Two of the greatest words in the English language lead off today’s newsletter: Happy Friday!
Let’s get right to it. But first, inhale, Vikings fans. Now exhale. It’s ok.
Good morning to everyone but especially to…
THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The largest blown lead in NFL regular-season history is 28 points. Last night, the Vikings tried their best to make it 29. Minnesota led Pittsburgh 29-0 with under three minutes left in the third quarter and then nearly blew it all, hanging on for a 36-28 win.
How did they get there?
- The Vikings scored on six of their first eight drives, including two rushing touchdowns by Dalvin Cook and a touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson to go up 29-0.
- Late in the third quarter, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Najee Harris for a short touchdown. On Pittsburgh’s next two drives, Harris ran in from a yard out, and then Roethlisberger found James Washington to cut the score to 29-20.
- Cousins hit K.J. Osborn on a 62-yard touchdown to make it 36-20, but later threw an interception to set up Roethlisberger’s touchdown to Pat Freiermuth.
- Pittsburgh forced a punt and drove to Minnesota’s 12-yard line, but Harrison Smith broke up Roethlisberger’s throw to Freiermuth as time expired.
This is nothing new. The Vikings have played 13 games this season. Ten of them have come down to the final play.
Overall, the biggest takeaway from this game is that the Vikings didn’t give this game away and did keep their playoff hopes alive, even if it was way harder than it needed to be.
- “We keep asking ourselves why we keep putting ourselves in this position. … That’s been us all year. Living and dying by that last drive. We’ve got to figure [it] out.’ — Cook, to Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews.”
Inhale, Vikings fans. Now exhale.
AND THE RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
It took the Purdue Boilermakers over 70 years to reach the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll. It took them one game to lose it.
Rutgers took down the top-ranked Boilermakers, 70-68, in an early candidate for “Game of the Year.” After Purdue big man Trevion Williams gave his team a 68-67 lead with 3.4 seconds left, Rutgers forward Ron Harper Jr. hit a running three-pointer from just past half court to give the Scarlet Knights their first win over an AP No. 1 team in program history.
The Scarlet Knights were coming off a 35-point loss to Illinois and had previous losses to DePaul, Lafayette and UMass, so this win was an all-time memorable moment, writes college basketball expert David Cobb:
- Cobb: “It remains to be seen whether this team has the chops to be as competitive throughout the rigors of Big Ten play as the 2019-20 and 2020-21 teams were, but the Scarlet Knights’ faithful could finally let loose and celebrate everything the program has done in the last two years because of the moment that Harper provided.”
Honorable mentions:
- No. 23 Seton Hall took down No. 7 Texas, 64-60, Thursday in Newark, N.J. It was the Pirates’ second top-10 win this season. What a night for college hoops in New Jersey! Seton Hall’s next game? Against Rutgers on Sunday.
- Arizona Coyotes fans, rejoice! Your team won’t be locked out of its own arena. The franchise avoided potentially being barred from Gila River Arena by paying over $1.3 million in previously unpaid tax bills.
- With Stephen Curry just 10 3-pointers away from breaking the NBA record, maybe he could take some advice from Hannah Kohn. The Hagerty High School (Fla.) junior made 19 threes in a game Tuesday, a girls’ high school record.
And not such a good morning for…
THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS
For nearly three quarters, Pittsburgh could not stop the run, allowed receivers to run free in the secondary and generated nothing offensively. By the time they turned things around, it was too late. Now, it might be too late for them to make a playoff push, too. The Steelers dropped from eighth to 10th in the AFC standings with the loss to the Vikings.
The Steelers have no one to blame but themselves, writes our NFL guru Bryan DeArdo:
- DeArdo: “The first half was eerily similar to Pittsburgh’s Week 12 blowout loss in Cincinnati. The second half mimicked the Steelers’ Week 11 road loss to the Chargers, a game that saw Pittsburgh nearly overcome a 27-10 deficit before losing a 41-37 decision. In all three games, the Steelers put themselves in too big of a hole too early in the game.”
Not so honorable mention:
- COVID-19 continues its rampage through the NBA. On Thursday, both the Pacers and Raptors canceled practice after Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle tested positive Wednesday night; Raptors team president Masai Ujiri also tested positive. On the player side of things, Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr. joined a growing list of players in the league’s health and safety protocols.
Rest in peace, Demaryius Thomas
Late on Thursday night, former Broncos star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was found dead in his home in Georgia. He was 33. Thomas made five Pro Bowls and was part of Denver’s Super Bowl 50-winning team. He ranks in the top three in franchise history in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
On a personal level, I worked for the Broncos during the 2018 season, and as good of a player as Thomas was, he was an even better person. He was constantly smiling and upbeat, professional in interview settings and an active presence in the community. I vividly remember how disappointed his teammates were when he was traded mid-season. They were parting ways with a wonderful human being. Now, sadly, the world has lost him, too.
Pete Prisco’s Week 14 picks: NFC East, AFC North races tighten 🏈
Pete Prisco’s picks are in for Week 14, and he has bold calls for key games in the NFC East and AFC North.
- Cowboys at Washington Football Team — “This is suddenly an enormous game in the division race. Washington has won four straight and is playing outstanding defense. The Dallas offense hasn’t clicked as expected in recent weeks, either. Pick: Washington 23, Dallas 21″
- Ravens at Browns — “The Ravens have struggled on offense in a big way for much of the past month. The Browns have, too, but I think their run game will be the difference in this one. Pick: Browns 24, Ravens 20″
Will Brinson and John Breech have also called their shots for Week 14. As for me, I took a deep dive into statistics and trends to explain what the Cowboys and Washington Football Team have done best in their latest wins.
Who was the most surprising signing of the MLB offseason so far? Our experts weigh in ⚾
While we wait (and hope) for MLB activities to resume, our MLB experts will be bringing their takes to roundtable discussions all offseason long. This week’s topic: Who was the most surprising free agent signing? Here’s MLB scribe Mike Axisa’s answer:
- Axisa: “I’ll go with Max Scherzer. I’m surprised only because I didn’t think the Dodgers would be outbid for him. Scherzer fits their needs (rotation help) and aspirations (a World Series championship), and they can go dollar-for-dollar with any team, yet they held back. … I’m not surprised he went to the Mets. I’m surprised the Dodgers let him get away.”
CBS Sports hands out its college football awards 🏅
The college football regular season has come and gone, and we haven’t quite reached bowl season. That’s right, people, it’s award season! The CBS Sports crew of handed out its awards yesterday, led by a pair of key figures whose teams have reached the College Football Playoff.
- Coach of the Year: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan — “In this era where even the best coaches in the game seem less tied to their current position than ever before, is there any fan base (other than Alabama) that feels more secure in its coaching situation than Michigan? Harbaugh started the year putting the program’s best interests at the forefront, and the on-field success that’s followed is one of the best stories in college football.”
- Player of the Year: Bryce Young, Alabama — “When Alabama’s rushing attack wasn’t firing on all cylinders — the Crimson Tide ranked No. 10 in the SEC in rushing offense — it was Young and the passing attack who helped deliver the plays needed to keep the team in the SEC title and CFP picture. But even more than that, Young, in his first year as a starter, has been a real leader on this national title contender.”
What we’re watching this weekend 📺
(Odds via Caesars Sportsbook)
Friday
🏀 Nets at Hawks (-1), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Celtics at Suns, 10 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday
🏀 No. 22 Wisconsin at No. 21 Ohio State, Noon on Big Ten Network
🏈 Army (-7) vs Navy, 3 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
🏀 No. 11 Arizona at Illinois, 5 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Heisman Trophy ceremony, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Warriors at 76ers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 14 Houston at No. 9 Alabama, 10 p.m. on ESPN2
Sunday
🏈 Ravens at Browns (-2.5), 1 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
🏀 No. 6 Villanova at No. 2 Baylor, 3 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Bills at Buccaneers (-3.5), 4:25 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
