ESPN’s Marty Smith shared an awesome moment with a local TV reporter after LSU-Alabama

So great.

ESPN’s Marty Smith is one of the better liked and respected reporters in the industry. He covered NASCAR for years before jumping into NFL and college football coverage, so few sports TV journalists know the everyday grind quite like Smith.

Following LSU’s win over Alabama on Saturday, Columbus, Ga., CBS affiliate WRBL reporter Jack Patterson was working on a taped recap from the field level and stumbled with his words during a take. Smith noticed Patterson’s frustration and approached the young reporter to offer some words of encouragement.

The result was an awesome moment of kindness that was all captured on video.

Smith told Patterson that he found those taped standup shots the toughest part of his job because he’d always try to be perfect.

Smith said:

“You wanna know the hardest part, the hardest part of our job is what you’re doing right now. The taped standup. Hate ’em. I hate ’em, man. Because if you’re live and you kind of mess up, whatever, you just keep on diggin. This thing — you wanna be just perfect. I can’t stand ’em.”

After the two took a photo together, Smith said:

“Keep plowing. You’re doing a good job.

Patterson’s reaction was particularly great. And as his clip went viral, he thanked Smith again and shared the photo.

Just as our Michelle Martinelli told me, “Marty Smith is nice.” He certainly backed it up in that exchange.

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Fantasy football sleepers for Week 11

Quarterbacks Derek Carr and Sam Darnold highlight this week’s list of fantasy football sleepers.

Week 11 could be a difficult one at quarterback for fantasy football owners. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Seattle’s Russell Wilson, two of the best, are in their bye weeks.

That means you could be scrambling for a quarterback. In this week’s edition of fantasy football sleepers, we offer Oakland’s Derek Carr and New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold as suggestions to start. Also, some free advice: don’t be tempted and start Washington’s Dwayne Haskins. Yes, interim coach Bill Callahan named him the starter for the rest of the season, but Haskins is raw and won’t put up a lot of fantasy points.

Here are nine fantasy football sleepers for Week 11:

9. Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Darnold had a solid game, throwing 230 yards and a touchdown in last week’s victory against the Giants. He’s got a favorable matchup this week against the Redskins. In fact, matchups with the Raiders, Bengals and Dolphins follow that. Darnold could be more than a one-week starter.

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Week 10 snap counts: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

The Seattle Seahawks played a lot of their new players, Josh Gordon and Quandre Diggs, in their victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seattle Seahawks improved to 8-2 on the season with a thrilling overtime victory over the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, a game that will go down as an instant classic between the two NFC West rivals.

Seattle had a few tricks up their sleeves in this one, including the team debuts for both safety Quandre Diggs and receiver Josh Gordon.

Gordon was on the field for 28 snaps, hauling in a handful of crucial catches down the stretch to keep Seattle in the game.

Diggs played all 88 of Seattle’s defensive snaps, settling in as the team’s starting free safety alongside Bradley McDougald – giving Seattle a veteran duo to man the secondary.

The Seahawks also gave core special teamer Shaquem Griffin a new role on the defense, as the second-year saw 14 snaps on defense – all coming as an edge rusher in obvious passing downs. He previously had not played a single snap on defense this season, and appeared to be replacing Ziggy Ansah, who himself only saw 14 total snaps.

The Seahawks once again relied heavily on Chris Carson, who was on for 71 of Seattle’s 74 offensive snaps. Rashaad Penny only saw three total snaps, and did not come back into the game after fumbling early in the third quarter.

Jacob Hollister played in 58 snaps, thanks in part to an injury to Luke Willson that kept him out and limited him to just 14 total snaps.

Here is a look at Seattle’s snap counts and play percentages for Monday’s game.

And for the 49ers:

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Tyler Herro is ‘questionable’ to play Tuesday vs. the Pistons

The Heat could be without several players Tuesday night against the Pistons, including rookie Tyler Herro.

Miami Heat rookie Tyler Herro is questionable to play Tuesday night at home against the Detroit Pistons due to a left ankle sprain, the team announced Tuesday morning.

Details of the injury are not known as the Heat last played Friday night in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Lakers. Herro recorded seven points in that contest. With the Heat potentially missing quite a few players, Herro will warm up with the intent to play on Tuesday so the team will evaluate his ankle just before tip-off.

Herro has appeared in each of the Heat’s nine games to this point and is averaging 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He ranks seventh among all first-year players in scoring and ninth in 3-point percentage among rookies logging at least 10 minutes per game.

On Monday, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said he is seeing improvement in Herro each day. Herro has often drawn praise from teammates for his work ethic and Spoelstra praised him to this point of the season and sees him getting better as a result.

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It’s time to vote your favorite Broncos players to the Pro Bowl

Fan voting for the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is now open. The polls will close in mid-December.

Fan voting for the 2020 Pro Bowl opened Tuesday.

Fans, coaches and players will each account for one-third of the voting. The AFC and NFC will each be represented by 44 players. Fan voting will conclude on Dec. 12 and the Pro Bowl rosters will be announced on NFL Network on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. MT.

Fans can vote for their favorite players at NFL.com/ProBowlVote.

The Denver Broncos were represented by three players in last season’s Pro Bowl: outside linebacker Von Miller, long snapper Casey Kreiter and cornerback Chris Harris. Running back Phillip Lindsay was also voted to the All-Star game but could not play due to injury.

Miller totaled two tackles and Harris intercepted a pass in the AFC’s 26-7 win over the NFC in the 2019 Pro Bowl.

Denver’s most deserving player this season might be safety Justin Simmons, who has played 1,582 consecutive snaps and is tied with inside linebacker Todd Davis as the Broncos’ leading tackler (53). Simmons has also broken up nine passes and totaled two interceptions this year.

The Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 26, 2020 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The game will begin at 1 p.m. MT and will air on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ABC and Disney XD. Tickets start at $45.

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Delanie Walker talks evolution of tight end position

Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker

Playing tight end in the NFL isn’t what it used to be.

Today’s best players at the position are asked to do as much as any player on the field, from blocking like another offensive lineman to making a dynamic impact on the passing game.

One of the league’s most complete players at the position, Delanie Walker of the Tennessee Titans recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about the evolution of the position, and which young players have caught his eye.

JM: You’re working with the FedEx Football Fellowship Program which is a collaborative effort between FedEx and the USO which helps create on the job experience for veterans as they transition from the military back to civilian life. How important are programs like this in our country?

DW: This is a very important program and I’m honored to join FedEx and the USO to support our military veterans and their families as they prepare for life after military service. I think that these men and women have done a great job protecting our country and they deserve every opportunity they can get to help transition back to every day life. Anything I or the Titans organization can do to help assist this wonderful program is a bonus to me. They deserve the immediate opportunity to get jobs once they return to regular civilization.

JM: I’m curious to get your take on the state of the NFL draft when it comes to the tight end position. When you were drafted, the collegiate tight end was asked to do a lot. Despite being a later pick, you came into the league with the skills required to make the massive impact that you’ve made throughout your long, illustrious career. Not only are you an excellent receiver and route runner, but you’re an excellent blocker and even played a ton of special teams in your San Francisco days. Have you noticed this difference with today’s young tight ends?

DW: The tight end position has changed a lot from when I first entered the league. The role of a tight end nowadays is pretty much to be a receiver first and foremost. That’s what it’s transitioned over to. You have to be able to catch the ball and run routes from the outside in. You still need to be able to block though. I feel like tight ends have multiple roles on the offense. It’s almost like we’re another quarterback out there. We need to know the fronts, we need to understand the coverage and we pretty much need to know what everyone’s role is on every play. We can line up just about anywhere on any given play.

I’m glad that the role has changed so much to be honest. If anything, it’s given the tight end more exposure which has probably lead to some bigger pay days for us all (laughs).

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

JM: I’m curious if there’s part of you that thinks rookie tight ends are struggling to make an immediate impact nowadays because they’re asked to do so little in college?

DW: Yeah, that’s the tough part when it comes to all this. Like you said, they’re not asked to do a whole lot in college nowadays. They’re pretty much just asked to catch the ball and maybe block a nine technique. When they get to the NFL, everything changes. They want you to be able to play fullback in addition to tight end. You have to know how to pull a lead block once you get here. You have to be able to survive on the outside while reading coverages. The transition is definitely more difficult for the tight end nowadays. Most college offenses will build around you and they baby them a little bit. When you get to the NFL, they’re gonna throw you into the fire. You have to be able to learn on the fly. It’s tough for the young guys. I understand why that can make life difficult for some of these rookies.

JM: Who are some of your favorite young tight ends in the game today?

DW: George Kittle, for sure. Kittle has been a monster since he came into this league man. He’s been balling out. I’ve been keeping a close eye on him and he’s definitely doing his thing. I love watching him play the game man. I like seeing what he’s doing in San Francisco. You know I played in San Francisco for a while. It means a lot to me when I see a young guy representing San Francisco the way they deserve to be represented.

I have to mention my teammate Jonnu Smith, as well. He’s been showing up for us in a big way since I’ve been injured. He’s been playing great. We’ve asked him to do a lot of things and he’s doing a great job out there. Zach Ertz is another one. There’s so many tight ends out here chilling right now (laughs). The younger tight ends are really showing up. I’m a savvy veteran and I’m proud of every single one of them.

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Steelers Wire discussion forum: Will Minkah Fitzpatrick be defensive player of the year?

Let us know your thoughts on whether or not Minkah Fitzpatrick is a candidate for defensive player of the year.

Despite the fact the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the second game of the season, the Steelers front office decided to mortgage their 2020 first-round pick for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. At the time the move was met with mixed results considering the cost with many calling the price too high.

But nine games into the season the Steelers defense is among the best in the league and Fitzpatrick is a frontrunner for defensive player of the year.

Fitzpatrick’s skillset has allowed defensive coordinator Keith Butler tremendous freedom with his front seven knowing he has No. 39 patrolling the back end. On the season, Fitzpatrick has five interceptions — best in the NFL —- as well as two fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns.

But his impact spills over into every aspect of the defense, in particular, deep coverage. In the first two games of the season, the Steelers back to their old ways with shaky deep passing defense. But the presence of Fitzpatrick has turned the Steelers into playoff contenders.

In the final analysis, it is hard to see any player being more impactful to a team than Fitzpatrick is to Pittsburgh. And his play has quieted any concerns about who won or lost that trade.

We pose the question to you: Will Minkah Fitzpatrick be the defensive player of the year? Share your thoughts and join the discussion at the Steelers Wire Forum.

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NFL Week 11 power rankings: Rams continue to fall after 4th loss

The Rams dropped out of the top half of Doug Farrar’s power rankings this week.

The Los Angeles Rams dropped their fourth game of the season on Sunday, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-12 at Heinz Field. This week’s loss continued a troubling trend of inconsistency on offense, despite getting – and wasting – outstanding performances from their core group of defenders.

They seemed to be making progress against the Falcons and Bengals, but this weekend against a tougher opponent proved the Rams have not improved much at all. They dropped further down this week’s power rankings as Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire doesn’t see them as one of the 16 best teams in the NFL.

They’re No. 18 in his Week 11 power rankings after losing to the Steelers on Sunday afternoon.

After the Rams went 13-3 and reached the Super Bowl last season, head coach Sean McVay was the toast of the league. What a difference a year can make, and not in a good way. In a 17-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday, McVay’s offense converted just one of its 14 third-down attempts. The Rams’ drives: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, missed field goal, interception, interception, field goal, punt, punt, downs, interception. At one point, McVay pulled Jared Goff from the game, installed backup quarterback Blake Bortles, and then tried a fourth-down pass from punter Johnny Hekker, which was intercepted by safety Terrell Edmunds. Goff completed 22 of 41 passes for 243 yards, no touchdowns, and two picks of his own. Goff has a completion rate below 60% in each of his last five games, nobody seems to know why Todd Gurley isn’t getting the ball, and Cooper Kupp didn’t catch a single pass on a season-low four targets. The league may have figured out McVay and Goff, but McVay and Goff are helping their opponents with some truly ugly football.

Right ahead of the Rams are the Steelers, who are also 5-4. Behind Los Angeles are the Cardinals, who are better than their 3-6-1 record indicates. Now, it’s not as if the Rams have fallen below .500 or have become one of the worst teams in football, but given their talent level and expectations, 18th is certainly disappointing.

Even the Titans (No. 16) have moved ahead of the Rams and they have far fewer star players than Los Angeles. It’s just that they’ve gotten better play from their quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and more importantly, their offensive line.

The Seahawks are No. 6 after beating the 49ers on Monday night, while San Francisco ranks second.

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Where are the Georgia Bulldogs in latest SEC power rankings?

The Georgia Bulldogs have been ranked third in this week’s version of SEC power rankings. Not surprisingly, LSU checks in at number one. Alabama is ranked ahead of UGA as well: Week 12 SEC Power Rankings: pic.twitter.com/anlXNhsCcf – SEC Network …

The Georgia Bulldogs have been ranked third in this week’s version of SEC power rankings. Not surprisingly, LSU checks in at number one. Alabama is ranked ahead of UGA as well:

It remains to be seen where the Bulldogs will be ranked in this week’s version of the CFP Rankings. The rankings release tonight at nine. Georgia versus Alabama will certainly be a topic for debate tonight, but if the Dawgs go on to win the SEC, then they’re a lock for the playoff. If Georgia wins the SEC Championship, and the LSU Tigers’ only loss is to UGA, then both LSU and Georgia get in over the Crimson Tide.

Georgia travels to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face the fifth-ranked team in these power rankings: the Auburn Tigers. This will be a grind-it-out defensive battle that’s expected to be low scoring. It should be the Dawgs’ largest remaining test of the regular season, but Georgia’s College Football Playoff lives are on the line every week.

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16 awful NBA injuries that have changed the season already

Ugh.

The 2019-20 season is only about an eighth finished.

But it’s clear there are injuries affecting some of the game’s biggest names, and — therefore — the teams they’re a part of. And it’s the worst. You never want to see that happen to anyone, let alone superstars. Consider this a collective “get well soon” to everyone on the list and everyone else in the NBA dealing with maladies.

When you put the list all together, it’s pretty wild how many players have been affected by injuries, some of them extremely long-term. Here’s a look at the list we compiled as of Tuesday:

1. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

We all knew his Achilles tear would probably result in a full year out, and that’s looking likely even if he’s shooting. And that means we’re missing out on a year of watching one of the all-time greatest NBA scorers.

2. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

I doubt the Dubs will rush him back from his ACL tear suffered in the NBA Finals.

3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

There was talk he might not return this year for the Warriors from a broken hand, but …

4. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

It sounds like he’s coming back soon from surgeries on both of his shoulders — he practiced over the weekend.

5. John Wall, Washington Wizards

Will he be the same player he was before an Achilles tear? He’s still working his way back, but that hasn’t stopped him from tweeting stuff like this:

6. Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

There’s this news from Tuesday as he comes back from a knee injury:

7. Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers

Boy, the Blazers have missed him, haven’t they? He broke his leg in March, so it might be a while until he returns.

8. Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics

Just when he was turning a corner and returning from a devastating knee injury to being the star we saw in Utah, he fractured his hand and underwent surgery. He’ll reportedly return in six weeks.

9. Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks

A thigh contusion might keep him out for a month.

10. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

The long-awaited debut is more awaited after knee surgery in October.

11. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings

Poor Kings. A sprained ankle will keep the point guard out for some time.

12. Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings

Poor Kings, part II. He broke his thumb and he’s slowly working his way back.

13. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Yes, he’s playing, but he’s talking about shoulder pain. A lot.

14. DeMarcus Cousins, Los Angeles Lakers

An ACL tear is likely keeping him out the entire 2019-20 season.

15. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors

A fractured thumb shelved him for what will reportedly be two weeks.

16. Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons

He just returned after missing 10 games with left leg problems.

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