Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
We give our pick for the greatest player in the history of each NFL team.
When it comes to the NFL, the debate over the greatest of all time or the greatest at any given position can get heated. But what about the debate for the greatest player of each individual franchise? We decided to take a stab at just that. So with that, here are our picks for the GOAT of every NFL franchise.
The top player in Louisiana dropped a New Year’s surprise.
As the New Year’s ball dropped on the East Coast, LSU dropped its biggest recruiting coup of the 2024 cycle.
Just after 11 p.m. CT on New Year’s Eve, five-star Lafayette Acadiana defensive lineman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] — the No. 1 prospect in the state of Louisiana — flipped from Texas A&M to LSU.
McKinley is a top-30 nationally according to the 247Sports Composite, and he committed to the Aggies back in September. But the Tigers have continued to put the pressure on him, and while he had an official visit scheduled for Jan. 12, it seems McKinley didn’t need to take that trip to make up his mind.
BREAKING: Five-Star DL Dominick McKinley tells me he has Flipped his Commitment from Texas A&M to LSU!
The 6’6 280 DL had been Committed to the Aggies since September
The No. 1 Player in Louisiana is staying home 🐯https://t.co/Cb9bT8hzQX pic.twitter.com/aUuXGbKA67
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 1, 2024
With McKinley on board, LSU’s 2024 class now ranks seventh nationally per On3. The Tigers also now hold commitments from nine of the top 10 players in the state of Louisiana, including each of the top three.
Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno
Saints open as home favorites against the Falcons in Week 18
The New Orleans Saints are coming off a strong win on the road over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they’re looking to end the regular season with a win at home against their oldest rivals: the Atlanta Falcons. The opening lines at BetMGM Sportsbook favor the Saints by four points; take that with the 41.5-point over/under and you’re looking at an implied total in the neighborhood of New Orleans 23, Atlanta 19.
That would be a tight finish, but it lines up with what we’ve seen before. The last two games in New Orleans have been decided by margins of three and two points, respectively, with the Saints winning 21-18 last year and the Falcons taking a win 27-25 the year before.
If the Saints want to reach the playoffs, all their paths start the same: with a win over Atlanta next Sunday. Let’s see if they have it in them after getting embarrassed in a 24-15 loss on the road earlier this season.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
Bears WR DJ Moore thanked his old team for clinching his new team the first overall pick of the 2024 draft.
DJ Moore probably wasn’t all that happy when the Carolina Panthers traded him to the Chicago Bears this past spring. Heck, he found out on a phone call while grabbing some packages at the end of his driveway.
But now, almost 10 months later, he seems A-okay—thankful, even.
Coupled with the Arizona Cardinals’ shocking upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina’s 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars clinched the Panthers the worst record of the 2023 campaign. That, in turn, clinched Chicago the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.
So, being that he was an integral part of the blockbuster deal that put the Bears into this position, Moore was asked about the help from his old pals.
#Bears WR DJ Moore asked about the Bears getting the number 1 overall pick: "I mean, shit, I feel I was the number 1 pick when they traded for me. But, I mean, thanks to Carolina, that's all I can say to that."
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) December 31, 2023
The Panthers traded Moore, 2023’s ninth overall pick, 2023’s 61st overall pick, 2024’s eventual first overall pick and a 2025 second-rounder for what were essentially the rights to Bryce Young. Young, ironically enough, struggled in the pick-clinching defeat—throwing for just 112 yards and an interception.
Moore, meanwhile, is wrapping up a career season for the 7-9 Bears. He’s reeled in 92 receptions for 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns.
[lawrence-related id=688379,688371,688365]
Updated NFC playoff standings after Week 17: Where do the New Orleans Saints clock in?
The New Orleans Saints pulled off a badly-needed win on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but where do the y rank in the updated NFC playoff standings? They’re still on the outside looking in for the postseason tournament, but another win next week (combined with some big help from other games) could clinch a playoff berth for New Orleans.
Here’s how the layoff picture looks after Week 17:
Cast your vote for the Player of the Game.
Week 17 was a thriller for the Pittsburgh Steelers and thanks to the win over the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh will ring in the new year with a real shot at the playoffs. The Steelers had a second big offense performance to outlast the Seahawks and a timely defensive play helped seal the win.
Our candidates for this week’s Player of the Game are as follows:
QB Mason Rudolph – 274 passing yards
RB Najee Harris – 122 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
WR George Pickens – 7 receptions, 131 receiving yards
LB Nick Herbig – 1 strip sack and fumble recovery
K Chris Boswell – 6-for-6 on kicks
[crowdsignal poll=13159968]
Cast your vote and tell us who this week’s Player of the Game is. Our pick is Harris. With all due respect to Jaylen Warren who had an excellent game as well, Harris really controlled the game with his powerful running.
[lawrence-auto-related count=4]
Judd Zulgad writes about Kirk Cousins going shirtless and the Vikings potentially giving them the shirt off their backs
Kirk Cousins’ value to the Minnesota Vikings continued to skyrocket on Sunday night and all he did was remove his shirt and sound the Gjallarhorn before the game to the delight of fans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
What followed Cousins’ literal flex high above the field was the reason why he very well could be back in Minnesota on his terms — and those terms don’t figure to be overly team-friendly.
The Vikings’ embarrassing 33-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers gave Jaren Hall his second opportunity of the season to start at quarterback, following the benching of Nick Mullens.
Mullens had been benched after consecutive losses to Cincinnati and Detroit in which he threw six picks. Mullens had replaced Josh Dobbs, who played in five games (four starts) before he was benched during a 3-0 victory in Las Vegas.
Hall had gotten off to a strong start in his Nov. 5 start in Atlanta — the game after Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles’ injury in Green Bay — but he suffered a concussion in the first quarter after completing 5-of-6 passes for 78 yards and scrambling for 11 yards on two carries.
But given the opportunity to prove he could be more responsible with the football than Dobbs and Mullens, Hall looked as lost as the rest of them. Calling it a debacle would be kind. Hall completed 5-of-10 passes for 67 yards but also threw an interception and lost a fumble on a sack as the Packers took a 23-3 lead entering halftime.
The fans who had cheered Cousins booed the Vikings off the field, and Hall was benched for Mullens in the second half.
Cousins might have felt bad for his teammates, but the savvy negotiator has to know he’s in a prime position to cash in again. Mullens and Dobbs have no future in Minnesota and Hall showed he isn’t near being ready to start. So either the Vikings will draft a quarterback in the first round, or they will bring back Cousins on a two- or three-year deal that won’t be cheap.
The guess here is the Vikings will go with the latter over the former.
After watching Vikings coach and chief play-caller Kevin O’Connell operate without Cousins for the past eight games, it’s clear his stated desire to retain Cousins isn’t just lip service.
Cousins might not have shown improvement in certain statistical categories last season in leading the Vikings to 13 wins, but it was clear he and O’Connell were on the same page more often than not. That continued this season as Cousins posted impressive stats, despite the fact the Vikings started 1-4. Minnesota had improved to 4-4 with a victory against the Packers in the game in which Cousins was injured.
The winning streak eventually grew to five before everything came crashing down. Sunday’s loss was the Vikings’ third in a row and fifth in the past six games, giving them an opportunity to get a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft this spring with a loss in the regular-season finale next Sunday in Detroit.
That could put them in a position to grab a quarterback in the opening round, but here’s the issue: If the Vikings are planning to be competitive next season — and this team has never shown a willingness to take a step back for future success — it likely means they will retain Cousins and then draft defensive help in the first round. Especially if defensive end Danielle Hunter is allowed to leave in free agency because Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson both receive rich contract extensions this offseason.
Cousins will turn 36 next August, will be entering his 13th season and coming off a significant injury. It’s uncertain how much quality play Cousins has left. But what is certain is Cousins’ absence has given the Vikings a greater appreciation for what they had in him and it’s likely that will be enough to keep him in purple.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com.
[lawrence-related id=88665,88657,88645,88646,88640,88634,88635]
WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses the victorious Saints locker room after Week 17 vs. Buccaneers
“Hell of a job this week!”
Inside the #Saints locker room after the win at Tampa 🙌 pic.twitter.com/3LnTOnxxOW
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 1, 2024
It’s not often we get a look inside the New Orleans Saints locker room, but the team shared head coach Dennis Allen’s postgame speech after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Allen gathered the team around and praised their effort in practice before handing the microphone over to Demario Davis.
And Davis brought in his own special guest: veteran safety Johnathan Abram, who got the starting nod at free safety while rookie draft pick Jordan Howden was dealing with an illness. And Abram’s words were powerful.
Abram thanked his teammates for their support in a big spot and urged them to keep perspective about what’s next: competing for a win in the regular season finale. He acknowledged that the playoffs are still just out of grasp but made it clear he’s going to push to reach the postseason, and by all accounts that’s something the locker room can agree on.
[lawrence-auto-related count=4]
The first Packers player to get to 100 receiving yards this season? Bo Melton in Week 17 against the Vikings, of course.
Just as everyone predicted during training camp, Bo Melton became the Green Bay Packers’ first receiver to eclipse the 100-receiving mark in a game this season.
In a 33-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, Melton led the team with nine targets and finished with six receptions – tied for the team lead – totaling 105 yards and a touchdown.
Melton surpassed 100 yards on Green Bay’s final possession. With 1:48 left on the clock and the Packers facing a 3rd-and-8, Sean Clifford connected with a wide-open Melton for 37 yards.
He also caught his first touchdown pass — a 9-yard score in the second half that put the Packers up 30-3.
“He’s done a tremendous job on special teams in practice, and he’s doing a great job on scout team, and every time I give him a rep, speaking of Bo, he would go out there and make a play at practice with Jordan,” wide receivers coach Jason Vrable said.
Had it not been for Jayden Reed exiting the game at halftime with a chest injury, it very likely would have been him who topped 100 yards first. Through two quarters, Reed had 89 yards on six receptions with two touchdowns.
Melton has been a practice squad elevation in each of the last three games and has seemingly come out of nowhere offensively. Against Tampa Bay, he primarily played special teams, catching one pass for seven yards. But against Carolina, Melton delivered an efficient performance totaling 44 yards on just 15 routes ran.
While on the outside, Melton’s emergence has appeared sudden, he has been capitalizing on the opportunities that have come his way in practice recently.
“He stepped up huge,” said Jordan Love post-game. “I talk about it all the time; it’s always the next man up mentality, and Bo’s a guy whose been working every week, even when he’s not been in the role. He’s working on scout team, trying to find ways to get better, and it’s not surprising anybody when he goes out there and does what he does. He did a lot of good things.”
Due to injuries at the receiver position, specifically to Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed in recent weeks, which has led to them missing various amounts of practice time and created more opportunities for Melton with Jordan Love and the starting offense, helping to make his transition to Sundays more seamless.
Melton is now out of practice squad elevations, with the Minnesota game being his third. This means that if the Packers want him on the game-day roster in Week 18 against Chicago, he has to be signed to the 53-man–something that one would expect to happen this week, regardless of what the injury situation in the receiver room is.
At the beginning of the season, with all of the youth and inexperience at receiver, this position was a major question mark. But Melton’s emergence is the latest example of just deep this position group actually is for the Packers.
“We’ve seen it in practice, you guys are just seeing it now,” said Matt LaFleur. “For Bo, and for many players in general, it all starts with their attitude. This guy has been team first since the day he got here. He’s always striving to get better no matter what is asked of him.
“Whether it’s on the scout team. Whether he’s getting reps with the first team offense, whatever it may be. Whether it’s on special teams and he’s had a great attitude and mentality. We’ve all seen a lot of growth and a lot of progress from him.”
The Steelers offensive line and run game carried the day against the Seahawks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had to win on Sunday and they did just that. Their 30-23 thriller against the Seattle Seahawks put Pittsburgh in a position to make the playoffs if things work out in Week 18. Here are our big takeaways from the win.
