Tag: Fans

Which teams should Saints fans be rooting for during the Week 16?

Which teams should Saints fans be rooting for during the Week 16? Here’s our game-by-game rooting guide before Monday Night Football:

The New Orleans Saints are now 5-9 on the season and the hopes of securing a playoff berth have become very slim. Although there’s still a chance, the path has become difficult, needing a lot of help from a couple of division rivals in order to punch their ticket.

With that said, many will be focused on offseason preparation and where the team could or might be picking in the round one in April. At the moment sitting with the tenth pick, there’s the potential for the team to move even higher, depending on how the next three weeks shake out.

Whichever way you may want it to go, either choice is understandable. For this exact reason, we’ve chosen to continue our breakdown of what teams you should be rooting for in Week 16 depending on the direction you would like to see the Saints go in. Here’s our rundown:

Path to the playoffs

The Saints path to the postseason has now narrowed down to one highly unlikely scenario, that would crown them champions of the NFC South for the first time in three seasons. Their path to attaining a Wild Card position has diminished which means that these three divisional games are the ones to keep an eye on this weekend and into Monday Night:

New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons:

The Atlanta Falcons simply must lose this weekend to keep the Saints chances alive. A win against the Giants this week would effectively eliminate the Saints regardless of what happens with Atlanta in the next few weeks. With that said, rookie Michael Penix Jr. is set to start this weekend which means anything could happen being that this is his first opportunity on the big stage.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers must lose against the Dallas Cowboys or the same would result in this case. A win by Tampa in Dallas would eliminate the Saints from contention giving them at nine wins on the year, a number the Saints cannot reach.

Improving upon draft stock

With such slim playoff hopes at this point in the season, the outlook on where the Saints will be picking in round one of the draft, becomes a more intriguing conversation. There are currently nine teams ahead of the Saints in the draft order but only seven of those teams can improve their stock. Here are a list of those teams, their opponents this week and the most optimal outcomes:

Carolina defeats Arizona

The Panthers are two games back (3-11) from where the Saints stand in the division, meaning that with three games to go they could potentially jump them at seasons end. A win against Arizona and a Saints loss brings them one step closer to that.

Cleveland defeats Cincinnati 

The same goes here for Cleveland as they sit at 3-11, but have an uphill battle going against some of the leagues most explosive offenses in the next three weeks in Cincinnati, Miami and Baltimore. Hard to see them assisting the Saints with this stretch of games.

Jacksonville defeats Las Vegas

Jacksonville, another 3-11 team but has a much lighter schedule going forward, playing teams with a combined record of 11-31 in their last three matchups. Beating Las Vegas sets them up well for a late season run.

Tennessee defeats Indianapolis

Tennessee (3-11) has their entire division ahead of them going forward with games against Indy, Jacksonville and Houston. The Titans have lost their last three matchups against the Colts, all in which were one possession games. Some added motivation for them potentially this late in the year.

New England defeats Buffalo

The Patriots (3-11) have little chance to help the Saints this week and going forward, meeting the Bills (11-3) twice in three weeks and playing the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) in between. But you never know, division games can get a little weird.

Chicago defeats Detroit

Maybe the toughest one on the list here so far. The Bears are sitting at 4-10 in the NFC North just one game behind the Saints but happen to be facing the leaders’ of their division as well as the leaders’ of their conference in the Detroit Lions (12-2). Defeating the Lions is the tallest task but they’re in for one heck of a stretch, taking on Seattle (8-6) and Green Bay (10-4) in the coming weeks.

New York defeats Los Angeles

The Jets are also just one game back from the Saints but also face the tough task of playing a couple of the leagues hottest teams. The team will see Los Angeles, Buffalo and Miami to finish out the year. Although the team has emphatically underperformed, they do have the talent to stay competitive against these opponents.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Steelers fans conflicted on potential reunion with Diontae Johnson

Fans are divided over whether the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider bringing Diontae Johnson back if the Ravens release him.

The grass isn’t always greener, and Diontae Johnson, along with the Baltimore Ravens, found this out the hard way. In an attempt to provide a much-needed boost to their receiver room, the Ravens took a chance on the ever-dramatic wide receiver. However, Baltimore’s greed blinded them to not only the emerging wide receiver threat already on their roster, Rashod Bateman, but also to Johnson’s tendency to self-implode.

Some fans are clamoring for the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign Johnson if he is released, but others remember his less-than-ideal attitude when he played for the Black and Gold.

One rule that came to light in 2024, due to the New York Jets’ trade for Haason Reddick, prevented the Steelers from reuniting with Johnson at the trade deadline. The rule explicitly states that teams cannot reacquire a player via trade that they previously traded away until two years have passed. However, much confusion surrounds the rule and whether the Steelers could potentially sign Johnson if he is released and clears waivers.

Here are some of the best fan reactions to the potential Black and Gold reunion with Diontae Johnson.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers fans outraged over ’10-day stretch of doom’ from Weeks 15-17

The Pittsburgh Steelers face a grueling 10-day stretch against top teams, leaving fans to voice their frustrations on social media.

From the seemingly apparent Hard Knocks impact that led NFL schedule makers to pack the Pittsburgh Steelers’ latter half with divisional games, to scheduling three Super Bowl contenders between December 15th and December 25th, fans of the Black and Gold have had enough.

It appears the NFL never expected the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers to boast such a dominant record heading into Week 15. Otherwise, it makes little sense to seemingly handicap a potential Super Bowl contender by forcing them to play three games in just 10 days.

Facing the 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles on the road is challenging enough, but following that with a matchup against the 8-5 Baltimore Ravens, with divisional supremacy at stake, and the AFC-leading 12-1 Kansas City Chiefs feels nearly impossible to classify as fair.

To make matters worse, one of the Steelers’ top players, WR George Pickens, is battling a hamstring injury that could sideline him for the entirety of this brutal stretch. Steelers fans are understandably and justifiably upset, and here are some of their most passionate reactions on social media.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers fans call for answers regarding rookie Roman Wilson

Fans are left frustrated by the Steelers’ silence on rookie WR Roman Wilson’s health and his role amid roster changes.

Memo to HC Mike Tomlin: fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers need clear answers regarding rookie WR Roman Wilson.

Thanks to Tomlin’s coaching style, keeping his cards close to his vest, Wilson’s health—or lack thereof—has gone radio silent the past few weeks.

A little over a month ago, Pittsburgh Steelers WR coach Zach Azzanni seemingly referenced that Wilson was preparing for his stint on IR to be short, likely the NFL minimum of four missed games. However, Wilson never returned in Week 13, nor Week 14, and fans want to know why.

With Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens expected to be out for an unspecified amount of time with a grade 2 hamstring strain, Wilson could potentially bring some much-needed life and energy to a bare Steelers wide receiver room.

Understandably confused and upset, here are some of the best reactions to the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ lack of information regarding rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson and his potential health concerns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Bo Nix praises Broncos fans for taking over Raiders’ stadium

“I’m glad I’m at an organization that has that,” Bo Nix said of the Broncos’ passionate fan base.

It didn’t feel like a road game when the Denver Broncos faced the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Denver fans could be heard chanting “Let’s go Broncos!” during the game, and the stadium was covered in orange in Week 12. Many of the traveling Denver fans moved down to the lower bowl toward the end of the game.

After a 29-19 victory, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was full of praise for the team’s fans.

“[There was] a lot of orange in that stadium,” Nix said in his post-game press conference. “When you can go on the road and you see a lot of your fans, it’s almost half, they’re cheering, it almost turns into a neutral environment. That’s good. When you take that chaos and the noise and the atmosphere, when you can kind of relieve that from your team, it’s really important. When we do make good plays, when we do have explosives or have turnovers, it almost turns into a mini home game.

“But it’s good to see that we have great fan bases. Good to see that they travel well. Good to see that even though we’ve had some hiccups throughout the season, they’re still right behind us. Now we’re going on a two-game winning streak. It’s crazy how it can flip. The crowd and the atmosphere is a big advantage, as they’ve showed, as they’ve proven. We’re always going to need that. I’m glad I’m at an organization that has that.”

Nix and Co. will now return home to host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Fans in Denver will give the Broncos an even warmer welcome when they play at Empower Field at Mile High next week.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Bank of America Stadium turned to ‘Sea of Red’ for Chiefs’ win vs. Panthers

The #Chiefs were well represented at Bank of America Stadium during their Week 12 win over the Carolina #Panthers.

Kansas City Chiefs fans turned Bank of America Stadium into a ‘Sea of Red’ on Sunday afternoon during the defending Super Bowl champions’ Week 12 win over the Carolina Panthers.

While Charlotte, North Carolina is quite a long distance from Kansas City, Missouri, Chiefs fans showed up in remarkable numbers for the team’s East Coast trip and got loud enough to make the television broadcast seem like the Panthers had lost their home-field advantage.

Veteran NFL reporter Darren Smith took to Twitter to share his view of fans at Bank of America Stadium and remarked that Chiefs Kingdom had once again taken over another team’s home turf.

Take a look at the staggering amount of red in the stands::

Given how close the game ended up being, fans who made the trek to Charlotte deserve at least some of the credit for Kansas City’s narrow victory over the upstart Panthers in Week 12.

Former Steelers All-Pro RB calls out fans over Mike Tomlin criticism

Former RB Le’Veon Bell defends Mike Tomlin amid rising calls for the Steelers’ head coach to be fired following the team’s Week 12 loss.

In what has resulted in a terrible Pittsburgh Steelers blame game, the team’s Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns has taken a toll on players and fans alike.

While much discussion over who is more directly responsible for the 24-19 loss to Cleveland has resulted in several prominent names being thrown under the bus, such as HC Mike Tomlin, OC Arthur Smith, QB Russell Wilson, and P Corliss Waitman, former Steelers All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell is sick of hearing it.

This blame game has recently turned into a Tomlin witch hunt, with fans calling for the head coach to be fired. Bell, who spent the majority of his career under Tomlin’s leadership, recently made it clear on social media that any fans calling for the coach’s firing are “not real Steelers fans.”

Out of everything Bell touched on, the truest statement he made is that everyone is clearly overreacting to the Steelers’ Week 12 loss. Within a few weeks, fans will forget this stinging defeat, and the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers can prove why the 2024 season will finally lead to a deep playoff run.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Which teams should Saints fans be rooting for during the Week 12 bye?

As Saints fans watch the Week 12 slate of NFL games, here is who you should root for if you want a higher draft pick or if you want potential playoff seeding:

The New Orleans Saints are in a nice little middle ground between competing for a potential playoff spot and having a strong draft pick. As they are now on a 2-0 streak under Darren Rizzi, the favor has gone towards competing for a spot in the playoffs rather than a high pick for some fans, which is completely understandable.

Both sides make sense in this equation, and ultimately it becomes personal preference over all else. With that, we can now take a look at which teams you should be rooting for in either case as we look ahead to the Week 12 bye. Here is a rundown of both options:

In the case of competition

When it comes to trying to compete, the AFC has little to no connection to where the Saints reside and their playoff chances. So, looking at the NFC schedule, the first and foremost issue resides with the other NFC South teams. The Atlanta Falcons are on a bye week as well, which makes things a little difficult as they can’t lose, but they also can’t win so it’s about net even. The two divisional games are:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants:

The decision here is easy, a New York Giants win would put the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4-7 and tied with the Saints, with one remaining matchup between the two teams later this season. In addition, a Giants win does not really put them in the picture yet as they are 2-8, and even if they enter the picture, the Saints have a chance to play them later as well and take back the momentum.

Carolina Panthers Vs. Kansas City Chiefs:

This game is not exceptionally a major issue either way, but obviously a Kansas City Chiefs win would help keep the Carolina Panthers at the bottom of the division and away from the Saints for another week. This would be the preferable outcome, despite many not being fond of the Chiefs.

This covers a divisional route for the Saints, as a wild card appearance is very unlikely at the moment given the bottom seed right now would be the Washington Commanders at 7-4. A monumental collapse from either them or the 7-3 Green Bay Packers would make things easier, but it would still be a difficult hill to climb. For a potential wild card appearance, here is the preferred outcomes:

Chicago Bears beat Minnesota Vikings

There desperately needs to be more parity in the NFC North for this scenario, and with the Minnesota Vikings holding the top wild card spot, a Chicago Bears win would help despite them also being ahead of the Saints here. The ultimate goal is dragging the wild card teams down close enough to where, if the Saints go on a win streak, a spot is attainable.

Dallas Cowboys Beat Washington Commanders

This is a similar notion to the previous game, where the Washington Commanders are the last wild card team right now, and a loss would bring them even closer to the Saints. With the Dallas Cowboys already being beaten by the Saints, they are not a threat if they are tied which they would be in this scenario. While this is certainly an unlikely outcome, it would definitely be preferred for the Cowboys to win in this matchup for the sake of a Saints playoff push.

San Francisco 49ers Beat Green Bay Packers

This matchup is a little different, as both the 5-5 San Francisco 49ers and 7-3 Green Bay Packers remain ahead of the Saints at the time being, and both have a full game lead at least. However, more parity between those teams and none pulling away leaves the Saints with a great opportunity if they continue to win. So, with a 49ers win, they would be 6-5 and the Packers would be 7-4, rather than 5-6 and 8-3 respectively.

Arizona Cardinals Beat Seattle Seahawks

This is where things get wonky, as the Arizona Cardinals lead their division, so the preferred outcome is a Seattle Seahawks loss to prevent them from competing for a wild card spot as they sit at 5-5. This game going either way is not extremely detrimental which is good, as they would just swap places if Seattle won, but Seattle losing would help just a tiny bit more given the game difference between the two.

Philadelphia Eagles Beat Los Angeles Rams

Further to that point, the Los Angeles Rams losing would help keep them lower and allow the Saints to surpass them as soon as Week 13, as a win would put the Saints at 5-7 and the Rams at 5-7, with the Saints’ head-to-head tiebreaker taking effect. Additionally, the Philadelphia Eagles winning is not particularly a big issue as they remain atop the division, and that would keep the Commanders out of division lead contention for another week at least. Somewhat of a win win here if the Rams lose.

In the case of improved draft stock

Now the case of trying to get closer to a better draft pick. There are nine teams ahead of the Saints with better picks, and two of them are also on bye in the Jacksonville Jaguars (No.1 pick currently) and the New York Jets (No.6 pick currently) so they will remain ahead regardless. As for the other teams, here is there games and the optimal outcomes:

Tennessee Titans beat Houston Texans

First up, the Tennessee Titans, who sit at 2-8 with one of the higher strength of schedule numbers of the bad teams at .514. They take on the Houston Texans, and while a Titans win does not immediately change where the Saints stand, it would prove to be a big one down the stretch if the Saints go the other direction and start losing more. This would keep things closer at the top (or the bottom perse) and keep the Saints within a game of taking their spot.

New york Giants Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Not only would this be pretty funny from the standpoint of a division rival losing to a 2-8 New York Giants team, but it would help in the case of draft stock. This is similar to the Titans, where a Giants win does not immediately move the Saints to a better pick, but it keeps things close enough until the Saints get back to playing, rather than the Giants running away with a higher pick. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers going to 4-7 would be difficult, however the Saints have the tiebreaker for now in terms of a higher pick as they lost to Tampa earlier in the year, and have a lower strength of schedule.

Las Vegas Raiders beat Denver Broncos

Another 2-8 team, another scenario that falls into the same category. A Las Vegas Raiders win helps keep things within a game at the top, and a Denver Broncos loss does not particularly hurt the Saints chances whatsoever, so this one is completely self-explanatory.

New England Patriots beat miami dolphins

This one is a little bit closer in terms of who should win, as the New England Patriots are at 3-8 and the Miami Dolphins are at 4-6. The Dolphins losing brings them to an equal record with the Saints, and since they have a lower strength of schedule, they would get the higher pick in a tiebreaker. However, they also have an easier strength of schedule than the Patriots as well, meaning they are more likely to win another game or two than New England is. With that said, a Patriots win is slightly better here, but either way is perfectly fine.

Carolina panthers beat kansas city chiefs

While in the competitive version we wanted the Panthers to lose here, a win would help the Saints as it would bring them to even in terms of record, and since they have identical strength of schedules, it would go down to conference and division records which the Saints could pull away in by losing pretty often to close the season.

dallas cowboys beat washington commanders

Finally, we have a situation that transcends the type of team you want to see, and ultimately is a win win. The Dallas Cowboys winning here would bring them to even with the Saints at 4-7, and with the Cowboys having a .525 strength of schedule to the Saints only .486, New Orleans would get the tiebreaker for a better pick. Overall, a win win with a Cowboys victory.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints interim coach has one goal for the team’s home crowd

The Caesars Superdome hasn’t held the same magical homefield advantage as of late. Interim Saints head coach Darren Rizzi is on a mission to change that:

Darren Rizzi has a major goal as New Orleans Saints interim head coach that goes beyond wins and losses. He wants to restore a “domefield” advantage in New Orleans.

There was once a time where the Caesars Superdome was on the list of places opposing teams didn’t want to go. That magic had faded away. The Saints haven’t had a winning record at home since Drew Brees retired, going 2-5 at the Superdome in 2021 (not counting a “home” win in Jacksonville due to Hurricane Ida), 4-4 in 2022 (discounting their “home” loss in London), and 5-3 in 2023, with a 2-3 start to this season’s home slate. That’s a 13-15 home record altogether.

After knocking off the Atlanta Falcons, Rizzi declared, “We are going to get this dome back to where it used to be and that was just the start.” Part of restoring the aura has to do with winning games. The Saints hadn’t been doing that at home or on the road lately, so Rizzi was concerned if the fans were going to be bought in. He clearly underestimated how much the coaching change reinvigorated the fanbase.

That mistake won’t be made again. Rizzi complimented the home crowd by saying, “our fans were incredible today.” He credited the fans’ engagement for forcing the visiting Falcons into some errors, such as jumping offsides.

He knows this city wants a winner and the team wants to give them that just as badly. This is just one win, but that’s how every winning streak starts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Pittsburgh has seemingly taken over D.C. ahead of Week 10 matchup

Fans of the Black and Gold seem ready to outnumber the Burgundy and Yellow, potentially forcing a silent count in Washington for Week 10.

Fans of the Black and Gold have arrived in droves in the nation’s capital to represent their Pittsburgh Steelers as they take on the Washington Commanders in Week 10.

It seems that no matter where the Steelers travel—Las Vegas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Denver, or perhaps even the moon—Steelers Nation shows up in astonishing numbers.

Ahead of the Week 10 contest, a video circulating on social media highlights the potential impact Pittsburgh fans could have on what should have been a tough road game for the Steelers.  Adding fuel to this passionate fire is the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins defeating the Washington Capitals on Friday.

Will Steelers fans be able to outnumber Commanders fans, forcing the home team to work off a silent count for the majority of the contest? Pittsburgh could use the extra support as they face a very formidable Commanders team in a game that could set the tone for the second half of the 2024 season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]