Patrick Mahomes has been breaking records ever since he entered the NFL. He led his 14-2 Kansas City Chiefs to a second Super Bowl in as many years. After winning the 2018 NFL MVP, Mahomes helped the Chiefs capture their first championship in over forty years last season. Mahomes had lost just one of his past 26 games as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense dominated the 25-year-old in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs were held to three field goals on their way to a 31-9 defeat. It was the first time that Mahomes’ team failed to score a touchdown in a game that he started since high school. The loss was his first as a starter with the Chiefs by more than eight points. It was also the first time that his team did not score double-digit points.

“They were the better team today,” Mahomes said. “They beat us pretty good, the worst I think I’ve been beaten in a long time.”

Mahomes was pressured 29 times, which set a Super Bowl record. Even more impressive than that is the fact that the Bucs only sent extra pass-rushers on two of those plays. On the other 27 plays, the Buccaneers’ defensive line dominated a Chiefs offensive line that was missing four starters from the group Kansas City planned on having before the start of the season. Mahomes was sacked three times and was constantly scrambling away from Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Ndamukong Suh.

“They took away our deep stuff,” Mahomes said. “They took away the sidelines and they did a good job of calling to the football and making tackles. We weren’t executing early, had a few miscues. Guys weren’t on the same page. Credit to them. They played a heck of a game defensively and offensively to beat us.”

Linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David flew from sideline to sideline to make tackles all night. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles called an excellent defensive game script, which prevented the Chiefs offense from finding a rhythm.

Mahomes seemed to be shellshocked the entire night. He was often forced to scramble around the pocket and actually did an admirable job making something out of nothing on a few plays. He converted 26-of-49 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions. He failed to throw a touchdown and his QBR of 49.9 was the second worst of his NFL career.

“I just think we weren’t on the same page as an offense,” Mahomes said. “I wasn’t getting the ball out on time. The receivers were running routes not exactly where I thought they were going to be at. The offensive line, they were good sometimes and sometimes they let guys through. When you play a good defense like that, you’ve got to be on the same page as an offense, and we weren’t today and that’s why we played so bad.”

“They were just better than us.”

It didn’t help the Chiefs cause that Mahomes was dealing with a toe injury that will likely require offseason surgery. That being said, Mahomes did not blame the loss on the injury.

“I can’t say the toe was a problem when I played two weeks ago and I played well on it,” he said. “Anytime you play football, you have to battle through injuries. We’ll look at it tomorrow and we’ll make a final decision on if we’re going to have to have surgery on it or not.”

The Chiefs have been one of the best teams in football since Mahomes was drafted as the No. 10 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. They lost in the 2018 AFC Championship in overtime and then won the Super Bowl the following year. This blowout loss seemed to come out of nowhere after Kansas City had not lost since Week 17, when they rested most of their starters. The Chiefs will have to regroup for the first time since Mahomes became the team’s leader. That said, odds on next year’s Super Bowl list Kansas City as the early favorites. Don’t count Mahomes out for long. He will surely be back with a vengeance next season.

The New York Giants made two major announcements on Friday.

First, they re-signed veteran defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, 28, to a four-year contract.  NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said the deal’s financial terms are still being negotiated, although ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the deal is worth approximately $68 million ($17 million per year) with $54 million guaranteed.

SportsCenter later tweeted the deal’s details, citing Rapoport as a source:

However, Pierre-Paul himself has expressed confusion over the news. The linebacker seemed visibly frustrated Friday morning when he took to Twitter to criticize the New York media for their blatantly false reporting.

“What the heck is people talking about I ain’t sign nothing,” Pierre-Paul tweeted. He then added: “That’s New York media for yah! They always want the story first and they got it wrong.”

Just two weeks ago, the Giants franchise-tagged the star pass-rusher after Pierre-Paul said on Jan. 9— following the team’s playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers— that he refused to sign another one-year deal with the Giants.

Pierre-Paul signed a one-year, $10 million deal with New York last year after he struggled to recuperate his form following a July 4 fireworks accident in 2015 that severely injured his hand.

The defensive end also underwent season-ending surgery following a groin injury he sustained in a Week 13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He recorded seven sacks and three forced fumbles last 2016 season.

If the report of his new deal were correct, Pierre-Paul’s four-year, $68 million contract would carry the fourth-most total cash among defensive ends. It would also tie with teammate Olivier Vernon’s five-year, $85 million deal for the second-largest average annual value and contain the most guaranteed money for any defensive end in the NFL.

The Giants also announced on Friday that they expect to sign former Jets quarterback Geno Smith on Monday, pending a physical, according to Rapoport.

Smith, 26, tore his ACL midway through the 2016 season after the Jets’ other quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was benched by coach Todd Bowles. In an interview with Rapoport, Smith said he’s five months into a six-to-eight month recovery process, but is scheduled to be a full participant in training camp.

Smith will now serve as backup to Eli Manning, for whom the Giants have attempted to give a substitute for several years during the free-agency period. Over the past few off-seasons, the Giants sought for Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman to help then-backup Ryan Nassib. Now, the No. 2 QB spot is between Smith and Josh Johnson, who re-signed a two-year deal with the Giants on Friday.

The Giants will simply have to hope Smith fully recovers from his knee injury before the regular season begins, which seems likely given what he told Rapoport.

Caption:EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 20: Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants sacks Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers in the second quarter during their game at MetLife Stadium on December 20, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The New York Giants placed a franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul for the second time in three years on Monday evening.

Giants Place Franchise Tag On Jason-Pierre-Paul

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the team’s decision, per a source informed of the situation, and added it would cost the Giants roughly $17 million to retain the 28-year-old on the tag.

Pierre-Paul signed a one-year, $10 million deal with New York last year after he struggled to recuperate his form following a July 4 fireworks accident in 2015 that severely injured his hand.

However, this past season he improved by recording seven sacks in 12 games. The veteran was leading the Giants in sacks and quarterback hits (16) until a groin injury in Week 13 caused him to miss the rest of the season.

Nevertheless, the two sides have yet to reach a long-term deal.

“Obviously we’re talking, but nowhere near a deal,” Pierre-Paul’s agent Doug Hendrickson said, via the New York Post.

Pierre-Paul told Garafolo in January that he will not sign another one-year contract.

The defensive lineman is ranked No. 10 on Around The NFL’s top 101 free agents list, although just like last offseason’s top-10 appearance, he was unable to secure a long-term deal.

Among other NFL defensive stars who were franchise-tagged on Monday were the Arizona Cardinals’ Chandler Jones, the Carolina Panthers’ Kawann Short, and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Melvin Ingram. 

The new league year begins on March 9.

Caption:EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 20: Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants sacks Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers in the second quarter during their game at MetLife Stadium on December 20, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Jason Pierre-Paul played on a one-year, prove-it deal with the New York Giants this season, but after his surgery late in the campaign, he isn’t willing to do this again.

Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul Says He Won’t Sign Another One-Year Contract

“I’m not playing on no one-year deal,” the defensive end said Monday, one day after the Giants’ season-ending 38-13 Wild Card loss to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. “I’ve proved it. I’ve showed it. There is not really another guy like me out here doing it with 7½ fingers still.”

Pierre-Paul, who finished with seven sacks in 12 games before undergoing core-muscle surgery, will be a free agent this offseason. He inked a one-year contract with the Giants last winter, following a 2015 season in which he missed the first half of the year after a July 4 weekend fireworks accident that left his right hand severely injured.

Nevertheless, Pierre-Paul remains highly optimistic.

“My future is bright,” he said. “[I] Just turned 28 years old.”

Despite the defenseman’s decision, Giants general manager Jerry Reese wants Pierre-Paul, who turned 28 on Jan. 1, to remain with the team.

“Of course we want him back,” Reese said Monday. “He’s a good football player.”

When Pierre-Paul returned from his devastating hand injury for the final eight games of the 2015 season, he managed just one sack while playing with a club on his hand.

He was just finding his rhythm prior to the core-muscle injury, earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors while drawing consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year award.

“This is the new me,” Pierre-Paul said in late November. “I got to adjust to what I’m capable of doing with my hand. I feel this is as well as I’ve played since my new beginning last year. I’m like a rookie all over again.”

Giants coach Ben McAdoo also praised the defensive end.

“JPP is a tremendous player, great talent, can rush the quarterback,” coach Ben McAdoo said. “Anytime you can rush the quarterback or cover somebody on defense, you’re a valuable asset. And we’ll take a look at that and talk about that here shortly.”

Pierre-Paul was a first-round pick of the Giants out of South Florida in the 2010 NFL draft. He has 365 career tackles and 50 sacks.

The Giants have several decisions to make this offseason regarding their defense. Three other players besides Pierre-Paul are set to become free agents: defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins and linebackers Kelvin Sheppard and Keenan Robinson. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also carries a hefty price tag ($9 million against the salary cap) for a third cornerback.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 05: Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 5, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is the latest NFL star to undergo surgery.

Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul Has Surgery Following Groin Injury, Out For Regular Season

The Pro Bowl pass rusher, who has had a great season thus far, posted a picture of himself from the hospital early Wednesday morning. According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Pierre-Paul opted for surgery following a visit to core-muscle specialist Dr. William Meyers and will be out at least six weeks– in other words, for the remainder of the regular season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNtszG3DMOt/

The defensive end injured a core muscle in last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This marks a devastating blow for the Giants (8-4), who will host the Dallas Cowboys (11-1) next Sunday night. The Cowboys currently hold the best record in the league, and their only loss this season came at home against the Giants in Week 1. However, New York has now lost one of their top defensemen, so the Giants will be facing a very touch challenge this weekend.

Former undrafted free agent Kerry Wynn and 2015 third-round pick Owamagbe Odighizuwa will play larger roles for the team in the next few weeks.

Pierre-Paul signed a one-year, $10 million deal to stay with the Giants before the start of the season. During the summer of 2015, he injured his right hand in a fourth-of-July fireworks incident that caused several of his fingers to explode.

He’ll hit the market shortly following his 28th birthday, which will be in January. Pierre-Paul has seven sacks on the season, and he and fellow defensive end Olivier Vernon have combined for 15 of the Giants’ 27 sacks.

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, meanwhile, will have to figure out a way to keep Cowboys star rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott behind the line on Sunday. The Giants are currently second in the NFC East.

Pierre-Paul was a major part of the only defense to slow Dallas down this season. In both teams’ opener, the Giants edged the Cowboys 20-19 and Elliott recorded a season-low 20 carries for 51 yards and just one touchdown.

Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has also played a stellar season, leading Dallas from Week 1 after the team’s usual starter, Tony Romo, injured his back during the pre-season.

The Cowboys are the only NFL team to have secured a playoff spot.

After Dallas, the Giants will host the Detroit Lions (8-4) on Dec. 18, which will surely be another difficult matchup.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 05: Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 5, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Although the New York Giants‘ defense has been performing well this season, most fans unsurprisingly want more, as the team remains at 2-3, in 4th place of the NFC East, its three losses coming consecutively.

Giants DEs Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon Promise To ‘Finish’ Games

Both players and fans know it’s not enough that Olivier Vernon— who is playing his first season with the Giants after spending four years with the Miami Dolphins– is playing the run better than nearly any defensive end in the NFL this season, and that Jason Pierre-Paul continues to put the type of pressure on quarterbacks consistent with that of a top 15 defensive end.

Each player has one sack this year, yet they are still not performing at the level many of the league’s top defenses historically have. Pierre-Paul stated Thursday what the Giants defense must do in order to succeed.

“We just have to finish,” Pierre-Paul said via the team’s official site. “We just have to finish as a group defense-wise. Starting with myself. Giving more effort. Just finish.”

He added: “To me, it’s not even about sacks, to tell you the truth. Yes, it’s nice to have, but in reality when you look at the games, we’ve been close. We just have to finish with the sack numbers. Our defense has been playing pretty well. We just have to get there and finish. I’m not talking about the D-line, I’m talking about as a group. Tackle better. We have done a poor job tackling. That’s every guy on the team, including myself. We just have to get better. That’s why we went out there using shoulder pads today. We just have to finish.”

Pierre-Paul has been hindered by an injury to his hand: he lost some of his fingers in the summer of 2015 while playing with a firework that exploded during a 4th of July celebration.

The Giants still have much bigger issues defensively than their line. None of their linebackers are covering particularly well, and cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have had unusually week starts as of late.

The defense has the third-worst third down-conversion-against rate in the NFL (45.7), and are allowing more than 20 first downs per game. Clearly, the Giants will need to make some severe improvements to their defense if they want to do better this season.

After coming off a loss to the Packers in Green Bay, the Giants will next host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 05: Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 5, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Jason Pierre-Paul was supposed to set a precedent.

Nick Young Narrowly Escapes Injury As Firework Ignites In His Hand

When the New York Giants defensive lineman lost parts of three digits and part of his hand in a fireworks accident last summer it seemed as if no one would ever make such a stupid mistake again.

JASON PIERRE-PAUL PSA FOR #FIREWORKS HURT CAMPAIGN

But Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young never got the memo.

Young was hosting a star-studded 4th of July bash when the party really blew up, according to TMZ Sports.

Swaggy P posted a video on snapchat showing a cylinder on the ground housing fireworks that were just lit. Soon the fun turns to screams when Young grabs hold of the cylinder and hoists it in the air before it ignites in his hand.

Dumb-luck kept Young from injuring himself, but his decision making of late has been called into question.

Young was swept up in a media firestorm during the season when guard DeAngelo Russell “accidentally” posted a video of Young confessing to cheating on his now-former girlfriend, rapper Iggy Azalea.

After some investigation, Iggy found surveillance footage from the home she and Young shared, revealing all of his dirty deeds. She abruptly broke it off, causing a frenzy in the Lakers locker room.

Russell was vilified for airing his team’s dirty laundry and breaking the code of silence that is expected in the confines of the professional sports arena.

Young is lucky to escape with his hand after this dingbat maneuver.

Fireworks are unsafe people. Remember its fire, it can burn you.

And explosions blow things up, why anyone would want to combine these two forces in their hand is beyond understanding.

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has filed a lawsuit against ESPN and reporter Adam Schefter for violation of privacy after severely injuring his hand in a fireworks accident on July 4.

Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul Sues ESPN, Adam Schefter For Leaked Medical Files

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Miami Dade County, according to the New York Post. Pierre-Paul has not stated exactly how much money he is seeking from ESPN or Schefter.

Four days after Pierre-Paul suffered the injury, Schefter reported that JPP would have to have his right index finger amputated. Schefter broke the news on Twitter, and added a picture of Pierre-Paul’s medical records.

The defensive end’s lawyers, Mitchell Schuster and Kevin Fritz, maintain that’s where the invasion of privacy took place.

“This action arises out of ESPN reporter Schefter’s blatant disregard for the private and confidential nature of plaintiff’s medical records, all so Schefter could show the world that he had ‘supporting proof’ of a surgical procedure,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also states that Schefter “improperly obtained” the medical chart from Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where JPP was treated. Two hospital employees were fired this month after Jackson Memorial conducted an internal investigation.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated last July, Schefter admitted he “could have and should have done more” to protect JPP’s medical records.

Schefter also defended his reporting. “[I]n a day and age in which pictures and videos tell stories and confirm facts, in which sources and their motives are routinely questioned, and in which reporters strive to be as accurate as possible, this was the ultimate supporting proof,” Schefter said at the time in the SI interview.

ESPN also released a short statement at the time, which claimed that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 “does not apply to news organizations.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdrVU9fijrs

Caption:EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 20: Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants sacks Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers in the second quarter during their game at MetLife Stadium on December 20, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The New York Giants officially agreed on a deal yesterday with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and signed him for the rest of the season, with incentives placed before him based on how he produces this season if he plays in any regular season games. This marks the end of a grueling process to get Pierre-Paul back on the team after suffering a hand injury in a July 4 fireworks accident, which led to his right index finger being blown off among burns across his hands.

The next step is finding out when exactly the 26-year-old will return to the playing field. Right now, the Giants are looking at Week 10 against the New England Patriots or Week 12 against the Washington Redskins, with a bye week happening during Week 11. Pierre-Paul’s condition did not look promising throughout training camp after the accident and a Sept. 7 physical exam, doubts were looming over the Giants organization when the defensive end would come back. After Monday’s exam, his condition looked more promising and the organization was encouraged to possibly sign him to get him into the roster for the remaining games so he can rehab with team officials and medical staff. This resulted in his signing in Tuesday night and a spot on the Giants roster. “It is just good to have Jason back in our building,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said. “You can feel his energy and his desire to overcome what he has had to endure since July. His spirit is undeniable, and he is anxious to get to work with [defensive line coach] Robert Nunn and Spags [defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo], as well as our medical and strength and conditioning people.”

The Giants took Pierre-Paul in the first round of the 2010 draft from the University of South Florida and in the 2011 season, he recorded 16.5 sacks that led to the Giants winning Super Bowl XLVI. Three years consisted of injury and not much production but in 2014, he did finish the season with 12.5 sacks which led the Giants to thinking of placing the franchise tag on him. After being labeled franchise player and having to sign a one year $14.813 million deal to play, he blew off his fingers because of a fireworks accident and his future looked bleak for the next couple months. But today, Pierre-Paul is happy to be back on the team and will do anything to help the Giants win.

“I’m just here to help the team out,” Pierre-Paul said. “I’m blessed to play the game, and I’m excited about the opportunity to play again.”

Photo: EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 05: Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the New York Giants reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 5, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Over the weekend, inconsistent defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who at times looks unstoppable, was involved in a fireworks accident in Florida. After tweeting and instragramming photos of a U-Haul truck filled with fireworks, he allegedly injured his hand while attempting to light one of them, which required him to be hospitalized.

However, JPP’s hand appears to be intact and the doctors have only kept him longer to test for long-term nerve damage, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

Giants Pull Offer From Jason Pierre-Paul

With this said, the most interesting element of this injury is how JPP never signed his franchise tender. Now, as long as his hand does not have permanent damage, the Giants will still offer the tag: it will be his choice to sign it — it is worth $14.8 million — or sit the season.

More interestingly, the Giants and Paul were allegedly working on a long-term deal that would have paid the athlete roughly $60 million, according to Ian Rapoport. The NFL Insider’s sources further stated that in light of the injury, it is not in the Giants’ best interest to sign the defensive end to a big contract and thus pulled the offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10A-jkLsePo

JPP has previously stated he did not plan to sign the franchise tag offer, but, amidst the fireworks accident, he could change his mind. Either way, the Giants are still awaiting further test results to see the extent of the damage to Paul’s hand.

Pierre-Paul initially emerged as a star in 2011, garnering 86 combined tackles, 16.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. However, he was wildly inconsistent over the next two seasons, with only 94 combined tackles and 8.5 sacks. But in 2014, he bounced back — 77 combined tackles, 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles — and everything looked positive heading into 2015.

Only time will tell if JPP’s hand will be fine: early speculation has him allegedly missing the beginning of the regular season.