![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 10 POWER RANKINGS: WHERE DOES EACH TEAM RANK IN POINT DIFFERENTIAL?](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8463-1-3.jpg?resize=916%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 6, 2018 | SPORTS
New No. 1 In This Week’s Power Rankings
Whether you’re a Buffalo Bills fan or an Oakland Raiders fan, need not look at this article as inside is nothing that will help ease the pain of a lost season.
That also goes for Arizona Cardinals fans as well, and don’t get me started on Eli Manning and those goddamn Giants.
As for the power rankings itself, there’s a new number one and enough movement to go round to one to take a look.
We will be looking at all 32 teams and their point differential this season. Point differential is calculated by adding the margin of victory and defeat together from each game played.
You’ll notice the good teams are ranked near the top in this category, with a few surprises sprinkled in. You’ll also see sometimes have been living by the moniker: Better to be lucky than good.
Let’s get started!
1. New Orleans Saints (7-1)
New Orleans is 5th in point differential with a +61 differential. They’ve won four games by 10 points or more this season.
2. Los Angeles Rams (8-1)
The Los Angeles Rams are 2nd in point differential at +99. Three of their wins have been by 20 or more points this season.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-1)
The Kansas City Chiefs are 1st in point differential at +101. They lead the NFL with five victories decided by 10 or more points.
4. New England Patriots (7-2)
The New England Patriots are 4th in the NFL in point differential at +68. During their current six-game win streak, four of their wins have come by 14 or more points.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (6-2)
The Los Angeles Chargers are tied for 7th in point differential at +40. The Chargers have played it close of late but still have three wins decided by 11 or more points.
6. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
The Carolina Panthers are tied for 7th in point differential at +40. A strange team on a week-to-week basis, Carolina has three wins decided by 10 or more points.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 8th in point differential at +39. Rolling after a rough month of September, Pittsburgh has two wins by 15 or more points.
8. Chicago Bears (5-3)
The Chicago Bears are 3rd in point differential at +82. A big reason why is because of two wins by 30+ points this season.
9. Houston Texans (6-3)
The Houston Texans are tied for 10th in point differential at +32. Competitive in losses (three losses by seven points or less), the Texans have also been close in victories as they have four wins by seven points or less.
10. Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1)
The Minnesota Vikings are 14th in point differential at +17. Minnesota is a team that may be far better than their point differential indicates as they have proven dominant in wins, with three coming by double-digit points.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
The Philadelphia Eagles are 12th in point differential at +22. The Eagles have lost four games by six points or less, but in two of those losses (Minnesota and Tampa Bay) they trailed 17+ points in the second half.
12. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
The Atlanta Falcons are 16th in point differential at +2. Take away a 41-17 shellacking at Heinz Field to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5 and Atlanta has been one of the NFL’s most competitive teams this season.
13. Washington Redskins (5-3)
The Washington Redskins are tied for 19th in point differential at -12. All three of Washington’s losses this season have been by double-digits, with their last being a 38-14 thrashing on their home field vs the Atlanta Falcons.
14. Seattle Seahawks (4-4)
The Seattle Seahawks are tied for 10th in point differential at +32. Outside of a 20-17 squeaker at Arizona, the Seahawks have won three games by 11 or more points this season.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
The Cincinnati Bengals are 22nd in point differential at -16. The Bengals have had a roller coaster season, losing two blowouts on the road, a heartbreaker at home and barely eking out a win at home against Ryan Fitzpatrick. They’ve also won three games by 10 or more points.
16. Miami Dolphins (5-4)
The Miami Dolphins are 26th in point differential at -38. Winning close is Miami’s calling card. All five of their wins this season have been by eight points or less.
17. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
The Baltimore Ravens are 6th in point differential at +53. They dominated early in the season with four wins by a combined 89 points but have lost each of their last three games.
18. Green Bay Packers (3-4-1)
The Green Bay Packers are tied for 19th in point differential at -12. The Packers have struggled this season as they have lost two games by 14 or more points.
19.Tennessee Titans (4-4)
The Tennessee Titans are 17th in point differential at -7. Tennessee has won three games by three points exactly this season.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 25th in point differential at -36. It’s been ugly for Jacksonville during their current four-game slide as they’ve lost three games by 13 or more points, with one of those being a 40-7 thumping in Dallas.
20. Detroit Lions (3-5)
The Detroit Lions are 23rd in point differential at -30. The Lions have been bizarre this season, with a 48-17 loss at home to the New York Jets and a 26-10 home win over the New England Patriots weeks later. Who are they?
21. Dallas Cowboys (3-5)
The Dallas Cowboys are 15th in point differential at +3. Dallas has lost three games by eight points or less this season.
23. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
The Indianapolis Colts are 13th in point differential at +18. The Colts have been competitive in losses and dominant in wins, winning all three of their games this season by double-digits.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 27th in point differential at -46. All three of their victories this season have been decided by eight points or less.
25. Cleveland Browns (2-6-1)
The Cleveland Browns are 29th in point differential at -57. The Browns aren’t scoring points, and because of it they’ve lost just their last two games by a combined 31 points.
26. New York Jets (3-6)
The New York Jets are 21st in point differential at -15. They’ve traded blowout wins with blowout losses this season. Three losses by 14+ points and two wins by 18+ points.
27. Denver Broncos (3-6)
The Denver Broncos are 18th in point differential at -8. This may be the most unlucky team in 2018 as they’ve lost four games by seven points or less. Three of those games were against the Rams and Chiefs.
28. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)
The Arizona Cardinals are 30th in point differential at -89. Arizona has lost by 30+ points twice this season.
29. San Francisco 49ers (2-7)
The San Francisco 49ers are 24th in point differential at -32. They’ve been unlucky, having lost three games on the road by a combined eight points this season.
30. New York Giants (1-7)
The New York Giants are 28th in point differential at -55. Deceiving to say the least, the Giants have scored garbage time touchdowns in each of their past two games with each well in hand for the opponent.
31. Buffalo Bills (2-7)
The Buffalo Bills are 32nd in point differential at -145. They’re the worst team in the NFL when anyone except Josh Allen is at quarterback. The Bills have lost by a combined 117 points when Nathan Peterman and Derek Anderson have started in his place.
32. Oakland Raiders (1-7)
The Oakland Raiders are 31st in point differential at -111. They’re a team that appears to have quit as they have lost by a combined 85 points over their past four games.
What are your thoughts on this week’s NFL power rankings? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] JAMAL MURRAY DID WHAT?!?](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8462.jpg?resize=525%2C350&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 6, 2018 | SPORTS
Third-Year Guard Sizzles For 48 Points vs Celtics
Have a day young man!
That’s exactly what Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray did vs the Boston Celtics in a marque matchup on Monday night.
Murray exploded for a career-high 48 points vs the Boston Celtics on Monday night at the Pepsi Center in the Denver Nuggets 115-107 victory.
Murray filled it up all night vs Boston’s defense, scoring 19 of Denver’s 27 points as he was up to the task in putting the now 9-1 Denver Nuggets on his back.
https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/1059662303220641793
Murray finished the game shooting 19-for-30 from the field while hitting five treys from deep.
The 21-year-old guard came into tonight’s action averaging only 15.7 PPG on 42 percent shooting.
His previous career-high was 38 points last January vs the Portland Trail Blazers in a 104-101 Nuggets win in Denver.
The Denver Nuggets will look to extend their winning streak to six games when they visit FedExForum to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
How good of a player can Jamal Murray being in the NBA? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] FINALISTS NAMED FOR AL AND NL MVP AND CY YOUNG, WHO SHOULD WIN?](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8461-1.jpg?resize=550%2C367&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 6, 2018 | SPORTS
Mets Ace deGrom Among Finalist For NL Cy Young
On Monday night the MLB revealed who the finalists will be for the AL and NL MVP and Cy Young Awards for each respective league for the 2018 season.
Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, and Jose Ramirez finished in the top three among AL MVP finalists. Meanwhile Nolan Arenado, Christian Yelich and Javier Baez finishes in the top three among NL MVP finalists.
When it came to the hurlers, Justin Verlander, Blake Snell and Corey Kluber round out the AL Cy Young finalists. On the NL side, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Aaron Nola make up the NL Cy Young finalists.
The question now is this, who should win?
On the AL side, I predicted before the season that Mike Trout would win AL MVP, but I’d feel pretty guilty in not giving the nod to Mookie Betts here.
Betts was one of two Boston Red Sox I felt should’ve been a top three finalist for the AL MVP. No disrespect to Jose Ramirez, but he bottomed out as a hitter in the second half of the season as he barely topped the .270 mark as a hitter.
J.D. Martinez, on the other hand, finished with a .330 batting average with 43 home runs and 130 RBIs. Even if you want to hold being a designated-hitter against him, those numbers speak for themselves.
Betts was unbelievable with the bat and on defense and won the batting title this year while hitting 32 homers.
The AL Cy Young is a tough one, but I’ll go with the only 20-game winner this season in Blake Snell.
As for the NL MVP, if anyone besides Christian Fricken Yelich wins the award I’m boycotting the MLB from that day forward.
The New York homer in me wants to see Jacob deGrom win the award, but I’m going to go with Max Scherzer here.
While deGrom has a case with his team’s horrendous offense and him being able to mostly negate that by going deep into just about every game this season with two earned runs or fewer, Scherzer’s got him beat in mostly every other statistical category and also received little run support. At the end of the day, wins will always play a factor in this award being won (See Rick Porcello in 2016).
But that’s my thoughts, what are yours? Leave your award winners below!
![[SPORTS] MARIOTA, TITANS SPOIL COOPER’S COWBOYS DEBUT](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8459-1.jpg?resize=780%2C585&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 6, 2018 | SPORTS
Titans Get Back On Track With Win In Big D
Trading for Amari Cooper two weeks ago was in the Cowboys eyes a move made with the focus on winning now.
The former Oakland Raider would make a strong first impression with his new team, but the Cowboys as a whole were stuck in neutral as an offense thereafter by a rugged and tough-minded Titans defense.
The Tennessee Titans upended the Dallas Cowboys 28-14 on Monday night at AT&T Stadium to get back to .500.
Marcus Mariota would throw for 240 passing yards and have a total of three touchdowns (one rushing) in the Titans victory. He also ran for 36 rushing yards.
Dion Lewis would chip in with 114 total yards from scrimmage while scoring on a touchdown reception.
In a battle of two of the top scoring defenses in the NFL this season, it was the Tennessee Titans, which rose to the challenge.
Tennessee got after Dak Prescott all night as they tallied five sacks while forcing him into a red zone interception and a fumble. They would stymie the Dallas Cowboys rushing attack as Ezekiel Elliot was held to 3.6 yards per carry.
The Titans offense, mired in a season long funk, produced one of their better performances of the season vs a tough Cowboys defense.
Tennessee out-gained Dallas 340-297 on Monday night. They also went 4-for-5 in the red zone.
The Tennessee Titans (4-4) came in 20th in the NFL in third down conversion percentage but would have a huge night concerting third downs as they went 11-for-14.
It was a bumpy ride to begin the game with two turnovers in the first quarter, but Mike Vrabel’s team showed resilience and fight as they punched the Cowboys in the mouth in Jerry World.
The Titans came in losers of three straight, with their last being a heartbreaking 20-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in London at Wembley Stadium.
With the Houston Texans taking off for six straight wins, this was a much-needed victory for the Tennessee trying to keep pace.
The Cowboys lost oft injured linebacker and team captain Sean Lee to a hamstring injury at the beginning of the third quarter, which would loom large in the second half.
Newly acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper scored his first touchdown in a Dallas Cowboys uniform in the first quarter when he beat Titans cornerback Malcom Butler for a 4-yard score to put Dallas up 7-0.
He would finish the game with five receptions for 58 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Dak Prescott was roughed up on the night as he managed to throw for 243 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception and a lost fumble.
Ezekiel Elliot would finish with 112 total yards from scrimmage, but was kept out of the end zone for a second straight game.
DeMarcus Lawrence strip sack set up the Cowboys deep in Titans territory for their first points of the game.
The Cowboys would record four sacks on the night, giving them 23 for the season so far.
It’s going to be a long road for the Dallas Cowboys trying to win the NFC East as their upcoming schedule is less than favorable.
Having lost tonight with the offense looking mostly inept even with the addition of Amari Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys, who fell to 3-5, are in a virtual must-win next Sunday night vs the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
In third place behind the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles, there’s little margin from error here on out for the Cowboys. Based off what we’ve seen, there isn’t much of a chance that Dallas is capable of locking in and sustaining success as they have yet to win back-to-back games this season.
For Tennessee, this win has to become a distant memory with the New England Patriots making a visit to Nissan Stadium to play the Titans next Sunday afternoon in a Patriots reunion between Bill Belichick and his former player now head coach Mike Vrabel.
It’ll be a rematch of the AFC Divisional playoff game last season where the New England Patriots dominated the Titans in a 35-14 win.
Win that game, and their previous losses prior to Monday night’s game becomes a distant memory.
What are your thoughts on the Tennessee Titans victory on Monday night? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] KNICKS SUFFER HEARTBREAKER IN DOUBLE OT AT MSG](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8460-1.jpg?resize=780%2C597&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 6, 2018 | SPORTS
Knicks Drop Marathon In Excruciating Fashion
The best aspect about the New York Knicks previous loss was that they had a chance to rectify their setback 24 hours later at home vs a team that in ways mirrors their own.
Fighting through a second night of a back-to-back, the Knicks fell short in their most painful loss of the season to date.
The Chicago Bills defeated the New York Knicks 116-115 in double overtime on Monday night at Madison Square Garden to send the Knicks to to a record of 3-8.
Zach LaVine, who came in averaging 26.6 PPG, led the Chicago Bulls with a career-high 41 points at the Garden.
The talented guard hit big shots throughout the game for the Chicago Bulls, including the go-ahead free throw after he was fouled by Emanuel Mudiay with 0.2 seconds remaining in the game.
It was a tough night for both teams, with points hard to come by in half court sets. The Chicago Bulls shot 45 percent from the field while the New York Knicks were limited to 38 percent from the field.
David Fizdale’s Knicks couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn on Monday night, looking like a team that was tired offensively rather than a team that had extra legs for the second night of a back-to-back.
While unable to make shots with consistency, the New York Knicks weren’t devoid of energy in other places as they saw contributions on the glass and on the defensive end that helped them stay in this game despite shooting well under 40 percent throughout.
Enes Kanter had a huge night off the bench as he recorded 23 points and 24 rebounds off the bench for New York, becoming the first player in the shot clock era to accomplish that feat as a reserve.
With Tim Hardaway Jr. out for the Knicks, upstart rookie guard Allonzo Trier would get his first start.
Having sparked the Knicks last Friday in a win over Dallas with 23 points, the young guard would struggle with his shot early but would come on late.
Trier tied the game at 102-102 with a 3-pointer with 49.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
New York had several opportunities to win this game having the ball in their hands with a chance to take the lead, but failing to do so in incriminating fashion.
The Knicks defensive intensity was not lacking, despite failing to get a handle of the Bulls sensational 23-year-old guard.
That is the bright spot for the New York Knicks on the night, that in spite of a porous shooting night and playing the second of a back-to-back, the team didn’t quit out there.
One point of questioning is the late game decision making of David Fizdale, who ran isolation plays for Allonzo Trier, who finished with 21 points on just 33 percent shooting, in the winding moments in the fourth quarter and the first overtime period.
Trier had been cold throughout the night with his shot. Surely, Enes Kanter was a better option in the low post play to score against the Bulls on the inside, but he failed to get going offensively with few touches in the overtime periods.
There was also the inbounds turnover by Mudiay in the first overtime period with under five seconds to play and a the missed tip-in by Mario Hezonja at the end of regulation.
Those plays only added to New York’s woes as they know they let a win slip through their finger tips on Monday night.
The New York Knicks will look to erase the sting of their latest loss when they face the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Wednesday night.
What are your takeaways from tonight’s Knicks game? Leave your comments below!
