The Pittsburgh Steelers have secured a playoff spot, but tensions in the locker room appear to be escalating as they approach the final week of the regular season. The Steelers have dropped three straight games, all by double digits, including a 29-10 Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium. The defeat brought Pittsburgh’s record to 10-6 and highlighted their struggles heading into a challenging Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals, potentially fighting for the AFC’s No. 7 seed, won’t make things easy for Pittsburgh, which desperately needs a win to stabilize its season…
Author: Terhide Dagi
The Pittsburgh Steelers, once feared as one of the NFL’s top defensive units, have seen their reputation take a sharp downturn after suffering three consecutive tough losses. Once dominant, the defense has been exposed, and hopes of a late-season turnaround are quickly fading as struggles persist. Amid this slump, key defensive leaders have stepped up to address the issues, refusing to let them slide. Linebacker Patrick Queen, known for his intensity and leadership, has been particularly vocal in calling out his teammates for failing to perform their roles. His frustration has been evident, as he pushes for accountability across the…
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is facing new competition in the Detroit Lions’ quarterback room with the return of a familiar face. Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced Thursday that veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is coming out of retirement to rejoin Detroit ahead of the NFL playoffs. Bridgewater, a former first-round pick, retired before the 2024 season but spent 2023 with the Lions. The Louisville Cardinals alum recently guided Miami Northwestern to a state championship. With Bridgewater’s return, some Vols fans have questioned whether this move reflects dissatisfaction with Hooker. However, Campbell clarified that this isn’t the case. The…
The Detroit Lions’ Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers will feature one of the NFL’s more well-known referees, Shawn Hochuli, as the lead official. Shawn is the son of former longtime NFL referee Ed Hochuli. This will be the second Lions game Shawn has officiated this season, the first being Detroit’s victory over Indianapolis on November 12. That game saw a total of 15 penalties, with 10 called against the Colts and five against the Lions. Hochuli’s officiating crew has consistently called a high number of penalties this season, with double-digit flags thrown in all but one of…
The Detroit Lions have effectively utilized their 16-man practice squad to support the active roster. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes treat the practice squad as an integral part of the team, maintaining high expectations for players who are elevated to the active roster. Detroit’s defense has faced challenges this season due to injuries sidelining key contributors. Campbell and Holmes have consistently emphasized the importance of the practice squad, highlighting its role in a team’s success, especially when dealing with injuries. “We say it every year, but they’re an extension of the roster,” Campbell told reporters recently.…
The Cleveland Browns face significant challenges in addressing their roster issues due to limited financial flexibility. The Deshaun Watson trade has left the team in a tough spot, and even a projected increase in the salary cap to $270 million in 2025 won’t be enough to cover all their needs. Zac Jackson of The Athletic highlights that Watson will account for around 25% of the Browns’ cap space, and the team is already burdened with $40 million in dead money from Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith’s contracts. Letting go of those players further hinders their ability to assemble a competitive…
With less than two weeks left in the NFL’s 2024 regular season, the Browns are nearing critical decisions about their future. In addition to determining which players to retain for next season, deciding which coaches will remain on the staff is a key focus for Cleveland this offseason. Sitting at a disappointing 3-12 record, the Browns are likely to make adjustments to their assistant coaching staff, assuming head coach Kevin Stefanski keeps his position for 2025. The potential for coaching changes has been a hot topic recently. Analyst Albert Breer pointed out that the Browns face a major question this…
The Cleveland Browns made notable changes to their offensive coaching staff this offseason, surprising many analysts and fans. One of the most unexpected moves was parting ways with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt following the team’s 2023 playoff appearance. However, an even bigger shock came earlier this season when head coach Kevin Stefanski handed over play-calling responsibilities to newly hired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Although the offense has shown flashes of improvement under Dorsey, it has struggled with consistency and failed to evolve significantly. As a result, NFL insider Albert Breer predicts that Stefanski might reclaim play-calling duties next season.…
The Pittsburgh Steelers fell short on Christmas Day, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 29-10 at Acrisure Stadium in Week 17. This marks Pittsburgh’s third consecutive loss and their second home defeat of the season. Following Wednesday’s loss, the Steelers dropped to 10-6 and appeared out of sync for the third week in a row. While the offense, led by first-year coordinator Arthur Smith and veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, has performed well overall this season, it has struggled recently with maintaining drives and avoiding turnovers. On the defensive side, Teryl Austin’s unit has been underwhelming, failing to stop the run…
After losing both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season, the Detroit Lions find themselves in a tough spot, prompting speculation from fans and media about potential trade targets ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline. One name gaining traction is Cleveland Browns edge rusher Za’Darius Smith—and for good reason. With the Browns seemingly in sell mode, evidenced by their recent trade of Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills, Smith appears to be a plausible target for Detroit. However, when asked about the rumors linking him to the Lions, the three-time Pro Bowler seemed caught off guard, saying, “I didn’t…