football

The NFL Playoff Schedule For Wild Card Weekend Is Here

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Following the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night, the full slate of games for the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs is set in stone. The Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans will kick off the slate of games, next weekend, on Saturday at 4:30 PM, ET. That matchup will be airing on NBC. Saturday night’s contest will feature the Miami Dolphins traveling to take on the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:15 PM, ET on Peacock.

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will kick things off by traveling to Buffalo to take on the Bills at 1:00 PM, ET on CBS. The Bills clinched the AFC East division title with their Week 18 win. Afterward, the Green Bay Packers will play the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 PM, ET on Fox. That night, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions will face off at 8:15 PM, ET on NBC. The Wild Card round will conclude on Monday night when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Philadelphia Eagles at 8:00 PM, ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, and ESPN+.

Read More: Tyreek Hill Reveals Surprising NSFW Plan For Life After The NFL

Josh Allen Celebrates As The Bills Defeat The Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 07: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills reacts after a long completion during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on January 07, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Following Wild Card weekend, the Divisional Round will be held on January 20th and 21st, featuring four games total. A week later, the remaining teams will face off in the Conference Championships on January 28th. Super Bowl LVIII will kick off on February 11th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The NFL Playoffs Are Here

Usher will perform during the iconic halftime show. He intends on releasing his next album, Coming Home, two days before the performance. It’ll be his first solo release in nearly eight years since 2016’s Hard II Love. Be on the lookout for further updates on the NFL playoffs on HotNewHipHop.

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Aaron Rodgers Receives Jets Players’ “Most Inspirational” End-Of-Season Award

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Sidelined quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been received the Jets’ “Most Inspirational Player” award, as voted on by the other players. “I’ve said it a million times: He loves his teammates, and his teammates love him. He’s so intentional with how he approaches everybody in the building. He’s very thoughtful in the way he does things, and he’s a tremendous human. Aaron is really well deserving of this award,” head coach Robert Salah said.

Not only is Rodgers seen as an “ideal” teammate, but his expedited return from a torn Achilles served as motivation for the rest of the team. While Rodgers would ultimately admit he was not ready to play again, his return to practice just two-and-a-half months after undergoing surgery to repair his torn Achilles was nothing short of miraculous. Despite this, Rodgers maintained that he would return to play for the team if they were still playoff contenders.

Read More: Aaron Rodgers Says He Didn’t Ask To Be Taken Off Injured Reserve

Aaron Rodgers Goes After Jimmy Kimmel

However, not everyone loves Rodgers. Jimmy Kimmel has warned Rodgers that he could pursue legal action against the sidelined quarterback after Rodgers made comments tying Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein. During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers specifically named Kimmel as someone who “doesn’t want” a now-partially list of names previously redacted in a civil suit filed before Epstein’s death to be made public. The purported list contains around 150 names of people allegedly associated with Epstein and his sex crimes. However, it was not a comment that Kimmel took lightly.

“For the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court,” Kimmel wrote on X. Neither Rodgers nor ESPN have commented on the quarterback’s claims. However, Pat McAfee did offer an apology the day after Rodgers’ comments.

Read More: Jets Praise Aaron Rodgers For “Unbelievable” Recovery

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Dan Orlovsky Sniffs Molly Qerim’s Shoe, Leaves Shannon Sharpe & Stephen A. In Disgust

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Dan Orlovsky is someone who is known for his expert analysis on First Take. Over the years, he has built a solid reputation as someone that the fans can trust. Although he didn’t have a great NFL career, he certainly knows the game inside and out. Overall, he truly shines whenever he talks about the quarterbacks. He can break down their games with expert precision, and it has been a joy to watch on shows like First Take and NFL Live. However, today, he went viral for all of the wrong reasons.

In the video clip below, Orlovsky was on the First Take panel with Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith, and Shannon Sharpe. Seeing as it was the first day back after New Year’s, they had the opportunity to talk some football. However, instead of having a normal conversation, Dan had Molly’s high heel in his hands for some reason. Unprompted, in the middle of the conversation, Dan decided it would be funny to take a giant whiff of her shoe. This left Stephen A. and Shannon in a state of disbelief.

Read More: Dan Orlovsky Destroyed Over His Bizarre Top 5 QBs List

Dan Orlovsky Lets The Intrusive Thoughts Win

“I don’t know Dan I gotta keep my eye on you,” Shannon said. Subsequently, Stephen A. Smith quipped that Orlovsky may just have a foot fetish. Overall, it was a very bizarre incident and Molly seemed pretty shocked by it too. As for Orlovsky, he did not seem to realize the magnitude of what he did. In the eyes of many, it would have been a sexual gesture. However, Dan seemingly did not realize that at all. Either way, it was very weird and the commenters certainly agree.

With Orlovsky sniffing Molly’s heels, let us know what you think of this act, in the comments section below. Does he need to be reprimanded immediately? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports and entertainment worlds. We will continue to keep you informed on your favorite athletes and personalities.

Read More: Dan Orlovsky Reveals The Biggest Threat To The Chiefs

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Chad Johnson Defends Russell Wilson

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Chad Johnson called the NFL a “dirty business” after more information about the rift between Russell Wilson and the Broncos emerged. “It’s a dirty game but at the end of your day, you have to play the game your way,” Johnson lamented. Furthermore, Johnson’s comments come after Wilson confirmed speculation that the Broncos benched him because he refused to make significant adjustments to his contract. “They definitely told me I was going to be benched and all that. That whole bye week I didn’t know what was going to be the case. I wasn’t going to remove the injury guarantee, this game is such a physical game, I’ve played 12 years and all that. And I want to be able to play, I want to be able to help this team win. Every time I step on the field it’s a physical game. I never play timid; I never play scared,” Wilson confirmed to reporters Friday.

Specifically, as Wilson alluded to, the Broncos had wanted the veteran QB to defer an injury guarantee to 2025. Under the current language of Wilson’s contract, he would receive $37M in guaranteed money if he wasn’t able to pass a physical in March 2024. Meanwhile, head coach Sean Payton, who cited the desire to trigger an “offensive spark” when benching Wilson, denied any knowledge of the contract dispute. “I’m not privy to any of those [discussions], I’m handling the football. I know how this has been written. But this decision is strictly what I believe gives us a chance to win No. 8. Hard decision [but there] will be no other reasons,” Payton said.

Read More: Chad Johnson And Terrell Owens Once Had A 12-Hour, 17-Woman Orgy

Broncos Face A Financial Headache With Russell Wilson

 
 
 
 
 
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In short, the Broncos owe Wilson a lot of money. As a result, benching him potentially saves them having to pay out even more money. However, the team can’t simply just cut the veteran. There is a lot of guaranteed money baked into Wilson’s contract that the Broncos will owe him either way. If they do cut Wilson, they will also be hit with $85M in dead money. That would greatly impact the options that would be available to Payton and the team in replacing Wilson.

However, it’s clear that Wilson isn’t the answer that the Broncos were hoping he would be. While his play has declined somewhat, he is not a terrible quarterback by any means. Despite this, the bigger problem is that the Broncos as a team unite. They have not been able to put together a team with consistent chemistry. The answer might be to reset completely and use their projected 13th-overall pick to draft the best available quarterback. That is currently projected to be Michigan’s JJ McCarthy or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. Meanwhile, Wilson will likely be able to find a team. Atlanta, New York (Giants), or New England may all be looking for a veteran QB. However, this is a story that is likely going to play out for the coming months.

Read More: Sean Payton Puts Russell Wilson On Blast For Lack Of Football Focus

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Russell Wilson Benching Due To Contract Dispute, Broncos QB Confirms

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Russell Wilson has confirmed speculation that the Broncos benched him because he refused to make significant adjustments to his contract. “They definitely told me I was going to be benched and all that. That whole bye week I didn’t know what was going to be the case. I was going to be ready to play, I wanted to go to Buffalo and beat Buffalo. I wasn’t going to remove the injury guarantee, this game is such a physical game, I’ve played 12 years and all that. And I want to be able to play, I want to be able to help this team win. Every time I step on the field it’s a physical game. I never play timid; I never play scared,” Wilson confirmed to reporters Friday.

Specifically, as Wilson alluded to, the Broncos had wanted the veteran QB to defer an injury guarantee to 2025. Under the current language of Wilson’s contract, he would receive $37M in guaranteed money if he wasn’t able to pass a physical in March 2024. Meanwhile, head coach Sean Payton, who cited the desire to trigger an “offensive spark” when benching Wilson, denied any knowledge of the contract dispute. “I’m not privy to any of those [discussions], I’m handling the football. I know how this has been written, but this decision is strictly what I believe gives us a chance to win No. 8. Hard decision [but there] will be no other reasons,” Payton said.

Read More: Russell Wilson Reportedly Expects To Be Cut In The Offseason

Ex-NFL GM Calls Russell Wilson Trade “Worst Of All Time”

Elsewhere, former NFL GM Michael Lombardi has labeled Wilson’s trade to the Broncos the “worst of all time”. “When you add the contract and the trade, it’s the worst of all time,” Lombardi told TMZ this week. The Broncos gave up multiple first-round picks, multiple second-round picks, and three players to acquire Wilson. Furthermore, the team then gave Wilson a $245M contract extension.

However, Wilson was not the player that the Broncos thought they were trading for. Wilson struggled massively in 2022 and while he has improved in 2023, he has not turned the Broncos into a playoff contender. The team finished 5-12 in 2022 and while they have improved to 7-8 with two games remaining, their playoff chances sit at just 8% entering Week 17. In all likelihood, the Broncos will be missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.

Read More: Cam’ron Suggests Russell Wilson Dump Ciara To Improve His Play

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Michigan Wants To “Change The Narrative” Over Past CFP Failings

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After going 0-2 in College Football Playoff games over the last two years, Michigan is looking to change its fortunes this season. “I felt like last year I got caught up in the noise and all the emotions of it. I’m just trying to stay simple, trying to focus on dominating meetings, dominating practice. I’ve just been focusing this entire offseason to make sure I’m locked in on all the little details and that doesn’t happen again,” starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy said.

After falling to Georgia in 2021 and TCU in 2022, Michigan returned to the CFP as undefeated Big 10 champions. They were one of the nation’s best teams wire-to-wire, culminating in a Big 10 title game shutout win over Iowa. However, of course, it’s a season mired in controversy. Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended multiple times due to recruiting infractions and a sign-stealing investigation. But now Michigan can put all that behind them as they face Alabama on New Year’s Day. The winner will face Washington or Texas in the National Championship.

Read More: TCU Used “Dummy Signals” To Thwart Michigan Sign-Stealing During CFP

Florida State Considering Raising Banner If Undefeated Season Continues

Meanwhile, Florida State could further defy the institution of college football if they end their season undefeated. Players have admitted to serious discussions about raising a national championship banner if they end the season as the only undefeated Power 5 champion. “It’s only right. Nothing else needs to be said if we’re the only undefeated team,” linebacker Kalen DeLoach told ESPN. There are just two other undefeated Power 5 champions, with Michigan and Washington both playing in the College Football Playoff.

However, the team also stressed that they were strictly focused on their upcoming Orange Bowl matchup with Georgia. “The Orange Bowl is an awesome bowl, one of the best in the country, and we have a great opportunity in front of us playing Georgia. It’s still a big game for us, and we’re taking it serious. We’re focused on the guys we have here to help us win the game,” quarterback Brock Glenn said.

Read More: Florida State Announces Lawsuit Against ACC

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David Njoku Celebrates Playoff Berth By Doing Shots With Fans

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David Njoku celebrated the Browns’ second playoff berth in two years by doing shots with fans in the stadium parking lot. Njoku had a team-leading 134 yards but caught none of Joe Flacco’s three touchdowns. Videos posted online saw Njoku knocking back shots with fans in the frigid Cleveland night. “You don’t know how many of these moments you’re going to get. I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life,” Flacco said of the win.

Of course, Njoku’s season is amazing given the injury he suffered earlier in the season. Njoku recently gave more details about the September bonfire accident that left him with burns on “17% of his body”. Njoku said he likes to have bonfires in his backyard to relax on a Friday night. However, after running out of his usual lighter fluid, he tried a new spray to keep the fire going. However, the spray lingered in the air, leading to a back blast that caught Njoku by surprise. Despite the injuries, Njoku played through “intense pain” just two days later in a “personal” game against the Ravens. Njoku has a career-high 882 yards and 6 touchdowns on the year.

Read More: David Njoku Says Accident That Gave Him Full-Face Burns Should Have Blinded Him

David Njoku Teammate Out Of Hospital Following Head Injury

Meanwhile, Njoku’s teammate Elijah Moore has been discharged from hospital after being seen convulsing on the ground following a hard hit to the head during Thursday Night Football. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday that Moore was recovering at home and was in concussion protocol. “He’s doing better. Those [hits] are always scary,” Stefanski said.

Moore recorded 61 yards and a touchdown in the Browns playoff-clinching win before going down. The game served as a major revenge game for Joe Flacco, who dominated the team that passed on him in favor of Zach Wilson. Flacco threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns cruised into the playoffs. After no playoff appearances between 2003 and 2019, the Browns have now made the playoffs in two of the last four seasons.

Read More: Pop-Tart Mascot Becomes Instant Highlight Of Bowl Season

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Elijah Moore Out Of Hospital After “TNF” Head Injury

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Elijah Moore has been discharged from hospital after being seen convulsing on the ground following a hard hit to the head during Thursday Night Football. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday that Moore was recovering at home and was in concussion protocol. “He’s doing better. Those [hits] are always scary,” Stefanski said.

Moore recorded 61 yards and a touchdown in the Browns playoff-clinching win before going down. The game served as a major revenge game for Joe Flacco, who dominated the team that passed on him in favor of Zach Wilson. Flacco threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns as the Browns cruised into the playoffs. After no playoff appearances between 2003 and 2019, the Browns have now made the playoffs in two of the last four sesaons.

Read More: Pop-Tart Mascot Becomes Instant Highlight Of Bowl Season

Russell Wilson Trade Branded “Worst Of All Time”

Meanwhile, experts have started to declare the Broncos’ decision to trade for Russell Wilson “the worst of all time”. The moniker comes after Wilson was benched and reportedly expects to be cut in the offseason. “When you add the contract and the trade, it’s the worst of all time,” former Browns GM Micheal Lombardi told TMZ. The Broncos gave up multiple first-round picks, multiple second-round picks, and three players to acquire Wilson. The Broncos then gave Wilson a $245M contract. It will cost the Broncos upwards of $85M to cut Wilson in the offseason, if that’s the direction that they take.

But Wilson was not the player that the Broncos thought they were trading for. Wilson struggled massively in 2022 and while he has improved in 2023, he has not turned the Broncos into a playoff contender. While there are front-office financial issues, the Broncos have claimed benching Wilson was purely a football decision. “I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that. I can tell you — look, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively,” head coach Sean Payton said.

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Russell Wilson Trade Branded “Worst Of All Time” By Former GM

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Experts have started to declare the Broncos’ decision to trade for Russell Wilson “the worst of all time”. The moniker comes after Wilson was benched and reportedly expects to be cut in the offseason. “When you add the contract and the trade, it’s the worst of all time,” former Browns GM Micheal Lombardi told TMZ. The Broncos gave up multiple first-round picks, multiple second-round picks, and three players to acquire Wilson. The Broncos then gave Wilson a $245M contract.

But Wilson was not the player that the Broncos thought they were trading for. Wilson struggled massively in 2022 and while he has improved in 2023, he has not turned the Broncos into a playoff contender. While there are front-office financial issues, the Broncos have claimed benching Wilson was purely a football decision. “I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that. I can tell you — look, we’re desperately trying to win. Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things. But the No. 1 push behind this — and it’s a decision I’m making — is to get a spark offensively,” head coach Sean Payton said.

Read More: Pistons Tie All-Time Losing Streak After Blowing 21-Point Lead To Boston

Jarrett Stidham Taking Over For Russell Wilson

With Wilson benched, for football or financial reasons, Jarrett Stidham takes over for the rest of the regular season. Stidham signed a two-year, $10 million contract with Denver in the offseason but will be making his first start of the season this week. “Obviously it’s difficult and all of us feel like, ‘Man, we didn’t do well enough’. But one of the things we saw when we signed Stidham in the offseason is not only film from preseason games, but regular-season games. He’s a guy that I’m anxious to see play,” Payton said.

After stints at Baylor and Auburn, Stidham was a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 by New England. After appearing in eight games over three seasons, he was traded to Las Vegas in 2022. There he made his first two career starts, replacing Derek Carr for the final two games of the regular season. Despite going 0-2, Stidham impressed the league, especially as he helped take the 49ers to overtime in his first start. His first start in Denver comes against the Chargers.

Read More: Aaron Rodgers Says He Didn’t Ask To Be Taken Off Injured Reserve

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Pop-Tart Mascot Becomes Instant Highlight Of Bowl Season

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Fans have a new favorite part of Bowl Season. However, like Edna St. Vincent Millay’s candle, the Pop-Tart Mascot cast a lovely light but did not last the night. The popular breakfast brand had been teasing the “world’s first-ever edible mascot” for weeks prior to the Orlando-hosted game. Despite this, no one was quite expecting how loveable the dancing Pop-Tart was going to be. As NC State and Kansas State battled back and forth, most viewers kept having their eyes drawn to the mascot. Perhaps it’s because everyone knew that its lifespan was tied to the final whistle. Perhaps it’s because a dancing, human-sized Pop Tart is a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

But then came the end of the game. Kansas State claimed victory, 28-19. However, once again it was the Pop-Tart that was the center of the attention. 31,000 people in Florida, and hundreds of thousands more at home, watched as the giant Pop-Tart was lowered into an appropriately-sized toaster. If the sight was not already surreal enough, the Pop-Tart was holding a sign that read “Dreams really do come true” as he was lowered out of sight. Later, the victorious Wildcats would consume handfuls of the baked mascot. And the world loved it.

Read More: Florida State Considering Raising Banner If Undefeated Season Continues

Pop-Tart Mascot Consumption Rivals Mayo Bath

However, a human-sized, pro-vore Pop-Tart being consumed on ESPN isn’t the only food-related oddity of Bowl Season this week. On Wednesday night, Charlotte played host to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Bowl game sponsors since 2020, Duke’s, a southern staple of the condiment realm, have long been the kings of bizarre bowl game promotion. Duke’s has readily embraced chaos and memery, especially on social media.

This culminates in the thing that the Pop-Tart Bowl was trying to one-up. Prior to Wednesday’s game, a fan was seen chugging the “sandwich-elevating” condiment outside the stadium. And after West Virginia dominated North Carolina, it was time was the thing ever viewer was really there to see. Mountaineers head coach was seated in an impromptu throne before a sentient jar of mayo gave him a Gatorade cooler bath of the condiment. But as the week, and year, ends, does that really compare to watching the Mayfly life of a 6ft Pop-Tart whose only goal in life was to be eaten?

Read More: Mikal Bridges Reveals He Eats Chipotle Every Day, Speaks On Nets’ Load Management

Fans Commemorate The Pop Tart

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