Tag: quote

Saints GM comments on firing head coach Dennis Allen

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis shared a statement on the firing of head coach Dennis Allen Monday morning:

The New Orleans Saints firing of head coach Dennis Allen Monday morning was a long time coming and had been on the “to-do” list for far too long. However, now it is over thankfully, and the Saints will move on to interim head coach Darren Rizzi until the offseason, when they can make the decision on whether they wish to keep him full-time or move on to a new candidate.

After the firing of Allen, general manager Mickey Loomis had a few comments regarding the move and Allen’s time in New Orleans. This came in the form of a news release posted by the Saints shortly after Allen’s firing in the early morning. Loomis was quoted as saying:

“DA is an excellent football coach. This season, we have had an avalanche of injuries. It took its toll. DA has never offered excuses, he fought each day for this organization and this team and that is what makes today disappointing. Dennis has been an integral part of this organization’s success for the better part of twenty years. He will be missed.”

Loomis clearly appreciated Allen for his tenure with the Saints, which we have seen time and time again in how he had regarded the former head coach. However, it was time to move on and ultimately Loomis and Gayle Benson had to make the final call.

Derek Carr responds to comments made by Michael Thomas

Derek Carr responds to mid-game comments made by former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas

The New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Carolina Panthers was ugly no doubt, but losing Chris Olave to another concussion was also a horrible moment in this 2-7 season. Michael Thomas aired his grievances with Derek Carr after the play happened, and Carr ended up responding to these criticisms postgame. Firstly, Carr said, “I have love for Mike…and when he does that, I don’t really care for that. I’ve had so many teammates over the years and he’s the one dude I haven’t got along with.”

He then followed that up with the following statement regarding Thomas placing the guilt on him for the injury, “Anytime that happens I feel sick to my stomach.”

Ultimately the concern goes out to Olave and his health first and foremost no matter what else is going on outside that. The positive update of him coming back to the stadium and flying back with the team is a good start no doubt. The drama between Thomas and Carr ultimately has continued for a bit now, and continued to get worse today after Olave’s injury.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert on Chiefs’ rabid pass rush: ‘I thought we were prepared’

#Chargers QB Justin Herbert told reporters about the challenge of facing the #Chiefs’ rabid pass rush after Los Angeles’ Week 4 loss to K.C.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense has been on fire to start the 2024 regular season, and it seems that the defending champions somehow caught the Los Angeles Chargers off guard in Week 4.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert addressed the media after Los Angeles’ loss to Kansas City and praised the Chiefs’ pass rush that was orchestrated by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“It’s tough,” Herbert told reporters. “Like we said during the week, they do a good job of getting after the passer. We expected that. We knew that and I thought we were prepared for it. I’ve got do a better job of getting the ball out, quicker, with answers. I thought the offensive line did a great job stepping up and blocking and doing everything they needed to do. It’s definitely on us to be better at that.”

Herbert was sacked by star defensive lineman Chris Jones twice on Sunday and was held to just 179 passing yards.

Tyrann Mathieu discusses why he’s excited to come to work every day

Tyrann Mathieu discussed why he’s excited to come to work every day, and the commitment he’s seen from his teammates in the Saints locker room:

https://twitter.com/SaintsFilmRoom/status/1836764411798700492

Tune into this one. New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu recently joined the Richard Sherman Podcast to discuss many different talking points throughout his career in football.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation including last week’s Saints and Dallas Cowboys matchup, his time with the Kansas City Chiefs and LSU, what’s left for Mathieu to accomplish, and his current perspective on the Saints and how things feel in the locker room. One of the most intriguing takeaways from this interview was his viewpoint on the energy surrounding this team.

When asked about the Saints and the excitement building around them, Mathieu had quite a bit to say: “It’s a beautiful thing when your team is excited to come to work every day, I don’t think every NFL team has that, maybe some fans don’t understand what I’m talking about, but ya that matters. You can see the energy, the whole energy is different.”

Between the Saints dropping 40-plus points on their first two opponents and head coach Dennis Allen quoting superstar rapper Kendrick Lamar after wins, the vibes couldn’t be much more different from what we’ve seen in recent years. There’s a real surge of enthusiasm in what the Saints are working on, and Mathieu sees it at the facility every day.

“We took a lot of pride in this offseason, we had a lot of dudes show up for voluntary things, and that’s a big deal in 2024, this whole world is offering you free distractions, so it’s like, for guys to show up in 2024, that’s kind of a big deal,” Mathieu said. “You can just see a lot of guys, they’re committed. They recommitted. That’s fun to see, especially as a team captain, because I don’t necessarily have to give and ‘rah-rah’ speeches, because those don’t always work. But it’s been fun man, coming to work every day.”

This is especially heartening to hear from a long-time veteran who has been to a Super Bowl and won one, because he knows what winning culture looks like, and to have him see that level of energy and commitment from this roster to the vision of the New Orleans Saints, that’s special.

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Dennis Allen explains why he quoted Kendrick Lamar in his postgame speech

Dennis Allen used a perfectly-timed Kendrick Lamar quote after the Saints’ victory over the Cowboys. We can thank his son for that:

https://twitter.com/jeff_nowak/status/1836493511979602315?s=46&t=_U0UBmCWxF2s5xLnGQ2rFQ

Dennis Allen was feeling good after the New Orleans Saints dominant performance over Dallas Cowboys. So good that he quoted Kendrick Lamar’s hit single “Not Like Us.” When addressing the team after the game, Allen told his players “sometimes you gotta just pop out and show ’em.”

Allen added his own flair to the quote, and the team exploded. Willie Gay can be seen jumping into the frame as Allen walks off.

The song is the biggest hit of the year, so it’s no surprise Allen has heard it. The surprise was that he quoted it after the game.

We have Allen’s son to thank for this clip. Allen explained the moment by crediting his son for exposing him to the rapper’s work: “I wouldn’t say (Kendrick Lamar is) on my playlist, but my son was with me out at training camp and so we heard that song plenty of times.”

Allen heard the song so many times that he found the perfect moment to use the quote. The Saints game versus the Cowboys was a moment for the Saints to pop out and show ’em. That’s exactly what they did with another 40 point performance. Allen gets an A-plus for the reference and timing. Maybe he’ll be able to grab a photo with Lamar when the 17-time Grammy winner visits New Orleans to perform at Super Bowl LIX.

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Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase with bizarre take ahead of matchup vs. Chiefs

#Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase told fans that Cincinnati is “the team to beat” in the AFC ahead of their matchup against the #Chiefs this weekend.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a confident bunch, but ahead of a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase gave his team a lot more credit than it deserves after a brutal loss in Week 1.

During comments to the media this week, Chase told a reporter in no uncertain terms that the Bengals are the “team to beat” in the AFC.

“Everybody knows that,” Chase said. “There’s not no ‘if’, we are the team to beat in the AFC, and we know it, and we’ve got to act like it. We’ve got to play like it too.”

While Chase’s confidence is admirable, poking the bear is rarely a winning strategy, and the Chiefs seem poised to steamroll Cincinnati if the Bengals come out as flat as they were against the New England Patriots in Week 1.

If the former LSU standout doesn’t put together a winning performance this weekend, expect this clip to recirculate.

 

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell after Western Michigan win: ‘At halftime, it was interesting’

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: ‘At halftime, it was interesting’

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell was, in a word, relieved after the Badgers’ uncomfortable 28-14 win over Western Michigan on Friday night.

Fickell told the Big Ten Network postgame how proud he was of the Badgers for battling adversity. His focus was on the plays the team made in the fourth quarter to win the game, though he also acknowledged the contest was a little too close for comfort.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s 28-14 Week 1 win over Western Michigan

“I didn’t see any panic,” Fickell said. “The emotions were not high. Just a methodical game. But they handled it really well. And that’s what I’m proud of.”

The head coach continued: “You know, at halftime … it was interesting.”

The Badgers led 10-7 at the break, scoring a touchdown on only one of their three first-half red zone possessions. Fickell’s tone captured the feelings in the stadium at that stage. There was an overwhelming thought of “oh no, here we go again.”

But credit to the Badgers for making plays when it mattered most. That was Fickell’s focus after the game, as his team did not excel in those areas last season.

“You knew you had to come back out, and you go down, and you find a way to come back,” Fickell continued. “We know it’s going to be about adversity and handling adversity, and we didn’t do a great job of that last year. So I’m proud they did.”

https://twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/1829744699810205843

Wisconsin has a lot to improve upon entering Week 2 against South Dakota and Week 3 against No. 5 Alabama and a Big Ten schedule. The improvements will start on offense, where the team did not manage a play longer than 17 yards.

The Badgers are 1-0 after one week, which is technically all that matters. Attention now turns to how to prevent having next Saturday follow the same script as Friday night’s win.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. 

Patrick Mahomes says Taylor Swift is ‘drawing up plays’ for Chiefs’ offense

In a recent interview, #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes revealed that Taylor Swift has been “drawing up plays” for Kansas City’s offense.

The Kansas City Chiefs will kick off their 2024 regular season against the Baltimore Ravens in just six days, and as anticipation mounts for the marquee Week 1 matchup, both die-hard fans and Swifties alike are buzzing with excitement.

Among the newest Swifties? None other than reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.

In an interview ahead of Kansas City’s tilt against the Ravens, Mahomes made a heartfelt comment about how it feels to count Taylor Swift as a member of Chiefs Kingdom.

“That’s been special to me, because, like you said, she’s the most famous person in the world,” said Mahomes of Swift. “She’s really interested in football, and she asks a lot of great questions.”

He even teased a Swift-crafted play adding, “She’s already drawing up plays, so we might have to put one in.”

Check out the full clip of Mahomes’ interview here:

https://twitter.com/swifferupdates/status/1829289517855182849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1829289517855182849%7Ctwgr%5Eeb1389907afa926978dca1ec9849767511b9421c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F

Stay tuned to see if Mahomes and Andy Reid decide to implement one of Swift’s innovative schemes against Baltimore on September 5.

Andy Reid on Jaylen Watson’s performance vs. Bears: ‘He needed the work’

Andy Reid told reporters that veteran DB Jaylen Watson “needed the work” in the #Chiefs’ preseason loss to the #Bears on Thursday night.

Jaylen Watson finally made an appearance for the Kansas City Chiefs in their final preseason outing against the Chicago Bears after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Watson was picked by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft and is a two-time champion with the Chiefs, but his role in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense is shrouded in mystery heading into the regular season.

Andy Reid commented on Watson’s performance after Kansas City’s loss to Chicago, telling reporters that he was pleased to see the young defensive back on the field.

“He (Jaylen Watson) needed the work, yeah, he needed the work,” Reid explained. “He flopped around on the one but he did a nice job on the other – he’s a good football player, he just needs to work through all of this. We kept him in there and gave him some snaps to do that with.”

Expect to see Watson fight for playing time this season as he looks to gain a starting spot on the Chiefs’ depth chart.

Andy Reid assesses Louis Rees-Zammit’s performance vs. Bears

Check out what Andy Reid had to say about Louis Rees-Zammit’s performance in the #Chiefs’ loss to the #Bears on Thursday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit in the 2024 offseason, hoping that he can achieve the same success he found across the pond in his new profession.

Rees-Zammit has now made appearances in three preseason games with the Chiefs, and head coach Andy Reid has taken notice of the ex-rugger’s efforts.

After Kansas City’s loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday, Reid gave reporters an update on Rees-Zammit’s progression during the Chiefs’ postgame press conference.

“Yeah, (we) tried to get him the ball a little bit tonight and he had some real positive yards,” Reid explained. “It will be good for him to see and study himself on that. In live action like that. He is a heck of an athlete and it’s just a matter of getting familiar.”

Though Rees-Zammit was overshadowed by Carson Steele in the running game, Reid and general manager Brett Veach may still choose to keep him on Kansas City’s 53-man roster this season as a developmental prospect.