Latest news with #Kimes
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN analyst suggests Bucs' Baker Mayfield may be 'sorta shaky' ahead of 2025
ESPN analyst suggests Bucs' Baker Mayfield may be 'sorta shaky' ahead of 2025 The NFL dominates almost an entire calendar year's worth of headlines. Of course, there are all the happenings of the regular season starting in September through the culmination of the season with the Super Bowl in February, and every sort of power ranking you could think of every week. For some, there is no rest for the wicked because free agency opens in March. Which, of course, means post-free-agency power rankings and grades. As that is going on, we are preparing for the NFL Draft in April. Which leads into watching college game film, understanding a team's needs, creating at least 400 mock drafts each year, and debating it with anyone who will listen. What happens after the Draft? Grades and power rankings. April is also the month when minicamp begins, with rookie minicamp starting in May and running through OTAs and mandatory minicamp in June. June 19th is the last day for remaining teams to hold their mandatory minicamps, which naturally means that this provides more opportunities to grade and rank teams because we really don't do that enough. On The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny, ESPN's Kimes and Ben Sloak ranked their Top 10 offenses heading into the 2025 NFL season; they each had the Bucs sliding in at ten and seven, respectively. Kimes said that she watched more of the Bucs from last season than any other team to try and prep, because the numbers last season were "so insane for them and it feels slept on for how good they were last year." So why the ranking so low for a team that had one of the most prolific offenses in 2024, returning all 11 starters, and added a first-round pick at wide receiver in Emeka Egbuka in the Draft? Is it because Mike Evans is a year older, and Chris Godwin is coming off a brutal ankle injury? Nope. "I have to ding them for sorta shaky quarterback," Kimes said of Baker Mayfield. "He's good, I'm just saying, that and the loss of the coordinator [Coen], so that was it for me," she continued. As we know, Mayfield loves it when the media discredits his body of work, and is always looking for a reason to play with a chip on his shoulder. Maybe there is a bit of natural regression down from the 4, 500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions due to the Coen leaving for Jacksonville. It's a safe bet that Mayfield will still fall into the Top 10 range simply because there are too many offensive weapons on the Buccaneers roster, paired with one of the best offensive lines in the league, for the Bucs offense to hang on to a Top 10 position by a thread.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mina Kimes weighs in on ‘big' Frank Ragnow Lions retirement
The post Mina Kimes weighs in on 'big' Frank Ragnow Lions retirement appeared first on ClutchPoints. With the news of Detroit Lions offensive lineman Frank Ragnow retiring from the NFL after being with the team since being drafted with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 draft. As the Lions prepare for a grueling schedule, ESPN football analyst Mina Kimes speaks on how huge of a loss it is for the team now that Ragnow has retired. Advertisement Detroit has been known for its dominance in the trenches, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Kimes would say on 'NFL Live' that Ragnow's retirement is 'massive' since he was 'one of the best centers' in the NFL. 'It's massive,' Kimes said. 'The Lions' success over the last couple of years has really been inside out. It started with the offensive line, and you're losing Ragna, is one of the best centers of football, but you're replacing two out of three of the interior offensive linemen, Christian mahogany, who's playing guard did play some but he'll be a full time starter for the first time, and that creates a lot of questions and a lot of problems for a number of reasons. This run game, which has been so dominant, is incredibly complex.' Frank Ragnow's retirement could lead to pressure on Lions' Jared Goff © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images With Lions quarterback Jared Goff teasing new wrinkles in the offense, the loss of Ragnow no doubt impacts the team and brings up questions regarding their run and pass protection. Speaking of Goff, Kimes would bring up how the signal-caller is an 'incredibly pressure-sensitive' player, which makes the news about Ragnow even more concerning for the team. Advertisement 'The Lions run a ton of different concepts, so you're asking for a new combination to execute that, and then pressure,' Kimes said. 'Jared Goff has been absolutely fantastic in Detroit, but he remains an incredibly pressure-sensitive quarterback. Over the last two years, when he is kept clean, he is first league wide in QBR when he's under pressure, that drops to 27th so there's going to be a lot of pressure in a different way on this new offensive line, and their new offensive coordinator has to figure all of this out, and you know, it's going to be quite a transition to Detroit, but this is a big big loss.' At any rate, Detroit is looking to further improve after finishing last season with a 15-2 record, which put them first in the NFC North, though they were eliminated by the Washington Commanders in the divisional round.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'They have been through the most": Mina Kimes calls Atlanta Falcons fans the 'best fan base in the entire NFL'
Mina Kimes (via Getty Images) ESPN commentator Mina Kimes has hailed the Atlanta Falcons fan base as the best in the entire league, pointing to their unmatchable toughness, unflinching honesty, and unshakeable devotion. The Atlanta Falcons can still be tormented by their Super Bowl 51 meltdown, but for Mina Kimes, it's exactly that hurt and how fans have come to own up to it that separates them from all other faithfuls of every other franchise. ESPN's Mina Kimes names Atlanta Falcons fans as 'best' in NFL On a recent podcast, ESPN's Mina Kimes listed her top five NFL fan bases and, much to everyone's surprise, included the Atlanta Falcons at number one. Mina Kimes, with her witty responses and profound knowledge of football culture, had ample reasoning as to why she placed them atop her list. Top 10 Coaches, Top 5 Front Offices & Top 5 Fanbases | The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny 'The Atlanta Falcons are the best fan base in the entire NFL,' stated Mina Kimes. 'They have been through the most. Nobody has been through 28-3. They by far have the weirdest team. They endure all of this constant ongoing humiliation with equanimity, poise, resilience. They also have the perfect blend of nihilism with a tiny bit of hope, that I find unbelievably charming.' Kimes sees the upside: fans not only survived but transformed their agony into personality. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo It is their uncommon combination of dark humor and guarded optimism, as per Kimes, which makes Falcons fans so special. Atlanta Falcons fans adoreimperfections and see hope in uncertainty Kimes went on to reference the recent draft-day trade of rookie pass rusher James Pearce as a prime example of the fan base's level-headed mentality. Even after backlash from analysts and fans alike, many Atlanta supporters recognized the issues—yet still granted themselves a thin wedge of excitement. 'Most of them understand that the James Pearce trade in the draft -- the criticism is warranted,' said Kimes. 'But they also are allowing themselves to get excited and hopeful that one of these pass rushers that they drafted will work out.' That kind of sober, self-realizing optimism is a rarity in the NFL world, where blind partisanship and sky-high preseason hopes tend to reign supreme. Falcons fans, for their part, have grown nearly philosophical regarding their team's shortcomings, celebrating them instead of denying them. Also read: Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London lead Falcons' offensive transformation leading up to 2025 season As the Atlanta Falcons hope to end their playoff dry spell in 2025, it seems like their fans continue to create a narrative of their own.
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN's Mina Kimes on why Falcons fans are the best in the NFL
ESPN's Mina Kimes on why Falcons fans are the best in the NFL Falcons fans ranked No. 1 fan base in NFL by ESPN analyst Mina Kimes The Atlanta Falcons have one of the most interesting fan bases in the entire NFL. Of the 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl, the Falcons have gotten by far the closest. Atlanta could practically taste the champagne with a 28-3 lead over the Patriots back in Super Bowl 51. We all know how that game ended, and it's something fans will never fully get over. However, one NFL expert believes those scars are what make Falcons fans the best in the entire league. ESPN analyst Mina Kimes explained why she ranked Atlanta as her No. 1 NFL fan base. "The Atlanta Falcons are the best fan base in the entire NFL," said Kimes. "They have been through the most. Nobody has been through 28-3. They by far have the weirdest team. They endure all of this constant ongoing humiliation with equanimity, poise, resilience. They also have the perfect blend of nihilism with a tiny bit of hope, that I find unbelievably charming." Kimes praised the fans for their lack of delusion when it comes to the team, citing the recent trade for edge rusher James Pearce as an example. "Most of them understand that the James Pearce trade in the draft -- the criticism is warranted," said Kimes. "But they also are allowing themselves to get excited and hopeful that one of these pass rushers that they drafted will work out." Falcons fans have never been known for their optimism, which is somewhat rare in a league where people tend to view their favorite teams with rose-colored glasses. In 2025, Atlanta will attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. The NFL released the full 2025 regular season schedule on Wednesday. Check out our score predictions for all 17 Falcons games.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dave Portnoy slams ESPN 'hypocrite' Mina Kimes over Shannon Sharpe allegations
Dave Portnoy has accused ESPN star Mina Kimes of being a 'hypocrite' over her handling of the unfolding Shannon Sharpe scandal. The NFL legend, 56, is facing a $50million rape lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend he first met when she was just 19, while another woman has now told the Daily Mail about other allegations of sexual assault. The sports analyst, a three-time Super Bowl champion as a player, denies the allegations and continued with his scheduled appearances on ESPN's First Take this week before announcing on Thursday that he was temporarily stepping aside. On Friday morning, Kimes appeared on First Take - without Sharpe - and the ESPN star came under fire from Barstool founder Portnoy. 'Hypocrite is an understatement,' Portnoy said on social media, in response to someone asking if Kimes had 'chimed in on' the allegations against Sharpe. Portnoy was referring to the ESPN star's reaction to historical articles on which carried accusations of serious sexual misconduct and assault against the Barstool Sports founder. 'This is a really upsetting, well reported story,' Kimes wrote on social media at the time. 'And judging by the replies - there are way too many people who still don't understand the concept of consent.' Portnoy branded the articles a 'bulls*** hit piece' and even sued in February 2022. His defamation lawsuit was thrown out, however, with the judge reportedly citing a lack of evidence that had wrongful intentions to make against him. Portnoy initially contested the decision before dropping his appeal in February 2023. But he nevertheless took aim at Kimes on Friday. 'I DM'd @minakimes a mountain of evidence proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the hit piece was 100 percent garbage and politely asked for a retraction,' he wrote on X. 'Instead she blocked me. Hypocrite is an understatement.'
