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by sloppyvinyl | Oct 18, 2018 | SPORTS
Baltimore Puts A Halt To Saints Four-Game Win Streak
Week 6 Results: 11-4
Record this season: 55-38
As we enter Week 7 of the NFL season and I am left asking myself this question, do the New York Jets truly have something special in Sam Darnold?
As most know four rookie quarterbacks won their starts in Week 5, the first time that’s ever happened in the NFL. In Week 6, all but one of those quarterbacks lost their starts and that one quarterback was Sam Darnold.
Now I get it, Sam Darnold didn’t have to face the Los Angeles Chargers or the Minnesota Vikings. We’ll give Josh Allen a pass considering he was injured during his start vs the Houston Texans.
With that said, between the four quarterbacks Sam Darnold looks like the most poise and the most accurate of the four and you’ll love this one: An actual franchise quarterback.
I know he throws his share of interceptions and most likely he’ll throw one or a couple vs a superior Vikings team this Sunday, but if I’m a Jets fan you have to exercise caution at what you may see from this 21-year-old quarterback.
Growing pains come with young quarterbacks, Darnold doesn’t have the Chiefs wide receivers or Bears defense, but what he has that we can say that Patrick Mahomes has certainly displayed is the ‘look’.
The Week 7 slate features a low maintenance list of games as an early matchup that sees Tom Brady and Patriots visiting Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears as a must-see game.
Later on Sunday afternoon we’ll see Drew Brees, a touchdown away from reaching the 500 TD club, face a ferocious Ravens defense that’s allowing a league low 12.8 PPG as the Saints visit M&T Bank Stadium.
Without further or do, here are my NFL Week 7 picks.
Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals welcome a Denver Broncos team that has allowed a 200-yard rusher over the last two weeks. David Johnson has not looked like his 2016 self, but this is a favorable matchup to get him going.
For the Denver Broncos, the road has not been well traveled. Dating back to last season the Denver Broncos are 1-9 on the road with a -137 point differential.
Prediction: Arizona Cardinals 24 Denver Broncos 14
Tennessee Titans vs Los Angeles Chargers
The only question that may exist regarding the outcome for this game is by how many points will Los Angeles win by? In all seriousness, Tennessee’s offense is in shambles and Los Angeles has rolled to three consecutive victories.
This is a team that’s turned it around from last season’s 0-4 start and since then have won 13 out of their past 18 games. Chargers get an easy victory in Wembley over a skidding Titans team.
Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers 31 Tennessee Titans 13
Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have lost four consecutive games, but the positive takeaway from their latest loss was the emergence of running back Marlon Mack, who finished with 89 rushing yards on just 12 carries last week vs the Jets in his return. The Bills have been stingy defensively vs the run of late and are only allowing 15 PPG over the past four games.
Derek Anderson will start in place of an injured Josh Allen, and I imagine he will be under pressure vs an Indianapolis Colts defense which is tied for 3rd in sacks.
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 20 Buffalo Bills 17
Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins
A matchup coming off a bye week vs a Brock Osweiler led Dolphins team may seem like a walk in the park on paper, but not so. The Dolphins put up 500+ yards of offense on a Bears defense ranked among tops in the NFL last Sunday and they too were coming off a bye week.
If there’s a reason for optimism, however, it would be that Detroit has the capability to put pressure on Osweiler and rush him into poor decisions. I’m banking on that being the case here.
Prediction: Detroit Lions 21 Miami Dolphins 16
Minnesota Vikings at New York Jets
The Jets score a lot of points when they win and score few points when they lose. The Vikings are coming into their own and figure to challenge the Jets secondary which just a few weeks ago let Blake Bortles carve them up for 388 passing yards.
It’s not as close of a matchup as Vegas (Minnesota -3.5) has it in actuality. Adam Thielen reaches the 100-yard mark for a seventh straight game to begin the season.
Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 30 New York Jets 19
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears
While I have my own worries about New England’s offensive line going into this matchup with a scary Bears defense, I can’t forget looking back at Week 2 and seeing the difference four weeks makes.
With Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman added to the fold, New England looks explosive offensively and over the past three games have averaged 38.3 PPG. Can Chicago match that? Mitchell Trubisky has 9 TDs in his last two games, so expect a close one.
Prediction: New England Patriots 28 Chicago Bears 26
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles
The Carolina Panthers will have trouble getting their first road win of the season in Philadelphia. The Eagles made life tough for Cam Newton last time these two teams met last season and it started with the pressure up the middle. Pressure led to two of Cam Newton’s three interceptions on the night in a 28-23 loss. That doesn’t change here.
Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles 24 Carolina Panthers 18
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield since making his first NFL start back in Week 4 has thrown five interceptions, including one in each start. That may change vs arguably the NFL’s worst defense as the Buccaneers have given up 16 TDs and recorded only 1 INT while allowing a 129.5 Passer Rating to opposing quarterbacks.
It’s somewhat of a tailor-made matchup for Cleveland, but their vulnerability on the back end should make this a very entertaining game. It’s been a while since Cleveland has won a road game.
Prediction: Cleveland Browns 36 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been lit up over the past two weeks and a Week 7 matchup with the Houston Texans at home serves as a gut-check game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to get to the quarterback or force turnovers in 2018. While Houston is formidable at the skill positions, their offensive line is on pace to allow well over 50 sacks.
That’s a lot of punishment for a quarterback coming off his second ACL injury. Deshaun Watson will be forced into mistakes that Jacksonville turns into touchdowns.
Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars 27 Houston Texans 13
New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens
Drew Brees has never defeated the Baltimore Ravens, but this may be the best offense he’s ever had to do so. Still, he’s facing a Ravens defense that’s looking as scary as some defense 18 years ago did.
Baltimore has the offensive weapons to make this a tough game on the Saints defense. They won’t bottle up the Saints offense, but their disruption along the defensive line will make for a tough day for Drew Brees, who will reach the 500 TD mark in this game.
Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 26 New Orleans Saints 23
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
What’s the gift for Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers coming off a tough Monday night loss at Lambeau field? A date with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams pass offense hasn’t clicked over the last two weeks as Jared Goff has one touchdown pass over the last two games.
They’ll find much more success vs a 49ers defense that has allowed 14 TDs through the first six weeks of the season.
Prediction: Los Angeles Rams 37 San Francisco 49ers 17
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Dallas is 0-3 away from home and in those three road games they are averaging 12.3 PPG. The Washington Redskins aren’t explosive offensively but have a quarterback who doesn’t give the other team extra possessions.
Head coach Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky should love their matchups against Dallas’ receiving core, and so do I. Stopping Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott from running the ball will be the key to victory for Washington.
Prediction: Washington Redskins 24 Dallas Cowboys 20
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs suffered their first loss last Sunday to the New England Patriots, but still showed that their offensive firepower is enough to win anywhere. The Bengals have offensive firepower of their own, but far too inconsistent to keep up with a team averaging 35.8 PPG.
Look for Andy Reid to have a counterattack for the Bengals formidable front four that includes Geno Atkins.
Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 38 Cincinnati Bengals 21
New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta is in last place in the NFC South at the moment, but there’s reason to believe this team at 2-4 can make some noise. The next four games, including this Monday night game vs the New York Giants, are all winnable games ahead of a Thanksgiving showdown with the Saints. 6-4 or 5-5?
You’ll take that after a 1-4 start aided by injuries, but first thing’s first, beat a bad Giants team that has allowed 30+ points in each of their last three games.
Prediction: Atlanta Falcons 31 New York Giants 24
Which game are you most looking forward to from the NFL Week 7 slate? Leave your comments below!
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by sloppyvinyl | Oct 18, 2018 | SPORTS
Red Sox Put Defending Champs On The Brink
There was little doubt among the Astros contingent that when Alex Bregman made contact with Craig Kimbrel’s first pitch offering that Houston had completed a rally we’ve seen countless times over the past two seasons.
Coming up huge in the biggest moments during this ALCS series with their bats, the Boston Red Sox can thank Andrew Benintendi’s right glove for inching them closer to the Fall Classic
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Houston Astros 8-6 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the ALCS to take a 3-1 series lead.
The offense was the show in Game 4 for the Boston Red Sox but Andrew Benintendi’s play of the postseason is the lasting image here.
Coming on hard to make a catch to bail out struggling closer Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Benintendi topped an almost equally as impressive catch by Josh Reddick in the same inning with the ninth inning switched over.
Boston’s offensive versatility that led to them being the MLB’s highest scoring offense this season gave them a realistic chance of dethroning the Houston Astros this season.
A win away from the World Series now, Boston knows that they have last season’s champs hanging by a thread with their season on the line on Thursday in Game 5.
Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts would all collect two hits apiece for the Boston Red Sox.
Boston would hit 5-for-14 with RISP with seven of their runs being scored with two outs on Wednesday night.
Just as they had done in Game 3, Boston put the pressure on the the defending champs.
Boston would stake themselves out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning off right-hander Charlie Morton. Rafael Devers’ two-run RBI single with two outs allowed Boston to take advantage of Morton, who walked and hit a batter in the inning.
Controversy would arise early in Game 4 as Jose Altuve had a would be home run taken away from him in the first inning, but not by a spectacular catch.
A replay review led to umpires ruling that there was fan interference as Betts leaped to make a diving catch at the wall in right field but fans would make contact with Betts’ catching glove.
The ruling led to a huge outpouring of boos from a sold out Minute Maid Park growing increasingly maddening given the magnitude of the game for Houston.
Afterwards, Houston would battle back against Boston in a seesaw affair. After tying the game in the third, the Houston Astros got a unlikely home run from Tony Kemp — who hit only six home runs during the regular-season — to take a 4-3 lead.
Unlike in Game 4 of the ALDS vs the New York Yankees, Rick Porcello would be unable to deliver a plausibly acceptable performance on the mound for Boston.
Porcello would allow four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over four innings of work.
In need of some relief after a short outing by their veteran right-hander Charlie Morton, reliever Josh James would provide it for a while.
Entering in the third inning, the 25-year-old right-hander would pitch solidly for the Houston Astros until the Red Sox got to him in the fifth and sixth innings for three runs.
After Houston retook the lead at 5-4 after another RBI single by Carlos Correa, Boston would rally in the sixth with two outs.
Making his notable appearance as the most hated man in Houston these days, Jackie Bradley Jr. would hit a two-run home run off Josh James to give Boston a 6-5 lead.
Ryan Pressly produced a shaky outing against the Boston Red Sox but would be unlucky in the seventh inning.
Carlos Correa’s inability to put his foot on second base looking to get a double play would lead to Boston having runners on second and third with two outs instead of being out of the inning.
Lance McCullers Jr. in relief of Pressly — who walked Steve Pearce to load the bases — would walk in a run as Boston took a 7-5 lead.
The Red Sox would continue their two out magic in the eighth inning as J.D. Martinez would add a insurance run with a RBI single to Boston’s lead to three.
The Houston Astros would threaten the Red Sox in the eighth inning, getting a run to make it a 8-6 game, but it would be a inning highlighted by a untimely base-running error by Tony Kemp, who was gunned down trying to get to second on a base hit to begin the inning.
Craig Kimbrel, who gave up a run for the fourth time this postseason as he came in for a six-out save, struck out Marwin Gonzalez to end the inning.
Back on to start the ninth inning, Craig Kimbrel, as he has done for this postseason, would struggle to get the final three outs of the game.
After retiring first baseman Yuli Gurriel on a pop-up in foul ground, Kimbrel would walk the next two Astros batters.
Struggling with his control issues over his fastball, Kimbrel would pitch to contact against pinch-hitter Brian McCann before getting McCann to fly out on a 0-1 pitch.
Facing Tony Kemp, Kimbrel would once again labor as he walked Kemp on five pitches, bringing the bases loaded to the Astros best hitter in Alex Bregman.
On the first pitch of the at-bat, Bregman would line a fly ball to left field where Andrew Benintendi would make a amazing game-ending catch in left-field that would rob Bregman as he laid out to make the catch.
A.J. Hinch and the Astros may feel robbed by a two-run homer being taken away from Jose Altuve in the first inning, but Wednesday night’s loss was a culmination of mistakes.
Mistakes like wild pitches advancing runners with two outs, getting thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double, and missing the second base bag trying to turn a double play.
For Alex Cora and the Red Sox, they’ve cracked the armor that is the Houston Astros pitching which finished the regular-season ranked 1st in starting and reliever ERA.
Boston’s damage has been done with two outs over the past three games of this series and that continued in Game 4 as Boston scored three seven runs with two outs.
Now on the verge of their first World Series appearance since 2013, Boston
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 18, 2018 | SPORTS
Historic Second Quarter Scoring Leads Knicks Past Hawks
David Fizdale couldn’t help but crack a few smiles during his first game as the New York Knicks head coach.
The Knicks franchise is hoping to bring that to a fan base that through the years have left Knicks fans wanting more.
The New York Knicks picked up a 126-107 season-opening over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks used a franchise-record 49-point second quarter to overwhelm the visiting Hawks in New York as they outscored Atlanta 49-25 in the period.
Coach David Fizdale’s New York Knicks had it clicking on all cylinders in the quarter offensively as they received 27 points off their bench to take a sizable 72-49 halftime lead.
Tim Hardaway Jr. shook off a 0-for-4 start by draining eight of his next 10 shot attempts. The basketball prodigy would have 22 points at the half.
He would finish with 31 points (10-for-22 FG, 3-for-9 3PT), 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Much of the talk coming into this season opener was centered on the rookies as lottery picks Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Kevin Knox of the New York Knicks made their NBA debuts.
Trae Young would struggle with his shot in his first NBA game as the marksmen finished the game with 14 points (5-for-14 FG, 1-for-5 3 PT), 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 33 minutes.
His fellow 2018 draft classmate Kevin Knox would struggle even more as he finished the game with 10 points (4-for-16 FG, 1-for-5 3 PT), 2 steals and a block in 24 minutes.
Not to be left out, Knicks rookie guard Allonzo Trier made the most of his time off the bench as he finished with 15 points (5-for-9, 1-for-3 3PT), 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 26 minutes.
Trier had arguably the highlight of the night as with the third quarter winding down, the former Arizona guard threw down a highlight reel right-handed slam over Hawks’ forward Taurean Prince.
The New York Knicks 126 points to light up the Mecca will get all of the headlines, but coach Fizdale’s team was active and energetic on the defensive side of the ball.
The Atlanta Hawks would be held to 10-for-36 from behind the arc and forced into 24 turnovers on the night.
The Knicks opened their 73rd season leaving fans at a sold out Madison Square Garden with reasons to be excited about this season.
No, the Knicks aren’t going to challenge the Celtics for the Eastern Conference this season or for the coming years, but New York is hoping to build upon their young nucleus of talent.
A victory at home over a Hawks team projected to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference in hindsight means little, but it’s a step in the right direction as the Knicks kick off the season on a right note.
Who impressed you most during the Knicks season-opening win on Wednesday night? Leave your comments below!
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by sloppyvinyl | Oct 18, 2018 | SPORTS
Nets Come Up Short At Little Caesars Arena
Kenny Atkinson won’t mince words following the Brooklyn Nets 103-100 season opening loss on the road to the Detroit Pistons.
The Nets had their opportunities to throughout to be the team to take control of a matchup of two teams looking to start the season with a victory.
Detroit would be the team to do that in the third quarter as they used a 24-9 run in the middle of the third quarter to take a 13-point lead in what had been a mostly tight and competitive game.
Brooklyn would rally in the fourth quarter to take a 92-91 lead with 4:26 left to play after a basket from the Nets hot-hand on the night, Caris LeVert.
The Nets would have little answer for the Pistons ability to drive and score in the paint as Blake Griffin (26 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), Andre Drummond (24 points, 21 rebounds), and Reggie Jackson (19 points, 4 assists) closed out Kenny Atkinson’s gritty team over the final four minutes.
With under 10 seconds to play and trailing 101-100, Caris LeVert would lose the ball out of bounds on a turnover. Brooklyn would have an opportunity to tie the game, but Joe Harris would miss a three-pointer coming out of the timeout as Brooklyn dropped their first game of the season.
An 46-39 edge in rebounds helped the Detroit Pistons — who only shot 42.2 percent from the field — edge the Nets on the scoreboard.
Both teams were careless with the ball as they committed a combined 36 turnovers over 48 minutes.
It was a porous night shooting the three ball for both as Brooklyn shot it worse with a 5-for-27 (18.5%) showing from three-point range.
Second-year center Jarrett Allen (17 points, 10 rebounds) was up to the challenge in a battle underneath the rim with the Detroit Pistons rebounding catalyst Andre Drummond.
Allen came up with a huge block on a dunk attempt by Blake Griffin early in the game and showed polish and touch when working around the basket on a 6-for-10 shooting night.
The two battled to a standstill at Little Caesars Arena as it was impressive to see Allen at times bother Andre Drummond boxing out for rebounds and defending Drummond in the low post.
Caris LeVert, who only started 10 games last season for Brooklyn, provided the Nets with a go-to scorer on the night as LeVert tied his career-high with 27 points (10-for-18 FG) to go along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds.
Always reliable guard Spencer Dinwiddie would provide a spark on the offensive end off the bench with 23 points and 6 assists. It was needed for the Nets with Brooklyn guard D’Angelo Russell (8 points, 3-for-9 FG) engulfed into a tough shooting night.
The Nets finished last season 28-54, but the coaching job of Kenny Atkinson caught a number of people’s attention as he managed with a core that was ravaged by injuries.
The injury bug has followed them into the regular-season as DeMarre Carroll, Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all missed tonight’s season opener with injuries.
A team in rebuilding, there’s a number of positives for the Nets to take out of tonight’s tough loss.
Which player stood out tonight in the Brooklyn Nets season opener? Leave your comments below!
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by sloppyvinyl | Oct 18, 2018 | SPORTS
Dodgers On Cusp of Second Straight World Series Birth
Despite his shaky past in such occurrences, there’s no one else in the MLB Dave Roberts feels as confident in handing the game ball in a big game than Clayton Kershaw.
In a 2-2 series with the winner being a win away from a World Series birth, Kershaw validated the Dodgers skipper.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium in Game 5 of the NLCS to take a 3-2 series lead.
Few pitchers in the history of the MLB have made pitching mastery look as easy as Clayton Kershaw, and he did that in a swing game vs the Milwaukee Brewers.
Clayton Kershaw (2-1) made up for a rough outing in Game 1 at Miller Park with a outstanding performance vs the Brewers a night after a marathon Game 4.
Kershaw would allow one run on three hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings of work.
The fire and passion from Kershaw — who can opt out of his contract after the season concludes — was there for the three-time Cy Young Award winner. He matched his intensity with his razor sharp focus on the mound as he mostly mowed through a Brewers lineup searching for answers.
In two starts at Dodger Stadium this postseason the Dodgers ace has gone 15 innings while allowing only one run.
Because of it, the Dodgers are a win away from a second consecutive World Series appearance.
The Los Angeles Dodgers outhit the Milwaukee Brewers 9 to 5. Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig would finish with two hits apiece.
Craig Counsell would pull a curveball on Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers at the beginning of Game 1.
After a five-pitch walk by left-hander Wade Miley to start Game 5, Craig Counsell would trout out to the mound to take the ball from his starter.
In his place, right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who would be faced with pitching against a mostly righty dominated lineup.
Woodruff would come into the game and put on a impressive pitching display against the Dodgers offense, which has struggled since the series shifted to Dodger Stadium.
He would be matched by a pitcher who needs no introduction in Clayton Kershaw, who had his A-game on Wednesday afternoon against the Brewers.
In a mostly dominant performance, Kershaw would endure a speed bump in the third inning vs Milwaukee.
Lorenzo Cain would hit a RBI double off of left-hander Clayton Kershaw with one-out in the third inning to spring Milwaukee out to an early 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers found opportunity in the fifth inning after Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia, trying to make a tough play, overthrew a ball past first baseman Jesus Aguilar as Chris Taylor advanced to second on the error.
Taylor would steal third base without a throw as he got a great jump on a 0-0 pitch from Brandon Woodruff. After a strikeout by Enrique Hernandez, catcher Austin Barnes would single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
Woodruff would remain in the game, having earned the confidence of Craig Counsell. The move would backfire on Counsell, however, as Max Muncy would hit a RBI single with one-out in the sixth inning, forcing Counsell into going to his bullpen again.
Newly inserted right-hander Corbin Burnes would retire Chris Taylor with a strikeout but would fail to get out of the inning unscathed. Pinch-hitting for Enrique Hernandez, Yasiel Puig would extend Los Angeles’ lead to 3-1.
The Dodgers would tack on two more runs in the seventh inning to salt away a 3-2 series advantage vs the Brewers.
Woodruff (0-1) finished the game allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out eight in his five and one-thirds innings of work.
Craig Counsell’s move to relieve Wade Miley from Game 5 after one batter didn’t blow up in Counsell’s face, but now he must wonder if the Brewers have enough mentally to battle back from a 3-2 series hole.
Christian Yelich went 0-for-4 as his batting average dropped to .150 for the series. Outside of Lorenzo Cain and Orlando Arcia, there hasn’t been much offense to go around for the Brewers as they have scored three runs over the last 24 innings.
Offensively, it was going to be a uphill battle going against a locked in Clayton Kershaw looking to redeem himself, but the Brewers have failed to muster any key hits over the past two games.
The question coming into this series for Los Angeles was if it becomes a battle of the bullpens, which would win out? So far it’s the Dodgers’ bullpen, which has shutdown the Brewers offense this entire series.
The Brewers have little time to find answers, with a off day providing them with time to clear their minds from what has been a frustrating past two days in Los Angeles, California.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, Game 6 is one of their two opportunities to end this series and move on to play for a World Series title.
The Brewers are limping into Game 6 with a bullpen taxed and a offense that has gone colder than a winter day in Alaska.
Dave Roberts has to feel that Game 6 is the time to end this series as the momentum has shifted in a matter of 48 hours after Los Angeles fell behind 2-1 in this series.
What are your thoughts on the Los Angeles Dodgers victory today? Leave your comments below!
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 17, 2018 | SPORTS
Jaguars, Titans, Bengals Fall In Power Rankings
In Week 6 of the NFL season we continued on with the tradition of having at least one game determined in overtime.
That game would be in South Florida as the Miami Dolphins edged the Chicago Bears 31-28 on a 47-yard kick by Jason Sanders.
For all of the ridicule that kickers have faced this season for missing kicks, kickers positively played a big role in Week 6.
Sanders was joined by Stephen Gostkowski and Mason Crosby as kickers who too hit game-winning field goals as time expired.
Gostkowski hit a huge 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter vs the Kansas City Chiefs with a little over three minutes to play to give New England a touchdown lead.
How critical was Gostkowski’s field goal? Kansas City scored on their very first play from scrimmage on the next possession to tie the game but not take the lead.
Mason Crosby rebounded from missing five field goals last week by going 4-for-4. His 51-yard field goal in the third quarter may not have seemed like a big deal, but considering Green Bay’s offense scored one touchdown after the first quarter, Crosby’s ability to hit from distance was critical in the win.
This is all to say, leave our kickers alone and let’s pay a little more attention to the punters instead.
Here are my NFL Week 7 Power Rankings!
1. Los Angeles Rams (6-0)
The Rams did exactly what a warm weather team coming into a hostile environment with frigid temperatures should do. They ran the football down Denver’s throats with Todd Gurley rushing for a career-high 208 rushing yards.
2. New England Patriots (4-2)
The Patriots dominate teams in the first halves of games this season while at home. New England has now outscored their first four opponents at home 93-18 in the first half, a staggering +75 differential.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
Kansas City scored 40 points vs the New England Patriots for the third consecutive time in the regular-season. No team has ever accomplished doing it more than twice in the Bill Belichick era.
4. New Orleans Saints (4-1)
The Saints offense had a week off to prepare for the Baltimore Ravens defense. It’ll be strength against strength as the No. 1 scoring offense (36 PPG) faces the No. 1 scoring defense (12.8 PPG).
5. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
The Ravens recorded a franchise-record 11 sacks in a 21-0 shutout over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. They lead the NFL in sacks with 26 and points allowed (12.8 PPG).
6. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
The Los Angeles Chargers dominated the Cleveland Browns last Sunday 38-14 as Melvin Gordon continued his stellar 2018. Gordon already has 9 TDs through six games after scoring three more vs Cleveland. He had 12 TDs all of last season.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
Philadelphia took care of business on the road vs the free-falling Giants 34-13 last Thursday. Its the first time Philadelphia has scored more than 23 points this season as they last did it in Week 15 vs the Giants last season when they scored 34 points in a 34-29 win.
8. Chicago Bears (3-2)
The Chicago Bears two redzone turnovers cost them dearly last Sunday in Miami, but so did their defense which allowed over 500 yards of offense to a Dolphins team ranked as one of the worst in that category coming into the game.
9. Carolina Panthers (3-2)
The Carolina Panthers fell behind 17-0 but made a late run, ultimately coming up short 23-17. Carolina has yet to win on the road this season.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense couldn’t hold a late lead in Cincinnati, but were bailed out by their offense in a 28-21 victory. Still, Pittsburgh defense has allowed 19 PPG over the last two games, an improvement over what we saw during the first four games of the season.
11. Minnesota Vikings (3-2-1)
Teams know that Kirk Cousins’ favorite target is wide receiver Adam Thielen, but there’s been little teams have been able to do to stop Thielen from a record-setting pace. Adam Thielen leads the NFL in receiving yards with 712 and has extended his record consecutive 100-yard games to begin the season to six in a 27-17 win over Arizona last Sunday.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)
The Cincinnati Bengals can’t get over their hex against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but if there’s an encouraging sign for Cincinnati, Andy Dalton played a clean game. Dalton’s seven interceptions this season are tied for the second most this season.
13. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)
The Green Bay Packers needed an improbable rally over the final two minutes of Monday night’s 33-30 win over San Francisco 49ers just to avoid going to overtime. The numbers will say Rodgers put up 425 passing yards and 2 TDs, but if Green Bay wants to go anywhere this season the run game has to play some factor.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the NFL’s worst team … over the past two weeks. Their -49 point differential over the last two weeks — both losses — is the worst in the NFL.
15. Miami Dolphins (4-2)
The Miami Dolphins quarterback controversy is on! After two duds produced by Ryan Tannehill on the road, one has to wonder if Adam Gase is considering sticking with a quarterback he’s familiar with from his Broncos days in Brock Osweiler, who led the Dolphins to a 31-28 OT win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday.
16. Washington Redskins (3-2)
The Washington Redskins returned back to form vs a tough Carolina Panthers team in a 23-17 win at FedEx Field. Adrian Peterson continues to rewind the clock as he picked up 97 rushing yards on just 17 carries in the win.
17. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
The Dallas Cowboys may have discovered the key to masking their issues throwing the football is by using designed run plays for Dak Prescott. The Cowboys rushed for 206 rushing yards. Dak Prescott had 82 of them, a career-high.
18. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
The Seattle Seahawks have looked like a potential playoff team over their past four games, going 3-1 with their lone loss being a 33-31 loss to a undefeated Rams team. The schedule from here on out will not be easy as six of their final 10 opponents are all above .500, with two of those opponents being the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.
19. Tennessee Titans (3-3)
The Tennessee Titans won’t be able to survive the season trending where they are from an offensive standpoint. The defense is in the upper half in the league, but not elite. While getting shutout 21-0 at home by the Baltimore Ravens may be a personal low this season, it’s an indictment of how porous the unit actually is.
20. Detroit Lions (2-3)
The Detroit Lions enjoyed a bye week and are hoping to carry the momentum of a victory at home vs Green Bay to South Florida vs the Miami Dolphins this Sunday.
21. Houston Texans (3-3)
The Texans have won three consecutive games by a total of 13 points. While protecting Deshaun Watson has now become a weekly concern, the defense has turned in two straight stifling performances after a few rough patches to begin the season.
22. Cleveland Browns (2-3-1)
Hue Jackson’s Cleveland Browns for the first time this season had zero answers for their opposition as they were thoroughly dominated by the Los Angeles Chargers in a 38-14 beatdown. The 24-point loss is Cleveland’s worst loss since a 31-7 Week 4 loss vs the Cincinnati Bengals last season.
23. Atlanta Falcons (2-4)
The Atlanta Falcons received a much needed pick me up facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers horrendous defense in a 34-29 win at home last Sunday. Matt Ryan is on pace for career-highs in passing yards and touchdowns. He has 1,955 passing yards, 14 TDs and 2 INTs with a 113.6 Passer Rating.
24. New York Jets (3-3)
After three weeks of looking like a bottom five offense, the Jets have scored 76 points over the last two weeks. In other words, Kyrie Irving apologized weeks ago for claiming the Earth was flat.
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
The Buccaneers went with Jameis Winston coming out of their bye, and while Winston threw for 395 passing yards and 4 TDs, he turned the ball over twice and fumbled two other times. Not a winning formula for a team with one of the worst defenses ever … in my opinion.
26. Denver Broncos (2-4)
Denver rebounded with a respectable effort at home vs the Los Angeles Rams, but it’s clear that this Broncos defense can’t play well enough like in years past to bail out the offense. Two consecutive 200-yard rushers allowed expose that.
27. Buffalo Bills (2-4)
Nathan Peterman will get his ridicule on another the day, but how about the continued rebound by Buffalo’s defense? They continue to be among one of the best defensive units in the NFL since Week 3.
28. Indianapolis Colts (1-5)
The Colts are going to live and die with Andrew Luck’s productivity, and that’s simply not going to be a winning formula for a team that can’t get enough defensive stops in the redzone or on third down.
29. San Francisco 49ers (1-5)
The 49ers let a opportunity to snap their three game losing skid go by the wayside with a inability to close the game on offense or defense. Still, it’s nice to see C.J. Beathard recover from a rough performance vs the Arizona Cardinals the week before.
30. New York Giants (1-5)
Is it Eli Manning or the offensive line? It’s both. It’s hard to continually just blame the offensive line when coach Pat Shurmer is caught on the sidelines during last week’s game vs the Eagles imploring Eli to throw the ball down the field on a 2nd and long play.
31. Oakland Raiders (1-5)
The Oakland Raiders have followed scoring 45 in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns by sleepwalking to 13 points. Oakland is a mess right now, a disastrous start to the second era for Jon Gruden with the Raiders.
32. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)
Arizona hung tough on the road in what was Josh Rosen’s first career road game. If there’s a point of emphasis, it has to be their run defense as they allowed 195 rushing yards and are allowing 151.2 rushing yards per game, second worst in the NFL.
What are your thoughts in this week’s NFL Power Rankings? Leave your comments below!
