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#pounditFriday, March 29, 2024

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Bucs benefit from suspect spot to seal win over Falcons

Bucs Falcons spot

Tom Brady once again orchestrated an improbable comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have gotten some help from the officiating crew at the end of the game.

The Bucs were leading 31-27 late in the fourth quarter when they turned Atlanta over on downs deep in Falcons territory. Tampa Bay needed just one first down to deal the victory, and they picked it up with a very generous spot on Leonard Fournette’s third-down run. Fournette appeared to reach his arm forward after being down well short of the line, but the official who spotted the ball gave him the benefit of the doubt.

One official actually slid the ball forward, presumably because he believed Fournette reached out before his arm hit the turf.

A bad spot is one thing, but the measurement itself appeared to greatly benefit the Bucs. It looked like the ball was still short even after the generous spot, and the official tilted the stick in the Bucs’ favor.

The Falcons will almost certainly want a word with the NFL over that, though they have no one to blame for the loss but themselves. They were leading 24-7 at one point and blew yet another massive lead. As you probably could have predicted, that led to some hilarious Super Bowl meltdown memes.

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have teamed up yet again! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Tampa Fiesta shirt. You can buy it here.

Falcons get meme treatment after blowing another massive lead to Tom Brady

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons simply cannot stop blowing big leads, and the internet is more than happy to trash them for it.

The Falcons led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-0 at halftime and 24-7 in the third quarter of Sunday’s game. However, Tom Brady rallied the Buccaneers, and they stormed back to win 31-27.

Naturally, the Falcons blowing a big lead is fodder for memes. Doing it against Brady is even better.

The Falcons’ official Twitter account has essentially embraced it at this point, and made light of what was happening as the team was blowing the lead.

The Falcons’ futility with big leads is inexplicable at this point. Not only that, but it’s record-setting, and not in a good way.

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have teamed up yet again! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Tampa Fiesta shirt. You can buy it here.

Keke Coutee fumbles game away for Texans near goal line

Keke Coutee fumble

The Houston Texans lost to the Indianapolis Colts in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, and the way the game ended is going to haunt Keke Coutee for a very long time.

With the Texans trailing 27-20 late in the fourth quarter, Coutee caught a pass over the middle from Deshaun Watson to pick up a key first down. It looked like he had a chance to score and tie the game, but he fumbled while fighting his way to the end zone.

The Colts recovered the ball in the end zone and were able to kneel out the clock on their ensuing possession.

Coutee didn’t have a bad day overall, as he caught a touchdown earlier in the game to tie things up. Unfortunately, the fumble is all people are going to remember. We know one Green Bay Packers receiver who knows exactly how Coutee feels.

Video: Dez Bryant scores first TD in over three years

Dez Bryant X

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant accomplished a huge milestone in his redemption tour on Sunday.

Bryant, who openly contemplated calling it quits earlier this month, caught a touchdown pass in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His end zone celebration has not changed, as he immediately threw up the ‘X.’ Lamar Jackson did the same.

Bryant’s touchdown was his first since Dec. 17, 2017. He’s battled numerous injuries in recent years and finally made his way back to an NFL roster, so he must have been on top of the world after catching that pass.

Bryant was devastated earlier this month when he was pulled off the field during warmups against the Dallas Cowboys due to a positive COVID-19 test. He initially tweeted that he was giving up on the season, though he went back on that. It’s a good thing he stuck with it.

Kellen Mond sounds off about Texas A&M not making playoff

College Football Playoff

Texas A&M did not make the College Football Playoff despite having just one loss and winning seven straight to close out the season. As you might expect, Aggies players are not happy.

After the College Football Playoff field was announced as Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame, Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond and other members of the Aggies program sounded off on Twitter. Mond initially called the committee’s decision a “JOKE” before stating his case more in detail.

Mond also retweeted several tweets from people who agree that Texas A&M got snubbed. One of the tweets read, “Who knew that Trevor Lawrence getting CoVid was going to ultimately keep A&M out of the playoff. Insane.” That, of course, is a reference to Notre Dame beating Clemson earlier in the season when Lawrence was out.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko also expressed his frustration.

“I may never watch an ESPN analyst talk again for the rest of my life…,” he tweeted.

Notre Dame and Texas A&M both had one loss. The Fighting Irish were blown out by Clemson on Saturday, but you can’t ignore the fact that they were 10-1 with the only loss coming against the No. 2 team in the country.

The College Football Playoff Committee chair explained why Notre Dame got in over Texas A&M on Sunday.

Notre Dame makes playoff despite blowout loss to Clemson

Brian Kelly

Clemson dominated Notre Dame on Saturday night to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, and the lopsided game led many to question whether the Fighting Irish are truly one of the four best teams in the country. The committee still believes they are.

The College Football Playoff field was announced on Sunday, and Notre Dame is in. The Irish will play No. 1 seed Alabama, with the winner taking on the winner of Clemson and Ohio State for the national title.

Notre Dame finished the season 10-1, with its lone loss coming against Clemson — at team they beat earlier in the season. The College Football Playoff Committee determined that Notre Dame was more deserving than undefeated Cincinnati and 1-loss Texas A&M. CFP chair Gary Barta explained that the decision came down to the Irish having one more win over a ranked opponent than the Aggies.

While many feel Notre Dame proved it is not in the same class as Clemson on Saturday, their resume is still solid. Cincinnati never really had a shot due to their schedule, and Texas A&M can’t make as strong of a case as Notre Dame even after winning seven straight.

There is always controversy when the playoff field is set, but Notre Dame even had support from one prominent head coach. The Irish earned the spot even if they get blown out by Alabama.

Video: Charlie Woods has already mastered the Tiger fist pump

Tiger Woods’ 11-year-old son Charlie is as close to a clone of his father as you can possibly get, and we saw another awesome illustration of that on Sunday.

Tiger and Charlie are playing together this weekend in the PNC Championship, which is a tournament in Orlando reserved for major champions and their family members. The younger Woods has been the talk of the tournament for both his incredible golf game and the identical mannerisms he has to his father. There was no better example of that than when Charlie broke out the vintage Tiger fist pump after draining a birdie on Sunday.

Tiger and Charlie finished at 10-under in the scramble format on Saturday. The tournament is 36 holes, and they were tied for sixth heading into the second and final round.

One of the highlights of Saturday was when Charlie hit a beautiful 175-yard approach shot to set up a tap-in eagle.

It’s clear Tiger has already taught his son everything he knows. We were blown away just by watching videos of the two on the driving range. It would be downright shocking if Charlie Woods doesn’t win a major one day.

Report: Marvin Lewis in consideration for several head coaching jobs

Marvin Lewis

Marvin Lewis has been away from the NFL for nearly two seasons now after his lengthy tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals came to an end, but it is starting to sound more likely that he will return in 2021.

Lewis is considered a candidate for multiple NFL head coaching jobs, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. The 62-year-old has spent the last two seasons as co-defensive coordinator under Herm Edwards at Arizona State, but he is open to an NFL return if the right opportunity arises.

La Canfora notes that Lewis is highly regarded by legitimate general manager candidates, which could lead to him landing a head coaching job. Multiple teams have already expressed interest in speaking with him this offseason.

Lewis spent 16 seasons coaching the Bengals, taking one of the NFL’s most maligned franchises to the playoffs seven times, including five seasons in a row. He never won a playoff game, however, and his teams were sometimes criticized for their ill-discipline.

Lewis met with at least one NFL team about a head coaching job prior to this season, which is a good indication that he wants to coach in the league again.

Tony Pollard a fantasy playoff asset with Ezekiel Elliott out

Dallas Cowboys logo

Ezekiel Elliott was expected to play through a calf injury against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but he was named a surprise inactive for the game. With most fantasy leagues playing their semifinal this week, that could have a huge impact.

Tony Pollard has made the most of limited opportunities with Dallas the past two seasons. The 23-year-old will now get a chance to start and likely handle a full workload on Sunday.

Pollard has 75 carries for 339 yards and two touchdowns this season. He has averaged an impressive 4.9 yards per carry since the Cowboys drafted him in the 4th round over a year ago. Most of that production has come while giving Elliott a breather, but Pollard will now have a chance to prove he is a capable starter.

The matchup isn’t outstanding. The 49ers have allowed 105.8 rushing yards per game this season, which is eighth-best in the NFL. Still, the Cowboys are expected to lean on the run game with Andy Dalton at quarterback. Pollard should see plenty of touches.

If you’re hurting for a flex play in a fantasy playoff match, you could do a lot worse than Pollard. He could wind up playing hero in the fantasy playoffs.

Nick Saban cashed in on bonuses with Alabama’s SEC title win

Nick Saban

Alabama captured yet another SEC title with its win over Florida on Saturday night. While programs across the country have lost money this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Nick Saban seems to be doing just fine.

Alabama’s win over the Gators was worth $250,000 for Saban, according to USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz. Saban will receive a $50,000 bonus for winning the SEC title game and another $200,000 for Alabama earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. He has earned more than $500,000 in bonuses thus far in 2020.

The latest SEC title for Alabama is the Crimson Tide’s seventh since Saban took over the program in 2007. His success is unparalleled, even if he has tried to be modest about his salary in the past.

Alabama finishes 11-0 for the regular season and as the No. 1 team in the country. They’re looking to win their sixth national title under Saban.