Travis Kelce deftly avoided a Taylor Swift and Chiefs referee conspiracy question
This Kansas City Chiefs referee conspiracy stuff has gotten WAY out of hand, so much so that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed it, as did the NFL Referees Association.
And of course on Super Bowl Opening Night, someone — it appears to be Rich Shertenlieb, the former Toucher and Rich co-host — asked Travis Kelce what he loves more: Taylor Swift or 'phantom 15-yard roughing the passer penalties in the playoffs.'
Kelce handled it perfectly: 'That's a good question. Anybody else?'
You can also see Shertenlieb ask Patrick Mahomes who his favorite referee is. These guys are pros for handling these questions.
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New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
Assessing Ravens' pending roster competitions ahead of minicamp
Eleven of the top 12 Ravens in offensive snaps last year remain on Baltimore's roster, with the exception being 17-game starting offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, who signed with Jacksonville in free agency. Ten of the 12 leaders in defensive snaps also return, and safety Marcus Williams, one of the two who doesn't (cornerback Brandon Stephens is the other), was a healthy scratch for the final month-plus of the 2024 season. Advertisement Most of the Ravens' offseason departures were reserves or role players who were replaced by select free-agent signings and an 11-man draft class. Injuries are always a threat, and the Ravens already took a hit when defensive back Ar'Darius Washington tore his Achilles during a workout last month. Otherwise, at least on paper, the Ravens won't start training camp next month with too many spots unaccounted for on their regular-season roster, never mind questions about their projected starters. Just look at the wide receiver position, where the Ravens traditionally have a few jobs to win. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins are entrenched as the top three with Tylan Wallace, a core special-teamer who played 275 offensive snaps last year, and 2024 fourth-round pick Devontez Walker, who's looked like one of the team's most improved players in the offseason workouts, behind them. If the Ravens take a sixth receiver, it will likely be a punt returner, possibly sixth-round rookie LaJohntay Wester. That doesn't mean Wester won't ultimately contribute on offense, but his path to the 53-man roster is through a return role. Cooper Rush is Lamar Jackson's new backup, and the Ravens' highly productive tight end group is intact from last year. As long as Keaton Mitchell is healthy, the Ravens are set with their top three running backs, too, and the only question would be if they keep a fourth. Arguably, the team's two biggest starting position battles this summer will be at left guard and inside linebacker. The favorites to win those spots began the 2024 season as starters. Still, depth is critically important for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, and this week's mandatory minicamp, which starts Tuesday, will provide the most extensive look yet at Baltimore's roster. It will also preview some of the roster decisions that will need to be made later this summer. Advertisement Below are some of the more intriguing ones. The competitors: Ben Cleveland, Andrew Vorhees The favorite: Vorhees The Ravens could have other younger linemen emerge as options, but it would be surprising if the Week 1 starter isn't Vorhees. He started the opener last year before ultimately losing his job, partly due to an ankle injury. Given another opportunity in Week 18 against the Cleveland Browns, Vorhees looked like a different player, which was an encouraging sign for the team's decision-makers. Cleveland is entering his fifth season in Baltimore, and it seems clear the coaching staff doesn't see him as an every-week starter or he would have gotten that opportunity by now. Also, Cleveland is subject to potential league discipline for his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in February. Third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. could become an option at some point, but he's already missed a ton of important reps as he recovers from a shoulder injury. The Ravens have also maintained that they are initially focused on evaluating him at tackle, his natural position. The competitors: Corey Bullock, Ben Cleveland, Darrian Dalcourt, Garrett Dellinger, Joseph Noteboom, Nick Samac, Carson Vinson The favorites: Cleveland, Dellinger, Noteboom, Vinson The Ravens typically carry nine or 10 offensive linemen, and this season figures to be no different. Operating under the assumption that the starting offensive line will be Ronnie Stanley, Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele and Roger Rosengarten, and that Jones will occupy one of the reserve roles, and that leaves three or four spots to be filled. Baltimore likes having an experienced swing tackle, so Noteboom, who has made 35 career starts, is close to a lock. Vinson and Dellinger are rookie Day 3 draft picks, so they'll get every opportunity to earn a spot. The team seemed particularly excited about getting Dellinger in the seventh round. If Cleveland has to serve a suspension, that would create another opening. Advertisement The competitors: Malik Hamm, Adisa Isaac, David Ojabo The favorite: Isaac Keeping six outside linebackers would be prohibitive to the rest of the roster, so something has to give here. The Ravens return starters Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, who both had double-digit sacks last year, and Tavius Robinson, who the coaches love. They then added second-round pick Mike Green, one of the better edge rushers in the draft. It seems highly unlikely that they'd move on this early from Isaac, a third-round pick last year who barely played as a rookie because of injuries. Coach John Harbaugh spoke excitedly about him last week. That would leave Ojabo, a second-round pick in 2022 who has struggled to find his NFL footing, and Hamm, a local product who has stuck around the past two years, on the outside looking in. The competitors: Teddye Buchanan, Trenton Simpson The favorite: Simpson Harbaugh said he fully expects Simpson to start alongside Roquan Smith on early downs, but that was before the Ravens used a fourth-round pick on Buchanan, an intriguing prospect. Still, Simpson remains the favorite. After losing his starting job late last season, Simpson worked hard this offseason and has shown he has an even better grasp of Baltimore's defense. He essentially has a two-year head start on Buchanan, but the rookie has the tools and athleticism to flash early. The Ravens likely won't be in their base defense too often, so whoever wins this job may not play a ton of snaps. The competitors: Jalyn Armour-Davis, Chidobe Awuzie, Bilhal Kone, Robert Longerbeam, T.J. Tampa The favorites: Awuzie, Tampa The Ravens love loading the field with defensive backs, meaning there should be snaps available for corners not named Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. Awuzie played just eight games last year for the Tennessee Titans. The Ravens faced him for years in Cincinnati and have a lot of respect for his game. He was signed with the No. 3 cornerback role in mind. Tampa, though, is a guy the team is high on. The 2024 fourth-round pick barely got on the field because of injuries during his rookie season, but the Ravens love his size and length and expect him to contribute defensively this year. Baltimore felt really good about getting both Kone and Longerbeam late on Day 3 of the draft, yet it would be a lot to ask for rookie sixth-round picks to secure an immediate role with a veteran group. Adding free agent Jaire Alexander would change the complexion of things at cornerback. The competitors: Beau Brade, Sanoussi Kane The favorite: Kane It's possible the team's No. 3 safety in September isn't currently on the roster. There are quite a few free-agent safeties still available, including Justin Simmons, Julian Blackmon and Quandre Diggs. Washington's injury — he will miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season — has left the Ravens thin at the position. It's also possible they envision a natural corner, such as Awuzie or Armour-Davis, stepping into that role, particularly if Baltimore signs another cornerback in the coming weeks. Advertisement Of the in-house options, Kane may make the most sense. A core special-teamer last year, Kane looks to have leaned up this offseason and was around the football a good amount during OTAs. It would also be foolish to count out Brade, an undrafted free agent last year who looked the part when given opportunities to play in the preseason. Brade sustained an ankle injury last week, but he should be ready by training camp. The competitors: John Hoyland, Tyler Loop The favorite: Loop Both rookie kickers had good days and bad days during OTAs, setting the stage for what will likely be the most scrutinized position battle of training camp. Loop, the sixth-round pick out of Arizona, will get every opportunity to win the job. He was the guy senior special teams coach and kicking guru Randy Brown wanted after an exhaustive evaluation of the draft-eligible kickers. By all accounts, Loop was kicking really well before he missed 4 of 9 attempts — all from 50-plus yards — with owner Steve Bisciotti looking on at the final OTA last week. Meanwhile, Hoyland, an undrafted rookie out of Wyoming, made all six of his attempts a day earlier. Brown and the Ravens won't overreact to one practice. Loop is still the favorite heading into training camp, but Hoyland seems intent on making this a legitimate competition. The competitors: Kickoff return — Rasheen Ali, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell, LaJohntay Wester Punt return — Anthony Miller, Dayton Wade, Tylan Wallace, Wester The favorites: Kickoff return — Mitchell Punt return — Wester Mitchell, who is much healthier and confident now than he was when returning from a significant injury last season, made clear last week that he wants the kick return job. Harbaugh also acknowledged that team officials noted the success of running backs under the new kickoff return rules last year. Using the explosive Mitchell on returns would be a good way for the Ravens to get the ball in his hands a few more times a game. Advertisement They drafted Wester in the sixth round out of Colorado because of his return ability. He averaged 12.0 yards per punt return and took two of his 23 returns over his final two college seasons back for touchdowns. A late-round rookie won't have a long leash, so Wester is going to have to display good ball security and decision-making. If he falters, Wallace could be the contingency plan. (Top photo of Trenton Simpson: Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Buffalo Bills who could never beat Bill Belichick marvel as mysticism fades: ‘His image has changed'
It's like learning Clint Eastwood doesn't know how to load his .44 magnum, Idris Elba can't tie a Windsor knot, Steve McQueen couldn't drive a stick shift and Prince's lost tapes are just him playing the accordion. Much of Bill Belichick's menacing aura has evaporated into the ether, never to return. Advertisement His signature schlubby sideline appearance aside, Belichick established an impeccable reputation through years of dominance and cold control over all aspects of his football enterprise and his personal life. Then he started dating Jordon Hudson, nearly five decades his junior. If there was a Venn diagram of the New England Patriots' dominance under Belichick's watch and the Buffalo Bills' 17-year playoff void, then there would be only one circle. As players from those forsaken seasons see what Belichick and his girlfriend are up to these days, many wonder whatever happened to that ominous Belichick mystique. This is the guy they couldn't beat for two decades? 'All the distractions that he talked against,' laughed former Bills defensive back/linebacker Bryan Scott, 'that's why he's in the headlines.' Do your job. No days off. Put the team first. Personal accountability. Commitment, discipline, focus. These beliefs comprise Belichick's core messaging, known collectively as The Patriot Way, an ethos that helped them reach nine Super Bowls and win six. Only Don Shula and George Halas compiled more NFL victories than Belichick's 333, including the postseason. And no team suffered more than the Bills. He went 37-12 against them as the Patriots' coach and from 2003 through 2010 won 15 straight in the series. 'It's kind of odd to see how the narrative has changed surrounding him, but everybody rediscovers themselves and goes through phases,' said a chuckling Jairus Byrd, the Bills' three-time Pro Bowl safety and the NFL's interception king as a rookie. 'Maybe this is just the phase of life where he's at right now.' A popular debate was whether Belichick or all-world quarterback Tom Brady meant more to the Patriots' dynasty. The discussion skewed toward Brady when he won another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Belichick struggled without him. Advertisement Belichick's reputation as a lockdown overlord hasn't subsisted since he undertook the University of North Carolina program and his 24-year-old girlfriend has become popular fodder for celebrity gossip magazines and sports outlets alike. 'It's kind of funny,' former Bills captain and defensive end Chris Kelsay said. 'It's not very reflective of the person we always thought him to be, competing against him and his teams for, in my case, 10 years. He's one of those guys that you would never expect to change, right? It worked for him for so long. 'I don't follow the media a ton as far as college football goes, but some of the headlines are unavoidable.' We didn't know much about Belichick's depth charts, let alone his ex-wife or his subsequent, longtime girlfriend. Hardcore NFL fans couldn't pick them out of a lineup. But right in front of Belichick at 'The Roast of Tom Brady,' players made lewd jokes about the May-December romance with Hudson. We've seen red-carpet photos of Belichick and Hudson all over the place. She posts candids on her social media to get people talking. A recent example showed them on a Florida beach, Belichick on his back, her in a swimsuit and propped on his raised feet for an airplane ride. She placed third in the Miss Maine USA pageant last month. That publicity is purposeful and authorized. Belichick and Hudson have generated a lot of unintentional attention too. There was the 'CBS Sunday Morning' clip of an off-camera Hudson interrupting an interview to promote Belichick's book, 'The Art of Winning.' She objected to co-host Tony Dokoupil asking Belichick how he and Hudson met in 2021 (she would have been a Bridgewater State University student at the time). Podcaster and TV host Pablo Torre reported significant friction between Hudson and North Carolina's athletics department and that Belichick's children (all of them older than Hudson) have grown increasingly worried the relationship is damaging Belichick's legacy. TMZ Sports reported last month that Hudson and Belichick's ex-girlfriend/former foundation director, Linda Holliday, had a confrontation when Hudson surprisingly turned up at Holliday's annual charity Christmas gala on Nantucket Island. Advertisement 'Before, he had it locked down in New England and it built that level of mystique,' said Byrd, who also played for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. 'You wondered what you didn't know about. 'I would hope he's judged on the merits of what he's done. But it has to do with where we are right now in time. People might think first about him having this 24-year-old girlfriend. His image has changed.' Belichick tolerated zero nonsense; now he seems knee-deep in it. Consider how opposing colleges will greet Belichick on their campuses and in their stadiums. All-Pro edge rusher Shawne Merriman played for UNC rival Maryland and knows ACC fans won't be kind to Belichick or Hudson. 'People are going to have T-shirts and signs,' said Merriman, the San Diego Chargers star who spent his final two seasons during the Bills' drought. 'I would let him have it pregame, for sure. I would've talked trash about the picture of them at the beach and him holding her up, something to get under his skin at some point. 'But I don't know if you can ever get to somebody like him. You have to be so thick-skinned. To win like he did, I don't want to say you have to be a psychopath, but you've got to be a little deranged to spend that much time in the office, breaking down film, meetings. It's got to be your life, and you don't get there without being locked in totally.' Belichick's tunnel vision was evident when he coached the 2006-07 Pro Bowl. Merriman missed fellow drought defensive end Aaron Schobel by two years in Buffalo, but they started together for Belichick in what is supposed to be a casual exhibition. Schobel, barely suppressing a laugh, declined to discuss Belichick's newly public life. Schobel said little can change his opinion of the coach who beat him 15 times and then somehow turned the Pro Bowl into a dogfight. Advertisement 'That game got real,' Schobel said. 'By the end, it was full-speed. We were going.' We remember that's the game Washington safety Sean Taylor detonated Bills punter Brian Moorman on an unsuccessful fake, but it was a remarkable contest that Belichick insisted his roster practiced hard for in Honolulu. In the fourth quarter, Schobel tackled running back Tiki Barber for a 3-yard loss, stuffed quarterback Tony Romo for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1 and, after the NFC recovered an onside kick, sacked Romo on the next snap. Two plays later, Merriman forced a Romo fumble. AFC kicker Nate Kaeding made a 21-yard field goal as time expired to win 31-28. 'The way Belichick talked to us was something I'd never heard,' Schobel said. 'He went in there at halftime and corrected every position. 'We need to do this with our tight ends up the middle. The pass rushers are running upfield too much. You're hurting us because of this, this and this.' 'I was in my sixth season by then but hadn't had a lot of that kind of talk from a head coach. We would hear individualized feedback from our position coaches, and the head coach would be more like 'Let's go out there and play hard.' What Belichick said was simple, but it was impressive. It was honest and accurate at every single position.' Belichick was that obsessed with winning. His biggest professional scandals – spying on opponents' sidelines and deflated footballs – dealt with exploiting tiny details to gain an edge. Belichick's genius was augmented by the intimidating image he created. He relished being painted as a sinister force, his invisible hand working the NFL's levers and haters spitting his name. Frustrated opponents, meanwhile, mostly admired the hell out of him. 'Anything goes,' Byrd said. 'Whatever it takes to win. That's what made them special.' Advertisement Will all the tabloid sneering seriously impact Belichick's legacy? 'This is going to be a surprising answer even for me: I hope not,' Kelsay said. 'As much as we really disliked the Patriots and the success they had against Buffalo during my tenure there, I'd never guess I'd say 'I hope not' to that question. 'With social media and the talking heads out there and fans who are younger than us and don't fully understand what he accomplished in New England, their opinions and perspective will be different. But he'll always be known as one of the top two or three coaches in NFL history.' Kelsay's NFL debut was a 31-0 victory over New England on opening day in 2003. Then he lost to Belichick each of the next 17 times they played. Among position players, Kelsay ranks second only to former Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams' 21 defeats against Belichick. Schobel lost 15 times, tied for fourth with cornerback Terrance McGee, defensive end Jerry Hughes and four longtime New York Jets. Scott conceded the theater surrounding the Belichick-Hudson relationship has punctured the coach's mystique balloon, but offered another point to ponder. 'Look, let's keep things in perspective,' said Scott, a 12-time loser to Belichick, including once with the Atlanta Falcons. 'One of the struggles, whether you're a coach or a player and you leave the game – or the game leaves you – is to find happiness in other things. That's true whether you only got a chance to play one year in the league or you were there for 50. 'I'm happy to see him loosen that necktie a little bit. Or, should I say, take off that hoodie.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. describes the key to his 2025 season
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. knows this is a make-or-break year for him. Robinson enters the final year of his rookie contract and looks to land a long-term deal from Washington or someone else. Landing long-term deals as a running back is hard enough, but even more difficult when you aren't on the field. Robinson saw the Commanders use a seventh-round pick on Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the 2025 NFL draft. While seventh-round picks often face an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, Croskey-Merritt is different. Washington loves him and believes he would've been drafted much higher if an eligibility issue hadn't limited him to one game last season. Advertisement Robinson has been on the field, but in three NFL seasons, he has yet to play a full season. That's not his fault. Before his rookie season, Robinson was shot in an attempted robbery and miraculously returned after only missing the first four games. Robinson is ready for a big 2025 season. "The biggest thing for me is just being available," Robinson told reporters last week. "Just being on the field, I think, when I'm healthy and I'm biggest thing for me is just being available, being out there on the field where I can continue to produce. Everything, as far as the craft, I'm going to continue to stay sharp and continue to work, put in the extra time, the extra hours in the building, outside the building, whatever I need to do to stay sharp." Robinson is sometimes criticized too harshly. As a rookie, coming off being shot in the foot, he rushed for 797 yards (3.9 YPA) in 12 games. In 2023, Robinson ran for 733 yards (4.1 YPA) and five touchdowns in 15 games. Last season, Robinson played in 14 games, rushing for 799 yards, eight touchdowns and averaged 4.4 yards per attempt. Robinson set multiple career highs last season, but many called it disappointing. Advertisement Robinson is not a shifty runner. But he's a strong, powerful runner who is hard to bring down once he gets past the initial line of scrimmage. He will be running behind the best offensive line he's had by far in 2025. Robinson could be the forgotten star on Washington's offense next season. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. ready for a big contract year
