NFL News

[froot loops]

He has to follow McAfee to the WWE.

[Futureshock]

Tik-Tok boy

AJ Brown to JuJu Smith-Schuster: You were on the way out until Mahomes saved your career

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 14, 2023, 4:39 PM EST

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Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster tried to have a little fun today with Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, whose holding penalty clinched Super Bowl LVII for the Chiefs. Eagles receiver AJ Brown didn’t find it funny.

It started with Smith-Schuster posting a Twitter valentine with Bradberry’s face on it, reading, “I’ll hold you when it matters most.”

It was an amusing joke from Smith-Schuster, but Smith-Schuster may have wished he sat this one out after Brown unloaded on him.

“First off congratulations. Y’all deserve it,” Brown wrote, before adding: “This is lame. You was on the way out the league before mahomes resurrected your career on your 1 year deal Tik-Tok boy. He admitted that he grabbed you but don’t act like your like that or ever was. But congratulations again!”

Smith-Schuster is one of the NFL’s most active players on social media, but he hasn’t experienced many interactions like that one. Brown put him in a bodybag.

[Futureshock]

Way-Too-Early 2023 NFL Power Rankings

9. Detroit Lions (9-8)

Previous: 8

Good news: The Detroit Lions made a six-win improvement this season and have the draft ammo to take the next step with two of the draft’s first 18 picks. They have four picks in the first two rounds and five of the top 81 selections.

Bad news: Chunk plays killed the Lions’ defense this season. They gave up the third-most 20-plus-yard pass plays (60) and the eighth-most 10-plus-yard run plays (62).

2024 Super Bowl Odds: +2500

[Futureshock]

A good read here on what the NFL people were talking about in Mobile. One of 2 events that every team will be at pre-draft

https://www.the33rdteam.com/category/feature/2023-senior-bowl-buzz-offseason-rumors-nfl-developments-prospects-to-watch/

Theres a lot here, but 2 really caught my eye:

Agents in Mobile wondered if T.J. Hockenson could be the next guy to reset the market. Minnesota acquired Hockenson from Detroit before the trade deadline, sending a package that included a second-round pick to its divisional rival. Hockenson immediately made an impact, catching 70 passes for 648 yards in 11 games (10 in the regular season, one in the postseason).

Considering what Minnesota gave up to get him and the impact he made in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, Hockenson has an argument to push for a record-breaking new deal – something that would make other tight ends and agents very happy.

Officiating Problems

Officiating has become a major problem in the NFL. Front offices are upset. Fans are livid. The competition committee is sick and tired of this being such a big topic year every year. “NFL Rigged” trending on social media is a terrible look, and the NFL knows it. The one common answer I got when talking to people is that the league needs to go all-in on having a full-time “Sky Judge.”

Stationed in the press box, a booth umpire would have access to all video angles and would help overturn any clear and obvious errors, and he or she would have an open line to on-field officials in all aspects of officiating. Everyone recognizes that being an official is not an easy job. Making split-second decisions with the naked eye while trying to avoid being trampled by players is a tough task. But there’s a solution, and coaches from around the league have supported the idea over the last few off-seasons. The integrity of the game depends on it.

[ghandi]

I hope TJ gets at least 5 years 100 million.....Cripple the Vikings cap as much as possible....As for the refs, the NFL makes so many rules that are at the discretion of the referees that it is almost impossible to ref the game anymore.....No one even knows what holding, pass interference, roughing the QB, a catch, intentional grounding, or many other rules really even are anymore.

[jaadam4]

In the mic’d up segment Hock was saying how much he loved Detroit. I don’t hate him but I’m glad he got a fresh start. He wasn’t working here

[Futureshock]

That's not exactly true

[Futureshock]

XFL bringing back its unique kickoff rule that increases returns, decreases injuries

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 16, 2023, 10:03 AM EST

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One of the best innovations of the short-lived XFL 2.0, which began play in February of 2020 and closed down in March of 2020, was its kickoff rule. That rule will be back for XFL 3.0, which begins play on Saturday.

The kickoff rule consists of 10 players on the kicking team and 10 players on the receiving team (everyone except the kicker and returner) lining up across from each other, five yards apart. No one except the kicker and returner can move until either the returner has touched the ball, or the ball has been on the ground for three seconds.

According to the XFL, there were two big advantages to the rule: One is that there were fewer injuries because the blockers and tacklers, being only five yards apart and not getting a running start, aren’t engaging in full-speed collisions. The other is that there were far more kickoff returns than in the NFL: Only 38 percent of kickoffs were returned during the 2022 NFL season, but 97 percent of kickoffs were returned during the short-lived 2020 XFL season.

Reggie Barlow, who spent eight years in the NFL as a kick returner and is now head coach of the XFL’s DC Defenders, praised the league’s kickoff rule.

“The kickoff, the rule for our kickoff, the way we do that is interesting,” Barlow said. “Obviously it’s safe. We’re talking about player safety. But it still allows us to give the fans what they want, and that’s action. As mentioned, there’s 97 percent of kickoffs were returned, and that’s what people pay their money for, to come and see these guys perform. Looking forward to that, and that’s definitely one of the different rules that I think our fans will enjoy.”

It’s going to be tough for either the XFL or the USFL to differentiate themselves enough from the NFL to look like anything other than minor league football. But the XFL’s kickoff rule is one clear example of an innovation that could make spring football unique.

[Futureshock]

Ha!
Tiki Barber suggests Aaron Rodgers is too sensitive to survive New York media scrutiny

Posted by Mike Florio on February 16, 2023, 6:39 AM EST

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At a time when many assume that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will emerge from 96 hours in voluntary solitary confinement with a plan to play for the Jets, a former player who knows plenty about the way the media in New York covers pro athletes thinks Rodgers won’t be able to handle the things inevitably written and said about him there.

Former Giants running back Tiki Barber, reacting on his WFAN radio show to Rodgers’s recent complaints about reporting by Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter, suggested that Rodgers is too delicate to tolerate the intensity of the Big Apple’s giant spotlight.

“If he is that sensitive that he gets upset that people, reporters, opinion-makers, influencers, whoever, want to talk about him, he is going to struggle in New York,” Barber said, via SI.com. “And I don’t know if it’s the right fit for him. I don’t know if I want him in New York if this is going to be his reaction to things that don’t matter.”

Barber echoed a point that was made here, after Rodgers ranted that Rapoport and Schefter “don’t know shit” about him.

“If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t want people talking about him, talking about his offseason, talking about his personal life, talking about all these things that are going on with Aaron Rodgers, he needs to stop talking,” Barber said.

“When you go, and you do something that feels odd to normal society — which is going to sit in a cabin in the woods for four days in complete sensory isolation, [the media is] gonna talk about it. You have to. It’s our job to. And for him to get offended by that, he’s not going to handle the intensity of the New York mediascape — that’s obviously traditional media, social and everything else — if he’s here.”

Amen to all of that. Rodgers is like so many athletes and celebrities who want fame and attention on their own terms. All the praise, with none of the criticism.

Hey everybody, look at me . . . what the hell are you looking at?

For selfish reasons, I want Rodgers to play for the Jets. It’s good for business. Even if it’s bad for the Jets and Rodgers.

Indeed, here’s the first subject for intense scrutiny if/when Rodgers agrees to play for the team owned by Woody Johnson. Rodgers recently argued that members of the media have painted him as a villain at the direct behest of Big Pharma. Johnson’s fortune came directly from one of the three companies that made a COVID vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). During Rodgers’s introductory press conference, someone inevitably will ask whether it’s hypocritical for Rodgers to take a paycheck indirectly from a Big Pharma conglomerate at which he’s apparently big mad.

In other cities, the question wouldn’t get asked. In New York, you can bank on it happening.

[Futureshock]

Justin Fields: Chicago weather is difficult to adjust to, I hope Bears get a dome

Posted by Michael David Smith on February 16, 2023, 4:54 AM EST

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Some of the most memorable moments in Chicago football history have been played in snow, wind, cold and fog, but Bears quarterback Justin Fields hopes that all comes to an end.

Fields said on Pardon My Take that the weather in Chicago makes his job much more difficult, and he’d rather play indoors.

“Yes, it is very difficult to adjust to it, especially with the wind,” Fields said, via NBCChicago.com. “That’s what I found out. That’s what it’s all about, is the wind. It can be cold. It can be 10 degrees. But, with no wind you’re fine. But with that 15 mile per hour wind, that 20 mile per hour wind, you can’t fight it, it’s tough. When it’s that cold, you have to bundle up. I feel way slower in that cold. It’s hard to stay warm in that weather.”

With the Bears buying a stadium-sized parcel of land in Arlington Heights, it appears that they’ll soon be moving to the Chicago suburb, although the city of Chicago is still hoping to keep the Bears with a proposal for major renovations of Soldier Field. Fields doesn’t care where the stadium is, he just wants to play indoors.

“I hope we get a dome,” Fields said. “I don’t care if we’re at Soldier Field, I don’t care if we’re at Arlington Heights. I hope we get a dome.”

The Bears are likely to keep playing outside for a few more years until the stadium construction can be finished, but eventually Fields is likely to get his wish.

[Futureshock]

Vikings to keep 3-4 base defense, with adjustments suited to opponent

Posted by Mike Florio on February 15, 2023, 9:42 PM EST

USA TODAY Sports

After many years with the 4-3 alignment as the base defense in Minnesota, the Vikings switched in 2022 to a 3-4, under Ed Donatell. With Donatell out after one bad season and former Dolphins coach Brian Flores in, the Vikings will continue to use the 3-4.

But there’s one important caveat. The deployment of defenders will be driven by strategic considerations, on a game by game basis.

Via ESPN.com, Flores told reporters that things will be fluid.

“Who are we playing?” Flores said. “It’s game-plan-specific. But it’s a 3-4.”

Last year, the Vikings commenced the process of acquiring the personnel needed to run a 3-4. This year, it sounds as if they’ll need players who are sufficiently flexible to do whatever Flores thinks is needed in order to get the most out of the defense.

However it goes, it can’t be much worse than it was in 2022. If the offense stays the same and if the defense improves just slightly, the Vikings could make it another level or two deeper into the postseason before inevitably having their season suddenly and abruptly end.

[Futureshock]

Eric Bieniemy’s inability to get a head-coaching job remains confounding

Posted by Mike Florio on February 15, 2023, 8:50 PM EST

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The Chiefs have been to five straight AFC Championships, making it to the Super Bowl three times and winning twice. In each of those five years, Eric Bieniemy has served as the team’s offensive coordinator.

So why can’t he get a chance to be a head coach?

Various theories have been floated over the past five hiring cycles, from past off-field issues to bad interviews to the misguided notion that Bieniemy deserves less credit for the offense because offensive guru Andy Reid runs the show.

That didn’t keep Bieniemy’s two predecessors in Kansas City from getting head coaching jobs. Doug Pederson was Reid’s first offensive coordinator with the Chiefs. Pederson became the coach of the Eagles in 2016. Matt Nagy replaced Pederson. After two seasons, Nagy became the coach of the Bears.

So why can’t Bieniemy get a job?

Here’s a theory, inspired by an excellent look at the NFL’s relationship with social-justice issues from the latest episode of HBO’s Game Theory with Bomani Jones. Although the NFL donates many millions to groups that advocate for racial equality, the NFL keeps a very low profile when it comes to such matters.

The goal is to placate those who want the NFL to do something while not pissing off those who would regard the NFL as being “woke,” or whatever. Thus, with so many people in the media advocating for Bieniemy to get a chance to be a coach and suggesting that the failure to do so traces to the NFL’s woeful hiring record when it comes to diversity, some owners may fear that hiring Bieniemy would prompt a very vocal 30 percent of the fan base to suggest that the team has surrendered to the “woke mob,” in lieu of hiring the best person for the job.

Whatever the reason, it makes no sense. Bieniemy has earned a chance to be a head coach. He shouldn’t have to prove his ability to run the offense with another team to close the deal.

I’ve got a feeling that, even if Bieniemy leaves and does well with a team whose head coach has a defensive background, there will be another reason for not hiring Bieniemy. Or no reason at all.

He just won’t get a job, year after year and cycle after cycle until he finally retires.

[Futureshock]

XFL will give coaches one opportunity per game to challenge anything

Posted by Mike Florio on February 15, 2023, 7:23 PM EST

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick has wanted it for years. The XFL will give it a try.

In the third iteration of the league that debuted in 2001 and returned in 2020, coaches will have the chance to challenge anything — once per game.

Dean Blandino, the XFL’s V.P. of officiating and rules innovation, explained the tweak during a Wednesday conference call with reporters.

“One of the things that I know I’m most excited about and intrigued by is we’re giving our coaches an opportunity to challenge anything,” Blandino said. “One time per game, it’s an all-in challenge, and any officiating decision a coach — if they have a time-out remaining, they can challenge that decision.”

It’s a truly unprecedented rule..

“This has never been done before at any level of football, and something that we’ve talked about in my time, during my time with the NFL,” Blandino said. “Again, when you think about whether it’s a pass interference call that is made or maybe it’s a holding call that was not made and the coach thinks it should have been called, we’re going to give our coaches that opportunity. I’m really excited, and like I said, intrigued to how they’re going to use that, when they’re going to use it, what type of play we’re going to see those coaches challenge that.”

If it works, maybe the NFL will adopt it, too. If clear and obvious video evidence exists to overturn a ruling on the field, why not give a coach a chance to do it?

[Futureshock]

Bears finalize $197.2 million purchase of Arlington Park

Posted by Charean Williams on February 15, 2023, 4:29 PM EST

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The Bears announced Wednesday that they have closed on their $197.2 million purchase of 326 acres of property in Arlington Heights. The team cautioned, though, that much work still needs to be done before the $5 billion redevelopment of the shuttered Arlington Park racetrack site becomes a reality.

“Finalizing the purchase does not guarantee the land will be developed, but it is an important next step in our ongoing evaluation of the opportunity,” the Bears said in a long statement. “There is still a tremendous amount of due diligence work to be done to determine if constructing an enclosed state-of-the-art stadium and multi-purpose entertainment district is feasible.”

The Bears would privately finance construction of a domed (non-retractable roof) stadium, but on Wednesday, they again made a plea for public assistance for the project in order to make moving to the suburbs financially feasible.

“For the development to move forward, and for this effort to be financially feasible, a public-private partnership addressing predictable taxes and necessary infrastructure funding for public uses is essential,” the team wrote. “Public funds for infrastructure will provide regional improvements such as roads for better traffic flow and water drainage for residents throughout the area. This support, along with the team’s investment, will be crucial to ensuring the local and Illinois economies receive a dramatic, long-lasting influx of investment and new tax revenue of a magnitude never experienced before in the region.”

The Bears’ lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033. However, they can leave as early as 2026 by paying $90 million, and the price to cancel the lease prematurely drops with each passing year.

[jaadam4]

Tiki might be right about Rodgers but in his defense it’s a completely different beast now compared to what it was like when Barber played

Although Tiki made one of the biggest turnarounds I’ve ever seen with his fumbling problems. He went from always coughing it up to a sure thing. It was impressive