nf Page 279 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Hear me out: Relax… Melvin Gordon should <em>still</em> be a thing in Denver’s offense
The Denver Broncos got embarrassed last night. The Broncos — who started the season 3-0, might I remind you — lost to the Browns’ practice squad offense. Yeah, I know Cleveland’s defense is solid, but come on. Case Keenum? D’Ernest Johnson? Those guys beat you?...

Turns out Oklahoma’s Heisman candidate was their backup QB all along!
This year’s Heisman race felt a lot like last year’s race early on, in that no one really dropped jaws instantly a la Lamar Jackson, Reggie Bush or Johnny Football. It will probably end up going to Bryce Young, just because Alabama will be 12-2/13-1 and his stats will be better than everyone else’s....

Pitt is a three-point favorite against Clemson this weekend… how did it come to this?
Yep, you read that right. The University of Pittsburgh is favored Saturday against the formerly formidable Clemson Tigers — the same team that made appearances in six College Football Playoffs in a span of six years, winning two championships along the way. With the way Dabo Swinney’s team is playin...

NFL Week 7: Chiefs take on Titans aaaand…
If you’re not a fantasy football player, you might want to avert your eyes on Sunday, because there isn’t a single matchup that really jumps off the page at you. In fact, there is only one game set to take place between two teams with winning records: Cincinnati (4-2) at Baltimore (5-1), but Cincinn...

Trae Young feels disrespected — and that’s a good thing
The Atlanta Hawks blasted the Dallas Mavericks in their season opener, 113-87, with Trae Young racking up 14 assists and Deandre Hunter holding Luka to 18 points on almost as many attempts (17). Afterward, Young had a message for the haters:...

Seven things the Raiders could have done for Black people to atone for Gruden <i>besides</i> having Yolanda Adams & Grambling State’s band perform
The Raiders can’t do better because they don’t want to do better....

Cam Newton’s odds of being signed are looking up now that he’s vaccinated
Former MVP Cam Newton hasn’t stepped foot on an NFL field since he was released by the New England Patriots just days before the regular season. Now that Newton is vaccinated, it seems his chances of catching on with a team this season may have increased....

Sometimes you have to just sit back and appreciate what’s on offer
Perhaps I’m feeling wistful because last October, we didn’t have our normal schedule. There’s a clock to this, a rhythm, that we have spent our entire lives attuned to. Hockey and basketball start during the MLB playoffs. Go a year without it, and suddenly the axis is off, red lights are blinking, t...

Like a comet streaking across the sky, a rare look into the personable side of Nick Saban
For the second time this season, we’ve been privileged to get a glimpse into the part of Alabama coach Nick Saban that’s not a myopic, grumpy, brooding football coach. In September, Alabama safety Jordan Battle told the media that Saban loves a good “deez nuts” joke, much to the chagrin of what soun...

The New England Revs are going to set the league points record, and they’re not going to play any defense to do it
While MLS still has its fair share of issues, the one thing you have to give it credit for is that during the regular season, the league rewards teams that just say, “Fuck it, it’s free cake.” They don’t generally live on in history, because wonky defensive teams get found out by the extremely callo...

<i>Thursday Night Football: </i>Broncos need to show they can be better than mediocre
The Browns and the Broncos play tonight in Ohio in what might be one of the most mediocre Thursday night matchups that we’ll see all season....

Who’s the weird-ass video game rendering now, chumps?
Night two of the NBA season came through strong, delivering a double-overtime thriller where the New York Knicks bested the Boston Celtics, 138-134, in front of the home crowd at Madison Square Garden. This night was supposed to be about the return of NYC’s own Kemba Walker, but by the end of the ni...

Dolphins must give Tua a real chance before staining franchise with Deshaun Watson trade
The Dolphins are 1-5 and very much not the team pundits and oddsmakers thought they would be (they need to go 9-2 the rest of the way to hit that 9.5 O/U win total). A large part of that is that second-year QB and alleged franchise savior Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t lived up to expectations....

Carlton Fisk kept it fair, but Keith Olbermann’s attempt to sell historic ball is foul
This is not about ripping Keith Olbermann. If you want to do that, you can start with “Why I Think Trump Is Finished (And My Work Is Done),” from November 28, 2017, a time at which Trump was far from finished. You can go forward or backward from there, it doesn’t really matter, and he’d admit himsel...

In a world of esoteric NFL stats, injuries notably absent
On Sunday night, Seahawks’ lineman Darrell Taylor went in for a tackle and ended up motionless on the field. It was a frightening moment in a sport filled with injuries. The very real threat of a concussion is ever-present in the NFL, along with less-likely injuries like paralysis or even death....

I thought J.J. Watt wasn’t trying to win
J.J. Watt could’ve gone to just about any team he wanted in free agency last year. At age 32 and in his 11th year in the league, it’s more probable than not that he’s entered the twilight of his career, but with three DPOY awards under his belt, anyone would’ve taken him....

Nick Rolovich would like everyone to know he feels very persecuted
Much to Washington State’s chagrin, their Nick Rolovich troubles aren’t over yet (and that doesn’t even count his 5-6 record with the Cougars). After Rolovich received several warnings from the Washington State University administration and athletic department that he would be removed as head coach ...

Warriors fire warning shot to NBA by laying smack down on Lakers
The NBA season officially began Tuesday night with a doubleheader, and in the main event, the hoops world was treated to a showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. One thing I took away from the season opener is what I’ve been saying all along. The Warriors will contend...

Turns out Jamal Adams wasn’t saying HE was the best in the nation
The most recent Sunday Night Football matchup featured the Russell Wilson-less Seahawks taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The game itself was nothing special as the Steelers managed to squeak by the injury-riddled Seahawks 23-20 in overtime. Aside from the weird fumble play that happ...

Can the Bundesliga ever be competitive again?
I start a lot of these with the phrase, “I knew better.” Whether it’s tuning into Monday Night Raw, or believing in the Carolina Hurricanes, or something else, you say that phrase enough and it becomes clear that, no, I don’t actually know better. I’m just a gullible giblet. ...