Category: 2024 season

Drew Brees talks partnership with Bounty, Super Bowl heading to New Orleans

Saints quarterback Drew Brees and former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski have partnered with Bounty paper towels, and are headed to New Orleans together for the Super Bowl:

Drew Brees and Rob Gronkowski’s playing days are behind them, but they’re doing big things off the field. And they are doing it together. Both players have partnered with Bounty paper towels ahead of this year’s Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome, and I caught up with them earlier this week.

“I’m a Bounty man, I’ve been with them for about three years now and I’m fired up to be once again,” Gronkowski told me. “Every year I have a wingman. Last year, it was Julian Edelman, who was my teammate on the New England Patriots for nine years.”

Partnering with Brees especially appealed to Gronkowski because of the fact he has such strong connections to the Big Easy.

Gronkowski continued: “And, now this year, with the Super Bowl being in New Orleans, I needed a final wingman out there to show me the city, because I’ve never really been there before. Who is better to do that than Drew Brees?”

Brees has brought a lot of success to the city that it has not seen since he left the field there.

“He’s brought the Super Bowl to the city there and is basically the mayor there,” Gronkowski said. “He knows all the things about that place, knows all of the restaurants, so I call up Drew, asked him to be my wingman, and he accepted it with no problem.”

The former Saints quarterback was immediately on board with the idea and Gronkowski’s thinking behind it.

“He loved the saying — you can’t have football without wings and you can’t have wings without Bounty,” Gronkowski said. “Loved that I’m from Buffalo, and I love my buffalo wings … But whenever I eat them, I always cause a mess and it gets cleaned up by my quicker picker upper, Bounty paper towels. So, I appreciate Drew tagging along this year.”

Brees echoed Gronkowski’s thoughts and said he was greatly looking forward to the pair teaming up down in the bayou.

“I’ll be his wingman any time,” Brees said. “I’m excited to get Gronk out to New Orleans and I can’t believe he’s never been down there before. We’re going to have a great Super Bowl there.”

Super Bowl LIX is set for Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome. Like Brees and Gronkowski, we’ll be watching.

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Cowboys have 1 first-team AP All-Pro in 2024, 2 second-teamers

The Associated Press has revealed its All-Pro Team for 2024, and Cowboys fans will notice the same kind of dropoff from 2023 that they saw on the actual field all season long. After putting a league-high nine players on the first and second teams …

The Associated Press has revealed its All-Pro Team for 2024, and Cowboys fans will notice the same kind of dropoff from 2023 that they saw on the actual field all season long.

After putting a league-high nine players on the first and second teams last year, Dallas has just one first-teamer and two second-team All-Pros after their disappointing 7-10 campaign.

The Associated Press began naming All-Pro Teams in 1940, with the best players at each position selected by a national panel of AP media members. There is no AFC-versus-NFC designation, with players from both conferences making up both the first-team (top vote-getters) and the second-team (runners-up) rosters.

Cowboys kick returner KaVontae Turpin was the only Cowboys player to make the AP’s first team this season. He led the league in kick return yards in 2024 and was named to the Pro Bowl. This is his first All-Pro Selection.

The second team features CeeDee Lamb as one of the three wide receivers, along with Washington’s Terry McLaurin and Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown. (Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown make up the first-team WR corps.) Lamb was seventh in the league in both targets and receptions and ninth in receiving yards, despite missing the final two games of the season. Lamb was a first-team All-Pro last year and a second-teamer previously in 2022.

Also on the second team for 2024 is kicker Brandon Aubrey. (Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell took first-team honors.) Aubrey had a league-high 47 field goal attempts this season, and his 41 field goals made were just one behind the leader, Boswell. Aubrey’s 65-yarder was the longest three-pointer made across the NFL this season and the second-longest kick conversion of all time. Aubrey was the AP’s first-team kicker last season in his rookie campaign.

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Zack Martin and DaRon Bland were named first-team All-Pros in 2023. Dak Prescott, Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Micah Parsons, and Bryan Anger received second-team honors a season ago. All were passed over entirely in 2024.

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Two former Saints defenders make first-team All-Pro

Zack Baun showed he can play off the ball with the Eagles, Trey Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks again, and both ex-Saints made first-team All-Pro:

The Associated Press All-Pro team released Friday morning. Special teams ace J.T. Gray was the only New Orleans Saints player to make either first or second team. There are two former Saints defenders, however, who made first-team All Pro.

Zack Baun earned this honor in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson made his first All-Pro after years of consistently producing high sack numbers.

What makes Baun’s rapid ascension so interesting is he isn’t taking the route many thought he would take after leaving New Orleans. The belief was the Saints wasted Baun’s talent by trying to force him into being an off-ball linebacker.

That wasn’t true. Baun played off the ball for the Eagles and immediately announced his presence to the league with 15 tackles in the season-opener in Brazil. That was one of eight double-digit tackle games for Baun in 2024, one of which came against the Saints.

Baun can obviously play off-ball linebacker, but the Saints just didn’t know how to bring it out of him.

Hendrickson showcased the talent in his final year with New Orleans, and the Saints just decided not to pay him, wrongly assuming he was a flash in the pan, a one-year wonder. He’s gone on to have double-digit sacks in three of his four seasons with the Bengals.

Hendrickson has recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the last two years, and this time it was enough to lead the NFL. The veteran was rewarded with his first first-team All-Pro of his career. Hopefully the Saints will do a better job of retaining talent after they’ve developed it in the future.

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NFL special teams tackles leader reps Saints on the All-Pro team

J.T. Gray may not have made the Pro Bowl, but he earned a spot on the AP All-Pro team as one of the best special teams aces in the NFL:


New Orleans Saints captains J.T. Gray and Demario Davis have become overly familiar with inconsistent recognition at the national level. Gray was snubbed from the Pro Bowl, but he was announced as a member of this year’s Associated Press All-Pro team. Gray earned a place on the All-Pro second team.

The same thing happened to Davis his first three years in New Orleans. The linebacker was a first-team All Pro in 2019 and second-team All Pro in 2020 and 2021. In none of these seasons did he make the Pro Bowl.

For Gray, this is the second time he’s made All-Pro without making it to the Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl is often looked at as a popularity contest, and special teams aces aren’t the most popular players outside of their fanbase. Gray has done really well for himself as a former undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State.

This is Gray’s third appearance on an All-Pro team, and his first one since being first-team All Pro back in 2021. In addition to leading the league in special teams tackles, 22 total with 10 solo, Gray added a blocked punt to his resume and downed a couple of punts deep in enemy territory. He’s a force in the kicking game.

And that nearly won Gray a spot on the All-Pro first team; it was a close call between him and the New England Patriots’ Brenden Schooler. Schooler had one more first-team vote and just five more cumulative points. That slim margin was the difference between Gray and Schooler claiming the title of the best special teams ace in the league.

Davis received six points from two All-Pro votes by the Associated Press, while rookie punter Matthew Hayball also received two votes.

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Proving them wrong: Rico Dowdle’s story of grit, greatness as Cowboys RB1

In order to earn his role as the Cowboys lead back, Rico Dowdle literally had to believe in himself before anyone else did. | From @BtchesLuvSports

A series on the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season wouldn’t be complete without Rico Dowdle, a name that’s become synonymous with grit, persistence, and proving doutbers wrong. His journey isn’t just inspiring; it’s relatable to anyone who’s ever had to claw their way up through the ranks while shaking off the weight of low expectations.

Rewind to the 2024 NFL Draft. Cowboys fans and analysts alike were collectively side-eyeing the team for not drafting a running back. The headlines were ruthless. One late-April gem declared, “Cowboys in Crisis: Worst Running Back Problem Since Emmitt Smith Cut.” Ouch. For Dowdle, waking up to stories like that probably felt like watching someone critique your cooking without tasting a bite.

Fast forward to Week 15, and the narrative had shifted in a major way. Dowdle’s impact on the Cowboys offense was so undeniable, it inspired headlines like How Rico Dowdle has transformed into an RB1 force for Cowboys.

But to be clear, Dowdle didn’t stroll into the starting lineup on a red carpet. He had to prove himself several times and in multiple ways in order to become Dallas’ lead back.

Back in training camp, analysts were already calling him the team’s best running back. The Cowboys, however, opted for a “running back by committee” approach to start the season.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t giving what it was supposed to give.

The offense sputtered, and whatever they were calling a run scheme got dragged for being as confusing as it was ineffective.

Meanwhile, Dowdle quietly made his case. With limited chances in Weeks 2 through 4, he averaged over four yards per carry, proving he was ready for more. When his big moment finally came, a 20+ carry game on the road against the Steelers, he didn’t just show up. He showed out. By Week 11, the Cowboys officially handed him the keys to the backfield.

For an 2020 undrafted free agent, being named the lead back is already an impressive feat. But Rico Dowdle wasn’t about to stop there.

By the end of the season, he had rushed for over 1,000 yards—the first UDFA in Cowboys history to do so—while maintaining a career-high 4.6 yards per carry. It wasn’t just a breakout season; it was a full-on statement.

Late in the season, Mike McCarthy told the press that the next step for Dowdle is to become an every-down back. Should the cards fall in such a way that he’s expected to meet that challenge next season, one thing’s for sure, Rico Dowdle will be ready to make his mark. Again.

Culture over chaos: How Mike McCarthy steadied Cowboys in 2024

Mike McCarthy turned chaos into camaraderie, silencing critics and rebuilding trust. The Cowboys’ 2024 season proved culture counts. | From @Btchesluvsports

If the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season were a Disney production, Mike McCarthy’s journey would undoubtedly be the heartwarming, tear-jerking, against-all-odds story arc that gets the standing ovation. Think Remember the Titans meets The Mighty Ducks—with a Dallas twist. His handling of locker room dynamics and team culture might not have earned a playoff berth, but it’s the kind of character development that makes a team’s credits roll worth watching. 

The headlines alone could narrate his rollercoaster year. Remember January’s NFL Fans Call for Cowboys to Fire Mike McCarthy, Hire Belichick During Packers Loss? For the second year running, fans were practically packing McCarthy’s bags, swapping last year’s Sean Payton dream for a fantasy of Bill Belichick coaching America’s Team.

In August, Jerry Jones stirred the pot, claiming the typically even-keeled McCarthy needed “angst” and “pressure” to thrive—a backhanded pep talk, if ever there was one.

By mid-November, the storm peaked with headlines like, “Micah Parsons harsh words hint Mike McCarthy has lost the locker room.” But then, the winds had shifted, and by mid-December, headlines like “Dallas Cowboys rave about Mike McCarthy, locker room culture” were sprouting up like daisies after a downpour.

So, how did McCarthy go from the brink of mutiny to the king of camaraderie? Let’s break it down.

REPAIRING THE FOUNDATION

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Early on, things got messy. Devastating losses turned into headline bait: disharmony, weak leadership, poor work ethic, and a front office that had wrongfully gambled on a “lame-duck” coach.

Locker room tensions bubbled over as players like Jourdan Lewis and KeVontae Turpin publicly questioned their teammates’ focus and work ethic, while an article spotlighted The Star’s guided tours as practice-field distractions, turning the Cowboys into fodder for punchlines and hot takes.

The noise was deafening, and McCarthy was painted as a relic incapable of reigning it all in, but he refused to fold.

He tackled the run-game issues head-on, and there were signs of life from an offense most had declared dead after Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury.

Through it all, McCarthy remained teflon-coated: no lashing out, no grandstanding. He even dismissed unproductive narratives with a calm resolve, doubling down on his belief that public perception paled in comparison to the work being done behind closed doors.

And slowly but surely, the Cowboys followed his lead. The finger-pointing stopped, and viral soundbites faded into obscurity, replaced by a quieter focus on the core values McCarthy had championed from Day 1.

Enter Week 12, and a desperately-needed win against the Commanders, a spark that reignited belief in a locker room battered by injuries and doubt. Despite their playoff chances dangling by a thread, McCarthy’s refusal to quit became contagious.

Cowboys stars like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons all rallied behind their coach, publicly praising his resilience and ability to steady the ship in choppy waters.

With that victory, the Cowboys won four of their next five games, with their only loss coming to the Bengals’ high-powered offense—a game arguably decided by a late, special teams gaffe. Is it any surprise that the Cowboys started stacking wins as McCarthy regained control?

Mike McCarthy has always maintained that everything he does is about winning. This season was a reminder that consistent success requires a solid foundation.

The Cowboys’ 2024 season won’t make it into any highlight reels. There were no shiny trophies, and the playoff math didn’t work out. But beyond the stats, McCarthy pulled off something far more remarkable: he rebuilt trust, galvanized his players, and proved that culture counts.

Many fans would rather forget about this season altogether, but the story of Mike McCarthy in 2024 isn’t just about wins and losses—it’s about finding a way to hold a team together when everything seems to be falling apart. And if that’s not the stuff of sports-drama legend, what is?

Dennis Allen doesn’t view his 18-25 Saints record as a failure

Dennis Allen doesn’t view his time as head coach of the New Orleans Saints as a failure: ‘I look at it as, they just decided they wanted to go in a different direction’

Former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen spoke with FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer on the “Unbreakable” podcast to share his reaction to his midseason firing. While most of the conversation surrounded the toll on mental health that comes with such a high-profile departure, Allen also reflected on his time with the Saints, which he doesn’t view as a failure despite an 18-25 record and three seasons out of the playoffs.

“When I think about getting fired, I really think about, this is your company, this is your organization, you have the right to do whatever you want with that,” Allen said, via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “I don’t look at it as, I failed. I look at it as, they just decided they wanted to go in a different direction.”

Allen is free to feel that way, and it’s probably a healthier decision than to wallow in grief. But Gayle Benson wouldn’t have made the decision to fire him if he hadn’t lost seven games in a row. Better teams like the Detroit Lions haven’t used injuries as an excuse when they’ve hit tough times; their coaches have found solutions to get out of those jams and now they’re in the playoffs.

That’s been an excuse general manager Mickey Loomis has been all too eager to embrace since Allen was let go while making it clear this wasn’t a decision he agreed with.

“I think in this case the circumstances created the record. That’s just the truth and a lot of people don’t want to hear it,” Loomis said, via the team website back in November. He added: “But it just gets back to what stares at you right in the face, is that we’ve had an abnormal amount of injuries including to our quarterback, and we haven’t been able to overcome that. And so, that puts pressure and stress on the organization and ultimately, it was cause for a change.”

Allen and Loomis can rationalize this however they want — but at the end of the day, Benson made the right call to move on. It was clear in November 2022 that Allen wasn’t the right fit for the job. It just took a couple of more years before Benson made that realization, too.

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Dennis Allen details what happened the day he was fired

Dennis Allen told the story of Mickey Loomis firing him, the aftermath and how the New Orleans Saints general manager didn’t support it:

Former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen joined Jay Glazer on Glazer’s ‘Unbreakable’ podcast, where Allen reflected on the day he was informed he was being relieved of his duties.

The most interesting tidbit of the story was Allen mentioned Mickey Loomis “was not really in favor of this move.” That was evident by Loomis insisting Allen was a good coach after the firing. While there’s something to be said for not kicking a man when he’s down, this felt sincere.

The assumption has floated around since the decision, but Allen’s comments all but confirms this was a Gayle Benson call.

Loomis broke the news to Allen the Monday after the Carolina Panthers loss. Allen said Loomis “came into my office, closed the door, said let’s talk.”

From there he was only able to tell his staff. It was the one request he asked of Loomis. It was important to Allen to do that, because he understood the rest of the staff’s job is dependent on him.

Word of a firing tends to spread quickly. Allen says his pride kept him from wanting to walk to his car with a bunch of cameras in his face from local media, so he wasn’t able to say his goodbyes to the players face to face. Instead, it was mostly over text and on the phone.

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Opinion: Derek Carr’s latest comments come off arrogant and delusional

Derek Carr essentially says to look at the tape for why he wouldn’t take a pay cut. It makes you wonder what tape is he talking about:

Derek Carr recently told ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wasn’t willing to play ball with the New Orleans Saints by taking a pay cut, and that is fine. Players are owed the guaranteed money in their contracts. It’s his rationale that is the issue.

Carr said he doesn’t feel he should take a pay cut, “Especially with what I put on tape,” referring to his level of play this year and last.

That statement comes off extremely full of himself and delusional. This isn’t to call him a terrible quarterback, but that’s a statement that should be reserved for a few elite players at a position. He’s not one of them.

Spencer Rattler had his struggles, but the season didn’t start going down when the rookie backup became the starter. Carr started in the first three games of the seven-game losing streak. Three of his wins came against teams picking top-10 in this year’s NFL draft, and one of them (the Carolina Panthers) beat him in a rematch.

The offense stagnated with Carr conducting them. You saw times where he would begin to panic after the pressure got there early in the game. You saw struggles with ball placement. And these issues go back to last year.

When Carr essentially tells you to check his tape, you’d think he was in the MVP race. He did some good things in Klint Kubiak’s system, but those faults are present and prominent as well. The first two weeks were best when he just needed to be an efficient complement to a dominant running attack. He only completed 30 passes in those first two games, both wins, but the Saints went 1-3 when he was asked to attempt 30 or more passes this season (not counting a primetime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs where he threw 28 times).

Undeniable isn’t an accurate description of Carr, but the veteran is acting as if a pay cut is beneath him. He could’ve made his point without putting a target on his back, but his poor choice of words paints a less-than-flattering picture of him.

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Cowboys land just 1 player on Players’ All-Pro Team for 2024

From @ToddBrock24f7: KaVontae Turpin was selected by active NFL players as the best kick return man in the game. He’s the only Cowboy to make the 2024 squad.

For the third year in a row, the NFL Players’ Association has put together its own all-star squad, voted on solely by players choosing the best of the best at their own positions and the positions they line up against.

The Players’ All-Pro Team was started last year as “the first true representation of players recognizing the best of us,” according to then-NFLPA president and former Browns center JC Tretter. (The honor is not to be confused with the All-Pro award; that roster will be revealed by the Associated Press in the coming days.)

This year, only one Cowboys player meets that criterion. KaVontae Turpin was chosen as the Players’ All-Pro-Team kick returner for 2024.

Turpin led the league with 904 kick return yards, and his 33.5-yard average was tops among all specialists who returned a dozen or more kicks this season. He was one of just seven NFL players to return a kick for a touchdown in 2024.

His 99-yard spin-move score in the Week 12 win over Washington stands as perhaps the most memorable play of the Cowboys’ season and one of the most-replayed moments on an NFL field all year.

The 2023 team featured five Cowboys (CeeDee Lamb, Zack Martin, Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland, Brandon Aubrey) representing all three phases of the game. But, just like everything else on the field in Dallas, 2024 saw a disappointing dropoff.

Turpin previously made the 2023 Players’ All-Pro Team, as the punt returner. Martin was also included on that inaugural squad.

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To determine the Players’ All-Pro Team, active players vote only for their own position group and the position group(s) they line up directly against. Players get one vote only for each of those slots and are not allowed to vote for themselves. Designated player leaders from each team vote for special teamers. Players who missed five or more games as of Week 15 were ineligible for the vote.

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