NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Hope all of you enjoy some football in spite of the Thanksgiving hangovers... good luck and best wishes out there!

 

Go Browns!

 

Browns, baby!

 

Jaguars beat Ravens on Trevor Lawrence TD pass and two-point conversion



28-27

 

I don't recall any team ever going for two points with the game on the line. Usually just kick it and go to O/T.

 

Tom Brady sees amazing 218-game streak snapped during Buccaneers' overtime loss to Browns

Brady had never lost when leading by 7 or more points in the final two minutes ... until now

 

Bengals improve to 7-4 with 20-16 victory over Titans

 

Pretty sure it happened within the last couple of years but then again could be mandela effect

 

The Eagles rushed for 363 yards... Dammmmmm

 

Steelers vs Colts: 4 keys to victory



How do the Pittsburgh Steelers get past the Indianapolis Colts? It isn’t going to be easy as the Steelers have made sure nothing comes easy. Nevertheless, this is a winnable game for Pittsburgh if they just assert themselves in a few areas. Here are our keys to victory.

Minimize the damage of Jonathan Taylor


Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is finally healthy and when he is, is among the best all-around backs in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s run defense must step up and minimize the impact Taylor has and force quarterback Matt Ryan to make plays in the passing game.

Maximize the damage of Najee Harris


(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

The Colts are going to try very hard to force rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett to beat them with his arm. Hopefully, Steelers offensive coordinator has some tricks up his sleeve to get Najee Harris going and keep the Colts defense honest.

Attack the Colts offensive line


(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

If there is a weak point on the Colts roster Pittsburgh can exploit is is their offensive line. Despite investing heavily in this unit, they have underwhelmed. Pittsburgh can throw T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Alex Highsmith at this ground and should be able to really disrupt what Indianapolis wants to do.

Push the football down the field


If the run game is going to work, the Steelers have to take some shots downfield and attack a banged-up Colts secondary. This will push the back four out of the box and give Harris room to run. Diontae Johnson and George Pickens along with Pat Freiermuth have the talent to give this group plenty of trouble if the Steelers offensive line can protect Pickett.

STEELERS WIRE

 

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was removed from an American Airlines flight on Sunday from Miami to Los Angeles after officers were called to respond to a "medical emergency," the Miami-Dade (Florida) Police Department announced on Sunday.

Police added Beckham was not detained nor cited, per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.

Police said in a statement on Sunday that the flight crew was concerned for a passenger, identified as Beckham, after they attempted to wake him to fasten his seatbelt, and Beckham "appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness, prior to their departure."

"Fearing that Mr. Beckham was seriously ill, and that his condition would worsen through the expected 5 hour flight, the attendants called for police and fire rescue," police said in a statement. "Upon the officers arrival, the flight crew asked Mr. Beckham several times to exit the aircraft, which he refused. The aircraft was deplaned, at which time Mr. Beckham was asked by the officers to exit the plane, and did so without incident. Mr. Beckham was escorted to the non-secure area of the terminal by the officers where he made other arrangements."

American Airlines released the following statement:

"American Airlines flight 1228, with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX), returned to the gate before takeoff due to a customer failing to follow crew member instructions and refusing to fasten their seatbelt. The customer was removed and the flight re-departed at 10:45 a.m. local time."

Beckham's attorney, Daniel Davilier, said in a statement on Sunday that Beckham was asleep due to a flight delay, and "at no time was Mr. Beckham disruptive or combative."

"Mr. Beckham fell asleep with his blanket over his head, which is his normal practice for long flights," Davilier said. "He was awaken and told that the plane was back at the gate and that he needed to get off the plane because he did not put his seatbelt on when asked. He responded that he was asleep, and that he would put his seatbelt on at that time. He was informed that it was too late, and that either he would have to get off the plane or everyone would have to deplane."

Davilier added: "That incident was unnecessary. Sleeping on a plane should not be a cause for removal from a flight. If they could wake him up when the flight returned to the gate, then they could have done the same thing to ask him to put on his seatbelt."

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Beckham planned to begin his free-agent visits later this week.

Beckham is slated to visit the Giants (the team who drafted him in the first round in 2014) on Thursday and Friday. He then plans to visit the Cowboys on Dec. 5 and later will meet with the Bills.

Beckham is currently recovering from a torn ACL suffered during Super Bowl LVI.

NFL.com

 

2022 NFL season: Four things to watch for in Steelers-Colts game on 'Monday Night Football'

The long holiday weekend concludes with the Indianapolis Colts hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.


The Steelers (3-7) and Colts (4-6-1) have had a rollercoaster type of season with ups and downs, but mostly downs for both teams. Pittsburgh enters Monday’s game in fourth place in the AFC North, while Indianapolis stands in second place in the AFC South.


Pittsburgh’s offense has not been consistent on a week-to-week basis. Despite scoring a season-high 30 points in Week 11 against the Bengals, Mike Tomlin’s squad ranks 27th in total offense and 28th in scoring. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is the only first-year player from the 2022 draft class to be a consistent starter, but the rookie QB has yet to throw two touchdowns in a game despite having six career starts.


Indianapolis will be playing its first prime-time game since firing Frank Reich and interim head coach Jeff Saturday joining the sidelines. Saturday has gone 1-1 in his first two games. With Matt Ryan taking back the starting job in Indy, the team is outside of the AFC playoff bubble. The other team behind the Colts ... the Steelers. Which team will prevail and move up in the AFC standings?


Here are four things to watch for when the Steelers visit the Colts on Monday night:

1. Will the Steelers’ offense involve more pass catchers? It was a busy offseason for Pittsburgh as the team selected a new signal-caller to take over for Ben Roethlisberger. But another headline was the Steelers re-signing Diontae Johnson to a two-year, $36.71 million extension. After having a 2021 breakout campaign with 107 receptions for 1,161 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns, Johnson hasn’t replicated his Pro Bowl year. In 10 games this season, Johnson has 51 receptions with 456 yards and zero TDs. However, Pickett has had a solid connection with fellow rookie wide receiver George Pickens. With Pittsburgh trading Chase Claypool, Pickens has filled in the No. 2 role nicely totaling 453 receiving yards on 33 catches with two TDs. Which wide receiver could break out on Monday?
2. Can Jonathan Taylor continue his recent success? The Colts running back has performed like his All-Pro self recently under Saturday. In six games under Reich, Taylor averaged 17.8 carries a game for 77 yards. With Saturday on the sidelines, those numbers have increased to 22 carries and 115.5 yards per game. Indy’s RB is scoring a rushing TD and 80-plus yards in the last two games, something he hasn’t done since Week 1, per NFL Research. Despite only having three rush TDs (18 in the 2021 season), the Colts' offense is seeing their young talented wide receivers contribute. Michael Pittman, Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce have been bright spots and have shown flashes when healthy all season. This year, Indy’s trio combined for a total of 139 catches, 1,542 yards and five TDs.
3. How will T.J. Watt look in his third game back from injury? With the edge defender missing seven games due to an injured pectoral muscle, Pittsburgh’s defense has been inconsistent. The Steelers' defense ranks 28th in total defense and is at the bottom against the pass. However, Pittsburgh is seventh in rushing defense, which favors the team’s defensive line against Taylor. Indy’s offensive line hasn’t been what it used to be the last couple of seasons, so getting to Ryan in the pocket is achievable for the Watt-led defense. Plus, having Minkah Fitzpatrick back for his second game after having his appendix removed in Week 10 will only strengthen Pittsburgh’s defense. Third-year pro Alex Highsmith is having a stellar season, contributing nine sacks, while offseason addition Myles Jack leads the team with 48 tackles in his first season with Pittsburgh. Can this be the breakthrough week for Watt, or will we see more of the same for the Steelers defense?
4. Could the Colts’ defense get to Pickett? Indy possesses a dynamic duo in the front line with DeForest Buckner and Yannick Ngakoue, who will look to disrupt Pickett early and often to limit his playmaking abilities. Both defensive linemen are big difference makers in getting to the QB with Ngakoue leading the team with 6.5 sacks to Buckner’s 5.5 sacks. Last season, Indy’s defense had a total of 19 interceptions, and heading into the 12th game of the season there have been four. Stephon Gilmore recorded one INT back in Week 5, while 2021 Pro Bowler Kenny Moore II has zero heading into Monday’s game. One bright spot for Indy’s defense is Ngakoue’s play, as the pass rusher needs 1.5 sacks (which could happen against Pickett) to give him at least eight sacks in each of his first seven seasons in the NFL. The first-year Colt would be the seventh player in NFL history to accomplish that feat, joining Aaron Donald (2014-2020). Can Ngakoue get to the Steelers rookie QB to keep their playoff hopes alive?

NFL.com

 

A crazy man... I like it!

 

NOW THATS A FOOTBALL PLAYER

 

Yeah until you lose him for 3 weeks due to concussion protocol.