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Showing posts from October, 2021

New on SI: Tony Dungy Gets Dragged Into Jon Gruden Mess: TRAINA THOUGHTS

He tries to explain his defense of Jon Gruden. 1.  Tony Dungy, who has a history of trying to clarify controversial comments, is now trying to clarify his defense of Jon Gruden. During NBC’s NFL coverage Sunday night, Dungy and Mike Tirico weighed in on Gruden’s racist emails regarding player’s union head DeMaurice Smith from 2011 that had become news late last week. “I’m not gonna chalk everything up to racism. I think we accept his apology, move forward and move on just like he did with this team.” Less than 24 hours after Dungy made a plea to move forward, a whole new batch of offensive Gruden emails became public . Naturally, social media had a field day mocking Dungy’s take from the night before, and he was trending most of Tuesday morning. The NBC studio host clearly got wind of the reaction, so he took to Twitter to defend his stance. Yes, things got much worse for Gruden when the second leak happened Monday, but I still don’t understand why Dungy would ...
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New on SI: Tom Brady 'Should Be Fine' for Thursday's Game vs. Eagles After Sustaining Thumb Injury

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said he sustained a thumb injury in the second quarter of Tampa Bay's 45-17 win against the Dolphins on Sunday. View the original article to see embedded media. Tom Brady arrived at Tuesday's press conference with his throwing hand wrapped but the Buccaneers quarterback said he doesn't "anticipate having a problem" ahead of Thursday night's game against the Eagles. Brady confirmed that he sustained the injury to his thumb in the second quarter of the Bucs' 45-17 win against the Dolphins on Sunday. The NFL's all-time passing yards leader went on to throw for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns in the same game for the first time in his career.  Despite the bulky appearance of the wrap, Brady said that the issue is "more discomfort" that should be gone in the next few days rather than a serious injury.  "It should be fine for Thursday," Brady said Tuesday . "... You deal with differen...
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New on SI: Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich Finalists for NFL Host City in Germany

Starting in 2022, the NFL will require teams to play at least one international game every eight years. View the original article to see embedded media. Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich are the final candidates for NFL host cities in Germany, the league announced Tuesday.  This is the latest development in the NFL's mission to expand overseas. Next season, the NFL will start to play at least four international regular season games. This season, there are two games played in London. The  Falcons defeated the Jets 27–20 this past Sunday. The Jaguars are scheduled to face the Dolphins this upcoming Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET in the NFL's 30th game in England.  Earlier this year,  Sky Sports  reported on two more German cities and the possibility of their hosting of NFL games. Berlin's Senate Department for Home Affairs and Sport told Sky Sports that Berlin did not pitch to be home city and Hamburg's Ministry of the Interior and Sports went as far as to...
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New on SI: 6 Things to Know After Week 5: Lamar Jackson Can Win in a Variety of Ways

Plus, another day of Urban Meyer head-scratchers, the Bills’ schedule softens up, Justin Herbert’s greatest skill, a Rookie of the Year frontrunner, and more. The biggest news of the season happened Monday night, when Jon Gruden resigned following a New York Times report detailing his use of hate speech in emails over a several-year period. We wrote about the fact that the Raiders coach faced accountability only once the emails were made public, and why the rest of the details collected during the NFL’s investigation into a toxic workplace culture overseen by one of its owners should also be released. The fallout will continue to affect the Raiders and, hopefully, will spur others around the league to confront and correct their own use or encouragement of derogatory and demeaning behaviors. There’s no way to transition from this serious topic, but in case you need a break from the heavy news of the day, here are some of our observations after the Week 5 games. 1. Lamar Jackson ke...
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New on SI: Jon Gruden Faces Consequences, Not Cancel Culture: Unchecked

Even Jon Gruden knew he couldn't remain coach of the Raiders after we all read his emails. Jon Gruden is not a victim of cancel culture. Let’s get that out of the way. He resigned as Raiders coach within hours of the leaking of more of his emails because even he knew there was no way he could stay. This man ran the gamut of offending. The words he wrote speak for themselves and there is simply no way any self respecting organization could keep him employed, particularly in a leadership position, with his insulting comments now public. A sentiment I am sure the league itself shared. He did personally attack the commissioner after all. I am not a fan of the practice of digging up people’s pasts to find something to bring them down, or the idea that a previous mistake should define someone or cost them their career. But that isn’t what happened here. Of course Gruden intended for this communication to be private, but the fact that he put that all in writing and sent it...
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New on SI: Betting Impact of Jon Gruden’s Resignation on Raiders Win Total and Week 6 Match-Up

With an AFC West clash against the Broncos on tap for Week 6, how will Jon Gruden's resignation affect the betting line and Las Vegas' win total? Well, that escalated quickly. Jon Gruden announced his resignation as head coach of the Raiders on Monday after the release of offensive emails he sent while working as an analyst for ESPN in 2011.  As leaks of Gruden’s emails began to surface last week, oddsmakers were releasing props about his future with the Raiders. You might have seen them coursing across your Twitter feed, with odds as high as +550 for Gruden to not be coaching the Raiders by the end of the season. Rich Bisaccia will serve as interim head coach , but the list of potential Raiders coaching candidates is coming, and with it, the odds for each to land the full-time gig. While bettors wait for the release of coaching props, let’s take a look at how Gruden’s resignation impacts the Week 6 Raiders-Broncos line at SI Sportsbook . View the original article to see...
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New on SI: The Stats From Lamar Jackson's Epic ‘Monday Night Football’ Performance Even Surprised... Lamar Jackson

Even Lamar Jackson isn't used to the historic stat line he put up in Monday's win over Indianapolis. Not a bad night at the office Lamar Jackson shredded the Colts defense to the tune of 442 yards and four passing touchdowns on Monday night, erasing a 22-3 deficit en route to a walkoff touchdown. And while Jackson is no stranger to legendary performances, even he was surprised by his effort. Jackson certainly dazzled on the field on Monday night, though frankly, his on-field brilliance may pale in comparison to his moments behind the microphone. We caught another Jackson gem in his postgame interview on Monday night.  Jackson and the Ravens now sit atop the AFC North at 4–1, in the driver's seat for the division crown as we roll through October. Let's hope to see Jackson jubilant again in postgame interviews in January as the Ravens look to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The best of SI Why the NFL needs to release its investigation into the Washington Footbal...
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New on SI: Week 6 Touches, Targets, Volume & Regression Index

Two Washington Football Team players performed poorly in a loss while Dawson Knox was the model of efficiency against the Chiefs. We’re now more than a third of the way through the fantasy football regular season. Check out this past week’s top performers in efficiency and the players who missed out on their opportunities. Inefficient Volume Players RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team Gibson was one of five running backs to handle 20 or more carries this week. He was the only one who did not break 100 yards. He took 20 carries for just 60 yards and added two catches for 12 yards. His outing was salvaged by a pair of red-zone rushing touchdowns from one and five yards out. Gibson matched his season-high carry total in a game the WFT trailed for the entire second half, and J.D. McKissic saw his fewest touches since Week 1, both of which bode well for him. Another positive was the bump in rushing work after he came into the week with a questionable designation for a stress f...
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New on SI: Waiver Wire Pickups & FAAB Advice for Week 6: Darrel Williams, Kadarius Toney, Devontae Booker, Geno Smith

Add the best free agents available with these Week 6 waiver and blind bid recommendations Another week with some serious injuries, especially at the quarterback and running back positions. It’s also the first bye week of the season, and that means it’s an important time to hit the waiver wire. Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Adds Geno Smith (SEA) With news that Russell Wilson will be sidelined for at least a month with a ruptured middle-finger tendon, Seahawks fans and fantasy managers will look to back up Geno Smith to try to keep the offense afloat. Smith entered the fourth quarter of the game on Sunday and looked pretty good by completing 10-of-17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception on his third drive, but these numbers would look even better if Lockett hadn't been tripped up on his route. You can never replace Russ, but the 30-year-old Smith looked pretty sharp, considering he hasn't played more than 66 offensive snaps in a season since 2014....
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New on SI: NFL Power Rankings: Cardinals Keep Rolling, Chargers Make Statement

Arizona remains undefeated, while the Bills continue to impress. Plus, Joe Burrow catapults the Bengals into the Top 10. View the original article to see embedded media. A little over a quarter of the way through the 2021 season, and we have one unbeaten left (surprisingly, the Cardinals), and two winless teams remaining (unsurprisingly, the Jaguars and Lions) with a dozen games to go. That leaves a lot of teams within a couple games of one another and no real answers. So that’s the preamble to my crack at the Power Rankings! Without a crystal ball, I don’t have foresight on which team is going to catch fire at the right time, which team will slump at that point, who will have a young star or two breakout, or who will have a guy who can’t take his game to another level when he’s expected to. Let’s jump in... 1. Arizona Cardinals (5—0) Last week: Win vs. San Francisco, 17–10 Next week: at Cleveland I understand there are still skeptics out there. But they’ve got a young QB pl...
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New on SI: Lamar Jackson Tosses Walk-Off Touchdown As Ravens Erase 19-Point Deficit

Lamar Jackson tallied 442 passing yards and four touchdowns on Monday night as the Ravens erased a 22-3 deficit in a way over the Colts. View the original article to see embedded media. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been perhaps the NFL's most electric quarterback since entering the league in 2018, and he added another performance to remember on Monday night.  Jackson and the Ravens offense struggled out of the gate early as they hosted the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Indianapolis held Baltimore to just three first half points, and a fumble by Jackson led to a 22-3 Colts lead midway through the third quarter. But when the chips were down, Jackson delivered.  The 2019 MVP ripped off three straight touchdown drives to end regulation, adding a pair of two-point conversions. With 39 seconds to play, the 22-3 deficit was erased in a 25-25 tie. Jackson had some help as he forced overtime for the Ravens. Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed two field goals and o...
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New on SI: Gruden Has Resigned. Now, It’s Time for the Rest of the Washington Investigation to Be Made Public

If the NFL is truly committed to its stated values of inclusion, they’ll release the rest of the details of their investigation into the “toxic” work environment overseen by one of its owners. The picture of Jon Gruden that emerged over the past several days was a person who could no longer hold his 10-year, $100 million post as the Raiders head coach. The Wall Street Journal published last week a 2011 email in which Gruden used racist language when referring to the executive director of the players union, DeMaurice Smith, who is Black. A New York Times report on Monday cited “numerous” other emails sent over a seven-year period in which Gruden used misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ language “casually and frequently,” and rebuked major developments in the sport such as a gay player being drafted, women officials and players demonstrating against racial injustice during the national anthem. The contents of these published messages are crude and derogatory, and at odds with the values...
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New on SI: Colts Recover Lamar Jackson Fumble, 98-Yard Touchdown Overturned by Replay

Some smart thinking from Darius Leonard nearly led to a 98-yard Colts touchdown on Monday night. View the original article to see embedded media. The Colts stood tall in the red zone against the Ravens on Monday night, turning a 1st-and-goal opportunity into a 98-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took a snap from the shotgun with the Colts trailing 16-3, needing just two yards to score. He faked a handoff and darted right, but the ball popped out and into the arms of linebacker Darius Leonard as he lunged for the goal line. Leonard's recovery was far from the best part of the forced turnover. He tossed the ball to Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers near the 30-yard line, and Rodgers sprinted to the end zone with little resistance. The play appeared to gave Indianapolis a 22-3 lead as it looked to stage an upset in Baltimore, but it was overturned on replay review as Leonard's pitch was deemed a forward pass.  Perhap...
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New on SI: Jon Gruden on Emails, Resignation: 'I Never Meant to Hurt Anyone'

Gruden resigned on Monday night after emails surfaced in which he repeatedly uses misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ slurs. View the original article to see embedded media. Shortly after announcing his resignation from the team , former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden released a statement in which he apologized to the team's players, coaches, staff and fans for becoming a distraction. “I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction," Gruden's statement read, per ESPN's Adam Schefter . "Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.” On Friday, the Wall Street Journal  reported that Gruden had used a racist slur to describe NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. Three days later, The New York Times  released further emails detailing Gruden's repeated usages of misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ slurs directed toward numerous people throu...
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