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NFL Network’s Steve Smith Made Two Laughably Bad Mistakes While Breaking Down Patriots-Broncos
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NFL Network’s Steve Smith had one of the most awkward moments of the season on Sunday night when he said moments before the New England Patriots-Denver Broncos game that New England must get big games from two players who weren’t even suiting up for the game.
In case you missed it, Smith thought wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuester would need to step up for Bill Belichick’s team in Denver. There were two big problems with that analysis—Bourne tore his ACL back in October and obviously hasn’t played since, and Smith-Schuster was ruled out for a second straight game earlier in the week with an ankle injury.
This was not great from Smith:
On NFLN, Steve Smith Sr. listed two injured Patriots WRs while discussing matchups to watch. "Kendrick Bourne, I know he's probably not, I think he's hurt, need him to show up. JuJu Smith-Schuster, he's on the sideline, need him to show up. Uh, who else they have?" pic.twitter.com/m2Z14q6TVP
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 25, 2023
NFL fans roasted him:
Steve Smith saying that Kendrick Bourne needs to show up when he's been out for more than half the season is something else
— Ethan Hammerman 🔜 Twitchcon (@Ethanhamm) December 25, 2023
Steve Smith has been unquestionably the worst at his job for as long as he's had it. Half the things he says make no sense, a quarter of them are flat out wrong, and the other quarter is just him trolling. https://t.co/Z0nRzgPuOI
— Raiolan With Mahomey (@KCAvsFan9) December 25, 2023
Wow Kendrick Bourne is recovering from a torn ACL in California but sure he's on the sideline 🤣 https://t.co/ir9e98fTmI
— Steve (@steveA1127) December 25, 2023
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. https://t.co/gmxpqztfpZ
— Chris Babcock (@ChrisBabcock2) December 25, 2023
This is fairly embarrassing.
— Sean Pendergast (@SeanTPendergast) December 25, 2023
(Also, bad take on the Denver airport. Been a minute since I’ve been there but I like the Denver airport. Good shops and extensive food choices) https://t.co/0RuyQxl39J
Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.
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