Carson Wentz News Leak Makes Carson Wentz Look Selfish
Carson Wentz. | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Carson Wentz is mired in a disastrous season as a player that somehow just got worse from a perception standpoint of him as a teammate.
According to Adam Schefter, Wentz is upset about being benched for rookie Jalen Hurts and would rather leave the Eagles than be a backup to Hurts moving forward. This comes exactly a week after Hurts led the Eagles to an upset win over the Saints in his first career start, throwing for 167 yards and a touchdown and running for 106 yards.
DeVonta Smith Favored to Become Only Fourth Wide Receiver to Win Heisman
DeVonta Smith. | Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has been the favorite to win the Heisman the last few weeks. He did nothing to dispel that narrative in the SEC Championship, throwing for 5 touchdowns and 418 yards as the Crimson Tide finished off an undefeated regular season with a 52-46 win over Florida.
In a surprising twist, Jones is no longer the favorite to win the Heisman despite that performance. Instead, his teammate, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, has taken the lead in the odds on all major books I reviewed. It s not a massive lead (-170 to +170 on one, -200 to +150 on another), but it s clear the books like his chances as he s the outright favorite for the first time this year.
Chiefs-Saints a Ratings Bonanza or Bust?
Patrick Mahomes pointing to the haters. | Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Much has been made this week of the 2020 NFL ratings slip costing broadcasters money. Simultaneously, the NFL is reportedly nearing a $100 billion broadcasting deal with those same networks plus Amazon, which is to say the financial sky isn t falling at NFL HQ despite the downward trajectory of viewership.
This week, the NFL gets another chance to redirect the ratings narrative as the AFC s top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs face off against the NFC s second-seeded New Orleans Saints in a potential Super Bowl preview.
Even with Drew Brees not expected to play as he continues to rehab from broken ribs, it s a dream matchup for CBS featuring the defending Super Bowl champions, the best quarterback in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes, two of the league s best offenses and two of the most loyal fanbases around. That it s being broadcast in the late window (4:25 p.m. ET) with Tony Rom
Move Over Big Ben, It s Yinzshew Mania Time
Gardner Minshew on the Steelers would be fun. | Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew returns to the Jacksonville Jaguars starting lineup on Sunday after the team fully went into tank mode the last three weeks with Mike Glennon under center. But while some ardent supporters will hope for a return of Minshew Mania, the Jaguars recent decisions have demonstrated they re focused on the crop of talented signal-callers expected to headline the 2021 NFL Draft.
With Minshew likely done in Jacksonville after this season, the question becomes where he ll end up next. Thankfully, the answer is quite simple, and catchy. It s Yinzshew Mania time.
Freddie Kitchens Gets His Chance at Redemption Against Browns
Freddie Kitchens and Baker Mayfield. | Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
The Freddie Kitchens era in Cleveland was brief and ignominious. A one-year stint as Browns head coach ended with a 6-10 record in 2019 and Baker Mayfield trending toward bust status.
Appropriately, the Browns fired Kitchens and hired Kevin Stefanski, who has quickly ushered in an era of winning and quality quarterback play, an inconceivable idea along the shores of Lake Erie less than a year ago.
But now, following the COVID diagnosis of Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett that will force him to miss this week s game against the Browns, the man Clevelanders would like to forget returns for a shot at redemption. Kitchens, who is in his first year as the Giants tight ends coach, will call offensive plays for the Giants as they attempt to keep their fleeting playoff hopes alive and derail the Browns breakthrough season this week.