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Just moments after the Dallas Cowboys missed a huge opportunity to challenge what would've potentially been a game-changing turnover, safety Jayron Kearse became the target of the zebras as he laid a big-time hit on Buffalo Bills WR Khalil Shakir.
Instead of forcing the Bills to third-and-nineteen, it was a first down for Josh Allen and friends, extending a drive that would end in a touchdown and a 21-3 score which basically secured the home team's chances of winning the ballgame.
Specifically, Kearse was called for a personal foul for "unnecessary roughness" after hitting Shakir. The Cowboys safety took to Twitter/X to voice his frustration, directly tagging the NFL Officiating account.
In the tweet, Kearse lays out his case, arguing that he "didn’t lower head/shoulder, didn’t make contact with crown of (the) helmet" and attaching video of the play, which you can see below.
Didn’t lower head/shoulder, didn’t make contact with crown of my helmet. What am I supposed to do @NFLOfficiating pic.twitter.com/qFQp4Vvebt
— JK (@Jayronkearse8) December 18, 2023
Is Jayron Kearse right about the play, though?
As much as I understand Kearse's frustration in an NFL that consistently takes care of offenses over defenses (Micah Parsons hasn't drawn a holding call in over two months, which is objectively hilarious), the truth is you see this call every week in the league.
Kearse is leaving his feet to hit a defenseless player (per the rulebook, a "receiver attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner") and "forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder," which is prohibited contact against a defenseless player.
While Kearse is right in noting that he didn't lower his helmet nor did he hit Shakir with the crown of his helmet, the rules (unfair or not) still call for a flag in this situation for other reasons.
I can't say I'm a fan of the Cowboys safety's response to the situation considering that call was only a small part of the problem. The defense allowed 351 yards of offense even though Josh Allen completed only seven passes in 15 attempts. But I can understand it, especially considering we'll likely be talking about a fine for the veteran next weekend.
To be fair to Kearse, he was put in an uncomfortable position roaming centerfield as the team's free safety in place of Malik Hooker, who missed the game with a shoulder injury. His absence proved costly as Kearse didn't have the best game at free safety and simultaneously was taken out of the box, eliminating he's usual impact versus the run.
More must-reads:
- Commanders' Jayden Daniels expands on prediction for Terry McLaurin contract standoff
- Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
- The 'NFL QBs with the most games started' quiz
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Bill Belichick takes another shot at Patriots owner Robert Kraft
It is no secret that the relationship between Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft has been strained since Belichick left the New England Patriots. Belichick took an obvious shot at Kraft and the Patriots owner's son, Jonathan, who is the president of the team, during an interview with Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that was published on Thursday. Belichick is preparing for his first-ever season as a college coach with North Carolina. When asked what he has noticed that is different about coaching in college versus the NFL, Belichick insinuated he has enjoyed not having to answer to any members of the Kraft family while doing his job in Chapel Hill. "It’s a much more cohesive, and I’d say unified, view of what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it," Belichick told Volin. "It’s a lot of football, and there’s not much in your way. "There’s no owner, there’s no owner’s son. There’s no cap, everything that goes with the marketing and everything else, which I’m all for that. But it’s way less of what it was at that level." Shots fired. There is no way to interpret that other than a criticism of Robert and Jonathan Kraft. Had Belichick left it at not having to answer to a team owner, you could make the case that he was speaking generally about the NFL. The fact that he added in "owner's son" makes it obvious he was referring to his old bosses, as both Robert and Jonathan are hands-on with the Patriots. Belichick is almost certainly bitter over the way his tenure in New England ended following the 2023 season. He coached the Patriots for 24 seasons and won six Super Bowls, so he likely felt he should have been given more time to turn things around in the post-Tom Brady era. The Kraft family preferred to move on after a 4-13 campaign. Though Belichick insists he is solely focused on the upcoming UNC season, this is not the first time in recent months that he has gone out of his way to throw a jab at Robert Kraft.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
Previous reports indicated that unsettled Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was looking to land "parts" of the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. For an article published on Wednesday morning, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic offered an update regarding why McLaurin and the Commanders haven't come to terms on an extension after the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "One person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations said the veteran receiver has asked for more than DK Metcalf," Jhabvala revealed. McLaurin is in the final year of his current deal and will turn 30 years old in September. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 in December. That said, McLaurin emerged last season as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels guided the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. "McLaurin believes he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL," Jhabvala added. "He’s been the Commanders' leading receiver every season since he entered the league (in 2019), and last year had the second-most receiving TDs in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. He also ranked third in (expected points added) on targets and seventh in catch rate among receivers with at least 100 targets last year, but among that same group, McLaurin’s total receiving yards (1,096) ranked 12th and his average yards after the catch ranked 25th." Daniels seemed optimistic while speaking about the ongoing contract standoff during the ESPN broadcast of Monday's preseason game between the Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals when he said he knew McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." However, Jhabvala noted that "it wouldn’t be a surprise if the [Commanders have] set a maximum range of $27M to $28M a year in average annual value for McLaurin." That seems to suggest the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on an agreement. It's unclear if McLaurin is willing to forfeit money by sitting out Washington's Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 amid his desire for a pay raise. If he isn't, he may have to soon accept the offer that's on the table to guarantee himself future earnings beyond the upcoming season.
'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
Yankees' continued defensive meltdowns hurt them again against Red Sox
The New York Yankees can hit the baseball out of the ballpark as well as any team in the major leagues, and that will always give them a chance to win any game. They also field the baseball as poorly as any team in the major leagues, and that can cost them games. The latter issue was on display once again on Thursday night in a 6-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox to kick off an absolutely massive four-game series in the American League wild-card race. Not only did the Yankees lose to allow Boston to keep gaining ground in the standings, but they also kind of gave it away in the field. The issues started in the top of the second inning when the Yankees made three errors, including a throwing error from catcher Ben Rice to bring in Boston's first run. The fielding miscues continued in the top of the ninth when first baseman Paul Goldschmidt committed the Yankees' fourth error of the game, allowing the inning to extend for Roman Anthony to come to bat. He used that at-bat to pretty much put the game out of reach with an absolute moonshot of a home run. These fundamental errors and mistakes were a problem for the Yankees a year ago, and they remain a problem now. They are also not going away anytime soon, and they keep showing in big moments — and in big games. Until they figure out a way to get that changed — and it might be too late for this roster to do so — they are going to have some big concerns going into October. Hitting home runs is great. But not consistently making routine mistakes and giving good teams extra outs is the type of thing that not even home runs can always overcome. Overall, the Yankees are a very good team. Until they clean up these mistakes, they won't be a great team.
Former Alabama QB has bold prediction for Kalen DeBoer, Ty Simpson
Greg McElroy may have a slight bias towards the Alabama Crimson Tide. He did play there, after all, and he helped the Tide with the 2010 BCS title game. So yes, the former Alabama quarterback turned ESPN commentator might be partial to the Crimson Tide, but he did make some good points recently when giving a prediction for the 2025 SEC Championship game on the "Always College Football" Podcast. McElroy predicts that in head coach Kalen DeBoer's second season, the Tide will make the SEC Championship game. He sees them facing off with Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns, though he does see Texas winning that game. “I just think with some of the youth that Texas has, particularly at quarterback, particular at wide receiver and some of the guys that will be rolling in on defense, they’re a little bit deeper and have a slightly higher ceiling than Alabama at this point," McElroy said (h/t On3). Losing the SEC Championship game would be disappointing in Tuscaloosa, but it is a step up from last season when DeBoer went 9-4 with an embarrassing 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Alabama being in the SEC title game would certainly mean that the Tide would be in the College Football Playoff conversation, and that's really the minimum standard in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban brought six national championships home. For what it's worth, McElroy does think DeBoer has the pieces to be a contender this season, though, and it starts with newly named starting quarterback Ty Simpson. "I think Ty Simpson, their new starting quarterback, is a great fit for what Kalen DeBoer wants them to to be," McElroy explained. "He’s going to be a distributor, he’s going to get the ball out of his hands quickly, he’s going to make great decisions, he’s not going to put the defense in harm’s way by turning it over. I think Alabama is poised to make a run this year in a lot of different areas" A run to the SEC title game and CFP would be a huge step up for DeBoer in Year 2. Alabama fans will certainly be hoping that McElroy's bold prediction will come true.
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