Month: October 2024

NFL Week Eight Winners and Losers

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Week eight was a fun and wild end to October. There are some surprising teams in first place while some playoff seasoned teams are getting worse. The first two months of the season were anything but dull. It’s time to break down the week eight winners and losers before Halloween.

Winners: Jameis Winston

Cleveland had one of the league’s worst offenses when Deshaun Watson was the starting quarterback. After Jameis Winston started yesterday, there might be hope for the Browns offense in November.

Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and a 115.3 passer rating in an upset home win over Baltimore. All three of his scores were in the second half. Every time the Ravens tied or took the lead, Jameis Winston responded with a scoring drive. The Browns last possession of the game was a 38 yard touchdown to receiver Cedric Tillman (however he couldn’t convert the two point conversion).

The end of October divisional win keeps Cleveland’s faint playoff hopes alive. It wouldn’t be surprising if Winston replicates Sunday’s performance the next few weeks and the Browns win more games.

Houston Texans

It was easy to overlook an AFC south divisional matchup Sunday due to other headline games and bigger storylines. While Indianapolis and Houston wasn’t seen by many to be an attractive matchup, the game wound up as one of Sunday’s best.

The Colts scored ten of the 13 first quarter points and slowed down the Texans offense. Head coach DeMeco Ryans made the necessary changes and the defense tightened up in the second quarter. The secondary made sure starting quarterback Anthony Richardson grew frustrated and tired of throwing incomplete passes. Houston’s offense scored two touchdowns to take a seven point lead late in the first half.

Indianapolis almost took the lead multiple times in the second half but the Texans defense stepped up and kept the Colts offense out of the endzone for all but one possession. Houston forced two turnovers and sacked Richardson five times. It wasn’t perfect, but the Texans got enough from every side of the ball to seal a needed win and retain their division lead by two games.

Ladd McConkey

The Chargers entered the 2024 season thin at wide receiver. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and starting quarterback Justin Herbert had to find new targets who could play well and improve each game. Two months into the regular season, it’s safe to say Ladd McConkey has been a great find for Los Angeles.

In an easy home win against New Orleans Sunday, the second round rookie had six catches on six targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns. McConkey scored two incredible touchdowns for a combined 69 yards against a solid Saints secondary. He still averaged ten yards a catch when he didn’t score.

Los Angeles loves to run the ball and use at least two tight-ends. A rising star in Ladd McConkey will keep Harbaugh’s offense multi-faceted. McConkey’s been a top three name in team receiving stats every game the Chargers played this month. He’ll be fun to watch the second half of the season.

Bo Nix

While one could say the Panthers defense is the league’s worst, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a great game Sunday and keeps showing audiences why head coach Sean Payton was right to draft him.

Nix was responsible for all four Denver touchdowns Sunday. He completed 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns and a 124.2 passer rating. He also ran for an additional score that sealed a double digit win in the third quarter.

There will be moments when Bo Nix plays like a rookie and gets overwhelmed, but not many analysts believed the Broncos would have a winning record after October. Denver finally looks like a playoff team with a competent offense and quarterback.

Losers: Everyone who thought Drake Maye should’ve been New England’s starting quarterback

It’s funny when audiences watch a terrible team and demand that team start a promising rookie to generate a spark and lift team spirits. When it comes to the NFL, most of the time it’s a dumb idea. One player can make a difference but there are 52 others who can nullify the confidence.

The latest example of this is Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye. There’s a lot to like with Maye and many can see why he should start. However, many football fans knew even if Drake Maye played, New England would still be a bad team. He didn’t have to start at any point the first two months of the season.

Although there were highlights and good signs in his first October starts, Maye was concussed early against the Jets Sunday. He did get the Patriots an early lead, but New York came back and got the lead next quarter. It was up to veteran Jacoby Brissett to play the rest of the game.

Ironically, Brissett led a final drive that resulted in a game-winning touchdown and threw a two point conversion that sealed a three point win. He has both of New England’s wins this season, and they’re against opponents many viewed as playoff favorites. There’s no reason to force a rookie quarterback to start especially if the offense lacks talent. The concussion was avoidable and the Patriots would be wise to let Maye learn offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s schemes the rest of the season. It’s not like New England has playoff hopes. They shouldn’t bother damaging a franchise player to build around.

Miami Dolphins defense

Miami won’t make the playoffs even if the offense is one of the league’s best because of their awful defense. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a needed spark for an offense that couldn’t score or put up yards. After multiple double digit leads, the Dolphins lost because their defense failed to keep Arizona’s offense off the field.

After Miami got another ten point lead, the Cardinals found ways to keep the score close. The Dolphins offense didn’t help themselves giving Arizona’s defense an easy two point score off a Tagovailoa fumble. The safety made it an eight point game. The Cardinals offense worked fast and got a Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdown the following possession (though they didn’t get the two point conversion), cutting Miami’s lead to two.

After both offenses scored additional touchdowns, the Dolphins defense had to hold the two point lead. One would think with five minutes left, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver would call his best plays and seal up Miami’s third win of the season. Arizona went 73 yards on 13 plays and kicked a game winning field goal as time expired.

The Dolphins ended October stuck at two wins. The defense struggles to stop the run. They can’t get opponents off the field on third down, pressure opposing quarterbacks or force turnovers. It doesn’t matter how good head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is if the defense gives up a minimum of 22 points per game.

Seattle Seahawks offense

In hindsight, it should’ve concerned more analysts Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf wouldn’t play Sunday against Buffalo. While the Bills defense isn’t spectacular, Metcalf’s presence gives Seattle’s receiving core more advantages against opposing secondaries.

The Seahawks offense was dreadful. Not only did starting quarterback Geno Smith have his worst game of the season, everything that could go wrong, did. From Smith having his foot stepped on and messing up multiple passes, to an Austin Johnson interception leading to a third quarter Buffalo touchdown, Seattle’s offense struggled to get anything right.

The worst possessions were in the first half when Seattle kept the score close. The first ended in a field goal after center Connor Williams fumbled the ball and runningback Kenneth Walker III recovered it for a 28 yard loss. The Seahawks then took a five yard delay of game penalty before the next play. The second possession started after cornerback Josh Jobe became the first player to intercept Buffalo’s starting quarterback Josh Allen all season and returned it 33 yards to the Bills seven yard line. Seattle’s four plays to start what should’ve been a scoring possession were:

  • three yard run from Kenneth Walker III
  • three yard run from Zach Charbonnet
  • no gain run from Walker III
  • Geno Smith self-sacked for a six yard loss due to Williams stepping on his foot snapping the ball.

The Seahawks lone touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter when the Bills sealed the win. A one yard run from Charbonnet wasn’t enough to give Seattle hope. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb assumed a high octane offense would steamroll Buffalo’s veteran defense at home. That game-plan put Seattle into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC west instead of alone in first.

Tyrique Stevenson

If you haven’t seen the Jayden Daniels game-winning, 52 yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown, please watch it. Everyone will laud Daniels for his timing, scrambling, accuracy and the deflection into Brown’s arms for the win. Many will miss how Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson put Brown in position to catch the pass because he was taunting the Washington fans in Northwest Stadium as Jayden Daniels snapped the ball. After Bears fans screamed at Stevenson to pay attention, he quickly rushed to the ball and deflected the pass high to Noah Brown. The deflection was perfectly placed backwards where Brown wasn’t covered by any Chicago defender. The Commanders became the first team in 20 years to score their only touchdown in a game as time expired since the 2004 Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills (via Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt). Don’t expect Tyrique Stevenson to play meaningful minutes the next few weeks.

NFL Week Seven Winners and Losers

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As we near the end of October, more teams are separating from playoff contender to having a high draft pick. Coaching plays a part in which team advances or goes home. It’s time to break down the weekends winners and losers.

Winners: Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia has dominated their division rival Giants the last few years. Sunday didn’t change.

The Eagles played their most complete game of the season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed ten of 14 passes for 114 yards, a touchdown and a 119.3 passer rating. He also ran seven times for 22 yards and two scores. Former New York franchise star runningback Saquon Barkley ran 17 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver A.J. Brown had five catches for 89 yards and the only touchdown thrown by Hurts. The Giants defense is good, but the Eagles offensive line dominated game pace and time of possession.

On defense, Philadelphia shut down New York’s offense. Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones threw 99 yards in three quarters. Jones was sacked eight times and struggled to find open receivers without a defender in his face. Defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Nakobe Dean each had two sacks.

Head coach Nick Sirianni is under pressure to close the gap with division leader Washington. The defense got better this month and the offense improved against the best defense in their division. That’s a good sign this late in October.

Marcus Mariota

The only thing the Eagles didn’t get on an almost perfect Sunday was a Commanders home loss. After jumping to a quick ten point lead, Washington lost their starting quarterback Jayden Daniel to a rib injury. That meant backup quarterback Marcus Mariota played the rest of the game.

While Mariota’s inconsistency and injury history made him a backup, he played like a starter Sunday. Mariota completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and a 132.8 passer rating. He also ran eleven times for 34 yards. A nine year NFL veteran, Marcus Mariota plays well when scrambling outside the pocket.

Washington didn’t need a high octane offense to beat Carolina (more on them later), but they needed offensive depth to step up. The Commanders now know they have a good backup to run offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s plays if their starting quarterback gets injured again.

Los Angeles Rams defense

The Rams defense has been one of the worst this year. Reasons vary from offseason transactions, young talent adjusting to playing in the NFL, and lack of roster depth. Sunday was a boost for the learning unit.

Vegas’ offense struggled to move the ball downfield against Los Angeles. After starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell left with a hand injury, Gardner Minshew II completed 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards, three interceptions and a 21 quarterback rating. The defense’s best play of the game was defensive-back Cobie Durant sacking Minshew for eleven yards and forcing a fumble. Fellow defensive-back Kam Curl recovered the fumble and ran it back for a 33 yard touchdown. That score was the difference in Los Angeles’ second win of the season.

The Rams might be stuck at the bottom of the NFC west but it’s more important the defense develops and plays better the second half of the season. Sunday was a good starting point.

Patrick Mahomes’ 33 yard scramble against San Francisco

Every time viewers think they’ve seen Patrick Mahomes II do it all, he does something new. Kansas City’s dominant win against San Francisco had many fun plays, but the best was a 33 yard run by Mahomes with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter. His agility and improv behind the line of scrimmage show he’s the best in the league.

Losers: Bill Callahan

Every rookie head coach has highs and lows their first season. However, new Titans coach Bill Callahan continues having the worst luck after week seven.

Callahan decided to bench gaffe-prone starting quarterback Will Levis before Tennessee played the Bills. Backup Mason Rudolph got the start for multiple reasons and helped the Titans get a ten point lead at one point in the first half. Tennessee went into halftime at Buffalo leading by three.

Unfortunately, Callahan forgot how to make second half adjustments while leading against a veteran, playoff caliber team. A 10-7 lead wouldn’t stay for another half with how the Bills played better the last few minutes of the second quarter. While the Titans offense was shut out the second half, Buffalo scored ten points in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth.

The offensive-minded Callahan was brought in to further develop talent at runningback and wide receiver. That’s been a struggle most of the season. It’s harder when Rudolph was chosen to play a conservative game. Bad luck is a factor in each Titans loss, but viewers have seen both quarterbacks struggle to adjust with second half gameplans. This could be a long, remaining two months of the regular season for Tennessee.

Atlanta Falcons offense

Atlanta was on a three game winning streak with the tiebreaker for first place in the NFC south before Sunday. The Falcons ended yesterday with questions on offense. It didn’t help starting quarterback Kirk Cousins talked trash about Seattle “walking into their trap” last week. Cousins had to back it up and play well against a younger, battered defense. That didn’t happen.

While Atlanta dominated the first half against the Seahawks in time of possession, they had seven points and trailed by ten at halftime. Kirk Cousins did throw a five yard touchdown to receiver Drake London to start the third quarter, but Seattle’s defense sealed a win late in the fourth when linebacker Boye Mafe forced a fumble and linebacker Derick Hall recovered and returned the ball 64 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks secondary intercepted Cousins twice and limited top receivers London and Kyle Pitts to 63 and 65 yards.

The Falcons are 1-3 outside the NFC south. The one win was from a last minute score in Philadelphia. Atlanta hasn’t “walked into anyone’s trap” and played a dominant game this season despite the amount of talent on offense.

Andy Dalton

It looks like the offensive spark Carolina needed with Andy Dalton at quarterback is gone. Sunday was one of the worst games he’s had in his long career.

Dalton was overwhelmed early by Washington’s defense. On the Panthers first offensive possession of the game, he threw an interception to linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. that was returned 67 yards for a touchdown. That return covered 67% of the yards he threw the entire game. Andy Dalton threw 93 yards and another interception before benched former number one overall pick Bryce Young played late in the fourth quarter.

Ever since Carolina got a surprise win in Vegas, the offensive struggles have gradually returned to where injury-prone backup Marcus Mariota is better than the playoff experienced Dalton. It’s time Bryce Young starts again. Head coach Dave Canales needs to see if he’s progressed and can try to finish the Panthers long season.

San Francisco 49ers

The Chiefs know how to beat San Francisco. Every franchise has that one team they usually struggle and lose against no matter the talent level or what changes take place. While it’s understandable to lose every matchup to an opponent, having every bad thing happen hits harder for the losing team.

The 49ers loss yesterday went past stats. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy had one of his worst NFL performances with three interceptions. Injuries to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk depletes an already anemic receiving core. The running game barely had 100 yards (from four players) and backup kicker Anders Carlson missed a critical extra point in the third quarter.

San Francisco’s defense intercepted Patrick Mahomes II twice, but gave up a highlight reel 33 yard run and 150 combined rushing yards to Mahomes, runningback Kareem Hunt, receiver Mecole Hardman and fullback Carson Steele. Kansas City got four rushing touchdowns from three of the aforementioned players. The defense also shares a league worst record: since 2017, the 49ers are 0-40 when trailing by eight or more points in the fourth quarter, including playoff games (via NFL Network).

The lowest part of San Francisco’s loss was offensive left tackle and captain Trent Williams sucker punching Chiefs defensive lineman Bryan Cook late in the fourth quarter. Cook openly agitated the veteran and Williams snapped. One could say that’s a snapshot moment of how Kansas City keeps beating San Francisco.

2024-2025 NBA Eastern Conference Playoff Picks

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The Boston Celtics broke the eastern conference two year championship drought and won the 2023-24 title. In response, the top teams added more stars and roster depth. The conference outside of Boston has a lot of teams that can make deep playoff runs similar to last year. Indianapolis could have another breakout season. New York and Miami desperately want a championship. Cleveland, Milwaukee and Philadelphia view anything less than a conference finals appearance a failure. It’ll be a fun and competitive regular season.

Time to break down which eight teams in the east have the best chance of making the playoffs.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are the favorites to repeat their title run and win their league high 19th championship.

The reigning champs kept most of their deep roster. Boston will make the playoffs even if injuries are a factor. No other NBA team has this luxury.

Milwaukee Bucks

There are concerns over how Milwaukee improves with coach Doc Rivers and chemistry between Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Luckily the Bucks have more than enough talent to clinch a top six seed.

New York Knicks

While the Knicks added more talent trading for Karl-Anthony Towns, New York’s strength is great coaching from Tom Thibodeau.

The Knicks made a bold trade sending Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. The former first overall pick will have an interesting time learning coach Tom Thibodeau’s defense while giving the offense consistent scoring.

Miami Heat

Franchise star forward Jimmy Butler will lead a healthier Heat team into the postseason as long as Erik Spoelstra is the coach.

Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacer offense were number one almost all of last season. Many will tune in to see if Indiana can do it again.

The Pacers rode the league’s best offense to the conference finals and came up short in three of their four losses to eventual champion Boston. Viewers are excited to see how coach Rick Carlisle and his roster replicate last season’s success with the franchise stars signed long-term.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland’s another year better and closer to having their franchise stars in their prime. Last year’s postseason elimination taught them how to play more physical against better defenses, rebound better and the importance of second chance scoring opportunities. The Cavaliers will be tested by veteran teams but have enough talent to make the postseason.

Orlando Magic

No one attacks the basket harder than Orlando’s Paolo Banchero (5).

Orlando’s 2023-24 season was predictable. The Magic are a rising team with a lot of young talent learning how to win. Signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a good addition at shooting guard. Depth at center and power forward will help throughout the year.

Philadelphia 76ers

Although Philadelphia lost Tobias Harris in free agency, Paul George, Kelly Oubre and Reggie Jackson are the needed guard and forward depth that should take all the scoring pressure off center and former league MVP Joel Embiid.

Play-in losing teams: Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks

2023-2024 NBA Western Conference Playoff Picks

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The western conferences two year championship run snapped last season. After an interesting playoffs, Dallas lost in the finals 4-1. Most western teams made major moves once the offseason began. Viewers have interest in the stacked northwest division and how every team in the pacific could make the playoffs. Teams like Memphis could break out and have a longer playoff run. The conference champion Mavericks have a tough task to getting back to the finals.

That’s a lot to process, so let’s focus on which eight teams have the best chances of making the western conference playoffs.

Denver Nuggets

(Left to right) League MVP Nikola Jokic and teammate Aaron Gordon should have another dominant season.

League MVP Nikola Jokic wants payback after missing the conference finals. Denver’s depth makes them the top pick to clinch a playoff spot in the west.

Memphis Grizzlies

Injuries shouldn’t be a problem this season even if star point guard Ja Morant is suspended again. Memphis drafting Yuki Kawamura adds to an explosive offense and physical defense.

Phoenix Suns

This is an important year for Kevin Durant and Phoenix’s championship aspirations.

The Suns have a great trio with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Now they have the depth with Monte Morris and Grayson Allen at guard and forward. Phoenix needs a fast start and better chemistry after a wasted 2023-24 season.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota was great last year, but they could be better this season. Trading Karl-Anthony Towns was a great move because it brought in better players who are physical on defense and not afraid to drive to the basket on offense. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are upgrades at the forward positions while the Timberwolves kept their center and guard depth. Minnesota is a top contender for the first overall seed in the west.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was close in the league MVP running last year. Oklahoma City has a chance at a high playoff seed because of him running the offense.

The young Thunder were great last year. Then they traded Josh Giddey to Chicago for Alex Caruso. The veteran guard tandem of Caruso and last year’s highly praised league MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can elevate Oklahoma City into another top playoff seed and go further in the postseason. The Thunder also added depth at forward.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas has one of the best guard tandems in the league and should get more contributions from center Daniel Gafford this season. The Mavericks will be fun to watch.

Golden State Warriors

Golden State’s Stephen Curry will have to do more after Klay Thompson signed with Dallas.

It’s a big year for the Warriors. Klay Thompson left in free agency and coach Steve Kerr has to give the younger players more minutes. We’ll find out how Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins adjust to these changes the first month of the season. Brandin Podziemski should have a breakout year starting at shooting guard.

Sacramento Kings

There’s too much talent for Sacramento not to miss the playoffs. Coach Mike Brown should have an easier season now that there’s better forward depth.

Play-in losing teams: Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs

NFL Week Six Winners and Losers

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Week six was full of eye-opening play and revealed who is closer to the playoffs. On the opposite end, some teams are close to preparing for the offseason. Time to break down the weekends winners and losers.

Winners: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s been a hard, emotional week for anyone affiliated with the Tampa area. While they weren’t at home yesterday, the Buccaneers played to keep the divisional tie with Atlanta and for hometown pride.

Tampa Bay started hot with a 17 point first quarter. Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield threw his first of two touchdowns to Chris Godwin for an early lead. Less than two minutes later, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. recovered a Chris Olave fumble and returned it 58 yards for another touchdown.

New Orleans took the lead after a 27 point second quarter, but the Buccaneers got the lead back in the third with Godwin’s second score of the game. Tampa’s offense had a three touchdown, 20 point fourth quarter while the defense shut out the Saints offense in the second half.

The Buccaneers had to rebound after a wild, Thursday night loss almost two weeks ago. A strong second half against another divisional rival was important to stay in their first place tie with Atlanta. Tampa Bay’s schedule gets harder and they have to win more divisional games by playing well on all sides of the ball. That’s why the road win in New Orleans was important for the Buccaneers playoff chances.

Joe Flacco

What a wild chapter in Colts backup quarterback Joe Flacco’s career. He’s led Indianapolis to two wins in their last three games after sophomore starter Anthony Richardson’s been out with an oblique injury.

The Colts played a close game to divisional rival Tennessee. Late in the third quarter, Titans runningback Tony Pollard gave Tennessee the lead after a 23 yard touchdown run. Joe Flacco led a scoring drive the next possession and Indianapolis cut the deficit by four. Halfway through the quarter, the former Super Bowl champion quarterback threw the eventual game winning touchdown to Michael Pittman Jr. The Colts struggled last month to score in the fourth quarter of close games. The veteran quarterback completed a comeback win the second Sunday of October.

It’s hard to admit, but Indianapolis is a playoff contending team when Flacco’s under center. Receivers Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Mo Alie-Cox play harder and run better routes when he leads the offense. Joe Flacco’s performances give the Colts a hard choice in who starts at quarterback when Richardson’s fully healthy.

Detroit Lions offense

The last game Detroit played before Sunday was a shootout home win over Seattle without an incomplete pass. What the Lions offense did Sunday against the Cowboys was almost better.

Detroit didn’t punt once in a dominant road win in Dallas. Quarterback Jared Goff wasn’t perfect (unlike his last Monday night performance), but he completed 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns and a 153.8 passer rating. Goff was rewarded with rest late in the game as the Lions led by 38 points.

While Detroit’s passing attack shredded the Cowboys secondary, the runningback tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 24 touches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery and Gibbs cut through the Dallas front seven for at least five yards a carry.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s creativity was the highlight of the game. Goff threw a flea flicker touchdown to tight-end Sam LaPorta early in the second quarter. Starting right tackle Penei Sewell would’ve had his first career touchdown if it wasn’t for two offensive linemen drawing an illegal downfield penalty (offensive linemen can’t go past one yard of the line of scrimmage unless the ball-carrier is further ahead). Left tackle Taylor Decker almost caught a few passes. Backup tackle Dan Skipper lined up as a wide receiver against the Cowboys secondary. Detroit preferred turning the ball over on downs late in the game than punting it back to Dallas. The Lions let backups at multiple positions seal the win. No team has a hotter offense than Detroit. The NFC north might be the league’s best division, but it’ll be hard for any of the three teams to get an edge over the Lions offense.

Losers: Bo Nix

Denver’s rookie quarterback has improved since the first two weeks of the season, but there will be games where he both looks like a rookie and part of an offense needing more offensive talent.

The Broncos offense was smacked around by the Chargers defense yesterday. Midway through the third quarter, Nix completed four of 14 passes for 27 yards. Los Angeles had a 23 point shutout lead before the fourth quarter and only sacked Bo Nix twice.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minster had a great game plan to confuse the rookie quarterback, but Nix could’ve ran the ball more instead of throwing forced passes off his back foot. Head coach Sean Payton will emphasize that throughout the week.

Johnny Hekker’s 15 yard punt

This is the first and should be one of the few times a punt makes the losers section. If there was a play to summarize the Panthers season, it would be this one.

Late in the second quarter, former All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker punted back to Atlanta when defensive lineman Zach Harrison partially deflected it. The punt went 15 yards. Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III returned it for 15 yards. However, Atlanta was gifted more yardage after a holding penalty was called on Carolina. The Falcons offensive possession started at the Panthers 27 yard line. As one can guess, Atlanta scored a touchdown their last possession of the first half.

The NFL’s primetime scheduling

At least a few times a year, the NFL decides not to flex their primetime games. This leads to audiences complaining about terrible teams and match-ups shown on national broadcast t.v.

Thankfully, most people weren’t subjected to the horror that is the Jacksonville Jaguars in the early morning. That was cancelled out by the Sunday night atrocity that is the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants. The Bengals offense and Giants defense are fun to watch, but Cincinnati’s defense and New York’s offense are awful. It’s hard to have a good game when at least one side of the ball stinks.

It didn’t matter which team won Sunday night, the league should’ve flexed for the Washington-Baltimore matchup. Unlike the teams in the night game, both the Ravens and Commanders are near the top in their divisions. The NFL pushed to flex primetime games earlier in the season and somehow doesn’t act on this change despite having the power. It would be fun if the league could somehow flex next week’s game or the week nine matchup with Jacksonville before news outlets complain.

2024-25 NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Picks

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What a fun offseason. The Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions are back after another summer of free agency. No one outside the Sunshine State has won the conference or Stanley Cup finals the last five years. While a good number of teams out west improved, Metropolitan teams like New Jersey and Washington made trades to bolster their rosters and re-signed important depth players. The Rangers and Hurricanes are more determined to finish what they started last postseason. Then there are younger teams like Detroit and Ottawa with long-term playoff aspirations.

It’s time to break down which four teams in each division can make the push back to or surprise a lot of people in making the 2024-25 playoffs.

Metropolitan

Carolina Hurricanes

True hockey fans empathize with Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen: Thank goodness hockey is back.

Starting with the easier division, Carolina’s a quick pick. From center to goaltender, the deep Hurricanes should roll through the regular season.

New York Rangers

The Rangers first line should have another stellar season.

The Rangers did their best until eventual champion Florida eliminated them in the conference finals. New York was top ten on offense, defense and the power-play. That shouldn’t change throughout the year.

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey added more defense and has a new coach who will develop the young roster.

This sites prediction about New Jersey was accurate last year. Goaltending, team defense and injuries held back a young, talented core. General manager Tom Fitzgerald addressed that by signing Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen in the offseason. The defense got upgrades with Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, Jakub Zboril and Colton White signing in free agency. Finally, new coach Sheldon Keefe was a perfect hire for this young, talented team. The Devils should be much better.

Washington Capitals

Washington’s captain Alex Ovechkin has the chance to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record this season…and get closer to 1,000.

It was hard to pick the fourth team. The Islanders didn’t add much in the offseason and kept Patrick Roy as their coach. Pittsburgh could get in if drastic changes are made by the trade deadline. Washington was the best choice with their offseason additions and how well they played for coach Spencer Carbery last year. Defense will be the focus again this season, but the offense should improve after trading for Jakob Chychrun, Andrew Mangiapane and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The needed roster and scoring depth will make the Capitals hard to beat throughout the year.

Atlantic

Florida Panthers

The Sunshine State is the yet again the state of hockey and champions.

The reigning champs head into the regular season with most of last year’s deep, Stanley Cup winning roster. It should be fun to watch them defend their title.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto may have named Auston Matthews the new captain, but no one’s more important to the Leafs than William Nylander.

The Leafs were great the last two years. Now they have Craig Berube as their new coach. For the first time in decades, Toronto should be a Stanley Cup contender.

Detroit Red Wings

This is the year Detroit breaks out and gets better the whole season.

At last the franchise is a playoff contender. General manager Steve Yzerman’s roster isn’t finished yet, but the depth, talent and hunger to make the postseason means this is a pivotal year for Detroit. There shouldn’t be a drop-off at any point, even if captain Dylan Larkin gets injured again.

Tampa Bay Lightning

As long as Andrei Vasilevskiy stays healthy, Tampa Bay is a constant championship threat.

Franchise great Steven Stamkos might’ve signed with Nashville in free agency, but general manager Julien BriseBois patched things up by signing Jake Guentzel and Cam Atkinson and trading for Ryan McDonagh. The deeper Lightning also have franchise goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy back to full health, something they didn’t have last year. Tampa Bay’s talent and coaching gets the nod over Boston (aging) and Ottawa’s (younger) roster.

2024-25 NHL Western Conference Playoff Picks

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What a year it was for the western conference. Edmonton was one win away from the conference’s third straight Stanley Cup championship. Many viewers wonder if the Oilers can make another run this year with coach Kris Knoblauch’s interim tag removed. Edmonton doesn’t have any serious injuries before the season begins, but a lot of teams built up depth and are also healthy. There will be competition and pushback from teams like Nashville, Colorado and Vegas. Los Angeles and Winnipeg have a lot to prove after last season’s playoff exits. A team like Minnesota could break out and do damage to whoever clinches a top seed, possibly throwing the playoffs into doubt. It’s time to break down which four teams in each division have the best chances to make the 2024-25 postseason.

Pacific

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes (C) had a lot of success and growth his first year as team captain. Year two should be better.

Let’s start with the easier western division. Vancouver is a sure pick to reach the playoffs with head coach Rick Tocchet back behind the bench, Kevin Lankinen replacing the injured Thatcher Demko in net, Quinn Hughes returning as captain, and roster depth at every position. The Canucks were fun to watch last year and played great start to finish. Don’t be surprised if they look better this season.


Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton was one game away from winning Canada’s first Stanley Cup in 30 years. Can the Oilers replicate their second half regular and postseason success this year?

It was a tale of two seasons for Edmonton. The team played better once Knoblauch became coach. The most important adjustments he made were improving the penalty-kill and getting additional scoring from the third and fourth lines. Those changes got the Oilers one win away from the Stanley Cup.

While some are unsure how Edmonton’s scoring and defensive depth will perform the whole season, having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together again means a future playoff berth.

Vegas Golden Knights

After a first round elimination against Dallas, Vegas should be back to full health once the puck drops tonight.

It wasn’t a surprise Vegas struggled the last half of the season. Injuries and some fatigue kept the Golden Knights in a lower seed. Then they were eliminated in the first round to number one seeded Dallas. Vegas should rebound this season.

The Golden Knights might not have former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault anymore, but we’ll finally see a healthy Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin play together. The addition of forward Victor Olofsson should help center Jack Eichel score more this season.

Los Angeles Kings

Despite a second half sputter, there’s optimism in Los Angeles.

There’s a lot to love with the Kings this year. Los Angeles let goaltender Cam Talbot leave in free agency and traded for Darcy Kuemper to replace him. The former champion will be hard to score against, and even if he misses time, David Rittich and Pheonix Copley have enough to hold the Kings defense together.

Barring another mid-season collapse, Los Angeles should have a breakout year with the offensive depth at center and forward.

Central

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado almost back to full health means more one-on-one scoring chances for reigning league MVP Nathan MacKinnon (29).

This could be the year captain Gabriel Landeskog returns from his long sustained leg injuries. For now, reigning league MVP Nathan MacKinnon, top scorer Mikko Rantanen, top defender Cale Makar and top five coach in the league Jared Bednar are more than enough to push Colorado into the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets

Regardless of wherever Winnipeg lands in the playoffs, they have the talent and depth to return.

There was disappointment in Manitoba after last year’s playoff flop to the Avalanche. Poor season finale aside, no team in the central has better depth scoring than Winnipeg. The offense should be one of the league’s best again. The Jets also have a two time Conn Smythe winning goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck with at least six quality defensemen to help. It’s up to coach Scott Arniel to find ways to win this postseason.

Minnesota Wild

All Minnesota needs to make the playoffs is a better start to the regular season. The Wild can’t end goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s career with a whimper.

Minnesota missing the playoffs last year was due to a poor start that got coach Dean Evason fired. A difficult two months led to inconsistent play. While interim John Hynes did his best getting the Wild to play better defense, scoring went down. This season should be different.

It’s important Minnesota has a better start. The division is still the most competitive in the conference and most of the eight teams feel there’s something to prove. It’s also the last season for legendary goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, so the Wild have to do well if he wants to win a final championship.

Nashville Predators

(Left to right ) Nashville’s captain Roman Josi, Juuse Saros and Robby Fabbro will be playoff favorites this season.

General manager Barry Trotz is a happy and busy man. After he chose to keep the Predators core unit together after last season’s trade deadline, Nashville finished hot and almost made the second round of the playoffs.

This year it’ll be more fun in Music City. Trotz signed former champions Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, and added defensive depth with Brady Skjei and Scott Wedgewood. The Predators want to play lockdown defense on one end and high-scoring offense the other. It would take a lot to keep Nashville out of the 2025 postseason.

NFL Week Five Winners and Losers

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Week five in the NFL had a lot of thrills, surprises and hair-pulling moments. Some of the best games of 2024 were yesterday. Audiences are finding out which teams could be contenders and which ones could be one and done if they reach the playoffs. Here are this weeks winners and losers.

Winners: Shane Waldron

Chicago entered week five lucky to be at .500. The defense kept them in close games while the offense struggled to score. Part of that is because there’s a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, number one overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams and a battered receiving core trying to improve every week. Sunday’s dominant home win against Carolina could be a turning point for Waldron’s offense.

Chicago dominated a lackluster Panthers defense. At one point the Bears scored four touchdowns on five first half drives. Williams threw two touchdowns to wide receiver D.J. Moore while running backs Roschon Johnson and D’Andre Swift ran for a touchdown (each). Chicago had a 20 point second quarter, almost securing a win before Carolina scored ten points.

The Bears offense is fortunate they play a few more easier defenses the next few months (and have a bye week soon). The NFC north is the best division so far and Chicago needs consistent scoring to keep up with their three rivals. That dominant win could be the start of something special for Shane Waldron’s offense.

Houston Texans

The best game Sunday was Houston’s home win versus Buffalo. It looked and felt like a playoff game. The Texans dominated until the third quarter. Buffalo then came back with two straight touchdowns and tied it late in the fourth quarter.

Houston didn’t panic. After the defense forced Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw three straight incompletions at his own two yard line, sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud IV led a quick game winning drive. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled a 59 yard field goal as time expired and Houston got their fourth win of the season.

The Texans struggled at the end of September despite winning three of four games. Beating Buffalo at home after the Bills were embarrassed in Baltimore last Sunday night showed Houston’s maturity on every side of the ball. Head coach DeMeco Ryans had them prepared even if the Bills had a second half surge.

Brian Daboll and the New York Giants offense

New York went into Seattle without leading playmaker rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers and the offense gave up a 101 yard fumble return touchdown to Seahawks strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins their first drive of the game. The Giants could’ve let that affect their play and mentally given up after trailing, but the offense rebounded the next possession and tied it back at seven. New York didn’t trail the rest of the afternoon.

Head coach Brian Daboll’s had a lot of pressure to succeed after getting the Giants to the divisional round of the playoffs his first season. It hasn’t helped that New York’s front office fails to acquire and retain top roster talent. Daboll knows his team won’t be favored most Sundays and he’s used that to his advantage.

The Giants didn’t have starting runningback Devin Singletary, so Daboll decided Tyrone Tracy Jr. should start and be the main focus of the offense. Tracy Jr. ran 18 times for 127 yards, the offensive line played better and quarterback Daniel Jones played with more confidence. Jones’ two passing touchdowns gave the Giants a double digit lead until late in the fourth quarter.

New York has to scrape for every win this season, but they can feel good knowing their coach does his best each week.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona was competitive in all but one of their September games. It was important they saw more progress under head coach Jonathan Gannon Sunday. The Cardinals always play San Francisco hard, even in blowout losses. Getting a late win in Santa Clara is big for both the team and the division.

At one point Arizona trailed by 13 after one half. They were down ten to start the fourth quarter, but a quick touchdown and two point conversion made it a two point game. After a late Chad Ryland 35 yard field goal, the Cardinals needed a defensive stand to get their second win of the season. Linebacker Kyzir White intercepted quarterback Brock Purdy and sealed Arizona’s victory.

The Cardinals win is big in the NFC west as they have the second place tiebreaker over San Francisco. Both Arizona’s wins are against division opponents. It got better as Los Angeles and Seattle lost their late afternoon games. Management has to feel optimistic after this weekend.

Losers: Cincinnati for playing conservative with a three point lead in the fourth quarter

Cincinnati’s most important game of the season might have been the overtime loss to Baltimore Sunday. The Bengals led by ten points multiple times and somehow couldn’t get the win. There were two critical possessions the Ravens offense scored while Cincinnati didn’t score on their last two. Many will blame the Bengals defense, but the offense came up short when it mattered most.

Cincinnati’s last possession of the fourth quarter was a quick, three-and-out series where franchise starting quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked and threw an incomplete pass. A nine yard run by Chase Brown got some yards back, but the Bengals had to punt the ball to Baltimore as time expired, forcing overtime. The Bengals wasted a minute and a half trying to end regulation instead of going down the field and getting a last second score.

After Cincinnati’s defense recovered a Lamar Jackson fumble in overtime, the Bengals decided to play conservative again and give kicker Evan McPherson a chance at a game winning field goal. That idea might have worked if the Bengals weren’t near mid-field. Three run plays went to Brown, who got three yards. McPherson missed a 53 yard field goal partly because his holder (the holder snaps and holds the ball in a way the kicker can attempt his best kick to score) botched the snap. Perhaps there would be no missed field goal attempt or botched snap if Cincinnati’s head coach Zac Taylor decided Burrow stay aggressive and play to win. The former number one overall pick threw five touchdowns and almost 400 yards. He could’ve gotten more than three yards on three plays.

Baltimore took advantage of the missed kick, did what the Bengals couldn’t and went down the field playing to their strengths. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker got the game winning field goal and again put Cincinnati three games under .500.

The Jerod Mayo experiment

It seemed the Patriots head coaching hire of former champion linebacker Jerod Mayo was good the first two weeks of the regular season. New England played hard those first two weeks and got an upset win over Cincinnati. After week two, the Patriots scored 26 points the last three games. All three were losses.

Sunday was a low-point for Mayo. The anemic Miami Dolphins offense couldn’t do anything right until late in the fourth quarter. After Alec Ingold’s three yard touchdown run (Miami didn’t convert their two point attempt), New England had two possessions to get a touchdown and win the game. The Patriots ran 14 plays for 99 yards in under seven minutes. They didn’t score a point.

The Dolphins are one of the league’s worst teams with or without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. New England couldn’t beat them at home despite leading most of the game. This is going to be an ugly rest of the season for the Patriots.

Las Vegas Raiders

Anyone who’s kept up with the AFC west knew Denver would snap their almost-five year losing streak against divisional opponent Las Vegas at some point. Many believed that when the Broncos beat the Raiders, it wouldn’t be lopsided. They were wrong.

Vegas started strong and led by ten after the first quarter. The game flipped when Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II intercepted Gardner Minshew II and ran for a 100 yard touchdown. The Broncos stayed aggressive after that score and the Raiders had no answers. Head coach Antonio Pierce’s frustration with the offense led to Minshew’s fourth quarter benching for backup Aidan O’Connell.

The loss wouldn’t be as bad if it weren’t for the rising drama the last few weeks. From Pierce calling out his coaches and players in the media to Davante Adams publicly asking for a trade to a playoff contending team, the franchise is a mess top to bottom and it’s impacting on-field decisions. The Raiders getting crushed to a divisional opponent they’d swept almost five straight years is another deflating time for the franchise.

That awful interception Jordan Love threw to Jaylen McCollough

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love had a great road win in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t perfect. Love threw an interception seconds before the two minute warning that gave the Rams optimism. At first, it appeared Love would take a safety, which is bad enough because Los Angeles quickly pressured him. However, Love threw an interception to Rams safety Jaylen McCollough. McCollough easily toe-tapped his way into the endzone. The defensive scoring play is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Hopefully Jordan Love doesn’t recreate this moment the rest of the year.