Pass The Mike Sports

The first week of NFL football is in the books and there were plenty of story lines to go around. Here are the top headlines as observed by Pass the Mike Sports. Tampa Bay shocks New Orleans in the Dome: With Jameis Winston out for the first three games it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Tampa Bay would get steamrolled by the Saints in their season opener. However, backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had other plans, marching the Bucs offense up and down the field behind 417 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-40 win over Drew Brees and the Saints. Ryan Fitzpatrick Head coach Dirk Koetter said Winston wouldn't be handed the starting job back when he returned and if Fitzpatrick continues to play like he did Sunday, there's no reason for Winston to see the field. But stay humble Bucs fans, there's a reason Fitzpatrick has played for seven different teams in his NFL career and it's usually because defenses figure him out as the season progresses. While you should re...

If you've watched enough pro football over the years the Le'Veon Bell saga in Pittsburgh is a familiar story line. The team's star player is trying to get a new contract and has refused to show up to training camp and practice until he receives what he and his agent believes is a fair offer from the team. Bell, 26, is arguably the best and one of the most utilized running backs in the league. Even on a team with weapons like Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster, Bell still seems like the engine that makes Pittsburgh's offense go. Pittsburgh Steelers running back  Le'Veon Bell.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Usually in holdout situations like this one, the holdout player's teammates will come out in public support of their colleague that's trying to get the new money. You'll often see a quote that goes something like "We wish that he was out here with us but we understand the business side of the game....