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NFL Reveals Entertainment For Super Bowl LVIII - NFL Tracker

Country music legend Reba McEntire and pop star Post Malone will perform at next month's Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, along with halftime entertainer Usher.

Richie Whitt

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JAN. 18: NFL ANNOUNCES SUPER BOWL ENTERTAINMENT - After a dismal 4-13 season that led to the departure of legendary coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots won't be in Las Vegas next month to add to their record six wins. Nonetheless, the NFL has revealed the pre-game entertainment lineup for Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium.

Adding to the previously announced halftime show of Usher, the National Anthem will be performed by country music legend Reba McEntire, "America The Beautiful" by pop artist Post Malone and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by R&B singer Andra Day.

The Patriots, who formally introduced new coach Jerod Mayo this week, won their Super Bowl in 2019.

JAN 10: ALABAMA'S NICK SABAN RETIRES A longtime friend and protégé of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, is calling it quits on his coaching career at the age of 72, according to a report from ESPN's Chris Low. 

Saban just finished his 17th season at the University of Alabama and his 50th year overall as a coach. In his time as the Crimson Tide's coach, Saban led Alabama to six national championships, eight SEC titles, and 201 total wins with just 29 losses. 

In what will turn out to be Saban's final season, Alabama finished 12-2 with their only losses coming to Texas and Michigan, as he led the Crimson Tide to an SEC Championship win over Georgia prior to their loss to the Wolverines in the college football playoff semifinal.

Prior to Saban becoming who many know him as today, arguably the greatest college football coach ever, he worked as the defensive coordinator under Belichick with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-94 before the pairing went down their separate paths. 

Now, with Belichick potentially on his way out of New England, Saban is hanging up his headset.

JAN. 10 SEAHAWKS FIRE CARROLL; BELICHICK, PATRIOTS STILL MEETING - The NFL's oldest coach was fired on Wednesday. Will the second-oldest be far behind?

In a surprising move, the Seattle Seahawks fired 72-year-old Pete Carroll after 14 seasons and a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, 71-year-old Bill Belichick is still in discussions about his future in New England with owner Robert Kraft.

An NFL head coach has been fired on Sunday (Falcons' Arthur Smith), Monday (Commanders' Ron Rivera), Tuesday (Titans' Mike Vrabel) and now Tuesday (Carroll), yet as of now Belichick remains employed by the Patriots.

Carroll and Belichick are NFL coaching dinosaurs, with Hall-of-Fame careers combining for 514 wins and seven Super Bowls.

Carroll, remember, coached the last Patriots game without Belichick. He was the coach in 1999; Belichick was hired in 2000. And it was later Belichick's Patriots beat Carroll's Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at the end of the 2014 season. Seattle hasn't been back to an AFC Championship Game since, while New England last won a Super Bowl in 2018 and is 29-39 and without a playoff win since Tom Brady left.

The Seahawks were 5-2 and trending in the right direction after an exhilarating rally to beat the Cleveland Browns on Halloween weekend but finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs after a surprising Wild Card berth in 2022.

Belichick is a no-nonsense curmudgeon; Carroll a fountain of boundless energy and relentless optimism. Despite their opposing styles, they both are headed for the same destination: the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Current NFL head coaching vacancies:

Los Angeles Chargers

Washington Commanders

Carolina Panthers

Tennessee Titans

Las Vegas Raiders

Atlanta Falcons

Seattle Seahawks

JAN. 8 FIRING OF COACHES, GMS BEGINS ON "BLACK MONDAY" - As of now, Bill Belichick is still the coach of the Patriots. But, as expected, firings around the NFL have already begun on what is known as "Black Monday."

While Belichick met with the media in Foxboro - saying he has yet to talk to owner Robert Kraft about his future - coaches Arthur Smith was fired by the Falcons and Ron Rivera by the Commanders. Also, the Panthers fired GM Scott Fitterer, months after firing coach Frank Reich in the middle of the season.

Belichick has been connected to Washington as a possible landing spot if he doesn't work out an agreement to remain with the Patriots, and it's been reported that new Washington owner Josh Harris is "enamored" with Belichick.

The Falcons are also expected to be "very interested" if Belichick becomes a coaching free agent.

The Panthers are rumored to be targeting Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their next head coach.

JAN. 7 BILLS BEAT DOLPHINS, WIN AFC EAST - An AFC East once dominated by the Patriots now clearly belongs to the Bills, as they beat the Dolphins in Miami late Sunday night, 21-14, to win their fourth consecutive division title. It was the AFC East's first winner-take-all game in the final week of the regular season since the Patriots beat the Dolphins in 1997.

After Sunday's loss to the Jets, the 4-13 Patriots finished in the AFC East cellar for the first time since 2000. The Pats went 2-4 in the division, splitting with the Jets and Bills and getting swept by Miami.

New England won the AFC East 17 of 19 years between 2001-19.

With its victory and finish at 11-6, Buffalo - which won the division by sweeping Miami - will host the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at 1 p.m. in the first round of the playoffs. The Dolphins enter as a Wild Card and are forced to play at the Kansas City Chiefs.

The NFL Playoff schedule:

SATURDAY

4:30 p.m. - Cleveland Browns (5) at Houston Texans (4)

8 p.m. - Miami Dolphins (6) at Kansas City Chiefs (3)

SUNDAY

1 p.m. - Pittsburgh Steelers (7) at Buffalo Bills (2)

4:30 p.m. - Green Bay Packers (7) at Dallas Cowboys (2)

8 p.m. - Los Angeles Rams (6) at Detroit Lions (3)

MONDAY

8 p.m. - Philadelphia Eagles (5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4).

BYES - San Francisco 49ers (1); Baltimore Ravens (1)

DEC. 29 PATRIOTS FLOURISH, FLAME OUT WITH RAIDERS - While Jack Jones is making Patriots fans wish the team hadn't given up on him, another former draft pick's performance with the Raiders wasn't quite as impressive.

After being cut by the Pats and signed by Las Vegas, Jones has flourished with two Pick 6s this month - including one of Patrick Mahomes in the Raiders' Christmas Day upset in Kansas City. But while Pats Nation laments losing the talented-but-troubled cornerback, New England's trade of Justin Herron seems warranted in the wake of the Raiders cutting him this week.

A sixth-round pick in 2020, Herron started 10 games over two seasons in New England. He was traded to the Raiders in December 2022 in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2024. Herron, 28, was active for seven games this season.

The Pats could use another tackle, but didn't put a claim on Herron. Conor McDermott and Riley Reiff are both on season-ending injured reserve, Calvin Anderson was put on IR in early November. Tyrone Wheatley Jr. recently resumed practicing and is eligible to come off IR, but the former Cleveland Brown never has played an offensive snap in the NFL. Additionally, Trent Brown is dealing with multiple injuries and Vederian Lowe has struggled whenever given opportunities.

DEC. 27 BRONCOS BENCH RUSS, TURN TO FORMER PATRIOTS QB - In a shocking late-season move, the Denver Broncos have decided to bench veteran star quarterback Russell Wilson and hand the reins of the offense to former New England Patriots' draft pick Jarrett Stidham.

Wilson was ineffective for the Broncos in their Christmas Eve upset loss to the Patriots, and with their playoffs hopes all but extinguished at 7-8 head coach Sean Payton is making the dramatic change for the season's final two games. There are also playing-time and financial considerations that factor into the move.

Stidham was drafted by the Pats in 2019 and appeared in eight games as backup over the next two seasons.

DEC. 17 'NO LIES' - The New England Patriots dropped to 3-11 on the season thanks to the 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the defeat didn't come without some controversy, as veteran Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon expressed his feelings about the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes getting special treatment from referees. 

"I see no lies," Judon wrote in response to a tweet that featured a photoshopped picture of Mahomes kissing a referee.

The fake photo of Mahomes obviously implies the Chiefs benefited from favorable calls came in response to a video of the defensive holding penalty called on New England during the Chiefs' opening drive of the second half that negated a fumble recovery by Jabrill Peppers.

This comes just a week after the NFL fined Mahomes and Chiefs coach Andy Reid for their public criticism of the referees' controversial offside call in their 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Pats clearly had a handful of jersey on the play, albeit briefly and seemingly unaffecting the outcome of the play.

DEC. 15 CHARGERS FIRE COACH, GM; MAKING ROOM FOR BELICHICK? - Patriots' legend Bill Belichick has been linked to the Chargers all season, and now there are more dots to connect after L.A. fired coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco Friday morning.

In the midst of the team's worst season in 30 years, some in New England believe owner Robert Kraft has already made his decision to part ways with Belichick. However, others who worked with the team don't believe it's a "done deal."

Per his tight-lighted DNA, Belichick is downplaying all rumors and dismissing questions about his future heading into Sunday's home game against the Chiefs.

Should Kraft decide to trade Belichick (he's under contract for 2024), the Chargers just became a more attractive partner/destination. As he's done for decades, Belichick would likely demand not only head-coaching duties but also control of personnel as the de facto GM. After these moves made in the wake of a historic loss to the Raiders Thursday night, the Chargers have openings for both positions.

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said recently that he believes Belichick is leaving Foxboro, and that his next team has already been decided.

DEC. 12 DABOLL SHUTS DOWN TOM BRADY, TOMMY DEVITO COMPARISONS The only thing Tom Brady and Tommy DeVito have in common so far is their first name.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll dealt with a question potentially comparing the rise of DeVito, his third-string quarterback, to that of Brady's as Big Blue enjoys a mini-resurgence. Daboll quickly shot down the idea that they're anything alike, at least for the time being.

"We’re four games in,” Daboll said, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "That’s a long time ago. I’d just say every situation is different. I couldn’t probably give you the answer that you are looking for. I couldn’t give you a tangible story or anything like that. It was a different time, different players, different team, but obviously [Brady’s rise] is well-documented.”

Daboll was on the Patriots' staff as a defensive assistant when Brady formally introduced himself to the NFL scene in 2001. Stepping in for injured franchise man Drew Bledsoe, Brady unexpectedly guided New England to 11 wins and the first of six Super Bowls while establishing a stranglehold on the Patriots' franchise quarterback spot.

DeVito, an undrafted rookie who has gained a devoted following amongst Giants fans for his Italian heritage and for hailing from Northern New Jersey, took over as the blue starter in place of Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor. Under his watch, downtrodden New York (5-8) has won three in a row and sits only a game behind the five-team logjam for the final NFC Wild Card spot. DeVito engineered a comeback victory against the current holder of the NFC's seventh-seed, the Green Bay Packers, on Monday night, two weeks after he oversaw a 10-7 victory over the Patriots at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants will be on the road on Sunday, facing the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome (1 p.m. ET, Fox). 

DEC. 12 SAINTS SIGN EX-PATRIOTS RUNNING BACK The New Orleans Saints have added to their running back room with the signing of former New England Patriot James Robinson. 

Per a report from KPRC's Aaron Wilson, the Saints signed Robinson after hosting workouts with three other running backs in addition to Robinson, which also included fellow former Patriot Ty Montgomery. 

The Saints become the third team that Robinson has joined this season following his brief stint with the Patriots, which saw him released before the start of the mandatory minicamp in June after signing with the team in March.

Robinson's most recent stint prior to the Saints was with the Green Bay Packers, where he bounced between the practice squad and the 53-man roster before being released in early December.

DEC. 11 DRAKE MAYE DECLARES FOR NFL DRAFT - It's officially Maye Day for the NFL: University of North Carolina quarterback Darke Maye officially announced his intentions to enter the NFL Draft on Monday after two years as the Tar Heels' starter. Maye is expected to be one of the top passing prospects at next spring's draft, where the Patriots to due to hold their highest pick in years. 

"This is the best decision for me and my future," said Maye, per Pete Thamel of ESPN. "It was my lifelong dream to play quarterback at North Carolina, and I get a chance to check off another dream and play quarterback in the NFL." 

Maye will not play in the Tar Heels' Dec. 27 bowl game, the Duke's Mayo Bowl, against West Virginia. He ends his Chapel Hill career with 8,018 passing and 63 touchdown passes, both of which rank in the top five in North Carolina passing history.

As it stands, the Patriots (3-10) currently hold the second picks on the active draft leaderboard. 

DEC. 6 JETS RECOMMIT TO ZACH WILSON - The post-Aaron Rodgers New York Jets are right back where they started: head coach Robert Saleh announced that Zach Wilson would be reinstated as the team's starting quarterback when it faces the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

Per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Saleh said that "God willing," Wilson will be the starter for the rest of the season, which ends on Jan. 7 with a Week 18 showdown at Gillette Stadium.

The Jets' post-Rodgers quarterback carousel became a rollercoaster this week: reports emerged that Wilson was unwilling to return to the starter's role, a rumor that the second overall pick of the 2021 draft denied on Wednesday. New York (4-8) had Tim Boyle start at quarterback in each of the last two games but he was released earlier this week. Wilson was the third quarterback behind Boyle and Trevor Siemian in losses to Miami and Atlanta.

Wilson has posted a 53.4 passer rating in five starts against the Patriots, all losses.

DEC. 5 49ERS SIGN FORMER PATRIOTS TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMP - While the glory days for the 2-10 Patriots continue to disappear in the rearview mirror, reminders of their dynasty are all around the NFL. Seeking reinforcement for a banged-up secondary, the NFC-leading 49ers are signing former New England two-time Super Bowl champ Logan Ryan.

Ryan was drafted by the Pats in the third round in 2013 and helped them to two titles. The 32-year-old takes plenty of big-game experience to San Francisco after playing in 16 postseason games.

After leaving Foxboro, Ryan played with the Titans, Giants and Buccaneers. The Niners recently suffered injuries to safeties Talanoa Hufanga and George Odum.

DEC. 4 STEELERS SIGN EX PATRIOTS QB - Considering the Patriots' historically horrible offense, you wouldn't think signing one of their cast-offs would be savvy strategy. Nonetheless, the Steelers are desperate for warm bodies in the wake of losing Kenny Pickett to injury so they're signing former New England quarterback Trace McSorley.

Pickett underwent ankle surgery Monday morning and will Thursday's game against the Pats. He will be replaced by Mitch Trubisky and backed up by Mason Rudolph, with McSorley signed to the practice squad ... for now.

McSorley spent two weeks with the Patriots during the preseason, throwing one pass and getting sacked once in the team's preseason finale against the Titans. He was cut three days later.

He spent a month on the Bears' practice squad before being released late last month. He has only started one game in the NFL over three seasons on 53-man rosters.

DEC. 4  STEELERS' STARTING QB OUT VS. PATRIOTS THURSDAY NIGHT - The NFL has already kicked the 2-10 Patriots off of Monday Night Football later this season. But Thursday night on Amazon Prime, because of demotions and injuries, football fans will be treated to an offensive matchup featuring Bailey Zappe vs. Mitch Trubisky.

Steelers' starting quarterback Kenny Pickett underwent surgery on his ankle Monday morning and coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Trubisky will start in his place vs. New England. The Patriots, meanwhile, will give a second start to Zappe despite the offense being shut out by the Chargers last weekend.

First to three points wins?

In response to Trubisky starting against a Patriots' offense that is tying records for futility set in 1938, the over/under betting total for the game at Acrisure Stadium has been lowered to only 30 points. The NFL record-low is 28, set for Bears-Lions in 1993.

In comparison, Sunday night's Eagles-Cowboys' NFC East showdown is 53.

 

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

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