NFL
NASCAR levies severe penalties following Martinsville
NASCAR levies severe penalties following Martinsville
Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain were each fined $100,000 and docked 50 driver points by NASCAR on Tuesday for violating member conduct policies in Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
NASCAR conducted an investigation from the final laps and came to the conclusion that those three drivers violated sections 4.4.B&D: NASCAR Member Conduct of the Rule Book. Those sections include actions detrimental to stock car racing along with race manipulation.
The owners of each team — 23XI Racing (Wallace), Richard Childress Racing (Dillon) and Trackhouse Racing (Chastain) — were fined $100,000 and had 50 owner points taken away.
The crew chiefs and their respective spotters, along with team executives, will miss the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway as a result of these violations.
All three racing teams said they would file appeals.
“We took and looked at the most recent penalty that we had written for an infraction, very similar, which was the 41 car a couple of years ago at the Roval,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer said. “We felt like we wanted to ramp this one up and we did, we did that in a way that we included team leadership. And this one, something that we feel like that, you know, we want to get our point across that it’s a responsibility of all of us, the team owners, the team leadership as well as ourselves here at NASCAR to uphold the integrity of our sport.”
NFL
Done Deal: Packers trade star DL with Steelers in a shocking deal
Done Deal: Packers trade star DL with Steelers in a shocking deal
The Green Bay Packers have traded DL Preston Smith (pending a physical) to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Tuesday.
Smith has played in 91 games with 88 starts in the regular season since joining the Packers in 2019, posting a team-high 44.0 sacks over that span, which ranks No. 6 on Green Bay’s all-time list (since 1982). He started all nine games this season, recording 19 tackles (six solo), 2.5 sacks (tied for No. 2 on the team) and four QB hits (tied for No. 3 on the team), and is tied for No. 4 on the team with 11 NextGenStat QB pressures (TruMedia).
Smith was one of only two NFL players (T.J. Watt) to register 65-plus sacks (66), five-plus interceptions (five) and five-plus forced fumbles (nine) from 2015-23. He also appeared in seven postseason contests (all starts) for the Packers, registering 25 tackles (16 solo), 3.5 sacks, eight QB hits and three passes defensed.
NFL
JUST IN: Chicago Bears sign a new head coach after….
JUST IN: Chicago Bears sign a new head coach after….
Matt Eberflus’ job security as the Chicago Bears head coach is under serious scrutiny following another road loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With an 0-18 record in Sunday road games, a point differential of -181, and multiple fourth-quarter collapses in games where the Bears had a 91% win probability, his tenure has become hard to defend. It recently emerged that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was interested in the Bears’ head coaching position last offseason, though the team chose to retain Eberflus. Now, with Eberflus likely departing after this season, Johnson seems like a logical choice as his successor.
Ben Johnson Makes Perfect Sense as the Next Bears Head Coach
Ben Johnson’s Credentials Make Him a Compelling Choice for the Bears
Ben Johnson has been the driving force behind the Detroit Lions’ offensive resurgence. Under his leadership, the Lions’ offense became one of the NFL’s top units last season, finishing second in passing, third in total offense, and fifth in both rushing offense and points per game. This season, their offensive dominance continues. According to Lions’ Senior Writer Tim Twentyman, the Lions excel at protecting the ball, with just five turnovers in seven games (tied for the fourth fewest in the league). They rank seventh in both third-down conversions (42.9%) and red-zone efficiency (65.5%), efficiently extending drives and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Twentyman describes it as “good offensive football.”
Credit also goes to General Manager Brad Holmes, who has constructed a roster with Pro Bowl-caliber players like Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Frank Ragnow, and Penei Sewell. While the Bears have offensive talent, they need a strategic play-caller like Johnson to maximize their potential and take their offense to the next level.
Focusing on the Development of Caleb Williams
The Bears have been mired in mediocrity for far too long, and a change is overdue. The main priority should be to ensure Caleb Williams’ development by pairing him with a skilled play-caller at head coach. Though Ben Johnson lacks head coaching experience, his performance as the Lions’ offensive coordinator has been stellar. If the Bears are serious about winning, they should do what it takes to bring Johnson on as head coach next season.
For GM Ryan Poles, the focus needs to be on reinforcing both the offensive and defensive lines in free agency and the draft. The Lions’ success on offense is no accident, as they arguably have the best offensive line in the NFL. Building a strong line to protect Caleb will be crucial for him to thrive and take strides toward becoming the Bears’ franchise quarterback.
NFL
Infamous Packer key man Released by NFC Rival just now
Infamous Packer key man Released by NFC Rival just now
Following a disappointing preseason, the Green Bay Packers made a surprising move by releasing second-year kicker Anders Carlson. Carlson had been competing intensely with veteran Greg Joseph during training camp.
In the end, though, neither kicker secured the spot, as the Packers opted for a different option, choosing Brayden Narveson instead.
Carlson, now 26, soon found a new chance, signing with the San Francisco 49ers last month. The 49ers, facing a shortage of healthy kickers after Jake Moody and Matthew Wright sustained injuries, were in urgent need of reinforcements.
Carlson was elevated twice from the 49ers’ practice squad, playing in Weeks 7 and 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. In these appearances, he performed impressively, hitting 5-for-5 on field goals and 3-for-4 on extra points—a significant improvement from his preseason struggles with the Packers.
However, with Moody nearing a return from injury, Carlson will need to seek another opportunity.
Packers News: Anders Carlson Kicked to Curb by 49ers
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the 49ers have released former Green Bay kicker Anders Carlson from their practice squad, filling his spot with veteran safety Tashaun Gibson.
Despite the release, Carlson should have a good chance of finding another team soon, as he performed well in his two games with the 49ers. While Carlson struggled with longer kicks as a rookie in Green Bay, making just 7 of 13 attempts from beyond 40 yards, he showed improvement in San Francisco, hitting 4-for-4 from that range. Although it didn’t work out with the Packers, Carlson’s potential remains promising.
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