The Washington Football Team is not being taken seriously by many after making the playoffs despite a 7-9 record. Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians is not among them.
Arians had an interesting take on Washington’s record, saying he is treating them like a 4-1 team thanks to Alex Smith’s presence at quarterback.
“We don’t see them as a 7-9 team, we see them as a 4-1 team because every time Alex Smith has played, they went 4-1 and had a plus-three turnover margin,” Arians said, via Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers’ official website. “It’s a different team when Alex is playing and we know that. We’re playing that 4-1 team, not that 7-9 team.”
Washington went 1-6 with Dwayne Haskins starting at quarterback in 2020, and he’s not even on the team anymore. Arians is taking the right approach here, even if the Buccaneers are favorites here.
Chase Young jogged off the field following Washington’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday saying he is coming for Tom Brady, but the rookie insists he was merely speaking from a place of excitement.
Young was asked by a reporter on Wednesday about his “I want Tom!” declaration. He called Brady the “GOAT” and said he won’t apologize for being excited to face the six-time Super Bowl champion.
“I’m excited for every game. Tom Brady? You think I won’t be excited to play against the GOAT? You trippin,” Young said, via ESPN’s John Keim. “I’m not going to apologize for saying I want Tom.”
There was nothing disrespectful about what Young said on Sunday. He should be excited to appear in a playoff game as a rookie, let alone doing so against arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. It would be one thing if Young said something derogatory about Brady, but most reasonable people could see he was just excited about the opportunity.
Of course, that didn’t stop Bucs head coach Bruce Arians from issuing a warning to Young over the remarks. Brady and most great players draw motivation from a number of sources, so you can expect him to do that with Young’s comments. That doesn’t mean they were disrespectful in any 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.
Lamar Jackson has earned the respect of opponents and the media both on and off the field over the past few years. The reigning MVP’s play speaks for itself, but we saw a great example on Wednesday of why reporters enjoy covering him.
Jackson tries his best to address reporters by name during press conferences, responding to them with “Mr.” and “Ms.” He was asked about that on Wednesday and said it is “just a respect things.”
"I just want to respect you guys. I would want to be respected if I was doing your job." @Lj_era8 on addressing reporters by their names/Mr./Ms. pic.twitter.com/3dhT9ty73d
Those are the personality traits that make Jackson easy to root for. In addition to being one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL, he’s also a great leader. John Harbaugh showed us how much respect he has for Jackson with this awesome exchange between the two last season.
Jackson’s numbers were down a bit in 2020, but he closed out the season strong and is playing some of his best football at the right time. He still makes the Ravens one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs.
There has been some talk that the Golden State Warriors could trade Draymond Green if their season takes a turn for the worse, and it sounds like one Western Conference star would be very eager to see his team make a move.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has privately pushed the organization to make a play for Green, and has been doing so for some time.
“If we were handicapping Draymond trade destinations if the Warriors decided to blow it up…that’s the one,” Amick said on “The Athletic NBA Show,” via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Damian and his group have for the last couple years been campaigning for that.”
Green and Lillard are close, so this makes sense. Of course, there’s a significant distance between wanting a trade and making it. There’s no indication that Green is set to be traded despite the recent rumors. Even if he is, it’s not clear if the Blazers have what it would take to make that trade, nor is it clear that the Warriors would be eager to trade Green to a Western Conference rival.
The Warriors are 2-1 since Green’s return from injury this season.
Rob Gronkowski may no longer be capable of dominating defenders the way he was in his prime, but the star tight end has still had a huge impact on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. His latest nickname is evidence of that.
Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich revealed on Wednesday that the team has coined a new nickname for Gronkowski. Gronk’s coaches and teammates call him “Gronkitis” because of his infectious positive attitude.
Leftwich also revealed the Bucs' nickname for Gronk — "Gronkitis," because his positive energy is so infectious. "I don't think he's ever had a bad day."
That sounds about right. Gronkowski has endeared himself to fans with that same positive energy, so it’s no surprise they’re feeling it in Tampa Bay, too. If you had any doubt that he’s still the same old Gronk, look no further than the hilarious Gronkowski impression Tom Brady recently busted out (video here).
Gronkowski appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Bucs this season. He caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns, so he is still capable of making a difference. Don’t be surprised if Gronk makes some huge plays in the postseason.
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.
Cam Newton did very little this season to prove he can still play at a high level, but is there a chance he could land another starting job in 2021?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter seems to think so. It is unlikely that Newton will return to the New England Patriots next season, and Schefter already has a potential landing spot in mind for the former MVP. The reporter thinks Newton could be a good fit for Washington, and he believes the contract will be respectable, too.
Adam Schefter on @TheGregHillShow: "The most natural spot for Cam [Newton] would be Washington if he's going to leave New England."
As for what that contract might look like: "I am going to guess, two years with incentives, $40-50 million."
Schefter is obviously very informed, but it’s hard to envision Newton getting that kind of money. The Patriots paid Newton the veteran minimum with incentives, and he responded with 2,657 yards passing, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The contract was viewed as a prove-it deal, and all Newton really proved is that he is nowhere near the player he used to be.
Granted, the Patriots didn’t exactly surround Newton with weapons. They have arguably the worst receiving corps in the NFL. But we can’t forget that they were the only team to offer Newton a clear path to a starting job. Washington has moved on from Dwayne Haskins and Alex Smith’s health remains a concern, but Newton doesn’t seem like the answer — even if he did show crazy commitment with his daily schedule this season.
Newton obviously has a history with Ron Rivera, who coached him for years in Carolina. That could make Washington a sensible landing spot, but the contract figures seem unrealistic.
The New Orleans Saints typically have one of the strongest home-field advantages in all of sports, but that may not be the case in the postseason this year due to the ongoing pandemic. Sean Payton is still trying to keep that advantage alive, however.
The Saints are planning to allow 3,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when they host the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Payton would love to see that number increase by about 47,000, and he told reporters on Wednesday that he proposed a plan for making it happen.
“I brought up the idea of testing 50,000 people and quarantining them in a hotel and having the most safest Superdome known to man, scientifically,” Payton said, via Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Advocate. “Bus them, they’ve tested every day, and you’ve got a COVID-free facility.”
Several NFL teams allowed fans to attend games during the regular season, and there were no known COVID-19 outbreaks associated with any of those events. That is one reason why even teams like the Buffalo Bills, who had no fans at Bills Stadium all season, have decided to allow a limited number of fans at their playoff game this weekend.
There was virtually no chance of Trevor Lawrence returning to Clemson next season with his draft stock as high as it can get, but the quarterback made his decision official on Wednesday.
Lawrence shared a video on Twitter in which he thanked his teammates, coaches and fans for his three years at Clemson.
There was some talk earlier in the year of Lawrence potentially returning to Clemson for his senior season, but that never seemed realistic. The Jacksonville Jaguars are almost certainly going to take Lawrence first overall in the draft, so he would only risk hurting his stock if he remained in college.
Ironically, the awkward interaction Lawrence had with a reporter about his mustache last weekend (video here) will be his last press conference in a Clemson uniform. Between that and the Tigers’ surprising loss to Ohio State, his college career did not end on the best note.
Some Philadelphia Eagles players may have been unhappy with the way Doug Pederson handled the end of Sunday’s game, but one of the team’s most respected veterans is standing by the head coach.
Eagles center Jason Kelce issued a lengthy statement on Instagram Wednesday addressing Sunday’s loss to Washington. He said Pederson informed players both before and during the game that third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld was going to see playing time. Kelce, who has been with the Eagles for nearly a decade, said things did not turn “confrontational” at any point.
“We all knew leading into the game that Sudfeld was told to be ready to play, and that Doug wanted to see what he could do in a game situation,” Kelce wrote. “All of us during the week leading up were excited for Nate, a guy that has been with us for 4 years to get an opportunity in a real game to show the world what he can do. We all have complete confidence in Nate as a player, there’s a reason he’s been here this long, and a reason the team brought him back.
“I understand the optics of how it looked, and I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little surprised given the circumstances that the move happened when it did, but every one of us did our best, and all of us believe we can win with Nate Sudfeld.”
By losing to Washington, the Eagles improved their draft position from No. 9 to No. 6. Most people are convinced that is why they pulled Jalen Hurts in favor of Sudfeld and stuck with Sudfeld even after he played poorly. However, the decision may not have been as sudden as it has been portrayed.
While some reports claimed the potential for Sudfeld to play was never communicated to the team, Kelce and other players have said they knew it was a possibility. There was even a report on the Eagles official website prior to the game that Sudfeld could play in the second half.
A fake report about Chan Gailey being fired by the Miami Dolphins circulated earlier this week, but it turns out the offensive coordinator is actually leaving the team.
The Dolphins announced on Wednesday that Gailey has resigned. Head coach Brian Flores thanked him for his contributions.
“I want to thank Chan for all of his hard work and dedication in what was a unique year,” Flores said. “He played an important role on the staff and in the development of our young roster. I wish him all the best.”
Gailey was in his second stint as OC of the Dolphins. He announced his retirement after spending the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the New York Jets, but he returned to work with Flores in Miami. Gailey had previously served as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, among other NFL and college jobs.
The Dolphins finished 10-6 this season and have plenty to build on going forward. Some were critical of the way rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was used, as Miami’s offense seemed overly conservative at times. It’s possible that contributed to Gailey’s decision to step down.
A report from a fake Adam Schefter Twitter account claimed on Monday that Gailey had been fired. Even ESPN was fooled by it.
