Yardbarker

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans. You can find him on Twitter/X and Threads at @ericsmithling and at Bluesky at @ericsmithling.bsky.social.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, College Football, NBA, Men's and Women's College Basketball, NHL

Surprising reason Josh McDaniels' coaching future is already determined

Josh McDaniels will likely remain with the Las Vegas Raiders past this season despite the team’s dreadful start.

Ja rules? Adrian Wojnarowski weighs in on MVP race

Is Morant positioning himself to take home the MVP award this season?

Redemption song: Why Jets QB Zach Wilson is most important player ahead of rematch with Patriots

For the New York Jets to beat the division-rival New England Patriots on Sunday, the team will need QB Zach Wilson to redeem himself after a disastrous outing against the Patriots on Oct. 30.

Pump the brakes on Vikings as Super Bowl contenders

A thrilling win over Super Bowl contender Buffalo does not mean the Minnesota Vikings are contenders themselves. Pump the brakes on including them among the teams capable of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

The one scenario that could cause the most chaos in the College Football Playoff

Chaos reigns supreme in college football, but three SEC teams in the playoff? While unheard of, it's in play with three weeks until the final College Football Playoff rankings are revealed.

Three-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo makes free agency decision with multi-year deal

The three-time All-Star hit 32 home runs for the Yankees in 2022 and reportedly was drawing interest from many teams.

The CFP laid out the blueprint for USC and Clemson to clinch years ago

When push comes to shove, don't be surprised if a one-loss Pac-12 or ACC champion leapfrogs Tennessee and the loser of Michigan-Ohio State when the final rankings are released Dec. 4.

Packers' latest move yet another example of troubling trend

The Green Bay Packers' failure to properly scout and develop talent has been a problem, and Tuesday’s announcement is more evidence of where the franchise consistently comes up short.

Rams' title defense already appears to be up in smoke

Injuries and ineptitude have the Rams looking like the rare defending Super Bowl champ that could miss the playoffs.

USMNT adds LGBTQ+ flag logo ahead of Qatar World Cup

 In a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, the United States Men's National Soccer Team adopted the colors of the pride flag for its logo ahead of the controversial World Cup hosted in Qatar.

Bye weeks, injuries at wide receiver have big fantasy implications

 As much of a crapshoot as fantasy football is, it's important to have plug-and-play options that are guaranteed to score points. Many of those players at the wide receiver position won't be available this weekend.

Antonio Brown posts screenshot of alleged text where Tom Brady keeps it real

Antonio Brown posted a screenshot of a text message allegedly from Tom Brady on social media that we're guessing didn't have the intended impact Brown hoped it would.

Why Monday night's win has Washington back in the Chase

 Chase Young is set to make his 2022 season debut for the Washington Commanders this Sunday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.  The announcement comes a day after Washington (5-5) secured its biggest regular season win of the year, 32-21 over the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles (8-1).

Philadelphia is human after all — Commanders end Eagles unbeaten run

The loss doesn't knock the Eagles from first in the NFC, but it does show they aren't as far ahead of the pack as their record coming into Monday night's game indicated.

Missed facemask call has huge implications in Eagles-Commanders

Is there such a thing as an NFL game not impacted by officiating?

Former Dodgers star Yasiel Puig placed 899 illegal bets in three months, DOJ report states

Per the release, Puig "agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge for lying to federal law enforcement officials about bets on sports events that he placed with an illegal gambling operation."

Why John Denver was the real MVP of the NFL's Germany game

Move over, David Hasselhoff. There's a new American that Germans have an irrational love of and it's... John Denver.

'It's the shoes': Why footwear is to blame for Cowboys' loss to Green Bay

Per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, tight end Dalton Schultz lamented the team's loss on everyone not being on the same page when it came to wearing cleats with long enough spikes.

West Virginia QB JT Daniels' journey hits another obstacle after benching 

Daniels' winding collegiate journey hit another snag on Saturday.

Was Justin Jefferson's catch the best ever?

Justin Jefferson's catch Sunday - you know the one - was quickly considered by some to best the greatest catch ever made. There have been so many incredible receptions throughout NFL history, but it's hard to argue against Jefferson's being the best.

Bills' absurd game vs. Vikings is par the course for franchise

Sunday's loss to Minnesota shouldn't change how we view the Bills.

Raiders roasted after losing to Colts in Jeff Saturday's coaching debut

The Las Vegas Raiders didn't blow a 17-point lead on Sunday. They did something much worse.

Watch: Vikings come back from 17-point deficit to take lead on shocking play

Minnesota-Buffalo became the game of the year thanks to a dizzying sequence to end the fourth quarter. The Bills appeared to have pulled out a thrilling victory with a goal-line stand on fourth-and-inches with 50 seconds remaining.

Brian Kelly heading to SEC Championship Game in first year as LSU head coach

LSU (8-2, 6-1 in SEC) made a shocking splash when it landed Kelly, poaching him from the storied Notre Dame program.

CFB world reacts to Harold Perkins' remarkable performance

The freshman linebacker was the best player on the field Saturday and had his fingerprints all over the game.