Tag: social media

Michael Thomas says he was ‘set up by a bad ball’ on season-ending injury

Michael Thomas says he was ‘set up by a bad ball’ on a season-ending injury. Derek Carr’s hospital balls were a problem in 2023:

It’s not an NFL Sunday without a little New Orleans Saints drama — even after the team’s season has ended. Michael Thomas stirred the pot while chatting with fans on social media about his rough 2023 campaign, sharing his take on the season-ending knee injury.

Thomas said that he “probably would’ve had a light little (1,000) yards this year” had he not injured his knee early in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he didn’t take the blame for getting hurt. Instead, he pointed to quarterback Derek Carr, saying he had been “set up by a bad ball.”

It was a rough play. The ball was thrown high and behind him, so Thomas had to adjust by turning his back to the defensive back and extending vertically to reach the ball. Vikings corner Akayleb Evans collided with him, tangling their legs, and one of Thomas’ cleats caught in the turf on his way down, awkwardly twisting his knee. He exited the game and did not return.

On top of that, Thomas says the Saints weren’t making an effort to get him the ball. After being targeted 7, 8, 7, and 7 times, he was thrown to only once the week before this Vikings game. He averaged a career-low 3.9 receptions and 44.8 yards per game last season prior to his injury, putting him pace for just 66 catches and 761 yards over 17 games. That had to be disappointing after Thomas played a key role recruiting Carr to New Orleans, a signing which he celebrated on social media. Thomas compared Carr to Drew Brees after they first practiced together.

Unfortunately, Carr isn’t effective throwing passes on the routes that Thomas runs best: in-breaking crossers and slants where he can use his physicality and large frame to bully smaller defenders. His scattershot accuracy got his receivers hurt throughout the season; Rashid Shaheed suffered a quad strain and Chris Olave sprained his ankle when adjusting to off-target passes. It’s disappointing that it’s come to this but Thomas is right to feel this way. If Carr had thrown a better ball (and thrown his way more often), he may have enjoyed more success in 2023. Instead, Thomas is very likely playing elsewhere in 2024.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Jaguars fans think they found Trent Baalke’s burner Twitter account

Is Trent Baalke secretly defending himself on social media as “BrodDawg”?

There aren’t a ton of Jacksonville Jaguars fans in Trent Baalke’s corner right now.

While an AFC South title and a playoff victory last year earned the Jaguars general manager a reprieve from the clown costumes that once flooded EverBank Stadium, a tailspin that cost the team a spot in the postseason this year has fans as frustrated as ever with the executive.

Yet, one particular account on social media has zealously defended Baalke from the avalanche of criticism. So much so, that Jaguars fans have become convinced that it’s run by Baalke himself.

So is @broddawg4 really the Jaguars’ general manager in disguise? Here’s the evidence for and against the account being Baalke’s burner:

Peyton Manning congratulates Todd Helton on Hall of Fame nod

“Was an honor to be your backup, an honor to be your fan, and it’s an honor to be your friend,” Peyton Manning told Todd Helton.

From one Hall of Famer to another, game recognizes game. For Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, his former cross-town Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton’s election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, it means a little bit more.

Helton and Manning were football teammates at the University of Tennessee. Believe it or not, Helton was actually Tennessee’s starting quarterback for a brief time in 1994, before suffering an injury that would pave the way for Manning to take the starting job — and a Hall-of-Fame career career from that point on.

Helton went on to have a stellar 17-year career with the Colorado Rockies, who selected him eighth overall in the 1995 MLB draft. After Manning took the reins as a starter for the Volunteers, he was selected first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 NFL draft.

Manning and Helton shared a sports home again when Manning signed with the Broncos prior to the 2012 season. Helton finished his playing career with the Rockies in 2013.

Manning congratulated Helton on Instagram when Helton passed the 75% threshold needed to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Commanders’ fans feeling good about compensation in Chase Young trade

Washington Twitter and others react to Chase Young’s performance vs. Packers.

The Washington Commanders traded defensive end Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 31 for a third-round compensatory pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Most fans’ reaction was: How could the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft only be worth a third-round compensatory selection?

It wasn’t just fans who were surprised Young only fetched a third-round pick. Some in the national media believed the 49ers stole Young.

Young would play in nine games for the 49ers, recording 2.5 sacks, 6.5 QB hits and 10 tackles. In 16 combined games with Washington and San Francisco, Young finished with 7.5 sacks, 15 QB hits and 25 tackles.

On Saturday, Young played in his second career playoff game — the first since his rookie season — against the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. He recorded three tackles. Young would receive plenty of attention for his role in San Francisco’s run defense.

Needless to say, Washington fans are feeling much better about that trade after Young’s 10 games (and counting) in a 49ers’ uniform.

Twitter reacted to Young’s performance vs. the Packers.

Michael Thomas shares a pointed criticism on social media

Michael Thomas shared a pointed criticism on social media, calling out those who accept mediocrity over high achievers:

Michael Thomas shared a message carrying pointed criticism on social media Tuesday morning, in posts on both Instagram and the platform formerly known as Twitter (currently X) that sure seem to be aimed at the New Orleans Saints.

“People who accept mediocrity don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like people who accept mediocrity,” Thomas wrote. “If you are going to talk about setting the bar you must be willing to hold the bar.”

Now, that could mean anything. But it’s tough to read it as anything but criticism of head coach Dennis Allen and Saints quarterback Derek Carr, as well as general manager Mickey Loomis for standing behind both of them. Carr struggled through the first three months of the 2023 season but was repeatedly defended by his coach and GM, which reportedly rankled other players in the locker room.

And low standards have been the story of the Saints as of late. They’ve missed the playoffs in each of the first two years with Allen as head coach despite facing the easiest schedule in the NFL. They barely won nine games this season, Allen’s first winning season in five years a head coach. At a time when better coaches like Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, and Bill Belichick are getting shown the door, Loomis appears committed to standing by Allen. Carr has never won a playoff game after a decade in the NFL. Allen has lost 46 of his 70 games as a head coach. By all accounts the Saints plan to run it back with both of them.

That has to be frustrating for highly competitive pros in the locker room like Thomas. He knows what high standards look like, having seen them firsthand while working hard to break NFL records with Drew Brees and Sean Payton early in his career. That winning culture has deteriorated over time, and Allen’s poor influence on the locker room has openly set it to rot.

Thomas was a key figure in recruiting Carr to New Orleans, so you have to imagine there’s some sort of buyer’s remorse at play when the quarterback didn’t meet expectations for much of the season — particularly in getting the ball to Thomas, hesitating to throw passes on the quick in-breaking routes that Thomas thrives with. The Saints did structure their last extension with Thomas so that there’s an option for him to return in 2024, but if the choice is Thomas or Allen and Carr, well: we might have seen the last of No. 13.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Commanders’ Twitter reacts to Cowboys’ playoff loss to Packers

The Packers blew out the Cowboys in Sunday’s NFC wild-card round. How did Twitter react?

The Green Bay Packers embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in Sunday’s NFC wild-card round to send the second-seeded Cowboys home early. It was Dallas’ first home loss of the season.

The loss had social media buzzing about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy. While McCarthy is 67-42 with two NFC East championships in four seasons as head coach of the Cowboys, he’s also 1-3 in the playoffs. And, well, you never know with owner Jerry Jones.

Meanwhile, fans of the Washington Commanders were certainly enjoying Sunday’s festivities at Jerry World. Not only did the Cowboys sweep the 4-13 Commanders in the 2023 regular season, but it was the 45-10 loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving Day that fans remember the most.

After the Cowboys blew the game open in the fourth quarter, quarterback Dak Prescott and others were seen on the sideline eating turkey legs. Washington fans were more upset than the players, who didn’t seem to take care all that much that they were thoroughly embarrassed.

On Sunday, Commanders’ Twitter was enjoying the moment.

Here are some of the best reactions from fans, media and more.

The refs get it wrong with the Lions–again–and fans let them have it

The social media world did not take kindly to the obvious blown call.

It might be the postseason, but the shaky officiating isn’t any different with the Detroit Lions. An obvious officiating gaffe late in the first half of Detroit’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams cost the Lions a potential scoring drive.

Lions left tackle Taylor Decker was called for a false start on a penalty where he did not move until Rams EDGE Ernest Jones jumped into the neutral zone. Decker reached out to draw the penalty on Jones, but the officials wrongly flagged him instead. It changed what would have been a first down in Rams territory into a punt.

The social media world did not take kindly to the obvious blown call. Lions fans are already acutely sensitive to these, but for a lot of America, this was their first taste of the refs screwing the Lions over.

Social media reacts to Steven Izzo’s first points with Michigan State basketball

Check out how social media reacted to Steven Izzo’s first career points:

In the waning moments of Michigan State’s win over Rutgers on Sunday afternoon, MSU fans got what they have been cheering for, a Steven Izzo basket.

Izzo converted a beautiful and-one finish over a Rutgers defender, securing his first regular season points in his career.

You can watch the basket by clicking here

As you can imagine, social media exploded when the basket went down. Check out some of the best reactions from Spartan Nation after Izzo’s points:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

Justin Simmons comes to defense of Pat Surtain after All-Pro snub

Justin Simmons, Russell Wilson and other Broncos players came to Pat Surtain’s defense after he was snubbed on the 2023 All-Pro Team.

The Associated Press announced its 2023 All-Pro Team on Friday and Denver Broncos star defensive back Pat Surtain did not make the squad, not even as a second-team cornerback.

Fellow defensive back Justin Simmons did make the All-Pro Team as a second-team safety, and he did not appreciate “PS2” being overlooked.

“There are people on this app that think PS2 isn’t a top 4 corner 😭,” Simmons wrote on his Twitter/X page. “I’m not naming them or quote tweeting because they want the attention. Just know you’re a clown and always will be and at some point you will be addressed, now just isn’t the time. Pat is ELITE.”

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson also gave his endorsement to Surtain:

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay also dubbed Surtain the best in the league.

Apparently, not everyone agrees.

James Merilatt, a digital editor for DenverSports.com, wrote this on his Twitter/X page:

“The PS2 outrage is funny. Dude made zero plays this year. Don’t give me the ‘hey don’t throw his direction’ nonsense. The Patriots did, on the biggest play of the season, and he got beat. He wasn’t an All-Pro this year. Not even close!”

That drew this response from Surtain:

LOOK: New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks to the team for the first time

LOOK: Alabama’s new HC Kalen DeBoer introduces himself to the team

About 4 p.m. on Wednesday, [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement from college football and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Today, almost 53 hours later, [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] is introducing himself to the Crimson Tide football team as the 28th head coach in program history.

On Monday night, DeBoer was in Houston, Texas, leading the Washington Huskies in the national title game. He ends the week as the successor of the great Nick Saban.

Insane.

DeBoer is an offensive savant and one of the most highly respected people in the sport, but he is new to the South and he will face his fair share of learning curves. However, having Saban at your disposal as a helping hand is far from the worst thing.

DeBoer will have his work cut out from him over the next 48 hours from hiring coordinators and working on recruiting, but retaining the players currently on the roster is the most important thing by fair. This Alabama team was a play away from a national title berth. It is imperative to keep the core together. Jalen Milroe and Caleb Downs have made gestures that indicate they plan to stay with the Tide, but the next 48 hours will be telling.

While there aren’t many details yet, it sounds like the first meeting between DeBoer and the players was a massive success!

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.