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duck-era-lexi · 2 years ago

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mcc participants tier list! (Hot takes)

oh boy do i have lots to say. let’s go row by row.

intial notes for a long, time, i never made a tierlist because i believed it was unethical. but i found myself ranking ppl in my heads when i made team predictions so i was like, whatever. i definitely based some aspects not only on skill but on personality/leadership. in each individual level, left is highest and right is lowest.

i didn’t rank inactive players and was considering not ranking the simmers but yk, idk. rankings are heavily swayed by recency bias, specifically mcc24 and mcc25 as those are the ones i remember the most.

DISCLAIMERS - **OPINION!!** i only looked briefly on stats will doing this. maybe i’ll do a stats comparison in the future but right now, i just want to explain my thoughts. PLEASE don’t look under the cut if you don’t want your feelings hurt

- these are people so obviously it’s not very fair to judge people like this, especially if they have a small sample size. and since i ordered every single participant. i may be very wrong with my tierlist by the time the next mcc occurs.

top 3 ez (S+) widely considered as the greatest mcc s2 players, these guys are separated from the below categories as they consistently rank extremely high. they all lead teams and teams are centered around them, but it’s their individual performances that stand out.

i’m a firm believer that sapnap is the best mcc player. i think illumina used to be the best in the first half of s2, but recently he hasn’t been doing as well.

can carry a team (S) ok this is the one that i probably have to say the most about. let’s go through it:

dream is the best mcc leader period. but he’s also extremely close to being in the S+ category. he also has the dnf buff

purpled realistically could also join the S+ club because he’s more individual-based. but purpled has a small sample size in terms of team variety, so i don’t know. as of mcc25 i think purpled’s better than quig and pete.

for quig and pete i’m very biased towards their old performances. they’re still really really good players (quig winning mcc23 and pete’s crazy placements in the back half of 25) but they’re not as dominant as they used to be.

i’m very confident that punz is the worst S-tier- sorry that’s kinda harsh but he’s more of an underdog? jojo has a small sample size of S-tier-ness so i didn’t know whether to put her above punz. teams are built around these two but they can team with really good players (A+) and still not make it to db. i am always rooting for punz

H/5 + players that teams are also built around pretty well known player dynamic. i’d say it’s the hbomb effect that 5up has as well, just to a lesser extent. as u know i am a 5up anti

if you noticed that the top players in these three categories are the players with 5 wins, that’s not a coincidence.

borderline S (A+) most of the community considers antfrost to be the best player that hasn’t gotten 1st. i agree w that. sb is also really good as well but he literally is never in the event so less ppl talk about him.

i used to think cpk was held up by his consistency, but after mcc25 that’s not really the case. if this was before 25 i’d say cpk>sb but now i’d say they’re evenly matched. cpk is extremely charismatic and an amazing leader though.

tapl was widely regarded as an almost-s-tier player for a long time, but i don’t think he really is anymore. he’s been benched for a while but he’s definitely still really good. better than krtzy, i’d say. krtzy had his moment recently in mcc24 but it didn’t work out, so.

2nd frag consistently (A) not a very accurate title because not all mcc teams are SABC; AABB is common as well. i honestly considered putting tommy in the above tier just based on his leadership but decided against it.

zeuz is op as we know. i don’t know smallishbeans that well, but his stats are really good (even in 25 w/o skyb). i think hannah is very very good, so even though she has a small sample size i put her in here. also as someone who watched mcc24 purple ryguyrocky is criminally underrated. sylvee’s been slaying so hard lately, grian doesn’t have that much of a recent sample size, and george’s skill is underrated in favor of his dnf buff.

upper mid! (B) WISP probably should be in A but he hasn’t played recently and also i don’t know that much about him. i also think foolish is underrated.

i think everyone in the top row of this in particular has massive popoff potential. for example, ranboo ace race mcc 25. falsesymmetry in 10 meters of build mart. skeppy if he played more than one mcc

loose cannon a category made for wilbur soot. but jimmy solidarity being able to get 1st and 40th deserves this category as well. i also put pearl in this because afaik she’s improving a lot recently.

lower mid (C) the category i’m the least confident about, at least in terms of individual ordering. take it with a cup of salt.

vibes (D) please, ik y’all are scared to say it but also this would 100% be me if i was in mcc so there is no shame in being shit at minecraft. aimsey did rly good in mcc25 so she is borderline. i also think eret and michael are borderline, though that’s mostly due to them playing mcc much more than anyone else in this category

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conclusion! i’m gonna do another tierlist ranking something else but anyways slay!

#mcc takes #ale reviews #long post

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gdwessel · 3 years ago

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Road to Wrestle Grand Slam Night 3 - 5/25/2021; Now Taichi, Jay White, David Finlay Revealed As Positive For COVID-19; Ren Narita + Rocky Romero on AEW Dark: Elevation 5/24/2021 With RPG Vice Reunion!; Some Words On Ospreay And Other Rumors

Days Of Thunder + Strong Style History Present: Collision In Korea

The tour continued today, with a show you can see now on NJPWWorld. - 5/25/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Chase Owens [Bullet Club] d. Yota Tsuji (Package Driver, 8:34)

Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI [SZKG] v. Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club] (Sabre > Yujiro, Barry From Eastenders, 9:44)

Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa [Bullet Club] d. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato (Tonga > Wato, Magic Killer, 12:44)

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] d. Hirooki Goto [CHAOS], Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS], YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] & Ryusuke Taguchi (Takagi > Taguchi, Made In Japan, 17:11)

Kota Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi d. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire] (Ibushi > O-Khan, Kamigoye, 15:53)

Ibushi restated he wants a singles match against Cobb. Dominion seems likely. Naito and Ishii got into it once more. ZSJ has YET ANOTHER finisher with a wacky name.

In the wake of Kazuchika Okada’s revelation that he tested positive for COVID-19, Tokyo Sports ran a piece that now Taichi (Taichiro Maki) has confirmed he too was positive for the coronavirus, coming down with fever after wrestling in Fukuoka. Taichi said in the piece that he spent his time playing PS5 but is now back in training. Taichi appeared on commentary at yesterday’s show which, erm, that’s kind of a brave move, hope it works out for them.

It’s also been revealed that Jay White and David Finlay Jr. both tested positive, however that came from a statement by Finlay’s father, former WCW/WWE wrestler and trainer David “Fit’ Finlay in an appearance on the Stories With Briscoe And Bradshaw podcast. According to Fit, White and Finlay were both on their way out when their positive tests came back, and were told to quarantine at the New Japan Dojo, rather than at a government sponsored hotel. If this is the root of some of the dissatisfaction by the non-Japanese wrestlers, I can pretty well see that. If I was told I can go home, and then I couldn’t when I was already travelling, either because of a positive COVID-19 test, or because NJPW decided last second to runs shows in May, I’d be seriously pissed off too. However, this is hearsay, even if it is from one of the people involved’s father. Whatever the case, we hope everyone involved will be OK. Taichi certainly seemed to be yesterday.

Last night on AEW's Monday-night YouTube show Dark: Elevation (which is very pre-taped), we got two matches at the top of the card featuring NJPW talents via the so-called "Forbidden Door." In the semi-main, Ren Narita defeated Royce Isaacs in a back-and-forth affair with Narita getting the win with Narita Special #4. In the main event, Rocky Romero beat the much bigger JD Drake of the Wingmen with a flash La Magistral cradle. Afterwards, the rest of the Wingmen attempted a beatdown of Romero, but was saved by Chuck Taylor, Kris Statlander, Orange Cassidy and TRENT BARETTA. A magic moment was had as Rocky and Trent reunited, the old Roppongi Vice theme playing whilst doing the jumping high five shtick for the first time in... a long time. Rocky was then part of the Best Friends group hug, because, as they say, you got to give the people what they want. There is still a lot of chatter about Will Ospreay, the reasons why he left Japan to go back to the UK, the legitimacy of his injuries, and the unrest among the non-Japanese talents in NJPW right now. What's really infuriating is hiding a lot of this behind paywalls and paid podcasts in the name of Sk00pz! Quite a bit of this is speculation on both Ospreay's mental health and personal life at the moment (i.e. the OsCutter to Bea Priestley was the in-ring way of writing her out as they have split as a couple now). None of which is, frankly, any of our concern, no matter what other shitty things Ospreay has done or said. Regardless of what we all collectively think of William Ospreay, and the situation with vacating the IWGP World Heavyweight title, he doesn't even rank in the Top 5 (Bottom 5?) All-Time Worst IWGP Heavyweight Title Reigns, and is not even the worst one of the last five years. Recency bias is a thing, sure, and things are not great creatively (although? These last two shows? Not bad!).

There are rumblings of a mass exodus of non-Japanese wrestlers in January, either until quarantine procedures end, or just going elsewhere. But then, there always is. Not four months ago the internet was convinced Jay White was heading to AEW or NXT. Minoru Suzuki was a lock to start with Pro Wrestling NOAH in January 2020. Kenny Omega was going to be a surprise entrant into the Royal Rumble 2017. None of these things ever happened. We're not even in June; let's worry about January closer to the date eh? The last of the three Korakuen Hall shows is tomorrow. - 5/26/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Yota Tsuji v. Shingo Takagi [Los Ingobernables]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato v. Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club]

Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI [SZKG] v. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa [Bullet Club]

Kota Ibushi & Tomoaki Honma v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] v. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA [Los Ingobernables]

Days Of Thunder + Strong Style History Present: Collision In Korea

#NJPW #new japan pro wrestling #road to wrestle grand slam #njwgs #kota ibushi #Jeff Cobb #COVID-19 #taichi #Jay White #david finlay jr.#david finlay #ren narita #rocky romero #Trent Barreta #AEW #all elite wrestling #roppongi vice #Will Ospreay

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peppersjam · 4 years ago

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My Top 10 Albums of 2020

Ok, it's nearly February. Let's do this.

Revisiting the 2019 list, I'm struck by how my taste hasn't really changed. All of those albums are still in my regular rotation. This might be the first time that's been true year over year. The only one that has sorta fallen off is My Finest Work Yet but that's just because it's up against Andrew Bird's entire oeuvre.

Runners up: - Fleet Foxes - "Shore" (I got into Fleet Foxes pretty heavily in the Fall when this came out, but I found myself gravitating to their older albums. It's hard to disentangle that) - Caribou - "Suddenly" (It's good) - The Avalanches - "We Will Always Love You" (Also good) - Four Tet - "Sixteen Oceans" (Yes, good)

The pre-2020 albums that should've ranked:

Sharon Van Etten - "Tramp" (2012)

Sharon Van Etten - "Are We There" (2014)

Sharon Van Etten - "Remind Me Tomorrow" (2019)

🙃

10. Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters

I didn't listen to Fetch The Bolt Cutters many times, but it was one of my most memorable listens of the year: I took a day off of work for the first time since COVID protocols began, and I went on a long walk around Pittsburgh with FTBC in my ears. It's hard for anything to live up to a Pitchfork 10/10, but for one afternoon, at least, I agreed.

9. Sylvan Esso – WITH

A live album? But Sylvan Esso dropped a new new album this year. And wait, I've never even had any Sylvan Esson on my year-end lists before!

I miss live music so much. I didn't know that I would, though. Lately I've found myself (like many 30-somethings, probably) having a little bit less fun at concerts than I used to. They're too loud and you have to stand still for too long if you want to have a good view of the stage, and people don't dance as much as you wish they did, etc. etc. The last show I went to was Big Thief at The Fillmore in late November 2019. I stood up front like I used to (sore legs and all), but thank god I did.

WITH is not just a live album but a concert film. They formed a band of their musical friends and performed as a large group rather than as a duo, and the result is, surprisingly, my favorite Sylvan Esso album.

Ugh, and the crowd singing on "Coffee," "my baby does the hanky panky... my baby doessss..."

8. Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

This is yet another spectacular entry into the Pefume Genius catalog. Shrug emoji.

7. Taylor Swift – folklore / evermore

CHEATER ALERT! Two albums for the price of one! If I had to pick one of these to keep on a desert island, I'd probably pick evermore. It might be recency bias, but Taylor sounds like she's having more fun on that one. Regardless, Taylor delivered on (a) making TikTok go absolutely bananas trying to decipher hidden messages and (b) giving us the ultramainstream National(Dessner)-produced pop we didn't know we needed.

6. Charli XCX – how i'm feeling now

This album was a perfect palate cleanser to 2019's underwhelming-to-me Charli. She managed to capture the essence of being in COVID lockdown without losing sight of what makes her Charli XCX (i.e., all caps EARWORMS).

5. Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals

CHEATER ALERT PT. 2! I talked a lot about Big Thief on my list last year because of their double whammy of U.F.O.F. and Two Hands (for which I did not, mind you, cheat). Adrianne's 2020 albums were released on the same day, so they're basically one album (right?). Adrianne spent some time with a binaural mic in a cabin in Western Massachusetts and recorded - complete with diagetic birds and windchimes - the most intimate indie rock/folk album I can recall. That entire sentence is Steve catnip.

4. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

I had a big Waxahatchee phase in 2018, so I was looking forward to 2020's Saint Cloud, especially after seeing glowing reviews. But I bounced off of it hard after a couple listens.

Sheep that I am, I decided to give it another shot when it started showing up at the top of end-of-year lists. And of course, I loved it.

3. Andy Schauf – The Neon Skyline

This is the only album on this list that I listened to pre-COVID. So there's something special here, for sure. It hooked me with its storytelling, which is smaller in scale than a lot of "story" music. But the smallness is key because it makes everything plausible. There are a bunch of "sad" albums on this list, but none of them wrecked me quite like this one.

2. HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III

Pt. III improves on the HAIM formula in every way. The choruses are catchier and the experimental bits are weirder. I think HAIM may have blown up this year if it weren't for gestures broadly. Not saying they aren't successful as is - but this is an album full of should-be festival hits.

1. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Phoebe's Punisher arrived at the perfect time. Me and everyone on TikTok (at least the TikTok that I was algorithmed into) needed a sad album to lose ourselves in. A lot of these people didn't know Phoebe before this album. I'm jealous of their getting to discover this and Stranger In The Alps and boygenius (and BOCC, I guess) at the same time.

When I saw boygenius in 2018 (HOW was it that long ago?) I came away stunned by Lucy's performance and Julien's raw emotion (mirroring my thoughts from her captivating Outside Lands set in 2016(?!)). But I didn't know exactly what I thought about Phoebe.

I figured it out though! It was very obvious and I am very dumb for not realizing it until Punisher. Phoebe is a brilliant writer. She captures everything with a specificity that that simultaneously draws you into her brain and ejects you out into space.

So it wasn't just that we collectively wanted (needed) a good cry, it's that we were asking (begging) to be ejected from Earth completely, to return when everything was some facsimile of normal again. Phoebe delivered - not just with her patented ballads but with the hilariously uptempo "Kyoto" that asks us to dance alone in our apartments to I wanted to see the world / through your eyes until it happened / then I changed my mind. Yep, this was the perfect year for the equal parts earnest, funny, and sad 2nd Phoebe album.

#Phoebe Bridgers #haim #andy schauf #waxahatchee #adrianne lenker #Charli XcX #taylor swift #Perfume Genius #sylvan esso #Fiona Apple #Sharon Van Etten

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leahwilliamson · 2 years ago

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Completely fair and valid for you to have your own opinion and want to talk about it on your blog but don’t go telling people to move on from a player who you clearly see is adored by many.

Everyone who hopped on board the Lionesses/AWFC train during/after 2019 has the same problem. I don’t think you all fully understand who she is and what she means to England and especially Arsenal. When you have so much outrage at the way she is being used (or not in this case 😅) and treated I think it means there’s a good reason for it.

She definitely underperformed this past season but it is extremely unfair to judge that. No matter how good of a player you are you’re not going to play well if you’re getting such horrible minutes because there’s no rhythm or confidence.

2 of her 3 full 90s happened when the injury crisis and Asian Cup happened and the entire team played horribly. The full 90 she got with a fully functioning and healthy squad she bagged a goal and an assist.

You can’t move on or give up on her not cause of sentimental reasons but because it just doesn’t make sense to.

Nowadays players are able to play at very high levels at older ages and to not even allow her to attempt that is insane. So no we won’t move on but I do completely agree with you on the 2 yr old thing. Fantastic points.

Hopefully this wasn’t too harsh and sorry for the length 😅😅

Nah I do understand, I may have hopped on the arsenal train in 2019 but I was definitely already aware of who she was and what she means to her club and country. Plus, I have my own players like her. I just think that sometimes having a bit of a recency bias is a good thing. In a sport like this you can’t cling onto players who performed for you 5/6 years ago when they clearly aren’t who they were anymore. It’s the harsh truth

I didn’t say I think she should just go retire right now, of course I think she deserves to have a fulfilling last few years of her career. If consistent minutes are actually the problem, then maybe she should consider going elsewhere. If I remember correctly she was fully fit for all of last season apart from the end, but Jonas was still hesitant to give her minutes. Maybe he just doesn’t really know how to use her or simply doesn’t rate her. And that’s ok too, sometimes a player just isn’t the right fit for a coach

I completely respect and understand your opinion and I do realise I probably am missing some of the sentimentality that’s making it so hard for people to let her go. Who knows maybe she will get back to her best this season, but there’s one year left on her arsenal contract and if this year isn’t the one either I see no reason for both parties to want to extend if she’s unhappy with her role as more of an impact sub

#ask

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khoistop100 · 7 years ago

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# 21 Graduation - Kanye West

Graduation was the last we ever saw/heard from the old Kanye. And as much as I love the new Kanye (the bad mood Kanye, the spaz in the news Kanye), there is something magical about a pre-808’s Kanye West. It’s a gentler bravado, more lighthearted, and a different sound, closer to his soul inspired beats from his first two projects. It was also the first Kanye I ever encountered and a great jumping in point for anyone who is willing to enter the Church of Yeezus.

But before we can talk about his cult we have to talk about how I came to love Kanye. As I’ve said in my Because of the Internet review, I didn’t listen to a Kanye West album until I watched Donald Glover’s standup special, in which he jokes about a bear, who was on tour with Kanye West and Lady Gaga in this hypothetical, refusing to eat Kanye because of the tremendous respect he had for the rapper due to him writing Graduation. It’s a good sell, definitely enough to get me to give the album a listen. To say that listening to the album was a good idea would be a major understatement, as Graduation would not only go on to make my top 100 albums ever (over some of his projects that are probably better like Yeezus and College Dropouts and albums I may like a little more like Life of Pablo (although there is some recency bias, as Graduation has years of listener’s fatigue whereas Life of Pablo has significantly less)).

So what makes Graduation so good? Well as I said earlier, it is classic “Old Kanye”. That means some dazzling singles in Can’t Tell Me Nothing (the most enjoyable of all of the singles), Stronger (by far the most iconic single), Good Life (the most uplifting and up there for top uplifting Kanye West songs), Flashing Lights (the best rhyme of all the singles, when Kanye rhymes “paparazzi” and “nazi”), and Homecoming (probably my favorite Kanye single to hear on the radio). On top of that, the first two tracks on are a perfect introduction to the album, especially with the “uh”s and drums on the intro of Good Morning. They have this sweet blend of “yeah, check me” and “fuck you dude” that captures the mood of the album, a mood highlighted in tracks such as I Wonder, Can’t Tell Me Nothing, and Flashing Lights. I would also like to note before we go any further that Good Morning is a more than serviceable song to wake up to if you want to use it as an alarm (it is also a very good way to start the day of your actual high school graduation, which I can confirm through experience). The second track, Champion, is also a great second song to hear after you wake up, as it’s upbeat grooviness is enough to get you moving but not too sunny to the point of being obnoxious.

Another point the album has in its favor is how easy it is to root for Kanye here. Say what you will about his later work, it’s harder to cheer for a guy once he refers to himself as a god (even if it is ironic. And I still don’t believe that Kanye was being totally ironic on that track but I digress). There’s a balance Kanye manages to maintain Graduation. There’s his success, as shown on songs like Champion (“I don’t know why I need a stylist when I shop so much I can speak Italian”) and Good Life (in which Kanye lists nine cities that he enjoys living his good life in) or even Can’t Tell Me Nothing (“I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven, when I awoke I spent that on a necklace”). There is also this sentimental, scrappy side to Graduation, like on Champion (“They used to feel invisible/ Now they know they invincible”), Flashing Lights (“Feeling like Katrina with no Fema/ Like Martin with no Gina/ Like a Flight with no Visa”, a list that seemingly goes down in order of severity), and the entirety of Everything I Am and Homecoming and a good portion of Big Brother. But I don’t listen to Graduation to feel sentimental (I go to my favorite Kanye West album for that, 808’s and Heartbreak) so here are a couple more lyrical gems about how great Kanye West’s life was in 2007:

· “You should be Honored! by my lateness/ that I would even show up for this fake shit” on Stronger

· “how many ladies in the house? How many ladies in the house without a spouse? Something in ya blouse got me feeling so aroused” which gets points not only for being incredibly Dr. Suess-like but also because Kanye rhymes blouse with aroused? Which, I’m still not sure how.

· The rest of Can’t Tell Me Nothing, as it is an amazing song and probably my favorite on album, only tied with Everything I am and Homecoming

· Ok but at one point on the song he says “So if the Devil Wear Prada, Adam Eve wear nada/ I’m in between but way more fresher” and I think any Meryl Streep reference (even if indirect) is amazing but the way he also ties in a Biblical reference only to one-up both…it’s just a poetry that only Kanye could pull off this effortlessly

· “But I’ll just take the I Got A Lot Of Cheese Award” on Everything I Am

· “With my ego I can stand there in a speedo and be looked at like a fucking Hero” on The Glory

Graduation is everything you could want from glamour rap and it’s that good because it’s made by Kanye West, the master of blending an overwhelming sense of overconfidence with just enough corniness that you don’t grow immediately jealous of and eventually resent him. He’s a great avatar to live vicariously through (we all, deep down, want to say that Bush doesn’t care about black people on national TV and that is probably part of what makes Kanye’s life so enviable). And before tortured artist life he would go to take on, before autotune and intricate production would go on to define his later works, and before Kanye West became just Kanye, we had Graduation. And we really loved it because it’s a fucking great album.

#graduation #kanye west #kanye #music reviews

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nbafunnymeme · 7 years ago

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From Least Valuable Player to non-play of the year: our NBA season awards

Find out who the big winners of the 2016-17 NBA season were. Note: the Golden State Warriors may make a few appearances

On Monday night, the NBA finally handed out its regular season awards, roughly 3m years after the last game of the 2017 finals. But why trust the league when you have us here at the Guardian? OK, sure, we will admit that some of the categories that follow are not official. In fact, a few of these awards might be more accurately classified as insults, but we assure you that they will combine to give you a perfect picture of the 2016-17 NBA season.

MVP: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

This has been one of the most contested MVP races in NBA history. The Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James is the best basketball player alive. His mere presence has swung the Eastern Conference every postseason since 2012. The San Antonio Spurs Kawhi Leonard was the best two-way player in the league and he seamlessly replaced the seemingly irreplaceable Tim Duncan. The Houston Rockets James Harden had his greatest season yet, silencing his many critics (including this one) with an offensive performance that was as aesthetically pleasing as it was brutally effective.

Still, what Westbrook accomplished in his first year playing without Kevin Durant was special. Completely unleashed, he averaged a triple double for the season, eventually breaking Oscar Robertsons record after his 42nd of the season. He carried his team in a way we hadnt seen a player do since the end of LeBrons first stint in Cleveland, mostly because the Thunder desperately needed to be carried by him. Westbrook received so little help from team-mates that he ended up easily leading the league with his 41.7% usage rate. Thats fairly valuable.

Who actually won: Westbrook. Honestly it was all wrapped up for him after the Kendrick Lamar shout-out back in March.

Russell Westbrook immediately after tying the season triple double record. Photograph: Mark D. Smith/USA Today Sports

Team of the Year: Golden State Warriors

Best team ever? Lets wait a few years before handing that distinction over to the 2016-17 Warriors. Recency bias is a hell of a drug. It is, however, impossible to argue that they werent the best team of the year. After another regular season spent on top of the standings, they went on to lose exactly one game during the postseason before winning a championship that seemed nearly predestined. The main reason for that dominance? Well…

Move of the Year: Golden State Warriors sign Kevin Durant

The Warriors were building a case for all-time greatness last season, but then came the Cavaliers comeback victory in the 2016 finals. Spurred on by countless the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead jokes during the offseason, Golden State rebounded by replacing designated goat Harrison Barnes with Durant, who had become increasingly frustrated with the the Thunders inability to return to the finals. With one move, a potentially historic team had added a perennial MVP candidate, perhaps the leagues second-best player. The Warriors didnt set any regular season win-loss records this time around, but nobody really cared about that when they began demolishing all would-be rivals during the playoffs.

Who actually won: These are both entirely imaginary awards, but the league did reward the team by handing Executive of the Year honors to Warriors GM Bob Myers.

Rookie of the Year: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

This is a cop out. Embiid didnt play a full season, lasting just 31 games before the 76ers lost him to a torn meniscus. Plus, it was his third year in the league, even if it marked the first time he was healthy enough to step onto the court. It doesnt matter, he was technically a rookie and he was clearly the most transformative one while he was on the court. He averaged 20.2 points per game, showed flashes of frightening dominance and immediately made it clear what Philadelphia sees in him despite his worrisome injury history. Now, lets hope we actually see him play basketball for a full season at least once.

Who actually won: Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks. A fine choice, but we all know that Embiid would have won if he had lasted another month or two.

Least Valuable Player: Lance Stephenson, New Orleans Pelicans/Minnesota Timberwolves/Indiana Pacers

It wasnt a huge surprise that Stephenson has flamed out – hes basically a walking red flag – but its comical to contemplate the sheer number of teams that given up on him. Since signing a 3 year, $27m contract with the Charlotte Hornets in 2014, the abrasive, injury prone and inconsistent Stephenson has played for the LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Pelicans and (for about a month) the Timberwolves. The Pacers reacquired Stephenson in March, bizarrely signing him to another three-year deal, possibly hoping a familiar face would convince Paul George to stay. (That, uh, has not worked out.)

Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

Now, Mike DAntoni successfully remade the Houston Rockets in his own image, giving Harden the perfect stage to work his magic and transforming a thoroughly dysfunctional team into an incredibly dangerous one. Popovich, though, had one of the very best seasons of his already remarkable coaching career. Duncan, the greatest player of his generation, retired and, for most of the season, it looked like his former team-mates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili would soon be joining him. If things werent sketchy enough for the Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge ended up being a rare awkward fit in San Antonio, leading to rumors that he wanted to be traded elsewhere. None of this ended up mattering much, as San Antonio rolled to a 61-21 record. They probably even could have made the Warriors sweat in their postseason had Kawhi Leonard not injured his ankle in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. (They still would have lost, obviously, Popovich isnt a miracle worker. We dont think.)

Who actually won: DAntoni. And good for him.

Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Antetokounmpo had the tools to be a true game-changer from the start, but even the most optimistic of us never thought he would evolve this quickly. The 22 year old 6ft 11in forward/guard/whatever-you-need has rapidly adapted to the professional game, becoming the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a season.

Who actually won: Antetokounmpo. It was really to impossible to deny him these honors.

Giannis Antetokounmpos game is a work of art: Athens graffiti pays tribute to the Greek Freak. Photograph: Simela Pantzartzi/EPA

Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

It feels almost inevitable that this award will come down to Leonard and the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green every year for the foreseeable future, although the Utah Jazzs Rudy Gobert is now firmly part of the conversation. Leonard, coming off his best NBA season on both sides of the ball, probably deserved to win for a third straight year.

Who actually won: Green. Its a more than defensible choice, even if it feels like voter fatigue and a growing sense that it was his turn played a large role in the final results.

Sixth Man of the Year: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets

Well, we should give something to the Rockets for having such a great season and Sixth Man of the Year seems appropriate. Much of Houstons success was due to their impressive bench, which features two worthy candidates in Gordon and Lou Williams. Gordon, among other things, made 246 three-pointers, 206 off the bench, preventing opponents from relaxing whenever the Rockets needed to give Harden a breather.

Who actually won: Gordon. He edged out the Golden State Warriors Andre Iguodala.

Disappointment of the Year: Pretty much the entirety of the playoffs

You cant blame the Warriors for sucking all the drama out of the postseason. They were there to win games and not draw ratings, but these playoffs were an utter catastrophe from an entertainment standpoint. Maybe eventually well be thankful to have witnessed a team as dominant as these Warriors. Right now though, its hard not to feel like a part of their domination involved turning the postseason into an afterthought, a joyless victory lap that spoiled an otherwise fun season.

Disaster of the Year: New York Knicks

In the last 12 months under Phil Jackson, the Knicks traded for the remains of the Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, finished 31-51 in a weak Eastern Conference and, most recently, alienated sole beacon of hope Kristaps Porzingis by threatening to trade him right before the draft. Thats just the Cliff Notes version of this last year, mind you, one that doesnt include the Charles Oakley affair, Rose going MIA, the LeBrons posse comments and the growing sense among Knicks fans that Jackson could somehow be as bad of an executive as Isaiah Thomas.

Who actually won: One has to assume that the Knicks would win this if it were an actual award.

Best NBA All-Star Moment: Kyrie Irving, Flat Earther

Was the Cavaliers point guard being serious when he said that he believes the Earth is flat, or was he just trolling us all? Who knows, but it ended up being the biggest controversy of the All-Star Weekend festivities. It was refreshing too: these days most conspiracy theories are of the decidedly less-amusing 9/11 was an inside job and school shootings are false flags variety. In contrast, flat-Earthism was something everybody could have fun with, at least until Shaq, as he tends to do, completely killed the joke.

Game-winner of the Year: Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics

This is 100% a sentimental pick. This writers unabashed love of Bradley, an elite defensive player with a knack for hitting clutch threes, has gone on long enough that it has become a running gag over the years. So, it would be wrong not to honor the game-winning three-pointer Bradley hit against the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. In the long run, the shot was almost entirely meaningless, the difference between Boston losing in five rather than being swept outright, but for one night Bradley struck a righteous blow against inevitability.

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Also take note: it takes so long for the shot to finally rattle in that the Cavaliers dont have any time to come up with an equalizer before the buzzer buzzes.

Who actually won: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder. Fan voters gave the award to Westbrooks game-winner over the Denver Nuggets, which was also pretty neat.

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This was Russell Westbrooks 50th point of the game.

Dunk of the Year: Victor Oladipo, Oklahoma City Thunder

Its not just because Oladipos dunk victimized the Atlanta Hawks Dwight Howard, although thats a lot of it. The sequence is an amazing spectacle in its own right, not just for how high Oladipo leaps but for the awkward beauty in his flailing landing.

Who actually won: Oladipo. He also won via fan vote, marking an all too rare instance of democracy working.

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Non-Play of the Year: Cleveland Cavaliers JR Smith talks to Jason Terry, allows a dunk

At one point or another, weve all stopped to chat with friends when we really should have been paying attention at work, its just suboptimal when one does it in the middle of a NBA game.

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Game of the Year: Golden State Warriors 108-109 Cleveland Cavaliers

It was a Christmas miracle! The Cavaliers not only beat the the Warriors, they did so in dramatic fashion, putting together an impressive fourth-quarter comeback. This game would have been a NBA finals preview in a better world.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/28/from-least-valuable-player-non-play-of-the-year-our-nba-season-awards

http://nbafunnymeme.com/more-on-basketball/from-least-valuable-player-to-non-play-of-the-year-our-nba-season-awards

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usatrendingsports · 7 years ago

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Sorting the Playoff Pile: Here is how the Jags can beat Pats in AFC Championship

Let’s play a sport. I will identify 4 issues and also you inform me which one does not belong. Tom Brady, Nick Foles, Blake Bortles and Case Keenum. Wait, sorry, I did that fallacious. There are three issues that do not belong, as a result of Brady is the one man who ought to be on this group of 4, the G.O.A.T. amid an inventory of men you would not wish to belief in a Tremendous Bowl or a playoff sport. Brady has the identical variety of Tremendous Bowl rings (5) as the opposite three guys on this listing have playoff begins … mixed.

Having stated all that, it should not be shocking if somebody apart from Brady is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when all is claimed and completed. The items round these guys are excellent and, as we realized throughout the Divisional Spherical, possibly it is OK to belief Foles, Bortles and Keenum in spite of everything.

Extra on Keenum and Foles under (together with extra awards from the weekend that was within the NFL), however for now let’s discuss Bortles. As a result of he was GOOD. Blake Bortles was good in a playoff setting. Per week after wanting misplaced within the wind at dwelling towards the Payments, Bortles became Bane and, for the second time this season, (metaphorically) blew up Heinz Discipline. The Jaguars adopted the script completely, letting Bortles throw early. It constructed his confidence and when Jacksonville wanted him in massive spots, he stepped up and transformed some enormous third downs.

Bortles bought assist, for positive. Leonard Fournette regarded like early-season Fournette for the primary half of this sport, till an ankle harm slowed him. T.J. Yeldon made some enormous performs, particularly within the passing sport. Nathaniel Hackett ran circles across the Steelers defensive coaches. Younger defensive gamers for Jacksonville did what they’ve did all season and made performs: Myles Jack’s interception on the sideline was wideout-level and the strip sack from Yannick Ngakoue that led to a Telvin Smith scoop-and-score helped to increase the Jaguars lead early when the Steelers have been urgent to make a comeback.

The Jags are a brash younger group of proficient gamers and so they consider they’ll win the Tremendous Bowl. Simply ask budding famous person Jalen Ramsey, who let a crowd gathered at Everbank Discipline (after the workforce got here again from Pittsburgh!) know simply how they really feel.

There’s zero chill with this workforce and it is pretty. So, um, can they win the Tremendous Bowl? Certain! Why not? Effectively the reply was truly earlier, within the type of Brady. The Jaguars subsequent problem is available in Foxborough, the place they are going to be 9-point underdogs towards the mighty Patriots.

Lots of people snicker on the thought of Brady enjoying Marcus Mariota, Bortles and both Keenum or Foles to win a Tremendous Bowl, irritated on the biggest dynasty in trendy NFL historical past getting a stroll within the park towards some questionable quarterbacks. The Jags did the Pats a favor by upsetting the Steelers, as a result of the Pats will steamroll the Jags.

I am not so positive. Jacksonville has the our bodies and the expertise to win, even when strolling into New England is nearly probably the most tough activity within the NFL. However I’m right here to inform you the Jaguars can beat the Patriots. It is doable.

Initially, there’s precedent. Underneath Invoice Belichick and with Tom Brady, the Pats have misplaced three dwelling playoff video games in 17 years. (I stated there was precedent, I did not say it was simple.) They’ve fallen to the Jets as soon as and the Ravens twice.

Staff

Def. DVOA Rank

Factors/Sport Allowed (Rank)

Yards/Sport Allowed (Rank)

2008 Ravens

2nd

16.Three (third)

300.5 (third)

2009 Jets 1st 19.Zero (sixth) 291.5 (third)

2012 Ravens

19th

21.5 (12th)

350.9 (15th)

2017 Jaguars

1st

16.eight (2nd)

286.1 (2nd)

Throw out the second Ravens workforce that went in there and beat the Pats. That was Joe Flacco turning into Joe Montana for a postseason. However have a look at the opposite two groups. They have been high 5 in yards per sport allowed and high 5 in factors per sport allowed, identical to the Jaguars. They have been both first or second in Soccer Outsiders DVOA metric, identical to the Jaguars.

Pete Prisco urged it on the Decide Six Podcast (new episode already up from the Divisional Spherical video games!) however the play right here for the Jaguars is to place Ramsey on Rob Gronkowski, take away Brady’s finest weapon with out having to make use of a security, slide Calais Campbell inside and rush 4 on Brady. Win towards that offensive line, get Brady uncomfortable and lay wooden on the crossing routes and you’ve got a method for taking the Pats down. We have seen the Seahawks and Falcons do it within the Tremendous Bowl too, they simply did not seal the deal. These video games are 60 minutes.

Offensively, the Jaguars have to attempt to gradual Brady down early, throw on early downs with Bortles and hope Leonard Fournette is wholesome. Feed him the ball, expose the Pats protection and execute within the purple zone. It sounds simple and doubting this workforce’s capability could be an easier means out, however additionally they simply did precisely that in Pittsburgh. Robust place to play towards a seasoned opponent and so they took care of enterprise.

Do NOT underestimate the Tom Coughlin benefit right here both. Doug Marrone deserves extra recognition for potential Coach of the Yr (anybody who gave his rent a foul grade deserves an F, I will personal it) and he is bought the Jaguars enjoying like a extra mature workforce. He eats bologna, he isn’t the world’s flashiest man, however he is a great soccer coach. Coughlin takes it to a different stage, although, as a result of he is the man who has crushed Belichick not as soon as, however twice within the Tremendous Bowl. That issues. He is not sitting in a recliner telling individuals what to do and when to do it. He is a part of this workforce, an extension of the teaching workers inside the entrance workplace. And he has expertise taking the Patriots down.

New England is a greater workforce. They need to be favored. They’re enjoying of their seventh consecutive AFC Championship Sport. However the Jaguars can beat them. Do not be shocked in the event that they do.

Thoughts-blowing End of the Week

There was a lot to unpack from the Vikings win over the Saints. So, so, a lot. The precise play itself was unimaginable, in fact — unheralded Case Keenum throwing deep to underrated Stefon Diggs with 10 seconds and no timeouts left, all however assured to be the final play of the sport for the Vikings. The Saints have been arrange on protection to attempt to drive the Vikings into the center of the sector and hold them from getting out of bounds on the sidelines to arrange a Kai Forbath subject objective.

Lord is aware of the superb individuals of Minnesota already handled sufficient kicker drama of their lives, now they have been going to need to undergo a SECOND pearl-clutching kick to attempt to win the sport? Forbath buried a kick earlier within the sport to present the Vikings a two-point lead with 1:34 left within the sport. It was an excessive amount of time for the Saints, as a result of they’ve Drew Brees, who naturally stormed down the sector to arrange a Wil Lutz subject objective that gave them a one-point lead with 29 second left, an epic comeback of their very own. The Vikings have been most likely toast. After which they weren’t — Diggs caught the move, poor rookie security Marcus Williams missed the sort out, and Diggs was off to the races for the primary walk-off, fourth quarter landing catch in NFL playoff historical past.

It was mind-blowing to see on TV. Think about catching it from the sideline.

Oh, whilst you’re right here, make certain and take heed to Paul Allen of KFAN’s name on the Vikings radio community. It doesn’t disappoint both.

Wait another. Take heed to the play set to the Titanic music too.

The web is a magical place, associates.

Saints-Vikings was presupposed to be the premiere sport of the weekend and it did NOT disappoint. When it was 17-Zero Vikings at halftime, it regarded like we may be catching a Sunday afternoon snoozer, however after the ups-and-downs of the Jaguars-Steelers sport, there was much more ready for an encore. Keenum’s move wasn’t inconceivable, as a result of it occurred.

However it was shut — the Vikings had lower than a three-percent probability of profitable when he uncorked the throw in Diggs’ course. The win-probability chart reads like a cardiogram.

I am fairly liable to hyperbole and I am not afraid of indulging in some recency bias, however that was one of many biggest endings to an NFL soccer sport I’ve ever seen. Not that there have not been different nice playoff video games lately — the freaking Tremendous Bowl went to extra time final 12 months — however the stakes and improbability of all of it, the workforce in query, all of it amplified the state of affairs. The Vikings are a dominant protection powered by a passionate fanbase enjoying in a obscenely loud dwelling stadium hoping to host a house workforce within the Tremendous Bowl. The offense has been turbo charged by the unlikeliest of heroes, this 12 months, with Case Keenum stepping in for an injured Sam Bradford (who stepped in for an injured Teddy Bridgewater) and main the Vikings far sufficient that he is now finishing the NFL’s model of the Circle of Life.

Eagles traded N. Foles to Rams for S. Bradford. Foles misplaced his job in St. Louis, C. Keenum takes over. Eagles draft C. Wentz and commerce Bradford to Minn. Vikings signal Keenum, who replaces injured Bradford. Foles returns to Philly, replaces injured Wentz. Now, Foles vs. Keenum.

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) January 15, 2018

“Seven Heaven,” the Vikings identify for the play they referred to as on that ultimate snap — the painful playing kneel of an additional level apart — was a byproduct of Keenum, a sport supervisor with an additional gear, and Diggs, an important route runner with underrated athleticism, and the Saints uncommon choice to play a questionable defensive alignment towards the Vikings on that ultimate play, understanding a sort out inbounds and it is over. Watch the place Subsequent Gen Stats tracked the Saints defenders on this play. The top zone isn’t your buddy, New Orleans.

Shoutout to Adam Thielen for ending the route as the remainder of his teammates are sprinting after Diggs and shedding their minds. Questioning Sean Payton for his choice making late within the sport, or possibly even Dennis Allen, is a viable factor to do, though possibly this was simply a kind of moments that makes soccer the brand new nationwide pastime. The unpredictability and improbability of the whole play took a stadium stuffed with diehard Vikings followers, none of who’ve seen the Vikings win a Tremendous Bowl (Minnesota has NFL Championships, however hasn’t gained because the merger), from hopelessness to sheer pleasure within the blink of an eyes.

Conversely, Saints followers had the whole lot ripped out of their palms and smashed on the bottom in entrance of them earlier than even realizing it occurred. (NBC executives hoping for a Brees-Brady Tremendous Bowl most likely really feel the identical means.) They’re so shattered there are guys on the market filming themselves throwing 65-inch flat screens out of their home.

Including insult to harm was the NFL’s requirement the Vikings kick the additional level after the landing, which meant not solely did a nation full of people that wagered on the Saints +5.5 (or Vikings -5.5) have to carry their breath and wait to see what would occur (the Vikings took a knee, giving Saints bettors the win), however the Saints needed to be dragged again out on the sector from the locker room and stand there shellshocked as Keenum took a knee.

Payton and Brees are execs and dealt with it as such. They have been there, within the good moments and unhealthy. However it positive did really feel just like the Saints have been surging, discovering their offense on the proper time and about to actually get sizzling and make a run deeper into the playoffs. After which, sooner than you’ll be able to say “SKOL,” it was over and the Saints have been headed dwelling.

Underdog Halloween Costume of the Week

Nobody ever gave the Eagles an opportunity to win towards the Falcons — they have been underdogs from the get go and so they knew it. Lane Johnson talked about it throughout the week, saying when Carson Wentz went down the world began treating them just like the Cleveland Browns. Possibly that is a stretch, however there was undoubtedly a pervading sentiment that the Falcons would roll into Philly and deal with enterprise just like how they dealt with issues towards the Rams within the Wild-Card spherical.

Do not suppose for a second this wasn’t on the minds of the Eagles gamers both. Tight finish Zach Ertz put the so-called specialists on blast for selecting towards Philly.

“I used to be watching ESPN as we speak and all 5 analyists, specialists they name themselves, picked the #Falcons to win. I am glad they don’t seem to be in control of my funds by any means, choosing shares right here and there. If they’ll name us underdogs once more subsequent week I am superb with it” – Zach Ertz

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 14, 2018

The Eagles took this complete underdog factor to coronary heart, particularly the large guys on the strains. Johnson, who was significantly vocal, actually let the world know he was a dwell canine, showing on the sector after the sport in a canine masks.

If you wish to buy the masks, effectively, you are out of luck. Because it seems the masks already bought out on Amazon — however in the event you’re dying to assist your native underdog in Philadelphia this weekend, cruise over to Breaking T and get the t-shirt model they created.

through BreakingT.com

Enjoying up the canine angle is enjoyable — and the Eagles will get an opportunity to do it once more this week, as they’re Three.5-point underdogs to the Vikings at dwelling within the NFC Championship Sport — however let’s not fake this is not a great Eagles workforce.

Philly wasn’t 10 guys standing round watching Wentz sprinkle magic quarterback mud on everybody else. It is a workforce constructed within the trenches, with a roster method designed for January and February. The line of defense runs six deep and pressured Matt Ryan in massive spots. The offensive line has some horses on it; when push got here to point out the Eagles ran the ball down the Falcons throat, bullying a sooner and extra explosive protection with Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount toting the rock. They shut Atlanta out within the second half en path to a 15-10 win and so they knew precisely what the Falcons tried to do late.

They’re about to interact in one other rock combat (the over-under is 38 for the Vikings-Falcons sport). It is simple to get the underdog angle, as a result of the Vikings blanked Drew Brees for a full half. Nick Foles is an excellent backup quarterback however he isn’t Drew Brees. Not many quarterbacks are. Doug Pederson deserves a ton of credit score for his utilization of run-pass choice (RPO) performs throughout the Eagles win over Atlanta. Good luck utilizing these towards the skilled Vikings offense.

Minnesota is a simple choose as a result of they’re extra full on each side of the ball. Counting out the Eagles after what we noticed towards Atlanta could be dumb. They’re embracing the canine mentality and so they’ve been given one other chip this week.

Disastrous Purple Zone Playcalling of the Week

The Falcons have not been an important red-zone workforce this 12 months, so once they wanted a 4th-and-6 with the sport on the road, there have been most likely some involved soccer followers within the state of Georgia — many nonetheless reeling from Bama’s extra time win within the championship sport towards the Bulldogs — about what Steve Sarkisian may dial up. The priority was warranted, as a result of the Falcons ran a play that not solely lower the sector in half however a play that the Eagles noticed coming from a mile away.

Philly defenders, particularly safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod, stated after the sport when the Falcons broke their huddle, they knew Atlanta was going to dash Matt Ryan out proper. That is how you bought the closely unbalanced numbers that titled the sector within the Eagles favor.

through NFL GamePass

Because the Falcons went to line up for the play, NBC announcer Cris Collinsworth identified that is the spot, on 4th-and-goal from the two-yard line, the place you dial up what’s mainly your “finest two-point conversion play.” The Falcons finest play concerned placing their fullback on the left aspect by himself and having him run a slant whereas reducing off half the sector and compacting the house for Julio Jones to work. You will not consider this, nevertheless it did not work. Falcons coach Dan Quinn largely defended the playcall, though he didn’t it is one thing you see as a defensive coordinator.

“As a former defensive coordinator, I acknowledge that could be a play individuals do make use of. We have been searching for that chance on that match up for that particular play,” Quinn stated after the sport. “That is what we thought was going to be the perfect play referred to as for that point. There was no stress from a time standpoint, we had our timeouts, so that is what we thought was the perfect play to go win the sport. We did not execute it and so they did, and that is the way in which the story is on that play.”

Principally the Falcons have been searching for man-to-man with Jones — and so they bought it — however he fell down earlier than and could not squeeze the ball to safe the landing.

through NFL GamePass

Jones most likely wasn’t coming down in bounds anyway. And simply wanting on the 4th-down play ignores another points right here.

After Tevin Coleman picked up sufficient yardage to make it 1st-and-goal, Sark determined to dial up a leap ball / fade to Julio. Superb, no matter, they bought man-on-man protection. Jones was lined and Ryan did not make an important throw.

through NFL GamePass

The second-down play goes to hang-out some individuals. The Falcons introduced of their third-string operating again Terron Ward and had Ryan run a shovel move to him that was, fairly mercifully, incomplete and never a fumble, as a result of the sport would have ended there and Atlanta would have burned to the bottom.

through NFL GamePass

“What was … that?” Al Michaels requested on the NBC broadcast, with a stage of disgust that muffled any exclamation, talking for each single human being not named Steve Sarkisian.

The following play was a great play! It was a slant to Julio — after Cris Collinsworth famous Jones was being singled within the purple zone once more — that just about picked up the landing and bought them close to the objective line. That is the play the Falcons ought to have run on first down, to present themselves some choices with goal-to-go in a short-yardage state of affairs.

As a substitute they have been left with the fourth down that failed and so they have been despatched dwelling. Sark’s second season will go higher than his first, however the lasting picture of the Falcons season will not sit effectively with followers for the subsequent 9 months.

The Different Worst Fourth Down Name of the Week

Being an offensive coordinator is difficult work as a result of you need to modify on the fly, continuously altering your gameplan. It is a chess match, however Todd Haley regarded like he was enjoying checkers on fourth down, assuming you consider Ben Roethlisberger did not take a look at of the performs.

With the Steelers already surprised by the Jags sizzling begin and trailing 14-Zero, Pittsburgh bought a 4th-and-1 and eschewed letting their quarterback whose nickname is BIG BEN sneak the ball a yard and as an alternative tried to get out on the perimeter towards the quickest protection within the NFL.

Once more, it was a really low proportion of human beings who thought “Wow what an important toss sweep that was! It simply did not get executed.” That was a horrible play. Simply terrible. This isn’t one thing new for Todd Haley both! He did it within the 2011 NFL playoffs when he was head coach of the Chiefs and KC was internet hosting the Ravens (Charlie Weis was his offensive coordinator nevertheless it was reported he stripped the large man of playcalling within the second half) and making an attempt to actually get again within the sport.

It was was a foul name then, it was a foul name on Sunday and each instances it snuffed out the offense’s momentum.

Making all of this a lot worse? Roethlisberger’s historical past in these conditions.

Ben Roethlisberger on 4th-and-1 rush makes an attempt in his profession, together with playoffs:

19 makes an attempt 18 first downs

Highest success price (94.7 %) of any participant with over 10 makes an attempt since 2004 (together with playoffs)

Steelers on 4th-and-1 as we speak: Zero-for-2 (Bell run, Ben move)

— NFL Analysis (@NFLResearch) January 14, 2018

Whether or not it was Haley’s playcalling there or whether or not Ben was audibiling out of a play is irrelevant. The Steelers had an opportunity to stem the tide within the first half and to set themselves up for a game-tying landing later and determined to push the ball down the sector on 4th-and-short as an alternative of letting Ben sneak it.

Haley is not the Steelers largest drawback — he is bought Roethlisberger enjoying a number of the finest soccer of his profession. There have been factors on this sport the place Ben was DIALED. The landing move to Antonio Brown on 4th-and-6, the dime to Le’Veon Bell on the wheel route in the long run zone and the fourth down throw to Martavis Bryant. However it saved feeling like nice athletes and expertise have been serving to the the Steelers overcome one thing that felt like an absence of preparation.

The Jaguars got here into this sport because the extra motivated workforce, the extra ready workforce and so they whipped up on the Steelers for a lot of the day. It was a testomony to Pittsburgh’s skill-position guys they managed to remain within the sport.

Yet one more grievance: the onside kick after reducing it to 42-35. WHY? The Jaguars have been going to run the ball 3 times, punt in the event that they did not get a primary down and belief their protection. Going for the onside allowed the Jags to get into subject objective vary, which might finally be the distinction within the sport. Social media is enjoyable for armchair guessing, nevertheless it was patently apparent the Steelers ought to have kicked away there and tried to get the ball again in respectable subject place. As a substitute, they went for a ho-hum landing move on the finish of the sport that lined the second-half unfold however ought to depart everybody unfulfilled in regards to the potential of this workforce.

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