Category: Uncategorized

13 Days of Hell: The Most Important Stretch of the Yankees 1st Half

by Jacksonrboland, posted in Uncategorized

The New York Yankees have gone scorched Earth to start the 2022 season. Every time I look at the standings and see a 44-16 record, I can’t help but laugh. An off-season that promised one of Corey Seager/Carlos Correa and Freddie Freeman/Matt Olson turned into Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Anthony Rizzo. Not to mention the departures of Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela (not too mad about Gary to be honest). It seemed after all these moves all of Yankee nation, myself included, thought this was rock bottom for a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the World Series since 2009. But, here we are in mid-June and the Yankees have won 44 out of 60 games. FOURTY FOUR. I could go on about Judge being the MVP to this point (pay him all the money, by the way), the lights out pitching or the fact the Yankees are doing this with two auto outs in the lineup in Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks, but we know all that already.

The Yankees have had a benefit of playing some weak teams to start off the year, and I’ll admit that. However, if you’ve been a Yankees fan for at least the Boone tenure you know that’s something this team does not do. They always play down to their competition. This year, we see what happens when they don’t play like morons and can win games and it’s AWESOME.

These next two weeks, though, is the test. The Yankees have 6 games against the Rays, 3 against the Blue Jays and 4 against the Astros. The Yankees currently sit atop the AL East with an 8 game lead but a bad couple of weeks brings the Rays and Blue Jays right back into contention. On the flip side, the Yanks can really put a stranglehold on the division with a great two weeks. This is where we’ll see what the Yankees are truly made of. Are they really a World Series contender, or are they just the benefactor of a favorable schedule? These 13 games will help us answer that.

All the fun starts Tuesday night with Gerrit Cole on the bump. Not better way to set the tone than your ace looking to respond after a terrible last outing against the Twins. Yankees Nation, our 13 Days of Hell starts NOW.

Man, it feels good to blog again

Numbergate – Jerry Jones telling the young gun what number to wear

by lucasblk19, posted in Football, NFL, Uncategorized

I’ll never forget the day my 8U baseball coach looked at me and said, “The one thing I need you to think about today, and this is very important, is what number you are going to wear for us this season.”

At eight years old this decision is more important than the kid (I think she was of the female gender) I just asked to be my girlfriend at recess, four hours ago. Was she blonde with brown eyes? Or did she have brown hair with blue eyes? If I even remember her name at this phase of the relationship I am doing well. In reflection, I may not know who I was dating when I was eight years old, but I know what number I was and why I chose that number.

There is a complex calculation that comes into picking one’s number for any sport. My favorite baseball player at the time was Scott Podsednik. He was from a small Texas farming town where my mom grew up, and they happen to make amazing kolaches (yes, the Czech Stop). He wore double two.

My cousin, the goalie for his high school hockey team, was tied for my favorite athlete at the time. He wore double three. I just wanted a piece of them to be a piece of me. I took one of their numbers and came up with two-three or three-two. Oh, did I mention I have always been the loud mouth? Yea, if you talk like I do, you wear two-three, no questions asked.

There is nothing fun about graduating from college and getting a job other than getting paid. When you get paid there are certain guidelines and regulations that your new employer has set forth for the company as a whole, and for you individually. This is not college ball anymore; this is a business.

Pat McAfee, on his daily sports show, frequently discusses how these rookies do not comprehend the business side of ball until they are up for a contract negotiation. Cowboy fans are not new to this as the recent dilemma with our QB1 received the franchise tag, compared to getting paid (like the world knows he should).

You sign your first-round draft pick, but tell him what number he has to wear. If this was a random assignment that added no value to the team or had no historical context, would I see a cause for media outcry? Absolutely.

Instead, we see the polar opposite from retiring a number in respect of a Hall of Fame career. We are telling the young buck to wear the number that the greats before him wore, and that played the same position he plays. If you forced Derek Rose to wear number two-three when he arrived in Chicago, they have at least two more banners hanging in that arena, no doubt.

My dad has told me stories about the triple threat in Dallas featuring Aikman, Smith, and Irvin. I sat on the couch, while dad sat in the recliner watching Romo, a slew of running backs, and Bryant take the field. It was fun. It was memorable. I can only dream about telling my kids about the dominance, Prescott, Elliot, and Lamb shared on the gridiron (I know Cooper will be around for some time but for story intensive purposes we are utilizing Lamb because he’s taking Irvin’s number). I hope the peak for this youthful trio is higher than the hall of fame trio dad used to tell me about.

CeeDee, my buddies that went to school in Norman couldn’t stop talking about you in your last two years of college ball. I can’t wait for you to be on my NFL team, and allow me to rave to the Cowboy haters out there what a baller you are. It sucks Jerry Jones told you what jersey number to wear. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad move though, it’s a business move. The only moves Mr. Jones knows how to make. I think he will make you into a similar player my dad grew up watching wearing the double eight. I think you got big shoes to fill, but know your feet are only growing. Stoked to watch you play this year, ROY.

The Syllabus: A Sports Letter for a Cause

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in Uncategorized

Four months ago, Grad School Sports was created with a single goal in mind: to provide an online platform for fans to debate and discuss their favorite sports. On Monday April 27, 2020, we are excited to release the first edition of Grad School Syllabus, a weekly sports newsletter delivered directly to your inbox. The Syllabus will include analysis and commentary on the latest sports news, as well as a collection of fun facts, satire, and viral videos that will ease the boredom of social isolation.

While the Syllabus content will surely brighten your day, please also consider the additional philanthropic benefits of subscribing. As Texas A&M University Alumni ‘19, we firmly believe in the school’s core values, particularly that of Selfless Service. One Aggie organization that admirably advances this cause is the 12th Can, a student-run food pantry.

The 12th Can strives to eliminate hunger in the Texas A&M community, raise awareness about food insecurity across college campuses, and exemplify the strength of the Aggie spirit. With campus shut down due to COVID-19 concerns, there are countless students, faculty, and staff uncertain where they will find their next meal. Thus, the 12th Can has sponsored a food drive through April 30, encouraging members of the local community to donate various food items.

While the timeless traditions and legendary school spirit underscore Texas A&M’s unique aura, it is the people – the students, faculty, and staff – that really transform College Station into a home away from home. By harnessing the power and resourcefulness of the Aggie Network, we can ensure that no Aggie gets left behind.

For each new Syllabus subscriber that joins between April 22-April 30, Grad School Sports pledges to donate two cans to the 12th Can. Visit gradschoolsports.net or click the link below to sign up.

Aggies everywhere – our beloved university has blessed us with priceless memories and lifelong friends. What better way to give back than to help a fellow Aggie struggling to make ends meet during these stressful times? Students and alumni of other institutions – we hope that you might subscribe as well, and potentially even donate to your local food bank.

Please consider sharing this with your family, friends, and coworkers. We welcome all to the Grad School Sports community, and remind you that any donation to the 12th Can – no matter how small – can truly change a person’s life for the better.

Subscription Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gADzJYrtNbsV14LrySVFCbpoz7N9trs0GxPqTBOr5f0/edit

What does Jalen Green’s move to the G-League mean for College Basketball?

by Brady Vaughan, posted in Basketball, Collegiate, NCAA Basketball, Professional, Uncategorized

This past week, Jalen Green, the number one high school basketball prospect according to the 2020 ESPN recruiting rankings, made his decision on where he would play next basketball season. No, it wasn’t Memphis nor was it Auburn, schools that had been considered the frontrunners for him. Instead, it was a one year, $500,000 contract with the NBA G-League that offers an additional development program outside of the league’s traditional team structure.

This move allows for professional development from NBA personnel for an entire year while being paid, which cannot happen in college, supposedly.

The move only adds more momentum to the already swift movement that is sweeping over the high school and college basketball ranks. More and more players are leaving, or rejecting, playing at big time colleges in favor of getting paid and playing in professional leagues at home and abroad. Just in the last year, RJ Hampton (former five-star guard out of HS) decided not to go to Kansas but instead to go to the NBL in Australia/New Zealand to play (Hampton has said he would’ve gone to Kansas should he have played in college). Lamelo Ball, younger brother New Orleans Pelicans PG Lonzo Ball, went the same route as Hampton. Isaiah Todd (five-star prospect out of HS in the class of 2020) decommitted from Michigan to pursue development in the G-League, just like Green.

This new movement is good for these players. If they’re good enough to go out and play professionally and, most importantly, get paid, why wouldn’t you choose this route?

Initially, this new wave seems as if it could be extremely detrimental to big time college basketball schools like Duke and Kentucky, who consistently reel in five-star prospects year after year, but I do not believe that is the case.

While top high school players will be more enticed to earn money and get professional development now, there is no shortage of high school basketball players who desire to play college ball. Players who want to go play college basketball will get the chance, and out of that group of players, the best will still likely want to go to the traditional “blue blood” schools like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Kansas.

Thus, if this wave of top players leaving to pursue professional opportunities continues (and I don’t see a reason why it wouldn’t continue), more and more emphasis will be placed on how well college coaches develop players who are not as good as some of those top prospects coming out of high school.

This is something that I think Jay Wright, Bill Self, Roy Williams, and even coaches like Mark Few, and Scott Drew are exceptional at especially in recent memory.

Among those coaches, they have produced a few notable players who have had significant impacts on their respective teams and made them some of the premier teams in America during their tenure in college. These guys include Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova), Frank Mason (Kansas), Devonte Graham (Kansas), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Johnathan Motley (Baylor), and Mark Vital (Baylor) just to name a few.

That list of players includes six Final Four appearances (one for Arcidiacono, two for DiVincenzo, one for Graham, one for Tillie, and one for Hachimura), three National Titles (one for Arcidiacono and two for DiVincenzo), one Wooden Award Winner (Mason), two more premier candidates for the Wooden award in their respective seasons (Motley ’16-’17 and Graham ’17-‘18), and arguably one of the best defenders and most athletic players in college basketball currently (Vital).

Now that is not to say that coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and John Calipari are not good at developing players, because they are good. It just so happens that these two coaches are at the two schools – Duke and Kentucky – that consistently reel in five-star prospect after five-star prospect. Just look at the growth that players like Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Tyus Jones, John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis have had over their careers.

This new wave is definitely an obstacle that college coaches will have to adjust to quickly, as many for these college coaches have probably been recruiting these five-star guys for over three to five years.

But let me get this clear: not every five-star prospect will choose to go play professionally. The vast majority will still likely play collegiately because the professional teams and leagues have to have interest in the player as well as vice versa. It’s a two way street.

College Basketball will be fine. This just means that college coaches will have to adjust their recruiting tactics. And in that sense, we get to see some of the best coaches in America face a little adversity and see how they will overcome it.

As always, follow me on Twitter for more sports related content @bradyvaughan30

Celtics Give it Away, Literally, in Loss to Thunder

by Jacksonrboland, posted in Basketball, NBA, Uncategorized

With about 13 seconds left in the game, the Celtics had a 104-103 lead and the ball. All they had to do was get it in bounds, make their free throws and they probably come away with a win on Sunday. Sounds easy right? Well, when the pass went in to Kemba, he looked like a deer in the headlights dribbling away from the rest of the team, and when he made his turn, the Thunder’s Dennis Schroder was right there for the steal and took it in for the easy lay up. This 105-104 loss was probably one of the most painful losses in recent memory.

They had their chance to win on Sunday, but it really shouldn’t have been that close. With about a minute left in the first half, the Celtics had just completed a stretch where they hit 5 straight three pointers and increased their lead to 18. For an offense that had been struggling, this was a pleasant site to see. But, in a minute of game time the Thunder went on a 7-0 run to bring the deficit down to 11 heading into halftime. The Celtics have had double digit leads in the last four home games….and are 0-4 in those games. It just looks like they take their foot off the gas when they get up big. For a team that prides itself on defense, it was an ugly effort against the Thunder. The Celts could not stop fouling, which allowed the Thunder to get to the line 35 times and in turn, really kept them in the game. Not to mention, the Thunder shooting 44 percent from the field and 40 percent from three isn’t so good for the brand either.

Defense wasn’t the only problem, though. The offensive struggles continued for the Celtics, especially for two of their starters. Kemba, who has looked incredibly rusty since returning from his injury went 4-14 for 14 points and Tatum, who has cooled off since his 5 straight games of 32+ points went 8-22 for 19 points. Kemba and Tatum gong a combined 12-36 for 33 points is not a recipe for success. Shooting 37 three pointers as a team is pretty wild, too, even in today’s NBA. I LOVE the three pointer but these guys were just chucking them up at times leading to a lot of bad offensive possessions.

This game was frustrating, disgusting and just all around disappointing. But, as always, there’s still some good to take out of it! Hayward looked like he is starting to find his stroke again going 9-19 (4-7) for 24 points. He also added 5 boards and 4 assists, a nice all-around game from him. Of course, the last time I praised him in one of these, he went on a BRUTAL stretch, so fingers crossed I don’t jinx him again. Two of the young guys had some nice minutes as well. Robert Williams looks like he’s going to be the No. 2 center behind Theis. Williams had 6 points 5 boards, including four offensive rebounds and a key block late in the game. No matter how bad the defense was on Sunday, Williams was always active. I need more Romeo Langford minutes, all this kid does is produce. He had 6 points on 2-3 shooting and 5 boards, including two offensive rebounds. Plus, his on ball defense is awesome, so is he defensive energy as a whole. Especially with Jaylen out, this could be a nice test to see what the lottery pick has to offer. Hopefully Brad lets the kid play more and more.

I need to give my quick respects to the Thunder. Chris Paul was awesome on Sunday going for 28 points on 9-19 shooting, including 10-10 from the line and adding 7 assists and 6 boards. Dennis Schroder was equally as awesome going 10-21 for 27 points off the bench. The Celtics didn’t have an answer for either of these two all game. And credit to the Thunder defense for putting the clamps on the Celtics in the second half. They forced 13 turnovers and never letting Boston get comfortable. This Thunder team could really be a problm for whoever they face in the playoffs.

For one of the more important stretches of the season, this isn’t what we wanted to see. A Friday night 99-94 loss to Utah and this heartbreaker on Sunday. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier with Indiana and Milwaukee on the schedule this week. Right now the Celtics are 1-3 to start March, with blown double digit leads in all four games….not great! For the sake of my well being, they need to get back to the type of basketball they were playing in February and find a way to beat the Pacers and Bucks, or else I’ll start pulling hair out of my head.

Short-Handed Celtics Survive in Cleveland

by Jacksonrboland, posted in Uncategorized

The Celtics starting lineup Wednesday night was Brad Wanamaker, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Grant Williams and Daniel Theis. No, I’m not making that up. Being down three starters, Jayson Tatum was expected to carry the load offensively against the Cavaliers, and boy did he do just that. He ended the night with 32 points, 9 boards and 6 assists in the 112-106 win. This was his fifth straight game with 32+ points, and as needed as that production was, I thought this was the best he’s been passing the ball. Yes, he only ended up with 6 assists, but he seemed to always make the right read to find the open man instead of forcing up terrible shots. If he can consistently start putting up better passing numbers, he’ll truly be unstoppable.

Obviously, Tatum can’t score every point, so it was really all about who would be the number two scorer. If you say you knew it’d be Semi Ojeleye, you’re lying. Semi played the best game of his Celtic career Wednesday night. He put up 22 points on 8-11 shooting, including 5-8 from three point land and added 6 boards and 2 assists. This was a HUGE boost, especially for a Celtics bench that always seems to have trouble scoring. Because the Celtics were so short-handed, this game was full of weird minutes and rotations, so Tatum and Semi were the only ones to really put up big numbers. It was a great chance to see what the young guys on the team were capable of and if they’d be worthy of any playoff minutes. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Robert Williams needs some of those minutes. In 14 minutes of play, Williams had 6 points, 5 boards, 3 blocks and a steal. These aren’t numbers that will blow you away, but he’s smart with his shots and always active defensively. I won’t be surprised if he takes some minutes away from Kanter in the postseason.

Romeo Langford was another guy I was really excited to see get some extended minutes. Unfortunately, he didn’t play in the second half, but he was able to do some good things in his limited playing time. He played the best on-ball defense of any Celtic and grabbed 3 offensive boards. If he can get more consistent playing time to find his shot, he could be a nice role player for this team. Grant Williams was another young guy with some quality minutes on Wednesday night. He gave the Celtics 8 points and 5 boards on a steady 4-6 shooting and was able to end a couple of impressive Cleveland runs.

As valiant an effort as this was and considering the blown lead the night before, I can’t only gush. Marcus Smart was terrible on Wednesday. He looked completely checked out for the first 46 and a half minutes of the game. He struggled shooting the ball going 5-15, including 0-5 from three. Normally, we can count on Marcus for awesome defensive efforts, but even those weren’t there Wednesday. But, as I said, that was during the first 46 and a half minutes. Once there was about a minute and a half left, we got the Marcus Smart we know and love. He was making hustle plays, getting to the line in crunch time and just doing what you need to do with the game on the line.

And I’ll give my proper credit to Cavs. They just never went away, and that’s thanks to Collin Sexton. He’s been unreal lately and that trend continued on Wednesday as he finished with 41 points on 17-30 shooting. Kevin Love added another 26 points and 14 boards along with Larry Nance Jr.’s 19 points and 15 boards. At 17-45, this Cavaliers team has nothing to play for, but they’ve played much harder since John Beilein resigned during the All-Star break.

The Hospital Celtics came away with the win, but I hope I never have to see this again. Things should get back to normal, at least a little bit, Friday night against the Jazz. You have to figure Hayward’s bruise will be healed, and a rehabbing Kemba should be ready to go. But, we really just can’t have nice things because the Celts will be without Jaylen Brown for the next week, at least, after he tweaked his hamstring against Brooklyn. This is a tough stretch for this to happen, too. This is what the next week looks like for Boston:

  • Friday: Utah
  • Sunday: Oklahoma City
  • Tuesday: @ Indiana
  • Thursday: @ Milwaukee

I just want a completely healthy top 7 on this Celtics team, is that too much to ask?

Top-10 2020 College Football Games to Look Forward to

by colewest86, posted in Uncategorized

Just like that College Football is nearly over for the 2019-2020 season. We can all start sulking thinking about going without College Football for the next seven months. Well the only appropriate reaction is to start gearing up towards next season because what else are we going to do…. watch golf or something?

Next season offers up some great games that we do not normally get. Here are the top-10 games to look forward to for next college football season.

10. Mississippi State at Ole Miss (Week 13)

Coming in first at #10 is the good ole Egg Bowl. Before people disagree with this one, just remember that Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach are now the coaches. Both coaches have had success elsewhere, and also never fail to bring drama into the fold in college football. Last year’s Egg Bowl featured a player pretending to pee like a dog on the field… and that was without Mike Leach. This year’s Egg Bowl should bring a lot more hype.

9. Texas at LSU (Week 2)

Well if you have not heard the news… it is almost preseason meaning Texas is back, and so is Sam Ehlingher apparently. Not sure where he was going to go in the first place.. but nevertheless this will most likely be a top-10 matchup thanks to the AP Poll voters. Last year’s matchup turned out to be a shoot-out thriller. This year in Death Valley may not be as close, but at least if it is not, then social media users around the country get the opportunity to spam “horns down” across Twitter.

8. Oklahoma vs Texas (Week 6)

At #8 is the Red River Rivalry. This game always serves as classic show down between two blue-bloods that always serves to be an entertaining game. Look at for quarterbacks, Sam Ehlinger, and whichever transfer OU gets to face off in the Cotton Bowl stadium. The winner will most likely make it to the Big-12 championship.

7. Penn State at Michigan (Week 5)

Before anyone argues that this should be Michigan at Ohio State, I wanted to put games in here that will actually be a close score in the 2nd half. Penn State will travel to Ann Arbor. This will be a great BIG-10 matchup as winner will have the luxury of losing to Ohio State on College Gameday most likely.

6. Georgia vs Florida (Week 9)

This is a key matchup of the SEC East powerhouses. Each year it seems like these teams are the two that are at the top of the SEC East. 99% that the winner of this game will go onto the SEC championship, and may just have a shot at the College Football playoffs.

5. Clemson at Notre Dame (Week 10)

This is one of the biggest matchups of the year. Why you may ask? Because Clemson and Notre Dame will finally play a worthy opponent. Clemson will have a tough opponent at the end of their schedule as they will have to win at Notre Dame to have another undefeated regular season. On the other side, Notre Dame has the opportunity to send a message to the College Football Playoff Committee as they could upset possibly the best team in College Football.

4. Ohio State at Penn State (Week 8)

Arguably the biggest matchup between BIG-10 teams of the year. Penn State played Ohio State the closest out of all the other teams in the regular season. Penn State fell just 28-17, but now the game will be in Penn State’s stadium giving them an advantage. Hopefully having the game at home can make this game one of the best of the year.

3. Georgia at Alabama (Week 3)

It is simply a blessing we get this game this year. Normally, we have to wait until the SEC Championship to see these teams play, but this year we get to see them battle it out in just the 3rd week. These SEC powerhouses only play in the regular season once ever six years. It will serve as an early opportunity to make a statement to the College Playoff Committee.

2. Alabama at LSU (Week 10)

Coming in at #2 is the showdown for the SEC West. Both teams are losing their starting quarterbacks to the draft. Last year, this game was one of the best football games all year after LSU beat Alabama 46-41. Will LSU be able to hold onto the SEC West or did Alabama decide to just take only a year off? This will serve as a high-profile matchup as winner will most likely go to the SEC championship game.

1. Ohio State at Oregon (Week 2)

This serves as the top game to look forward to in the 2020 season because we are getting the Rose Bowl in September. The best team in the PAC-12 will face the best team in the BIG-10. It is the biggest out of conference game of the year considering this game could possibly ruin one’s teams shot at the College Football Playoffs in just the 2nd week of the season. Make sure to mark your calendar for this game.

Patriots vs. Bengals Preview and Keys to the Game

by Brian Murray, posted in Uncategorized

It’s game day. Week 15 and we’re on to Cincinnati. Even though the match-up looks extremely lopsided on paper, I’m expecting a hard fought game between a hungry Bengals team and a Pats team that is desperately trying to get it into gear. Here are my thoughts for today’s game:

Are the Bengals that bad?

While the Bengals speed ahead towards picking newly minted Heisman awardee, Joe Burrow, number one overall, they’ve actually shown signs of improvement.

On the offensive side, Andy Dalton, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon have come on as of late. Boyd has quietly put together an outstanding season with 73 receptions (t-12th in the NFL), 833 receiving yards (27th) and 3 TDs. He’s a versatile, quick, and trustworthy receiver the likes of which the Pats are missing right now.

Since his return from being benched, Dalton has put up respectable numbers, and led the Bengals to their first win. He’s a veteran that does a good job managing the game and protecting the ball. I expect him to land somewhere next year as a well paid backup.

In his last 5 games, Mixon has scored once in three of them, and had two games over 100 yards rushing, including 146 last week against the Browns. He hasn’t been close to his top ten fantasy RB rating that most gave him, but nonetheless, he’s a dangerous offensive weapon.

On the offensive side of the ball, I don’t really expect much out of the Bengals. They’re without number two WR, Auden Tate, who was placed on IR this week, so outside of Boyd and Mixon – there’s not much to worry about. I think this could be another dominant game for a Pats D that has slowed down lately.

The Bengals defense has actually been pretty impressive in their last four games. They haven’t given up more than 21 points, and had their two best performances at home vs. the Jets and Steelers holding them to six and sixteen points, respectively.

I think this is a defense that is comfortable and excited playing at home, and without a doubt is relishing the chance to host a struggling Patriots offense. Former Buckeye Sam Hubbard has been playing well as of late, Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap have also been effective pass rushers progressing in the right direction. I’m expecting this Bengals defense to treat this as their Super Bowl and play with their hair on fire all day.

Can the Patriots Figure it out?

If there was an entry for “get right game” in the dictionary, they’d probably put this game as the definition. The Pats have dropped two in a row (they’ve never dropped three in a row during the Belichick era) and they’re on the road against the worst team in the league. Here’s what I’m looking for today:

Offensive Line

Last week against the Chiefs was a really bad outing for the line as a whole. Minus the performance of Joe Thuney, who earned an 88 grade from Pro Football Focus, Chiefs defenders were penetrating the Pats line all night. Brady was literally under siege on most of his drop backs. The o-line has been hampered by injuries all year, and starting center Ted Karras is questionable today after not playing last week. He’d be a big upgrade over his replacement, James Ferrentz, who got his first NFL start last week and was a big step down from Karras.

If the offensive line can put a good game together today, it will not only be huge for their own confidence, but the whole offense as a whole. Everything starts up front, it’s a huge reason why the offense rolled at the end of the year last year and into the playoffs. The big men up front dominated, the run game followed, and Brady had time to throw the ball. If the big guys play well today, Brady will have more time to throw, which could be huge for building trust with receivers, and the run game will have more of an opportunity to hit its stride.

Throwing the ball

As it has seemed to be every week, the pressure is on Phillip Dorsett, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry to make an impact. Harry barely played last week, and since his mishap in Houston, hasn’t been given much of a chance. However, in his only reception last week, he showed a flash of greatness with his now infamous touchdown that was ruled “out of bounds”. I’m still not over that one, fire those refs.

Anyways, I think this receiving core is more talented than they have shown. I truly believe Harry can be an impact player, and all throughout his tenure in Foxborough, Dorsett has been an ultra reliable receiver. Sanu has been disappointing thus far, and if we had to do the trade deadline over again, I wish the Pats went and got Emmanuel Sanders. Having said that, I still think Sanu can be great on this team.

I’m looking for Josh McDaniels and the offensive staff to finally put together the ‘re-make’ of the offense. Last year they reset the offense to rely heavily on the run, this year the offensive identity is still not set. It’s a con because we’re losing games to good teams now because the offense isn’t in sync. But it’s a pro going forward into the playoffs because teams might not know what to expect.

Pats 24 – Bengals 9

I’m expecting this to be another hard fought game with offensive hiccups, defensive dominance, and in the end a Patriots playoff clinching victory.

I think Brady will begin to get it right with some receivers not named Edelman (let’s hope he stays healthy) and I think Harry is primed to take the next step in this category.

I’ve got the defensive scoring at least one touchdown today – if not I wouldn’t be surprised to see multiple takeaways.

Here’s to a good ‘get it right’ game, and marking 12/15/2019 as the second “we’re onto Cincinnati” game that reignites the dynasty.

Keep the faith.

LFG