Le Journal

On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns picked up their third win of the season with a road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 24-10. This game marked the first career start for quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who entered last week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens after starter and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel got injured. Things went much better for the high-profile fifth rounder on Sunday in Las Vegas, as Sanders threw for over 200 yards and a touchdown in his Browns debut, helping lead the team to a win. After the game, a video emerged from the Cleveland locker room showing head coach Kevin Stefanski heaping praise on several key contributors to the victory, including Sanders. However, one person who evidently wanted to see a bit more enthusiasm from the head coach was former NBA journeyman Kendrick Perkins, who took to X, formerly Twitter, with his thoughts. “Cupcake a– probably texted Dillon [Gabriel], ‘missed you out there capt,” wrote Perkins. Throughout this season, some have accused Stefanski of having some sort of bias against Sanders, and it remains to be seen whether or not Sanders will stay the starting quarterback once Gabriel is back and healthy. “I’m not going to get into that,” Stefanski said after the Raiders win, per Kristen Wong of Sports Illustrated. “Obviously, proud of [Sanders] and proud of this offense and there are a ton of things to learn from, but I’m just going to worry about today.” Still, it was an impressive showing for Sanders in his first NFL start, showing off the arm talent and versatility that made him such a standout player during his time at Colorado in college. In any case, the Browns will next hit the field on Sunday at home against the San Francisco 49ers. That game is set to kick off at 1:00 pm ET from Cleveland. The post Kendrick Perkins calls out ‘cupcake a**’ Browns HC Kevin Stefanski after Shedeur Sanders’ win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In a season that once looked headed for more frustration, Caleb Williams and his head coach walked out of Soldier Field talking more about growth than mistakes. The young quarterback put up three touchdowns and a 104.3 passer rating in the 31-28 win over the Steelers, but the play everyone will remember is the wild fumble while being dragged down by T.J. Watt. Instead of ripping his QB, Ben Johnson brushed it off, noting on the 79th and Halas podcast that no quarterback is perfect and that a couple of loose snaps do not erase the strides Williams has made in year two. If Johnson is giving his passer grace, it is a lot easier because of what is happening in front of him. As Courtney Cronin pointed out on X, the turnaround along Chicago’s offensive line has been stunning. Through 12 weeks, the Bears lead the entire league in pass block win rate at 73 percent, and they posted an 85 percent mark against Pittsburgh, their second-best game of the year by that metric. That number reflects how often linemen sustain their blocks for at least 2.5 seconds, and it is exactly the sort of hidden detail that never shows up in a box score but completely changes a season. Even more impressive, that dominance came with a patched-together front. Rookie Ozzy Trapilo made his first start at left tackle with Theo Benedet sidelined, Jonah Jackson was limited to 45 snaps because of an eye issue, and Luke Newman had to step in at right guard for 20 snaps. They did it against a Steelers defense that entered the game leading the NFL in pass rush wins (145), while Chicago already sat second in pass block wins (198), according to ESPN Research and Next Gen Stats. Keeping Williams upright has turned his escapability from a desperate survival skill into a bonus. The quarterback, for his part, keeps insisting that this is not the “same old Bears.” Sitting at 8-3, he has talked about raising standards, embracing ugly wins, and preparing for a brutal closing stretch rather than celebrating what used to qualify as a good year in Chicago. Put it all together, and the formula is clear. A coach willing to live with the occasional chaotic turnover, a young star demanding more from himself, and a line quietly winning snap after snap. The post Bears’ surprise turnaround highlighted by 1 bonkers stats appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The fallout over the FBI investigation into illegal gambling activities in the NBA continues. Furthermore, the Los Angeles Lakers are caught in the glare of it all because of Damon Jones. Jones, a former assistant coach, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Earlier this month, Jones entered a plea of not guilty in a federal court. Additionally, Jones is alleged to have conspired with gamblers on providing injury information on the status of key players. In return, bettors would place wagers on the opposing team. One of those players Jones allegedly provided information about was LeBron James. On Monday, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that James had cut off Jones before the indictments. Before that, James and Jones were really tight. “LeBron is very into routines,” one former Lakers staffer said. “For a while, shooting with D-Jones was part of his routine.” According to court documents, the FBI says that it has a text message allegedly sent by Jones to gamblers. It encourages them to place a bet on the Milwaukee Bucks during a game in which James wasn’t playing. “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [James] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat too now!!!” However, Jones had a different outlook on life way back when. “My confidence is never gone, never in my life,” Jones said in 2008. “I usually come out on the other side smelling like roses.” At this point, Jones and his attorneys have denied all interview requests. How the Lakers have responded to the investigation Since all this transpired, the Lakers have cooperated with the FBI. They have provided documents, and an assistant trainer and executive administrator voluntarily offered their cell phone records. Meanwhile, sources say that James had no prior knowledge of Jones’ activities. Additionally, James remains uninvolved in any of the legal proceedings. The post Lakers rumors: LeBron James had ‘falling out’ with Damon Jones before gambling indictments appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs picked up a huge win in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts, getting back above the .500 mark at 6-5 in the process. It was a much-needed win for a Kansas City team that was not in a technical must-win spot on Sunday, but about as close to that as you can get at this point in the season. Unfortunately, the Chiefs did not make it out of this game unscathed from an injury perspective, as offensive lineman Trey Smith went down with an injury, which is made worse by the fact that the team has a short week this week, next taking the field on Thursday for a game against the Dallas Cowboys. Recently, NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network took to X, formerly Twitter, with the latest update on Smith’s status, and it wasn’t one that will please fans of Kansas City. “#Chiefs Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith is dealing both high- and low-ankle sprains, sources say. Smith is expected to miss some time, including likely against the #Cowboys on Thursday,” reported Rapoport. On paper, the Cowboys wouldn’t seem to be too devastating of an opponent to not have Smith in the lineup for, but Dallas did pick up a big win on Sunday, knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles after coming back from a 21-0 deficit, so Kansas City would certainly like to have one of its best overall players in Smith in the lineup for that game. Still, the Chiefs have to be thrilled with the way they were able to overcome adversity on Sunday, coming back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, and winning the game when they got there. The Chiefs and Cowboys are set to kick things off on Thursday at 4:30 pm ET for the second Thanksgiving NFL game of the day. The post Chiefs’ Trey Smith likely out vs. Cowboys after suffering multiple ankle injuries appeared first on ClutchPoints.