Author: Mikesportz
Steve Clifford is now pointing the finger at himself for not overseeing an improvement in the Hornets’ performance on defense. The Charlotte Hornets finished in a play-in tournament spot during the 2021-22 season; it appeared as though things were on the come up for them, with rising stars LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges leading the way. But the Hornets wanted to expedite their timeline of contention, so they brought in veteran head coach Steve Clifford, who had helmed the team from 2013-2018, so he could help fix the team’s 22nd ranked defense. But over the past two seasons,…
eterson, Levi Wallace, Chandon Sullivan, James Pierre, Darius Rush, Corey Trice Jr., Minkah Fitzpatrick, Damontae Kazee, Eric Rowe, Keanu Neal, Miles Killebrew, Elijah Riley, Trenton Thompson A Last Look at 2023 That there are 14 players listed here gives you an idea of what happened in the Steelers’ secondary this season – particularly at safety, where Neal, Riley and Thompson all spent time on IR, while Fitzpatrick and Kazee also missed significant time due to injury or suspension. The story of the 2023 secondary could be written simply as the emergence of rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr.…
Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony, not only will we learn who took home the league’s awards for this year, but we’ll also learn this year’s class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some of the names have already started to trickle out, including a trio of former Chicago Bears. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday night that defensive tackle Steve McMichael, kick and punt returner Devin Hester, and defensive end Julius Peppers would all be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. McMichael is one of three senior finalists for the class…
The Baltimore Ravens submitted a lackluster performance offensively in the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The only WR to catch more than 4 passes was rookie Zay Flowers. Bleacher Report released their “Complete NFL Offseason Trade Guide for Every NFL Team” with Alex Ballentine scouting the Ravens. In the “Biggest Positions of Need” section for the Ravens he listed wide receiver. Ballentine suggested that Seattle Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett could be a “Top Trade Target” in the 2024 offseason to bolster the WR corps for the Ravens. would make sense for the Ravens to…
LAS VEGAS — As he navigated the sprawling aisles of audio and video setups in the Super Bowl media center’s Radio Row, Puka Nacua moved as if he was exploring a new pass route for the Rams. Nacua, a finalist for NFL’s rookie offensive player of the year award, spent much of Wednesday doing interviews, making promotional appearances and participating in a panel discussion about football and player tracking and Next Gen stats. “It’s been crazy,” Nacua said, grinning. “I just met Cam Newton over there. It’s been super cool to meet these people. “I guess with…
ue to the disappointing conclusion of the 2023 Detroit Lions season, fans missed what would have been a rematch of their Week 1 showdown against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The initial encounter, which saw the Lions secure a narrow 21-20 victory at Arrowhead Stadium on September 7, promised an exciting follow-up. As the Chiefs continue preparing to defend their title against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, several players have expressed their surprise at the Lions’ failure to progress further in the playoffs. Michigan-connected Kansas City Chiefs players stunned by the Detroit Lions exit…
The Michigan Wolverines not only have to replace championship-winning head coach Jim Harbaugh, but they also have to find someone to take over for defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. After leading the nation’s top scoring defense a season ago, Minter followed Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers. It creates a big void for new head coach Sherrone Moore and the defending champions One name that has popped up recently is former New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports reports that Martindale is drawing interest from the Wolverines as well as NFL teams. Martindale,…
An old office building on the outskirts of the Arlington Park property met the same fate as the demolished racetrack buildings, with an eye toward the same property tax savings the Chicago Bears are trying to achieve. Demolition crews were seen this week picking apart the three-story, 43,800-square-foot building on the northwest corner of Euclid Avenue and Salt Creek Lane. The site is in the shadow of the 326-acre former racetrack property now owned by the NFL franchise. Marketing materials from Crosstown Real Estate Advisors, owner of the 3025 Salt Creek Lane site, include maps showing its proximity…
The NFL draft is still a ways away and notoriously hard to predict, but the consensus right now is that quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will be the top three picks on April 25th. If the Vikings can’t trade up into that top three, they’ll be left to consider the three second-tier QB options: J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix. McCarthy is a fascinating prospect whose profile is rather different from the other two. Penix and Nix are fifth or sixth-year seniors who will be 24 when their rookie seasons begin. They were both Heisman…
The Pittsburgh Steelers are leaving the door open on a potential offseason QB trade, according to team president Art Rooney II. The offense experienced a number of issues in 2023, many of which revolved around the position. The Steelers saw a carousel of passers line up in the backfield last season due to both injury and inconsistent play. Kenny Pickett began the year as the starter, but he’d be one of three players to take snaps under center. The struggles were season-long for the offense, which ranked as one of the NFL’s worst in terms of scoring. Pittsburgh…