Tag: primetime

Twitter calls out Kirk Cousins for “being bad in primetime again”

Kirk Cousins in primetime is quite a ride

The Minnesota Vikings got the first score on Thursday night with a six-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson. Mac Jones and the Patriots countered with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholar.

After the teams traded punts, the Vikings had great field position and a chance to drive down the field and take the lead but Cousins missed K.J. Osborn on a crossing route and threw it right to cornerback Jonathan Jones.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, Cousins was pressured up the middle and couldn’t step into the throw and that caused the errant throw.

After the interception, Twitter was flaming Cousins, who also had a near interception on the second drive of the game, for playing poorly once again in primetime.

The interception gives Cousins nine on the year and is two more than all of 2021. The interception wasn’t great, but that doesn’t matter with the Twitter mob.

[lawrence-related id=69255]

Primetime Packers looking for first-ever win in Buffalo

The Packers have never won in Buffalo, but Matt LaFleur’s team has dominated in primetime over the last few years.

The past doesn’t mean much to the struggling Green Bay Packers right now, but here’s two interesting subplots to the team’s daunting primetime showdown with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, via the Dope Sheet:

– The Packers are 0-6 overall in Buffalo, and the Bills are the only NFL team the Packers have never beat on the road.

– The Packers have won 13 straight primetime games, the NFL’s longest winning streak in primetime since 2000.

Can the Packers finally get a win a Buffalo and continue a massive streak of winning in primetime on Sunday night?

The Bills might be the best team in football, and they are coming off a bye week. Josh Allen is a top MVP candidate. The Bills defense is first in points allowed. Buffalo’s average margin of victory at home this season is 34.5 points.

Not surprisingly, the Packers – after losing three straight games as favorites – are BIG underdogs.

The Packers have never scored more than 20 points in six road games against the Bills.

Packers all-time results in Buffalo

2014: Bills 21, Packers 13
2006: Bills 24, Packers 10
2000: Bills 27, Packers 18
1994: Bills 29, Packers 20
1988: Bills 28, Packers 0
1979: Bills 19, Packers 12

Rodgers was the quarterback for only one of the games, a loss in 2014 during an MVP season.

Overall, the Packers have the NFL’s best record in primetime (16-2) since the start of the 2019 season. Rodgers threw 45 touchdown passes and only four interceptions over the 18 games.

The last primetime loss for the Packers? A 38-7 defeat to the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 12 of the 2019 season.

Packers last 13 primetime games

Week 16, 2019: Packers 23, Vikings 10
Week 3, 2020: Packers 37, Saints 30
Week 4, 2020: Packers 30, Falcons 16
Week 9, 2020: Packers 34, 49ers 17
Week 12, 2020: Packers 41, Bears 25
Week 15, 2020: Packers 24, Panthers 16
Week 16, 2020: Packers 40, Titans 14
Week 2, 2021: Packers 35, Lions 17
Week 3, 2021: Packers 30, 49ers 28
Week 8, 2021: Packers 24, Cardinals 21
Week 14, 2021: Packers 45, Bears 30
Week 17, 2021: Packers 37, Vikings 10
Week 2, 2022: Packers 27, Bears 10

Rodgers currently owns the best primetime passer rating in NFL history at 106.5. He threw 14 touchdown passes and zero interceptions over six primetime wins last season, and his 131.1 passer rating in Week 2 vs. the Bears is currently the best by a quarterback in a primetime game this season.

Here’s the Packers-Bills capsule for Week 8, via the NFL:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxb1xg7g19wqdc player_id=none image=https://packerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Biggest storyline for Vikings in every game against 2022 NFC opponents

There are plenty of juicy storylines heading into the NFC portion of the Vikings’ 2022 schedule

When it comes to playoff positioning, it doesn’t get much more important than winning games within the conference. While conference games are the fourth tiebreaker, those against divisional foes and common opponents are the two directly ahead of it—both of which are centric upon conference foes.

These games are the opponents you see more often and rivalries start to develop. The Vikings are facing the Cowboys for the third-consecutive season, for one.

This is the second of a three-part series, where I dive into the main storylines of the Vikings opponents for the 2022 season. The first edition focused on the AFC opponents while the second is focused on the NFC. The Vikings play the NFC East and the second place teams in the NFC South and West.

Deion Sanders warns Saban, ‘I’m not the one to play with.’

Deion Sanders and Nick Saban exchange massive shots.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban caused quite the uproar this week for some of his comments regarding the current direction of college football and their NIL laws. While Coach Saban did say that Texas A&M and Jackson State had paid players, he never accused them of cheating. Nonetheless, these two programs did not take it well and both have fired back.

Jackson State, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), landed the No. 1 overall commit in the 2022 class in defensive back, Travis Hunter. Saban said of Hunter and JSU,  “I mean, Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school. It was in the paper and they bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it.”

First was Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher who called a press conference Thursday morning to unload the clip on Saban. Deion Sanders joined shortly after.

Sanders was very hurt by what Saban said and wants to have a public conversation about the comments that he made. Sanders also went on to say, “I don’t even wear a watch and I know what time it is. They forget I know who’s been bringing the bag and dropping it off. I know this stuff. I’m not the one you want to play with when it comes to all of this stuff.”

Saban and Sanders have appeared in Aflac commercials together before so it will be very interesting to see how these two hash out the beef.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to share updates.

[mm-video type=video id=01g3erc0edgmn96mh7g9 playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g3erc0edgmn96mh7g9/01g3erc0edgmn96mh7g9-0077f23d44f9c8fde2755441b968c5e4.jpg]

[listicle id=50515]

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Biggest storyline for Vikings in every game against 2022 AFC opponents

There’s a story for every AFC opponent

With the NFL’s schedule release behind us, we have officially hit the doldrums of the offseason. Players are signing their rookie contracts, veterans still available are finding new homes and OTA’s are in process of beginning.

This is the time to start truly looking forward to the 2022 season. And it’s a pivotal one for the Vikings. They have put the franchise in the hands of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell with the idea being they’ll elevate the team in ways Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer were unable to do so.

This is the first of a three-part series where I dive into the main storylines of the Vikings opponents for the 2022 season. The first edition lies with the AFC opponents. The Vikings play the AFC East and the second place team in the AFC South.

Packers get NFL-high 12 games in nationally televised windows

No team will be easier to watch across the country during the 2022 season than the Green Bay Packers.

No team will be easier to watch across the country during the 2022 season than the Green Bay Packers.

According to Peter King of NBC Sports, the Packers have an NFL-high 12 games in nationally televised windows in 2022.

Any game in primetime, in the 3:25 p.m. time slot or a standalone nationally televised game is considered a national window. The Packers play the maximum of five primetime games, five games at 3:25 p.m. and two other standalone games without national competition (in London at 8:30 a.m. in Week 5, at Miami on Christmas Day).

The Packers only play four games starting at noon, and one (the season finale vs. the Lions) is to be determined. Flex scheduling could mean more (or less) primetime games based on demand and opponents.

Only three other teams have as many as 10 national window games: Cowboys with 11 and the Rams and Chiefs with 10. The Packers are the only team with 12 on the 17-game schedule.

Generally speaking, noon kickoffs are broadcast by region and lack widespread viewing opportunities. Some Packers fans living in Western and Northern Wisconsin can actually miss out on watching the games if the Vikings (in the competing Twin Cities market to the west) also have a noon kickoff. In 2022, the problem will be mostly minimized, and all eyes will be on Matt LaFleur’s team.

It’s no wonder why.

The Packers have the NFL’s back-to-back MVP, a team that has won an NFL-high 39 games over the last three regular seasons and a sprawling fan base dotting the country. They are a big draw on the national stage, and the NFL and its broadcast partners know it.

In 2022, the Packers are America’s Team.

[lawrence-related id=81079,81076,81069,81023]

[listicle id=81062]

Twitter reacts to Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle Week 1 for MNF

Twitter erupted with the news that Broncos QB Russell Wilson would be squaring off against the Seahawks in Week 1 of the NFL regular season.

The National Football League announced the complete 2022 regular-season schedule on Thursday evening and Seattle Seahawks fans were quick to react on Twitter . . . especially when they realized that their former favorite quarterback would be returning to Seattle with his Broncos to square off against the Seahawks Week 1 on “Monday Night Football.”

Here’s a look at some of the best tweets following the official schedule release.

[lawrence-related id=89405]

[listicle id=89382]

Highlighting Packers’ 5 primetime games on 2022 schedule

The Packers will play five games in primetime during the 2022 season. Here’s a quick look at all five.

The Green Bay Packers will once again play the maximum of five primetime games during the 2022 regular season. The official schedule arrived Thursday night, revealing which games the Packers will play under the brightest of lights this season.

The Packers have been dazzling in primetime over the last two seasons, winning all 10 regular season games. Matt LaFleur’s team was 5-0 in 2020 and 5-0 again in 2021, with six total wins of at least 10 points.

Here’s a quick look at the Packers’ primetime games in 2022:

5 Broncos games that should be in prime time this season with Russell Wilson in town

The Broncos’ full schedule will come out tomorrow night. The NFL should put these five games in prime time.

The NFL schedule release is Thursday, so in the meantime, let’s speculate on how many prime-time games the Denver Broncos, now with Russell Wilson, are set to have next season.

For context, it’s already announced the Broncos will travel to London next season to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team is also set to face off against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams, on Christmas Day.

And for reference, the max number of initially-scheduled prime-time games is five. But the London and Christmas games don’t count toward that total despite being nationally televised. That’s because Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football are the prime time allotments for the initially-scheduled prime-time games. And the London game starts at 7:30 a.m., while the Christmas game starts at 2:30 p.m. — which is not one of the evening games.

Without further ado, here are the Broncos games that Broncos Wire thinks should be in prime next season.

Broncos vs. Chiefs

Storyline: Can the Broncos finally beat the Kansas City Chiefs with Russell Wilson?

Broncos vs. Raiders

Storyline: Josh McDaniels returns to Denver after destroying Mike Shanahan’s set-in-stone offense of Jay Cutler, Peyton Hillis, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal and Tony Scheffler.

Broncos vs. Ravens

Storyline: One of the sport’s best QBs of the last decade up against one of the best upcoming QBs challenged with being the face of the league for the next decade. Also, welcome back, Derek Wolfe.

Broncos vs. 49ers

Storyline: A potential Super Bowl preview, Wilson faces off with a former division rival. Yes, I said it, the Broncos have the seventh-best odds. Kyle Shanahan, meanwhile, has appeared in two of the past three NFC Championship games. Never forget: his team was up 10 late in the 4th on the Rams’ side of the field last season when Elijah Mitchel ran for nine yards on first down. The 49ers did not convert a first down on the drive, and the rest is history.

Broncos vs. Seahawks

Storyline: Burying the lede, Wilson faces off against his old team. While pundits believe Drew Lock is set to start for the Seattle Seahawks, don’t be surprised to see Geno Smith under center for this tilt.

You can check out the Broncos’ opponents for next season here.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett dominates despite loss to Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett executed a dominant performance in the team’s Week-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Seattle Seahawks dropped their first game of the year after losing to the Arizona Cardinals Week 7 on the national stage in overtime. But despite the loss, wide receiver Tyler Lockett played one for the record books.

Lockett was clutch in every definition of the word and finished the outing logging 15 receptions (a new career-high) on 20 targets for 200 yards and  three touchdowns.

According to ESPN’s Stats & Info, Lockett became the first player with at least seven receiving touchdowns and 500 receiving yards in his team’s first six games of the season since Calvin Johnson in 2011.

Here’s a look at Lockett’s third TD of the game in slow motion. You can watch his first and second scores here and here.

The Seahawks are now 5-1 on the year and host the 49ers next Sunday at CenturyLink Field.

[lawrence-related id=68430]