Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin roams the sidelines during player introductions prior to the start of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on October 29, 2023.
Mike Tomlin drew plenty of criticism on Saturday night over a decision he made during his Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Tomlin’s Steelers were down 7-0 in the second quarter of their AFC Wild Card playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. The team had a 4th-and-inches at their 29 early in the second quarter and punted rather than go for it. Fans couldn’t believe that Tomlin wouldn’t go for it in that situation. Fans noted that the Steelers were already down 7-0, didn’t have to gain much yardage, and that they were underdogs on the road.
Right after punting, the Ravens took the ball and went 85 yards on 13 plays. They gained all their yardage on the ground and scored to go up 14-0. Come halftime, the Ravens had built a 21-0 lead. That made Tomlin’s decision not to go for it on 4th and inches look even worse.
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry on Saturday reminded fans why he’s the stiff-arm king of the NFL.
Henry’s Ravens hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Wild Card clash at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. With 6:17 left in the first quarter, the Ravens had 1st-and-10 at the Steelers’ 46-yard line.
The Ravens snapped the ball directly into Henry’s hands. The 5-time Pro Bowler found a crease and easily got the first down. He was bursting past the 25-yard line when Steelers defenders finally caught up to him.
Before he was taken down, Henry used a massive stiff-arm to slam All-Pro defender Minkah Fitzpatrick to the ground for additional yardage.
While Henry obviously has a size advantage over Fitzpatrick, it’s still impressive how easily the Ravens star pushed down one of the league’s best safeties.
Henry’s efforts did not come in vain. Baltimore scored a touchdown three plays later thanks to a Lamar Jackson pass to Rashod Bateman on 3rd-and-13.
The 2020 All-Pro has had a terrific first season in Baltimore. Henry’s 1,921 rushing yards in the regular season ranked second behind Saquon Barkley, while his 16 rushing TDs tied for first in the NFL.
Dec 30, 2023; Pasadena, CA, USA; ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit reacts during Rose Bowl media day at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kirk Herbstreit thinks that the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready for Cancun.
Pittsburgh had an absolutely horrific showing in the first half of their Wild Card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, falling behind 21-0. The Amazon color commentator Herbstreit was already seeing some concerning signs for the Steelers when the score was “only” 14-0 and tore into the team for their apparent lack of heart.
“If I were a Steelers fan, the thing that would concern me just watching this first half — you’re in the postseason.” Herbstreit said. “You’re getting dominated. I don’t see any fight. I don’t see any pushback … Where the hell is the fight? This is the Pittsburgh Steelers. There’s nothing. They’re just going through the motions.”
Here is the full clip.
"Where the hell is the fight?! This is the Pittsburgh Steelers! There's nothing! They're just going through the motions!" – Kirk Herbstreit #NFLpic.twitter.com/MTfWosRwqj
The Steelers let Derrick Henry trample all over them in the first half to the tune of 100 yards and a rushing touchdown (plus a ruthless stiff arm for the history books). Lamar Jackson also piled on with TD throws to Rashod Bateman and Justice Hill.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh couldn’t get anything going even when they had the ball. Mike Tomlin’s side produced a meager 59 total yards of offense in the entire first half. They logged just two first downs and punted the ball away four different times (including on 4th-and-1 in the second quarter when it was just a one-touchdown deficit). Pittsburgh also only managed one target for their leading receiver George Pickens, which he caught for eight yards.
The Steelers usually breeze right through the regular season, making the playoffs in 12 out of Tomlin’s 18 years in charge. But they have not won a single postseason game since the 2016 season and clearly still have plenty to figure out under Tomlin, whom they recently extended for a few more years.
Joe Mixon and some of his Houston Texans teammates took the opportunity to mock Rex Ryan after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, in their AFC Wild Card playoff game on Saturday night.
Ryan, who is an NFL analyst for ESPN, had picked the Chargers to win the game. Moreover, he called it a “bye week” for the Chargers. The former New York Jets coach even doubled down on his opinion prior to Saturday’s game.
“I heard somebody say it was a ‘bye week, that the Chargers were gonna win.’ You know who that was? That was me! I’m doubling down!” Ryan said on Saturday.
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📌 Former Head Coach Rex Ryan said he doubles down on calling the #Texans a BYE WEEK for the #Chargers
Ryan’s disrespectful prediction apparently made its way to Houston’s locker room, and may have motivated the Texans’ players.
After the win, Mixon filmed a video inside his team’s locker room where they celebrated the win and rubbed it in on Ryan.
“We smoking on that Rex Ryan pack, man,” Mixon and other Texans said.
“I thought everyone said ‘bye week,'” the players were heard saying.
This video should serve as a good reminder to teams considering hiring Ryan as a head coach why that’s a bad idea. The guy runs his mouth, which often backfires because it makes his team a target.
Jun 29, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais (29) smiles before a game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
After being fired by the Seattle Mariners, Scott Servais is getting a chance to stay in the same time zone.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported Saturday that the ex-Seattle manager Servais has landed a job with the San Diego Padres. Servais will be a special assistant for baseball operations and player development, Lin adds.
The 57-year-old Servais managed the Mariners from 2016-24 and had a respectable overall record of 680-642 (.514). He also led the team in 2022 to their first playoff berth in over two decades. But Seattle decided to part ways with him in August of last season after blowing a 10-game lead atop their division. Servais also learned of his firing in a particularly brutal way.
But Servais should do well in his role with the Padres, especially given his background (he was the senior director of player development for the Texas Rangers from 2004-10 and also later served as the assistant GM of the Los Angeles Angels). After a 93-win season in 2024, San Diego may be trading away several of their star players and focusing more so on developing their younger talent.
Jul 27, 2022; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) speaks following training camp activities at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Herbert had a nightmare game Saturday against the Houston Texans, and several fans were more than ready to crucify him for it.
Herbert and his Los Angeles Chargers ended their season with a whimper in a 32-12 loss to the Texans in their Wild Card round contest at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Chargers quarterback had arguably the worst game of his career, and it came at the wrong time.
Herbert went 14/32 for 242 yards with a touchdown. He also threw a career-high four interceptions in the contest. Three of them came over the final 16 minutes of play, which completely changed the complexion of the game.
Fans online started clowning Herbert once the Chargers’ loss was sealed.
Some joked that Herbert has been a better “hypothetical” QB rather than one in real life.
Herbert’s limited postseason experience has not been pretty. Most fans likely still remember Herbert’s only other playoff appearance, when the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL Wild Card round.
Aug 25, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi during warmups before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
It may not necessarily be the New Orleans Saints or bust for Darren Rizzi.
The New York Jets announced on Saturday that they have completed a head coaching interview with Rizzi. The 54-year-old Rizzi closed out the regular season as the interim head coach of the Saints after Dennis Allen was fired.
Rizzi has a decade-and-a-half of NFL coaching experience and served as both special teams coordinator and associate head coach during each of his respective stints with the Miami Dolphins (from 2009-18) and the Saints, whom he joined in 2019. He is also a native of Hillsdale, NJ, which is only about 15 miles away from East Rutherford.
Everyone was saying the same thing Saturday about the Los Angeles Chargers’ playoff loss to the Houston Texans.
The Chargers lost 32-12 to the Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday night in their Wild Card Round playoff game. The Chargers were looking in control early as they kicked a field goal on their opening drive and then recovered a Texans fumble, which they turned into another field goal to lead 6-0. They allowed a touchdown in the second quarter, and then a quick field goal by Houston just before halftime to make it 10-6.
Being down 10-6 at the half wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. It wasn’t until later in the second half that the Chargers started to fall apart.
Justin Herbert threw a pick-six in the third quarter that made it 20-6 in favor of Houston. Herbert was intercepted on the ensuing drive too, which led to another three points for Houston. The Chargers responded with an 86-yard touchdown by Ladd McConkey, only to have their extra point attempt blocked and returned the other way for a 2-point conversion. After that, the Texans went on another long touchdown drive, while Herbert threw a fourth and final interception to seal the loss.
The way the Chargers completely fell apart with interceptions and a blocked extra point returned for a 2-point conversion had fans saying the same thing: chargering had occurred.
The @chargers : 3 interceptions, 2 blocked kicks including one run back for 2 points. “Chargering”
Has to hurt so bad to be a Charger fan, hire a highly successful, culture builder head coach, successfully beat the Chargering allegations several times in the regular season. And then, in the playoffs — oops! all Chargering!
The Chargers have a horrible reputation for blowing games where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. They seemed to have gotten past that when they hired Jim Harbaugh and went 11-6. But things still went terribly wrong in their playoff game on Saturday.
Jan 22, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) controls the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Miami Heat icon Tim Hardaway Sr. is backing his former team amid its ongoing drama with star player Jimmy Butler.
The Heat suspended Butler last week for seven games due to what they called “conduct detrimental to the team.” Miami did not release details on what sort of conduct from Butler led to such a lengthy suspension.
Hardaway Sr. appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Saturday and revealed what he knows about Butler’s behavior behind the scenes. Hardaway told hosts Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson that Butler had missed a December game against the Orlando Magic for a questionable reason.
“[Jimmy Butler] let those guys down by not playing in Orlando and then out kicking it somewhere. People were calling me saying, ‘Man, he’s not even playing in Orlando. He’s at Prime 112 kicking it and eating and hanging out with folks,” Hardaway said.
“[Jimmy Butler] let those guys down by not playing in Orlando, & then out kicking it somewhere. People were calling me saying ‘Man he not even playing in Orlando. He at Prime 112 kicking it and eating and hanging out with folks” – Tim Hardaway Sr. on @SiriusXMNBA
Butler missed the Heat’s December 26 contest against the Magic due to what the team listed as a “stomach bug.” But according to Hardaway, Butler’s stomach was doing well enough for the Heat forward to enjoy an evening with friends at Prime 112, a boutique steakhouse in Miami, Fla.
Despite Butler’s absence, the Heat managed to beat an undermanned Magic squad 89-88. Tyler Herro picked up the slack with a team-high 20 points on 8/17 shooting.
Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A Michigan Wolverines football helmet sits on the field prior to the game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Alex Orji has decided on his next school.
Orji has committed to join the UNLV Rebels as a transfer. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Orji offers a big running threat as a quarterback. He will compete with Anthony Colandrea, who is transferring from Virginia to UNLV. Colandrea passed for 2,125 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the 2024 season with the Cavaliers. Orji passed for 150 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the 2024 season. He ran for 269 yards and 1 touchdown.
UNLV is entering a new era under head coach Dan Mullen. They went 11-3 this season under Barry Odom, who left for Purdue. Mullen enters with some momentum thanks to Odom’s successful season. Mullen himself has a history of winning between his work at Mississippi State and then Florida. He has gone 103-61 over 13 seasons as a college football head coach.
Who wins the QB battle between Orji and Colandrea will be a story to watch. It could also end up being the case that they share the position, with Orji serving as a rushing threat as he did with the Wolverines.
