The Sports Insanity Network

IT’S OVER

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Steelers’ fans were loud and clear during their team’s 26-7 loss to the Bills on Sunday and the message was to fire coach Mike Tomlin. But the Steelers issues go deeper than Tomlin in my opinion and it is time for one of the most prominent organizations in the NFL to start rebuilding.

The Steelers have had three coaches over the last 40 years including Tomlin the last 18 seasons. The Steelers have not won a playoff game in nine seasons, but Tomlin like his predecessors Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll does have a Super Bowl ring, which he won in 2009.

But here is where Tomlin and the Steelers failed over the last two seasons and that was taking chances on aging quarterbacks, who wouldn’t put them over the edge. Last season it was Russell Wilson and this season it’s Aaron Rodgers, now while they’re not exempt from blame, the fact of the matter is the Steelers were trying to bandage up their flaws with potential future hall of famers.

With their loss on Sunday the Steelers sit at a record of 6-6, while they started the season 4-1. 6-6 is good enough right now to be tied for the AFC North lead with the Baltimore Ravens, but if you’re a Steeler fan it’s not good. The Ravens started the season 1-5 and even lost Quarterback Lamar Jackson for a three plus game stretch. The Steelers left the door open for the Ravens and even the Bengals, who just got Quarterback Joe Burrow back from injury.

Here is the thing about the Steelers, they are very good at beating up on bad teams, but when they play the elite teams they struggle. Now, whether you want to blame the players or coaching I don’t care, but to quote Ric Flair “To be the man, you have to beat the man.”

This season was supposed to be different for the Steelers. After they signed Rodgers, they acquired DK Metcalf, Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey. They re-signed TJ Watt and Cam Heyward and they’re in the same spot they’re always in. Look, if Bill Belichick and the Patriots can part ways, the Steelers can do the same with Tomlin. And right now might be the perfect time to do something like a rebuild or a retool, you probably won’t have a Quarterback as good as Jackson or Burrow and that’s just your division, in the AFC as a whole you have to compete with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen as well.

WHERE IS THE LOYALTY

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Well the question everyone in College Football has been asking was answered on Sunday. Lane Kiffin will be leaving Oxford, Mississippi to go to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and coach the LSU Tigers. In December of 2019 Kiffin became the coach of the Rebels, leaving Florida Atlantic University. Kiffin signed a four year 16.2 million dollar contract. Kiffin went 55-19 in his six seasons at Ole Miss.

Kiffin has signed a seven year contract at LSU worth 12 million dollars per season. The 12 million make Kiffin the third highest paid coach in the country behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. The difference is Smart and Day have won National Championships and Kiffin hasn’t. Kiffin will replace Brian Kelly, who was fired a few weeks ago.

On Friday Kiffin and the Rebels beat in state rivals Mississippi State for their 11th win of the season and basically clinching a spot in the CFP. Kiffin will not coach in the CFP.

Look, we get on players when it comes to free agency, or in the case of college players the transfer portal. But we are supposed to be okay when these coaches decide to leave for a higher profile job. And Kiffin can’t say he wasn’t just leaving for the money because both Ole Miss and LSU play in the same division in the same conference. The two teams will be scheduled to play each other in 2026 in Oxford.

I understand that there is very little loyalty in sports now. But the people who get hurt in this situation are the players, who are still kids. Now these Ole Miss players have to answer questions about a situation they shouldn’t be in. Today there are very few Bobby Bowden’s, Mike Krzyzewski, or Jim Boeheim’s. Ole Miss has their best season ever and now the coach leaves to become the third highest paid coach in the country, one thing is for sure LSU at Ole Miss will be must watch next season.

WEEK 13

BY SIN BLITZERS

NO AT MIA : Don’t look now but the Dolphins have made the in the hunt graphic for the playoffs (hey we gotta celebrate something). The Dolphins have won two straight games prior to their bye week and take on a Saints team that is coming off a loss to the Falcons. Tyler Shough has been decent since being named the starter, but the offensive line has been a problem for the Saints. The Saints will not have Alvin Kamara, who is out with a knee injury. The Dolphins on the other hand might be getting back Tight End Darren Waller and Right Tackle Austin Jackson. Can the Dolphins make it three in a row or will this be the nail in their very slim chances.

HOU AT IND : The Texans have won three in a row and will now get CJ Stroud back from a concussion. The Texans sit two games behind the Colts and will play them for the first time this season (the second one will come in week 18). The Colts have dropped two of their last three games and have come back to earth a bit. The Colts averaged 139 rushing yards per game, last week they were held to 74 yards on 19 carries. The Texans are allowing 92 rushing yards per game. There’s been some talks about Daniel Jones playing through an injury, so if his mobility isn’t there, Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter could feast.

LAR AT CAR : The Rams have continued to be the best team in the NFL. Matthew Stafford has been sensational, as have his weapons and this Rams’ defense. Last week against the Bucs the Rams helped the Panthers, this week this is their opponent. The Panthers have another opportunity to chase down the Bucs, if the Bucs lose and the Panthers win they could find themselves in first place in the NFC South.

BUF AT PIT : This is the biggest game of the week, as both teams are in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Both teams are coming off of disappointing losses, the Bills to the Texans and the Steelers to the Bears. Aaron Rodgers, who missed last week’s game will play according to Mike Tomlin. This game might come down to which defense can make one more stop.

REALLY DUDE

BY MIKE RIFKIN

On Monday Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner spoke to the media about the team and some other financial things. One of the items Hal Steinbrenner discussed was MLB implementing a salary cap. Steinbrenner said “ he would consider a cap only if it’s accompanied by a salary floor.”

A Steinbrenner arguing for a potential salary cap is not good for the game of baseball. Would George talk about a salary cap? No, he would do whatever it took to win baseball games. Hal, you are the owner of the New York Yankees, the most successful franchise in all of sports and you want to have a salary cap? Now, where I do agree with him is the fact that baseball should have a salary floor, but we all know the players will not go for a salary cap. This is the owner of the Yankees crying because now other teams are spending to their levels. The fact that Hal even said salary cap, like he owns the Pirates is an awful sign for baseball, the owner of the Yankees should want to spend money.

The Milwaukee Brewers had the best record in the National League, and were four wins away from going to the World Series and were 23rd in payroll. The Mariners were one win away from going to the World Series and they were 16th in payroll, I don’t hear those owners crying for a cap. Five teams in MLB spent less than 100 million dollars, The Pirates, Rays, Marlins, A’S and White Sox and they all finished below .500. Now, the Rays have a new owner so we can wait to see if they spend.

These small market teams can be upset about how big markets spend, but the owner of the Yankees shouldn’t make that argument. Again, I think Hal is right about getting a salary floor, but a cap is not something he should focus on. What he should be focused on is helping the Yankees win their first World Series since 2009.

THANK YOU NIMMO!

BY MARK HALPERN

In a very surprising move yesterday the New York Mets traded long time favorite OF Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for 2B Marcus Semien. Nimmo, was the Mets first round pick in 2011 (13th overall). Nimmo was called up during the 2016 season, and since was a mainstay in the Mets lineup. Nimmo showed his love for the game when he’d run everything out (including walks) and played the game with a smile on his face, something fans appreciated.

Nimmo during his tenure with the Mets had 974 hits, 135 homers, and 463 RBI’S. Nimmo had a slash line of .262/.364/.438. His patience at the plate earns him a lot of walks. There is no secret that Nimmo has been and always be a fan favorite and he will be sorely missed but, we look at who the Mets traded for and it absolutely solves one of the Mets offseason issues of a need for a consistent second baseman and they got it with Semien. One thing you have to look at is his age which is 35 and might not be a power hitter any more but his defense is undeniably good and it makes the Mets infield even deeper.

The Mets have a lot to do before next season. The one move that Mets fans want to see is the announcement that Pete Alonso has been resigned. Brand Nimmo will join the Texas Rangers and be reunited with SP Jacob Degrom, who apparently sold Nimmo on going to Texas.

AN INCREDIBLE WIN

BY MARK HALPERN

Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys came back from a 21 point deficit to defeat their long-time division rival the Philadelphia Eagles by the score of 24-21. On “Sunday Sideline Report” I discussed the importance of the game. If you want to hear what I said over 6 hours prior to kickoff please go watch this clip at 49:40 on our YouTube page here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDImMxxuZ1s&t=2983s.

The Cowboys were coming off a monster win over the Raiders. Most people saw it as just a win over a bad team, but something I noticed was that maybe after the trade deadline the Cowboys might have found something in this defense.

The Eagles were in control of this game in the first half. The Dallas offense was moving the ball but would end up self sabotaging itself. Cee Dee Lamb was dropping passes again against Philly. The Eagles were winning the line of scrimmage and getting to Prescott. With under a minute the Cowboys were finally able to get on the board with a 3 yard pass from Prescott to Pickens to make it 21-7 at Halftime.

I don’t know what was said by head coach Brian Schottenhimer and DC Matt Ebberflus but, I would have killed to be a fly on the wall. Whatever was said inspired this team because they looked like a different squad in the second half.

The second half was the complete opposite of the first half. The Eagles offense was a trainwreck, and the Cowboys were going up and down the field. I had predicted earlier that day Javonte Williams would be the fantasy point leader for the Cowboys (had a good day with 87 yards on 20 carries) but Dak Prescott went 23/35 for 354 yards along with 2 TD’s and 1 INT and also ran in a touchdown. You know who the big difference maker was in this game? George Pickens, who had a game high nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. In the week one meeting, Pickens was a non factor with three catches for 30 yards. This offense for the Cowboys isn’t a secret on how good it can be even against tougher defenses. The question becomes what is this defense?

Through the first half this looked like it was going to be a trouncing of the Cowboys as the Eagles were up by 21 in the middle of the second quarter and all signs pointed to a very embarrassing day at AT&T Stadium. One thing that the Cowboys did was completely take Saquon Barkley out of the game limiting him to only 33 rushing yards (did have 50 yards receiving). Barkley also had a costly fumble. The Eagles put everything on Hurts shoulders and the Cowboys were ready. The Defensive line made up of Clowney, Clark, Williams and a mix of players at DE on the right side were in Hurts’ face the whole half. The Defense only managed one sack but forced Hurts and company off the field and forced punts. The Cowboys and the Eagles could have won this game if BOTH Place Kickers had made respected field goals but to overtime, we went.

The momentum was on the Cowboys side, but the Eagles had first chance and the Cowboys defensive plan hadn’t changed and they forced a Punt. Dak led a 9 play 49-yard drive with big passes to Jake Ferguson Once down to the 26 yard line Brandon Aubrey came out and did what he does best and kicked the ball straight through the uprights to put an exclamation point on the comeback.

What’s next for the Cowboys is their Thanksgiving Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, who had an impressive win of their own against the Colts this weekend. This game will be more of a test again for this re-tooled Dallas Defense as Patrick Mahomes and company are playing for their playoff lives.

WEEK 12 PREVIEW

BY SIN BLITZERS

IND AT KC : The Colts are coming off their bye week, but beat the Falcons in Germany in week 10. Jonathan Taylor ran for 244 yards and three touchdowns including the eight yard touchdown in OT. One thing to watch is Daniel Jones has thrown four interceptions over the last two games. For the Chiefs, they are coming off 22-19 loss at the hands of the Broncos. The Chiefs defense is giving up about 100 rushing yards per game, if they can win the battle at the line of scrimmage and make the Colts one dimensional that would be huge.

PIT AT CHI : The Steelers are looking to fend off the Ravens in the AFC North as they play the Bears. Aaron Rodgers has owned the Bears with a 25-5 record, but we don’t know if Rodgers will play due to a fractured wrist. Meanwhile the Bears have won three in a row, including last week against the Vikings. Caleb Williams has really taken a step forward. The Steeler defense is giving up 106.4 yards per game on the ground, while the Bears average 146.6 yards on the ground per game.

TB AT LAR : Two playoff hopefuls meet in LA on Sunday night. The Bucs have struggled recently, a lot due to injuries and they might get Chris Godwin back for this one. The Rams right now are rolling, they’re coming off a win over the Seahawks, their fifth consecutive win. The Bucs last week gave up almost eight yards per play against the Bills, if they give that up against the Rams they’ll be in deep water.

PHI AT DAL : The Dallas Cowboys season will be determined on Sunday. If the Cowboys are serious about having a chance at the playoffs then they have to dominate the Eagles. Dominate is something the Cowboys haven’t really done this season. In the first matchup against the Eagles, the Cowboys fell short, but held their own. The Cowboys defense needs to bottle up Saquon Barkely and get in Hurts’ face. The Eagles are injured along the OL especially with Lane Johnson, who is going to miss minimum the next 4 games. This could create the ultimate scenario for Javedon Clowney and Quinnen Williams. The Dallas defense needs to win this game. The Offense can keep pace but, for Dallas to win they need the defense to make big plays and they need to be disciplined.

NYG AT DET : The Detroit Lions will face off against the New York Giants this Sunday, however it will be without a major piece of the offense. Sam Laporta will now miss the remainder of the season due to back surgery. This a big loss, Laporta was not only one of Jared Goff’s favorite targets, but a heck of a blocker too. This doesn’t mean the Lions are done but it’s a huge hole to fill. Against the Giants this shouldn’t be a concern as the running game will do most of the work. As for the Giants Brian Burns has been making waves as he has 13 sacks so far. After last week’s loss look for the Lions to be aggressive and take advantage of a bad Giant defense. As for the Lions’ defense, they’ll get the chance to feast on Jameis Winston this week, as Jaxson Dart is still out with a concussion.

TEAMS TO WATCH THIS WINTER

BY MIKE RIFKIN

With MLB free agency underway, we know a lot of the action will pick up after Thanksgiving and during the Winter Meetings. Here are some teams to watch this offseason.

Mets – Yeah after missing the playoffs after signing Juan Soto the Mets are going to be players again this winter. They have two of their players Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz are both on the market. But most importantly the Mets will have to explore the starting pitching market.

Orioles – Like the Mets, the Orioles were one of the biggest disappointment in all of baseball. The Orioles have one of the best young cores in all of baseball, but it’s time to surround that core with really good starting pitching. The Orioles were 26th in ERA, only in front of the Athletics, Angels, Nationals and Rockies. The Orioles have already traded Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for Outfielder Taylor Ward, who hit a career high 36 homers. But what does this mean about their plans in the rotation?

Pirates – This feels like a put up or shut up team. There are reports the Pirates are willing to spend some money on offense to back up a pitching staff led by Paul Skenes. If the Pirates decide to stand pat, that could have massive implications when it comes to the future of Skenes.

Astros – The Astros missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Now, was that a sign of an aging core or do they see it as a one year wonder? But as long as guys like Altuve and Alvarez are around the Astros will go for it.

Giants – Over the years the Giants have been able to land some big fishes, but now it’s a must to land one. After the Devers trade the Giants showed they’re all in and now they have to capitalize in free agency. They’re always tied to big names, let’s see if they can land one.

Mariners – They were so close to going to their first World Series in franchise history. They have already re-signed Josh Naylor, so let’s see if the Mariners can continue to back that terrific pitching staff. They can’t expect 60 homers from Cal Raleigh again.

NFL WEEK 11 PREVIEWS

BY SIN BLITZERS

BENGALS AT STEELERS : This is a massive game for both teams in the race for the AFC North. The Steelers are trying to fend off the Ravens, while a Bengals win would not only give them a season sweep of the Steelers, but it’d give them a real chance to get Joe Burrow back, and he was back at practice this week. The Bengals are coming off a bye week after a 47-42 loss to the Chicago Bears. Joe Flacco was 31-47 and four touchdowns. Tee Higgins went for seven receptions , 121 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals are now taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a week seven rematch when the Bengals won 33-31. The Steelers are coming off a 25-10 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Aaron Rodgers went 16/31,162 yds , one touchdown and two interceptions .

X Factors

Steelers

Offense : More Explosive plays

The Steelers have been keeping their plays short , less than 10 yards . Rodgers needs to throw the ball down the field more and take advantage of the Bengals weak defense . They also need someone not named DK Metcalf to make a play.

Defense : Contain Chase Brown

The rush defense game has to contain Chase Brown , he’s been on fire with three consecutive games of 100 yards or more. Containing Brown will be the key for the rush defense . Also CB Joey Porter needs to keep an eye on Chase and Higgins to stop them .

Bengals

Offense: Joe Flacco

Since the last game against the Steelers, the Bengals offense has improved. In the last three games, they have scored 33 or more points . Joe Flacco has scored 12 touchdowns in the last four games with the Bengals this year so far.

Defense : Defense needs to contain Aaron Rodgers

Its going to be hard without Trey Hendrickson but they have keep an eye on the oldest active qb in the league.

Prediction

Steelers 24 Bengals 14 – Bill Murphy

DET AT PHI : The Detroit Lions are coming of a trouncing of the Washington Commanders 44-22. With the Commanders completely depleted of starters were put in a tough situation. The Detroit Lions find themselves in a very unique situation for this week’s battle against the Philadelphia Eagles and that is Win and they have control of the NFC. The Lions will need to continue to dominate with this offense and that shouldn’t be a problem against an Eagles’ defense that has been banged up a little. This game falls on stopping Saquon Barkley. I believe Barkley is still hurting in that hamstring but with so much turmoil in the Eagle offense, Barkley can’t afford to miss games. Look For the Lions Defensive Line to bottle Barkley up and force Hurts out of the pocket and into the hands of the Linebacking crew. The Secondary has to play as well as they did last week if the Lions intend on winning this game. – Mark Halpern

DAL AT LV : The Dallas Cowboys return from the bye week a much healthier defense than when they left before the Trade deadline. The Cowboys Defensive Line gained a big Piece with acquiring Defensive Tackle Quinnen Williams, Logan Wilson will help a banged up line backing crew but, that’s from trades. Dallas will also receive Demarion Overshawn who was drafted in 2023 and had a solid first two years but has been hampered by a torn acl that required surgery at the end of 2023 and missing the 2024 and ready to make his season debut. The Cowboys secondary will get healthier over the next few weeks. This week the long-awaited debut of Shavon Revel (Dallas 2025 draft pick), also either by next week or the Thanksgiving game the Cowboys could have Tre’von Diggs back as well. The Cowboys are by no way out of the playoff race but it is going to take the Defense to step it up

WSH AT MIA (MADRID) : The Dolphins will look to make it two wins in a row when they play the Commanders in Madrid. The Dolphins dominated the Bills last week 30-13. De’von Achane had 174 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. The Dolphin defense forced three turnovers in the win. The Commanders are coming off a 44-22 whooping from the Lions. Once again Marcus Mariota starts in place of Jayden Daniels and there will be no Terry McLaurin also for Washington. One note Dan Quinn will call the defense this week.

TB AT BUF : Both teams are coming off of tough losses. The Bucs once again will be without Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin. They’ll need Baker Mayfield to regain that early season form. For the Bills they’ll be without Dalton Kincade. Which 2018 Quarterback makes bigger plays in this one?

SEA AT LA RAMS : Arguably the two best teams in football right now meet in LA. The Rams offense led by Matthew Stafford has been lights out and the Seahawk defense, which had two touchdowns last week has been unbelievable. This should be a fun game at the top of the NFC West.

CHIEFS AT BRONCOS : The Broncos are in first place in the AFC West, and to quote Ric Flair “ To be the man you have to beat the man”. The Chiefs have been the man over the years and have been playing great as of late. The Broncos are extremely banged up right now, but Bo Nix has to play better because you know Mahomes will bring it.

WHAT DO THE CARDS HAVE IN STORE FOR KYLER?

By MARK HALPERN

Kyler Murray was the top College Quarterback over his 2 years at Oklahoma, amassing a stat line that makes NFL teams drool and possibly trade a good portion of their picks to have a shot at the kid. Murray passed for over 5,400 yards with a 67.4 completion percentage to go along with 50 touchdown and only 14 interceptions. Yes, this was at the college level but he did lead one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Murray went on to win the Heisman trophy and was ultimately selected by the Arizona Cardinals first overall. It is also worth noting that Kyler Murray was also a drafted to play Baseball, but chose to play in the NFL.

The Cardinals built around Murray, they got him a coach he was familiar with and they got him weapons notably DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins, at the time was the best receiver in Football Muray became reliant on Hopkins as a go to receiver, especially when he was flushed out of the pocket. Murray is a mobile Quarterback, and sometimes is too reliant on his mobility, and we know that’s a high risk of injury. The Cardinals decided to give Murray a big contract (imo he didn’t deserve) and was in the plans for the Cardinals direct future.

Well after the departure of Hopkins, Christian Kirk, and Hollywood Brown things weren’t the same. There have been reports of Kyler being immature which led to him being fined and seemed to be disconnected from his team. It was soon discovered he had become a major Call of Duty junkie. There were claims Murray spent more time playing the video game then preparing for NFL games as At one point it seemed clear that Murray would possibly be dealt in a trade (even though he had signed extension) because it was obvious he didn’t want to be there.

However, Murray this season has been hampered by injuries. After the Cardinals blew out the Cowboys led by backup Jacoby Brissette, Murray was put on the IR for four more weeks leading to speculation his time is done in Arizona. With a contract like Murray’s it is easier to deal in the offseason, than during the season.

If Murray is traded there are quite a few landing spots. The first two that come to mind are the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets. There are other teams where Kyler fits in such as the Saints and Dolphins, who both could be looking to change the position. Kyler has a lot of talent, there are flaws to his game, but the talent is there. If he can mature it could help someone in the long run.