Tag: NFL Playoffs 2024

Steven Sims scored a vital Texans punt return TD vs. the Ravens days after his practice squad promotion

What an incredible story of determination for the Texans’ Steven Sims.

In the NFL postseason, heroes can come from anywhere. The Houston Texans’ Steven Sims is an excellent example of this.

As Houston battled the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round on Saturday, Sims took back a 67-yard punt for a touchdown late in the second quarter to knot the score up at 10 points apiece. The play proved particularly pivotal given that the Texans hadn’t really settled into the battle against the NFL’s top overall playoff seed quite yet.

And in one fell swoop, Sims — who was just promoted from the Texans’ practice squad earlier this week — flipped this postseason game on its head. You couldn’t have scripted it any better:

It goes to show you that it’s important to persevere, regardless of your circumstances. Chances are, your opportunity to make an impact will eventually come, even if you’re on the practice squad. And when it does, you better be ready.

It’s safe to say Sims more than maximized his opening.

Ranking all 8 NFL quarterbacks (Josh Allen! Patrick Mahomes!) playing in the 2024 divisional round

From superstars to Baker Mayfield, here’s our ranking of the NFL’s divisional round quarterbacks.

This time of year in the NFL, quarterback play reigns supreme.

Judging by the slate we’ve received for the divisional round coming this weekend, quality quarterback play can come from very different and very distinctive backgrounds.

The NFC side of the postseason field features two former No. 1 overall picks (Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield), a Mr. Irrelevant last draft pick (Brock Purdy), and a developmental prospect (Jordan Love) who sat behind a selfish egotist for nearly half a decade. And one could reasonably argue that the former top draft selections are the worst of the bunch. Go figure.

In the AFC, we’ve got two future Hall of Famers (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen) meeting up for another surefire instant classic, the greatest rookie quarterback in history (C.J. Stroud), and a former unanimous MVP (Lamar Jackson) enjoying a resurgent season for the top overall seed. This final four has never screamed “pick ’em” more.

What’s clear about all eight quarterbacks left in this year’s NFL playoffs is that there is no exact science to finding your franchise guy. You might select them at the top of the draft. You might use a throwaway pick at the end of the draft and get extremely lucky. Heck, you might just focus your efforts on a reclamation project because you’ve got the time and energy. There is no right or wrong answer when trying to find a good quarterback.

Whatever works to find The Man, right?

Ahead of what should be a bonkers postseason weekend, let’s take stock of the divisional-round quarterbacks left. That’s right. Let’s make a totally definitive ranking of the NFL’s cream of the crop under center.

The Eaglesā€™ Super Bowl pursuit burst into flames because Nick Sirianni lost control of his team

The Eagles’ collapse falls squarely on Nick Sirianni’s arrogant shoulders.

The Philadelphia Eagles had the horses to make another Super Bowl run. Aside from free-agent departures here and there, this was largely the same exact team that fell one pass interference penalty short of a Lombardi Trophy last February. Running it back felt like a surefire guarantee that the Eagles would, at the very least, get a chance to defend their NFC title.

None of it mattered.

Not when Jalen Hurts bizarrely called out his teammates’ commitment after a tough loss in Seattle. Not when the rival San Francisco 49ers came to Philadelphia and took the Eagles behind the woodshed with no mercy. Certainly not when A.J. Brown repeatedly took to the media to try and shield the Eagles from warranted criticism. Definitely not when Philadelphia lost five of its last six regular-season games in humbling fashion, practically handing the NFC’s No. 2 seed and an NFC East title to the Dallas Cowboys on a silver platter.

In concept, the Eagles had another Super Bowl-worthy team. In practice, Nick Sirianni lost control of the reins on a fragile team that never had its head in the right place. They never had their eyes on the prize; they never even considered fixing what ailed. That’s all because of their leader.

Sirianni showed he was unconventional from the jump of his Eagles’ tenure. He delivered an elevator speech that sounded like he was cutting a WWE promo, threatening the rest of the NFL that Philadelphia was coming. It is this very same mentality that ingratiated Sirianni to his players and a football city hungry for another Super Bowl title.

He defended Frank Reich’s honor while standing on an Indianapolis bench. He dropped a classic f-bomb on national television after beating the Cowboys. He once yelled at the refs for daring to question his competence (in his mind) on the sideline. Sometimes, he’d made it seem like he’d throw fists with opposing coaches before a game even started! A no-nonsense hothead, Sirianni was a Philadelphia sports coach through and through. He fit his team and his city like a glove.

This mentality of wearing your heart on your sleeve served the Eagles well when they were steamrolling everyone. When you’re at the top of the world, when you’re the NFL’s de facto bully, not taking anyone’s crap is an empowering feeling. The Eagles of 2022 were perfectly built, a machine that channeled Sirianni’s brashness into a weapon at nearly every turn.

But the Eagles of 2023 had more fatal flaws than they’d ever admit.

A star-studded secondary showed its age as opposing offenses treated Darius Slay and James Bradberry like pinatas. An offensive line with multiple potential Hall of Famers like Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson showed more cracks in the armor than expected. Brian Johnson’s offensive scheme amounted to spamming screens and four verticals, seemingly hoping that opposing cornerbacks would suffer Madden glitches and let receivers run free. (They did not do this.) Sean Desai’s defensive strategy left much to be desired, but he didn’t deserve to be thrown under the bus for professional doofus Matt Patricia.

As talented as they were, the Eagles could never quite figure out how to evenly distribute the ball between A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. Note: It’s not clear this was an actual problem to anyone but the Eagles’ skill players.

How did the Eagles respond to their rash of problems?

When it wasn’t working, they pointed fingers at each other. When that 10-1 start felt extremely shaky (yes, seriously), they operated as if it was business as usual. Instead of providing concrete answers for his players and subordinates, instead of addressing significant roster drawbacks, Sirianni never veered away from the script. He wanted everyone to get the grit and sandpaper out because nobody believed in them … or something.

At a certain point, this sort of messaging wears thin.

It’s OK to be the rah-rah football coach. It’s OK to show passion and energy. But there’s a statute of limitations on this having a positive impact. If professional athletes are experiencing a collective slide together, they’ll expect more from their coach than diatribes about punching the other team in the mouth and how no one [expletive] respects us. They’ll turn a cold shoulder to the hackneyed cliches without hesitation. They know better.

Everything about the Eagles’ fall from grace this year showed that Sirianni might be too much of a one-trick pony. Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon — two popular punching bags for the organization after falling short in Super Bowl 57 — were missed. Dearly. Steichen took a backup quarterback to the doorstep of the playoffs in his first season as a head coach. Gannon, meanwhile, has the Arizona Cardinals sitting pretty in a promising rebuild around Kyler Murray.

And while his two former top assistants coached their tails off, all Sirianni could offer was rote platitudes about playing with a fire in your belly. Gee, I wonder why the Eagles looked so lost so often.

After a stunning collapse, the Eagles will look in the mirror this offseason. They’ll have to address an aging roster that is veering past its expiration date. They’ll have to ask themselves whether Sirianni has anything to offer in their retool beyond chest pumps and cockiness.

The answer is as subtle as an impassioned Sirianni press conference.

An Eagles fan classlessly dumped popcorn in Nick Sirianniā€™s direction in a NSFW video

Nick Sirianni’s Eagles blew it but he still doesn’t deserve this.

It was a tough finish to the 2023 season for the Philadelphia Eagles. After starting 10-1, Philadelphia closed the year by losing six of its last seven games, including an embarrassing wild card game defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

Already, calls are being made for Nick Sirianni’s job. The Eagles’ second-half collapse was so jarring that it wouldn’t be a shock to see them jettison the man who led the team to a berth in Super Bowl 57.

But with all that said, he’s still a human being who deserves common decency.

As a new video shows, an Eagles fan took his frustrations with the team way too far when he dumped a bucket of popcorn in Sirianni’s direction after Philadelphia was eliminated from the playoffs. Needless to say, this was so uncalled for.

(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

Look, you don’t have to be happy with your favorite team losing an important game. Emotional investment is part of what makes being a sports fan so rewarding and fun. But to actually throw things at coaches or players is crossing a line no one should even consider.

NFL fans loved the beautiful symmetry of a Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff redemption playoff game

One of Baker Mayfield or Jared Goff will play for a spot in the Super Bowl. That’s not a typo.

Once upon a time, Baker Mayfield was a No. 1 overall pick. He was supposed to lead the Cleveland Browns to unmitigated glory. He lasted just four seasons in their uniform. Also, once upon a time, Jared Goff was a No. 1 overall. He was supposed to lead the Los Angeles Rams to tremendous success. He played just five years in L.A. (only four for Sean McVay).

Now, with Mayfield a catalyst of the rising Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Goff driving the Detroit Lions’ powerhouse, we get to see both square off for a spot in the NFC title game as mutual redemption stories.

How could you not be romantic about pro football?

The Browns didn’t want Mayfield. They blamed their rotten-to-the-core organizational issues on a quarterback they specifically failed to develop. Now he’s two steps away from a Super Bowl appearance. Similarly, the Rams didn’t think Goff was good enough to take them to a championship. When the opportunity presented itself, they traded him for Matthew Stafford without hesitation. Then he beat Stafford in a playoff game. Go figure.

It’s impossible to predict who will win next Sunday’s Divisional Round matchup in Detroit at this very moment. These playoffs have been anything but predictable. But with a spot in the NFL’s final four on the line, seeing Goff vs. Mayfield — two reclamation projects as former No. 1 picks — is one perfect example.

Jason Kelce choked up on the Eaglesā€™ sideline during what might have been his last NFL game

A Jason Kelce retirement seems imminent.

Jason Kelce will be remembered as one of the greatest centers in NFL history. He will be lionized as a larger-than-life personality who was embraced wholeheartedly by a football city. One day, he will be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer in Canton, Ohio.

Based on Kelce’s sideline emotions during the Philadelphia Eagles’ Wild Card loss on Monday night, it appears that day might be coming sooner rather than later.

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put the finishing touches on a blowout win over the Eagles, cameras panned to Kelce choking up on the side. For an older player who has already accomplished everything, these kinds of emotions would seemingly indicate that he has played his last NFL game and is ready to retire.

In many ways, Kelce was the Eagle of this generation. He was the stalwart offensive lineman who set the table for the finest professional football team Philadelphia fielded in decades. If this is indeed the end of Kelce’s playing career, he deserves all of his flowers and then some.

After everything he’s accomplished, it should be no surprise Kelce was so emotional on Monday night.

The Eagles were down so bad that even their Tush Push play failed miserably against the Buccaneers

The Eagles’ Tush Push doesn’t work if the other team has a monster like Vita Vea.

Controversy has surrounded the Philadelphia Eagles’ insistence on using their Tush Push play all season. Virtually any third or fourth-and-short play feels automatic because the Eagles can literally push Jalen Hurts over the line.

But with the Eagles’ season spiraling, it seems even their bread and butter doesn’t work.

As the Eagles tried to rally in Monday night’s Wild Card Game battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they elected to use the Tush Push on a two-point conversion. It was ruthlessly stuffed, making it seem like the team forgot that the Buccaneers employ 346-pound defensive tackle Vita Vea. The cute little quarterback sneak variation won’t work if he’s the defender in the middle, you guys!

This whole sequence is just a sign of the times. The Eagles are so out of sorts that they can’t even execute the Tush Push in a sudden-death playoff game. Go figure.

Mike Tomlin dragging the mediocre Steelers to the playoffs shows he’s still underappreciated

If this is the end for Mike Tomlin, he’s cemented himself as one of the Steelers’ greatest legends.

Mike Tomlin is not at the end of his rope. Yes, he’s been coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers for nearly two decades. But because Tomlin started in his 30s, the icon is only 51 years old. Theoretically, he could coach the Steelers for another 17 seasons and cruise into a well-deserved retirement that will eventually feature a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio. He is a made man. He is flat-out untouchable as the kind of legendary coach most other NFL franchises could only dream of having roam their sidelines.

But after Monday afternoon’s 31-17 Wild Card defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, Tomlin’s professional coaching future feels murkier than ever. And because of his coaching status, it might be entirely of his accord alone.

We knew Tomlin would mull over his NFL life whenever the Steelers’ season ended. Despite his relative youth for a head coach, we understood the personal sacrifices Tomlin has made for his organization, his assistant coaches, and his players year after year after year after year. While nothing is set in stone, a scenario where Tomlin steps down for a season (or longer), and the Steelers begin launching a replacement plan suddenly feels more feasible than ever.

All of this is expressly because Tomlin has nothing left to accomplish. At this point, dragging mediocre Steelers teams to the playoffs with atrocious quarterback play from the likes of Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky, and any other player who doesn’t belong at this level of football is Tomlin’s magnum opus. He has mastered coaching this sport if he can guide the Steelers to 10-win postseason campaigns without the forward pass. There is no other mountain left for this legend to scale. There is no deep and wide river to cross. Tomlin has found the final frontier. He has MacGyver’d an undeserving NFL team into yet another postseason berth. How could anyone possibly topple such an unfathomable feat?

No wonder young tackle Broderick Jones feels so strongly about his head coach:

Considering the current state of the AFC, with seemingly countless elite quarterbacks laden all over the conference, Tomlin may also see the forest for the trees. Barring a blockbuster trade or free agent addition (Dak Prescott? Russell Wilson … I guess?), the Steelers will not be competing for a championship any time soon. Regardless of Tomlin’s golden coaching touch, the Steelers simply don’t possess the firepower necessary to compete with some of pro football’s true heavyweights. They have a definitive ceiling on what they can achieve even with Tomlin’s steady influence. Ever a forward thinker, I’d be surprised if Tomlin didn’t share this perspective.

Put another way: the Steelers aren’t good enough to compete for a Super Bowl as it stands. But Tomlin won’t let them fade away, and he might not be too keen on signing up for another full calendar year of this muddled-up Pittsburgh mess.

If this is the end for Tomlin in Pittsburgh, he should be lionized in Western Pennsylvania. He is every bit the beloved figure that Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher were and then some. A resume that features 11 playoff berths, seven division titles, two AFC championships, one Super Bowl win, and no losing seasons isn’t even the standard for a blueblood like the Steelers. That sort of coaching ledger is not typical, and no one should reasonably expect these results, regardless of organizational history. Tomlin could probably do this forever, punching in and out every day as an iconic coach, adding a new notable bullet point to that distinguished resume every year.

If this is the end for Tomlin, he’s earned the right to hang up his headset whenever and however he wants. No one should question the decision-making of a person who could coach a Mason Rudolph-led team to the playoffs. Everyone should appreciate a bona fide legend potentially taking the long view, who understands there are bigger things in life than football.

Everyone crushed Bills fans for throwing snowballs at George Pickens during a TD catch attempt

What a classless move by Bills fans.

We were all well aware of the massive blizzard that leveled Western New York over the weekend. We probably should’ve been prepared for Buffalo Bills fans to take advantage of that fact a little too much once their team actually squared off with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As Pittsburgh tried (and failed) to mount a late-game rally, Mason Rudolph launched a moon ball to George Pickens in the end zone. Just before he braced himself for the catch, a video showed snowballs thrown in Pickens’ direction, seemingly trying to interfere with his catch.

Pickens didn’t make the play anyway, but this sequence was Bills fans absolutely stepping over the line:

The Bills already have a fantastic home-field advantage. Traveling to Buffalo in the middle of winter, especially after a giant snowstorm, is hard enough for any opposing team. There’s no place in the game for fans to make contact with players by actually throwing objects on the field in the middle of play.

It’s bush league, and it’s completely uncalled for.

Josh Allen faked a slide before a long TD run and the Steelers should really know better

The silly Steelers somehow thought JOSH ALLEN would actually slide.

Josh Allen has a (mostly warranted) reputation for being reckless.

This trait serves him well as a bona superstar quarterback taking the Buffalo Bills on deep playoff runs every winter, but it’s still a part of his make-up. It’s what makes Allen special. He is going to launch bombs to his playmakers in triple coverage if he thinks he can make the play. On runs, he will get the extra yards by barreling through defenders. He is the last quarterback any defense should expect to surrender and slide in the open field.

Someone did not pass along this memo to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday afternoon.

On a third-and-long late in the first half of this Wild Card matchup, Allen found a lot of running room. When he crossed the first-down marker, Allen slowed down and feinted that he would slide. This got all the Steelers defenders in front of him to stop and relax.

Big mistake. This Terminator of a quarterback was never, ever going to slide, and 52 yards later, he had himself a ridiculous touchdown run.

I feel like this probably should’ve been in the Steelers’ defensive scouting report. Allen will do whatever it takes to help his team win. He will never give up on a play, and he will sacrifice his body without hesitation if it means more yards for his team.

Oh, well. It’s not like this happened in a sudden-death playoff game. Oh … right.