Tag: Super Bowl

ESPN gives the Saints microscopic odds of reaching the Super Bowl

ESPN gave the Saints microscopic odds of reaching the Super Bowl. After a 2-5 start, they’re long-shots to even make the playoffs:

This isn’t where you want to be in Week 8. ESPN’s Football Power Index gave the New Orleans Saints small odds of reaching the Super Bowl — less than 1%. After a 2-5 start, they’re long-shots to even make the playoffs by winning their own division.

Both the Atlanta Falcons (56% chance of winning the division) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (66%) are seen as more credible teams in the NFC South. The Saints (7%) are just barely keeping their heads above water, with the Carolina Panthers (less than 1%) already sinking.

It’s easy to see why they’re so down on the Saints. New Orleans hasn’t done anything well in their five-game losing streak. The defense Dennis Allen gave up can’t stop the run or keep points off the board, and their offense has run out of steam with so many starters and key contributors dealing with injuries.

Can they turn it around? It’s still looking like a favorable schedule, but at some point the Saints must win a game (and then a couple more). Teams that gave them trouble last year like the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns have had their own issues. The Bucs and Falcons can be beaten. But can Allen string multiple wins together? We’ll have to see it to believe it.

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Could Aidan Hutchinson really return for the Super Bowl?

Could Aidan Hutchinson really return for the Super Bowl? Breaking down the medical outlook with Dr. Jimmy Liao

The Super Bowl is a long ways away, but Lions fans don’t often get the opportunity to dream like this so let’s do it. With the increasing chatter that Aidan Hutchinson might play in the Super Bowl, here are my thoughts.

Why might Hutchinson NOT play in the Super Bowl?

  • He will only be partway through his rehab and won’t be at full strength physically.
  • His effectiveness may be very limited and worse than his replacement.
  • Theoretically, he might be putting himself at increased injury risk.

Here are the reasons why Hutchinson WILL play in the Super Bowl

  • All indications suggest an uncomplicated tib/fib fracture that doesn’t affect the ankle or knee joints. Healing should be relatively straightforward. The reported estimated timeline is 4-6 months with the Super Bowl coming in at just under 4 months (17 weeks).
  • There is no way to quantify injury risk, so opinions will vary, but it is reasonable to believe that his injury risk over baseline will be minimal, if any. With the Super Bowl 17 weeks from the time of injury, the bone will almost certainly be well-healed by then in a young, healthy individual. Further injury to the bone should not be an issue. There will be atrophy and weakness of the legs being only partially into rehab, but whether the leg weakness would cause increased injury risk is far from definite.
  • Players will absolutely come back earlier than they are ready for the opportunity to play in a championship game. Some notable examples are Terrell Owens in 2005 who played in the Super Bowl seven weeks after an ankle fracture, Jaylen Waddle who was still hobbling from a similar ankle fracture in the 2021 college national championship game, and Philip Rivers who played with a torn ACL in a conference championship game.
  • Even if there is an increased risk of injury, many if not most will accept the risk for a possible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a Super Bowl. After all, players are already accustomed to being exposed to a high baseline risk of injury in every routine NFL game. A slight added risk will not be much of a deterrent.
  • Even if there is an aggravation of his injury or a compensation injury, Hutchinson will have seven months to recover before the next season starts. Yes, there is the risk of a long-term injury (Achilles, ACL, etc.) but that risk is ever-present and not necessarily increased by coming back early. The risk may even be decreased with less power in his legs.
  • Nobody in the NFL is 100% during the season, much less at the end of the season. Players are all dealing with physical ailments and weaknesses. Expecting Hutchinson to wait until he is at full strength isn’t a reality or a necessity.

Here are the reasons why the Lions will open a roster spot and let Hutchinson play in the Super Bowl

  • Hutchinson is one of the most important players on the team going forward – arguably the second most important player behind Jared Goff. The Lions invested a #2 overall pick in him, and he has quickly lived up to that status. At his current pace, he could end up being one of the greatest to ever don a Lions uniform. Maintaining a good relationship with this level of player is important, and that means giving him the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl.
  • Hutchinson has a long recovery ahead of him and having a Super-sized pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will be excellent for his mental health. He’ll still be able to feel like he is a part of this year’s team. Maintaining positive mental health should always be a major factor in any player decision.
  • Even if the Lions don’t think he’ll be effective physically, he could still make a difference as a decoy or distraction to the opposing offense. The opponent won’t know his physical status so they may expend resources to double team him or chip him even if he doesn’t deserve it.

Bottom Line

Unless there is a setback in his recovery, expect Hutchinson to play in the Super Bowl. Expectations for his performance should be tempered, though, as he will still be early in his recovery, and it will likely be his first game back.

During the game, Hutchinson’s strength, burst, quickness, and stamina will be limited, and he won’t play his usual 90% of snaps. Hopefully he makes a big impact, but even if he doesn’t, his appearance will still be an uplifting result with long-term benefits for the team and the player.

Kyle Shanahan approaching dubious 49ers record vs. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid

Kyle Shanahan needs to solve the Andy Reid Chiefs.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has downplayed the team’s Week 7 Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.

While he’s willing to admit that watching film of their heartbreaking Super Bowl LVIII isn’t easy, Shanahan told reporters in a press conference before Wednesday’s practice that he isn’t putting any additional weight on Sunday’s game because of that loss.

“Yeah, I think everyone understands that we’ve lost the two Super Bowls to them,” Shanahan said. “So I mean, that can give a little post-traumatic stress when you turn on the tape, but I think that’s human nature. But you’ve got to make sure you don’t get caught up in that.

“This game has nothing to do with past games, that was last year. We’re playing a really good AFC opponent. We’re .500 right now. We want to stay on top of our division and get a win. I don’t really, you think about that stuff going into it, but in terms of what it plays out in a game, it really has no correlation, and you try to make sure that it doesn’t.”

It’s easy to point to Super Bowl revenge as a potential motivating factor for San Francisco. However, there’s a larger issue unfolding.

Shanahan can’t beat Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

The 49ers since Shanahan took over in 2017 are 0-4 against Reid’s Chiefs. That includes a Week 3 loss in the 2018 regular season, a Week 7 loss in the 2022 regular season and a pair of Super Bowls.

According to the AP’s Josh Dubow, it’s the second-most games a 49ers head coach has lost to another head coach without securing a win. Jack Christensen, who coached the 49ers for 67 games between 1963 and 1967, went 0-9 against Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula.

It’s easy to write off the 2018 loss as the Chiefs just being better. They went to the AFC title game that year while the 49ers stumbled to a 4-12 finish.

The two Super Bowls and the 2022 regular season matchup make it seem as though the Chiefs head coach and his staff found the key to solve the Shanahan 49ers. While the teams regularly play close games, it’s Reid’s club that comes up on the right side of seemingly every big play.

Perhaps the 2024 regular season is where that trend flips. Given that the Chiefs figure to be in the way again if the 49ers are in Super Bowl contention any time over the next decade or so, solving Reid and his Kansas City club is crucial.

Sunday’s game may be ‘just another game,’ but it could have a ripple effect that leads to either a Super Bowl win or another Super Bowl defeat at some point down the road.

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Steelers’ VP Art Rooney Jr. named a 2025 Hall of Fame candidate

Beloved member of the Rooney family, Steelers’ VP Art Rooney Jr., is one of 25 candidates from the Contributor category for 2025 HOF.

Steelers’ Vice President Art Rooney Jr., son of the Steelers’ founder Art Rooney Sr. and father of Steelers’ owner Art Rooney II, is one of 25 candidates named for the Contributor category in the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Rooney Jr. served as the Steelers’ Personnel Director from 1965 to 1986, before becoming the Steelers’ Vice President in 1987.

Without Rooney Jr., the Pittsburgh Steelers’ generational success might have never come to fruition, as he  and the scouting department was responsible for 10 Hall of Fame caliber players from 1969 to 1974.  Players drafted or signed from his guidance included ‘Mean’ Joe Green, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and Mel Blount, just to name a few.

The Rooney family is a vital and beloved piece of Steelers history, and in some ways, the heart of Pittsburgh itself.  Rooney Jr. created the tradition of winning for the ‘Steel City’, and much of what we fans love today about our great team is because of him.

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Broncos won’t host any of the next four Super Bowls (but keep an eye on 2032)

The Broncos won’t host the Super Bowl in 2028 (or the three years before then), but if the team builds a new stadium, who knows?

The Denver Broncos won’t host the Super Bowl in 2028 (or any of the three championship games before then).

The NFL had previously announced the Super Bowl sites for 2025 (New Orleans), 2026 (Santa Clara) and 2027 (Inglewood). Today, the league announced that the 2028 Super Bowl (LXII) will be held in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Because the Broncos play in an outdoor stadium, they probably won’t be seriously considered to host a February Super Bowl anytime soon.

The team’s current lease at Empower Field at Mile High runs through the 2031 season and there has been heavy speculation that Denver’s ownership group will want to eventually build a mega stadium in the coming years.

If the Broncos do build a beautiful new stadium, they would instantly become a top contender to host a future Super Bowl, especially if there’s a roof (which is a hot topic in Broncos Country).

Denver is also interested in hosting a future NFL draft, but the city won’t host in 2025 (Green Bay) or 2026 (Pittsburgh). The next possible draft that could be held in Colorado would be in 2027, two years before the next available Super Bowl.

Unless the Broncos end their lease early, the team seems unlikely to host a Super Bowl before 2032 at the earliest. So potentially hosting a Super Bowl is still quite a few years away from being realistic, but it’s a topic worth monitoring going forward as stadium talks begin to heat up in Denver.

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NFL power rankings: 49ers win over Seahawks wasn’t enough

The 49ers didn’t get much movement in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

The San Francisco 49ers got a much-needed Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks that appeared to put them back on track toward contending for a Super Bowl.

After dropping their NFC West rival 36-24 at Lumen Field in Seattle, the 49ers jumped from No. 14 to the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff picture and form No. 3 to No. 1 in the NFC West. That leap wasn’t reflected in the USA TODAY power rankings where the 49ers still sit outside the top 10 at No. 12 overall, a one-spot hop from the previous week.

While power rankings aren’t the defining factor in team success, this paints a clear picture of what’s ahead for the 49ers.

While they sit at No. 12 for now, San Francisco has games against No. 1 Kansas City and No. 15 Dallas coming up before the bye. Immediately after the bye they have No. 6 Tampa Bay.

If the 49ers are going to assert themselves as contenders and a top-10 team again, this is the stretch where they can stake their claim.

A win over the Chiefs would give Kansas City its first loss. A win over Dallas might just put a fork in the Cowboys’ season. And a win over Tampa Bay would put some distance between the 49ers and one of the upstart NFC South teams looking to become a real threat in the postseason.

If they can secure wins in all three of those games, it would be hard to argue the 49ers are anything but on track to be the class of the NFC again. If they can get two wins, it puts them in a great position to be a threat down the stretch.

If they stumble and only win one or fewer, then it may be a season where mediocrity is the goal and a playoff berth will be in question all year.

For now the win over the Seahawks is nice, but it’s clear from the power rankings they still have a ton of work to do.

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Ben Roethlisberger: Davante Adams makes Steelers a Super Bowl threat

Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger believes that Davante Adams being traded to the Steelers makes the team instant Super Bowl contenders.

In episode 53 of Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast, Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, the former Steelers legend and quarterback discussed how great the team could become if they were to acquire wide receiver Davante Adams.

Adams has been embroiled in heavy trade drama and rumors over the past few weeks, with teams like the Jets, Saints, Ravens, and Steelers caught in the middle. Fans are likely sick of hearing about their team trading for a receiver, especially after the Brandon Aiyuk situation.

However, Roethlisberger believes that if Adams ends up in the Steel City, Pittsburgh would instantly become a Super Bowl contender. While concerned about a potential reunion between Adams and Aaron Rodgers on the Jets, Ben acknowledges that a duo of Pickens and Adams could ignite all facets of the offense.

Can Steelers GM Omar Khan turn this speculative probability into a reality? Pittsburgh is in dire need of a second wide receiver, and one of the greatest WRs of all-time will surely do.

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Behind the numbers: Steelers versus Cowboys rivalry 

The historic rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys hits prime time this Sunday night. We at Steelers Wire dive into the numbers and stats that make this rivalry so special.

When fans think of some of the greatest rivalries in football, many are quick to point to divisional matchups, such as those in the AFC North, NFC North, and AFC West—and they would be correct. However, two opponents from completely opposite conferences, separated by over 1.2 thousand miles, share a rivalry so intense and competitive that it has withstood the test of time. 

A rivalry that has shaped careers, created playmakers, and defined legacies, walks a fine line between hatred and respect for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. Together, the Steelers and Cowboys have claimed a combined 11 Super Bowl titles and faced off in three of those games (Super Bowl X, XIII, XXX). 

Though Dallas won only one of these Super Bowls (XXX), they hold the edge in their overall head-to-head matchups, with 17 wins to Pittsburgh’s 16. This could all change if the Steelers can tie the rivalry after their Sunday Night Football game against Dallas in Week 5, on October 6th, at 8:20 PM EST. 

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Tom Brady responds to Baker Mayfield’s comments during game’s broadcast

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was asked about how his role within the organization meshes with his personality ahead of today’s game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was asked about how his role within the organization meshes with his personality ahead of Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bucs.

“They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun,” Mayfield told reporters.

Tom Brady responded to those comments on the Fox broadcast during Sunday’s game. “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings,” Brady responded. As a good portion of the current Bucs roster was on the Super Bowl winning team of the 2020 NFL season, Brady added “There was a mindset of a champion that I took to work everyday.”

“This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I was going to go to Disneyland (World) with my kids,” Brady concluded.

Likely, Mayfield was referencing the last year Brady was the Bucs’ quarterback, when the team finished 8-9 and nothing seemed to gel across the board. Nonetheless, what an exchange from the greatest of all-time to his successor, who has repeatedly stated that he was not here to fill in Brady’s shoes or be the second-coming of the former Bucs quarterback—but to be the best Baker Mayfield he could be.

Kareem Hunt reflects on watching the Chiefs Super Bowl success over the years

Kareem Hunt reflects on watching the Kansas City #Chiefs Super Bowl success over the years | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated, although they have been without several offensive weapons due to injury, opening the door for an unexpected return to the franchise.

Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt spoke with reporters on Wednesday to reflect on his mindset watching his former team find success after his departure in 2018.

“I was so excited for coach Reid to win multiple Super Bowls, I wanted to be the guy to help him do that too,” said Hunt. “I’ve still got a lot of close friends on this team, and I couldn’t be more excited for them to see them achieve their goals.”

The Chiefs have won three out of four Super Bowls since Hunt’s first tenure with the team and are focused on securing the first three-peat in NFL history. He is ready to play any role on this year’s squad, trying to become a champion.

“I mean, that’s been my goal. I feel like any player who steps on the football field wants to get a championship ring, and it’ll be a dream come true for me ever since I was a little kid. “said Hunt. “I couldn’t be more excited to help these guys defend that title. Come back around here and see all these familiar faces and family here.”

Hunt’s reunion in Kansas City could have a storybook ending with another Super Bowl title, as his contributions could be the difference in the run game.