And we end 2017 with the final NFL games of the season. We've heard a lot of coaching rumors, and I wonder how many of these coaches will be let go on Sunday night for tax purposes, just so they're not on the team's books for 2018. After all, the teams that are getting rid of their coaches have to know already.
Anyway, we already know 75 percent of the playoff field, and eight of the 12 playoff teams will be different than last season. In the NFC, only the team that emerges from Atlanta and Seattle will be a repeat participant, while in the AFC, Kansas City and Pittsburgh defended division titles. It's also an NFL rule that the Patriots receive a first-round bye. They haven't locked up home field yet, though, which means Patriots-Jets is one of the 11 games that actually matters this week (to varying degrees). And we start the picks with those 11...
Jets (5-10) at Patriots (12-3): New England-All the Patriots need to do in order to wrap up home field advantage for the 35th consecutive year is beat the Jets at home. Seems pretty simple, right? The question now becomes whether or not somebody can actually beat them in the playoffs or if another Bradicheck Super Bowl appearance is inevitable.
Browns (0-15) at Steelers (12-3): Pittsburgh-Can Cleveland pull the upset of all upsets and avoid the second 0-16 season in NFL history? Seems unlikely. Pittsburgh's still clinging to those slim hopes at clinching home field, but the Steelers also know that ship sailed when they lost to the Patriots. But there's still a chance. And the embarrassment of losing to a winless team (and a rival at that) in the last game of the season when you're headed to the playoffs would sit even worse with the Pittsburgh faithful.
Bengals (6-9) at Ravens (9-6): Baltimore-Baltimore's route to the playoffs is the easiest of all four teams in the hunt for the wild card. Beat the Bengals at home, the Ravens are the 5-seed and head to Kansas City. It's that simple. That would also eliminate the Bills and take the complicated four-way tie at 9-7 out of play (although Baltimore still gets in at 9-7 if it's a three-way tie). They probably won't have to worry about that. They'll take care of business and book another playoff trip for John Harbaugh, one of the most underappreciated coaches in the league.
Jaguars (10-5) at Titans (8-7): Tennessee-Jacksonville has already locked up the 3-seed in the AFC, but I expect them to go all-out against the Titans. Why? Because they lost the first meeting with Tennessee, and they might end up facing them again next week. It was 18 years ago, but the season the Titans made the Super Bowl, Jacksonville was 15-3 overall...with three losses to the Titans. That was a generation ago obviously, but you know the Jaguars will play all out just to gain that confidence. However, the Titans will also go all out, seeing as their once guaranteed playoff spot is now hanging by a thread. I do think they'll salvage it, though.
Bills (8-7) at Dolphins (6-9): Buffalo-The Bills have the worst playoff odds of the four AFC wild card contenders, but the scenarios that put them in the playoffs aren't completely unrealistic. First things first, though. They have to take care of the Dolphins before they can even think about looking at the scoreboard. And, frankly, doing their part should be easy. Then it's a matter of hoping the Bengals beat the Ravens (that's their easiest route).
Raiders (6-9) at Chargers (8-7): Chargers-After starting 0-4, the Chargers actually have a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Raiders and some help. An incredible turnaround for a team that's really gotten a raw deal for the past couple of seasons. It's not going to be easy. The Raiders have had a disappointing year, but they'll be game, just like they were in Philly on Christmas night, and they'd love to play spoilers. I think the Chargers will take care of Oakland, which will at least give them a winning record.
Saints (11-4) at Buccaneers (4-11): New Orleans-I don't know about any of you, but I'm excited to see the Saints in the playoffs. That New Orleans offense is incredible, and Drew Brees has proven once again why he'll get a bust in Canton someday. They're guaranteed at least the 5-seed, and they'll clinch their first division title in six years with a win in Tampa. They know they're playing next week. They'll make sure that game is at home.
Panthers (11-4) at Falcons (9-6): Atlanta-Why is this game not the Sunday night game? The NFL can offer all the reasons they want why there isn't a Sunday night game, but call a spade a spade. It's because it's New Year's Eve. If it wasn't, this would've been the Sunday nighter. Which it should've been. Because a Falcons win puts them in the playoffs and gives the Saints the division, while a Panthers win could conceivably move around the entire NFC playoff seeding. I think the Saints win to clinch the division and lock Carolina into the 5-seed (and a trip to the Superdome next week). Either way, New Orleans will get the division. Because Atlanta wins this one to grab that final spot.
Cardinals (7-8) at Seahawks (9-6): Seattle-When the Falcons beat the Seahawks on that Monday night in Week 11, everyone was talking about the playoff implications of that victory. Sure enough, six weeks later, that game could end up being the reason Atlanta makes the playoffs and Seattle doesn't. Great job by the Seahawks to recover from that shellacking by the Rams to win in Dallas last week, but it's all for naught if the Falcons win. All they can do is beat the Cardinals and hope for a Panthers victory.
Bears (5-10) at Vikings (12-3): Minnesota-Last week's trip to Lambeu could've represented the Vikings' last foray outside their home state all season, barring a potential trip to Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game. Although, if the Eagles are upset in the Divisional round (which definitely seems possible), the Vikings won't leave the comforts of their own home at all. They have to take care of one last little bit of business first, though. They have to beat the Bears to secure that pesky little bye they haven't locked up yet. (They don't even necessarily need to win, seeing as their loss to Carolina is the only reason they haven't clinched a bye already.)
49ers (5-10) at Rams (11-4): Rams-For some reason, the Rams-49ers result has an impact on whether or not Minnesota gets a bye (a point that will be moot if the Vikings win). The Rams, meanwhile, know they're either the 3- or 4-seed, and they know they're playing an NFC South opponent, so I doubt it really makes much of a difference to them. Which means a 49ers upset here is a real possibility. San Francisco is a different team over the last month and is definitely one to watch out for next season. I do think the Rams will win, but this game has all the makings of being just as entertaining as that 41-39 Thursday night game in Week 3.
Texans (4-11) at Colts (3-12): Houston-On to the irrelevant games, starting in Indianapolis. This is probably Chuck Pagano's last game as Colts coach, while I don't think Texans coach Bill O'Brien should be fired, and I doubt he will. Houston has been dealt so many injuries this year, and next season, when they get their franchise quarterback and the best defensive player in football back, they could easily be right back on top of the division. Even after going just 5-11 this season.
Chiefs (9-6) at Broncos (5-10): Kansas City-Does Andy Reid rest his starters for a meaningless season finale in Denver? Probably. Which makes a Broncos win here a definite possibility. Especially since Denver's going to make some evaluations of players for next season. Regardless, I'm going to give the AFC West champs the nod.
Cowboys (8-7) at Eagles (13-2): Philadelphia-Speaking of resting starters, the Eagles have indicated they won't against the Cowboys. And they shouldn't. Because Philly might have home field, but they've also looked incredibly shaky in their last two games, especially last week against the Raiders. And that doesn't exactly inspire confidence in a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Don't go crazy, but you've got next week off. Your starters don't need two. Use this week to right the ship.
Packers (7-8) at Lions (8-7): Detroit-What a difference a year can make. When these two met in Week 17 last season, they were both headed for the playoffs and it was for the NFC North title. This year? Nothing's at stake. Which is incredible considering this is the Green Bay Packers we're talking about! It's absolutely ridiculous that they're saying Lions coach Jim Caldwell is on the hot seat. He shouldn't be. Not at all. Hopefully a sweep of the Packers will convince skeptical Detroiters he should stay.
Redskins (7-8) at Giants (2-13): Washington-Finally the game involving the team whose players and fans just want the season to end. It's 10 degrees outside, the Giants are 2-13, and it's New Year's Eve. No one wants to go to this game! People are literally giving their tickets away! Mercifully, the season will be over soon. And when it is, the Redskins will be .500 and the Giants will have the No. 2 pick in the draft.
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 152-88
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Top Games of 2017
As 2017 comes to a close, it's time for my annual countdown of the year's best games. This year's list was the hardest yet to compile. The top choices were easy. But after that, it's really a bunch of mediocre selections. This is also the first time that the number in my list doesn't correspond to the year. We've gotten to the point where the number in the year is just too many. Although, I was close.
Here are my top 15. And, since this is a completely subjective exercise, feel free to disagree...
15. US Open Women's Quarterfinals: September 5, New York-Both women's quarterfinals on Sept. 5 were sensational. Eventual champion Sloane Stephens defeated Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 in the afternoon, then the venerable veteran Venus Williams, the Australian Open and Wimbledon finalist, beat Petra Kvitova by the same score in the first match of the night session, setting up the first half of the all-American semifinals.
14. Sparks 85, Lynx 84 (WNBA Finals, Game 1): September 24, Minneapolis-This marked the second straight WNBA Finals meeting between LA and Minnesota, one of the most under-appreciated rivalries in all of sports. It was a five-game classic that Minnesota won to clinch its fourth title in seven years, but Game 1 went to LA in spectacular fashion. The Sparks led 28-2 in the first quarter and were up 12 with five minutes left, but Minnesota came all the way back and actually had the lead with two seconds to play, when LA's Chelsea Gray hit a 14-foot jumper to give her team the victory. Just the beginning of an incredible back-and-forth series.
13. Masters Final Round: April 9, Augusta, GA-Yes, that's right. I'm including golf. Because the Masters had a classic finish. Sergio Garcia built a three-shot lead, then Justin Rose tied it with three straight birdies. Rose eventually took the lead, but it was tied again going to 18, where they both missed birdie putts, setting up a playoff. In the playoff, Garcia birdied and Rose bogeyed 18, giving Garcia his first career major championship.
12. Penguins 3, Senators 2 (2 OT) (Eastern Conference Final, Game 7): May 25, Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh became the first team in 20 years to win consecutive Stanley Cups, but they barely got out of the Eastern Conference Final against a surprising Ottawa team. Pittsburgh scored first, only to have Ottawa answer 20 seconds later. The teams traded goals again in the third period, sending the contest into overtime. After a scoreless overtime period, Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz gave the Penguins a chance to repeat with his series-clinching goal at the 5:09 mark of the second OT.
11. Barcelona 6, Paris Saint-Germain 1 (Champions League, Round of 16): March 8, Barcelona-If not for the Super Bowl, this easily could've gone down as the Comeback of the Year. PSG won the first leg, 4-0, and had a 5-3 lead on the aggregate late in the second leg. Enter Neymar (who, ironically enough, is now a member of PSG). He scored in the 88th minute, then a minute into stoppage time to tie the aggregate at 5-5. Barca still needed another one because of the away goals rule, though. Neymar and Sergi Roberto took care of that in the 95th minute, and Barcelona incredibly advanced to the quarterfinals.
10. North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73 (NCAA Elite Eight): March 26, Memphis-North Carolina and Kentucky. Two of the marquee programs in college basketball. And they gave us an Elite Eight game for the ages. Kentucky sank three straight three-pointers to tie it at 73-73 with 7.2 seconds left, but the Tar Heels' Luke May hit a jumper just before the final buzzer to send North Carolina back to the Final Four, where they would eventually go on to win their sixth National title.
9. Ford EcoBoost 400: November 19, Homestead, FL-When NASCAR changed its playoff format to make the season finale a winner-take-all between four drivers, this is what they had in mind. Martin Truex, Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick were three of the four championship contenders, and they finished 1-2-4 in the race. Truex just edged Busch for the win...and the championship.
8. Warriors 118, Cavaliers 113 (NBA Finals, Game 3): June 7, Cleveland-Let's not kid ourselves. The 2017 NBA playoffs were as big of a joke as the NBA regular season. Even the Cavs-Warriors Finals rubber match was nowhere near as good as the previous two series. Game 3 was the exception, though. Down 2-0 in the series, Cleveland led 113-107 with 2:32 left before Kevin Durant pretty much single-handedly brought the Warriors back. Golden State went on an 11-0 run, with Durnat hitting the go-ahead trey with 45.3 seconds to go. Andre Igoudala then blocked LeBron's potential tying three, as the Warriors won a ridiculous 15th straight playoff game.
7. IAAF World Championships, Men's 4x100 Relay: August 12, London-There were plenty of races to choose from at a memorable Track & Field World Championships. But the men's 4x100 final will go down as the one the hosts will remember the most. Great Britain hadn't had a great World Championships to that point, but it all came together in the marquee relay, as they earned an upset win over a U.S. team that had been dominating the meet. This was also the last race of Usain Bolt's career, and many people expected to see a Jamaican victory. Instead, they saw the greatest star in track & field history pull up injured at the start of the anchor leg, as the Brits sprinted to the gold.
6. Mississippi State 66, Connecticut 64 (OT) (Women's Final Four): March 31, Dallas-UConn's incredible winning streak was at 111 games, and the Huskies were considered a virtual lock to win their fifth straight National title. Except somebody forgot to tell Mississippi State that was the plan. The Bulldogs led by as many as 16 points before UConn rallied to force overtime (thanks to a last-second block). It was 64-64 in overtime when Mississippi State's Morgan William's buzzer-beater finished off perhaps the greatest upset in women's basketball history.
5. United States 6, Dominican Republic 3 (World Baseball Classic, Pool F): March 18, San Diego-In perhaps the most anticipated game of the World Baseball Classic, the United States advanced to the semifinals by knocking off the Dominican Republic in a winner-take-all contest. The DR had come back from a 5-0 deficit to beat the USA in Miami a week earlier, but this one was different on a number of levels. The DR scored two in the first, but the USA scored two in the third to tie it, then took the lead on Giancarlo Stanton's two-run bomb that (I think) broke a window in left field. But that wasn't even the most memorable play in this game. That would be Adam Jones robbing Orioles teammate Manny Machado of a home run with his ridiculous over-the-wall catch in the seventh inning. That play changed the entire tournament for the Americans, who won the game, 6-3, then beat Japan and Puerto Rico for the title.
4. Australian Open Men's Final: January 29, Melbourne-We should've known that this was going to be a special year when we were treated to Roger vs. Rafa in the Australian Open final. What made it better was how unexpected it was. Federer was seeded 17th after missing the last half of 2016. Nadal was seeded ninth. But, they both marched their way to the finals, then, in typical Roger vs. Rafa fashion, produced another classic. Nadal was up 3-1 in the fifth set and it sure looked like he'd narrow the Grand Slam gap to 17-15. But...Roger won the last five games to win the match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, and his first Grand Slam title in five years.
3. Clemson 35, Alabama 31 (CFP National Championship): January 9, Tampa-Clemson-Alabama II was just as compelling as the first installment. Alabama took a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter and was up 24-14 after three. Clemson took the lead, 28-24, with 4:38 left, but Alabama drove right down and went back in front, 31-28, with 2:04 remaining. Clemson got the ball back at the two-minute mark and marched down the field. DeShaun Watson threw a touchdown pass with one second left to put Clemson ahead, then they recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock on a National Championship.
2. Astros 13, Dodgers 12 (10 innings) (World Series, Game 5): October 29, Houston-Of the seven games in that incredible World Series, there are probably about four that could've been on the list. But I'm picking Game 5 because it was the craziest one of them all. With aces Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel starting, the game took over five hours and there were 25 runs scored. The Dodgers had a 4-0 lead in the third, but Houston got it all back on the strength of three three-run homers. It was 12-9 Astros in the ninth, when the Dodgers put up a three-spot to tie it. Finally, in the 10th, Kenley Jansen got the first two outs before a hit batter and a walk set up Alex Bregman's walk-off single that ended one of the most memorable World Series games I've ever seen.
1. Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT) (Super Bowl LI): February 5, Houston-How about that? Both of the top two games of 2017 took place in Houston. In the Super Bowl, we learned just how brilliant Tom Brady is, and how we can never doubt that brilliance again. It was 28-3 Atlanta midway through the third quarter. There was no way the Patriots could win. Right? Wrong. Brady did Brady-like things, leading New England on four straight scoring drives. After the Patriots got within 28-20 with 5:56 left, I said to a friend of mine "watch them win this game." Sure enough, Matt Ryan made a horrible decision by taking a sack that knocked the Falcons out of field goal range, Brady got the ball back, and the Patriots tied it with 57 seconds remaining. The Super Bowl went to overtime for the first time in history, where New England promptly completed its comeback with LenDale White's third rushing TD of the game. (White scored 20 of the 31 unanswered points, but Brady was rightfully named MVP for the fourth time in his career.)
To me, it's a no-brainer what the best game of 2017 was. But if you want to flip the order and put Game 5 of the World Series ahead of the Super Bowl, I wouldn't have a problem with that, either.
Here are my top 15. And, since this is a completely subjective exercise, feel free to disagree...
15. US Open Women's Quarterfinals: September 5, New York-Both women's quarterfinals on Sept. 5 were sensational. Eventual champion Sloane Stephens defeated Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 in the afternoon, then the venerable veteran Venus Williams, the Australian Open and Wimbledon finalist, beat Petra Kvitova by the same score in the first match of the night session, setting up the first half of the all-American semifinals.
14. Sparks 85, Lynx 84 (WNBA Finals, Game 1): September 24, Minneapolis-This marked the second straight WNBA Finals meeting between LA and Minnesota, one of the most under-appreciated rivalries in all of sports. It was a five-game classic that Minnesota won to clinch its fourth title in seven years, but Game 1 went to LA in spectacular fashion. The Sparks led 28-2 in the first quarter and were up 12 with five minutes left, but Minnesota came all the way back and actually had the lead with two seconds to play, when LA's Chelsea Gray hit a 14-foot jumper to give her team the victory. Just the beginning of an incredible back-and-forth series.
13. Masters Final Round: April 9, Augusta, GA-Yes, that's right. I'm including golf. Because the Masters had a classic finish. Sergio Garcia built a three-shot lead, then Justin Rose tied it with three straight birdies. Rose eventually took the lead, but it was tied again going to 18, where they both missed birdie putts, setting up a playoff. In the playoff, Garcia birdied and Rose bogeyed 18, giving Garcia his first career major championship.
12. Penguins 3, Senators 2 (2 OT) (Eastern Conference Final, Game 7): May 25, Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh became the first team in 20 years to win consecutive Stanley Cups, but they barely got out of the Eastern Conference Final against a surprising Ottawa team. Pittsburgh scored first, only to have Ottawa answer 20 seconds later. The teams traded goals again in the third period, sending the contest into overtime. After a scoreless overtime period, Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz gave the Penguins a chance to repeat with his series-clinching goal at the 5:09 mark of the second OT.
11. Barcelona 6, Paris Saint-Germain 1 (Champions League, Round of 16): March 8, Barcelona-If not for the Super Bowl, this easily could've gone down as the Comeback of the Year. PSG won the first leg, 4-0, and had a 5-3 lead on the aggregate late in the second leg. Enter Neymar (who, ironically enough, is now a member of PSG). He scored in the 88th minute, then a minute into stoppage time to tie the aggregate at 5-5. Barca still needed another one because of the away goals rule, though. Neymar and Sergi Roberto took care of that in the 95th minute, and Barcelona incredibly advanced to the quarterfinals.
10. North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73 (NCAA Elite Eight): March 26, Memphis-North Carolina and Kentucky. Two of the marquee programs in college basketball. And they gave us an Elite Eight game for the ages. Kentucky sank three straight three-pointers to tie it at 73-73 with 7.2 seconds left, but the Tar Heels' Luke May hit a jumper just before the final buzzer to send North Carolina back to the Final Four, where they would eventually go on to win their sixth National title.
9. Ford EcoBoost 400: November 19, Homestead, FL-When NASCAR changed its playoff format to make the season finale a winner-take-all between four drivers, this is what they had in mind. Martin Truex, Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick were three of the four championship contenders, and they finished 1-2-4 in the race. Truex just edged Busch for the win...and the championship.
8. Warriors 118, Cavaliers 113 (NBA Finals, Game 3): June 7, Cleveland-Let's not kid ourselves. The 2017 NBA playoffs were as big of a joke as the NBA regular season. Even the Cavs-Warriors Finals rubber match was nowhere near as good as the previous two series. Game 3 was the exception, though. Down 2-0 in the series, Cleveland led 113-107 with 2:32 left before Kevin Durant pretty much single-handedly brought the Warriors back. Golden State went on an 11-0 run, with Durnat hitting the go-ahead trey with 45.3 seconds to go. Andre Igoudala then blocked LeBron's potential tying three, as the Warriors won a ridiculous 15th straight playoff game.
7. IAAF World Championships, Men's 4x100 Relay: August 12, London-There were plenty of races to choose from at a memorable Track & Field World Championships. But the men's 4x100 final will go down as the one the hosts will remember the most. Great Britain hadn't had a great World Championships to that point, but it all came together in the marquee relay, as they earned an upset win over a U.S. team that had been dominating the meet. This was also the last race of Usain Bolt's career, and many people expected to see a Jamaican victory. Instead, they saw the greatest star in track & field history pull up injured at the start of the anchor leg, as the Brits sprinted to the gold.
6. Mississippi State 66, Connecticut 64 (OT) (Women's Final Four): March 31, Dallas-UConn's incredible winning streak was at 111 games, and the Huskies were considered a virtual lock to win their fifth straight National title. Except somebody forgot to tell Mississippi State that was the plan. The Bulldogs led by as many as 16 points before UConn rallied to force overtime (thanks to a last-second block). It was 64-64 in overtime when Mississippi State's Morgan William's buzzer-beater finished off perhaps the greatest upset in women's basketball history.
5. United States 6, Dominican Republic 3 (World Baseball Classic, Pool F): March 18, San Diego-In perhaps the most anticipated game of the World Baseball Classic, the United States advanced to the semifinals by knocking off the Dominican Republic in a winner-take-all contest. The DR had come back from a 5-0 deficit to beat the USA in Miami a week earlier, but this one was different on a number of levels. The DR scored two in the first, but the USA scored two in the third to tie it, then took the lead on Giancarlo Stanton's two-run bomb that (I think) broke a window in left field. But that wasn't even the most memorable play in this game. That would be Adam Jones robbing Orioles teammate Manny Machado of a home run with his ridiculous over-the-wall catch in the seventh inning. That play changed the entire tournament for the Americans, who won the game, 6-3, then beat Japan and Puerto Rico for the title.
4. Australian Open Men's Final: January 29, Melbourne-We should've known that this was going to be a special year when we were treated to Roger vs. Rafa in the Australian Open final. What made it better was how unexpected it was. Federer was seeded 17th after missing the last half of 2016. Nadal was seeded ninth. But, they both marched their way to the finals, then, in typical Roger vs. Rafa fashion, produced another classic. Nadal was up 3-1 in the fifth set and it sure looked like he'd narrow the Grand Slam gap to 17-15. But...Roger won the last five games to win the match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, and his first Grand Slam title in five years.
3. Clemson 35, Alabama 31 (CFP National Championship): January 9, Tampa-Clemson-Alabama II was just as compelling as the first installment. Alabama took a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter and was up 24-14 after three. Clemson took the lead, 28-24, with 4:38 left, but Alabama drove right down and went back in front, 31-28, with 2:04 remaining. Clemson got the ball back at the two-minute mark and marched down the field. DeShaun Watson threw a touchdown pass with one second left to put Clemson ahead, then they recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock on a National Championship.
2. Astros 13, Dodgers 12 (10 innings) (World Series, Game 5): October 29, Houston-Of the seven games in that incredible World Series, there are probably about four that could've been on the list. But I'm picking Game 5 because it was the craziest one of them all. With aces Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel starting, the game took over five hours and there were 25 runs scored. The Dodgers had a 4-0 lead in the third, but Houston got it all back on the strength of three three-run homers. It was 12-9 Astros in the ninth, when the Dodgers put up a three-spot to tie it. Finally, in the 10th, Kenley Jansen got the first two outs before a hit batter and a walk set up Alex Bregman's walk-off single that ended one of the most memorable World Series games I've ever seen.
1. Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT) (Super Bowl LI): February 5, Houston-How about that? Both of the top two games of 2017 took place in Houston. In the Super Bowl, we learned just how brilliant Tom Brady is, and how we can never doubt that brilliance again. It was 28-3 Atlanta midway through the third quarter. There was no way the Patriots could win. Right? Wrong. Brady did Brady-like things, leading New England on four straight scoring drives. After the Patriots got within 28-20 with 5:56 left, I said to a friend of mine "watch them win this game." Sure enough, Matt Ryan made a horrible decision by taking a sack that knocked the Falcons out of field goal range, Brady got the ball back, and the Patriots tied it with 57 seconds remaining. The Super Bowl went to overtime for the first time in history, where New England promptly completed its comeback with LenDale White's third rushing TD of the game. (White scored 20 of the 31 unanswered points, but Brady was rightfully named MVP for the fourth time in his career.)
To me, it's a no-brainer what the best game of 2017 was. But if you want to flip the order and put Game 5 of the World Series ahead of the Super Bowl, I wouldn't have a problem with that, either.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
2017 Year In Review
Personally, I thought 2017 sucked. There were a lot of reasons why the last 12 months haven't been the best, and I'm ready to turn the page to 2018. It's not just for the (obvious) personal reasons, either. Most of the regular news was overwhelmingly negative. And the sports world wasn't immune to scandal, controversy and negative headlines.
The NFL anthem thing took on a life of its own. It spread well beyond Colin Kaepernick to virtually every team and various forms of protest. And a vast majority of fans were unhappy about it. We even had the President chiming in (for no apparent reason whatsoever) and making matters worse. It got to the point where Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva, an Army vet, had to apologize FOR standing during the anthem.
But that was nothing compared to the ever-growing USA Gymnastics scandal. First it was Aly Raisman that spoke out, then McKayla Maroney provided the gruesome details of just how extensive Larry Nasser's abuse was. This goes way beyond the sexual harassment headlines that will be at or near the top of any list of 2017's top stories. The fact that USA Gymnastics let this go on for so long is truly disturbing.
Another national news headline that will rank right up there on the "Stories of the Year" list was the devastating effects of not one, not two, but THREE massive hurricanes essentially back-to-back-to-back. Although, the devastation in Houston also gave us one of the best stories of the year. The Astros were "Houston Strong" indeed, winning the first World Series title in franchise history.
It was a classic World Series to end the season of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Speaking of Giancarlo Stanton, he was on that victorious American team at the best World Baseball Classic ever. I'm not just saying that because the United States won. It's because the players (and fans) finally got it. The fourth edition of the WBC finally got the attention it deserves. Of course, the USA winning certainly helped.
One event the USA won't be winning in 2018 is the World Cup. The U.S. Men's National Team did win the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Whoop de freakin' do! They also suffered an embarrassing exit in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and won't even be playing in Russia. Just one of several high-profile national teams that won't be in the World Cup. Chile, Italy and the Netherlands won't be there either.
Of course, FIFA either doesn't see the irony or doesn't care that as they get ready to head to Russia, Russia continues to be at the center of a doping scandal that has resulted in their Olympic Committee's suspension from the 2018 Games. More retests keep coming back positive, more Russians are having their medals stripped, and the Russians keep denying it.
There will still be Russian athletes in PyeongChang, competing as "Olympic Athletes From Russia." Athletes who won't be there are all hockey players currently on NHL rosters. After five straight Olympics with NHL participation, the best hockey players in the world will be skating in an NHL arena near you instead of in Korea come February. This despite the fact that the players want to go and the fans want them there. But why should the owners care about either of those things?
I will give the NHL credit for one thing, though. They hit an absolute home run with the Vegas Golden Knights. No one expected them to be this successful on the ice, but they deserve credit for taking the risk. And for proving that a pro team in Las Vegas definitely can work.
We need to give the IOC some credit, too. First, they had the cojones to actually suspend the Russian Olympic Committee (say what you want about the "Olympic Athlete From Russia" designation), sending the clearest message they could. But they also deserve some props for making the best of a bad situation with that historic Paris-LA double-awarding for the 2024 and 2028 Games, a compromise that wouldn't have been possible had Budapest not withdrawn its bid.
Although, if the World Swimming Championships were any indication, an Olympics in Budapest will be pretty remarkable. The post-Michael Phelps Era began with those incredible Worlds, where Katie Ledecky continued her dominance of the sport. She won AP Female Athlete of the Year honors and proved once again that she's a worthy successor to Phelps. Caeleb Dressel, meanwhile, deserves a nod, too. He won seven gold medals at Worlds, including three in one day. So maybe it's Dressel who's Phelps' successor.
Track & field legends Usain Bolt and Mo Farah said goodbye to the sport at those spectacular World Championships in London. And Bolt's farewell wasn't at all what we expected. He lost! Bolt settled for bronze in the 100 behind a pair of Tennessee Volunteers, with Justin Gatlin finally beating his longtime nemesis in their final head-to-head race.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal turned the clock back 10 years. They met in the Australian Open final, and that was just the beginning. They ended up splitting the four Grand Slam titles between them, each winning two. And in the year-end rankings, it was Rafa 1, Roger 2. On the women's side, it looked like Serena would dominate again after winning the Australian Open. Only for us to find out that she was pregnant at the time and would end up missing the rest of the year, which resulted in the most wide-open women's tennis season in quite some time.
Most of all, though, congratulations to the champions of 2017. Tom Brady displayed his brilliance once again while leading the Patriots to another title. The Penguins became the first repeat Stanley Cup champion in 20 years, and the Warriors won the rubber match in their NBA Finals trilogy with the LeBrons (sorry, I mean the Cavs).
Maya Moore led the Minnesota Lynx to another WNBA title, while her college team, UConn, saw its ridiculous 110-game winning streak snapped by Mississippi State in the Final Four. Mississippi State then lost to South Carolina, which won its first national title the day before North Carolina's men won their sixth. And, since it took place in early January, I guess Clemson's incredible victory over Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game counts, too, even though that technically made them the 2016 National Champions.
So, that's 2017 in a nutshell. Plenty more happened, but it was definitely a mixed bag. We had some incredible moments, but there were also some things we'd prefer to forget. What does 2018, with its Olympics and World Cup, have in store for us? We'll just have to wait and see.
The NFL anthem thing took on a life of its own. It spread well beyond Colin Kaepernick to virtually every team and various forms of protest. And a vast majority of fans were unhappy about it. We even had the President chiming in (for no apparent reason whatsoever) and making matters worse. It got to the point where Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva, an Army vet, had to apologize FOR standing during the anthem.
But that was nothing compared to the ever-growing USA Gymnastics scandal. First it was Aly Raisman that spoke out, then McKayla Maroney provided the gruesome details of just how extensive Larry Nasser's abuse was. This goes way beyond the sexual harassment headlines that will be at or near the top of any list of 2017's top stories. The fact that USA Gymnastics let this go on for so long is truly disturbing.
Another national news headline that will rank right up there on the "Stories of the Year" list was the devastating effects of not one, not two, but THREE massive hurricanes essentially back-to-back-to-back. Although, the devastation in Houston also gave us one of the best stories of the year. The Astros were "Houston Strong" indeed, winning the first World Series title in franchise history.
It was a classic World Series to end the season of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Speaking of Giancarlo Stanton, he was on that victorious American team at the best World Baseball Classic ever. I'm not just saying that because the United States won. It's because the players (and fans) finally got it. The fourth edition of the WBC finally got the attention it deserves. Of course, the USA winning certainly helped.
One event the USA won't be winning in 2018 is the World Cup. The U.S. Men's National Team did win the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Whoop de freakin' do! They also suffered an embarrassing exit in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and won't even be playing in Russia. Just one of several high-profile national teams that won't be in the World Cup. Chile, Italy and the Netherlands won't be there either.
Of course, FIFA either doesn't see the irony or doesn't care that as they get ready to head to Russia, Russia continues to be at the center of a doping scandal that has resulted in their Olympic Committee's suspension from the 2018 Games. More retests keep coming back positive, more Russians are having their medals stripped, and the Russians keep denying it.
There will still be Russian athletes in PyeongChang, competing as "Olympic Athletes From Russia." Athletes who won't be there are all hockey players currently on NHL rosters. After five straight Olympics with NHL participation, the best hockey players in the world will be skating in an NHL arena near you instead of in Korea come February. This despite the fact that the players want to go and the fans want them there. But why should the owners care about either of those things?
I will give the NHL credit for one thing, though. They hit an absolute home run with the Vegas Golden Knights. No one expected them to be this successful on the ice, but they deserve credit for taking the risk. And for proving that a pro team in Las Vegas definitely can work.
We need to give the IOC some credit, too. First, they had the cojones to actually suspend the Russian Olympic Committee (say what you want about the "Olympic Athlete From Russia" designation), sending the clearest message they could. But they also deserve some props for making the best of a bad situation with that historic Paris-LA double-awarding for the 2024 and 2028 Games, a compromise that wouldn't have been possible had Budapest not withdrawn its bid.
Although, if the World Swimming Championships were any indication, an Olympics in Budapest will be pretty remarkable. The post-Michael Phelps Era began with those incredible Worlds, where Katie Ledecky continued her dominance of the sport. She won AP Female Athlete of the Year honors and proved once again that she's a worthy successor to Phelps. Caeleb Dressel, meanwhile, deserves a nod, too. He won seven gold medals at Worlds, including three in one day. So maybe it's Dressel who's Phelps' successor.
Track & field legends Usain Bolt and Mo Farah said goodbye to the sport at those spectacular World Championships in London. And Bolt's farewell wasn't at all what we expected. He lost! Bolt settled for bronze in the 100 behind a pair of Tennessee Volunteers, with Justin Gatlin finally beating his longtime nemesis in their final head-to-head race.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal turned the clock back 10 years. They met in the Australian Open final, and that was just the beginning. They ended up splitting the four Grand Slam titles between them, each winning two. And in the year-end rankings, it was Rafa 1, Roger 2. On the women's side, it looked like Serena would dominate again after winning the Australian Open. Only for us to find out that she was pregnant at the time and would end up missing the rest of the year, which resulted in the most wide-open women's tennis season in quite some time.
Most of all, though, congratulations to the champions of 2017. Tom Brady displayed his brilliance once again while leading the Patriots to another title. The Penguins became the first repeat Stanley Cup champion in 20 years, and the Warriors won the rubber match in their NBA Finals trilogy with the LeBrons (sorry, I mean the Cavs).
Maya Moore led the Minnesota Lynx to another WNBA title, while her college team, UConn, saw its ridiculous 110-game winning streak snapped by Mississippi State in the Final Four. Mississippi State then lost to South Carolina, which won its first national title the day before North Carolina's men won their sixth. And, since it took place in early January, I guess Clemson's incredible victory over Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game counts, too, even though that technically made them the 2016 National Champions.
So, that's 2017 in a nutshell. Plenty more happened, but it was definitely a mixed bag. We had some incredible moments, but there were also some things we'd prefer to forget. What does 2018, with its Olympics and World Cup, have in store for us? We'll just have to wait and see.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Football Picks, Week 16
Finally, no more Thursday Night Football! Instead, we've got a pair of Saturday games for the second straight week, one of which is technically the Sunday night game a day early.
We've got pretty much a full slate on Christmas Eve, and we should have a lot more clarity on the playoff picture before it's time to open the presents. We won't know everything though. Both AFC wild cards won't be determined until next week. Although, the Ravens, Bills, Titans and Chargers will all know exactly what they need to do to get in. That all depends on what they do this week, of course.
Colts (3-11) at Ravens (8-6): Baltimore-Baltimore's currently on the outside looking in, but the Ravens will get one of those wild card spots if they win their last two. At home. Against Indianapolis and Cincinnati. So, basically, things are looking good for the Ravens to make the playoffs. Much like the Lions last week, they'll take care of business in the Saturday afternoon game against a far inferior team.
Vikings (11-3) at Packers (7-7): Minnesota-After that grand return last week to "save the Packers' season," Aaron Rodgers is on IR and Green Bay has been eliminated from playoff contention. It's strange to think that the Packers will be playing only for pride over the final two weeks, but that's exactly the situation they're in. It just wasn't their year. If they upset Minnesota, it clinches home field for Philadelphia. I think the Vikings are just too strong, though. They want this game to be their last one away from home all season.
Browns (0-14) at Bears (4-10): Cleveland-Last year's Browns victory came on Christmas Eve. Can they get their only win of the season on Christmas Eve again? If they don't, they'll become just the second 0-16 team in NFL history. Because they ain't winning next week in Pittsburgh! Call me crazy, but I think the Browns get it done in what amounts to their last chance. They get a win exactly one year to the day after their last one.
Lions (8-6) at Bengals (5-9): Detroit-Marvin Lewis will coach a game in Cincinnati for the final time. And he'll do it against a Lions team that is clinging ever so slightly to their playoff hopes. One loss eliminates Detroit because of that loss to Atlanta. All the talk about the Steelers-Patriots game and whether or not it was a catch got me thinking about that game during the week. The Lions, of course, lost that one because the officials overturned a touchdown call, but Detroit was never allowed to have a final play because of that ridiculous 10-second run-off rule (which also needs to be looked at in the offseason). How big was that overturn? Well, it could end up putting the Falcons in the playoffs instead of the Lions, so I'd say it was pretty big.
Rams (10-4) at Titans (8-6): Tennessee-Suddenly, the Titans face a must-win situation. But after two straight road losses to NFC West teams, they'll have to beat the NFC West champs if they want to have any shot at winning the division. The Rams have the luxury of a two-game lead after kicking the Seahawks' butts last week. I think the home-cooking will do Tennessee good in a game that matters much more for them than the Rams.
Dolphins (6-8) at Chiefs (8-6): Kansas City-I think it's safe to say the Chiefs have righted the ship. Because they've looked awesome the last two weeks, and, as a result, they can wrap up their second straight AFC West title with a win over Miami. They know they're going to be the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs, which means they'll have the luxury of resting starters next week after they eliminate the Dolphins (who are somehow still mathematically alive).
Bills (8-6) at Patriots (11-3): New England-Imagine if the Bills beat the Patriots, making up for last week and keeping their own playoff hopes alive in the process. I understand this scenario is highly unlikely to happen, but a guy can dream. It would also be poetic justice to see Gronkowski get repaid for that cheap shot in Buffalo. A loss here won't eliminate the Bills, but it'll make their season-ending showdown with the Dolphins that much bigger. The Patriots, meanwhile, can only clinch home field with a win and a Jaguars loss.
Falcons (9-5) at Saints (10-4): Atlanta-The winner of this game clinches a playoff berth, and the Saints can actually clinch the division with a win and a Panthers loss. Meanwhile, if Atlanta wins out, they win the division. It's going to be a crazy final two weeks in the NFC South. Especially since they all play only each other. The Falcons won the first meeting between these two, which was just two weeks ago. That's advantage Falcons. Even with a loss, Atlanta's in good shape to make the playoffs. But they know they need to win at least one of the last two in order to eliminate any doubt.
Chargers (7-7) at Jets (5-9): Chargers-It was at Met Life Stadium that the Chargers started their about-face and turned their 0-4 start into a possible postseason run. After last week's loss in Kansas City, the AFC West is essentially out the window, which means their playoff hopes are pretty much limited to a wild card. And that could be quite a battle for those two AFC wild card spots next week.
Broncos (5-9) at Redskins (6-8): Washington-Both teams are coming off wins. For the Broncos, it was their second straight after that nine-game losing streak. The Redskins, meanwhile, still have a chance at finishing .500, which is only possible with wins in their final two games. The real pressing question surrounding this game, though, is whether or not this will be the final time Redskins fans see Kirk Cousins under center as their quarterback.
Buccaneers (4-10) at Panthers (10-4): Carolina-Despite everything going on with their owner, the Panthers rallied to earn a huge win over the Packers last week. Now they face the Bucs with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. A win also still gives them a shot at the division title, which will almost certainly be decided next Sunday in Atlanta (either Panthers-Falcons or Jaguars-Titans will be the Sunday night game next week). The Panthers will do their part to set up that scenario by knocking off Tampa Bay.
Jaguars (10-4) at 49ers (4-10): Jacksonville-Referring to Jacksonville as "playoff-bound" still feels weird. It also sounds weird to call this a potential "trap game." But that's exactly what we've got. The Jaguars can clinch the division with a win, rendering next week's showdown with the Titans meaningless. Although, part of the reason for that is because the 49ers beat those very same Titans last week. San Francisco has won four out of five since the Jimmy Garoppolo trade, so they're definitely not the pushover they were earlier in the season. I'm still taking the Jaguars, but this one's going to be a battle.
Seahawks (8-6) at Cowboys (8-6): Dallas-Ezekiel Elliott returns as Dallas clings to faint playoff hopes. The Seahawks know theirs are virtually nonexistent. And the loser of this game is officially out (in fact, a tie clinches all four of the remaining NFC playoff spots). Seattle has lost two straight, including last week's shellacking at the hands of the Rams (in Seattle!). They're trending downward. The Cowboys should beat them and still have a shot (at least mathematically) next week.
Giants (2-12) at Cardinals (6-8): Arizona-Is there a better way to spend Christmas Eve than watching the Giants clinch at least the No. 2 pick in the draft? I didn't think so. On paper, this looked like a really good late-season matchup. In reality, it's not. Fortunately, there are only two Giants losses left this season.
Steelers (11-3) at Texans (4-10): Pittsburgh-For the second straight year, Pittsburgh plays on Christmas afternoon. And the Steelers know that even if they win their last two games (which they should), their fate is no longer in their hands after giving one away last week. To make matters worse, two of their three losses are to the Patriots and Jaguars, which means they don't have the tiebreaker over either one. If they're not careful, they could end up playing on Wild Card Weekend. In other words, they'd better not take the Texans for granted.
Raiders (6-8) at Eagles (12-2): Philadelphia-Monday Night Football concludes its season with the Raiders traveling cross-country for a matchup with the Eagles. This is the Raiders' third primetime game against the NFC East this season. I don't get the NFL's obsession with the matchup! They lost to the Redskins. They lost to the Cowboys. They'll lose to the Eagles. And the Eagles will bask in the knowledge that the next time they leave Philadelphia, it'll be for the Super Bowl.
Last Week: 13-3
Season: 142-82
We've got pretty much a full slate on Christmas Eve, and we should have a lot more clarity on the playoff picture before it's time to open the presents. We won't know everything though. Both AFC wild cards won't be determined until next week. Although, the Ravens, Bills, Titans and Chargers will all know exactly what they need to do to get in. That all depends on what they do this week, of course.
Colts (3-11) at Ravens (8-6): Baltimore-Baltimore's currently on the outside looking in, but the Ravens will get one of those wild card spots if they win their last two. At home. Against Indianapolis and Cincinnati. So, basically, things are looking good for the Ravens to make the playoffs. Much like the Lions last week, they'll take care of business in the Saturday afternoon game against a far inferior team.
Vikings (11-3) at Packers (7-7): Minnesota-After that grand return last week to "save the Packers' season," Aaron Rodgers is on IR and Green Bay has been eliminated from playoff contention. It's strange to think that the Packers will be playing only for pride over the final two weeks, but that's exactly the situation they're in. It just wasn't their year. If they upset Minnesota, it clinches home field for Philadelphia. I think the Vikings are just too strong, though. They want this game to be their last one away from home all season.
Browns (0-14) at Bears (4-10): Cleveland-Last year's Browns victory came on Christmas Eve. Can they get their only win of the season on Christmas Eve again? If they don't, they'll become just the second 0-16 team in NFL history. Because they ain't winning next week in Pittsburgh! Call me crazy, but I think the Browns get it done in what amounts to their last chance. They get a win exactly one year to the day after their last one.
Lions (8-6) at Bengals (5-9): Detroit-Marvin Lewis will coach a game in Cincinnati for the final time. And he'll do it against a Lions team that is clinging ever so slightly to their playoff hopes. One loss eliminates Detroit because of that loss to Atlanta. All the talk about the Steelers-Patriots game and whether or not it was a catch got me thinking about that game during the week. The Lions, of course, lost that one because the officials overturned a touchdown call, but Detroit was never allowed to have a final play because of that ridiculous 10-second run-off rule (which also needs to be looked at in the offseason). How big was that overturn? Well, it could end up putting the Falcons in the playoffs instead of the Lions, so I'd say it was pretty big.
Rams (10-4) at Titans (8-6): Tennessee-Suddenly, the Titans face a must-win situation. But after two straight road losses to NFC West teams, they'll have to beat the NFC West champs if they want to have any shot at winning the division. The Rams have the luxury of a two-game lead after kicking the Seahawks' butts last week. I think the home-cooking will do Tennessee good in a game that matters much more for them than the Rams.
Dolphins (6-8) at Chiefs (8-6): Kansas City-I think it's safe to say the Chiefs have righted the ship. Because they've looked awesome the last two weeks, and, as a result, they can wrap up their second straight AFC West title with a win over Miami. They know they're going to be the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs, which means they'll have the luxury of resting starters next week after they eliminate the Dolphins (who are somehow still mathematically alive).
Bills (8-6) at Patriots (11-3): New England-Imagine if the Bills beat the Patriots, making up for last week and keeping their own playoff hopes alive in the process. I understand this scenario is highly unlikely to happen, but a guy can dream. It would also be poetic justice to see Gronkowski get repaid for that cheap shot in Buffalo. A loss here won't eliminate the Bills, but it'll make their season-ending showdown with the Dolphins that much bigger. The Patriots, meanwhile, can only clinch home field with a win and a Jaguars loss.
Falcons (9-5) at Saints (10-4): Atlanta-The winner of this game clinches a playoff berth, and the Saints can actually clinch the division with a win and a Panthers loss. Meanwhile, if Atlanta wins out, they win the division. It's going to be a crazy final two weeks in the NFC South. Especially since they all play only each other. The Falcons won the first meeting between these two, which was just two weeks ago. That's advantage Falcons. Even with a loss, Atlanta's in good shape to make the playoffs. But they know they need to win at least one of the last two in order to eliminate any doubt.
Chargers (7-7) at Jets (5-9): Chargers-It was at Met Life Stadium that the Chargers started their about-face and turned their 0-4 start into a possible postseason run. After last week's loss in Kansas City, the AFC West is essentially out the window, which means their playoff hopes are pretty much limited to a wild card. And that could be quite a battle for those two AFC wild card spots next week.
Broncos (5-9) at Redskins (6-8): Washington-Both teams are coming off wins. For the Broncos, it was their second straight after that nine-game losing streak. The Redskins, meanwhile, still have a chance at finishing .500, which is only possible with wins in their final two games. The real pressing question surrounding this game, though, is whether or not this will be the final time Redskins fans see Kirk Cousins under center as their quarterback.
Buccaneers (4-10) at Panthers (10-4): Carolina-Despite everything going on with their owner, the Panthers rallied to earn a huge win over the Packers last week. Now they face the Bucs with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. A win also still gives them a shot at the division title, which will almost certainly be decided next Sunday in Atlanta (either Panthers-Falcons or Jaguars-Titans will be the Sunday night game next week). The Panthers will do their part to set up that scenario by knocking off Tampa Bay.
Jaguars (10-4) at 49ers (4-10): Jacksonville-Referring to Jacksonville as "playoff-bound" still feels weird. It also sounds weird to call this a potential "trap game." But that's exactly what we've got. The Jaguars can clinch the division with a win, rendering next week's showdown with the Titans meaningless. Although, part of the reason for that is because the 49ers beat those very same Titans last week. San Francisco has won four out of five since the Jimmy Garoppolo trade, so they're definitely not the pushover they were earlier in the season. I'm still taking the Jaguars, but this one's going to be a battle.
Seahawks (8-6) at Cowboys (8-6): Dallas-Ezekiel Elliott returns as Dallas clings to faint playoff hopes. The Seahawks know theirs are virtually nonexistent. And the loser of this game is officially out (in fact, a tie clinches all four of the remaining NFC playoff spots). Seattle has lost two straight, including last week's shellacking at the hands of the Rams (in Seattle!). They're trending downward. The Cowboys should beat them and still have a shot (at least mathematically) next week.
Giants (2-12) at Cardinals (6-8): Arizona-Is there a better way to spend Christmas Eve than watching the Giants clinch at least the No. 2 pick in the draft? I didn't think so. On paper, this looked like a really good late-season matchup. In reality, it's not. Fortunately, there are only two Giants losses left this season.
Steelers (11-3) at Texans (4-10): Pittsburgh-For the second straight year, Pittsburgh plays on Christmas afternoon. And the Steelers know that even if they win their last two games (which they should), their fate is no longer in their hands after giving one away last week. To make matters worse, two of their three losses are to the Patriots and Jaguars, which means they don't have the tiebreaker over either one. If they're not careful, they could end up playing on Wild Card Weekend. In other words, they'd better not take the Texans for granted.
Raiders (6-8) at Eagles (12-2): Philadelphia-Monday Night Football concludes its season with the Raiders traveling cross-country for a matchup with the Eagles. This is the Raiders' third primetime game against the NFC East this season. I don't get the NFL's obsession with the matchup! They lost to the Redskins. They lost to the Cowboys. They'll lose to the Eagles. And the Eagles will bask in the knowledge that the next time they leave Philadelphia, it'll be for the Super Bowl.
Last Week: 13-3
Season: 142-82
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Daytona
I've spent the last week in Daytona, and I couldn't contain my excitement to go to the track. We drove by it on the way to the hotel, but I wasn't able to head out there until today. It was well worth the wait, though. In fact, it was freakin' awesome!
If you want to see all of my photos, check out my Facebook page. But, since there are over 200, I'm gonna limit it to the highlights.
Speaking of highlights, my tour guide said that since there's almost always something going on, they're only able to bring the tours out onto the actual track about 60 times a year. Well, guess whose tour fell on one of those 60 days? And believe me, TV does not do justice to that 31-degree banking in Turn 3. Seeing it up close, you get the full grasp for how steep 31 degrees actually is. It's insane! (The photo doesn't do it justice, either.)
If you want to see all of my photos, check out my Facebook page. But, since there are over 200, I'm gonna limit it to the highlights.
Speaking of highlights, my tour guide said that since there's almost always something going on, they're only able to bring the tours out onto the actual track about 60 times a year. Well, guess whose tour fell on one of those 60 days? And believe me, TV does not do justice to that 31-degree banking in Turn 3. Seeing it up close, you get the full grasp for how steep 31 degrees actually is. It's insane! (The photo doesn't do it justice, either.)
After we went around Turns 3 and 4 (at the blazing speed of 5 mph), we hit the homestretch, where we went down pit road and got to take pictures at the start/finish line. And on the homestretch, you really get a good view of the magnificent grandstand, which seats 100,000 fans (roughly the same as the Rose Bowl).
Then it was off to Victory Lane...
...and the press conference room.
Our second-to-last stop was the grandstand itself, where we got the same spectacular view of the track that the fans do on race day. From the stands, you can really see the ridiculous expanse of the Speedway. They call it "The World's First Motorsports Stadium," and you can see why. This place is massive.
Every year after the Daytona 500, they take the winning car and put it on display in the exact same condition as when the checkered flag flew. In 2017, that was Kurt Busch's No. 41. They keep the Daytona 500 trophy right next to the car (the winner gets a smaller version).
Before closing it out with photos of the three statues outside Daytona (of NASCAR founder Bill France; his son, Bill France, Jr.; and Dale Earnhardt), two fun facts about the track. The infield is a mile long. It was tough to get a photo of it, but that's the distance between Turns 1 & 2 and Turns 3 & 4.
The second one is something that was totally unexpected, and I found it completely unique. When we were driving to the hotel on Monday, we drove right past the Speedway. I almost completely missed it. It's not like most sports stadiums, where there's nothing around for miles except for parking lots. Not Daytona. It's in a totally nondescript location, across the street from a Barnes & Noble, blending in with everything else.
Actually, one final fun fact to close it out. Our hotel was right on the Atlantic Ocean, along the route of the original Daytona Beach-Road Course.
As you can tell, I had a great time at Daytona. And I only took a tour! I can't imagine what a race weekend is like!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
NFL TD Celebrations
When the NFL relaxed its touchdown celebration rules over the offseason, no longer penalizing a player 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for any sort of post-TD expression, we knew that the players were going to get creative. It took a little while, but that's exactly what we've seen. And they keep getting more and more fun. It's like they're trying to one-up each other week after week. And it's been great!
Sure, there have been the tasteless displays, such as Odell Beckham, Jr., pretending to pee on the field (for which he was promptly fined $12,500. And Ezekiel Elliott's jumping into the Salvation Army bin, while cool, would still be grounds for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. But, for the most part, what we've seen has been great. And certain teams are definitely better at end zone celebrations than others.
Take the Minnesota Vikings. They're responsible for two of the best TD celebrations we've seen all season. The first was in their game against the Lions on Thanksgiving when, naturally, they all sat down to Thanksgiving dinner.
Don't think the Vikings are the only creative team, though. They're not even the only creative team in the NFC North. The Packers were responsible for a pair of solid Olympic-themed celebrations. They channeled their inner Jamaican bobsled team against the Cowboys and celebrated Aaron Rodgers' return against the Panthers by power walking.
There's something about the NFC North and touchdown celebrations. Because the Lions are pretty good at them, too. We've seen Detroit give curling a try (and fail miserably), and Golden Tate gave us one of the beast early-season celebrations with his game of table tennis.
Then there's the Atlanta Falcons. The defending NFC champs have been responsible for a couple good ones. The first was Devonte Freeman's free throw against the Packers. The other was Master of All Things Julio Jones showing off his fencing prowess.
...then topped it with a NASCAR pit stop against the Chargers on Saturday night.
Sure, there have been the tasteless displays, such as Odell Beckham, Jr., pretending to pee on the field (for which he was promptly fined $12,500. And Ezekiel Elliott's jumping into the Salvation Army bin, while cool, would still be grounds for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. But, for the most part, what we've seen has been great. And certain teams are definitely better at end zone celebrations than others.
Take the Minnesota Vikings. They're responsible for two of the best TD celebrations we've seen all season. The first was in their game against the Lions on Thanksgiving when, naturally, they all sat down to Thanksgiving dinner.
Believe it or not, that was only Minnesota's second-best TD celebration this season. The best one came during a Monday night game in Chicago, where they followed a touchdown with a game of everyone's schoolyard favorite...Duck, Duck, Goose (complete with offensive linemen!).
Don't think the Vikings are the only creative team, though. They're not even the only creative team in the NFC North. The Packers were responsible for a pair of solid Olympic-themed celebrations. They channeled their inner Jamaican bobsled team against the Cowboys and celebrated Aaron Rodgers' return against the Panthers by power walking.
There's something about the NFC North and touchdown celebrations. Because the Lions are pretty good at them, too. We've seen Detroit give curling a try (and fail miserably), and Golden Tate gave us one of the beast early-season celebrations with his game of table tennis.
— GMFB (@gmfb) September 24, 2017
The end zone: Where 🏈 meets 🏓 pic.twitter.com/0aY56ZjkJU— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 20, 2017
Then there's the Atlanta Falcons. The defending NFC champs have been responsible for a couple good ones. The first was Devonte Freeman's free throw against the Packers. The other was Master of All Things Julio Jones showing off his fencing prowess.
Over in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been the standard bearers. They played a lively game of hide and seek against the Bengals...Introducing fencing 🐐, JULIOOOOOO. pic.twitter.com/OA4BGKE3Z3— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 26, 2017
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 22, 2017...and reenacted a move straight out of WWE in the rematch with Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs gave us a potato sack race earlier in the season...The @steelers going even deeper into their Celebration Playbook 😎 #NFLCelebrations (cc: @WWE) pic.twitter.com/yNFGZ55p9I— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 5, 2017
...then topped it with a NASCAR pit stop against the Chargers on Saturday night.
Finally, the best touchdown celebration of the season, courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles. It was in October, so a baseball-themed celebration made total sense. And they completely hit it out of the park with their home run against the Cardinals in Week 5.
I'm sure there are plenty of other good ones that I missed. But one thing is for sure. The NFL, for all of its missteps over the last 18 months, nailed this one. They got it totally right. "NFL" doesn't stand for "No Fun League" anymore. At least not when it comes to touchdown celebrations.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Winter Meetings Winners
MLB's Winter Meetings have come and gone, and we didn't really see a lot of player movement. Well, we saw a few trades and free agent signings, but the two biggest deals of the offseason took place before the Winter Meetings even started. We'll, of course, see the top available players all sign within the next few weeks, but, for the most part, the Meetings themselves were relatively quiet.
That doesn't mean teams were just sitting around twiddling their thumbs, though. In fact, there have been some very active GMs, and we can still declare some winners and losers based on what's been done so far.
Winners
Angels-I'll start with the obvious. Getting Shohei Otani was just the beginning. The Angels also re-signed Justin Upton, then added Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, as well as reliever Jim Johnson. They aren't done, either. Don't be surprised if they're in the mix for a starter and/or J.D. Martinez. Add these players to an Angels team that already boasts Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Andrelton Simmons, and you've got a squad that could challenge the Astros in the AL West next season. (Either that or they'll end up being the big bust of 2018.)
Yankees-After the Giancarlo coup, you might've thought the Yankees wouldn't do much else during the Winter Meetings. Wrong. They traded Chase Headley to free up some more salary, and evidently there are some Clint Frazier-for-Gerrit Cole discussions with Pittsburgh. CC Sabathia re-signed, which wasn't exactly a surprise, and there's still at least one move to come (they need either a second or third baseman). For a team that went to Game 7 of the ALCS against the eventual champions last season, they're definitely going all-in for 2018. The last time they did that was in the winter of 2008-09. And that season turned out pretty well.
Padres-Yes, it seems strange to call San Diego a "winner." However, the Padres have made strides to be less bad next season. They got former franchise stalwart Chase Headley back from the Yankees and got Brian Mitchell in that deal, too. Then they added shortstop Freddy Galvis from the Phillies. They've also been linked to Eric Hosmer, even though that seems unlikely. Even if they don't get Hosmer, maybe a reunion with Adrian Gonzalez is possible. Either way, their perpetual rebuilding mode could actually yield some dividends in 2018.
Astros-They have the core of a World Series championship team coming back, so they didn't really need to do much. But the Astros were still active in addressing the only real weakness they had last season--the bullpen. They added former Mets setup man Joe Smith and former Cubs closer Hector Rondon, which more than makes up for the loss of the departed Luke Gregerson, who signed with the Cardinals.
Losers
Red Sox-This one was obvious. While the Yankees made the biggest splash of anyone with the Stanton trade, their archrivals could just sit there and watch. The Red Sox don't figure to be quiet for long. You know they'll do something. (Boston is still the most logical landing spot for Hosmer.) And they're gonna have to. Because the Yankees have established themselves as the unquestioned AL East favorites for 2018.
Marlins-It seems a bit harsh to call the Marlins "losers," when they're doing exactly what they set out to do. But you still can't help but feel for their fans. They've traded their three best players, and it sure doesn't look like they're done selling off the remainder of the team like spare parts. I've argued that it's not much different than what they did 20 years ago, but Marlins fans at least got to enjoy a World Series title first that time. This time, they've got new owners who, instead of investing in their young talent and adding pieces, they're blowing a team that wasn't that good to begin with completely apart.
Giants-Calling their 2017 season a disappointment would be an understatement. Which means they had a lot of needs entering the Winter Meetings. And they did nothing to address them! Granted, it wasn't completely their fault. They had a trade for Giancarlo all worked out, only for him to say no. Ohtani also turned them down. The only significant thing San Francisco has done is trade starting pitcher Matt Moore to Texas. Will they eventually do something? Almost certainly (I think Jay Bruce would be a great fit for them). But so far? Nada.
Rays-Why the Rays? Because they're in a tough spot. Their roster as it stands isn't good enough to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox (or the Blue Jays and Orioles, for that matter). As a small-market team, they're limited in what they can do. But not doing anything isn't really an option, either. So they need to decide if they want to rebuild and trade off some of their better players like Evan Longoria and Chris Archer or if they want to try and contend for a wild card. What they can't do is stand pat.
Things will change as the remaining big-name free agents sign, and there are still a lot of free agents out there. But, as of now, the Angels and Yankees have done the most to improve their teams for 2018. And they're by far the big offseason winners so far.
That doesn't mean teams were just sitting around twiddling their thumbs, though. In fact, there have been some very active GMs, and we can still declare some winners and losers based on what's been done so far.
Winners
Angels-I'll start with the obvious. Getting Shohei Otani was just the beginning. The Angels also re-signed Justin Upton, then added Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, as well as reliever Jim Johnson. They aren't done, either. Don't be surprised if they're in the mix for a starter and/or J.D. Martinez. Add these players to an Angels team that already boasts Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Andrelton Simmons, and you've got a squad that could challenge the Astros in the AL West next season. (Either that or they'll end up being the big bust of 2018.)
Yankees-After the Giancarlo coup, you might've thought the Yankees wouldn't do much else during the Winter Meetings. Wrong. They traded Chase Headley to free up some more salary, and evidently there are some Clint Frazier-for-Gerrit Cole discussions with Pittsburgh. CC Sabathia re-signed, which wasn't exactly a surprise, and there's still at least one move to come (they need either a second or third baseman). For a team that went to Game 7 of the ALCS against the eventual champions last season, they're definitely going all-in for 2018. The last time they did that was in the winter of 2008-09. And that season turned out pretty well.
Padres-Yes, it seems strange to call San Diego a "winner." However, the Padres have made strides to be less bad next season. They got former franchise stalwart Chase Headley back from the Yankees and got Brian Mitchell in that deal, too. Then they added shortstop Freddy Galvis from the Phillies. They've also been linked to Eric Hosmer, even though that seems unlikely. Even if they don't get Hosmer, maybe a reunion with Adrian Gonzalez is possible. Either way, their perpetual rebuilding mode could actually yield some dividends in 2018.
Astros-They have the core of a World Series championship team coming back, so they didn't really need to do much. But the Astros were still active in addressing the only real weakness they had last season--the bullpen. They added former Mets setup man Joe Smith and former Cubs closer Hector Rondon, which more than makes up for the loss of the departed Luke Gregerson, who signed with the Cardinals.
Losers
Red Sox-This one was obvious. While the Yankees made the biggest splash of anyone with the Stanton trade, their archrivals could just sit there and watch. The Red Sox don't figure to be quiet for long. You know they'll do something. (Boston is still the most logical landing spot for Hosmer.) And they're gonna have to. Because the Yankees have established themselves as the unquestioned AL East favorites for 2018.
Marlins-It seems a bit harsh to call the Marlins "losers," when they're doing exactly what they set out to do. But you still can't help but feel for their fans. They've traded their three best players, and it sure doesn't look like they're done selling off the remainder of the team like spare parts. I've argued that it's not much different than what they did 20 years ago, but Marlins fans at least got to enjoy a World Series title first that time. This time, they've got new owners who, instead of investing in their young talent and adding pieces, they're blowing a team that wasn't that good to begin with completely apart.
Giants-Calling their 2017 season a disappointment would be an understatement. Which means they had a lot of needs entering the Winter Meetings. And they did nothing to address them! Granted, it wasn't completely their fault. They had a trade for Giancarlo all worked out, only for him to say no. Ohtani also turned them down. The only significant thing San Francisco has done is trade starting pitcher Matt Moore to Texas. Will they eventually do something? Almost certainly (I think Jay Bruce would be a great fit for them). But so far? Nada.
Rays-Why the Rays? Because they're in a tough spot. Their roster as it stands isn't good enough to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox (or the Blue Jays and Orioles, for that matter). As a small-market team, they're limited in what they can do. But not doing anything isn't really an option, either. So they need to decide if they want to rebuild and trade off some of their better players like Evan Longoria and Chris Archer or if they want to try and contend for a wild card. What they can't do is stand pat.
Things will change as the remaining big-name free agents sign, and there are still a lot of free agents out there. But, as of now, the Angels and Yankees have done the most to improve their teams for 2018. And they're by far the big offseason winners so far.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Football Picks, Week 15
We're getting down to the nitty gritty in the NFL, and this week features some of the biggest games so far this season. What happens this week will probably go a long way in determining playoff seeding. It might even determine who's in and who's out. So, to call this the biggest week of the season so far would be an understatement.
As a bonus, there are no more Thursday night games! Instead, we've got two weeks with Saturdays, and the Saturday night game is one of those crucial matchups as the Chargers visit the Chiefs. They obviously didn't know how significant that game would actually be when they made the schedule, but it worked out pretty well for NFL Network, which has that AFC West tilt exclusively.
Bears (4-9) at Lions (7-6): Detroit-Saturday's first game is a Bears-Lions showdown that Detroit badly needs to win. I don't think the Lions are making the playoffs even if they win out. But if they lose to the Bears, they really have no shot. Fortunately for them, that doesn't seem likely, even if Chicago is coming off a win.
Chargers (7-6) at Chiefs (7-6): Kansas City-Talk about a bounce back! The Chiefs blew their entire lead in the AFC West, only to play one of their best games of the season last week against the Raiders. Now they need to follow it up with another win against the Chargers, who are among the hottest teams in football. The winner has the inside track at the AFC West crown, especially if it's the Chiefs, who won the first meeting. Did they get their mojo back? I think they might've.
Dolphins (6-7) at Bills (7-6): Buffalo-Can someone please explain to me why the first meeting of the season between Miami and Buffalo didn't come until Week 15? No blizzard this week, so the visual appeal won't be the same as last week's Bills game. But it will be cold, which is definitely advantage Buffalo (and why the Bills prefer to have their home game with the Dolphins later in the season). The Bills are currently holding on to a wild card spot and playing their final home game of the season. They know the importance of this one.
Ravens (7-6) at Browns (0-13): Baltimore-Buffalo may currently own that second AFC wild card, but the Ravens will actually be the ones who get it if they win out. And that's entirely possible, seeing as their final three opponents are the Browns, Bears and Bengals. The poor Browns, meanwhile, looked like they might get it last week, but, alas, they found a way to lose again. They've said Hue Jackson's job is safe, but how safe can it really be if he goes a combined 1-31 over two seasons?
Bengals (5-8) at Vikings (10-3): Minnesota-Thanks to the Panthers, the Vikings didn't clinch the NFC North last week. They also dropped from the top spot to the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Make no mistake, though, Minnesota is going to win the division. Their bye is no longer a guarantee, though, so it's paramount that they take care of business against a disappointing Bengals team. Marvin Lewis will only be their coach for three more games, right?
Jets (5-8) at Saints (9-4): New Orleans-The Saints have had 10 days to recover from that loss to the Falcons, and they still find themselves in first place. Their big one is the rematch with Atlanta next week, but the NFC South is the tightest race in football. And it means they can't afford to get upset by the Jets. A Jets team that admittedly mailed it in at the end of last week's shutout loss in Denver. Will they actually play a full 60 minutes in New Orleans?
Eagles (11-2) at Giants (2-11): Philadelphia-When these two teams met in Philadelphia, it took a 60-yard field goal for the Eagles to win by a field goal. Oh, how things have changed since Week 3! Philly has already clinched the division, and they could lock up home field if everything goes their way this week. The Giants (who actually resembled a real football team for a half last week), meanwhile, are three games away from wrapping up the No. 2 pick in the draft. The chances of an upset here seem pretty slim.
Cardinals (6-7) at Redskins (5-8): Washington-This one doesn't have any playoff significance, although some thought it might at the start of the season. Things just didn't quite turn out the way the Cardinals and Redskins would've hoped, though. Arizona did get that upset against Tennessee last week, but they're flying cross country for an early game this week. That doesn't usually bode well for them.
Packers (7-6) at Panthers (9-4): Green Bay-Aaron Rodgers returns this week, although it's not to "save the Packers' season." Green Bay still has visions of the playoffs, but their road isn't nearly as easy as it was last year. For example, they've got a visit to Carolina this week, then they play Minnesota and Detroit to finish the season. If they get in, they're gonna earn it. I do think they'll win this week, though. The allegations against Jerry Richardson may prove to be too much of a distraction for the Panthers.
Texans (4-9) at Jaguars (9-4): Jacksonville-Jacksonville can clinch a playoff spot this week. I repeat. Jacksonville can clinch a playoff spot this week. Last week's win over Seattle got ugly at the end, but it was definitely a statement game. And I think Blake Bortels was absolutely right. Teams aren't used to losing to the Jaguars. Well, it's their final home game of the regular season. They hope to have a home game or two in January, as well. A season sweep of Houston will go a long way towards making that goal happen.
Rams (9-4) at Seahawks (8-5): Rams-One of this week's most important matchups takes place in the Pacific Northwest, and it's a big one for both teams. The Seahawks are currently on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture, but they beat the Rams the first time, so they'll take over the NFC West lead if they complete the season sweep. The Rams looked mighty impressive against the Eagles last week, but they know that means nothing if they drop this one. For everything great they've done this season, they don't deserve to be fighting for a wild card down the stretch. They deserve a division-clinching win.
Patriots (10-3) at Steelers (11-2): New England-It's not just the game of the week. It's the most important game of the season in the AFC. And it's a game where Pittsburgh can really make a statement. The Patriots have had their number. They know that and the Patriots know it. New England's coming off that upset loss in Miami, which is actually completely irrelevant. They'll still have the inside track at the 1-seed with a win (while Pittsburgh will essentially lock it up if they win). Most fans expect a Patriots-Steelers rematch in the AFC Championship Game, with this one likely determining where that game will be. Expect that game to be in Foxboro.
Titans (8-5) at 49ers (3-10): Tennessee-Don't look now, but San Francisco has actually won three out of four. Although, those wins have come over the Giants, Bears and Texans, not exactly playoff contenders. The Titans, meanwhile, need to salvage their NFC West road trip if they want that Week 17 game with the Jaguars to be for the division title. Otherwise, they're looking at a wild card.
Cowboys (7-6) at Raiders (6-7): Oakland-On the other side of San Francisco Bay, the Cowboys visit the Raiders on Sunday night. This is the last game before Ezekiel Elliott returns from his suspension, and, after losing their first three without him, the Cowboys can actually get him back on a three-game winning streak. They're both still alive for the playoffs, although ever so slightly. The loser is essentially out. Oakland still has a chance at the division, too. They've got the motivation.
Falcons (8-5) at Buccaneers (4-9): Atlanta-Of all the wild card contenders in the NFC, Atlanta's in a better position than anybody. The Falcons have beaten the Seahawks, Lions, Packers and Cowboys, who just happen to be the four teams directly behind them for the 6-seed. Of course, they're just a game back in the NFC South, too, so defending their division title is definitely still a possibility. Especially since their last three games are all in the division. A Falcons win here, and we're set up for an exciting final two weeks in the division that looks to almost certainly produce three playoff teams.
Thursday Night: Denver (Win)
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 8-8
Overall: 130-79
As a bonus, there are no more Thursday night games! Instead, we've got two weeks with Saturdays, and the Saturday night game is one of those crucial matchups as the Chargers visit the Chiefs. They obviously didn't know how significant that game would actually be when they made the schedule, but it worked out pretty well for NFL Network, which has that AFC West tilt exclusively.
Bears (4-9) at Lions (7-6): Detroit-Saturday's first game is a Bears-Lions showdown that Detroit badly needs to win. I don't think the Lions are making the playoffs even if they win out. But if they lose to the Bears, they really have no shot. Fortunately for them, that doesn't seem likely, even if Chicago is coming off a win.
Chargers (7-6) at Chiefs (7-6): Kansas City-Talk about a bounce back! The Chiefs blew their entire lead in the AFC West, only to play one of their best games of the season last week against the Raiders. Now they need to follow it up with another win against the Chargers, who are among the hottest teams in football. The winner has the inside track at the AFC West crown, especially if it's the Chiefs, who won the first meeting. Did they get their mojo back? I think they might've.
Dolphins (6-7) at Bills (7-6): Buffalo-Can someone please explain to me why the first meeting of the season between Miami and Buffalo didn't come until Week 15? No blizzard this week, so the visual appeal won't be the same as last week's Bills game. But it will be cold, which is definitely advantage Buffalo (and why the Bills prefer to have their home game with the Dolphins later in the season). The Bills are currently holding on to a wild card spot and playing their final home game of the season. They know the importance of this one.
Ravens (7-6) at Browns (0-13): Baltimore-Buffalo may currently own that second AFC wild card, but the Ravens will actually be the ones who get it if they win out. And that's entirely possible, seeing as their final three opponents are the Browns, Bears and Bengals. The poor Browns, meanwhile, looked like they might get it last week, but, alas, they found a way to lose again. They've said Hue Jackson's job is safe, but how safe can it really be if he goes a combined 1-31 over two seasons?
Bengals (5-8) at Vikings (10-3): Minnesota-Thanks to the Panthers, the Vikings didn't clinch the NFC North last week. They also dropped from the top spot to the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Make no mistake, though, Minnesota is going to win the division. Their bye is no longer a guarantee, though, so it's paramount that they take care of business against a disappointing Bengals team. Marvin Lewis will only be their coach for three more games, right?
Jets (5-8) at Saints (9-4): New Orleans-The Saints have had 10 days to recover from that loss to the Falcons, and they still find themselves in first place. Their big one is the rematch with Atlanta next week, but the NFC South is the tightest race in football. And it means they can't afford to get upset by the Jets. A Jets team that admittedly mailed it in at the end of last week's shutout loss in Denver. Will they actually play a full 60 minutes in New Orleans?
Eagles (11-2) at Giants (2-11): Philadelphia-When these two teams met in Philadelphia, it took a 60-yard field goal for the Eagles to win by a field goal. Oh, how things have changed since Week 3! Philly has already clinched the division, and they could lock up home field if everything goes their way this week. The Giants (who actually resembled a real football team for a half last week), meanwhile, are three games away from wrapping up the No. 2 pick in the draft. The chances of an upset here seem pretty slim.
Cardinals (6-7) at Redskins (5-8): Washington-This one doesn't have any playoff significance, although some thought it might at the start of the season. Things just didn't quite turn out the way the Cardinals and Redskins would've hoped, though. Arizona did get that upset against Tennessee last week, but they're flying cross country for an early game this week. That doesn't usually bode well for them.
Packers (7-6) at Panthers (9-4): Green Bay-Aaron Rodgers returns this week, although it's not to "save the Packers' season." Green Bay still has visions of the playoffs, but their road isn't nearly as easy as it was last year. For example, they've got a visit to Carolina this week, then they play Minnesota and Detroit to finish the season. If they get in, they're gonna earn it. I do think they'll win this week, though. The allegations against Jerry Richardson may prove to be too much of a distraction for the Panthers.
Texans (4-9) at Jaguars (9-4): Jacksonville-Jacksonville can clinch a playoff spot this week. I repeat. Jacksonville can clinch a playoff spot this week. Last week's win over Seattle got ugly at the end, but it was definitely a statement game. And I think Blake Bortels was absolutely right. Teams aren't used to losing to the Jaguars. Well, it's their final home game of the regular season. They hope to have a home game or two in January, as well. A season sweep of Houston will go a long way towards making that goal happen.
Rams (9-4) at Seahawks (8-5): Rams-One of this week's most important matchups takes place in the Pacific Northwest, and it's a big one for both teams. The Seahawks are currently on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture, but they beat the Rams the first time, so they'll take over the NFC West lead if they complete the season sweep. The Rams looked mighty impressive against the Eagles last week, but they know that means nothing if they drop this one. For everything great they've done this season, they don't deserve to be fighting for a wild card down the stretch. They deserve a division-clinching win.
Patriots (10-3) at Steelers (11-2): New England-It's not just the game of the week. It's the most important game of the season in the AFC. And it's a game where Pittsburgh can really make a statement. The Patriots have had their number. They know that and the Patriots know it. New England's coming off that upset loss in Miami, which is actually completely irrelevant. They'll still have the inside track at the 1-seed with a win (while Pittsburgh will essentially lock it up if they win). Most fans expect a Patriots-Steelers rematch in the AFC Championship Game, with this one likely determining where that game will be. Expect that game to be in Foxboro.
Titans (8-5) at 49ers (3-10): Tennessee-Don't look now, but San Francisco has actually won three out of four. Although, those wins have come over the Giants, Bears and Texans, not exactly playoff contenders. The Titans, meanwhile, need to salvage their NFC West road trip if they want that Week 17 game with the Jaguars to be for the division title. Otherwise, they're looking at a wild card.
Cowboys (7-6) at Raiders (6-7): Oakland-On the other side of San Francisco Bay, the Cowboys visit the Raiders on Sunday night. This is the last game before Ezekiel Elliott returns from his suspension, and, after losing their first three without him, the Cowboys can actually get him back on a three-game winning streak. They're both still alive for the playoffs, although ever so slightly. The loser is essentially out. Oakland still has a chance at the division, too. They've got the motivation.
Falcons (8-5) at Buccaneers (4-9): Atlanta-Of all the wild card contenders in the NFC, Atlanta's in a better position than anybody. The Falcons have beaten the Seahawks, Lions, Packers and Cowboys, who just happen to be the four teams directly behind them for the 6-seed. Of course, they're just a game back in the NFC South, too, so defending their division title is definitely still a possibility. Especially since their last three games are all in the division. A Falcons win here, and we're set up for an exciting final two weeks in the division that looks to almost certainly produce three playoff teams.
Thursday Night: Denver (Win)
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 8-8
Overall: 130-79
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Common Sense Prevails
I don't blog about golf often. Mainly because I generally try to stay away from the sports that I don't follow or aren't that familiar with. But today I'm making an exception. Because I heard some golf news the other day that was long overdue and very welcome.
Starting next year, the professional tours will no longer enforce rules violations called in by fans watching the event at home. Instead, they'll have an on-site video replay official like they do in virtually every other sport. And that official will have the final word on whether or not there was a violation. No more taking calls from some schmo sitting on his couch and penalizing a player after the fact.
In other words, after not using any for way too long, they're finally going to use common sense when it comes to rules enforcement. It's a decision that was a long time coming, and I applaud golf, which is pretty resistant to change, for making it. Although, frankly, what took so long?
Seriously, what other sport penalizes players for something some random dude noticed on TV? Why did they even pick up the phone when these schmucks called? If it's not something you can see live with the naked eye, it shouldn't be a penalty. Plain and simple. And you certainly shouldn't be taking the word of some guy who saw it on TV, after rewinding his DVR how many times? (Do these people seriously not have anything better to do?)
Likewise, if you're going to penalize a player, they should know about it. It's especially unfair to penalize them after the fact. This really came to the forefront earlier this year when Lexi Thompson ended up losing a major championship because of a four-stroke penalty, two for the violation, two more for signing an incorrect scorecard that wasn't incorrect at the time (because the penalty hadn't been enforced yet). Everyone agreed that wasn't right, and it was likely the last straw that was the impetus for a much-needed change.
There was another extremely stupid element about the ability of fans to call in violations that has now been eliminated. It really only affected the top players. They don't show everybody. They only show the players people care about. So, Tiger Woods (provided he ever actually plays in a tournament) is more likely to be seen on TV than the guy who finishes his round before the TV coverage even begins, and thus more likely to be caught by the rules police. Doesn't seem right to me.
That guy could just as easily commit a violation, only no one would be able to call it in because they didn't see it. And that's where that was a problem. If it doesn't apply to everybody, it shouldn't apply to anyone. There shouldn't be selective enforcement of the rules just because certain players are more popular or more competitive.
It's kinda like the early days of instant replay in tennis. Tennis only has instant replay on the TV courts. Top players like Roger Federer and Serena Williams play all of their matches on the TV courts. Which means they have instant replay for all of their matches. That qualifier who they play in the first round of Wimbledon or the US Open doesn't.
The difference in tennis, of course, is that they're gaining the benefit of instant replay instead of being negatively impacted by it. It should be the same in golf. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have replay or that they shouldn't use it to correct errors that they missed. But whether or not they missed an error should be up to an official. Not a dude watching on TV.
A fan watching on TV should be simply that. A fan watching on TV. And a fan watching on TV shouldn't have the ability to impact a tournament. For too long, golf let that happen. Fortunately, that will no longer be the case. It's about time.
Starting next year, the professional tours will no longer enforce rules violations called in by fans watching the event at home. Instead, they'll have an on-site video replay official like they do in virtually every other sport. And that official will have the final word on whether or not there was a violation. No more taking calls from some schmo sitting on his couch and penalizing a player after the fact.
In other words, after not using any for way too long, they're finally going to use common sense when it comes to rules enforcement. It's a decision that was a long time coming, and I applaud golf, which is pretty resistant to change, for making it. Although, frankly, what took so long?
Seriously, what other sport penalizes players for something some random dude noticed on TV? Why did they even pick up the phone when these schmucks called? If it's not something you can see live with the naked eye, it shouldn't be a penalty. Plain and simple. And you certainly shouldn't be taking the word of some guy who saw it on TV, after rewinding his DVR how many times? (Do these people seriously not have anything better to do?)
Likewise, if you're going to penalize a player, they should know about it. It's especially unfair to penalize them after the fact. This really came to the forefront earlier this year when Lexi Thompson ended up losing a major championship because of a four-stroke penalty, two for the violation, two more for signing an incorrect scorecard that wasn't incorrect at the time (because the penalty hadn't been enforced yet). Everyone agreed that wasn't right, and it was likely the last straw that was the impetus for a much-needed change.
There was another extremely stupid element about the ability of fans to call in violations that has now been eliminated. It really only affected the top players. They don't show everybody. They only show the players people care about. So, Tiger Woods (provided he ever actually plays in a tournament) is more likely to be seen on TV than the guy who finishes his round before the TV coverage even begins, and thus more likely to be caught by the rules police. Doesn't seem right to me.
That guy could just as easily commit a violation, only no one would be able to call it in because they didn't see it. And that's where that was a problem. If it doesn't apply to everybody, it shouldn't apply to anyone. There shouldn't be selective enforcement of the rules just because certain players are more popular or more competitive.
It's kinda like the early days of instant replay in tennis. Tennis only has instant replay on the TV courts. Top players like Roger Federer and Serena Williams play all of their matches on the TV courts. Which means they have instant replay for all of their matches. That qualifier who they play in the first round of Wimbledon or the US Open doesn't.
The difference in tennis, of course, is that they're gaining the benefit of instant replay instead of being negatively impacted by it. It should be the same in golf. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have replay or that they shouldn't use it to correct errors that they missed. But whether or not they missed an error should be up to an official. Not a dude watching on TV.
A fan watching on TV should be simply that. A fan watching on TV. And a fan watching on TV shouldn't have the ability to impact a tournament. For too long, golf let that happen. Fortunately, that will no longer be the case. It's about time.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Morris and Miller (Please!)
Will this finally be the day when Jack Morris and Marvin Miller get their long overdue Hall of Fame calls? Baseball's Winter Meetings will get their traditional start with the announcement of the Veterans' Committee vote. There are 10 men on the "Modern Baseball" era ballot, but only two stand out. And it'll be a travesty if they're once again denied a plaque in Cooperstown.
Let's start with Marvin Miller. It's an absolute joke that he still isn't in the Hall of Fame! Because this guy has meant more to the game of baseball than half the people who've already been inducted (seriously, what did Bowie Kuhn, Miller's nemesis during the 1970s, do that was worthy of Hall of Fame induction?).
Marvin Miller is one of the most influential people in baseball history. He turned the MLBPA into the most powerful players' union in all of sports. He gave the players leverage against the owners when they had none, and all players over the past 40 years have reaped the benefits that Marvin Miller fought for. Without him, there wouldn't have been free agency (at least not until much later). Without him, salaries never would've skyrocketed the way they have. Without him, baseball wouldn't be the multi-billion dollar business it's become. If ever there was a Hall of Fame executive, Marvin Miller is it.
Of course, there's always been a lot of resentment towards Marvin Miller from the owners. He took away a lot of their power, and he was held responsible for the labor unrest that led to numerous work stoppages between 1973-94. For a long time, these executives were the ones voting on the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee, so, of course they were going to keep Marvin Miller out! Which was patently unfair. Since then, the system has been revamped twice.
Miller came up one vote short in 2011, the final election before he died. This is the second election for which he's been eligible since his death. He was never able to make an induction speech in Cooperstown, which is a shame. It's time to right this wrong. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Among the nine players on the "Modern Baseball" ballot, there's none that I advocate more than Jack Morris. I was a Jack Morris fan throughout his time on the writer's ballot, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I think he belongs. And I simply just don't understand the argument that the people who are vehemently anti-Jack Morris try to make.
I feel like a broken record in my arguments for why Jack Morris should be a Hall of Famer. He was the winningest pitcher of the 1980s (yes, you could arbitrarily choose any 10-year period, but that's not the point). He started on Opening Day, meaning he was the No. 1 pitcher on his team, 14 straight times. He started Game 1 of the World Series three times, including in back-to-back years for different teams. Morris pitched for four World Series winners, and, I hate to keep bringing it up, but Game 7, 1991.
Not enough for you yet? He won 254 games in 18 seasons, pitched more than 200 innings 11 times, and tossed 175 complete games. That's an average of nearly 10 complete games a season. These days, we don't even see 10 complete games in a season for entire teams. Simply put, Jack Morris was an ace who finished what he started. He was one of the most feared pitchers in baseball during his day. I consider him comparable to Bert Blyleven, who was voted in by the writers in 2011, his 14th year of eligibility. Morris got as close as 66.7 percent from the writers before he ran out of time. I think he wait will finally be over.
Voters can select up to four candidates on their ballots, but I think Miller and Morris stand head-and-shoulders above the other eight names. However, I'm a firm believer in filling out your complete ballot, so I am going to choose two additional players. And, no offense to Ted Simmons (whose bat I had as a kid), Luis Tiant or Dave Parker, but they pale in comparison to the other five.
So...my extra selections are coming from the group of Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Alan Trammell. Murphy and Trammell are both criminally underrated for what they accomplished during their careers. I question whether or not those careers are Hall of Fame-worthy, though. Same for Don Mattingly, a sentimental favorite who I've actually cast a "vote" for towards the end of his time on the writers' ballot.
Which leaves us with Steve Garvey and Tommy John. Like Morris, I've always championed Steve Garvey, although not nearly as strongly. I think he's fallen into that "very good, not great" category, which is why he's never really been considered. Which is ridiculous. Because Steve Garvey was an outstanding defensive first baseman who played in an NL-record 1,207 consecutive games and was the anchor of those excellent Dodgers teams of the 70s (as well as the '84 Padres). I always thought he deserved more Hall of Fame support.
Tommy John, meanwhile, is someone I never thought of as a Hall of Famer until I started seeing his name in all those comparisons to pitchers currently in the Hall of Fame. Some of his numbers were due simply to longevity, but he still made 700 starts and had 288 career wins. There has to be some credit given, too, for being able to pitch effectively in the Major Leagues for 26 years. He also deserves bonus points for having a surgery named after him. A surgery that has extended how many careers over the years?
Historically, it's been just as tough to get in via the Veterans Committee as it is through the writers. Only two players (Joe Gordon in 2008 and Ron Santo in 2011) have been voted in by the Veterans Committee since the major system revamp in 2007. I think that changes this year. I think Morris gets in. I just hope Miller joins him. Because, frankly, he belongs in the Hall of Fame more than any of the nine players.
Let's start with Marvin Miller. It's an absolute joke that he still isn't in the Hall of Fame! Because this guy has meant more to the game of baseball than half the people who've already been inducted (seriously, what did Bowie Kuhn, Miller's nemesis during the 1970s, do that was worthy of Hall of Fame induction?).
Marvin Miller is one of the most influential people in baseball history. He turned the MLBPA into the most powerful players' union in all of sports. He gave the players leverage against the owners when they had none, and all players over the past 40 years have reaped the benefits that Marvin Miller fought for. Without him, there wouldn't have been free agency (at least not until much later). Without him, salaries never would've skyrocketed the way they have. Without him, baseball wouldn't be the multi-billion dollar business it's become. If ever there was a Hall of Fame executive, Marvin Miller is it.
Of course, there's always been a lot of resentment towards Marvin Miller from the owners. He took away a lot of their power, and he was held responsible for the labor unrest that led to numerous work stoppages between 1973-94. For a long time, these executives were the ones voting on the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee, so, of course they were going to keep Marvin Miller out! Which was patently unfair. Since then, the system has been revamped twice.
Miller came up one vote short in 2011, the final election before he died. This is the second election for which he's been eligible since his death. He was never able to make an induction speech in Cooperstown, which is a shame. It's time to right this wrong. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Among the nine players on the "Modern Baseball" ballot, there's none that I advocate more than Jack Morris. I was a Jack Morris fan throughout his time on the writer's ballot, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I think he belongs. And I simply just don't understand the argument that the people who are vehemently anti-Jack Morris try to make.
I feel like a broken record in my arguments for why Jack Morris should be a Hall of Famer. He was the winningest pitcher of the 1980s (yes, you could arbitrarily choose any 10-year period, but that's not the point). He started on Opening Day, meaning he was the No. 1 pitcher on his team, 14 straight times. He started Game 1 of the World Series three times, including in back-to-back years for different teams. Morris pitched for four World Series winners, and, I hate to keep bringing it up, but Game 7, 1991.
Not enough for you yet? He won 254 games in 18 seasons, pitched more than 200 innings 11 times, and tossed 175 complete games. That's an average of nearly 10 complete games a season. These days, we don't even see 10 complete games in a season for entire teams. Simply put, Jack Morris was an ace who finished what he started. He was one of the most feared pitchers in baseball during his day. I consider him comparable to Bert Blyleven, who was voted in by the writers in 2011, his 14th year of eligibility. Morris got as close as 66.7 percent from the writers before he ran out of time. I think he wait will finally be over.
Voters can select up to four candidates on their ballots, but I think Miller and Morris stand head-and-shoulders above the other eight names. However, I'm a firm believer in filling out your complete ballot, so I am going to choose two additional players. And, no offense to Ted Simmons (whose bat I had as a kid), Luis Tiant or Dave Parker, but they pale in comparison to the other five.
So...my extra selections are coming from the group of Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Alan Trammell. Murphy and Trammell are both criminally underrated for what they accomplished during their careers. I question whether or not those careers are Hall of Fame-worthy, though. Same for Don Mattingly, a sentimental favorite who I've actually cast a "vote" for towards the end of his time on the writers' ballot.
Which leaves us with Steve Garvey and Tommy John. Like Morris, I've always championed Steve Garvey, although not nearly as strongly. I think he's fallen into that "very good, not great" category, which is why he's never really been considered. Which is ridiculous. Because Steve Garvey was an outstanding defensive first baseman who played in an NL-record 1,207 consecutive games and was the anchor of those excellent Dodgers teams of the 70s (as well as the '84 Padres). I always thought he deserved more Hall of Fame support.
Tommy John, meanwhile, is someone I never thought of as a Hall of Famer until I started seeing his name in all those comparisons to pitchers currently in the Hall of Fame. Some of his numbers were due simply to longevity, but he still made 700 starts and had 288 career wins. There has to be some credit given, too, for being able to pitch effectively in the Major Leagues for 26 years. He also deserves bonus points for having a surgery named after him. A surgery that has extended how many careers over the years?
Historically, it's been just as tough to get in via the Veterans Committee as it is through the writers. Only two players (Joe Gordon in 2008 and Ron Santo in 2011) have been voted in by the Veterans Committee since the major system revamp in 2007. I think that changes this year. I think Morris gets in. I just hope Miller joins him. Because, frankly, he belongs in the Hall of Fame more than any of the nine players.
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Football Picks, Week 14
There's a quarter of the NFL season left, and this week we'll likely see our first playoff berths clinched. In fact, half of the divisions can be clinched this weekend, and three of those four teams can clinch without even doing anything themselves. At least we'll have a few playoff races to keep us occupied down the stretch.
Colts (3-9) at Bills (6-6): Buffalo-A Bills loss clinches the AFC East for New England and a playoff berth for Pittsburgh. It's also one of the like six things the Jaguars need to clinch this week. Unfortunately for those three teams, they'll have to take care of their own business. Because the Bills need a win to keep their own playoff chances alive, and they should get one in the snow.
Bears (3-9) at Bengals (5-7): Cincinnati-One of the few games this week that has no playoff bearing at all. Both Marvin Lewis and John Fox are being talked about as coaches on the hot seat. For good reason. I thought it was time for Cincinnati to move on from Marvin Lewis after last season. Anyway, his final month as Bengals coach will start with a win over the Bears.
Packers (6-6) at Browns (0-12): Green Bay-Can they really do it again? Can the Packers make themselves relevant in the playoff discussion and make the projected Aaron Rodgers return worthwhile? Things will be tough for them over the final three weeks (at Panthers, vs. Vikings, at Lions). They shouldn't be that tough in Cleveland. After this, the Browns will have only three chances left at avoiding 0-16.
Raiders (6-6) at Chiefs (6-6): Oakland-After starting 5-0, Kansas City has blown its entire lead in the AFC West and is now in a three-way tie with the Raiders and Chargers. Yet, somehow, the Chiefs currently own the tiebreaker and would be in the playoffs as AFC West champions. Their next three games are at home, and the next two are against the teams they're tied with, meaning they can still fix everything that they've done over the past two months. This all started when they gave the Raiders four tries at the winning touchdown in that Thursday night game. It would be fitting if the Chiefs use the second Raider game as a course correction, but I don't see it happening. I'm taking Oakland.
Cowboys (6-6) at Giants (2-10): Dallas-Giants-Cowboys gets flexed out of a national game and made a regional 1:00 game instead. That's what the current state of these two teams is. I'm actually kinda upset everything that went down with the Giants took place on the road. I was looking forward to a stadium full of people wearing Eli Manning jerseys booing Ben McAdoo and Geno Smith unmercifully the entire game. But, alas, McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese got their much-deserved pink slips and Eli got his job back. It doesn't mean the Giants will win this week, but it did take all the fun out of it.
Lions (6-6) at Buccaneers (4-8): Detroit-Of all the teams hanging on the fringes of the playoff race, nobody needs a win more than the Lions. Detroit essentially needs to win out to have a shot at the wild card, and, even then, 10-6 might not even make it. They've dropped two straight and can't afford a loss to the Bucs, which would drop them below .500 and pretty much eliminate them.
Vikings (10-2) at Panthers (8-4): Minnesota-This is one of the biggest games of the week. Minnesota took over the No. 1 seed in the NFC when the Eagles lost last week and can clinch the NFC North with a win in Charlotte. The Panthers, meanwhile, saw their chances of winning the NFC South improve with the Saints' loss in Atlanta on Thursday. New Orleans swept Carolina, though, so they'd still be looking at a wild card even if they win this one and move into a division tie. We saw the Vikings' defense shut down Atlanta's offense last week, though, so don't be surprised if it happens again.
49ers (2-10) at Texans (4-8): Houston-Another game where the result is pretty much irrelevant. The 49ers have actually won two of their last three after an 0-9 start. And they could easily make it three out of four against a struggling Texans team. Houston has lost two straight, but both of those were on the road against teams currently in playoff position. Which the 49ers most certainly are not.
Jets (5-7) at Broncos (3-9): Jets-How about those New York Jets? Nobody would've predicted they wouldn't just be the better New York team, they're the one that isn't a total mess! And they've been a giant killer this season, too. Yes, they're 5-7, but they've beaten some good teams and could easily be a playoff spoiler. Anyway, the Broncos have been in a free fall since they lost at home to the other New York team. They'll join the Chiefs in getting swept by the Giants and Jets.
Titans (8-4) at Cardinals (5-7): Tennessee-Arizona's not going to make the playoffs. But the Cardinals could definitely play the role of spoiler. This is a dangerous game for the Titans, who are starting a three-game NFC West string before that likely division-deciding finale against Jacksonville. Tennessee never travels to the desert, but they need to return with a win if they want to have a playoff game in Nashville.
Redskins (5-7) at Chargers (6-6): Chargers-I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Chargers win the AFC West. They've been the hottest team in the division for weeks now. To think a team that was 0-4 could get over .500 with a win, but that's exactly the situation they find themselves. in. There might actually be more Chargers fans than fans of the other team at the StubHub Center this week, too. Wouldn't it be wild if that 30,000-seat soccer stadium ends up hosting a playoff game?
Eagles (10-2) at Rams (9-3): Philadelphia-The game of the week will also be played in Los Angeles, as we have the top two MVP candidates squaring off in Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. The Eagles saw their winning streak snapped in Seattle on Monday night, but they can have the NFC East already clinched before they even kick off if the Giants beat the Cowboys. After spending the week on the West Coast, they'll want to make sure they don't come home 0-2. Especially since a loss here wouldn't just hurt them in the race for home field, it would give the Rams the tiebreaker and potentially cost the Eagles a bye.
Seahawks (8-4) at Jaguars (8-4): Jacksonville-It's possible for the Jaguars to clinch a playoff berth this week, but it's unlikely since it requires about five different things all happening (I also said that about the U.S. soccer team before the Trinidad game, though, and we all know how that turned out). Anyway, the Seahawks salvaged their wild card hopes chances with that win over the Eagles. They won't have an easy time of it in Jacksonville, though. Not with the Jaguars thinking playoffs for the first time in forever.
Ravens (7-5) at Steelers (10-2): Pittsburgh-Baltimore and Pittsburgh in their annual Sunday night game, which is just a warmup for the Steelers' biggest game of the season next week against New England. Whether or not they win this one actually has no bearing on the race for AFC home field, but you know they'll want to go into that matchup with the Patriots with the division already wrapped up. And, unlike the other three teams that can clinch their division this week, they need a win (or tie) to do it.
Patriots (10-2) at Dolphins (5-7): New England-Death, taxes and the Patriots winning the AFC East. It was just two weeks ago when these two met at Foxboro, and the Patriots won it 35-17. There's no reason to think things will be any different on Monday night. New England wraps up its division title and moves closer to its bye, with next week's showdown with the Steelers looming.
Thursday Night: New Orleans (Loss)
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 14-2
Overall: 121-72
Colts (3-9) at Bills (6-6): Buffalo-A Bills loss clinches the AFC East for New England and a playoff berth for Pittsburgh. It's also one of the like six things the Jaguars need to clinch this week. Unfortunately for those three teams, they'll have to take care of their own business. Because the Bills need a win to keep their own playoff chances alive, and they should get one in the snow.
Bears (3-9) at Bengals (5-7): Cincinnati-One of the few games this week that has no playoff bearing at all. Both Marvin Lewis and John Fox are being talked about as coaches on the hot seat. For good reason. I thought it was time for Cincinnati to move on from Marvin Lewis after last season. Anyway, his final month as Bengals coach will start with a win over the Bears.
Packers (6-6) at Browns (0-12): Green Bay-Can they really do it again? Can the Packers make themselves relevant in the playoff discussion and make the projected Aaron Rodgers return worthwhile? Things will be tough for them over the final three weeks (at Panthers, vs. Vikings, at Lions). They shouldn't be that tough in Cleveland. After this, the Browns will have only three chances left at avoiding 0-16.
Raiders (6-6) at Chiefs (6-6): Oakland-After starting 5-0, Kansas City has blown its entire lead in the AFC West and is now in a three-way tie with the Raiders and Chargers. Yet, somehow, the Chiefs currently own the tiebreaker and would be in the playoffs as AFC West champions. Their next three games are at home, and the next two are against the teams they're tied with, meaning they can still fix everything that they've done over the past two months. This all started when they gave the Raiders four tries at the winning touchdown in that Thursday night game. It would be fitting if the Chiefs use the second Raider game as a course correction, but I don't see it happening. I'm taking Oakland.
Cowboys (6-6) at Giants (2-10): Dallas-Giants-Cowboys gets flexed out of a national game and made a regional 1:00 game instead. That's what the current state of these two teams is. I'm actually kinda upset everything that went down with the Giants took place on the road. I was looking forward to a stadium full of people wearing Eli Manning jerseys booing Ben McAdoo and Geno Smith unmercifully the entire game. But, alas, McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese got their much-deserved pink slips and Eli got his job back. It doesn't mean the Giants will win this week, but it did take all the fun out of it.
Lions (6-6) at Buccaneers (4-8): Detroit-Of all the teams hanging on the fringes of the playoff race, nobody needs a win more than the Lions. Detroit essentially needs to win out to have a shot at the wild card, and, even then, 10-6 might not even make it. They've dropped two straight and can't afford a loss to the Bucs, which would drop them below .500 and pretty much eliminate them.
Vikings (10-2) at Panthers (8-4): Minnesota-This is one of the biggest games of the week. Minnesota took over the No. 1 seed in the NFC when the Eagles lost last week and can clinch the NFC North with a win in Charlotte. The Panthers, meanwhile, saw their chances of winning the NFC South improve with the Saints' loss in Atlanta on Thursday. New Orleans swept Carolina, though, so they'd still be looking at a wild card even if they win this one and move into a division tie. We saw the Vikings' defense shut down Atlanta's offense last week, though, so don't be surprised if it happens again.
49ers (2-10) at Texans (4-8): Houston-Another game where the result is pretty much irrelevant. The 49ers have actually won two of their last three after an 0-9 start. And they could easily make it three out of four against a struggling Texans team. Houston has lost two straight, but both of those were on the road against teams currently in playoff position. Which the 49ers most certainly are not.
Jets (5-7) at Broncos (3-9): Jets-How about those New York Jets? Nobody would've predicted they wouldn't just be the better New York team, they're the one that isn't a total mess! And they've been a giant killer this season, too. Yes, they're 5-7, but they've beaten some good teams and could easily be a playoff spoiler. Anyway, the Broncos have been in a free fall since they lost at home to the other New York team. They'll join the Chiefs in getting swept by the Giants and Jets.
Titans (8-4) at Cardinals (5-7): Tennessee-Arizona's not going to make the playoffs. But the Cardinals could definitely play the role of spoiler. This is a dangerous game for the Titans, who are starting a three-game NFC West string before that likely division-deciding finale against Jacksonville. Tennessee never travels to the desert, but they need to return with a win if they want to have a playoff game in Nashville.
Redskins (5-7) at Chargers (6-6): Chargers-I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Chargers win the AFC West. They've been the hottest team in the division for weeks now. To think a team that was 0-4 could get over .500 with a win, but that's exactly the situation they find themselves. in. There might actually be more Chargers fans than fans of the other team at the StubHub Center this week, too. Wouldn't it be wild if that 30,000-seat soccer stadium ends up hosting a playoff game?
Eagles (10-2) at Rams (9-3): Philadelphia-The game of the week will also be played in Los Angeles, as we have the top two MVP candidates squaring off in Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. The Eagles saw their winning streak snapped in Seattle on Monday night, but they can have the NFC East already clinched before they even kick off if the Giants beat the Cowboys. After spending the week on the West Coast, they'll want to make sure they don't come home 0-2. Especially since a loss here wouldn't just hurt them in the race for home field, it would give the Rams the tiebreaker and potentially cost the Eagles a bye.
Seahawks (8-4) at Jaguars (8-4): Jacksonville-It's possible for the Jaguars to clinch a playoff berth this week, but it's unlikely since it requires about five different things all happening (I also said that about the U.S. soccer team before the Trinidad game, though, and we all know how that turned out). Anyway, the Seahawks salvaged their wild card hopes chances with that win over the Eagles. They won't have an easy time of it in Jacksonville, though. Not with the Jaguars thinking playoffs for the first time in forever.
Ravens (7-5) at Steelers (10-2): Pittsburgh-Baltimore and Pittsburgh in their annual Sunday night game, which is just a warmup for the Steelers' biggest game of the season next week against New England. Whether or not they win this one actually has no bearing on the race for AFC home field, but you know they'll want to go into that matchup with the Patriots with the division already wrapped up. And, unlike the other three teams that can clinch their division this week, they need a win (or tie) to do it.
Patriots (10-2) at Dolphins (5-7): New England-Death, taxes and the Patriots winning the AFC East. It was just two weeks ago when these two met at Foxboro, and the Patriots won it 35-17. There's no reason to think things will be any different on Monday night. New England wraps up its division title and moves closer to its bye, with next week's showdown with the Steelers looming.
Thursday Night: New Orleans (Loss)
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 14-2
Overall: 121-72
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