Tag: TNF

Brandon Staley’s uncanny prediction of when he should be fired resonated during TNF blowout

Brandon Staley seemingly predicted exactly when he should be fired.

He might be at the helm of one of the NFL’s worst teams, but Brandon Staley still has his pulse on some of the important things. Like, perhaps, when he deserved to be fired by the Los Angeles Chargers.

As the Las Vegas Raiders blitzed Staley’s team with a 42-0 first half, it became abundantly clear that the Chargers had probably given up. Even Staley’s delivery of the usual trite cliches in his halftime interview seemed a little unnecessary. It called to mind an interesting quote Staley made back in Week 12 after the Chargers fell short to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

Back then, Staley professed that his job would probably only be in jeopardy when it was clear that his players tuned him out in a blowout. If a 42-0 first half doesn’t say that, I don’t know what will:

You feel for Staley. Even amid a terrible coaching job, no one deserves this kind of humiliation and inadvertently called shots about their employment.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Raiders

Here are four reasons to be concerned about a Chargers loss.

The Chargers march on this Thursday, visiting the Raiders in Las Vegas in a battle of unproven quarterbacks.

Here are four reasons to be concerned about a Chargers loss.

Denver Broncos 2023 Schedule

The Broncos have five games left to attempt to get into the NFL playoffs.

The Denver Broncos are set to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 in a showdown with big implications in the AFC playoff race.

The Broncos are set to travel 19,930 miles this season and face the 12th-hardest strength of schedule in the league. Before any flexes, Denver’s initial schedule includes four prime-time games.

The Broncos will play nine games at their home Empower Field at Mile High Stadium this year and eight games on the road. Because the league has an unbalanced 17-game schedule, the NFC and AFC rotate between having an extra home game. This year, the AFC gets a ninth home game.

Related: Broncos 2023 Wallpaper Schedule

Denver quarterback Russell Wilson will aim to bounce back this fall after a disappointing first season with the Broncos in 2022. Wilson should be helped by the arrival of new head coach Sean Payton, a QB guru.

Denver Broncos 2023 Schedule

Week Date TV Opponent Time (MT)
1 Sun, Sept. 10 CBS vs. Raiders 2:25 p.m.
2 Sun, Sept. 17 CBS vs. Commanders 2:25 p.m.
3 Sun, Sept. 24 CBS @ Dolphins 11 a.m.
4 Sun, Oct. 1 CBS @ Bears 11 a.m.
5 Sun, Oct. 8 CBS vs. Jets 2:25 p.m.
6 TNF, Oct. 12 Amazon @ Chiefs 6:15 p.m.
7 Sun, Oct. 22 CBS vs. Packers 2:25 p.m.
8 Sun, Oct. 29 CBS vs. Chiefs 2:25 p.m.
9 Sun, Nov. 5 BYE 
10 MNF, Nov. 13 ESPN @ Bills 6:15 p.m.
11 SNF, Nov. 19 NBC vs. Vikings 6:20 p.m.
12 Sun, Nov. 26 Fox vs. Browns 2:05 p.m.
13 Sun, Dec. 3 CBS @ Texans 11:00 a.m.
14 Sun, Dec. 10 CBS @ Chargers 2:25 p.m.
15 Sat, Dec. 16 NFL Network @ Lions 6:15 p.m.
16 Sun, Dec. 24 NFL Network vs. Patriots 6:15 p.m.
17 Sun, Dec. 31 CBS vs. Chargers 2:25 p.m.
18 Sat/Sun, Jan. 6/7 TBD @ Raiders TBD

The Broncos have not returned to the playoffs since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. Payton will aim to end that streak in 2023.

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Mike Tomlin appeared to give George Pickens a tough love speech on the sideline because of his poor effort

George Pickens’ effort on Thursday night left a lot to be desired.

There’s no doubt that Pittsburgh Steelers’ second-year receiver George Pickens has the talent to be one of the NFL’s finest playmakers. From route-running to impeccable ball skills and competitiveness, Pickens can do it all. But he seemingly still has to mature and put it all together before he truly enters that conversation.

This appears to be a reality Mike Tomlin understands all too well.

Amidst a Thursday night performance where Pickens caught just five passes for 19 yards, he found it challenging to hide his frustrations with the struggling Pittsburgh offense. (Note: The Steelers had just 43 yards of total offense roughly halfway through the second quarter.)

It started manifesting with some apparent poor effort and childish antics on the field.

After seeing how his receiver responded to some adverse circumstances, Thursday Night Football cameras appeared to show Tomlin giving Pickens a measured earful about his approach to the game.

Hmm. What was going on here?

With a 21-18 loss, the Steelers have now fallen out of the AFC playoff picture. If they’re to play meaningful football this January, they will need all hands on deck. That includes Pickens, and Tomlin knows it. We’ll see how this situation continues to develop between one of the NFL’s most respected coaches and a dynamite playmaker learning the ropes.

Bailey Zappe reportedly knew he’d eventually take Mac Jones’ job as Patriots QB

Bailey Zappe had zero respect for Mac Jones’ game.

Anyone who saw Mac Jones play quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2022 probably knew his days as the starter were numbered. You can apparently count Jones’ former backup-turned-starter Bailey Zappe in that notable group.

According to a report from Kaylee Hartung of Thursday Night Football, Zappe never lost confidence in his aptitude with the Patriots. Even after being cut by New England this summer and moved to the practice squad, he was confident he’d eventually start games for Bill Belichick and Co. That or Zappe knew Jones brought nothing remarkable to the table and was simply biding his time.

Either way, this is a wild thing to reveal about a teammate before making your second start of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Hat tip to Nicole Menner of NBC10 WJAR.)

There’s something to be said about an athlete maintaining the utmost confidence in their ability, regardless of their current circumstances. That’s not necessarily groundbreaking. But that sentiment there sure reads like Zappe understood Jones didn’t have the capacity to play at this level of football for much longer. Because he saw him up close aplenty last season, and that sample size told him everything. And it’s kind of jarring to even read after watching Zappe throw three touchdowns in the first half against the Steelers alone.

Who knew a battle of two glorified backup quarterbacks could be so dramatic?

Denver Broncos 2023 Schedule

The Broncos have six games left to attempt to get into the NFL playoffs.

The Denver Broncos are set to take on the Houston Texans in Week 13 in a showdown with big implications in the AFC playoff race.

The Broncos are set to travel 19,930 miles this season and face the 12th-hardest strength of schedule in the league. Before any flexes, Denver’s initial schedule includes four prime-time games.

The Broncos will play nine games at their home Empower Field at Mile High Stadium this year and eight games on the road. Because the league has an unbalanced 17-game schedule, the NFC and AFC rotate between having an extra home game. This year, the AFC gets a ninth home game.

Related: Broncos 2023 Wallpaper Schedule

Denver quarterback Russell Wilson will aim to bounce back this fall after a disappointing first season with the Broncos in 2022. Wilson should be helped by the arrival of new head coach Sean Payton, a QB guru.

Denver Broncos 2023 Schedule

Week Date TV Opponent Time (MT)
1 Sun, Sept. 10 CBS vs. Raiders 2:25 p.m.
2 Sun, Sept. 17 CBS vs. Commanders 2:25 p.m.
3 Sun, Sept. 24 CBS @ Dolphins 11 a.m.
4 Sun, Oct. 1 CBS @ Bears 11 a.m.
5 Sun, Oct. 8 CBS vs. Jets 2:25 p.m.
6 TNF, Oct. 12 Amazon @ Chiefs 6:15 p.m.
7 Sun, Oct. 22 CBS vs. Packers 2:25 p.m.
8 Sun, Oct. 29 CBS vs. Chiefs 2:25 p.m.
9 Sun, Nov. 5 BYE 
10 MNF, Nov. 13 ESPN @ Bills 6:15 p.m.
11 SNF, Nov. 19 NBC vs. Vikings 6:20 p.m.
12 Sun, Nov. 26 Fox vs. Browns 2:05 p.m.
13 Sun, Dec. 3 CBS @ Texans 11:00 a.m.
14 Sun, Dec. 10 CBS @ Chargers 2:25 p.m.
15 Sat, Dec. 16 NFL Network @ Lions 6:15 p.m.
16 Sun, Dec. 24 NFL Network vs. Patriots 6:15 p.m.
17 Sun, Dec. 31 CBS vs. Chargers 2:25 p.m.
18 Sat/Sun, Jan. 6/7 TBD @ Raiders TBD

The Broncos have not returned to the playoffs since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. Payton will aim to end that streak in 2023.

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3 biggest winners and losers of Thursday Night Football: Dak Prescott rescues Cowboys like MVP

Thursday night was Dak Prescott’s signature MVP game.

Hoo boy, what a game on Thursday night! Who knew back-and-forth epic shootouts were allowed on this platform notorious for awful (read: atrocious) NFL matchups? We certainly didn’t!

In an instant classic, the Dallas Cowboys overcame the Seattle Seahawks 41-35. We had terrific quarterback play. We saw a coach trying to ice a pass. We had a certain star receiver taunting Dallas fans with sign language. We even saw Amazon inadvertently troll the New England Patriots with an unfortunate promotional graphic. This game had everything, and I’m almost sad it ended in regulation.

Let’s dive into the winners and losers of an epic nail-biter from Thursday night in Dallas. There’s a lot to unpack from this one.

Mike McCarthy brazenly tried to ice a Seahawks first and goal pass but it backfired

Mike McCarthy is so shameless.

Mike McCarthy might know how to coach his teams when there’s really nothing on the line, but crunch-time situations are a different story. At this point, how McCarthy fails the Cowboys, particularly in the playoffs and/or against any winning team, might as well be a tried and true meme.

As the Dallas Cowboys defense struggled to stop the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, McCarthy tried to break the mold. You’ve heard of icing the kicker — you know, taking a timeout right before a field goal attempt to force a guy to make two kicks. I sincerely doubt you’ve ever heard of icing a first and goal pass.

Enter McCarthy, who tried to do exactly that as the Seahawks faced a goal-to-go situation at the end of the first half. Seattle reached the end zone but had to try again after McCarthy’s pre-snap timeout. C’mon, man:

Unfortunately for McCarthy, his brazen strategy (eventually) didn’t work. Geno Smith would find DK Metcalf for a short one-yard score, nullifying McCarthy’s icing antics entirely.

Better luck next time, pal.

NFL fans thought Dak Prescott’s ‘here we go’ pre-snap cadence on TNF sounded like nails on a chalkboard

Dak Prescott’s “here we gooo” cadence is getting really old.

At the age of 30, Dak Prescott is currently enjoying what might be the finest season of his NFL career. The veteran starting quarterback is near the top of most relevant passing metrics (yards, touchdowns, interception percentage, expected points added, completion percentage over expected) at the helm of another great Dallas Cowboys offense.

He’s also got a pre-snap cadence that is flat-out impossible to ignore.

Before every snap, Prescott bellows, “Here we gooooo,” like it’s a rhythmic chant. On the one hand, it shows Prescott’s comfort and command within Mike McCarthy’s offense. A star quarterback can and should use their cadence to their advantage. On the other, it gets a little grating as a fan when you hear it 55-65 times in one game.

Below, you’ll find a perfect example of Prescott’s cadence before he launched a touchdown to CeeDee Lamb on Thursday Night Football:

Prescott’s cadence isn’t new and has largely been utilized all season en route to an All-Pro caliber campaign. But under the lights of a primetime TNF game, it got a lot more exposure — not all of it good — with football fans.

DK Metcalf taunted the Dallas crowd with impressive sign language skills after a long TNF touchdown

DK Metcalf used his sign language expertise to be SO petty to Cowboys fans.

As a frequent visitor of the end zone, DK Metcalf understands the NFL often frowns upon elaborate touchdown celebrations. To combat this, the Seattle Seahawks superstar revealed he learned sign language so he could covertly taunt his opponents without worry of a penalty.

And we might have seen an amazing example of this against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

After Metcalf streaked through the Dallas secondary for an early 73-yard touchdown, he started doing elaborate signs to the TNF camera. It’s not 100 percent, but people seem to believe Metcalf was trash-talking the watching Dallas crowd with his impressive sign language skills. The playmaker seemingly said “stand on business” with his gestures.

Needless to say, we appreciate this commitment to pettiness:

Metcalf truly has a commitment to his craft. Not only does he want to be available for his team in clutch situations, but he also wants to dance on his opponents’ failures. I, for one, can’t think of a better profile for a No. 1 receiver.