Month: January 2017

What about the defense? Falcons have big task ahead

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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2016 turned to 2017 in January, and with it, we went from the year of the Cowboys Revival, to the rise — I mean, #RiseUp — of the Falcons.

Atlanta’s high-flying offense has been the toast of the town and the talk of the league since the Falcons dismantled Seattle and Green Bay in startling fashion in the playoffs. For those who’d watched the Falcons all year, it came as no surprise. But what about Atlanta’s defense?

Early in 2016, it was seen as a liability. Dan Quinn was brought in with a defense-first approach, but due to an infusion of youth and some injury hangups, his changes had yet to take effect on the field. Atlanta gave up 31, 28, 32 and 33 points in its first four games, but thanks to the aforementioned offensive prowess, emerged with a 3-1 mark. Come Week 5, the defense started to figure it out, shutting down Denver in a 23-16 win. Continue reading →

Bills announce departure of Rex Ryan holdovers

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Bills‘ change in coaching staff was a somewhat disjointed process, but it’s finally starting to come together.

After hiring former Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott as head coach, Buffalo has made the departure of Rex Ryan holdovers official. Bobby April, John Blake, Aaron Kromer, David Lee, D’Anton Lynn, Tim McDonald, Pat Meyer, Chris Palmer, Ed Reed, Eric Smith, Kathryn Smith, Dennis Thurman, Jason Vrable and Jeff Weeks will not be on the team’s staff in 2017, the Bills announced Tuesday. Continue reading →

Rex Ryan on Buffalo Bills: I don’t wish them luck

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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It has again been a cold winter for Rex Ryan, recently fired former head coach of an NFL team.

Make that two of the last three.

Ryan is again unemployed, terminated with a week left in the second year of his five-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, signed just weeks after he was relieved of his duties as head coach of the New York Jets. His AFC East tour stops there, at least for now, as the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins won’t be in the market for a new head coach for the foreseeable future. So with plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong in Orchard Park and the Meadowlands, does Ryan have ill will toward his former employers?

Well, not quite. Continue reading →

Falcons land in Houston ahead of Super Bowl LI

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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As the Falcons have done for their last eight games, they were able to claim a touchdown on their first attempt — only this time, it was their chartered flight landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Atlanta’s plane landed safely in Houston ahead of Super Bowl LI on Sunday afternoon, a day ahead of the Falcons‘ opponents in the sport’s biggest game, scheduled to kick off on Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium. Continue reading →

Chris Ballard leads candidates for Colts’ GM opening

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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When the Colts fired general manager Ryan Grigson last week, it seemed almost immediately as if the person to replace him would be Jimmy Raye III.

Six days later, that isn’t so certain.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Friday that it’s Chris Ballard of the Chiefs at the head of the pack, not Raye, near the latter stages of the first round of interviews. Currently serving as the director of player personnel in Kansas City, Ballard interviewed with the Colts on Wednesday. It’s not certain that there will be a second round of interviews, but the process is expected to last about another week, Garafolo added. Continue reading →

Injuries: Cowboys’ Lawrence, Crawford have surgery

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Cowboys are spending the rest of January and first week of February doing the same as 29 other NFL teams. For a group of players, that includes surgery.

Add two Cowboys to that company.

DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford had separate, successful surgeries, coach Jason Garrett said on Friday, via the Dallas Morning News. Lawrence had an operation on his back, while Crawford’s was on his shoulder, and neither have a timetable to return. With plenty of time to heal and rehabilitate, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Continue reading →

Marvin Lewis hopes to sign contract extension

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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For much of the last decade and a half in Cincinnati, three things have been constant: the sun rising and setting, winter coming and going, and Marvin Lewis remaining entrenched as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.

That’s quietly been questioned in recent years, especially after yet another first-round exit from the playoffs at the end of the 2015 season, and a regression year in 2016 following the departure of several key free agents. The ceiling in the Lewis era seems to be Wild Card playoff berth and prompt end to the campaign.

That isn’t stopping the coach from seeking more security, though. Continue reading →

Tannenbaum: No decision yet on surgery for Tannehill

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Ryan Tannehill did a whole lot to solidify his standing as the franchise quarterback in Miami in 2016, but the way his season ended leaves room for uncertainty.

Tannehill saw a campaign heading toward the playoffs with promise screech to a halt thanks to a knee injury on Dec. 11. First believed to be a torn ACL, Tannehill’s injury turned out to be the less-severe ACL and MCL sprains, so less that he even returned to practice before Miami’s Wild Card contest against Pittsburgh. He wasn’t healthy enough to go in that game, though, leaving Miami with Matt Moore in what ended up being a blowout loss.

With the offseason in full swing for the Dolphins, the question now is what to do next with Tannehill? Continue reading →

Brent Musburger to retire after nearly 50 years in broadcasting

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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You are looking live at the end of one of the most storied careers in sports broadcasting.

Brent Musburger is retiring at the end of January, ESPN announced. Musburger will call two more contests before hanging up the headset for good, with his final college basketball game (Georgia at Kentucky) coming at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 31.

Watch the Reese’s Senior Bowl on NFL Network at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Musburger, who turns 78 in May, spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting, with the last 27 coming with ABC/ESPN. Cue up any old footage from the earlier days of sports television and you’re sure to find Musburger, whether it’s courtside, in the booth or behind the anchor’s desk in studio, working for CBS or ABC/ESPN. As sports took over more and more of the American public’s consciousness, Musburger was there to call a good amount of it.

Musburger became one of the network’s go-to broadcasters for college football and basketball in the early 2000s, calling seven BCS Championship Games. Musburger also served as either the host and/or play-by-play man for golf tournaments, NBA and Little League World Series games, NASCAR and IRL races and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Musburger’s retirement is the latest departure in what has become a gradual changing of the guard at the network, which has also bid adieu to Chris Berman and Tom Jackson in recent months.

Brent Musburger to retire after nearly 50 years in broadcasting

/ nshook61 / Leave a comment

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
Read full post on NFL.com

You are looking live at the end of one of the most storied careers in sports broadcasting.

Brent Musburger is retiring at the end of January, ESPN announced. Musburger will call two more contests before hanging up the headset for good, with his final college basketball game (Georgia at Kentucky) coming at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 31.

Watch the Reese’s Senior Bowl on NFL Network at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Musburger, who turns 78 in May, spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting, with the last 27 coming with ABC/ESPN. Cue up any old footage from the earlier days of sports television and you’re sure to find Musburger, whether it’s courtside, in the booth or behind the anchor’s desk in studio, working for CBS or ABC/ESPN. As sports took over more and more of the American public’s consciousness, Musburger was there to call a good amount of it.

Musburger became one of the network’s go-to broadcasters for college football and basketball in the early 2000s, calling seven BCS Championship Games. Musburger also served as either the host and/or play-by-play man for golf tournaments, NBA and Little League World Series games, NASCAR and IRL races and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Musburger’s retirement is the latest departure in what has become a gradual changing of the guard at the network, which has also bid adieu to Chris Berman and Tom Jackson in recent months.