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

My Bowl Picks vs A Coin Flip

by jonesg17, posted in NCAA Football

On any given Saturday between late August and early December, you can find me on a couch watching college football. I would like to think my knowledge of the sport is quite comprehensive but unfortunately it has not translated over to my picks during bowl season. In almost 10 years, I cannot recall a year in which I haven’t given up by the Hawaii bowl. This season I will be comparing my own bowl picks to a coin flip and see which one has greater success. If the coin wins I will be implementing it in my 2020 strategy.

From what I remember from 7th grade and the scientific method, I need a hypothesis. My hypothesis is that the coin will win in a landslide. My materials are a standard US Quarter and a poorly formatted excel spreadsheet. After flipping the coin 40 times and annoying my brother trying to watch TV in the living room here are the results

BOWLMatch upMY PickCoin Pick
Bahamas Buffalo vs CharlotteBuffaloBuffalo
FriscoUtah St vs Kent StateUtah StateUtah State
CelebrationAlcorn St vs NC A&TNC A&TAlcorn St
New MexicoSDSU vs Cent MichCMUSDSU
Cure BowlGeorgia Southern vs LibertyGSULiberty
Boca RatonSMU vs FAUSMUSMU
CamelliaArk St. vs FIUAKSTFIU
Las VegasWashington vs. Boise StBSUBSU
New OrleansApp St. vs UABApp StUAB
GasparillaUCF vs MarshallUCFMarshall
HawaiiBYU vs HawaiiHawaiiHawaii
IndependenceMiami vs LA TechLA TechLA Tech
Quick LanePITT vs EMUPITTPITT
MilitaryUNC vs TempleUNCTemple
PinstripeMich St vs WakeMSUWake
TexasTAMU vs OK STOSUOSU
HolidayIowa vs USCIowaIowa
Cheez-ITAFA vs Wash StAFA WSU
Camping WorldNotre Dame vs Iowa StISUISU
CottonPenn St vs MemphisPSUPSU
PeachLSU vs OULSULSU
FiestaClemson vs Ohio StClemClem
First ResponderWestern Kent vs Western MichWKUWMU
Music CityMiss St vs LouisvilleMSUL’ville
RedboxCal vs IllinoisCalIllini
OrangeFlorida vs VirginiaUFUVA
BelkVirginia Tech vs KentuckyVTVT
SunASU vs FSUASUFSU
LibertyK-State vs NavyNavyNavy
ArizonaWyoming vs Georgia StateWYOWYO
Alamo Utah vs TexasUtahTexas
CitrusBama vs MichiganBamaBama
OutbackAuburn vs MinnesotaMinnMinn
RoseWisconsin vs. OregonWiscOre
SugarGeorgia vs BaylorUGABay
BirminghamCincinnati vs Boston CollegeCinciBC
GatorTennesee vs IndianaIndianaIndiana
Idaho PotatoOhio vs NevadaOhioOhio
Armed ForcesTulane vs Southern MissTulaneTulane
Lending TreeULL vs Miami (OH)ULLMIOH

Out of the 40 bowls that have been picked, the coin and my selection differ a total of 20 times. With 1 out of 2 bowls differing I (hypothetically speaking) could lose in an absolute landslide. If that is the case I may just need to retire from anything related to college football and stick to the NFL.

Fade Fernando’s Picks From God

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in Action

For those who know me, you know I am a degenerate gambler. You give me lines on a little league baseball game and I can promise you I’m putting action on it.

Although we have to wait a week until the start of bowl season, this weekend we are treated to a full slate of NFL games as well as the best rivalry in all of sports: the annual Army-Navy game. With that being said, let’s take a look at a few bets I will be making this weekend and I suggest you do so as well. The Lord has spoketh to me. Here’s Grad School’s Picks from God.

*Grad School reminds you to please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem please call 1-800-522-4700.

1. U40.5 in Army-Navy game. In the last 6 years of this matchup, the two teams have combined for over 40 points just once. This matchup is always decided in the trenches and I see no reason why this year should be any different. Further, neither of these teams can throw the ball. They each rely heavily on the ground game meaning lots of time of possession and less points. Take the under.

2. Seahawks -6.5. Up until last week, the Seahawks had been a gold mine for sharps. Everyone not only continues to doubt their overall talent level but also keeps underestimating the greatness that is Russell Wilson. The Panthers fired their head coach, Ron Rivera, earlier this week amidst an overall disappointing regular season and who knows how they will perform. Seahawks should roll.

3. O46 Saints/Colts game. Yes, the Colts offense isn’t great. However, the Saints defense is decimated with injuries and just gave up 48 points to Jimmy G and Co. We know Brees and the Saints will put up points and I expect a shootout. Take the over.

4. TAMU-CC + Whatever against Texas A&M. As of publishing, there is no official line for this game. However, this Aggie basketball team is BAD as they have yet to cover in any game this season. Take the Islanders and the points, doesn’t matter how high.

Now, I am not a professional gambler so please feel free to fade me. In addition, if you do not have the funds or live in an area where gambling is prohibited by law, please do not gamble. As we conclude this weeks picks, let’s all remember Jeremiah 29:11. Good luck to everyone this weekend.

Baylor Men’s Basketball Off to a Blazing Start

by colewest86, posted in Basketball, NCAA Basketball

With the release of the latest AP poll, Baylor men’s basketball is sitting at #11. Ranked #16 in the preseason, they have climbed up five spots sitting right outside of the top-10. They are the 2nd highest ranked Big 12 team behind #2 Kansas. Despite losing a close game to Washington in the beginning of the season, Baylor has stormed back to an 8-1 start. They have 3 ranked wins so far including #17 Villanova winning the Myrtle Beach Invitational, #12 Arizona, and #18 Butler.

For some context, Baylor has only beaten 3 ranked teams prior to Big 12 conference play once in the past five years in their 2016-2017 season where the Bears finished 27-8, and #12 in the rankings. The Bears have done that again this season, so fans can only hope that Baylor has that much success or more this year.

Leading the way for the Bears is sophomore guard, Jared Butler, from Lousiana. Butler won the MVP award in the Myrtle Beach invitational, and has continued to play exceptionally well. The 4-star recruit has averaged just over 17 points a game all while shooting 44.4% from three. For comparison, Steph Curry shot 45.4% from three in his NBA MVP season.

Additionally, Baylor has guard, MaCio Teague, averaging 14.8 ppg, and Devonte Bandoo averaging 8.9 ppg while shooting 40.6% from three. Junior, Mark Vital, is continuing to be an excellent utility player and leader making places on the defensive end with over 2 steals a game, and meaningful blocks including a massive one that prevented Butler from taking the lead last week in the final seconds.

Baylor has been playing all this well without an 100% Tristan Clark. Clark is a 4-star forward who missed the season last year with a knee injury, and is currently dealing with a minor foot injury. Once Clark is more healthy, expect this Baylor team to improve as Clark adds a talented rim protector on the defensive side, and another offensive weapon on the offensive side.

With their next games against UT Martin and Jackson State, Baylor has a good chance to be 10-1, and maybe even a top-10 team before Big 12 Conference play that starts in January.

Baylor plays next Monday, December 18th against UT Martin at 9 P.M. CT on ESPNU.

Winners, Losers, and Trustworthiness

by samavers, posted in Fantasy

I want to start with a quick introduction to you. My name is Sam Avers and I am an avid fantasy football owner/player/GM or whatever you would like to call it. I could start by saying my stats, records and whatever to prove to you why you should listen to me and trust me. That is what fantasy football is all about when you are looking for help, right? Trust. You can trust guys like Matthew Berry, Field Yates, Mike Clay, and the list goes on and on but why should you trust a guy like me? Who you have never met? Especially with Semi-Finals coming up? You shouldn’t! But let me prove it to you. Take these players, trust me now if you would like, and watch this Sunday as my players hit all these predications. Then next week, come back and we will start all over again. Now, enough talk. Let’s dive right into my “Winners and Losers” Plays of Week.

Winners (Players who I think could win you the week):

  • In a game against a bottom-tiered run defense, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt (Running Backs for Cleveland Browns) are great starts against the 22nd ranked Arizona Cardinals. Chubb, obviously leading the league in rushing yards, has given you a double digit performance in every game this year (besides playing against the Steelers), while topping 100 yards on the ground 6 out of the 13 games. Hunt, on the other side, is averaging 12.0 points a game with very limited touches. That just shows the skill level he has as a runner and a receiving back. Look for both guys to have double digit points again this week with Chubb having a RB1 performance.
  • I tried to be as unbiased as I could while I am still alive in my own playoffs, but I had to give this player some love. Kenny Golladay (Wide Receiver for Detroit Lions) has proven this year that he one of the elite wide outs in the NFL. While Stafford was under center, he averaged 15 points per game. With the back-ups, he has averaged 13. As a Kenny G owner, I will take only a 2 points per game drop with the lackluster quarterback performances he has had to deal with the past 5 games. Coming into this juicy match up, riding a 2-game hot streak with Blough, I see Golladay getting more than 15 points this game against the 32ND RANKED WR DEFENSE. No Marvin may draw extra coverage, but I still see no problem for Kenny in this fantastic match up. Look for a lot of scoring in this game, which benefits Golladay greatly.
  • If you haven’t hopped on the Ryan Tannehill (Quarterback for Tennessee Titans) train yet, it’s about time that you do. Ryan has been on absolute fire since getting the nod for the starting role week 7. He is averaging more than 2 touchdowns a game while throwing an average of 264 yards a game as a starter (which is good for averaging 22 fantasy points per game). He faces a Houston Texans defense who just gave up a 309 yard, 3 touchdown game to mediocre Drew Lock. I am expecting about the same stats this week for Tannehill, if not closer to 350 yards.

  • Honorable Mentions
  • David Njoku: AZ has been just straight awful guarding tight ends all year long.
  • Chris Carson: No Penny and up against the 32nd ranked Carolina Panthers.
  • Jimmy Garoppolo: Atlanta can’t figure out how to stop good QB’s.
  • Chris Godwin: No Evans, and a high Over/Under game, I’ll take the over with Godwin.

Losers (Players who may lose you the game)

  • This one is kind of a layup, but any of the San Francisco 49ers Running Backs (Mostert, Coleman, Breida). I have been playing the Tevin Coleman game all year long and trust me, there is nothing more frustrating than that back field. Shanahan completely plays the hot hand and that could be anyone at any moment (See Mostert week 13, Coleman week 7, etc). If you want my opinion, if you are still reading this, I think Mostert will hurt you badly this week. I think Coleman has a revenge game against his former team, and I think Breida finishes with an average RB3 number. But I could be way off. And that, folks, is the San Fran Backfield. Stay away unless you have some inside news to share.
  • Quick and short, Arizona Cardinals Running Backs. Don’t do it. That is all.
  • How about a guy who has put up 3 straight weeks where you have been disappointed in him being in your WR1 slot. Tyreek Hill faces a 7th ranked defense in the Denver Broncos this week and I do not know where to stand on this. No, I do not think that their defense is so good that they will shut down Mahomes and Hill this weekend. However, I could see the ground game working at home in a game where they want the ball out of Mahomes’ hands as fast as possible. The last thing the Chiefs need is another helmet to his hand. So, in that case, I think Ty Hill really disappoints owners. I think he may have a lot of short passes to him which could pad the stats in ppr, but I don’t see him breaking off a 65 yard bomb this week to boost his fantasy output. I see 5 catches for 64 yards.

  • Honorable Mentions:
  • Amari Cooper: Jalen Ramsey effect.
  • Devin Singletary: Other than the CLE backs, Pittsburgh has swallowed up Running Backs all year.
  • Alvin Kamara: Disappointing all year long and going up against the 5th ranked defense in IND.
  • Sony Michel: If you are still in the playoffs with him on your team, you should know better to never start him.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this read, I’ll see you next week and we will talk about how you did!

Grad School Golf: FedEx Cup Draft Preview

by tjkgolfer, posted in Golf

This is a short tradition, one that has only lasted a mere two years, but Grad School loves it. Each year after a few PGA tournaments begin, Grad School JMP and Grad School TJK put on a little bet. We each pick five PGA Tour members in a “draft” order who we believe will win the FedEx Cup. Throughout the year at the beginning of each month, up until the PGA Championship, we are allowed to make two transactions—which can either be add/drop’s or trades. Grad School JMP took home the trophy, and the purse prize, last year by picking Rory McIlroy (fifth and final pick in the draft) from day one. Rory had an absolute stellar 2019 year to be the favorite just ahead of Grad School TJK’s leading stallion—Xander Schauffele. This year, Grad School Sports is presenting a little “draft preview” to help Grad School JMP and Grad School TJK in selecting their 2020 draft picks. Check back Monday December 16th for the final draft picks.

Rory McIlroy: This is an obvious first-round pick. Rory is coming off arguably his best year to date. Turned pro in September 2007, this golf phenom is a four-time major champion. In 2019, he had 18 Top-10 finishes, won THE PLAYERS Championship, and is 2019’s Player of the Year.

Brooks Koepka: Overall, just a great guy. We love him here at Grad School Sports. The man won three events in 2019 and captured his fourth major championship. For the second year in a row, he beat our McIlroy for the PGA of America Player of the Year. The man holds the record for the fastest time in golf history to go from zero to four major wins. Simply said, this guy is an alpha male. Look for him to have a breakout 2020 season.

Justin Thomas: Mr. 2017. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, this professional had his star moment in 2017. In one year, he managed five PGA Tour wins—including the 2017 PGA Championship, and culminating his first FedEx Cup. If there’s one thing Thomas is—it’s consistent. It seems that every event I watch with Thomas in the field, his name is always near the top. He may not be having another breakout season this year, but the 2019 FedEx Cup fourth-placer will always find a way to be in or near the spotlight.

Patrick Reed: Eh. It hurts me to say it, but maybe if he improves his lies this season he’ll manage to steal a few wins on Tour. Or get his card revoked. Solid Top-265 FedEx Cup player.

Tony Finau: The last player in this preview is one I think could have a record-breaking 2020 season. He placed seventh in the FedEx Cup standings in 2019, but his 2018 season gives me high hopes with 11 Top-10 finishes. Finau was Tiger Woods’ first captain’s pick for the 2019 President’s Cup, and I think this is both a high honor and a little appetizer for the work Finau has in store for 2020. Look for him to have a great performance in Australia this week, and a phenomenal 2020 season.

Honorable 2020 Mentions:

  • Xander Schauffele
  • Paul Casey
  • Kevin Kisner
  • Hideki Matsuyama
  • Patrick Cantlay
  • Francesco Molinari
  • Joaquin Niemann
  • Tommy Fleetwood
  • Webb Simpson
  • Jon Rahm

Rangers Trade Nomar Mazara to White Sox for Prospect

by Alec Murray, posted in MLB

The Texas Rangers have traded outfielder Nomar Mazara to the Chicago White Sox for outfield prospect Steele Walker per multiple sources. This news broke shortly after the Gerrit Cole signing, so it will likely go unsung by most of the baseball world outside of the two involved fan bases.

Mazara debuted for the Rangers in 2016 and showed great promise, slashing .266/.320/.419 and hitting 20 HR while finishing 5th in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, the left-handed 24 year-old has maintained that slightly below average performance, posting a .268/.318/.469 campaign in 2019. He has failed to piece together a single season of at least 1.0 bWAR. For context, Joey Gallo had a bWAR of 3.0 in just 70 games in 2019. Mazara has simply failed to develop on the talent that he clearly possesses and put on display against his new team in June of this year when he unloaded on a 505-foot HR that may have still been on its way up when it hit the seats.

On the return, the Rangers get OF prospect Steele Walker who was the #6 ranked prospect in the White Sox’ system and finished 2019 in high-A ball. Walker is 23, but played 3 years in college at Oklahoma where he actually played in the same outfield as Arizona Cardinals quarterback and Oakland A’s first round draft pick Kyler Murray. He put up better numbers at OU than Murray, who declined a $4.9M signing bonus and chose to play football.

The move makes sense for both teams as the Rangers can clear a log-jam in their outfield that included budding star Joey Gallo, Delino DeShields, Willie Calhoun, and occasional appearances from utility man Danny Santana and Shin-Soo Choo. The White Sox, meanwhile, can take a chance on a low-risk, high-upside player in Mazara, who still has two years of control left before becoming eligible for free agency after the 2021 season.

We already saw a monster home run from Nomar Mazara, so enjoy this video of Steele Walker with an all-time pimp job from his high school days in Prosper, TX:

EMERGENCY: The Yanks Signed Mr. Cole

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in MLB

Gerritt Cole is a New York Yankee. Let us rejoice and be glad. Cashman and the Yanks got their guy. Similar to the winter before the 09 season, the Yankees front office had a plan and were backed financially by the Steinbrenner family. The rotation is now stacked. The lineup is deep. And the Bronx Bombers are officially the EVIL Empire again. I will see everyone in October. The chase for 28 has begun.

Hot-Headed Stars Fan – DAL vs NJD

by mchidragon, posted in NHL

The Dallas Stars defeated the New Jersey Devils 2-0 Tuesday evening in Dallas. On a night with no other DFW sports team playing, this dominant performance was nowhere near the biggest story as a head coach from a Dallas sports team had been fired; Unfortunately for myself and many other Cowboys fans, that Dallas head coach firing wasn’t Jason Garrett.

Instead, this day began with the stunning firing of Jim Montgomery. Less than a year and a half into his reign as Dallas Stars Head Coach, Jim Montgomery was fired for “Unprofessional conduct”; However an exact reason has yet to be given by the team and we will likely not know for a very long time what exactly transpired. It was announced by general manager Jim Nill that bench coach Rick Bowness would become interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The feeling around management and the players was of utter befuddlement as no one could truly comprehend how quickly this situation unfolded. Unfortunately for everyone, there was no time to for adjustment because there was a game to play that night.

If there is anyone in the NHL that can share similar feelings to the Dallas Stars it is the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are in a similar boat as the Stars as they are also on their second head coach of the season. However, the 9-15-5 record of the Devils had more of an impact in that decision than the Stars mystery firing. Considering all the circumstances, the Devils were the perfect opponent for the Stars to play at a time like this.

This was a night of straight dominance from the Dallas Stars. They took full advantage of a team in absolute shambles to regain their footing in Rick Bowness’ first game as head coach of the Dallas Stars. The difference in quality of each team was quite evident from the second the puck dropped. The Stars were first on the puck, held sustained pressure in the offensive zone and that pressure led to two quick goals by Radek Faksa and Joe Pavelski in the 1st period. Once those two goals were scored the Stars continued to bombard Mason Blackwood, but he stood on his head the rest of the game and ended the game only allowing those two early goals on 35 shots. Ben Bishop had a 25 save shutout on a rather calm night for Big Ben, but as always made the big save when he was called upon. This was another all around great team game for the Stars. You saw continued back checks from forwards, guys filling shot lanes, and giving up the body to block shots. Did the 2-0 score line really show how dominant the Stars were? No not really, and that comes back to the Achilles heal of every Stars team these past couple of years and that is finishing. These grade A opportunities cannot continue to be squandered by over passing and waiting for the perfect shot. Another area of needed improvement for this team is their stale power play. It is absolutely bewildering that Tyler Seguin made a living shooting one timers from the left circle, but the staff refuses to put him in his best opportunity to succeed on the Power Play. Despite those minor gripes, it was still a great win and morale booster for this team as they gave Rick Bowness his first win as Dallas Stars head coach.

Lastly, I’d like to end the night (and most likely all nights from here on out) with some Hot Takes and things I personally found interesting in this matchup. This segment will be called “BGO’s Bitching Booth” for the time being.

  1. Miro Heiskanen is eons better than Nico Hischier. In recent memory, most NHL lottery picks have lived up to the hype that earned them such high draft grade, however it has become abundantly clear that neither Nico Hischier nor Nolan Patrick deserved to be the 1st and 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. You may even argue that neither would be Top 5 if it was re-drafted.
  2. PK Subban is still hated in Dallas and deservedly so. The guy is just a jerk who is finally being exposed as a fraud. The guy is consistently out of position, his offensively capabilities are overrated, and he decides that cheap shots behind the play are the best way to be relevant in the game. It is a damn shame that all he will be known for is being Lindsey Vonn’s husband by the end of his career.
  3. Denis Gurianov is fun to watch, like very fun. I get the same giddiness watching Denis the Menance play as I did with Roope Hintz during the second half of the 2018-19 Dallas Stars season. Gurianov’s game is like a game of spin the bottle (rocket). You may not get the action you wanted, but you’ll get to see some fireworks happen regardless.
  4. Tyler Seguin for Taylor Hall. It won’t happen but hey I can dream can’t I?
  5. Also, what the hell is wrong with Tyler Seguin? Is he hurt? Did he forget how to shoot the puck? Is he sacrificing too much of his offensive game to be more defensively sound? I don’t have the answer, but I am already beginning to regret this Seguin extension and we aren’t even half a season into it.

The next Stars game will be Friday 12/13 against the Golden Knights. Thankfully we will be blessed with watching the second most useless player in the NHL, Ryan Reaves.

Thanks for reading 🙂

    The 6 NFL Teams You Do Not Want to Face in the Playoffs

    by colewest86, posted in NFL

    The National Football League just concluded it 14th week of the season meaning its almost time for playoffs. With only a few more weeks, NFL fans have a pretty good idea who will make a deep run in the playoffs. Here are the 6 NFL teams you do not want to face in the playoffs in order:

    1.Baltimore Ravens

    The Baltimore Ravens do three things exceptionally well: run the ball, time of possession, and defense. They are #1 in the league in rushing with 200 rushing yards per game, #1 in time of possession, and have held teams to less than 18 points in 5 straight games. That is a great formula to win a Superbowl. They wear and tear defenses, keep the ball out of the opposing offenses’ hands, and play defense. Not to mention, they have the most versatile QB in the game right now continues to confuse defenses week in and week out.

    2. New England Patriots

    The two reasons to fear the New England Patriots have been the reasons that have been constant for the past two decades: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, arguably the best NFL coach and QB in history. Regardless that the Patriots lost last week, they are still one of the top-2 teams to be feared in the playoffs. Each year, the Patriots are a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs as long as they have Belichick and Brady who by far have the most playoff experience in the NFL. Additionally, they have the best defense and special teams the Patriots have had this decade. They are averaging 2.76 combined interceptions and forced fumbles a game.

    3. New Orleans Saints

    The New Orleans Saints are another team to be feared. For starters, they are a team that is hungry for a Super Bowl. Being snubbed the past two years (regardless of reason) has made this team out for blood this post season. Regardless of losing this past weekend, the Saints are to be feared because they got experience and an offense that can compete with any team in the league. They got an experienced coach in Sean Payton, and QB in Drews Brees. Experience goes a long way in the playoffs. That is why you hardly ever see QB’s win the superbowl on their first playoff run. Their offense has also put up 26+ points in six straight games showing they can compete with anyone in the league.

    4. San Fransisco 49ers

    The 49ers are an interesting team. While they do not have a flashy offense like some of the other teams on this list, they just find ways to win games. They just beat the Saints in a thriller on the road in their best offensive performance yet. They also have one of the best defenses in the league behind DE, Joey Bosa, and CB, Richard Sherman. The one question mark is the inexperience in their QB, Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has been nothing exciting this season until this past few games. However, he still lacks experience, which could show come postseason.

    5. Seattle Seahawks

    The Seahawks are another interesting group. Last weekend, they lost to the Rams where they did not look good at all scoring only 12 points to a division rival. This seems to be more of a fluke game than a patter though. Before this game, the Seahawks 6 out of 7 of their previous games by a TD or a less showing that they win close games. That will be huge come the postseason. Additionally they have a great run game averaging 140+ yards rushing a game along with an experienced QB in Russell Wilson who has won a Super Bowl. This is a team with an experienced coach and QB that knows how to win close games.

    6. Kansas City Chiefs

    This team may be a little bit more obvious as no team wants to play Mahomes and their high powered offense. Coming off a 23-16 win over the Patriots, the Chiefs are gearing up for a playoff run. This team can put up 28 points in a single quarter behind the league’s reigning MVP. While the Chief’s offense is one of the best in the league, their defense has been playing significantly better allowing 17 or less points in 3 straight games, and having 7 interceptions over the last 3 games. The Chiefs could become a whole different monster if their defense keeps this type of play up.