Category: PSU in NFL

Micah Parsons had some truly bad NFL wild card weekend predictions

Micah Parsons should probably avoid handing out game picks on his podcast after the NFL Wild Card weekend.

Former Penn State linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] was hoping this would be the year his Dallas Cowboys made a solid run to end the franchise’s Super Bowl drought. Unfortunately for Parsons, the Cowboys were one and done with a humiliating defeat at home to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The no. 2 seed in the NFC saw their season blow up with the worst defensive performance of the season as Parsons ended the game with just one tackle.

It turns out Parsons took a few more beatings this NFL wild card weekend, because his weekend predictions were also abysmal throughout the weekend, with Monday still leaving us with two games to go.

On his podcast last week, Parsons went on record with his NFL Wild Card predictions, and we have arrived at Monday still waiting for one of those picks to be right.

Parsons suggested the Houston Texans were limited on offense when he picked the Cleveland Browns. The Texans won by a score of 45-14. Parsons noted the injury concerns with the Miami Dolphins but still picked them on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champs won 26-7 in the frigid temperatures. Parsons took the Los Angeles Rams on the road against the Detroit Lions, but the Lions held on for a 24-23 victory at home on Sunday night. And, of course, Parsons picked the Cowboys against the Packers, and we know how that went.

Parsons can save some face with Monday’s wild card schedule. Parsons picked the Buffalo Bills at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home against Parsons’ division rival the Philadelphia Eagles.

Following the loss by the Cowboys, many will be anxious to hear what Parsons has to say on his next podcast. But maybe don’t pay attention to his picks for the NFL’s divisional round.

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Every Penn State player in the NFL playoffs in 2024

Here is every former Penn State football player on an NFL playoff team’s roster in 2024.

Another NFL postseason is set to get underway, and there is a good chance at least one team playing in the Super Bowl will have a Penn State player on the roster. All but two teams in this year’s NFL playoffs have at least one Penn State player on the roster this year. The top seeds in each conference have multiple Penn State players on the roster, seemingly making it more likely Penn State will see a former player earn a Super Bowl ring.

In all, a total of 64 Super Bowl rings have been won by a former Penn State player. Last year’s Super Bowl had just one former Penn State player on the field, but Miles Sanders and the Philadelphia Eagles came up short of winning the big game. There is an excellent chance there will be more than one former Nittany Lion competing in the Super Bowl this postseason.

The Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns are the only two teams in the NFL postseason without a Penn State player on the roster. Here is a look at every Penn State player on an NFL playoff team’s roster this postseason.

Saquon Barkley to Giants: If you’re going to franchise tag me, just get it over with

Saquon Barkley sends clear message to the Giants front office for the offseason.

Former Penn State running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] saw his offseason routine begin a little earlier than a year ago, which means his focus on his contract situation has come into focus earlier than desired. And once again, what the Giants do with Barkley will be a big offseason topic of conversation, and Barkley does not seem thrilled about where things may go.

After having his contract situation drawn out into training camp last offseason, Barkley was back in a Giants uniform on a one-year contract after the Giants used the franchise tag on their star running back. Barkley is fully aware he could go through that whole routine once again, and he doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about it.

“They did it last year. So, I’m numb to it,” Barkley said on Monday (according to ESPN), a day after the Giants wrapped up their season by missing the playoffs but handing the rival Philadelphia Eagles a loss, in which Barkley scored twice. “I don’t have any feelings toward that at all. If you’re going to do it, just don’t wait until March 5. Just get it over with. If not, let me go. Simple.”

Barkley is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 27. Having already dealt with some injury concerns early in his professional career, Barkley shouldered a load for the Giants this season by starting all 14 games he played. The Giants have many offseason items on the to-do list to improve the roster, and a highly-paid running back may not necessarily be in the cards with the franchise’s vision of taking the next step.

So was Sunday Barkley’s last game in a Giants uniform? Are the Giants about to draw out this contract situation again? We’ll see. Either way, Barkley seems ready to not waste time figuring out his next step in the NFL.

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Micah Parsons sets career-high for sacks in a season

Micah Parsons set a new career-high for sacks in a season as his Cowboys clinched the division.

It was a pretty big day for former Penn State linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag]. Parsons put the finishing touches on his case to be considered the NFL’s defensive player of the year by recording his 14th sack of the season against the Washington Commanders in the regular-season finale. Parsons had been stuck on 13 sacks longer than he wanted, so he probably breathed a bit of a sigh of relief finally getting that 14th sack to set a career-high.

Parsons deserves the chance to celebrate a personal achievement, but the effort of Parsons also helped his team win their way to the NFC East division title. Needing a win against Washington or a loss by the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants, the Cowboys were looking to wrap up the division and the no. 2 seed in the upcoming NFL playoffs. The Cowboys took care of business on their own but would have won the division anyway as the Eagles were embarrassed by Saquon Barkley and the Giants.

Parsons and the Cowboys will host the Green Bay Packers next weekend as the NFL playoffs get underway.

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Social media reacts to Micah Parsons going off on NFL officials

Social media reactions to Micah Parsons’ lack of holding calls

If you have tuned into the NFL this season, or maybe any season at all, officiating is always a big talking point. Typically, it’s complaints about calls, and the discourse is almost never positive for the officials. This year, NFL officiating has seemed to generate far more negative attention than any season in recent memory. Just look at the last two Kansas City Chiefs games, and you can see why. Complaints are at an all-time high.

On Thursday after practice, former Penn State star defender Micah Parsons went on a tirade about the lack of penalties being called on him this season. Many edge defenders complain about the lack of holding calls, but last week against the Eagles seemed to be a tipping point for the Eagles. Parsons sees the official’s behavior this season as an ego problem rather than an officiating problem, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Here is a look at some of the best social media reactions to Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons’s latest rant on NFL officiating found on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Penn State in the NFL: Best photos from Week 11

These former Penn State stars had some big moments around the NFL in Week 11. Here are some of the best photos form the week.

Penn State fans who may have been watching some NFL football this past weekend likely had some reasons to smile. A handful of former Nittany Lions had some big moments around the league in Week 11 of the NFL’s regular season.

[autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag] got an early jump on the weekend by recording a sack of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the Thursday night win by the Baltimore Ravens. [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] had a big game for the New York Giants as they picked up a win against the Washington Commanders. Barkley rushed for 83 yards on 14 carries and picked up 57 yards on 4 receptions with two touchdown catches in the win.

And on the west coast, rookie safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] came up with a big interception to help the San Francisco 49ers pick up a win against Chris Godwin and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here is a look at some of the best photos from around the NFL of your favorite former Penn State stars in Week 11.

Best photos of former Penn State players in the NFL’s Week 8

Check out the best photos of Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons and other former Penn State players in the NFL’s Week 8.

The results for a handful of former Penn State players may not have gone their way in Week 8 of the NFL’s regular season, but it was a busy weekend for a number of former Nittany Lions. Former linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] continued to be a wrecking ball for the Dallas Cowboys as the defense was once again its dominant self in a blowout win against the Los Angeles Rams. Next up for Parsons and the Cowboys is a big road game against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

Things did not go quite as well for former Penn State running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag], who did just about everything he could to lead the New York Giants to a win over the crosstown New York Jets, but Barkley and the Giants came up short in a bitter loss.

And former wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] had some good moments in a losing effort for the Washignton Commanders, who could not topple the Eagles at home,

Here are some of the best photos of these players and more from around the NFL in Week 8.

Saquon Barkley electrified NFL social media with his return to Giants lineup

Saquon Barkley returned to the field but the Giants didn’t give him a chance to beat the Bills. Social media reacts.

The New York Giants have not exactly seen their 2023 season go according to plan. The Giants are just 1-5 this year after coming short in a defensive battle against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, but the return of running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] provided at least a little glimmer of optimism for Giants fans.

Barkley missed the last three weeks with a high ankle sprain but was ready to go on Sunday night as a gameday decision. And he sure looked good when his team needed him the most. Barkley chewed up some big yards on a fourth-quarter drive after the Bills took a lead on the Giants. But with the ball on the one-yard line and the game on the line, the Giants opted to have backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor (who was playing in place of an injured Daniel Jones this week) attempt a pass over the middle to the back of the end zone instead of get the ball in the hands of Barkley. That left a number of people watching puzzled by the decision-making going on with the Giants.

Barkley ended his night with 93 rushing yards on 24 attempts and 98 all-purpose yards, but he was without a touchdown in the game.

Here is how social media was reacting to Barkley’s return and the decision to let him try winning the game for the Giants in the end.

Will Saquon Barkley play vs. Miami Dolphins?

Here is the latest on the status of New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley vs. Miami.

Any Penn State fans looking to get a dose of [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] in action in the NFL this weekend are likely waking up to unpleasant news. According to NFL injury updates on Sunday morning, it does not appear Barkley will get on the field for the New York Giants against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

NFL reporters, including Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, are reporting Barkley is still working through his high ankle sprain injury suffered a couple of weeks ago. Giants Wire noted he made some progress in practices this week for the Giants, but the latest word from the NFL insiders suggests caution may be at play here instead of rushing Barkley back on the field.

Barkley has a history of injuries during his career in the NFL, all with the Giants. And that may have been a factor in how the Giants approached Barkley’s contract situation going into the season. The two sides eventually agreed to get a one-year franchise player contract taken care of as the Giants refused to invest in any long-term future with the former Penn State running back.

The Giants have own just one game this season and have the look of the worst team in the NFC, if not the whole NFL. With no offensive line support protecting the Giants’ franchise quarterback, Daniel Jones, it makes sense not to have Barkley get back on the field and play behind that same line.

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Micah Parsons was an offensive ‘monster among boys’ in high school

One high school coach called Micah Parsons a “monster among boys” when he was on the football field.

Nobody can dispute the athletic ability of Dallas Cowboys linebacker, and former Penn State star, [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag]. In a short period of time, Parsons has already established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL with a unanimous selection as a defensive rookie of the year and turning in Pro Bowl seasons in each of his first two full seasons in the league. But some still recall the days of Parsons on the high school football fields causing problems for opposing defenses as a standout running back.

Parsons played for Central Dauphin and Harrisburg when in high school, prior to accepting a scholarship offer from Penn State. In addition to playing masterful defense, Parsons used his size and athleticism to his team’s advantage at running back and special teams returns. He even dabbled in some kicking as well!

USA TODAY Sports took a look back at his high school career with memories shared by high school coaches who faced Parsons on the opposite sideline. The story also takes a look at Parsons’ journey which included playing for Central Dauphin’s freshman team when he was in eighth grade.

“I think everybody felt that his versatility at his talent level was probably generational,” said Central Dauphin head coach Glen McNamee. “Just wasn’t something that was seen much, if not ever, around here.”

Former Governor Mifflin head coach Mick Vecchio sums it up best by simply saying Parsons “was a monster among boys.”

You can read the full story about Micah Parsons and high school career via USA TODAY Sports.

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