data-mm-id=”_37bavvr6w”>Hope for the best, plan for the worst has been the running theme for sports leagues trying to hold a season in the midst of a global pandemic in the year 2020. The NFL is no different. With no bubble environment, the league is left to hope that a coronavirus outbreak won't completely derail the season, but forced to prepare any and all contingencies in the case that it does. Those contingencies are being tested for the first time this year. Three players and five staff members of the Tennessee Titans tested positive for COVID-19 after Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams subsequently shut down their facilities. As of right now, all is well in Minnesota, with no positives. But matters are different in Tennessee after an additional pla…

data-mm-id=”_1najhe3wd”>Titans coach Mike Vrabel was lambasted for his decision to punt on fourth-and-2 on the Ravens' 40-yard-line with the Titans trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter. Nothing encapsulated his confounding decision more than the always-objective "surrender index," which, according to them, determines "how cowardly every NFL punt is, quantitatively."Here are the numbers. TEN decided to punt to BAL from the BAL 40 on 4th & 2 with 10:06 remaining in the 4th while losing 13 to 17.With a Surrender Index of 138.87, this punt ranks at the 100th percentile of cowardly punts of the 2020 season, and the 99.92nd percentile of all punts since 2009.— Surrender Index (@surrender_index) January 10, 2021So it's the most "cowardly" punt of …

data-mm-id=”_hdkqfhl09″>Bennifer. A rookie Patriots quarterback showing flashes of brilliance. Wondering if LeBron James can carry a team into the playoffs. Miami moving closer to the center of the college football world. What year is it? * Urban Meyer is building a culture of accountability. More specifically, a culture for others to be held accountable. * Aaron Rodgers doesn't regret saying he owns the Bears. And he shouldn't. Why apologize for the truth? * Luka Doncic admitted he needs to do better with his fitness. Join the club. * ESPN has Spring Training games scheduled for Feb. 26 on its MLB scoreboard. That's optimism. * Transfer Portal is a great name for a bar in a college town. * Curtis Granderson will make a tremendous manager. He'd make a better commiss…

data-mm-id=”_sieyiutmq”>Even if we were to grade on the easiest curve imaginable, what happened on First Take yesterday would get a failing grade. Even if the bar was set impossibly low and built with two pretty attainable elements — carrying about the subject matter being discussed and not openly insulting an organization for merely existing or fans who support them — Stephen A. Smith would have repeatedly knocked his head on it. The program deigned to briefly discuss the Los Angeles Angels' string of luck over the holiday weekend, a stretch that saw Mike Trout fracture his wrist, Shohei Ohtani leave a start with a blister on his middle finger, and Anthony Rendon hobble himself with a foul ball off his leg. Everyone knows that despite having Trout and Ohtani, the team has not s…

data-mm-id=”_iw3p6r4vz”>The Tennessee Titans took on the Baltimore Ravens in London on Sunday and it didn't go so well in the first half. The two sides traded field goals in the first quarter before the Ravens scored a TD to go up 15-3 with three minutes left in the half. They got the ball back after the two-minute warning but couldn't do anything with it and lined up to punt with only 12 seconds to go before halftime. You'd think Tennessee was safe to get to the locker room and regroup in an attempt to show some competitiveness in the second half. You would think wrong. Kyle Philips, the Titans' second-year return man, muffed the punt at his own 11-yard line. The Ravens recovered and the ever-reliable Justin Tucker was able to boot in a short field goal to put his …

data-mm-id=”_clhhrq69g”>While the 2023 NFL playoff picture has begun to come into focus, so has the 2024 NFL Draft order. Thanks to some unexpected outcomes in Week 14, the order has been shaken up a bit. Still, the view from the top remains largely unchanged. The Chicago Bears still have a clear path to the top pick. Their trade with the Panthers last year to net Carolina's first-rounder is looking damn good. The Panthers took Bryce Young at No. 1 and are 1-12, meaning the Bears will have the top pick again. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots still have a grip on the No. 2 pick. With North Carolina's Drake Maye announcing is intention to enter the draft, and USC's Caleb Williams expected to follow suit, quarterbacks could go No. 1 and No. 2. The Arizona Cardinals and W…

data-mm-id=”_t0wqxwabr”>The Dallas Cowboys had a nightmare first half against the Green Bay Packers in their NFL Wild Card weekend matchup on Sunday afternoon. The Packers took a 27-7 lead into the half after a performance that left fans in either shock or tears. On the FOX Halftime Show, former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson gave the speech that he would have given if he'd been in the locker room. It did not appear to be acting. Just a frustrated Dallas legend, embarrassed by what he'd seen in the first half. JIMMY JOHNSON IS FIRED UP 😳😤You have to hear this message he had for the Cowboys! pic.twitter.com/cSc70hdIoz— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 14, 2024"I don't need to have people pointing the finger, one thing or another. You get your rea…

data-mm-id=”_7n9s28twc”>The New York Jets aren't concerned about running it back with 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the four-time NFL MVP injured his Achilles just four plays into the 2023 season.They doubled-down on their three-year, $112.5 million investment ($75 million guaranteed) into having Rodgers lead their all-in Super Bowl run with upgrades on the offensive line (namely eight-time Pro Bowl tackle Tyron Smith) and on defense (the most recent move being the trade for two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Haason Reddick).Rodgers is healthy again and will be under center when the Jets open the season against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on September 9. With rising talents like running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson primed for big s…