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

Does anyone want to win the NFC South?

The NFC South is the only division in football without a team above .500 after Week 7.

Watch: Giants make goal line stand vs. Jaguars as time expires

 When people say football is a game of inches in the future, they'll likely use the ending of Sunday's Jaguars-Giants game as evidence of why.

Watch: Packers come close to pulling off backward lateral on final play

There might not be a play more chaotic in football than the backward lateral.

Joe Burrow's historic day has Cincinnati finding its groove at the right time

Through five games in 2022, the Bengals averaged 21.6 points, and they've scored over 30 points in back-to-back games, averaging 32.5 points.

Crazy frogs: No. 8 TCU's magical season continues in win versus No. 17 Kansas State

 For the second week in a row, No. 8 TCU looked like their magic carpet ride was coming to an end. Each week, they've proven just how magical their season has become.

Watch: South Carolina's 100-yard opening kickoff for TD kickstarts win over Texas A&M

South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette made sure Saturday night's start was even uglier for Texas A&M.

We don't know Bo: How No. 10 Oregon, Bo Nix proved doubters wrong with win over No. 9 UCLA

No. 10 Oregon Ducks (6-1, 4-0 in Pac-12) won handily, 45-30 against No. 9 UCLA (6-1, 3-1 in Pac-12) and were led by their transfer QB.

LSU takes control of SEC West with dominant win over No. 7 Ole Miss

For a team that averaged 5.5 wins the past two seasons, LSU wasn't supposed to be in contention for an SEC title this late into the season.

Adam Silver: NBA floated idea of relegation to combat tanking

Silver was quick to admit relegation is not feasible now or in the immediate future.

Jeremy Pena's emergence keying Houston Astros' postseason streak

The hits have kept coming for Pena, and his bat is a huge reason why the Houston Astros are now just two wins away from another American League pennant.

Russell Wilson out vs. Jets with hamstring injury

 Broncos' country, let’s ride the bench. Quarterback Russell Wilson (hamstring) will sit this week, head coach Nathaniel Hackett announced. The move will allow Wilson a chance to recover, both from the hits he’s taken on the field and off of it.

The new Fab Four: Jonas Valanciunas' surprising engine driving Pelicans' 2-0 start

There's a Fab Four brewing in New Orleans, and it's center Jonas Valanciunas who has been the Pels' best player so far this season.

Christopher Bell is the driver most impacted by Bubba Wallace-Kyle Larson incident

With the altercation threatening Christopher Bell's place in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as the season reaches its climax, the Wallace-Larson incident's shadow is guaranteed to extend beyond the Las Vegas track.

NFL insider Jay Glazer: Sean Payton 'ain't going' to Carolina

Per Glazer, the Panthers' front office reached out to gauge Sean Payton's interest in the team's head-coaching position.

Pick your poison: Two unsatisfying options at QB have the Saints in a bad place

It wasn't long ago that the New Orleans Saints were forcing defenses to pick their poison between focusing on either running back Alvin Kamara or wide receiver Michael Thomas.  This year, it's the Saints picking the poison.

49ers' blockbuster trade for Christian McCaffrey increases Super Bowl odds

Per OddsChecker, the move quickly lifted San Francisco's title odds to the most popular bet in football.

Gold rush: Christian McCaffrey traded to 49ers

Christian McCaffrey is heading back to the Bay Area.

Watch: Cardinals defense comes up huge with back-to-back pick-sixes in wild sequence

The Cardinals defense made Andy Dalton look foolish as his nightmarish prime-time resume continues with pick-sixes on back-to-back possessions.

Watch: Saints WR Rashid Shaheed scores TD on 53-yard bomb

Quarterback Andy Dalton placed the ball perfectly, and the undrafted rookie out of Weber State made magic happen for the second week in a row.

Bailey Zappe already in Patriots Hall of Fame

Thanks to his record-setting stretch, the Patriots' Hall of Fame made sure Zappe's contributions won't soon be forgotten.

Stunning stat reveals how little support LeBron James has had from Anthony Davis

While much of the Lakers' 2021-22 struggles were blamed on guard Russell Westbrook, it's Davis who is more responsible for the mostly lackluster results for the organization since his arrival outside of the pandemic-altered 2019-20 campaign.

LSU presents challenge to No. 7 Ole Miss's goal of winning SEC Championship 

The Rebels (7-0, 3-0 in SEC) are the last remaining undefeated team in the SEC West, so they have as good a shot as they've had in years to get over the hump.

Everything must go: Could Saints be sellers at the deadline?

The Saints are fast-approaching the end times as far as this current roster construction is concerned.

Zion Williamson's return went better than anyone could have hoped

Williamson imposed his will in the Pelicans' 130-108 beatdown of the Brooklyn Nets, using his massive frame to bully his way into the paint.

Taysom time? Why more Taysom Hill could help Saints get over the hump

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen declined to name a starting quarterback ahead of Thursday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals with both Jameis Winston (back, ankle) and Andy Dalton (back) missing time at practice this week.