![[SPORTS] HEADLINES FOR THURSDAY’S NEW ORLEANS SAINTS-DALLAS COWBOYS MATCHUP](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8762-1.jpg?resize=680%2C420&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 29, 2018 | SPORTS
Division Leaders Clash In Big ‘D’
The New Orleans Saints are rolling, and they’ll go marching into Dallas to face a team that has recently found a groove in the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thursday night.
Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints are winners of 10 straight and lead the NFL in scoring, averaging 37.2 PPG. Drew Brees is having arguably the best season of his NFL career, throwing for 3,135 passing yards with 29 touchdowns to two interceptions, leading the NFL with a 127.3 Passer Rating, which is on pace to be an NFL record.
The Dallas Cowboys hope their current three-game winning streak, which has resurrected their season after a disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans coming off a bye week, is the start of a push to a NFC East title.
Before a battle of the NFC division leaders, we’ll take a look at the headlines going into the battle in a potential playoff preview.
Let’s get started!
Saints ‘O’ vs Cowboys ‘D’: Strength Against Strength
When the Dallas Cowboys host the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, it’ll be the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL vs the No. 3 scoring defense in the NFL.
The Cowboys front seven may be the best the Saints have faced this season, with ferocious pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence ready to wreck havoc against the Saints o-line, who went on record saying he hopes his Cowboys “choke out” the visiting Saints offensive line.
That’s a good place to start when looking at this matchup. A determining factor will be if Dallas can get consistent pressure on Drew Brees, preferably using a number of exotic looks to get there.
Drew Brees won’t be fooled by coverages, but getting through that offensive line, which is anchored by center Max Unger, will be the reason Dallas wins this game or has a chance to.
The Cowboys linebackers and secondary is solid, and they’ll be tasked with dealing with not just Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, but three other Saints that include Austin Carr, who just last week caught touchdown passes from Brees.
If New Orleans’ strong offensive line takes care of DeMarcus Lawrence, look for players like Jaylon Smith and Tyrone Crawford to be called on to bring the heat on Drew Brees.
The Cowboys Triplets, Pt. 2?
The Cowboys last run of dominance in the NFL came when Emmit Smith, Troy Aikman, and Michael Irvin formed the Cowboys’ All-Pro and Hall of Fame trio.
It may be too early to say that’s what we’re soon to see in Dallas with the trio of Ezekiel Elliot, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, but Dallas’ 31-23 victory over the Washington Redskins sure did feel like we were watching a game from 1993 instead of 2018.
All three of those Dallas Cowboys players had their fingerprints all over that huge divisional win to vault into first place, as Prescott finished with 289 passing yards three total touchdowns, Elliot with 121 rushing yards and score, and Cooper with 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
There’s no question that when Dallas traded a first-round pick for Amari Cooper last month that their intentions were to not only give Prescott an actual go-to target at wide receiver, but to form an offensive trio like they had during their three consecutive Super Bowls in 90s.
Not long ago Dak Prescott was a household name in Dallas, having led the team to a 13-3 regular-season in his rookie year and also winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. But after a disheartening 28-14 loss at home to the Tennessee Titans earlier this month to fall to 3-5, it appeared that the wheels were coming off and that no one’s job, not even Prescott’s, was safe moving forward.
After a resilient performance and win in Philly, a last second win in Atlanta and a complete offensive performance vs. the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving, all appears well in Dallas.
The Saints Defensive Resurgence
From getting carved up by Ryan Fitzpatrick to looking like one of the NFL’s best units since late September, it’s been quite a turnaround for Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit.
Next to dead last in almost every statistical category which included points, total yards and passing yards through the first three weeks, the Saints flipped the script by allowing less than 20 points in five out of their past eight games.
Cameron Jordan, Sheldon Rankins and others are bringing the boom up front while Marcus Lattimore and the Saints back end have gotten back to the type of team we saw over the course of the last half of last season.
When they’re playing at home, specifically, you can see just how much of an impact the crowd noise has for their defensive line.
Dennis Allen isn’t afraid to dial up the blitz either, and we can expect to see that on Thursday night against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as he’s struggled against five or more rushers this season.
What are your thoughts on the New Orleans Saints-Dallas Cowboys Week 13 matchup? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] JETS OPEN AS 8-POINT ROAD UNDERDOGS VS TITANS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8759.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 28, 2018 | SPORTS
Jets Struggles Expected To Continue With Visit To Nashville
We learned last Sunday that the New York Jets haven’t packed it in for the season, but that doesn’t matter much when looking ahead to their Week 13 matchup.
The New York Jets are listed as +8 underdogs on the road this Sunday at Nissan Stadium vs. the Tennessee Titans.
The New York Jets (3-8) are coming off a 27-13 loss at MetLife Stadium to the New England Patriots.
Competitive throughout a game that saw them tied 10-10 at the half and 13-13 midway through the third quarter, New York’s offense led by 39-year-old backup Josh McCown couldn’t match Tom Brady and the Patriots offense point for point.
If there was a point of disapproval to be taken with New York’s performance, it was the fact they allowed 213 rushing yards and nearly 500 yards of offense in what was their fifth consecutive defeat.
The Tennessee Titans (5-6) are coming off a 34-17 loss on Monday night to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
For the second consecutive week, the Tennessee Titans defense was gashed by another division rival as Tennessee couldn’t slow Houston’s rushing attack, allowing a season-high 281 rushing yards.
They didn’t fare much better against the pass, allowing Deshaun Watson to complete 79 percent of his passes for 210 passing yards and two touchdowns.
The last time these two teams faced off was back in Week 14 of the 2015 season when New York battered Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans 30-8 at MetLife Stadium.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had the hot hand for the New York Jets as he threw for 263 passing yards and three touchdowns on the day.
New York’s defense got after Marcus Mariota, sacking him five times and intercepting him once as they limited Tennessee’s offense to 292 yards.
What are your thoughts on the New York Jets Week 13 matchup? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] GRIFFIN, PISTONS UPEND KNICKS IN DETROIT](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8758-1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 28, 2018 | SPORTS
The Knicks’ Three-Game Win Streak Is Over
The New York Knicks spent the first six weeks of the NBA season searching for consistency, as well as the players that would figure to be regulars in the starting rotation and off the bench. It took awhile, but David Fizdale’s team has slowly come along of late.
The team they were facing on Tuesday night could say the same.
The Detroit Pistons cooled off the New York Knicks with a 115-108 victory on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena to end New York’s three-game winning streak.
Blake Griffin scored a game-high 30 points for the Detroit Pistons as they won their third straight game and seventh out of their past 10.
Griffin didn’t have it going from downtown or from the field, but he was impactful in the paint, a hard man to guard for New York as he finished the game with 16 free throw attempts.
Free throws were in favor of Detroit on the night, who despite missing 13 free throws, made 32 of them. The New York Knicks made 27 of their 32 free throw attempts.
Oft inconsistent on offense, Stanley Johnson was an x-factor that New York could not handle as he scored 21 points, making seven of his nine shot attempts while creating havoic with three blocks and a steal in 28 minutes of action.
It was a tough shooting night for the New York Knicks from beyond the arc as well as in the paint as the Knicks scored just 38 points in the paint, a stat Detroit dominated in with 56 points in the paint.
New York trailed throughout this game after a brief 15-7 lead in the opening quarter. They fell behind by 16 points midway through the second quarter before closing the half strong to trail 51-43 in the Motor City.
Finding consistency and balance on both ends of the floor over their past three games coming in, New York could not find it in Detroit on Tuesday, trading baskets at their best and putting Detroit on the free throw line whenever they tried to rally.
Still, the team showed fight to the bitter end after trailing by 17 in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to seven points with 57.5 seconds to go before going on to lose by that exact spread to fall to 7-15 on the young season.
Allonzo Trier was fantastic for the New York Knicks, scoring a team-high 24 points to go along with career-highs of 10 rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes off the bench. Of most significant, his aggression and will to get to the rim and score as he also attempted 12 free throws, a new high for him as well.
Enes Kanter continued to be a strong presence on the glass and on offense as he finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, recording his 15th double-double of the 2018-19 campaign.
If you’re a Knicks fan, you may be getting concerned with Frank Ntilikina, who went scoreless on three shot attempts and picked up three fouls in 15 minutes off the bench.
Over the past three games he’s seen his minutes dip well below his pace to begin the season, where he averaged 30 minutes in October.
He’s shooting 32 percent from the field in November, mirroring his dreadful month of January last season when he shot 31 percent from the field. A liability on offense and not much of an upgrade on defense, keep an eye on David Fizdale’s usage of Ntilikina moving forward.
It’s not worth mentioning that he started 14 games for New York before being benched earlier this month in favor of Emmanuel Mudiay. Fizdale has made it clear that minutes are earned, and based off tonight, only a few Knicks guaranteed themselves more minutes in New York’s next matchup.
The New York Knicks will visit the city of Brotherly love for the first time this season as they play the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.
What are your thoughts on New York’s winning streak being snapped? Leave your comments below!
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 28, 2018 | SPORTS
Yikes!
Typically there’d be some type of introduction, but I felt so bad for DeAndre Ayton’s mom and his future kids that one day will be exposed to what Darren Collison did to him on Tuesday night.
Take a look.
We here at Sloppy Vinyl wish DeAndre Ayton nothing but the best for the rest of his rookie year because this is absolutely his worst…
Damn!!!
On a scale of 0-10, what are you rating this play? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] WILDER-FURY: FIVE QUESTIONS GOING INTO HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8752-1.jpg?resize=720%2C480&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 28, 2018 | SPORTS
There’s Only One!!!
On Saturday night the boxing world gets a long awaited heavyweight showdown that’s been years in the making as Deontay Wilder puts his WBC heavyweight title on the line against a man regarded as the lineal heavyweight champion in Tyson Fury live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Before this two undefeated warriors do battle, we’ll take a look at five questions going into the big the fight
Let’s get started.
Power vs. Technician, who has the edge?
Deontay Wilder brings with him to the ring concussive punch power that can floor any man at heavyweight, but his opponent that will stand across for him is not at all moved by that.
Standing at six-foot-nine, Tyson Fury is looking down to his six-foot-seven opponent Deontay Wilder. Besides the size advantage,Tyson Fury’s natural boxing instincts, ring generalship and hand speed give him the edge, with Wilder’s obvious game-changing power making him the bigger wildcard.
Fury has fought heavy punchers in the past, where as Deontay Wilder has not be put in with this level of opposition outside of Luis Ortiz, who we can say his fight with Wilder came three or four years too late despite ending up being a helluva contest.
Are Tyson Fury’s warmup bouts from this past year enough?
It’s been pointed out on numerous occasions that Tyson Fury is actually the younger man going into this fight, but he’s certainly not the fighter in better physical shape.
We saw Fury for the first time in more than two years back in June since his victory over Wladmir Klitschko back on November 28th, 2015.
In his first fight back, he won what looked more like a glorified exhibition for the fans over Sefer Seferi as Seferi quit after four rounds. He turned around and two months later defeated Francesco Pianeta by unanimous decision. Both of those fights were 10-Round bouts, which might speak to Fury’s shape and physique.
He is looking lighter in the lead up to this super-fight, much lighter than he did against Sefer Seferi, and that may bode well for him, but is a real question if either of those fights from this past year have him ready to face the WBC champion.
Will Tyson Fury’s Gameplan Prove To Be Deontay Wilder’s Achilles heel?
Not many fighters have had the tools to implement what Fury will likely try to on Saturday night at the Staples Center, and if he has it his way, fans aren’t going to get a high-stakes slugfest.
Much like he did to negate Wladmir Klitschko’s power Germany back in 2015, Fury will look to pat away with the jab, smother Wilder’s punches, and counter, all while giving him an assortment of angles.
It’s not a knock on Deontay Wilder, who proved he doesn’t need to knock his opponent out to win when he took a unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne in January 2015.
Will The Fight Sell?
Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza and Showtime put a great deal of money into promoting this heavyweight title matchup, and rightfully so. With their competitors HBO announcing in late September that they would be bowing out of the fight game, it’s a great opportunity for Showtime to reintroduce itself as a PPV presence.
This fight will be a test for Showtime, which is also partnered with Al Hamon’s Premier Boxing Champions.
Some have been pessimistic about Deontay Wilder’s drawing power. Despite a 40-0 mark with 39 coming by knockout, his inability to sellout home venues in Alabama have people concerned that there just isn’t much interest in a fighter who’s special quality or “it” factor has come at the expense of fighting relatively weak competition.
They should get a boost from Tyson Fury’s fan following in the UK as well as his natural charisma shining through in the lead-up to this fight, but one aspect that may throw a wrench in PPV numbers is that Tyson Fury remains relatively unknown in the United States, even with a victory over Wladmir Klitschko under his belt.
Will The Winner Get Anthony Joshua?
That seems to be a question more so for the other side, as in Eddie Hearn, who is Joshua’s promoter. Both fighters have wanted to get their hands on Joshua for quite some time now, with Wilder calling for that fight as early as the fall of 2015.
Tyson Fury, meanwhile, was in the middle of the heavyweight drama between Wilder and Joshua from earlier this year, as Fury took to throwing his name in the hat for Deontay Wilder after verbally assaulting Joshua for not agreeing to fight Wilder.
Eddie Hearn said that he’s looking at April or May in the UK for a fight with Deontay Wilder, but there hasn’t been much said about a potential Tyson Fury matchup.
Fingers crossed the winner of this contest gets a shot at A.J. in 2019.
What are your thoughts on Wilder-Fury? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 13 POWER RANKINGS: PLAYING SPOILER](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8749-1-1.jpg?resize=978%2C652&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 27, 2018 | SPORTS
Cowboys, Ravens, And Seahawks On The Rise
The NFL playoff picture is so convoluted at the moment that you’d waste a lot of man hours trying to figure out each and every playoff scenario here as we are entering the month of December.
How wild and crazy is the playoff picture? Well for one, the NFC East may not need a team with a winning record to win it while the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns actually have something to play for over the final five weeks.
In short, every game from here on out is critical for teams in the hunt, and a number of those teams will be squaring off with each other over the final five weeks of the season.
In this week’s power rankings I will be evaluating every team in the situation of playing “spoiler” over the final five weeks of the season, seeing exactly which teams can affect wildcard contenders as well as playoff contenders vying for divisional supremacy, a first round bye and home-field advantage.
Let’s begin!
1. New Orleans Saints (10-1)
The New Orleans Saints could ruin the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers playoff chances. Dallas is leading the NFC East, but could still get in as a wildcard with nine or 10 wins.
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-1)
The Los Angeles Rams could effectively end the Detroit Lions playoff hopes this Sunday at Ford Field while also spoiling the Philadelphia Eagles’ in Week 15, as Philadelphia remains in the hunt for the NFC East or a wildcard.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)
The Kansas City Chiefs could spoil the Seattle Seahawks chances at a wildcard spot with a victory over them in Week 16.
4. Chicago Bears (8-3)
To the joy of Chicago fans, the Chicago Bears could spoil the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings chances at wildcard spots. Minnesota, however, is still in well play for the NFC North.
5. New England Patriots (8-3)
The New England Patriots will have a chance to spoil the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills’ chances at the postseason. Two of those games are at home where they are undefeated.
6. Houston Texans (8-3)
The Houston Texans have an important game in two weeks with their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. Winning that game not only dents Indianapolis’ chances of a AFC South title, but also a wildcard.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a chance to dent Cincinnati’s playoff hopes at home in Week 17, but with Andy Dalton lost for the rest of the season, they may not have to. There’s also some team coming to town in Week 15.
8. Los Angeles Chargers (8-3)
The Los Angeles Chargers will have plenty of opportunities to play spoiler with three games remaining vs wildcard contenders, but the game they most are looking forward to is Week 17 at Denver where they can exact revenge for a Week 11 loss in Carson, California.
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5)
The Dallas Cowboys will have the opportunity to spoil the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts seasons. Both teams are in the hunt for their divisions.
10. Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1)
The Minnesota Vikings will have an opportunity to spoil Seattle’s season in Week 14 when they make the trip to the Pacific West.
11. Baltimore Ravens (6-5)
The Baltimore Ravens will have a chance to play spoiler in Week 16 vs the Los Angeles Chargers. Consider that Los Angeles has games with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs before, and this may be a pressure packed situation for the Chargers.
12. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
The Indianapolis Colts can play spoiler vs the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. Tennessee may be out of the hunt for a wildcard by the time that Week 17 matchup takes place.
13. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
The Seattle Seahawks have a pivotal matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, one in-which they’ll have an opportunity to leapfrog Minnesota in the playoff race while hurting Minnesota’s playoff chances.
14. Carolina Panthers (6-5)
The Carolina Panthers will have an opportunity in Week 16 to potentially ruin the Atlanta Falcons wildcard chances, but it may not be necessary with Atlanta’s upcoming schedule. They also have two games remaining with New Orleans in which they could keep New Orleans from home-field.
15. Washington Redskins (6-5)
If Washington wants any chance at the NFC East, they’ll have to beat the Philadelphia Eagles at least once. They’ll have two opportunities to do so, with one loss doing harm for Philadelphia’s playoff chances.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
The Philadelphia Eagles will have a chance to ruin the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins playoff chances. They have a total of three games vs those teams over the final five weeks of the season.
17. Tennessee Titans (5-6)
The Tennessee Titans have a chance to spoil Indianapolis and Washington’s playoff hopes. They’d most likely need to beat Indianapolis in Week 17 to make the postseason.
18. Denver Broncos (5-6)
The Denver Broncos can spoil one of their AFC wildcard competitors season next week when they face the Cincinnati Bengals, and then in Week 17 when they host the Los Angeles Chargers.
19. Cleveland Browns (4-6-1)
The Cleveland Browns are a dangerous team that over their final five games will have the opportunity to spoil playoff contenders vying for a division title or a wildcard spot seasons. All five of their remaining opponents, which include the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, are in the hunt.
20. Green Bay Packers (4-6-1)
Green Bay may not get into the postseason even if they run the table, but if they do, they could potentially ruin Chicago’s chances at a division title with a win at Soldier Field in Week 15.
21. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
Miami has little margin for error at this point of the season, and mathematically they can derail the Bills faint postseason chances next week. They also can negatively affect New England’s playoff standing with a victory over them in Week 14.
22. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
The Atlanta Falcons are on the verge of missing the postseason, and if they do, they’ll have a chance to keep the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers on the outside with them.
23. Detroit Lions (4-7)
Detroit is another team a loss away from being virtually eliminated from the postseason picture. As much as that saddens and angers Lions fans, being a hindrance to Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings playoff chances in the final two weeks may be just what the doctor ordered.
24. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)
The Cincinnati Bengals have dropped five out of their past six games, and with Dalton lost, perhaps keeping Pittsburgh from a first-round bye and Los Angeles and Denver from the postseason can serve as consolation prizes for a team unlikely to make the postseason.
25. Buffalo Bills (4-7)
The Buffalo Bills are unlikely to win out to and get help to make the postseason, but they could do damage to Miami’s playoff chances, with games against them in Week 13 and Week 17.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can potentially keep New Orleans from the number one seed in the NFC playoffs while hurting a number of other playoff hopefuls chances.
27. New York Giants (3-8)
The New York Giants have remaining games against the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins. All three of those teams are vying for division titles.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have five remaining games against teams in the playoff hunt, three of those happen to be divisional rivals.
29. New York Jets (3-8)
The New York Jets have four remaining games against teams vying for a playoff spot, they could keep New England from a first round bye with an improbable upset in Week 17.
30. San Francisco 49ers (2-9)
The San Francisco 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks twice over the final five weeks of the season and the Los Angeles Rams once. They could damage Los Angeles’ chances at the first round bye or hurt Seattle’s at a wildcard spot.
31. Arizona Cardinals (2-9)
The Cardinals can do significant damage to the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks playoff chances with road victories. They also wouldn’t mind keeping Los Angeles from a first round bye.
32. Oakland Raiders (2-9)
The Oakland Raiders have the Kansas City Chiefs twice over the final five weeks of the season, as well as matchups with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos. They could shake up the playoff picture with wins over the the first two teams mentioned.
What are your thoughts on this week’s NFL power rankings? Leave your comments below!
