NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Troy Aikman says he’s ‘pretty shocked’ by Cowboys first-round playoff exit; still believes in Dak Prescott

    Troy Aikman says he’s ‘pretty shocked’ by Cowboys first-round playoff exit; still believes in Dak Prescott

    For the most part, Troy Aikman and the Dallas Cowboys delivered in big moments during their 1990s dynasty that produced three world championships in a four-year span. 

    For whatever reason, the Cowboys have gone the polar opposite way since winning their last title in January of 1996. The franchise seems to always come up short when it matters most, a fact that Aikman recently acknowledged following Dallas’ season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers on Super Wild Card Weekend. 

    “Pretty shocked,” Aikman said of the Cowboys’ early playoff exit, via The Athletic. “I really liked this team all year long. I thought they were really talented. … It’s just the same old story, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. It’s just when I’m asked about the Cowboys as to why they have struggled, they’ve put together some really great regular seasons. 

    “They just have not, for whatever reasons, played their best football when the games matter most. That’s what you have to do. That’s the key to winning in the postseason and then getting to the Super Bowl. What the answer is to that, I’m not sure.”

    Aikman may not have the answer, but he’s probably hoping that someone within the Cowboys’ organization does. 

    Cowboys owner Jerry Jones clearly feels that a head coaching change at this juncture is not the answer. Jones decided to keep Mike McCarthy on as head coach despite the Cowboys’ second early playoff exit in three years under McCarthy, who has one year left on his current contract. 

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  • Here’s where Kansas football has landed in some way-too-early top 25 polls for 2024

    Here’s where Kansas football has landed in some way-too-early top 25 polls for 2024

    LAWRENCE — Kansas football’s 2023 season saw the Jayhawks compile what at the very least was the program’s best campaign in more than a decade.

    In the third year of the coach Lance Leipold era, Kansas went 9-4 overall and 5-4 against the Big 12 Conference. That’s the most wins, overall and in conference play, for the team since the 2007 season. And after the Jayhawks captured a Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory against UNLV, they wound up finishing No. 23 in the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

    But while it’s still only January of 2024, with the status of rosters still very much in flux across the college landscape, that doesn’t mean it’s too early for some to start to project where teams will rank in the first top 25 of the 2024 season. It doesn’t mean it’s too early for Kansas fans to generate excitement for what their Jayhawks could accomplish in a new-look Big 12. And it appears there’s a lot of belief in what Kansas is capable of accomplishing in year four with Leipold.

    Here’s a look at five way-too-early projections for next season’s top 25:

    Kansas isn’t the top-ranked Big 12 team in this prediction. Kansas State (No. 21), Oklahoma State (No. 18), Utah (No. 13) and Arizona (No. 9) all come in ahead of the Jayhawks. But it’s an indication of how Leipold and company are being viewed nationally.

    This prediction actually has Kansas ahead of a couple of Big 12 foes in Kansas State (No. 22) and Oklahoma State (No. 23). Utah (No. 12) and Arizona (No. 10) still come in ahead of the Jayhawks. Kansas’ schedule also looks pretty favorable, at least at this point, which should help the Jayhawks be in position to maintain a top 25 status.

    Kansas is once again viewed as a top 25 program here, albeit still at the tail end of the ranking. However, considering the extent of the rebuild Leipold and his…

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  • When is the Super Bowl and who is playing?

    When is the Super Bowl and who is playing?

    The champions of the AFC and the NFC will vie for the Lombardi Trophy (Getty Images)

    One of sports’ biggest events, the annual spectacular of the Super Bowl returns in 2024 as the NFL’s showpiece decider heads for a new location.

    Las Vegas will host the game for the first time: Allegiant Stadium, opened in 2020 and built at a cost of nearly $2b, has been the home of the Raiders for the last four seasons.

    Last year’s Super Bowl was a thriller, with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs pipping the Philadelphia Eagles to secure their third Lombardi Trophy.

    As ever, the attention will not only be on the two competing teams, with another of the world’s biggest musical artists confirmed for the halftime show.

    Here’s everything you need to know.

    When is Super Bowl LVIII?

    Super Bowl LVIII will be held Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday 11 February. Kick-off will be at 3.30pm local time (6.30pm EST/11.30pm GMT).

    Who is playing in Super Bowl LVIII?

    The teams have not yet been decided, but the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions are all contenders.

    How can I watch it in the US?

    CBS will televise the Super Bowl nationally in the United States, while the game will be streamed on Paramount+. A Spanish-language broadcast will also be available via Univision, and an alternative broadcast aimed at children will be shown live on Nickelodeon.

    How can I watch it in the UK?

    Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the Super Bowl on ITV1 or Sky Sports, with online coverage available via ITVX or Sky Go.

    Who is performing the halftime show?

    Usher will headline the halftime show, with the R&B star expected to be joined by a number of special guests.

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  • Michigan coaching candidates: Sherrone Moore, Brian Kelly among top options if Jim Harbaugh departs for NFL

    Michigan coaching candidates: Sherrone Moore, Brian Kelly among top options if Jim Harbaugh departs for NFL

    Should Michigan find itself in a position where it needs to execute a search to replace Jim Harbaugh, the school intends to cast a wide net. Well, that’s assuming it ultimately needs to replace Jim Harbaugh. Perhaps, though, that net will need not extend much further than then end of Schembechler Hall.

    Who are we kidding? If Harbaugh heads to the NFL — given his numerous interviews, it appears as if that might be an inevitability — there is one name clearly atop a list of potential replacements: offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. In his sixth season at Michigan, Moore was already a rising star before he took over as acting coach for four games this past season, including wins over Ohio State and Penn State.

    When given a chance to showcase his leadership skills — at least on game day — Moore made a huge difference in Michigan’s national championship season. He knows the culture, the roster, and really, the future in Ann Arbour.

    The world got to know Moore more personally after his emotional postgame interview on Fox after the Penn State win.

    “I don’t really care about what other people say about it,” Moore said in December. “I made sure I talked to my mom about it, and that’s what really mattered.”

    What mattered more that day was Moore calling for 32 straight runs for the Wolverines in that game, which wore down the Nittany Lions defense. He was in charge during a fourth-quarter rally against Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal that saved Michigan’s season and led it to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

    While the offensive production dipped overall this season, how do you argue with back-to-back Joe Moore Awards (best offensive line) in 2021 and 2022? In 2023, Moore’s unit was incredibly efficient, committing only…

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  • Ranking most important rookies in 2024 AFC, NFC championships: Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta are key

    Ranking most important rookies in 2024 AFC, NFC championships: Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta are key

    Football is a young man’s game, they say. And this year’s NFL playoffs are backing that up. Not only did this postseason include the league’s youngest team in the Green Bay Packers and a star rookie quarterback in the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud, but some of the biggest X-factors going into Sunday’s AFC and NFC championships are first-year players.

    Here’s our ranking of the most important rookies still in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy:

    The third-round pick was solid this year, finishing 21 of 25 on field-goal tries (84%), but he notably missed two kicks in Week 18, then had a 48-yarder blocked by the Packers. If the 49ers find themselves in a tight one, his role could be vital. Just ask Bills fans, who watched Tyler Bass send a 44-yard potential game-tying kick wide right against the Chiefs.

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  • Ohio Mr. Football finalist commits to Ohio State as preferred walk-on

    Ohio Mr. Football finalist commits to Ohio State as preferred walk-on

    Ohio State football is winning the offseason and although it is extremely fun to track all of the transfers coming in from the SEC and the heavy-hitting five-star recruits from the states of Florida and Georgia, it is also fun to see local kids get an opportunity to shine.

    This is college football and despite the emergence of the transfer portal and bags of name, image and likeness money, the heart and soul of the sport is local kids getting an opportunity to play for their favorite school. Preferred walk-ons don’t get much press, but they play a vital role in every football program and provide some of the most inspiring stories.

    Ohio State has had a ton of success transforming walk-ons into contributors, most recently Xavier Johnson who eventually earned a scholarship. Zach Boren, Nate Ebner, and Antonio Smith are other examples of former walk-ons who developed into contributors and the most famous example is the amazing story of the late, great, Biletnikoff winner Terry Glenn.

    The Buckeyes may have snagged another special walk-on in West Muskingum’s Rashid Sesay, who set numerous area records including 42 touchdowns on the season, earning him recognition as an Ohio Mr. Football finalist.

    Chances are slim Sesay turns into Xavier Johnson or Terry Glenn, but the local kid will get a shot. Sesay primarily played running back in high school, but walk-ons often change positions and some rumors are floating around that he could play defensive back at Ohio State. Time will tell and we wish Rashid Sesay good luck!

    BREAKING: 2024 ATH Rashid Sesay has committed to Ohio State he has announced.

    The 5’11” 190 lb athlete from West Muskingham High School was a finalist for Ohio’s Mr. Football award.

    Welcome to Buckeye Nation @RashidSesay6 🌰. pic.twitter.com/DWrsxUJSkP

    — The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast)…

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  • Falcons request second interviews with Mike Macdonald, Anthony Weaver

    Falcons request second interviews with Mike Macdonald, Anthony Weaver

    Though the Falcons have interviewed Bill Belichick twice, they may not be close to making a decision on their next head coach.

    Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Atlanta has requested second interviews with Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver for the head coaching vacancy.

    But with Macdonald and Weaver coaching in the AFC Championship Game, the Falcons will not be able to meet with either coach until next week.

    Macdonald and Weaver each interviewed with Atlanta virtually, which means they’ll be able to have an in-person interview during the bye week should Baltimore advance to Super Bowl LVIII. If the Ravens lose on Sunday, then Macdonald and Weaver can interview at any time.

    Macdonald has been Baltimore’s defensive coordinator for the last two years. He was also on the Ravens’ staff from 2014-2020 before spending the 2021 season as the University of Michigan’s defensive coordinator.

    Weaver has been with the Ravens for the last two seasons as defensive line coach. A Ravens second-round pick back in 2002, Weaver recorded 15.5 sacks in 103 games with Baltimore and Houston.

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  • San Jose State hires Ken Niumatalolo: All-time winningest Navy coach takes over Spartans program

    San Jose State hires Ken Niumatalolo: All-time winningest Navy coach takes over Spartans program

    Getty Images

    San Jose State has hired former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo to replace Brent Brennan, who accepted the Arizona job amid a wave of openings stemming from Nick Saban’s retirement at Alabama. Niumatalolo’s deal is for five years, according to ESPN. 

    Niumatalolo recently accepted the tight ends coach job at UCLA after he spent the 2023 season in a support staff role with coach Chip Kelly and the Bruins. He will bring ample coaching experience to SJSU after a 15-year run with Navy from 2007-22, during which he compiled a 109-83 record. Niumatalolo is Navy’s all-time wins leader and has six bowl victories. He also posted a 10-5 record vs. Army.

    Niumatalolo will not bring Navy’s triple-option offense to San Jose State, however. According to ESPN, Niumatalolo is targeting an offensive coordinator who will install more of a wide-open offense with an emphasis on the pass. 

    Though largely successful during his tenure, Navy took a downturn under Niumatalolo amid the sport’s changing landscape. The Midshipmen limped to an 11-23 record during his final three seasons after going 11-2 in 2019. Precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic left Navy ill-prepared in 2020, and Niumatalolo struggled to find a winning formula for a program with stringent admissions standards in the transfer portal era.

    No such challenges will await him at San Jose State, a program which has earned bowl game berths in three of the past four seasons under Brennan. 

    San Jose State’s hire ends a busy late lap for college football’s coaching carousel, although things could start spinning once again if…

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