Russini: What I’m hearing about Mike Vrabel, the Steelers, the Chiefs and more in NFL Week 12

Frustrated New England Patriots fans can stop hoping that owner Robert Kraft will trade to Tennessee and replace coach Bill Belichick with his former player Mike Vrabel.

This does not happen.

Angry Tennessee Titans fans can stop hoping that owner Amy Adams Strunk will fire Vrabel.

This does not happen.

Based on multiple conversations with high-level Titans officials, the franchise strongly and collectively believes it has the right coach for long-term success.

Is Giants leadership happy with the loss now? No. Who is he? But they are fully aware that the foundation and identity of this team reflects their head coach. He does it his way and makes his players believe that this is the way.

Recently, the 2021 AP Coach of the Year answered questions about his job situation from local reporters and was adamant that he is more interested in making his team play better. He added, “I’m not trying to concern myself with that.” “I’m really focused on these players. I hurt for them. I played for 14 years, won some games, won some championships. I’m disappointed for these players.”

While the Giants are still trying to figure out if rookie quarterback Will Levis is the quarterback of the future, the clearest vision this team has is who will be their leader for years to come. Ready, fixed, fragile.

If you were born in 1941, you are 82 years old. If you are reading this, God bless you. If you’re not 82, maybe share a meal with some people in that age group this holiday season. (My grandmothers are 94 and 90 and still drive! Better than my husband, too.)

Anyway, 1941 was also the last time the Steelers made a mid-season coaching change before this week when they fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada. For weeks, Steelers players have been voicing their frustrations behind the scenes and in front of network television cameras. The organization was consistent and unified throughout September and October in keeping the coordinator in place. Canada was loved in the building, but the results on offense were not.

Head coach Mike Tomlin had multiple discussions with staff, including his boss, Steelers owner Art Rooney, before informing Canada of his exit after three seasons of playing. Team sources have told me the decision was actually Tomlin’s. While the owner listened and supported the head coach, he was never directed or pressured to make a change. (My colleague Mike DeFabo did a great job providing a timeline for how we got here.)

The game-day play will go to quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, who was the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012-13 and the New York Giants from 2016-17. Then you have running backs coach Eddie Faulkner, and I’m told there’s real excitement from the Steelers in giving him a chance to run and coordinate the offense all week.

Change is good sometimes. Look at the bills. Look at the Raiders. However, the most significant change for the Steelers has to be the play of quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Next stop for Shaq Leonard

The former Colts linebacker cleared waivers on Wednesday and is now a free agent and, according to multiple league sources, has options. Leonard spent the last few seasons in Indy after signing a five-year, $98.25 million contract in 2021, but injuries hampered him after that. Now teams still in contention like the Eagles, Cowboys, Vikings and others are “collecting information” on him. A league source said Leonard may take his time making the decision.

Justin Jefferson is not expected to play on Monday Night Football in Week 12 against the Bears due to his hamstring injury, according to a team source. The Vikings are not going to push their best players back on the field despite the fact that they are in the playoffs. This all makes sense because it will give the recipient an extra two weeks of rest from game action, thanks to the Vikings’ presence in Week 13.

Staying out Monday means Jefferson will return Dec. 10 against Las Vegas. Remember, he did not sign a contract extension this season, something both sides hope to accomplish after this season.

No Swift problems

Penalties, downs and turnovers were holding the Kansas City Chiefs back. Not Taylor Swift. There was a storm of fans concerned about Travis Kelce’s fumble in the red zone Monday night against the Eagles. That’s fine, but it has nothing to do with his mega star girlfriend. This is not unsourced information, this is just common sense.

In fact, I checked in with the Chiefs after Kelce’s farewell trip to Argentina. He flew several hours back and forth to see her perform in person. When the team returned to the building Monday, so was Kelce. He was not late or distracted. He was hours early, in fact. So let’s stop the “he likes to be good at soccer” theory.

The truth is, the star tight end hasn’t played his best the past few weeks. The team didn’t either. So what do bosses do? They can’t go out and find an AJ Brown-type player down the street or convince Megatron to come out of retirement. A team source said head coach Andy Reid admitted the team had to bounce back in the second half, and behind the scenes, the Chiefs were exploring themselves. The coaching staff thinks about how to put the best players in the best positions. They review coverage adjustments with younger players so they can play quickly and don’t have to think.

The building doesn’t blame the roster or the lack of talent at some positions, but rather looks at situations like the first two drives of the second half against the Dolphins and Eagles that were marred by shootouts. The Chiefs are focused on eliminating the self-inflicted wounds that would prevent the defending Super Bowl champions from ever getting the chance to actually defend their championship in Las Vegas.

No Mark Andrews, no problem…this year

Let’s be clear. There is no replacement for Mark Andrews, and the Baltimore Ravens tight end will likely be done for the year with a serious ankle injury. He will undergo surgery, and according to the Ravens, there is an “outside chance” he will return to the playoffs. Fellow tight end Isaiah will likely step in, a perfect fit in Todd Monken’s offense.

Now, are you going to see the same Mahomes-to-Kelce off-script plays? Probably not. That’s a high goal, but he’s likely shown he can get open and be a reliable pass catcher. While Ravens players have made it clear how sad they are about losing their top offensive target in Andrews, Baltimore is helped by its offseason investment at the wide receiver position. The Ravens have four first-round picks in the receiving corps that once helped take pressure off of Andrews and are now valuable starting weapons.

While I was researching the state of the team following the Andrews news, a Ravens source told me we should be interested in defensive end Justin Madubuike. He leads the team with 9.5 sacks with six games remaining in the regular season. The Ravens haven’t had a player reach double-digit sacks since Terrell Suggs broke the 10-sack mark in 2017. He finished with 11.

Currently making just $2.7 million with Baltimore, the 26-year-old is having a breakout season and hits the open market next offseason. In other words, Madubuike is about to get a big payday. Baltimore wants to try to retain him as well.

Thank you!

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, reader. I appreciate you taking the time to read my new column this football season. It has been the most fulfilling and enjoyable three months of my career as an NFL reporter. You probably don’t know much about the reporters you read or the people who work tirelessly to edit our work The athlete, but I’ve discovered that the best part of this job is the team effort to ensure that the best sports coverage is easy to find, easy to read and remember. Enjoy time together while many of us cover the best sport in the world. Also, a quick thank you to my family for their unconditional love and patience. – Diana

(Top Image: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

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