Author: Mikesportz
t’s been almost a full month since Detroit Lions edge rusher James Houston returned to practice after fracturing his ankle in the team’s Week 2 contest. Despite practicing for the first time on December 28 and being activated to the 53-man roster last week, Houston has yet to make a game appearance since his injury. However, that could be coming very, very soon. “I think he’s very close,” Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said on Thursday, ahead of the team’s NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions have been taking Houston along slowly for…
The Pittsburgh Steelers could find themselves caught in the middle in the quarterback market this offseason. Big-named signal callers such as Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson will be an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. However, the Steelers are searching for competition for Pickett, not a veteran who will automatically send him to the bench. Other free agent options, though, such as Tyrod Taylor and Marcus Mariota may not be much competition at all. One free agent quarterback who could both compete with Pickett but not demand the starting job is veteran Ryan Tannehill. Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton…
The Lions have a puncher’s chance to beat the 49ers this Sunday because they’re a good team, but the 49ers absolutely should win because they’re better than Detroit practically across the board. Let’s start on defense. The Lions run defense is good, but their pass rush is not — they rank 22nd out of 32 teams in sack percentage. Which means their pass defense is terrible. They have to blitz to generate pressure, their defensive backs take big gambles and give up big plays, and that’s why Detroit ranks 27th in passing yards allowed and 27th in touchdown passes…
In Week 8, the Denver Broncos ended its 16-game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs in a dominant 24-9 win. While the Broncos finished third in the AFC West behind the Chiefs, the upset was a step in the right direction. Head coach Sean Payton has a ways to go before Denver overtakes Kansas City for the division crown. Would snatching one of its top defenders do the trick? Lou Scataglia of Predominantly Orange believes the Broncos signing All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones might help Denver leapfrog the Chiefs in 2024. Frankly, I think Jones is…
As the Chicago Bears look to bolster their roster in the offseason, they could revisit their interest in a player that they looked at before making a trade for Montez Sweat. To recall, ahead of the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline, the Bears expressed interest in trading for then Washington Commanders pass-rusher Chase Young. However, it was Sweat who ended up going to Chicago while Young was sent to the San Francisco 49ers. With Young set to be an unrestricted free agent as his four-year, $34.6 million contract ends, the Bears could make a run for him. Jeremy…
The Phoenix Suns are interested in a package deal for Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards and forward Miles Bridges, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Bridges, who is in the middle of a domestic violence case, is someone the Suns covet. He is 25 years old, 6-foot-7 and has potential to fill a “3-and-D” void the Suns need. Richards, who is reportedly not a target for the Suns, has the potential to fill a backup center role. ClutchPoints reported the Suns’ interest in Richards, though the report is under question by Arizona Sports’ 98.7 FM’s John…
Michigan seeks for a new football coach following Jim Harbaugh’s decision to leave the Wolverines after nine seasons for the Los Angeles Chargers job. Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, who led the Wolverines to a win over Ohio State last season in Harbaugh’s absence, is among the frontrunners on the program’s list of candidates, according to CBS Sports reporter Dennis Dodd. Dodd reported Wednesday the Wolverines intend to “cast a wide net” to fill the vacancy left by Harbaugh, who won several Big Ten titles and a national championship during his tenure. As noted by 247Sports reporter Chris…
Maven – Philadelphia Eagles Devin Booker scored 30 of his 46 points in the second half as the visiting Phoenix Suns rallied for their seventh straight win, beating the Dallas Mavericks 132-109 on Wednesday. Bradley Beal had 20 points, Grayson Allen scored 15 and Kevin Durant had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for Phoenix, which trailed by as many as 16 in the second quarter before outscoring the Mavericks 43-20 in the third. Booker scored 22 points in the decisive third quarter and finished shooting 17 of 23 from the field and 6 of 10 from 3-point range…
The Raptors’ Garrett Temple and six-year-old William McLean take a timeout for a chat at Variety Village in Scarborough. Richard Lautens / Toronto Star The Raptors used a break in their schedule to do some good in the community, splitting up Wednesday to visit the Hospital for Sick Children and Scarborough’s Variety Village. The excursions came on the same day head coach Darko Rajakovic and his wife Gaga announced a $20 pledge for each assist the Raptors makes this season, with the money going to SickKids in Toronto, a children’s hospital in Belgrade, Serbia, and St. Jude Children’s…
Austin has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for seven of the last 10 years. Before earning a coordinator position, Austin spent 23 years at the college level or coaching defensive backs for the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Ravens. The Steelers surpassed expectations this season, making the playoffs despite scoring the fifth-least number of points in the NFL and the eighth-least amount of yards. The reason for that may well be due to the work done by second-year defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and his defensive unit. Seemingly happy with what they’ve seen so far, Pittsburgh is working to finalize…