WHY DID AARON RODGERS TARGET MVS THREE TIMES WHILE THE SEASON WAS ON THE LINE
Aaron Rodgers criticises officials after a 13-6 loss to the Browns. Steelers face a must-win Week 18 against the Ravens.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers wasn't happy with the refs after losing to the Cleveland Browns.
With the game and maybe the whole 2025 season hanging in the balance, Rodgers kept throwing to WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS) at the end. Down by seven with less than 30 seconds left in Week 17, he targeted MVS three times from inside the 10-yard line.
All three passes failed.
The first two weren't close; MVS might have run the wrong routes. Twice.
After the game, Rodgers didn't call out MVS for the possible screw-ups. He did, though, talk about the ref's call (or lack of one) on the fourth-down throw to MVS.
That was interference, for sure, Rodgers said. I'll have to watch the film from the second and third down, though.
On the fourth-down play, Rodgers aimed for MVS in the end zone corner. Photos show Browns CB Denzel Ward holding MVS's left arm.
The Steelers messed up, but MVS couldn't move his left arm on that last throw. Should've been a flag.
Watching it live, Ward's armbar didn't look that bad. The refs didn't call anything, and the Browns took over.
The Browns won, 13-6. The Steelers are now 9-7.
They have to beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 to win the AFC North. A tie works, too.
If the Ravens win, the Steelers are out of the playoffs.
Steelers and Rodgers Can't Get Game-Tying TD Against Browns
The Steelers offence had a bad day. Before Week 17, Rodgers and the crew had scored at least 27 points in three games straight.
Against the NFL's top pass defence in Cleveland, the Steelers didn't score a TD. The Browns limited Rodgers to 168 passing yards (4.3 yards per pass).
The Steelers only made three of 15 third-down attempts and got zero points on two trips to the red zone.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the Browns' defence was good, and Rodgers agreed. But in the second half, when Pittsburgh didn't score, they were missing DK Metcalf (suspended), Calvin Austin III (hamstring), and Darnell Washington (broken arm). Washington played only one snap.
That's why Valdes-Scantling got nine targets, catching just three for 21 yards.
WR Scotty Miller and TE Pat Freiermuth had 55 receiving yards together to start the Steelers' last drive. On first-and-goal from the Browns' 10, Rodgers hit Adam Thielen for 3 yards.
On social media, fans and experts questioned Rodgers' throwing to Valdes-Scantling three times, since Freiermuth and Miller made the big plays to get there in the first place.
How Metcalf's Suspension Impacted the Steelers
The Steelers usually run a lot and involve tight ends more than other teams. Some thought Metcalf's absence wouldn't matter much against Cleveland.
But it did. The Browns played man-to-man, giving Rodgers chances to throw deep into single coverage. But MVS and the other backup receivers didn't make those catches.
Some thought Roman Wilson, who hasn't played for weeks, might have a good game. But he didn't get any targets.
The Steelers get another shot at winning the division in Week 18, but will still be without Metcalf.
Metcalf had his best game against Baltimore in Week 14.
Austin's and Washington's status is unclear. Hamstring injuries tend to stick around. If Washington can play, he'll likely have a cast, limiting his receiving.
That's why the missed interference call on the fourth-down play with Valdes-Scantling was so important.
The Steelers have gotten lucky with calls in the past, like against the Ravens and Lions. Given the Steelers-Ravens history, Rodgers might need some more luck to win next week.
Better receiver play would help, too.
RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE
No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.
_1776091495.webp)
Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.
He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.
He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.
“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”
So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.
Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.
Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.
“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”
LUKA DONčIć'S RETURN TIMELINE REVEALED; ESPN ANALYST HINTS AT LATE FIRST-ROUND COMEBACK
Ramona Shelburne reveals a potential return timeline for Luka Dončić. Discover how the Lakers can save their season.
So, when exactly might Luka Dončić make his return from that hamstring injury? A leading ESPN analyst has put forward a timeline that, if it holds true, could significantly improve the Lakers’ chances in the playoffs.
Why is this important? Because the timeline hints at Dončić possibly coming back during the first round, assuming the Lakers manage to push the series beyond a quick exit.
Dončić, originally from Slovenia, has quite a background. As a teenager, he spent five years playing for Real Madrid, even leading them to a EuroLeague title in 2018. That same year, the Atlanta Hawks picked him third overall in the draft but traded him immediately to Dallas.
Right now, Dončić is back in Spain for treatment on the hamstring he hurt early April during a Lakers loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reports from the Los Angeles Times suggest he’s undergoing advanced therapies like ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell injections, approaches designed to accelerate healing.
It’s interesting to note that while the US only allows PRP and stem cell treatments using the patient’s own cells without manipulation, European regulations are less strict. This means doctors there can boost the concentration of anti-inflammatory agents or culture stem cells over several days, potentially speeding up recovery.
So, if these treatments yield the hoped-for results, when might Dončić be back on the court? ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shared her perspective during a recent interview.
She pointed out that Dončić’s return could give LeBron James a fitting finale in his long and storied NBA career, basically setting the stage for a memorable chapter. Shelburne mentioned that there’s a chance Luka could rejoin the team later in the first-round series. He’s actively receiving daily treatment in Spain and stays in constant communication with teammates, which sounds promising.
Even if he doesn’t make it back for the entire first round, that window of possibility offers some hope. If the Lakers can stretch their series by a couple of games at home, maybe Dončić’s comeback becomes more than just a distant dream.
Put simply, whether Dončić returns during the first round seems to hinge on whether the Lakers avoid a sweep by their likely first-round foe, the Houston Rockets.
Looking at the Lakers’ playoff picture with just one regular-season game left, they’re on a two-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s finale against the Utah Jazz, a team sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Win that game, and the Lakers secure the No. 4 seed, thanks to tiebreakers over both Houston, trailing by one game, and the Denver Nuggets, a game ahead. That would set up a first-round matchup against Houston.
However, if the Lakers win and the Nuggets lose their last game to the Spurs, the Lakers could leap to the No. 3 seed and host the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
