For the first time in 9 seasons, the most dominant team in all of sports will play on NFL Wild Card weekend.
So yeah, it’s not ideal, the Pats got beat at home by a 5-11 Dolphins team and lost the first round bye. On the bright side though we’re in the playoffs, we’re onto Tennessee, and it’s a new year and new season. Everyone knows things get different in New England during January and February. This is the real football season for the Pats.
I’m not going to dwell on the loss to the Dolphins for a few reasons. First is that it is what it is – we lost. Second is that it has happened before, and third is that the Pats are in the playoffs and they aren’t. So enjoy the beach fellas.
Anyways the loss hurts more than just a regular loss because the Pats lost the first round bye. It’s not a huge deal in my opinion but it opens the door for more injuries and leaves less time for already existing injuries to heal.
I know for a fact that Julian Edelman, who has undisclosed but probably serious injuries to his shoulder and ankle could’ve used an extra week to rest. Jon Jones and Jason McCourty, each dealing with groin injuries could’ve used those days as well. A few O-lineman have been banged up as well, but hey, it’s football.
So, let’s move onto this weekend, the Wild Card game against the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough.
Ever since Ryan Tannehill took over in Tennessee, the Titans have really been rolling. Not only is Tannehill the highest rated QB in the NFL since he’s been starting, wide receiver AJ Brown is not only the leading rookie receiver in the NFL, but also the leading receiver in the league. This Titans offense is no joke, I expect Brown to draw coverage from Gilmore plus another defender for the whole game. The Pats will no doubt have to take away the best offensive target through the air.
Now, let’s talk about the Titans best player. Running back Derrick Henry. The Titans offense is essentially built off of Henry. They want to play smashmouth bruising football, and Henry is just the back to do that. He’s 6’3″ 240, has run for 1,540 yards this year and added another 206 through receptions. This guy can break a tackle from any linebacker and then immediately turn on the jets and go 75 yards in a blink of the eye. I expect containing Henry to be at the top of the Pats’ defensive gameplan. We simply cannot have another game like the Dolphin’s game where they dominate the time of possession and move the ball down the field chunk by chunk.
On the offensive side I’m mostly concerned about the health of Edelman and the offensive line. Edelman is obviously banged up and was pretty much a non factor against the Dolphins. If the Pats are going to make a deep run this year they’re going to need legendary performances from #11.
Tom Brady also needs to find a way to make it work. I know all the talk this year has been “he doesn’t have weapons” and “nobody can get open”. I’m done with that talk. It’s the playoffs – time to show up and play as hard as you can with what you’ve got. Tom’s made it work with lesser than average receiving corps his whole career. The time for excuses is over, go out and make it work.
With that being said, if the Pats are going to have a consistent offensive attack it’s going to be on the ground. I thought Sony Michel had a good game against the Dolphins and gained good chunks of yardage when he had the blocking. He’ll probably be leaned on a good bit. I still would like Rex Burkhead to be used more robustly. He also had a good game against the Dolphins, but didn’t get enough touches to make a big impact.
All in all, I’m pretty nervous for this one. The team that showed up against the Dolphins looked dispassionate, low energy, and uninspired. I’m hoping that the opposite team shows up this Saturday.
#2. New England Patriots Super Bowl LI comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons, February 5, 2017.
Without a doubt, this was one of the most legendary games, and probably the best Super Bowl game in NFL History.
This game featured several records being set, including largest comeback in a Super Bowl (25 points) and the first game to be won in OT.
Video by NFL
Down 28-3 with a little more than two minutes left in the third quarter, the Pats finally scored their first TD of the game. They then went on to have a 19 point fourth quarter, all the while, holding a conservative Falcons offense to zero points.
Video by NFL
The comeback and game itself was so legendary that it is tough to put into words. There’s a number of plays that stick out though; Edelman’s absurd catch (see above), Amendola’s screen pass catch for the two point conversion, James White’s multiple TDs and game winning TD, Donta Hightower’s fumble forcing sack of Matt Ryan.
I remember not being able to sleep until about four in the morning after the game. I couldn’t get over what I had just witnessed and I just kept smiling at the ceiling thinking about Tom lifting the Lombardi Trophy in Goodell’s face.
If you’ve got a free 20 minutes, I highly encourage you to watch the video below.
4. Rams vs. Saints blown call by officials in NFC Championship game.
Where were you when the referees didn’t throw their flags on one of the most blatant pass interference calls in NFL history during the 2019 NFC Championship game between the Saints and Rams? I, for one, was on my couch in College Station, TX watching Drew Brees lead the Saints offense down the field, and about ready to cash my Saints -3 and Saints NFC Champion tickets. Then, in a flash, a blown pass interference call forced the Saints to settle for a FG on the drive, leaving just enough time for Jared Goff to lead the Rams down the field to kick a FG of their own to force the game into overtime. 10 minutes later, Greg Zuerlein kicked a 57 yard FG in OT and the Rams were headed to Super Bowl 53.
Just how bad was the call? Well, just see for yourself.
Video by Fox
Analysts and fans around the country were up in arms over the ruling on the field. Saints head coach Sean Payton looked about ready to commit first-degree murder. And the Saints fans in the Super Dome looked like they were ready to storm the field in French Revolution style. In fact, there were several lawsuits that were filed against the NFL after the game. It was a call that would live in infamy.
Video by NFL
Video by WWLTV
The significance of the no call? First, obviously it cost the Saints the chance to play in Super Bowl 53. Secondly, NFL fans were stripped of the opportunity to see a Brady v. Brees Super Bowl and instead were forced to sit in agony and watch one of the most boring Super Bowls in recent memory. Third and maybe most important to gamblers, the call cost bettors millions of dollars. Many had the Saints -3.5 and also had the Saints winning the NFC. It was a multi-million dollar blown call. One would think that after such an incredible mishap on one of the biggest stages in sports, the NFL would have found a substitute for officials. However, the 2019 NFL regular season has seen missed call after missed call from the men in stripes. Maybe a few more lawsuits from the fans down in New Orleans will help change that. A horrific blown call which cost the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees a potential Super Bowl Ring is our 4th best sports moment of the year.
In this series we will examine how every sports market fared in the 2010 decade. I will look at each team in their respective market and compare with other teams within that market. I only used Big 4 sports teams (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) in these rankings.
There are a few rules I followed in my rankings and are as follows:
Each market is divided into a classification (1 team, 2 teams, 3 teams, 4 teams) — similar to how high school sports are divided–in order to make it easier to compare.
MLB and NFL playoff appearances are weighted slightly more because NHL and NBA playoffs have over half of the teams in their leagues in the playoffs.
For the NBA, NHL and NFL, I use the 2009-2010 seasons as the start of the decade, because the champion of each was crowned in 2010. For example, the Saints were Super Bowl champions in 2010.
Markets only include teams in the metro area (for example I did not include Green Bay with Milwaukee and Sacramento with the Bay Area.
1 TEAM CLASS
There are 19 different markets in the United States and Canada with only one Big 4 team. Most of them have not had much success in the 2010’s so instead of mindlessly ranking all 19, I will give you my top 3 for this category
3 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (NBA)
Oklahoma City has been a menace in the NBA since the new decade. They have made the postseason every year but the 2015 season, winning their division four straight years from 2011 through 2014 and another in 2016. The Thunder won a total of 10 playoff series this decade as well as a Western Conference Title in the 2012 season. However, they fell to the Miami Heat in five games, and an NBA title eluded them throughout the decade.
2 Green Bay, Wisconsin (NFL)
Headlined by their Super Bowl XLV title in the 2011 season, the packers were dominant for the first half of the decade. They racked up four division titles from 2012 through 2015, and another in 2016. Adding Wild Card appearances in 2011 and 2016, the Packers were a regular in the NFL playoffs this past decade.
1 San Antonio, Texas (NBA)
I could probably keep the Spurs in this spot since the start of the millennium with how dominant they have been over the last 20 years. However, since the 2009-2010 NBA season, they won the Southwest Division seven times (2011-2014, 2016 & 2017) and they have two western conference titles in 2013 and 2014. In 2014 they beat the Big 3 Miami Heat for their fifth NBA title in franchise history. This was an easy call to have San Antonio at the top.
2 TEAM CLASS
11 Buffalo, New York (NFL, NHL)
Oh boy, where do I start here… Buffalo has some of the most loyal fans with the worst sports teams. Between the Bills and Sabres they have a combined THREE playoff appearances this decade. The Bills in 2018 and the Sabres all the way back in 2010 & 2011. The Sabres did have the lone division title in 2010 for Buffalo. To make things worse, the Bills lost their playoff game and the Sabres did not get out of the first round either year. Things are definitely looking up for the Bills going into the new decade.
10 Cincinnati, Ohio (NFL, MLB)
Without an NBA or NHL team to prop up their playoff appearances, the Reds and Bengals still totaled nine playoff appearances over the last 10 years and four of them coming by way of a division crown. The Bengals did not win a playoff game in six opportunities and the Reds lost in the NLDS in 2010 and 2012. To cap off their last appearance of the decade the Reds lost to Pittsburgh when Pirates fans were able to rattle Johnny Cueto in the 2013 Wild Card game.
9 Milwaukee, Wisconsin (MLB, NBA)
This is where it becomes more difficult to rank each market. It is hard to put Milwaukee this far down considering they have two MVPs in the last two seasons with Christian Yelich and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Most of the success in Milwaukee has been very recently. The first part of the decade was largely a dumpster fire for Milwaukee. The Bucks had five playoff appearances before 2019 and did not have a single series win. Their first division title also came in 2019 as well as an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Brewers did win their division in 2011 and beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five before falling to St. Louis in the NLCS. They won their division in 2018 and again lost in the NLCS. A wild card loss in 2019 kept Milwaukee out of the World Series and NBA finals for the entire decade and that’s why they’re at #9.
8. Charlotte, North Carolina (NFL, NBA)
Charlotte’s position at #8 is propped up almost entirely by the Carolina Panthers. In particular their appearance in Super Bowl 50 preceded by a 15-1 regular season. The Panthers won three straight division titles from 2014 through 2016 and tacked on a wild card berth in 2018. If Cam Newton was able to stay healthy, Charlotte would be a few spots higher. The most notable thing the Charlotte Hornets did was switch their name from the Bobcats back to the Hornets after 2014 and the team did not seem to do any better; just 3 playoff appearances and not one series win. They have been painfully spaced out and did not string together back-to-back postseason appearances all decade. This team may belong in Buffalo.
7. Nashville, Tennessee (NFL, NHL)
Yet another city propped up by one of their teams, but the Nashville Predators have been dominant the last 10 years. The predators have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs just twice and have a Stanley Cup finals appearance and a Presidents Trophy to show for the 2010’s. If they weren’t snake bitten by the Chicago Blackhawks early in the decade, they would have more than seven playoff series wins. The Tennessee Titans chipped in a playoff appearance in 2018 and a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead, which is not an easy task.
6. Indianapolis, Indiana (NFL, NBA)
Indianapolis comes in as the city with the most playoff appearances between their two teams (14) and the Colts won the AFC to start the decade. The Colts had a total of six playoff appearance and won the AFC South 4 times (2010,2011,2014 & 2015). The transition from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck propelled the Colts through the decade. The Pacers have been a mainstay in the postseason for the last 10 years, only missing the playoffs in 2010 and 2015. Making back to back Eastern Conference Finals appearances in 2013 & 2014 headline the 2010’s but were unable to overcome LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Let’s not forget about Lance Stephenson either.
5. New Orleans, Louisiana (NFL, NBA)
The New Orleans Saints beat the aforementioned Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV netting the city’s first professional sports title. The Saints also appeared in the postseason five more times in addition to 2010 but suffered heart-breaking losses in 2018 to the Minnesota Vikings and in 2019 to the Los Angeles Rams. Both years it was not out of the realm of possibility for another Saints Super Bowl victory. On the other hand, there is the New Orleans Pelicans. This team is notorious for wasting talented players, namely Chris Paul and Anthony Davis. Just three playoff appearances and no division titles, it was not a pretty decade for the Pelicans. They did however pick up a series sweep against Portland in the 2018 playoffs.
4. Seattle, Washington (NFL, MLB)
I can already hear my friends from the greater Seattle metro area tearing me apart for putting the Emerald City this low. The Seahawks have been absolutely phenomenal this decade. A Super Bowl win, another appearance and six total playoff appearances. Four NFC West titles to boot as well. It’s definitely not the Seahawks that is holding Seattle back. It’s the team that plays right across the street. The Seattle Mariners are one of just four MLB teams to not make the postseason in the last 10 seasons (Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres). To rub salt in the wound, they are now the only MLB franchise to never play in a World Series. I think most Seattle fans are content with a perennial contender in the Seahawks though.
3 Baltimore, Maryland (NFL, MLB)
It really is hard to believe that the Orioles used to be a very good baseball team with how horrendous they have been the last two seasons. The O’s made the playoffs in 2012, 2014 and 2016, with the 2014 season being a division title. They did have a Wild Card win in 2012 and an ALDS series win in 2014. The real powerhouse in Baltimore is the Ravens who have three division titles and Super Bowl XLVII under their belt. They add another three playoff appearances in wild card games. An 8-5 postseason record is definitely a sign of a strong decade and the way they have played this season, the 2020’s could be friendly to them as well.
2 Kansas City, Missouri (NFL, MLB)
The Kansas City Royals may have been the worst MLB team from 2000-2009. They had ONE winning season over that span, but the pain and suffering finally came to an end in the 2010’s. The Royals started out the 2014 postseason 8-0 enroute to a World Series appearance before losing to the San Francisco Giants in 7. They came back in 2015 and captured their second World Series title, beating the New York Mets in 5. They have largely gone dormant the last few years again but that’s the price of winning a ring in a smaller market. In the exact same parking lot lies Arrowhead Stadium and home to the Kansas City Chiefs. Amassing five division titles and two more wild card appearances, the Chiefs were regularly featured in the NFL playoffs even though they did not reach the AFC Championship until this past season. Just like the Ravens, the Chiefs will likely be a contender for a long time.
1 ST LOUIS, MISSOURI (NFL, MLB)
*I AM NOT COUNTING THE RAMS*
It is strange how the top two markets lie in the same state of Missouri. St. Louis is the only city on this list to have both teams claim a championship this decade. The Cardinals are one of the most respected MLB organizations and have consistently developed their own players. It has paid dividends for them in the form of a 2011 World Series Championship, a 2013 NL Pennant, and five division titles. The Cardinals have their name written all over postseasons for most of the decade. Finally, in 2019 the Blues raised the cup for the first time in franchise history. The Blues netted six playoff appearances since 2009-2010 before their seventh resulted in the Cup. That journey was nothing short of phenomenal, being in last place as late as January when the playoffs start in April. They missed the playoffs the first two years but have made it six of the last seven and have two division titles in 2012 and 2015. PLAY GLORIA!
Jerry Jones is the worst owner in all of sports. He has built the most valuable sports franchise in the world, but inappropriately talks to the press, oversteps his role, and even turns his back on the cowboys and leaves games early. He is a disgrace to the team and is a disease that needs to be cured. This is not the man I want to own and manage The Dallas Cowboys.
Time and time again I hear Dallas fans look for problems in the organization saying its the coaching staff, the quarterback, the defense, or anything else. It is a different “problem” every week. One thing that has been consistent over the last 30 years is, The Jerry Problem. Dallas rightfully so wants Jason Garrett gone, but lets take a look at The Jerry Problem.
The Dallas Cowboys get off to a hot start at 3-0. The fans are beginning to believe once again that this is “our year.” A phrase that I have heard all my life. The Cowboys were #4 in the power rankings per ESPN coming into week 4. Kellen Moore had reshaped the Cowboys offense to a pass first attack that was shredding offenses. Dak Prescott threw for over 900 yards in his first 3 games. The Cowboys are on track for it to be “our year.”
Fast Forward 3 weeks and we are reminded that greatness can only last so long, especially considering the records of the three teams we beat. This three game stretch reminds us that it once again is not “our year.”
The Dallas Cowboys face a tough decision in deciding to extend Garrett or look elsewhere. Jerry Jones has loved Garrett for many seasons shown by the following statement, “We have a lot invested in Jason. Jason is certainly, in my mind, the coach that could turn this thing around and cause us to have a great year.” Throughout the season he has reminded the Cowboys that he is the guy, “I wouldn’t make a change & give us a chance to do what I want to dream about doing.” and “There will be no coaching change.” Jerry Jones believed in Garrett until he didn’t.
Jerry Jones flips his opinion of Garrett overnight and states, “we’d have zero chance” to win a Super Bowl with the current head coach. This couldn’t be the same man that believed in Jason Garrett just a little over a month ago. At 6-6 leading the NFC East, Jerry Jones idiotically goes to the media once again to publicly indicate that Jason Garrett will be fired after the season is over unless he wins a Super bowl. This is incredibly inappropriate for a team atop of the division controlling their own destiny.
Imagine your boss giving you an impossible task. Now imagine the pressure of this task knowing if you don’t finish you would be fired. This is the scenario that Jason was put under and is down right idiotic of Jerry Jones to say. If I knew I was going to be fired within the next two months, I would have no incentive to work and the team showed it on the field. In the next few games you saw a flat Cowboys team that had no energy trying to rally behind Dak Prescott. The issues on the field have one explanation, The Jerry Problem.
Jerry Jones only option with a team 6-6 vying for the playoffs was to fire Jason Garrett mid-season and promote Kris Richard as the Interim Head Coach. Richard played football at USC under Pete Carroll and joined him on his coaching staff at Seattle where he was the secondary coach and helped develop talent that included Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor. AKA “The legion of boom.” Dallas hired him as the defensive backs coach in 2018 and he has done a phenomenal job helping the Dallas defense turn into a top 10 defense. In the offseason after his first year there was much speculation about him being promoted or even becoming a defensive coordinator somewhere else.
At 6-6, who would you rather have, a lackluster, hand clapper, emotionless Jason Garrett who has no reason to fight to win the division? Or would you rather have a fiery Kris Richard with a lot to prove with the capability of winning the division and doing some damage in the playoffs.
A team that has top 5 talent in almost every area on the field is now #14 in the power rankings (Per ESPN). This seems to have always been the case for the Cowboys in the past 20 years, a talented team that grossly continues to underperform.
The choice was simple, the choice was obvious, the choice was necessary. Jerry Jones has been the problem, is the problem, and will always be the problem for The Dallas Cowboys.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other Holiday you may celebrate! I am optimistically looking forward to 2020 and I hope you are too!
Pats are 12-3 heading into week 17
The Patriots won the AFC East for the 11th year in a row this past weekend, a truly remarkable feat in a league designed for constant parity and turnover. Baring another “Miami Miracle” this weekend, we’ll finish the season with an impressive 13 wins.
Positives from the Bills game
I thought last week’s game against the Bills was one of the most exciting games of the year. Two evenly matched teams played hard nose football the whole game, and it came down to the last possession. That being said, I thought the Pats got back to playing ‘Patriots football’ and pretty much controlled the game throughout.
Positive #1
The big guys up front on both sides of the ball were outstanding. Isaiah Wynn, Joe Thuney, and Shaq Mason have really led the way for a surging position group. Mason in particular has been really good down the stretch this year after a shaky start to the season. He’s had 85 grade or above from Pro-Football Focus in four of his last seven games. I was critical of him earlier in the year, but I think he’s starting to show why he’s worth the money we paid him. Joe Thuney has been outstanding and has really anchored the O-line all year. He’s got a PFF grade of 78.5, which is pretty solid and I hope the Pats give him a new contract after this season. Marcus Cannon went down after getting the back of his ankle rolled up on during a run play. According to sources, he was at practice today so that is a good sign going forward.
Positive #2
This was the first game where I felt confident in our receiver’s abilities to get open for Tom. The ball was really spread around against the Bills as Edelman, White, Harry, Burkhead, Meyers, Sanu, Watson, and LaCosse all played important parts in the passing game.
The two most exciting components to me were the emergence of Rex Burkhead both running and catching balls out of the backfield, and the continued development and usage of N’Keal Harry.
Based on the last two games, I think Burkhead has been criminally underused this season. He’s great catching balls out of the backfield, and he can make people miss in the open field. Plus, he showed he’s tough to tackle straight up, as he bounced right off a Bills linebacker for the go ahead touchdown.
N’Keal Harry also continues to show toughness and versatility both running and catching the ball. Two weeks in a row now, the Pats have called end around runs with him and aside from a missed block from Sanu, each one has gone for 10+ yards. The hand-off to Harry on the 4th and 1 where he was stopped short was really disappointing. Sanu totally whiffed on his block, and seemed to barely make any effort at all. Harry didn’t back down from his match-up with top Bills corner, Tre’Davious White. Harry blocked against him hard, much to the chagrin of White. I still think Harry’s got a long way to go to be top option passing wise, but he works hard, blocks hard, and is super athletic. This guy has all the tools to be a monster weapon and I’m rooting for him.
Positive #3
Special teams and defense continues to get it done.
DPOY candidate Stephon Gilmore and Pro-Bowl snub JC Jackson played outstanding yet again. I was also really impressed with Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler, two under the radar defensive lineman who have played outstanding for the Pats in the last two years. Guy in particular is highly rated for not missing tackles (he’s only missed one all year).
The defense did a great job of putting pressure on Josh Allen when it mattered the most. During the last drive of the game, the Bills made it all the way down to the 25ish yard line and had three shots to the end zone. On the first one, Allen missed his tight end in the back corner for a potentially game tying touchdown. On the second Allen was sacked, and on the third, the Pats blitzed hard, and Allen had no time other than to run back ten yards and chuck it up. JC Jackson subsequently knocked the pass down.
Another thing we can’t take for granted is the kicking game. Nick Folk nailed three field goals, including a 51 yard attempt and one extra point. Good kicking has been a rare commodity in the NFL this year, and if the Pats can rely on Folk to be confident down the stretch, it’ll be a huge luxury.
A look ahead
The Pats are hosting the Dolphins at home this week. Obviously, the Dolphins don’t really have much to play for and aren’t a top team, but I expect them to compete nonetheless. It’ll be interesting to see the dynamics of Brian Flores’ and all the former Pats coaches and players coming back to Foxborough for the first time. It’s been no secret that Flores brought a large contingent of Patriots from last year’s team with him down to South Beach. This past week, he claimed two players from the Pats practice squad. I wonder if that has ruffled anybody’s feathers in the building.
The Pats need to win this game. If they win, a first round bye, and home field in the Divisional game is ours. If not, the Chiefs will get home field and the bye (assuming they win). By all accounts, the Pats are taking this one super seriously. In the locker room after the Bills game, Belichick called the game a playoff game and the upcoming game against the Dolphins a playoff game as well. Nobody’s taking this one lightly, and I would expect nothing less. I’m expecting this team to rally around the now famous quote from Elandon Roberts for the rest of the season, “I’ll run through a M*****f***** face, offense, defense, special teams, it don’t matter.”
8. Marshawn Lynch’s Beastmode run against the New Orleans Saints in 2010.
Trying to milk the clock while holding onto a 34-30 lead in the 2010 NFC Wild Card Round, the Seahawks faced a 2nd and 10 on their own 33-yard line versus the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. Not many pundits had given the 7-9 Seahawks a chance in the game due to them being the first team with a losing record to make the postseason in NFL history. With nothing to lose and respect to gain, the Seahawks elected to hand off the ball to their midseason acquisition Marshawn Lynch on a power run. Lynch then activated his now infamous “Beast Mode” running style, and he broke eight attempted tackles by the Saints’ defenders. The run peaked when Lynch threw a stiff arm that sent Roman Harper flying to the grown, and Lynch added an exclamation mark by diving into the endzone to extend the Seahawks lead to double digits with 3 minutes and 22 seconds left in the game. The run left the crowd in such a frenzy that the roar registered on Seismograph readings.
Video by NFL
The Seahawks would go on to win the game 41-36. However, the great run had a greater impact than just propelling the Seahawks to the divisional round. The victory set the tone for the Pete Carroll era where the Seahawks went on to make the playoffs 8 times, the Super Bowl twice, and win Super Bowl XLVIII in the decade.
This Sunday at 3:25, the Dallas Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a battle for the #1 spot in the NFC East. Both teams come into the matchup with a mediocre 7-7 record sitting at top of the division. What has been a rather underwhelming fight for the division will all come to an end this Sunday. If the Cowboys win, they will clinch the #1 seed in the NFC East making the Cowboys the NFC East champion for the two years in a row- first time in 8 years. On the other hand if the Eagles win, they do not clinch playoff berth, but control their own destiny sitting on top of the division.
Now both teams have had an underwhelming season since the Eagles and Cowboys were predicted to have 11 and 10 wins respectively when both teams can only get a maximum of 9 wins this season. They met previously in October in Arlington where the Cowboys beat the Eagles 37-10. The Cowboys in that game looked dominant and clearly the better team; however, that was nearly 2 months ago and a lot has happened since.
Since that game, the Cowboys have lost 4 out of their next 7 games losing to all teams above .500 except for the Rams. The media has swarmed them regarding the possibility of firing Jason Garrett after losing to the Bills on Thanksgiving, and the Bears in primetime. The Eagles have also experience their share of struggles losing 3 out of their next 7 games including the Dolphins, and nearly losing to the Redskins and Giants.
The Cowboys now come into this game ranked 2nd in passing averaging 300 yards a game, and are 6th in rushing averaging 134 yards a game. On the other side, the Eagles are 16th in passing with 231.5 yards a game, and 11th in rushing with 121.4 rushing yards a game. The Cowboys offense seems to have a little bit of an advantage; however their defenses are similar being next to each other in nearly every team defensive stat. The Cowboys have won 4 games against the Eagles in a row and are looking to add a 5th on Sunday.
Keys to the Game
The key to the game for the Cowboys is to run the ball. The Cowboys have looked the best they have looked recently last week when they beat the Rams, and running the ball was a huge part of it. They had over 250 yards on the ground in their win against the wins. Establishing run will not only open up the pass for quarterback, Dak Prescott, it will eat up the clock and keep the Eagles offense off the field majority of the game.
The key to the game for the Eagles is their defense and their ability to stop the run/force turnovers. The Eagles offense is banged up with only 2 healthy wide receivers, and their running backs are banged up. This offense has struggled to score in the first half the past few games. So if the Eagles defense can put pressure on Dak to force some bad throws, or even some turnovers, then that gives the offense the boost it needs in this rivalry game.
Prediction
Predicting a game that includes the Cowboys is always tough because you never know which team will show up. I think the Cowboys are the healthier, and more talented team. Normally, I would say the Eagles, but the Eagles have struggled against bad teams the past 3 weeks (Dolphins, Giants, Redskins). Additionally, the Cowboys always seem to play well against the Eagles (winning the last 4 games against them). I am going to go with the Cowboys over the Eagles 27-20.
Dallas and Philadelphia will square off 3:25 CT this Sunday on FOX. The winner will most likely win the NFC East, and be the #4 seed in the NFC playoffs. The NFC East champion will most likely host a playoff game against either the Seattle Seahawks or San Fransisco 49ers whichever team is the runner-up.
Yesterday, the NFL released both the AFC and NFC rosters for the 2020 Pro-Bowl. Aka the 2020 nobody cares bowl. Highlighting the roster are 12 (TWELVE) Baltimore Ravens, 7 Saints and 6 Chiefs. Everyone knows that the Pro-Bowl selection process isn’t the most unbiased and just way to do things, but this years class of selections in particular really exposed the flaws. Keep reading for some of the most egregious snubs.
NFC QBs
Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers. The 1st is having an MVP caliber season, Brees is currently ranked the 4th best QB in the NFL, and then we have Aaron Rodgers, who simply got a free pass because his name is Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers is currently ranked the 17th best QB in the league, sandwiched between Jameis Winston (16th) and none other than Baker Mayfield (18th). Rodgers does lead the league with only 2 interceptions, but is a distant 9th and 11th when it comes to TDs and yards, respectively.
So, who should’ve got in before Rodgers? I think the signal callers with the best cases are Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins. Prescott is currently ranked the 3rd best QB in the league, Cousins is 9th. Prescott is 2nd in yards and 4th in TDs. Statistically speaking he’s put together a much better year than Rodgers, and he’s been way more efficient while doing it. Cousins is top ten in all major categories, yards, TDs, INTs, and total QBR. He’s also put together a more impressive season on paper and in the metrics department.
I’m not a football data analyst or anything, but it looks like the voters got it wrong here. Rodgers got in because he’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s got the reputation, and way more State Farm commercials than Kirk will ever have.
AFC Safeties
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jamal Adams, Earl Thomas. The first two I agree with, the last probably shouldn’t have made it.
Just yesterday I saw an article calling Tyrann Mathieu a candidate for defensive player of the year. How can he be a top candidate for that award, and not make the pro-bowl team?
Thomas is the Pro-Bowler with a stat line of 30 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 1.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
On the other hand, Mathieu has 50 solo tackles, 3 INTs, and 2 sacks.
It gets worse though, folks.
Devin McCourty has 38 solo tackles, 5 INTs, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.
These are just basic stats. I’m no statistician or big into stats at all, but when you sit down and look at the comparisons, it’s pretty ugly.
And the WORST Pro-Bowl selection of them all
Tyreek Hill. Mr. Hill has played in 10 of a possible 15 games for the Chiefs this year! He’s put together a truly impressive line of 49 receptions on 79 targets for 727 yards and 9 TDs. His stats really jump off the page don’t they?!
Well let me know what you think of Hill’s stats after you look at Julian Edelman’s, top receiver on the “terrible” Patriots offense.
92 receptions, 140 targets, 1,019 yards, 6 TDs.
So let me get this straight… Edelman has 45 more receptions, 61 more targets, 2 more TDs, and 292 more yards than Hill, but the latter is the Pro-Bowler? Got it. Oh yeah and since reputation is supposedly a factor in the voting process, let’s just throw in that Hill was the one with child abuse allegations this past off season, not Edelman.
Hey NFL, your Patriots bias is showing.
Of course, I’m cherry picking here comparing Hill to Edelman because I’m a big fan of Jules. But just so you know, there are 52 receivers who have more receptions than Tyreek Hill, 38 with more yards, 12 with more TDs, and 20 with a better yards per reception average. Sounds like a Pro-Bowl starter to me!
So let’s all raise our glass to another year of big Pro-Bowl snubs not just on the Pats but across the league and another year of no Patriot actually playing in the nobody cares bowl.
We’re about 48 hours past the Pats getting back into W column and boy does it feel good. Defense balled out, offense was effective enough, but all in all it felt like the Pats did just enough to get back on track. My thoughts below.
Defense
This defense is absurd. The Pats currently have two of the best corners in the league on the roster. Everyone now knows Stephon Gilmore, candidate for defensive player of the year, and arguably the top corner in the league. He took home two interceptions, including a pick six on the day. He currently boasts a QB rating of 32 against him when receivers he is covering are targeted. This weekend he covered Tyler Boyd, who I pointed out in my game preview is putting together a pretty nice season. Gilmore held him to two catches for 24 yards, but somehow Boyd still thought he won most of their one on one match-ups. Hats off to you for the confidence, Tyler…I guess. Gilmore is currently tied for the league high in interceptions, with six.
His counterpart, J.C. Jackson, is probably a name that most fans of the NFL in general don’t know off the top of their head. J.C. is an undrafted DB out of the University of Maryland. He put together a really good rookie season last year and has only stepped it up from there. He currently touts a QB rating of 28 when receivers he is covering are targeted. Jackson also had two interceptions to add to his season total of 5. It’s pretty rare to find undrafted studs like J.C. The fact that he’s playing DB, one of the toughest individual positions in the sport in my opinion, makes it even more impressive.
It’s no wonder why Zac Taylor said he thought his receivers got “bullied” by the Patriots DB’s. The whole secondary was jumping routes and hitting hard all day long. It was awesome to watch, but even more funny to hear Taylor say that. A first year head coach (also the youngest head coach in the league) probably doesn’t need to be beating down his players at the end of a year like this. Oh well though.. Bengals gonna Bengal.
Special Teams
The special teams group has balled out all season and this game was no different. Jake Bailey added to his stellar rookie season, consistently pinning the Bengals in unfavorable field position. Nate Ebner almost blocked another kick, and the duo of Matthew Slater and Justin Bethel is any special teams coaches’ dream. Since the addition of Bethel, the Pats have not given up a punt return of more than ten yards. That’s truly remarkable when you consider the rate at which the Pats are punting – currently 3rd in the league with 5.4 per game.
Matthew Slater caused a fumble on a punt which turned out to be a big turning point in the game. It was caused by some lucky timing by Slater’s right arm/hand, and a Bengals blocker ever so slightly pushing Slater into the punt returner, which negated a possible penalty for punt interference. The Bengals were furious that nothing was called, and the team really seemed defeated after it happened. Who recovered it you ask? None other than Justin Bethel.
Offense
If you just look at the stats you’d probably think the offense had another lackluster performance. Brady only had 129 yards, Michel had 89 (one of his higher totals for the year), but as a whole, the Pats had 175+ yards on the ground, and the passing game showed a good bit of improvement.
The one big bright spot in the offense was the usage of N’Keal Harry. The rookie only had two catches for 15 yards, but made an awesome diving catch in the back of the end zone, and showed unreal athleticism making a diving over the shoulder catch that was negated due to a penalty. While Harry may not have put up eye popping numbers, it was encouraging to see him out there for a majority of the snaps, and his confidence seemed to be at a high point during this game. I’m looking for him to emerge as a real number two threat down the stretch, he could be really big for this team.
I mentioned one of the keys to this game being the offensive line. The big guys certainly had a better outing than the Chiefs game, but there’s still room for improvement. Marcus Cannon got beat several times by Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard, who both sacked Brady and hit him multiple times. Isaiah Wynn and Joe Thuney led the way and showed off their versatility. Much like my hope for Harry, I still think this group can be way better than they have showed so far.
On the negative side, Mohamed Sanu continues to disappoint. He dropped a pivotal pass on third down, and only caught two passes for 13 yards in total. Phillip Dorsett played nine snaps, as his position as a go to option in this offense seems to be over. Edelman and Brady showed some rare miscommunication as a few passes either missed Edelman or hit off his fingers. I’m sure we’ll never know the extent of his injuries this season, but it’s pretty obvious that Jules is hurting.
On to Buffalo
Buffalo comes to Foxborough this Saturday for the second of three games that will be played on Saturday. It’s a short week for both teams, but I don’t expect that to negatively effect anybody on either side as both realize that this is a pretty big game for both teams.
The Pats need to win this game to retain the 2nd spot in the AFC, if they lose they risk dropping behind the Chiefs, who have the head to head advantage. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl still goes through Baltimore.
For Buffalo, it’d be huge for their confidence going into the playoffs, and further solidify the great season they’re having so far. They’re coming off a huge win in Pittsburgh, Josh Allen is playing well, the defense is the strength of their team, and they’re without a doubt hyped up to go into New England and get a shot at dethroning the Pats.
I’m expecting a dog fight in Gillette. The Bills are going to come out swinging, they’re going to be hyped up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pats down early. But it’s going to come down to who can execute when it matters, who wins in the trenches, and who can get open consistently. This will probably be a low scoring defensive battle – wouldn’t want it any other way in December.
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