Tag: Super Bowl

Jonathan Vilma on the call for FOX broadcast of Saints-Falcons

Here’s a quick look at the broadcasters and field reporter for the New Orleans Saints’ Week 4 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. Jonathan Vilma is on the call:

The New Orleans Saints will get one of their own on the call for their Week 4 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, with Jonathan Vilma as an analyst, as well as Kenny Albert on play-by-play and Megan Olivi reporting from the sidelines. So far this season he has had the following matchups as a broadcaster:

  • Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
  • Week 2: Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots
  • Week 3: New York Giants at Cleveland Browns

The 2017 inductee into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame will travel to Atlanta, as the Saints play in a pivotal divisional matchup with the 1-2 Falcons who will look to take the second NFC South spot away in the standings.

It will be intriguing to hear how the former Saints Super Bowl champion views the team, and what his opinions on Klint Kubiak are, as well as the newfound offensive successes in the first two weeks, as well as their Week 3 loss. For a divisional matchup, it is only fitting to have someone from one of the two teams in the building on the call, as Vilma has first-hand experience of what this rivalry has been like in the past.

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The Seahawks defense is off to a historic start in 2024

The Seahawks defense is off to a historic start in 2024

For years now, the Seattle Seahawks have fielded some truly abysmal defenses. In 2020 and 2021, Seattle was on pace to being one of the worst units in the history of football. While they turned it around just enough in both years to avoid such a dubious distinction, Seattle still finished with a bottom-tier unit. Things may not have been on track for historic failure in 2022 and 2023, but Seattle still had the 31st ranked defense to end those seasons.

The Seahawks’ inability to truly fix their defense led to the team moving on from Pete Carroll in favor of Mike Macdonald. So far through three games, the decision appears to be paying off for Seattle. The Seahawks’ defense, which has helped fuel their 3-0 start, is back to making NFL history… but in the way fans would want it. Macdonald’s team has accomplished something not seen in 45 years:

https://twitter.com/DanteKopFlem/status/1837993397556322602

Anytime you find yourself in the same conversation with the Steel Curtain, and you’re the only one standing beside them, you’re clearly doing something right.

Critics of the Seahawks will say this is a result of playing a handful of tomato cans to start the season. While it is true that Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle aren’t going to be confused for Pro Bowlers any time soon, Seattle’s defense is doing exactly what they should be doing against quarterbacks of their caliber. If the Seahawks were 3-0, but they were winning offensive shootouts against these water-gun offenses, we would be having an entirely different conversation.

Still, the teams Seattle has faced to start the year aren’t likely to be legitimately in the playoff hunt by the time December roles around. The first true test the Seahawks will face is coming Monday night against the Detroit Lions. Jared Goff is lightyears ahead of those four quarterbacks I’ve mentioned, and Seattle will have to face several other far more talented signal callers in the coming weeks. We will have a much better idea of how good this Seahawks defense is soon enough.

(Side note: the 1979 Steelers did go on to win the Super Bowl…)

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Tyrann Mathieu’s final goal? ‘Help my hometown win a Super Bowl’

Tyrann Mathieu was a teenager living in New Orleans when the Saints won their first Super Bowl. His goal is giving the city another championship:

When you’ve achieved as much as New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, the question of “What else?” is common. What else are you playing for? What else do you want to achieve?

Mathieu told ESPN’s Elle Duncan that he is competing for the chance of bringing the Saints their second Super Bowl ring. Winning another championship is the response you expect, but it means more in Mathieu’s situation. He sees this as a “great opportunity to come back home and try to help my hometown win a Super Bowl.”

Mathieu reflected on seeing Drew Brees bring the Saints their first championship in 2009. You don’t have to tell Mathieu how big that moment was for the city. He lived it. He was 17 years old and still living in New Orleans at the moment. He wants to deliver that kind of moment to the city again, except this time he’ll be a part of the team.

Mathieu says this is the “only goal he has left outside of continuing to inspire his teammates.”

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Rod Smith among 19 former Broncos nominated for Hall of Fame

Rod Smith is one of eight Broncos Super Bowl champions who have been nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced 167 modern-era finalists for the 2025 class. The list includes 19 former Denver Broncos players, including eight Super Bowl champions.

Former Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith headlines the list of players who won Super Bowls with Denver in the late 1990s. He is joined by center Tom Nalen, kicker Jason Elam, guard Mark Schlereth, linebacker Bill Romanowski and defensive lineman Neil Smith.

The Broncos also had two members of their Super Bowl 50 squad — late wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and cornerback Aqib Talib — nominated for the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Other players nominated include running backs Clinton Portis and Glyn Milburn, receivers Wes Welker and Brandon Marshall and cornerback Dré Bly. View the full list below.

Broncos Hall of Fame nominees

  1. WR Rod Smith
  2. C Tom Nalen
  3. K Jason Elam
  4. G Mark Schlereth
  5. LB Bill Romanowski
  6. DL Neil Smith
  7. WR Demaryius Thomas
  8. CB Aqib Talib
  9. WR Wes Welker
  10. RB Clinton Portis
  11. WR Brandon Marshall
  12. RB Glyn Milburn
  13. CB Dré Bly
  14. TE Vernon Davis
  15. DL Jamal Williams
  16. LB Keith Brooking
  17. RB Jamaal Charles
  18. DL Ted Washington
  19. DL Simeon Rice

The Broncos also have 11 senior candidates for the 2025 class, and former coach Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top candidate in the coach category. Voters will trim the list down to 20 finalists with 15 modern-era candidates, three senior candidates, one coach and one contributor. The selection committee will meet before Super Bowl LVIX to elect the 2025 class.

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Saints offense shows potency in historic manner vs. Cowboys

The Saints’ offense is rolling in a historic manner in 2024. Three teams have scored 91 or more points through two games, and two of them won the Super Bowl:

This is not your 2023 New Orleans Saints offense. Klint Kubiak has officially moved the offense into 2024.

After averaging 23.6 points per game last season, the team has scored some 91 points in the first two games of the year, most recently downing the Dallas Cowboys 44-19. That’s tied for the second-most points a team has scored through their first two weeks in NFL history.

That’s an impressive standard to meet, but the Saints have beaten it before. This is the first time in over 10 years the Saints have scored 40 points or more in two consecutive games. The last time they did it was in 2009, when they defeated the Detroit Lions, 45-27 in the the home opener. They followed it up with a 48-22 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles, who will visit the Caesars Superdome next week.

The Saints combine their first pair of games of the 2024 season for a total of 91 points after defeating the Carolina Panthers 47-10 in Week 1.

One of the biggest factors in this success, outside of the way the Saints have several reliable pieces of the offense to spread the ball around to is the consistency of quarterback Derek Carr.

He had his struggles in 2023, but if he can keep things rolling like this for the remainder of the season, New Orleans is going to be a true contender. Carr finished out the Saints’ most recent showing 11-for-16 passing, throwing for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception.

The team will look to keep the same kind of momentum rolling in the upcoming matchup against the Eagles, who they’ll face in the Superdome at Noon CT on Sunday, Sept. 22.

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Broncos Super Bowl champion Allen Aldridge dies at age 52

Allen Aldridge died suddenly at age 52. A Broncos Super Bowl champion, Aldridge spent the last 20 years coaching high school football.

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Allen Aldridge died suddenly at age 52 on Sunday, his alma mater, the University of Houston, confirmed Monday.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, Aldrige’s mother, Cleotha Aldridge, told Houston-area reporter Mark Berman.

Aldridge had been coaching Fort Bend Bush High School in Texas for the last 20 years after hanging up his cleats.

After playing high school football at Willowridge (Houston), Aldridge starred for the Cougars in college and was picked by Denver in the second round of the 1994 NFL draft.

He played for the Broncos from 1994-1997, totaling 230 tackles, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks in 64 games (45 starts). He was a 15-game starter in 1997 and helped Denver defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXIII that season.

Aldridge played four seasons with the Detroit Lions after his stint with the Broncos and ended his career with 482 tackles, 10.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, five forced fumbles and one interception in 128 games.

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WATCH: Demario Davis delivers his Week 1 pregame speech

WATCH: Demario Davis delivers his Week 1 pregame speech to his New Orleans Saints teammates before kickoff with the Carolina Panthers

https://twitter.com/Saints/status/1832821197156847784

It’s the first New Orleans Saints game of the 2024 regular season, which means it’s time to check the first Demario Davis pregame speech, which you can watch here.

The team’s charismatic leader picked up where Drew Brees left off and maintained this tradition of fiery speeches and group chants to get his teammates fired up,  and it’s always worth watching as the first highlight of game day.

Davis’ message for Week 1? We’re about to jump out of the airplane and skydive, so strap in and trust the guys around you. It’s time to go to work.

The Saints are kicking off the 2024 season where it will end as the home of Super Bowl LIX. Let’s see if the black and gold can get back to the playoffs and make their bid to chase another championship.

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Kendrick Lamar announces he’ll perform the Super Bowl LIX halftime show

Kendrick Lamar announced he’ll perform at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. The 17-time Grammy winner is this year’s headliner in New Orleans:

Kendrick Lamar announced he’ll perform at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, meaning the 17-time Grammy winner is this year’s headliner at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The West Coast rapper has risen to greater prominence this year amid a high-profile feud with Drake, the former teen drama actor and Canadian musician, leading to unprecedented dominance in the streaming era.

Talk about reading the room. Lamar has repeatedly shattered records on Spotify and his Amazon Music live-streamed “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” concert at the Kia Forum in June became ubiquitous on social media. His hit single “Not Like Us” earned its place as the song of the summer. Now he’s taking an even bigger stage.

This year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans will be broadcast on FOX, with Apple Music sponsoring the halftime show. The performance is often filled with special guests and cameos by other famous musicians so keep an eye out for news on who may be joining Lamar under the bright lights.

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Best version of 49ers season ends with unlikely Super Bowl win

Here’s what the most optimistic version of the 49ers’ season looks like:

It’s not hard to paint an optimistic picture about the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 season.

They enter the year with the best roster in football. They’ll be almost fully intact by Week 1, and they return most of the group that won the No. 1 seed in the NFC en route to a Super Bowl trip last season. If things go according to plan, this is the year San Francisco ends its 30-year Super Bowl drought and become only the fourth team ever to lose a Super Bowl, then win it the following year. They’d join the 1971 Dallas Cowboys, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2018 New England Patriots to do so.

So, what does the most optimistic view look like?

Quarterback Brock Purdy will be entering his second full year as a starter. He’s also coming off a full offseason where he didn’t have to rehab his surgically-repaired throwing elbow. Considering he finished fourth in MVP voting last season, the arrow is pointing up for the signal caller in 2024.

If Purdy is better, the 49ers offense is going to reach an unstoppable level. San Francisco already boasts playmakers like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Sprinkling in a quarterback who makes more individually great plays outside the context of his playmakers would make head coach Kyle Shanahan’s group a juggernaut.

A better version of the 49ers’ offense would allow the team’s defense to take a step backward and still stay in Super Bowl contention. Alas, we’re in the most optimistic world here and San Francisco once again boasts the NFL’s top defense.

Defensive end depth is a concern, to be sure, but Nick Bosa would be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and Javon Hargrave would bounce back with a Pro Bowl campaign. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos would also provide enough rotational depth on the edges to make the 49ers’ pass rush a force like the one we saw in 2019.

This year is different though because their secondary is also loaded. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are both Pro Bowl candidates at cornerback, as are safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga. That group churns out a ton of takeaways in this universe where it all goes right.

While the 49ers may miss Dre Greenlaw alongside Fred Warner, De’Vondre Campbell looks more like his 2021 self and when Greenlaw does return he works in as the Sam LB who only plays a handful of snaps each game. Campbell is more susceptible in coverage than Greenlaw, but he’s overall a fine replacement and the 49ers don’t lose much in the linebacking corps.

All of those pieces falling into place give the 49ers a No. 1 offense and a No. 1 defense going into the playoffs. Once they’re there, their experience takes over and they steamroll their way to a Super Bowl where they finally knock off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to earn their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

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Alvin Kamara’s sense of urgency is heightened entering Year 8

Alvin Kamara realizes he is in the back half of his career, and his sense of urgency has changed since younger days.

Players enter every season looking to win a Super Bowl, but as they get older, urgency begins to set in. They begin to realize they don’t have as much time left in their career and a greater sense of urgency is born from this realization.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has reached this point.

Kamara is only 29 years old, far from old but football age plays by different rules. This is especially true for running backs, so Kamara understands the clock is ticking.

“I don’t want to sit here and say, ‘Well, I got time, I got time.’ Ain’t no time, so I’m trying to run it up,” he said.

Kamara is going into Year 8. He projected his career by posing the hypothetical of him playing 16 or 10 seasons. Either way, he’s going into the back half of his career.

“I feel like there is no time to waste, because let’s just say I’m at the halfway point, if I were to play 16 years,” Kamara said. “Or 10 years, I’m on the back end of my career. I don’t want to waste no time.”

The Saints have missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons after making it in Kamara’s first four years. The running back is eager to return to the success he saw early.

He does believe that urgency has extended to younger players, as well. They may not have the same career timetable, so they don’t understand there’s no time to waste. What they do understand, however, is the time to strike is now. That message comes from older leaders and is received by younger players in the locker room.