#like at least when it’s a fair matchup/rival teams I can sometimes get into it

[sadgirlautumn]

I wasn’t even watching the game and now my dad just turned it on and said “why aren’t you watching the Taylor game?” Like dude I don’t like football but it’s even worse when the chances of the opposing team winning is very slim 😃

[thecollegefootballguy]

The Real 2020 Season: Week 1

Hey everybody, welcome to Week 1 of The Real 2020 Season! We’re imagining how things would have gone in the 2020 football season if COVID hadn’t ruined everything.

Week 0 was fun just because football was back on but it didn’t offer a whole lot. Week 1 is when things really get going. We have a big matchups featuring some blue bloods right off the bat. Of course this is balanced out by most other teams hosting bodybag games against scrub opponents from the G5 or the FCS. But hey, let’s look at the fun parts. There aren’t as many ranked games as other past Week 1′s, but football is being played so it’s all good.

If you want to check out my Week 0 post first click here.

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The Rankings

Preseason AP Poll

1. Clemson 0-0 (0-0) 2. Ohio State 0-0 (0-0) 3. Alabama 0-0 (0-0) 4. Georgia 0-0 (0-0) 5. Oklahoma 0-0 (0-0) 6. LSU 0-0 (0-0) 7. Penn State 0-0 (0-0) 8. Florida 0-0 (0-0) 9. Oregon 0-0 (0-0) 10. Notre Dame 1-0 11. Auburn 0-0 (0-0) 12. Wisconsin 0-0 (0-0) 13. Texas A&M 0-0 (0-0) 14. Texas 0-0 (0-0) 15. Oklahoma State 0-0 (0-0) 16. Michigan 0-0 (0-0) 17. USC 0-0 (0-0) 18. North Carolina 0-0 (0-0) 19. Minnesota 0-0 (0-0) 20. Cincinnati 0-0 (0-0) 21. UCF 0-0 (0-0) 22. Utah 0-0 (0-0) 23. Iowa State 0-0 (0-0) 24. Iowa 0-0 (0-0) 25. Tennessee 0-0 (0-0)

We’re still working with the preseason AP poll so nothing changed since last week. The SEC and Big Ten are still well represented in the polls, and are followed by the Big 12. The ACC and PAC-12 only managed to fit in three teams each although Clemson being the #1 team certainly helps the ACC’s image. Notre Dame claims the #10 spot which feels pretty spot on for the Irish coming out of 2019.

The G5 is represented only by Cincinnati and UCF of the AAC. Pretty standard stuff for a preseason poll.

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The Narrative

I wrote out a much more in-depth preseason 2020 narrative last week so check it out to get the big scoop. The short version is that the usual suspects are once again the most serious contenders. Alabama and Georgia are favored to win their divisions and once again and then duke it out for the SEC title. Ohio State is favored for the Big Ten ahead of PSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Oklahoma is the favorite in the Big 12, and Clemson winning the ACC shouldn’t even be a question. These five favorites from these four conferences will most likely make up the Playoff field, or at least 3 of the 4 spots. What can I say? We’ve been in a bit of a rut regarding putting new teams in the Playoff since that first 2014 season.

The PAC-12 is the only Power conference without a clear favorite and without a real clear path to the Playoff. The G5 of course will probably never be let into the Playoff but the AAC champ is once again favored to snag the auto-bid for the NY6. UCF is the money favorite based on the past several seasons but Cincinnati had a good showing in 2019 and is set to challenge the Knights.

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The Games

Week 1 features several high profile matchups and a bunch of uninteresting bodybag games. I’ll list all of the games and then break down the big matchups.

Winning teams are highlighted in bold.

Austin Peay at #20 Cincinnati Rice at Houston Arkansas State at Memphis SMU at Texas State South Florida at #14 Texas Temple at Miami FL Southeastern Louisiana at Tulane Toledo at Tulsa #18 North Carolina at #21 UCF Syracuse at Boston College #1 Clemson at Georgia Tech Florida State vs West Virginia (Atlanta, GA) NC State at Louisville Wake Forest at Old Dominion Middle Tennessee at Duke Miami OH at Pittsburgh #4 Georgia vs Virginia (Atlanta, GA) Liberty at Virginia Tech Baylor vs Ole Miss (Houston, TX) South Dakota at #23 Iowa State New Hampshire at Kansas Buffalo at Kansas State Missouri State at #5 Oklahoma Oregon State at #15 Oklahoma State TCU at California Texas Tech at UTEP Indiana at #12 Wisconsin Towson at Maryland #16 Michigan at Washington Michigan State at Northwestern Bowling Green at #2 Ohio State Kent State at #7 Penn State Monmouth at Rutgers Illinois State at Illinois Northern Iowa at #24 Iowa Florida Atlantic at #19 Minnesota Purdue at Nebraska Charlotte at #25 Tennessee Jacksonville State at FIU Chattanooga at Western Kentucky Louisiana Tech at UNLV Houston Baptist at North Texas South Alabama at Southern Miss New Mexico State at UAB UTSA at #6 LSU Youngstown State at Akron North Carolina Central at Ohio Maine at Ball State San Jose State at Central Michigan Eastern Michigan at Kentucky Rhode Island at Northern Illinois Colgate at Western Michigan Duquesne at Air Force Georgia Southern at Boise State Colorado at Colorado State New Mexico at Mississippi State Washington State at Utah State Weber State at Wyoming UCLA at Hawaii Nevada at Arkansas Sacramento State at San Diego State North Dakota State at #9 Oregon William & Mary at Stanford Portland State at Arizona Northern Arizona at Arizona State #3 Alabama vs #17 USC (Arlington, TX) BYU at #22 Utah Eastern Washington at #8 Florida Central Arkansas at Missouri Coastal Carolina at South Carolina Mercer at Vanderbilt Nevada at Arkansas Alcorn State at #11 Auburn Abilene Christian at #13 Texas A&M Morgan State at Appalachian State Murray State at Georgia State Arkansas Pine-Bluff at Troy McNeese State at Louisiana Cal Poly at Louisiana-Monroe Bucknell at Army Massachusetts at Connecticut

Nobody came close to upsetting the Top 5, though the games weren’t all severe beatdowns either. #1 Clemson of course stomped rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta and #2 Ohio State and #5 Oklahoma handled their business against patsy opponents. #3 Alabama once again thoroughly torched #17 USC in Dallas. #4 Georgia beat Virginia in Atlanta but the Bulldogs’ offense didn’t exactly look promising.

The other kickoff games saw West Virginia defeating Florida State in the other Chick-fil-A matchup and Ole Miss edged out Baylor in Houston. Boy, don’t you wish both of those games were being played in 2015 and not 2020? The other ranked vs ranked game of the week featured #21 UCF outpacing #18 North Carolina in Orlando, it wasn’t unexpected but it’s still an important symbolic win for the Knights and for the AAC.

A few other games had consequential results for the Big Ten in particular.  Indiana pulled off a shocking upset of #12 Wisconsin, a crippling blow for the Badgers who were once again the favorites to win the Big Ten West. Out West, #16 Michigan lost handily to Washington, likely ruining the Wolverines’ Playoff hopes.

More than a fair share of home teams won against easy opponents, it’s more or less a Week 1 tradition, but there is always intrigue and surprising results on a chalky week like this. Liberty scraped past Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, embarrassing the Hokies in their home opener. Buffalo beat Kansas State with surprising efficiency while Coastal Carolina gutted out a win over South Carolina in Columbia. As usual, a few FCS teams were able to dish out some damage. Jacksonville State beat FIU while Youngstown State was able to down rival Akron and keep their old travelling trophy, the Steel Tire.

A couple other rivalry games to note before moving on. #22 Utah was able to fend off rival BYU in another fierce chapter in the Holy War. AAC squads Houston and Memphis were able to shut down Rice and Arkansas State respectively in their regional rivalry matchups. Colorado travelled to Fort Collins for the first time since 1996 and beat their little brothers in the 92nd Rocky Mountain Showdown. Finally, a bad UConn team eked out a win against a worse UMass squad.

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The Standings

There were only a few conference games played in Week 1, mostly in the ACC and Big Ten. We won’t see full conferences playing until at least Week 4 when the Big Ten, Big 12, and PAC-12 begin their 9-game league schedules. There isn’t much to say about the standings this early in the season, but then again it’s fun to see Nebraska leading the Big Ten West.

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The Big Picture

Week 1 sometimes sees a few earth-shattering outcomes with all of the Kickoff Games and the odd crucial upset. That didn’t happen this year with so few high profile games. It’s not like Alabama curb-stomping USC was unexpected. Probably the most significant events were Michigan and Wisconsin losing to Washington and Indiana. That leaves Ohio State and Penn State as the only real Big Ten teams with a serious shot at the Playoff only a week into the season.

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The New Rankings

Following Week 1 the AP Poll didn’t change a whole lot in the top 15 thanks to a very chalky week. Alabama’s win over USC helps the Tide leap over Ohio State into 2nd place but not yet to first because Clemson did of course completely humiliate their own P5 opponent. Wisconsin and North Carolina fall out of the rankings. USC’s loss to Alabama is more or less forgiven because, hey, basically everybody loses to the Tide so the Trojans only fall a few spots. Michigan nearly tumbled out of the poll but just barely cling on after falling 9 spots to #25. Washington and Indiana both climb into the polls, though of course the Huskies are treated with a bit more respect than the Hoosiers, whose presence is treated more like a novelty.

1. Clemson 1-0 (1-0) 2. Alabama 1-0 (0-0) 3. Ohio State 1-0 (0-0) 4. Georgia 1-0 (0-0) 5. Oklahoma 1-0 (0-0) 6. LSU 1-0 (0-0) 7. Penn State 1-0 (0-0) 8. Florida 1-0 (0-0) 9. Oregon 1-0 (0-0) 10. Notre Dame 1-0 11. Auburn 1-0 (0-0) 12. Texas A&M 1-0 (0-0) 13. Texas 1-0 (0-0) 14. Oklahoma State 1-0 (0-0) 15. Washington 1-0 (0-0) 16. UCF 1-0 (0-0) 17. Minnesota 1-0 (0-0) 18. Utah 1-0 (0-0) 19. Indiana 1-0 (1-0) 20. USC 0-1 (0-0) 21. Cincinnati 1-0 (0-0) 22. Iowa State 1-0 (0-0) 23. Iowa 1-0 (0-0) 24. Tennessee 1-0 (0-0) 25. Michigan 0-1 (0-0)

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Week 1 is in the books. The 2020 college football season is finally under way! And don’t worry if this is somewhat less interesting than you expected one week in, Week 2 will be much more interesting! Stay tuned!

[junker-town]

The evolution of Kawhi Leonard as a defender

Kawhi Leonard is still the league’s scariest defender.

Kawhi Leonard’s vintage defense is the key to the Clippers’ championship hopes.

Five years ago, Kawhi Leonard’s defensive impact was explicit. As the first non-center to win consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards since Sidney Moncrief in 1983 and 1984, Leonard was a human fog machine Gregg Popovich would unleash on whoever the San Antonio Spurs wanted to fluster.

Leonard didn’t just “guard” the best basketball players in the world. He quarantined them. He tattooed his name on the back of their eyelids. He invaded their worst nightmares by condemning them to pockets of loneliness. Leonard isolated opponents with a perfect blend of grace and menace. He hovered and pounced and refused to negotiate.

Few in the history of the sport were more disruptive. It didn’t matter if you were 6’11, JJ Redick, or the best player alive, smack dab in the middle of your physical prime.

In the years that followed, Leonard’s offensive ascension combined with a mercurial quadricep condition to ever-so-slightly suppress what he once was able to do on both ends of the court over the course of an entire season. He didn’t decline on defense so much as see his responsibilities shift; eventually he stopped bodying the opposing team’s best player for 30 minutes every night and began to pick his spots.

But this season there have been extended periods where Leonard’s defensive effort, focus, and impact better resemble his 24-year-old self than what he was last season — a heartening and relevant revelation for a Los Angeles Clippers team that’s all-in trying to win its very first NBA championship.

During All-Star Weekend, I posed questions about the state of Leonard’s defense to as many players and coaches as I could, including the man himself.

“I never even think of stuff like that,” Leonard said when asked if he could describe his own evolution as a defender over the past half decade. Then he thought about it for a moment. “[It’s] being smarter, knowing the offense a lot better, you know, just trying to be a better overall team player, team defensive player.”

When I followed up by asking if he was at the same defensive level now as he used to be, Leonard was blunt. “I mean, no. That was my job back then. I wasn’t getting the ball as often and my hat had to hang on being the best defensive player. Can’t do that now. It’s too much energy on the floor.”

“I don’t know what much more there is to say other than he’s as good as it is on the other end, when he starts playing.” — Nick Nurse

All that is true in the sense that Leonard is the one who said it; barring a pinch of self-modesty, he would know the answer better than anyone else. Leonard led the Spurs in scoring during the 2015-16 season but his usage rate was eight percent lower than it is right now. The Clippers have built their offense around his gravity and precision. Not including Luka Doncic, no forward finishes more possessions as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. The highest assist rate of his career entering this season was 18.9. Today it’s 28.4.

But sometimes two statements that appear to contradict one another can both be correct. Leonard isn’t who he was five years ago. Sure. But his current apex still rivals the best of the best. He’s a roving scourge who uses countless possessions’ worth of backlogged information and incomparable physical dimensions to seep into the offense’s blood stream. Those massive hands that can squeeze 10 grapefruits at the same time are not smaller than when he wore a Spurs jersey. His wingspan did not shrivel, either.

Last season, Leonard had his fair share of brilliant moments with the Toronto Raptors. He picked pockets, single-handedly made open lanes feel congested, and in certain high-profile games embraced the most challenging matchup on the floor.

Leonard cracked an All-Defensive team, though not the first team — Marcus Smart, Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Eric Bledsoe all made it over him — and he tied Draymond Green for sixth on the Defensive Player of the Year ballot. But so much of the year was about establishing preservation and balance.

Kawhi finished 249th in defensive real plus-minus and the Raptors had the best defense in the league when he was not on the floor, a trend that carried over into the playoffs when they were never better on that end — by a pretty wide margin — when their best player didn’t play. Leonard’s health and offensive authority took precedent over the gas that’s required to be a true lock-down defender.

On-off numbers aren’t the be-all, end-all, especially in a 223-minute sample size. Most defensive units are only as strong as their weakest link; the Raptors had several all-galaxy defenders on that championship team and haven’t skipped a beat this season. And Leonard was still invaluable for a team that always needed him to reach their goal, most notably when Nick Nurse threw him on Antetokounmpo in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The regular-season MVP and his Milwaukee Bucks struggled to generate quality looks through the 99.8 partial possessions Leonard guarded him.

Leonard, with plenty of help, was superb in those final four games, noticeable limp and all. This season, several numbers combine with conventional wisdom to suggest that he has been more impressive on that end than he ever was while with the Raptors.

“As players get older they naturally get better,” Frank Vogel said. “But he’s always had great defensive instincts and great physical tools.”

Leonard is currently sixth in defensive real plus-minus — the metric’s algorithm has changed since 2015, but Leonard finished sixth and ninth, respectively, during the two seasons he won Defensive Player of the Year — and sixth in defensive RAPTOR (among players who’ve logged at least 1,200 minutes). His defensive box plus-minus was a personal-worst 0.7 in Toronto, but right now it’s at 2.4, his career average.

He’s deflecting 3.6 passes (only five players rank higher) in 32.5 minutes per game. Last year he deflected 3.2 passes in 34 minutes. His steals are the same (1.8) despite the slight drop in playing time. In 20 possessions as an isolation defender, he’s holding opponents to 0.65 points per possession, which ranks in the 89th percentile. (Last year he defended 22 possessions and allowed 0.55 points per possession.)

Those isolation numbers are indicative of how much a deterrent Leonard is, and who he regularly guards (i.e. players who aren’t about to take Leonard one-on-one). “If he [switched on me],” Memphis Grizzlies rookie Brandon Clarke laughed. “I’d probably pass it quickly.”

Even more important than the shots that are abolished by his presence and reputation are the ones he actually has to contest. Leonard is holding forwards to 39.6 percent shooting and guards to 36.4 percent. Last season forwards shot 45.6 percent with Leonard on them while guards were at 43.9 percent. He’s as immovable as ever.

Among all active players, Leonard owns the NBA’s second-lowest defensive rating. This year he ranks 11th in that category, and the Clippers allow 103.7 points per 100 possessions when Leonard is on the floor without George. When George is on the floor without Leonard that number shoots up to 108 points per 100 possessions, which is the difference between the second-best defense and 10th-best defense in the league. (A quick contrast: Last year the Raptors allowed 5.4 more points per 100 possessions when Leonard was on the floor without Pascal Siakam.)

“He knows where the ball’s gonna be.” — Ben Simmons

Over the weekend, I asked Nurse if he believed Leonard’s defense was at the Defensive Player of the Year standard he set during his early 20s.

“I think he is. I don’t know, we’ve played them twice earlier in the year. I haven’t seen him play all that much lately. I did watch a bit of the game the other night [against the Boston Celtics]. Listen, he’s as good as there is defensively. He can guard size, he can guard the perimeter, he’s got an incredible knack for getting a key steal or just taking it from somebody, going up and ripping it away and heading the other way. Great rebounder that can go in and grab the big rebound then head the other way as well. So, I don’t know what much more there is to say other than he’s as good as it is on the other end, when he starts playing.”

When you watch the Clippers, those sustained stretches where Leonard “starts playing” are hard to miss. He completely takes over the game by terrorizing everyone who’s wearing a different colored jersey. Take these recent sequences against his former team as an example.

A couple minutes later, he picked DeMar DeRozan up 90 feet from the basket, then late switched onto LaMarcus Aldridge to deny a pass back on the pick-and-pop. This is art.

The NBA is not what it was five years ago, pre-Steph Curry’s tide-changing three pointers. The average three-point rate during the 2014-15 season was 26.8. Right now it’s 38.0. Possessions have shorter lifespans, too, with teams opting to race up and down instead of hunkering down to wage war in the halfcourt. Translation: there’s more ground to cover and less time to do it. Defense is more complex and exhausting than ever before.

It’s unreasonable to expect any human being to sustain the type of activity he showed on this crunch-time excerpt against the Warriors, but 99.9 percent of all the players who pass through the NBA will never rattle an entire team like Leonard does here:

While most defenders chase the ball, Leonard communicates with it directly. The two have a bond that transcends film study or the memorization of an opponent’s tendencies. He doesn’t think through the action or even react to what’s happening. Instead, Leonard makes the play’s result feel like fate by staying one step ahead of everybody else. “He knows where the ball’s gonna be,” Ben Simmons said.

Watch this clip against the Dallas Mavericks. How many players can reach in for a steal at the elbow, then race out to block a shot in the corner in essentially the same motion? As he covers a surreal space in no time at all, not a single watt of energy is wasted.

While in Chicago, I spoke to several players about what it’s like to have Leonard on them, compared to any other defender in the league. The consensus, particularly from those who just entered the league, is filled with wonder.

Aaron Gordon: “He’s got very strong hands.”

Josh Okogie: “When he’s guarding you, you’ve gotta know what you’re doing. If you don’t know what you’re doing, he’s definitely gonna take the ball from you.”

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: “I’ve seen him pickpocket people and I’m like, I don’t even know how he was able to come up with that.”

Eric Paschall: “I don’t know how he does it.”

Jaren Jackson Jr.: “He’s not gonna change his defense for your offense. He’ll play you the way he wants. He’ll have his hand right in the passing lane or in your dribbling area the whole time.”

Leonard will not win his third Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020 for a variety of reasons, the most important being his disdain for the regular season. His effort is up, but he still refuses to pummel each play with the same desperate intensity Antetokounmpo inflicts night after night. Also, the Clippers do not treat Leonard as their defensive spine, like the Los Angeles Lakers or Utah Jazz do with Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert. It’s still incredibly difficult to impact the game as a perimeter defender, even one who can switch onto bigs and hold his own.

With the regular season’s home stretch bearing down and Moe Harkless — the wing LA regularly stuck on opposing first options earlier this season — traded to New York, Leonard’s defensive impact is set to become an increasingly important variable.

The stakes are clear. If the 28-year-old can simultaneously channel the defender he once was — handcuffing himself to the opponent’s best player until they consider sawing off their own hand, making set plays flow through bumper-to-bumper traffic, etc. — and the offensive force he’s become, through multiple playoff series, the Clippers will boast the best player alive, at the absolute peak of his powers. And with that, they just might be unbeatable, too.

[flauntpage]

March Madness Predictions, Picks, and Betting Analysis

Selection Sunday is over, the brackets are set, and now it’s time to make the right picks and predictions for March Madness betting. We have compiled all of the March Madness predictions, picks betting analysis of the lines, spreads, upsets, and more.

Everybody will ask themselves the same set of questions between now and tip-off on Thursday afternoon. Will the one seeds roll? Which team will emerge as this year’s Cinderella squad? There’s going to be upsets, that much we know, but where will they occur? And, finally, can any team stop Zion Williamson and Duke? The answers to these questions will undoubtedly determine the fates of brackets everywhere, so let’s dive into each of the tournament’s four regions in an effort to get some answers and avoid what I call bracket carnage.

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  East region

Overview: It’s impossible to talk about the East region and not begin with overall top seed Duke. Zion Williamson returned from a six-game absence and the Blue Devils promptly blazed their way through the ACC Tournament, earning the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed in the process.

Duke is 26-2, excluding Williamson’s early absence against UNC and the five games he missed thereafter, and very much appears to be the nation’s best team heading into the tournament. Still, the Blue Devils have some concerns to overcome if they are to ultimately earn their tournament-best March Madness odds and cut down the nets in Minneapolis.

For starters, they are the nation’s 340th ranked team in three-point shooting percentage. Forward Cam Reddish has been wildly inconsistent, struggling from long-range and, in recent weeks, has had difficulty with turnovers . Moreover, no overall top seed has won the tournament since Louisville in 2013. In fact, only 3 of the last 14 tournament champions entered as the overall top seed.

The key question in the East is this: If not Duke, then whom?

Michigan State was impressive in the Big Ten tournament (as they usually are) particularly in the championship game where Tom Izzo’s squad overcame a 13-point second half deficit to defeat bitter rival Michigan. For their efforts, they get a brutal path to Minny that potentially includes the likes of Louisville and LSU. Other potential opponents such as Maryland, Belmont, or Temple aren’t cupcakes, either. If they survive, they then get Duke, so while the Spartans have the pedigree and Izzo is one the nation’s best coaches, they certainly have their work cut out for them.

LSU, meanwhile, is dealing with the absence of head coach Will Wade who will likely remain suspended throughout the duration of the Tigers’ tournament stay. Despite an upset loss to the Gators in the SEC Tournament, LSU is a dangerous No. 3 seed, one that has wins over elite teams such as Kentucky and Tennessee.

No. 4 seed Virginia Tech is one of only four teams to beat Duke this season, so they have to feel as if they have a puncher’s chance, and yet, if we’re being honest here, it’s difficult to see any of these teams outlasting Duke.

If you’re looking for a lower seed out of the East at longer odds that could get hot and make things weird, I just don’t see it. I fully expect Duke, LSU, and Michigan State to quickly block the paths of any upstart. Maybe No. 12 seed Liberty could, theoretically, sneak by No. 5 Mississippi State and the winner of Virginia Tech/Saint Louis before a doomsday date with Duke, but I don’t see it.

  East regions picks and predictions

No. 1 Duke over No. 16 TBA

No. 1 seeds are 135-1 since the field first expanded to 64 teams. Also, Duke has Zion Williamson.

No. 8 VCU over No. 9 UCF

You see that UCF actually opened as a one-point favorite, and you probably feel sharp taking that lower seed, but you’re not. Since 2005, No 9. seeds that are favored in a No. 8/9 game are only 10-14 straight up.

No. 5 Mississippi State over No. 12 Liberty

Since 2005, No. 5 seeds are 35-19 against No. 12 seeds, so there have been a fair amount of upsets in this spot, but get this. When the No. 5 seed is favored by a 6 points or more, they are 19-4. When they’re favored by 7 or more points, that record becomes 11-2. Probably a good time to point out that the Bulldogs opened as a 7-point favorite.

No. 4 Virginia Tech over No. 13 Saint Louis

The Hokies will have senior point guard Justin Robinson back after missing 12 games with an injured foot. The team captain is also the school’s all-time assist leader. Robinson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker form one of the tournament’s best backcourts, and that will be more than enough here.

No. 11 Belmont over No. 6 Maryland

This feels like the most likely spot for a first round upset in the East, and nobody that thinks they know something about the tournament will pick all chalk in a region’s first round. Belmont is a 3-point favorite over Temple, and I think there’s a reason for that. Belmont (26-5) received its first ever at-large bid and they’ll make the committee look wise here.

No. 3 LSU over No. 14 Yale

Yale was an upset winner over Harvard in the Ivy League Tournament final, but it’s hard to see them pulling the upset against the Tigers, a talented team coming off a bad loss to Florida last Friday. When No. 3 seeds are favored by at least 7 points over a No. 14 seed, those teams are 40-7 straight up.

No. 10 Minnesota over No. 7 Louisville 

When a No. 7 seed is favored between four and six points over a No. 10 seed, that team is 8-2 straight up since 2005. I’ll need a shower to rinse the Pitino off of me after this one.

No. 2 Michigan State over No. 15 Bradley

No. 15 seeds are 4-52 since 2005. When they’re an underdog of at least 18 points, they are 1-18. That’s brutal.

  East region winner

Duke. The Blue Devils have some shortcomings, particularly long-range shooting, but I don’t foresee them being truly tested until they run into either LSU or Michigan State. I like the question Jay Bilas asked during ESPN’s tournament special on Sunday night when he was picking the region’s deeper games, rhetorically asking “Does the other team have Zion Williamson?” before then taking Duke. Sometimes it really is that simple.

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  West region

Overview: Ah, the West region. A tournament anomaly in that it’s the region that houses the tournament’s lone non-ACC No. 1 seed in Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are an extremely talented team, which we saw in their November win over a Duke squad with Zion Williamson on the court. Gonzaga is a powerful squad that can overwhelm opponents in a variety of ways. They also feature the second-best odds at +600 to win the whole tournament and are getting 10% of the money at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Villanova is, somehow*, one of the top teams bet to WIN THE TOURNAMENT @DKSportsbook *the local teams typically fare pretty well at New Jersey sportsbooks, but still. pic.twitter.com/kox2C8OOmk

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) March 18, 2019

The Bulldogs look primed for a Final Four run with senior point guard Josh Perkins running the show and two efficient and skilled forwards, Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura. That trio helps pace an offense that leads the NCAA in points per game, field goals made, two-point field goal percentage, and total field goal percentage. Both explosive and efficient on offense, Gonzaga is also 10th in the country in defensive rebounds and plays excellent defense at the rim. Although they may not be loaded with household or heavily publicized names at the moment, that may change before the end of the month.

Although Gonzaga is the clear-cut No. 1 seed in the West entering the tournament, it does face an arduous road to Minnesota. There are a number of intriguing team’s in this region, starting with No. 2 seed Michigan. As long as the Wolverines aren’t playing Michigan State, which they’ve lost to three times this season, they’re in good shape. After all, Michigan is 28-3 against the rest of the country and hasn’t lost a game to a team other than the Spartans since Feb. 12. If the Wolverines get deep into the bracket, it will most certainly be on the strength of their defense, which possesses one of the top efficiency ratings in the country and has held opponents to 28.4% shooting from behind the arc.

Meanwhile, No. 3 Texas Tech shared the Big 12 regular season title with Kansas State, and ripped off a nine-game win-streak before losing to West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament. Even with that setback, the Red Raiders will look to replicate last season’s postseason run when they were knocked off in the Elite 8 by Villanova. No. 4 Florida State doesn’t have a dominant scorer, but it possesses excellent length, and is deep. A remarkable 11 players averaged at least 10 minutes per game this season and eight players averaged at least 14.9 minutes per game.

Perhaps the first round’s most intriguing matchup is between No. 5 Marquette, which has lost five of its last six games, and No. 12 Murray State, which earned a bid thanks to beating Belmont in the OVC final. The Racers are led by potential Top 3 NBA Draft pick Ja Morant. The sophomore is averaging 24.6 points per game and leads the country with 10 assists per game. I smell a No. 12 upset.

No. 6 seed Buffalo is dangerous and spent much of the regular season as one of the country’s Top 25 programs. Lookout for sharpshooter C.J. Massinburg, a senior guard who is averaging 18 points per contest. No. 7 seed Nevada is a very experienced squad, one that reached the Sweet 16 last year, and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country earlier this season.

  West region picks and predictions

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 16 TBA

No. 16 TBA is a nice story, whoever it is, but they’re not being the Zags.

No. 8 Syracuse over No. 9 Baylor

Syracuse doesn’t do much for me, but I have concerns about the Bears’ 34% three-point shooting against that zone. The Orange are 13-2 straight up this season when favored against teams that shoot 34% or less from three-point range.

No. 12 Murray State over No. 5 Marquette

AMAZING that Marquette is a higher seed than Villanova. I have big concerns about Marquette losing five of its last six games to close out the season, and that No. 5 seeds favored by 5 points or less over No. 12 seeds are only 12-12 straight up since 2005 is extremely troubling.

No. 4 Florida State over No. 13 Vermont

No. 4 seeds that are favored between 10 and 12 points over a No. 13 seed are 8-1 straight up since 2005.

No. 6 Buffalo over No. 11 Arizona State

My guess here is that Arizona State, a talented team that lacks consistency, outlasts St. Johns, also a talented team that lacks consistency. That lack of consistency will then show up against a better Buffalo squad.

No. 3 Texas Tech over No. 14 Northern Kentucky

No. 3 seeds favored by at least 14 points over a No. 14 seed are 9-2 straight up since 2005.

No. 10 Florida over No. 7 Nevada 

No. 7 seeds that are favored by two points or less are only 9-7 straight up over No. 10 seeds since 2005. I think Nevada is still rattled from losing at Utah State earlier this month.

No. 2 Michigan over No. 15 Montana

Is Montana Michigan State? No. Then I’ll take Michigan here.

  West region winner

Gonzaga. Wow, look at me going out on a limb and taking Gonzaga to reach the Final Four. I suppose they’ll beat Michigan, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wolverines offense trips them up earlier. Meanwhile, I don’t think Marquette or Murray State can match Gonzaga’s scoring depth, and I although I could see Florida State’s athleticism being problematic, I don’t trust its offense, either.

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  Midwest region

If chalk rolls in the Midwest region, much like it’s expected to it’s expect to in the East, we could be on our way to getting round four of UNC-Duke, and despite rivalry games sometimes losing their luster when we get them in high doses, I don’t think America would mind this time around. The story in the ACC Tournament semifinal was Duke’s revenge, but lost in that game was that UNC was one shot away from a three-game clean sweep of the Blue Devils. North Carolina has had made deep runs in more recent seasons, losing to Villanova at the buzzer in 2016 before cutting down the nets in 2017. Also an efficient defensive team, Roy Williams’ squad was third in the nation in points per game this season, the country’s top rebounding team, and sixth in two-point field goal percentage. Fifth-year senior Cameron Johnston leads the Tar Heels in scoring with 16.9 points per game and is shooting an outrageous 46.5% from three-point range, while freshman guard Coby White, who’s averaging 16.3 points per game, looks like a star in the making. Just how good has UNC been lately? The last time they lost to an NCAA Tournament non-No. 1 seed was Jan. 12 to Louisville. Since that game, UNC is 15-2 overall, with both its losses coming to Duke and Virginia.

No. 2 seed Kentucky has the pedigree and is a balanced squad, but it has a tricky path to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats should roll over No. 15 Abilene Christian in the opening round, but then has to deal with a Jekyll and Hide Seton Hall team that came close to knocking off Villanova to win the Big East Tournament, or maybe they don’t. No. 10 seed Wofford is a kenpom darling, and is the nation’s second-best team from three (41.6%), which could spur a Cinderella run. No. 3 Houston can also rip the three, is excellent on the glass, and is holding opponents to only 61.2 points per game this season. They have a tough potential matchup awaiting them in the second round where they could face Big 12 Tournament winner Iowa State, which as knocked off six Top 25 ranked opponents this season, including No. 4 seed Kansas twice.

Speaking of Kansas, it can rebound and is an efficient two-point shooting team, but it was rolled in the Big 12 Championship Game by the No. 6 seed Cyclones and simply didn’t look like the traditional Jayhawks teams we’ve come to expect. Plus, Kansas is only 10-7 since Jan. 19, so it’s hard to imagine this team suddenly sustaining quality play in a tough region and getting on a run.

No. 8 Utah State was rocked by Nevada earlier this season, but vanquished the Wolfpack in the rematch on its way to earning a share of the Mountain West regular season title. The Aggies then went on to win the conference tournament. They’ll face No. 9 Washington which spent much of the season as the best team in the Pac 12 before Oregon flipped the switch and blasted the Huskies in the Pac 12 Conference Tournament Championship Game.

I see three strong upset possibilities in this region. New Mexico State has lost one game this calendar year, and it was back on Jan. 3. The Aggies can wipe the glass, defend, and shoot threes, as can No. 7 seed Wofford which I mentioned above. And then there’s Ohio State, which I’ll get to in a minute.

  Midwest region picks and predictions

No. 1 North Carolina over No. 16 Iona

The MAAC champion for the fourth-straight year, Iona is a consistently solid program, but they have no shot here.

No. 8 Utah State over No. 9 Washington

A true toss-up game, I’ll take the Aggies, simply because they’ve played better basketball over the last the month. Plus, they’re laying a few points as a seemingly equal but lesser-known squad. That smells fishy.

No. 5 Auburn over No. 12 New Mexico State

I know, I just said above that New Mexico State is an upset possibility, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. There’s a lot of buzz about the Aggies in this game, but they remain a 7-point underdog. That’s strong.

No. 4 Kansas over No. 13 Northeastern

No. 4 seeds favored over No. 13 seeds between 6 and 8 points have won 80% of the time since 2005.

No. 11 Ohio State over No. 6 Iowa State

I think this has a chance to be a “WTF?” game. Ohio State is underwhelming, while Iowa State looks like one of the most dangerous teams in this bracket. BUT. No. 6 seeds are only 7-6 straight up against No. 11 seeds when favored between 5 and 7 points since 2005.

No. 3 Houston over No. 14 Georgia State

No. 3 seeds that are favored between 11 and 13 points are 14-1 straight up over No. 14 seeds since 2005.  The lone loss came in 2014 when Mercer knocked off Duke.

No. 2 Kentucky over No. 15 Abilene Christian

Come on.

  Midwest region winner

North Carolina. Cameron Johnston leads his team back to the title game and the country gets UNC-DUKE IV, whether it wants it or not.

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  South region

The bad news for Virginia is that they became the first tournament one seed to lose in the opening round last season. The good news is that they can become the first team to lose to a No. 16 seed and follow it with a title run. Glass half-full, Cavaliers fans. Virginia may feel some pressure in its opening round game with Gardner-Webb, simply because another loss here would be catastrophic, but it is one of the country’s best teams and a 23.5-point favorite for a reason. No. 1 seeds are 135-1 since 1985, and it’s simply unfathomable this could happen to the same team in consecutive seasons. Virginia can rip the three-pointer as its shooting 40.9% from deep, good for the nation’s fourth-best mark, and it can play stifling defense. The 55.1 points per game its allowing this season is best in the country.

No. 2 seed Tennessee is a dangerous team that spent much of the season as the country’s top-ranked team, but is coming off a disappointing blowout loss in the SEC Tournament Championship Game that cost the Vols a shot at a No. 1 seed. It’s hard to look at this region and figure a scenario in which these two teams play each other, simply because other teams have a blood bath road ahead.

No. 3 Purdue had won 13 of 14 games before losing two of its final three contests to close the season. “Solid” is the word I’ll use to describe the Boilermakers, but they don’t do any one thing extraordinarily well.

No. 4 seed Kansas State is good enough to reach the Sweet 16, but could trip up in either one of its first two games.

No. 13 seed UC Irvine, No. 12 Oregon, and No. 5 Wisconsin are each quality teams that could spring a Sweet 16 run.

Then, of course, there’s defending champion Villanova. The Wildcats have a difficult test in their opening game with St. Mary’s. After winning the Big East regular season title, Jay Wright’s team gutted its way through the conference tournament and can’t be counted out. I’m just not sure they have enough firepower this time around to grind their way deep into the bracket.

Want the “upset” pick here? Oregon blazed through the Pac 12 Tournament to save its season and find a way into the dance, and I expect them to keep that momentum going against No. 5 Wisconsin. In fact, the Ducks wouldn’t be technically even pulling off an upset here, given they’re FAVORED. The only two other times the No. 12 seed was favored in the opening rounds came in 2017 when MTSU was favored over Minnesota and in 2006 when Texas A&M was favored over Syracuse– both won.

South region picks and predictions

No. 1 Virginia over No. 16 Gardner-Webb

There’s no way, NO WAY, the Cavaliers fall to a No. 16 seed in consecutive seasons.

No. 8 Mississippi over No. 9 Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a classic case of an overrated Big 12 team. The Sooners’ opening round loss in the Big 12 tournament that came in a game which would have solidified their tournament standing was downright concerning. They lost five-straight games beginning in late January into early February and haven’t won three consecutive games this calendar year. In fact, they finished the season 4-8 over their last 12 games. No thanks.

No. 12 Oregon over No. 5 Wisconsin

Quack, quack, baby. As noted above, only two No. 12 seeds have been favored over No. 5 seeds since 2005. Those teams each won. Oregon stays hot.

No. 13 Cal Irvine over No. 4 Kansas State

The No. 13 seed has won two of the last three times it was an underdog of 5 or 5.5 points. Small sample, so let’s stretch it a bit. The No. 4 seed is still only 7-5 straight up when favored between 5 and 7 points.

No. 6 Villanova over No. 11 St. Mary’s

Same deal as the Iowa State-Ohio State game. No. 6 seeds are only 7-6 straight up against No. 11 seeds when favored between 5 and 7 points since 2005, but I’m going to nervously take the Wildcats here. They have big-game experience and one of the nation’s top coaches in Jay Wright, but I don’t expect a deep tournament run this time around.

No. 3 Purdue Over No. 14 Old Dominion

I’m not overly big on Purdue and think Old Dominion covers the 12-point spread, but I could see the Boilermakers unconvincingly “meh-ing” their way to the Sweet 16.

No. 7 Cincinnati over No. 10 Iowa 

If you’re looking for a buzzer-beater, check out this game, since it feels like Iowa was consistently involved in circus finishes this season.

Iowa with the most ridiculous buzzer beater of all time pic.twitter.com/5pbVZELpY3

— AUDIENCE Sports (@AudienceSports) February 17, 2019

I think the Hawkeyes’ luck runs out against a hot Cincy squad that’s coming off an impressive win over Houston to win the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

No. 2 Tennessee over No. 15 Colgate

Here’s how many times Tennessee has lost consecutive games this season: 0. That’s not about to change here.

  South region winner

Tennessee. They are the tournament’s fifth overall team, just missing out on a No. 1 spot. Virginia will acquit itself nicely and reach the regional final, but will nonetheless feel disappointment in the end.

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The post March Madness Predictions, Picks, and Betting Analysis appeared first on Crossing Broad.

March Madness Predictions, Picks, and Betting Analysis published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 38 - STL - Bitter Blues

We all remember that distinct fragility that existed on last season’s team. If it was a couple goals down, even one goal sometimes, they sat back like the die was cast and gave us boring hockey. If nothing else changed this season it has been a renewed determination to win and a never let those Sab losing habits come back. Find a way to win. Jack Eichel fanboys such as myself like to say his drive to win came out an infected the whole team since he got the Captaincy, and that’s certainly an element, but there were other changes too that probably have something to do with it. One of those changes is the leading goal scorer on the St. Louis Blues: Ryan O’Reilly. Actually, he leads the Blues in every major statistical category except save percentage and goals against because well… the Blues suck ass. There is an abundance of similarities between the two clubs including both having productive off seasons in trades, signings and minor moves but for now let’s focus on how their different. The Blues love beating their hated rival Chicago Blackhawks and this season the Blues came through again challenging the Hawks for positioning in the basement of the league. Most observers puzzle just like we do at how a team that could’ve been viewed as loading up for a deep playoff run before the season turns into a gong show with Steve Ott breaking up fights in practice and what not. I got no good answer with you on that front. Going into this game the Blues are in the midst of a tiny bit of a comeback going .500 over the last dozen or so games so maybe that’s your silver lining although it may be a stretch to see them make the playoffs. The playoff percentages for the Sabres are far better approaching the halfway point in the regular season. That said, Buffalo is not a lock for the postseason and the next five to six games may have a lot to say about what this team is going forward. Jason Pominville out and Carter Hutton in net in St. Louis for the Sabres first game after the Christmas break to start a vital stretch bridging into the New Year.

The game started with the Sabres doing everything right: the better possession, shots, chances transitions, everything really. Hell, Rob Ray was even making jokes back and forth with Ryan O’Reilly from that little box between the benches like they were old chums. Kyle Okposo in particular seemed hungry as his third line with Casey Mittelstadt and Remi Elie got a favorable matchup against the Blue first line and manufactured chances like all American St. Louis Beer. Should I go with that bit? Beer production? That feels weak but I don’t know what else St. Louis produces other than racial controversies. Tage Thompson also made his fair share of plays turning on an axis around that big hind end. On the Sabres one powerplay in first frame Lawrence Pilut ate up the Blues clearing attempts and quarterbacked a powerplay that looked perfect short of actually scoring a goal. The goaltenders took over play as the first period winded down and ended 10-6 in favor of the visitors in shots. The second period was a bit less favorable. Rob “not the Rob Thomas your mom likes for no good reason” Thomas got credit for a goal at 2:03 in what was really a case of Carter Hutton failing to lock down a puck right in his grill and thrashing around in his crease like a suffocating fish. I’ll leave it at that because it’s not even the worst goal against in this middle period. The Sabres did kill a Blues powerplay before things got worse but the stupid floodgates had opened and Jay Bouwmeester scored a wristshot straight down the center over Hutton halfway through. That I can excuse, even as the Sabres seem to be in full retreat at this point, but then Patrick Maroon tapped in a goal that was simply Carter Hutton not doing his job. 3-0 Blues hurt and I got grouchy as the Sabres got a powerplay after Joel Edmundson got called for tripping Captain Jack on a breakaway. Jack Eichel shot from the high circle on the ensuing man advantage and it was 3-1 after 40 minutes and I was noticeably less grouchy just because Buffalo now looked like they were playing their game again, transitioning, passing and shooting like normal again almost getting another before the horn blew.

I don’t know how these Blues got these Sabres off their game other than just saying they were better 5 on 5. That looks weird on the screen in front of me considering this club’s special teams so far this season but that’s what this game was: weird. The third period was a bit of resurgence at first. Buffalo got some wicked chances up the sides even seeing a few good shots from lines not a part of the Jack Sandwich line. All the while the Blues get the loose pucks. That was really the key in this game particularly in the third: you give his angry St. Louis team any daylight and they’ll get back down ice. That was exactly what happened when at 6:13 left in the third Ryan O’Reilly got a breakaway along the boards and roofed one over Hutton. That one hurt, particularly because it emblemized a final ten minutes of this game when the Blues really took over. I am not going to call it a Sabs performance but gee, 4-1 loss to St. Louis right now feels like a missed opportunity wrapped in moldy old bitterness. This game felt like a good old fashion case of chasing and losing. Buffalo didn’t have the puck for most of this game and it felt like it. For how much crap we’ve all talked about St. Louis so far this season they just took it to us 4-1 in regulation. The Blues have now lost 7 straight in that building going back to 2009 and the only thing stopping my overwhelming desire to say whatever at that is the anxious press of a 4-6-3 record since the win streak ended. That’s not good to say the least.

Now Buffalo gets three straight at home to figure it out against Boston, the Islanders and Panthers? Well shit. I feel like if I tried to prognosticate why it would turn into fifty shades of no secondary scoring. Sustained zone time? Should I make the case for better possession and zone time? That’s a little above my pay grade and frankly I don’t want to join the merry band of nitwits bitching about a single time zone change and same day flight to St. Louis. Good teams win games where there are a few variables against them; good teams have their dynamic top line set fire to the rest of the lineup. This ain’t it, Chief. I’ll apologize for all the shit talk to Blues fans but let’s just say if y’all are in a playoff race when you come to Buffalo on St. Patrick’s Day it will be a special season for both of us. Hell, if you win that game I’ll buy one of these twelve million heavily discounted O’Reilly jerseys in every Western New York sports store.

Boston got Patrice Bergeron back too, Saturday will be interesting. Sorry, I’m just a little bitter O’Reilly had to tack on that beaut goal late in this one. At least Jack Eichel knows what went wrong: this was one of those nights it’s really comforting in postgame hearing him break it down like he was watching from our angle knowing he has a C on his chest. Perhaps his point about them not making the adjustments necessary in game to win is really poignant: that’s a trait of good teams that will come in time. I suppose a game like this is growing pains. I hope it’s not a pain reading this blog. Like it, comment on it and share it around to help my bitterness. Boston and the Islanders are the teams that together pose the biggest threat to the Sabres playoff chances on the back half of this season and these two games to close out the calendar year of 2018 will likely prove instructive in that regard. Make them winning lessons, boys.  

Thanks for reading.

P.S. There is a fantastic Sports Illustrated article on Jack Eichel I recently retweeted. It might be exactly what the doctor ordered for you if you’re as bitter as I am about this loss.

[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

Ten reasons the Chicago Blackhawks flopped in Stanley Cup Playoffs

There are some glorious things to come out of the Chicago Blackhawks’ sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators.

Like some new blood in the Stanley Cup hunt, NBC ratings be damned. Like a crazed hockey town finally, finally seeing its team get one over on its de facto arch rivals. Like the continuing adventures of the best line of the playoffs with Forsberg, Arvidsson and Johansen. Like the fact that our sweet hockey prince P.K. Subban could potentially play on longer than Shea Weber.

And there are some horrible things to come out of the Blackhawks’ first-round loss. Most of them involving idiots asking for Joel Quenneville’s head because the Cubs finally won and they’re bored.

Why did this happen to the Chicago Blackhawks?

Here are 10 reasons.

10 – Pekka Rinne

Many wondered if a 34-year-old goalie whose last two postseasons saw him finish with a save percentage under .910 had a dominant playoff performance in him. Or, more to the point, wondering when Juuse Saros would make his playoff debut in the series.

And then he wins four straight with two shutouts, a .976 save percentage and a 0.70 goals-against average against the Blackhawks. Wonder no more.

9 – The Game 3 Rally

This was the series, in hindsight.

The Blackhawks build a 2-0 lead by the 11:15 mark of the second period. They only lost five games in the 35 times they held a lead entering the third period during the regular season.

Then Filip Forsberg scored twice in the third, and Kevin Fiala ended it in overtime. That dug the impossible-to-leave 3-0 hole, and basically ended the battle before the final shots were fired.

“Whether it’s confidence or you’re in a bad spot, giving up the 2-0 lead in Game 3 was a tough one to swallow. That was the one where we could have put ourselves back in the series, and we let it go,” said Quenneville. 

8 – The Regular Season Told The Story

In the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks were a top-heavy offensive team — with three of the Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time! — that wasn’t nearly as possession dominant as it was in previous years (53.22 from 2013-16 vs. 50.41 this regular season) and had problems on the blue line.

In the playoffs, the Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were the only players with more than one point – they had two each. The supporting cast offered nothing in the way of offense, as a team that scored 2.93 goals per game averaged 0.75 in these four games.

The team lost the possession battle with the Predators: According to Corsica, the Hawks were at 47.44 percent when adjusted for score and venue. And that blue line was exposed all series.

They are who we thought they were, or at least many of us should have known they were.

7 – Pekka Rinne

Rinne faced 126 shots and made 123 saves.

I mean, seriously.

6 – The Youth Gone Mild

Throughout their modern-day dynasty, it’s been clear that the Blackhawks are only going to be as good as the reinforcements that replaced their salary cap casualties.

It’s easy to forget there were two quarterfinal losses between their first two Cups. That’s how long it took to replace the several players that had to go after the first Cup – Byfuglien, Ladd, etc. – with an emerging Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw, and with foot soldiers like Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik. Their third Cup had even more reinforcements: Antoine Vermette, Brad Richards and a young Teuvo Teravainen among them.

They went young this year, and it worked out in the regular season. Rookies Ryan Hartman, Nick Schmaltz, Tanner Kero and Vinnie Hinostroza did the job for a good portion of the year, and did it admirably.

The Blackhawks’ five rookies that saw time in the Predators series? They combined for zero points and a minus-9. They were not ready for prime time. (Especially Schmaltz, who managed two shots on goal in four games despite 15:22 TOI.)

But yeah, fire Quenneville or whatever.

5 – The Blueline And How It Got So Bad

Stan Bowman has made a lot of trades for the Blackhawks. Some of them to improve the team, some of them necessitated by the salary cap. He’s done well in acquiring talent in those latter deals, but overall, it’s the blue line that’s suffered in all of this annual turnover.

The defensemen acquired by Stan Bowman in the last two seasons: Johnny Oduya, Brian Campbell (signing), Christian Ehrhoff, Rob Scuderi, Jay Harrison and Michal Kempny (signing). Stephen Johns was traded to Dallas, and played 61 games this season.

Oduya showed you can’t always go home again, a sentiment that Campbell echoed a little too often as well. The rest of these pieces, outside of the Kempny signing, were ineffective or inconsequential.

Duncan Keith can’t do it alone.

4 – Pekke Rinne 

I mean, seriously: one even-strength goal against on 115 even-strength shots.

Stop it.

3 – Lots Of Miles On Them Tires

The Blackhawks were called “old and slow,” which really isn’t fair: They were just slow.

So while we disagree with the totality of Barry Rozner’s premise, he’s not wrong:

It’s worth considering that the Hawks, after a decade of dominance, are simply worn out. Their best players play in the Olympics, the World Cup, the All-Star Games and every other silly thing you can think of, while also having to carry a roster filled with spare parts and young kids, who look shaky at best on the big stage.

There may have been a couple of Hawks who showed their age in this series, but overall, it just seemed like a team that was half-a-step behind the playoff pace.

2 – Sometimes, The Bullied Little Brother Wins

As a Devils fan living in Rangers country, I can easily identify Bullied Little Brother syndrome.

The Predators had lost two playoff series to the Blackhawks, and the majority of their regular-season games to them. Chicago fans invaded their arena for years when the Blackhawks came to town. They are Original Six. Nashville is ‘Non-Traditional.’

Winning the Stanley Cup was important to both teams, but the Predators might have had more blood thirst to get one over on the Blackhawks. Combine that with the middling regular-season results that the Preds were desperate to not have define them, and there was just a little more wind in their sails all series.

It’s not quantifiable, but anyone who watched the series could see it: an unwavering sense from the Predators that this was their time.

Oh, and this helped too:

1 – Pekka Rinne

Stop it, man, this is absurd.

Congrats to the Predators.

Now, let’s see how Bowman and the Blackhawks respond to this …

—

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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[junker-town]

Wrestlemania 35 preview: Ranking all 16 matches from most compelling to whatever Baron Corbin’s doing

The greatest spectacle in wrestling is here to burn through 7 hours of your Sunday.

Wrestlemania is a lot of wrestling. Too much wrestling for one night, really.

The WWE’s flagship night of sports entertainment — the jewel around which tens of independent and WWE-affiliated promotions stage their top events — is a seven-plus hour slog that pads out its hours with its attempts to please everyone from elementary school devotees to jaded adults to the lapsed fans who only check in once a year to see who they still recognize. On Sunday, Wrestlemania 35 will drop no fewer than 16 matches into our laps like a Great Dane settling in on the couch, seemingly oblivious to its own bulky discomfort.

And, much like dealing with the big, slobbery dog pinning you to your seat, parts of it are going to be pretty great. Daniel Bryan’s comeback and Kofi Kingston’s renaissance come to their illogical crossroad Sunday night. Seth Rollins will spin the wheel and see if he gets to face a motivated, compelling Brock Lesnar or a hulking heavyweight who’s just there for a paycheck. Two different battles royal will determine absolutely nothing but will be an extremely fun way to do so.

And three competitors — Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch — will do what no women have ever done in the event’s previous 34 years; headline Wrestlemania.

To prep for a full school day of wrestling, let’s break down each of Sunday’s 15 matches — oh hey, as of Thursday night it’s 16 — listed in order of least compelling to most.

16. Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin

Angle ends his illustrious in-ring career with a match against the Applebee’s of wrestlers. In a fair and just world, Corbin would be attacked on the entrance ramp, Asuka-locked into the netherworld, and replaced by the Empress of Tomorrow for a truly memorable sendoff.

That won’t happen, but we should at least get some great “YOU SUCK” chants out of this.

15. RAW tag team championship match: The Revival (c) vs. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder

This match was added to Sunday’s card on Thursday. Good on Hawkins/Ryder for getting a Wrestlemania check. Let’s hope they don’t get trounced by Mojo Rawley and Rob Gronkowski on the way to the ring.

14. Intercontinental championship match: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Finn Balor

Lashley is fine as a big muscled doof. Balor is occasionally great, but typically gets left in neutral for a company that apparently has no plans for his character besides “ABS (sometimes tongue).” He’ll break out his demon persona, crawl through 150-odd feet of entrance ramp, and beat up the loudmouth child Lashley can’t find daycare for (Lio Rush).

13. Cruiserweight championship match: Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese

Murphy has been on fire as the champion of the 205s, putting on barnburners against Akira Tozawa, Mustafa Ali, and Cedric Alexander while elevating the brand of WWE’s fourth-most important show. For his efforts, he’s been rewarded with ANOTHER spot on the pre-show — his fourth-straight PPV shunted off the main card.

He’ll have to work his magic this time against the Kirkland brand Neville, Tony Nese.

12. No holds barred match: HHH vs. Batista

HHH and Batista are a combined 99 years old. Sunday’s battle is for the right to be the one true avatar of the god of human growth hormone. Last man to tear a quad muscle wins.

11. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton

Styles is an excellent wrestler whose toil on the independent circuit (and TNA. And Ring of Honor) is being held in stark contrast to Orton’s place as the polished product of an early-2000s WWE that valued appearance and finishing moves over personality and storytelling. This match will be boring in the same way all Orton matches are — a perfectly fine and well-executed bout with little mystery other than how he’ll pull off his signature RKO. The question is whether Styles can drag him into the finisher-spamming kinetic action of his past or whether this will be just another low wattage showcase for the two veterans.

But hey, we might get Orton taunting the crowd atop a giant sperm on his way to the ring, which would be something.

10: Shane McMahon vs. the Miz

The WWE understands all we want from a Shane McMahon match is to watch him plummet off something tall and onto something moderately padded. Making this a falls-count-anywhere contest should mitigate any concerns we have about his striking — which has all the efficacy of a punching pun puppet — by ensuring us he’s going to fall off the roof of Metlife Stadium.

The Miz will continue his run as an icky babyface with aplomb. The rest of this one will be butt, though.

9. WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match: The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection (Bayley and Sasha Banks) (c) vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) vs. Nia Jax and Tamina

There’s plenty to like here (besides the Bayley/Banks tag team name, which is outlandishly stupid even for a company that’s given us teams like the Gymini and Tekno Team 2000 in the past). The ... BnHC have seemed sorta aimless even after being coronated as champions, but they remain two of the most talented performers on the roster. Natalya is always technically proficient (even if she’s as convincing as dinner theatre talent when asked to emote) and Phoenix looks just as good as she did on the day she retired.

The IIconics are in the running as the company’s most entertaining weirdos and solid in the ring, too. Jax and Tamina are intimidating, at least until they’re asked to do wrestling-adjacent maneuvers. The alignments for this match — conquering heroes, likable but rough veterans, entertaining goons, and low-mobility krakens — strike a perfect balance for what should be an exciting, if not especially meaningful, match.

t-7: Wrestlemania women’s battle royal

t-7: Andre the Giant memorial battle royal

Battles royal are almost always fun, and the Wrestlemania versions have the added benefit of not being woefully predictable like the annual Royal Rumble. Sometimes the biggest man actually wins. Other times Rob Gronkowski shows up and shoulder-blocks his buddy to a victory. Oh hey, he could do that this year, too.

Only one thing’s for certain; the WWE will have forgotten all about the winner by Summerslam. Look at the past list of competitors who got zero rub from winning either the Andre or women’s trophy:

Cesaro

Big Show

Baron Corbin

Mojo Rawley

Matt Hardy

Naomi

That’s terrible news for oh, let’s say Elias and Carmella.

6. United States Championship match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

Two more long-tenured veterans of the sport square off in a battle of career renaissances. Mysterio’s once-shredded knees have recovered to the point where he looks like his early-30s self rather than the 44-year-old he actually is. Joe shook off a slow start to become one of the WWE’s most menacing villains, and he’ll play a useful base for Mysterio’s once-revolutionary style.

But Mysterio’s reportedly dealing with the effects of an ankle injury suffered at this week’s RAW, and may not make it to Mania at full strength. A diminished Mysterio limits the ceiling of this match (which will almost certainly got get as much time as it deserves in the first place). Replacing him with Andrade Cien Almas, however — Mysterio’s recent rival with no definite plans for the event so far — could make this match even better.

5. Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

God willing, this will just be 15 minutes of marble statues smashing into each other before one crumbles to dust in front an overstimulated audience. For the first time ... ever? Reigns will go into a singles match at ‘Mania as a crowd favorite (all he had to do was beat leukemia for a second time in his life). The Samoan John Cena’s admirable recovery from cancer has shed the undue weight of Vince McMahon’s expectations and should allow him to shine for what he is, a talented powerhouse wrestler with an innate grasp of his world, than what he’d previously been viewed as, an impostor to the throne unworthy of his sustained spotlight.

Standing in his way is a 6’6 monster who looks like the last thing you have to conjure before graduating from Scottish warlock college. McIntyre latest half-formed push will feed him to Reigns, who in no way, shape, or form is going to lose this match. WWE was thrilled to spam us with Roman wins back when we hated him, so suddenly making him vulnerable after his most heroic effort of all and with the crowd finally on his side makes no sense.

Ah shit, I think I just talked myself into a McIntyre victory.

4. WWE Universal Championship match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins

Rollins has the WWE’s most reliable performer for a while now, which has led him to once more play the ripped Crossfit David to Lesnar’s South Dakotan Goliath. A motivated Lesnar is a compelling force unlike any other, the perfect marriage of dismissive MMA brutality, a terrifying array of spine-spiking amateur wrestling, and the testosterone of no fewer than six bull sharks. The question is whether that union will be on display Sunday or if Lesnar’s mind will be elsewhere with a rumored — and completed undeserved — UFC heavyweight title bout coming up in August.

If Lesnar’s into it, this will be a display of brutality that sees Rollins dropped on his head roughly a dozen times before settling into a crowd-rousing comeback and, quite possibly, invoking The Shield for one final time. If not, this’ll be an eight-minute affair faithfully recreated by a COM vs. COM matchup in WWE ‘15.

3. WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship fatal four-way match: The Usos (c) vs. Ricochet and Aleister Black vs. The Bar vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev

Like Lesnar, the mileage on a Nakamura performance varies wildly on his level of motivation. If he’s up for the challenge, this’ll be the top collection of talent on the card (mostly because of volume, but still). Everyone in this match is capable of putting forth an MVP performance, which means it’ll be especially disappointing when this one ends after six minutes.

16 matches is a lot, even for a seven-hour show.

2. Winner takes all triple threat match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship and the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (c-Raw) vs. Charlotte Flair (c-Smackdown) vs. Becky Lynch (agent of chaos)

This has all the potential to be an epic, beyond just the “first female headliner” aspect. Rousey is a certified badass, an Olympic judo medalist and the woman who convinced the UFC to add a second gender to its ranks. Lynch is an accomplished pro whose shit-talking reached new highs — transcending through the ring and blistering onto social media — making the former UFC champ look like an ineffectual dork in the process. Charlotte Flair is a Flair, and with that comes all the in-ring athleticism and innate cockiness of her father, even if she only talks a tenth of his game.

The company tried to turn Lynch into a bad guy, only to realize her years of fan favorite servitude just out of the spotlight and ability to connect to everyone in the arena only made her an anti-hero and, unexpectedly, the WWE’s biggest star. Injuries prevented the McMahons from slingshotting her to the top of the card, instead waiting until Wrestlemania to make her coronation the kind of moment that can be replayed non-stop whenever someone brings up how the company formerly treated its women.

That’s got benefits and drawbacks. All three women will get their spot atop the biggest card in the game, but their drama has lost steam in the build-up. Lynch’s ability to run circles around Rousey on the mic and online has only served to make the former UFC title holder look stupid and diminish the fact that she’s smashed through the typically-steep learning curve to be an impactful in-ring presence phenomenally early in her career. To correct for that, they’ve had Lynch get her ass kicked repeatedly ... making her look like a chump in the process. What should have been the main event of Survivor Series has kinda limped on through the winter, losing some of its resonance and appeal to non-wrestling fans along the way.

And then this happened and I. Cannot. Stop. Laughing.

Last week’s combination of Keystone Cops and aggressive kicking was the perfect spectacle to build a second, greater spectacle at wrestling’s greatest annual spectacle. I love it and I will almost certainly love this match. But it gets second billing in my heart thanks to the sudden emergence of another boiling storyline that’s getting a proper climax at the ideal time.

1. WWE Championship match: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

At Wrestlemania 30, it was Bryan running his underdog story through a gauntlet of bad guys and earning his first god-tier title run by overcoming the odds and rewarding the fans’ faith. Now Kingston’s earned that spot and Bryan’s evolved into the villain, even using the labels that had held him down on his run to the top — namely the distinction of a “B+ player” — to dismiss the oncoming challenge from the veteran high flyer.

Where Bryan was held back due to his size (and seemingly, his sin of making his name as an independent wrestler), McMahon’s reasons for throwing roadblock after roadblock in Kingston’s path haven’t been distinguished — but the subtext (and history of the WWE’s treatment of its black superstars) is a little clearer.

pic.twitter.com/ml7MhQwOGj

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) March 20, 2019

Bryan and Kingston have already proven to be magic in the ring in 2019. Now they get to run it back on the grand stage with a century of history hanging over their heads. A Kingston coronation would be epic. A Bryan win would only empower one of the WWE’s top villains. Either way I’m in.

[flauntpage]

A Win Is a Win: Ten Takeaways from Eagles 34, Giants 29

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  People seem surprised that a divisional road game was way too close for comfort.

It’s almost like they forgot that the Giants were 0-2 when the Eagles need a 61-yard field goal to win the first matchup back in September.

That doesn’t excuse Sunday’s atrocious defensive performance, but we should all know better than to expect mid-December blowouts and we should probably just stay off of Twitter until the second half begins.

They came from behind to get the job done, just like last week. There’s a cornball saying about teams that find a way to win even when they don’t play well, and this squad fits the bill.

It was 20-7 Giants when LeGarrette Blount failed to convert a 4th and 1 and it looked like the Eagles were headed for a bitterly disappointing, dog shit loss. Then the defense came up with a key interception, the special teams unit blocked a punt, and the offense converted twice to make it a 21-20 game. What followed, then, was a back-and-forth second half where the Eagles simply made a few more plays than the Giants.

What now? It’s home against the Raiders, home against the Cowboys, home in the playoffs. If the Birds get it done on Jesus Christ’s birthday, they shouldn’t have to travel again until you know what game.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Stop being a whiner and celebrate your 12-2 football team.

1) Nick “The Franchise” Foles

24 for 28, 237 yards, four touchdowns, zero turnovers.

Yea, he misfired and double-clutched on a couple of looks, but that’s to be expected when starting your FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR ON THE ROAD AGAINST A DIVISION RIVAL WHILE BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH YOUR RECEIVERS.

They came out passing the ball to get him going early, which we all knew would happen. Any thoughts of going run heavy, which I doubt Pederson was going to do anyway, went right out the door when the Birds quickly found themselves playing from behind.

The offense really did not change at all with Foles in there.

They ran the run/pass option, sometimes effectively…

…and sometimes ineffectively:

The biggest positive, in my mind, is that Nick showed off a lot of the traits that make Carson Wentz effective. He shrugged off a defender with a head fake and step-through. He took hits in the pocket. He connected a few times while rolling right. He went through his progressions and picked out a variety of targets for scores, just like Carson. All four touchdowns were caught by a different player.

Sure, it’s only one game against a 2-11 team, but that performance should significantly assuage the concerns of fans who were ready to throw in the towel.

  2) Giving credit where it’s actually due

I thought we might be in for a hell of a ride when Stefen Wisniewski was ruled out for this game, meaning that the Eagles were rolling out a backup quarterback playing behind a backup left tackle and backup left guard.

They went with Isaac Seumalo over Chance Warmack, which I think was the right call. Anybody who studied the film of Wis vs. Warmack earlier this year saw the limitations in the latter’s game.

Now, take a deep breath and ask yourself, how many times did you hear Seumalo’s name on the broadcast? How many times did you hear Big V’s name called?

The one that jumped out was this play, where Eagles’ Twitter was quick to pounce:

Big V looking like a NYC turnstile #FlyEaglesFly http://pic.twitter.com/Skj5Npn0fy

— Don Bell (@DonBellonCBS3) December 17, 2017

We’re always ready to jump on Vaitai when he does something wrong, as if the guy is gonna be perfect in every single game. He rightfully deserves criticism for that sequence.

But I didn’t see a lot of people giving him credit for this textbook block:

And I didn’t see a lot of people give him credit here either:

In fairness, they were probably focused on Jason Kelce pancaking a guy 20 yards from the line of scrimmage.

Yeah, Vaitai he got beat badly on the strip, but he was mostly sound otherwise, especially in the running game. And you have to consider that, when Jason Peters went out, they initially gave him help in the form of a tight end or RB to help on the left side. That’s been slowly drawn back every game since, to the point where he’s on his own for a lot of these plays.

The thing that annoys me is the bullshit cherry picking of negative plays because the guy is a backup. Then, when it comes to giving credit where it’s due, you don’t hear much at all, do you?

  3) The screen game

Have we seen a lot of this in recent games? No, we really haven’t.

But Pederson used it effectively a few times in this game, with Kelce just putting on a clinic in the downfield blocking department, which you saw in the clip above.

This was another look, with acres of space and more linemen rumbling:

One of Wentz’s limitations, at least early in the year, was his touch on these types of plays. Foles wasn’t perfect on his screen deliveries yesterday, but he put the ball in the right spot and allowed his skill players to take it from there. They gashed the Giants a few times with well-timed and well-executed screens.

  4) Adventures on special teams

The Birds’ special teams played a massive, monstrous, monumental role in the win.

About 85% of it was good and the other 15% was nerve-wracking:

blocked field goal

blocked punt

blocked extra point

2/2 on field goals

neutral zone infraction on a punt

double-clutch on a Donnie Jones punt

line drive Donnie J special on the final punt of the game

The neutral zone infraction was a killer, but special teams accounted for a four-point swing with the blocked FG and XP. The blocked punt led to a touchdown for the offense, so you could legitimately say the ST unit was responsible for a net of +11 points on the day.

When’s the last time a team ripped off a hat trick of blocks in one game?

Eagles PR, that’s your cue:

The @Eagles are the first @NFL team to block a punt, field goal and PAT in the same game since the Buffalo Bills on 11/24/91 at New England (blocked 2 FGs, 1 PAT and 1 punt). (@EliasSports)#FlyEaglesFly

— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) December 17, 2017

  5) The defense…

This requires its own 2,000 word video breakdown, and maybe we’ll do that Tuesday, or just say “fuck it” and move on.

The energy was lacking, the game-plan was kind of crappy, and the tackling was again subpar.

If you go back to the first Giants/Eagles game, you probably recall that the Eagles played soft and allowed easy underneath routes, since Chris Maragos and Rasul Douglas were forced into starts because of the absences of Ronald Darby, Corey Graham, and Rodney McLeod.

The game plan was to allow those short passes while not letting yourself get beat deep by Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall.

In this game, you saw a lot of the same, with Eli Manning throwing early, the Giants running up-tempo offense, and the Eagles playing with a big cushion:

You see Mills and Darby playing almost 10-yards off there, with McLeod as a single-high safety and Malcolm Jenkins assigned to the tight end inside.

And because of that, they were getting killed underneath, or biting on those slant-and-go (sluggo) routes for huge gains:

Manning finished with 434 passing yards.

434!

He only has two 300+ yards this season and both are against the Eagles.

With the Giants banged up and missing a bunch of key players offensively, they should have pressed these scrubs into oblivion. Instead they played soft coverage and got burned all over the field.

There were some positives, however, and Brandon Graham had a huge tackle for loss to complement a Darby first-half interception. They got enough stops to win the game, but hardly inspired in a woeful defensive performance.

  6) Ref, you suck?

I didn’t spy a ton of bogus crapola from this crew, but the Giants clearly got away with a pick play on the second touchdown. Not like it matters, since the Eagles’ tackling was shambolic after the catch.

The other one that jumped out at me was the Nigel Bradham/Shane Vereen dust-up, where Bradham got the ole’ retaliation flag. That stuff drives me crazy. If you see two guys engaging in handbags like that, just flag ’em both, let the penalties offset, and get on with life.

At the end of the game, I think the refs got the two holding calls on Darby correct, and on Manning’s final pass of the game, I don’t think it was a catchable ball anyway, was it? Either way, there really wasn’t a ton of contact.

  7) Run me sideways

Without writing down the actual number, I felt like we saw more east/west runs in this game.

I hated the outside zone and shotgun sweep plays earlier in the year because the line wasn’t great at creating seams and Blount wasn’t great at getting through them. Darren Sproles, however, was another story. Corey Clement did okay on those looks and Wendell Smallwood was decent, too.

But I feel like they can feature that play again because Jay Ajayi does a much nicer job of staying low, finding the gap, and turning up the field:

If they insist on running those east/west designs, he’s the guy that should be handling the rock. Blount would have turned that play into a one-yard loss.

  8) Doug’s worst call?

It was probably the decision to challenge the incomplete pass in the second quarter. That’s a low upside play and wasn’t exactly critical at that point in the game.

As far as play-calling, I didn’t like the fade on 3rd and 5 in the end zone. I might be alright with Wentz throwing that ball, but I’m not a fade guy in general, whether it’s football or hair cuts.

  9) Doug’s best call?

They didn’t convert, but going for it on 4th and 1 in the second quarter still made sense. You were 12 for 12 at that point, now you’re 12 for 13. So instead of 100% conversion rate, you fall to 92.3% on the year. Big deal. Blount up the middle is fine there. They would have ran a sneak if Wentz was in the game and did try it with Foles a little bit later.

Blount gets stuffed on 4th-and-1, Eagles had been 12/12 on 4th-and-1 this season before that play. http://pic.twitter.com/40bSJYWX7a

— The Bitter Birds (@AdrianFedkiw) December 17, 2017

I also agreed with the decision to kick field goal in the fourth quarter to force the Giants to drive the length of the field for a touchdown. Take the points there. No need for a possibly killer momentum swing.

Overall, I think Doug did a nice job of establishing Foles’ passing ability early and put him in a position to be successful.

  10) Alshon Jefferies and Wayne Gall

We got Thom Brennaman and Chris Speilman for this game.

I’m pretty sure I heard Brennamen say that Evan Engram went to college at Alabama. He did it once in the first quarter and once in the second, but Engram didn’t go there, he went to Ole Miss. He also referred to Wayne Gallman as “Gall” on one play:

“Swings it out of the backfield to Gall..”

Huh?

We also got an Alshon “Jefferies” from Speilman, which I think happens every other game.

Also, a lot of talk about Dean Blandino on Twitter. Obviously the guy is relatively new to TV and looks somewhat uncomfortable on camera, but I think the issue is that they shouldn’t be double-boxing him anyway. He needs to be looking at a monitor at the same time his shot is up, so I think the better way to do it is just place his audio over the live picture and let him talk while checking different replay angles. It’s goofy when the broadcast team is saying, “yea you can see here on the replay…” while Blandino is looking at the camera. He should be looking down at the same replay the booth has, so he can reference what they’re talking about.

  A Win Is a Win: Ten Takeaways from Eagles 34, Giants 29 published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv