The San Francisco 49ers completely collapsed against the Los Angeles Rams in a 27-24 loss at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on Sunday. Brandon Aiyuk wasn’t too thrilled about the way things went down.
Aiyuk had to be separated from Rams players after the Niners’ attempt to score on the final play came up short. Aiyuk shoved a Rams player, and then another Rams player shoved the Niners wide receiver. Aiyuk had to be separated from other players on the sideline.
The Nienrs were up 21-7 in the third quarter and appeared to be in complete control of the game. But the Rams took advantage of a missed 49ers field goal and scored three straight times to end the game with a win. The loss was no doubt shocking for San Francisco, which is now 1-2.
Aiyuk had 5 catches for 48 yards in the loss.
Nov 12, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce enters the field for warm up against the New York Jets at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce did not hold back on his players after an ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Raiders were embarrassed 36-22 by the Panthers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, and one could argue the score was actually kinder to them than they deserved. Las Vegas trailed 33-7 at one point in the fourth quarter to a team that entered winless and made a controversial quarterback change during the week.
Pierce wasted no time in offering a public warning to his team. The head coach said he felt some players made “business decisions” during Sunday’s loss, and that the coaching staff would respond accordingly.
“I think there were definitely some individuals that made business decisions,” Pierce told reporters. “And we’ll make business decisions going forward as well.”
In other words, Pierce thinks some Raiders players gave up a bit in the second half when the game turned into a blowout, and suggested those players could face consequences going forward.
The Raiders notched a surprise win over Baltimore last week, and were probably counting on a victory here as well against a Panthers team that looked hopeless in its first two games. Instead, the defense got carved up by Andy Dalton, and the offense was held to one touchdown over the first three quarters. Those are concerning signs all around.
Pierce is in his first full season as Raiders coach and is clearly trying to set a standard. Whether this sort of response will help him set it remains to be seen. He has already faced some criticism this year for some of his own coaching decisions, and there is definitely a risk of taking too rigid an approach. The bigger concern for him and his staff will be to figure out why the team seemed so unprepared for the Panthers to begin with.
Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts delivered a heck of a one-two punch on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers entered their game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles down 5-4 to the Rockies. Ohtani led off the inning against Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen and belted a 2-1 change-up to right-center field for a solo home run to tie the game.
As if that weren’t enough, Betts came up next and swatted a 102-mph fastball out to left field for a walk-off home run to win it 6-5.
Those two players sure know how to make the home fans happy.
That was Ohtani’s 53rd home run of the season. He went 4-for-5 in the game with two runs scored. Not only did he belt his 53rd home run, but he also stole two bases to give him 55 on the season. With two more home runs, Ohtani would create the 55/55 club.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson pulled off such a convincing fake on the game-winning play Sunday, it even fooled the FOX broadcast.
The Ravens were on their heels a bit during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tx. After holding a 28-6 lead at one point, the Cowboys had mounted a furious comeback to get the game to within 28-25. The Ravens faced second and nine from their own 35 at the two-minute warning with the knowledge that Dallas would have at least one more brief possession unless they could pick up a first down.
The Ravens opted for what initially looked like a jet sweep, but was actually an option play for Jackson. Jackson chose to keep the ball and run with it, but the fake on the jet sweep was so convincing that even FOX broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt fell for it initially.
The Cowboys also fell for the fake, with several defenders getting caught going right while Jackson ran for the hole that opened up in the middle of the defense. He was able to pick up the first down and effectively end the game as a result. That was the right call, as Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson had the jet sweep blown up had Jackson handed it off to Zay Flowers.
The Ravens finally got their first win of the season, while the Cowboys dropped to 1-2. Their fourth quarter comeback made the scoreline less embarrassing, but this will definitely prompt something of a crisis in Dallas. There may have already been one after last week.
Jul 21, 2022; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina head coach Mack Brown talks to the media during the second day of ACC Media Days at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, NC. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina coach Mack Brown had to clean up remarks he made in which he essentially suggested he would consider resigning as coach after a bad loss to James Madison.
Brown on Saturday told ESPN’s Chris Low that he would not be resigning as head coach after the team’s 70-50 defeat. Brown sparked that speculation himself, as he reportedly told his players that he was willing to quit his job if it would help the team.
Brown did not deny that he made the comments, but made clear that he would be back to work on Monday. He added that he simply told an emotional locker room that he blamed himself for the performance and would step away if he could not fix it.
Brown’s message is well-intentioned, but it does not exactly instill confidence. While the team is 3-1, giving up 70 at home to James Madison was enough to essentially send the program into a state of crisis. Their rivalry game at Duke next week suddenly feels a lot more important.
JJ Watt surprised his brother, TJ, with a cool gift on Sunday.
JJ serves as an analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage on Sundays. CBS was airing the Pittsburgh Steelers-Los Angeles Chargers game, and TJ agreed to do an interview with JJ prior to the game.
TJ was not too happy about doing the interview because he preferred to focus on preparing for the game. But he agreed anyway, and he received a gift for his troubles.
JJ surprised TJ with a baby-sized Steelers jersey that said “DAD” on the back to recognize TJ’s announcement that his wife is pregnant. TJ appreciated the gift but did not like being distracted from the game.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate you trying to mess up my head space. I’m going to go back and lock in now,” TJ said.
Of course JJ used the opportunity to talk himself up and mention how well he did after his son Koa was born in late 2022. Watt had 12.5 sacks that season, which was his last in the NFL before he retired.
Despite the pregame distraction, TJ still had 3 tackles and a sack while leading his Steelers to a 20-10 win.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) exits the field after the Titans lost in overtime to the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. Photo credit: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan addressed whether Will Levis has done enough to remain the team’s starting quarterback.
Levis had his struggles against the Green Bay Packers during Sunday’s game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tn. While he threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, he was also intercepted twice, including a first quarter pick-six.
The Packers wound up winning 30-14, prompting questions for Callahan about whether Levis’ starting job is secure for Week 3.
“We gotta play better around him,” Callahan said. “I’m not going to overreact to an interception. Those things happen. Guys throw picks.”
That makes it sounds like Levis’ starting job is safe for now. While he is right that the team has yet to play a complete game around Levis, the turnovers have been a big problem, and one that Callahan sounded pretty fed up with last week. The frequency of them has also become an enormous concern.
Mason Rudolph is Levis’ backup, which may be one reason the team is not rushing to make a change. That said, losing Sunday’s game to a quarterback they let go of in Malik Willis has to sting.
The Miami Dolphins had another quarterback go down with an injury during their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Skylar Thompson suffered an injury midway through the third quarter while the Dolphins were trailing the Seahawks 17-3 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. He was not hit all that hard on the play before he exited.
Thompson did appear shaken up after taking a big shot to the midsection earlier in the game:
Thompson was examined on the sideline before walking to the locker room under his own power. The Dolphins eventually ruled him out with a chest injury.
Thompson started in place of Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered another concussion in Week 2. Thompson went 13/19 for 107 yards prior to leaving the game. The former Kansas State star was replaced by Tim Boyle.
If Thompson’s injury is significant, the Dolphins will likely have to bring in a veteran. Tagovailoa is out for at least the next three weeks after Miami placed him on injured reserve.
The Detroit Lions got a big injury scare late in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az.
Tight end Sam LaPorta was carted to the locker room just before halftime with an apparent leg injury. LaPorta was blocking on a touchdown play when his leg seemingly got rolled up on.
LaPorta had to be carted to the locker room.
Despite how bad things looked, LaPorta was back on the field for the second half.
The second-year tight end had two catches for 36 yards in Sunday’s game before his exit. He had gotten off to a relatively slow start this season, but was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2023 as a rookie.
The Arizona Cardinals may have been robbed of a crucial defensive touchdown in their game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
The Lions were leading 13-7 and had the ball at midfield with just over two minutes remaining in the first half at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Jared Goff took the snap on 3rd-and-12 and was hit as he threw, which caused the ball to pop into the air and land right into the hands of Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr.’s. Wilson returned the interception for a touchdown.
The touchdown did not count, as the play had already been blown dead. It was difficult to hear the whistles over the crowd noise, but the referees ruled that the Lions did not get the snap off before the clock hit 2:00. Replays showed otherwise, as Lions center Frank Ragnow appeared to snap the ball with 2:01 remaining.
Some players obviously heard the whistle, as they appeared to give up on the play. It is possible that the play would have gone a lot differently if the whistle hadn’t blown, but that probably will not make the Cardinals feel any better after they see the replay.
The Lions ended up picking up a first yard on the other side of the two-minute warning. They went on to score a touchdown on the drive, so the premature whistle bailed them out in a huge way.
