Football

"If I'm putting together a roster, that's the type of quarterback that I want."

Saints star Demario Davis is going to bat for Drew Brees ... telling TMZ Sports he sees absolutely no decline in the QB's game whatsoever.

In fact, the linebacker says he believes the critics who are calling the 41-year-old washed are actually FUELING Drew to a monster season this year.

"You can see him channeling it," Davis told us of how Brees is handling the criticism.

The QB began the year not looking quite like himself -- he was checking down a lot and not exactly pushing the ball up the field at will -- and it had many wondering if Brees was done.

Things got so dicey for a while there ... some called for backup Jameis Winston to take over the starting reins in New Orleans.

But, Brees has turned things around recently -- the Saints are now proud owners of a 5-game win streak -- and Davis says he ain't surprised one bit.

"I don't know where the negative feedback be coming from," Davis says. "If people just look at the numbers, he's been as efficient this year as he's ever been."

"And when you look at somebody that's able to do that week in week out, go out there and be that efficient, if I'm putting together a roster, that's the type of quarterback that I want."

Through 8 games so far this season, Brees has 2,120 passing yards, 17 passing TDs and just 3 INTs. His QB rating is a whopping 110.3.

"He's the reason why we've had as much success as we had," Davis told us.

There's more ... Davis also spoke with us about the presidential election results -- and he even offered up a message of encouragement to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!

THOU SHALT NOT CUSS -- NOT EVEN IN A FOOTBALL HUDDLE!

That's one of Tim Tebow's commandments -- and it led to an incredible moment during his run with the NY Jets, when Tim refused to call a play called an "Oh Sh*t Screen."

Tim's former Jets teammate, Nick Mangold, told the story about a moment during the 2012 season on BroBible's "Endless Hustle" podcast ... and it's pretty hilarious!!

"We had a play that was a 'Y Oh Sh*t' screen, where the tight end actually fakes like he fell down on a running play, hops up, runs back over, throws back to the tight end and it's usually wide open," Mangold said.

But Tim -- who's never committed a single sin in his life --  refused to drop the s-bomb while calling the play in the huddle.

"He goes through the whole formation and gets to the last play: 'Y, Alright Screen' ... you guys know what it is.'"

"And we’re like, 'No Tim, what is it?' ... then he goes, 'No, I’m not going to say it.'"

Seems the whole team jokingly tried like hell to coax Tebow into saying the word -- but he stayed strong and refused to let the expletive fly.

The way Mangold tells the story ... it was all in good fun, but Tebow never wavered!

In the end, Mangold said the team got in trouble for taking too long in the huddle.

The Steelers have placed Ben Roethlisberger on the COVID-19 list ... but it's NOT because he tested positive.

The 38-year-old QB is reportedly considered a "high-risk, close contact" person -- after Steelers tight end Vance McDonald tested positive for COVID on Monday.

Along with Big Ben, 3 other Steelers were placed on the COVID list for possible exposure -- offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins, running back Jaylen Samuels and linebacker Vince William.

Long story short ... Ben and his 3 teammates will have to isolate for the next 5 days -- and if test results come back negative, they should all be good to play against the Bengals on Sunday.

Until then, the players are not allowed inside the Steelers facility.

As for Vance McDonald, his situation is different since he tested positive on Monday -- he could be required to miss more time, depending on other test results and other factors.

If McDonald was experiencing symptoms -- he must isolate for at least 10 days ... and have 72 hours with no symptoms before he could be allowed to return to the team.

LSU football player Koy Moore claims he was "violated numerous times" during a police stop over the weekend ... alleging serious officer misconduct -- and now, cops are investigating.

The Tigers freshman posted a statement Sunday saying he was scared for his life after officers stopped him Saturday night.

In his statement, which Moore shared on social media, the wide receiver claimed cops approached him with their guns drawn -- insisting he had a weapon and drugs on him.

Moore says even though he denied their claims ... cops still tried "to unzip my pants in search of a weapon that I repeatedly told them I did not have."

Moore says he tried to take out his phone to film the officers ... but he claims they "snatched" the device from him before he could start recording.

"I could've lost my life and I know for a fact nothing would've happened to the guys who did it," Moore said.

Moore claims he was only able to get out of the situation because he explained to the officers he played football for LSU.

"If I didn't tell those incompetent officers that I was a LSU football player there's no telling if I would've been here to tell the story!" Moore said.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said Sunday he was aware of Moore's allegations ... and added the school and the Baton Rouge Police Dept. are now investigating the incident.

"While I cannot comment on the investigation, what I can say is that we must work collectively to embrace our differences," Orgeron said.

"We have to listen, learn and come together to combat social injustice and racism if we are to create a safer and more equitable society for all people."

We've reached out the BRPD for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Moore was a touted recruit out of Louisiana in 2020 ... he was a four-star prospect who chose LSU over schools like USC, Auburn and Florida.

Moore has 8 catches for 70 yards so far in his first season with the program.

WARNING: THIS IS KIND OF GROSS!!

Tennessee Titans star Taylor Lewan showed off the scar he now has after docs cut open his knee to fix his torn ACL ... and the damage caused by the scalpel is GNARLY!!

Lewan suffered the initial injury back on Oct. 18 against the Houston Texans ... and he recently went under the knife to get the whole thing fixed.

And, in an effort to keep all of his followers in the loop on his recovery process ... he decided to reveal what the post-surgery damage looked like.

In the pic Lewan posted Monday night, you can see the scar is long -- running about 7 inches from just above his knee cap to just below it.

The wound is still bloody, too -- and it, unfortunately, went right through a dope tattoo the 29-year-old had.

But, Lewan stayed positive nonetheless, captioning his pic, "Stitches out today!!"

Atlanta Falcons star Takk McKinley's Twitter fingers just cost him a chunk of change ... with the team reportedly fining the defensive end over his recent Twitter outburst.

McKinley -- a 2017 first-rounder -- seemingly called the Falcons front office clowns after the trade deadline this week ... claiming the team should have pulled the trigger when he wanted out of town last season.

"These @AtlantaFalcons turned down a 2nd round draft pick when I requested to get traded last year," Takk tweeted Wednesday.

"The same @AtlantaFalcons turned down a 5th and 6th round draft pick from multiple teams when I requested to get traded this year. I only have 17.5 career sacks."

"🤡🤡🤡"

While the team denied any actual offer was presented, interim head coach Raheem Morris made it clear he was NOT happy about McKinley's decision to air out his frustrations on Twitter.

"Takk will definitely be held accountable for his actions and everything that goes with it," the coach said.

Now, we know what that means ... with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting Takk was fined an undisclosed amount for the tweets.

Whether the two sides will be able to make up is doubtful -- the team has already declined his 5th-year option and hasn't ruled out cutting McKinley's playing time or suspending him.

As for Takk's tweet ... it's still live on his account.

No regrets??

President-elect Joe Biden can Make Syracuse Football Great Again ... so says head coach Dino Babers, who believes #46's ties to the school will help BIG with recruitment.

Biden is a proud Orange alum -- he received his law degree from 'Cuse in 1968 and became the first Orangeman to be elected POTUS.

Babers was asked about Biden winning the presidency following the Orange's 16-13 loss to Boston College ... and he thinks the impact will trickle onto the field.

"To have the opportunity to be the head football coach at the university where the president-elect graduated from, I think is huge," Babers told reporters.

"Not only is it a huge honor, but I think it’s a huge recruiting advantage when you go around the country and say, 'Hey, come to Syracuse University. You can be a president of the United States."

Babers also says he hopes to meet the president-elect someday .. calling the opportunity "extremely cool."

The Dallas Cowboys took another loss on Sunday ... but at least D-lineman Antwaun Woods left the weekend a winner -- TMZ Sports has learned his weed case was just dismissed in court.

The 27-year-old NFLer was pulled over back on Dec. 3, 2019 in Frisco, Texas after cops say he was doing 77 MPH in a 60.

Officers said during the stop they smelled weed on Woods ... and eventually, they claim to have found a grip of marijuana in his car.

According to the police report, Woods had 2 glass mason jars and a small gold cylinder container full of weed, along with several pieces of drug paraphernalia.

In video of the stop, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see a cop told the Cowboys player outright, "Listen, you've got too much marijuana, OK?"

Woods was ultimately arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana ... but court records show the case was dismissed last Friday.

Unclear why the charge was dropped ... we're working on it.

We've reached out to both the Collin County DA and Woods' attorney ... but so far, no word back yet.

The Saints' blowout win over Tom Brady's Buccaneers was so massive even Sean Payton had to get in on the post-game dance party ... and the vid of coach cutting a rug is epic!!

Just minutes after New Orleans finished off drubbing Tampa Bay, 38-3 ... the guys put on some music in the locker room and began a celebration.

The dudes were HYPED -- Jameis Winston was eating W's and Saints players all over the room were getting in on the dance train.

FYI -- if you're unfamiliar, the Winston dance is a throwback to his Bucs days ... remember when he tried to get his Tampa teammates to "eat a W" before one of their games against the Saints? What a throwback move!

But, just a few seconds into the fiesta ... Payton decided to join in -- and the 56-year-old didn't seem outta place!!!

Check out the footage wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith posted ... Payton bopped around with his players and even got in a little footwork with star tackle Terron Armstead!!

Of course, Payton is no stranger to post-game dancing after big Ws ... remember when his 2018 locker room celebrations were so epic, they were immortalized in a hip-hop song??

Scary news ... Alabama running back Trey Sanders was hospitalized Friday after being involved in a car crash, the school announced.

In the Tide's statement, head coach Nick Saban said the redshirt freshman "is in stable condition after sustaining non-life threating injuries."

The coach added, "We are in direct contact with his family and the physicians that are treating him as we continue to gather more information.”

According to MyPanhandle.com, Sanders was driving with his brother in Clarksville, Fla. when they were involved in the wreck.

The website reports Sanders was life-flighted to a nearby medical facility.

Sanders was a HIGHLY touted recruit coming out of IMG Academy in 2019 ... some recruiting pundits had him as the #1 prospect in the entire country.

Pour one out for Keith Smith's poor toilet ...

The Atlanta Falcons fullback admitted this week he has a SERIOUS affinity for Chipotle ... explaining he gets bowls from the Mexican food joint 4 or 5 times a day!!

"You probably won't believe it," Smith said on the "Endless Hustle" podcast this week. "But, most people who know me know that it's legit."

The 6-foot, 240-pound NFLer explained he uses the restaurant as a way to sort of meal prep.

Smith -- who turned 28 back in April -- says he gets his bowls compartmentalized ... getting the chicken, rice and beans all separate so he can concoct the deliciousness whenever he's ready.

"Like, this is not a joke," Smith said. "Like, 4 or 5 times a day, I got my bowl. Same thing every time."

As for why Chipotle and not El Pollo Loco or some other spot? Smith says it's simple ... "You know what you going to get. The consistency."

In case you were wondering, a modest Chipotle chicken burrito bowl has around 800 calories in it. So, do the math -- that's roughly 4,000 calories of Chipotle PER DAY!!

Luke Bryan just took the Georgia-Florida rivalry to a whole 'nother level ... the country music superstar is now using Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy to cast a curse on the Gators!!!

Bryan -- a BIG Georgia fan -- revealed Thursday he and his wife won the rights to the trophy for 6 months at a charity auction last year ... donating cash to the Brett Boyer Foundation in exchange for the honor.

The thing is ... Tim waited until this week -- just days before the Gators-Bulldogs game on Saturday -- to deliver the award, and Bryan said he believes something was fishy about the timing of all that.

"I feel it was an effort to bring bad mojo into my household," said Bryan, who seriously LOVES the Dawgs.

So, what did Luke do to combat that???

REVERSE CURSE, BABY!!!

Bryan says he's now going to use Tim's trophy to try to will his Dawgs to a win over the Gators ... explaining, "I've got this all week to put a curse on the Florida Gators!"

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET in Jacksonville ... and, if the Gators start doing some funny things -- BLAME LUKE!!!

A Holy Grail collection of Patrick Mahomes cards is up for sale ... and some of the pieces in the set are so rare and unique -- the asking price is a cool $7.5 MILLION!!!

The owners of the cards -- 29-year-old Robert DeArmitt Jr. and his wife, Heidi -- tell TMZ Sports the collection took about 3 years to amass ... and it all started as an investment project for the couple back in 2017.

According to Robert, he and Heidi saw Mahomes play often as Texas Tech fans ... and they just had a feeling the quarterback was going to be a beast after being drafted by the Chiefs -- so they started acquiring pieces.

Robert says one of his first big purchases was a $275 card that he bought shortly after Mahomes' first start as a rookie in K.C.

That card, Robert says, is now worth around $400K!!!

In total, Robert says he and his wife poured in around $20,000 making the collection ... and they're now looking to part ways with over 33 of the pieces for a small fortune.

Robert tells us he's already had "7-figure offers" for the set ... but he says he believes at its floor, the collection is worth AT LEAST $7.5 mil.

As for the cards in the collection ... most are 1-of-1 prints -- aka the only versions of the pieces in existence.

Almost all of the cards have some sort of Mahomes autograph or patch ... and most have perfect Gem-Mint 10 grades on them.

Robert's listed it all on eBay ... and, yeah, there is a "best offer" option.

Another day, another COVID scare in the NFL ... this time, it's the Houston Texans closing its team facility after a player has tested positive.

"We were informed last night that a Texans player has tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"In consultation with the NFL and medical experts, we have made the decision to close the facility and conduct all operations virtually today."

The player has NOT been identified by the team -- there are reports it's a linebacker.

The noted the player in question "immediately self-isolated and contact tracing has begun."

"We will follow the NFL’s intensive protocols and guidance regarding the team’s operations. The health and safety of our team, as well as our entire staff, are of highest priority."

The Texans are slated to play the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend. So far, that game is still scheduled to be played as planned.

Antonio Brown is opening up on his bromance with Tom Brady ... praising the QB for not only helping him be great on the field -- but off it as well.

AB made his official return to the practice field with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday ... and spoke at length with reporters about his relationship with TB12.

"Tom is my boy," Brown -- sporting a TB12 hat -- said after practice. "One of the greatest leaders to be around. He’s encouraging, always inspiring. He brings out the best out of people around him. He wants the best for everyone around him."

As we previously reported ... Brady invited AB to live with him in Derek Jeter's mansion after inking his one-year deal earlier this week ... and even got him in touch with Tony Robbins.

While Brady inviting AB to live with him could be considered questionable to some -- given his rape and sexual misconduct allegations (which Brown denies) -- the receiver makes it clear the mansion is a judgment-free zone.

"Nothing that I’ve done in the past matters," AB added. "He’s always getting better, day in and day out. And I just learn a lot from him -- how he trains, how he takes care of himself professionally, his discipline, his work ethic, his approach."

Great photo of Ole Miss tight end DaMarcus Thomas -- who was back on campus and SMILING one day after being discharged from the hospital.

The 18-year-old freshman football player had suffered a frightening injury during Monday practice -- with coach Lane Kiffin saying the player initially couldn't move and lost all feeling in his body.

Thomas was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment -- and fortunately, Thomas began to regain feeling and movement.

University officials later told the media Thomas was on the mend and they were hopeful he would make a full recovery.

Fast-forward to Wednesday morning ... when Thomas was back at the Ole Miss training facility -- smiling with Katie Bason, director of player development (and another woman).

Worth noting ... Thomas appears to be sitting up without assistance, an unbelievable sight considering he's just 2 days out from the injury.