<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Chiefs-news-Patrick-Mahomes-caught-liking-Odell-Beckham-Jr.-tweet-predicting-Browns-win.jpg"></figure><h1>Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes caught liking Odell Beckham Jr. tweet predicting Browns win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T14:26:18-08:00">January 15th, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T14:27:02-08:00">January 15th, 2:27pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Odell Beckham might be wondering if former Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is looking for motivation heading into an AFC Divisional Round matchup with the Cleveland Browns.</p><p>Mahomes “liked” a tweet from Beckham, the injured Browns receiver, suggesting football fans should not be surprised if Cleveland pulls off <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/chiefs-news-patrick-mahomes-delivers-first-message-since-agreeing-to-10-year-503-million-extension/">a massive upset.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Patrick Mahomes liked Odell Beckham Jr’s tweet about the Cleveland Browns potentially upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Divisional round game 😳😳😳<br>–<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/browns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#browns</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RunItBack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#RunItBack</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/chiefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#chiefs</a> <a href="https://t.co/XdvBud3WhJ" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/XdvBud3WhJ</a></p><p>— Pranav Sriraman (@pranavsriraman) <a href="https://twitter.com/pranavsriraman/status/1349890967961182210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Patrick Mahomes has since “unliked” the tweet, but it could serve to suggest he is not taking anything for granted heading into this weekend.</p><p>The Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are enormous favorites over the Browns. <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/football/3?category=game-lines&amp;subcategory=game">DraftKings</a> has Kansas City as a 10-point favorite, the highest (by far) of any Divisional Round game this weekend. The Chiefs are also favored to win the Super Bowl.</p><p>Still, the former league MVP does not want to let his guard down against the betting underdog. After all, Patrick Mahomes surely remembers the playoff heroics needed last year.</p><p>Kansas City had a bye heading into a Divisional Round date with the Houston Texans last season. The Texans promptly opened up a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter before Patrick Mahomes and Co. ripped off 41 unanswered points. The Chiefs trailed again the following week against the Tennessee Titans, but rattled off 28 unanswered points to advance to the Super Bowl.</p><p>This is all to say, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have a history of slow starts.</p><p>There is a formula for this Browns team to win. Cleveland has one of the best rushing attacks in football, and can keep the Chiefs off the field by controlling time of possession.</p><p>However, Mahomes has a knack for leading quick-strike scoring drives, giving the Chiefs the chance to win no matter the odds. Of course, the odds are severely stacked in Kansas City’s favor this time around, but Patrick Mahomes is unlikely to show the Browns any mercy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes caught liking Odell Beckham Jr. tweet predicting Browns win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Josh-Gordon-_Groundhog-Day_-saga-takes-another-wrong-turn.jpg"></figure><h1>Seahawks WR Josh Gordon ‘Groundhog Day’ saga takes another wrong turn</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T14:13:29-08:00">January 15th, 2:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T14:13:29-08:00">January 15th, 2:13pm</time><address><a>Skyler Carlin</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Seattle Seahawks wideout Josh Gordon just can’t seem to get out of his own way and his never-ending saga is taking another unfortunate turn on Friday.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1350195067055693825?s=20">NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero</a>, Gordon’s conditional reinstatement with the Seahawks has been rescinded and he will be suspended indefinitely again.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Seahawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Seahawks</a> WR Josh Gordon's conditional reinstatement has been rescinded and he is now suspended again indefinitely, per source.</p><p>— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1350195067055693825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Back in early December, Gordon was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/seahawks-news-josh-gordon-reinstated-by-nfl-will-return-for-final-2-games-of-regular-season/">conditionally reinstated</a> by the NFL after being suspended by the league at the end of the 2019 season. The veteran wideout was expected to return to Seattle for the final two regular-season games, only for him to have a setback in his reinstatement.</p><p>After the league looked into his situation, they’ve decided to suspend him indefinitely again. Seeing that he’s had over a handful of run-ins with being suspended, Gordon’s career in the NFL could be coming to a close with his latest suspension.</p><p>Gordon’s issues off of the field began long before he came into the NFL as a supplemental draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2012 out of Baylor. Following a decent rookie season, Gordon would notch 87 receptions for a league-leading 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 2013 in only 14 games.</p><p>However, before the 2014 season, he was suspended for the first time in his NFL career for the first 10 games of the season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Then, the big-play wideout would be suspended for the same reason for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.</p><p>He would then be suspended yet again to begin the 2017 season and he would be traded to the New England Patriots in 2018. Despite it seeming as if he turned a corner, Gordon would be suspended at the end of the 2018 season, before being released in the 2019 season by the Patriots.</p><p>The troubled wide receiver joined the Seahawks in 2019 and played in five games with the franchise. Sadly, it appears that those five games may have been the last time we see Gordon on the field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks WR Josh Gordon ‘Groundhog Day’ saga takes another wrong turn

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Titans-coordinator-Arthur-Smith-picked-as-next-head-coach.jpg"></figure><h1>Falcons hire Titans OC Arthur Smith as new head coach</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T13:55:43-08:00">January 15th, 1:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T14:04:29-08:00">January 15th, 2:04pm</time><address><a>Matthew Zemek</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons have officially hired Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as their new head coach. NFL insiders have reported that Smith was always Atlanta’s top target, and on Friday, the NFC South franchise secured a deal with the man who helped Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350197569968889857">evolve as NFL players.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Titans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Titans</a> OC Arthur Smith is the new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcons?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Falcons</a> coach. Their top choice all along.</p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350197569968889857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Arthur Smith helped head coach Mike Vrabel bring the Titans to the AFC Championship Game one season ago. Tennessee lost to the Kansas City Chiefs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/tennessee-titans/news/">in Arrowhead Stadium.</a> The Titans won the AFC South Division championship this season but were bounced in the wild card round by the Baltimore Ravens.</p><p>The Falcons must decide on whether to keep veteran quarterback Matt Ryan or trade him. They must also begin to wrestle with their long-term future. Even if they keep Ryan for 2021 in Smith’s first season, they will soon have to get their next franchise quarterback. Smith now figures to be a central decision-maker on that front for Atlanta.</p><p>This move by the Falcons means that Mike Vrabel’s last two offensive coordinators have gotten head coaching jobs. Former Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur was hired as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, and he has done very well with the Pack in his first two seasons on the job. That fact might have played a role in helping Atlanta zero in on Smith as its preferred choice.</p><p>While the Titans have to find another offensive coordinator, the Falcons know they have the makings of a great offense if they keep Matt Ryan. Their offensive line, however, needs to be strengthened, one of the key position groups Arthur Smith will need to fortify this coming year.</p><p>Arthur Smith knows that one of his primary tasks will be to figure out the New Orleans Saints’ defense, which has been a tough nut for the Falcons’ offense to crack in recent seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons hire Titans OC Arthur Smith as new head coach

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Texans-news-Deshaun-Watson-sparks-rumors-of-frustration-with-Houston-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Texans QB Deshaun Watson turns trade rumor smoke into fire</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T13:11:01-08:00">January 15th, 1:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T13:11:01-08:00">January 15th, 1:11pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson hinted at his frustration with the organization with a simple tweet Friday afternoon.</p><p>The star signal-caller had not tweeted since Dec. 28 amid rumors of him possibly seeking a trade. Perhaps not so coincidentally, he ended his silence just hours after Texans owner Cal McNair <a href="https://twitter.com/McClain_on_NFL/status/1350129010836172802">announced</a> Jack Easterby would be staying on in his role as an advisor.</p><p>Here’s the tweet:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was on 2 then I took it to 10</p><p>— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) <a href="https://twitter.com/deshaunwatson/status/1350177165426491393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The caption is a direct reference <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/texans-rumors-deshaun-watson-anger-level-revealed/" rel="noopener">to reporting done by ESPN’s Adam Schefter</a> regarding the roots of Watson’s growing frustration:</p><blockquote>“One person who knows Watson said this week that, after the Texans traded Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last offseason, the quarterback’s anger level was ‘a 2. … This time, it’s a 10,’ <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30685827/houston-texans-ignored-search-firm-hiring-gm-nick-caserio-sources-say">Schefter wrote</a> on Jan. 10.</blockquote><p>Deshaun Watson was apparently promised input as to the team’s next general manager, but the Texans ignored his recommendations before selecting former New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio.</p><p>Shortly thereafter, Texans legend Andre Johnson sent out a tweet saying Watson should hold firm in his demands, saying Easterby in particular has had an inherently negative impact on the direction of the franchise. Those sentiments were echoed by another former Texans receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, who was infamously traded away from Houston last March:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">If I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/deshaunwatson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@deshaunwatson</a> I will stand my ground. The Texans organization is known for wasting players careers. Since Jack Easterby has walk into the building nothing good has happened in/for the organization and for some reason someone can’t seem to see what’s going on. Pathetic!!!</p><p>— Andre Johnson (@johnson80) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnson80/status/1349084500840640518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Dre speak listen. <a href="https://t.co/hMdP2rsUJr" target="_blank">https://t.co/hMdP2rsUJr</a></p><p>— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAndreHopkins/status/1349090648297771011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 12, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>With McNair doubling down on his support for Easterby earlier Friday, it appears Watson has officially reached his boiling point.</p><p>The former Clemson star had already gone silent in answering Texans management while on vacation, but he is not so silent anymore. Caserio and McNair might be hoping to persuade Deshaun Watson they can turn the Texans into winners, but it is looking more and more likely a trade will be the only option.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Texans QB Deshaun Watson turns trade rumor smoke into fire

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Broncos-news-Von-Miller-under-criminal-investigation-after-explosive-allegations-made-by-ex-THumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Broncos’ Von Miller under criminal investigation after explosive allegations made by ex</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T12:55:11-08:00">January 15th, 12:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T12:57:16-08:00">January 15th, 12:57pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/denver-broncos" rel="noopener">Denver Broncos</a> star linebacker Von Miller is under criminal investigation. While it’s not totally clear just what Miller is being investigated for and what charges he could face, <a href="https://kdvr.com/sports/denver-broncos/broncos-star-von-miller-under-investigation-for-alleged-domestic-violence/" rel="noopener">FOX31 in Denver reports</a> it involves domestic violence allegations made by his ex-fiancée, Megan Denise.</p><p>The Parker Police Department confirmed it as investigating Miller:</p><blockquote>“We’re not commenting on nature of the allegations,” Parker Police spokesman Josh Hans said, per Mike Klis of <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeKlis/status/1350163467995664384">9News Denver</a>. “We haven’t completed the investigation.”</blockquote><p>Denise recently posted screenshots of messages allegedly sent by Miller in which he essentially calls her pregnancy a mistake and prays for a miscarriage. Miller denied the allegations (via <a href="https://www.radio.com/ks1075/latest/von-millers-ex-claims-he-wanted-her-to-have-a-miscarriage">Radio.com</a>):</p><blockquote>The messages say things like “This is the biggest mistake of my life,” and “I’m honestly praying for a miscarriage.” Von has denied the allegations against him, posting an Instagram story of his own (which has since been deleted) calling the story “fake news.” Von and Megan had been in a relationship for the past several years.</blockquote><p>Miller and Denise have apparently had an on-again, off-again relationship, but things appeared to turn rather <a href="https://brobible.com/sports/article/broncos-von-millers-ex-fiancee-megan-denise-text-messages/">ugly</a> after Denise revealed she was pregnant.</p><p>Obviously, the Parker Police Department has yet to release many details. It would seem PPD is still collecting evidence and gathering facts.</p><p>Von Miller missed the entirety of the 2020 season after suffering a dislocated peroneal tendon in his ankle during a non-contact drill. He had hoped to make a triumphant return, but rushing back was pointless with the Broncos at the bottom of the AFC West.</p><p>Now, the three-time All-Pro could possibly be criminal facing charges.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Broncos’ Von Miller under criminal investigation after explosive allegations made by ex

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Buccaneers-news-Ronald-Jones-a-_game-time-decision_-with-Leonard-Fournette-handed-RB1-role-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Ronald Jones a ‘game-time decision’ with Leonard Fournette handed Buccaneers’ RB1 role</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T12:46:22-08:00">January 15th, 12:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T12:46:22-08:00">January 15th, 12:46pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday with a trip to the NFC title game on the line.</p><p>Tom Brady versus Drew Brees, Buccaneers versus Saints part three of this season. The Saints have beaten Tampa both times they faced this season, and a season sweep will send the Saints to yet another conference championship game.</p><p>For Brady and the Bucs, they might have to do so without Ronald Jones once again.</p><p>Bruce Arians’ squad named Leonard Fournette as the starting running back for Sunday, with Ronald Jones officially a “game-time decision,” according to <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1350172780743053319">Adam Schefter of ESPN</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bucs to start RB Leonard Fournette with Ronald Jones being a “game-time decision”.<a href="https://t.co/s4biv629lO" target="_blank">https://t.co/s4biv629lO</a></p><p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1350172780743053319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Jones missed last week’s matchup against the Washington Football Team as he couldn’t fight off the pain for his quad contusion. The ex-USC Trojan has had a bit of a coming-out party this season after a somewhat underwhelming first two years in the league.</p><p>The former second-round pick posted a career-high in rushing yards in 2020 with 978 in just 14 games, also reaching the end zone a career-high seven times. Jones took the starting back role and ran away with it, a job that many thought Leonard Fournette was going to get after he was set free from Jacksonville.</p><p>Fournette starting might not be a bad thing for the Buccaneers. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/buccaneers-news-tom-brady-reacts-to-giving-tampa-bay-first-playoff-win-since-super-bowl-victory/">made the most of his chances</a> against Washington, finishing with 19 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown.</p><p>While Arians and company would love to have Jones available for the game, it all depends on how Jones quad feels. As of now, Fournette is the starter, and they could be without Ronald Jones once again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ronald Jones a ‘game-time decision’ with Leonard Fournette handed Buccaneers’ RB1 role

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Lions-news-Saints-TE-coach-Dan-Campbell-emerging-as-top-candidate-for-head-coach-job.jpg"></figure><h1>Saints TE coach Dan Campbell emerging as top candidate for Lions head coach job</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T10:47:55-08:00">January 15th, 10:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T10:47:55-08:00">January 15th, 10:47am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions have their eyes on New Orleans Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell for their head coaching vacancy.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350147239897952256">Ian Rapoport of NFL Network</a> reported Campbell, who played for the Lions in the 2000s, has become a leading candidate for Detroit’s top job.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">An under-the-radar candidate, Dan Campbell has impressed with his leadership in New Orleans. Now, assuming all goes well with the process, he’ll have a chance to do the same with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Lions</a>. <a href="https://t.co/UMEpZHCC29" target="_blank">https://t.co/UMEpZHCC29</a></p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350146803388338178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Rapoport noted Campbell had been an interim head coach with the Miami Dolphins during the 2015 season, going 5-7 after replacing Joe Philbin in Week 4.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When he was with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dolphins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Dolphins</a>, Dan Campbell served as an interim coach. Now, on the verge of the real thing with Detroit. <a href="https://t.co/UMEpZHCC29" target="_blank">https://t.co/UMEpZHCC29</a></p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350147239897952256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Lions appear to have a concerted interest in adding Campbell.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1350146476014530561">Mike Garafolo of NFL Network</a> reported Detroit was scheduled to meet with Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, but that meeting was canceled given the Lions were unlikely to hire him. One can’t help but wonder if this means their focus has been narrowed strictly to Campbell.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Buccaneers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Buccaneers</a> DC Todd Bowles was slated to interview with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Lions</a> today for their head coaching job but the sides talked today and decided to cancel, sources say. Indications were he wasn't going to be their next head coach anyway so they punted on it.</p><p>— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1350146476014530561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As previously mentioned, Campbell spent three years with the Lions at the end of his playing career, even starting in 11 of 16 games in 2006. He appears to be closing in on a return to the Motor City.</p><p>There had been some speculation the Lions would look to hire San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who hails from Dearborn, Michigan. But the New York Jets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jets-news-richard-sherman-joe-staley-react-to-robert-saleh-as-new-ny-coach/">jumped at the opportunity</a> to hire Saleh, and the Lions are moving quickly to nab the next guy on their radar.</p><p>It is not a surprise to hear Detroit is after a strong leadership type in Campbell. Former head coach Matt Patricia had numerous issues with his own players and established a bit of a toxic culture.</p><p>Should he get the job, Campbell will have to set a new tone in an effort to bring about more of a winning culture.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Saints TE coach Dan Campbell emerging as top candidate for Lions head coach job

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ravens-news-Matt-Milano-just-gave-Bills-kiss-of-death-with-_containing_-Lamar-Jackson-comment.jpg"></figure><h1>Matt Milano just gave Bills kiss of death vs. Ravens with ‘containing’ Lamar Jackson comment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T10:35:52-08:00">January 15th, 10:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T10:35:52-08:00">January 15th, 10:35am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano thinks his defense can keep Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in check.</p><p>Jackson is one of the most explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, a game-breaker capable of busting a huge run at a moment’s notice. The Ravens quarterback rushed for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.</p><p>However, Milano and the Bills are feeling confident as they enter an AFC Divisional Round showdown with the Ravens:</p><blockquote>“We’re pretty confident in being able to contain him,” Milano said Thursday, via <a href="https://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/2021/01/buffalo-bills-pretty-confident-theyll-be-able-to-contain-lamar-jackson-matt-milano-says.html">Matt Parrino of nyup.com</a>.</blockquote><p>Buffalo’s defense made a number of impact plays in the final few games of the regular season.</p><p>The Bills held opposing offenses to under 300 yards in three consecutive games between Week 14 and Week 16. Buffalo gave up 454 yards of total offense to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, but also forced four turnovers in a 56-26 drubbing.</p><p>However, Buffalo’s defense was ripped by the Indianapolis Colts’ running game in last weekend’s Wild Card matchup. The Colts gained 163 yards on 30 carries, with Nyheim Hines breaking off multiple big runs on draw plays in the second half to help send the game down to the wire.</p><p>Indy’s success with run-pass option could bode well for Jackson and the Ravens. That said, the Tennessee Titans actually did a good job of limiting Jackson on designed runs. The reigning NFL MVP had more success scrambling away from pressure and avoiding tacklers at the second level.</p><p>Milano himself will be a key figure in spying Jackson, particularly when he drops back to throw. If Buffalo can shut down Baltimore’s running game and avoid Jackson making big plays with his legs, the Bills should give themselves every chance to win. The weather <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ravens-news-lamar-jackson-interest-level-playing-first-snow-game-vs-bills/" rel="noopener">could also play a factor in this game</a>, so that will be something tow watch.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Matt Milano just gave Bills kiss of death vs. Ravens with ‘containing’ Lamar Jackson comment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Urban-Meyer-Jaguars-.jpg"></figure><h1>Urban Meyer will bring a different culture to the Jaguars</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T10:30:10-08:00">January 15th, 10:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T10:30:50-08:00">January 15th, 10:30am</time><address><a>Nick Angstadt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Urban Meyer is already bringing a different type of culture to the Jacksonville Jaguars in areas people on the outside aren’t yet noticing.</p><p>Tony Wiggins discussed this instant change on the daily <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-jaguars-daily-podcast-on-jacksonville-jaguars/id1149175431">Locked On Jaguars</a> podcast.</p><blockquote><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-jaguars-daily-podcast-on-jacksonville-jaguars/id1149175431">Wiggins</a>: I think when you are a supervisor, a manager in charge of a big operation like this, that you should have your finger on the pulse of the team, your finger on the pulse of the entire program. You are two steps ahead of everyone else. You are not reacting to what happened or what somebody said or what somebody does. You are able to explain to the tenth degree every single aspect that you are in because you created it. You created the situation. It is your ship. It is your plan. You should know tenfold what is going on. You should know three steps ahead of everybody else and have a contingency plan for every situation. You should know who gives you the best chance to win way before you play a game not during the week of the next game. You should be figuring that stuff out.What Urban Meyer will bring to the Jacksonville Jaguars organization is exactly what I just described. He is going to have it figured out… I am going to give a really good example. In the past, we would have known that he met a second time with Shahid Khan. It is already starting to happen. I am one of the multiple media guys and everyone else around here is too. We used to find stuff out before it even happened. We would know things and we would share information with each other, somebody would break a story or a phone call here, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-reasons-the-urban-meyer-jaguars-experiment-just-might-work/" rel="noopener">a phone call there</a>, now, this is like some CIA high-level stuff here. Nobody knows anything right now.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Urban Meyer will bring a different culture to the Jaguars

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/3-reasons-the-Urban-Meyer-Jaguars-experiment-just-might-work.jpg"></figure><h1>3 reasons the Urban Meyer-Jaguars experiment just might work</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T10:17:32-08:00">January 15th, 10:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T10:17:32-08:00">January 15th, 10:17am</time><address><a>Isaac Doctor</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/news">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> once again find themselves as the NFL’s cellar-dweller. Gone are the days of Sacksonville that struck fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks. In most years, finishing dead last would be devastating. However, with their pitiful 1-15 record, they secured the top pick in the draft. The consensus first-overall pick is Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.</p><p>Lawrence is one of the highest-rated quarterbacks reminiscent of Andrew Luck coming out of Stanford. He has the talent to turn a franchise around. Yes, that includes the Jaguars. To accompany him in this journey is someone from a rival school, but not on the field, but rather on the sideline. Jacksonville has recently hired former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer.</p><p>Head coach hires in the league are usually a carousel amongst those in the league, be it head coaches or offensive and defensive coordinators. Every now and then a team takes a risk and hires someone from the collegiate ranks. A recent example of this is Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals and formerly the Texas Tech Red Raiders. A common adage points to current Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban’s two lukewarm seasons with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins">Miami Dolphins</a>.</p><p>Here are three reasons why Meyer and the Jaguars might succeed.</p><h2><b>1. Winning culture</b></h2><p>If there is one lesson from the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/miami-heat">Miami Heat</a>‘s unexpected run to the NBA Finals last season, it is that culture matters. Even with the departure of LeBron James at the end of the 2013-14 season, the Heat didn’t tank. They tried to win with what they had and that culture started with Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, which permeated to the players.</p><p>From 2012 to 2018, Meyer led the Buckeyes to an 83-9 record. They won it all in 2014 against the Oregon Ducks. There will be an adjustment mentoring adult men compared to college students, but hopefully, Meyer instills the winning culture at TIAA Bank Field.</p><h2><b>2. Player selection and development</b></h2><p>One of the biggest differences between college and professional football is player recruitment. Big schools like Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson can almost horde the talent in a year’s class. Meyer will not have that luxury in Jacksonville, but he has Lawrence and that makes things a lot easier.  Notable players that were coached by Meyer and are succeeding in the NFL are pass rushers Joey and Nick Bosa, running back Ezekiel Elliott, corner Marshon Lattimore and his teammate at the Big Easy, wideout Michael Thomas.</p><h2><b>3. Brilliance on Offense</b></h2><p>Meyer is willing to push the envelope, especially on <a href="https://www.jaguars.com/news/five-things-urban-meyer">offense</a>. His spread offense helped pave the way for running quarterbacks to be more accepted in college. These are two trends that continue even at the professional level with the rise of players like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray and Josh Allen. Whether he will use his “power football with a spread set” scheme or not remains to be seen.  Nonetheless, we can be certain that he will put his players in the best position to win.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 reasons the Urban Meyer-Jaguars experiment just might work

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Buccaneers-.jpg"></figure><h1>Buccaneers are your can’t miss NFL bet this weekend</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T10:14:13-08:00">January 15th, 10:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T10:14:49-08:00">January 15th, 10:14am</time><address><a>Nick Angstadt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The wrong team is favored in the final matchup of the NFL Divisional Round as sports bettors should hurry and take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><p>On <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peacock-williamson-nfl-show-daily-podcast-powered-by/id1527611799">Peacock and Williamson</a>, a daily NFL show on the Locked On Podcast Network, hosts Matt Williamson and Brian Peacock were joined by Chris Raybon to discuss the top bets to place this weekend. His first bet this weekend is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><blockquote><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peacock-williamson-nfl-show-daily-podcast-powered-by/id1527611799">Raybon</a>: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I got them at three and a half. You can probably still get them at three and a half. I would not mind paying up to minus 120 for that three and a half to get off of that key number but I love the Buccaneers and how they match up against New Orleans even though they lost both games.First of all, you have an underdog in the third division matchup, those tend to cover at above 60 percent against the spread in the postseason but just looking at the Bucs, okay, what do they do well? They play good run defense. In the two games against Kamara this year, even though the Saints had good success overall, Kamara just had 21 carries for 56 yards and just 2.7 yards per carry. Michael Thomas had just 8.5 yards per catch on eight catches on two catches in two games against these Buccaneers…Tampa Bay can do a good job on defense. Drew Brees is still not really throwing the ball down the field, just six yards per target during the regular season, 4.5 and 5.0 in the two games even though he was very efficient. Tampa Bay, 507 yards of offense against Washington, the number three defense in DVOA. That was 69 more than Washington had allowed all season, so I just think this matchup is a lot more of a coin flip.</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Buccaneers are your can’t miss NFL bet this weekend

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jaguars-Urban-Meyer-3.jpg"></figure><h1>Urban Meyer admits No. 1 draft pick played ‘huge’ role in head coach job</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T09:47:48-08:00">January 15th, 9:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T09:48:13-08:00">January 15th, 9:48am</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After firing Doug Marrone following a 1-15 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer as its new coach. Meyer initially said that he was done coaching after the Buckeyes won the 2019 Rose Bowl, but revealed that he felt the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jaguars-news-urban-meyer-reveals-why-he-accepted-the-jacksonville-head-coaching-job/"> “time was right</a>” for him to return to coaching.</p><p>Meyer revealed that Jacksonville winning the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft also played an important role in his decision to take the Jaguars head coaching job, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jaguars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Jaguars</a> coach Urban Meyer on if the No. 1 pick played into it: “Huge. I think Shad and the organization is positioned and it’s not by accident. It’s primed to put together a good team.” Says he wouldn’t enter into a situation where he couldn’t win.</p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350120570474663937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Urban Meyer, who is one of just three coaches to win a college football national championship at two different universities, admitted that he wouldn’t have taken on the Jaguars’ head coaching job if he didn’t have a chance to win in his first head coaching stint in the NFL. The team will likely select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State signal-caller Justin Fields with the first overall pick in the draft, which could form the foundation of a much-improved team that the 56-year old mentor is expected to assemble in Jacksonville.</p><p>Jaguars owner Shad Khan, meanwhile, revealed that the management is working closely with Meyer to not just fill out the team’s roster, but also in determining the team’s next general manager.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jaguars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Jaguars</a> owner Shad Khan declines to say who will have final say on the roster, but says Urban Meyer will be working with him to find their new GM. “Everyone will be carrying out Urban’s vision."</p><p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1350122585162457088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Aside from the <a href="https://foco.vegb.net/nOd9R" rel="noopener">first overall pick and a chance</a> to draft a talented quarterback, the Jaguars <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jets-rumors-sam-darnold-likely-stay-new-york-entertain-offers-no-2-nfl-draft-pick/" rel="noopener">will have a lot of cap space</a> and 11 draft picks, making it easier to understand why becoming the team’s head coach was an attractive option that was enough to lure Meyer out of retirement.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Urban Meyer admits No. 1 draft pick played ‘huge’ role in head coach job

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jets-rumors-Sam-Darnold-likely-to-stay-New-York-to-entertain-offers-for-No.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Sam Darnold likely to stay, Jets to entertain offers for No. 2 NFL Draft pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T09:41:19-08:00">January 15th, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T09:41:19-08:00">January 15th, 9:41am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Jets made their head coaching hire in former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Now, general manager Joe Douglas faces personnel decisions.</p><p>The Jets possess the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and there are questions as to what Sam Darnold’s future holds.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnaut/status/1349934650102226945">Adam Schefter of ESPN</a> is reporting, for now, Darnold will likely return as the starting quarterback in 2021. Schefter added it is likely the Jets give Darnold an opportunity to perform under a new staff and with some new personnel around him.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Looks like Sam Darnold will be the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Jets</a> QB next season, per <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@AdamSchefter</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZqzSVUxCIG" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/ZqzSVUxCIG</a></p><p>— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnaut/status/1349934650102226945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Schefter also noted the Jets could pursue an offensive tackle or wide receiver with the No. 2 selection, though they appear to be open to trading the pick.</p><p>Darnold might be seen as the starting quarterback in the immediate future. However, it would still be a surprise for the Jets to exercise his fifth-year option. The 2021 campaign could serve as a good barometer for his future potential in New York.</p><p>Current and former 49ers—<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jets-news-richard-sherman-joe-staley-react-to-robert-saleh-as-new-ny-coach/">including</a> Richard Sherman and Joe Staley—lauded New York’s hiring of Saleh, who is widely regarded as one of the best minds and motivators in the game. How the Jets fill out the roster for Saleh will be up to Douglas.</p><p>It is unknown who the Jets would be targeting in the event they decide to trade the No. 2 overall pick. Perhaps trading back is an option if New York is angling for a wide receiver this spring, given the depth at the position in the upcoming draft class.</p><p>In any case, the Jets will have the opportunity to build out the roster, with high draft picks this April as well as the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/2021/">third-most</a> projected cap space.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Sam Darnold likely to stay, Jets to entertain offers for No. 2 NFL Draft pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Patrick-Mahomes-Travis-Kelce-Chiefs.jpg"></figure><h1>Kansas City Chiefs: 4 bold predictions vs. Browns in the NFL Divisional Playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T08:04:09-08:00">January 15th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T08:05:05-08:00">January 15th, 8:05am</time><address><a>Isaac Doctor</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>History does not look too kindly on Super Bowl winners in their following year. The Super Bowl curse or <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/is-the-super-bowl-hangover-real-how-past-losers-have-fared-next-season-what-it-means-for-the-49ers/">hangover is well-documented</a> and only a fourth of the victors have gone on to win consecutive titles. Patrick Mahomes and company are here to be one of those teams. By topping the AFC with a 14-2 record, the Chiefs earned some much needed rest heading into their matchup against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/cleveland-browns">Cleveland Browns</a> at the Divisional Round this January 17.</p><p>Need I remind you, that was not a typographical error. The Dawgs are in the Divisional Round. 2021 is off to an unpredictable start and the world of football was not exempted. The last time the Cleveland Browns were in the playoffs was in 2002. Their younger fans were not even born yet. Then, you realize their last playoff win was way back in 1994. The parents of said younger fans probably have not even met each other yet. Nonetheless, the Browns are here after demolishing the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, 48-37 in the Wild Card Round. Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 263 yards with 3 touchdowns and no picks.</p><p>Here are some predictions for the historic Wild Card game:</p><h2><b>1. Mahomes wakes up feeling dangerous</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mahomes.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><p>Kansas City has the benefit of having a quarterback that the league has not figured out how to game plan against. This season, he had the second most passing yards with 4,740 behind only <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/houston-texans">Houston Texan</a> Deshaun Watson. Mahomes finished the regular season with an efficient 38 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions. He has an absolute cannon for an arm. While he’s no Lamar Jackson, he can also hurt a defense with his legs.</p><p>The Chiefs have an explosive offense with tight end, Travis Kelce, who put up more receiving yards than most wide receivers with 1,416, which ranks him fifth overall for the season. Wideout Tyreek “Cheetah” Hill certainly lives up to his nickname with 1,276 receiving yards. The man is a blur and is deceivingly strong despite his relatively short stature. Add in guys like Le’Veon Bell and Sammy Watkins and a potent offense becomes even more dynamic. The Chiefs’ most consistent rusher rookie standout, Clyde Edwards-Helaire recently sat out a practice due to a high ankle injury. His status for Sunday’s game has yet to be confirmed. With a middling Cleveland pass defense, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mahomes throws for 4 TDs.</p><h2><b>2. Kansas City run defense slows down Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Nick-Chubb-Kareem-Hunt.jpg"></figure><p>For most of this and last seasons, the Chiefs have been a buzz saw. If you had to nitpick though, the one chink in their armor has been their run defense. They have a below average run defense and allowed rushing 122.1 yards per game, which is good for 19th in the NFL. Chubb and Hunt are one of the most dangerous backfields around. The latter may have some extra motivation as he is going up against his old team.</p><p>If this situation sounds familiar, it is because last year the Chiefs faced off against 6’3, 247 wrecking ball, Derrick Henry and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nfl/tennessee-titans">Tennessee Titans</a>. Kansas City managed to hold Henry to 69 yards and advance to the big game. Steve Spagnuolo’s unit might limit the rushing yards to a 100. That would be less by around a third of what Cleveland usually gets. Chris Jones, Frank Clark and Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu will do their best to keep Chubb and Hunt in check for the duration of the game.</p><h2><b>3. A third receiver will go for 80 yards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Chiefs-news-Sammy-Watkins-ruled-out-for-Week-9-game-vs.-Panthers.jpg"></figure><p>It’s no secret that Mahomes’ best weapons are Kelce and Hill. Both are matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. Kelce is a perfect mix of agility and physicality, while Hill has his blinding speed and burn secondaries with a go route. As Cleveland will do its best to stop these two, there is an opportunity for the third target to have a field day. Most likely, Sammy Watkins won’t be facing double coverage and can go off.</p><h2><b>4. Andy Reid’s team wins by double digits</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Patrick-Mahomes-Chiefs-2.jpg"></figure><p>Everyone wants a Cinderella story, where the under-dawg overcomes all odds and triumphs. The odds however, in this matchup are just too great on the side of Kansas City. The Browns’ best bet is to grind the game to a halt with their potent rushing attack and keep it a low-scoring affair. After all, a quarterback can’t score if he never gets his hand on the pigskin.</p><p>Even then, having number 15 on your team, elite speedsters in the receiving core, arguably the game’s best tight end and an underrated defense are enough to ensure a comfortable win. Eventually, the clock strikes midnight and the glass slipper doesn’t always fit.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kansas City Chiefs: 4 bold predictions vs. Browns in the NFL Divisional Playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Tampa-Bay-Buccaneers-4-bold-predictions-vs.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>4 bold Buccaneers predictions vs. Saints in NFL Divisional Playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T06:28:06-08:00">January 15th, 6:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T06:29:28-08:00">January 15th, 6:29am</time><address><a>Isaac Doctor</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday in the NFL Divisional Playoffs. The NFC South rivals were both heavily favored to win their Wild Card matchups, but they had vastly different experiences.</p><p>The Saints steamrolled past the Chicago Bears with a 21-9 drubbing, producing 385 total yards compared to Chicago’s 239 (99 yards came on a meaningless final drive) and allowing only one out of 10 third-down conversions. On the other hand, the Buccaneers had a thriller of an affair with the Washington Football Team, despite the latter being led by Taylor Heinicke. That game ended 31-23, with the Buccaneers outproducing their opponent in total yards, 507-375.</p><p>In the regular season, New Orleans won both games over Tampa Bay. In the first meeting on Sept. 14, the Saints earned a 34-23 victory. The next game held on Nov. 9 was an absolute laugher, which had a final score of 38-3 in favor of New Orleans.</p><p>The Saints are the slight favorite in this Divisional Round game, but that doesn’t mean this will be a cakewalk for Brees and company. Tom Brady is out for revenge after losing the two regular-season matchups, and the future Hall of Famer <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/buccaneers-news-tom-brady-hilariously-trolls-himself-drew-brees-for-age-ahead-of-playoff-game/" rel="noopener">is excited to go up against Brees in a battle of veterans.</a></p><p>Here are our four bold predictions for the Buccaneers’ showdown against the Saints.</p><h2><b>1. The Buccaneers will finally show up on defense</b></h2><p>Without a doubt, Tampa Bay’s <a href="https://www.buccaneers.com/news/2020-performance-review-the-bucs-defense-evaluation-film-study-breakdown">defense</a> grew by leaps and bounds compared to last year’s unit. This iteration of the defense ranked sixth in total defense, while it was only a middling 15th last season. However, Tampa Bay surrendered an average of 36.0 points per game in the previous meetings with New Orleans. For reference, they only conceded an average of <a href="https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/opponent-points-per-game">22.2</a> per game for the regular season.</p><p>The secondary is the most suspect unit of Todd Bowles’ defense. That is not to say the cornerbacks and safeties are terrible, but more that they are inexperienced. All season long the defense has done a great job stopping the run, and Bowles has deployed linebackers like Lavonte David and Devin White in creative ways to rush the passer while still having Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett at the edges. For many players, this will be the biggest stage of their careers, so they will be motivated to show up.</p><h2><b>2. Tom Brady will throw for over 300 yards</b></h2><p>Yes, throwing for more than 300 yards is something the six-time Super Bowl winner can do in his sleep. Nonetheless, we can all agree that for this season, the Saints just seem to have TB12’s number. Tom Brady threw for just 448 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions versus New Orleans in the two regular-season games.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Drew-Brees-Tom-Brady-Saints-Buccaneers.jpg"></figure><p>One reason for this bold prediction is breakout pass rusher Trey Hendrickson was out for the Saints’ game against Chicago due to a neck injury. Hendrickson has made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks all season long, with Brady being no exception. New Orleans is hoping Hendrickson is able to return, but his status is up in the air. If he sits out again, Brady would certainly appreciate the opportunity for a cleaner pocket.</p><h2><b>3. A Buccaneers receiver will go off for 100 yards</b></h2><p>Antonio Brown. Chris Godwin. Mike Evans. Rob Gronkowski. These are names that strike fear in the hearts of NFL secondaries. The Saints have a strong defense and will do their best to slow this high-powered Buccaneers offense down, but it will be tough.</p><p>Brady has arguably never had this many weapons in his career. Brown is one of the best route runners around and has been finding his groove in recent weeks. Godwin was actually the most productive receiver in the two games against New Orleans. Mike Evans is one of the biggest matchup nightmares in the NFL, both literally and figuratively. Evans is like a tight end playing wide receiver at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, and his huge catch radius makes for a great safety blanket. The stud wideout had 119 receiving yards last weekend despite recently suffering an injury.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Buccaneers-Mike-Evans.jpg"></figure><p>Gronk has been used mostly as a blocker, but he’s still capable of pulling off a vintage performance as a receiver. After a slow start to the season, he finished with seven touchdowns.</p><p>Any one of these receivers is capable of having a field day at the Superdome, and we’re predicting at least one of them will hit the century mark in yards.</p><h2><b>4. Tampa Bay will win in a shootout</b></h2><p>Even if Todd Bowles’ unit has a great all-around game, they will still most likely concede multiple scores. Tampa Bay’s most realistic hope is that the defense does just enough to contain Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and friends. The prediction here is Tom Brady will pull off another clutch playoff performance and light up the Saints en route to the NFC Championship Game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

4 bold Buccaneers predictions vs. Saints in NFL Divisional Playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Falcons-news-Atlanta-offers-head-coaching-job-to-Titans-OC-Arthur-Smith-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Report: Falcons offer head coaching job to Titans OC Arthur Smith</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T06:19:55-08:00">January 15th, 6:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T06:19:55-08:00">January 15th, 6:19am</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons appear to be closing in on their next head coach. Reports have now surfaced that this could come in the form of Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/diannaESPN/status/1350039456133341184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1350039456133341184%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D974634action%3Dedit" rel="noopener">This report comes via Dianna Russini of ESPN:</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Atlanta Falcons have made an offer to Arthur Smith to become their next head coach per sources. Smith has been the offensive coordinator for the Titans the last 2 seasons.</p><p>— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/diannaESPN/status/1350039456133341184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As it turns out, the Falcons have had their eye on Smith for some time now. Clearly, Atlanta has been impressed with what the 38-year-old has achieved with the Titans over the past couple of years, and the franchise is now prepared to hand over the reins of the squad to him. With Smith calling the plays, Tennessee scored over 30 points per game this season en route to an AFC South title, though the team fell short against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.</p><p>Should Smith agree to the deal (right now we see no reason as to why he would not), he will be succeeding former full-time Falcons coach Dan Quinn, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-arthur-blank-fires-coach-dan-quinn-gm-thomas-dimitroff/" rel="noopener">who the team fired</a> early in the season after an 0-5 start. In the interim, Atlanta assigned Raheem Morris to take on the vacated post, but as it appears, a promotion to a permanent status just wasn’t in the books for Morris.</p><p>Smith has served multiple roles during his stint in Tennessee, which includes defensive quality control coach, offensive quality control coach, tight ends coach, as well as offensive line assistant. He may be relatively young, but Smith has a ton of experience under his belt.</p><p>The Falcons appear to be the next team to be announcing their new head coach following the New York Jets officially signing former San Francisco 49ers OC Robert Saleh as their new head honcho.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Report: Falcons offer head coaching job to Titans OC Arthur Smith

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/browns-1.jpg"></figure><h1>4 bold Browns predictions vs. Chiefs in NFL Divisional Playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T05:58:55-08:00">January 15th, 5:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T06:00:51-08:00">January 15th, 6:00am</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Browns are fresh off perhaps the biggest victory in franchise history. The Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second time in as many weeks, although this time in a more convincing fashion.</p><p>Cleveland frustrated the Steelers 48-37 in the conclusion of Super Wild Card Weekend. The game <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/browns-news-odell-beckham-jr-reacts-to-jarvis-landry-touchdown-vs-steelers/">never really felt that close</a>, however.</p><p>Playing its first playoff game in almost two decades without head coach Kevin Stefanski due to a positive COVID-19 test, this seemed too easy for the Steelers. The Browns also played without top corner Denzel Ward and Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio.</p><p>Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer took the helm with Stefanski watching the game from his basement. They practiced just one time in the past two weeks due to the closing of the team facility, and they never lost their demeanor.</p><p>Thus, it’s the Browns who are headed to Kansas City to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.</p><p>While the majority seemingly doubted Cleveland, they came away with a statement victory. Here are a few situations that could help the Browns this coming weekend.</p><h2><b>1. Force Turnovers</b></h2><p>The Browns forced five turnovers on Sunday night, including a fumble on the first play of scrimmage on a high snap that gave Cleveland an early lead. The Cleveland secondary gave Ben Roethlisberger fits all night, and the veteran quarterback threw four interceptions in the game.</p><p>Of course, being up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter definitely helps, but whenever a defense can force five turnovers in a game it’s a great sign.</p><p>Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are terrific at taking care of the football. Mahomes only threw six picks all year, second only to Aaron Rodgers’ five. Andy Reid’s team takes great care of the football, but the Browns defense has been swarming the past few weeks, and will presumably be adding top cornerback Denzel Ward—who missed the Wild Card game due to COVID.</p><p>If the Browns can force turnovers, they can keep the Chiefs’ offense off the field and control the game.</p><p>Prediction: The Browns force two picks of Mahomes, and a fumble.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Nick-Chubb-Kareem-Hunt.jpg"></figure><h2><b>2. Run the Ball</b></h2><p>There’s no secret to stopping the Chiefs’ high-octane offense. Whenever Mahomes and company have the football, they can score in just one play. Tyreek Hill is one of the fastest and best wide receivers in the game, and Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end in the league.</p><p>The key to stopping Mahomes? Keep the offense off the field.</p><p>The Browns have perhaps the best 1-2 punch at running backs with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Hunt—the ex-Chief—sure has extra emotions about this game. Regardless, the Browns need to control the clock and win the time of possession battle to give the Chiefs as few offensive possessions as possible.</p><p>Both Chubb and Hunt can likely garner 15-20 carries, and could potentially both eclipse the 100-yard mark versus the Chiefs.</p><p>Prediction: Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt each score a touchdown and combined for 200 yards on the ground.</p><h2><b>3. Browns Shut Down Tyreek Hill</b></h2><p>Tyreek Hill is easily one of the best wide receivers in the entire league, and stopping him is always a near-impossible task.</p><p>Hill <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HillTy00.htm">had 15 touchdowns in 15 games</a> this season, and who can forget his ridiculous 15-catch, 269-yard game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He can score on any given play and can basically outrun anybody who is covering him.</p><p>Hill is an ultimate headache for defensive coordinators. The Browns secondary has been hit or miss this season, and their passing defense ranks towards the bottom half of the NFL.</p><p>Of course, getting Denzel Ward back helps immensely. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods will have his hands full trying to scheme and plan on ways to stop not just Hill, but Travis Kelce as well.</p><p>Nonetheless, the Browns defense finds a way, and whether it’s Ward or somebody else, Hill has a tough day finding open space against this Cleveland defense.</p><p>Prediction: Tyreek Hill—five catches, 70 yards.</p><h2><b>4. Baker Mayfield Has a Career Day</b></h2><p>Baker Mayfield has exceeded expectations this season and is a huge reason for Cleveland’s success.</p><p>While Mayfield had his moments of doubts in his first couple of seasons, he has evolved into a staple AFC quarterback for years to come.</p><p>The Oklahoma product struggled last season with Freddie Kitchens at the helm, finishing with 3,827 yards with 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Mayfield had a total of 35 interceptions in his first 30 career games coming into this season.</p><p>Baker has turned that around this season in tremendous fashion. He finished with 3,563 yards passing and threw 26 touchdowns. He also had a career-low in interceptions with eight.</p><p>His decision-making was much improved, and the former No. 1 overall pick looked like the Heisman Trophy winner that he was. He’s taking care of the football and progressing each game, and his confidence has never been higher. Mayfield is the key to this car, and without him playing an all-time game, the Browns will be watching the playoffs from home next weekend.</p><p>It’s needless to say that this offense—and this team—runs through Mayfield. If he can take care of the football and make the plays he’s made all year, the Browns could potentially pull off a monumental upset of the defending Super Bowl Champions.</p><p>Prediction: Baker Mayfield, 300 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Baker-Mayfield-Myles-Garrett-Nick-Chubb-Browns.jpg"></figure><h2><b>Outcome</b></h2><p>While Cleveland will certainly have their hands full, they have proven time and time again that they can hang with the big boys.</p><p>The Chiefs will surely be ready—as they always are—but the success and play of Mayfield and the defense is going to determine the outcome of this game. The defense will give Mahomes fits, and the Browns running game will keep the Chiefs’ offense on the sideline for extended periods of time.</p><p>The Kansas City Chiefs likely win this game, and it’s always hard to pick against Patrick Mahomes. With that being said, don’t count out the Cleveland Browns by any means. If the Browns can control the pace, force turnovers, and execute offensively, Cleveland could be heading to the AFC Championship Game next week.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

4 bold Browns predictions vs. Chiefs in NFL Divisional Playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/saleh2.jpg"></figure><h1>Richard Sherman, Joe Staley react to Robert Saleh as new Jets coach</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T22:39:35-08:00">January 14th, 10:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T22:40:10-08:00">January 14th, 10:40pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Twitter went into a frenzy when the New York Jets announced <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jets-news-new-york-hires-49ers-defensive-coordinator-robert-saleh-as-new-head-coach/">they had finalized a deal</a> with former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as their new head coach. Niners cornerback Richard Sherman, as well as San Francisco great Joe Staley were some of the first NFL personalities to share their thoughts on this recent development.</p><p>Sherman, who has spent the past few years playing under Saleh in San Francisco, congratulated the Jets on what he believes to be an excellent hire for them:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/nyjets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@nyjets</a> got a great one!  Congrats to them!</p><p>— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) <a href="https://twitter.com/RSherman_25/status/1349923259181985792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Staley, who spent his entire career with the 49ers, had nothing but praise for Saleh upon learning he was the new Jets coach:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am so damn excited for Saleh. He is a leader. Unbelievable man and coach. Can’t wait to watch him turn around the Jets organization!</p><p>— Joe Staley (@jstaley74) <a href="https://twitter.com/jstaley74/status/1349943920927543297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Here are a few other noteworthy reactions to the Jets’ hire from Twitter (h/t <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30714773/new-york-jets-got-great-one-robert-saleh-richard-sherman-quinnen-williams-others-react">ESPN</a>):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Imagine being a <a href="https://twitter.com/Jets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@jets</a> fan, going to bed early (I imagine most of them do) + waking up incredibly competent.</p><p>— hydrated king chris long (@JOEL9ONE) <a href="https://twitter.com/JOEL9ONE/status/1349925716637474817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Last year I had to survey a dozen+ players that played for Coach Saleh on behalf of an organization.</p><p>I don’t know if I’ve ever heard players go to bat for a coach the way EVERY SINGLE ONE of them did for Saleh.</p><p>Congrats to the Jets</p><p>— Hawk (@Hawk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hawk/status/1349944123982110720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Good for you Jets. This just feels right. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealLeadership?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#RealLeadership</a> <a href="https://t.co/wzQEnGZxEf" target="_blank">https://t.co/wzQEnGZxEf</a></p><p>— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) <a href="https://twitter.com/Realrclark25/status/1349942881767854080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great leader, great man, great coach, and great hire ✊🏾 <a href="https://t.co/VPfZOxJrqL" target="_blank">https://t.co/VPfZOxJrqL</a></p><p>— Dexter McCoil Sr. (@26Int_Hit) <a href="https://twitter.com/26Int_Hit/status/1349930949233037314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">First time in quite some time that I’ve felt the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Jets</a> are really on the right path</p><p>— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) <a href="https://twitter.com/damienwoody/status/1349930764163538944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>A couple of Jets players also couldn’t hide their excitement in what is going to be a new era in New York:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">YESSSS SIRRRRR!!!!! LETS WORK COACH!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/FnhHDOCjTZ" target="_blank">https://t.co/FnhHDOCjTZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/JrNZpwqiBf" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/JrNZpwqiBf</a></p><p>— Trending Topic 🤫 (@BigTicket73) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigTicket73/status/1349928353453780992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">YESSS SIRRRRRRRRRR 🙏🏾💪🏾🔥 <a href="https://t.co/lEJcWsbHOY" target="_blank">https://t.co/lEJcWsbHOY</a></p><p>— Quinnen Williams (@QuinnenWilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuinnenWilliams/status/1349924447327821826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Jets have been on an extended postseason drought, which now extends to a full decade. The excitement surrounding Saleh is warranted, and the general belief is that he is the man who’s going to be taking New York back to the promised land. There’s going to be a ton of pressure on his shoulders, but it’s hard to deny that Saleh should be more than capable of meeting the lofty expectations most have on him.</p><p>Reports state that the deal has currently been agreed in principle and that Saleh will be penning a five-year deal with New York. It’s been a long time since the Jets faithful has had something to get excited about, but this is certainly something to write home about.</p><p>The Jets have watched the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins improve significantly in the AFC East this past season. The New England Patriots might have faltered, but the Jets are still at the bottom of their division and need a way to climb out of trouble. Robert Saleh is taking on one of the toughest tasks in the NFL, but if you ask 49ers players about him, they’ll vouch for his credentials.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Richard Sherman, Joe Staley react to Robert Saleh as new Jets coach

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/bills.jpg"></figure><h1>Buffalo Bills: 4 bold predictions vs. Ravens in AFC Divisional Playoff</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T20:48:25-08:00">January 14th, 8:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T20:49:13-08:00">January 14th, 8:49pm</time><address><a>Mike Johrendt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In what projects to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bills-news-josh-allen-pledges-to-jump-through-flaming-tables-if-buffalo-wins-the-super-bowl/">the best matchup</a> of the weekend between <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/revisiting-josh-allen-lamar-jackson-baker-mayfield-and-2018-qb-draft-class-three-years-later-by-the-numbers/">two teams filled</a> with generational players, the Baltimore Ravens head to the unfriendly confines of Orchard Park, N.Y., to face the Buffalo Bills in one of the AFC Divisional Playoff contests this weekend.</p><p>Pitting two stud QBs against each other in Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson will have eyes glued to TV sets all across the world, while each defense will have their hands full containing all of the offensive firepower that is likely to be on full display in this contest. But for the Bills, this game means much, much more to them than it does for the Ravens.</p><p>Having finally hosted a postseason game for the first time in what felt like 50 years, the Bills were able to hang on in a tough battle against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Wild Card Weekend, with Allen helping lead his offense to the promised land on multiple occasions, while the defense stood up when they needed to the most.</p><p>But the Ravens are built quite differently than what the Colts are, as their offense relies heavily on a run-first attack that is orchestrated by Jackson – his lack of passing acumen can certainly be on full display and is the exact box that the Bills defense needs to corner him in if they want to force the Ravens out of their comfort zone on offense.</p><p>Here are four bold predictions for the Bills as they try to advance to the AFC Championship Game.</p><h2>Josh Allen uses his legs to lead the Bills’ offense</h2><p>On the season, Allen’s rushing usage took a slight dip in carries and yardage compared to last season for the Bills, as he only converted 102 carries for 421 yards, a seven-carry decrease and an 89-yard decrease.</p><p>A downtick in rushing usage by Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has helped keep Allen focused on his passing work back in the pocket, and it has also kept Allen back in the pocket instead of immediately looking to dip out when his first read is not open or he begins to feel some slight pressure. But a huge reason that Allen has been able to see an improvement in the offense as a whole even with him running less is due to his duo of running backs at his side, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary.</p><p>Unfortunately, Moss was placed on the IR, ending his season for the Bills after suffering an ankle injury against the Colts, which means that Singletary will be backed up by T.J. Yeldon, Taiwan Jones, undrafted rookie Antonio Williams, and newly-signed Devonta Freeman. None of those names scare any defense (outside of Singletary), so the onus to establish the run falls more on Allen now.</p><p>Having set season-high marks in carries and yardage back in Week 7 against the New York Jets (11 carries for 61 yards), Allen should sniff double-digit carries yet again to help give Singletary some rest for the Bills.</p><h2>Stefon Diggs puts on a route-running clinic vs Marcus Peters</h2><p>Ever since Stefon Diggs was acquired from the Minnesota Vikings this past offseason, he and Allen have been setting the league on fire for the Bills, producing one of the most efficient and explosive QB-WR hookups this league has seen for quite a while. And while defenses certainly have been game planning to take Diggs out of the offensive attack, it simply is not that easy.</p><p>Against the Colts, Diggs hauled in six passes for 128 yards and a score for the Bills, but that certainly was not against the upper-class CB that Marcus Peters is. Yet all it is going to take is a few quick line of scrimmage moves and Diggs will be off to the races, leaving Peters in his dust.</p><p>While Peters did haul in the game-clinching interception of Ryan Tannehill last week for Baltimore, he will be tasked with a much tougher matchup this week, needing to handle both the size and physicality of Diggs on a play-by-play basis. Even with Cole Beasley entering the game with no injury designation, he will not be at full health for the Bills, meaning that Diggs will be looked to early and often by Allen, so a double-digit target game certainly looks to be in the cards.</p><h2>Gabriel Davis sets career highs, continues hot streak</h2><p>The UCF rookie set his career-high in receptions back against the Titans in Week 5 with 5 catches, and his career-best mark in yardage came in Week 17 against the Dolphins in that crazy blowout for the Bills, as he put up 107 yards and a score.</p><p>But Davis is set for a great game on a big stage for the Bills, as he is in a great spot to help take some production away from Diggs in case the extra focus he earns takes him out of a few crucial situations.</p><p>Can the Bills rookie be counted on to show up in the biggest game of his young career so far? Think it’s safe to say he’s done what he’s can so far and there’s no sign of that changing this week. While a double-digit game like what Diggs is projected to earn may not be right for Davis, but certainly putting up a 100+ yardage day seems likely, especially when considering Beasley’s health and how John Brown is still getting himself back into 100% playing shape.</p><p>A six-catch, 120-yard day for Davis, potentially with a TD sprinkled in, would do a ton for the Bills and Allen.</p><h2>Bills’ defense gets torched on the ground in its attempt to stop Lamar Jackson</h2><p>When trying to keep Jackson boxed up for four quarters, there normally are other elements of the Baltimore offense that are given good chances to perform, like J.K. Dobbins on the ground or either Marquise Brown or Mark Andrews through the air.</p><p>The Bills get the tough task of needing to box all three of those players up on Saturday, with Jackson being the biggest of their worries, simply based on what he can do with his legs. And on the year, Buffalo has been not the greatest at stopping the run, something that does not bode well for their chances.</p><p>Having allowed 1,914 yards on the ground, the Bills allowed the sixth-most rushing scores with 21 coming against them and tied for the sixth-highest yards per carry with 4.6, numbers that certainly will not cut it against the league’s best rushing team.</p><p>Having outrushed the second-highest team (Titans) by 381 yards, the Ravens certainly do not surprise any of their opponents with what they are going to do on offense – they are going to run the ball down your throat and continue to do that until you show any sort of semblance that you may be able to slight stop it. Even then, a hard-sold, play-action play will be enough to put the Bills’ defense back on its heels as well, making this Ravens offense, even as inconsistent as it can be, unstoppable when all the parts are moving together.</p><p>Could we see dual 100-yard performances by Jackson and Dobbins against the Bills? Certainly, but it would be more likely to see Jackson eclipse the century mark by himself and have the rest of the backfield (Dobbins, Gus Edwards, etc.) combine for over 100 yards, due to how that offense loves to interchange its guys and its usage of read-options and motion.</p><p>The Bills will need to count on their high-powered offense in this contest, because its defense, especially against the run, is going to have its hands full early and often against a Baltimore team that looks to have finally found its offensive identity again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Buffalo Bills: 4 bold predictions vs. Ravens in AFC Divisional Playoff

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/scott.jpg"></figure><h1>Panthers ink Ex-Seahawks VP Scott Fitterer as new GM</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T20:17:26-08:00">January 14th, 8:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T20:17:26-08:00">January 14th, 8:17pm</time><address><a>Brandon Biskobing</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Carolina Panthers have a new general manager. The Panthers have reached an agreement with Scott Fitterer for him to handle the team starting next season. The deal is for five years but the amount has yet to be disclosed.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Panthers officially reached agreement tonight on a five-year deal with former Seahawks VP Scott Fitterer as their GM. “We went through a thorough process and it was a great final four,” said Panthers’ owner David Tepper. “We thought Scott was the best fit for the organization.”</p><p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1349911504301285376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Fitterer heads to the Panthers from the Seattle Seahawks, where he served as vice president of football operations. He was in the Seahawks organization for a long time, starting in 2001 as a scout. He became the team’s college scouting director in 2011 and was instrumental in finding players that helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2013. He then became co-director of player personnel from 2015-2019. For a time he was also co-assistant GM under John Schneider.</p><p>Owner David Tepper praised all of the candidates for the vacant GM job but noted that Fitterer seemed to be the best fit (via <a href="https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-offer-scott-fitterer-general-manager-role">Carolina Panthers official website</a>).</p><blockquote>“We went through a thorough process and it was a great final four. We thought Scott was the best fit for the organization.”</blockquote><p>Before his NFL career, Fitterer played professional baseball, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays for three years before a shoulder injury ended his career.</p><p>He was a two-sport athlete in college, playing baseball and football for UCLA and LSU, respectively.</p><p>Scott Fitterer replaces Marty Hurney, who was in his second stint as Panthers general manager. He was GM from 2002 to 2012 before being fired. He was then brought back in 2017.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/panthers-news-dwayne-haskins-scheduled-for-free-agent-visit-with-carolina/">The Panthers are trying to rebuild</a> after struggling for the last couple of years following their appearance in the Super Bowl in 2016, where they lost to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Panthers ink Ex-Seahawks VP Scott Fitterer as new GM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jaguars-Urban-Meyer-Scott-Linehan.jpg"></figure><h1>Urban Meyer makes first move as Jaguars head coach</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T17:21:26-08:00">January 14th, 5:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T05:49:50-08:00">January 15th, 5:49am</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer has wasted no time in assembling his staff. <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30711061/jacksonville-jaguars-hiring-urban-meyer-coach">After the announcement was officially made on Thursday that he was taking over the helm</a>, Meyer quickly targeted his desired offensive coordinator.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Scott Linehan has emerged as a prime candidate for Jaguars offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer, per <a href="https://twitter.com/toddarcher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@toddarcher</a> and me. Former NFL head coach and OC was at LSU last year, has long had relationship with Meyer.</p><p>— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1349874931849420800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Meyer and Linehan <a href="https://foco.vegb.net/GAj66" rel="noopener">have had a long relationship</a> with each other. Linehan previously was an assistant coach at LSU and was a head coach for the Rams. Linehan also was the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys, Dolphins, Vikings, and Lions.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jaguars-news-urban-meyer-gearing-up-for-head-coaching-job-by-assembling-staff/">It was reported over the weekend that Meyer was already reaching out to potential candidates for his assistants</a>, although the deal with the Jaguars just got finalized on Thursday. Linehan has worked with a lot of quarterbacks in his career and Matthew Stafford’s best seasons were with Linehan at the helm.</p><p>While the Jaguars hold the number one overall pick, it’s almost certain they will take Trevor Lawrence, <a href="https://foco.vegb.net/VLyrJ" rel="noopener">the young phenom from</a> Clemson. If they pass on Lawrence it will be Justin Fields, and Meyer could lean that way given his familiarity with the Ohio State program.</p><p>Whichever <a href="https://fanatics.ncw6.net/ZPdk0" rel="noopener">way they go at quarterback</a>, Linehan will have the task of grooming a young, talented prospect in an exciting era for Jacksonville.</p><p>While Linehan to the Jaguars is the first of many moves, expect Meyer <a href="https://fanatics.ncw6.net/ojeAe" rel="noopener">to waste no time</a> and fill out his staff sooner rather than later.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Urban Meyer makes first move as Jaguars head coach

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Nets-news-James-Harden-fires-back-at-former-Rockets-teammates-who-complained-about-disrespect-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Nets star James Harden fires back at former Rockets teammates who complained about disrespect</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T12:22:21-08:00">January 15th, 12:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T12:23:09-08:00">January 15th, 12:23pm</time><address><a>Immanuel Canicosa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In his first interview since being traded from the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden addressed comments made by his former teammates about the way he carried himself in his final days with the team.</p><p>Following a 117-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Harden said during a postgame interview that while he still loved the city of Houston, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-james-hardens-shocking-postgame-comments-causing-trade-talks-to-resurface/">his situation with the team couldn’t be fixed</a>, which reignited trade rumors and resulted in the 2018 MVP being shipped to the Nets.</p><p>His comments didn’t sit well with former teammates DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall, with Cousins saying the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-demarcus-cousins-destroys-james-harden-amid-trade-talks/">comments were “disrespectful”</a> and Wall questioning <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-john-wall-reacts-to-james-harden-giving-up-on-houston/">why the eight-time All Star was giving up</a> on the team after just nine games.</p><p>Friday, Harden clarified that his postgame comments weren’t meant to disrespect any of his former teammates, but instead was about the team’s overall chances of competing for a championship:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Harden on the end of the Rockets tenure: "I wasn't disrespectful to anyone. Those guys just got to Houston. I've been there a very long time. I just made a comment that the team as a whole wasn't good enough to compete for a title."</p><p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/1350162397609254917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The 31-year-old, who averaged 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 10.4 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 34.7% from beyond the arc in his eight games with the Rockets this season, also stressed that he remains “elite” in numerous areas:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">James Harden calls himself "an elite player, an elite teammate and an elite leader" in his first Nets interview</p><p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1350162035645030403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Some may scoff at this after what Harden pulled in Houston, but he most certainly still is one of the best players in the NBA.</p><p>In 13 games, the Nets have a 7-6 record, which includes back-to-back wins over the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks as the team continued to play without Kyrie Irving, who missed five games due to personal reasons <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30717575/kyrie-irving-fined-50000-rejoin-brooklyn-nets-saturday-five-day-quarantine">but is set to return</a> in the Nets’ game against the Orlando Magic on Saturday.</p><p>Barring setbacks, it looks like this new Big Three should make its debut against Orlando. This is going to be a fascinating experiment with this amount of talent in place in Brooklyn.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets star James Harden fires back at former Rockets teammates who complained about disrespect

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kyrie-Irving-Iman-Shumpert-Cavs-Nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Kyrie Irving’s ex-Cavs teammate sends 2-word tweet for possible reunion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T20:04:28-08:00">January 14th, 8:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T20:04:28-08:00">January 14th, 8:04pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After news broke that James Harden will be headed to the Brooklyn Nets, a former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate of Kyrie Irving sent out a tweet hinting that he may be eyeing a possible reunion.</p><p>Via Twitter, Iman Shumpert, who’s currently a free agent, sent out a two-word tweet after the Harden blockbuster deal was announced. While it could mean everything or nothing at all, most fans are in agreement that Shumpert is <a href="https://twitter.com/imanshumpert/status/1349809302761074697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1349809302761074697%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D974233action%3Dedit">sending signals</a> to Irving and the Nets that he’s ready if ever they need him.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m around.</p><p>— Iman. (@imanshumpert) <a href="https://twitter.com/imanshumpert/status/1349809302761074697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Shumpert was actually part of the Nets last season. They acquired him in November 2019 but waived him a month later. He played 13 games and averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds across 18.5 minutes.</p><p>Like what most analysts and fans pointed out, the Nets’ defense has gotten a lot weaker with the trade. After all, they gave up Jarrett Allen who had been showing signs of a breakout year prior to the trade announcement.</p><p>And Shumpert, for most of his NBA career, has built a reputation as a solid defender. Apart from which, he has some significant playoff experience under his belt, something that the Nets will need to fortify their title hopes. And of course, no one can discount his connection with Irving whom he won a title with back in 2016.</p><p>Whether the Nets heed Shumpert’s hint is a matter of wait-and-see. They still have to solve the Irving fiasco first before they look forward. But adding a veteran who knows the ways of the regular season and the playoffs surely won’t hurt.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyrie Irving’s ex-Cavs teammate sends 2-word tweet for possible reunion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Warriors-rumors-Kevin-Durant-warned-James-Harden-against-playing-for-Steve-Kerr-THumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: Kevin Durant warned James Harden against playing for Warriors’ Steve Kerr</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-15T05:45:56-08:00">January 15th, 5:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-15T05:49:37-08:00">January 15th, 5:49am</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the whole James Harden trade saga coming to an end on Wednesday, rumors have now emerged regarding the Golden State Warriors and their role in the rumors. As it turns out, however, former Dubs star and Harden’s new Brooklyn Nets teammate Kevin Durant allegedly told Harden early on that based on his own experience, playing under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wasn’t exactly a dream scenario.</p><p>Here’s a transcript of a conversation between NBA insiders Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons, and Jackie MacMullan in a recent episode of The Ryen Russillo Podcast (h/t <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-told-james-harden-he-might-not-steve-kerr">Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area</a>):</p><blockquote>Simmons: “The sleeping giant of this whole Harden sweepstakes was Golden State. And I don’t think they were in it. But if they had decided to get into it …”Russillo: “I heard he, um … he was not … he and [Kevin] Durant are close, and Durant wanted him to leave (Houston). So I think there was some communication …”Simmons: “There was some Steve Kerr stuff.”Russillo: “Yeah, that you might not want to play for him. Which sounds insane that Durant could complain about anything with Golden State, but it sounds like he did.”MacMullan: “Well, but the only complaint that Kevin Durant had about Golden State was he wasn’t Steph Curry, and he never was gonna be Steph Curry in that market. And no matter what he did and how many championships they won, Steph Curry was still the guy.”</blockquote><p>Harden was linked to the Warriors early on, with the Dubs reportedly putting in an inquiry on Harden. However, nothing ever got close and there apparently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-rumors-golden-state-called-rockets-james-harden-trade-before-klay-thompson-injury/" rel="noopener">wasn’t even a concrete offer put on the table.</a> Then the Dubs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-rumors-golden-state-no-longer-trading-for-james-harden/" rel="noopener">backed off entirely.</a></p><p>Whether or not Durant’s advice played a role in talks not progressing is a mystery. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumblings about KD having issues with Kerr,</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>