At least one NFL analyst thinks Mike Tomlin is overachieving with the Steelers roster.
Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers season has come to a merciful end, there will be plenty of time for finger pointing and laying blame for why the Steelers came up short in the playoffs once again.
To be fair, most fans and pundits place the blame squarely at the feet of head coach Mike Tomlin. But not former NFL quarterback Chris Simms. He gives Tomlin a pass and even goes so far as to say the Steelers are overperforming thanks to Tomlin.
Bottom line with the Steelers: They’re not that good. Tomlin has been overperforming with a roster that needs serious retooling
Given the amount of say Tomlin has in roster decisions, I’m not sure you can separate the two. If these players aren’t performing, that goes back to the guy who put them on the team. This is especially true on defense where the Steelers boast the most expensive group in the NFL. But even on offense, Tomlin brought in not one but two of his quarterbacks this past offseason to fix the offense and ended up getting the same results as the year before.
Chris Simms’ Longhorns lost to Maria Taylor’s Bulldogs
They sure know have Sunday Funday at NBC.
Maria Taylor went to school at Georgia; Chris Simms played QB at Texas.
Since the Bulldogs beat the Longhorns in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, Simms had to suffer on Sunday.
Taylor had all sorts of Georgia merch ready for her colleague who was forced to don it before the Los Angeles Chargers played the Kansas City Chiefs. Oh, what fun.
After Texas’ loss this weekend, Chris Simms is now repping Maria Taylor’s Georgia Bulldogs gear. pic.twitter.com/7GXGqVR7Yy
From Tom Brady to Colin Cowherd, the NFL world reacted in a big way to QB Bo Nix’s impressive performance.
After Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a historic performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, NFL pundits have offered their takes on the first-year signal caller. Here’s a recap of the reactions this week.
Tom Brady names Bo Nix one of his 3 stars of the week
The pair mentioned in the game against Atlanta, Nix had his highest yards-per-pass (9.8) of the season.
Chris Simms breaks down Bo Nix’s ‘surgically explosive’ performance
Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms has seen the difference for the Broncos offense. “I just love the look of Bo Nix, I really do,” said Simms. “I love the offense they’re running, too.”
Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson chime in on Bo Nix’s big game
The two former pass catchers reacted to Nix’s huge stat line from the Falcons game. “(Nix) was one of three Bronco rookie quarterbacks to ever throw four touchdowns in a game,” noted Sharpe.
Colin Cowherd says Bo Nix is a top-12 quarterback in the NFL
After Nix had his highest stats of the season, ESPN insider Adam Schefter marveled at the young quarterback. “Rookies don’t do that,” Schefter remarked on the Pat McAfee Show. “That’s over 80 percent completion rate, four touchdowns, no interceptions. Bo Nix is getting better and better and better.”
Jamie Erdahl says Bo Nix was the NFL’s big winner in Week 11
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said that Nix is having a great season. “He’s got control and he has the answers,” said Orlovsky. “Control of everything they’re trying to do in Denver offensively.”
PFF reacts to Bo Nix’s play and Broncos’ impressive offensive line
Although the rest of the NFL is giving Nix all the love, PFF realized that the Broncos’ offensive line is a key part of the success Nix has been having throughout the season.
Tim Jenkins breaks down film of Bo Nix’s best game yet
Tim Jenkins called Nix’s historic performance “the best performance I’ve seen out of a rookie quarterback this season, and if I’m really being honest, the best performance I’ve seen from a Broncos quarterback in a long, long, long time.”
Kurt Benkert reviews Bo Nix’s great game vs. Falcons
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert broke down Nix’s incredible performance against Atlanta in an 18-minute video.
Doug Farrar breaks down Bo Nix’s recent rise
New All-22 video for @AthlonSports: Bo Nix’s ascent as the @Broncos‘ franchise QB after a long post-Peyton Manning search is happening. Sean Payton brought up two plays that speak to Nix’s recent development. Nix is taking one of the NFL’s most complex playbooks to the field. pic.twitter.com/w4qhzp9Eai
“Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season, and from 2016-2023, the Denver Broncos threw 13 different quarterbacks into the fire to try and replace him,” said Farrar. “But now with 2024 first-round draft pick Bo Nix, Denver may finally have a guy to mercifully end that quarterback curse.”
Chris Long reacts to Bo Nix’s impressive improvement this season
Super Bowl champion Chris Long praised Nix, as an older rookie quarterback who is hitting his stride with head coach Sean Payton.
Chase Daniel says Bo Nix should be Rookie of the Year
“In my opinion, (Nix is) right now neck and neck with (Commanders quarterback) Jayden Daniels in the Offensive Rookie of the Year category,” said the former QB.
Nix is certainly making a serious case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Can he continue this high-quality quarterback play through the rest of the season?
“I really felt like it was one of the first game the whole year that he wasn’t managed,” Chris Simms said of Bo Nix being unleashed.
Chris Simms has become an avid supporter of Bo Nix, the Denver Broncos rookie starting quarterback. While some wondered if the Broncos should go with the experienced Zach Wilson or Jarrett Stidham, Simms never wavered in his support for Nix.
Due to Nix’s prolific play as a record-setting quarterback at Oregon, Simms believed that Nix getting unleashed within head coach Sean Payton’s system would pay dividends. Well, after a three-touchdown and 75.7% completion rate day, Simms is poking his chest out about the Nix and Payton pairing.
He even believes that we should NOT be surprised if we see the Broncos in the playoffs in January.
While it’s still early, it looks as if Simms can be proud he called his shots as Nix continues to improve as the weeks go by. Can he sustain his success and make others believe? Only time will tell. Next week, the Broncos face off against the Baltimore Ravens in a tough AFC showdown.
“The pass rushers on the edge for Denver are better than the public realizes,” Chris Simms said.
Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms praised the Denver Broncos‘ defense for their effective play against the New York Jets in Week 4.
In response to a question posed by a listener on whether the Jets’ offensive line was to blame for quarterback Aaron Rodgers being sacked five times, or the Broncos simply had a better scheme, Simms said, “This is not an (offensive) line problem. The pass rushers on the edge for Denver are better than the public realizes.” Simms then specifically mentioned Broncos outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper as “high-level pass-rushers.”
Later on in the segment, Simms praised the Denver secondary, led by cornerback Pat Surtain. “I think one of the most underrated things in football right now is the Denver Broncos secondary,” said Simms. “The Denver Broncos secondary is the real deal. Surtain is, for my money, the best cornerback in football. That’s who I’m going to take, OK? After that, the kid, Riley Moss… Riley Moss is a baller. He’s a baller.”
Simms and co-host Ahmed Fareed also talked about the Broncos’ high blitz rate (53.4%), which helped disrupt the veteran quarterback. Later on, Simms broke down a few plays that really highlighted what Denver was doing to make Rodgers uncomfortable, like blitzing in specific situations and playing aggressively against Jets star wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Kansas City #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes discusses connection with HC Andy Reid | @EdEastonJr
The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday to kick off the new season.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke with NBC’s Chris Simms ahead of the season opener. He dives into multiple topics, including his connection with head coach Andy Reid.
“There’s actually times in games where I know what plays on the call before he calls it. And that’s not just like the first 15, that’s like during the game and middle or third quarter,” said Mahomes. “He starts sending personnel in, and I’m like, got it. I know exactly where we’re going and why we’re doing it. And it’s cool because it develops before the play even happens. I know who I’m gonna throw it to. I know how it’s going to look, and then I go out there and execute it. That just comes with a lot of reps, a lot of time with Coach Reid, and a lot of the same guys in our football team.”
Mahomes and Reid have also had dinners together that included real moments similar to their infamous State Farm commercial. The bond remains strong between the franchise’s winningest head coach and superstar quarterback.
Jayden Daniels has been phenomenal for the Washington Commanders since his arrival in the 2024 NFL draft. No, Washington hasn’t played a game, but Daniels has aced every test he has faced thus far.
Daniels outplayed veteran Marcus Mariota throughout training camp and was finally named the starting quarterback on Monday. He was terrific in all three drives he’s played over the first two preseason games. He lit up the Miami Dolphins in last week’s joint practice.
So, while he hasn’t played in an official NFL game yet, the early signs are certainly encouraging.
However, one NFL analyst doesn’t appear too impressed with Daniels.
Aaron Schatz of FTN, one of football’s original analytics experts, thinks Daniels may end up as the “bad” rookie quarterback.
Why?
Surely, Schatz has numbers to support this lazy assumption. Right? Judge for yourself.
I keep saying that it is likely one of the rookie QBs will be very good, one will be very bad, and the others will be kind of below-average and typical for rookies.
It sure does feel like Caleb Williams is going to be the good one and Jayden Daniels may end up as the bad one. https://t.co/2oc4pkhmPT
Remember, there are six first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL draft. The odds are great that not all six will pan out. The chances are high that more than half of the six will not receive a second contract with the team that drafted them.
Schatz then offered a bit of a clarification: Kinda.
Sorry, let me make it clear, it feels like Jayden Daniels may end up as the bad one *not through his own fault.*
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if many do not agree. Schatz has always done good work with Football Outsiders, ESPN, and now FTN. He’s not always right, though. No one is always right.
Saying Daniels “may end up” as bad is a strong take that will be revisited for years to come, whether he’s wrong or right.
Chris Simms summed things up perfectly.
Jayden Daniels may not have shown the Wow plays we saw from Caleb this past weekend, but the Commanders have to be pumped about what they’ve got. He’s in command, the ball comes off his hand so easily and fluid
The Denver Broncos drafted Nix with the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and the first-rounder appears to be an investment that could soon pay off.
Nix started his NFL career off with a bang against the Indianapolis Colts. The Oregon product completed 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards while also throwing for a touchdown. He also took no sacks, had 17 yards on the ground on three rushes and finished his evening with a 102.3 passer rating.
Former NFL quarterback turned analyst Chris Simms seems to be impressed with Nix’s game. Simms highlighted how Nix appears to be the quarterback that will maximize the type of offense that Broncos head coach Sean Payton prefers: a wide-open attack that allows him to attack the defense from a short, intermediate and long-range passing game.
“I thought the second-most impressive quarterback performance of the weekend was Bo Nix, a.k.a. Drew Brees Jr.,” Simms said (Caleb Williams impressed Simms the most).
To check out Simms and his diagnosis of Nix’s first taste of pro football action, check it out below.
Chris Simms gives Caleb Williams a very high preseason ranking.
Former NFL quarterback and current NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms joined Kenneth Davis, Josh Schrock, and Alex Shapiro on the Under Center podcast. He explained why he ranked USC’s Caleb Williams as the 20th-best quarterback in the NFL, the highest he has ever ranked any rookie quarterback.
“Not only are they learning Shane Waldron’s new offense, but they have several new players who are considered impact guys. That starts with quarterback Caleb Williams, as well as receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everettt and offenisve linemen Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates. Finding chemistry, especially in a new offense, is a big key during the early stages of camp. All of these guys are going to be playing together for the first time.
“Out of them all, Williams has the most pressure to succeed, even as a rookie. He’s already the franchise quarterback, and he hasn’t taken a single snap in the NFL yet. Although he was incredible in college, there is going to be a learning curve.”
Chris Simms put Matthew Stafford in the top 5 of his QB rankings for 2024, up 5 spots from last year’s list
Casual observers who look at Matthew Stafford’s numbers from the 2023 season may not think he was all that impressive: 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. It’s a solid stat line but not one that will win any MVP awards.
You had to have actually watched Stafford play last season to know just how good he was. It’s why he finished eighth in MVP voting and was named to his second career Pro Bowl. He truly was one of the best quarterbacks in football on a week-to-week basis.
Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms releases his own quarterback rankings each year and he paid Stafford some serious respect in his 2024 edition. Simms ranked Stafford No. 5 heading into the 2024 season, only one spot behind reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
“This is one of the greatest arms in NFL history,” Simms said on his podcast. “This is not just like, ‘Oh, great arm and we’re talking about him right now.’ This is one of the greatest arms in NFL history. The Marinos, the Favres, the Rodgers, the Mahomes. Josh Allen. Anybody else I’m missing, no disrespect there. … One of the greatest throwers in history, as well.”
Simms heaped praise on Stafford for his arm strength, off-platform throws and intelligence on the field. He ranked Stafford No. 10 last year because he was worried about a drop-off after an injury-plagued 2022 season, but Simms is all-in on the Rams quarterback still being a top passer in the league.
He even called Stafford “one of the most disrespected players of this generation,” which stems from his lack of team success in Detroit before winning a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021.
There aren’t many analysts giving Stafford the amount of credit and praise that Simms gave him in his 2024 rankings, but it’s always good to see someone ranking Stafford where he belongs: in the top 10.
(@NFL_DougFarrar) 
