Current Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson played football at the University of North Carolina as a walk-on quarterback under offensive coordinator John Shoop, who also happened to be the Bears’ play-caller in 2001.
Shoop, serving as offensive coordinator under then-head coach Dick Jauron when Chicago visited Cincinnati on Oct. 21, 2001, played a formative role in Johnson’s coaching development. Johnson has credited Shoop as one of his biggest mentors, and it seems fitting that we revis...
The New England Patriots have played two games versus NFC South teams so far, winning both by a combined score of 67-32. In order to make it 3-0 against the division, they will have to beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. An up-and-down team so far this season, the Falcons have played some good football […]
A look at the projected lineups and pre-game interviews.
Every week here at Blogging the Boys we spotlight the biggest college matchups and the players who could soon wear the Star. If you want to get a jump on who might help America’s Team in the years to come, this is your weekly college football guide. (For teams previously covered in other weeks, we move down […]
Fans of the Carolina Panthers are rather expert at spotting a head coach who isn’t going to last. Team owner David Tepper may have a reputation for an itchy trigger finger when it comes to his head coaches, but he has yet to fire somebody who the fanbase hadn’t already soured on. Ron Rivera, Matt […]
The Cleveland Browns are regrouping in Week 9, while on their bye, as the NFL trade deadline looms in just a couple of days. The big rumors surround DE Myles Garrett, although a report was definitive that he is not going anywhere, and TE David Njoku, among others. A season that had a little bit […]
How to watch: Sat, 11/01 , 10:15 PM/EST – ESPN As the 2026 NFL Draft cycle quietly starts taking shape, one name beginning to climb onto the radar of scouts and potentially the Jets is Brendan Sorsby. The former Indiana transfer has found his groove at his new program, showing the kind of composure, accuracy, […]
We’re back from the bye and it’s time for our weekly tradition of predicting Las Vegas Raiders games on Saturday. I’m coming out of the bye with a 6-1 record in Raiders games this season. I follow trends and the Raiders have been trending down. Yes, though, their Week 9 opponent, the visiiting Jacksonville Jaguars, […]
The Miami Dolphins offense continues to leave opportunities on the field, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks is fed up with it.
In 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub has spent much of his time answering questions about the struggles of kicker Harrison Butker, who has missed a total of six field goals and extra points this season. Over the last two games, however, there has been less focus […]
Commanders links Articles ESPN Commanders trying to revive run game vs. Seahawks, Lions In early October, the Washington Commanders capped off their fifth game of the season doing what they had done in most of the first four: run the ball well. It led to a double-digit road win at the Los Angeles Chargers. The […]
This summer, I took the opportunity to survey the landscape of Chicago Bears rivalries entering the 2025 NFL season. This included a ranking of the team’s (or fanbase’s) ten biggest rivals, with three honorable mentions thrown in for good measure: My ranking took a number of factors into consideration, but now that the we are […]
As fans take the bye week to reflect on the first eight weeks of the season, it is a good time to consider what the Cleveland Browns’ goal was going into this season. After a three-win season in 2025 and the knowledge that the team has two first-round draft picks in the 2026 NFL draft, […]
Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (8-2-2, 18 points, 1st place Metropolitan Division) @ Winnipeg Jets (8-3-0, 16 points, 2nd place Central Division) When: 3:00 p.m. ET How to Watch: Broadcast in the local market on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, TSN3 in Canada, streaming on ESPN+ Pens’ Path Ahead: This road trip wraps up Monday with a 7:30 p.m. ET game against the Toronto […]
Things happen every game in the game of American Football that we don’t even think about. Like, how did the goalposts go from an “H” to the way they are constructed now? Where did hash marks come from? Why is it four downs to make 10 yards? How did the “quarterback” get its name? What […]
Welcome back to another mailbag. This one comes after a strange loss to the Houston Texans. The 49ers are traveling to the East Coast again to face the New York Giants. I see the 49ers winning this one, but I’m not going to be surprised if some crazy shenanigans and injuries cost them the game. […]
Following their third consecutive win — a 28-7 defeat of the Washington Commanders — the Kansas City Chiefs are taking their 5-3 record back on the road to face the Buffalo Bills in a critical AFC West showdown. Here’s what I’ll be wondering as the Week 9 matchup gets underway. 1. How well can Kansas […]
The 2025 season is done. It is time to start looking ahead. Hope replaces disappointment. The off-season has not really started yet, although the talking about the off-season is well underway. Lots of people have lots of ideas about how to improve this roster. Of course, the only people who really count in this are […]
Seattle’s inaugural PWHL training camp is here. High energy, high expectations, and a whole lot to prove.
It’s time to fire up another game of Madden 26 to help us preview the Detroit Lions’ next matchup. This week, the virtual Lions take on the virtual Minnesota Vikings in the third divisional matchup of the year for the home team. This year’s virtual Lions are just 3-4 on the season, but Madden correctly […]
In Today’s Links: our Seattle Seahawks O has shown improvement in less-than-expected ways, numbers of note regarding the big SNF match-up with the Commanders, Jayden Daniels injury update, Tory Horton is already a winner, Coach Macdonald presser, and much, much more. Dive in, get sloppy, and bathe yourself in the knowledge and the information that […]
Will the real Dallas Cowboys please stand up? After yet another loss, this time a 44-24 drubbing on the road to the Broncos, it’s becoming exceedingly more difficult to pin down this team. There’s a few reasons for that, but the biggest factor that sticks out is the home/away splits. When playing in Dallas, the […]
The latest The Best NFL Bets for Week 9 | The Ringer Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (+2) The market has really fallen in love with the Chiefs: They are now power rated as the clear best team in the NFL following their 28-7 win on Monday Night Football against the Commanders. Given Buffalo’s general defensive issues and […]
The Los Angeles Rams return from their bye week tied with the Seahawks atop the NFC West at 5-2. For the Rams to retain their hold on the division crown, they must maintain their hot start to the season and not fall victim to trap games—like the one on Sunday against the Saints. So, will […]
Interview with the Enemy: Los Angeles Rams A perspective from the other side One Trade That Makes Sense for Every Team Before 2025 NFL Deadline The Saints may be the perfect trade partner with many teams. Isaiah Stalbird’s ‘effortless speed’ caught the Saints eye and earned him a defensive role One of the young bright […]