Official 2024 NFL Discussion Week 4!!!
- Thread starter darth frosty
- Start date
Fuck! The Steelers game was pushed to Sunday.
Cam Newton out here looking like the mountain climber dude from The Price Is Right...
The one where Mason got plunked in the head with Garrets helmet did, but Ben was out of course.
Was the best case. Needed to happen. Not worth playing Thursday not knowing how many Ravens are actually infected.
Steelers better cool the fuck out and chill. If this helps make sure your opponent is not infected thats the best case scenario. It's more important to be safe. No one said the Ravens broke protocol. This is the smartest thing for everyone.
Cause those practice squad players may end up positive. For the Ravens to travel on a plane that's not a good idea at all.
R.I.P.
Rams DT Donald irked by 'blatant' uncalled holds
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald pointed out Wednesday that he's not frustrated by recording zero sacks and tackles in his past two games, but said he is irked by "some blatant holds that we didn't get the call for."
Aaron Donald says he's not playing 'bad football' despite zero sacks in past 2 games, rips 'blatant' uncalled holds
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However, Donald -- who ranks third in the NFL with nine sacks and 35 pressures -- remains confident about his level of play.
"At the end of the day I don't think I'm playing bad football," Donald said Wednesday. "I feel like I'm disruptive, I'm still almost making plays, getting quarterbacks to get the ball off last minute, whatever the case may be. Guys around me making plays, too, so it's not nothing that I'm mad about."
But that's not to say that Donald isn't frustrated about one aspect of his game.
When asked if officials had been missing holding calls, Donald didn't hold back.
"In my opinion, they hold every play," Donald said, adding that in a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, "there was some blatant holds that we didn't get the call for."
Donald pointed to a play late in the third quarter, when Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was facing third-and-15 from his 8-yard line. When hit by Rams defensive end Morgan Fox in the end zone, Brady appeared to fumble and the Rams recovered, but the play was quickly blown dead and ruled an incomplete pass.
"I feel like Fox got the ball out, so that should have been a sack anyway, and if it wasn't, it should have been a holding call and a safety because [Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith] held me in the end zone," Donald said. "So I thought was going to get the flag, I looked around, there was a lot of chaos, didn't, but it is what it is, so just got to keep playing ball."
The Rams' defense ranks second in efficiency and points allowed per game (19.2), and the unit ranks third in the NFL with 32 sacks.
Holding calls across the NFL are at a 20-season low, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. There have been 357 offensive holding penalties through 11 weeks, down from the 660 offensive holding penalties at the same point last season.
Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley acknowledged that holding penalties were down across the league, but said the Rams (7-3) would examine the lack of calls in favor of Donald, who has been double-teamed on a league-high 223 of his pass rushes, which is 35 more than the next player, Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks, who has faced 188 double-teams.
"That's just saying that people are blocking him straight up, which we know is not the case, so holding calls just in general are down, but that's something that is a concern because it happened in the Seattle game as well," Staley said, referencing Los Angeles' Week 10 win. "It's like Shaquille O'Neal back when he was playing, this guy -- I think people take for granted how good he is and we need to make sure that people are seeing the game the way that they need to."
When asked if he lobbied with officials to bring attention to opponents holding him, Donald chuckled.
"All the damn time I talk to them," Donald said. "I say, 'You got to see that holding call,' they say they don't see it. I'm like, 'Man, the guy got me around my neck, grabbed, pulled my shirt, I just beat a guy with a clean rush.' But it's all right, hopefully I'm gonna get one sooner or later that's gonna help us big time, so I just got to keep playing."
Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul, 54, dies
FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coordinator Markus Paul, who was rushed to the hospital Tuesday morning after experiencing a medical emergency, has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 54.
Surrounded by family, Paul died Wednesday evening at Plano Presbyterian Hospital.
The cause of death was not announced.
"The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Markus Paul was a loved and valued member of our family," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. "He was a pleasant and calming influence in our strength room and throughout The Star.
"His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him great respect and admiration from all our players and the entire organization. We offer our love and support to his family in this very difficult time. Our hearts are broken for his family and all of the individuals whose lives he touched and made better."
Markus Paul won five Super Bowl titles as an assistant strength and conditioning coach -- three with the Patriots and two with the Giants -- since entering the NFL coaching ranks in 1998. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys will recognize and remember Paul before their Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Washington Football Team at AT&T Stadium.
Paul was treated by Cowboys medical personnel and transported to a local hospital by ambulance shortly before 7:30 a.m. CT Tuesday. Coach Mike McCarthy canceled practice Tuesday, and Wednesday's session ran roughly 75 minutes, which was considered to be close to normal, given the circumstances.
Paul joined the Cowboys in 2018 as an assistant to Mike Woicik and was named the strength and conditioning coordinator upon McCarthy's arrival as coach.
"We extend our love, strength and support to Markus' family during this most challenging of times and ask that their privacy be respected moving forward," McCarthy said in a statement Wednesday. "Markus Paul was a leader in this building. He earned the players' respect and attention because he cared so much and was a naturally gifted communicator -- both on the personal and professional levels. He handled every situation, sometimes with a smile and a pat on the back and sometimes with tough love.
"He had innate toughness in a job that requires that quality, and he was admired throughout the NFL by his peers and the players he coached. It was a privilege to work with him as a coach and laugh with him as a friend. Markus did everything the right way."
Paul played five years in the NFL as a defensive back with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, from 1989 to 1993, after four seasons at Syracuse, where he was a two-time All-American.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera and Paul were teammates with the Bears from 1989-92, before the end of Rivera's playing career.
"The passing of Markus Paul is a true loss to the NFL community and anyone who had the privilege of knowing him," Rivera said. "Markus was a tremendous teammate during my time with the Chicago Bears and a good friend to me over the years. He was just a great man and will be missed by many.''
Paul entered the coaching ranks in 1998 with the New Orleans Saints and then spent five seasons with the New England Patriots' strength staff under Woicik from 2000 to 2004. In 2005 and '06, Paul was the director of physical development and head strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets.
He spent 11 seasons with the New York Giants as an assistant strength coach before joining the Cowboys.
The Jets expressed condolences on their Twitter account Wednesday, describing Paul as "a kind man who made a lasting impact on those fortunate to have crossed his path."
The Giants also tweeted about Paul, calling him "a beloved member of our organization for several years" and saying, "He will be greatly missed."
The Saints said in their statement, "While Markus' time in New Orleans was relatively brief nearly two decades ago, he left a lasting legacy as a family first, hardworking individual that cared deeply for the players and the rich history of the NFL."
In 2012, the Cowboys experienced the loss of a player one day before playing the Cincinnati Bengals, when practice-squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a car accident in which teammate Josh Brent was the driver. The Cowboys had Brown's jersey displayed on their bench and won the game.
FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coordinator Markus Paul, who was rushed to the hospital Tuesday morning after experiencing a medical emergency, has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 54.
Surrounded by family, Paul died Wednesday evening at Plano Presbyterian Hospital.
The cause of death was not announced.
"The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Markus Paul was a loved and valued member of our family," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. "He was a pleasant and calming influence in our strength room and throughout The Star.
"His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him great respect and admiration from all our players and the entire organization. We offer our love and support to his family in this very difficult time. Our hearts are broken for his family and all of the individuals whose lives he touched and made better."
Markus Paul won five Super Bowl titles as an assistant strength and conditioning coach -- three with the Patriots and two with the Giants -- since entering the NFL coaching ranks in 1998. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys will recognize and remember Paul before their Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Washington Football Team at AT&T Stadium.
Paul was treated by Cowboys medical personnel and transported to a local hospital by ambulance shortly before 7:30 a.m. CT Tuesday. Coach Mike McCarthy canceled practice Tuesday, and Wednesday's session ran roughly 75 minutes, which was considered to be close to normal, given the circumstances.
Paul joined the Cowboys in 2018 as an assistant to Mike Woicik and was named the strength and conditioning coordinator upon McCarthy's arrival as coach.
"We extend our love, strength and support to Markus' family during this most challenging of times and ask that their privacy be respected moving forward," McCarthy said in a statement Wednesday. "Markus Paul was a leader in this building. He earned the players' respect and attention because he cared so much and was a naturally gifted communicator -- both on the personal and professional levels. He handled every situation, sometimes with a smile and a pat on the back and sometimes with tough love.
"He had innate toughness in a job that requires that quality, and he was admired throughout the NFL by his peers and the players he coached. It was a privilege to work with him as a coach and laugh with him as a friend. Markus did everything the right way."
Paul played five years in the NFL as a defensive back with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, from 1989 to 1993, after four seasons at Syracuse, where he was a two-time All-American.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera and Paul were teammates with the Bears from 1989-92, before the end of Rivera's playing career.
"The passing of Markus Paul is a true loss to the NFL community and anyone who had the privilege of knowing him," Rivera said. "Markus was a tremendous teammate during my time with the Chicago Bears and a good friend to me over the years. He was just a great man and will be missed by many.''
Paul entered the coaching ranks in 1998 with the New Orleans Saints and then spent five seasons with the New England Patriots' strength staff under Woicik from 2000 to 2004. In 2005 and '06, Paul was the director of physical development and head strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets.
He spent 11 seasons with the New York Giants as an assistant strength coach before joining the Cowboys.
The Jets expressed condolences on their Twitter account Wednesday, describing Paul as "a kind man who made a lasting impact on those fortunate to have crossed his path."
The Giants also tweeted about Paul, calling him "a beloved member of our organization for several years" and saying, "He will be greatly missed."
The Saints said in their statement, "While Markus' time in New Orleans was relatively brief nearly two decades ago, he left a lasting legacy as a family first, hardworking individual that cared deeply for the players and the rich history of the NFL."
In 2012, the Cowboys experienced the loss of a player one day before playing the Cincinnati Bengals, when practice-squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a car accident in which teammate Josh Brent was the driver. The Cowboys had Brown's jersey displayed on their bench and won the game.
Baltimore Ravens' game against Pittsburgh Steelers moved as team disciplines staffer
The Thanksgiving night game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers has been moved to Sunday, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Kickoff is set for 1:15 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast nationally by NBC.
The decision came after the COVID-19 outbreak among the Ravens worsened, and it prompted an angry response from Steelers players.
Baltimore added three more players -- offensive linemen Patrick Mekari and Matt Skura and defensive end Calais Campbell -- to the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. The Ravens now have seven players who tested positive or have been identified as close contacts, a group that has totaled 2,127 snaps this season.
The Ravens issued a statement later Wednesday, saying an unnamed staff member has been disciplined "for conduct surrounding the recent COVID-19 cases that have affected players and staff at the Ravens." The team did not provide additional details.
The NFL decided to postpone the game because it wants to use the rest of the week to conduct more testing and contact tracing, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano. The announcement came about 31 hours before the scheduled kickoff.
"This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts," the NFL said in a statement.
The outbreak has been widespread in Baltimore, where members of the Ravens' coaching staff and support staff have also tested positive.
"We appreciate the NFL for its diligence in working closely with us to ensure the well-being of players, coaches and staff from both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers organizations," the Ravens said in an earlier statement.
This is the second time the Steelers' schedule has been affected by COVID-19. Their Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans was moved to Week 7 because of an outbreak in the Titans organization. The first Ravens matchup was then moved from Week 7 to the Steelers' originally scheduled bye on Week 8, and the Week 4 postponement became Pittsburgh's de facto bye week.
This time, the Steelers lose their mini-bye week with the Thanksgiving game being moved to Sunday.
The Steelers will not host fans for Sunday's game because new orders and advisories from the state of Pennsylvania regarding limits on outdoor gatherings go into effect Friday. Only friends and family of players and the organization will be allowed in the seating bowl for a full capacity at Heinz Field of 2,500, including coaches and players.
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster tweeted within minutes of Wednesday's announcement of the rescheduled game, expressing his disappointment.
Sources told ESPN that the Steelers will have a players day off Thursday after practicing Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin had planned to give his players off until next Wednesday after the Thanksgiving game, but those plans have changed.
"We feel like we have a really good handle on exactly when the transmission occurred and how it occurred," Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told NFL Network on Wednesday. "I think that we feel like we're a couple of days away from being out of that window of vulnerability for that transmission event."
This marks the 13th NFL game that has been postponed or moved this season because of coronavirus-related issues, but it is the first postponement since Week 5. Three weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers played against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night even though they had placed four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Earlier Wednesday, some Ravens players expressed concern about playing.
"Player safety ... what a joke," Ravens defensive end Derek Wolfe tweeted.
This is the first time since 2005 that the NFL will have only two games played on Thanksgiving.
The Ravens' outbreak began hours after Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Titans, when the team learned running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram had tested positive. Nose tackle Brandon Williams was later identified as a high-risk close contact.
On Monday, Baltimore closed its facility in the morning before reopening in the afternoon, when the team held a walk-through. A day later, the Ravens shut down the facility again after more positive tests and conducted all team activities virtually. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee became the fourth Baltimore player added to the reserve/COVID-19 list in two days.
The postponement of Baltimore's Thanksgiving game to Sunday means a quick turnaround. The Ravens are set to host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 3. The Cowboys will have a full week to recover after playing on Thanksgiving, but Baltimore will play on three days' rest.
The Ravens could enter that game short-handed. Any players who test positive must quarantine for at least 10 days.
The Steelers, who are 10-0 for the first time in franchise history, can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Baltimore and losses by the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens (6-4) are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak with Lamar Jackson as their starting quarterback.
www.espn.com
The Thanksgiving night game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers has been moved to Sunday, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Kickoff is set for 1:15 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast nationally by NBC.
The decision came after the COVID-19 outbreak among the Ravens worsened, and it prompted an angry response from Steelers players.
Baltimore added three more players -- offensive linemen Patrick Mekari and Matt Skura and defensive end Calais Campbell -- to the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. The Ravens now have seven players who tested positive or have been identified as close contacts, a group that has totaled 2,127 snaps this season.
The Ravens issued a statement later Wednesday, saying an unnamed staff member has been disciplined "for conduct surrounding the recent COVID-19 cases that have affected players and staff at the Ravens." The team did not provide additional details.
The NFL decided to postpone the game because it wants to use the rest of the week to conduct more testing and contact tracing, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano. The announcement came about 31 hours before the scheduled kickoff.
"This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts," the NFL said in a statement.
The outbreak has been widespread in Baltimore, where members of the Ravens' coaching staff and support staff have also tested positive.
"We appreciate the NFL for its diligence in working closely with us to ensure the well-being of players, coaches and staff from both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers organizations," the Ravens said in an earlier statement.
This is the second time the Steelers' schedule has been affected by COVID-19. Their Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans was moved to Week 7 because of an outbreak in the Titans organization. The first Ravens matchup was then moved from Week 7 to the Steelers' originally scheduled bye on Week 8, and the Week 4 postponement became Pittsburgh's de facto bye week.
This time, the Steelers lose their mini-bye week with the Thanksgiving game being moved to Sunday.
The Steelers will not host fans for Sunday's game because new orders and advisories from the state of Pennsylvania regarding limits on outdoor gatherings go into effect Friday. Only friends and family of players and the organization will be allowed in the seating bowl for a full capacity at Heinz Field of 2,500, including coaches and players.
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster tweeted within minutes of Wednesday's announcement of the rescheduled game, expressing his disappointment.
Sources told ESPN that the Steelers will have a players day off Thursday after practicing Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin had planned to give his players off until next Wednesday after the Thanksgiving game, but those plans have changed.
"We feel like we have a really good handle on exactly when the transmission occurred and how it occurred," Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told NFL Network on Wednesday. "I think that we feel like we're a couple of days away from being out of that window of vulnerability for that transmission event."
This marks the 13th NFL game that has been postponed or moved this season because of coronavirus-related issues, but it is the first postponement since Week 5. Three weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers played against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night even though they had placed four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Earlier Wednesday, some Ravens players expressed concern about playing.
"Player safety ... what a joke," Ravens defensive end Derek Wolfe tweeted.
This is the first time since 2005 that the NFL will have only two games played on Thanksgiving.
The Ravens' outbreak began hours after Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Titans, when the team learned running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram had tested positive. Nose tackle Brandon Williams was later identified as a high-risk close contact.
On Monday, Baltimore closed its facility in the morning before reopening in the afternoon, when the team held a walk-through. A day later, the Ravens shut down the facility again after more positive tests and conducted all team activities virtually. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee became the fourth Baltimore player added to the reserve/COVID-19 list in two days.
The postponement of Baltimore's Thanksgiving game to Sunday means a quick turnaround. The Ravens are set to host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 3. The Cowboys will have a full week to recover after playing on Thanksgiving, but Baltimore will play on three days' rest.
The Ravens could enter that game short-handed. Any players who test positive must quarantine for at least 10 days.
The Steelers, who are 10-0 for the first time in franchise history, can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Baltimore and losses by the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens (6-4) are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak with Lamar Jackson as their starting quarterback.
Ravens-Steelers now Sunday; staffer disciplined
The Ravens-Steelers game has been moved from Thanksgiving night to Sunday at 1:15 p.m. ET, the NFL announced Wednesday.
6 months thats the recommendation
There not calling a lot of holding penalties and it's bullshit. Particularly with Donald, Mack and T.J. Watt. Muthafuckas are literally tackling these guys and the refs just stand there looking at the shitRams DT Donald irked by 'blatant' uncalled holds
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald pointed out Wednesday that he's not frustrated by recording zero sacks and tackles in his past two games, but said he is irked by "some blatant holds that we didn't get the call for."
Aaron Donald says he's not playing 'bad football' despite zero sacks in past 2 games, rips 'blatant' uncalled holds
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Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has not recorded a sack or even a tackle over the past two games, something the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year says he has "never, ever" done in his life, "until this year."
However, Donald -- who ranks third in the NFL with nine sacks and 35 pressures -- remains confident about his level of play.
"At the end of the day I don't think I'm playing bad football," Donald said Wednesday. "I feel like I'm disruptive, I'm still almost making plays, getting quarterbacks to get the ball off last minute, whatever the case may be. Guys around me making plays, too, so it's not nothing that I'm mad about."
But that's not to say that Donald isn't frustrated about one aspect of his game.
When asked if officials had been missing holding calls, Donald didn't hold back.
"In my opinion, they hold every play," Donald said, adding that in a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, "there was some blatant holds that we didn't get the call for."
Donald pointed to a play late in the third quarter, when Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was facing third-and-15 from his 8-yard line. When hit by Rams defensive end Morgan Fox in the end zone, Brady appeared to fumble and the Rams recovered, but the play was quickly blown dead and ruled an incomplete pass.
"I feel like Fox got the ball out, so that should have been a sack anyway, and if it wasn't, it should have been a holding call and a safety because [Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith] held me in the end zone," Donald said. "So I thought was going to get the flag, I looked around, there was a lot of chaos, didn't, but it is what it is, so just got to keep playing ball."
The Rams' defense ranks second in efficiency and points allowed per game (19.2), and the unit ranks third in the NFL with 32 sacks.
Holding calls across the NFL are at a 20-season low, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. There have been 357 offensive holding penalties through 11 weeks, down from the 660 offensive holding penalties at the same point last season.
Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley acknowledged that holding penalties were down across the league, but said the Rams (7-3) would examine the lack of calls in favor of Donald, who has been double-teamed on a league-high 223 of his pass rushes, which is 35 more than the next player, Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks, who has faced 188 double-teams.
"That's just saying that people are blocking him straight up, which we know is not the case, so holding calls just in general are down, but that's something that is a concern because it happened in the Seattle game as well," Staley said, referencing Los Angeles' Week 10 win. "It's like Shaquille O'Neal back when he was playing, this guy -- I think people take for granted how good he is and we need to make sure that people are seeing the game the way that they need to."
When asked if he lobbied with officials to bring attention to opponents holding him, Donald chuckled.
"All the damn time I talk to them," Donald said. "I say, 'You got to see that holding call,' they say they don't see it. I'm like, 'Man, the guy got me around my neck, grabbed, pulled my shirt, I just beat a guy with a clean rush.' But it's all right, hopefully I'm gonna get one sooner or later that's gonna help us big time, so I just got to keep playing."
Wtf happening in Baltimore???
4th day with more positive test results for covid-19
4th day with more positive test results for covid-19
THIS is hilarious!
This is Dan Miller who actually works for the lions, calling all of their radio games (his former partner was Matt Millen
.)
This is Dan Miller who actually works for the lions, calling all of their radio games (his former partner was Matt Millen
.)