Tag: FTW

The Raiders have stranded Maxx Crosby after the Davante Adams trade

The Raiders have put Maxx Crosby in an impossible position.

On Tuesday morning, the Las Vegas Raiders sent a light ripple through the NFL world when they traded perennial All-Pro Davante Adams to the New York Jets.

It was a deal probably written in stone the moment it was apparent Antonio Pierce’s team wouldn’t be competitive in 2024, necessitating that an older, unhappy playmaker like Adams would try and go contend elsewhere. (Note: Adams shining on a great Jets team probably won’t happen, though.)

But the elephant in the room still needs to be addressed as Las Vegas moves into the next phase of its kind-of-sort-of pseudo rebuild.

What the heck is next for fellow perennial All-Pro Maxx Crosby?

Try as Crosby might to explain the weird pushes of his coaches — you know, his bosses — I think it would be silly to presume he is entirely happy with where the Raiders stand:

Still, by early accounts, the Raiders have no plans to trade the 27-year-old. And why would they? You don’t just offload electric pass-rushers in the prime of their career and expect to get equal value in return. Crosby has averaged over 30 quarterback hits and 10-plus sacks over the last three seasons and is on a similar trajectory in 2024. He’s one of the finest edge defenders on the planet. That sort of franchise-player production is exceedingly rare, making it less likely that the Raiders will move on from his services.

Even with blockbuster deals on paper ramping up in recent years, it’s not how the NFL trade market works. Don’t expect that to change any time soon, either.

And yet, by that same token … how much does it benefit a rebuilding Raiders team to keep Crosby at this current stage of his career?

I hate to say it, but at 27, the next few years will likely be the best for Crosby as an NFL star. Given the history of older pass-rushers looking longer in the tooth as soon as a “3” and “0” appear as their age, it also probably wouldn’t be a stretch to assume this next multi-year stretch will be the last we see of him as a field-tilting game-breaker. For a guy who relies on his relentless motor more than most, it wouldn’t be foolish to think Crosby’s elite production falls off a cliff the moment he loses even half of a step in the coming seasons.

That puts the onus on the Raiders to compete now, for Crosby’s sake. Unfortunately, they’re nowhere close to a win-now position. I’m not even sure where to start to list out the Raiders’ laundry list of issues before they’re a viable competitor again.

They are years away, which would come near the tail-end of Crosby’s prime.

The quarterback of Las Vegas’ future is not on the current roster. Antonio Pierce has not clearly distinguished himself as this well-entrenched coach. Aside from promising rookie tight end Brock Bowers, the Raiders have a tremendous dearth of reliable playmakers. The offensive line can be described as patchwork at best. And Crosby aside, I really challenge you to ponder who, if anyone else, is a foundational defensive piece.

(Jeopardy theme plays.) Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Considering that Crosby still has 2.5 attractive years left on his current contract, the writing feels like it should be on the wall. It paints the picture of a trade that needs to happen either now or in the near future. Otherwise, you’re simply letting a talent like him go to waste on a rudderless team going nowhere.

To be clear, I doubt Raiders owner Mark Davis would pull the trigger. With the Raiders hopeless, players like Crosby put butts in seats for any fans still sadly hanging around a franchise that hasn’t rewarded their faith in decades. Ticket sales and fan “loyalty” are often enough to keep organizations from punting on all-time talents.

But if Davis is serious about turning the Raiders around, he should at least pick up the phone and listen if anyone comes calling about Crosby. He’d be ignoring reality to a delusional point if he didn’t.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

Jamal Murray’s knee issue is a potential bad omen for Nikola Jokic’s championship window

Jamal Murray’s knee issues remain a delicate balance for Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets.

After a topsy-turvy 2024 offseason, the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic were ready to turn the page and pursue their second NBA title in three seasons. It’s kinda hard to fathom the likelihood of that happening this coming summer — or perhaps even in the near future — with the latest injury update on Jamal Murray.

READ MORE NIKOLA JOKIC: George Karl thinks Nuggets are willingly wasting all-time great’s prime.

According to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette, Murray’s knee was feeling “funny” before Sunday night’s preseason home loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets apparently believed that it wouldn’t be a problem for Murray and proceeded to play him 19 first-half minutes as they started getting ready for the regular season.

While the rest of Denver’s starters stayed on the floor in the third quarter, Murray was subbed out to rest his ailment. Oof:

At the risk of burying the lede, this Murray knee issue truly could be a worst-case scenario for whatever’s left of the Nuggets as championship contenders in Nikola Jokic’s prime.

Through thick and thin, the Nuggets have stayed in Murray’s corner. This remained the case even after an awful postseason and Olympics showing with Team Canada. Denver still bet on Murray getting healthy and rising to the occasion as Jokic’s lead running mate. That’s because it needs him to play like an All-Star-caliber talent to be among the NBA’s elite. Any other problems or roster questions they might have pale in comparison to Murray being able to stay on the floor and deliver electric performances night in and night out. You know, the way Murray did en route to Denver’s 2023 championship.

So, they gave him a four-year, $208 million extension in mid-September and effectively crossed their fingers. Now, for all intents and purposes, Murray will likely be a Nugget until the summer of 2030. If the 27-year-old is already dealing with a new knee problem before Denver is in the thick of its regular-season journey, that’s a bad omen for him looking anywhere close to a consistent franchise player over the duration of his new contract.

Of course, this could just be Murray managing general knee tightness for something that he has had to monitor ever since he tore his ACL in March 2021. Murray wasn’t available every evening in 2023 per se, but it was not an issue for him in 2023 with a similar setup. This just might be the reality for him now.

But let me put it this way.

If whatever this issue is is enough to somewhat hamper Murray in ramp-up action, then it’s enough to keep track of in line with his immediate future and whether this iteration of Denver will be able to climb to the top of the NBA’s mountain again. At this point, they have too much commitment to Murray to pivot off of him if things don’t work out.

Who knows?

Maybe this is just a minor setback, as the Nuggets are being rightfully cautious with the second-most important investment on their roster during the preseason. It’s mid-October. They’re trying to play through most of June. This is what you would do. But given Murray’s history of ailments as Denver plays this fraught balance, it’s tough not to think of the ceiling eventually caving in on whatever’s left of a title window with Jokic.

Amon-Ra St. Brown shared Jourdan Lewis’ NSFW trash talk in his Instagram DMs after Lions’ blowout win

The Cowboys should know better than to mess with Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The Detroit Lions would not relent on Jerry Jones’ pained birthday. They humiliated the Dallas Cowboys with disrespectful trick plays for Penei Sewell, then trolled them for trying to hide the lopsided final 47-9 score after the fact.

But if there’s anyone usually interested in keeping the party going, it’s superstar Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

After the Lions’ blowout win, St. Brown shared a rather choice Instagram DM from Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis. It features the Dallas defender replying to one of St. Brown’s Instagram stories by trying to tear the playmaker down.

It is at this point where, if you’re Lewis, you just look like a petty, sore loser:

(Warning: NSFW language in the embed below.)

The Dallas Cowboys, everyone! They get embarrassed on national television AND still have the audacity to puff their chests.

Donte DiVincenzo had a heated argument with Knicks coach Rick Brunson after reunion game

Donte DiVincenzo is still so bitter with the Knicks.

Sunday night was the first time that Donte DiVincenzo faced his old team, the New York Knicks, after being thrown into the shocking Karl-Anthony Towns trade. And let me tell you, DiVincenzo, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, did not seem remotely interested in holding back any ill feelings over his life being uprooted just days before Knicks training camp.

It started with DiVincenzo appearing to trash-talk Tom Thibodeau while shooting free throws. The guard was seen jawing at Thibodeau, with some incorrectly assuming it was about his trade from New York.

As DiVincenzo clarified after the game, he was actually rhetorically asking Thibodeau about whether he could finish at the rim, a criticism he apparently heard during his Knicks stint:

But the real incident — where DiVincenzo said he was NOT joking — came with assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

DiVincenzo and Brunson were caught in a heated argument on the postgame court where they actually had to be separated by other Timberwolves and Knicks players. It was not clear what was said between them:

Whatever happened here, it sure seems like we have the early makings of a tasty interconference rivalry. The Knicks will visit DiVincenzo’s Timberwolves again in late December.

We better get our popcorn ready, folks.

Maxx Crosby downplayed his weirdly forceful push of a Raiders coach on the sidelines

Maxx Crosby’s excuse for pushing a Raiders coach is so weak.

Let the record show that if you push someone who is technically one of your bosses, then characterizing it as a love tap of sorts is something no one will buy.

Someone needs to relay this memo to Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby.

On Sunday, as the Pittsburgh Steelers pummelled the Raiders in a 32-13 win, Crosby started showing more and more visible frustration. His annoyance ended up manifesting in a forceful push of Raiders run game coordinator/linebackers coach Mike Caldwell on the sideline.

Needless to say, this is an unacceptable display from someone who is supposed to be a Raiders leader:

https://twitter.com/RaidersAQ/status/1845601668270104827

As the incident rightfully went viral, Crosby caught wind of the internet’s reaction after the Raiders’ loss and tried to downplay the incident as a “love push” that everyone was reaching about. Uh-huh, sure:

https://twitter.com/CrosbyMaxx/status/1845605844836306978

Everyone knows that it’s only a love push when you angrily push an authority figure in a blowout loss. Mhm. We should totally buy that.

The Lions blatantly disrespected the Cowboys by running a trick play for Penei Sewell while up by 28 points

Dan Campbell HATES the Cowboys.

In case there was any doubt, the Detroit Lions do not like the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, after ruining Jerry Jones’ birthday in a 47-9 laugher on Sunday, I’d go as far as to say that Dan Campbell’s team actually hates the Cowboys.

I know this because the Lions were still running up the score in every possible way, even after they were up by four touchdowns.

The most egregious example came at the end of the third quarter, with the Lions leading 37-9 while in the red zone. Rather than run a straight-up play, Detroit elected to dig into its bag of tricks. It did so by running a hook and ladder for All-Pro OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Penei Sewell.

While the play would come back because of an ineligible man downfield on Detroit’s Frank Ragnow, the levels of disrespect here are simply unmatched:

https://twitter.com/nickbaumgardner/status/1845599838349439019

Take notice, Cowboys fans. This is where your team is. A Super Bowl contender is basically laughing at your squad when it runs plays like this, and I don’t hate it at all.

Jerry Jones was painfully forced to watch the Cowboys get humiliated on his birthday

The Cowboys gave Jerry Jones a terrible birthday present.

This NFL Sunday was supposed to be a happy occasion for Jerry Jones. It was the long-time Dallas Cowboys owner’s 82nd birthday, and he had the pleasure of watching how his team stacked up against the NFC Super Bowl favorite Detroit Lions.

The answer? Not well, as Jones received the worst possible birthday present — confirmation of an awful, non-contending Cowboys team.

In the first half alone, the Lions amassed nearly 300 yards of offense while tearing the Cowboys to shreds en route to a monster 27-6 lead. It was a complete butt-whooping from top to bottom where it was clear the Cowboys simply didn’t belong on the same field as Detroit.

Jerry Jones’ pained reaction after a late second-quarter touchdown from David Montgomery said it all:

https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1845583287613378588

Kudos to Jerry Jones on his birthday. He poured hundreds of millions of dollars into a woeful Cowboys team that hasn’t been truly relevant as a championship contender in decades. It’s almost like he gave himself an awful gift.

Calvin Ridley went off on a NSFW rant about his insignificant role in the Titans’ offense

Calvin Ridley is fed up with Brian Callahan and Will Levis.

Call it a hunch, but I’m fairly certain the 1-4 Tennessee Titans have more pressing concerns than a lack of volume for their struggling, supposed No. 1 receiver. Then again, maybe it’s a not-so-small sign that encapsulates everything wrong with head coach Brian Callahan and Will Levis’ operation.

I personally wouldn’t blame Calvin Ridley for being frustrated.

Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts saw Ridley catch zero passes on eight targets. On the season, the veteran has just nine catches for 141 yards on 19 targets. For whatever reason, the Titans have just not been able to get him involved.

And as Ridley’s NSFW rant after the Indy defeat showed, he’s so fed up.

(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

When we boil it down, Ridley is a professional who isn’t contributing much to one of the NFL’s worst teams. This is a perfectly acceptable reaction. From that perspective, I’m a little surprised he didn’t rant earlier.

Why Jim Harbaugh left the Chargers’ game against the Broncos in Week 6

Hopefully Jim Harbaugh is OK.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

The Los Angeles Chargers had bigger fish to fry than simply worrying about beating the Denver Broncos in a football game early in their Week 6 matchup.

Namely, the health of their head coach.

Early on, first-year sideline leader Jim Harbaugh was seen walking into the blue medical tent just before kickoff. Later, he would leave the game and go to the locker room for further evaluation as murmurs swirled about what might have been wrong with him.

After Harbaugh was evaluated, the Chargers attributed his situation to an undisclosed illness. Fortunately, he eventually came back to the sideline, too.

Hoo boy, that was scary:

https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1845559137385550321

https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1845562697200411047

Later, Harbaugh told reporters that he left the game because of an atrial flutter in his heart.

Nick Sirianni seemingly picked a fight with frustrated Eagles fans after barely beating the Browns

Nick Sirianni’s meathead act is getting really old.

If I were in Nick Sirianni’s shoes, I would not be doing things that draw more attention to myself right now. I wouldn’t, for example, shave my head the way Sirianni did as the Philadelphia Eagles came out of their bye. I also wouldn’t admit that I don’t know how to use the All-Pro-caliber Saquon Barkley in crunch time, as Sirianni also did earlier this season.

But Sirianni’s general on-field antics stick out most like a sore thumb in relation to the middling Eagles’ struggles.

After the Eagles just barely eked out an unimpressive 20-16 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sirianni was seen seemingly picking a fight with frustrated Eagles fans in Philadelphia.

Judging by the way he did the “I can’t hear you” gesture, it’s abundantly clear the man has the self-awareness of a two-by-four.

Let it be known that Eagles fans have had Sirianni’s back through thick and thin over the last few years. When the team didn’t yet have championship expectations, Philly sports fans were Sirianni’s champion. This sort of brash act only really works when your team is a juggernaut. You should keep your head down when your squad’s barely skating by.

So, I wouldn’t advise Sirianni to turn on likely the last few people who believe in him. He may as well be telegramming his own exit.