JD's Sportscorner

It takes a lot of skills to be a successful head coach in the NFL. Some of the greatest offensive and defensive minds burn out when they step up into the big chair. Truth is, it takes a master motivator to get the most out of any team. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll does it…

Marshawn Lynch on Seahawks coach Pete Carroll: ‘He is a psychologist’ — Seahawks Wire

This is what happens when you put real professional athletes in a basketball game against professional entertainers. Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf dominated the NBA’s Celebrity All-Star Game last night, leading Dwyane Wade’s team to an 81-78 victory. Along the way, Metcalf racked up 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. DK METCALF GOING…

DK Metcalf dominates NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, wins MVP — Seahawks Wire

The Super Bowl features the best team in each conference. Kansas City and Philadelphia mirror each other in their running games, touchdowns scored and yards per game. Both offensive and defensive lines play better after offseason upgrades and the secondaries know when to shut receivers down. It’s time to reveal which team has the best chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and why.

#1 Kansas City Chiefs v. #1 Philadelphia Eagles

Two number one seeds versatile in running the ball, executing deep-ball plays and having a lot of speedy playmakers face off in what could be the game of the year. Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni have been coaches on both teams and know what they want in star players. Both quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes II and Jalen Hurts were MVP candidates this year and have better offensive lines after debacles the previous postseason appearances. Just as last round proved, this is where depth decides the champion.

The winner of this game and the champion of the 2022-23 season will be determined by the offensive and defensive lines by both teams. The offensive line duo of Isaac Seumalo and Lane Johnson will be tasked with stopping both George Karlaftis and Khalen Saunders. Saunders is exceptional in stopping the run and has improved on rushing the passer while Lane Johnson’s had an extra two weeks to nurse his ailing groin injury. If Johnson aggravates the injury further it could alter Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz scheming and Jalen Hurts’ timing of throws.

On the other end the Eagles’ defensive interior of Fletcher Cox, Linval Joseph, Jordan Davis and Javon Hargrave have the numbers advantage against Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. Kansas City’s interior offensive line will have their hands full with a deep defensive front that gets plenty of rest and will be refreshed even late in the second half.

Last but not least, coaching will determine who comes out on top. Unfortunately for Kansas City, Andy Reid is known for letting leads slip away despite fantastic starts for most of the Super Bowl teams he’s coached. As mentioned in the NFC Championship prediction, Nick Sirianni finds an opponents weakness and doesn’t let up. The mindset with the Eagles is different due to the depth and an exceptionally talented 53 man roster. It wouldn’t be surprising to see one of the best second half performances and an Eagles comeback win due to how Philadelphia can adjust and attack first on every side of the ball and overwhelm the Chiefs.

Super Bowl 57 Winning Prediction: Eagles win Super Bowl 33-28 and take home their second Vince Lombardi Trophy

Conference finals predictions record: 1-1

2023 overall playoffs record: 9-3

What a fun first half of the season. The Boston Bruins are hotter than the 2018-2019 Tampa Bay Lightning. Martin Jones, Erik Karlsson and Anze Kopitar have turned back the clock in their performances. Then there’s the numerous comeback wins we’ve lost count over. The tone is set for the second half of the regular season. Get ready for one of the wildest finishes we could witness in NHL history. Here are the top takes, questions and answers as All-Star weekend closes.

What is going on with and what is triggering all these comebacks night after night?

A layered question impossible to fully answer. Goaltending is a major factor and NHL Network at one point in December mentioned there were three goaltenders with a save percentage over .900. Those three were Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin and Juuse Saros. Part of it is also coaching as we’ve seen with Dave Quinn’s San Jose Sharks and Paul Maurice’s Florida Panthers on the losing end after a lot of early leads, but the same can be said with comebacks by veteran teams in Boston, Tampa Bay and Dallas.

If this trend continues, this season would have the most comeback wins after a team takes a two goal lead. It makes for fun hockey but it’s not healthy for these poor coaches, defensemen and audience growth.

Are the Boston Bruins really this good and can they sustain this level of play?

Many analysts and fans knew Boston had the talent to make the playoffs with coach Jim Montgomery returning to the NHL. Nobody thought the Bruins would be record-breakingly good at the half-way point. Five losses in regular time and four in overtime is almost impossible to achieve. Linus Ullmark breaking Tiny Thompson’s 1929 records wasn’t a thought for even hardcore fans.

While the Bruins will be the first team to clinch a playoff berth this February, two thoughts arise: how will Toronto and Tampa Bay close the gap and who will Boston draw the first round? Popular consensus for lower seeds would be the Islanders, Capitals or Penguins and those three teams could give Boston headaches.

Very few coach firings in the first half of the season. Is it possible teams are learning that desperation two months in isn’t a good look?

There’s been one firing of a head coach (Vancouver surprisingly) after one half of the regular season. I do wonder if it’s a mix for franchises wanting better chances to land the number one pick to draft Connor Bedard, teams finally seeing what their young core players can do or if this is a positive step forward to letting a season play out fully before making a decision. Regardless of what happens, there will be more firings at the end of the season.

What’s the biggest surprise of the season?

I don’t think anyone had the New Jersey Devils as a top four team in the eastern conference. What Lindy Ruff has done in the development of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Bratt is coach of the year worthy. Even if New Jersey somehow misses the playoffs, the franchise has taken at least two steps forward to having a championship contending roster.

32 Takes for 32 Teams

Time for one view for each team. The view ranges from improvement, observations not highlighted often or an easier transition during the second half of the season.

Anaheim: Poor John Gibson. The Ducks could’ve traded him anywhere for more draft picks and asset players. Instead they waste their starting goaltender’s prime while gifting him with shot-blocking PTSD in return. I don’t think Gibson would help any team starting after this year.

Arizona: The Coyotes are where the Ottawa Senators were a few years ago. Minus the Jacob Chychrun trade conversation held every month, there’s a good core in place with Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse, Nick Ritchie and Christian Fischer. Speaking of trades, it’s a smart prediction Karel Vejmelka will be dealt to a playoff contender before the season ends.

Boston: A major factor in the Bruins’ record breaking run this season is the elevated play from second and third liners such as David Krejci (second in assists and third in total points) and Jake DeBrusk (tied for third in goals scored). Trent Frederic has one less goal than the recently extended Pavel Zacha (eleven at the all-star break. Frederic has ten). It’s not just the Perfection Line scoring, the whole team is formidable when they shoot the puck.

Buffalo: After everything the Sabres went through two seasons ago, Don Granato has to be nominated for the Jack Adams award no matter where Buffalo lands in the standings. This was the most unattractive job opening when Granato took over. Jack Eichel had to be traded and there were rumors former first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin was being sabotaged in his development. At the beginning of February, the Sabres just miss the eighth seed in the east and Granato is 90% of why they have this many points.

Calgary: From Flames fans booing Johnny Gaudreau’s return to the dismal play of Jakob Markstrom, Calgary is floundering. Everyone’s to blame for this circus.

Carolina: Everyone (including me) wants to say the Hurricanes will be the eastern conference rep for the Stanley Cup finals but the goaltending injuries and the middle-of-the-league offense despite trades and signings before the season began raises concerns that coach Rod Brind’Amour isn’t the coach to get Carolina to the championship.

Chicago: The league’s laughingstock continues their downward spiral. From franchise icons biting the dust to team leadership wanting trades elsewhere, no other team deserves the scrutiny and criticism. Connor Bedard should pray Rocky Wirtz Inc. doesn’t land the number one pick.

Colorado: Funny how I absolutely failed on last year’s hot take. Even funnier are those overreacting to Colorado’s slump this season. Anyone who follows a Jared Bednar-led team knows a second half surge is coming no matter who’s injured. The only difference is this team’s the defending champions.

Columbus: It’s a dismal season but Kirill Marchenko is a great find for a franchise needing depth scoring and standout players. Now the Blue Jackets need more defense in the draft and free agency.

Dallas: The good news for Dallas is Peter DeBoer was the right hire in order to get maximum production on offense. The bad news is it’s Peter DeBoer. When things go downhill, net-minder Jake Oettinger will be the scapegoat (Scott Wedgewood might be as well). Let’s re-visit this a year from now. In the meantime, the Stars have one of the best offenses in the league and play like the most complete team in the western conference…which should worry people.

Detroit: Outside of the top three teams, the east is a close race. Detroit’s found gems in Ville Husso starting in net and the right veterans were added, but the Red Wings aren’t playoff-bound yet. The Yzer-Plan is ahead of schedule, and that’s something the other 15 teams in the east want kept down a little while longer.

Edmonton: Connor McDavid is the leader in the Hart Trophy race and Leon Draisaitl has established himself as Mr. Game-Winner. What is concerning is the underwhelming play of goaltender Jack Campbell. He did better in Toronto with less defense in front of him. It’s puzzling he looks worse.

Florida: There might not be a worse fall for a President’s Trophy winner than South Florida. Many knew they wouldn’t replicate last year’s success but many didn’t expect they’d play this messy. The Panthers struggle to hold leads and to come back from deficits, Aleksander Barkov isn’t scoring as much and their best goaltender is Alex Lyon. They have to get better in the second half of the season…right?

Los Angeles: While the Kings are bottom ten of the penalty kill, the offense is consistent and head coach Todd McLellan’s having a good run developing younger players while Blake Lizotte, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar produce night after night. The addition of Kevin Fiala might have been the best move any team made last offseason. He’s playing the best hockey of his professional career.

Minnesota: Talk about a segue with Kevin Fiala leaving. The Wild need more scoring contributions from the lower lines. Their goal plus/minus is plus-eleven despite 80 goals from Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy. They need to make a move at the trade deadline if they want to be serious contenders.

Montreal: I bet Sam Montembeault would be a welcome sight for the Florida Panthers. He leads the Canadiens in almost every major goaltending category. Many knew Montreal wouldn’t make the playoffs but losing top scorer Cole Caufield the rest of the year cements a top five pick opportunity.

Nashville: This team is confusing. Last year they were breaking franchise scoring records and barely made the playoffs. This year they’re bottom five in scoring and are three points out of the last playoff spot. Math or no math, I don’t get it.

New Jersey: Whatever happened to Jonathan Bernier? He was a great starter in Detroit and wanted to win somewhere else, so he picked New Jersey for a good contract. He hasn’t played a game this season despite multiple injuries to Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek. Something is going on that we’re not hearing about.

New York Islanders: The Islanders are tenth in the Metropolitan and you wonder how better this team is if general manager Lou Lamoriello doesn’t fire Barry Trotz at the end of last season. They traded Anthony Beauvillier and a first round pick in the upcoming draft for Canucks captain Bo Horvat. They will be better with Horvat playing but again, how much better would this team be with Trotz at the helm?

New York Rangers: This team is six points behind New Jersey and out of reach from Carolina. One factor might be Jaroslav Halak’s uneven performances when he’s started in net. Halak is 6-6 in 13 games with a higher goals against despite starter Igor Shesterkin’s higher workload. The offense has to be more consistent but this conversation is much different if Jaroslav has one or two more wins before the start of the second half.

Ottawa: The good news is Ottawa finally fixed the power-play issue. They’re third in the league converting over 26% of their chances. The offense gives coach D.J. Smith a rare winning record at the end of a regular season month. The bad news is this team still lacks quality defensemen depth and might move on from Cam Talbot after 2023. As we’ve learned from the Florida Panthers, a team with little defense won’t go far in the playoffs no matter how good the offense is.

Philadelphia: What a perfect hire John Tortorella is for the Broadstreet Bullies. The tone was set early benching Kevin Hayes during his career-high year in scoring and now Travis Konecny, Tony DeAngelo, Carter Hart, Scott Laughton and Noah Cates are on board. Keep an eye on Hart’s backup Samuel Ersson moving forward. He’s impressed in almost every game started.

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby may be the face of the franchise but Tristan Jarry is the MVP of the team and you see it night after night when he’s not playing. When Jarry plays, Pittsburgh’s a top four team in the east. When he’s out, the Penguins hover around eighth to ninth place.

San Jose: What do the Sharks do with Erik Karlsson? The defense is awful and the team won’t score without him on the ice, but they’re still in a playoff race and will surpass at least two teams the next month. Management wanted him in the worst way from Ottawa and at full health he’s delivering. Why would they want to move on from that?

Seattle: There are so many positive headlines for the Kraken this year ranging from Ron Francis’ competence to a surge in offense, but by far and away the best one is Martin Jones’ career resurgence. This looks like the goaltender that got San Jose to multiple western conference finals appearances before the never-ending nosedive. Seattle was basically the last stop if Jones wanted to keep playing in the NHL and at the end of the first half, he has three shutouts, a 2.82 goal average and a .895 save percentage. He’s also the starting goaltender for the first place team in the pacific division.

St. Louis: Did Nazem Kadri knock out some of Jordan Binnington’s talent after that post-season collision? St. Louis’ starting net-minder has been shaky at best this season and a heartbreaking loss in Winnipeg last Monday night could impact the Blues’ season. The franchise has to let this play out the second half before making a move.

Tampa Bay: Is Jon Cooper ever going to win the Jack Adams award? Ryan McDonagh was traded to Nashville and Ondrej Palat’s signing to New Jersey meant the team would take a backseat to Florida and Toronto in the Atlantic. They’ll need another defenseman to compliment franchise icon Victor Hedman but this team hasn’t skipped a beat with depth stepping up (I’m looking at and praising you Nick Paul).

Toronto: Until the Maple Leafs find a way to win a first round playoff series, don’t waste energy or thoughts regarding where this team is. We’ll find out when the regular season ends.

Vancouver: If we’re talking disappointments, Vancouver’s leadership with Jim Rutherford is number one. The slow team start wasn’t just on coaching, but to pin the blame on Bruce Boudreau is criminal. Then trading the team captain who said he wanted to be a Canuck for life and properly earned the C on his chest is damning of an organization that hasn’t won anything.

Vegas: One year of Jack Eichel and it appears the Sabres won the trade. Former Golden Knight Alex Tuch has over 20 goals in Buffalo. On the bright side, Logan Thompson and Adin Hill are a great goaltending tandem.

Washington: Despite middle-of-the-pack stats, this is a feel good team. Charlie Lindgren is better than Darcy Kuemper in net and he will be used more in pivotal games. Alex Ovechkin could hit 1,000 goals by the time his career ends. Last but not least, the team should be fully healthy by the time April rolls around. Be patient Caps fans.

Winnipeg: Rick Bowness coaches with an iron fist and now one must wonder if Paul Maurice was holding this team back from playing good defense and growing the core players. We’ve known the Jets have had one of the best offenses when they’re doing great, but now we’re seeing how good the defense can be.

Three games remain. Four teams, with two in each conference. The remaining two in the AFC are the division winners in the North Cincinnati Bengals and the AFC West division winning and conference leading Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have potent offenses, star quarterbacks, solid defenses, and intelligent coaches. Time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.

#3 Cincinnati Bengals v. #1 Kansas City Chiefs

This rivalry is the NFL’s new version of Tom Brady v. Peyton Manning. Both quarterbacks will do everything in their power to win and reach the Super Bowl. A serious headline before the conference championship are the injuries (some of them serious) both starting passers suffered. While Patrick Mahomes II has a high ankle sprain, many forgot Joe Burrow almost suffered a serious lower leg injury late in the third quarter of last Sunday’s decisive win in Buffalo.

Keeping in mind both quarterbacks might be playing less than 100%, the remaining 52 players become the focus. Both Kansas City and Cincinnati have excellent runningbacks who keep opposing defenses on edge and both offensive lines (even with injuries) get strong push-offs and clean blocks for the running game to succeed.

The Bengals do have the better overall defense even if Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is the best player to clog the line of scrimmage and generate a lot of pressure. Cincinnati’s secondary doesn’t have to deal with Tyreek Hill in a conference finals game. This creates better one-on-one opportunities while quarterback Patrick Mahomes II doesn’t have the usual mobility.

Prediction: Bengals win conference and advance to the Super Bowl 34-28

AFC 2023 playoff picks record: 4-1

Three games remain. Four teams, with two in each conference. The remaining two in the NFC are the NFC West leaders San Francisco 49ers and the NFC East division winning and conference leading Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams have potent offenses, talented quarterbacks, elite defenses, and intelligent coaches. Time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.

#2 San Francisco 49ers v. #1 Philadelphia Eagles

This might be the funnest and most entertaining championship game since San Francisco and Seattle’s slugfest January 2014. Philadelphia has a layered pass rush while the 49ers have the best linebacker unit in the league. The Eagles have a more complete secondary and both teams have excellent special teams.

The winner of this game has to dominate on both the offensive and defensive lines. Both offensive lines are consistent and give their quarterbacks time. San Francisco and Philadelphia have dangerous receiving tandems, great running games and reliable tight-ends. One must watch a lot of film to understand which team has the best chance of winning.

The deciding factors will determine the conference winner: coaching, depth on the defensive line and deep-ball plays. The 49ers secondary is bottom three in the league in stopping throws over 20 yards (via Scott Van Pelt’s Sportscenter on ESPN) and as many who pay attention can tell you, a pass-rush and interior run defense that can substitute for multiple plays throughout a game is a team’s underrated winning formula. Philadelphia has won a lot of games breaking down opposing offensive lines.

The final reason is why the Eagles have the best chance of winning this game. Head coach Nick Sirianni played Kyle Shanahan’s team the second game in his coaching career. Sirianni’s learned a lot since the encounter and is more ruthless, determined and not as prone to choking in important second half possessions than his opponent. If the Eagles find a weakness early in either half, they will exploit it often and won’t let up until the 49ers fix it.

Prediction: Eagles win conference and advance to Super Bowl 20-17

NFC 2023 playoff picks record: 4-1

Wildcard weekend wasn’t competitive in the NFC. San Francisco, New York and Dallas controlled their games and won with few scares. The remaining four (the Philadelphia Eagles had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with an inexperienced Giants team remaining, no team is an easy out. It’s time to analyze which two teams have the best chance of making the next round.

#6 New York Giants v. #1 Philadelphia Eagles

This could be the last division rivalry playoff game we’ll see the rest of the 2022-23 season. Despite a close victory for Philadelphia a week and a half ago, head coach Brian Daboll sat out the offensive starters so they could have a week of rest and analyze their first round opponent better. The move paid off and the Giants look to take down the Eagles in Philadelphia.

The problem for New York could be a fully healthy Jalen Hurts after a bye week. Unlike quarterback Daniel Jones, Hurts did play in week 18 and carved the Giants secondary up with a healing shoulder. The result could be more lopsided since the Eagles starters will play both halves.

Prediction: Eagles win 40-30

#5 Dallas Cowboys v. #2 San Francisco 49ers

One of the best and most prolific NFL rivalries highlights divisional round weekend. The 49ers haven’t lost a game since October and have failed to score 30 points or more once in the past month and a half. The Cowboys have the tools, coaching and talent to make this a hard, grind-out win in San Francisco. Dallas’ main issue is inconsistency and it showed again Monday night in Tampa Bay. The 49ers defense and offensive line will test the Cowboys early on how physical and mean they can get.

Prediction: 49ers win 41-21

NFC Wild-card Weekend Playoff Picks Record: 2-1

Wildcard weekend had everything audiences wanted. There was a double digit comeback victory, a back-and-forth division rivalry game and a near win on the road for a backup quarterback. Jacksonville gave audiences the best and closest game capped with a dramatic finish. The remaining four (the Kansas City Chiefs had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with a battered Bengals team in the picture, no team is an easy out. It’s time to analyze which two teams have the best chance at making the next round.

#4 Jacksonville Jaguars v. #1 Kansas City Chiefs

Jacksonville had a historic comeback and regardless of how the season ends, head coach Doug Pederson has a special unit where franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence and defensive star Josh Allen are rising stars.

The Jaguars’ second round matchup is in one of the league’s loudest stadiums against the conference’s best team. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II is the front runner for league MVP for many reasons and Jacksonville can’t have a slow start like they did in last week’s home game. We’ll find out fast how competitive this game will be.

Prediction: Chiefs win 42-24

#3 Cincinnati Bengals v. #2 Buffalo Bills

This might be the best game of the second round. Both offenses are deep at receiver and the runningbacks have played better since the start of December. Quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are mobile and stretch the field at ease. The deciding factor could be Buffalo’s wide receivers versus Cincinnati’s secondary. Eli Apple stands no chance covering Stefon Diggs and Cam Taylor-Britt will struggle against Gabe Davis. If Josh Allen is more accurate this week, Buffalo will punch their ticket to the conference finals.

Prediction: Bills win 35-27

AFC Wild-card Weekend Playoff Picks Record: 3-0

To be fair, Bobby Wagner wasn’t at his best last season with the Seahawks. Whether he was playing hurt or just had the kind of off-year that’s inevitable when you play in the NFL this long we don’t know, but in any case it doesn’t excuse the way Seattle’s front office treated him last offseason…

Bobby Wagner on 9th straight All-Pro selection: ‘They said I was done’ — Seahawks Wire

The 2021-2022 NFL regular season is over. 14 teams in two conferences (seven in each) have a shot at winning the Vince Lombardi championship trophy. The updated playoff format features an extra team. That means there’s one bye week for the top seeded team in each conference and a Monday night playoff game. Everyone wants to know which three teams in the AFC advance to the divisional round, so here are the best bets come Saturday.

#5 Los Angeles Chargers v. #4 Jacksonville Jaguars

Unfortunately this looks to be the AFC’s most competitive wild-card matchup. Injuries to Mike Williams and Joey Bosa could decide how often new starting runningback Travis Etienne Jr. takes control and becomes the focal point on Jacksonville’s offensive possessions. While quarterback Justin Herbert and runningback Austin Ekeler find ways to score often, the Jaguar defense is playing their best since early December and has everything going their way.

Prediction: Jaguars win 30-20

#7 Miami Dolphins v. #2 Buffalo Bills

The first of two divisional matchups in the AFC, the home team has many advantages. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not start for Miami and backup Jacoby Brissett is still working through a broken thumb on his throwing hand. That means third stringer Skylar Thompson will get the start against a top five defense in the league.

Buffalo’s offense will have a third opportunity to take on Miami’s middling defense. This could get ugly early.

Prediction: Bills win 41-14

#6 Baltimore Ravens v. #3 Cincinnati Bengals

The last of the divisional games in either conference, the result should mirror the other two. A stronger, more balanced home team has an advantage over a road team that doesn’t have the final pieces on offense and defense. Like Buffalo, Cincinnati will have the harder test in the second round after seeing a divisional opponent two weeks in a row.

Prediction: Bengals win 30-17

2022 Regular Season AFC Playoff Predictions Record: 3-4