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#pounditTuesday, November 5, 2024

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NFL reportedly will not fine Tom Brady over criticism of officials

Tom Brady smiles

Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Brady before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Tom Brady is technically not permitted to criticize NFL officials during game broadcasts now that he is a part-owner of a team, but it sounds like the league is going to allow him to do his job.

Because he recently purchased a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady is subject to certain restrictions while he calls games as an analyst for FOX. One of those restrictions states that he cannot criticize NFL officials or other teams.

Brady and FOX play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt called Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected from that game over a helmet-to-helmet hit on a receiver. Brady was vocal in expressing that he did not feel Branch should have been thrown out of the game.

“I don’t love that call at all. Obviously it’s a penalty but, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this,” Brady said.

The NFL could easily argue that Brady was criticizing league officials and fine the legendary quarterback. According to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports, there will be no disciplinary action taken against Brady.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy also confirmed in a statement on Monday that Brady will not be fined unless he is “egregiously critical” of an official or officials.

“The concern would be if Tom was egregiously critical of officiating or called into question the integrity of an official or the crew,” McCarthy said. “That did not occur in this instance.”

In order to effectively do his job as an analyst, Brady has to be able to share his opinion. It is in the NFL’s best interest for Brady to succeed with FOX, which is why the league will almost certainly turn the other cheek anytime the seven-time Super Bowl champion disagrees with a call.

Brady is subject to several other restrictions now that he owns a piece of the Raiders, but it does not seem like any of them are going to create serious issues for him at FOX.

DeAndre Hopkins shares motivation behind his Titans-themed TD celebration

DeAndre Hopkins looks on and smiles

Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) leaves the field after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

DeAndre Hopkins made an obvious reference to the Tennessee Titans after he scored a touchdown on Monday night, but the star wide receiver said his intention was to show love to his former team.

Hopkins gave the Kansas City Chiefs a lead with a touchdown reception in the first half of his team’s 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. After he scored, Hopkins celebrated by breaking out a dance from the hit football movie “Remember the Titans.” You can see the video here.

Some felt that was Hopkins’ way of trolling his former team. However, the three-time All Pro wideout wrote in a social media post on Tuesday that he was giving his former team a friendly shout-out. Hopkins said Titans general manager Ran Carthon is “like family” to the 32-year-old.

“It was a shout to Tennessee, if u know me u know it’s nothing but love for Nashville. Ran and his crew are like family. Without them, I wouldn’t be here,” Hopkins wrote on X.

Even if Hopkins made it seem like he did not want to be traded, he has no reason to hold ill will toward the Titans. He could not have asked for a better situation at this point in his career than being able to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes and contend for a Super Bowl.

After catching just 2 passes in his Chiefs debut last week, Hopkins had 8 grabs for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns on Monday night. If anything, he should be thanking the Titans for trading him.

Cowboys acquire notable WR in trade with NFC team

Cowboys helmet on the field

Oct 16, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Dallas Cowboys helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Dallas won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Dak Prescott might be out for several games after he injured his hamstring on Sunday, but the Dallas Cowboys still chose to be buyers ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The Cowboys have acquired wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, according to multiple reports. Dallas has agreed to send a fourth-round draft pick to Carolina in exchange for Mingo and a seventh-round pick.

Mingo was one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Ole Miss star has not lived up to expectations since the Panthers drafted him in the second round, but he is only 23 years old and has elite physical tools.

Skeptics will say the price for Mingo was too steep given that he has just 55 catches for 539 yards and no touchdowns in 24 career games. However, Mingo is still playing under a rookie contract for two more seasons, so the Cowboys are banking on is upside.

Dallas fell to 3-5 with their loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Prescott left the game with a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for a while.

Jerry Jones offers strong hint about how long Dak Prescott will be out

Dak Prescott in a Cowboys hat

Aug 10, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) on the sideline against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dropped a big hint on Tuesday about how long he expects the team to be without Dak Prescott.

During his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones said it is “likely” that the Cowboys will place Prescott on injured reserve because of the quarterback’s hamstring injury. That move would keep Prescott out for a minimum of four games.

Prescott left the Cowboys’ 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and was ruled out with a hamstring injury. He also appeared to have some sort of injury to his hand, though it does not sound like that is an issue.

Reports on Monday indicated that the hamstring injury is worse than expected.

The Cowboys fell to 3-5 with their loss to Atlanta. They will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, and Cooper Rush will likely be under center for Dallas.

Todd Bowles gives strange reason for not going for 2 against Chiefs

Todd Bowles looks on

Dec 3, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles takes the field for warms ups before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a chance to take a lead over the Kansas City Chiefs with barely any time remaining in Monday night’s game, but Todd Bowles opted to send the game to overtime instead. The coach offered a questionable explanation for the decision.

The Buccaneers were trailing 24-17 when Baker Mayfield led a 70-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. With just 27 seconds remaining in the game, Bowles chose to kick the extra point rather than going for two and the win.

Bowles told reporters after the game that he felt playing for overtime was best because of the weather conditions.

“We wanted to get it to overtime,” Bowles said. “With the wet conditions on the field, we felt like we had to go into overtime instead of going for two. We had our shots and we lost the game.”

The weather conditions did not stop Mayfield from putting together a game-tying touchdown drive, so many felt Bowles should have given his team the opportunity to win. It is also risky to attempt an extra point in wet conditions.

Bowles also might have meant that he trusted the Bucs to get the win in overtime because of the field conditions. Either way, the call led to a great deal of criticism.

Lions acquire Pro Bowl player in big trade

A Detroit Lions helmet

Dec 3, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Detroit Lions helmet during warmups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions made a significant move to bolster their defense just before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday.

Former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith has been traded from the Cleveland Browns to Detroit, according to multiple reports. The Browns are also including a seventh-round draft pick in the deal and will get back a fifth-round pick and sixth-round pick.

The Browns acquired Smith in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2023 season. They then signed him to a 2-year, $23.5 million extension this offseason.

Smith made his third Pro Bowl in his lone season with the Vikings in 2022. He also made the Pro Bowl twice with the Green Bay Packers, whom he played for from 2019-2021. Smith began his career with the Baltimore Ravens.

The 32-year-old Smith has been mentioned as a potential trade piece for several weeks now, and he seemed excited about the possibility of a fresh start. Detroit had a major need along their defensive front after Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury in Week 6.

Smith is having an excellent season with 5 sacks through nine games after he had just 5.5 sacks all of last year. The Lions are already arguably the best team in the NFC, and the addition of Smith should make them even better.

Spurs-Clippers was the most bizarre game of the early season

James Harden talks with the media

Monday’s game between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers was an early contender for the weirdest of the season.

The Spurs raced out to a massive 40-14 lead over the Clippers through the opening quarter of play at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. The advantage was the Spurs’ second-largest in franchise history at the end of the first quarter.

Victor Wembanyama put up a never-before-done stat line of 24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a whopping 9 blocks in the contest. He also had several freakish plays like this one.

The Clippers looked destined to drop to 0-5 at their new billion-dollar arena. However, the Clippers closed the game on a 99-64 run. They not only won the game, but also led by double digits late in the contest and won 113-104. Prior to the Clippers’ Monday stunner, the largest comeback this season was from 22 points down.

Largest turnaround of the young season aside, the entire game had an unusual aura from start to finish. Just look at this defensive stand from James Harden, who suddenly looked like a prime Kawhi Leonard for one possession.

Harden, however, still finished with a -12 for the game.

The Clippers’ true MVP was bench player Amir Coffey, who tallied 21 points on 8/10 shooting from the floor. He was also a +34 for the game with no other player coming close.

The Clippers relied on some hot shooting from the three-point line. LAC sank 19 threes in the contest. Five of them came from Coffey, who entered the contest with five combined triples over his first six games.

Everyone said the same thing about Baker Mayfield’s coin toss reaction

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield reacting to the coin toss in front of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield could not hide his emotions the moment his team lost the coin toss during Monday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mayfield led the Buccaneers to a valiant game-tying drive to force overtime at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. But when Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes stood at midfield for the coin toss, Mayfield called tails and lost.

With Mahomes getting the ball to begin OT, Mayfield just knew the game had a good chance of being over. Mayfield’s reaction said it all and fans online noticed.

Mahomes picked the Buccaneers’ defense apart in OT and led his team to a game-winning TD for a 30-24 Chiefs win. The Buccaneers’ offense never even got to take the field.

Mayfield finished 23/31 for 200 yards with 2 touchdowns. Mahomes went 34/44 for 291 yards with 3 touchdowns. It was the Chiefs star’s first game with more than two passing TDs since Week 7 of last season.

Some spectators believed Tampa Bay already squandered its best opportunity even before the coin toss. Several fans called out Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles for playing scared to end regulation.

The Buccaneers fell to 4-5 for the season, while the Chiefs preserved their spotless record and improved to 8-0.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles slammed for controversial call vs. Chiefs

Todd Bowles in a hat

Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles looks on before a game against the Dallas Cowboysn at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday let a huge opportunity to upset the Kansas City Chiefs slip away. Some fans pinned the blame on Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.

The Buccaneers had possession and trailed the Chiefs 24-17 just before the two-minute warning at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Quarterback Baker Mayfield led his team over 70 yards down the field for a touchdown with 27 seconds left in the game.

Bowles had the option of going for two and putting the pressure on the defending champions to make a critical stop. Instead, the Buccaneers went for the extra point. Tampa Bay ended up losing the coin toss and eventually the game 30-24 in overtime.

Several fans and media members on X slammed Bowles for playing it safe rather than going for two to end regulation.

Kansas City entered the game with an unblemished 7-0 record. Very few expected the extremely short-handed Buccaneers to put up much of a fight against the Chiefs. Getting an opportunity to potentially steal a win at Arrowhead with one play seemed like a risk worth taking.

Bowles went for the PAT to give him team a chance in overtime. But as fate would have it, the Buccaneers’ offense never even got a chance to take the field during the extra period.

Ja Morant pulled off the most ridiculous 360 layup vs. Nets

Grizzlies star Ja Morant going for a layup

Ja Morant on Monday added yet another unreal highlight to his growing catalog this season.

Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies trailed the Brooklyn Nets 57-56 early in the third quarter at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Grizzlies got a stop and had numbers in transition. Morant took full advantage.

With the Nets down a man on defense, Morant executed a give-and-go play with Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies big man hit Morant in stride as the guard cut into the lane. Morant took off like he was going to dunk on Nets defender Cam Johnson before spinning 360 degrees around him for a layup.

The slow-motion replay makes the play look even more insane.

Morant’s spinning layup would be the crown jewel on most NBA players’ career highlight reels. But the crazy part is that it wasn’t even Morant’s first 360 finish of the night. He pulled off something similar just before halftime.

Morant ended up with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists on 10/22 shooting. However, his performance wasn’t enough to get a win as the Grizzlies still lost 106-104.

Morant’s last few seasons have been plagued by suspensions and off-court issues. The Grizzlies star’s highlight-filled start to the 2024-25 campaign has reminded fans of what they were missing.