Matthew Schmidt Articles - Page 53

It’s starting to get to that point of the season where the Portland Trail Blazers are becoming in danger of not turning thing around. It’s only mid-December, but the Blazers are just 10-16, and in a rugged Western Conference that has left 50-win teams out of the playoffs in the past, that’s concerning. To be […]

When the Houston Rockets swung a deal to acquire Russell Westbrook in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the summer, just about everyone wondered how it was going to work. Yes, the Rockets were able to unload Chris Paul’s contract, but they also took on Westbrook’s, and the idea of a Westbrook-James Harden […]

Could the NFL seriously do away with divisions? It probably won’t happen, but Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio threw around the idea earlier this week, proposing that AFC teams play the other AFC teams 15 times a year, and vice versa for NFC clubs. As for the final game? Fangio suggested a rivalry game, […]

Here is something you may not have known: the New England Patriots almost didn’t draft Rob Gronkowski because his predraft visit did not exactly go all that well. Apparently, Gronkowski fell asleep on the floor during his visit. Yes, seriously: “Rob was kind of a shot in the dark,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said […]

Josh Allen’s 2019 campaign can be viewed as a season of two halves for the Buffalo Bills. During the first half of the year, the Bills’ quarterback demonstrated the same types of struggles throwing the football as he did during his rookie campaign. Over the first four weeks, Allen threw three touchdowns and six interceptions, […]

Early in the season, Jimmy Garoppolo was considered by many to be the weak link on the San Francisco 49ers. The defense was dominant, the running game was brilliant and Kyle Shanahan seemed to have an incredible grasp of what to do and how to do it, but Garoppolo was a pretty big question mark. […]

Who is this and what have you done with the real Ryan Tannehill? In all seriousness, Tannehill has been a godsend for the Tennessee Titans this season, as he had led them to a 6-1 record in his seven starts since supplanting Marcus Mariota and has them smack dab in the middle of the AFC […]

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen will not play in his team’s Week 15 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday due to a concussion, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. It will mark the second straight game that Olsen has missed. Olsen initially suffered the concussion during his team’s Week 13 loss to […]

The Los Angeles Rams may be regretting that massive contract extension they handed Jared Goff. Well, perhaps not, because even league-average quarterbacks are hard to come by in the NFL, but there is no doubt that Goff has been very disappointing in 2019. After a 2018 campaign in which Goff was an MVP candidate for […]

As if the Dallas Cowboys need anything else to go wrong right now, quarterback Dak Prescott is dealing with a sprained left wrist and injured right index finger and will have to wear tape on his throwing hand against the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. While that sounds somewhat concerning, Prescott, who has been wearing […]

Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard has not played since Week 9 due to a shoulder injury, and is prognosis going forward doesn’t look all that promising. According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, Howard has not been cleared for contact and will not play against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Berman adds that the […]

There was a time when Arizona Cardinals’ David Johnson was one of the best running backs in football. Now, he struggles to get off the bench. The Cardinals halfback injured his ankle in Week 7 and missed Weeks 8 and 9 as a result, but since returning in Week 10, he has only carried the […]

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett was given a baptism by fire two weeks before the regular season started, as Andrew Luck announced his sudden retirement, thrusting Brissett into the starting role. It’s not like Brissett didn’t have any experience as a starter. After all, he started 15 games for the Colts in 2017 when Luck […]

This was not how things were supposed to go for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in his second NFL season. Mayfield was supposed to stamp his name among the elite signal-callers in the league, posting big numbers and leading the Browns to an AFC North division title. Obviously, that is not what has happened. Instead, […]

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tyrell Williams is dealing with plantar fasciitis, which could be a big reason for his thin production over the last three weeks. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson says that Williams is in pain, but that he is doing what he can to manage it: “Plantar fasciitis, it’s a pretty significant injury, but […]

It looks like Eli Manning will get to start at least one more game in front of his home crowd. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com, New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to miss his team’s Week 15 matchup with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday due to his high-ankle sprain, opening the […]

The New York Jets became the Baltimore Ravens’ latest victim on Thursday night, falling by a score of 42-21 in their Week 15 matchup. However, quarterback Sam Darnold thinks that the Jets actually had an opportunity to make things competitive early on. “Especially in the first half, we had a chance,” said Darnold, according to […]

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley has looked much more like his old self over the last several weeks, most recently carrying the ball 23 times for 79 yards and a touchdown in a 28-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday. Quarterback Jared Goff was loving Gurley’s touchdown in the game, in […]

When the Seattle Seahawks selected wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in the second round of the NFL Draft back in April, no one questioned his talent. People just wondered if he could put it all together on the professional level. It seems safe to say Metcalf has done that and then some during his rookie campaign, […]

The Arizona Cardinals will face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, meaning that Kyler Murray will be on the opposite side of the field of his former collegiate teammate in Baker Mayfield. Their paths are awfully similar. Both quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy in their final years at the University of Oklahoma, both went No. 1 […]

Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney did not practice on Wednesday due to a core muscle injury, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Clowney is also apparently battling an illness. Clowney’s absence comes just a couple of days after Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that the pass rusher was “hurting” after Seattle’s Week […]

Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins has made seven appearances and five starts this season, and while it’s still far too early to jump to any conclusions, we can evaluate his performance in the early stages of his career. On the season, Haskins has thrown for 971 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing […]

The Seattle Seahawks may have lost to the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday, but they are a stout 10-3 on the season and are well on their way to making another playoff appearance. Going into the year, there was some skepticism surrounding the Seahawks, as their offense looked rather limited in terms of weapons […]

The New York Giants are a mess. They have lost nine straight games to fall to 2-11 on the season and are about to miss the playoffs for the third straight season. Injuries have ravaged the roster, and Pat Shurmur looks like he is coaching his final days in New York. So, what is the […]

Eli Manning’s tenure with the New York Giants is coming to an end, but is his NFL career also coming to a close? Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre still thinks that Manning has something to offer, saying that “he could be huge for another team if he so chooses” on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week. Due […]

The New England Patriots are the marquee franchise of the NFL and are one of the most successful organizations in American sports, but they sure know how to generate negative headlines. This past weekend, a Patriots representative was caught illegally videotaping the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline for eight minutes during the Bengals’ Week 14 matchup with […]

Just when it looked like Antonio Brown was headed in the right direction, he has dug himself another hole. Brown took to Twitter to post his latest social media rant on Wednesday, claiming that the NFL is more lenient with Caucasian players in since-deleted tweets. Guess all mighty @nfl can hold players out against there […]

Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice in spite of an ankle sprain, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Interim head coach Bill Callahan said that the rookie signal-caller looked just fine. “He looked great today,” said Callahan. “I think everything he did in individual was seamless. I […]

The 2019 campaign has been a miserable one for the New York Giants, so it’s understandable that their players might be a bit frustrated with just three weeks to play. However, that doesn’t excuse players from negatively engaging in fans, especially at practice. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to […]

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been sidelined since Week 3 with a foot injury, and on Monday, he underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. Panthers interim head coach Perry Fewell confirmed on Wednesday that everything went well for Newton. “I can tell you it was successful and he’s back […]

When the Washington Redskins signed Josh Norman to a five-year, $75 million contract back in April 2016, they thought they were getting one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. Well, Norman turned out to be a pretty big disappointment over his first three seasons in the nation’s capital, and now, in the veteran’s fourth […]

Trade rumors have been swirling around Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor this offseason, and now, it seems that those rumors are gaining some traction. According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, the Indians are engaged in serious talks with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Lindor, with Cleveland seeking a package that includes shortstop prospect […]

The New England Patriots are once again under fire for some nefarious activity, as a Patriots representative was caught videotaping the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline this past weekend. Given that New England plays the Bengals in Week 15, it doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence. The Pats have denied any wrongdoing, saying that the fact […]

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is likely to start in his team’s Week 15 matchup with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Vacchiano notes that rookie signal-caller Daniel Jones has not been ruled out just yet, but given that he is nursing a high-ankle sprain, it doesn’t seem all […]

Could the Colorado Rockies seriously trade Nolan Arenado one year after signing him to an eight-year, $260 million contract extension? It seems like a possibility, as Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Rockies are “willing to listen” to trade inquiries on their All-Star third baseman. Heyman notes that Colorado has gotten “many calls” […]

The Chicago Cubs seem to want to slash payroll while also shaking up the roster in general, and two of their top players could be available via trade as a result. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, both third baseman Kris Bryant and catcher Willson Contreras are “in play,” with Sherman noting […]

The New York Yankees won the biggest prize of the MLB offseason on Tuesday night, striking a nine-year, $324 million deal with ace right-hander Gerrit Cole. And apparently, no one else even came close. Jorge Castillo of The Los Angeles Times notes two other known offers for Cole. The Los Angeles Dodgers put eight years […]

The New York Yankees won the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes, agreeing with the ace right-hander on a massive nine-year, $324 million deal on Tuesday night. The contract shattered the record for pitchers, as Stephen Strasburg had previously broken the record this past Monday when he inked a seven-year, $245 million pact to remain with the Washington […]

Does Odell Beckham Jr. want out of Cleveland? No one knows for sure, but recent reports have stated that the Browns wide receiver has been telling opponents throughout the season to come and get him via trade. That’s a clear indication that he is not too pleased with his current situation if those are indeed […]