![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 9 PICKS: SAINTS END RAMS UNDEFEATED SEASON](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8425-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 1, 2018 | SPORTS
NFC Showdown, Brady-Rodgers, Steelers-Ravens Highlight Week 9 Slate
Week 8 Results: 13-1
Record this season: 77-44
Boy was it a good week picking games for the Sports Buzzer!!!
After a lackluster 9-5 Week 7, I got back on track in a big way with a 13-1 week that turned my disastrous season to that point into a salvageable and even successful season in some respects.
A record like last week’s is going to be harder to come by as their are a number of tight matchups expected.
The NFL Week 9 slate features must-see television in the later afternoon and on Sunday night.
The top two teams in the NFC collide as Drew Brees leads the 6-1 New Orleans Saints into battle with Todd Gurley and the 8-0 Los Angeles Rams at the Superdome.
In the night cap game, two of the greatest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen will likely do battle for the last time as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots host Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium.
Up to this point, it’s the most exciting slate of games this season and I look forward to seeing which contenders make statements.
With that said, here are my picks for Week 9 of the NFL season.
Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers
With the Raiders lack of pass rush, even a quarterback like C.J. Beathard will excel at levels not usual of them. The 49ers have the better defense and better rushing attack and should thrive on a Thursday night stage at home vs their Bay area rivals.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers 35 Oakland Raiders 27
Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
Derek Anderson left last Monday’s game with an arm injury which now shoehorns Nathan Peterman as starting quarterback this Sunday. Even without Khalil Mack to terrorize the Bills offense, the Bears are still plenty formidable on defense. Keep the interception ticker ready for this one.
Prediction: Chicago Bears 23 Buffalo Bills 7
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
The Kansas City Chiefs are plenty explosive, with the only negative of late being that Patrick Mahomes has tossed at least one interception over his last four games. He’ll likely throw another vs Cleveland’s defense, but Cleveland’s struggles vs the run should make this a noteworthy day for running back Kareem Hunt.
Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 34 Cleveland Browns 16
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have had their teams deal with significant injuries that have them looking behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East. The Jets have gone on to score 17, 13, and 10 points in their last three road games. Their road woes will continue here vs the Dolphins,
Prediction: Miami Dolphins 25 New York Jets 21
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings in years past have struggled with the Detroit Lions and that may continue here if Minnesota is still ailing going into this game. The loss of Anthony Barr, Andrew Sendejo and Xavier Rhodes was noticeable last Sunday night vs New Orleans. If there’s a sign they’ll turn it around, it’s the fact that Detroit has allowed a 114.2 Passer Rating to opposing quarterbacks, second worst behind Tampa Bay.
Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 24 Detroit Lions 16
Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are leading the NFC East, but fans have had to hold their breath watching their offense put points on the board. The Redskins have averaged 20.9 PPG (25th in NFL) but face a team ranked 30th in defense and 20th vs the run. I also like the Redskins chances of slowing down Atlanta’s offense with their secondary which just added Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at the trade deadline.
Prediction: Washington Redskins 26 Atlanta Falcons 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers offense broke out last Sunday for a season-high 36 points. This Sunday they face a team with a formidable offense that’s going back to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has 13 touchdowns to five interceptions on the year. Carolina’s pass rush has been inconsistent, but if the game turns into a shootout they’ll have the luxury of getting to face the NFL’s 29th ranked defensive unit.
Prediction: Carolina Panthers 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
If Baltimore needs anymore motivation to end this recent funk they’ve found themselves in, they have it in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh can look to gain control over this division having already defeated Cleveland and Cincinnati. They do have a loss to Baltimore at home, one they’ll one to get back, but here’s the key. Jimmy Smith is back for Baltimore and last time they faced Pittsburgh they held Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster to a combined 9 catches for 102 receiving yards on 22 targets while also holding Roethlisberger to a 72.5 Passer Rating.
Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 23 Pittsburgh Steelers 16
Houston Texans at Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are tough at home and this is a particularly tough road environment on young quarterbacks. The thought of Deshaun Watson having to rely on this offensive line on the road is a scary thought. The question becomes, Can Denver duplicate their stifling run defense from the past two weeks? I think so.
Prediction: Denver Broncos 20 Houston Texans 17
Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks
How do you handle the noise factor in Seattle? Run the ball. That’s exactly what the Los Angeles Chargers have the capability of doing with Melvin Gordon in the backfield. It won’t be easy by any stretch considering this is a pick em matchup if there ever was one, but I’ll roll with the Chargers winning a close one away from home. After all, they’ve played the equivalent of seven road games this season with their home field disadvantage.
Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers 26 Seattle Seahawks 24
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
This is the if-they-don’t-lose-here-they-may-never-lose game for the Los Angeles Rams, but that has more to do with the Saints than it does with Los Angeles. Los Angeles has shown holes defensively, holes in which a team that can match their offensive firepower can fully exploit. Expect plenty of points and a key turnover created by the Saints defense at some point of this game.
Prediction: New Orleans Saints 38 Los Angeles Rams 33
Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots
We all want to believe this is as high octane of an offensive matchup as the one we saw a few weeks ago between Kansas City and New England, but that’s not the case. The Packers offense is not explosive, the offensive line has dealt with inconsistency and for as good as Aaron Rodgers is when fully healthy, as long as he’s wearing that knee brace he’s compromised in some degree. New England is 4-0 at home and typically dominate.
Prediction: New England Patriots 30 Green Bay Packers 23
Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans are both coming off bye weeks, maybe more critical for Dallas as they had a bye week to incorporate a game-plan for newly acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper. The Titans can be had in the secondary despite being strong in the red zone. It’ll be up to Tennessee’s offense to figure out a Dallas defense thats surrendering the second fewest points in the NFL this season (17.6 PPG).
Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 24 Tennessee Titans 14
What are your thoughts on the NFL Week 9 games? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] DINWIDDIE SAVES NETS, HELPS END SKID](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8424-1-1.jpg?resize=750%2C422&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 1, 2018 | SPORTS
Sixth Man Shows Up Clutch For BKN
Each year Spencer Dinwiddie has continued to improve as an NBA player, something his former team he went up against on Wednesday night can attest to.
To their dismay.
The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Detroit Pistons 120-119 in overtime on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center to snap their three-game losing skid.
Spencer Dinwiddie played the hero for the Brooklyn Nets on Halloween as he hit two clutch baskets near the end of regulation and overtime, the latter a game-winning 3-point shot with 7.9 seconds remaining, to help Brooklyn slide past Detroit.
Dinwiddie led the Nets with a team-high 25 points, which also represents his season-high and second consecutive game as Brooklyn’s high point man.
Not to go unmentioned, but another key role player for the Brooklyn Nets, Joe Harris, who scored 23 points on the night.
The game went into overtime after the Nets rallied in the fourth quarter, tying the game ultimately on a Spencer Dinwiddie 3-pointer with 21.0 seconds remaining in the fourth.
With Nets’ guard D’Angelo Russell mired in a awful shooting night (6 points, 3-for-15 FG), it was the fifth-year guard out of Colorado who more than made up for it.
The Brooklyn Nets (3-5) did well to limit Detroit’s productivity on the offensive end, holding them to 42 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc.
Blake Griffin scored 25 points and finished with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in 42 minutes.
His game-winning attempt from 18-feet away would fall short and Caris LeVert would sky for the rebound to secure the win.
Andre Drummond dominated the Nets once again as he scored 24 points to go along with 23 rebounds, collecting his second 20-20 game against Brooklyn in as many matchups.
It was close last time these two played on opening night when Detroit edged Brooklyn 103-100, and it was yet again a nail biter down the stretch as both teams struggled to get it going offensively from the perimeter.
For Brooklyn, it’s a rebound effort after completely nosediving vs the New York Knicks on Monday in a 115-96 loss in Madison Square Garden.
Things were dicey throughout, but for Kenny Atkinson’s team, it’s a much needed win over a team that held a victory over them coming into the night.
The Brooklyn Nets will host the struggling Houston Rockets on Friday night at the Barclays Center.
What are your thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets win? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] KNICKS CAN’T FINISH IN FOURTH ONCE AGAIN IN LOSS AT MSG](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img_8423-1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Nov 1, 2018 | SPORTS
Woes Late In Games Continue For Young Knicks
There were a few can’t miss dress-ups and costumes on display at the Garden for Halloween night.
And also another Knicks loss.
The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 107-100 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden as the Knicks dropped their sixth out of their last seven.
The New York Knicks (2-6) had no answers for Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis, who tied a career-high with 30 points on a perfect shooting night from the field.
Sabonis knocked down all 12 of his field goal attempts, with his only miss of the night coming from the charity stripe.
Indiana All-Star guard Victor Oladipo chipped in with 24 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block.
For the second time in three games, the New York Knicks could not close out a game on their home floor as they once again failed to do what good teams do.
The New York Knicks entered the fourth quarter with a 81-77, but stood by idle as Victor Oladipo charged the Pacers with 11 fourth quarter points as Indiana outscored New York 30-20 in the period.
Tim Hardaway Jr. did all he could to try to give the Knicks their first winning streak of the season as he scored 37 points, hitting seven 3-pointers on hot shooting night.
Noah Vonleh had a strong double-double showing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
Allonzo Trier would lead all Knicks off the bench with a efficient performance as he hit six of his seven field goal attempts to give him 14 points on the night.
Frank Ntilikina struggled with his shot (2-for-8 FG) on Wednesday night, but finished with seven assists in 33 minutes as he and Damyean Dotson (32 minutes) continued to outpace the bench in minutes.
The New York Knicks shot 48 percent from 3-point range while holding Indiana to 30 percent, but David Fizdale’s team was overpowered in the paint.
The Indiana Pacers outscored the New York Knicks 64-32 in the paint, a big reason why Indiana shot 54 percent on the night compared to 43 percent for New York.
David Fizdale could live with his team allowing Victor Oladipo to go for 30 points, but Domantas Sabonis?
Maybe if Sabonis took 40 shots while doing so, but on Wednesday, he needed just 12, and he hardly broke a sweat in his 21 minutes of action before fouling out with 1:17 left in the game.
A lack of defense in the paint has hurt the Knicks ability to hold leads or build on them in a number of their losses, and tonight was no different.
The New York Knicks will begin a two-game road trip with a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Friday night as they look for their first road win.
What are your thoughts on the Knicks latest defeat? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] ALABAMA, CLEMSON, LSU, AND NOTRE DAME TOP CFP RANKINGS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8412-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 30, 2018 | SPORTS
Crimson Tide Atop CFP Rankings
On Tuesday night the College Football Playoff committee released their top 25 rankings with Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Notre Dame rounding out the top four in that order.
The complete top 25 rankings are below
1. Alabama (8-0)
2. Clemson (8-0)
3. LSU (7-1)
4. Notre Dame (8-0)
5. Michigan (7-1)
6. Georgia (7-1)
7. Oklahoma (7-1)
8. Washington State (7-1)
9. Kentucky (7-1)
10. Ohio State (7-1)
11. Florida (6-2)
12. UCF (7-0)
13. West Virginia (6-1)
14. Penn State (6-2)
15. Utah (6-2)
16. Iowa (6-2)
17. Texas (6-2)
18. Mississippi State (5-3)
19. Syracuse (6-2)
20. Texas A&M (5-3)
21. NC State (5-2)
22. Boston College (6-2)
23. Fresno State (7-1)
24. Iowa State (4-3)
25. Virginia (6-2)
Playoff implications are set to change drastically one way or another as No. 1 Alabama is set for a major showdown with No. 3 LSU this Saturday in the Bayou.
Elsewhere, No. 5 Michigan will be tested at home vs No. 14 Penn State while No. 6 Georgia and No. 9 Kentucky do battle Lexington.
Consider the chaos of an Alabama loss, do they drop out of the top five? Does LSU jump Clemson for the No. 1 spot?
In an unlikely scenario, Kentucky could move all the way up to the No. 3 spot or No. 4 spot with a win over Georgia and a upset loss from anyone in the top four.
What are your thoughts on the first College Football Playoff top 25? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NFL TRADE DEADLINE: WINNERS AND LOSERS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8408-1.jpg?resize=1080%2C675&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 30, 2018 | SPORTS
Eagles Among Winners At Trade Deadline
Today marked the NFL trade deadline which is the final day where trades can be made by teams.
On a day with anticipated movement and shopping, we saw NFC East contenders get stronger, other contenders stand pat and some teams struggling do away with key players.
Here I will be dissecting who I thought won the day and who I thought lost it.
Let’s take a look.
Trade Deadline Winners
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots saw teams in the AFC East sit on their hands at the NFL trade deadline while teams expected to try to wrest away the AFC crown from them also were quiet.
It was surprising to not see the Chiefs look to add some secondary help with the uncertainty surrounding Eric Berry’s health and availability.
That’s a win for New England, who continue to round into form after five consecutive wins. New England plays its best football in November and December, so today may be looked at as a missed opportunity for teams like the Chargers, Steelers and Chiefs.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia made a huge addition to their team by adding the Lions top pass catcher over the past five seasons in Golden Tate.
Tate brings versatility at the wide receiver position, specifically in the slot where Philly has struggled to get production from this season.
There are a number of interesting ways coach Doug Pederson will look to utilize the 30-year-old receiver, just count Carson Wentz in as a happy man on this day.
Washington Redskins
That’s one way to curtail a huge trade by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Redskins grabbed one of the better safeties in the NFL in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on Tuesday which now gives Washington one of the premier secondaries in the NFL that’s anchored by D.J. Swearinger.
HaHa Clinton-Dix was the best player in the Green Bay Packers secondary as their move to send Clinton-Dix in a trade was more about cap space.
Trade Deadline Losers
Houston Texans
While replacing an injured Will Fuller with one of the best receivers in the NFL in Demaryius Thomas is a thumb up, Houston’s need for an offensive lineman at either the left tackle or right tackle position was more of a need.
Deshaun Watson has been sacked a league-high 26 times, although he has only been sacked once over the past two weeks.
Los Angeles Rams
It’s quite a gamble on Los Angeles’ part to do away with draft picks for a relatively inconsistent and unproven young player like Dante Fowler, who was lost in a part-time role for a defense once considered the best in the NFL.
Fowler has two sacks on the season, and the Rams pass rush minus Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh has been mostly a disappoint. The Rams are hoping he can help change that, but for a 2019 third round pick and 2020 fifth round pick? The Jaguars won this trade.
New York Giants
The Giants traded away Eli Apple and Damon Harrison last week, but they saw the Cowboys, Eagles, and Redskins all get richer by adding players who can contribute to a contender now, not later.
In a way, whether you consider the Giants losers or not at the trade deadline is perfectly acceptable. New York at 1-7 have seen their season basically come to an end, with the remaining eight games likely to be used as an evaluation.
What are your thoughts on today’s NFL Trade Deadline? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 9 POWER RANKINGS: EVERY TEAM’S TOUGHEST REMAINING GAME](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8405-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 30, 2018 | SPORTS
Redskins Rise In This Week’s Power Rankings
We are officially past the halfway point of the 2018 regular-season and while that’s something that should bring most of us sadness, there’s a second half of football left to be played and a number of division races on-going.
This week’s power rankings don’t see much movement in the top five, but there are two new teams who moved into the top 10 group.
We will be taking a look at all 32 teams and revealing the toughest remaining game for each team the rest of the season.
Let’s get started.
1. Los Angeles Rams (8-0)
The undefeated Los Angeles Rams will be in tough next Sunday afternoon as they visit the red-hot New Orleans Saints who dating back to last season only has two losses at the Superdome
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-1)
The Kansas City Chiefs toughest remaining game will be in a few weeks when they play the Los Angeles Rams in New Mexico on Monday Night Football.
3. New Orleans Saints (6-1)
The New Orleans Saints do have the Los Angeles Rams next week, but looking ahead, a Week 15 Monday Night Football matchup vs the Carolina Panthers on the road appears to be their most difficult game remaining.
4. New England Patriots (6-2)
The Patriots will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, just as they did last year when they won a 27-24 nail-biter at Heinz Field.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)
Try winning on a short week in Arrowhead. That will be Los Angeles’ task come Week 15 when they visit the Kansas City Chiefs for a Thursday night tilt.
6. Carolina Panthers (5-2)
If it continues the way it is, there’s no question New Orleans and Carolina will be on a collision course for the NFC South. A Week 17 matchup in New Orleans will be difficult.
7. Washington Redskins (5-2)
The Philadelphia Eagles will provide these first place Redskins with a difficult matchup in Week 13 at Lincoln Financial Field, which is a Monday nighter.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2-1)
There’s a Week 16 matchup in New Orleans that will be tough, but facing a Baltimore Ravens team coming off consecutive losses that will be desperate playing in front of their home crowd next Sunday will be a major litmus test for the Steelers.
9. Chicago Bears (4-3)
The Chicago Bears will be at home in the cold, but a Week 14 visit from the Los Angeles Rams will be a great test at Soldier Field.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
It’s gonna be a bumpy road for Philadelphia to try to make the postseason with road visits to New Orleans and Los Angeles still on the docket, of the two, Los Angeles is the more challenging matchup.
11. Houston Texans (5-3)
A Week 16 matchup in Philadelphia is one of the few hurdles left for this Houston Texans team on a five-game winning streak
12. Baltimore Ravens (4-4)
A Week 14 matchup in Kansas City is the hardest remaining game for the Baltimore Ravens, who need to start getting wins fast after losing three out of their last four games.
13. Minnesota Vikings (4-3-1)
A Week 13 matchup in Foxboro with the New England Patriots will be tough on Minnesota, especially considering they have a games with Green Bay and Chicago right before.
14. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
Seattle is on a roll, but a visit to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in Week 10 will pose Seattle with a daunting challenge.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
The Bengals get a home visit from the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, a difficult matchup given Cincinnati’s woes on the defensive side of the ball.
16. Green Bay Packers (3-3-1)
The Green Bay Packers are in the middle of a brutal stretch against playoff contenders on the road, their next will be their hardest game remaining as they take on the Patriots.
17. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
The Atlanta Falcons will visit the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving, and considering the injuries Atlanta has continued to pile up on defense, a horrible matchup for Dan Quinn’s team.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
A visit from the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 represents the toughest remaining game for the slumping Jacksonville Jaguars.
19. Detroit Lions (3-4)
The Detroit Lions will get a road visit from the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, a matchup coach Matt Patricia is not looking forward to.
20. Miami Dolphins (4-4)
The Miami Dolphins toughest remaining game is a home game in Miami against the New England Patriots in Week 14, a place where they’ve had surprising success against them.
21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
The Dallas Cowboys defense will be tested vs the New Orleans Saints in Week 13 as Dallas’ offense will be challenged with scoring points to make it a game.
22. Tennessee Titans (3-4)
The Tennessee Titans have a Monday Night Football road game in Week 12 vs a Houston Texans team that’s on fire.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a difficult game at M&T Bank Stadium to face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15.
24. Cleveland Browns (2-5-1)
The Cleveland Browns will get a visit from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs next Sunday as they’ll look to stop the bleeding.
25. New York Jets (3-5)
The Patriots typically have something to play for, and considering the Jets likely won’t, a Week 17 game at Gillette Stadium will be their most difficult game this season.
26. Denver Broncos (3-5)
The Broncos will have to start getting division wins soon, and one key one in Week 11 on the road vs the Los Angeles Chargers will be a very hard one to get.
27. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
A visit to NRG Stadium to face the Houston Texans in Week 14 May be the difference in Indianapolis winning or losing the AFC South.
28. Buffalo Bills (2-6)
The Buffalo Bills will travel to face the New England Patriots in Week 16, a matchup that doesn’t favor the Bills in anyway historically.
29. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)
The Arizona Cardinals will be visiting the Kansas City Chiefs in a few weeks which should pose a significant test for an improving Cardinals defense.
30. San Francisco 49ers (1-7)
The San Francisco 49ers visit to Seattle in Week 13 will be a revenge game for Richard Sherman, but it may get ugly quickly for his 49ers.
31. New York Giants (1-7)
The New York Giants have a Week 14 matchup at FedEx Field vs the Washington Redskins, a game the Redskins in all likelihood will be fighting hard to get during a potential NFC East race.
32. Oakland Raiders (1-6)
The Oakland Raiders will visit Arrowhead Stadium in Week 17, a game Kansas City may need if they stumble between now and then.
What are your thoughts on this week’s NFL power rankings? Leave your comments below!
