NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Another thing about this Brad Allen and crew getting the Ravens and Steelers game... Its nationally televised and has huge playoff implications for the Steelers. If the NFL gives a shit about the obvious reckless-refflessness in this years games, why do they get the early big-game? They should be working the Jets vs Patriots game!!!

 

Because these two teams are likely to have one go for two. And he’s the expert on two point conversions.

 

per, PFT/Florio

Fifteen years ago, it cost an owner $250,000 to show his middle fingers at a game. Today, the price has been set for pouring a drink on fans at a game.

The $300,000 fine imposed on Panthers owner David Tepper is laughable. He’s worth $20.6 billion. The fine equates to 0.00146 percent of his entire net worth.

Putting that in context, it’s the equivalent of fining someone worth $1 million dollars the staggering sum of (checks math again) $14.56.

It’s a joke. It’s a disgrace. It’s the latest sign of the double standard that applies to players and to owners.

The Patriots and Panthers have banned fans from their stadiums who threw drinks. That’s a real punishment. A short-term suspension of the owner would be a real punishment. Dipping into the pockets of one of the richest men in the NFL for the fart-in-the-breeze sum of $300,000 does nothing to truly punish Tepper for acting like a spoiled brat.

The situation underscores the reality the NFL faces, at a time when franchise values are skyrocketing. The only test for joining the club is whether you can afford the team. There’s no requirement to know anything about football. There’s no requirement to be not a jerk.

Think of it this way. For all the anti-social things Daniel Snyder did during his time as an NFL owner, even he didn’t throw a drink on the league’s customers. That’s where Tepper is.

Without a true correction on his conduct, he won’t stop. Maybe, at some point, he’ll do something that forces the league to force him out of Club Oligarch. Until that happens, however, Panthers fans will be stuck with someone who would, under the right (or wrong) circumstances, throw a drink on them and gladly surrender 0.00146 percent of his net worth.

 

Steelers players vote T.J. Watt their team MVP for fourth time

Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has been voted by his teammates as Pittsburgh’s Most Valuable Player for the fourth time.

Watt also won the award in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The Steelers have had a lot of Hall of Famers in their franchise history, but none of them won the team MVP four times: Joe Greene, Franco Harris, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell each won it once, Terry Bradshaw, John Stallworth and Jack Lambert each won it twice, and Rod Woodson and Jerome Bettis each won it three times. The only other Steeler to win it four times before Watt was Antonio Brown. The Steelers have been choosing a team MVP for 55 years.

“Any time my peers see the amount of work that I’m doing and show they have respect for what I do it’s super gratifying,” Watt said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “That’s all you want at the end of the day is to have respect of the people that you work with day in, day out. I’m just continually trying to get better on and off the field and as a leader and to try to help this team any way I can.”

With one game to go in the season, Watt is tied for the league lead in sacks with 17.

NBC

 

Lions have never won in the wild card round, hope to change that this year

No matter what happens in the regular-season finale, the Lions are guaranteed to play in the wild card round of the playoffs. Their history there is not good.

The Lions are the only NFL franchise that has never won a game in the wild card round. Detroit last won a playoff game in 1991, in the divisional round, after earning a first-round playoff bye. Prior to that, Detroit’s last postseason win was the 1957 NFL Championship Game, before wild cards existed.

Overall the Lions are 0-9 in the wild card round, first losing there in 1982 and most recently losing there in 2016.

The good news for the Lions is that they’ll be at home and likely favored in the wild card round, whereas in most of their past wild card games they were on the road and underdogs. This has been one of the best seasons for one of the NFL’s worst franchises, but losing yet another wild card game, at home, would be an ugly ending to a good year.

PFT

 

Frank Ryan, last Browns QB to lead team to NFL title, dead at 87



Frank Ryan, a three-time Pro Bowler who was the last quarterback to lead the Cleveland Browns to an NFL championship, died on Monday, his family said in a statement. He was 87.

Ryan had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and the family said chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) "is suspected to have played a role in the progression of the disease." His brain was donated to Boston University’s CTE Center for study.

"Our hearts are with the family and friends of Frank Ryan, as we honor the life of a Browns icon and championship-winning quarterback," the Browns said in a post on X.

Ryan was a standout quarterback at Rice University before he turned pro. The Los Angeles Rams selected him with the No. 55 overall pick in the fifth round of the 1958 draft. He played four years with the Rams before he joined the Browns.

In Cleveland, Ryan had his most fruitful years. He earned three Pro Bowl nods and was in the running for the United Press International NFL MVP in 1965.

In 1964, Ryan led the Browns to their fourth NFL Championship over Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts. He led the NFL with 25 touchdown passes and also had 2,404 passing yards. Ryan then threw for 18 touchdowns in 1965 and 29 touchdowns in 1966.

He played for the Browns through the 1968 season and then was a reserve for the Washington Redskins in 1969 and 1970.

When Ryan’s career was over, he went back to Rice to receive his Ph.D. He went on to teach math at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland and later Yale and Rice. He was also credited with helping create an electronic voting system that helped modernize the U.S. House of Representatives.

He is survived by his wife Joan. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last year.

FOX

 

In regards to Buffalo vs Miami...

Historically, Buffalo gets hot to end the season. Since 2020, the Bills have the best record in the league in December/January regular season games at an impressive 18-2.

FUN FACT: The last time the Bills and Dolphins battled for the division title on the final game of the season was is 1981.

The Dolphins are looking for their first division title since 2008.

Last time Buffalo squared off with Miami was October 1st... Bills fried the Fish, 48-20.

 

If the Steelers win, I won't be resting my hopes on a Miami victory.

 

You never know from one week to the next what might happen. Thats why I always love the phrase, "on any given Sunday".

 

Report: Ravens, Cowboys could have interest in Dalvin Cook if he clears waivers

The Jets are expected to make Dalvin Cook’s departure official Wednesday. The running back has to clear waivers before becoming a free agent Thursday afternoon.

The Ravens and Cowboys are expected to have interest in Cook if he clears waivers, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. Anderson said the Ravens have potential interest in adding Cook to their practice squad.

J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell are on injured reserve, so the Ravens have a need.

The Cowboys placed third-string running back Deuce Vaughn on injured reserve Wednesday, with Malik Davis on the practice squad behind Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle. Dowdle missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. The Cowboys also have fullback Hunter Luepke.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was asked about the possibility of adding Cook.

“Those are questions you are always visiting with and so forth,” McCarthy said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “Obviously I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, played a number of games against [him] when Dalvin was in Minnesota. I have great respect for him.”

PFT
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I would suspect other teams are also interested in Cook. A lot depends on how cheap they can pry him for since he is a lowly RB. (sarcasm)

 

The league should throw that in at the very least - since his own team bans fans who throw drinks, he should be banned from attending all games, home or away.

 

Cameron Heyward: It’s been a rough season, have to see how body feels for 2024

The 2023 Steelers season isn’t over, but one longtime member of the team was fielding questions about 2024 on Wednesday.

Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward has been with the team since 2011 and he is signed for 2024, but he missed most of the first half of this season with a groin injury and said that he’s going to have to take stock of how he’s feeling physically before he makes any call about coming back for another season.

“First and foremost, I have to see how my body feels. It’s been a rough season,” Heyward said, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Heyward is set to make $16 million during the 2024 season and the Steelers would get all of that cap space back by parting ways with him, so his desire to play may not be the only factor in his future with the Steelers. With Week 18 and a possible playoff trip still in front of them, there’s time for all involved to come up with a plan for what the future will hold.

PFT

 

Bill Belichick is in his 29th season as an NFL head coach. And this year he has done something he’s never done before: Lose 12 games.

Not even I have done that... congratulations, Bill.

 

T.J. Watt can be NFL’s first official three-time league leader in sacks

Since the NFL started keeping sacks as an official individual statistic in 1982, no player has led the league three times. Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt can become the first.

Watt, who led the NFL in sacks in both 2020 and 2021, is currently tied for the league lead this season, with 17 sacks. If he’s still the league leader after Sunday’s games, he’ll be the first player ever to have the official league lead in three different seasons.

Several players besides Watt have led the league in sacks in two different seasons, most recently his older brother J.J. Watt, who led the NFL in sacks in 2012 and 2015. Others who have done it are Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, Michael Strahan, Kevin Greene, Reggie White and Mark Gastineau.

And before sacks became an official statistic, Deacon Jones led the NFL five different times according to the unofficial stats kept at Pro Football Reference.

Watt bounced back from last year’s injury-plagued season to re-establish himself as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers. And one of the best ever.

 

Jim Schwartz is happy in Cleveland, but would like to be a head coach again

Schwartz was 43 when the Lions hired him. Now he’s 57 with plenty more experience. And while he’s enjoying his time with the Browns, he said Thursday that he’d like another shot at leading a franchise.

“Well, first of all, I’m really happy here,” Schwartz said, via Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.com. “I love this organization. I love the city of Cleveland. That was such a great atmosphere [last week] — 31 years in the NFL, that was one of my top-five atmospheres that Thursday night.

“But I’d say this: In any job that you do, you always aspire to the top of that profession. And I’m no different there.”

PFT

 

This is just awesome... the couch-potato is the real deal!

 

Hard to believe with all the great pass rushers we’ve had in the league that nobody has lead in sacks three times since it became an official stat.

 

If you do it once, offensive lines will start double teaming you. Twice? They'll hold up a running back to keep an eye you. 3 times? Shoot him!!