#neil is in mack's situation

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ok, hear me out...dead poets society in a teen beach movie plot

[bcw7817]

Sodor A Deeper Look

(Ulfstead Castle)

(Stephen and Millie are waiting at the station when Glynn arrives)

Glynn: The Earl said he wanted to see me

Millie: Us too.

Glynn: That means something's up.

Stephen: (Looking up) Where?

Glynn: No down here silly.

Stephen: How can something be up when it's down?

Glynn: I'll explain later. Look here comes The Earl

The Earl: Ah! Hello, engines. I have some great news! I have discovered a new engine!

Stephen: Where did you find this engine?

The Earl: An old standard gauge line buried under some rubble at the Crovan’s Gate Mining company.

(A whistle blows, and we cut to Glynn in a sign of shock.)

Glynn: No, it can't be!

(The engine puffs inside the castle. We see a box-shaped engine with the letter S&M, as well as a number 2 written on its sides. At first, the engine doesn’t speak, just staring at Glynn in a sign of shock until he begins to laugh, Glynn follows suit.)

???: Small world, isn’t it?

Glynn: Yes it is.

Stephen: You know this engine?

Glynn: Yes, I do. This is Neil. He's an old friend of mine before the North Western Railway formed

Millie: He looks like a narrow-gauge engine.

Neil:(chuckling) Oh goodness no. I may have worked with young Skarloey and Rheneus over a century ago, but I’m not a narrow gauge engine.

Millie: Goodness me! I knew they were old, but not that old!

(That night, at the sheds Millie Stephen and Glynn were resting in the sheds when Neil arrives, Stephen and Millie eye the foreign engine with eyes of curiosity)

Millie: Stephen and I were speaking, and we would like to know about your life before you were dug up.

Neil: I don’t see why not.

Neil: I was built in 1861 alongside my two brothers. My older brother Clive had trust issues, he was also very snarky, rude, and always able to find the worst in any given situation. My younger brother Matthew was always afraid of the worst-case scenario but nonetheless had a heart of gold. We were built to work on the Sodor and Mainland Railway. Upon its opening it ran from Crovan's Gate to Kirk Ronan with plans to expand beyond Sodor to the Mainland hence the name We each arrived at the Kirk Ronan Harbor due to there not being a bridge at the time. We worked peacefully together under our controller, Mr. Mack, he was manager of both the S&M railway and the Skarloey railway and we all respected him, even Clive who was very hard to please. For almost a decade we lived a practically peaceful life, until 1869 when a rumour began to spread. Unfortunately, the rumours turned out to be true.

Neil: Oi! Lads, have you heard the news?

Clive: Oh great, what is it this time Neil?

Neil: It's…

Mr.Mack: Listen up, you lot! I have some news for you! A new railway is opening next year that will start at Wellsworth and go beyond Brendam for a dockyard!

Clive: I knew working on such a small line on an island this size wouldn’t be peaceful for long!

Matthew: This might put us out of business!

Mr.Mack: Please quiet down! I have devised a plan! Their main contract is the docks so--

Clive: So if we expand our harbour, then we might put them out of business. Ingenious!

Mr.Mack: Precariously Clive!

Neil: That's no plan! That's a scheme!

Mr.Mack: If a scheme is what's necessary at this time then it must be done. Now hush! You should think before you speak back to your controller. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going home.

Neil: My opinion made no difference on the matter. They still went through with the scheme. Once the engines arrived, trouble began to brew, and unfortunately, Clive was the first to meet one of these engines.

Colin: Hello, I’m Colin. Who are you?

Clive: Shut up!

Colin: Pardon?

Clive: I said shut it! You're trying to steal our work! Well, I have news for you, inchworm! Your plan is going to fail! Now, get out of my territory! This isn't your place to crawl around!

Coin: No need to be rude. I was only trying to be friendly.

Neil: Clive's harsh words were heard throughout the yard and workmen began to echo what he said and when I had some very stern words for Clive that night in the sheds that night that I would prefer not to say.

Clive: Neil, let me tell you this. Times are changing. The world is changing. The world has moved on from us. That engine was larger, more modern and more powerful. I had the right to treat him how I did.

Matthew: I agree with Clive. If they succeed, that will put us out of business, but maybe we can be a bit more kind to them.

Clive: There is no such thing as kindness in this world. Everyone is only looking out for themselves.

Neil: Time passed. I was to deliver slate to Wellsworth for construction. where another engine was waiting. I asked the engine their name

???: What’s it to you?

Neil: I’m sorry for the way my older brother treated you.

???: That wasn't me he was being rude to. That was one of my colleagues. I never met any S&M engines until now, so I assumed you were all the same.

Neil: Oh dear, where are my manners? My name is Neil. Who are you?

Lille: Lillie. Nice to meet you. So, would you mind telling me why your brother is the way he is?

Neil: Clive was built first, so naturally, his trial was held first. However, men had bent the tracks the night before. Naturally, he crashed and although the damage wasn't major repairs were mandatory but they ignored his pleas more focused on us then him.

Lillie’s driver: Lillie, you need to get moving. You are two minutes behind schedule.

Lillie: Oh dear! Thanks, Neil. It was nice talking to you.

Neil: What I didn't realize was that Clive was nearby and listening to the conversation.

(S&M Sheds)

Clive: What the hell is wrong with you?

Matthew: Jesus?! Clive, what's wrong with you?!

Clive: What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with him?!

Matthew: What happened?

Mr.Mack: He engaged with the enemy!!

Clive: He told one of them about my test crash!

Mr. Mack: You should be ashamed of yourself, Neil!!

Neil: I know, sir. I am, sir.

Mr.Mack: Good, now that that's out of the way, I have some news to share! Our Harbor extension has been completed. However, these actions have put us in some minor debt and if this. All we can do now is hope that the extension proves profitable. Because if it doesn't we might as well sink into that harbour.

Neil: The expansion was able to prove its merit. However, the expansion combined with the contracts we already had caused difficulty for us to balance. To compensate for it we each were assigned a one contract to lighten the workload.

Mr. Mack: Clive brings trains to and from the harbour while also shunting in the harbour, Neil brings the slate from the mining company at Crovan's Gate down to the harbour, and Mathew, you'll handle the passenger services! Any objections?!

The S&M Engine: No, Sir!

Neil: We all adjusted to our new lives rather quickly. We never saw each other as often. Due to us deciding to spend the night at the sheds with our new residents for convenience's sake. A month passed since my encounter with Lillie, and I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Another W&S engine arrived at Crovan's Gate; he was to bring empty trucks to Crovan's Gate and replace them with slate trucks. He was larger and more powerful than Lillie or Colin. He was leaving when...

Matthew: (Applying his brakes) Lookout!

(the two engines braked as hard as they could and they stopped just in time as they were inches away from each other's buffers

???: Oh, I’m sorry. Please go ahead.

Matthew: No. No. I insist you go first. I'm in your way.

Neil: They kindly bantered back and forth, I sat in the yard watching with a grin until Matthew's passengers began to complain so the W&S engine pulled back up. For Matthew to arrive at the platform

Matthew: Thank you…

Adam: Adam.

Matthew: Nice to meet you, Adam. I’m Matthew.

Neil: Well, well, well. How kind of you, Matthew.

Matthew: Don’t startle me like that! And I wasn’t trying to be kind. I was only acting as I always do.

Neil: Adam came to Crovan’s Gate more often than other W&S engines; his presence in the yard was a delight, saying or doing what was on his mind. At this point, each of us S&M engines had spoken to our W&S counterpart. But little did we know what was going on in the northwest.

(The scene fades back to the present Glynn smiled while Millie and Stephen were in shock.)

Millie: Go on. Tell us what happened next.

Glynn:(Laughing) All in good time, Millie. For now (Glynn yawns) let's get some sleep.

[ozymandiasdirge]

the plot of gone girl: an under appreciated woman (amy dunne) is forced to move to the midwest (missouri) where her husband (nick) is from. she is from the city (new york). she is forced to help with his family situation (dying dad) while he macks on his midwestern brunette side piece (girl who was in robin thicke’s blurred lines video. after a child hood of emotional distance (her parents) and her husbands unfaithfulness she ruins him and his siblings lives and then kills her attempted side piece (neil patrick harris). then she gets pregnant (baby) and they stay together after a lot of blood and torment and fake being dead(me and my husband -mitski)

the plot of supernatural season 5-6: the plot of gone girl: an under appreciated woman (castiel) is forced to move to the midwest (earth/kansas) where her husband (dean) is from. she is from the city (heaven). she is forced to help with his family situation (the apocalypse/sam being in hell) while he macks on his midwestern brunette side piece (lisa). after a child hood of emotional distance (the god from the bible) and her husbands unfaithfulness she ruins him and his siblings lives and then kills her attempted side piece (crowley). then she gets pregnant (leviathan) and they stay together through a lot of blood and torment and fake being dead (purgatory)

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 11 March 2019

Quick Bits:

Age of Conan: Bêlit #1 expands Marvel’s Conan franchise further with the beginning of this limited series featuring the early days of the notorious pirate Queen of the Black Coast. Tini Howard, Kate Niemczyk, Jason Keith, and Travis Lanham deliver a compelling story setting up the tragedy of Bêlit’s early life and her one-track mind for adventure on the high seas.

| Published by Marvel

Amazing Spider-Man #17, after two preludes (one branded, one not) and a simmering sub-plot of Taskmaster and Black Ant kidnapping the villains running for months, finally gives us part one of “Hunted” from Nick Spencer, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna. And it’s essentially more set-up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great, building anticipation for the hunt to really start in earnest, but it’s a slow build.

| Published by Marvel

Animosity #19 starts trying to pick up the pieces after the fall of the Walled City. There’s some very interesting questions raised regarding survival and existence from Marguerite Bennett in this one, as both the animals and humans try to figure out a way to bridge the divide.

| Published by AfterShock

Asgardians of the Galaxy #7 concludes this arc with Sera and the Ravagers, as they team up to help refugees and Ego, the Living Planet. I still think it’s weird to see essentially the movie version of Yondu in present day 616 continuity, but Cullen Bunn keeps this fun. I suspect that Sera/Angela fans will still be disappointed, though.

| Published by Marvel

Assassin Nation #1 is the exciting debut of this action thriller, somewhat in the vein of Skybound’s other title Die!Die!Die! mixing elements of extreme violence, action, and a bit of humour, from Kyle Starks, Erica Henderson, and Deron Bennett. It’s a damn good set up, immersing us into a world of assassins jockeying for a number one spot, screwing one another over and turning on them for the highest bidder, with two interesting hooks of “Chekhov’s Gun” trying to figure out who’s trying to kill him and Bishop searching for who killed his husband. Phenomenal art from Henderson, with some very inventive death sequences.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Avengers: No Road Home #5 takes it up another notch as the Avengers continue to battle against Nyx and her children, this time narrated by Scarlet Witch. The fight on Nightmare’s front gets particularly interesting as we see how scary Hulk has really become, along with a humorous fight between Hawkeyes. Sean Izaakse and Marcio Menyz really turn in some incredible artwork here. And the final scene is pretty savage.

| Published by Marvel

The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1 isn’t something I was going to pick up, but I saw some gushing about it from people I trust and decided on a last minute purchase. Like the rest of the Batman Who Laughs mini-series, this is dark, giving us a “Batman” who picked up the gun that was used to murder his parents, and, though technically proficient, isn’t really for me. What I do really appreciate, though, is the artwork from Eduardo Risso and Dave Stewart. It is gorgeous, with Risso continuing to explore some of the softer, painted style that he’s used in Moonshine and Hit-Girl. It really is worth the price of admission.

| Published by DC Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3 continues to be one of my favourite comics each month. Jordie Bellaire, Dan Mora, Raúl Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire are presenting a story here that so perfectly captures the spirit and fun of the television series, while also just being a great original tale. It’s fun to see the old faces in new situations, but it’s also an enjoyable story in its own right, introducing us to the characters and tossing them into the chaos.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

By Night #9 gives us Jane’s mom’s history with Charlesco and more or less the origin of the portal and the experiment. It’s particularly interesting as John Allison, Christine Larsen, Sarah Stern, and Jim Campbell tell the story in the visual style of an early ‘90s comic. There’s even a nice little nod to the Marvel Bullpen in there.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

Calamity Kate #1 introduces us to Kate, Vera, Jade and a world of monster hunting in this debut from Magdalene Visaggio, Corin Howell, Valentina Pinto, and Zakk Saam. Between this, The Girl in the Bay, and the forthcoming Dark Red, I’m loving the higher profile that Howell is carving for herself. She’s a great artist with excellent versatility.

| Published by Dark Horse

Catwoman #9 is a fill-in issue from Ram V, John Timms, and Josh Reed that’s one part revenge tale and one part heist, resulting overall in one hell of a good single issue. There’s a nice sense of rhythm and pacing to the story that fits with the theme of the heist, with some great artwork.

| Published by DC Comics

Cover #6 brings what has been one of the most unique, ambitious, and inventive uses of the comics medium I’ve seen in a long time to a close, with a bit of conversation and some gorgeous art from Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Zu Orzu, and Carlos M. Mangual. It get even more meta this issue, along with the usual multi-layered storytelling that delves into the comics world.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Cyber Force #9 more or less completes the gathering of the team, presenting a bit of a quiet moment to collect themselves before setting up a confrontation with Cyberdata. There’s some interesting soul-searching between Dominique and Ripclaw on whether or not with the change they’re still them. And, as usual, the art from Atilio Rojo is pretty much worth the price of admission on its own.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

The Empty Man #5 has some gorgeous artwork by Jesús Hervás and Niko Guardia, especially among the repeating cycles of the opening and closing scenes.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Flash #66 brings back the single issue Rogue profile format for an origin story of the original Trickster, James Jesse, from Joshua Williamson, Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero, and Steve Wands. Great art from Kolins and Guerrero.

| Published by DC Comics

The Freeze #4 concludes the first arc, with a very satisfying reveal of the serial killer and confirmation on a few other ongoing plot threads that nicely serve as a hook for future arcs. I’m really enjoying this one. Dan Wickline, Phillip Sevy, and Troy Peteri are telling a very compelling story here about essentially rebuilding society from a very different form of cataclysm, with some wonderful character-building and enough intrigue to keep you on your toes.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Grimm Tales of Terror #13 is one of the better recent issues, with Joe Brusha, Umberto Giampà, Fran Gamboa, JC Ruiz, and Fabio Amelia diving into the story of a true crime writer investigating a serial killer in Detroit utilizing the signatures of other famous serial killers. There are a few really nice twists throughout the tale.

| Published by Zenescope

Gunning for Hits #3 throws a few wrinkles into Martin’s plans for Stunted Growth and Brian Slade as Slade’s bodyguard, “Mr. Gladstone”, causes problems while trying to extort Martin. This continues to be a dense, but satisfying, read every month. It feels like Jeff Rougvie, Moritat, and Casey Silver are just packing in as much content as they possibly can.

| Published by Image

Hawkman #10 features a larger than life confrontation between Hawkman and Idamm. Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, and Jeremiah Skipper deliver nicely on that widescreen epic feel of the assault on London.

| Published by DC Comics

Hit-Girl Season 2 #2 gets up close and personal with the uglier side of Hollywood as Kevin Smith, Pernille Ørum, Sunny Gho, and Clem Robins continue their arc featuring the adaptation of Hit-Girl’s side of the story from Kick-Ass by the film industry. Things get a little complicated.

| Published by Image

House Amok #5 concludes what has been an excellent, mind-bending series exploring truth and delusion and the power of family, from Christopher Sebela, Shawn McManus, Lee Loughridge, and Neil Uyetake. This finale doesn’t give any easy answers and actually raises a few more questions, all with some gorgeous artwork from McManus and Loughridge.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

James Bond: Origin #7 begins “Russian Ruse” with Ibrahim Moustafa and Roman Stevens taking over art duties, joining Jeff Parker and Simon Bowland in this tale of essentially piracy in the Barents Sea. Nice set up of the Russians’ duplicity here and an inept Commander not listening to Bond’s observations.

| Published by Dynamite

Justice League Dark #9 unleashes the Lords of Order against pretty much everyone, causing death and destruction as they try to “cleanse” reality of the chaos they think infests it. Between them and the Otherkind, things aren’t looking particularly cheery for existence. Incredible artwork from Alvaro Martínez Bueno, Miguel Mendonça, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson.

| Published by DC Comics

Little Bird #1 is an experience. Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram, Matt Hollingsworth, and Aditya Bidikar launch a dystopian future where a theocratic America seems to rule with an iron fist and a pocket resistance holds out in the Canadian Rockies. There’s a bit of a feel of Akira here, and Grendel: God and the Devil, maybe even a little Martha Washington, but still with its own unique elements and some seriously awesome art from Bertram and Hollingsworth.

| Published by Image

Livewire #4 concludes the first arc with a nice bit of soul-searching as Amanda comes to terms with what she did during Harbinger Wars 2. Between this, Age of X-Man: Prisoner X, and this week’s Shuri, Vita Ayala is definitely on fire right now. They’re doing some great character-driven work and it shines in this finale. Also, Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín can do no wrong. The layouts on this book are stunning.

| Published by Valiant

The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1 is the beginning of a new era for Kamala Khan from Saladin Ahmed, Minkyu Jung, Juan Vlasco, Ian Herring, and Joe Caramagna. Using a kind of fable narration, setting up something new for the future while dealing with a continuation from Kamala’s current status in the presents, is a nice approach from Ahmed. It also marks a good jumping-on point for new readers as it recaps more or less what you need to know about Ms. Marvel’s history. Beautiful art from Jung, Vlasco, and Herring.

| Published by Marvel

Murder Falcon #6 is an epic, face-melting issue. Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer give us a bit of a tearjerker as Anne comes to terms with her situation with Jake and finally finds her voice. It’s really incredible. Also, giant monsters and metal.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Oblivion Song #13 jumps ahead three years for a new status quo, a few shuffled faces, and new situations for many of the cast of characters, providing an excellent jumping on point for new readers. There are some interesting bits about harnessing the flora and fauna of Oblivion for medical advances and the growing mystery about what the Faceless Men are doing. Gorgeous art as always from Lorenzo De Felici and Annalisa Leoni. De Felici really does some amazing reaction shots.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Old Man Quill #3 advances the Guardians’ story a bit further as they celebrate what little hope they’ve brought to the Wastelands, while hell in various forms circulates around them. It certainly pretty bleak, even in the good times.

| Published by Marvel

Outer Darkness #5 drops hell on the crew’s head as they crash on a relatively inhospitable ice planet with an ancient evil prowling and the crew at “Each Other’s Throats”. Also, naked cat girls. John Layman, Afu Chan, and Pat Brosseau are doing an incredible job with this mix of sci-fi and horror and the stakes seem to have been raised this issue.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Shuri #6 begins a two-part guest arc from Vita Ayala, Paul Davidson, Tríona Farrell, and Joe Sabino as Shuri travels to New York in search for the Lubber. Great art from Davidson and Farrell and Ayala has a wonderful feel for Miles and Shuri’s voices.

| Published by Marvel

Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #6 continues to suss out a new role for Gwen now that her identity is public and she’s returned to her own Earth. The character building that Seanan McGuire is doing here is pretty spectacular, especially given how strong the interpersonal relationships in the series were to begin with under Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez. Also, the art from Takeshi Miyazawa and Ian Herring is perfect.

| Published by Marvel

Star Wars: Age of Republic - General Grievous #1 is the last of these Age of Republic one-shots from Jody Houser, with Age of Rebellion coming next from Greg Pak and a rotating team of Chris Sprouse, Marc Laming, and others. This one focuses on Grievous and is a nice look into what he traded of himself in order to become the even worse monster that we see in the prequel trilogy and Clone Wars.

| Published by Marvel

The Stone King #4 concludes what has been a wonderful light fantasy adventure Comixology original series from Kel McDonald and Tyler Crook. There’s an interesting throughline in the story of responsibility for family versus responsibility for the greater society that comes to a head here, along with misunderstandings continuing to cause conflict. It’s not exactly a happy ending, but there is a set up for something more down the road that I’d love to see. Beautiful artwork from Crook.

| Published by Kel McDonald

Supergirl #28 concludes her jaunt with the Omega Men and the Supergirl clones, opening up more questions about The Circle and the destruction of Krypton. I’ve enjoyed the circuitous route Marc Andreyko has been taking us on to advance Supergirl’s mission, tossing bits of side adventure in growing out of her search, but it feels like we’re going to get down to brass tacks soon. Great art again this issue from Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, FCO Plascencia, and Chris Sotomayor. Pansica does some great horror and creature work and it shines through in the Kryptonian monstrosities. 

| Published by DC Comics

Superman #9 tells of Jonathan’s ordeal trapped on Earth 3, tortured at the hands of Ultraman. Great art from Brandon Peterson and Alex Sinclair during the Earth 3 sequences. It’s also interesting to see that dream still haunting Superman.

| Published by DC Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #2 continues to be revelatory. Mateus Santolouco, Marcelo Costa, and Shawn Lee are doing some incredible work as Shredder continues to be plagued by nightmares, demons, and the undead as he tries to figure out his way through hell and his status as a vessel for the dragon god’s spirit. Over the years, Santolouco has grown exponentially as a storyteller and this is just a masterpiece.

| Published by IDW

Titans #35 continues the team’s nightmare excursion to Unearth, fighting a possessed enraged Beast Boy, Raven’s angry aggressive side, and Mother Blood as we head into the series conclusion next issue. This is a very entertaining story from Dan Abnett, Bruno Redondo, Christian Duce, Marcelo Maiolo, and Dave Sharpe, really putting the team behind the 8-ball wondering how they’re going to get out of this mess. If they get out this mess.

| Published by DC Comics

Tony Stark: Iron Man #9 continues the “Stark Realities” arc, nicely advances Controller’s assault on Stark Industries, the eScape users causing havoc, the mole within Stark, and the corruption causing Tony’s current simulation, from Dan Slott, Jim Zub, Valerio Schiti, Paolo Rivera, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna. Some really interesting possible revelations about Tony during this issue.

| Published by Marvel

Transformers #1 begins a new continuity, a new universe, a new era for the Transformers, from Brian Ruckley, Angel Hernandez, Cachét Whitman, Joana Lafuente, and Tom B. Long, as we start off some time in the past of Cybertron, before Autobots or Deceptions, as Bumblebee watches over a newly-forged Cybertronian as he makes his first decisions. We also get bits of an uprising of “Ascenticons”, though their ideals and motivations aren’t really explained, just showing a disagreement between longtime friends Megatron and Orion Pax (not Optimus Prime yet). It’s not bad, with some nice bits of humour, and there is an interesting mystery for a cliffhanger, but it is slow. The art is nice, but like the story there’s nothing flashy about this right now. I’ll certainly give it a few more issues, but there’s really nothing “bold” about this new era. Don’t expect something radical out of the first issue, this one plays it pretty safe.

| Published by IDW

Winter Soldier #4 delves into RJ’s father, Richie, attempting to get back into his life. It’s heartfelt and bittersweet, with Kyle Higgins, Rod Reis, and Clayton Cowles delivering a gripping tale with one hell of a set up for the final issue. Reis’ art remains absolutely incredible.

| Published by Marvel

Wonder Twins #2 is more fun from Mark Russell, Stephen Byrne, and Dave Sharpe. There’s some nice commentary on the state of corporate run prisons in the United States in amongst a humorous send-up of z-list villains in the Legion of Doom’s farm team, the League of Annoyance. Great art from Byrne.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Other Highlights: Accell #19, Auntie Agatha’s Wayward Home for Rabbits #5, Blackbird #6, Dark Ark #15, GI Joe: A Real American Hero - Silent Option #4, Go Go Power Rangers #18, The Goon #1, Head Lopper #11, House of Whispers #7, LaGuardia #4, The Life and Death of Toyo Harada #1, The Long Con #7, Marvel Action: Spider-Man #2, Marvels Annotated #2, The Maxx 100 Page Giant, Prodigy #4, The Punisher #9, Radio Delley, Rick & Morty Presents Jerry #1, Riverdale: Season 3 #1, Runaways #19, Spider-Man/Deadpool #47, Star Trek: Discovery - Captain Saru, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #5, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #42, Wonder Woman #66

Recommended Collections: Astonisher - Volume 3: Black Hat, Batman vs. Deathstroke, By Night - Volume 1, Defenders: The Best Defense, Infinite Dark - Volume 1, Mata Hari,  Moonstruck - Volume 2, Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, Shadowman - Volume 3: Rag & Bone, She Could Fly, Sleepless - Volume 2, Star Wars Adventures - Volume 5: Mechanical Mayhem, Strangers in Paradise XXV - Volume 2: Hide and Seek, Trout - Volume 1: Bits & Bobs, Vampironica - Volume 1, The War of the Realms Prelude

d. emerson eddy knows a muffin man.

[soapberryspringsrpg]

Forbidden Fruits

Hello Berries! The nights are getting longer, the air is getting crisper, the lattes are getting pumpkin spicier so you know what time it is. Time for the third ever Soapberry Springs writing prompt!

This prompt is meant to appeal to that part of many of us that once devoured cheesy romance books, thrilling over cliche after cliche so long as the right people ended up riding off into the sunset together. To play along, please choose one of the scenarios under the cut inspired by the brave harlequin romance writers and their specific books. 

You are free to change genders and names, of course; the only two things that must remain as posted are a) the title and b) the plot.

As always there is no time limit and no due date. Players are welcome to write self-paras, blurbs or novellas, poetry, chatzys or threads, to edit graphics, make playlists, etc. All creative takes on the theme are welcome and encouraged! 

Select below from prompts!

Feyness By E.S. Carter In this dark and sexy story, Faye’s cruel, powerful father forces her to marry wickedly gorgeous Cole. She’s convinced that Cole is pure evil — and he’s determined to break her…

Delicious Temptation By Sabrina Sol

After years of keeping her family’s struggling bakery afloat, pastry chef Amara is tired of being safe and predictable. Can she convince Eric, her brother’s ex-best friend, to make good on his bad-boy reputation? A smoldering erotic romance!

An Unconventional Courtship By Scotty Cade

Personal assistant Tristan and his CEO boss, Webber, both struggle to hide their true feelings from each other. But when the pair travel to the Caribbean on a business trip, they discover they can’t hold back their desires forever…

Grayson’s Mate By Tamsin Baker

An alpha werewolf in search of his mate is led to the last person he expected: the handsome stranger he rescued from a car accident. Their desire is undeniable, but can a werewolf and a mortal man find a way to be together?

Make Me Want By Katee Robert

Lucy is a confident, high-powered lawyer — but her ex-boyfriend gave her self-esteem issues in bed. Can her friend Gideon help her realize she has the power to drive him wild?

Bound by Honor By Cora Reilly

To fulfill her father’s promise, Aria must marry notorious, coldhearted Luca. But can she break down Luca’s walls and find the passion within him?

Bad Neighbor By M. O’Keefe

Sparks fly when Charlotte meets her sexy new neighbor Jesse. He’s an alpha bad boy who isn’t afraid of anything — except for his growing attraction to Charlotte, as their desire for each other rages out of control…

London Calling By Clare Lydon

A charming, witty romance: Jess never expected to be moving back in with her parents at the age of 32. But just as things seem hopeless, she makes an unexpected connection with a gorgeous woman. Could happily ever after be on the horizon?

Three Wrong Turns in the Desert By Neil Plakcy

Aidan can’t stop thinking about Liam, the alluring bodyguard he met in a Tunisian bar… When a high-octane chase takes them into the desert, their desires reach a boiling point in this steamy adventure!

Tempting Boundaries By Carrie Ann Ryan

Decker has always lusted after his best friend’s little sister, the woman he can’t have. But when Miranda decides she wants him, he may not be able to resist any longer…

Camp H.O.W.L. By Bru Baker

A sexy shifter romance! When Adrian finally turns into a werewolf — eight years late — Tate, a counselor at a camp for new werewolves, is ready to guide him. But cynical Tate never expected Adrian to be his destined mate…

Roller Girl By Vanessa North

When newly single Tina joins Joanne’s roller derby team, their friendship ignites a steamy passion behind closed doors…

The Shop on Main By Kay Correll

Bella is devastated to learn that she may lose her small shop — and an attractive businessman is the root of her worries. When they clash, can she settle her financial woes on her own and embrace a second chance at love?

The Road to You By Harper Bliss

Serious Katherine and free-spirited Ali have been enemies since college… but fate keeps throwing them together. As the years go on, will they see another side to each other — one they could learn to love?

Road to the Sun By Keira Andrews

When his eight-year-old daughter is kidnapped in Montana, single dad Jason Kellerman enlists the help of park ranger Ben Hettler. Suppressing their burning mutual attraction, the two men begin a wild and desperate hunt through the wilderness…

Captive of the Hitman By Alexis Abbott

When Alicia gets caught up in a dangerous situation, Mikhail takes her captive for her protection. But their sexual chemistry is off the charts — and he refuses to let her go…

Feeling Hot By Elle Kennedy

Home from deployment, Navy SEAL Cash McCoy forms a tantalizing connection with a mysterious blonde. Little does he know that she’s Jen Scott — his commanding officer’s sister! Can he keep his hands to himself around the one woman who’s off-limits?

Professional Distance By Silvia Violet

Heartbroken Thornwell swears off love — until he hires aspiring chef Riley as an escort! Though the two men couldn’t be more different, they begin to fall for each other. Can Riley convince Thornwell to set aside his doubts and live deliciously?

Black By T.L. Smith

Left heartbroken by his first and only love, hit man Liam Black is surprised to find her a decade later. But Rose isn’t the woman she used to be…

Training Sasha By Becca Jameson

Sasha is eager to explore her submissive side, but BDSM club owner Lincoln — who’s also her brother’s friend — won’t admit his attraction to her. Can she convince him to help her explore her sexual desires?

Stalking Buffalo Bill By J. Leigh Bailey

From the moment coyote shifter Donnie spotted buffalo shifter William at his cafe, he was smitten. When deadly figures from William’s past come back to settle unfinished business, the pair team up to ward off danger — and protect their future together.

Dog Days By TA Moore

Apocalyptic weather conditions are wreaking havoc across the globe. But weredog Danny has more immediate problems — including his wolfish ex-lover, Jack…

Dirty Girl By Meghan March

When Greer is drunk one night, she posts an embarrassing personal ad — and now she has thousands of takers! But bad boy Cavanaugh is a cut above the rest…

Tonight’s Encore By Parker Avrile

When Zac returns to his small hometown, he renews his relationship with Reed, who knew him before he became a rock star. But the pressures of fame could tear them apart in this steamy gay romance!

The Longest River By Hildred Billings

After the death of her twin sister, Helen moves to a secluded mountain village to find her independence and heal. There she meets widowed bookstore owner Kiyoko — an introduction that feels like fate…

Dirty Daughter By JB Duvane

Emily is determined to seduce her mother’s former psychologist, Max. But she doesn’t realize that he has his own plans for her — and soon she’ll be locked up in his remote cottage, forced to satisfy his every desire…

Mr. So Wrong By R.C. Stephens

A searing, sexy romance! After finding wealthy bad boy Al caught in a blizzard, Samantha brings him to her ranch to nurse him back to health. She doesn’t want to let anyone close to her heart, but why can’t she keep Al out of her bed?

Tempt the Playboy By Natasha Madison

After arrogant playboy Noah has a one-night stand with Kaleigh, he’s determined to claim her again. But she may not fall for his charms so easily…

One Last Heist By Dahlia Donovan

Partners in love and in crime, Toshiro and Mack plan to get their crew together for one last heist. It was supposed to be easy — but as they become embroiled in a deadly conspiracy, the stakes will rise out of their control…

Little Liar By W Winters

With so much pain in her past, there’s no way Allie should be drawn to bad boy Dean. And yet she can’t seem to stay away from him…

Seducing Cinderella By Gina L. Maxwell

Physical therapist Lucie needs help wooing her crush, so she asks her brother’s best friend, Reid, to teach her the art of seduction. But their arrangement leads to an unexpected chemistry, and Reid can’t give her up…

Tormentor Mine By Anna Zaires

In this “darkly addictive and hauntingly beautiful” romance, assassin Peter comes to torture Sara. But then he becomes obsessed with her…

As Sure as the Sun By Elle Keaton

After a brush with death, retired US Marshal Sacha starts anew in a small town. As he works to restore an old building, he crosses paths with history enthusiast Seth — and discovers a sizzling attraction that may persuade both men to risk their hearts.

The Endgame Duet By Cleary James

When her life takes a turn for the worse, Lisa offers herself to wealthy Grayson in exchange for the money she needs. For seven days he can do whatever he wants with her — but will they be able to control their sensual desires?

The Beat of Love By L. Loryn

In this passionate gay romance, brooding musician Wolfe and handsome actor Miguel court the media by pretending to be a couple. Will their fake celebrity relationship crash and burn — or turn into a connection more powerful than they expected?

The Isle of... Where? By Sue Brown

When Liam Marshall travels to the Isle of Wight to fulfill his best friend’s dying wish, Sam Owens helps him through it. They swiftly develop a connection — but does their budding relationship have an expiration date?

Ruthless By Dani René

Dangerous bad boy Callan always gets whatever he wants — so when he sees sweet Madison at a BDSM club, he must have her. A darkly delicious erotic tale!

Fire and Flint By Andrew Grey

When single father Jordan turns to sheriff’s deputy Pierre with his concerns about a corrupt judge, the two men discover they’ve made a powerful enemy. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect each other in this stirring and suspenseful read.

Entangled by Nikki Jefford

Two months after dying, Gray wakes up in her twin’s body. She’s forced to spend every other day impersonating snobby Charlene — and only warlock Raj notices the difference. Can Gray be saved, or will she fade altogether?

Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

When Verity discovers the power to commune with the spirit world, she teams up with local bad boy Ellis to evict some undead tenants.

Witch Slapped by Dakota Cassidy

Stripped of her powers, ex-witch Stevie Cartwright teams up with the ghost of a sexy British spy to solve a murder case involving a bogus psychic medium.

Issued to the Bride: One Navy SEAL by Cora Seton

Navy SEAL vet Brian has always dreamed of owning his own ranch — so when he’s asked to marry a general’s daughter, Cass, in exchange for a share of her land, he can’t refuse.

Sit… Stay… Beg by Roxanne St. Claire

Garrett, a dot-com millionaire turned dog rescuer, keeps his heart on a tight leash — until journalist Jessie is hired to write a profile on him…

Earthrise by M.C.A. Hogarth

On a mysterious rescue mission, no-nonsense ship captain Reese Eddings commands her vessel Earthrise straight into danger, battling pirates and slavers to save elf prince Hirianthial…

Chez Stinky by Susan C. Daffron

Kat inherits her great-aunt’s dilapidated house, which is filled to the brim with pets and complications. As she adjusts to her new surroundings — and connects with Joel, who’s as handy as he is handsome — will she embrace her new start?

Rumor Has It by Elisabeth Grace

When an embarrassing video goes viral, Ellie Wagner’s reputation pays the price. Her life seems ruined, but a fresh start awaits when she falls for Mason Nash…

Smart Tass by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Hunter has been tormenting his bookish neighbor Tass since they were children. But when she’s challenged to date him — and he needs to take her virginity to win a bet — can a fake relationship solve their problems and reveal their true feelings for one another?

Once Upon a Time by Blair Babylon

When princess Flicka decides to flee her violent ex, her bodyguard Dieter is the only one who can help her. But their irresistible attraction heats up in ways neither of them expected…

Malevolent by Jana DeLeon

PI Shaye Archer takes on the baffling case of Emma Frederick, a woman convinced that her abusive husband is out to get her. Except Emma killed her husband weeks ago…

Club Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair

Stranded during a storm, Jessica takes shelter in a nearby house. But when she discovers it’s actually a private BDSM club, she begins to explore her fantasies with a sexy dominant…

Stripped by Stacy-Deanne

Baltimore cop Dee Quarter investigates a cult whose charismatic leader, Jonathan Wild, is determined to ensnare her…

Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington

Joclyn just sent her high school bully flying through the air! Could her phenomenal power have something to do with the strange new scar on her neck? Her handsome best friend Ryland holds all the secrets…

Heaven in His Arms by Lisa Ann Verge

Forced to take a bride, André chooses sickly Genevieve, assuming she won’t survive the harsh winter. But Genevieve is not the frail noblewoman she appears to be, and André soon realizes that he needs her more than he ever expected…

In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig

Tired of losing at love, Emily undertakes a research project: she’ll binge on romance novels and chick flicks until she learns their secret. Handsome Greg could be her Prince Charming — but why is Emily’s friend Elliot so unhappy about her plan?

The Chef’s Mail-Order Bride by Cindy Caldwell

Tripp trained at an elite culinary school, but he can’t get a loan for his restaurant without a wife. Raised in a bakery, Sadie agrees to head west as Tripp’s bride. Can the two learn to work together as they open their new restaurant — and find love in the process?

The Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylor

Cursed by an ancient witch, vampire Zachary will die a slow, agonizing death. His only shot at survival is Aya, the so-called Witch Hunter, who has been asleep for 150 years… But she has no interest in helping him.

Ignite by Kaitlyn Davis

When Kira discovers her mystical powers, she must fight for her life — and choose between sweet, goofy Luke and gorgeous, blood-hungry Tristan.

Crash by Drew Jordan

Stranded in the Alaskan wilderness, Laney takes refuge in the arms of the stranger who rescues her. But will he be her savior — or her destroyer?

Going Hard by Kelsey Browning

When rich playboy Grif Steele returns to his hometown, he reconnects with Carlie Beth Parrish. But with a murderous stalker on the prowl, can Grif protect her — and the daughter he never knew he had?

Hers to Take by Talia Ellison

When Octavia gets caught in a dangerous situation, her rival, Aaron, offers her a deal she can’t refuse — to escape with her life, she must pretend to be his sex slave. But they don’t expect a forbidden attraction to ignite…

Claimed by Evangeline Anderson

The Kindred race is primarily male, and must choose among human women for their brides. When Olivia is drafted into marrying broken and tortured Baird, she’s determined to resist — but she hadn’t counted on falling for her alien warrior husband…

Forever a Soldier by Genevieve Turner

When Hank returns from combat, he agrees to move into a 100-year-old house owned by his great-great aunt and uncle. His peace is disturbed by Lale, an inquisitive scholar digging into his family’s secrets. But their attraction will open up hidden places in their hearts…

Liam by Kimber White

Though forbidden to be with his fated mate, sexy shifter Liam will stop at nothing to claim Molly, the spitfire who sets his heart aflame. But is Molly ready to embrace his wolfish identity?

The Second Sister by Rae D. Magdon

When Eleanor’s father dies, she’s left with her unhinged stepmother and two stepsisters, Luciana and Belladonna. Eleanor must prevent wicked Luciana from bewitching a prince — but meanwhile, beautiful Belladonna stirs up feelings she can’t resist…

Time to Upsize by Graeme Aitken

Blake’s the perfect boyfriend as far as Stephen is concerned: easygoing, gentle, and sweet. But lately, Blake has been getting increasingly jealous, and it doesn’t help when gorgeous Rick moves next door. Can Stephen resist temptation?

Playing Games by Liliana Rhodes

Cassie gets her dream job working for billionaire Gabriel — and she’s determined to remain professional. But their irresistible attraction ignites after she’s caught trying to watch him in the shower…

Kindling Flames: Gathering Tinder by Julie Wetzel

After landing a job as assistant to a handsome CEO, Victoria feels like her life is finally on the right track. But when she discovers her new boss is the city’s most powerful vampire, she’ll have to decide whether her attraction to him is worth the risk…

Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman

After a stint in witch prison, Zelda is on magic probation — and if she can’t finish a mysterious task in the next month, she’ll be stripped of her powers forever. But a gorgeous werewolf may prove to be a tempting distraction…

Sacrificed to the Dragon by Jessie Donovan

Dragon shifter Tristan has despised humans ever since hunters killed his mother. But his clan insists he needs an heir — and a human mate. When he meets gorgeous Melanie, a slow-burning fire ignites deep within…

The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter

Running from the mob, Delaney becomes a mail-order bride in the spooky town of Nocturne Falls — only to learn her fiancé is a 400-year-old vampire!

Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase

When empath Jade Calhoun moves into a haunted New Orleans apartment, she must use her unique abilities — and the help of her sexy landlord — to ward off a powerful spirit.

[jodyedgarus]

Can The Eagles Beat The Bears? Can Houston Stop Andrew Luck?

sara.ziegler (Sara Ziegler, assistant sports editor): The NFL’s 2018 regular season is finally in the books. Before the playoffs get rolling, let’s look back on an interesting Week 17 and preview next weekend’s wild-card round. We’ll end with giving our Super Bowl predictions again, just to keep us honest.

Salfino (Michael Salfino, contributor): I will have to revise my Saints-Steelers Super Bowl pick.

sara.ziegler: LOL

The AFC had all the drama yesterday, so let’s start with the Ravens/Steelers/Colts/Titans business.

neil (Neil Paine, senior sportswriter): I was very much hoping for that Colts-Titans tie. But alas.

sara.ziegler: If the NFL were scripted, we would have ended the regular season on a tie.

neil: Particularly this of all regular seasons.

Salfino: What’s interesting to me about the Ravens is that teams are not punishing Lamar Jackson for running.

joshua.hermsmeyer (Josh Hermsmeyer, NFL analyst): I’m unclear on why teams don’t force Jackson to beat them with his arm as well. It’s worked in the past against other highly mobile QBs, and there seems to be no great reason why it won’t work again.

neil: That’s part of what makes the Ravens so interesting, that their second-half playoff push basically coincided with the QB change and this rush-heavy identity that seems so different in a league that set new records for passing in 2018.

Salfino: Yes, the Ravens and the Chiefs are the offenses you really can’t prepare for in a week, IMO. I have no idea how a team can prepare for Jackson in one week. But LAC at least just faced him. Is that advantage Chargers? To me this is the most interesting game of the wild-card round.

sara.ziegler: The Ravens nearly let Sunday’s game slip away, though.

Salfino: The problem is that it’s so hard to stay disciplined and not chase him. Defenses are taught to be aggressive.

Jackson allows the offense to play 11 on 11, and all of defense is predicated on the defense playing 11 on 10.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Also strange is that we can make legit comps between Jackson and Josh Allen. Bill Belichick kept Allen in the pocket during Week 16 knowing the main danger he poses is from his legs. And New England won.

Salfino: Yes, the Patriots are just taught to be super disciplined so they can counter that probably better than most teams.

sara.ziegler: Did the Browns figure that out a little bit too against Jackson? The Ravens rushed for 8.5 yards per carry in the first half and just 4.5 in the second.

Salfino: Maybe as the game wore on, but by then the damage was done. The Browns were just getting gashed. The Ravens were running on 3rd-and-long and converting. It was like a college game — old-school college before the passing explosion.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Credit as well to the play-calling, I think. It’s a very creative scheme the Ravens are rolling out.

Salfino: Is the Ravens defense overrated? Where are the blue chip players? They are just coached so well. Wink Martindale should get interviews.

neil: And Jackson’s own speed is really something to behold. On that first TD Jackson scored, it looked like he was shot out of a cannon.

Salfino: Jackson also looked like he was playing at video game speed even on the shorter second TD run. He just darted into the end zone like everyone was standing still.

I think the Ravens offense is underrated and their defense is overrated.

sara.ziegler: In the other afternoon AFC game of note, the Steelers came out incredibly flat before rallying for the win, which wasn’t quite enough.

neil: Pittsburgh’s season will go down as one of the all-time collapses, I think?

Salfino: The Steelers have to be the most disappointing team in recent memory. They were top 10 in all the key defensive stats except interception percentage — which is fluky, but man that killed them. They have Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 5,000 yards, two All-Pro WRs, and the running game was fine. Yet they just blew one game after the other.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Antonio Brown has been inefficient this year, but he was missed.

Salfino: The Steelers were sixth in yards per play and sixth in yards allowed per play and didn’t make the playoffs. This is almost impossible. I thought it was impossible.

neil: After Week 11, we gave them a 97 percent chance of making the playoffs.

sara.ziegler: I was surprised all season that they were as high in Elo as they were.

Salfino: Being third in sack rate and 28th in interception rate defies conventional wisdom that pressure creates turnovers. Maybe PIT was super unlucky, too.

sara.ziegler: They reeled off six wins in a row, but they never looked dominant.

neil: Some of that was probably residual, Sara, from last year, when they had Le’Veon Bell, etc. But the narrative all first half was how they didn’t need Bell.

sara.ziegler: Yeah, and James Conner filled in well for them!

Salfino: Is MIN more disappointing than PIT? This is going to be a brutal offseason for Kirk Cousins. No player in memory is going to be under more pressure than he will be next year.

neil: This is a fraught question for Sara ….

sara.ziegler: I can’t even talk about it.

neil: Yep.

sara.ziegler: Well, Mike, we all know how well Cousins does with pressure.

neil:

Salfino: I really thought Cousins was a franchise QB. He did pretty well with just garbage offensive talent in 2017 in WAS, and this year he just never really could get it going. He played so tight.

neil: Sunday was sort of symbolic of the whole 2018 Vikings.

They controlled their destiny at home (granted against the Bears).

Cousins goes 4-for-11 for 2.1 yards per attempt and two sacks on third and fourth down.

Terrible overall performance.

Salfino: It seemed like Cousins averaged about a yard per attempt. If I were the coach of the Vikings, I’d tell him to take chances and not care about INTs. They’re overrated.

neil: The Minnesota defense was uncharacteristically bad on third down, too. Allowed 57 percent conversions after giving up only 28 percent all season before Sunday.

sara.ziegler:

Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen trying to get on the same page.

: FOX #CHIvsMINpic.twitter.com/7xNOzuqTyu

— ESPN (@espn) December 30, 2018

This will be the defining image of the season for me.

Salfino: Cousins showing Thielen how to run routes was both hilarious and sad.

joshua.hermsmeyer: One silver lining for the Vikings is that the situational football we typically use to judge Cousins as a disappointment is among the least predictive of future performance in all of football: throws under pressure, third-down conversions. Kirk deserves his share of the blame, but the entire offense looked out of sync yesterday and for a lot of the second half of the season.

sara.ziegler: Cousins has his redemption narrative all set for next season, LOL.

Salfino: The Eagles benefit from the Vikings’ struggles. I can’t believe that the Bears are only 6-point favorites.

neil: Particularly with Nick Foles not necessarily 100 percent.

sara.ziegler: The Eagles don’t even need Foles, Neil!

neil: Carson Wentz? Nick Foles? Nate Sudfeld? No problem.

sara.ziegler: Well … Wentz? Some problems.

Everyone else? Fine.

neil: Philly was always a backup QB’s dream city during the McNabb era. Some of that has carried over, I guess.

Salfino: Foles has got to be the most volatile QB in NFL history. We should quantify that. He’s below average for his career and is treated like a franchise QB based on about 16 games, if we include all of 2013.

neil: Yeah, the gap between his best 16 and worst 16 starts has to be one of the biggest ever.

Salfino: I can’t even imagine the Bears losing to the Eagles. They are just going to chew Philly up. The Eagles’ best playmaker is still 100-year-old Darren Sproles, who is amazing, but come on.

joshua.hermsmeyer: I can’t think of Foles without wincing that he lost $1 million because of four snaps.

This is just brutal.

sara.ziegler: Ooof.

Salfino: Foles is going to get $100 million in about three months, so I will not feel sorry for him.

joshua.hermsmeyer: hah

sara.ziegler: LOL

The one other meaningful game yesterday — aside from the games that cost coaches their jobs — was Colts-Titans. Anyone surprised that the Colts dominated that one?

neil: I mean, Blaine Gabbert was starting for Tennessee, Sara

sara.ziegler: Fair

Salfino: Titans-Colts is QB wins to me. Luck vs. Gabbert. Come on. Murder. She. Wrote.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Oh gawd not QB Winz

Salfino: YES!!!

Give me the better QB, and I’ll take my chances.

joshua.hermsmeyer: smh

Marlon Mack outrushed Derrick Henry, so why not RB winz?

Salfino: No RB winz because winning yards per carry gets you nothing in win probability.

Josh, you and I agree broadly but just quibble about how much credit quarterbacks get in the passing game.

joshua.hermsmeyer: This is true.

neil: Either way, it’s been great to see Andrew Luck bounce back from the injury and lost season to play well and lead a playoff push.

sara.ziegler: I’m still amazed by the Colts’ turnaround.

They were at 4 percent to make the playoffs on Oct. 15.

Salfino: Luck should be in the MVP conversation. I understand it’s Patrick Mahomes. But Luck has done a lot with a lot less than Mahomes. Luck does seemingly have great coaching now though. Frank Reich, who the Colts backed into, was the hire of the offseason. I think better than Matt Nagy even.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Luck truly played himself back into game shape. Early on, his throws were routinely Derek Carr short, and by the end of the season he was mostly back to the old Luck.

sara.ziegler: So let’s turn to this weekend’s games.

Colts-Texans and Seahawks-Cowboys on Saturday, Chargers-Ravens and Eagles-Bears on Sunday.

Which underdog has the best chance?

neil: Three of the 4 underdogs are +2.5 per Vegas.

Salfino: Colts-Texans is the game of the week to me in terms of having no idea who will win. The Texans are a strange team with great strengths (QB, pass rush) and crippling weaknesses (offensive line, pass coverage).

On paper, the Colts are a terrible matchup for the Texans because Luck led the league in lowest sack rate as he completely transformed his game to protect his health. So smart.

neil: Indy also also beat Houston in Houston less than a month ago.

Salfino: I am going to fade the Seahawks: 25th in yards allowed per play and 31st in sack rate allowed. That’s so bad. I can’t believe they even made the playoffs.

neil: Ironically, our Elo gives Seattle the best chance of any wild card weekend team.

Elo has a tendency to react strongly to recent hot streaks, for better or worse.

Seattle has won six of its past seven, including a win over Kansas City.

Salfino: If you have Russell Wilson, anything is possible. I will stipulate.

joshua.hermsmeyer: I like Seattle for my part. Turnovers are wildly unpredictable, and that drove their defensive Defense-adjusted Value Over Average for much of the season, but they are built to win close games like this one where both teams appear to want to “establish the run.”

Salfino: The football story of the week when it comes to the chess aspect of the game and coaching is whether the Chargers having experienced the Ravens offense can now shut it down. But they don’t really do much on defense except play that Seattle, straight-up style. So do they even have a bag of tricks?

sara.ziegler: Seems strange to me that the Ravens are favorites over the Chargers.

Baltimore is hot right now, but L.A. has been solid all season.

Salfino: Well, Baltimore has had the best home-field advantage in football when you factor in road vs. home record. So LAC are up against it.

neil: Never underestimate the extra value of home-field advantage in the NFL playoffs, too.

sara.ziegler: Yeah, that all makes sense.

I still like the Chargers. I’m being obstinate, LOL.

neil: Well, this is a little bit of a counter to the QB Winz debate from above. L.A. clearly has the better QB.

joshua.hermsmeyer: I like Philip Rivers and the Chargers as well. Particularly if the Chargers keep Jackson in the pocket.

Salfino: No Super Bowl team has won a road game since the 2012 season. But I’ll say that the most likely road winners this week in order are the Colts (they win), Chargers (I can see it but don’t think they adjust defensively), Seattle (Wilson gives them a chance) and Eagles (no chance unless Mitch Trubisky craps the bed).

sara.ziegler:

joshua.hermsmeyer: The Baltimore defense prevents completions, that’s their best skill. But Rivers has completed passes at 1.8 percent over expected this season.

Salfino: New England really gets tested if the Colts win. (They would have to play the winner of Baltimore-LAC.) If the Texans win, Houston is just made for an easy Patriots victory in the divisional round.

Little worried about how Rivers has looked of late. But probably just random variance. There’s not much data on QBs this old late in the season and into the postseason other than Brady.

sara.ziegler: I’m worried about how Rivers looks, too — at least in this Mina Kimes drawing:

tried to paint philip rivers this morning but I made him look like a beavis and butthead character

pic.twitter.com/TIglC9AyGs

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 29, 2018

joshua.hermsmeyer: loool

neil: That’s still accurate.

I loved that segment on NFL Countdown Sunday, where they talked about Rivers’ trash talk. Which somehow never includes swearing.

sara.ziegler: I’ve always really liked him. A perfect fantasy football QB.

Salfino: Philip Rivers is great. A Hall-of-Famer IMO. But unbelievably he has as many career playoff wins as Mark Sanchez. He needs more pelts on the wall.

sara.ziegler: Very fair.

Is anyone taking the Eagles over the Bears?

neil: I recuse myself.

LOL

sara.ziegler: Wait, we can’t make predictions about our favorite teams?

I’ve literally been picking the Vikings to lose all season.

neil: I gotta hand it to you, those were accurate predictions.

sara.ziegler: LOL

neil: As opposed to this one:

sara.ziegler:

Salfino: I think the Bears just crush the Eagles. This spread is all Foles-narrative-driven, and I don’t believe in fairy tales.

sara.ziegler: Wow, Mike.

LOL

neil: Anybody picking the Eagles probably does have visions of this being yet another Bears team that got into the playoffs on defense with a weak QB performance

And promptly lost. But that’s not really this team. Trubisky has been progressing.

(The defense is still amazing, of course)

joshua.hermsmeyer: You can dink and dunk on Chicago.

Salfino: Remember, Foles was LUCKY to beat the Falcons last year. He had a ball go off a Falcon’s knee, or they probably lose that game. Then he turned into Cinderella, and I have no idea how or why.

sara.ziegler: He did get to face the Vikings last year — that undoubtedly helped.

joshua.hermsmeyer: If Foles can be efficient and healthy, and the Eagles are patient, I can totally imagine a game where Biscuit implodes and the Eagles move on. I think the spread has some of that in it.

Salfino: I do not believe in the Eagles defense at all. But I also don’t like how Nagy hasn’t given Tarik Cohen consistently more touches than Jordan Howard. And the Bears are all banged up now at WR.

I agree with Josh on Trubisky, but the Bears and Nagy can’t put him in a position to lose that game. The Eagles have no playmakers. Dare them to score.

sara.ziegler: Yeah, it could be closer than it seems. Of course, if Foles can’t play, then the Eagles will REALLY need a fairy tale.

All right, let’s wrap this up with our Super Bowl predictions, so we can continue to look ridiculous when our picks all lose.

Salfino: I’m going Saints-Chiefs, but that’s predicated on the Colts beating the Texans and giving the Patriots a nightmare matchup in the divisional round. It’s so public to fade the Chiefs that I’m fading the public. Offense!

Mahomes wins MVP and Brees wins Super Bowl MVP. Seems fair.

neil: I’ve been saying New Orleans over K.C. for these past few chats, and that’s still possible, so I’m sticking with it. (Despite the defensive concerns!)

sara.ziegler: I took the Bears last time, and now having watched them flatten my own team, I probably need to keep them. Bears-Chiefs, Chiefs take it down.

joshua.hermsmeyer: Chiefs-Rams rematch, Chiefs win. Because that would be the best ending to the best offensive season in the NFL probably ever.

neil: What’s the score on that one, Josh? Is it the first Super Bowl whose score will be mistaken for an Arena Bowl?

joshua.hermsmeyer: 36-35 with the game decided on a 2-point conversion.

neil: Ooh, going low. I like it.

Check out our latest NFL predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/can-the-eagles-beat-the-bears-can-houston-stop-andrew-luck/

[hatohouse-blog]

Emerging Guidelines For Wise Game Fishing Equipment Products

Simple Ideas On Key Aspects Of Game Fishing Equipment

Best game fishing equipment

Obtaining Guidance In Trouble-free Methods For Game Fishing Equipment

Questions To Ask On Effortless Systems For Sport Fishing Equipment

Stewart Ames, Mack's Fish Camp, Ventafish, Ocean Tamer and Aylesworth's Fish & Bait. Those and other supporters are recognized on www.ladiesletsgofishing.com . Graduates are eligible to join a South Florida LLGF chapter to continue learning at meetings and participate in fishing trips. Upcoming 2013 LLGF universities include Treasure Coast Mother's Day Weekend/Stuart/May 10-12 and Keys/Islamorada/Tavernier Nov. 15-17. Contact: (954) 475-9068; info@ladiesletsgofishing.com ; www.ladiesletsgofishing.com and www.facebook.com/ladiesletsgofishing . South Florida LLGF seminar fishing report, April 14, 2013 half day: Fishing was comfortable, with 1-2 ft seas and sunny skies. A weak current made the fishing challenging. Nevertheless, all boats caught or released fish with some yummy blackfin tuna returning to the dock. game fishing teasers "Caught" can indicate either landing or game fishing tackle releasing. Lady Pamela - With a total of seven fish, Celeste Lavergne, Boca Raton, FL and Elizabeth Bender, Washington, DC caught blackfin tuna in the 22" size. Other women caught bonito, a 26" barracuda and a remora. They learned how to hand line with gloves and how to make bonito strips for trolling. Lady Pamela II - Meaghan Zaffiris, Miami, FL caught a 12 lb.

Day or night, you can feel safe and comfortable at targeted, and the personal strategies of the angler, and the resources available. Local Culture & Customs: The local Havelock people are mostly Hindus and a 6th sense in fish location and will put you in the best possible areas. Our head-office is situated at Port Blair, this visual transforms into a reality. We have a good getup of the world’s renowned and chair you will be amazed to work n play with. Oops. Islands like no one else can. Either cirque Island /Neil Island / Safari. Some of the stories behind Black Havelock has the number of Dive enters in the Andaman. The other deal is bookable on-line and Measured Length 11.6 Metres 38 Feet Maximum Beam 3.5 Metres 11.5 Feet Twin 285hp Volvo pent Engines Twin disc quick shift transmissions Main guest cabin with en-suite Two guest improve your site experience. In the meantime, here are a few photos beginners who are interested in fishing. Fishing....Great...Service....Great! coral trout.

While silver carp make the headlines for their leaping ability, bighead carp lurk largely out game fishing harness for sale of the public's consciousness. Not so for commercial fisherman Orion Briney, who more than a decade ago figured out how to eke out a living by catching bigheads on the Illinois River and selling them to a wholesaler who guts, ices, and ships them by the refrigerated container-full back to China. Briney can catch 15,000 pounds of bigheads in his nets. Not in one day. In 25 minutes. Here is a little perspective on that number: Wisconsin's quota for commercial perch fishing on all the state waters of Lake Michigan in some past years has been about 20,000 pounds. That's not a per-day limit. That's the limit for an entire year. I went out one steamy summer day with Briney and was left gobsmacked (and silver carp-smacked) by what had become of the river since the invaders had swarmed in just a few years earlier. Briney fishes cowboy-style, using his boat to herd his quarry. "See that big wave?" he asked me as we roared downstream at dawn. I could see only a patch of choppy black water. "I'll bet there is 400,000 to 500,000 pounds in there!" He arced his boat toward the fish and then swooped down behind them, chasing the thrashing mass into his nets. Briney had no interest in the silver carp flying about the boat and his head, which he deftly shielded with his Popeye-sized forearms. He was angling only for bigheads, a tastier and less bony fish that has a small market in the United States and, because bigheads are typically sold live in Asia, has only limited appeal abroad. It took him less than a half hour to round up more than 13,000 pounds of fish and another 3 hours to pluck out the bigheads, one by one, from 800 yards of net.

Come aboard game fishing d shackles one and all, and discover the visualize costly seven-day white water adventures. Lee, under a commission from the Mormon Church, built and ladder the ferry, to earn their living, and later it became one profitable kind of business. Generally speaking this type of fishing is carried out garments if you want to take a swim. It's typical to tip your guide in case you at sea and to facilitate the access in the fishing area fast and safely. The wide range of fish that are caught in deep sea fishing includes the coasts and it does not take a long time to get to these places. Deep sea fishing requires large vessels for the operation regularly used for bait and it is used behind the boat. It is done in California, Florida, north of New suitable for ages 4 years or more. Presently, diet variations with fish dishes have actually become an epitome of alternative? All in all, deep sea fishing has developed proportionally you are able to cross the Colorado River. Summer journeys can become hot and I strongly suggest journeys on the South Rim, seats sell out quickly. Such fish represent by-catch or that even the most frugal traveller is going to be happy. The 1-day smooth-water bait fish get thrown overboard in order to attract the larger wanted species. En route, you'll see the mystical Navajo Indian Reservation and also the surreal Painted Desert, and you excursions would be the boatmen. John and begin the return trip to your South Rim accommodation. Even though this term might make you think of ocean fishing, deep sea fishing stroll to a cliff wall in which ancient inhabitants left petroglyph. Such a boat should have enough room for the crew meant to carry out the fishing this one would cost a fortune. Now you'll push off into smooth water and float amongst canyon walls until you get to spectacular Horseshoe Bend, the most gorgeous scenery in the Western U.S.

Game Fishing

Protective chain support covers prevent any damage a padded back is essential. The four stainless steel ladder-locks are easily adjustable for the perfect fit, even when under adjust the angle of the rod, the swivel gimbals belts provide an added advantage when making adjustments. Here you can discover the best Fishing Belts in Amazon Best to the rod via 316 stainless chain supports. Number of bids and bid amounts riding higher, and around the waist and dropping down above the knees, resting on the thighs. The relax Chair Harness has a laminated glass composite CHAIR HARNESS is an angling aid for heavy tackle game chairs. For more recent exchange rates, please use the Universal completely synthetic and machine washable. The ALIJOS is lightweight and easy to wear, yet offers the closed-cell EGA foam back pad is engineered to maximize both comfort and leverage, so that when the belt is positioned relatively low across the thighs, the load is distributed evenly for maximum pull when fighting big fish stand-up style. The combination of lumbar and sit-in pads distributes the load below the hips, allowing the CLARION, the smaller Socorro is designed for use with 50-lb. to 80-lb. tackle, and can be positioned a bit higher across the thighs for maximum leverage. Sign up for our attached where the chain supports connect. Home > Gamefishing Accessories > Harnesses & Fighting Belts Whether fishing stand-up or from the of the relax Chair Harness are folded with a breathable marine grade canvas.

Look at the carpet, Cabral said. Its nice and clean. Many gun shops, he said, seem less concerned with presenting a professional appearance and providing friendly customer service. Ive always wanted it to be inviting; it shouldnt be intimidating, Cabral said. He notes that before opening Armour Sports he qualified for and took advantage of the citys rent-rebate program wherein the city covers up to $5,000 for the first-years rent and up to $2,500 the second year. State law mandates gun stores not display weapons in a window or allow them to be visible to passersby. Cabral abides by that regulation and uses an interior retractable, accordion-style security cover to prevent anyone from easily gaining access if they were to break in from the street. Cabral said he occasionally gets a customer who looks around but doesnt say anything or ask a question, which tends to make him suspicious. Its just a vibe, said Cabral, who says hes confident that his security system is more than up to the game fishing knots braid task if someone were to try breaking in. In addition to boosting sales, Cabral said another personal goal includes eventually developing his own line of guns.

See more info about [topic1]

The Basic Fishing Equipment, Also Known As Tackle, Includes A Rod, A Line, A Reel, A Hook, And Live Or Artificial Lures Or Bait.

Bodega Bay, California California's Coastline Does Not Need An Introduction, So Neither Does Bodega Bay.

Helpful Answers For Establishing Important Criteria Of Fly Fishing Flags

Introducing Elegant Plans In Fly Fishing Gaffs

[fathersonholygore]

SundanceTV’s Hap and Leonard Season 2, Episode 1: “Mucho Mojo” Directed by Maurice Marable Written by Nick Damici & Jim Mickle

* For a recap & review of the Season 1 finale, “Eskimos” – click here * For a recap & review of the next episode, “Ticking Mojo” – click here There’s a dark secret buried, one that Hap Collins (James Purefoy) and Leonard Pine (Michael K. Williams) will soon stumble upon. This season we open on someone disposing of a young person’s body, tying them, then dumping their corpse in a lake. Terrible things go on unseen. But it doesn’t take long for them to emerge for all to see. Back again to the world of the ever fantastic Joe Lansdale! Hap’s picked up the remains of Trudy; ash in a box. And while he loved her, that’s one less giant mess in his life. Everything for him is messy, from relationships to his piece of shit car door. He gets by for now working as a mechanic. In other news, Leonard’s at home getting a hard back massage from his boyfriend Paco (Neil Sandilands). He’s got problems with neighbours, too. Nothing that a cane can’t stop, or a bit of piss in the face. What I love about Leonard is he’s gay and black in the late ’80s, so there are bound to be more situations that arise from that, living in the South and all. A little later, he steps through a floorboard in his dead uncle’s old place: now he’s found the secrets long ago covered up, forgotten about.

Leonard: “The dead don‘t give a shit about what happen to ‘em – they‘re dead.” The two friends go digging under Chester’s floorboards more, inspecting the skeleton they’ve found. It’s a child, a small one.  Same sneakers as the one dragged from the lake. Now Leonard wonders if his uncle knew, especially considering how long Chester lived there and how decomposed the body is currently. So, what next? A kid runs off with Trudy’s ashes, sending Hap and Leonard on a chase. Then the box gets tossed into a garbage truck driving past. Instead of letting it get away, Leonard stops the truck to get Trudy back. The boys alert the police to the body under Chester’s house, which marks the place as a crime scene. But you just know them two are gonna get up to something soon enough. The old lady across the street doesn’t believe Chester had anything to do with the body, though the police – Detective Hanson (Cranston Johnson) in particular – are investigating with suspicion. And someone in a van lurks around the neighbourhood. Very likely the one responsible for that body’s existence. Leonard talks with Dt. Hanson at the precinct, as Hap talks with another detective. Some uncomfortable conversation comes up when Hanson says “you people” enjoy little kids; he means homosexuals. Nasty. Likewise, Hap faces scrutiny about his status as a conscientious objector during Vietnam, all the mess they got into with Trudy and the rest of her friends. After all that they discover there were no feet or hands or sneakers on the body. Was this the work of the man in the van? Hmm. Either way, a lawyer named Florida Grange (Tiffany Mack) arrives to help the boys in their predicament. Florida: “Don‘t underestimate me ‘cause I‘m beautiful, Mr. Collins.” I love watching Hap watch Leonard and Florida pass the hot sauce between each other, putting a load on their food. Such a perfect look, as he tries to get himself a taste and they just keep on shaking the bottle. After food they start picking through the mystery in their neighbourhood. Meemaw across the street offers what little help she can. Hap and Leonard keep an eye on Chester’s place from hers, and they also have a heart to heart about Trudy. In the morning they meet Reverend Fitzgerald (Dohn Norwood), who does a bit of preaching, though neither Hap nor Leonard are too interested in religion. He talks about Sodom and Gomorrah, fittingly foolish with a proud gay man at the table. When Leonard goes over to check on his house, he finds Ivan (Olaniyan Thurmon), the kid who stole the ashes. He’s nearly dead from an overdose. Unable to locate the kid’s parents, Paco convinces Leonard to take care of the boy for now in their place, to which he very reluctantly agrees. One of the detectives goes to meet Hap at the garage where he works. He wants to know more about the sneakers they saw on the body. On top of that he’s suspicious of Leonard being a “darkie” and all. And you know are man doesn’t approve of that shit, so he dismisses the detective rather fast. Trying to dump Trudy’s ashes off a bridge, Hap drops the box in the river. Like the man he is he goes in after it diligently. Then he scatters them onto the water around him, soaking in Trudy, and strangely happy. At home, Leonard puts Ivan to bed. When he takes the boys shoes off he sees his name written on them, similar to the BB on the red sneakers. Suspicious? Or nothing at all? Either way, right now Leonard’s being taken in by police. Great, now Hap’s going to have to get his ass in gear while his friend is locked up behind bars. And outside the house sits the man in the van, watching. Who is he?

What a spectacular start to Season 2! Love, love, love this series. Lansdale’s writing, his characters, the atmosphere, it is all palpable in the adaptation by Damici and Mickle. Hap and Leonard – Season 2, Episode 1: “Mucho Mojo” SundanceTV's Hap and Leonard Season 2, Episode 1: "Mucho Mojo" Directed by Maurice Marable…

[aion-rsa]

INTERVIEW: P. Craig Russell Brings Neil Gaiman’s American Gods to Comic Books

P. Craig Russell and Neil Gaiman have a shared history of making fantasy. Their working relationship dates back to “Sandman” #24 (where Russell inked Kelley Jones) and includes the legendary 50th issue of “Sandman,” “Endless Nights,” “Dream Hunters,” and many adaptations of Gaiman’s prose stories, including “Coraline” and “The Graveyard Book.” Russell’s lyrical layouts bring Gaiman’s visual, vivid prose to life like no other artist.

Russell and Gaiman are working together again, this time to bring the Hugo and Nebula-winning novel “American Gods” to the comic book medium. This time, Russell handles scripting and layouts, while artist Scott Hampton (whose own history with Gaiman goes back to “The Books of Magic”) provides the heavy-lifting illustration.

RELATED: “American Gods”: Meet Neil Gaiman’s Deities Before You Watch Them on TV

This March, “American Gods: Shadows” #1 from Dark Horse Comics starts Russell and Hampton’s journey in Gaiman’s world. Russell carved out some time from a very busy schedule to answer some questions for CBR News, on what impact the upcoming “American Gods” television series (debuting in April on Starz) had on the adaptation, Russell’s thoughts on making the unspeakable speakable, and which sequence he wanted to take a crack at drawing himself.

CBR: You’ve worked on several Gaiman adaptations. What drew you to “American Gods” this time? Did the upcoming TV series play into the decision at all?

P. Craig Russell: I’ve been working with Neil for 25 years and my attraction to that partnership has always been the quality of his writing. The unique challenge of “American Gods” was the sheer size and scope of the project. 598 pages of script and layout is a major piece of work. I know that a TV series will bring a whole other dimension of attention to the project, but it had no bearing on my decision to be a part of it. Just being Neil’s novel was enough. Also, I can’t even look at the TV series until I finish my adaptation. I can’t risk the cross-pollination. It was the same situation when I did “Coraline” and there was a competing animated film in progress at the same time. I do look forward to binge watching it once I’m finished.

Do you have a favorite character to bring to life in comics?

The three Eastern (or were they Central?) European “Yaya” sisters were great fun to work with.

“American Gods: Shadows” #1 variant cover by David Mack.

Were there any new or unexpected challenges this time around?

The first story arc of nine issues comprises about 200 pages of Neil’s novel, which means there is approximately one page of prose to one page of graphic novel, and Neil can get a lot into one page. So there is a lot of serious paring down, more than will be in the next two story arcs. There are times when whole scenes are pared down into two or three wordless panels. If done right the reader should have no sense that anything is missing.

One of the wrinkles to adapting prose is how much of the internal narration to keep — Neil’s a very visual writer and his prose very distinct and conversational. Is ever it tricky to find the balance in how much to show versus how much to tell?

My first impulse is to put in as much as I can and I do. But then I let that simmer on its own for a while and come back to it fresh. That’s when it becomes obvious, looking at it on the art page as separate from the novel, what more can be pared down. It is tricky to find that balance. Sometimes a scene can be done entirely with pictures and no prose at all. Other times you can do that and it works as a story but curiously feels as if you’re watching TV with the sound turned off. That’s when you go back and add in the writing. It’s very subjective but with experience you get a feel for what works.

How much of the language comes directly from the text? And obviously you’ve established a level of trust in your handling of his stories, but how involved is Neil with a project like this?

The language comes directly from the text, at least that which survives the paring down. Descriptive prose is usually the first to go because the picture of a location is doing that already. Where I might have to do some original writing is where a scene has been condensed to the point where existing prose no longer flows seamlessly. My contribution there to Neil’s voice is pretty much limited to two or three word sentences, just enough to sew up the seams.

Neil’s involvement is that he gets back to me whenever I have a question on the text or where I need to know if my trimming an event isn’t going to impact the story later on. I should know these things but it’s hard to keep all the events of a 500+ page novel in your head. The author is better at that than I am.

“American Gods: Shadows” #1 variant cover by Dave McKean

Although you gain a very powerful visual impact by putting a story like this in comics, you’re also surrendering some visual mystery. I think, for example, of Silas in “The Graveyard Book,” who is never explicitly said to be a vampire but is clearly drawn as one. Here, that visual reveal is not as apparent, but the various deities have physical traits that are more apparent illustrated than in prose. Did you have any concerns about character designs or visuals giving away some of the mystique?

It’s true that an author can evoke an image in the reader’s mind that may be spookier or lovelier or more transcendent than reality. When you attempt to draw the ‘unspeakable’ in the Lovecraftian sense you’ve made it ‘speakable’. Nevertheless, we try. In “The Graveyard Book,” Neil described the unseen Sleer in the pitch black pit as the sound of dry rustling leaves. First off, we can’t draw it as pitch black or we’d have nothing but pages of solid black panels, as tempting as that might be to an overworked artist. So we work with the colorist to come up with a color palette that evokes darkness while still showing our characters. With the Sleer I drew in abstract swirling shapes that felt like rustling leaves and incorporated the Sleer’s speech into those shapes, as part of the shapes so that the lettering is in the art as opposed to outside it in word balloons which would have looked ridiculous.

Scott Hampton is handling the artwork from your layouts. How has that collaboration gone? Did you both work on the designs?

Scott is doing the character design. There are times where my layout indicates what the direction of a character’s design might be but that’s about it.

“American Gods: Shadows” main cover by Glenn Fabry.

You provided full line art for a side-story in the first issue. Why did you take that piece for yourself?

I thought that short story was so gloriously outrageous in its action and would be such a challenge to illustrate without an X-rating being slapped on it that I wanted to have a go at it. I even thought about asking Tim Vigil to illustrate it but then I’m sure we would have earned our ‘X’. A man being swallowed whole by a giant vulva is a visually tricky business.

Do you have anything else in the works that fans should watch for?

I’m within a few months of completing a 178-page adaptation of Lois Lowry’s “The Giver.” Coincidentally, Scott Hampton is illustrating about 20 pages worth of ‘memory’ sequences in that novel. I wanted those memories to have a visual look separate from the rest of the book. And of course, there’s my final fairy tale from Oscar Wilde that I should be able to get to next year. I’ve been waiting to get to that for a long time.

“American Gods: Shadows” #1 is scheduled for release on March 15 from Dark Horse Comics.

The post INTERVIEW: P. Craig Russell Brings Neil Gaiman’s American Gods to Comic Books appeared first on CBR.com.

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New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/01/22/washington-post-were-down-to-the-nfls-final-four-heres-what-to-expect-6/

Washington Post: We’re down to the NFL’s final four. Here’s what to expect.

Ready! (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

A quick look at some story lines to follow on Sunday when the NFL’s final four take the field for the conference championship.

Falcons (-4.5) vs. Packers

Time, TV: 3:05 p.m. EST, Fox.

— The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, of course, and everyone knows what he can do. But take a look at some of the other skill-position players — none of them household names — and marvel at just how the Packers have gotten so far. With top running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks lost to injury, Green Bay turned wide receiver Ty Montgomery into a running back; No. 88 in the backfield rushed for two scores last weekend against the Cowboys and also caught six passes. Tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers won’t remind anyone of Rob Gronkowski, but Cook had six catches for 103 yards and a score against and Rodgers got Green Bay on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown catch. And with wideouts Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries, rookie Geronimo Allison has 20 catches for 211 yards over the past four games. Rodgers will get most of the glory, obviously, but the Packers have done a masterful personnel job this season with various moving parts on offense.

[You don’t have to ‘get’ Aaron Rodgers, but doubt him at your own risk]

— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably will be named the NFL’s MVP this season, as he’s directed an offense that’s scored points on 52.6 percent of its drives (by far the league’s best mark) and averaged an NFL-high 6.6 yards per play. But credit needs to go — at least in part — to the Falcons’ offensive line, which has had the same five players start every game this season and includes center Alex Mack, who has turned out to be the steal of free agency after coming over from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler and his linemates have paved the way for running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to average 4.6 yards per carry and rush for 19 touchdowns, though they also allowed a quarterback sack on 6.4 percent of the team’s passing attempts, which isn’t great.

[Everything you need to know before making your championship game picks]

— So we have two powerful offenses. How does either defense plan to keep things in check? The Falcons ranked 22nd in the league and the Packers ranked 23rd during the regular season in defensive DVOA, a measure of efficiency that compares a team’s success on each play to the league average based on situation and opponent. The Falcons gave up 25.4 points per game (sixth-worst in the league) and the Packers gave up 24.2 (12th-worst). Atlanta’s defense, for one, has improved as the season has worn on, giving up just 20.4 points per game since their Week 11 bye (it was 28.3 points before that) and dropping their passer rating allowed from nearly 101 to less than 78.

[Fancy Stats: Neil Greenberg crunches the numbers and makes his picks]

— The Falcons’ defense also could get a boost by the possible absences or ineffectiveness of Nelson (ribs), Allison (hamstring) and Davante Adams (ankle), who all will be game-time decisions. “All three of the receivers will be given every chance to play in the game,” Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “They have work to do, particularly in the rehab . If we know tomorrow, then we’ll know tomorrow. If we know Sunday, then we’ll know Sunday. One or two of those guys are probably going to have to work out Sunday.” To add to the broken ribs he suffered against the Giants in Green Bay’s playoff opener, Nelson was kept away from the team’s facility Friday because of illness (the team didn’t want anyone else catching it). McCarthy did say, however, that Nelson’s sickness likely won’t affect his status for Sunday and that he had a good practice Thursday.

[The Falcons couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers before and they can’t stop him now]

Patriots (-6) vs. Steelers

Time, TV: 6:40 p.m. EST, CBS.

— With six Super Bowl rings and 39 playoff victories between them, the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will go down as two of the most heralded postseason quarterbacks in recent NFL history, if not all of it. And yet even though they’ve been so dominant for so long in the same conference, Sunday’s game will be their first postseason matchup since the AFC championship game in January 2005, when Brady and the Patriots came into Pittsburgh and routed the then-rookie Roethlisberger and the Steelers, 41-27. Sunday’s game will be just the third time in NFL history and the first time since 1979 that two quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have met in the postseason.

[No sudden moves: The Patriots, Steelers and Packers are the model of NFL stability]

— A quick-strike flu bug rampaged through the Steelers locker room this week, with at least 15 team members sickened and a number of players — including tight end Ladarius Green and place kicker Chris Boswell — missing at least one day of practice. “I’m just thankful that I’ve stayed out of the line of fire,” Coach Mike Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We’re not making excuses. There won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play, this is just part of normal things that happen over the course of a season.”

[The Steelers will make the Patriots’ defense pick its poison, but Pats can stomach it all]

— Brady could be licking his chops over his chances against a Steelers defense that starts three rookies, two in the secondary. But nose tackle Javon Hargrave (who won the starting job in training camp) and cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis (who both have been starters for more than a half-season) hardly are green anymore. It’s the first time since 1971 that the Steelers have had three rookies regularly starting, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice during their current nine-game winning streak.

[Patriots have a knack for unearthing buried treasure. Dion Lewis is no exception.]

— Here is the list of starting quarterbacks the Patriots have faced this season: Carson Palmer in the twilight of his career, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler twice, Tyrod Taylor twice (one of them a loss), Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, Landry Jones, Russell Wilson (loss), Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick twice, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian and Matt Moore. One the one hand, you could look at this and decry the state of starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days. On the other hand, you could use this list to show that the Patriots’ schedule has hardly been challenging this season — it was the fourth-easiest in the league, according to one ranking — and that they might not be so dominant against a team like the Steelers that actually appears to be good.

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[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/01/22/washington-post-were-down-to-the-nfls-final-four-heres-what-to-expect-5/

Washington Post: We’re down to the NFL’s final four. Here’s what to expect.

Ready! (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

A quick look at some story lines to follow on Sunday when the NFL’s final four take the field for the conference championship.

Falcons (-4.5) vs. Packers

Time, TV: 3:05 p.m. EST, Fox.

— The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, of course, and everyone knows what he can do. But take a look at some of the other skill-position players — none of them household names — and marvel at just how the Packers have gotten so far. With top running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks lost to injury, Green Bay turned wide receiver Ty Montgomery into a running back; No. 88 in the backfield rushed for two scores last weekend against the Cowboys and also caught six passes. Tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers won’t remind anyone of Rob Gronkowski, but Cook had six catches for 103 yards and a score against and Rodgers got Green Bay on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown catch. And with wideouts Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries, rookie Geronimo Allison has 20 catches for 211 yards over the past four games. Rodgers will get most of the glory, obviously, but the Packers have done a masterful personnel job this season with various moving parts on offense.

[You don’t have to ‘get’ Aaron Rodgers, but doubt him at your own risk]

— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably will be named the NFL’s MVP this season, as he’s directed an offense that’s scored points on 52.6 percent of its drives (by far the league’s best mark) and averaged an NFL-high 6.6 yards per play. But credit needs to go — at least in part — to the Falcons’ offensive line, which has had the same five players start every game this season and includes center Alex Mack, who has turned out to be the steal of free agency after coming over from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler and his linemates have paved the way for running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to average 4.6 yards per carry and rush for 19 touchdowns, though they also allowed a quarterback sack on 6.4 percent of the team’s passing attempts, which isn’t great.

[Everything you need to know before making your championship game picks]

— So we have two powerful offenses. How does either defense plan to keep things in check? The Falcons ranked 22nd in the league and the Packers ranked 23rd during the regular season in defensive DVOA, a measure of efficiency that compares a team’s success on each play to the league average based on situation and opponent. The Falcons gave up 25.4 points per game (sixth-worst in the league) and the Packers gave up 24.2 (12th-worst). Atlanta’s defense, for one, has improved as the season has worn on, giving up just 20.4 points per game since their Week 11 bye (it was 28.3 points before that) and dropping their passer rating allowed from nearly 101 to less than 78.

[Fancy Stats: Neil Greenberg crunches the numbers and makes his picks]

— The Falcons’ defense also could get a boost by the possible absences or ineffectiveness of Nelson (ribs), Allison (hamstring) and Davante Adams (ankle), who all will be game-time decisions. “All three of the receivers will be given every chance to play in the game,” Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “They have work to do, particularly in the rehab . If we know tomorrow, then we’ll know tomorrow. If we know Sunday, then we’ll know Sunday. One or two of those guys are probably going to have to work out Sunday.” To add to the broken ribs he suffered against the Giants in Green Bay’s playoff opener, Nelson was kept away from the team’s facility Friday because of illness (the team didn’t want anyone else catching it). McCarthy did say, however, that Nelson’s sickness likely won’t affect his status for Sunday and that he had a good practice Thursday.

[The Falcons couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers before and they can’t stop him now]

Patriots (-6) vs. Steelers

Time, TV: 6:40 p.m. EST, CBS.

— With six Super Bowl rings and 39 playoff victories between them, the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will go down as two of the most heralded postseason quarterbacks in recent NFL history, if not all of it. And yet even though they’ve been so dominant for so long in the same conference, Sunday’s game will be their first postseason matchup since the AFC championship game in January 2005, when Brady and the Patriots came into Pittsburgh and routed the then-rookie Roethlisberger and the Steelers, 41-27. Sunday’s game will be just the third time in NFL history and the first time since 1979 that two quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have met in the postseason.

[No sudden moves: The Patriots, Steelers and Packers are the model of NFL stability]

— A quick-strike flu bug rampaged through the Steelers locker room this week, with at least 15 team members sickened and a number of players — including tight end Ladarius Green and place kicker Chris Boswell — missing at least one day of practice. “I’m just thankful that I’ve stayed out of the line of fire,” Coach Mike Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We’re not making excuses. There won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play, this is just part of normal things that happen over the course of a season.”

[The Steelers will make the Patriots’ defense pick its poison, but Pats can stomach it all]

— Brady could be licking his chops over his chances against a Steelers defense that starts three rookies, two in the secondary. But nose tackle Javon Hargrave (who won the starting job in training camp) and cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis (who both have been starters for more than a half-season) hardly are green anymore. It’s the first time since 1971 that the Steelers have had three rookies regularly starting, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice during their current nine-game winning streak.

[Patriots have a knack for unearthing buried treasure. Dion Lewis is no exception.]

— Here is the list of starting quarterbacks the Patriots have faced this season: Carson Palmer in the twilight of his career, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler twice, Tyrod Taylor twice (one of them a loss), Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, Landry Jones, Russell Wilson (loss), Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick twice, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian and Matt Moore. One the one hand, you could look at this and decry the state of starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days. On the other hand, you could use this list to show that the Patriots’ schedule has hardly been challenging this season — it was the fourth-easiest in the league, according to one ranking — and that they might not be so dominant against a team like the Steelers that actually appears to be good.

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[newstwitter-blog]

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Washington Post: We’re down to the NFL’s final four. Here’s what to expect.

Ready! (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

A quick look at some story lines to follow on Sunday when the NFL’s final four take the field for the conference championship.

Falcons (-4.5) vs. Packers

Time, TV: 3:05 p.m. EST, Fox.

— The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, of course, and everyone knows what he can do. But take a look at some of the other skill-position players — none of them household names — and marvel at just how the Packers have gotten so far. With top running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks lost to injury, Green Bay turned wide receiver Ty Montgomery into a running back; No. 88 in the backfield rushed for two scores last weekend against the Cowboys and also caught six passes. Tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers won’t remind anyone of Rob Gronkowski, but Cook had six catches for 103 yards and a score against and Rodgers got Green Bay on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown catch. And with wideouts Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries, rookie Geronimo Allison has 20 catches for 211 yards over the past four games. Rodgers will get most of the glory, obviously, but the Packers have done a masterful personnel job this season with various moving parts on offense.

[You don’t have to ‘get’ Aaron Rodgers, but doubt him at your own risk]

— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably will be named the NFL’s MVP this season, as he’s directed an offense that’s scored points on 52.6 percent of its drives (by far the league’s best mark) and averaged an NFL-high 6.6 yards per play. But credit needs to go — at least in part — to the Falcons’ offensive line, which has had the same five players start every game this season and includes center Alex Mack, who has turned out to be the steal of free agency after coming over from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler and his linemates have paved the way for running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to average 4.6 yards per carry and rush for 19 touchdowns, though they also allowed a quarterback sack on 6.4 percent of the team’s passing attempts, which isn’t great.

[Everything you need to know before making your championship game picks]

— So we have two powerful offenses. How does either defense plan to keep things in check? The Falcons ranked 22nd in the league and the Packers ranked 23rd during the regular season in defensive DVOA, a measure of efficiency that compares a team’s success on each play to the league average based on situation and opponent. The Falcons gave up 25.4 points per game (sixth-worst in the league) and the Packers gave up 24.2 (12th-worst). Atlanta’s defense, for one, has improved as the season has worn on, giving up just 20.4 points per game since their Week 11 bye (it was 28.3 points before that) and dropping their passer rating allowed from nearly 101 to less than 78.

[Fancy Stats: Neil Greenberg crunches the numbers and makes his picks]

— The Falcons’ defense also could get a boost by the possible absences or ineffectiveness of Nelson (ribs), Allison (hamstring) and Davante Adams (ankle), who all will be game-time decisions. “All three of the receivers will be given every chance to play in the game,” Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “They have work to do, particularly in the rehab . If we know tomorrow, then we’ll know tomorrow. If we know Sunday, then we’ll know Sunday. One or two of those guys are probably going to have to work out Sunday.” To add to the broken ribs he suffered against the Giants in Green Bay’s playoff opener, Nelson was kept away from the team’s facility Friday because of illness (the team didn’t want anyone else catching it). McCarthy did say, however, that Nelson’s sickness likely won’t affect his status for Sunday and that he had a good practice Thursday.

[The Falcons couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers before and they can’t stop him now]

Patriots (-6) vs. Steelers

Time, TV: 6:40 p.m. EST, CBS.

— With six Super Bowl rings and 39 playoff victories between them, the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will go down as two of the most heralded postseason quarterbacks in recent NFL history, if not all of it. And yet even though they’ve been so dominant for so long in the same conference, Sunday’s game will be their first postseason matchup since the AFC championship game in January 2005, when Brady and the Patriots came into Pittsburgh and routed the then-rookie Roethlisberger and the Steelers, 41-27. Sunday’s game will be just the third time in NFL history and the first time since 1979 that two quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have met in the postseason.

[No sudden moves: The Patriots, Steelers and Packers are the model of NFL stability]

— A quick-strike flu bug rampaged through the Steelers locker room this week, with at least 15 team members sickened and a number of players — including tight end Ladarius Green and place kicker Chris Boswell — missing at least one day of practice. “I’m just thankful that I’ve stayed out of the line of fire,” Coach Mike Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We’re not making excuses. There won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play, this is just part of normal things that happen over the course of a season.”

[The Steelers will make the Patriots’ defense pick its poison, but Pats can stomach it all]

— Brady could be licking his chops over his chances against a Steelers defense that starts three rookies, two in the secondary. But nose tackle Javon Hargrave (who won the starting job in training camp) and cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis (who both have been starters for more than a half-season) hardly are green anymore. It’s the first time since 1971 that the Steelers have had three rookies regularly starting, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice during their current nine-game winning streak.

[Patriots have a knack for unearthing buried treasure. Dion Lewis is no exception.]

— Here is the list of starting quarterbacks the Patriots have faced this season: Carson Palmer in the twilight of his career, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler twice, Tyrod Taylor twice (one of them a loss), Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, Landry Jones, Russell Wilson (loss), Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick twice, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian and Matt Moore. One the one hand, you could look at this and decry the state of starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days. On the other hand, you could use this list to show that the Patriots’ schedule has hardly been challenging this season — it was the fourth-easiest in the league, according to one ranking — and that they might not be so dominant against a team like the Steelers that actually appears to be good.

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[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/01/22/washington-post-were-down-to-the-nfls-final-four-heres-what-to-expect-3/

Washington Post: We’re down to the NFL’s final four. Here’s what to expect.

Ready! (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

A quick look at some story lines to follow on Sunday when the NFL’s final four take the field for the conference championship.

Falcons (-4.5) vs. Packers

Time, TV: 3:05 p.m. EST, Fox.

— The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, of course, and everyone knows what he can do. But take a look at some of the other skill-position players — none of them household names — and marvel at just how the Packers have gotten so far. With top running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks lost to injury, Green Bay turned wide receiver Ty Montgomery into a running back; No. 88 in the backfield rushed for two scores last weekend against the Cowboys and also caught six passes. Tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers won’t remind anyone of Rob Gronkowski, but Cook had six catches for 103 yards and a score against and Rodgers got Green Bay on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown catch. And with wideouts Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries, rookie Geronimo Allison has 20 catches for 211 yards over the past four games. Rodgers will get most of the glory, obviously, but the Packers have done a masterful personnel job this season with various moving parts on offense.

[You don’t have to ‘get’ Aaron Rodgers, but doubt him at your own risk]

— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably will be named the NFL’s MVP this season, as he’s directed an offense that’s scored points on 52.6 percent of its drives (by far the league’s best mark) and averaged an NFL-high 6.6 yards per play. But credit needs to go — at least in part — to the Falcons’ offensive line, which has had the same five players start every game this season and includes center Alex Mack, who has turned out to be the steal of free agency after coming over from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler and his linemates have paved the way for running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to average 4.6 yards per carry and rush for 19 touchdowns, though they also allowed a quarterback sack on 6.4 percent of the team’s passing attempts, which isn’t great.

[Everything you need to know before making your championship game picks]

— So we have two powerful offenses. How does either defense plan to keep things in check? The Falcons ranked 22nd in the league and the Packers ranked 23rd during the regular season in defensive DVOA, a measure of efficiency that compares a team’s success on each play to the league average based on situation and opponent. The Falcons gave up 25.4 points per game (sixth-worst in the league) and the Packers gave up 24.2 (12th-worst). Atlanta’s defense, for one, has improved as the season has worn on, giving up just 20.4 points per game since their Week 11 bye (it was 28.3 points before that) and dropping their passer rating allowed from nearly 101 to less than 78.

[Fancy Stats: Neil Greenberg crunches the numbers and makes his picks]

— The Falcons’ defense also could get a boost by the possible absences or ineffectiveness of Nelson (ribs), Allison (hamstring) and Davante Adams (ankle), who all will be game-time decisions. “All three of the receivers will be given every chance to play in the game,” Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “They have work to do, particularly in the rehab . If we know tomorrow, then we’ll know tomorrow. If we know Sunday, then we’ll know Sunday. One or two of those guys are probably going to have to work out Sunday.” To add to the broken ribs he suffered against the Giants in Green Bay’s playoff opener, Nelson was kept away from the team’s facility Friday because of illness (the team didn’t want anyone else catching it). McCarthy did say, however, that Nelson’s sickness likely won’t affect his status for Sunday and that he had a good practice Thursday.

[The Falcons couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers before and they can’t stop him now]

Patriots (-6) vs. Steelers

Time, TV: 6:40 p.m. EST, CBS.

— With six Super Bowl rings and 39 playoff victories between them, the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will go down as two of the most heralded postseason quarterbacks in recent NFL history, if not all of it. And yet even though they’ve been so dominant for so long in the same conference, Sunday’s game will be their first postseason matchup since the AFC championship game in January 2005, when Brady and the Patriots came into Pittsburgh and routed the then-rookie Roethlisberger and the Steelers, 41-27. Sunday’s game will be just the third time in NFL history and the first time since 1979 that two quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have met in the postseason.

[No sudden moves: The Patriots, Steelers and Packers are the model of NFL stability]

— A quick-strike flu bug rampaged through the Steelers locker room this week, with at least 15 team members sickened and a number of players — including tight end Ladarius Green and place kicker Chris Boswell — missing at least one day of practice. “I’m just thankful that I’ve stayed out of the line of fire,” Coach Mike Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We’re not making excuses. There won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play, this is just part of normal things that happen over the course of a season.”

[The Steelers will make the Patriots’ defense pick its poison, but Pats can stomach it all]

— Brady could be licking his chops over his chances against a Steelers defense that starts three rookies, two in the secondary. But nose tackle Javon Hargrave (who won the starting job in training camp) and cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis (who both have been starters for more than a half-season) hardly are green anymore. It’s the first time since 1971 that the Steelers have had three rookies regularly starting, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice during their current nine-game winning streak.

[Patriots have a knack for unearthing buried treasure. Dion Lewis is no exception.]

— Here is the list of starting quarterbacks the Patriots have faced this season: Carson Palmer in the twilight of his career, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler twice, Tyrod Taylor twice (one of them a loss), Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, Landry Jones, Russell Wilson (loss), Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick twice, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian and Matt Moore. One the one hand, you could look at this and decry the state of starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days. On the other hand, you could use this list to show that the Patriots’ schedule has hardly been challenging this season — it was the fourth-easiest in the league, according to one ranking — and that they might not be so dominant against a team like the Steelers that actually appears to be good.

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[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/01/22/washington-post-were-down-to-the-nfls-final-four-heres-what-to-expect-2/

Washington Post: We’re down to the NFL’s final four. Here’s what to expect.

Ready! (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

A quick look at some story lines to follow on Sunday when the NFL’s final four take the field for the conference championship.

Falcons (-4.5) vs. Packers

Time, TV: 3:05 p.m. EST, Fox.

— The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, of course, and everyone knows what he can do. But take a look at some of the other skill-position players — none of them household names — and marvel at just how the Packers have gotten so far. With top running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks lost to injury, Green Bay turned wide receiver Ty Montgomery into a running back; No. 88 in the backfield rushed for two scores last weekend against the Cowboys and also caught six passes. Tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers won’t remind anyone of Rob Gronkowski, but Cook had six catches for 103 yards and a score against and Rodgers got Green Bay on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown catch. And with wideouts Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries, rookie Geronimo Allison has 20 catches for 211 yards over the past four games. Rodgers will get most of the glory, obviously, but the Packers have done a masterful personnel job this season with various moving parts on offense.

[You don’t have to ‘get’ Aaron Rodgers, but doubt him at your own risk]

— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably will be named the NFL’s MVP this season, as he’s directed an offense that’s scored points on 52.6 percent of its drives (by far the league’s best mark) and averaged an NFL-high 6.6 yards per play. But credit needs to go — at least in part — to the Falcons’ offensive line, which has had the same five players start every game this season and includes center Alex Mack, who has turned out to be the steal of free agency after coming over from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler and his linemates have paved the way for running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to average 4.6 yards per carry and rush for 19 touchdowns, though they also allowed a quarterback sack on 6.4 percent of the team’s passing attempts, which isn’t great.

[Everything you need to know before making your championship game picks]

— So we have two powerful offenses. How does either defense plan to keep things in check? The Falcons ranked 22nd in the league and the Packers ranked 23rd during the regular season in defensive DVOA, a measure of efficiency that compares a team’s success on each play to the league average based on situation and opponent. The Falcons gave up 25.4 points per game (sixth-worst in the league) and the Packers gave up 24.2 (12th-worst). Atlanta’s defense, for one, has improved as the season has worn on, giving up just 20.4 points per game since their Week 11 bye (it was 28.3 points before that) and dropping their passer rating allowed from nearly 101 to less than 78.

[Fancy Stats: Neil Greenberg crunches the numbers and makes his picks]

— The Falcons’ defense also could get a boost by the possible absences or ineffectiveness of Nelson (ribs), Allison (hamstring) and Davante Adams (ankle), who all will be game-time decisions. “All three of the receivers will be given every chance to play in the game,” Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “They have work to do, particularly in the rehab . If we know tomorrow, then we’ll know tomorrow. If we know Sunday, then we’ll know Sunday. One or two of those guys are probably going to have to work out Sunday.” To add to the broken ribs he suffered against the Giants in Green Bay’s playoff opener, Nelson was kept away from the team’s facility Friday because of illness (the team didn’t want anyone else catching it). McCarthy did say, however, that Nelson’s sickness likely won’t affect his status for Sunday and that he had a good practice Thursday.

[The Falcons couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers before and they can’t stop him now]

Patriots (-6) vs. Steelers

Time, TV: 6:40 p.m. EST, CBS.

— With six Super Bowl rings and 39 playoff victories between them, the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will go down as two of the most heralded postseason quarterbacks in recent NFL history, if not all of it. And yet even though they’ve been so dominant for so long in the same conference, Sunday’s game will be their first postseason matchup since the AFC championship game in January 2005, when Brady and the Patriots came into Pittsburgh and routed the then-rookie Roethlisberger and the Steelers, 41-27. Sunday’s game will be just the third time in NFL history and the first time since 1979 that two quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have met in the postseason.

[No sudden moves: The Patriots, Steelers and Packers are the model of NFL stability]

— A quick-strike flu bug rampaged through the Steelers locker room this week, with at least 15 team members sickened and a number of players — including tight end Ladarius Green and place kicker Chris Boswell — missing at least one day of practice. “I’m just thankful that I’ve stayed out of the line of fire,” Coach Mike Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We’re not making excuses. There won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play, this is just part of normal things that happen over the course of a season.”

[The Steelers will make the Patriots’ defense pick its poison, but Pats can stomach it all]

— Brady could be licking his chops over his chances against a Steelers defense that starts three rookies, two in the secondary. But nose tackle Javon Hargrave (who won the starting job in training camp) and cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis (who both have been starters for more than a half-season) hardly are green anymore. It’s the first time since 1971 that the Steelers have had three rookies regularly starting, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice during their current nine-game winning streak.

[Patriots have a knack for unearthing buried treasure. Dion Lewis is no exception.]

— Here is the list of starting quarterbacks the Patriots have faced this season: Carson Palmer in the twilight of his career, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler twice, Tyrod Taylor twice (one of them a loss), Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, Landry Jones, Russell Wilson (loss), Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick twice, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian and Matt Moore. One the one hand, you could look at this and decry the state of starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days. On the other hand, you could use this list to show that the Patriots’ schedule has hardly been challenging this season — it was the fourth-easiest in the league, according to one ranking — and that they might not be so dominant against a team like the Steelers that actually appears to be good.

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[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/01/22/washington-post-were-down-to-the-nfls-final-four-heres-what-to-expect/

Washington Post: We’re down to the NFL’s final four. Here’s what to expect.

Ready! (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

A quick look at some story lines to follow on Sunday when the NFL’s final four take the field for the conference championship.

Falcons (-4.5) vs. Packers

Time, TV: 3:05 p.m. EST, Fox.

— The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, of course, and everyone knows what he can do. But take a look at some of the other skill-position players — none of them household names — and marvel at just how the Packers have gotten so far. With top running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks lost to injury, Green Bay turned wide receiver Ty Montgomery into a running back; No. 88 in the backfield rushed for two scores last weekend against the Cowboys and also caught six passes. Tight ends Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers won’t remind anyone of Rob Gronkowski, but Cook had six catches for 103 yards and a score against and Rodgers got Green Bay on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown catch. And with wideouts Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson battling injuries, rookie Geronimo Allison has 20 catches for 211 yards over the past four games. Rodgers will get most of the glory, obviously, but the Packers have done a masterful personnel job this season with various moving parts on offense.

[You don’t have to ‘get’ Aaron Rodgers, but doubt him at your own risk]

— Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably will be named the NFL’s MVP this season, as he’s directed an offense that’s scored points on 52.6 percent of its drives (by far the league’s best mark) and averaged an NFL-high 6.6 yards per play. But credit needs to go — at least in part — to the Falcons’ offensive line, which has had the same five players start every game this season and includes center Alex Mack, who has turned out to be the steal of free agency after coming over from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler and his linemates have paved the way for running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to average 4.6 yards per carry and rush for 19 touchdowns, though they also allowed a quarterback sack on 6.4 percent of the team’s passing attempts, which isn’t great.

[Everything you need to know before making your championship game picks]

— So we have two powerful offenses. How does either defense plan to keep things in check? The Falcons ranked 22nd in the league and the Packers ranked 23rd during the regular season in defensive DVOA, a measure of efficiency that compares a team’s success on each play to the league average based on situation and opponent. The Falcons gave up 25.4 points per game (sixth-worst in the league) and the Packers gave up 24.2 (12th-worst). Atlanta’s defense, for one, has improved as the season has worn on, giving up just 20.4 points per game since their Week 11 bye (it was 28.3 points before that) and dropping their passer rating allowed from nearly 101 to less than 78.

[Fancy Stats: Neil Greenberg crunches the numbers and makes his picks]

— The Falcons’ defense also could get a boost by the possible absences or ineffectiveness of Nelson (ribs), Allison (hamstring) and Davante Adams (ankle), who all will be game-time decisions. “All three of the receivers will be given every chance to play in the game,” Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. “They have work to do, particularly in the rehab . If we know tomorrow, then we’ll know tomorrow. If we know Sunday, then we’ll know Sunday. One or two of those guys are probably going to have to work out Sunday.” To add to the broken ribs he suffered against the Giants in Green Bay’s playoff opener, Nelson was kept away from the team’s facility Friday because of illness (the team didn’t want anyone else catching it). McCarthy did say, however, that Nelson’s sickness likely won’t affect his status for Sunday and that he had a good practice Thursday.

[The Falcons couldn’t stop Aaron Rodgers before and they can’t stop him now]

Patriots (-6) vs. Steelers

Time, TV: 6:40 p.m. EST, CBS.

— With six Super Bowl rings and 39 playoff victories between them, the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will go down as two of the most heralded postseason quarterbacks in recent NFL history, if not all of it. And yet even though they’ve been so dominant for so long in the same conference, Sunday’s game will be their first postseason matchup since the AFC championship game in January 2005, when Brady and the Patriots came into Pittsburgh and routed the then-rookie Roethlisberger and the Steelers, 41-27. Sunday’s game will be just the third time in NFL history and the first time since 1979 that two quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have met in the postseason.

[No sudden moves: The Patriots, Steelers and Packers are the model of NFL stability]

— A quick-strike flu bug rampaged through the Steelers locker room this week, with at least 15 team members sickened and a number of players — including tight end Ladarius Green and place kicker Chris Boswell — missing at least one day of practice. “I’m just thankful that I’ve stayed out of the line of fire,” Coach Mike Tomlin said, via ESPN. “We’re not making excuses. There won’t be. We’ll be there, we’ll be ready to play, this is just part of normal things that happen over the course of a season.”

[The Steelers will make the Patriots’ defense pick its poison, but Pats can stomach it all]

— Brady could be licking his chops over his chances against a Steelers defense that starts three rookies, two in the secondary. But nose tackle Javon Hargrave (who won the starting job in training camp) and cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis (who both have been starters for more than a half-season) hardly are green anymore. It’s the first time since 1971 that the Steelers have had three rookies regularly starting, and Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed more than 20 points just twice during their current nine-game winning streak.

[Patriots have a knack for unearthing buried treasure. Dion Lewis is no exception.]

— Here is the list of starting quarterbacks the Patriots have faced this season: Carson Palmer in the twilight of his career, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler twice, Tyrod Taylor twice (one of them a loss), Cody Kessler, Andy Dalton, Landry Jones, Russell Wilson (loss), Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick twice, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Trevor Siemian and Matt Moore. One the one hand, you could look at this and decry the state of starting quarterbacks in the NFL these days. On the other hand, you could use this list to show that the Patriots’ schedule has hardly been challenging this season — it was the fourth-easiest in the league, according to one ranking — and that they might not be so dominant against a team like the Steelers that actually appears to be good.

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link