Uh, Bo Nix does know how old Lamar Jackson is … right?
This Sunday, we’ve got a surprisingly fun matchup on tap between the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos. At the center of it will be Baltimore’s MVP candidate, Lamar Jackson, and Denver’s bright rookie quarterback, Bo Nix. It’s an easy enough matchup to sell to fans between the “old guard” and the up-and-comer.
But it appears that Nix might be taking that old-guard sentiment a little too seriously.
On Wednesday, Nix offered up some routine, cookie-cutter comments about being excited to play against Jackson. OK, sure. Everyone says that about a superstar opponent. However, Nix then said it was “crazy” that he gets to play against someone he watched “growing up.”
Newsflash to Nix: Jackson, who is 27, is only three years older than him. Nix was literally a senior in high school during Jackson’s rookie year in the NFL.
It’s a little wild to say you watched someone who is definitively your peer and in your age group as a formative memory.
Bo Nix is excited to play against Lamar Jackson.
Said it’s “crazy” he gets to play against the guys he watched growing up.
Maybe it’s the fact that Nix stayed forever in college (five seasons) that skews his Jackson knowledge. That or Jackson has been so successful in the NFL (two MVP awards) that it makes it seem like he’s been a professional football player a lot longer than he really is.
Even so, it’s just funny to hear a dude in his mid-20s (Nix) say he grew up watching someone in their late 20s (Jackson). They’re in the same stratosphere, folks!
Victor Wembanyama doesn’t care for Chet Holmgren. At all.
In case you have any doubt about the competitiveness between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, the young San Antonio Spurs big man seemingly takes few things more seriously than his battles with his peer from Oklahoma City. This dynamic comes into focus again as the Spurs visit the Thunder on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN NBA writer Michael C. Wright revealed that Wembanyama actively avoids using Holmgren’s name. He used an example of where Wembanyama was asked a direct question about playing against Holmgren.
In response, Wembanayama just talked about the general matchup with the Thunder without even acknowledging Holmgren. Oh, OK:
On Wednesday, as the Bears began their preparations for the Arizona Cardinals, Eberflus finally did it. He finally admitted that he royally screwed up and threw away a win his team fought so hard for.
Hmm, the timing is a little curious, don’t you think?
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus on reviewing the Washington loss: "The game didn't finish the way we wanted it to, and it starts with me."
In case you really think that Eberflus has turned a corner after acknowledging he let his players down for the fourth time over the last two seasons where they had a 90-plus percent win expectancy in the final moments, I’m here to pour a bucket of cold water on any such suggestion.
First and foremost, if Eberflus had been sincere about having his players’ backs, he would’ve taken responsibility for his glaring absence of leadership right away after the Commanders loss. There would’ve been no hesitation. He would’ve fallen on his sword, and while there’d still be criticism, he’d at least have the respect of taking accountability like a highly paid professional adult.
Instead, Eberflus undoubtedly saw Kmet, Johnson, scapegoat Tyrique Stevenson, and D.J. Moore all question late-game decisions by the Bears coaching staff in public and decided he needed to do cowardly damage control. For that reason, he does not get credit for admitting the obvious days later as the Bears become a national punchline again.
The other key point here is that Eberflus’ late-game blunders were so glaring that they turned the heat up on his coaching seat. Eberflus is just 3-17 on the road during his Bears coaching career. He has never won a road game on a Sunday. Chicago, with a talented roster led by Caleb Williams, is in win-now mode. And anything short of a Bears playoff berth and a decent showing in the said postseason will almost certainly mean that Eberflus loses his job this winter.
How do I know this?
MMQB’s Albert Breer was on Chicago’s ESPN radio affiliate the morning afterthe Bears’ devastating loss, floating the possibility of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson perhaps coaching the Bears soon. Should Johnson choose to leave Detroit, he will easily be the most sought-after head coaching candidate in this upcoming hiring cycle.
While this is just speculation, it’s no coincidence that someone fed this information to Breer (Bears general manager Ryan Poles, perhaps?) right after Eberflus pushed all the wrong buttons in front of the entire football-watching country:
Albert Breer says Lions OC Ben Johnson had his eye on the Bears last offseason. pic.twitter.com/MoH9K2OcXi
Did Eberflus’ heart grow three sizes on Wednesday? Or did he realize he’s gotta do some brazen, bare minimum troubleshooting to keep his Bears’ ship from completely sinking before they inevitably go 8-9 and he loses his job?
For my money, this Eberflus mea culpa is too little, too late. And he likely knows it, too.
The 76ers are handling their Joel Embiid and Paul George plan in the worst possible way.
The Philadelphia 76ers are committed to conserving Joel Embiid and Paul George as much as they possibly can for a hopeful deep postseason run. Which, as they should be. But after a troubling 1-2 start without their two best players, it seems head coach Nick Nurse might be getting a little fed up by the whole predicament.
On Tuesday, the 76ers released a statement that both Embiid and George would miss the team’s home matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. They will apparently be reevaluated later this week, but there is no set debut date in the books yet. (Note: Philadelphia does not play again until Saturday.)
As one should expect, Nurse naturally fielded questions about the health of Embiid and George at a press conference after the statement. I should say that he took two questions before passive-aggressively cutting everyone off and changing the subject.
Uh, testy much?
After this Sixers’ statement was released, Nick Nurse took two questions regarding the absences of his stars before cutting off questions on the subject. Full video of that first minute of his presser: https://t.co/toyRXP212Ypic.twitter.com/N9WFqsMXXl
Look, I understand Nurse’s frustration about repeatedly having a conversation that hasn’t had a resolution for over a week now. There are few things I think people are more annoyed by than having to repeat themselves over and over. From this regard, the testiness is warranted.
At the same time, as the 76ers relatively struggle, any questions about George and Embiid likely missing almost the team’s first two weeks of the season are reasonable. This entire rebuilt Philadelphia core is centered around those two playing and playing at a high level — even if it’s less than you might expect during the regular season.
All anyone is asking for is more transparency about the status of two All-NBA-caliber superstars. Philadelphia’s fans deserve as much, even if they’ve bought into the idea of their team trying to be ready for mid-April first.
Nurse should really be more cognizant of that dynamic instead of offering up touchy responses like this.
Anthony Richardson’s biggest problem was a lack of experience the Colts won’t give him.
Through 10 career starts, Anthony Richardson has shown that he’s a glorified exercise in frustration. The quarterback has completed barely over 50 percent of his passes while turning the ball over (a 5.3 interception percentage) at a staggering rate. We’re talking about a quarterback dwelling in 32nd in expected points added (EPA) and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) by nearly half a percentage point. For all intents and purposes, even given the small sample size, Richardson has played like one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks this century. Full stop.
But this was likely always going to be the case for a player many deemed painfully unpolished coming out of Florida. Contrasted to someone like the Carolina Panthers’ more seasoned Bryce Young, Richardson needed reps, in earnest, to work all the kinks out of his game.
Unfortunately, the Colts and head coach Shane Steichen won’t give the former No. 4 overall pick the opportunity. On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Colts were benching Richardson for veteran Joe Flacco.
It’s a devastating shot across the bow of Richardson’s career but one that probably had to be made nonetheless:
QB change: The #Colts are planning to start Joe Flacco this Sunday night against the #Vikings, sources say. A major move, as the former first-rounder Anthony Richardson heads to the bench. pic.twitter.com/p6jQuGh3iu
It’s a bit trite to say, but Richardson really did have a developmental curve similar to that of Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen coming out of college. Both players were toolsy physical titans seemingly constructed in a lab to play football. Both had cannon arms and impeccable athleticism on the move. Both needed significant work as accurate short and intermediate passers — I’m talking multiple years — to be viable starters in the NFL.
The difference is that the Bills gave Allen time because they saw meaningful progress year over year before he finally exploded in 2020. By comparison, Richardson was backed into a corner to start 2024 after losing his rookie year to a shoulder injury. He was almost forced into having a leap year come out of nowhere despite throwing less than 100 passes at the professional level (and less than 400 total in college). Instead, he struggled.
It doesn’t matter how naturally talented you are: experience is always the greatest teacher. Richardson simply didn’t have enough to meet the Colts’ (unreasonably?) high expectations.
That in itself is the cruel calculus for an organization that sold itself out on an extremely raw quarterback prospect. To reach his ostensible high potential, Richardson required at least a full year of working through game plans and trying to process on the fly. Maybe two. If it came with struggles in the form of wildly inaccurate passes that couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, so be it. This was supposed to be a long-term process borne out of patience.
This was the deal the Colts made the moment they drafted Richardson.
Credit: RBDSM.com
By that same token, the NFL remains a business. There are 52 other players on the Colts roster who expect their leadership to make pragmatic decisions that are best for everyone. Yes, quarterbacks take the lion’s share of precedence over other positions for good reason, but that setup only happens for established stars. All changes are on the table for rusty anchors like Richardson that mostly drag everyone down. So, at this specific moment in time, Flacco is unquestionably a better option for Indianapolis than Richardson. While a journeyman, Flacco is someone other Colts veterans don’t have to worry about pulling his weight.
Because, for the most part, he probably will.
It’s shortsighted and cruel to Richardson’s overall development because it probably never happens without injury. But the Colts can’t afford to center his needs at the expense of everyone else’s or risk a not-so-subtle mutiny.
By no means is it over for Richardson’s future in Indianapolis. I’m of the opinion that this move is more of a complete reset for a limited quarterback that needs to take an extended breath without getting overwhelmed. Maybe it’s enough to see him start to turn the corner next year or perhaps even later this season.
Still, we can’t kid ourselves.
If the Colts weren’t willing to be patient with Richardson’s warts and blemishes now, when will they ever be? Everyone should already know the answer to that question.
Sean Payton wasn’t having any of the Panthers’ nonsense complaints.
The Denver Broncos absolutely pummeled the Carolina Panthers in a decisive 28-14 win on Sunday. But listen to Panthers players like cornerback Jaycee Horn tell it, and the Broncos were being unfair about their fourth-quarter approach.
Yeah, I call bull[expletive].
After the game, footage from 9News in Denver captured Horn complaining to the Broncos’ sideline about “trying to run the score up” with the game out of reach late. The Broncos notably ran multiple trick plays and fakes even though it sure seemed like they had the win all but locked up with a sizable lead.
This is the NFL. A dangerous and physical game with multi-millionaire players and coaches everywhere, with everyone trying to win and get better at all costs. No one owes anyone on the other sideline anything. Full stop.
I understand the Panthers’ frustration over another team “disrespecting” them with a game likely over. I do.
But these aren’t children simply trying to have fun and move on with their lives. These are some of the finest athletes and coaches in the world, devoting so much time and resources to getting one solitary win every single week.
Payton is right. If you don’t want the Broncos to start running trick plays with a double-digit lead, play better. To complain about that is the definition of sour grapes. You’re not owed anything more at this level of football.
Matt Eberflus’ future looks bleak after the Bears’ stunning loss.
The contrast between the reaction of Chicago Bears players and head coach Matt Eberflus after the team’s stunning Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders couldn’t be more stark.
Now, in a very general fashion, star tight end Cole Kmet claims the Bears were lazy all week in preparation for the Commanders, and the disorganized Hail Mary loss was their reward.
That’s not a great sign for Matt Eberflus:
Cole Kmet says the busted Hail Mary coverage is an example of how Bears need to learn how to respect the game.
Said there were even instances in practice leading up to the game where guys were "laying off" and need to respect practice more.
If you’re in the weight room are you doing all 6 reps or are you doing 5… When you’re on the field, are you hitting the jugs after practice?… Is your footwork correct in the walkthru? Little things that can’t necessarily be addressed by a coach or a teammate
Kmet can say these are little things that guys just have to take personal responsibility for. That’s his prerogative. However, the fact of the matter is that if a team is losing its focus and edge on a supposedly grand scale, that is a coaching issue. That falls squarely on Eberflus and his staff for allowing a culture of complacency to settle in after the Bears’ recent three-game winning streak.
The Bears have now lost four games where they had a winning percentage of at least 90 percent in the closing moments dating back to 2023. Mix that up with a franchise player like Kmet saying everyone was being lazy, and you’ve got the recipe for a head coach to be on the hot seat.
The Bears have one of the NFL’s most difficult schedules over their 10 next games. Eberflus better hope this whole gettable Commanders fiasco doesn’t cost him his job.
As the Giants battle the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, Jones’ status for the future should be in focus. Barring an unprecedented explosion of a prolific and competent passing game down the stretch, it seems readily apparent that the Giants still need to get out of their commitment to Jones sooner rather than later.
Fortunately for New York, Jones’ current contract structure, per Over The Cap, dictates that 2024 will likely be his last with the Giants.
As long as the Giants are willing to eat a sizable dead salary cap hit, Jones officially has zero guaranteed money due to him after 2024, so the Giants can more or less cut him freely. If the Giants release Jones before June 1, all they have to do is eat $22 million for 2025. It’s not ideal, but it’s much better than some commitments to other middling players around the league. You can stomach that in the middle of a rebuild.
Take heed, Giants fans. While it won’t be entirely painless, the Jones era at quarterback is likely coming to an end soon enough.
The Colts sound like they’re pulling the plug on Anthony Richardson.
It’s been a rough second season for Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts. Just eight games in, it sounds like the Colts are done being patient with the former No. 4 overall pick.
On Monday, after the Colts disappointingly lost 23-20 to the AFC South division rival Houston Texans — where Richardson admitted he took himself out because he was tired — head coach Shane Steichen was asked about the young quarterback’s starting status for the Colts’ upcoming Sunday Night Football matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
After Richardson completed just 10 of 32 passes against the Texans’ defense, Steichen was essentially as noncommital as possible about sticking with his young gun:
I asked #Colts HC Shane Steichen if QB Anthony Richardson is the team's starting QB:
"Today he is, yes."
Is he the starting QB for Sunday's game against the #Vikings:
Oof. Any time a football coach says, “We’re evaluating [everything],” to a straightforward question about a healthy starting quarterback keeping their job, it’s all truly up in the air.
Per RBDSM.com, Richardson is 32nd in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) composite. He has just a 57.2 passer rating among all qualified passers, and he’s tied for third in the NFL with seven interceptions thrown.
The numbers and Richardson’s coach don’t lie: he’s probably about to get benched.
But the main Bears person in focus here should be No. 1 pick quarterback Caleb Williams.
While Williams also did not scapegoat anyone in his postgame press conference, two separate videos show that the bright young quarterback was visibly frustrated with how the Bears approached Washington’s final Hail Mary possession.
In the first, you can see Williams near the top of the screen trying to get any of the Bears’ defenders on the field to come up and defend a key quick out to Terry McLaurin. In fact, it’s literally what Williams motions to when the CBS camera finally centers on him.
Naturally, no one listened:
Obviously the #HailMary is insane. But the play before was so key.
Listen to Romo and watch Caleb Williams. Williams trying to get dudes to come up and cover the quick out. Bears D wasn’t ready. Wild. pic.twitter.com/kzg6mzO1Ly
With CBS’s camera focused on Williams’ reaction while watching Jayden Daniels throw and complete the Hail Mary, the Bears quarterback romps off the field in disgust, seemingly going off on a tirade about someone’s mistake (it could’ve also been the missed holding calls).
Some might say that, with his overall terrible game, Williams hasn’t earned the right to be this openly incensed. But, again, it’s worth noting that he didn’t actually blast anyone in public, and even with a poor three quarters of play to start, Williams engineered not one but two touchdown-worthy possessions on the road against a quality team in the final moments.
Williams is the leader and emotional pulse of the Bears, who gutted out a tough almost-win despite not bringing their A-game. Anyone would be just as upset by how Chicago blew it if they were in his shoes.
