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Eckel’s NFL Notes, Wk 14: Steelers new AFC North favorite?

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Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, right, greets Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) after an NFL football game Wednesday, Dec 2, 2020, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 19-14. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

One day in the not so distant future both Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin will be headed to Canton. For now the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and head coach are headed in another direction — winning the AFC North. 

Pittsburgh’s upset of Baltimore Sunday moved the Steelers back atop the division and set up an interesting final month of the season. Rodgers, the four-time NFL MVP, will try to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. And Tomlin will try to continue his amazing streak of never having a losing record.

Sitting at 7-6, the Steelers finish with a Monday night home game against Miami, travel to Detroit and Cleveland and then host Baltimore in what could be a winner-take-all scenario.

In Sunday’s win over the Ravens the 42-year-old Rodgers, one of six active QBs to win a Super Bowl, completed 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown for the first time since 2022.

“We knew what was on the line today and that’s why you go do business with a guy like Aaron,” Tomlin, one of seven active Super Bowl winning coaches, said in his postgame press conference. “For thick days like today. He’s a been-there done-that guy. Beyond the experience component of it, he relishes it. You can just tell. That’s the benefit of having a guy like AR.”

Rodgers and the Steelers got off to a quick start this season. They were 4-1 before they lost three of their next four, including Rodgers’ game against the Packers. They were desperate heading into Baltimore, who had gone from 1-5 to 6-6, and came away with the win. 

Now they have a legitimate shot at winning the division, keeping Tomlin’s streak alive and sending Rodgers back to the playoffs.

Is it Over?

Speaking of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks and coaches, things are not looking bright in Kansas City for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

Sunday night’s loss to Houston dropped the three-time defending AFC champs to 6-7 on the season. Mahomes, who was 14-for-33 for 160 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions for a 19.8 QB rating, had the worst game of his career.

Over his past five games, Mahomes has been under 50 percent completion percentage twice. Before that he had played 149 games in college and the pros and was never under 50 percent.

And the last time the Chiefs were under .500 after 13 games? That would be 2012 when Andy Reid was in his final season in Philadelphia. 

Deja Boo

Just two years ago the Eagles started the season 10-1 only to finish 11-6 and get blown out in the first round of the playoffs by Tampa Bay.

This season the Eagles started the season 8-2 and after Monday’s ugly loss to the Chargers are 8-5. Is history repeating like a bad burrito?

Three of the Eagles final four games are against the worst team in the league, Las Vegas, and two against a really bad Washington team.  

Lose any of those games and everyone in the organization should be in trouble.

Never Lose Twice 

Detroit’s win over Dallas last week kept alive a pretty impressive streak for the Lions. They have now won 15 straight games after a loss. 

That ties for the longest streak of not losing two straight with the Baltimore Ravens (2009-12)  and Denver Broncos (1984-88).

No Luck for Colts 

Not only is Indianapolis falling apart, the Colts lost QB Daniel Jones for the season with a torn Achilles.

Indy’s loss Sunday in Jacksonville was the 11th straight time they lost to the Jaguars in Florida. The last time the Colts won in Jacksonville was 2014 when Andrew Luck quarterbacked the Colts over Blake Bortles and the Jags.

Shut Out? Shut Up

Minnesota lost to Seattle, 26-0, two weeks ago and then came back and beat Washington, 31-0.

Guess that means Seattle would beat Washington, 57-0.

Seriously, that’s the first time since weeks three and four of 1992 that a team was shut out one week and then recorded a shutout the following week. Denver lost to Philadelphia, 30-0, and then beat Cleveland, 12-0, the next week.

Battle in the South 

With a month to go, Tampa Bay and Carolina are tied for first place in the NFC South at 7-6. The crazy part is the two teams have not played each other yet.

They will meet twice over this final month, next week in Charlotte and then the final week of the season in Tampa. The Panthers also play at New Orleans and host Seattle. While the Bucs host Atlanta,  Thursday night, and travel across the state to Miami. 

Just another 1

Green Bay faced Chicago, who was the No. 1 seed in the NFC, last week and beat them, 28-21. 

This week the Packers face the Broncos, who happen to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Who knows what will happen, but Vegas has installed the Pack as a 2 1/2-point road favorite.  

It’s Official 

When Miami beat the New York Jets, Sunday, it eliminated the Jets from the playoffs. Shocking, right?

It will be the 15th straight year the Jets miss the playoffs, which is the longest streak of any team in the four major sports. 

Playoff Picture 

Here’s how it currently breaks down.

NFC: Rams, Packers, Eagles, Bucs, Seahawks, 49ers, Bears. 

AFC: Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Steelers, Chargers, Bills, Texans.





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Nottingham Forest Announces Ambitious City Ground Expansion Plans

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A design for a new ground from the Nottingham Forest Instagram account

Nottingham Forest has formally revealed an extensive redevelopment proposal for the City Ground, launching a public consultation on a project that could transform the historic venue into one of the Premier League’s largest stadiums. The club’s early vision outlines a phased expansion that could raise capacity to approximately 52,000 seats, placing the venue alongside England’s elite modern football arenas.

The redevelopment marks one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the club’s history, with ownership committed to long-term investment that supports both sporting performance and community growth.

Peter Taylor Stand Set for Major Transformation

At the centre of the plan is a complete reconstruction of the Peter Taylor Stand, which would be rebuilt to a height of 58 meters and expanded from its current 5,000 seats to 15,000 seats. The new design would modernize facilities, enhance hospitality offerings, and significantly elevate the matchday experience.

Additional expansion is planned by filling in the corners beside the Trent End, a move expected to push capacity to roughly 45,000 in Phase One.

Future Upgrades Could Push Capacity Beyond 50,000

A potential follow-up redevelopment of the Brian Clough Stand could increase total capacity to more than 50,000, aligning with Forest’s growing popularity and helping accommodate the club’s 17,500-person season-ticket waiting list.

Timeline, Investment, and Funding Commitment

Forest plans to submit a formal planning application in mid-December, with construction potentially beginning as early as next summer. Due to the complexity of the project, the opening phase is not expected to be completed until around 2031.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis is anticipated to provide major financial backing for the redevelopment, which could approach £1 billion, depending on the full scope of construction.

Club Statement: Public Response ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’

Nottingham Forest incorporated community engagement as a key phase of the redevelopment process, with supporters and residents recently invited to review the proposals in person.

In a message shared on the club’s official Instagram account, Forest stated:

“In recent days, we welcomed Forest supporters and the local community to learn more about our proposed plans for The City Ground Redevelopment Project.
This landmark project, and the enormous investment required, underscores owner Evangelos Marinakis’ bold and ambitious vision for the future of Nottingham Forest.
The public engagement and consultation process was an important step towards seeking the necessary planning approvals, and the response to these exciting plans has been overwhelmingly positive. We will provide further project updates in due course.
Thank you for your fantastic ongoing support.”

The statement emphasises the strong backing shown by the fanbase and wider community.

Broader Vision: Community, Events, and Riverside Development

The redevelopment also includes plans to improve riverside access, expand community-use spaces, and position the City Ground as a year-round venue capable of hosting concerts, events, and large-scale gatherings beyond football.

A full public unveiling with finalized architectural details is expected later in the consultation period.





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Buccaneers were lifeless in loss to the Saints

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By – Devin Sanguinett 

You don’t lose this game if everything doesn’t completely collapse. There was not a single good Buccaneers’ player on the field outside the running backs. Special teams bad. Offense bad. Defense bad. I don’t care how injured you are, this is an embarrassing loss. The Saints now have three wins on the season. At least we can commiserate with the Panthers in the corner as they probably take the division.

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The only part of this team that functioned as intended was the run game. not Bucky. He was mostly ineffective outside of a big run. Rachaad and Tucker mostly carried the slack though. Rachaad had 53 yards on 11 carries while Tucker had 29 yards on 7 carries. Thus concludes the only positive segment of this article.

Offensive Offense

The offense was complete dogshit for 90% of this game. It felt less like the Saints making good plays as opposed to the offense shooting itself in the dick. Repeatedly. With a 12 gauge shotgun. To best exemplify that, let’s look at the 4th down conversion rate. 1 for 6. Yes, you are reading that correctly. the Buccaneers failed to convert on five fourth downs. Nearly all of which were 4th and 1. It was an embarrassing display. At no point did anyone on the coaching staff question maybe just punting. No one. Because dear reader that would’ve been smart.

You want a culprit for why the offense kept sputtering, look to the man under center. Baker has done everything possible to play himself off of the team. He looks completely lost out there as he misses easy throws and makes terrible decisions. On the last play for the offense, Baker had Otton wide open in the middle. But Baker decided he didn’t like Otton’s cleats as they were dirty, so he threw the football right at them. He got completely outplayed by Tyler Shough. He wasn’t exactly being helped by his receivers as Egbuka and Godwin had some catches fly off the useless stumps on the end of their arms.

Defenseless

Oh speaking of Shough, the defense couldn’t stop him over the middle if their lives depended on it. They had some success in the first half, but in the second, it was a complete no show. Bowles was calling an iffy game, but his players completely fucked him as well. Lavonte missed an easy tackle to stop a first down conversion and five players missed tackles on Shough as he ran it for an easy TD.

That’s not to say Bowles did a good job. Because he didn’t. The pass rush disappeared in the second half and the middle of the field was wider than the grand canyon. I thought we cut our linebackers mid game as they weren’t anywhere to be seen. They also couldn’t defend on third down in the second half as the Saints converted all but one. There was a drive where the Saints passed the ball once and ran the rest of the time. It wasn’t a three and out, but a long FG drive. Bowles just didn’t adjust. McCollum wasn’t even the worst part of this defense.

Not So Special Teams 

And don’t even get me started on special teams. First kick of the game, ball goes past midfield on the return. Basic stuff that is constantly being screwed up at every turn.

If I was Jason Licht, I would pull this game up while I’m deciding who to fire at the end of the season. It should provide the answers he needs. Unless David Walker is the second coming of Demarcus Lawrence, not a single player they are missing would’ve gotten them the win. Morrison wouldn’t have done anything, nor Evans, nor McMillan, nor Kancey. We were told this team was a SB contender. They started the year 5-1 for fuck’s sake. They now sit at 7-6 with the Panthers. A Panthers team that looks infinitely better than the Buccaneers at this moment. McGaughey should be fired, that goes without saying. But you cannot retain Bowles or Grizzard if this is what the team will look like against bottom feeders. Even Baker should be under scrutiny for how he has been.

Want more from Devin? Click here, then follow him on Twitter.

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USF is ready for a Power Four invite

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With today’s announcement of Brian Heartline as the new USF football head coach it clear that times are changing for South Florida and they are suddenly the best Group of Five school in the country.

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USF is uniquely positioned as the premier Group of Five program, with elite academics, AAU membership, a $400M on-campus stadium opening in 2027, and a groundbreaking NIL and athlete pay structure that rivals Power Four schools. With Brian Hartline at the helm, USF is not only the class of the G5 but a legitimate candidate for ACC or Big 12 expansion by 2029–2031.

Why USF Is the Best Group of Five Program — And Better Than Some Power Four Schools

Facilities & Infrastructure

USF’s $400 million on-campus stadium (opening 2027) will be the most advanced facility in the G5, paired with a state-of-the-art broadcast hub that makes the Bulls a regular presence on ESPN and major networks. This combination of infrastructure and media visibility is unmatched by Tulane, Memphis, Boise State, UTSA, or North Texas.

Academic Prestige

  • AAU membership: USF is one of the few G5 schools with this distinction, aligning it with elite research universities.
  • US News rankings: #38 in Most Innovative Schools and #68 in Best Value Schools, proving USF’s blend of affordability and forward-thinking academics.
  • Recognized nationally as a “Top 10 university on the rise”, USF’s trajectory is backed by measurable progress in rankings and student success.

Leadership & NIL Innovation

  • Rob Higgins, USF’s CEO of Athletics, is the first of his kind in college sports, signaling a business-first approach.
  • Athlete Pay Program: $10M direct pay initiative over three years.
  • Revenue-sharing ceiling: $20.5M under NCAA’s new rules, putting USF ahead of most G5 peers and even some P4 programs.

Coaching Pedigree

  • Brian Hartline, former Ohio State offensive coordinator and elite recruiter, was hired in December 2025.
  • Hartline helped Ohio State win the 2024 CFP National Championship and produced multiple NFL receivers, bringing credibility and recruiting power to Tampa.

Comparison With Other G5 Programs

  • Tulane: Strong NIL fund ($3.5M) but lacks USF’s AAU status and stadium scale.
  • Memphis: FedEx-backed $25M NIL deal is impressive, but facilities trail USF’s $400M stadium.
  • Boise State: Recognized for NIL innovation, yet limited by market size and academic profile.
  • UTSA: Growing NIL support, but lacks national academic recognition and media market reach.
  • North Texas: Solid facilities, but NIL and academic prestige lag behind.

Why USF Surpasses Some Power Four Programs

  • Facilities: By 2027, USF’s stadium and broadcast hub will rival or exceed many ACC/Big 12 schools.
  • Market size: Tampa Bay is a Top 12 media market, far larger than Boise, Memphis, or Tulane.
  • Financial commitment: USF’s NIL and athlete pay programs are competitive with mid-tier Power Four schools.
  • Trajectory: With Hartline’s recruiting power and institutional growth, USF is positioned for sustained success.

Final Thoughts

USF isn’t just the best G5 program today — it’s building the infrastructure, academic prestige, NIL power, and coaching pedigree to surpass mid-tier Power Four schools. With its stadium, AAU membership, NIL innovation, and Tampa Bay market reach, USF is the most logical candidate for ACC or Big 12 expansion between 2029–2031.

Bottom line: USF is not waiting to catch up — it’s already operating like a Power Four program.





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