Fans were saying the same thing after watching backup quarterback Steve Angeli play for Notre Dame during the Orange Bowl on Thursday night.
Angeli entered the College Football Playoff semifinal game between his Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the second quarter after Riley Leonard was temporarily knocked out of the game. Angeli looked good and moved the Fighting Irish down the field for a field goal.
Angeli looked so good that he had people saying he might be a better option than Leonard.
Leonard had been checked out for a possible concussion. He was able to return in the second half and led the Fighting Irish on two touchdown drives in three possessions to help his team take its first lead of the game. He seemed to quiet any concerns about who is the better option for the Irish. But it sure was nice to have a capable player like Angeli take over and keep things going when it was needed.
East Rutherford, NJ October 22, 2023. Daniel Jones of the Giants on the sidelines in the second half. Photo credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Daniel Jones may be climbing up the totem pole in Minnesota at record speed.
Speaking with reporters Thursday ahead of Monday’s playoff opener against the Los Angeles Rams, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated that Jones could become the team’s backup quarterback behind Sam Darnold. Kevin Seifert of ESPN noted that O’Connell twice declined to name a QB2 between Jones and Nick Mullens for the Rams game.
“[Jones] definitely has progressed,” O’Connell was quoted as saying. “He’s gotten a lot of really good work in both running scout team works and then just extra work here and there when he can.
“The best way I can put it is we’re doing everything we can to get Sam ready to go,” O’Connell added. “But at the same time, whether it’s Nick or Daniel or Brett [Rypien], having all those guys absorbing the game plan like always. It’s such a fluid thing here the rest of the way. We’re going to do whatever we think gives us the best chance to win.”
The 27-year-old Jones, a former No. 6 overall pick, was waived by the New York Giants in November and signed with the Vikings’ practice squad days later. He did not make it onto the active roster in the regular season (with Mullens serving as the undisputed backup to Darnold and even playing in four games). But Jones was just signed to Minnesota’s 53-man roster from the practice squad earlier this week and now improbably appears to be in play for the QB2 job in the postseason.
Jones did already gain some postseason experience with the Giants, even winning a playoff game against the Vikings themselves in the 2022 season. Maybe that is why Minnesota thinks that he could make a good backup QB for the Rams game and possibly beyond too.
Riley Leonard was replaced by Steve Angeli during the second quarter of the Orange Bowl on Thursday night after taking a hit from the Penn State defense.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell behind 10-0 in the second quarter of their College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Irish got the ball for a touchback following a Penn State touchdown and drove to the Notre Dame 40. Riley took a hard hit while throwing an incomplete pass and exited the game.
Notre Dame backup quarterback Steve Angeli entered the game in place of Leonard and took the Fighting Irish down to the Penn State 23. Mitch Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal to finish the drive and give Notre Dame its first points of the game.
After the first half ended, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was interviewed by ESPN. He did not have an update on the condition of Leonard but said the medical staff was going to check out the quarterback.
Angeli went 6/7 for 44 yards on the drive in place of Leonard.
Feb 6, 2023; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton speaks at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
An incredible statistic about Sean Payton’s record against bald head coaches has gone viral.
Payton has led his Denver Broncos to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth in just his second season as the team’s head coach. Denver is the 7-seed in the AFC and will face the 2-seed Buffalo Bills in the first round on Sunday.
Ahead of the Wild Card Round playoff game between the teams, the random Payton stat has received attention.
X user “@XanB21” posted that Payton has gone 30-12 (.714) against bald head coaches since 2017. He even posted the stats for proof:
That is pretty incredible.
The stat is relevant, of course, because Buffalo’s head coach is Sean McDermott, who is bald.
Does this mean the Bills should be on high alert on Sunday? Will Payton’s dominance against follicly challenged opposing coaches carry into this game? Just be prepared to cite this stat if the underdog Broncos pull off the upset win at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.
The Force is clearly with one Penn State player.
Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter went viral during Thursday’s Orange Bowl against Notre Dame (a College Football Playoff semifinal game) over the “Star Wars”-themed message on his eye-black during the game. ESPN cameras showed Carter with the words “Darth Vader” written on his eye-black. Take a look.
The junior Carter was one of Penn State’s top defenders all season, leading the Big Ten with 11.0 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss. He was also named a unanimous All-American as well as Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
With those kinds of accolades, it is no wonder that offensive players may be hearing “The Imperial March” in their heads whenever Carter steps onto the field. Projected to be a top-10 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Carter is also part of a long list of Lord Vader enthusiasts in sports.
Nov 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) smiles as he looks on during a break in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
One of the Philadelphia 76ers’ top young players will now be out of commission until 2025-26.
The 76ers announced Thursday that rookie guard Jared McCain is out for the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season. The team adds that McCain is “progressing well” though and will have further updates given on his status as is appropriate.
The 20-year-old McCain, Philadelphia’s No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 draft, underwent surgery last month after being diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. The 76ers originally stated at the time that he would be out indefinitely but have now updated that to reflect that McCain’s season is officially over.
McCain had been playing extremely well at the time of his injury and looked like a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. He was averaging 15.3 points per game on 48/38/88 shooting splits and had served as one of Philadelphia’s more reliable scoring threats with his surprisingly mature offensive game. But now, McCain, who is also known for his TikTok dances, will not be able to help out the 15-20 76ers for the rest of the year.
Aug 29, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; General view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL on Thursday announced big news regarding the Los Angeles Rams-Minnesota Vikings playoff game.
The league is moving the scheduled Wild Card Round playoff game between the teams to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The announcement should come as no surprise to those who have paid attention to the recent developments.
On Wednesday, the league said it was prepared to move the game to Arizona as Los Angeles deals with wildfires spreading. On Thursday afternoon, another fire popped up in the West Hills, Calif., area, which is where the Rams practice. The Rams ended practice early to let players attend to the situation. Now they will likely be getting out of town soon and into Arizona so that they can prepare for their playoff game.
The game has always been scheduled to take place on Monday night. Originally, the game was set to be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which is the home of the Rams.
The Vikings are 14-3 and have a much better record than the 10-7 Rams. But the Rams won their division and are the 4-seed, which allows them to host the playoff game against the 5-seeded Vikings.
According to Tom Pelissero, this is just the second time ever that a playoff game is moving cities.
Aug 13, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis watches from the sidelines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco was thought to be safe for another season by most observers, even after the team fired head coach Antonio Pierce. That changed on Tuesday, and now we know why.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” Adam Schefter offered some context on why the Raiders decided to part ways with Telesco after just one season. According to Schefter, Raiders leadership was concerned that Telesco’s presence would be a deterrent to some potential head coach candidates.
“The Raiders … clearly prefer that the head coach and GM come in together at the same time, work together on the same page, and move forward in the same direction,” Schefter said. “They did not feel that Tom Telesco, obviously, would be somebody that would be as appealing to some of the head coaching candidates that they are speaking with.”
Telesco spent a decade running the Chargers before being fired and landing with the Raiders last offseason. Though his 2024 draft class has been heralded, the Raiders wanted a clean slate after firing Pierce two days ago.
The Raiders are still early in their coaching search, but it sounds like some of their preferred candidates also appreciated that clean slate. It could mean Tom Brady will have a huge say over which direction the organization goes next as well.
Sep 22, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley address reporters during a press conference at AmericanAirlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
With lingering questions over Jimmy Butler’s future with the Miami Heat and the organization’s status as a championship contender, team president Pat Riley sent a message to his critics on Thursday.
In an appearance on “The Dan LeBatard Show” Thursday, Riley was asked what he would say to those who feel he is no longer as savvy as he once was, especially after the hated Boston Celtics won the NBA title in 2024. Riley made it very clear that he didn’t care, and pointed out that the Celtics have bested him plenty in the past.
“Whoever’s saying that, I haven’t read it because I am not on any social media site. Not one, and I don’t care, because I have had my a– kicked by the Celtics enough when I was coaching. They’re a great, great team. They put together a great organization. They put together a great team. They’ve broken all the records financially, too, so they’ve committed themselves. New York has gotten better and they’re going for it. Philly’s going for it. We’re going for it, too. This is an important year for the Heat.
“I don’t worry about what critics say. Maybe I am. Maybe I should go somewhere and just put my feet up, but I would then become very compulsive-obsessive about doing something else.”
Riley is embroiled in a standoff with Butler, who is trying to force a trade from Miami after not getting a contract extension. The drama comes as the team is just 18-17 and scuffling for a playoff spot.
Riley had said around Christmas that Butler was not getting traded. Butler demanded a trade shortly after that. The public drama was somewhat unusual for a Riley-led Heat team, and that, combined with the team’s lack of recent progress in the playoffs, led some to question whether Riley still had his fastball.
The legendary Riley clearly is not going anywhere. Trading Butler may be an opportunity for him to reset the franchise for the years ahead.
Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock in attendance at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday announced that they have fired Tom Telesco as their general manager. The move led to a great joke from Mike Mayock’s daughter.
Mayock served as the GM of the Raiders from 2019-2021. He was fired by them three years ago and replaced by Dave Ziegler when the Raiders sought former Patriots as their new leadership team.
In response to the statement announcing the Telesco news, Leigh Mayock, who is Mike’s daughter, wrote on X, “let’s run it back guys.”
Though she was joking, just a few days prior, Leigh did solicit jobs for her dad.
“Any teams looking for a new [GM] — my dad is so bored he joins my podcast every week.. Give him a call,” Leigh wrote on X.
Mayock worked at NFL Network prior to being hired by the Raiders. He has hardly been heard from since his firing by the Raiders, and his name hasn’t come up for other GM vacancies. So we don’t envision teams taking up Leigh on her efforts. But it’s not for a lack of trying.
The Raiders likely have some big plans ahead with Tom Brady now involved in their ownership group.
