NFL roundup: No guessing games this year, Big Ben to return
By Brad Weiss
The Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated from the AFC Playoffs this past weekend, but that does not signal the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL career.
Sure, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a tough ending to their 2017 NFL season, but we have not seen the last of the Killer B’s. While there is still question as to what the team is going to do with star running back Le’Veon Bell, the team’s quarterback will be back next season. Ben Roethlisberger has said he will return next season, and could be in it for the next three seasons, meaning the Steelers window to win another ring is closing soon.
The Atlanta Falcons made it all the way to the Divisional Round this season, though they could not overcome a stifling Philadelphia Eagles defense this past weekend. Though the team struggled offensively for parts of the season, the coaching staff will not change, and Steve Sarkisian will return in 2018. Sarkisian took over for Kyle Shanahan, who just finished his first season as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and will get a second season to coach this incredible offense in Atlanta.
The Cleveland Browns have been the laughingstock off football for quite some time, and it looks like they may bring in the laughingstock from the 2017 New York Giants season. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo could be in line to be the next offensive coordinator for the Browns, who are coming off a 0-16 season. McAdoo was fired from his job as Giants head coach towards the end of the season, as he lost control of the locker room, and benched a legend in Eli Manning in the process.
After committing to Mike Mularkey for the future two weeks ago, the Tennessee Titans parted ways with their head coach on Monday. With Mularkey gone, the team will now look to fill that void, and two names have come to front of the search. Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur are both in the mix for the head coaching job in Tennessee, so we will see how this plays out over the next couple of weeks.
Next: Jaguars' run, Vikings' miracle and Pats' dominance
The Minnesota Vikings punched their ticket to the NFC Championship Game in extraordinary fashion on Sunday, as they won on a walk-off 61-yard touchdown strike from Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs. One fan in the stands who might have been the happiest was 99-year old Millie Wall, who is a lifelong fan of the team. After the win, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did the coolest thing possible, gifting her two Super Bowl LII tickets, as the game is to be played in Minnesota. Hopefully for Millie, her Vikings will be on the field that Sunday.