unacceptable - The Latremie Post

Mets Predicted To Sign $88 Million Star Pitcher After Missing Postseason

The New York Mets missed the postseason last year, and the team is under heavy pressure to perform better in the upcoming season. With one of the biggest payrolls in baseball, missing the playoffs is seemingly unacceptable for the franchise and its passionate fanbase.

The Mets had an incredible offseason last winter, making significant moves to bolster their roster. However, there is a chance they could take a few steps back this offseason due to key players hitting free agency. Mets slugger Pete Alonso is headed to free agency, drawing much attention. Equally important is star closer Edwin Diaz, who is also set to enter the free-agent market.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently projected that Diaz could sign a massive $88 million contract this winter. Meanwhile, Bob Nightengale of USA Today predicted the Mets would be able to retain Diaz in free agency—an outcome that would be a huge step in the right direction for New York.

The Mets have no excuse to lose Diaz. He has been the heartbeat of their bullpen for years while being paid well below his true value. Given that the Mets seemingly have the deepest pockets in baseball, offering Diaz close to $100 million to keep him in Queens for the next four or five seasons shouldn’t be a big hurdle.

Retaining Diaz is a big deal. It would lock up one of the best closers in baseball for the foreseeable future, providing stability and strength to the Mets’ bullpen. Having a strong bullpen is crucial for winning in October, and one of the game’s best closers will continue to take pressure off the rest of the team as they push for postseason success.
https://www.newsweek.com/mets-predicted-to-sign-88-million-star-pitcher-after-missing-postseason-11019245

Commanders defensive coordinator makes surprising admission

Sometimes in life, you think you really understand what happened. But then you learn a few more pieces of the puzzle, and suddenly you realize you had it all wrong.

That was the case with the recent announcement that Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt was moving down to the sidelines during games.

The Commanders’ defense has been struggling severely, leaving receivers wide open time and time again. With their fourth consecutive loss on Sunday against Seattle, the defense surrendered four touchdowns in the Seahawks’ first four possessions. It seemed obvious that head coach Dan Quinn had seen enough and confronted Whitt, demanding a significant change. After all, the defense’s recent performance had been completely unacceptable, and Whitt’s current approach appeared mostly ineffective.

Surely, Quinn told Whitt he wanted him down on the sideline starting this week against Detroit. Surely, Quinn emphasized the need for Whitt to be more involved with his defensive personnel on the field when the offense had possession of the ball.

But no— I had it wrong. All wrong.

During his Thursday press conference, Whitt surprised everyone by revealing that it was actually him who went to Quinn to ask if he could move down to the sideline on game days.

Whitt explained that he preferred being up in the press box because it gave him a better view of the entire defense and the offensive personnel changes. However, he added, “A couple of guys have been asking for me to come down as well. And so, I think it’s time for that to happen.”

“We gotta do whatever we have to do to get a win,” Whitt continued. “The play has not been, especially this last week, to the standard at all. And like I said, that starts with me. I gotta do a better job getting the coaches to get the players to understand how we’re going to do it.”

Wow. This was not the narrative I “knew” at all.

This change was not initiated by Dan Quinn. It was not a decision imposed because terrible situations demanded a shakeup. Nor was it a mandate from the head coach about altering Whitt’s method on game days.

Instead, it was Whitt’s own idea—a proactive step from the defensive coordinator himself.

Now, with this new development, I’m not quite sure what to make of it either. But this much is clear: sometimes, what we think we understand is far from the entire story.
https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/commanders/2025/11/07/washington-commanders-joe-whitt-surprising-admission/87136696007/

Michael Penix Jr. flexes Falcons depth after SNF loss to 49ers

The Atlanta Falcons could not get the job done on the road as they bowed to the San Francisco 49ers, 20-10, at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. The Falcons looked to win a third consecutive game, but their offense sputtered against the shorthanded hosts.

The Falcons only scored twice on nine drives, including getting blanked in the fourth quarter. Michael Penix Jr. had a strong performance in the first half but failed to up the ante after the break, allowing the 49ers to run away with the victory. Penix went 21-of-38 for 241 yards and a touchdown while getting sacked twice.

After the game, the second-year quarterback expressed his frustration. “We have too many good players on this team to not find a way (to win),” said Penix, as quoted by Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney. He deemed the loss unacceptable, especially considering the team’s depth.

The 49ers were missing key players Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Ricky Pearsall, and Fred Warner due to injuries, but the Falcons still fell short, dropping their third loss in six outings. Adding to Atlanta’s struggles, Divine Deable left the game in the first half with a forearm injury.

The Falcons managed only 62 rushing yards and committed six penalties. Defensively, they struggled as well, giving up 324 total yards, including 201 yards from Christian McCaffrey, who scored two touchdowns. This marked McCaffrey’s first 200-yard game from scrimmage since 2019.

Towards the end of the game, Penix was seen heading to the medical tent after taking multiple hits. Falcons coach Raheem Morris, however, was not overly concerned about his quarterback’s condition. “Obviously, we’ve got to let him go get evaluated. He gave me the thumbs up on the sideline when we were asking him, so he was OK to finish. We’ll see where he is tomorrow,” Morris said during the postgame conference.

The Falcons will return to action in Week 8 as they prepare to face the Miami Dolphins.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/falcons-news-michael-penix-jr-atlanta-depth-snf-49ers-loss