Tag: 2021 playoffs

Ben Simmons finally explained why he passed up an easy dunk against the Hawks in the 2021 playoffs

Ben Simmons finally broke down the dunk that never was.

The last time we saw Ben Simmons playing basketball it didn’t look good for him. At all. He struggled offensively throughout the 76ers’ series against the Hawks.

The last significant play he made was passing up this *easy* dunk over Trae Young in Game 7. The 76ers were up 78-77 with about 3 minutes left. If he just dunks the ball, they’re up 3 in a game where no one can score. Maybe they actually win the game.

Instead, he passes it up. And the rest is really history. The 76ers go on to lose the game and lose the series as the no. 1 seed. He never plays for the team again.

Now, look. This isn’t necessarily the play that lost the Sixers the game. They played themselves into a hole as a team. But, at the same time, this is the play that sticks out. It’s the one everyone talks about. And it’s the last play of significance we saw from Ben Simmons.

JJ Reddick brought him on his podcast, The Old Man and the Three, to ask him about it. And Simmons explained it all. He basically explained that he thought Trae Young was coming over to him quicker and that Matisse Thybulle would be able to easily dunk it.

He didn’t realize how much space there was between Thybulle and the basket.

Here was his breakdown:

“In the moment I just spun and I’m assuming Trae’s going to come over quicker. So I’m thinking he’s going to come full blown and I see Matisse [Thybulle] going — you know, Matisse is athletic, can get up. So I’m thinking quick pass he’s going to flush it. Not knowing how much space there was.”

He continued to explain his mindset and what went wrong.

“It happened so quick, that you just make a read. And in the playoffs, you need to make the right decisions a majority of the time. It happened and I was like “Ok. F*** now we’ve got to go make another play. That’s what I’m thinking. Then I didn’t realize how, you know, everyone was posting…like, it was that big?” 

And there you have it, folks. That’s the explanation for the dunk that never was. Simmons also had one final point to make about all the blame being placed on his shoulders. “Also, I’m guarding the f******* best player on the other team the whole game.” Which, you know, that’s a totally fair point. He doesn’t deserve as much blame as he’s getting for that loss, even all this time later.

Still should’ve dunked it. But hey. The past is the past. Maybe everyone can finally put this to bed and move on.

Michael Irvin questions Cowboys’ will after ’21 playoff loss: ‘I want it to hurt them’

The fiery wide receiver believes the Cowboys can overcome their personnel losses by channeling the pain of January’s postseason defeat. | From @ToddBrock24f7

As a player in the 1990s and now as an analyst, Michael Irvin has always worn his emotions on his sleeve. But the fiery Hall of Famer who won three Super Bowls in Dallas wishes this current crop of Cowboys were a little more outwardly expressive, especially when it comes to losing.

The 56-year-old ex-wide receiver was inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame over the weekend. And following the trade of Amari Cooper, the departure of La’el Collins, and the last-minute contract misunderstanding that caused Randy Gregory to walk, the Cowboys legend says he believes that his former club has taken a step backward so far this offseason.

“They have lost talent. They are not a better team talent-wise,” Irvin said, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “This game doesn’t require skill. It requires will. If a team loses a little bit of skill but gains greater will, they can still do great things.”

It’s that greater will that Irvin wants to see in 2022, in hopes that this season’s roster can go farther than a home loss to the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs.

“If the Cowboys can take the disappointment of that defeat against San Francisco, beating you at home,” Irvin explained, “if they can take that and internalize it in the offseason and come with less skill and more will and have a better season.”

But what Irvin- and most Cowboys fans- saw from their team in the immediate wake of the 23-17 wild-card loss was finger-pointing, blaming officials after a risky play call allowed time to expire with the Cowboys offense sitting just 24 yards away from the end zone.

“When you lack skill, you have to overcome it with will and togetherness. A man’s greatest promise comes from their greatest pain. If they felt the pain like we felt and like those fans,” Irvin said, “I want to see them jokers on the field cry like that. I want it to hurt them like that.”

And not just hurt. Hurt for everyone to see.

The way it would have for him.

“But I haven’t seen that. I hope they cry like karate men, on the inside. But I haven’t seen it outside.”

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Cowboys News: Parsons played all of 2021 while injured, SB participants show love for Dallas players

Praise from Super Bowl LVI competitors, Parsons’ playing through injury, draft stock checks and cap decisions in the news for the Cowboys. | From @CDBurnett7

If the incredible rookie campaign from linebacker Micah Parsons wasn’t enough to get excited about the future, what if performed that well, after a year away from the game, and was never at 100%?  Beware. The Dallas Cowboys could select another linebacker in the first round to create a tandem at the position while Tyler Browning also breaks down a Day 2 prospect for an offensive line desperate for change.

With big decisions coming up in free agency and with limited cap space, how will Dallas handle the contracts of defensive end Demarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Amari Cooper, extensions or cap casualties? Ahead of Super Bowl LVI, current and former Cowboys stars received high praise from Ja’Marr Chase and Jalen Ramsey, who will likely line up across one another on Sunday with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.

Here’s a look at the news and notes.

Ex-Cowboys CB Chidobe Awuzie Super Bowl-bound after standout season with Bengals

Awuzie is headed to the title game in his first year away from Dallas, attempting to bring Cincinnati their first Lombardi Trophy ever. | From @ToddBrock24f7

What a difference a year makes.

On January 30 of 2020, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was fresh off a rough year with the Dallas Cowboys, wondering where his future might take him.

On January 30 of 2021, he found out it would be Super Bowl LVI, having punched his ticket to the title game after a conference championship win with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Awuzie played every defensive snap for the Bengals in Sunday’s road win over Kansas City and was a key component to the team’s success this season. After tallying 64 tackles and a pair of interceptions over 14 contests in the regular season, he added 19 more tackles on Cincinnati’s three-game run through the AFC playoff bracket.

The son of Nigerian immigrants, the California-born Awuzie will now be back in the Golden State, where he’ll suit up for the biggest game of his life and try to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Cincinnati for the first time in that franchise’s 54-years of existence.

It’s been quite a journey.

“As everybody knows, in life, success isn’t a straight line,” the 26-year-old said prior to Championship Weekend. “It goes in a lot of curves, a lot of ups and downs.”

Awuzie first hit the NFL road as a second-round draft pick by Dallas in 2017. He had put together a solid collegiate career at Colorado, but most fans remember his selection announcement for its emphatic delivery, made by a trash-talking Drew Pearson in Philadelphia.

His rookie season brought several of the aforementioned ups and downs. He logged four tackles in the season opening-win over the Giants and was starting by Week 2. But injuries caused him to miss six of the next seven games for the Cowboys. He ended his first year in the pros by starting the team’s final five games and recorded his first career interception against the Eagles in the finale.

2018 saw Awuzie start 15 of 16 outings opposite Byron Jones, missing just one game with an ankle injury. The year ended with a postseason appearance for Dallas; Awuzie made 12 tackles and defended two passes as the Cowboys beat Seattle in the wild-card round and then lost to the Rams at the divisional stage.

He started all 16 games for the Cowboys in 2019 in what would be coach Jason Garrett’s final season. The next year saw him sit seven games with a hamstring injury and miss another game due to COVID-19. In just eight games played, he finished the 2020 campaign second on the team in pass breakups. After a 6-10 finish for coordinator Dan Quinn’s defense, Awuzie was allowed to enter free agency in March 2021.

He didn’t last long on the open market; Cincinnati signed him to a three-year contract within the first few hours of the new league year opening.

Awuzie finished his first season in Cincinnati as the sixth-leading tackler and tied for second place on the team in interceptions. He was the highest-graded cornerback in the entire AFC, according to Pro Football Focus.

While the Dallas defense engineered their own substantial turnaround in 2021 to become one of the league’s most opportunistic, Cowboys fans are left to wonder how things might have looked with both Awuzie and Trevon Diggs patrolling the secondary this season.

As it is, they’ll have to settle for rooting for a rising star who was formerly one of their own as he attempts to win a championship ring with his new team.

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Weekend News: Brady’s retirement impact, analysis on Cowboys upcoming critical offseason

Big free agents to focus on, potential draft moves for Dallas and the shockwave of Brady’s retirement that could open the NFC up for Dallas. | From @CDBurnett7

The offseason is entering full-swing for the Dallas Cowboys, even if it isn’t for all 32 teams. After the critical news of Dan Quinn’s return to his defensive coordinator perch in the booth, the Cowboys got some great news with Tom Brady’s retirement. Yes, he no longer gets to add to his undefeated streak against America’s Team, or does he?

Our own Tyler Browning has two new draft profiles focused on the offense, one being a big add to the firepower while the other could be a catalyst for an overhaul on the offensive line that buried Dallas in the playoffs.

A pair of sophomore Cowboys earned some honors with cornerback Trevon Diggs earning PFWA’s Most Improved Player while wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is expected to be an alternate for the Pro Bowl in a week, becoming the sixth from Dallas. This is Saturday’s Cowboys News and Notes.

Cowboys’ Fassel doubles down on Zuerlein confidence: ‘I’m going to be right’

John Fassel opened up about Greg Zuerlein’s inconsistency, but backed up his kicker with playoff pressure around the corner for Dallas. | From @CDBurnett7

The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Arizona Cardinals by three points in Week 17. Late in the first quarter, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 43-yard field goal. While missing out on three points is just one of several factors contributing to Dallas’ loss, blown opportunities in the kicking game isn’t anything new for the club. Zuerlein has missed a career-high six PAT’s and tied a career-high of 12 total misses over his 15 games played.

He’s missed a field goal in three of the Cowboys’ five losses and all were decided by three or less points. This includes a pair of misses against Tampa Bay in the season opener, another game that had enormous seeding implications by the end of the regular season. Even in Saturday’s win Zuerlein missed an extra point, but despite his season-long woes, special teams coordinator John Fassel has his back. On Monday, Fassel doubled down on his support.

Prior the game, Fassel spoke of his continued confidence in Zuerlein’s ability to make the big kick and to figure out what’s causing the misses. When asked if he had wavered, he responded “If I’m wrong, then I’ll be wrong. But I really think I’m going to be right. I guess we’ll see,” per USA Today’s Jori Epstein.

“I love Greg, I believe in Greg and I’m not supporting him just because of my experience with him over the alt 10 years,” Cowboys ST John Fassel told us. “This is a production business. When we stop producing, things change. But I have full faith in Greg. I do.”

After the backlash Fassel faced for special teams conundrums in 2020, the unit has been a bright spot for Dallas in 2021, but Zuerlein’s inconsistency has stuck out like a sore thumb.

If a missed field goal costs the Cowboys in the playoffs, Fassel seems willing to fall on his sword for Zuerlein.

Later in the press conference, which was a long one for Fassel, he made a comparison to golf legend Tiger Woods and opened up about Zuerlein’s shaky season. Fassel admitted his fear, but didn’t back down about his kicker.

Dallas had Lirim Hajrullahu on roster and could’ve called Kai Forbath back up after his perfect stint with the team in 2019, but it’s stayed stern and the result of their decision truly begins Sunday against the 49ers in the wild-card round and Fassel’s reputation may hang in the balance.

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2021 NFL wild-card round schedule: Times, dates for Cowboys-49ers, 5 other matchups

A look at the wild-card round schedule and how things sit for the Dallas Cowboys’ first trip to the playoffs since 2018. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have earned the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC wild card. That game will take place on Sunday at 3:20 p.m. Central. The contest will be televised on CBS.

The game is of course part of the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend, which for the first time ever will feature games across three different days of action. With seven teams making the dance in each conference, only the No. 1 seed gets a bye week now and the other 12 teams will all square off next weekend.

There will be two games on Saturday, a Sunday triple header and for the first time ever, a planned Monday Night Football matchup.

Here’s a look at the seeding in both the NFC and the AFC.

2021 NFL playoff schedule: Cowboys will host 49ers in wild-card round

Week 18 results are in and Dallas will start their quest for a sixth Lombardi trophy with a longtime rival. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Somehow it happened. After the Dallas Cowboys won their game on Saturday night, they had to wait on a series of results in order to see their NFC playoff seeding improve. They got two of them in the late afternoon window as the San Francisco 49ers came back from down 17-0 to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in overtime, 27-24.

Matthew Stafford threw an overtime interception to end the drama. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks took care of business and defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 38-30.

Combined with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ win over the Carolina Panthers, Dallas finds themselves in the No. 3 seed of the NFC for the wild-card round. Their opponent? The red-hot 49ers who have won seven of their last nine contests.

San Francisco finished third in the NFC West, but the division has sent three teams to the playoffs once again.

Dallas will host the 49ers to renew one of the 1990s best playoff rivalries.

It will be the first time the two teams meet in the postseason since the 49ers won the NFC Championship, 38-28, following the 1994 season. That victory interrupted the Cowboys reign as Dallas was winning three out of four Super Bowls.

Dallas has won the last three meetings between the two clubs, including a late-season backup-QB matchup in 2020, 41-33.

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Bears officially eliminated from playoff contention following loss to Vikings

Not that we expected any different, but the Bears have officially been eliminated from playoff contention after Monday night’s loss.

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It’s been awhile since the Chicago Bears have been “in the hunt” as far as the playoffs are concerned. But they weren’t mathematically eliminated from the postseason.

Until now.

The Bears have officially been eliminated from playoff contention following Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which dropped Chicago to 4-10 on the season. It’s the Bears’ first double-digit loss mark since 2017.

If anything, this feels like the perfect time for the Bears to start looking toward next season, where there’s expected to be a ton of change this offseason.

That starts with head coach Matt Nagy, who is expected to be relieved of his coaching duties by season’s end. The Bears have never fired a head coach in-season before, which is why it likely won’t happen until Black Monday — even though a new rule indicates Chicago can begin interviewing prospective candidates in the final two weeks of the season.

But the change might not stop there, as there’s been several reports indicating a restructure could be coming to the Bears’ front office, which could include Ryan Pace out as general manager and a new football executive in place.

With nothing left to play for — except pride — Chicago should consider getting a head start on planning for the future, where the hope is things are more optimistic than they’ve been over the last couple of seasons.

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The one stat that defines how outrageously good the Cowboys defense has become

Every trailing team needs a glimmer of hope to turn the tide, regain momentum. Take a look at how the Cowboys’ defense has refused to allow it. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Momentum is real, even if it’s difficult or impossible to quantify. It doesn’t carry from one game to the next, when a team’s on a winning streak or losing streak, because each game is it’s own encapsulated product. Teams can certainly feel more or less confident as a streak grows, but a week of preparation has a tangible impact. Within games though, momentum is real and swings generally happen thanks to turnovers where a team is close to scoring but suddenly loses possession or is backed up on their side of the field and the opposition is immediately in scoring range.

That’s what makes this the one stat above all others that defines just what Dan Quinn’s defense with the 2021 Dallas Cowboys have accomplished. They have been able to quash momentum, consistently.

The Cowboys lead the league in interceptions now with 23 on the season, and are tied for the league lead in forced turnovers at 31, sharing the distinction with Matt Eberflus’ Indianapolis Colts. They are the first team since the 2007 San Diego Chargers (now L.A.) with a player who has 10 or more sacks (Shawne Merriman – Micah Parsons) and a player with 10 or more interceptions (Antonio Cromartie – Trevon Diggs).

For the first time since 1994, yes during one of the NFL’s best title runs, they’ve forced four or more turnovers in three straight contests. After winning a road game for the third-straight week for the first time since 1969, they are now 6-2 on the season and have allowed 20 points or less in six of those road games.

None of those amazing accomplishments exemplifies the impact the defense has had like this next one.

On the last four occasions the Dallas offense has coughed up the football, turning it over to the opposition, the defense has immediately stood tall and declared “not today.” Dallas’ defense has turned around and taken the ball right back on four straight opportunities, matching giveaways with takeaways and refusing to allow momentum to be stripped.