicle, described as silver in color, fled the scene.
Paramedics that arrived on the scene took Oubre Jr. to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital “in stable condition.” He was released on Sunday November 12th.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
“It’s too bad that he’s been on an upward trend and heading towards a good season and stuff,” Nurse said. “That’s kind of a bummer for me for it to happen to him — a guy who needed a break, was getting one and he did everything he could to give himself a break. Then to have that happen … it puts it in perspective as well.”
Oubre is averaging 16.3 points on 50/37/78 shooting splits, and five rebounds through the early part of the season.
76ers president Daryl Morey and other team representatives were at the hospital with Oubre and his teammates offered their support.
“Our emphasis is to make sure he’s good,” teammate Tobias Harris said before Sunday’s game. “That’s our brother. That’s our teammate. Truth be told, it’s a game, but we care more about himself and his health over everything.
“Everybody’s relieved that it wasn’t anything worse than that. We’ll be excited and feel better once we see him and know that he’s [good].”
The 76ers won their game on Sunday against the Pacers behind Tyrese Maxey’s 50 points.
Maxey said the game was dedicated to Oubre.
“This had nothing to do with me,” Maxey said during his postgame interview. “This is all Kelly Oubre. We’re praying for him. Love my dawg. I just met him, but I love him. I hope he gets well soon.”
Oubre is well liked by his teammates and coaches and has been at his stops around the league.
In week 10 of the NFL season the melanated signal-callers balled out. But these were the best of the best from Sunday’s action.
The oft-scrutinized Prescott has really been playing well as of late. The former Mississippi State Bulldogs star has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions in his past three games, including Sunday’s huge 404-yard and four-touchdown day in a 49-10 blowout win over their NFC East division rival New York Giants. Prescott was sharp and in complete control.
Prescott and top receiver CeeDee Lamb have been in unison as of late, as Lamb became the first wide receiver in league history with at least 10 receptions and 150-yards in three consecutive games. It was also Prescott’s tenth career 400-yard game.
The diminutive dynamo returned to action for the first time since tearing his ACL last December.
Murray, returned to a 1-8 team that’s preparing for next year, but that didn’t stop the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick from leading his team to a last-second, 25-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Murray’s numbers don’t jump off the screen (19-for-32 for 249 yards and one interception), but he was once again up to his late-game heroics.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Each week the 2023 No. 2 overall pick has been showing signs that he’s the real deal. With the Offensive Rookie of the Year award his to lose, Stroud is now making a case to garner some serious MVP consideration.
In the now-5-4 Texans’ huge 30-27 road win at the Cincinnati Bengals, the former Ohio State star out-dueled another former Buckeyes quarterback (Joe Burrow).
One week after a passing for an NFL-rookie record 470 yards and five touchdowns, Stroud went out and passed for 356 yards, one touchdown and one interception. For the season Stroud has an incredible 2,626 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions. That’s now back-to-back walk-off wins for Stroud and the Texans.
Stroud told reporters this about the last drive with the game tied.
“Everything was in our favor going into that last drive.”
Josh Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
For the second consecutive week Dobbs used his arm and legs to lead the Vikes to their fifth consecutive win. Once (1-4) the Norsemen have gotten to (6-4) and with Dobbs under center for the remainder of the season, Minnesota looks like they could once again crash the postseason party.
In the team’s 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, the former Tennessee Volunteers star made big plays with his arm and legs as he put his dual-threat ability on full display. He passed for 268 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for 44 yards on eight attempts.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell raved about Dobbs in his postgame interview.
“Josh in two starts has shown us what mobility, in addition to what we do offensively, can do for us in this rough time where we’re trying to overcome the loss of Kirk.”
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
The Geno Smith redemption story continues to add layers to it. One season after winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Smith has hit the road running for the Hawks again. The strong-armed gunslinger had his best game of the season in the team’s 29-26 walk-off win over the Washington Commanders.
Smith went 31 of 47 for 369 yards and two touchdowns, and while he only rushed once for 13 yards, it was for a huge first down to keep a scoring drive alive.
Another action-packed NFL weekend, and another Mike Tomlin milestone.
With Sunday’s 23-19 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers, Tomlin’s Steelers won their ninth consecutive one-score game.
That’s significant because it’s hard to win in the NFL, especially close games at that rate. Tomlin’s making it look easy. He’s always cool, calm and collected on the sidelines, and you have to give him his respect for his masterful performances in close games.
We’re talking about a coach who in 16 NFL seasons as a head coach hasn’t had a losing record.
And with his current team now 6-3 after Sunday’s win, it looks highly plausible that this streak will likely run to 17 consecutive seasons.
Since 2021 the Steelers are a league-best 19-6-1 in one score games, which is roughly a 75 percent winning percentage, once again a credit to Tomlin as a leader of men.
For the ninth time this season the Steelers took an L in total yards (399 to 324) but posted a win on the more important scoreboard for the sixth time this season.
It’s become a trend with the Steelers offense under offensive coordinator Matt Canada and second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett at the helm. For weeks there have been calls for Tomlin to replace Canada, but thus far the one-time Super Bowl-winning coach hasn’t made a change.
Instead he directed Canada to come out of the coaches booth far away from the action and call his plays down on the field where he can interact with his players and young quarterback.
Pickett, the second-year signal-caller, has struggled overall. With Sunday’s 119 passing yards, Pickett has now passed for under 200 yards in 12 of his 21 career starts.
That’s usually not a recipe for success, but the offense has been much more effective since Tomlin instituted that change with Canada. Somehow the Steelers are still finding ways to win.
Tomlin knows his QB must play better if this team, whose defense has been its saving grace all season, is to make any noise in January.
In Tomlin’s postgame interview, he discussed Pickett’s subpar play in quarters (1-3) and his great play when the game’s on the line.
Pickett does just enough to win each week, even if it isn’t pretty.
Despite the high wire acts, the fact remains that slow starts and fourth-quarter comebacks are not a sustainable way to have success.
Pickett’s 75 QBR in the first three quarters, jumps to (108) in the fourth quarter, and that’s something Tomlin wants to see change.
“He’s awesome in the fourth quarter, man, he rises up in those moments. He wants to be the reason why we’re successful. He prepares his tail off. In some instances where people run from challenges, he runs to challenges. And so, that’s why his performance is so good in the fourth. Those other quarters we’ll work on.”
With the passing game in flux, the Steelers have been able to lean on their young, big, physical offensive line that seems to be getting better each week.
In Sunday’s win they led the way for 205 rushing yards, 183 between Jaylen Warren (101) and Najee Harris (82) on 31 rushing attempts. An elated Tomlin credited them with leading the way.
“Yeah, it was huge,” Tomlin said. “I thought the balance was there. You know, 22 [Najee Harris] and 30 [Jaylen Warren] ran the ball great. The line was firing off the ball, they were protecting really well. Stayed clean for the majority of the game. So that’s kind of what we’re trying to get here.”
Tomlin seems to once again be pulling all the right strings for a team that should probably have a losing record, and for that he should be garnering plenty of NFL Coach of the Year talk.
It’s an award Tomlin shockingly has never won, but that could change this season.
The Cleveland Browns came to Baltimore on Sunday knowing they matched up well with the extremely physical Ravens.
With a healthy superstar QB Deshaun Watson under center, they proved they could also beat their AFC North rivals by registering a huge 33-31 walk-off win to stun the over 71,000 fans dressed in purple and black.
The Browns improved to 6-3 and dropped the AFC North division-leading Ravens to 7-3 in a game that was a pivotal one in Cleveland Browns history and definitely one in the career of star quarterback Deshaun Watson.
These are the type of games Browns teams always seemed to lose.
When the two teams played earlier in Cleveland, Watson wasn’t healthy enough to play, and the Ravens left Cleveland with a dominant 28-3 win.
Fast forward to Sunday in “Charm City,” and early on it looked like a repeat of that whipping.
That’s when the heavily scrutinized Watson stepped up and led his team to a huge comeback win in a game where they trailed by 15 points.
It showed the true resiliency and toughness of the Browns team that hasn’t been elite since the Bernie Kosar and Marty Schottenheimer years. Watson and head coach Kevin Stefanski were at the forefront of this effort.
After going 6-for-20 for 69 yards and a pick-six on the game’s second play, Watson rebounded in a mighty way after halftime.
There he went 14-of-14 for 134 yards and one touchdown.
Watson displayed grit and toughness all day, but especially in the second half when he was clearly hobbled by a sore ankle.
Despite being in a walking boot following the game, Watson assured everyone during his postgame interview that he’s okay.
“I’ll be fine,” Watson said. “Right now I’m not feeling well, but I’ll be fine, I’ll be ready to go.”
During his postgame interview, Stefanski raved about his $230 million signal-caller.
“He’s a warrior. He battled through an ankle injury in the second half. He’s a warrior.”
The win was easily the biggest Watson has had in his career, outside of his one playoff win as the QB of the Houston Texans.
For the guy some fans and media pundits have said is the worst trade in league history, he’s 5-1 as the starter this season, and Sunday’s win is why the Browns made the landmark deal to acquire him in 2022.
Seeing Watson push through the ankle injury seemed to inspire defensive star Myles Garrett and the formidable Browns defense. In the second half, led by Garrett (1.5 sacks, seven QB pressures), the Browns tallied three sacks and forced two turnovers, both interceptions by Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, with the latter being returned for a touchdown by third-year cornerback Greg Newsome II. In total the Browns held the Ravens to 306 total yards, but just 112 yards after halftime.
It was a franchise-defining win, and one led by Watson, who showed why you make the trade for a signal-caller of his caliber.
Watson is why the Browns have a real shot at a deep playoff run in January.
It has been a tough start to the season for the Memphis Grizzlies. The team is 2-8 and reeling. Head coach Taylor Jenkins ripped the officials after a loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night and was fined $25K. Just two years ago the Grizzlies were a brash trash talking up-and-coming contender, but if things don’t start turning around soon changes will be coming. Life comes at you fast in the NBA.
“Saddle up,” Jenkins said following the loss to the Jazz on Friday. “One of the most poorly officiated games I’ve ever seen. Record it. I’m fine with it. F—ing atrocious.”
To be fair to Jenkins, that game was poorly officiated. The officials missed consecutive fouls committed by the Jazz. When the ref finally blew his whistle an incensed Jaren Jackson Jr. went at him asking where the calls were before. Jackson was given a quick double technical and ejected.
“He’s one of the most professional players in this league and gets a double technical foul, and the excuse that I get is that he’s charging at an official,” Jenkins said. “It’s called de-escalation.
“Our team is competing their ass off, and this is what happens? The interactions right now with the officials — complete disrespect. I know what’s coming. It’s unbelievable, the looks on the faces when I’m trying to engage in conversation to defend our guys that are busting their tail right now,” Jenkins railed.
The Grizzlies knew it would be a rough start to the season without their All-NBA guard Ja Morant, who was suspended 25 games for incidents involving guns. But this is a team that has historically played well without him. At worst they figured a .500 record without him would be doable. To get to .500 they would have to go 11-4 over their next 15 games. Highly unlikely.
Don’t expect anyone around the league to feel sorry for these Grizzlies. This was the team that “ducked no smoke” and “ran up the chimney” when they were blowing teams out en route to back-to-back No. 2 seeds in the Western Conference the last two seasons.
The young, brash Grizzlies went at veterans and superstars from LeBron James to Stephen Curry, and they talked. Now that they are getting humbled, they’re realizing the realities of what happens in this league when your mouth writes checks you can’t cash with your play.
Lost in the Morant suspension and some unlucky opponent three-point shooting is that the Grizzlies have lost players like De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Tyus Jones and haven’t been able to replace them. Not to mention the injuries to Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. That’s on general manager Zach Kleiman.
None of the Grizzlies recent draft picks of Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Santi Aldama, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. have been plus players. That’s on the player development staff and coaching.
NBA owners get antsy when things go from bad to worse. Not saying the Grizzlies are there. But things have to start changing quickly. Morant’s return will mask a lot of things. Not everything.
If this team continues to struggle before then, changes are likely to come.
The internet can be merciless, and a veritable witchhunt can begin in the culture. First it was Dwight Howard, who was accused of sexual assault and then the calls for him to explain his sexuality began. From podcasters to social media commenters, the talk turned from a return to the NBA to who he sleeps with, and Howard himself let the world know that information was no one’s business.
Enter NBA star Tristan Thompson, who is now the target of online attacks by social media platform X’s cultural contingent, who feel he is exhibiting “sassy traits,” derogatory code that is exhibiting homophobia.
In the latest episode of “The Kardashians” on Hulu, Thompson has one-on-one chats with Khloé’s sisters to confront his transgressions finally, according to the show promo. However, in a viral video clip, Thompson is seen walking, and it was an unconventional stride for his critics.
There was even an unearthing of a TikTok post by Subway Oracle where he interviews “celebrity stylist” TwinkTok, who claimed to be on the way to meet with Thompson who was described as a client. The stylist was riding the NYC subway in full drag.
The comments went from alleging comparing him to an “aunty” to analyzing his walk thoroughly, but it all reeked of suspicion.
“Sassy b***h,” posted one user to the video.
“Tristan Thompson walk got me crying,” another posted.
“Aunty a** walk Bro walk like he about to throw down a mean a** Peach cobbler,” yet another ‘X’ user posted.
“Tristan walk like he trying to suck his stomach in and poke it his a** out at the same time,” another ‘X’ user posted.
In reality, the preview for the next episode of The Kardashians shows the 32-year-old NBA star opening up about his cheating on his ex Khloé Kardashian, who is the mother of two of his children.
“In this family, if you do something to one of us, it affects everyone,” the 39-year-old Kardashian explained to Thompson in the promo video for the episode.
Thompson responded, “I’m in the place now where I can own up to the mistakes I made.”
Back in February 2019, Thompson reportedly cheated on Kardashian with her sister Kylie Jenner’s best friend, Jordyn Woods. However, the 26-year-old model later denied that the two had sex, claiming that Thompson kissed her at a party that year.
Still, in December 2021, Thompson had another child with model Maralee Nichols while he and Khloé were still together. It was extra messy because at the time Kardashian was expecting the arrival of their son Tatum, who was born via surrogacy in August 2022. The two also share a 5-year-old daughter named True.
A father of four, Thompson is accused of not paying his child support for his 6-year-old son named Prince with his ex-Jordan Briani Craig, and she is claiming that he owes her $224,000 in back child support.
There are more pressing issues in the life of Tristan Thompson, like staying on an NBA roster so he can take care of his children and making amends with Khloé Kardashian. However, the internet will continue to dissect his every move.
It took three years, but a court has ruled on the domestic violence incident that former NFL offensive lineman Chad Wheeler allegedly committed against his ex-girlfriend, Alleah Taylor. On Thursday, Wheeler was found guilty of domestic violence by a jury in King County, Wash.
Wheeler almost killed his now ex-girlfriend, who is Black. Wheeler is white, and the incident became racially charged by the public. The jury found Wheeler guilty of one count of first-degree domestic violence and one count of second-degree domestic violence while finding him not guilty on the charge of unlawful imprisonment.
Following the ruling, Wheeler was remanded into custody and will be sentenced on Dec. 14. After Thursday’s ruling, Alleah Taylor posted a statement on the social media platform ‘X’ simply saying, “I finally have justice.”
In his brief NFL career, Wheeler played for the New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks. He blamed the domestic violence incident on a “manic episode” as a result of being bipolar and he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In late January 2021, former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Chad Wheeler, a white man standing 6 ft 7 inches tall and weighing 310 pounds, assaulted his Black girlfriend, Alleah Taylor, who stands 5 feet 9 and weighs 145 pounds. Taylor alleged Wheeler, who she had been dating for around six months at the time of the incident, demanded she “bow down” to him, and when she didn’t comply, he attacked her and choked her within an inch of her life.
Taylor said she sustained a concussion and an arm injury that required bolts and a steel plate to fix. According to Taylor, she blacked out twice before the attack was over. She recalled that after she woke up, Wheeler said, “Wow, you’re still alive.”
Prosecutors can now seek “a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for the” first-degree charge after the jury found Wheeler “used force or means likely to result in death,” per a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In addition, authorities can now “seek a sentence above the standard range” for the second-degree charge.
The Los Angeles Clippers are on a four-game losing streak, three of which happened with James Harden on the court. With their Friday loss against the Dallas Mavericks during the in-season tournament, a Mavericks broadcaster wanted to give Harden a piece of his mind.
“Ask the producer to pipe this into the Clippers locker room so I can talk to you, James,” said Bally Sports broadcaster and Mavs radio show host, Brian Dameris. “I hope you’re taking notes. I’m telling you in advance, you’re welcome for the wisdom that I’m about to spew. I get on my knees every night and pray for someone to believe in me like Daryl Morey believed in you.”
Morey, who was the general manager of the Houston Rockets during Harden’s time there and is currently the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, has a relationship with Harden that soured very publicly. However, Dameris felt that it was Harden’s fault even though Morey “believed” in him.
“You wanted a certain coach, they brought in Mike D’Antoni. You wanted to play a certain style, they played it. You wanted Dwight Howard, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. You wanted Chris Paul, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. They brought in your old friend Russell Westbrook. You want to go to Vegas on off days? They looked away.
“You wanted the team to stay over so you could go out at night. They changed the schedule, and it didn’t work. You said, I’m going to break up with my wubby (Morey), not good enough I see the bright lights of New York; I want to go there with my old pal Kevin Durant. It’s going to work, the big three and all after one year, you wanted out.”
Harden had the best stats of his career under Morey in Houston. However, when Morey and D’Antoni left during the offseason of 2020, Harden requested a trade that took him to the Brooklyn Nets. What was supposed to become the big three of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving fizzled after one season. Harden then left and went to Philadelphia, where his relationship with Morey spiraled into a public spectacle where he called Morey a liar.
“You realized, ‘Oh my gosh, I took this guy for granted, the guy who believed in me, you went back to Daryl Morey,” Dameris continued. “They traded Ben Simmons for you. How did they pull that off? You know what? You went there, and you got a partner who got the MVP, and what did you say afterwards? You said: they didn’t hand me the reins. You’re the point guard, you’re holding the reins and what did you do when you had the reigns? You scored nine points in Game 7 against Boston. You blew a 3-2 series lead.”
“Listen, James, have you ever had those friends who had bad roommates?” the announcer asked, rhetorically. “Over and over they complained about their bad roommates. They never thought to be self-aware enough that they’re the bad roommate James, you’re the problem. You’re not The Beard. You’re not The System. You’re The Problem.”
If Harden doesn’t add impact to the Clippers, who have Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, he will be looked at as the issue with the teams he is on. Losing while being perceived as problematic is not a good look in professional sports, and right now, for Harden, that shoe fits snugly.
Arizona Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray is set to make his season debut on Sunday afternoon. Murray, has been out since tearing his ACL last December versus the New England Patriots. The diminutive dynamo will see his first action in first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s offense.
With the team 1-8 and already pretty much preparing for next season, it’s likely this time will be used to evaluate Murray going forward to see if the team wants to possibly draft one of the young QBs in the 2024 NFL draft.
During Friday’s episode of “Speak” on FS1, analyst Chris Broussard had a little fun at Murray’s expense after fellow analyst Nick Wright mentioned that Call of Duty had recently released a new version of its popular video game. This is significant because of Murray’s perceived love for the game, the time he spends playing it, and his lack of film study in preparation for NFL games.
“Hopefully, you’ve been watching film, hopefully, you’ve been watching the tape, all of that, and Kyler, I look at you as a guy that’s made two Pro Bowls in, what, four years?” Broussard began. “I look at you as a guy that led the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time in five years.”
“Kyler, resist the temptation, my man,” Broussard joked.
It’s a known fact that when Murray signed his five-year, $230.5 million extension in July 2022, there was clause that Murray had to spend a certain amount of hours watching film, and less time on Call of Duty. After it was revealed, the clause was quickly removed following widespread backlash.
As Murray prepares to take the field under the general manager Monti Ossenfort and aforementioned Gannon regime, remember, he isn’t their QB. Murray was drafted and signed his extension under the previous regime of Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury.
That means these last eight games are sort of an audition for Murray and the Cards. They’ll likely use this time to see if he’s truly their guy going forward, or if they’ll need a reset at the position.
What was once a promising season for the Colorado Buffaloes football team, has quickly turned into one where they now must win two road games in order to become bowl eligible. With Saturday’s senior day heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the surprising Arizona Wildcats at scenic Folsom Field amidst the pristine Rocky Mountains, the Buffaloes have now lost four in a row.
Once 4-2, the Buffs have slipped to 4-6 and must now win road games at Washington State and Utah.
While winning in Pullman is definitely plausible, but not likely, winning in Salt Lake City at raucous Rice-Eccles Stadium is extremely unlikely for a Buffs squad that just doesn’t have the guys to go into those places and get two wins. So, what once looked like a surprising bowl-eligible season barring some major upsets, looks like it won’t end that way. Following Saturday’s tough loss, first-year head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders apologized to the masses, especially his outgoing seniors.
“I apologize … that we didn’t send them out right, in which we wanted to because they deserve it,” Sanders told reporters in his postgame interview.
Sanders wasn’t done apologizing, as the very outspoken and always opinionated coach then told the fans this after his team went 2-4 during their home schedule.
“They’ve been supporting the heck out of us and they’ve been showing up and showing out — another sellout crowd ended in disappointment,” Sanders said. “We’re so close. It’s what I told them. But yet so far. We just simply, truly don’t know how to win yet.”
“We just can’t get over the hump,” Sanders said.
Sanders is speaking truth. In each home they lost they could’ve won. Losses to USC, Stanford, Oregon State and Arizona by a combined 20 points. They led Stanford 29-0 before losing 46-43 in double overtime, and that loss looks more and more like the one that hurt the most.
All season the offense has been on the arm of star QB Shedeur Sanders, and he’s responded despite taking a beating behind a below average offensive line. On Saturday the strong-armed signal caller went a very respectable 22-for-35 for 262 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also touched paydirt once using his legs.
For the season Sanders has passed for 2,882 yards, 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The junior also reached 10,000 career passing yards in the loss, to go along with 94 touchdowns passes and just 17 interceptions.
A projected top-3 to top-5 QB prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft, Sanders is expected to return to Boulder for one more season.
The Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift phenomenon that’s swept across the country isn’t slowing down. Despite the pop star beginning the international leg of her “Eras Tour,” the rumored couple is still making headlines. Swift was originally scheduled to take the stage in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, but with bad weather in the area, she postponed Friday’s show until Sunday, permitting her to stay in the beautiful South American city a tad bit longer.
The pop singer took to her Instagram early Friday to make the announcement.
“I love a rain show but I’m never going to endanger my fans or my fellow performers or crew,” Swift wrote. “We’ve rescheduled tonight’s Buenos Aired show for Sunday due to the weather being so truly chaotic it would be unsafe to try and put on this concert. Good news is I get to stay in Argentina longer!!”
In wake of Swift’s announcement, Page Six also reported that Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce had arrived in the city on Friday as well. If Kelce truly is in town it shouldn’t come as a big surprise; the future Hall of Famer sort of indicated at it on his “The Heights” podcast with brother Jason Kelce, the All-Pro center of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both Travis and Jason are on bye weeks with their respective teams scheduled to have a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl upon return on “Monday Night Football” on Nov. 20. Jason, asked his younger sibling what plans he had for his bye week, to which Travis responded like this.
“My skin’s getting real pale, so I gotta go somewhere sunny,” Travis teased.
“Closer to the equator.”
In so many words, Travis let it be known he was headed to visit Swift during her tour, and he’d return by Sunday, with practice slated to resume Tuesday.
We all know Kelce to be an all-time great who usually plays well no matter the circumstances. But this season the seven-time All-Pro has averaged double the receiving yards (99) when Swift is in attendance than when she isn’t (46.5). Call it coincidence or whatever, but Kelce has struggled the past two weeks with just nine receptions for 72 yards.
The week prior in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Kelce went for 12 receptions, 179 yards and one touchdown with Swift in attendance. The team as a whole is 4-0, averaging 28.5 points and 432 yards per game with the pop superstar in the stadium, and 3-2 when she isn’t.
Is Paul Pierce hiding a significant “Truth” about his finances? Paul Pierce’s monetary state is questioned after he reportedly failed to maintain his payments on a Range Rover he is financing.
According to legal documents obtained by The Blast, Paul Pierce is accused of not making his payments on a 2019 Range Rover, and it is at risk of being repossessed. He still owes a principal balance of over $90,000 and has missed several monthly payments of $3,445.28.
The legal filing reads, “As of July 18, 2023, the unpaid principal balance of $91,459.55 is due and payable to Chase from Defendant [Pierce].”
He allegedly is being accused of not paying this money back to JP Morgan Chase bank, which he reportedly stopped paying back at the end of last year.
The bank went to repossess the car, and Pierce did not give it up. At this point, the bank doesn’t even want him to try and repay it and would instead take the car back.
The document states, “Chase is only attempting to enforce its security interest in the Vehicle herein by seeking possession of the Vehicle, and in no way is this Complaint an attempt to enforce the Defendant’s personal liability on the Agreement.”
Pierce reputedly has a net worth of $80 million and had plenty of very lucrative means of income, and still does to this day. Pierce used to play in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Clippers, where he made over $198 million alone just from his basketball career.
Pierce also was an analyst on ESPN’s “The Jump” and “NBA Countdown” before he was fired after a video of him with exotic dancers came out. He also appeared on “Stars On Mars.”
Paul Pierce is also up and coming in the cannabis industry, as a few years ago he launched his marijuana brand called “The Truth.”
But the car isn’t the only debt that he owes right now; according to The Blast, Pierce also has yet to repay a creditor who loaned him money to the sum of $162,273.59; the creditor also placed a lien on his business for the debt, as well as his home.
An attorney representing the loan lender said, “Mr. Pierce preaches honesty and the ‘Truth,’ but yet he must believe his former celebrity status entitles him to harm lenders who trusted him in his riskier business practices when other lenders would not. My client and I are disappointed that this Inglewood native would be so careless with his obligations.”
Why Pierce seemingly isn’t willing to fork up the money for the things he wants is anyone’s guess, especially with all he’s made in his career.
University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders said the team had a good week of practice and some fights broke out. Coach Prime said he likes fights and he wants to know who wins. All that is well and good, but Prime’s Buffaloes are 4-5 and they likely need to win out to assure a postseason bowl berth. Maybe less time on this performative stuff?
“We’ve had a great week of practice. We had a couple of fights, which I like,” Prime said on the “Colorado Football Coaches Show” this week. “It’s a great thing. I always want to know who won because I keep records. I don’t break them up. Some coaches break them up. I don’t. Some guys fight hoping for the breakup. No, we’re going to let you go.”
Football is a tough sport and players need physical and mental toughness to play it. But this whole keeping records and some kids want you to stop the fight stuff; who does that serve, besides Prime?
We get it: You’re one of the greatest athletes to ever play sports and probably the best CB of all time in professional football. You were tough as a player. As a coach, you also want tough players who don’t back down and who win fights, great.
Here’s the reality. After a 3-0 start, your team has lost five out of their last six games. Maybe spend more time on executing the fundamentals by the position coaches, more time on situational execution, inspiring your athletes to find something within themselves to perform better?
All of these seem like much better things to be talking about heading into Saturday’s pivotal game against no. 23 Arizona.
But this is Prime and this is what you sign up for. There will be some good and even excellence with time. But there will also be a whole lot of performative rhetoric and commentary.
“So, we did have a couple fights this week, and I love it. They’ve been getting after it. It’s almost like a rededication. It’s almost like a refocus. I love where we are. We’ve had great practices this week, offense, defense, as well as special teams,” Prime continued.
The proof will be in the pudding on Saturday. The Buffaloes likely need to win their remaining three games, which would get them to 7-5, and just about guarantee a postseason bowl, which will be important for building toward next season and beyond.
Though, knowing how bowl selection committees work, they want teams that have fan bases that’ll travel well and draw big TV ratings. Win, lose, or draw, Prime knows how to put on a show.
