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ac1numarch · 11 months

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@story1ines asked: send 💬 for an angsty starter . FINCHEL PLS.

rb. Rachel Berry sat alone in her room, the soft strains of a melancholic song playing in the background. The room, filled with Broadway posters and awards, was usually her sanctuary, a place where her dreams were crafted and nurtured. But tonight, it felt like a cage, a reminder of the immense pressure she felt to be the shining star everyone expected her to be.

Her emotions were in turmoil. Her journey from a small-town girl with big dreams to a successful Broadway actress had been both a blessing and a curse. The spotlight, once her greatest aspiration, now felt suffocating. It was as though she had become a character in a play of her own making, a role that demanded perfection at every turn.

Rachel's phone lay beside her, messages and missed calls from her friends and loved ones blinking on the screen. They all wanted a piece of her, a fragment of the star they admired. But behind the façade of success, Rachel was grappling with a profound sense of emptiness.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the pressure of her dreams weighed heavily on her shoulders. She questioned if she had lost herself in the quest for stardom, and the very dream she'd chased for so long now felt like a relentless nightmare.

In that moment of quiet despair, Rachel longed for something more, something that would fill the void in her heart and allow her to break free from the expectations that had come to define her.

What if Finn Hudson was that something she longed for ? What if what she needed the most right now was her Finn to be here and tell her how to actually let go of the things that suffocates her and let all the anxiety that she had inside her since the beggining of her Broadway journey go ?

She can still remember the day when he told her that he believed in her. It was a day that she marked on her own diary. Keeping it a secrets from people for so long, yet, she can't help herself sometimes and read what she once wrote down on those diaries. Longing for the feelings and what those emotions provided to her.

Though, they both lost contact the day when she followed Jesse, the biggest mistake of her life if she has to admit it. She never put an end to their story. In her own book, he is still the one for her. Though, she has to admit that she was in the wrong there. She can't deny that the only person who looked at her with hearteyes, with love, as they all would call it was Finn. Now though, she only has her awards to cry onto.

Sighing at the thought, she took her phone in between her hands and search for his contact number. Did he change his number ? Did he blocked her ? Those question runs in her head as she bites her lips nervously while she click on the call button, fingers playing with the tread of her sweater as she inhale softly. " Please, pick up the phone. " She whispered to herself as she closed her eyes. Desperation written on her features while she thought about something to say.

#story1ines #answered. : rachel berry.#prose. : rachel berry.#dyn. : finn hudson &. rachel berry.#them /#my babies /#i'm not crying ? yes i am /

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mighty-ant · 5 years

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DWD, Gizmoduck, and Duck Avenger crossover with 9?

Being Darkwing Duck means expecting a certain amount of weirdness in his life, but this goes beyond the pale.

There’s fighting your former idol turned megalomaniacal supervillain, for starters, and run of the mill thugs angling for stardom with an off-putting clown gimmick. He’s fought half a dozen mad scientists armed with weather control technology, and seriously, what is up with that? He’s called in to join forces with Launchpad’s family and Gizmoduck, who’s just as insufferable as Drake expected, against an assemblage of Duckburg’s worst villains, duking it out on the beach in a blaze of chaotic glory.

But that battle isn’t even over before something worse, something weirder, comes along in the form of an alien invasion.

Gold ships descend from the heavens and blue, stony-skinned beings flood the beach, wielding guns that fire paralyzing blasts of electricity. They attack indiscriminately, targeting hero and villain alike. Drake knocks out a handful of invaders, just in time to watch Ma Beagle and some of her ilk struck by an errant blast.

Drake hears Launchpad cry out and he whirls around, searching desperately for his partner amidst the chaos of the beach. He spots Launchpad defending Dr. Gearloose’s unconscious body against an invader. The scientist’s little lightbulb invention is trying and failing to drag him to safety.

Launchpad is holding his own against the lone invader, but there are more encroaching on him and Drake knows he’s too far away to be of any help. He runs anyway, slipping on the cold sand, tossing smoke bombs as he goes to give others cover and a chance to escape. Drake is still too far away when Gizmoduck appears, speeding out in front of Launchpad and taking the full brunt of a blast that was intended for him.

While others simply drop, immobilized, when they’re hit, the blast does something to the suit. Electricity arcs across it, the joins sparking, and Gizmoduck convulses. His beak opens in a strangled scream and Drake feels genuine fear. He sprints toward them, decking one invader and knocking the feet out from under another, but he doesn’t make it to Gizmoduck and Launchpad before he’s struck right between his shoulder blades and he knows nothing more.

Drake walks up alone in a holding cell of some sort, though he has no idea where. The walls are cinder block, doorless and windowless, and the white lights are buzzing and harsh. He tamps down the initial fears of alien abduction when he recognizes air vents and coffee stains on the floor, but for all he knows he’s could be in Duckburg or Timbuktu.

Some unknown amount of time later, he doesn’t exactly have a watch, the wall across from him simply ceases to exist. The space left behind is cookie cutter in its perfect square shape, and the hallway beyond is dark. Drake jumps to his feet and runs for the hole in the wall, but he’s nearly bowled over by the body that’s tossed in. Drake stumbles to catch them, taking in their brown feathers and gangly frame at a glance, before jerking his gaze back to their only way out.

For a brief moment he catches a glimpse of a pair of stony-skinned invaders. The one who threw the duck into Drake’s cell is portly and short, his expression one of forced indifference that does little to hide the fear, uncertainty, and shame that hover just beneath. In contrast, the invader beside him is gargantuan in stature and presence, the top half of his face cast into shadow by his helmet’s visor. He meets Drake’s gaze and smiles, his own strange, dark eyes glittering in the darkness with a malice he doesn’t try to conceal.

The invaders vanish in an instant as the wall reappears, as real and solid as it was seconds ago.

The stranger in Drake’s arms groans, perhaps not as unconscious as he appears.

Drake sets him down in the recovery position, but holds onto his shoulder in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture. The last thing he needs, on top of being trapped by aliens in an inescapable room, is a panicking civilian on his hands.

Now that Drake actually has time to look at the guy, he recognizes him as Dr. Gearloose’s assistant, and Launchpad’s friend. Drake had only seen him briefly amidst the tumult that was the mansion as they planned for the confrontation on the beach that turned into so much more. He’d been a bundle of shaky nerves then, following in Dr. Gearloose’s wake as the scientist ranted at him about modifications to the Gizmosuit. Drake thinks his name is Fergus, or Ferdinand something.

He’s very still now, a disconcerting contrast to when Drake last saw him. Bruises decorate his body in a colorful mosaic, not that Drake looks any better, but there are burn marks too, strange symmetrical lines of raised skin, like someone who’s been hit by lightning. Coupled with the hair that hangs limply on his forehead, he looks very young and it twists Drake up inside. Why they would incapacitate someone to this extent, especially one so clearly harmless, is beyond him.

Drake shakes Federico’s shoulder, because if he wants to get out of a high tech alien prison he could probably use the help of someone who knows high tech stuff.

Francisco, it’s definitely Francisco, groans again.

“Cinco minutos más, M’ma,” he mutters plaintively.

“Sorry, sonny, I don’t think that’s gonna fly,” Drake replies wryly, pulling his hand away.

Felipe’s eyes blink open, and he squints in the harshness of the bright room. “What the..?” he mumbles. “Where are—Darkwing Duck?”

“In the flesh,” Drake grimaces, falling out of his crouch to plop down on the ground. “Wish we could’ve met again under better circumstances, Fred—Floy—”

Franco turns so he ends up lying on his back, faceup. The look he fixes Drake with is far too incredulous for a guy who was unconscious a few seconds ago.

“Fenton,” he says.

“Right,” Drake replies.

There’s a strange humming sound coming from where the wall vanished, faint enough that it could be easy to ignore, or impossible to do so. It’s not unlike the sound of a gnat, droning vaguely in the distance, but considering where he is, he knows how unlikely that is. At this rate, it’s probably the sound of whatever hidden forcefield put the wall back in place.

“So,” Drake says, “aliens, huh?”

Fenton chuckles weakly. “I have to admit, it’s not where I saw the night going.”

“You’re telling me,” Drake grunts, heaving himself to his feet. He walks over to where the wall vanished and reappeared, laying his hands flat across it. He feels along the stone, looking for a hidden mechanism or clasp, but the cinder block is solid and cool beneath his fingers just like the real thing. But there’s a faint tingling sensation that makes his feathers stand on end, along like there’s electricity running through the wall.

“Hey, you’re a scientist,” Drake comments over his shoulder, “what you make of a magical sci-fi door?”

“Well, is it magical or is it sci-fi?” Fenton replies, but he sounds off, sluggish, almost like he’s drunk.

Drake whirls back around to see that Fenton hasn’t moved from his spot on the floor, but his eyes are at half mast and he looks on the brink of falling asleep. He rushes back over to his side.

“You can’t sleep yet, kid, I need you to stay awake,” Drake says sternly, slipping into what Launchpad calls his ‘hero voice.’

Fenton snorts. “How old do you think I am?” he retorts dully.

“Old enough to know you probably have a head injury and shouldn’t be falling asleep,” Drake counters.

Fenton groans, but is already in the process of trying to claw himself into a seated position. Drake steadies him with a hand on his shoulder.

Somehow he looks even worse now, dark bruises under his eyes giving the impression of someone who’s been punched repeatedly in the face. In addition to his burns, even his yellow dress shirt is slightly singed, and his tie is missing entirely.

“Did they do this to you?” Drake asks quietly, as rage simmers low and hot in his gut. Fenton looks like he could barely withstand a stiff breeze, even before he was beaten within an inch of his life, and they didn’t even touch Drake.

“Huh?” Fenton says, as if barely noticing the state he’s in. “Oh, no! No, I was-I was wearing a piece of-of experimental tech Dr. Gearloose and I have been working on, and it overloaded when the aliens shot me.”

His eyes widen, and Drake stiffens in alarm. Fenton doesn’t seem to notice as he presses his palm against his forehead. “Aliens exist. There’s an alien invasion going on.”

“Thanks for tuning in,” Drake says. “Now do you want to help me figure out how to open this secret alien door?”

The wall behind Drake disappears.

He jerks around with a yelp, clumsy in his shock.

“You work quick,” he says numbly.

“Thanks,” Fenton replies, sounding equally shocked.

“What’re you waiting for? An invitation?” a new voice demands, and a duck steps into view on the other side of the wall that neither Drake nor anybody else has seen in over a decade. He’s not particularly tall, but his red, blue, and black suit and cape create powerful lines that height cannot hinder. His expression is screwed up in a scowl, and his mask is missing, but his identity is unmistakable.

“Duck Avenger?” Drake gapes.

“Donald Duck?” Fenton exclaims, aghast.

“Who?”

“Mr. McDuck’s nephew,” Fenton gasps, even as the Duck Avenger’s scowl deepens. Fenton struggles to his feet, and Drake helps him up with an arm around his waist. “You’ve been missing for months. He had me searching for you, but I was never able to find—”

An invader steps out from behind the Duck Avenger, and Drake forgets about the living legend for a moment to reach for a gas gun he doesn’t have.

The Duck Avenger, noticing Drake’s alarm, follows his line of sight and glances behind him. His lack of reaction at the invader, easily double any of them in height, muscular and decked in gold, is more telling than his next words.

“Oh, don’t worry she’s with me.”

The invader sneers at them, before turning to the Duck Avenger with her expression barely tamed. “We found the heroes like you wanted, Avenger. We need to hurry if we want to have even the slimmest chance of stopping the general.”

“Sorry, heroes?” Drake repeats, “plural?”

The Duck Avenger looks at Fenton expectantly, amusement curling his beak.

Fenton sags against Drake’s side, looking dismayed. “Oh, come on!” he insists, “just let me have this.”

The Duck Avenger shrugs. “Fair’s fair.”

“You aren’t even wearing a mask!”

The invader groans, a long, drawn-out sound that lasts a handful of seconds. “You are infuriating. Here, Robot Duck,” she says, tossing Fenton one of the gold ray guns. He scrambles to catch it one handed.

“You look awful,” she continues. “At least now you won’t be so useless.”

“Thanks?”

She turns back to the Duck Avenger. “I’ll be at the ship. You have five keltons before I leave you all behind.”

“You got it, Bright Eyes,” he replies as she stomps away.

“Robot Duck?” Drake mutters, “what did she…”

Fenton is giving him an apologetic grin when he meets his eyes. “I was hoping to make a better first impression this time around,” he says.

Drake blinks. Something in his mind clicks into place, a sense of rightness settling over him.

“Gizmoduck,” he says, his tone colorless with shock.

There is an alien armada hanging over their heads. The Duck Avenger is back for the first time in a decade. He has no idea what happened to Launchpad or his family.

Still, Drake has his priorities.

He drops Gizmoduck, allowing him to sprawl backward on the ground.

#ant writes #prompt fic #darkwing duck #duck avenger #gizmoduck #ducktales 2017 #penumbra #paperinik #crossover #speculation for season 2 finale

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hellzyeahwebwielingessays · 4 years

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The Not-So-Amazing Mary Jane Part 12: MJ/Beck being kindred spirits isn’t an excuse (and they barely are anyway!)

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Over the last two instalments I looked at why MJ would neither sympathise with Beck nor believe him worthy of redemption. This time out we dive into how MJ and Beck could be called kindred spirits…and why that wouldn’t matter all that much.

First of all let’s clearly define the ways in which, from MJ’s POV, she and Beck might be said to be kindred spirits.

In context of AMJ Mysterio is chasing what he claims to be his last chance to follow his dreams. Similarly Mary Jane has chased her dreams of stardom (and more specifically of being an actress) numerous times. Her shot in AMJ could be said to possibly be her own last chance at that.

They are both actors and clearly enjoy the craft

They both enjoy making a show and being in the spotlight

They have both had to hide their true selves in public and keep secrets

They could both be said to have a passion for the art of acting/film making/performative storytelling

Here is the thing though, none of those things would be such strong points of emotional connection with Mysterio that MJ would let him carry on as he was.

MJ has risked or even sacrificed her dreams/career ambitions before. We will talk more extensively about that in a future instalment

MJ’s desire to be an actress isn’t that strongly engrained into her. She gave up her acting ambitions to become a model. When her modelling career was going well she didn’t try to leverage it into acting nor was she particularly upset that she’d changed her career direction. In fact she was more upset when her modelling career fell apart early into her marriage to Peter. She actually readopted acting as a result of being blacklisted from modelling and when that fell through went back to modelling during her pregnancy and went back to it again after going back to college. I’m not necessarily suggesting MJ wanted to be a model more than an actress. I am just saying that it was a career direction that she loved and seemed to love interchangeably with acting.

Whilst MJ knows the stress and isolation that can come from wearing a ‘mask’ she has not emotionally connected to just anyone who knows what that’s like. She emotionally connected to Peter through that, but he had numerous other qualities she valued too; including just being a good person. She did not for instance emotionally connect as deeply to Flash Thompson, even though she felt he was a sort of male version of her self. She even suspected he was keeping sides of himself bottled up (which he was). She details all this in Spec #96.

She most certainly didn’t connect to Norman Osborn, neither after nor before he knew he was the Green Goblin. In Spec #250 she comments that even when she was younger and dating Harry she could sense a shadow around him. That he was a man who lived with demons. Which is at least very similar to living with a metaphorical mask as she was.

It’s important to note that for the majority of MJ’s early interactions with Norman Osborn (before she knew he was a villain) he was amnesic and unaware himself of his evil alter ego.

In essence MJ was sensing that Norman was a man who lived with a ‘mask’ when neither of them were aware he was in fact a horrible criminal. And yet MJ didn’t hold any sympathy towards him, not even before she learned the truth.

With this in mind, when she comes face to face with another dangerous and horrible (albeit one not as bad) person who lives with a ‘mask’, who is open about being a criminal (and is committing a crime right in front of her) she…has sympathy for him? Because they are kindred spirits…?????

Can we see how this is incredibly flimsy and ridiculous?

MJ might enjoy being in the spotlight but between the dangers of fame and how she has aged a lot since she first announced her ambitions in the silver age it is arguable that her passion for the craft diminished. This is somewhat supported by ASM v5 #25. An in disguise MJ delivers a stirring monologue about acting that entails her expressing a love for the craft but also a displeasure at the downsides of it.

Finally we come to the idea regarding this being MJ’s last chance for stardom. Let’s consider for a moment, MJ is a young and attractive woman who’s done Hollywood movies, TV work and stage work, even having been praised for it. She’s dropped in and out of the acting business for years. She also has contacts within the industry or in rich and powerful circles anyway. It’s really not inconceivable that (by chance or her own design) she might get another shot in the business. So having her connect to Beck on that front is flimsy at best. But even if this really was MJ’s last chance at stardom, it is implied in AMJ itself that she doesn’t value that chance above anything else. When she suspects something fishy she decides she’s going to walk.

In fairness the above occurred when she suspected her job was an empty promise. Additionally she didn’t realise Beck was seeking his last chance at fulfilling his own dreams. And besides she might’ve been bluffing.

Even dismissing AMJ #1 itself though, is Mary Jane seriously going to be overwhelmed by kinship she shares with this murderer through pursuing their last shots at wish fulfilment?

Is she really going to be so overwhelmed that she would forget or ignore his horrendous crimes and dangerous history?

So overwhelmed by their similarities that she’d allow the guy who has tried to kill her lover to remain free?

That rather implies that MJ in fact prioritises her career or personal feelings over both her relationship with Peter and the greater good in general. This is quite simply nonsense contradicted by her history, but I’ll dive more into that in a future instalment.

Finally let’s return to the comparison between Mysterio and MJ’s father.

In the course of the last two instalments I compared the situation with Beck to when MJ forgave her abusive father. A key factor in the latter was her viewing herself and her father as two of a kind.

Should this then not justify her attitude to Beck once she views him as a kindred spirit too?

No, not at all.

For starters I refer you back to everything I wrote in part 10 about Phillip Watson’s criminal career vs. Beck’s and how the familial connection was a huge variable between the two cases.

More poignantly though there was a huge difference between the similarities MJ was drawing between herself and her father compared to herself and Beck.

MJ was connecting with her father through understanding his pain and guilt, an understanding born to a turbulent family life they both shared in. In fact the connection over guilt stemmed from hurting individuals from the exact same family. From their own family.

These are extremely powerful emotions at the best of times. Far more powerful than the emotions through which MJ might’ve hypothetically been connecting with Beck. And when combined with this emotional baggage developing when MJ was at younger (and very formative) ages there would just be a much more potent emotional connection going on.

That’d be the case were Phillip Watson not MJ’s parental figure or relative.

But because he is her father (and her biological father at that) the similarities MJ was drawing would resonate much more powerfully.

It’s not just that she is a kindred spirit with anyone, but the person who in a sense was (half) responsible for her very existence. Someone whose blood literally ran in her veins. Someone who (for a time) raised her from birth. Someone from who she was (partially) forged.

They aren’t just spiritually similar, they are biologically similar. Thus the similarities drawn would be greatly accentuated within MJ’s mind.

The closest thing to that she has with Beck is that they’ve both ‘gotten inside’ Peter’s head, but in very different ways making the connection nebulous at best.

In summary, it’s questionable if Mary Jane would view Mysterio as a kindred spirit at all.

But even if she did there wouldn’t be any justification for her complicity in his scheme.

And as a matter of fact the subject of MJ’s complicity will be our focus for next time.

Previous Part

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Master Post

#Leah Williams #Amazing Mary Jane #mjwatsonedit #mary jane watson #Mary Jane Watson Parker #Spider-Man #Peter Parker #Mysterio #Quentin Beck #MJ Watson #Flash Thompson #Norman Osborn #Green Goblin

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airoasis · 7 years

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Darrelle Revis feels no extra motivation ahead of season debut vs. Jets

ESPN. "For me throughout my career, it's always been about timing. I just felt where I was at in my training that I was fit and ready to come back and play football.''

The longtime Jet has nothing but fond memories of his time in New York.

"We have a long history ... I had an awesome time there," said Revis. "We had our runs, our AFC championships back to back that we missed out on. Great guys, great teammates that I've been around there. Most of my legacy was with the Jets, so I don't think it's anything (personal). I'm just on another team. This is my fourth ball club throughout my career, and now I'm focused on our team goals and what we're trying to do as a team and accomplish."

Revis doesn't believe that signing with the Chiefs would leave the fans angry.

"For me personally, I don't think there's any ill will or anything to take a stab at or get back at the Jets for any reason," Revis said.

Revis also admitted it's going to be "exciting to see" how he's received by the Jets crowd.

Tags:Darrelle Revis

GEICO SportsNite: Robby Anderson

Todd Bowles discusses Robby Anderson's rise to stardom in a season in which the Jets have dramatically exceeded expectations.

Daily News. "I was taught to trust your preparation. That's what I did. That's the reason those plays were called in that certain situation."

Ralph Vacchiano |

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning stands in a tunnel with teammates before an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky/AP)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Imagine waking up from this nightmare of a season for the Giants just in time for Week 1 of the 2018 season. And there, just like old times, comes Eli Manning, running out of the Meadowlands tunnel.

Only this time he's wearing green.

It's crazy, right? And it probably makes no sense. It will look and feel to everyone like as much of a betrayal as if the long-time Giants quarterback signed with the Cowboys or the Eagles. Besides, a 37-year-old quarterback wouldn't exactly fit into the Jets' youth movement...

Tags:Eli Manning, Josh McCown, Ralph Vacchiano

Robby Anderson

GEICO SportsNite: Jets

Jets quarterback Josh McCown comments on Eli Manning's benching and the Jets prepare for a reunion with Darrelle Revis and the Chiefs.

The Jets (4-7) face the Chiefs (6-5) on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Here's what's going on today…

Need to know

The Jets practice again today at Florham Park. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano will be attending practice this week. Follow @RVacchianoSNY on Twitter to keep up with all the latest Jets news and rumors…

Will Bowles return next season?

Willie Colon and Jon Hein discuss if Todd Bowles will be the head coach next season and if it is time for a quarterback change for the Jets.

Brian Winters, Juston Burris, Matt Forte, Steve McLendon

Follow @RVacchianoSNY on Twitter to keep up with all the latest Jets news and rumors.

In case you missed it on TJB

Tags:Kansas City Chiefs

Ralph Vacchiano |

New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown calls a play at the line of scrimmage during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)

The future will have to wait. Again.

Despite another dispiriting loss, and with the playoffs just about out of reach, Jets head coach Todd Bowles has again resisted making a quarterback change. Rather than turn to 26-year-old backup Bryce Petty or 22-year-old Christian Hackenberg, Bowles said he is again sticking with his regular starter: 38-year-old Josh McCown.

Tags:Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg, Josh McCown, Ralph Vacchiano

Ralph Vacchiano |

Nov 26, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) (Jay Biggerstaff)

The Jets are paying Darrelle Revis a little less than $6 million this season. So it seems only fair that he'll play in one of their games.

That, of course, will take place this Sunday when the 32-year-old Revis is scheduled to make his debut for the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed with them last Wednesday, eight months after the Jets released him. The Jets were pretty convinced Revis' NFL career was over when they cut him. Think he might have a little something to prove?

Tags:Darrelle Revis, Ralph Vacchiano

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Christian Hackenberg, Demario Davis, Josh McCown, Morris Claiborne, Muhammad Wilkerson, Wesley Johnson

ArDarius Stewart, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Shell, Brian Winters, Elijah McGuire, James Carpenter, Josh McCown, Matt Forte, Robby Anderson

The Post's Mark Cannizzaro. "I was single-handedly the culprit for why we didn't score today in the red zone. I take full responsibility. If I catch both of those, it's a different game."

Tags:Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Should McCown remain at starter?

Jets Pre Game Live discusses the benefits of Josh McCown holding onto the Jets' starting quarterback role for the remainder of the season.

Jets QB Josh McCown may have had his best game statistically with the Green & White, but it was his fourth-quarter fumble that will be remembered in the team's 35-27 loss to the Panthers.

The Jets didn't look like they were going up against the second-best defense in the NFL as they were going shot-for-shot with the Panthers all game long. They eventually took their first lead of the game, 20-18, early in the fourth quarter, and had the field position to open it up as well. But McCown made a crucial error by trying to throw the ball as he was being sacked, and instead, fumbled near midfield.

Panthers LB Luke Kuechly would scoop it up and take it to the house to regain the lead, and the Jets wouldn't see a lead the rest of the afternoon.

Tags:Josh McCown

Ralph Vacchiano |

New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson catches a touchdown pass defended by Carolina Panthers cornerback James Bradberry during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson looked like a Pro Bowler with his big performance on Sunday. But he looked small when he turned to the TV cameras and started begging for votes.

It's unfortunate, but that plea stole some of the spotlight from Anderson's six-catch, 146-yard, two-touchdown performance in Sunday's 35-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers. One of his touchdown catches was a dazzling display of athleticism. The other one was a testament to his football smarts and his chemistry with quarterback Josh McCown.

But after that catch -- a 54-yarder in the third quarter -- the 24-year old found one of Fox TV's cameras and said, "How about you vote for me for the Pro Bowl man, please?"

Tags:Carolina Panthers, Josh McCown, Morris Claiborne, Robby Anderson, Ralph Vacchiano

Ralph Vacchiano |

GEICO SportsNite: FNNY on Jets

The Football Night in NY panel discusses what went wrong for the Jets, as a disastrous fourth quarter cost them late against the Panthers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The simple truth is that the Jets were not ready for this. They weren't ready for the reset expectations, the competitive games or a playoff race in late December. They have proven they are far better, far more advanced than anyone expected three months ago.

But they are just not ready to win.

They'll get there (probably) but they're not there yet, as they showed again by throwing away yet another game in the fourth quarter. This time, they did it with the usual array of turnovers, drops and penalties, and they even threw in a punt return for a touchdown. In the end, they ended up losing 35-27 to the Carolina Panthers in another game they seemed poised to win.

Tags:Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Carolina Panthers, Josh McCown, Robby Anderson, Ralph Vacchiano

Ralph Vacchiano |

New York Jets center Wesley Johnson cannot grab the ball after New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown fumbled for a turnover in the second half against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It's hard to call them the "same old Jets" because things aren't as bad and dysfunctional as they've been in the past. They are building something, even if the growing pains are increasingly painful.

But Sunday's loss, on the heels of a string of bad losses, sure did have the "same old" feel.

How else to explain the Jets once again holding their own against one of the better teams in the NFL only to maddeningly throw it all away in the fourth quarter, this time with their already thin playoff hopes clinging to the line? Their 35-27 home loss to the Carolina Panthers was their fifth loss in six games, and it felt like all the others. If only they hadn't made so many mind-boggling mistakes at key points late in the game.

Tags:Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Bilal Powell, Buster Skrine, Carolina Panthers, Josh McCown, Morris Claiborne, Robby Anderson, Steve McLendon, Ralph Vacchiano

Jets Post Game Overtime: 11/26

The Jets Post Game Overtime studio crew hands out their report cards on Gang Green's performance in the 35-27 loss to the Panthers.

Bowles and McCown on loss

Todd Bowles and Josh McCown discuss how the Jets' poor fourth-quarter mired with turnovers and penalties led to the loss against Carolina.

QB Josh McCown connected with WR Robby Anderson on two key touchdown passes, but the Panthers took control in the fourth quarter and escaped with a 35-27 win at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. >> Box score

Tags:Josh McCown, Robby Anderson

Matt Forte, Morris Claiborne

Vacc's 3 Keys to Jets win

SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano gives his three keys for a Jets victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Rich Cimini of ESPN. "Whether it is getting out of the pocket and scrambling, or just Cam being Cam, we have to make sure we keep him in the pocket and he doesn't have explosive plays."

Tags:Muhammad Wilkerson

GEICO SportsNite: Jets

Ralph Vacchiano and Jeane Coakley discuss the Jets' preparations for this week's game against the Carolina Panthers.

Ralph Vacchiano |

Nov 12, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown (15) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports (Aaron Doster)

THE GAME: The Carolina Panthers (7-3) at the Jets (4-6) at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER: Not a terrible day, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 40s, but the wind could potentially be around 20 m.p.h. That could impact the passing games of both teams. Normally that would be an advantage for the Jets, but not necessarily here.

WHAT IT MEANS: It's kind of remarkable that after losing four of five in agonizing fashion the Jets are right in the thick of the playoff race....

Tags:Jamal Adams, Ralph Vacchiano

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flauntpage · 7 years

Text

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy

Intriguing lottery picks who are as young, explosive, and offensively compelling as Zach LaVine rarely switch teams before their second contract. But after he tore his ACL in February, the 22-year-old was traded a few months ago from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Chicago Bulls. He now finds himself as the closest thing one of the NBA's marquee organizations has to a marketable star.

Here's what we know: The trade that advanced LaVine from a gunslinging third option on one of the league's most exciting teams to the primary threat inside a dumpster fire will inevitably proliferate his responsibilities. What we don't yet know is whether it'll work out. Can he improve and evolve while taking on a larger role, and even eventually help make the Bulls a respectable outfit once again? Or are his current flaws too glaring to ever overcome?

LaVine's former team was seemingly on track to become the blue-chip-studded stepchild of the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook-led Oklahoma City Thunder—with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins projected to grow into what those two All-NBA studs became. As the interdependent variable whose production could either push that duo forward or hold it back, LaVine was the question mark. Now that he's gone, how does his outlook compare to two other third-wheel guards who charted their own path outside Durant and Westbrook's shadow: James Harden (for better) and Reggie Jackson (for worse).

Last season, the sport's most electrifying cloud hopper assumed a part that was molded to his ability. Instead of setting the table, as he was asked to do when he entered the league, LaVine ate everything that was placed in front of him. According to Basketball-Reference, his minutes spent as a point guard completely evaporated—from 94 percent as a rookie, to zero—while his assist and turnover rates cut in half. Even though his overall field goal attempts didn't spike, LaVine migrated behind the three-point line and saw his minutes climb up to 37.2 per game as he became a full-time starter in the first year of Tom Thibodeau's regime.

He was and still is the rustiest link in any defensive scheme, but LaVine couldn't be ignored whenever Minnesota had the ball. He flew off screens, pulled up off hand offs, and dazzled in spurts with individual shot creation that wasn't forced.

Life won't be so simple in Chicago. The aforementioned ACL injury—which occurred when LaVine came off a stagger screen, caught a pass skidding towards the rim, then landed awkwardly after a mid-air collision with Andre Drummond—will obviously steepen the incline of LaVine's development, and after he returns there will be no capitalizing off Ricky Rubio's brilliant vision, let alone the widening vacuum of attention that Towns and Wiggins demand.

LaVine struggled, relatively, when any of those three didn't share the court with him last season. He was thrust into a familiar yet uncomfortable spot and struggled to balance his needs with decisions that would untangle complications for his teammates. For LaVine to enter another realm and justify any worthwhile comparisons to the most diversified players at his position, he must expand his repertoire enough to impact games when he, himself, isn't putting the ball through the net.

This is why any comparison, beyond their early-career situation, to Harden is unfair. The annual MVP candidate's True Shooting percentage was an ungodly 66.0 as Oklahoma City's Sixth Man in his third season (LaVine's was 57.6). A gifted passer who proved he could hold his own on a meaningful stage, Harden kept his True Shooting percentage above 60.0 in 20 playoff games while averaging 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists per 36 minutes.

Harden lived at the free-throw line and created open shots for others. He possesses a natural crafty strength few before him have been able to harness. Signs of stardom were clear. LaVine is not that special. He's slippery, and single-handedly marks an asterisk beside the rules of gravity, but was one of eight players in the last 10 years to average at least 18 points with a free-throw rate below .200 last season.

LaVine only averaged 4.3 drives per game last year—the same amount as Philadelphia 76ers backup point guard Sergio Rodriguez, who averaged 15 fewer minutes. Yikes. What the former 13th overall pick can do, though, is really shoot—a vital characteristic that should never be overlooked. According to Synergy Sports, he finished in the 87th percentile in spot-up situations last season. Of catch-and-shoot threes and threes launched when wide open, he knocked down 43.2 percent, an elite number that matches up nicely with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

If he can bump his accuracy off the dribble up and force defenders to take away those tough looks, there's a decent chance LaVine can evolve into the most valuable type of weapon NBA basketball currently knows. A modest leap of faith is required when counting on anyone not named Curry to get there at a high volume, but LaVine has the quick release and springy legs to do it. Levitating above perimeter defenders isn't an issue for him, and it's realistic to believe he can someday drill pull-up threes at a 40 percent clip.

Doing so would widen driving lanes and allow him to become more of a threat at the rim, where he's actually not a bad finisher. LaVine is already terrific in the open floor, but he'll be diabolical if he can force help defenders to pinch in off the arc in half-court situations.

There are no guarantees LaVine will reach that level, though, and—assuming Dwyane Wade spends a majority of this season on a different team—his usage rate will soar in lineups that rely upon him to do most of the heavy lifting. It's more likely than not LaVine struggles badly in his first year as a go-to choice. Lauri Markkanen and (the still unsigned) Nikola Mirotic will create space as best they can, while Cristiano Felicio and Robin Lopez will roam as rim-rolling cinder blocks. But none of that's very inspiring.

Elsewhere, it's (even more) bleak. Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine don't warrant significant minutes in an NBA game, and Paul Zipser might be the Bulls' third option whenever he's on the court.

LaVine is currently eligible for a contract extension, but Chicago would be wise to sit negotiations out until he proves he's A) healthy and B) expanding his strengths. It would've been interesting to see LaVine's career play out underneath Towns and Wiggins, perhaps evolving into a necessary, and highly entertaining, spark off the bench.

Now he's forced to provide more substance with a skill-set that's yet to indicate it can. LaVine has room to breathe and space to grow, but that probably isn't his calling.

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years

Text

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy

Here’s what we know: The trade that advanced LaVine from a gunslinging third option on one of the league’s most exciting teams to the primary threat inside a dumpster fire will inevitably proliferate his responsibilities. What we don’t yet know is whether it’ll work out. Can he improve and evolve while taking on a larger role, and even eventually help make the Bulls a respectable outfit once again? Or are his current flaws too glaring to ever overcome?

LaVine’s former team was seemingly on track to become the blue-chip-studded stepchild of the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook-led Oklahoma City Thunder—with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins projected to grow into what those two All-NBA studs became. As the interdependent variable whose production could either push that duo forward or hold it back, LaVine was the question mark. Now that he’s gone, how does his outlook compare to two other third-wheel guards who charted their own path outside Durant and Westbrook’s shadow: James Harden (for better) and Reggie Jackson (for worse).

Last season, the sport’s most electrifying cloud hopper assumed a part that was molded to his ability. Instead of setting the table, as he was asked to do when he entered the league, LaVine ate everything that was placed in front of him. According to Basketball-Reference, his minutes spent as a point guard completely evaporated—from 94 percent as a rookie, to zero—while his assist and turnover rates cut in half. Even though his overall field goal attempts didn’t spike, LaVine migrated behind the three-point line and saw his minutes climb up to 37.2 per game as he became a full-time starter in the first year of Tom Thibodeau’s regime.

He was and still is the rustiest link in any defensive scheme, but LaVine couldn’t be ignored whenever Minnesota had the ball. He flew off screens, pulled up off hand offs, and dazzled in spurts with individual shot creation that wasn’t forced.

Life won’t be so simple in Chicago. The aforementioned ACL injury—which occurred when LaVine came off a stagger screen, caught a pass skidding towards the rim, then landed awkwardly after a mid-air collision with Andre Drummond—will obviously steepen the incline of LaVine’s development, and after he returns there will be no capitalizing off Ricky Rubio’s brilliant vision, let alone the widening vacuum of attention that Towns and Wiggins demand.

LaVine struggled, relatively, when any of those three didn’t share the court with him last season. He was thrust into a familiar yet uncomfortable spot and struggled to balance his needs with decisions that would untangle complications for his teammates. For LaVine to enter another realm and justify any worthwhile comparisons to the most diversified players at his position, he must expand his repertoire enough to impact games when he, himself, isn’t putting the ball through the net.

This is why any comparison, beyond their early-career situation, to Harden is unfair. The annual MVP candidate’s True Shooting percentage was an ungodly 66.0 as Oklahoma City’s Sixth Man in his third season (LaVine’s was 57.6). A gifted passer who proved he could hold his own on a meaningful stage, Harden kept his True Shooting percentage above 60.0 in 20 playoff games while averaging 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists per 36 minutes.

Harden lived at the free-throw line and created open shots for others. He possesses a natural crafty strength few before him have been able to harness. Signs of stardom were clear. LaVine is not that special. He’s slippery, and single-handedly marks an asterisk beside the rules of gravity, but was one of eight players in the last 10 years to average at least 18 points with a free-throw rate below .200 last season.

If he can bump his accuracy off the dribble up and force defenders to take away those tough looks, there’s a decent chance LaVine can evolve into the most valuable type of weapon NBA basketball currently knows. A modest leap of faith is required when counting on anyone not named Curry to get there at a high volume, but LaVine has the quick release and springy legs to do it. Levitating above perimeter defenders isn’t an issue for him, and it’s realistic to believe he can someday drill pull-up threes at a 40 percent clip.

Doing so would widen driving lanes and allow him to become more of a threat at the rim, where he’s actually not a bad finisher. LaVine is already terrific in the open floor, but he’ll be diabolical if he can force help defenders to pinch in off the arc in half-court situations.

There are no guarantees LaVine will reach that level, though, and—assuming Dwyane Wade spends a majority of this season on a different team—his usage rate will soar in lineups that rely upon him to do most of the heavy lifting. It’s more likely than not LaVine struggles badly in his first year as a go-to choice. Lauri Markkanen and (the still unsigned) Nikola Mirotic will create space as best they can, while Cristiano Felicio and Robin Lopez will roam as rim-rolling cinder blocks. But none of that’s very inspiring.

Elsewhere, it’s (even more) bleak. Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine don’t warrant significant minutes in an NBA game, and Paul Zipser might be the Bulls’ third option whenever he’s on the court.

LaVine is currently eligible for a contract extension, but Chicago would be wise to sit negotiations out until he proves he’s A) healthy and B) expanding his strengths. It would’ve been interesting to see LaVine’s career play out underneath Towns and Wiggins, perhaps evolving into a necessary, and highly entertaining, spark off the bench.

Now he’s forced to provide more substance with a skill-set that’s yet to indicate it can. LaVine has room to breathe and space to grow, but that probably isn’t his calling.

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy

Elsewhere, it's (even more) bleak. Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine don't warrant significant minutes in an NBA game, and Paul Zipser might be the Bulls' third option whenever he's on the court.

Now he's forced to provide more substance with a skill-set that's yet to indicate it can. LaVine has room to breathe and space to grow, but that probably isn't his calling.

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy

Elsewhere, it's (even more) bleak. Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine don't warrant significant minutes in an NBA game, and Paul Zipser might be the Bulls' third option whenever he's on the court.

Now he's forced to provide more substance with a skill-set that's yet to indicate it can. LaVine has room to breathe and space to grow, but that probably isn't his calling.

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy

Elsewhere, it's (even more) bleak. Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine don't warrant significant minutes in an NBA game, and Paul Zipser might be the Bulls' third option whenever he's on the court.

Now he's forced to provide more substance with a skill-set that's yet to indicate it can. LaVine has room to breathe and space to grow, but that probably isn't his calling.

Zach LaVine Can Either Be the Next James Harden, Or Just Some other Guy published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes