Tag: Malcolm Smith

5 biggest plays from Super Bowl XLVIII

5 biggest plays from Super Bowl XLVIII

Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the Seattle Seahawks’ triumph in Super Bowl XLVIII – the first championship in team history. Although this anniversary feels a bit different knowing it is the first one without Pete Carroll as the head coach, it is still more than worth remembering the glory.

As we kick off the week leading up to the next Super Bowl ending in an VIII, why not go back and look at the best plays from the last one?

There is no doubt these are burned into the collective memory of the 12th Man. It was hard to narrow it down to only five, as practically the entire game is one big highlight reel for the Legion of Boom.

But for a more trimmed down highlight reel, let us watch the top 5 plays from the greatest moment in Seahawks history.

Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith to raise the 12th Man Flag

Could it be anyone else on a day like today?

The Seattle Seahawks are honoring the 10-year anniversary of their Super Bowl XLVIII championship. So naturally, there’s only one person who should be raising the 12th Man Flag today:

Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith.

Malcolm Smith was a quality contributor on the famed 2013 Legion of Boom defense, playing in all 16 games and accounting for 54 total tackles. But where Smith played his way into Seattle sports immortality was how he played down the stretch.

Smith ended Week 15 and 16 with an interception in both games, and continued his ball-hawking streak into the playoffs. Smith was the one to catch Richard Sherman’s infamous tip of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s ill-fated pass, an interception to seal the victory. Little did he know that would be only the second greatest interception of his career.

The Seahawks were facing the single greatest offense in NFL history in Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos. But Smith and the Legion of Boom reminded everyone why the phrase “defense wins championships” rings true to this day.

Smith tallied 10 total tackles, recovered a fumble, and intercepted a Manning wobbler, only to return it 69 yards to break open Super Bowl XLVIII with a 22-0 lead for the Seahawks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swjjdRSgmCM

When linebacker Bobby Wagner made his return in Week 1, it was the loudest roar for a single player I have heard at Lumen Field. But when Malcolm Smith walks onto the south end zone platform to raise the flag, I predict a similarly loud ovation.

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56 days until Browns season opener: 5 players to wear 56 in Cleveland

In 56 days we will all be enjoying the return of Browns football

The long wait is nearly over as the team reports to training camp in a few days in preparation for the 2023 NFL season. There have been a total of 28 different players to wear the number 56 for the Cleveland Browns. The first person to wear it was Dante Lavelli who wore it from 1946 until 1951.

Barring injury or a number change the team will likely add a 29th player to wear it in rookie sixth-round pick Luke Wypler who will wear it heading into training camp. The number has regularly been worn by a linebacker since the return, let’s take a look at five players to dawn the number 56 in Cleveland.

Kam Chancellor ranks high among biggest Super Bowl MVP snubs of all time

Did I ever tell you about the time the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl by 35 points?

Did I ever tell you about the time the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl by 35 points? Strange so much of the discourse about this team is about what happened the following year, so somehow one of the most dominant performances in the history of championship football goes under the radar.

In any case, in retrospect Seattle seemed destined to take down Denver that day. After barely squeaking past the obscenely tough division super-rival 49ers by the length of Richard Sherman’s middle finger, the rest seemed a given – fortune clearly had a favorite. The stories are all canon by now.

By the time the ball flew past Peyton Manning’s head on the opening snap of the game, you could feel something special happening already. You have probably heard about Denver’s star players partying in New York in the week leading up to the game, the defense breaking the OMAHA code of Manning’s audibles, the relentless hunger driving this group of super-competitive “misfits.”

That said, nobody really had any idea just how badly the historically-great Broncos offense would get beaten. Until this happened.

With that hit on Demaryius Thomas, alpha lion Kam Chancellor set the tone and sent a message – this was their day.

Chancellor played one of his finest games, but in the end the Super Bowl MVP trophy went to linebacker Malcolm Smith. While he was a fine defender, Smith won the award seemingly for being in the right place at the right time for a clutch sack and a pick-six.

If it felt like an injustice at the time, you weren’t wrong.

In a new list of the 15 biggest Super Bowl MVP snubs in history, Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire ranks Bam Bam at at No. 4 all time.

“After the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defense poleaxed Peyton Manning’s high-flying Broncos in a 43-8 romp, it was decided that Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith would be the game’s MVP. Understandable to a point, as Smith’s 69-yard pick-six took the first-half score to 22-0.

But anybody who really watched this game understood that safety Kam Chancellor, the LOB’s primary enforcer, was the most valuable man on the field. Perhaps Chancellor suffered from a case of box-score scouting, but he did have an interception of his own, he put up 10 tackles, and he completely eliminated any chance the Broncos had of throwing anything short and intermediate over the middle… because every time Wes Welker or anybody else tried a slant, there was Chancellor, ready to blow it up and reinforce the fact that those passes were Very Bad Ideas.”

The Seahawks took home the trophy that really mattered that evening, but the MVP should have gone to Kam.

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Joel Bitonio, Malcolm Smith earn top PFF grades from Browns Week 11 win over the Lions

Joel Bitonio, Malcolm Smith earn top PFF grades from Browns Week 11 win over the Lions

The Pro Football Focus grades for the Browns’ Week 11 win over the Detroit Lions are out, and two Cleveland players scored elite-level marks for their performances in Sunday’s victory.

Left guard Joel Bitonio and linebacker Malcolm Smith earned grades above 90.0 overall in the win over Detroit. Bitonio topped all Browns offensive players with a 90.9 overall grade, while Smith landed a 90.5 mark on the back of his interception.

Several other Browns (min. 10 snaps) scored over a 75.0 overall grade.

CB Denzel Ward – 85.8

RB Nick Chubb – 83.8

LB Mack Wilson – 81.8

S Ronnie Harrison – 79.9

CB Greedy Williams – 79.7

RB D’Ernest Johnson – 79.1

C JC Tretter – 78.1

TE David Njoku – 75.7

DE Myles Garrett – 75.5

On the other side of the coin, several Browns earned some pretty poor grades. Most of them were associated with Cleveland’s poor run defense in the game.

DT Jordan Elliott – 29.4

DT Malik McDowell – 30.2

LB Sione Takitaki – 35.5

TE Harrison Bryant – 42.3

DE Jadeveon Clowney – 47.2

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Browns players support Mayfield, Beckham answering questions in “player speak”

Browns players have mostly said the right things, including Thursday, in regards to OBJ and Baker:

The Cleveland Browns are slowly working their way through a decision regarding the future of Odell Beckham Jr. He was excused from practice for the second day in a row on Thursday but, as expected, was the topic of a lot of questions during media sessions with players and coaches.

Some of the comments, specifically from John Johnson III, could spark controversy but overall were the player equivalent of “coach speak:”

Joel Bitonio

“If he wants to come back and be a part of the team, I am sure we would welcome him with open arms.”

Malcolm Smith

“That is how I feel, whether it is here or if he wants to be somewhere else – whatever he wants and what is best for him. Obviously, as a team, we would love to have him, but for me, I really do not spend too much time thinking about it.”

John Johnson III

“Like I said before, if there is any way that he can get back I the building, I will be tremendously happy, but you just have to move forward.”

The comment from Johnson that drew a lot of attention did not show up on the team’s official media transcript page but was sent out by the reporters present:

That sentiment has been the overwhelming sentiment from all of the players including Baker Mayfield on Wednesday. Johnson also shared his support for Mayfield during his press conference on Thursday:

Players primarily care about what helps the team win and believe Beckham can be a part of that. The front office and coaching staff’s jobs are to think bigger picture than just the immediacy.

For now, on the record, players are supporting Beckham from afar while, it seems, the team prepares for the upcoming departure from the team, in one way or the other. If the team and Beckham do finalize his departure, it will be interesting if any player speaks on the record negatively about the receiver.

Browns will re-sign LB Malcolm Smith

Smith had other offers but is choosing to stick with the Browns

It’s been a pretty quiet day on the free agency front in Berea, but the Browns are bringing back one of their own free agents. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Browns are set to re-sign linebacker Malcolm Smith.

Other Browns media sources quickly confirmed the report. Contract details are unknown at this time.

Smith, 31, started four games and played meaningful reps in 15 in his first season in Cleveland. He produced 72 tackles, one sack, one INT and one forced fumble while playing just over half the defensive snaps on the year. He settled into his role in coverage and defending perimeter runs better as the season bore on.

With fellow LB B.J. Goodson, the team’s leading tackler in 2020, also a free agent, bringing Smith back ensures some continuity and veteran presence in the linebacking corps. Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson are entering their third seasons and Jacob Phillips comes off his rookie campaign.

Cleveland could still be in the market for an off-ball LB with some speed, but Smith returns to help the Browns defense. NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo noted the Carolina Panthers also had interest in Smith.

These 12 Browns players have previous playoff experience

Not many Browns players have playoff experience but these 12 do

Now that the Browns have made the postseason, they’re venturing into unchartered waters for almost everyone in the organization. Cleveland hasn’t played a postseason game since the 2002 season. Even owner Jimmy Haslam has never tasted the sweetness of a postseason game before with the Browns.

There are a few Browns who have some playoff experience elsewhere. Unfortunately, two of those who do — offensive lineman Chris Hubbard and defensive end Olivier Vernon — are on injured reserve and won’t play in Pittsburgh in Sunday’s wild-card round game with the Steelers.

Here are the other Browns who have some postseason experience under their belts.

Denzel Ward and Malcolm Smith placed on the Browns reserve/COVID-19 list

Earlier reports did not have Ward as one of the players who tested positive

Malcolm Smith and Denzel Ward have been placed on the Cleveland Browns’ reserve/COVID-19 list. The team made the move on Thursday after two positive tests prior to the day’s scheduled practice. The test results forced the Browns to close the team facilities in Berea and cancel the practice session.

Earlier reports indicated that TE Harrison Bryant was one of the two players to test positive, but he remains on the active roster. Instead, it’s Ward who joins Smith in going on the reserve list.

Both players will miss Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ward is the team’s top defensive back, while Smith has been a regular starting LB most of the season.

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