![[SPORTS] ZION WILLIAMSON SHINES IN BLUE DEVILS DEBUT](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8476-2.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 7, 2018 | SPORTS
Williamson Delivers Strong Opening Impression In Duke’s Blowout Over Kentucky
All eyes were on freshman phenom Zion Williamson on Tuesday night as he took the floor for the very first time at the collegiate level as No. 4 Duke began its regular-season with No. 2 Kentucky.
Under the bright lights, Williamson showed off just about all of the athletic ability, god-given talent and intangibles that people have raved about since his high-school days.
Zion Williamson finished the game with 28 points, seven rebounds and a block in the Duke Blue Devils 118-84 annihilation of the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday night.
His first basket of the game would be a 3-pointer on the left wing. A few minutes later, he would take off for a dunk on in transition as he put down a two-handed flush to extend Duke’s lead to 19.
He picked up two fouls in the first half but would play much of the half as coach Mike Krzyzewski showed confidence in his freshman in avoid a third foul in the half.
In the second half, he put on a dunking clinic against the Wildcats with a putback slam and a right handed slam proving to be the highlights as he made 11-of-13 shots from the field.
A YouTube sensation for his amazing dunks before and during games while in High-School at Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina, Williamson is one of the most exciting prospects the NBA has seen in quite sometime.
There’s no exaggeration in saying that the 18-year-old NBA prospect was a big a deal before even stepping foot on the court Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana.
He’s polished with his left hand, can put the ball on the floor from the top of the key and shows confidence in shooting the ball from downtown.
While he’s particularly undersized for the four spot at six-foot-six, his incredible leaping ability to go along with his high motor and relentlessness on the boards is something that can make up for that.
What’s scary if you’re looking at the Duke Blue Devils is that fellow freshman forward RJ Barrett may have looked even more impressive than Williamson.
Barrett scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in just the first half and he made it look easy, scoring at the basket and from downtown as no one could come close to slowing him down.
With that duo likely being a formidable one to go along with the rest of the talent that exists on the team. The question becomes, how do you go about guarding this talented basketball team?
This is going to be a fun season in the world of college basketball and Zion Williamson is surely to be the face of it for the 2018-19 season.
Is Zion Williamson worth the hype? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NETS GET DEFENSIVE IN ROAD WIN IN PHOENIX](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8474.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 7, 2018 | SPORTS
Brooklyn Flexes Defensive Muscles In Victory
A move out West to begin a four-game road trip may bring the best out of the Brooklyn Nets if Tuesday night was any indication.
The Brooklyn Nets drubbed the Phoenix Suns 104-82 on Tuesday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
The leading man for the Nets scoring-wise these first few weeks into the season, Caris LeVert scored a game-high 26 points to go along with five rebounds in the victory.
Five different Nets would end up in double figures, including Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored 12 points off the bench for Brooklyn.
The Nets came into this one as a team just in the upper half in terms of field goal percentage defense.
On Tuesday night they turned in their best defensive performance of the season to this point as they locked down the youthful Phoenix Suns.
The Brooklyn Nets held the Phoenix Suns to 34 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
In the first half the Phoenix Suns were limited to just 10 points in the paint, a stat that shows second-year Jarrett Allen was a force in defending the painted area.
He limited the first overall pick in this past year’s NBA Draft in DeAndre Ayton to 35 percent shooting from the field, although Ayton finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Devin Booker would lead the Phoenix Suns with 20 points on the night, but he too struggled with his shot as he was limited to 28 percent shooting.
In addition to dominating the Suns on the defensive side of the ball, the Nets outscored the Suns 21-10 in fastbreak points as well as a huge 54-30 edge in points in the paint.
The Brooklyn Nets (5-6) overcame the hex of being unable to win back-to-back games this season and their road trip is off to a stellar start.
Kenny Atkinson is doing an amazing job of with his rotations, forcing teams into mismatches with a lot of off-ball action and strong pick and roll play as LeVert is reaping the benefits of Brooklyn’s offensive sets.
Sure, they’d like to shoot better than 9-for-36 from beyond the arc, but when you’re playing as tight-knit as a unit defensively as well as they did tonight, no one’s complaining.
The next game will provide the Brooklyn Nets with a more difficult test as they try to slow down a red-hot Denver Nuggets team that sits at 9-1 to begin the year.
The Brooklyn Nets will visit the Pepsi Center to take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday night as they eye three consecutive wins.
What are your takeaways from Brooklyn’s dominant victory on Tuesday night? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] MICHIGAN MOVES INTO TOP FOUR IN NEW CFP RANKINGS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8468-4.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 7, 2018 | SPORTS
Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan Round Up Top Four
The top four has a new team inserted into the mix for the College Football Playoff as anticipated following this past weekend’s results.
The Michigan Wolverines moved up to the No. 4 spot in Tuesday night’s College Football Playoff rankings.
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers remain No. 1 and No. 2 respectively while Notre Dame moved up to No. 3 in the rankings after being No. 4 last week.
The Michigan Wolverines, who were ranked No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff rankings last week, dominated the Penn State Nittany Lions in a 42-7 drubbing in Ann Arbor last Saturday.
Jim Harbaugh’s team reaped the benefits of a No. 1 vs No. 3 matchup last Saturday night in Baton Rouge as the Alabama Crimson Tide shutout the LSU Tigers 29-0.
Michigan (8-1) will play Rutgers and Indiana next before their huge collision with the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 24th in Columbus.
Here are the complete top 25 rankings below.
1. Alabama (9-0)
2. Clemson (9-0)
3. Notre Dame (9-0)
4. Michigan (8-1)
5. Georgia (8-1)
6. Oklahoma (8-1)
7. Washington State (8-1)
8. West Virginia (8-1)
9. Ohio State (8-1)
10. LSU (7-2)
11. UCF (8-0)
12. Kentucky (7-2)
13. Mississippi State (6-3)
14. Syracuse (7-2)
15. Florida (6-3)
16. NC State (6-2)
17. Boston College (7-2)
18. Iowa State (5-3)
19. Texas (6-3)
20. Penn State (6-3)
21. Utah (6-3)
22. Fresno State (8-1)
23. Washington (7-3)
24. Michigan State (6-3)
25. Utah State (8-1)
What are your thoughts on this week’s CFP rankings? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NEW YORK GIANTS OPEN AS 3-POINT UNDERDOGS ON THE ROAD VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8466-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 7, 2018 | SPORTS
G-Men Look To End Four-Game Slide
The NFL world didn’t know who Nick Mullens was until last Thursday night. Now that Vegas knows, they’re inclined to jump on the second-year quarterback’s bandwagon.
The New York Giants are listed as +3 underdogs on the road at Levi’s Stadium vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
The New York Giants (1-7) have lost their past five games, with their most recent defeat happening back in Week 8 in a 20-13 loss to the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants offense was stagnant and bottled up by the Redskins as they went 2-for-14 on third down while averaging 4.9 yards per pass. Eli Manning also threw two interceptions as New York’s offense wasted a strong effort by their defense once again.
The San Francisco 49ers (2-7) are coming off a 34-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders last Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium as they snapped a six-game losing streak.
Not knowing who their starter would be before the game, Kyle Shanahan went with Nick Mullens at quarterback for an injured C.J. Beathard, and it would be a night to remember for Mullens.
The undrafted second-year quarterback torched the Oakland Raiders for 262 passing yards and three touchdown passes in an electric NFL debut.
San Francisco also dominated the game in the trenches, recording seven sacks on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr while rushing for 143 rushing yards on offense.
The former is terrible news for the G-Men, who’s offensive line could be in for a horrible night if the 49ers pass rush can resemble anything like what we saw last Thursday.
The San Francisco 49ers ended a winless start last season with a 31-21 win over the New York Giants back in Week 10 last season.
C.J. Beathard dissected the Giants defense for 288 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception in the win as the Giants allowed three pass plays of +40 yards in the loss.
Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard would have a huge day in the loss as he finished with 11 receptions for a career-high 142 receiving yards.
What are your thoughts on the New York Giants Week 10 matchup? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NEW YORK JETS OPEN AS 7-POINT FAVORITES AT HOME VS BUFFALO BILLS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8467-1-1.jpg?resize=768%2C431&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 7, 2018 | SPORTS
Jets Looking To Turnaround Their Season vs Lowly AFC East Foes
Sam Darnold and Gang Green haven’t done much of anything right of late, but they’re expected to win comfortably vs. a team going through far worse issues in their upcoming game.
The New York Jets have opened as -7 point favorites by the Las Vegas Sportsbook for this Sunday’s home game at MetLife Stadium vs the Buffalo Bills.
The New York Jets (3-6) are coming off a disheartening 13-6 loss at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday as they dropped their third straight game. Sam Darnold threw four interceptions in the loss and he leads the NFL in interceptions this season with 14.
The Jets defense showed up to the game, limiting the Miami Dolphins to 168 total yards of offense and a 3-for-16 conversion rate on third down, but that would be all as Darnold has seen a constant regression over these past three games with a team hurting at wide receiver.
The Buffalo Bills (2-7) have hit the skids as well as a 41-9 loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday at New Era Field sent them to a fourth consecutive loss.
The Buffalo Bills can’t score points, and that continued in Week 9 with social media punching bag Nathan Peterman throwing three more interceptions for Buffalo as the Bills were down to their third string quarterback for the game.
The last time the New York Jets locked horns with their AFC East rivals, the Jets picked up a 34-21 victory back in Week 9 last season.
New York dominated this game in every facet imaginable as they held the Buffalo Bills offense in check until the game was out of reach with under six minutes remaining in the game.
The Jets offense pounded out 194 rushing yards as a team and forced the Bills into three turnovers while limiting LeSean McCoy into 25 rushing yards on 12 carries.
What are your thoughts on the New York Jets Week 10 matchup with the Buffalo Bills? Leave your comments below!
![[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!
