2018 MLB Playoff PredictionsOctober is probably the most glorious month on the sports calendar. We’ve got the NHL and NBA starting back up again, the NFL is in full swing, but the real star of the show is baseball. The quest for the World Series begins in October, and there are ten teams each seeking those 11 victories to call themselves World Series champions. We’ve got a bit of a mixed back this fall. The American League and National League are almost a tale of two cities. In the AL, we’ve got the major players who were all here before. All of them have well over 90 wins, and each one has had recent playoff success. All of the five teams in the American League could very easily make it to and win the Fall Classic. As for the National League, it’s an interesting group of unconventional players, with two of the three divisions needing tiebreaker games to determine their champions. All of these teams have under 96 wins, but maybe one could go on a run and defy the odds. Let’s meet the combatants: Boston Red Sox108-54, American League East Division Champions The Red Sox broke their own franchise record for most wins in a season with 108. They feature two potential MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, and a scary rotation (on paper) with Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello. The Red Sox problem lies in their bullpen. They haven’t found a bridge all season between their starters and closer Craig Kimbrel. Cleveland Indians91-71, American League Central Division Champions The Indians added Josh Donaldson in August and the offense has been hot ever since. Their rotation is even better, with Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger all topping 200 strikeouts apiece. But most of the Indians success comes from within their division- they have tended to struggle when playing better teams outside the very weak AL Central. Houston Astros103-59, American League West Division Champions The Astros look to repeat as World Series champions, and they strangely may have an even better team than last year, as they scooped up Gerrit Cole to supplement the rotation alongside Justin Verlander, Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel. They’re probably the most complete team in the American League, at least on paper, and are more than capable of going on an October run. The Astros managed to pull away from tough AL West competition, but how will their bullpen hold up in the playoffs? New York Yankees100-62, American League Wild Card host For a team to win 100 games is impressive. For a team to win 100 games and finish 8 games behind the division leader is even more astounding. The Yankees have stumbled at times, but their lineup is as lethal as ever, and they set the record for most home runs in a season by one team this year. Their bullpen might be the best in the majors, but their pitching has been inconsistent throughout the year. Oakland Athletics97-65, American League Wild Card visitors The A’s remarkable run has been thanks mostly to the play of Khris Davis, who led the league with 48 home runs this year, as well as their fantastic bullpenning strategy, where they use multiple pitchers and matchup advantages to win games. They are certainly the most intriguing team of this playoff field, but how will they do against a tough squad like the Yankees, or in a series with the Red Sox? Atlanta Braves90-72, National League East Division Champions The Braves come into the playoffs with the fewest wins in the field, but are a young, plucky team with a lot to prove. Ronald Acuña, Jr. has had a stellar rookie season, and the bullpen has shown flashes of brilliance. We’ll see how they do against stronger opponents, but stranger things have happened. Milwaukee Brewers96-67, National League Central Division Champions The Brewers were down to the Cubs in the NL Central by 6 games on August 28th. They managed to mount a comeback and steal the division crown in a tiebreaker game on Monday. They feature the probable NL MVP in Christian Yelich, as well as the league’s best bullpen to this point. They’ve won 9 of their last 10, including their last 8 in a row. How will they fare against more experienced playoff teams? Los Angeles Dodgers92-71, National League West Division Champions The Dodgers are looking to win their first World Series title since 1988, having fallen short in game seven against Houston last year. They are the best team on paper, but have a history of faltering in October, with the case being especially true for their ace, Clayton Kershaw. But with an easier slate of playoff games ahead of them, perhaps the stage is set for LA to reclaim the crown. Chicago Cubs95-68, National League Wild Card host The Cubs went from having the National League’s best record to winding up being second in the division and playing in a one-game playoff. They’re not as good as the Cubs teams of the past, with health issues like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell potentially being an x-factor for the team. They’re still a force to be reckoned with, but if they can’t stir up some momentum, they may be dead in the water. Colorado Rockies91-72, National League Wild Card visitors Colorado does very well at home. The problem is, they’re the second wild card team and probably won’t have home field advantage in the playoffs at any point. But still, Nolan Arenado is the team’s best hitter, and they have reason to believe they can perform well, having come up just short to the Dodgers in the NL West. Anything can happen in the playoffs. American League Wild Card Game:Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees- Wednesday October 3rd, 8:00pm (TBS) Starting pitchers: Liam Hendriks (OAK, 0-1) vs. Masahiro Tanaka (NYY, 12-6) (Season series: Tied, 3-3) Prediction: Yankees 6, Athletics 1 Why: Offensive firepower. If they can get to this A’s “bullpenning” strategy early, it’ll force Oakland to have to play from behind. Oakland probably won’t be able to keep up with the Yankees’ lineup in terms of offensive productivity. Aside from that, the Yankees dominate at home: they’re 53-28 in the Bronx on the season, and have gone 41-30 against teams with winning records this year. How the Athletics can win: Keep the damage to a minimum. If the bullpenning strategy works well for the A’s, they may keep Judge and Stanton under wraps long enough for Khris Davis or Stephen Piscotty to drive in a run or two. They may not be able to outslug the Yankees, but they may be able to outdefend them, and even get a lucky bounce here and there. This game could either be the game of the year or a complete blowout. American League Division SeriesBoston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees (Season series, BOS, 10-9) Projected rotations: Chris Sale (12-4) vs. J.A. Happ (17-6) David Price (16-7) vs. Luis Severino (19-8) Rick Porcello (17-7) vs. Masahiro Tanaka (12-6) Prediction: Yankees in 5 Why: The Red Sox have no bullpen and haven’t figured out how to bridge the starters to Craig Kimbrel. If the Yankees can jump on the Red Sox early against a pitching core that has been stellar at best, shotty at worst and banged up in the short term, the Red Sox may have to pull more wins out of their ass than they want to. The Yankees also have far more depth than the Red Sox surrounding their stars, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. The Red Sox counter with Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, but the rest of the lineup can go cold if put against the right pitching matchup. On top of all of this, the Yankees are out for blood this season. Having won 100 games and still finishing 8 games out of first place, they’re probably upset that the team they bought didn’t win the division. The Yankees know the Red Sox are feeble. Now it’s time to strike. If you have picked the Red Sox in this series, you’re DELUSIONAL. How the Red Sox can win: Offense, offense, offense. Hit the Yankees first, fast, and hard. They’ll also need to hold their collective breath and hope for solid outings from their shotty pitching staff. Another factor in the Red Sox favor is familiarity, especially with the back half of the bullpen (consider the 9th inning rally the Red Sox had off Aroldis Chapman earlier this year), which they have done damage off of this year. Either that, or hope the Athletics win the Wild Card Game. Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Indians (Season series: CLE, 4-3) Projected rotations: Justin Verlander (16-9) vs. Corey Kluber (20-7) Gerrit Cole (15-5) vs. Carlos Carrasco (17-10) Charlie Morton (15-3) vs. Trevor Bauer (12-6) Prediction: Astros in 5 Why: This has the potential to be one of the better series this October. The Astros look to repeat as World Series champions, and have been flying under the radar for most of the year, thanks to the expectations of winning a weaker division and being overshadowed by the arms race in the American League East. I don’t know that this series has a clear winner, as the Indians made an upgrade at the deadline by trading for Josh Donaldson. Trevor Bauer is back as well, and along with Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger, the quartet became the first foursome in history to top 200 strikeouts each. But I’m going to give the edge to Houston based solely upon in-season consistency. The Indians weren’t very good outside their own terrible division, whereas the Astros were able to pull away from their tough competition out west. Their rotation is better, and their lineup has been more consistent. Astros win in a hard-fought ALDS. How the Indians can win: Awaken the bats. This series will be the arms race that we all anticipated would happen last year. The Astros’ rotation is stacked, between Verlander, Cole, Keuchel, Morton, and McCullers, and they are a better pitching team than Cleveland in almost every category. But the Indians offense got hot after picking up Josh Donaldson, averaging 5.1 runs per game since his acquisition. If Donaldson, Jose Ramirez, and Francisco Lindor can come alive and force the Astros to go to their bullpens earlier than expected, Cleveland will give Houston a very hard time in this ALDS. American League Championship SeriesNew York Yankees vs. Houston Astros (Season series: NYY, 5-2) Prediction: Astros in 6 Why: Because history has told this story before. The Astros fell behind 3-2 to the Yankees in the ALCS last year, but outscored them 11-1 in the final two games of the series. The Yankees pitching staff (at least the starting rotation, at least just on the eye test) has the potential to go cold if facing the right rotation. I think the Astros, having been here before, have just the lineup to do it. They’re the most complete team in the American League, and have the ability to outpitch the Yankees, if that’s what it comes down to. I also think Alex Bregman has potential to be a breakout star in these playoffs. How the Yankees can win: Isn’t it the same as always? Big bats. Keep the line moving and don’t let up. If the Yankees can get to Verlander and Cole and happen to take even one of the first two games in Houston, they will be very much in this series. National League Wild Card GameColorado Rockies at Chicago Cubs- Tuesday, October 2nd, 8:00pm (ESPN) Starting pitchers: Kyle Freeland (COL, 17-7) vs. Jon Lester (CHC, 18-6) (Season series: Tied, 3-3) Prediction: Cubs 5, Rockies 3 Why: The Rockies have trouble winning games on the road. Kyle Freeland is starting on three days’ rest. The Cubs, while meh themselves, are still nothing to slouch at. Jon Lester is still a very capable pitcher, and hitters like Javy Baez, Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant are still playing at high levels. Apart from that, the Cubs just went from being tied for the best record in baseball to having to fight for their playoff lives in this one-game elimination. I think that desperation begins to set in for Chicago, especially if Colorado is to strike first. How the Rockies can win: Utilize the bullpen. The Rockies bullpen was stellar in September, posting a 2.98 ERA thanks to pitchers like Wade Davis, Scott Oberg, and Chris Rusin. Keep the damage to a minimum, and the Rockies may just squeak out of this one enough to perhaps steal a game on the road and then play well back home in Denver. National League Division SeriesMilwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs (Season series: CHC, 11-9) Projected rotations: Wade Miley (5-2) vs. Cole Hamels (9-12) Gio Gonzalez (10-11) vs. Kyle Kendricks (14-11) Jhoulys Chacín (15-8) vs. Jon Lester (18-6) Prediction: Brewers in 4 Why: Because the Brewers are playing the best baseball out of anybody right now. They’ve won eight straight and nine of their last ten games, and plus they’ll get a chance to put away the Cubs for good in the NLDS, with three of a potential five games at home. This all comes thanks to the play of Christian Yelich, who is likely to be the National League MVP. The Brewers come into October with a .788 OPS and averaging 5.5 runs a game, against a suspect Cubs rotation and a very beatable bullpen. Milwaukee’s bullpen, aside from the Yankees, is probably the best in baseball right now. Thanks to the play of Josh Hader, the bullpen held a 2.03 ERA last month. I think the Brewers take this series easily against a floundering Cubs team. How the Cubs can win: It’s a slim margin, because yesterday’s wins don’t seal tomorrow’s playoff series. But if the Cubs can steal a win in Milwaukee, they have a chance, thanks to their home record. At the Friendly Confines, Chicago went 51-30 this season. Jon Lester may also need to go on short rest, as he’s their best pitcher, posting a 1.71 ERA in his last eight stars. Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Season series: LAD, 5-2) Projected rotations: Mike Foltynewicz (13-10) vs. Clayton Kershaw (9-5) Kevin Gausman (5-3) vs. Rich Hill (11-5) Anibal Sanchez (10-11) vs. Walker Buehler (8-5) Prediction: Braves in 5 Why: Hear me out. The Dodgers are the best team in the National League on paper. But this is a scrappy group of players that are rising out of the ashes of a rebuild. Ronald Acuna has had a sensational rookie season, hitting 26 home runs in his first 111 games. The Braves current GM, Alex Anthopoulos, was an an assistant GM in LA. He more than likely has assembled what it takes to beat the Dodgers, who have showed a checkered history in October, Clayton Kershaw in particular. Matt Kemp, who was an All-Star in July, has platooned in September. With the help of a few lucky bounces, don’t count the Braves out of this one. How the Dodgers can win: Business as usual. Get behind your starting pitches and jump on the Braves inexperienced talent. They had one more win than Atlanta this season, but they faced more winning teams than any other NL team this season, and went 50-38 against those teams. They’ve also got a better rotation and will be facing a Braves team that is just one game over .500 in its last 43 games, managing only 4.1 runs a game in the last 6 weeks of the season. It’s all a matter of if they can stave off the October bug for one series. National League Championship SeriesMilwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves (Season series: MIL, 4-3) Prediction: Brewers in 4 Why: Right now, the Brewers are just too good. They’ll roll right through an Atlanta squad who’s been more lucky than skilled this postseason. I think the lightning in a bottle runs out for Atlanta in this series, especially when they have to travel to Miller Park, where the Brewers went 51-30 this season. The one two-punch of Yelich and Cain is probably going to be too much for the ragtag pitching staff of the Braves to handle. How the Braves can win: Perhaps they get lucky. Perhaps Yelich and Cain go cold. Maybe a win over the Dodgers is just what the Braves need to spark some momentum against a tough Brewers team. World SeriesHouston Astros vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Prediction: Astros in 6 Why: The Astros might be the toughest team to beat in a 7 game series. Their rotation is stacked and may be too much for the Brewers offense, and they can definitely string together some momentum and beat you with their bats. Also, that home crowd at Minute Maid Park is scary. The Astros may not have won as many games as the Red Sox, but they will once again prove this fall that they are the superior team in the playoffs. Why? Consistency and depth. How the Brewers can win: They can play their game- use their MVP to get ahead, and use the bullpen to lock it down. This series won’t be a walkover, and if the Brewers can win a game in Houston, I think anything is possible. A matchup of two red-hot teams in the World Series makes for quite a story, and this has the potential to be the series of the year. Or we’ll just get Yankees vs. Dodgers and I’ll throw myself off a bridge. Who's your pick to win it all? Leave a comment down below. The MLB playoffs start tonight, Tuesday, October 2nd with the National League Wild Card game at 8pm on ESPN.
0 Comments
10 Thoughts: 2018 NFL Season PreviewFootball is back, and boy, do we have a lot to get to this year. Which is ironic, because I have no idea where half the teams stand at this point, one week into preseason football. There have been so many offseason acquisitions and trades that the entire world’s been turned upside down. Let’s take a deep breath and try to manage these stories together. Tom Brady and the decline of the Patriot empireIf you caught my ramblings on the Patriots’ defeat last year at the hands of the Eagles in the Super Bowl (if you didn’t, you can read that here), you may have caught my mention that we are witnessing the decline of the Patriot empire. Nearly every single prediction I made about the team immediately after the Super Bowl was wrong. The offense has a completely different shape, with receivers Brandin Cooks being traded to Los Angeles and Danny Amendola defecting to Miami. Dion Lewis joins Malcolm Butler in Tennessee, and Nate Solder moved across the aisle to join the New York Giants. Julian Edelman’s four-game suspension, Martellus Bennett’s retirement, Jordan Matthews’ release and Malcolm Mitchell’s expected movement out of the franchise have me in a tizzy; I just don’t really know what to expect from this team anymore. And then there’s Tom Brady, who is 41 years old. He will be only the 9th quarterback ever to start a game at the position aged 41 or older. So there’s that. Although quite honestly, I don’t have any doubts about the guy’s talent. He’s a freak (both on the field and in his off-field training regiments) and I think he’ll be fine this year. What remains to be seen is Brady’s relationship with coach Bill Belichick. I have hope that when football season finally starts and winning games becomes first priority, any prior beef gets put on hiatus. Also, can this team function without Malcolm Butler on a cornerback position? This team is like a new episode of Lost. Every day I have 50 new questions and no new answers. The Rams on the verge of a breakout?The Rams are my dark horse to win the Super Bowl. They should be fine getting out of the NFC West now that Seattle’s defense is in shambles. But it remains to be seen how consistent they can be with the offense group they’ve assembled. With Brandin Cooks now a part of the mix along with a newly-extended Todd Gurley, it is up to Todd McShay and this group to meet the expectations that have been placed upon them. On defense, they’ve acquired all-pro corners Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, as well as made a splash early on by acquiring defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. They’ll have much higher expectations on them this year, but I predict this team will be very fun to watch. We’ll have some entertaining games between the Rams and 49ers this season to look forward to. Shaking off the hangoverCarson Wentz is fresh off a Super Bowl win. Except he was riding the bench and a backup who shall remain nameless actually won the game, but said backup will now go back to being a backup. We’ll see how much that ACL injury at the end of last season has hindered Philadelphia’s Lord and Savior. Other than that, the roster remains relatively unchanged from last season. It all depends on if Wentz can return to his MVP form like last season. Jon Gruden returns to OaklandSo, the prodigal son returns to the land that scorned him. This should be fun. Gruden is a hard-nosed veteran who is as old-school as old-school gets. He’s also intense as hell, and I’m wondering how that’s going to affect some of the younger blossoming talent on his team, such as Khalil Mack and Derek Carr, the latter having regressed significantly in 2017. There’s also the issue of Marshawn Lynch, who, to my observations, wasn’t bossed around in Seattle like he probably will be in Oakland. The Raiders have failed to live up to expectations in each of the last two seasons, in large part thanks to injury. But with a new head coach, will they be able to finally turn things around and make a deep playoff push, returning Gruden to his glory days of the early 2000s? Are the Browns... good now?Personally, I think the problem with the Browns lies not with the onfield talent (although yes, that does have a significant amount to do with their problems), but with the front office staff. They still have the dude from the Moneyball Oakland A’s team running the show. They had a really, really good draft last year and still didn’t win a single game, as they became only the second team to finish a season at 0-16. But there’s (new?) reason for hope this year. The key offensive pieces are as follows:
Overall, this Browns team is very interesting. They’ve got a lot of upside on the offensive side of the ball. It all depends how they use it this season and if they live up to potential. 10 Predictions for the 2018 NFL SeasonHere are my ten scorching hot (or freezing cold, depending on your point of view) takes for the upcoming season: 1. The Cleveland Browns will still finish last in the AFC North.For all the talent they’ve acquired in this past offseason, the Browns are still the Browns. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll finally break their losing streak in the first month of this season, but we shouldn’t immediately jump to the idea of the Browns being Super Bowl contenders. Even though Jarvis Landry boasted that his team can put up 40 every week, his team features a rookie quarterback and a defense that could allow 50. On top of that, Cleveland has Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincinnati twice apiece, all of whom are still pretty good football teams. The latter two are fighting to prove that they still have what it takes to hang with the big boys. The Browns will be better than last year (much better, in fact), but they’ll still finish at the bottom of the division. 2. Jimmy Garoppolo will lose his first game as a starter in week 1.I watched Jimmy Garoppolo play in New England. The kid is very good. He’s also never lost a game that he’s started, the second player to start his career 7-0 since Ben Roethlisberger did it in 2003. But he still hasn’t shown he can lead a team for an entire season. San Francisco opens the season in Minnesota, which is not the easiest play to play as an opposing player. They’ve also got Everson Griffen, a standout defensive end who may very well lead the NFL in sacks this year. I think Garoppolo suffers his first loss in week one, and we can pump the breaks on the unanimous praise. Jimmy G is a great quarterback, but not even the great ones can win them all. 3. For the third consecutive year, a rookie will win the rushing title.At the time of writing, Saquon Barkley left his first preseason game with a strained hamstring, and has not practice in the immediate aftermath. But there are three more weeks of games before the regular season begins, and I think Barkley will be plenty ready for the Giants’ week one matchup against the Jaguars. That said, I think the kid is the real deal. I think he finishes the season atop the league in rushing, which would put him in company with Ezekiel Elliott and Kareem Hunt, who also led the league in rushing in their rookie seasons (2016 and 2017, respectively). We know what happened to Elliott in his sophomore season (a suspension and a regression), so we shall see what happens with Kareem Hunt and if he hits the sophomore slump. But this year, I hope the NFL is ready for the Barkley show. 4. The Cowboys will be leading the NFC East... before they collapse at the end.The Cowboys have a relatively manageable schedule in the first half of the year. They’ll be able to eke out wins against the Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars in before their bye week, and everyone will totally forget about the losses of Jason Witten and Dez Bryant due to the great performance of Ezekiel Elliott and game managing by Dak Prescott. By the time they face the Eagles for the first time on Sunday night in week 10, I have them clocked at 7-2, alone atop the NFC East. But the Eagles dominate the Cowboys in Philly, and send Big D into a tailspin, as they lose 6 of their last 7 games to finish at 8-8. The Eagles win the division and the Cowboys miss the playoffs entirely. Jason Garrett will still not be fired. 5. Michael Thomas will lead the NFL in receiving yards.This year is an important year for Odell Beckham, Jr. He’s coming off injury and has a lot to prove with his franchise floating in mediocrity for what has been the better half of four or five years. There’s a lot of talk of him potentially winning the NFL’s “triple crown” for receivers, which involves him leading the league in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He may very well earn two of those titles, but I predict Saints wideout Michael Thomas will lead the league in yards. Thomas has quietly become Drew Brees’ prime target in New Orleans, and the way the Saints were playing at the end of last year (again, they very well could have won the Super Bowl had it not been for the loss to Minnesota), there is no reason to believe that Thomas won’t lead the league in receiving yards. New Orleans also only plays five teams that are ranked in the top 10 in pass defense this year. Tampa Bay, who they’ll play twice, is ranked 32nd. 6. Helmet-to-helmet contact and tackles will see a significant decline by the end of the year.Because why not be an advocate for player safety? With the new rules added penalizing players for leading with the helmet (on both defense and offense, the latter being a very interesting choice), I think the players will need to learn how to get around the rule. I’m not big enough to play football (even though I did play for one season back in fourth grade, shut up), but in all my years of watching, the object of the tackle is to stop progress by bringing the player to the ground. There are plenty of other ways to do that aside from leading with the crown of your helmet. But since the new rule can also be called on running backs, I think we’re eventually going to see players change the way they play if the penalties keep getting called, fines getting laid down and players getting ejected. Sorry the NFL wants the game to be just a little bit safer. I still think the officials need to learn how to call things better (and I think that penalties should be reviewable, but that’s another issue altogether), but I think we’ll see things get just a little bit safer out there for the players. 7. The kneeling won't stop and nobody cares what you think.Sorry, guys. The kneeling isn’t going to stop just because the league bent over and took it from the President. It was never about the flag. You just think it’s about the flag. It was never about the military. You just think it’s about the military. If you’ve turned off the games because of the national anthem protests, I would like to remind you again that (except for rare occasions) they don’t show the national anthems on television. I anticipate more showings of patriotism (and by that I refer to kneeling) to occur throughout the season- we’ll see a spike after week one after a few players take a knee and the President calls for their heads. Also, nobody cares what you think of these players kneeling. At least they’re using their platform to call attention to what they believe is right. 8. Nick Foles will start for the Eagles in week 1, and a different team by week 17.I don’t think Carson Wentz is ready yet, having torn his ACL in late December. That said, I think Nick Foles remains the starter in Philly until Wentz is ready to play. Once the team begins to get its feet back under them and finds a rhythm as a team, Foles will be traded to Denver. (Side prediction: Case Keenum shows that last year was just fool’s gold and will go back to being Case Keenum). Foles provides the answer to the Broncos’ quarterback circus and starts in week 17, but is not able to get Denver to the playoffs. P.S., from a New England fan: We now wait to see if Wentz and the Eagles flounder after they trade Foles away. 9. Joe Flacco will lose his starting job to Lamar Jackson.The Ravens have been floundering around in mediocrity since they won the Super Bowl. I think Lamar Jackson will provide a good spark to the offense and give it a dimension that Joe Flacco just can’t offer: the ability to use a mobile quarterback. This season won’t be easy for the Ravens, as the first half of the season features the Steelers twice along with the Saints and Panthers. I think it’ll take a loss to the Browns or something to make John Harbaugh make the switch from Flacco and give Jackson a try. It will be the end of an era in Baltimore, but I think a change brings about a lot of positive energy going forward. 10. The simplified catch rule still won't make catches any easier to define.It straight up will not. And the referees are going to make a lot of people angry when they still can’t decide what a catch is and what isn’t. The NFL defines their new catch rule by three criteria. To qualify as a catch, the player:
I think this rule is purely subjective and is going to piss a lot of people off. Every referee will have their own interpretation of the rule, much like they did the rule prior. There are grey areas with every rule in football, and the whole sport is so bang-bang that this is no different. While the new rule does eliminate the “going to the ground” aspect, what’s the situation if it happens again? This sounds a lot to me like they’re just trying to appease the players on this one by “simplifying” the catch rule. They’re still going to reverse any made calls if the ball has a slight movement on it. Good luck with your rule change, NFL. And now that we’re out of the shitposting, here’s how I think the league will shape up this year. Projected standings and playoff resultsAFC East
y- New England Patriots: 13-3 Tom Brady is 41. The Patriots lost Dion Lewis, Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks, and Malcolm Butler in the offseason, and they won’t have Julian Edelman for the first four games either. But when you can pretty much guarantee five or six wins against your divisional opponents, you’ll more than likely win the division. The real tests will be in the first two weeks against Houston and then at Jacksonville, and then in week 15 at Pittsburgh. Still, I like them at home in weeks 9 and 13 against Green Bay and Minnesota. The Pats cruise to a first round bye. What else is new? Miami Dolphins: 6-10 My biggest thing for the Dolphins is this: what if Tannehill sucks when he comes back off that torn ACL? The way the depth chart sits (at this moment) behind Tannehill is Brock Osweiler, Bryce Petty, and David Fales. Yeesh. Aside from that, Miami looks very different on both sides of the ball, with Jarvis Landry and Ndamukong Suh no longer in the mix. Pair those with having to face New England twice, and getting Minnesota, Jacksonville, and at Buffalo in the last three weeks? No thanks. New York Jets: 6-10 Let the record show that the Jets will be better than their record shows. I still don’t think Sam Darnold will be ready just yet, but he’ll bring some hope to a city yearning for its football teams to be successful again so they can show the rest of the country just how insufferable their fan base is. Did I say that out loud? Buffalo Bills: 3-13 Last season was no fluke for the Buffalo Bills as they made the playoffs for the first time since 1999. But this season of upcoming disappointment will be no fluke either: there will be some major regression this season, particularly as they try to force Josh Allen into the limelight like he’s the next Jim Kelly. AFC North x- Pittsburgh Steelers: 11-5 For all the talent the Steelers have, it’s strange how they’ve never reached the top of the mountain with their current core of players. Maybe it’s because every time they get to the top rung they have to go through New England which never ends well. Still, locking up the division shouldn’t be a problem this year. Roethlisberger may be getting older but he’s still got talent like Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster and Le’Veon Bell (the latter for the moment) to keep the team dominating the AFC North. On paper, this is another ho-hum year for Pittsburgh. They’ll probably be out for blood with their rematches against Jacksonville and New England in weeks 11 and 15. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-7 Let’s be real, is 9-7 really a winning record in the NFL? Cincinnati is the epitome of the 9-7 record: on paper, yes, a very solid roster with a recent history of beating teams they should and usually losing to teams they shouldn’t. This Bengals team has a minefield of a schedule (bookended with three out of their first AND last four games on the road) to get through, along with Andy Dalton and coach Marvin Lewis needing to show they can still hang with their divisional opponents. It is uncertain how rookie Joe Mixon will fare, even though the offensive line has gotten slightly better. Baltimore Ravens: 7-9 I nearly got ahead of myself by saying I actually liked this Ravens team. I don’t. I like Lamar Jackson, even though he probably won’t start over their “elite” quarterback. The Ravens have to get through some tough opponents in the NFC South and AFC West. They also have the Steelers twice. This team is average and will stay average until Jackson becomes their quarterback. Cleveland Browns: 4-12 The Browns will (should) win their first game in nearly two years in the first month of the season. After another good draft year and an even better offseason, the Browns actually look poised to improve upon their 0-16 record from last season. In fact, I think they’ll start the season 3-3 before dropping 9 out of their last 10 after they try using Baker Mayfield. Come on. It’s still the Browns. AFC South z- Jacksonville Jaguars: 11-5 DT Malik Jackson predicted a 16-0 record for the Jags this year, who get a rematch with the Patriots in week 2. I can’t say I agree with the whole “16-0” thing, but I can agree with the fact that this team is very good defensively. Wrapping up the division shouldn’t be a problem, it’s just a matter of how their one-dimensional offense handles tough situations down the stretch. w- Houston Texans: 10-6 The great Deshaun Watson returns from an ACL tear that should bring the Texans back to form. This season could be a breakout season for Will Fuller, furthering the mystique of his tandem with DeAndre Hopkins. The defense also got an upgrade in Tyrann Mathieu. Call me crazy, but I really like Houston in week 16 at home against Philadelphia, as well as a home win against Jacksonville in week 17 to lock up a Wild Card spot. w- Tennessee Titans: 10-6 This team made the playoffs last year. Even though they have a new head coach in Mike Vrabel, I still think this team can make some noise. Indianapolis Colts: 4-12 Even if Andrew Luck is healthy, the team (and the division, no kidding) has transformed dramatically in his absence. This is not the same squad that made significant playoff pushes earlier this decade. AFC West x- Los Angeles Chargers: 11-5 There’s a lot to feel good about here. Even though, no, the Chargers don’t have a tight end (having lost Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry), their offense is plenty capable with Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen. On defense, the Chargers added rookie safety Derwin James; keep in mind they’ll also have pass rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, the former last year’s defensive rookie of the year. The Chargers have the easier schedule and the better team in the AFC West. They were also the hottest team at the end of last season, winning 9 of 12 after an 0-4 start, and quietly boasted the NFL’s best passing offense. Denver Broncos: 8-8 Case Keenum should provide stability to a quarterback situation that has been stagnant ever since Peyton Manning left. They still don’t have a running game and the defense is a bit of a shell of itself, but, hey! Case Keenum should provide some stability... so that’s good, right? Kansas City Chiefs: 7-9 The Chiefs are in a good place. I just don’t think it’s their time yet. It remains to be seen if Patrick Mahomes can keep the ship afloat as he takes over at quarterback for Alex Smith. I think there’s some growing pains to be had, but give Kansas City a year and we’ll see what happens. Oakland Raiders: 5-11 Welcome back, Jon Gruden! Your welcome basket includes a team that stumbled to a 6-10 record last year after having Super Bowl expectations placed upon them. Enjoy not using any technology on the sidelines, and getting your team including Marshawn Lynch to adapt to your hard-nosed, no-nonsense style of play. I expect the Raiders to settle and rebound next year though. NFC East x- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5 Typically, a team that catches lightning in a bottle only stays at the top of the mountain for one season. Something to remember is that Carson Wentz tore his ACL in late December. Typically that’s an 8-month recovery window, which puts him right at the very end of rehab. Although the rest of the roster remains unchanged from last year’s Super Bowl victory, the champs don’t have the easiest schedule, with an October that has a Thursday night game in New York against the Giants and a game in London against Jacksonville (game of the year candidate at 9:30am?). Somehow, the target on the Eagles’ backs seems bigger than champions before it. Dallas Cowboys: 8-8 The Cowboys will get a full season from Zeke Elliott this year. Unfortunately, they don’t have much of a receiving corps, having lost Jason Witten to ESPN and Dez Bryant to who knows where. Pair that with Dak Prescott wrestling with the ever-mounting pressure to become the next Troy Aikman, and Big D won’t fare very well with its seven games against 2017 playoff teams this season. New York Giants: 7-9 To be fair, the Giants have huge upside. They could very well win 10 games this season, solely by the virtue of having one Saquon Barkley. But they desperately need some pass rushing help, not to mention they’re transitioning into a new defensive scheme that might not bode well for its current unit. Oh, and they open with four of seven on the road. The home games? They’re against the Jaguars, Saints, and Eagles. Woof. Washington Redskins: 7-9 Alex Smith found a rebirth in Kansas City, and I don’t think it was just Andy Reid who was the keeper of the keys. Kirk Cousins is great, but Smith is a major upgrade. The only reason the Redskins finish with a losing record is by virtue of the schedule makers, who put them through the gauntlet with four of their last six on the road, including Dallas on Thanksgiving, Philadelphia, Jacksonville and Tennessee. NFC North z- Minnesota Vikings: 12-4 If the defense plays like it did last year, the Vikings will have no problem winning the division. If I’m them, I wouldn’t be scared of the Packers anymore. My only concern, ironically, is at quarterback. Kirk Cousins is an upgrade over Case Keenum, but new quarterbacks do tend to lead to growing pains. Still, I see a respectable 12-4 campaign for the Vikings. No problem. w- Green Bay Packers: 12-4 If Aaron Rodgers plays, the Packers will make the playoffs. They may not have Jordy Nelson, but Davonte Adams has made a name for himself as one of the better receivers in football. Oh, and they added Jimmy Graham, so that’s fun. Late October and November could be interesting though, as the Pack play four of five on the road against the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks and Vikings. Detroit Lions: 7-9 Matt Patricia will make a good head coach. Detroit just isn’t a good enough football team to win more than 8 games. One home game in its last four weeks? Nope. Chicago Bears: 4-12 Mitchell Trubisky is still the future of this franchise. Be he has no supporting cast and I’m still afraid the front office will run his career potential into the ground if they don’t get him some real help, and quickly. A receiver? A good offensive line? Anything. Please. NFC South y- New Orleans Saints: 13-3 The time is now for the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees is 39 years old. The offense can still fire on all cylinders, as evidence by the breakout party of Alvin Kamara. Were it not for the last-second defeat at the hands of the Vikings last postseason, I would say the Saints probably would have been Super Bowl bound. I think this team could have what it takes before Brees finally hangs it up. w- Atlanta Falcons: 12-4 Much like last year, we may get a team that is good enough to host the Super Bowl on its own turf. And since the NFC is the home team for Super Bowl LIII, Atlanta would actually be the host. I’m mostly interested to see how well Calvin Ridley fits it at wide receiver along with Julio Jones. By now the Falcons have had time to settle into Steve Sarkisian’s offense. They’ll get the Saints twice as well as the Eagles, Steelers and Packers. I think they should be fine dealing with those big-name teams. Carolina Panthers: 10-6 Despite the new offensive coordinator in Norv Turner, I think Cam Newton and the Panthers will be just fine adjusting to transition. Still, I don’t know if 10 wins is enough to get you a playoff spot in this year’s NFC. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-11 A promising offseason was dashed when Jameis Winston was suspended. The Bucs fall back to mediocrity this season. NFC West x- Los Angeles Rams: 12-4 Los Angeles. City of dreams and sexy Super Bowl picks. The Rams have about as much upside as they do downside. For one, they’ve acquired some great talent in Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh. They also play in a division where every other team is undergoing a major transition. On the flip side, there are massive expectations and major adjustments that need to happen. Are the Rams ready to win now with all these new pieces? San Francisco 49ers: 9-7 This is probably the team to watch this year. A 9-7 record might be even a bit of a stretch for these Niners, though. We know, Jimmy G is the second coming of Christ and he hasn’t lost a game as a starter. I think that goes away in week one against the Vikings. It is not far fetched to think of this team as a contender, but I don’t think they’re quite there yet. Seattle Seahawks: 7-9 The Legion of Boom is gone. The front office has done nothing to fix a ravaged offensive line. Even if Russell Wilson does 100% of the work, the team is still crumbling to pieces around him. Seattle has its first losing season since 2011. Arizona Cardinals: 4-12 The Arizona Cardinals are in rebuild mode. They’ve got to choose between two quarterbacks in Sam Bradford and rookie Josh Rosen, as well as figure out their new head coach, Steve Wilks. That could take some time. Give the Cardinals a few years to redevelop. They’ll be better in no time. Division Winners: AFC East: Patriots (1) AFC North: Steelers (4) AFC South: Jaguars (2) AFC West: Chargers (3) Wild Cards: Texans and Titans NFC East: Eagles (3) NFC North: Vikings (2) NFC South: Saints (1) NFC West: Rams (4) Wild Cards: Packers and Falcons AFC Wild Card: (3) Los Angeles Chargers vs. (6) Tennessee Titans LAC 31, TEN 16 (4) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. (5) Houston Texans PIT 37, HOU 21 NFC Wild Card: (3) Philadelphia Eagles vs. (6) Atlanta Falcons PHI 36, ATL 20 (4) Los Angeles Rams vs. (5) Green Bay Packers LAR 30, GB 28 AFC Divisional Round: (1) New England Patriots vs. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers NE 38, PIT 23 (2) Jacksonville Jaguars vs. (3) Los Angeles Chargers LAC 32, JAX 17 NFC Divisional Round: (1) New Orleans Saints vs. (4) Los Angeles Rams NO 34, LAR 28 (OT) (2) Minnesota Vikings vs. (3) Philadelphia Eagles PHI 24, MIN 10 AFC Championship: (1) New England Patriots vs. (3) Los Angeles Chargers NE 34, LAC 18 NFC Championship: (1) New Orleans Saints vs. (3) Philadelphia Eagles NO 45, PHI 28 Super Bowl LIII New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints NO 24, NE 19 Come at me. The 2018 NFL season begins Thursday, September 6th as the Atlanta Falcons take on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at 8:20pm on NBC. March Madness 2018: The Great Mascot Death BracketThis week is one of the major holidays on the sports calendar: The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. With the 68-field team set to begin first round play on Thursday, and with myself and a majority of this blog’s audience not really caring TOO too much about in-depth college basketball research and analysis, I thought I’d do something fun to kick off the brackets. We’re going to pit the mascots against one another. No, not the guys who dress up in the costumes, but the actual nicknames that represent the schools. The rules are simple: which mascot would win in a one-on-one, no-holds barred, fight to the death? Feel free to fill out your brackets like this. Or don’t. Introducing the GREAT MASCOT DEATH BRACKET. Let the battle BEGIN. South Region(1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (16) Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers The “Retriever” in question here is that of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, best utilized for retrieving waterfowl while on hunting trips. Coincidentally, a Cavalier is also a breed of Spaniel! But this cavalier is a dude running around with a sword. This is your warning that there’s probably going to be a lot of puppies killed in this tournament. I’m not any happier about it than you are. Winner: Virginia Cavaliers (8) Creighton Blue Jays vs. (9) Kansas State Wildcats A blue jay versus a bobcat (at least, that’s what I’m assuming a “wildcat” is). Wildcat eats bird, as birds are, in fact, part of the wildcat’s natural diet. K-State wins. Winner: Kansas State Wildcats (5) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (12) Davidson Wildcats Well this is fun. In the event of two schools having the same nickname, we have a draw. But I’m convinced Steph Curry could beat John Wall in a game of one-on-one, so. Winner: Davidson Wildcats (4) Arizona Wildcats vs. (13) Buffalo Bulls One of Arizona’s colors is red. That wildcat stands no chance against an irate bull. Winner: Buffalo Bulls (6) Miami Hurricanes vs. (11) Loyola-Chicago Ramblers The “Ramblers” nickname stems from their football program, which “rambled” from place to place for each game. Category 5-force winds will “ramble” Loyola-Chicago right out of this tournament. Winner: Miami Hurricanes (3) Tennessee Volunteers vs. (14) Wright State Raiders A pirates against a dude from Tennessee. The Tennesseean volunteers as tribute, as the raider stabs him with his trusty blade. Winner: Wright State Raiders (7) Nevada Wolfpack vs. (10) Texas Longhorns I think a pack of wolves could tear apart a longhorn steer, don’t you? The wolfpack have speed and numbers on their side. If they lose one or two to those deadly horns, it’s not too bad of a loss. Winner: Nevada Wolfpack (2) Cincinnati Bearcats vs. (15) Georgia State Panthers On paper, the prospect of a bearcat sounds BADASS. Like, something out of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” However, bearcats, otherwise known as a binturong, is a creature native to Southeast Asia, which, when provoked, may urinate and defecate on a threat, before attacking it with sharp teeth and powerful jaws. I don’t care how fast a Black Panther can move, this particular one from Georgia State is about to get shat on. Literally. Winner: Cincinnati Bearcats Second Round (1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (9) Kansas State Wildcats If the Cavalier can kill a dog, a cat should be no problem. Winner: Virginia Cavaliers (12) Davidson Wildcats vs. (13) Buffalo Bulls Same shit, different wildcat. Except this one is even redder than the Arizona one. The bull continues its rampage by running through the wildcat. Winner: Buffalo Bulls (6) Miami Hurricanes vs. (14) Wright State Raiders Pirates ride boats, right? You ever see the movie The Perfect Storm? That’s pretty much where I’m going with that. Winner: Miami Hurricanes (7) Nevada Wolfpack vs. (2) Cincinnati Bearcats Again, the numbers game. The Wolfpack have only lost two members of the clan, and will avenge their deaths by eating the bearcat alive. Winner: Nevada Wolfpack Sweet Sixteen (1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (13) Buffalo Bulls So, the bull has to be tired by this point. After hyping itself up by destroying not one, but two red wildcats, it now has to face a human with a sword. I’ve seen footage of bullfights, and it almost always ends poorly for the bull. Also, Virginia’s secondary color is orange, which will confuse the poor bull, struggling to decide to attack or not, while the cavalier’s sword provides the critical blow. Winner: Virginia Cavaliers (6) Miami Hurricanes vs. (7) Nevada Wolfpack Wolves can only do so much. They can’t outrun a hurricane, though. Winner: Miami Hurricanes Elite Eight (1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (6) Miami Hurricanes The hurricane has to face a man wearing heavy armor for the first time. The cavalier hides in his castle made of twelfth-century rocks, and rides the hurricane out. Winner: Virginia Cavaliers Virginia Advances to Final Four West RegionFirst Round ENTRY BATTLE ROYAL! (1) Xavier Musketeers vs. (16) North Carolina Central Eagles vs. (16) Texas Southern Tigers I think there has to be some kind of double-team happening on the Musketeer here, don’t you? The Tiger can attack from the ground while the eagle dive bombs from the sky. The Musketeer tries to swat the bird, allowing the tiger to take a bite of his legs, or something. Oh, and the tiger eats the eagle for dessert. Muskets probably aren’t good for close combat fighting, all in all. Winner: Texas Southern Tigers (8) Missouri Tigers vs. (9) Florida State Seminoles The Seminoles, even before Europeans introduced them to guns, were able to hunt and eat alligators. That’s some toughness. Of course, a tiger is much more agile than an alligator. But the Europeans gave the Seminoles guns. Don’t mess with the tomahawk chant. Winner: Florida State Seminoles (5) Ohio State Buckeyes vs. (12) South Dakota State Jackrabbits Ordinarily, one would think a nut would fit well into a rabbit’s diet, right? Well, apparently, nuts are high in starches and sugars, and if a rabbit ate one, it would “wreak havoc on the rabbit's gastrointestinal tract.” Also, buckeye nuts are poisonous when they’re eaten raw. So, in addition to the rabbit having some tummy trouble, he's probably fatally poisoned. I think the buckeye miraculously wins this round. Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes (4) Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. (13) UNC Greensboro Spartans This is one of those times where I’m sad that we have to kill another dog. UGH. Winner: UNC Greensboro Spartans (6) Houston Cougars vs (11) San Diego State Aztecs So the Aztec, a highly skilled Central American warrior, is probably skilled in hunting and killing big game cats. I think the cougar gets hit with some poison dart or something like that. Winner: San Diego State Aztecs (3) Michigan Wolverines vs (14) Montana Grizzlies If this isn’t a battle for the north, I don’t know what is. Now the grizzly bear is a force to be reckoned with, but wolverines have such powerful teeth, they’ve been known to topple animals as big as moose. I’m taking the wolverine here. Winner: Michigan Wolverines (7) Texas A&M Aggies vs. (10) Providence Friars An Aggie is simply short for one who dabbles in agriculture- in short, an aggie is a farmer. A friar is, for lack of a better term, a religious clergyman or catholic monk. Since the friar probably isn’t prone to violence, I can imagine something a little different: The friar actually assists the farmer guy in helping to farm. After he helps plant his share of the potatoes, the friar has to leave for other religious devotions elsewhere. The aggie is killed in an unfortunate tractor accident unrelated to being helped by the friar. Winner: Providence Friars (2) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (15) Lipscomb Bisons A “tar heel” is a nickname for a citizen of North Carolina, popularized during the civil war: “they would stick to their ranks like they had tar on their heels!” Unfortunately, if this were true, it probably wouldn’t do them much good being stuck in one place. The North Carolina guy is run over by the Bison. Winner: Lipscomb Bisons Second Round (16) Texas Southern Tigers vs. (9) Florida State Seminoles Well, the Seminole just beat one tiger. Who’s to say he couldn’t beat another one? Winner: Florida State Seminoles (5) Ohio State Buckeyes vs. (13) UNC Greensboro Spartans Again, the buckeye is a nut. I’m going to guess that this particular spartan doesn’t have much experience when it comes to American botany and fruit-bearing trees. He eats the buckeye. The buckeye poisons him and he dies. A NUT has made it to the sweet sixteen. Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes (11) San Diego State Aztecs vs. (3) Michigan Wolverines I think in the battle of human vs animal, the human has the edge. Don’t count out that wolverine, though. Those things are vicious. Winner: San Diego State Aztecs (10) Providence Friars vs. (15) Lipscomb Bisons The friar is actually super nice to the bison, feeding him, giving him water, cleaning off his coat, etc. The friar is so nice to the bison, in fact, that the two go their separate ways, and the bison names his son after the friar. The friar wins solely on lifespan, outlasting the bison’s 15 years. Winner: Providence Friars Sweet Sixteen (9) Florida State Seminoles vs. (5) Ohio State Buckeyes Okay, enough playing around. The Seminole’s gonna roast that buckeye on an open fire and eat it with his dinner. He’s smart. Next! Winner: Florida State Seminoles (11) San Diego State Aztecs vs. (10) Providence Friars The Aztecs were holy people, and the friar attempts to teach them about Christianity. Unfortunately, we saw how that turned out when the Spanish explorers came to Central America. The unarmed friar doesn’t stand a chance against a strong Aztec warrior. Winner: San Diego State Aztecs Elite Eight (9) Florida State Seminoles vs. (11) San Diego State Aztecs The two are both strong tribes with solid warriors. Although, remember how I said the Europeans gave guns to the Seminoles? Yeah, about that. Winner: Florida State Seminoles Florida State Advances to Final Four East RegionFirst Round ENTRY BATTLE ROYAL: (1) Villanova Wildcats vs. (16) LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds vs. (16) Radford Highlanders The highlander, a native of Scotland, is probably a tough enough guy that he could take both the wildcat and the blackbird with one hand tied behind his back. Based on purely because I picture him with a kilt and a flowing red beard, the highlander wins. Winner: Radford Highlanders (8) Virginia Tech Hokies vs. (9) Alabama Crimson Tide The Hokies, for lack of a better term, are essentially a turkey. The Crimson Tide feature an elephant, so we’ll go with that. Elephants might be scared of mice, but I don’t think they have anything to be worried about with a turkey. Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide (5) West Virginia Mountaineers vs. (12) Murray State Racers The dude with the Davy Crockett hat and the beard hops aboard the race horse, and said race horse carries him to the next round. Winner: West Virginia Mountaineers (4) Wichita State Shockers vs. (13) Marshall Thundering Herd This is a glorified squash match. Let’s see here: a shocker is someone who picks wheat. The word “shocker” is probably as intimidating as it gets. This is the Wichita State mascot. He is literally made of wheat. No scythe for defense, no pitchfork, no nothing. Just wheat. His opponent is literally a thundering herd. He’s dead where he stands. Winner: Marshall Thundering Herd ENTRY BATTLE ROYAL: (6) Florida Gators vs. (11) St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. (11) UCLA Bruins This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the first round. The Bonnie, short for the Bona Wolf, might be the first one to go here, as an alligator can use his surroundings to camouflage itself and then quickly strike and drown the wolf. I’m also no animal expert, but I don’t think a bear would be able to survive the strength of an alligator bite. The gator wins this one. Winner: Florida Gators (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. (14) Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks It’s dude with sword and gun against dude with axe. The lumberjack’s beard is formidable, but it takes way too long to chop down a tree on his opponent, and the red raider will probably shoot the lumberjack before we get too far into this thing. Winner: Texas Tech Red Raiders (7) Arkansas Razorbacks vs (10) Butler Bulldogs Aww, man. I don’t like having to do this. The razorback is simply a feral pig. I don’t think the bulldog stands much chance. Winner: Arizona Razorbacks (2) Purdue Boilermakers vs. (15) Cal State Fullerton Titans A boilermaker is defined as “a trained craftsman who produces steel fabrications from plates and tubes.” Also, I guess the students at Purdue had hands-on experience at one time in constructing an actual steam locomotive. But a Titan is one of those nasty-looking god-type things from the movie Hercules who will probably fuck your shit up. (Edit: The Cal State Fullerton Titan is actually an elephant named Tuffy the Titan. But I prefer the mythical being, so we’re going with that. We already have an elephant in this bracket anyways.) I’m gonna take the divine being over the guy with the sledgehammer. Winner: Cal State Fullerton Titans Second Round (16) Radford Highlanders vs. (9) Alabama Crimson Tide The Scotsman is gonna take that elephant to school. There can only be one. Winner: Radford Highlanders (5) West Virginia Mountaineers vs. (13) Marshall Thundering Herd The mountaineer probably has experience hunting buffalo. Miraculously, the mountaineer sets traps for the thundering herd, steering them away from his path. Think the trailer for the movie Alpha. Or the wildebeests from The Lion King. Winner: West Virginia Mountaineers (6) Florida Gators vs. (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders The human can climb trees. The gator cannot. The raider has a gun and an incredible red mustache. The gator does not. Round two goes to the red raider. Winner: Texas Tech Red Raiders (7) Arizona Razorbacks vs. (15) Cal State Fullerton Titans The pig gets sacrificed to the gods. Next! Winner: Cal State Fullerton Titans Sweet Sixteen (16) Radford Highlanders vs. (4) West Virginia Mountaineers Ooh, this one will be fun. Two men of the high grounds. However, the edge has to go to the mountaineer, whose use of the hunting rifle probably outdoes the weaponry of the highlander. Sorry, laddie. Winner: West Virginia Mountaineers (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. (15) Cal State Fullerton Titans It now comes time for the red raider to exercise his strength in raiding. In the dark of night, the red raider pillages the titan’s home, stealing a sacred amulet. He tosses the sacred amulet into the fires of Mt. Doom before the planets all align and the titan is destroyed. In a historic upset, the red raider moves to the Elite Eight. Winner: Texas Tech Red Raiders Elite Eight (4) West Virginia Mountaineers vs. (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders This is a bit too difficult to decide. Both men have exceptional facial hair. Both men have guns. I guess the red raider has a knack for raiding and pillaging, but the mountaineer’s vast knowledge of the land gives him the element of home field advantage. One the dueling ground, however, the red raider’s more advanced revolver pistol is faster to load than the mountaineer’s musket. The red raider is our east regional champion. Winner: Texas Tech Red Raiders Texas Tech Advances to Final Four Midwest RegionFirst Round (1) Kansas Jayhawks vs. (16) Penn Quakers Oatmeal is an excellent source of nutrition for birds, so obviously the quakers use their quaker oats to reel the jayhawk in… before using the oatmeal to fatten him up and cook him over the fire. Winner: Penn Quakers (8) Seton Hall Pirates vs. (9) NC State Wolfpack We already had a pack of wolves rip apart a longhorn steer. The pirate might be able to get a hold of one or two wolves, but there’s no way he’s taking down all of them. Winner: NC State Wolfpack (5) Clemson Tigers vs. (12) New Mexico State Aggies Again, an Aggie is a farmer person who probably has no experience dealing with big cats of this nature. The Tiger eats the farmer and all of his vegetables. Winner: Clemson Tigers (4) Auburn Tigers vs. (13) Charleston Cougars This is almost too close. The cougar can outrun the tiger, but the tiger is a lot larger and has more bite power. I give it to the tiger on this one. Winner: Auburn Tigers ENTRY BATTLE ROYAL: (6) TCU Horned Frogs vs. (11) Arizona State Sun Devils vs. (11) Syracuse Orange This particularly horned frog is actually a texas horned lizard. A pretty scary-looking, but ultimately non-threatening lizard. The Arizona State Sun Devil is a classified as a “mischievous imp” who carries around a trident. The Syracuse Orange is, well, an orange. Like the fruit. The sun devil spears both the horned frog and the orange. Winner: Arizona State Sun Devils (3) Michigan State Spartans vs. (14) Bucknell Bison Even though the bison might be able to give the spartan a good bump, the spartan’s armor keeps him safe enough to dole out a fatal blow to the bison. Winner: Michigan State Spartans (7) Rhode Island Rams vs. (10) Oklahoma Sooners A sooner is a defined as a settler from Oklahoma, who are so-called because they were allowed to enter the unorganized territories earlier than other settlers. They would sometimes do it by the light of the moon, hiding in ditches at night and emerging to steal claims to land before the other settlers. Ya know what? I’m giving it to the ram on this one. He’ll destroy your wagon while you’re catching up on your sleep and you’ll die of dysentery. Winner: Rhode Island Rams (2) Duke Blue Devils vs. (15) Iona Gaels The Blue Devils get their name from the French “les Diables Bleus,” the nickname given to the French Alpine light infantry division during World War I. A gael in this case is defined as an inhabitant of northwestern Europe, one who is Irish and Scottish. While ordinarily the Scotsman/Irishman would probably destroy a normal Frenchman, this particular Frenchman is heavily armed and has an amazing nickname. Winner: Duke Blue Devils Second Round (16) Penn Quakers vs. (9) NC State Wolfpack Smack those lips, wolves. Quaker Oats guy is about to get devoured. Winner: NC State Wolfpack (5) Clemson Tigers vs. (4) Auburn Tigers Stop, stop, stop. Enough. This game is a draw. The winner is the amalgamated version of the two: The Clemsburn SuperTigers. Winner: Clemsburn SuperTigers (11) Arizona State Sun Devils vs. (3) Michigan State Spartans Ahh, now this is a matchup. That trident might do a fair bit of damage to the spartan’s armor, but the spartan is a highly trained warrior and knows how to save his energy. He slices the imp’s head off after a long, hard-fought battle. Winner: Michigan State Spartans (7) Rhode Island Rams vs. (2) Duke Blue Devils The ram can fight tooth and horn to try to knock out that blue devil, but this highly trained French soldier knows how this one has to end. Winner: Duke Blue Devils Sweet Sixteen (9) NC State Wolfpack vs. (5/4) Clemsburn SuperTigers The pack of wolves are ready to strike, but… NOPE. Super Tiger. Winner: Clemsburn SuperTigers (3) Michigan State Spartans vs. (2) Duke Blue Devils This is where the spartan’s armor begins to weigh him down. We’re also assuming the Blue Devil has pinpoint accuracy with that rifle. It’s like when Achilles took an arrow to the heel. The Blue Devil will find the weak spot. Was Achilles Greek? I think he was Greek. Or maybe Roman. Oh well. Edit: Achilles was Greek. Go me! Winner: Duke Blue Devils Elite Eight (5/4) Clemsburn SuperTigers vs. (2) Duke Blue Devils This is kinda like The Revenant, except 100 years later and the guy is French and the bear is a genetically mutated tiger. Regardless of how great a soldier this blue devil is, I’m taking the genetically-mutated tiger. SuperTigers FTW. Winner: Clemsburn SuperTIgers Final Four(1) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (9) Florida State Seminoles
East meets West. Old World meets New World. Remember that the Seminole does have that gun he received from the Europeans, and the cavalier probably does not. I mean, the cavalier probably introduced smallpox, but the Seminole probably shot him before he was infected. By a nose, the Seminole advances to the championship. Winner: Florida State Seminoles (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. (5/4) Clemsburn SuperTigers I love the red raider. I really do. This Yosemite Sam/Yukon Cornelius-type has really gotten to me. But the SuperTiger is about to rip his beard off and shoot him in the face with his own gun. Winner: Clemsburn SuperTigers NCAA Championship Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemsburn SuperTigers The Seminole has miraculously made its way to the final. I think it’ll be all for naught though, as the SuperTiger is going to rip right through him… and possibly make his way to another part of the world to start breeding new genetically-mutated big cats. I feel like this is the start of a new Planet of the Apes-type spinoff. Take shelter. Winner: Clemsburn SuperTigers Fill out your brackets! The NCAA Tournament starts Thursday, March 15th on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV. 10 Takeaways from Super Bowl LIIIt’s sobering to a degree, losing in the Super Bowl, especially a year after winning it in the most dramatic of fashions.
For anyone who knows me, I am typically a pessimist when it comes to sports. I never feel that anything my team does is good enough, and I am always expecting the worst out of them. I guess it’s a defense mechanism against being sorely let down when things don’t go my team’s way. Because when they don’t, it’s embarrassing. It also doesn’t help that, with the exception of everyone from my home state of Massachusetts, nobody likes my teams. The Patriots are cheaters. The Red Sox have an insufferable (and subtly racist) fan base. The Bruins are a dirty team. In my case, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are an entitled school with a horribly overrated athletic program. The Celtics are the only ones who haven’t done anything horrible yet, but don’t worry. If they start winning titles again, people will find something to hate about them. Ever since the Patriots lost in 2007 to the Giants to squander an undefeated season, I have learned to keep my mouth shut (for the most part) about trash talking in favor of my team. I was justifiably unnerved about the Falcons’ potent offensive attack, and the Patriots’ ability to keep up. Thankfully, they were able to comeback from 25-points down. And when this season rolled around, and even more so as it progressed, with just about every team having at least one major injury, it seemed the Patriots were once again poised to win their second consecutive Super Bowl title. So I was cautiously optimistic prior to last night’s contest between the Patriots and Eagles. Silly me. I didn’t see the Eagles as threatening of a matchup as I did the Falcons, particularly after they lost Carson Wentz. And yet, here we are, a day removed from the Patriots 41-33 defeat at the hands of the NFC Champions. And I am sad. So, let’s recap. This game was a brilliant offensive showcase by both teams. The Eagles came out firing on just about all cylinders, with Nick Foles mixing in a fair amount of runs, passes, and RPOs to keep the Patriots defense guessing constantly. They would lead 22-12 at halftime, after completing a trick play on a reverse pass back to Foles to go up by 10 with 34 seconds to play in the half. The Patriots also pretty much moved the ball at will, and came from behind to take the lead with just over 9 minutes left to go, 33-32. But the Patriots’ defensive struggles they had earlier in the season came back to bite them when it mattered most, as Foles orchestrated a nearly 7-minute drive in the fourth quarter to take back the lead, 38-32. Tom Brady, with one timeout and a two minute warning, and poised to lead yet another comeback, fumbled the ball on his own 33, giving the ball back to Philadelphia with just over two minutes to go. The Patriots would still get another chance, this time down by 8, but a hail mary would fall incomplete, and the Eagles would complete the upset, capturing their first Super Bowl title in franchise history, with a 41-33 defeat of the defending champions. With a few hours of tossing and turning and not very much sleeping, here are my thoughts. 1. This was a great game. Like, a great game. I say, through my gritted teeth. Setting aside the fact that my team lost the game, this Super Bowl was really solid. It might not be considered as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time (XLIX is still the best) when looking at the broad spectrum of things, but was still really, really good. It was an offensive shootout unlike anything we have seen before in a Super Bowl (this was the second-highest scoring Super Bowl of all time). It might not have had very much defense in it, and it was downright wacky on special teams, but it did provide a fair amount of drama, including a team coming from behind to take the lead in the fourth quarter, only to have it dashed by a brilliant championship-caliber drive the other way. An underdog taking down a goliath is always a lovely story as well. And while it pains me that just about every Super Bowl the Patriots play in has been decided by one score, it means that they contribute to making games super exciting. This one was no different. 2. The Patriots defense returned to form. The problem was, that form was from week one. Remember when the Patriots defense was the best scoring defense in football last year, only to be the worst scoring defense in football at the start of this year? Well, that side of the team reared its ugly head on Sunday. The last time the Patriots gave up 40 or more points was to the Chiefs in that disgruntling season opener in which the Pats were torched for 537 yards. The Patriots gave up 41 points and exactly 538 yards to this Eagles offense, which was supposed to be the least of their problems, given Philly was starting a backup quarterback. With New England unable to get off the field on third down, the Eagles, drive after drive, continued to move the ball, scoring on 8 of their ten drives in the game, converting 10/16 on third down, and 2/2 on fourth down. This defensive unit’s bad tackling and even worse coverage left the offense hanging out to dry. But it was the decision of coach Bill Belichick to bench Malcolm Butler in favor of Eric Rowe that will be questioned from now until the Patriots win another Super Bowl. 3. The decision to bench Malcolm Butler impacted the game- and potentially the franchise. Eric Rowe didn’t know he was starting until just before kickoff. “That wasn’t the plan,” Rowe said in a postgame press conference. Malcolm Butler, you’ll remember, was the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, intercepting Russell Wilson’s pass to seal a championship for New England. But Rowe, who was tasked with covering Philadelphia’s Alshon Jeffery, got torched pretty much all game. It was evident from the Eagles’ first drive, when Rowe gave up two consecutive 15-yard-plus gains on third down to Jeffery and Torrey Smith. While he did break up a pass to force a Philly field goal, he got torched again by Jeffery, getting out-jumped on a 34-yard touchdown pass. As time wore on, and Butler hadn’t been seen yet, it was clear there was nothing matchup-based about his benching. There was no one to make a big play on defense when it was needed, something Butler could definitely have been there for. With no one to make plays, the defense looked more and more incompetent and tired. Malcolm Butler was right when he said the Patriots gave up on him. They could have used him. As a result, I think this was Butler’s last game in New England. They were going to trade him before this season started, but not playing him in the most important game of the year is probably the final straw. I wouldn’t be surprised if Butler seeks another team next season. I think this also creates a riff in the locker room. While there was a report that just surfaced about Butler missing curfew and being in possession marijuana the night before the game, I think we’re entering another lull in the player relationship to the so-called “Patriot Way.” If the goal is to win games, why wouldn’t you want to win games? I think sometimes Belichick is so smart he beats himself. 4. Eagles MVP- Nick Foles Because of COURSE he was. The guy was fearless and all kinds of brilliant, and stepped up when he needed to. 373 yards, three passing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. He had the Patriots guessing all game long, and they didn’t really have an answer. He also knew where to exploit New England’s porous defense. He was 6-for-7 for 137 yards when targeting Eric Rowe, Johnson Bademosi, and Jordan Richards, who all played over Malcolm Butler. It’ll be interesting to see what the Eagles decide to do with Foles next season. I think Carson Wentz will return as the starter, but will the Eagles decide to use Foles as leverage to bring in another piece defensively? The guy did just slay the goat, after all. 5. Patriots MVP- Tom Brady… I guess. It’s commonplace to give Tom Brady the MVP when his team succeeds. I mean, a 40-year-old man just threw for 505 yards and three touchdowns. According to a report I literally found on Twitter about three seconds before writing this sentence, Brady had the best passing performance in Super Bowl history last night, based on volume. Allow me to explain what I just read. Brady’s adjusted net yard total was 560. It subtracts 5 yards for every sack (we’ll get to that) and adds 20 yards for every touchdown. Over his 49 dropbacks in the game, that’s 11.43 Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt. The Eagles gave up just 5.10 ANY/A to opposing QBs, which means Brady’s was 6.32 ANY/A above expectation. He produced 310 Adjusted Net Yards above expectation last night, 30 more than Joe Montana in 1989. Sabermetrics aside- Brady was stellar last night. Even though he took a loss, he gave me confidence (there’s that word again) about his future. Also, he wouldn’t have scored on the trick play pass to him. The ball was overthrown and he had defenders in front of him. The only reason I say “I guess” is simple. Losing teams just don’t typically have MVPs. 6. This game wasn’t about the linemen… until it was. The key to beating the Patriots is easy- put pressure on Tom Brady by rushing four. Do that, and you’ll control the tempo of the game. And for the most part, the offensive line did its job. Brady took a little bit of heat, but managed to stay pretty calm in the pocket and make good passes. For a team with a really good defense and some better-than-average pass rushers, Brady was still able to shred the Philly defense. The whole game I was thinking “no one’s been sacked yet.” And typically when you’ve got an offensive battle like this one was, a sack can change the momentum of a game. And then the strip sack happened. It was like two giants were having a staring contest, and right before the end, the Patriots blinked first. All it takes is one mistake. I’m not going to fault the offense for giving this game away, but being able to block for another half second might have given the Patriots a chance to keep the drive going and win the game. 6a. Justin Timberlake was meh. It was just a forgettable halftime show. I was bored. I also didn’t really understand the Prince hologram, or why it made an appearance, much less that Prince apparently wasn’t a fan of anyone recreating him after his death for a performance. But apparently the kid who took the selfie with him is from my town. So that’s pretty cool. 7. The offense will be fine next season… dare I say better? Brady, although 40 years old, just lit up a stout defense for 505 yards and three touchdowns. He also lost. He’ll be playing with some typical Brady fire under him next season. As for his supporting cast, there is a long list of free agent names that need to be resigned, among them Nate Solder, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, and Danny Amendola. The idea is that all four will be resigned, although to lose either Lewis or Burkhead wouldn’t be a complete disaster. Looking at the offensive roster for next year, we’ve got Lewis, Burkhead, and James White in the backfield, with Brandon Cooks, a returning Julian Edelman, Amendola, Chris Hogan, Rob Gronkowski, and a returning Martellus Bennett (fingers crossed) for your receiving core. If this ain’t a high powered offense, even without OC Josh McDaniels next year, I don’t know what is. Where the Patriots really need some help is on defense. They’ll get Dont’a Hightower back, but with the uncertainty of Malcolm Butler and an impending coup d’etat on defense, not to mention the absence of Matt Patricia, who departed for Detroit, the team really needs to get its act together on defense. 8. We are witnessing the decline of the Patriot empire. You read that right. This is pessimist me coming out in full force here. It was a long slog between championships three and four for New England. There were two Super Bowl losses, and some major, humiliating home losses in the playoffs to teams like the Jets and Ravens in between. Belichick finally seemed to regain control of his team since those losses to the Jets and Ravens and get the Patriots back to winning form. But this situation with Malcolm Butler has now been intensified and it worries me. And with Matt Patricia moving on to Detroit, I wonder if Belichick has lost one side of his locker room. I wonder how long the players are going to put up with this “everyone except for TB12 is expendable” mentality. Sure, winning is great, but at what cost, if you know you contribute to that winning but don’t have a hand in the ultimate result? If this thing with Butler gets bad and results in some kind of locker room issue, how long could it take to resolve? And can it even be resolved before Tom Brady gets too old to play? This game, more importantly this loss last night signified to me that this team is at a crossroads, and is teetering on the edge of making the league a wide-open playing field again if this team doesn’t get its shit together. 9. The Patriots will lose in the Super Bowl again next year…. Unless they buckle down. Super Bowl LIII is in Atlanta, on February 3rd, 2019. The Patriots are currently the favorite to appear, if not win that game, one day after a demoralizing loss. And I would buy those odds, whatever they happen to be. The AFC is still a joke, and everyone except for the Steelers seem to still be a notch below the level of the Patriots. But this NFC is going to be tough next year, especially with all the returning players from injury. The NFC East is going to have two, maybe even three very scary teams in the Eagles (who will be contenders for the next three years), Cowboys, and Giants. The NFC North gets Aaron Rodgers back, and the Vikings (who should probably do something about their current QB situation) will look to turn the tide of the divisional race in their favor. Don’t sleep on the NFC South, as the Panthers, Saints, and Falcons (and potentially Tampa Bay) are all very underrated teams- all of whom are capable of earning upset victories over very good teams. And then there’s the NFC West, with the Rams, Seattle, and even San Francisco, who haven’t lost a game since Jimmy Garoppolo took over at quarterback. The AFC has a long way to go, but there will be a really good NFC team looking across the field at the Patriots next February. And because we are now in the golden age of goat slaying, every team in that conference should have eagle eyes (puns) on the Patriots next season. Start preparing, nerds. 10. The better team won the game. If you believe the Patriots should have won this game, you’re insane. I mean, yes, of COURSE they should have won this game. Coming into the game, they were in fact the better team. But when the Eagles lost Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson didn’t shift the offense to try to make Nick Foles Carson Wentz, he shifted everything around Foles to turn the Wentz offense back into the Foles offense. Foles was a really good QB when he played in Philly a few years back. And the Patriots, inexplicably (and I have yet to hear a good reason for it) were simply not prepared. Now, I know there’s no golden strategy for defending against the RPO. I wish there was, but there isn’t. But the signs were there, Patriots fans. The unexplained benching of Malcolm Butler. Eric Rowe being burned on two straight third and longs. And I’m not even talking about the trick play pass to Foles. Honestly, it was cute, and that was about it. I’m talking about the fact that New England could not get off the field on third down. The Eagles had ten drives and scored on eight of them. That is unacceptable. 41 points and 538 yards is the most points and yards given up by a Belichick Patriots team in the playoffs. Ever. The game was never “out of reach” because a 10 point deficit isn’t a 25-point deficit, but I think that mentality made us believe we were invincible. We are not. The Patriots are human, run by human minds, with some flawed concepts, who came ill-prepared (or rather, thinking the Eagles would beat themselves) for the most important game of the season. When the Pats scored to take the lead, my first thought was, “there is far too much time left on that clock.” And while Tom Brady is incredible, it only takes one mistake to put the game away, and the strip sack came at the worst possible time. Last year was the epitome of “defense wins championships.” The defense stepped up at the right times, keeping the Falcons out of the end zone while the offense chipped away. All we needed was the defense to step up once when it mattered. It didn’t. We lost. Better luck next year. So that’s the end of me being incredibly pessimistic about the game. Fortunately, for New Englanders, we’ve got the Bruins and Celtics to look forward to come hockey and basketball playoff time in the spring, and the Red Sox just left for Spring Training this morning. Hopefully, the future will be bright. But an even bigger issue is that we won’t have any more football until September. And I think we can all agree that that sucks. 2018 NFL Playoff Predictions and Reulgar Season Wrap-UpHappy New Year, everyone! There’s something about the New Year that makes us say “ya know, I’m glad last year is over. I’m looking forward to this year.” Regardless of how the year behind us went, good or bad, we’re looking forward to 2018. I think that’s the case for me (and many of the teams in the NFL) as well. With the playoffs upon us, it’s time to take a look back at this tumultuous 2017 NFL season. It’s certainly been a year full of the unexpected, with not only major player injuries, but many teams surprising us in the standings. The playoff picture is quite unusual, definitely not like anything I’ve seen before since I’ve been an NFL fan. Let’s talk about it. The Recap We begin in New England as we always do, with forty-year old Tom Brady looking to lead the defending champions back to the promised land. A 42-27 loss at home against Kansas City and a 36-33 loss at home against Carolina proved troubling for the Patriots, who at that point had the worst scoring defense in football, a year after having the best scoring defense. Since that time, the Patriots have only lost one game and given up an average of 14 points per game, making them one of the best scoring defenses in football since the start of October. They will be the top seed in the AFC, and the way that the rest of the conference looks, they may find themselves in a second consecutive Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history. The Pittsburgh Steelers also found their way back to the postseason, this time as the #2 overall seed with a 13-3 record. After a tough loss at home to New England, they are also poised to meet up with their AFC East Rival some time this January. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the season was the emergence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished with an 11-5 record and an AFC South Division win, its first since 1999, when they made an AFC Championship appearance. Thanks to the reappearance of Tom Coughlin of Executive VP of the franchise, could the Jaguars return to form? They currently lead the league in both pass defense and total defense, earning the nickname “Sacksonville” this year. They’re an underrated team looking to make its mark on this league. In the NFC, it was a year of surprises. Of the six playoff teams this year, only one of them (Atlanta) has made it this year. We’ve got five new faces to work with here. First is the Philadelphia Eagles, who, behind their fearless leader Carson Wentz, finished 13-3, and earned the top seed in the NFC. Even after Wentz tore his ACL with three weeks to go in the season, the Eagles still have a very potent offense thanks to the additions of Alshon Jeffrey and Jay Ajayi. The Minnesota Vikings are also in the mix this year as they look to become the first team to ever host a Super Bowl. They lead the league in scoring defense, and Case Keenum has inexplicably racked up 13 wins for the Northern Defenders. The NFC South has been a total shootout this year, with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints rebounding from a 7-9 season a year ago to an 11-5 record and a division win, even after losing their first two games this year. Hot on their heels were the Carolina Panthers, who also rebounded from missing the playoffs to a 12-4 record as well. For some teams, the season was very good. For others, it was not. There were the Oakland Raiders, who many expected to challenge the Patriots in the AFC this year. They went 6-10 and missed the playoffs. The Houston Texans were also supposed to make the AFC South competitive with the defensive front ends of JJ Watt, Jadaveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus, paired with a resurgent offense led by rookie sensation Deshaun Watson. Watt, Merciless and Watson all got hurt, and Houston limped to a 4-12 record. The New York Football Giants were supposed to be one of the best teams in the NFL this year, after going 11-5 last year. Instead, this year was an absolute garbage fire for the G-Men, as they finished 3-13. It didn’t help that they lost all of their core wide receivers, not to mention there being issues between head coach Ben McAdoo and the players themselves. Have we seen Eli Manning’s last year in New York? This is a partial list of NFL players who got hurt this year: - JJ Watt - Deshaun Watson - Julian Edelman - Odell Beckham Jr. - David Johnson - Aaron Rodgers - Richard Sherman - Eric Berry - Joe Thomas - Brandon Marshall - Sam Bradford - Zach Miller - Dont'a Hightower - Carson Palmer - Ryan Tannehill That team could win the Super Bowl. And then there were the Cleveland Browns. The Browns became the 2nd team in NFL history to lose all 16 games in a season. And they drafted so well too. I also did not have a very good season this year. And by that, I mean this NFL season was so messed up that I couldn’t predict my way out of a paper bag. My fantasy football team won its league this year though! Way to go, Buttfumblers! The Predictions At the beginning of the NFL season, I tried to make some predictions as far as records, standings, and playoff teams were concerned. Out of every NFL team this year, I correctly predicted three of them. - New England (13-3) - Baltimore (9-7) - Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) Not bad. Up one from last year! Out of the twelve playoff teams, I correctly predicted four of them, cutting my total in half from last year. - New England (13-3), first in AFC East (predicted first in AFC East) - Pittsburgh (13-3), first in AFC North (predicted first in AFC North) - Tennessee (9-7), first wild card (predicted first in AFC South) - Minnesota (13-3), first in NFC North (predicted as second wild card) I said the Giants would meet the Patriots in the Super Bowl. How wrong I was. In addition to a season standings prediction, I also made 10 bold predictions for the NFL season. Now, some of these also include the playoffs, so I will rank these predictions as either correct, incorrect, or pending. Let’s see how I did: 1. The Atlanta Falcons will miss the playoffs. (Prediction: Incorrect) The Falcons are in third place in the NFC South, but still managed to squeak in with two crucial wins in the last few weeks of the season, one over the eventual division champion Saints, and another in week 17 against another division rival Carolina to seal the deal (had they lost, Seattle would have needed to win and be in). They also beat Seattle at CenturyLink field, which won them a wild card tiebreaker. Despite the inconsistencies from Matt Ryan and the offense this year, the Falcons have another shot at avenging their Super Bowl defeat. 2. The New York Jets will go 0-16. (Prediction: Incorrect) I really whiffed on this one, you guys. This Jets team was lined up to be the worst team in football in a long time. And when they lost their first three games, everyone thought they’d surpass those expectations. And then they Jets won three games in a row. They were within a game of the AFC East lead at one point. They won more games than the Giants this year, who were predicted to be a major playoff threat. And after all that, the Cleveland Browns decided to drop the ball and go 0-16 this year. 3. Some kind of stupid new kickoff rule will be added this year. (Prediction: incorrect) Sorta. There was definitely no new kickoff rule added this season. But there was more debate over what is defined as a catch and what is not (see James, Jesse). 4. Deshaun Watson will be the AFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. (Prediction: Pending, but probably incorrect) If Watson hadn’t torn his ACL midway through the season, I would say he would have been a shoo-in for the Offensive ROTY award. However, since he did, I would probably venture a guess to say he’s out. As far as a winner is concerned, the likely candidate might be Juju Smith-Schuster from Pittsburgh, as he broke the team’s rookie WR record this year with 58 catches for 917 and 7 touchdowns. 5. Deshone Kizer will start all 16 games for the Browns. (Prediction: incorrect) Believe it or not, I was actually pretty close on this one. Kizer started 15 games for the Browns. Kevin Hogan started one game when Kizer was benched due to injury- or sucking. Probably both. I’m not really sure. But I was close! 6. David Johnson will win the rushing title this year. (Prediction: Incorrect) 0-for-2 on this prediction. Johnson tore his ACL in the first game of the season, which all but eliminated him from the race. The Rams’ Todd Gurley won the rushing title this year, amassing 1,305 yards. Johnson finished with 23 yards on the season to land him in a tie for 172nd. Tom Brady had more rushing yards than David Johnson. 7. Brock Osweiler will start for the Broncos by the end of the year. (Prediction: CORRECT!) Ahh, the Broncos quarterback situation. It’s a perfect storm of stooges who don’t know how to throw a football. The Broncos started 3-1 under Siemian, but then proceeded to lose their next eight games, with head coach Vance Joseph replacing Siemian with Brock Osweiler in week 9 against Philadelphia. Siemian was replaced in week 12 with Siemian, who won the next two games for Denver. Unfortunately, Siemian sustained a shoulder injury, leaving Osweiler to again take his place for a win against the Colts and a loss against the Redskins. Paxton Lynch did get the start in week 17, but I think that was more to get him primed to either be moved or just to get him reps. Either way, I’m calling this loss for the Broncos’ quarterback experiment a win for me and my prediction. 8. The NFC East’s worst team will have a losing record. (Prediction: Incorrect) Whiffed big on this one too. One team may be in great shape by the end of the season, but the rest of the division sputtered. The Giants lost their first 5 games, 6 out of their first 7, and that was it. It didn’t help that all of their receiving options were hurt. The Cowboys didn’t have Ezekiel Elliott for six games this year, and it was evident that Dak Prescott struggled with a sophomore slump. And the Redskins reverted back to the utter state of despair, which resulted in the form of a 7-9 season. Only the Cowboys and Eagles finished with winning records this year. 9. The Patriots won’t have an undefeated season… but they’ll still win the Super Bowl. (Prediction: Pending. For now.) A week one, 42-27 loss to Kansas City removed all of the “undefeated season” talk. And then the Patriots started the season 2-2 and everyone got nervous. But at 13-3 atop the AFC, the Patriots have Vegas’s odds to win the Super Bowl this time around. With a stouter defense than they’ve had in the first four week, and an offense that has found a rhythm, all signs point to New England cruising their way to another Super Bowl appearance. 10. Colin Kaepernick will find a home this season. (Prediction: Incorrect) With all the injuries this year, you would think that Kaep would find a home this year. Unfortunately, he did not. There was that whole thing a few months ago where he was close to signing with the Ravens, only to have his girlfriend tweet something about the team, leading to them not signing him. What Kaepernick did start, however, was the NFL anthem protest movement- a great show of solidarity between players across the league, uniting and (figuratively) standing up to the oppression of people of color by figures of authority. So we do have him to thank for that. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until next year for Kaep to find a home. Total prediction record: 1.5-8.5 The Playoffs Now that all of our playoff teams, matchups, times and TV packages are in place, let’s give a quick prediction slate for the road to Super Bowl LII. Wild Card Weekend (January 6th & 7th) 5. Tennessee Titans at 4. Kansas City Chiefs- Saturday 1/6, 4:35pm (ABC/ESPN) I will start by remarking that the AFC Playoff picture is a story of kings and peasants. These AFC Wild Card games will be truly abysmal. After starting the season well, both Kansas City and Tennessee fell off the rails, the former nearly losing their division after winning their first five games of the year, and the other actually doing it, eventually needing help to get in to the playoffs. I’m going to pick Kansas City on this one. Tennessee is way too overmatched, Marcus Mariota has proved himself to be spotty at times, and the home crowd at Arrowhead will obviously be a factor early on. Alex Smith and Tyreek Hill light it up on offense for KC, leaving everyone to think the Chiefs are for real before they lose their next playoff game on the road. Prediction: Kansas City 31, Tennessee 13 6. Atlanta Falcons at 3. Los Angeles Rams- Saturday 1/6, 8:15pm (NBC) The Falcons are the NFC’s only returning playoff team. But as the last team in, they’ll have to fight their way through three road games in order to avenge their Super Bowl loss from a year ago. Their first step is a Los Angeles Rams team, a squad with a potent offense of their own thanks to the emergence of Jared Goff at QB and Todd Gurley having a career year. The offense is clicking under coach Sean McVay, as they were the highest scoring team in football through the first 16 weeks. I would only chalk a Rams loss here up to inexperience. Goff has never played in a playoff game before, hell, he’s only been a starter for a season and a half. But I think with nearly 100,000 strong at the Coliseum, the Rams should be okay, and the Falcons will wither away and become a shell of what they once were. Prediction: Los Angeles 36, Atlanta 20 6. Buffalo Bills at 3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Sunday 1/7, 1:05pm (CBS) The Bills made the playoffs. THE BUFFALO BILLS MADE THE PLAYOFFS for the first time in this millennium. And because we’re in the bizarro world of the 2017 NFL Playoffs, they’re facing off against the 11-5 Jacksonville Jaguars. This should be an easy win for the Jags here, playing in their first home playoff game in over a decade. Tyrod Taylor is a nice story at the QB position, but I think he lacks what it takes to step up and make big plays in a high-pressure playoff situation. And Lesean McCoy might not even play since he was carted off the field with an ankle injury in week 17. If the Jaguars defense can keep Taylor stagnant, they shouldn’t have a problem. They are the best pass defense in football this year, after all. Prediction: Jacksonville 27, Buffalo 10 5. Carolina Panthers at 4. New Orleans Saints- Sunday 1/7, 4:40pm (FOX) Both these teams are out for blood. New Orleans, after losing their first two games this year, rebounded to an 11-5 record and an NFC South Division win. The Carolina Panthers have also amassed an 11-5 record after being able to keep their teams relatively unscathed in terms of injuries. The Saints went 2-0 against Carolina this season, and Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFC playoff field. This game will probably be the most interesting in the slew of Wild Card contests, as we’ll be getting a solid New Orleans offensive attack against a stout Carolina defense, and an iffy Carolina passing attack against a young, mostly inexperienced, sometimes revolving-door-esque Saints defensive unit. Should be a fun matchup, but I think New Orleans comes out on top for the third time this season against their divisional foe. Prediction: New Orleans 31, Carolina 26 Divisional Playoffs (January 13th & 14th) 4. New Orleans Saints at 1. Philadelphia Eagles- Saturday 1/13- 4:35pm (NBC) Overall, this should be one of the more entertaining matchups of the divisional round. New Orleans will be riding high of a thrilling Wild Card victory into Philadelphia on a short week, as they look to score a victory over Nick Foles and the Eagles, who not only backed into the playoffs with a loss at home against Dallas, but have been squeaking by with victories in the last quarter of the season, especially since they’ve lost their MVP-quality quarterback in Carson Wentz. The offense has become stagnant and I see New Orleans capitalizing on that. The Eagles may rank first in total defense, but the Saints rank second in total offense, and if Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram can wear down the Philly defense, and the Saints can put some pressure on Foles, I see New Orleans scoring a last-second upset victory, putting the Eagles on the couch, awaiting the second coming of their lord and savior Carson Wentz next season. Prediction: New Orleans 24, Philadelphia 21. 4. Kansas City Chiefs at 1. New England Patriots- Saturday 1/13- 8:15pm (CBS) Well, well, well. Here we are again, friends. Unfortunately, neither of these two teams are the same as when we saw them in the first game of the regular season, when Kansas City embarassd the Patriots at home in a 42-27 victory. Since then, the Chiefs went 5-0, but lost 6 of their next 7, including consecutive losses to the Giants, Bills, and Jets. The Patriots would start the season 2-2 thanks to the worst defense in football, then rebound to win 11 of their next 12, thanks to what is now the fifth best scoring defense in football. This should be close early, but expect the Patriots to simply overwhelm the Chiefs by the time the fourth quarter rolls around. Also expect the weather to be cold, Andy Reid to mismanage the clock, and for Brady to not only exploit the deep ball with the absence of safety Eric Berry, but also for the three-headed Patriot rushing attack to destroy Kansas City’s 25th-ranked rushing defense. New England rights the wrongs from earlier this season and advances to its seventh consecutive AFC Championship game. Prediction: New England 38, Kansas City 16. 3. Jacksonville Jaguars at 2. Pittsburgh Steelers- Sunday 1/14- 1:05pm (CBS) In another rematch from this season, the Steelers will look to avenge their loss in Pittsburgh from earlier this season, when Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions as the Jaguars rolled 30-9. I expect this game to be just a little closer. For Pittsburgh, it all depends on the health of Antonio Brown, and if he is able to contribute to this Pittsburgh offense which has been very good for the majority of the season. If he’s not, they Steelers will need to expect big games from Juju Smith-Schuster and Martavis Bryant, as well as Le’Veon Bell. In the end, I can chalk up a Steelers win due to Jacksonville’s playoff inexperience. Jacksonville might not be scared of Pittsburgh having beaten them before, but that was in October, and the Steel City in January is a very scary place. I don’t know if Blake Bortles and the Jaguars offense is good enough to make the big play when it matters. We will get the matchup we want in the AFC Championship. Prediction: Pittsburgh 21, Jacksonville 14. 3. Los Angeles Rams at 2. Minnesota Vikings- Sunday 1/14- 4:40pm (FOX) The Vikings will look to become the first team to host a Super Bowl when they open the playoffs against the Rams. This game is the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. The league’s best scoring offense against the league’s best scoring defense. But in this case, I give the edge to Minnesota’s monster defense. That’s right, not Case Keenum and the Vikings offense, but the defense. I expect a low scoring game on both fronts, and for Minnesota to move on and host the NFC Championship game. Prediction: Minnesota 14, Los Angeles 13. Conference Championships (January 21st) AFC Championship 2. Pittsburgh Steelers at 1. New England Patriots- Sunday 1/21- 3:05pm (CBS) This is what we wanted. A meeting of two god-like quarterbacks in the AFC Championship. We were here last year, and we know how it ended, with New England defeating Pittsburgh en route to its fifth Super Bowl title. The Patriots will look to do the same thing, while the Steelers look to avenge their loss in early December and defeat their AFC Rival. Again, though, if Antonio Brown is unable to play, and with the game in Foxboro, it will be very hard for Pittsburgh to score. We truly never know what Bill Belichick has up his sleeve as far as defensive packages are concerned. I also anticipate James Harrison being a factor in this game. Will he stick it to his former team? I’m thinking there’s going to be a crucial sack in the game with Harrison in the middle of it. Tom Brady and the Patriots are able to wear down the Steelers defense, and repeat as AFC Champions, advancing to their second straight Super Bowl. Prediction: New England 36, Pittsburgh 19. NFC Championship 4. New Orleans Saints at 2. Minnesota Vikings- Sunday 1/21- 6:40pm (FOX) Well, this isn’t nearly the matchup I expected. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, who gave up on Adrian Peterson (and everyone thought they had given up) and somehow have made it to the NFC Championship against the Minnesota Vikings and their formidable defense. I do not like this matchup for the New Orleans Saints, who lost to the Vikes back in week one. They may not have had their feet under them yet like they do now, but a loss is a loss. I think that in front of the home crowd, the Vikings are able to shut down either Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram on the ground, or force some pressure on Drew Brees. I’m not saying Brees can’t make plays, but he can’t do it all. And all it takes for the Vikings offense is a few big plays against an inexperienced Saints defense. Minnesota, in an upset, will become the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Prediction: Minnesota 24, New Orleans 20. Super Bowl LII- Sunday, February 4th, 6:30pm (NBC)
New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings This is a peculiar matchup, and a ridiculously unexpected one (at least on the NFC side). But then again, this NFL season has been full of unexpected twists and turns, so why the hell not? The Patriots seek their second straight and record-tying sixth Super Bowl title, while the Vikings seek their first in franchise history. This has the potential to be a very interesting Super Bowl, particularly since the Patriots have a history of keeping their Super Bowls close, and the Vikings are a relatively underrated opponent. The game remains close, as is tendency in these high-importance Super Bowl games. But New England pulls it out again for their sixth Super Bowl title. Prediction: New England 30, Minnesota 24. Again, fight me. With the game at U.S. Bank Stadium, the home of the Vikings, expect Minnesota to strike first, scoring the first 10 points of the game, and are up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Tom Brady and the Patriots battle back in the second quarter after Dion Lewis scores from a few yards out, then two Stephen Gostkowski field goals (the second just before halftime) give New England a 13-10 lead just before the Justin Timberlake concert. In the third, the Patriots again are able to wear down the Vikings terrific defense, thanks to their ability to sub in and out both on the ground and through the air. By the end of the third, the Patriots are up 23-17. The Vikings score in the fourth quarter to take the lead late, thanks to a crucial defensive stop, maybe even a missed field goal, and a touchdown from Latavius Murray to give the Vikings a 24-23 lead with just over six minutes to go. And because this is the Patriots, and because this is Tom Brady, the Patriots drive the ball down the field, with Rob Gronkowski scoring a touchdown with just under 2 minutes to go. The Patriots are able to come up with a sack on Case Keenum on 4th down, and win their sixth Super Bowl championship, 30-24. Overall, I attribute the Patriots win to the fact that, aside from a win at home over the Rams, the Vikings have exactly zero statement wins. They are 3-2 against playoff teams this year, with a win against New Orleans coming in September, the win at home against the Rams, and a win against a struggling Atlanta team, 14-9. I do not for a second believe that the Vikings are a better team than the Patriots. They’ve had a weak schedule with the advantage of winning the division due to Aaron Rodgers being hurt. Getting to play teams like Chicago and Detroit twice a year is already a gift. Keep in mind this is the same Vikings team that started last year 5-0, and then lost 8 of their next 11. That defense is dominant because they haven’t had to play anybody. And on the offensive side of the ball, who considers Case Keenum to be a good quarterback? I think he’s having a good year where the defense has been good and the team itself has been nothing short of lucky. The Patriots win again, Tom Brady is probably the MVP. All is right with the world. Truth be told, y’all, I can say with sincerity that I have no earthly idea what is going to happen once the playoffs start. That’s the thing when you have five new playoff teams in the NFC and a truly dismal AFC playoff picture. Anything has the potential to happen. Philadelphia could recover and miraculously make a run. Jacksonville could invoke the wrath of Tom Coughlin and upset the Steelers and possibly the Patriots. Hell, even the Bills could come out of nowhere and win the Super Bowl (that one might be a bit of a stretch). There’s no one who can predict these games, especially when there are so many unknown variables that each team possesses that could win or lose them games. This is just my fantasy world where I try to predict the future- this is just the timeline I have chosen to go with on this particular day. Anything can and probably will happen. I do know one thing though. Even though we might not have anticipated it, these playoffs are going to be fun. Who's your pick to win it all? Leave a comment down below. Top 100 Plays of 2017, Part 2
Because 50 plays just wasn't enough this year.
If you're coming over from part 1, welcome back! If you haven't seen part one and want to take a look, click HERE. Let's not waste any time- back to the countdown, as we take a look at numbers 50-1. 50. May 15th- Byron Buxton slams into wall while making catch Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians
Ouch. This one has to hurt. Luckily, Buxton makes the catch to rob Carlos Santana of extra bases, so it's all good!
49. January 21st- Robin Lehner dives across the crease to make the save in OT Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens
The extension. Against the Canadiens. Nothing's better. How Robin Lehner manages to make this save while having the puck travel through a screen of his own men is ridiculous. Watch as he dives across the crease to rob Alex Galchenyuk to keep the game tied in OT.
48. August 24th- Gylfi Sigurdsson scores from the midfield line Everton vs. Hadjuk Split
Gylfi Sigurdsson scores from just inside the midfield line, as he puts one past Jordan Pickford. Thankfully, he didn't embarrass Tim Howard on this one.
47. May 25th- Chris Kunitz sents Pens to Cup Final with double OT goal NHL Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
The perfect ending to a fantastic series between these two squads. Chris Kunitz is able to put one past Craig Anderson in double overtime to send the Penguins back to the Stanley Cup Final. Plus, the call by Doc Emrick isn't bad either.
46. April 17th- Kyle Schwarber lays down the best bunt of all time Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Rolling, rolling, rolling.... and.... doink! This is literally the greatest slow-motion-in-real-time play I have ever seen, maybe ever.
45. November 19th- Roger Lewis' tremendous catch to put the Giants in business New York Giants vs. Kansas City Chiefs
This came at a moment where it was clear the Chiefs were falling apart, as Eli Manning throws a bomb to Eli Rogers, who somehow makes a great catch while sliding on the turf. While he did pop up and run into the end zone, he was ruled down by contact. However, it did result in the Giants kicking a game-winning field goal.
44. March 19th- Phil Kessel lobs one from behind the net, Patrick Hornqvist finishes Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Florida Panthers
It takes two to tango. It also takes two to combine for one of the best hockey goals of the year, as Phil Kessel, from behind the net, flips one into the air to a waiting Patrick Hornqvist, who smacks it out of midair into the net.
43. April 14th- Tarek Baker loses skate, but makes soccer assist to set up game winner Sioux City Musketeers vs. Iowa City Buccaneers
Who needs skates with plays like this. Tarek Baker is still able to keep control of the puck and dish it to his teammate with his feet to set up the goal.
42. September 4th- Ike Lewis makes one-handed catch falling out of bounds Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Deeeeeeyum, Ike Lewis. Pulling out his finest one-handed grab to impress all the Georgia fans for this one.
41. February 20th- Jarret Allen throws down "dunk of the year" Texas Longhorns vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Okay, so I wouldn't go so far as to call this the "dunk of the year" like this announcer wants it to be, but it is pretty solid. Can you spell "posterized?"
40. August 20th- Jack Regenye leaps over wall to make catch Little League World Series, Pennsylvania vs. Chinese Taipei
What is about these superhuman baseball playing kids? This clip is a product of the Little League Senior World Series, for kids ages 12-15. Jack Regenye makes a stellar catch, the ball taking him over the fence for the out.
39. January 8th- The Hail Mary, Part 3: Rodgers to Cobb NFC Wild Card Playoff, Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants
Heave ho. Touchdown Packers. This is literally the third Hail Mary from Aaron Rodgers in 13 months. This is getting absurd now. I don't really know what's more impressive, the fact that he's able to throw and complete all of these Hail Marys, or that the defenses don't know they're coming and can't defend them.
38. March 1st- Northwestern's Hail Mary and layup seals tournament bid Northwestern Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
And with the lay in from Dererk Pardon, it seals Northwestern's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. As far as non-tournament moments are concerned, a fantastic long inbound and connecting on a shot to go dancing for the first time is pretty high up there.
37. September 10th- Cole Beasley holds on to ball with one hand... on his shoulder Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants
I've seen football players catch all kinds of balls in all kinds of different ways: between their legs, in their helmets, on top of their helmets in the Super Bowl, on their butts, but never with one hand on the nameplate on the back of the jersey. This catch is fire.
36. June 3rd- Mario Mandžukić bicycle kick UEFA Champions League Final, Juventus vs. Barcelona FC
This ball is in the air a good 8 seconds from the beginning of the volley to finally connecting with the netting in the back of the goal. This tied the game at 1 for Juventus, but Barcelona would win 4-1. This was the most absurd goal in this game, though.
35. December 5th- John Gibson reaches across crease for glove save Anaheim Ducks vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Here, John Gibson denies Alex Tuch by going across the crease and flashing the leather. It's the best when the horn and lights go off and the goaltender makes the save. Just the best.
34. June 25th- Jordan Spieth holes out from the bunker for walk off win Travelers Championship
The stroke from the bunker. The placement. The roll. The putter toss. And then the sportsmanship to let his partner finish. This is what golf is all about. Jordan Spieth is not of this earth, I swear to you. A walk off win? Are you kidding?
33. November 5th- Tyreek Hill runs through Dallas defense to score before half Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys
YOU CAN'T LET SOMEONE SCORE ON A PLAY LIKE THIS. COME ON, DALLAS. This is less about Tyreek Hill and more about Dallas' clearly stingy defense.
32. April 4th- Steph Curry's behind the back dime to Iguodala Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Look at Steph Curry. This is the first time we've seen him on this list today! Look at him, making dimes like this to Iguodala. This is not basketball. This is ridiculous. Damn.
31. January 4th- Miles Bridges throws down alley-oop dunk Michigan State Spartans vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
This is some great height and an intense slam by Bridges. Would have been better if his teammate had thrown it off the backboard to him (at least, that's what it looks like he's going to do), but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
30. May 26th- Tristan Clarke reaches wayyyy over the fence to snag HR Southland Conference Tournament: Sam Houstin State Bearkats vs. New Orleans Privateers
This home run is literally out of the ballpark. How does Tristan Clarke pull this one back? HOW? Well, this is how. Watch the video, dummy.
29. April 8th- James van Reimsdyk bats puck to himself out of the air, scores Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
You have to watch through the end of this one just to see the argument about if the play was offsides or not. Do that, and you'll see this ridiculous move by JVR to A) keep the play onsides, and B) to see some absurd hand-eye coordination on his part. Go Leafs Go, amiright?
28. March 11th- Deonte Burton slams home alley-oop Iowa State Cyclones vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Imma go ahead and say that Deonte Burton has some power in those arms. Look at the height and look how he throws the hammer down on West Virginia. This is probably that dunk that makes you feel the need to get up and pace the room a few times before watching it again.
27. August 1st- Austin Jackson flips over the wall to rob Hanley Ramirez Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox
Many have tried to conquer the wall at Fenway. Not the Green Monster; I mean the short wall in right field where the bullpens are. Torii Hunter famously tried. Mookie Betts tried. Austin Jackson is still the only player I have ever seen make a catch, flip over the fence, and live to tell about the out he just made.
26. May 27th- Carlos Correa makes twisting circus catch Houston Astros vs. Baltimore Orioles
Yeah, this doesn't look easy. This is equal parts not running into teammates, trying to locate the ball while running, basically looking behind you, and being able to reach all the way back to make the catch. This is the web gem to end all web gems. Well, I still haven't mentioned a certain member of the Toronto Blue Jays (of whom I am a big fan), so I could be wrong.
25. December 18th- Larry Nance Jr. posterizes Kevin Durant Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
To begin the final quarter of the list, we have a recent classic: the posterization of one Kevin Durant. Nance seems to hover in the air for a hot second, as if to say "you're getting my good side, right?" and then throws the hammer down on the former MVP.
24. April 2nd- Jonathan Quick makes a slick kick save Los Angeles Kings vs. Arizona Coyotes
Watch closely on this one. As Peter Holland of the Coyotes goes to try a back door wrist shot with the net basically wide open, Jonathan Quick is able to reach back with not just his pad, but his left skate, and keep the puck out. I'm pretty sure Quick is made of rubber after seeing this one go down, because this isn't anything I've seen any regular human do before.
23. July 29th- Duron Carter makes one-handed, backhand grab for touchdown Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Toronto Argonauts
Man, we get some good quality football from our neighbors in the CFL! Duron Carter, a former Indianapolis Colts practice squad member, reaches up with one hand and snatches the ball out of the air for the touchdown. This is almost like a baseball player would make a catch. Unbelievable.
22. April 5th- Steph Curry wrestles for the ball, finds Livingston for three (somehow) Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns
This is the kind of play that just makes you smile. Let me walk you through it. Steph Curry loses control of the ball, and has to wrestle on the floor for it. Eventually, he is able to find Shawn Livingston, who quickly heaves one up, (probably) not with intention of making it, but of getting it anywhere close to the rim to avoid a shot clock violation. And Livingston gets the three to bank home. I mean, COME ON. Why? Because Warriors.
21. January 21st- Donald Olivieri undresses defender with deke, scores SPHL: Peoria Rivermen vs. Columbus Cottonmouths
Wow... I mean... I just... that kid broke another kid's legs. With a deke. And then he scored the game winner. I can't. I just can't. I am shook. SHOOKETH.
20. August 20th- Neymar dangles through defenders and scores Paris Saint-Germain vs. Toulouse FC
It's really a shame Neymar is overshadowed in the mainstream sports world by players like Messi and Christiano Ronaldo. Because plays like this show that this dude is a freak of nature and deserves more recognition. He deked through three guys at once, managed to squeak through two more, and score. Like... how?
19. July 17th- Adam Atwood makes incredible leaping grab over fence. Massachusetts Cape League: Chatham Anglers vs. Bourne Braves
"Ahh, the Cape League," said all my Massachusetts friends who care deeply about baseball. And then there's a play like the one Adam Atwood makes. Look at the height. And all my Massachusetts friends yell "SUMMER BASEBALL IS GREAT."
18. October 27th- Justin Williams makes crazy pass to Jeff Skinner for the goal Carolina Hurricanes vs. St. Louis Blues
This goal is like a scene in a buddy cop action movie where the heroes are running through a burning or collapsing building or something, and stuff is falling all around them, but they still manage to get out at the last possible second. This is the hockey version of that. It's all so pretty, particularly all the work that Justin Williams does in order to get the puck to Jeff Skinner, finishing with a full out flip over the defender he just dished a pass through.
17. August 8th- Billy Hamilton makes basket catch against the wall Cincinnati Reds vs. San Diego Padres
This... this looks difficult. It's great when you can make a catch so ridiculous that it's like all the great ones rolled into one, and so you have to reset the game in order to redefine what makes an amazing catch. This one is part Willy Mays, part Ken Griffey Jr, part Gary Matthews Jr, and even part Byron Buxton from way back at number 50.
16. January 1st- Olivier Giroud's scorpion kick goes bar down Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
Yes. I have been tracking plays since literally January 1st, 2017. This one was a serious contender early on. Watch the ease with which Olivier Giroud puts this scorpion kick in the back of the net. For those who don't know what a scorpion kick is... watch.
15. February 22nd- John Gillon beats Duke with buzzer beater Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils
I love buzzer beaters at home stadiums. And I especially love them when they're against teams I dislike. So you can imagine my joy when I watch this clip of John Gillon banking this long three home, and watching the crowd at the Carrier Dome explode having just topped Duke. "Are you serious??"
14. October 23rd- DK Metcalf makes catch against defender's back Ole Miss Rebels vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
It's choppy and it's in slow motion, but the catch is still ridiculous. Watch as DK Metcalf pulls a Frances Owusu and pins the ball against the defender's helmet for the catch.
13. March 17th- Russell Westbrook's long range nutmeg pass to Victor Oladipo Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Toronto Raptors
Russell Westbrook is a bad, bad man. This is insane on so many levels. It is a long range pass, while on the fast break, cross court, and above all of that, Westbrook nutmegs the Toronto defender. At FULL. SPEED. Right in the pocket. After all that, he nutmegged him. Oladipo with the finish for the ridiculous highlight for the reigning MVP.
12. January 7th- Paul Richardson makes one-handed touchdown catch while being tackled NFC Wild Card, Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions
I quit. I'm out. This is ABSURDITY. He is literally being all kinds of interfered with, and he still, miraculously pulls it in with one hand. I may not like the Seahawks, but this is a damn good catch. There are still 11 more plays to go???
11. April 9th- Tristan Jarry reaches behind the back for the save Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers
Many things have to happen on this. Jarry has to bring his entire paddle across the crease, and then locate the puck when it's up in the air, and then reach behind him and snag it with his glove. When it's all put together, you get the save of the year.
10. September 1st- Jaleel Scott makes crazy one-handed grab falling out of bounds Arizona State Sun Devils vs. New Mexico State Aggies
Take the Duron Carter catch from earlier, and move it to the back corner of the end zone. There, you'll find Jaleel Scott doing the exact same thing... except his looks maybe twice as hard. Carter may have battled two defenders, but Scott has to deal with the sidelines, making this catch look a whole lot tougher.
9. December 25th- DeAndre Hopkins tips it from one hand to the other for TD Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
This is the gift that keeps on giving. And this might be the greatest catch I have ever seen. Better than Odell's? I'm gonna say... yes. It is. What hand-eye coordination. And to keep both feet in bounds. DeAndre Hopkins is an animal.
8. March 24th- Chris Chiozza's buzzer beater to beat Wisconsin NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16- Florida Gators vs. Wisconsin Badgers
This was the NCAA Tournament's only true buzzer beater last year. But boy, was it a big one. Chris Chiozza takes it coast to coast and pulls up for a running three and drills it to knock Wisconsin out of the big dance and have Florida move on to the Elite 8.
7. July 16th- Jackie Bradley Jr. robs Aaron Judge of a home run Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Aaron Judge hit a lot of home runs last year. This was not one of them. Judge's bat was loud, but the Fenway faithful when Bradley makes the catch against the wall was louder.
6. January 17th- Jared Spurgeon catches puck, bats it in out of midair Minnesota Wild vs. New Jersey Devils
This is the equivalent of juggling and playing hockey at the same time. This all happens in about half a second, but boy, is it pretty. The puck careens off Devils goaltender Cory Schneider, only for Spurgeon to catch it, drop it, and whack it in with his stick out of midair, all while moving to his left as if to move behind the net. This hockey goal of the year earns the 6th spot on our list.
5. May 8th & August 28th (tie) Kevin Pillar is Superman (again. And again.) Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Indians; Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox
May 8th- Kevin Pillar pulls out the red cape and robs Jose Ramirez of extra bases.
Three months later, he did the same thing to Mookie Betts, just for kicks. He's definitely flying in this one.
4. April 25th- Chris Coghlan leaps over Yadier Molina to score Toronto Blue Jays vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Man, I do love me some good base running. Kevin Pillar triples to right field, and when Coghlan comes around to score, the ball is already there with Yadier Molina. So what does Coghlan do? He absorbs Pillar's Superman powers and flies over Molina to score. Like, damn. Also, WHEEE!!!
3. March 31st- Morgan William hits buzzer-beater to end UConn's winning streak NCAA Women's Final Four: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Connecticut Huskies
So in overtime, UConn and Mississippi State are locked at 64 with 12 seconds left. Morgan William is the shortest player on the court at 5'5". She hits the biggest shot, probably in the history of women's basketball, as the buzzer sounds to end UConn's 111-game winning streak, sending the Bulldogs to the National Championship.
2. February 5th- Julio Jones makes toe-tapping sideline grab Super Bowl LI: Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots
This was the greatest catch of Super Bowl LI. Matt Ryan escapes the pocket against a New England defense that was closing quickly and only within one score of tying the game. And he connected with Jones, who managed to keep both feet in bounds. Again, this was the greatest catch of Super Bowl LI.
Until, ya know, it became the second best. 1. February 5th- Julian Edelman makes crazy bobble catch to keep drive alive Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
This is the best play of 2017.
Questions?
Leave a comment down below. Be sure to check out the rest of According to Andrew's Best of 2017 spread HERE. Top 100 Sports Plays of 2017, Part 1
Because 50 just wasn't enough this time.
Another of the trademark lists from According to Andrew is the "Plays of the Year" list, where I meticulously scour the year in sports in search of the most athletic, most meaningful, most ridiculous, most jaw-dropping single plays in all of sports. It is a list that I take great pride in compiling, and as I took a look at my candidates for this year, I saw that I had no clear frontrunners, and well over 100 plays to choose from. How was I going to narrow over 100 plays down to just 50? I wasn't. So here we are, counting down the 100 best plays from 2017. Let the madness begin. This will be part one, where we look at plays 100-51. If you're looking for part two, click here. Honorable Mentions: January 14th- Andreas Anthanasiou goes coast to coast and scores Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Andreas Anthanasiou. Exceptional name, even more exceptional goal. Watch the gorgeous toe drag between three defenders and the flip over the pad of Marc Andre-Fleurry for the goal.
October 8th- Nelson Agholor's 71-yard catch and run Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals
Look at this catch. This is a nice ass catch. And then the utter disregard for Budda Baker's life as he makes a few moves and falls into the endzone. Pure sweetness.
June 8th- Rays throw the ball around too much but still get the out Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox
Man, this thing would end up on the "oh no" moments list had it not been for Peter Bourjos. After a couple throwing errors, Bourjos still managed to get the ball to home plat in time to nab Willy Garcia. After all that, the Rays still manage to keep the game in their favor.
November 4th- Robbie Payne scores while sitting down Northern Michigan Wildcats vs. Minnesota State Mavericks
This some dark magic right here, is what this is.
The Top 100: 100. May 21st- Avery Bradley's three to seal comeback win vs. Cavs Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3, Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
No IT, no problem. Watch this perfectly drawn up play to get the ball to Avery Bradley, who is able to hit every part of the basket before getting the ball to fall with one tenth of a second left to stun the Cavs.
99. July 16th- Marcel Ozuna climbs the wall to rob Kike Hernandez Miami Marlins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
A tremendous catch by Marcel Ozuna to rob Kike Hernandez, as the Marlins outfielder is able to get a footing on that short left field wall and bring the home run back.
98. April 25th- Josh Reddick takes a home run away from Jason Kipnis Cleveland Indians vs. Houston Astros
This one requires all kinds of extension. That wall at Progressive Field is not exactly short.
97. October 8th- Aaron Rodgers finds Devante Adams to beat Dallas Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys
Oh, man this one is great. Time running down against Dallas, it's a rematch of the Divisional Round from last year, and Aaron Rodgers throws this dime into the corner of the end zone to win the game for Green Bay.
96. May 18th- Kevin Kiermaier robs a homer to end the game Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Indians
So you're down by three runs in the ninth with two outs and you need to get a little something going. Maybe Alex Colomé hitting a home run will spark a comeback. Kevin Kiermaier says "nope."
95. November 18th- Joseph Woll comes from behind net, flashes leather Boston College Eagles vs. New Hampshire Wildcats
Nice save, kid. Not really sure why you were this far out of position, but then again, nice save.
94. May 21st- Dan Norton embarrasses defense on long try London Rugby Sevens, England vs. Scotland
At about the 0:12 second mark of the video, this guy is gone. Like, it doesn't even matter how many players are left in front of him. You know he'll either run through them or juke them out of their shoes.
93. June 17th- Nolen Arenado hits walk off home run to complete cycle Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants
How do you like them apples? A single, double, triple, and a home run are special. But a walk-off??? To complete the cycle??? That's bonkers. Also listen to this crowd erupt when the ball explodes of Arenado's bat.
92. January 31st- Kawhi Leonard crosses up Victor Oladipo San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The cross is impressive, but the layup is absurd. Kawhi Leonard is stupid good.
91. June 17th- Trey Mancini turns bad hop into double play Baltimore Orioles vs. St. Louis Cardinals
I love me some good heads up baseball. Trey Mancini somehow keeps this ball within reach, and is able to tag both the bag and the runner for the double play.
90. January 15th- Aaron Rodgers finds Jared Cook to set up game-winning FG NFC Division Playoff, Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys
It's 3rd and 20 with twelve seconds left. Aaron Rodgers somehow finds Jared Cook with this threading-the-needle throw, as Cook keeps both feet in with three seconds to go. Mason Crosby would connect on the subsequent field goal, and the Packers would move on to the NFC Championship.
89. September 2nd- Eddie Williamson's catch and run off the tip drill catch John Carroll Blue Streaks vs. Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans
This here is why we practice the tip drill, folks. The pass from Anthony Moeglin ricochets off William Woods and the back of a UW-Oshkosh defender, before landing in the hands of Eddie Williamson, who takes it to the house for JCU.
88. June 28th- Nolan Arenado throws out Ty Blach from his back Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants
I'm sure the Giants don't enjoy being personally victimized by Nolan Arenado. The third baseman is able to knock down the sharp grounder from Ty Blach, and then throw across the diamond from his back.
87. May 28th- Chase d'Arnaud makes diving stop to save a hit San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals
Ryan Zimmerman's bat is no match for the glove of Chase d'Arnaud, who lays out and throws from his knees to gun down the runner. Man, I really love web gems, don't you?
86. February 6th- LeBron James banks home game-tying three Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washintgon Wizards
This guy makes it look too easy. John Wall hits a free throw to put the Wizards up by three, but NOPE! Kevin Love hits LeBron with the long pass, and he drills the three, banking it off the glass to tie the game with .3 seconds to go.
85. Ollie Flint knocks opponent out cold with sneaky capoeira kick Ollie Flint vs. Aaron Gray
As good ol' JR would say: "BAH GOD, THAT KILLED HIM!"
84. March 21st- Sidney Crosby dekes, scores with one hand Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres
This is Sidney Crosby. Sidney Crosby is very good. Sidney Crosby skates through literally four Buffalo defenders. Sidney Crosby can score with one freaking hand. Be like Sidney Crosby.
83. July 8th- Dee Gordon goes horizontal to get the out at first Miami Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants
It straight up does not look like Gordon has a full hand on this ball, it just looks like he flipped it to first, spatula or tennis racket-style. But what a damn great play to make the out. That's hustle right there.
82. August 31st- Michael Warner lays crushing hit on running back Methodist Monarchs vs. Campbell Fighting Camels
Methodist is my little brother's school. Campbell beat Methodist in this game 70-0. SEVENTY. TO. ZERO. The hit is the game itself wrapped up into one crushing hit. Also the third angle of the clip is the absolute best thing ever. You get a real scope of how far into the past this guy got hit.
81. March 30th- Kareem Smith is faked by crowd chant, throws up prayer, makes it CIT First Round- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders vs. UMBC Retrievers
So the crowd starts trying to fake Texas A&M-CC into thinking the shot clock is almost all the way down, when in reality it's got a fair amount of time left. Kareem Smith believes said crowd and heaves up a prayer to try to beat the clock and avoid the violation. Miraculously, he made it. In your face, crowd.
80. October 15th- Antonio Brown reels in tipped pass, scores to put away Chiefs Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Just when all was lost for the Steelers and the Chiefs were poised to win their sixth straight game, AB somehow came down with this catch and run for a score. All it took was a tip from two Chiefs defenders. Pittsburgh would win the game, and the Chiefs season would pretty much unravel from here.
79. June 1st- Kyrie Irving makes three (somehow) while being fouled NBA Finals, Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
This is cheat codes. CHEAT CODES. Also he plays in Boston now. So now we get the cheat codes. But yeah, here's your basic "be sure to draw the foul to get three free throws but actually make it because I'm Kyrie Freaking Irving" play.
78. August 23rd- Carmen Duzenack lays out to rob a hit Minor League Baseball: Hillsboro Hops vs. Boise Hawks
Look at this full extension! Carmen Duzenack puts the "hops" in, well, "Hops."
77. July 31st- Abreu and Hanson combine for bizarre putout Chicago White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays
*Australian accent* Shhh... quiet... we're observing the rare 3-9 putout. Watch carefully as the ball bounces off Jose Abreu's glove and into the waiting mitt of Alen Hanson. Crikey! That's some teamwork!
76. June 16th- Trevor Story dives to snag sinking liner Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants
Bases loaded with two outs. Giants threatening to score on a bloop pop to shallow left field. Trevor Story makes a full-extension dive to keep the Rockies in the lead and end the inning.
75. July 2nd- Aaron Altherr makes bobble catch, doubles off Jay Bruce Cincinnati Reds vs. New York Mets
This does require a little bit of luck and hand-eye coordination, but Aaron Altherr is able to have the wherewithal to make the catch and then throw to first to double up Jay Bruce for the second out of the inning.
74. December 10th- Adam Vinatieri bends extra point in a blizzard Indianapolis Colts vs. Buffalo Bills
I actually had to get up and walk around a little bit the first time I watched this one. This is more impressive than the snow bowl kick, I'm sorry. Look at the Bills players celebrating before the kick bends back toward the uprights! This is nuts. Vinatieri is a legend.
73. October 15th- Connor McDavid makes crazy assist to Patrick Maroon Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Connor McDavid is really, really, really good. A little dipsy-doo, spinneroo, behind-the-defender pass to Patrick Maroon to beat Corey Crawford. Vintage McDavid.
72. October 15th- Kenny Still makes catch while falling to the ground Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets
This is Kenny Stills doing his best impression of Jermaine Kearse in Super Bowl XLIX. This play may have been initially ruled incomplete, but replays showed that the ball never hit the ground.
71. September 1st- Steve Pearce dives into the stands for the catch Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles
Steve Pearce does his best Derek Jeter/Anthony Rizzo and dives into the seats to make the grab against the Orioles.
70. June 10th- LeBron dunk after passing to himself off the backboard NBA Finals, Game 4- Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Down 3-0 in this series, LeBron pretty much knew it was over. This ridiculous off-the-backboard pass to himself before slamming it down looks so tame, mostly because LeBron is the best player in the world in full on IDGAF mode.
69. May 25th- Pat Neshek dives to field bunt, throws to first for DP Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
What's better than a pitcher fielding his position? A pitcher full out diving to field his position. This is just what Pat Neshek does, robbing Ian Desmond as he tries to bunt his way on base.
68. November 11th- Sergei Bobrovski makes save despite 2-0 breakaway Colombus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings
Since the shootout has lost its luster, 3-on-3 overtime is the best thing to happen to the NHL. Watch this great save as Sergei Bobrovski is able to restrain himself from sliding too far over and get just a piece of Andreas Anthanasiou's shot to keep the game tied.
67. April 17th- Pekka Rinne makes miraculous save after puck caroms off boards Western Conference First Round, Game 3- Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Somehow, the puck careens off the glass and ricochets toward the net. Pekka Rinne, who was ready to coral the puck initially behind the net, has to dive from below the goal line and somehow gets a paddle on the puck. Nuts.
66. July 9th- Steven Souza Jr. makes great snag in foul ground Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
Diving in foul ground in ballparks like Tampa is difficult because sometimes there are bullpen mounds over there. Steven Souza Jr. plays it masterfully as he lays out to make the catch on Christian Vazquez.
65. May 4th- Dan Muller scores from midfield with one second left UMass Minutemen vs. Hofstra Pride
Blink and you'll miss it. Dan Muller rifles a shot from about midfield that beats the Hofstra goalie and wins it for UMass.
64. October 5th- Michal Neuvirth robs Anze Kopitar Philadelphia Flyers vs. Los Angeles Kings
The best kind of save is when everyone in the arena thinks the puck has gone in. That's what happens as Anze Kopitar has a wide open net, only to be stoned cold by Michal Neuvirth, who reaches all the way across and flashes the leather.
63. October 24th- Matt Murray makes paddle save amidst a scrum of players Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Edmonton Oilers
Incredibly, Matt Murray is able to get the paddle across the crease to make a spectacular paddle save, with players literally diving and falling all around him. The Penguins didn't win the cup last season for nothing.
62. May 24th- Michael Brdar flips behind himself for out at third Northwestern Huskies vs. Michigan Wolverines
How. HOW? Michael Brdar makes it look like nothing as he basically backhand flips this ball without looking. If this isn't a perfect flip, this thing either falls flat or flies into the seats.
61. July 3rd- Dustin Pedroia gets the out despite throwing error Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers
Throwing error from third? No problem. Just have Dustin Pedroia there to make a barehanded play off the wall, then gun it back to Mitch Moreland, who tags the runner for the out. This is some voodoo right here.
60. Jackie Bradley Jr. robs potential walk off home run Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics
When Ryon Healey hit a long fly ball in the bottom of the ninth, it was pretty much over. That was, until Jackie Bradley Jr. reached up and took away the potential game-winner. And look. He doesn't showboat, doesn't hold it up, just runs back to the dugout, leaving even the announcers in doubt. Like a boss.
59. May 12th- Pablo Cuevas serves up no-look backhand to win point Madrid Open
Yeah, so this just isn't fair. Eat your heart out, Roger Federer.
58. March 2nd- Taj Gibson intercepts long pass, makes 3/4 length shot other way Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Wet.
57. April 7th- Andrey Vasilevskiy sprawls out to make save Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
This is some fancy recovery by Vasilevskiy, who makes one save, and is forced to sit up and lay out toward the other side of the net to stop the Canadiens from scoring on the power play.
56. April 5th- West Virginia pitcher barehands comebacker West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Morehead State Eagles
This is a highlight compilation video, but the play in question is the third clip, about 24 seconds into the video. Watch the West Virginia pitcher barehand a comebacker and throw to first to get the out. Casual.
55. October 5th- Devan Dubnyk sprawls out to make the save Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings
Devan Dubnyk is one of the most underrated goalies in hockey. Watch here as he stones Gustav Nyquist from scoring by sprawling out on the ice.
54. July 14th- Gift Ngoepe makes over the shoulder grab to rob hit Minor League Baseball: Indianapolis Indians vs. Louisville Bats
Gift Ngoepe makes this gift of a catch, robbing Sebastian Elizade of a hit.
53. January 30th- Luke Kennard nutmegs defender, finds Grayson Allen for three Duke Blue Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This play is a combination of many different things. First, it's the desperation of Duke to keep the ball in play. Next, it's the effort of Luke Kennard, who is able to get a hand on it. Next, he's able to nutmeg the Notre Dame defender and have it land right in Grayson Allen's hands, who knocks down the three. Because Duke.
52. August 11th- Byron Buxton twirls around to make catch on the track Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers
This is straight up highway robbery. Miguel Cabrera lifts one in the air to dead center, and Byron Buxton not only has to whirl around and find it, but also lay out in the strangest way possible in order to make the grab.
51. November 5th- Devante Parker makes one-handed grab near sidelines Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders
Devante Parker does his best Odell Beckham Jr. impression for this nifty grab against the Raiders.
And there are still 50 plays to go. For part 2, click here! Be sure to check out According to Andrew's Best of 2017 spread HERE. The Hunt for Red October: 2017 MLB Playoff PredictionsThe month of October is the most exciting month in the sports calendar. Football is in full swing. Hockey and basketball are just starting up. And finally, there's playoff baseball, where legends are born, and some of the best drama is played out. With crowds hanging on every pitch, moments are captured, and the momentum of games and even entire series can be swayed. This year's playoffs feature some teams looking for their franchise-defining moments; some for the first time, others looking to reclaim their legacies at the top of the baseball mountain. The Teams: Cleveland Indians (AL Central Champions, 102-60) Last year’s American League Champions are better this year on all fronts. For starters, they’ll have their primary starting pitchers back together in their rotation. The three-headed monster that is Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar (the latter two returning from injury, you may remember), have all amassed 17 wins and 190 strikeouts each this season. Kluber also led the American League in both wins and ERA. Combine that with the dominant force out of the bullpen that is last year’s ALCS MVP, Andrew Miller, and you’ll understand why this team was able to win 22 consecutive games earlier this season. The offensive juggernaut in Cleveland also continues to flourish, as Jose Ramirez has become one of the bright stars in this lineup. The additions of Edwin Encarnacion and Jay Bruce have also bolstered the heart of the order for the Tribe. Cleveland’s the popular pick to win the World Series this year, not just because of the players on the field, but because they’ve got demons to slay that linger from last year. After blowing a 3 games to 1 lead against the eventual 2016 champion Cubs, this team appears ready to put the loss behind them and take their first championship title in over 60 years. Is Cleveland becoming the new Titletown, USA? Houston Astros (AL West Champions, 101-61) Dallas Keuchel. Justin Verlander. Brad Peacock. Jose Altuve. Carlos Correa. George Springer. Yikes. This team terrifies me. After years of successful drafting and player development, the time for Houston is seemingly now. Likely AL-MVP Jose Altuve has had one of the best seasons of his career, leading the league in both batting average (.346… what???) and hits (204). And then there was the acquisition of Justin Verlander in early September, making this team far more formidable. Verlander hasn’t lost since arriving in Houston, and his playoff experience will be crucial to the team getting off the right foot against the Red Sox in Thursday’s ALDS. In what will be one of the most intriguing matchups of the postseason, can the Astros defy their legacy of failures and be successful in October? Boston Red Sox (AL East Champions, 93-69) All I can say is: Thank God for Chris Sale. I firmly believe the move to get Sale in the offseason was one of the most important trades in this franchise’s history, especially considering how many big-name players have backfired on them over the last 10 years. Sale has been an absolute stud for the Sox this year, leading the league in strikeouts with 308, the second Red Sox player ever (see Pedro Martinez) to throw over 300 K’s. While there has been the massive regression of 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, there’s been the emergence of Drew Pomeranz, who had a great year this year with 17 wins of his own. And then there’s David Price, who has been relocated to the bullpen, which I think is a stellar move by the club, as he may play the role of the Andrew Miller-type throughout the postseason for the Sox with the way he’s been shutting down hitters out of the bullpen. As for the lineup, I’ll be honest- it feels very stop-start to me. They rid themselves of Pablo Sandoval, and thankfully were still able to solidify themselves at third base with the emergence of Rafael Devers. The “Killer B’s” make the outfield one of the best units in baseball. Even players like Xander Bogaerts and Hanley Ramirez have been solid at times. But this team is streaky, and has a tendency to flounder when they need to win most. Take the end of this season, for example, when they mounted a 15-6 record to start September, but backed into the playoffs after losing 4 of their last 6. The big question: what has this team learned from being swept out of the playoffs last year? New York Yankees (AL Wild Card, 91-71) I have been saying for a while that the Yankees are going to be really good in a few years, that all that player development will finally pay off. Well folks, here we are. The Yankees are no longer the AARP of baseball. Instead, they’ve revitalized themselves (and their insufferable, obnoxious fan base) with young, likable talent. Aaron Judge has been like the second coming of Christ, clocking 52 home runs and 114 RBIs. Don’t forget that rotation, too, which I believe is largely underrated. With all the coverage of Judge that ESPN rams down our throats, remember that this team acquired Sonny Gray from Oakland at the deadline, to add to a rotation that includes C.C. Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, and Luis Severino. I don’t trust their bullpen, if there’s anything to dislike about this team (I mean, they’re the Yankees, so I dislike everything about this team, but I digress). Dellin Betances is not a reliable reliever. Aroldis Chapman is no longer a reliable closer. I expect the Yankees to make things interesting, but not interesting enough to beat the Indians. Sure, they were able to beat up on Minnesota in the Wild Card game, but there’s a reason this team only finished with 91 wins. Washington Nationals (NL East Champions, 97-65) Thankfully, the Nets play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball, and Bryce Harper’s freak injury hasn’t cost them their season, and he’s finally returned to the lineup. However, this team has a history of disappointing NLDS defeats: last year losing to the Dodgers after being up 2 games to 1; losing to the Giants in 2014, and blowing a 9th inning lead to lose to the Cardinals in 2012. Now, the bullpen is finally no longer a complete mess, and they’ve still got Max Scherzer at the front of the rotation. Daniel Murphy and the emergence of Michael Taylor can give one hope on offense, but we’re all anxiously wondering if Harper can return to form after his injury. Overall, this team is playing a Cubs team that is itching to erase any doubts of a World Series hangover. How much juice to the Nationals have left in the tank? Chicago Cubs (NL Central Champions, 90-72) This team went from 103 wins a year ago to just barely squeaking into the playoffs. Thanks to a soft NL Central, the Cubs were able to lock up the division, winning 7 of their last 10 games. Now, the pitching is obviously not as dominant as last year. Four Cubs pitchers last year won 15 or more games. This year, not a single pitcher has even reached that mark. It’s also difficult to be skeptical of the offense, as Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo have been solid all season. The most important factor for the defending champs is similar to that of the Indians: they have something to prove. The Cubs were favored to repeat as champions this year. Instead, a lukewarm 2017 campaign has left many feeling doubtful about this team’s success. However, this team still finished the season white hot, and are facing a Nationals team that is dealing with a multitude of problems (I mean, hell, they’re not even starting Scherzer in game one, I think that’s a red flag right there). Don’t count out the Cubs quite yet. There are more W’s to be flown. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions, 104-58) In a 50-game stretch, how many games do you expect a fairly decent team to win? 25? 30? 32, if they’re really good? The Dodgers won 43 games between June 7th and August 6th, the best 50-game record in baseball since 1912. With a powerful lineup including Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and Yasiel Puig. Oh, and they also feature Adrian Gonzales, Chase Utley and Curtis Granderson. There’s also the rotation: Clayton Kershaw has returned to form, winning 18 games, most in the majors this season; Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda- 29 wins, 291 strikeouts between them; Rich Hill- 12 wins and a 3.32 ERA. And then there’s the kicker: the Dodgers went out and got Yu Darvish at the deadline from the Rangers (man, there’s some great pitching on ALL these teams this year). So, to tie all this together, the Dodgers followed up their 43-7 streak with an 11-game losing streak. Not to mention the fact that they aren’t very good at succeeding in the playoffs. Now, this year may be different, but which version of the Dodgers will show up? Will we see the 11-game losing streak Dodgers, or will we see a team whose league-best 104-win record says they’re ready to win it all this year? Arizona Diamondbacks (NL Wild Card, 93-69) This Diamonbacks team doesn’t have the worst record among playoff teams. They’re actually right in the middle, tied with the AL East-winning Red Sox. Only four other teams (Houston, Cleveland, Washington, and Los Angeles) have better records. It’s just that the Dodgers won 104 games and Arizona… didn’t. But this team is one to feel good about, especially in this first round against the Dodgers. Zack Greinke beating Clayton Kershaw? Not unlikely. Greinke won 17 games this season, struck out 215 and has an ERA of 3.20. This guy’s been nothing short of dominant. Robbie Ray, Patrick Corbin and Taijuan Walker have also bolstered the rotation, giving Arizona a formidable group of pitchers. Even Fernando Rodney’s 39 saves is nothing to scoff at. And then there’s Paul Goldschmidt, who leads this team in almost every offensive category. This team matches up very well against the Dodgers, who are 8-11 against the D-Backs. Will we have another Wild Card team make it to the World Series?
Playoff Predictions: ALDS: Houston Astros (101-61) vs. Boston Red Sox (93-69) Projected matchups: Verlander (15-8) vs. Sale (17-8) Keuchel (14-5) vs. Pomeranz (17-6) Peacock (13-8) vs. Fister (905) All the matchups are great, but this one has to be one of the most intriguing series of the entire playoffs. Something to keep in mind: none of Boston’s starters have ever won a playoff game. EVER (Okay, so David Price did win once out of the bullpen. That doesn’t count.). But the Red Sox have the ability to grind. Any game that goes into extra innings does favor them, after all, as they’ve won 15 games that have been decided with extra innings. Overall though, I think the Astros are the superior team, both in the batter’s box and on the mound. The Red Sox get one win in this series, but that’ll be all she wrote. Prediction: Houston wins series, 3-1. Cleveland Indians (102-60) vs. New York Yankees (91-71) Projected Matchups: Gray (10-12) vs. Bauer (17-9) Sabathia (14-5) vs. Kluber (18-4) Tanaka (13-12) vs. Carrasco (18-6) Home field advantage is the key in this series. The Yankees are 51-30 at home this season, the best in baseball. Away from home, they’re a respectable 40-31, but the Indians are too good to let any home games slip away from them. With the presence of such dominant pitching, both from the starting rotation and out of the bullpen, I doubt any games will get out of hand for Cleveland. The Yankees make it interesting by winning two games at home, but I think Cleveland is too strong. They’ll win the series in 5 games. Prediction: Cleveland wins series, 3-2. NLDS: Washington Nationals (97-65) vs. Chicago Cubs (92-70) Projected matchups: Strasburg (15-4) vs. Hendricks (7-5) Gonzales (15-9) vs. Lester (13-8) Scherzer (16-6) vs. Quintana (11-11) Don’t let the pitching matchups fool you. I think this one will fall Chicago’s way. History has told us that you should never count the Cubs out, and that the Nationals aren’t able to get past the NLDS without puking all over themselves. This series will be no different. Chicago matches up well with Washington, and the fact that the Nets won’t be starting Max Scherzer until game 3 in Chicago raises some eyebrows. Prediction: Chicago wins series, 3-1. Los Angeles Dodgers (104-58) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (93-69) Projected matchups: Kershaw (18-4) vs. Walker (9-9) Darvish (10-12) vs. Ray (15-5) Hill (12-8) vs. Greinke (17-7) Again, the D-Backs are 11-8 against their NL West rivals this season, which might tip the scales toward Arizona to upset the NL’s best. But I think it might be too little, too late. With Ray unexpectedly pitching in the NL Wild Card game against Colorado, it leaves his status for game 2 of the NLDS in doubt. He would be available to pitch on full rest in Game 5, but by that point, the series may be all but over. Overall, I expect an exciting series, with Arizona maybe stealing one, or even two. But I think the Dodgers are better, and more importantly, hungrier. LA wins this one handily. Prediction: Los Angeles wins series, 3-1. ALCS: Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Indians Indians vs. Astros. What kind of universe are we in? Both these teams sucked less than five years ago. But hey, give them both credit for being here now. This will be a star-studded series on the rubber and in the batter’s box, with dream matchups like Kluber vs. Verlander, Carrasco vs. Keuchel, and Salazar vs. Peacock. As far as the better lineup is concerned, I give the edge to Cleveland. Astros 2B Jose Altuve has been disappointing in the playoffs, with only 4 hits in 26 at bats, and a .154 average. The Indians are simply the better team, and they’ll be able to overcome Houston’s pitching and advance to the World Series for the second consecutive year. Prediction: Cleveland wins series, 4-2. NLCS: Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Two teams. Two insufferable fan bases. A sequel for the ages. This year, the fortunes of both franchises have turned, with the Dodgers running away with the National League. In short, I think the Dodgers simply want it more. Clayton Kershaw desperately wants to do away with his playoff demons in years past, and the time to break his personal glass ceiling is now. There will be no repeat for the Cubs this time around. Better luck in the next 108 years. Prediction: Los Angeles wins series, 4-1. World Series: Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers This is the matchup we all wanted to see. Two teams, both running away from their respective leagues, duking it out in the World Series. The Indians may have more at stake, with a 68-year championship drought on the line, but the Dodgers have more to lose, as their core players are beginning to age, with a history of disappointing playoff defeats. Cleveland appears like the more solid, complete team. If pitching wins championships, the Tribe has it, between Kluber, Carrasco, and Salazar, and Miller out of the pen. I believe they’ll out-duel Kershaw, Darvish, and Hill. If the series is decided at the plate, I (again) think Cleveland’s lineup is better all around, with Encarnacion, Ramirez, and Bruce providing a dangerous middle of the order. This is the emergence of the Cleveland Indians as the new power in baseball. They will end their championship drought, finally ushering in an era of success in Cleveland. Prediction: Cleveland wins series, 4-3. Who do you think will win it all this October? Leave a comment down below. 10 Thoughts: Predictions on the 2017 NFL SeasonIt feels like it’s been a while, football. And for this writer, living in New York has made the summer feel far too long. But whether we’re ready for it or not, the NFL season begins on Thursday, and with it comes a plethora of fascinating storylines, questions, and predictions. We begin with this year’s defending champions: The New England Patriots. New England made the most out of their offseason, attempting to give the aging Tom Brady the nuclear codes to at least three other countries. It’s a given that no other team in the AFC can touch the Patriots, but Bill Belichick is obviously concerned with winning another Super Bowl this year. The acquisitions of Brandin Cooks, Stephon Gilmore, Mike Gillislee, Rex Burkhead and Phillip Dorsett allow New England to stretch the field on offense, and lock down opposing receivers with the one-two punch of Gilmore and Malcolm Butler. They were even able to re-sign LB Dont’a Hightower, securing the middle of the field on the defensive side. Even with the untimely injury of Julian Edelman, New England is still one of the best teams in the NFL. This load up seems similar to that of 2007 when the team added Randy Moss and followed it up with an undefeated regular season. The sports world will be watching to see what they can do with the weapons they’ve acquired this season. On the opposite coast, another interesting team to watch this year will be the Oakland Raiders, who are poised to make a deep playoff run after fizzling out at the end of last season. Derek Carr has established himself as one of the premiere quarterbacks in the league, and his two top receivers, Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, are coming off two great years. But the real story lies with 31-year-old Marshawn Lynch, who has come out of retirement to join his hometown team. Before the team moves to Las Vegas, I believe this squad has enough going for it to make the AFC playoff picture interesting come January. We’re also seeing an abundance of rookie quarterbacks in the NFL this year. From Deshaun Watson to DeShone Kizer, from Mitchel Trubisky to Patrick Mahomes, multiple teams are putting their faiths in first year players. Kizer has already earned his starting job in Cleveland, but will we see some other rookies lead their teams this year? 10 Predictions for the 2017 NFL Season |
Details
Archives
January 2022
Categories |