football Page 101 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

This is bigger than Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones — Bill Belichick has never been good at drafting quarterbacks
I’m a New England Patriots fan that loves how Bill Belichick coaches football. I’m a New England Patriots fan that’s always hated how Bill Belichick drafts quarterbacks. Two things can be true at the same time....

Maybe the Bears’ front office does know what it’s doing
There has been reason for NFL analysts and fans far and wide to complain about the Chicago Bears roster since offseason workouts began....

Week 7 NFL Powerless Rankings: The losses keep piling up
It’s time to check in on the teams that can’t get out of their own way. We’re nearing the halfway point of the 2022 NFL season and it’s been unpredictable, but there are always a few teams we expect to disappoint their fan base. Now let’s get into the powerless ranking for Week 7....
![NFL refs have got to be smarter about breaking rulebook they enforce [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/025647a1b106fb33386f95f9e5b1ca4b.jpg)
NFL refs have got to be smarter about breaking rulebook they enforce [Update]
Before they ever officiate a professional game, NFL officials have the league’s nearly 300-page rulebook drilled into their hippocampus. Which is why we know the two officials captured on video appearing to collect an autograph from Tampa Bay Bucs receiver Mike Evans had to have known better....

Jerry Jones jumps back on the Dak Prescott bandwagon
Jerry Jones is a salesman and says whatever is needed at any given time. When Dak Prescott went down with an injured thumb in Week 1, Jones seemed ready to replace him permanently in favor of Cooper Rush after just a couple of games. Prescott returned for Dallas’ Week 7 matchup, which they won over ...

Wouldn’t you love to hear what executives for the Panthers and Jazz are honestly thinking right now?
Professional sports are like many other industries. The goals of management and the employees are not always aligned....

It’s not quite as bad as it seems for Jesse Marsch, but that probably won’t save him
If there were American coaches who were hoping that Jesse Marsch could be the first through the wall as a Yank managing in the big five leagues in Europe, they might be discussing a retreat right now....

Despite getting handled by the Chiefs, the 49ers have the formula to be the most dangerous team in the NFC
Don’t be fooled by the 49ers’ Week 7, 44-23 loss to the Chiefs. San Francisco is good, and they’re only going to get better as the season moves along. Kansas City has rolled over many teams similarly during Patrick Mahomes’ tenure. Remember, there isn’t a Chiefs equivalent in the NFC. The Niners pos...

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers leading trainwrecks
Seven weeks into the 2022 season, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are Thelma and Louisa’ing it over the cliff. The 3-4 Bucs’ and 3-4 Packers’ anemic offenses are the weak links being carried by their defenses, as their venerable future Hall of Fame quarterbacks are throwing away winnable games. At this ...

The NBA’s tanking problem is more perception than reality, and a relegation system won’t fix that
During NBA Commish Adam Silver’s apology tour session with beleaguered Phoenix Suns employees this weekend, he was confronted with another concern. In addition to apologizing for suspended team Governor Robert Sarver and his decades of misconduct, Silver was also besieged by a flood of questions abo...

The Denver Broncos should seriously consider shutting down Russell Wilson for the year
The Denver Broncos have decided to deactivate Russell Wilson for their Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets due to a hamstring injury, and it could be the best move they’ve made all season. After a 2-4 start to the year, Wilson hasn’t nearly been the guy the Broncos thought they were trading for...

France may be without their spine at the World Cup, and they won’t be alone
Crowbarring a World Cup into the middle of the club season in winter was always a dumb idea, probably equal to the idea that the tournament ever could have been held in the summer in Qatar, which is what the country and FIFA were originally selling when they awarded it to Qatar (and it was literally...

Is it time for Clemson to permanently bench D.J. Uiagalelei?
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s gridiron shakeup, 49 months old exactly on Saturday, further cemented the Tigers’ spot among college football’s elite. One of the highest-rated collegiate prospects of all-time, then-true freshman Trevor Lawrence, replaced Kelly Bryant as the team’s starting quarter...

It’s impossible to be completely miserable (or happy) during the sports equinox
There are 17 gazillion things happening in sports right now, and as much as I’d like to update you on all the happenings of the opening weeks of the NBA and NHL, the World Series-deciding MLB rounds, College Football Playoff-ramification slates, and every NFL, EPL, MMA, boxing match, game, contest, ...

College football Week 8: It’s hard to stop chasing the dragon after last week
Expecting the college football gods to give us a second helping of last week’s madness is asking a lot. Four undefeated Top-10 schools fell, and three different crowds rushed the field, with the Vols starting a GoFundMe-type deal for their goalposts that were dumped into the Tennessee River....

Coaching HBCU football is a stepping stone for Deion Sanders, but a brick wall for his peers
The spotlight Deion Sanders has brought to historically black college football programs has been unparalleled. Interest is at an all-time high and Sanders has championed multiplying exposure for the talent at HBCU programs. Sanders was specifically referring to the players, but the same sentiments c...

The NFC is trash
There are two NFC teams playing in Week 7 of the NFL season with a winning record. That’s right, one for each middle finger to average gridiron play. There’s only four in total. Two are on a BYE? Philadelphia (6-0) and Minnesota (5-1). Dallas, using mostly a backup quarterback to get to this point...

Christian McCaffrey traded to 49ers
Carolina Panthers’ do-it-all back Christian McCaffrey was sent packing Thursday night to the San Francisco 49ers for second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter....

Wouldn’t you know it, Cristiano Ronaldo is being a whiny turd again
If one were interested in fairness when it comes to Cristiano Ronaldo — and I’m not for a host of reasons, including the big glaring one (actually two) — one would have to concede that being a professional athlete requires an absurd amount of defiance. At some point in our childhood, we’re all told ...

Top 5 Heisman candidates at college football's midway point
The Heisman Trophy is awarded to college football’s most outstanding player. Entering this season, three quarterbacks — including last year’s winner — were favored to earn this prestigious honor. It’s Week 8 and that trio of QBs are each building a strong case. But they’re joined by two other stando...