R.I.P. 2020

Rest In Peace 

2 0 2 0

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant Continues to Have Something to Say

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Hawks   141

Nets      145

FINAL

Flatbush Snaps Two-Game Skid With Fourth Quarter Surge

Kevin Durant & Jarrett Allan Register Double-Double

I have a saying: Once is an event; twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.

After the season opener against Golden State, I wrote the following:

"As a new leader of the Nets, the television camera in the first quarter caught Kevin Durant (admonishing?) encouraging Joe Harris to take a shot from the left corner, who instead elected to pass off.  That may not seem like much and will likely go unspoken.  However, I think playing alongside KD will be hugely beneficial towards Joe's continued career advancement..."

On Wednesday evening against the Atlanta Hawks, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, after sitting out Monday's game, return to action.  This time Coach Nash staggers their minutes, unlike during their previous three starts together.  

That set up a curious moment early in the fourth quarter when Kyrie Irving engages in a dispute with the refs, which for a split second gives the impression matters might escalate.  But they didn't; Irving quickly subdues himself, but not before Kevin Durant is again seen admonishing Kyrie from the sidelines, perhaps about maintaining his composure.  

On the one hand, what was said is between friends, and I guess we'll never know because this will, like with Joe Harris, remain unspoken about.  On the other hand, this marks instance number two within the team's first five games in which Durant was caught by home viewers playing team (captain) police. Regardless of what was said, stern best describes the expression on Durant's face. 

🏀

Brooklyn trailed the Hawks through the first three quarters until finally overcoming the Hawks with a 43-37 effort in the fourth.  The Nets are out-rebounded but are an effective 19/41 (46.3%) from the arc.  Kevin Durant is the big man on campus with a game-high 33 points, eleven boards, and a team-high eight assists in a season-high (four starts) 35 minutes.  Irving recovers from a sloppy start and finishes with a strong fourth quarter in leading the Nets down the stretch to a four-point margin of victory.  He finishes with 25 points and six assists.  Meanwhile, Joe Harris registers his best game to date, shooting 8/11 from the field and 6/8 from the arc en route to an early season-high 23 points.

But it's the bench that truly propels the Nets to victory.  Taurean Prince shakes off a bad start to his season with a perfect 5/5 from the floor and 2/2 from the arc for twelve points.  Caris Levert tied for a team-high eight assists with ten points, and Landry Shamet does what Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot does not.  Shamet, like Prince, goes a perfect 5/5 from the field, 2/2 from the arc, and 2/2 from the line for 14 points with team-high plus-eleven in 17 minutes.  Getting the start, Luwawu-Cabbarot scores three points with three assists in 26 minutes.

The politics of playing minutes at center continue.  Jarrett Allan off the bench is a plus-eight with fifteen points and a game-high 13 rebounds in 24 minutes.  DeAndre Jordan contributes five points, one rebound, and one block in 15 minutes as the starter.

• NEXT: Atlanta Hawks back at Barclays on Friday

N.Y. Knicks: Julius Randle Rocks a Triple-Double at Cleveland

From the desk: DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

DEUCES WILD

Knicks      95

Cavaliers  85

FINAL

KNICKERBOCKERS EVEN RECORD (2-2) WITH SECOND STRAIGHT WIN

Don't look now, but Coach Thibodeau has the Knickerbockers at .500 with a 2-2 record.  After a disjointed start to the season against the Pacers and Sixers, the Knicks stormed back with a highly spirited 130-110 victory over the Eastern Conference power Milwaukee Bucks.  On Tuesday night, the Knicks kept their guard up against a step down in competition with a tight 95-85 defensively intensive win over Cleveland.

Julius Randle continues his stellar start, leading the floor with a game-high 28 points while leading all players with 44 minutes.  He was 9/16 (56%) from the field, a perfect 4/4 from the arc, and 6/10 from the line.  Randle secured a team-high dozen rebounds and distributed a game-high eleven assists.  This comes on the heels of his game-high 29 point and 14 rebound effort against the Greek Freak and the Milwaukee Bucks.  Through four games he is averaging 24.7 points in 37.7 minutes. 

Reggie Bullock led the Knicks with five buckets from the arc and finished with seventeen points overall.  R.J. Barrett was a quiet 4/15 from the field and 4/4 from the line for 12 points.  Mitch Robinson fell one point short of a double-double with ten rebounds.

All five Knicks starters exceeded at least 32 minutes each.  Coach Thobideau went with an eight-man rotation, handing Kevin Knox II, Frank Ntilikina, and Nerlens Noel sixteen minutes each off the bench.  The three were collectively 5/11 from the field, 3/5 from the arc, and 2/3 from the line for fifteen points with eleven rebounds.

Collin Sexton led the Cavs with twenty points, and Andre Drummond went double-double with seventeen and a game-high seventeen rebounds.

• NEXT: on to Tampa, Florida, to play the relocated Toronto Raptors on New Year's Eve.

N.Y. Jets: Year End Godspell

From the desk: WALT MICHAELS REVENGE

R.I.P.

GANG GASE ERA

b. January 11, 2019

d. January 3, 2021

When all is said and done, it will be almost two years to the day that the Jets made the ill-fated mistake of hiring Adam Gase.  Right or wrong, that was the general consensus unless you're Christopher Johnson, that is.

Today, WFAN's Craig Carton reported that Adam Gase will be fired after this Sunday's game against the Patriots.  The greater local New York media is yet to confirm this.  But we all know it's most likely true.  

How can it not..?

WORST HEAD COACHES

1. Rich Kotite; 4-28 (.125) 1-15 record in 1996.
2. Lou Holtz; 3-10 (.230) quit in 1976 after 13 games.
3. Adam Gase; 9-22 (.290) one game left versus Patriots.

After Sunday's game, if either of the Brothers Johnson is directly involved in hiring the next head coach, then we know we're dealing with the same old Jets.  But if Joe Douglas is given complete autonomy, and we never hear from the Johnsons, then maybe they're finally headed in a new and a better direction. 

Brooklyn Nets: Adversity Makes Early Visit to Flatbush

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Grizzlies  116

Nets        111

FINAL/OT

Hello, adversity, it's been a while ...

Flatbush is faced with its first dilemma of the 2020-2021 season.  Sunday's two-point loss at Charlotte somewhat exposed their general lack of physicality on the interior.  Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both registered 36 minutes each, and there are calls to begin staggering their minutes.  I say you plan accordingly while keeping the competition in mind, although I agree their deployment needs some reconsideration.   

The loss is secondary to the disheartening news regarding Spencer Dinwiddie, who in Sunday's game suffered a partially torn ACL of the right knee and will undergo surgery.

With Dinwiddie out, Irving and KD likewise did not play against the Grizzlies on Monday night at Barclays.  It was the second game of back-to-back nights and their third game in four days.

Memphis, who last season clinched a play-in berth, jumped out to a 32-23 lead against the short-handed and unsettled Nets in the first quarter.  But the Brooks regrouped and turned the tables with a 32-22 second-quarter effort for a one-point advantage at the half.  Caris Levert negated Dillon Brooks' three-pointer with the last possession floater for the lead.  

With 1:44 left in the fourth quarter, LeVert's shot from three gives Brooklyn a 106-104 lead.  But LeVert, in the closing seconds, would miss his final two attempts.

Into over time, they go ...

Memphis doubled-up on Flatbush in the extra session for the win, 10 to 5.

In the final minutes of the fourth, Coach Nash kept DeAndre Jordan on the floor; he blocked a shot and committed a turnover.  He had four blocks and four turnovers for the game, scoring four points and securing nine rebounds in 30 minutes.  Jarrett Allan, after playing a season-high 25 minutes against Charlotte, was back down to 22 minutes.  He still managed a game-high fifteen rebounds and eight points.

Caris LeVert tied for a game-high 28 points in 38 minutes.  He was 12/29 from the floor but just 2/9 from the arc.  Getting the start, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was second on the team with 21 points in 40 minutes.  Joe Harris played a game-high 42 minutes, with fourteen points and 2/4 from the arc.

Chris Chiozza (welcome back) led the bench effort with four assists and fourteen points but posted a minus-9 in 27 minutes.  Landry Shamet, who will also be seeing more minutes, had three steals and five points in 24 minutes.  

There's no hiding a bad start by Taurean Prince.  He scored nine with five rebounds in 19 minutes.  After starting the first three games 1/11 from the field, he was 2/8 against Memphis, making him 3/19 (15.7%) through four games.

• Next: home-and-home vs. Atlanta Hawks.

N.Y. Giants: Daniel Jones Sacked by the Sophomore Jinx

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

One Small Step Forward for the Rookie; 

One Giant Leap Backwards For Danny Dimes

With Daniel Jones recovering from a strained hamstring and foot sprain, Sunday's game was essentially a case study in his quarterbacking abilities from the pocket.  It wasn't necessarily his worst day at the office, depending on your point of view.  Jones was 24/41 (58.5%) for 252 yards, with one touchdown (Sterling Shepard), no interceptions, and no fumbles.  But he was sacked six times by the Baltimore Ravens while clearly playing on compromised legs.

As a rookie, Daniel Jones played in thirteen games and started twelve.  His performance was promising, throwing for 3,027 yards, with 24 touchdowns.  Although, his turnovers, twelve interceptions, and twelve fumbles were problematic.

Daniel's SOPHOMORE season has JINX graffitied all over it.  Due to injury, Jones is now at the thirteen-game mark of his season but is scheduled to end up benefiting from two more starts over last year.  This, in turn, brings into question the measure of his development and/or improvement.  On the one hand, Jones has to date thrown fewer interceptions and fumbled less than last year.  On the other hand, Daniel has thrown fifteen fewer touchdown passes.  

Then, there's the bright side; after all, the sun shines on a dog's posterior at least once a day.  If there is a team that allows opposing quarterbacks time and space to pad their stats, it's the Dallas Cowboys.  With one last game left in the season, Jones is still 36 pass attempts, 21 completions, and 313 yards away from merely matching last year's totals.  He'll need to at least complete 59% of his attempts this coming Sunday.  That reasonable to ask.  But the real problem is expecting Jones to do something he has yet to accomplish all season.  After passing for 300 yards in five games as a rookie, he is yet to register a single 300-yard game during this campaign.   

Sunday's 252-yard effort against the Ravens was actually his third-highest output of the season.  His second-best game was a 256-yard effort in his eighth start against Tampa, and his top effort came way back in week one when he threw for 279 yards against the Steelers.

Insofar as Daniel Jones (the passer) is concerned, it goes without saying he is behind last year's pace.  The best he can achieve this coming Sunday is avoiding a numerical regression.  However, there's likely nothing he can do in this last game that will stem the tide of off-season criticism heading his way regarding his actual regression in the pocket.  Last season he completed 61.9% of his attempts; this year he is completing a marginally improved 62.2% of his attempts.  His QB rating has so far plummeted from 87.7 last season to 78.9 this year.

Jones skews the overall offensive numbers as well.  This last game against the Ravens was only the fourth time this season Jones did not factor in the running game.  However, in nine other starts this season, Jones accounted for 44.2% of the Giants' rushing yardage.  

So, are we being led to believe the Giants only win when Daniel Jones is off and running?

This is not a viable system for a team that still lacks identity.

In both victory and defeat, Daniel Jones' ability to scamper has also diverted attention away from the deficiencies, inefficiencies, and collective ineffectiveness of this wide receiver corp.  The lack of a legitimate blocking/receiving tight end is also handcuffing this offense.  It's no wonder it took Wayne Garrett so long to figure out his personnel.

  

Look around the league; see what rookie, second, and third-year quarterbacks are doing.  Then compare and contrast them with Dave Brown ... sorry Daniel Jones' performance.  Sure other quarterbacks are running around like their hair is on fire.  But they're getting it done in the pocket too.

And, yes, by the sophomore jinx I believe I'm being kind.

Brooklyn Nets: For Jarrett Allen, Time is of the Essence

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

"Center of Attention"

In Sean Marks, we trust, right?

Jarrett Allen is my favorite player.  Let's get that out of the way.  I was not pleased to hear his name mentioned in off-season trade rumors and would have been downright irate had he been included in a rumored deal for James Harden.  But I digress ...

Allan's contract status is the matter at hand.  Brooklyn's center of attention and the Nets recently failed to reach an agreement on an extension by the required deadline.  Thus, he becomes a restricted free agent at season's end.  This is just capitalism at work.  I have no compunction letting the market set Allen's price, so long as I know the Nets are committed to matching any potential offers.  And there's the rub.  Jarrett is effectively playing out the rest of the season to establish his future worth.  If all goes according to plan, Jarrett's annual value is due to spike from its present level of just under $4 million towards much higher and more cap and tax problematic sums.

Lest we forget, Caris LeVert last season signed an extension that was well celebrated by fans.  At this stage, I would also argue Spencer Dinwiddie is more expendable than Jarrett Allen.  

But the real phantom menace at play here is veteran DeAndre Jordan, who came loosely linked together with KD and Kyrie Irving.  He is taking up time and space that formerly belonged to Jarrett Allen.  In four games to date (two exhibitions, two regular-season), DeAndre Jordan started each time with Allen coming off the bench.  Jordan in the pre-season played 17 minutes and 19 minutes, respectively; Allen punched in 15 minutes and 17 minutes.  Through four games, Coach Nash has so far kept his starting lineup intact.  But whereas Jordan's playing time has remained consistent at 17 minutes against Golden State, then 19 minutes at Boston, Jarrett Allen's minutes were bumped up to 20 against the Warriors, and 21 minutes against the Celtics.  

Regular Season:

• Jordan vs. G.S. - 17 minutes, 11 rebounds, 4 points, 1 block.
• Allan vs. G.S. - 20 minutes, 7 rebounds, 8 points, 2 blocks.

• Jordan vs. BOS - 19 minutes, 7 rebounds, 4 points, 2 blocks.
• Allan vs. BOS - 21 minutes, 11 rebounds, 9 points, 4 blocks.

Albeit a small sample size, the numbers both collectively and individually speak for themselves.  No team in their right mind turns away 38.5 minutes, 18 rebounds, 12.5 points, and 4.5 blocks per game at center.  For the moment, it's a good problem for the Nets to have, but for how long?  Jarrett is averaging just 20.5 minutes a game.  He hasn't averaged as little as 20 minutes a game since his rookie season.  This, after spending the last two seasons as a prominent performer on an emerging playoff contender, punching the clock for 26.3 minutes per game.  Said another way, Allen, a starter for most other league teams, is theoretically deprived of a half-dozen minutes per game.  What Coach Nash has planned for Jordan and Allan moving forward remains to be seen.  Allen won't be 23-years old till next Spring.  Jordan, although very likable, is ten years Allen's elder.  Injuries can come into play for all we know.  But as they say: time is money.  In Allan's case, minutes are now his primary unit of value.  

So, what's a restricted free agent to do in the meantime?  

I guess learn from Jordan and Amare Stoudemire and prove himself an indispensable component of the Nets.

Circling back to Sean Marks, he continually reiterates the merits of being a disciplined organization, one that sticks with the plan, all the while prioritizing team and organizational culture.  Well, Jarrett Allen has been no less instrumental in establishing said culture than any player to don a Brooklyn Nets uniform.

PIGSKIN 2020: Week Sixteen

PIGSKIN

WEEK SIXTEEN

Football Sunday

RESULTS

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine
Week Ten

Week Eleven

Thanksgiving Day

Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

Week Fourteen

Week Fifteen

Christmas Day

Week 16 Saturday

SCOREBOARD:

Week Fifteen Record:  8-4-2

Overall Record ATS:  106-82-7 (+17)

Schmear of the Week:  3-12-1 (-30)

Bagels in the Basket:  -13

• STEELERS: KEVIN GREEN Rest In Peace.  He was just 58-years old.  Cause of death still unknown. 

 

• PLAYOFF BOUND: Bills, Steelers, Chiefs, Packers, Saints, Bucs, Seahawks.

• It's official .. the Patriots are out of the playoff picture for the first time in a very long time.

• Meanwhile, Tom Brady in his first season with Tampa takes Bucs to playoffs and breaks team's touchdown record.

• Jets win their (counterproductive) first game of the season, and the once undefeated Steelers are now losers of three in a row.

• Big Ben said he's playing like "poo"

• Alvin Kamara ties NFL record with six rushing touchdowns.

• Drew Brees first quarterback to pass for 80,000 yards.

• WTF is up with the WFT; Snyder says he's being extorted!  Why don't Snyder's partners just put in a vote of No Confidence..?

• Eff ewe to the NFL for putting the Cards/Niners game on Amazon (although I still watched it).

• Terry Owens called in, said JuJu Smith-Schuster dancing on team logos is unprofessional.

• Hey, Dwayne (Haskins), strippers can transmit COVID too; open a PayPal account and wear a mask.

• Chargers, Browns, Lions; COVID, COVID, COVID.

WEEK SIXTEEN

Friday Line ~ NYP/MGM

RAVENS -10 1/2 Giants

If Daniel Jones plays, the Ravens will simply implement a spy and prevent him from running.  They will dare Jones to beat them through the air.  That's not happening, particularly when Jones oftentimes accounts for upwards of 40% of the Giants running game.

WIN  27-13 Ravens

Browns -9 JETS

Not comfortable laying nine.  Baker Mayfield has no one to throw to, four receivers down due to COVID protocol.  But the Jets are playing without Quinnen Williams.  It's gonna be close, but if the Browns have any killer instinct, they'll win handily.

Loss  23-16 Jets

CHIEFS -10 1/2 Falcons

This pick suddenly became easy.  Center Alex Mack and Julio Jones are both out for Atlanta.  They can just fugheddaboudit.

Loss  17-14 Chiefs

Colts -1 1/2 STEELERS

Steelers can't run!  They've lost three in a row because they've suddenly become one-dimensional.  That plays into the Colts hands.  But can Philip Rivers seize the day without his starting left tackle?  There's the rub.  I think a late field goal wins this game.

Loss  28-24 Steelers

TEXANS -8 Bengals

I dub thee Toilet Bowl XVI ...

Loss  37-31 Bengals

Bears -7 1/2 JAGUARS

The Bears are suddenly in charge of their playoff destiny.  Gardner Minshew is out, again - or so they say, now that they have dibs on next year's number one overall pick.  RB James Robinson isn't playing either.  How strange.  I hope Joe Douglas is paying attention!  The Jets can only hope for a miracle and the Jags win.  Boy, did they screw this up!

WIN  41-17 Bears

Panthers +1 NO NAMES

Not without Alex Smith, they're not ... the oddsmakers don't even know what to make of this.

WIN  20-13 Panthers

Broncos +3 1/2 CHARGERS

Bolts will be missing Joey Bosa.  That kinda levels the playing field and blunts the advantage Justin Herbert has over Drew Lock.

WIN  19-16 Chargers

SEAHAWKS -1 1/2 Rams

The NFC West title is on the line ... I'll say it again, the Rams are a paper tiger.  I don't even think Sean McVey is a good coach.  It's about time Pete Carroll and the Seahawks finally figure out this matchup.

WIN  20-9 Seahawks

COWBOYS +2 1/2 Eagles

I don't care what the Eagles are doing at quarterback, the Cowboys still have too many playmakers at their disposal.  No one plays defense anymore, so what the hell ...

WIN  37-17 Cowboys

PACKERS -3 1/2 Titans

Game of the Week!  Smash Mouth has it's shortcomings.  Titans ball control makes it hard to play from behind.  The Packers will score in bunches against a suspect Titans defense.  The Titans offense will keep this close, but might ultimately be outgunned by Aaron Rogers.

WIN  40-14 Packers

Schmear of the Week

CHIEFS -10

LOSS!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck, and continue having a very Merry and Happy Holiday, everyone!

POSTGAME

Week Sixteen Record:  7-4

Overall Record ATS:  113-86-7 (+20)

Schmear of the Week:  3-13-1 (-33)

Bagels in the Basket:  -13 

N.Y. Mets: A Flushing December to Remember

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

SOAPBOX SPECIAL

Okay, the Mets went from seeking a President of Baseball Operations to just letting Sandy Alderson make up his own mind about filling the position himself.  

In the meantime, the Mets reconnected with Jerry Blevins and signed Trevor May.  While Blevins is signed to a minor deal, the Mets' expediency in shoring up the bullpen speaks volumes.  Sandy Alderson was made to sit idly under previous ownership, while the annual run on quality relievers generally took place before New Year's Day.  Then by late January/early February, Jeffie would finally authorize Alderson to sift through the leftovers.

The Mets also signed a much-needed and, more importantly, a competent receiver in James McCann.  He is not J.T. Realmuto, who is presently seeking everything under the sun in contract demands.  Sandy Alderson reasoned that timing was one of the determining factors insofar as their decision to pounce on McCann.  Unlike Realmuto, McCann comes at a very reasonable four-year, $40 million pact.  He has never played more than 120 games in a season.  However, the 30-year old owns an above-average caught-stealing percentage; he is fundamentally sound behind the plate and is adaptable to varying pitching styles and individual quirks - a major complaint levied against Wilson Ramos.

Sandy Alderson also could have easily moved on from manager Luis Rojas but elected not to.  Not only did an as yet fully-formed front office reaffirm their commitment to Rojas, but they also facilitated his request by hiring Dave Jauss as bench coach.  Jauss knows Rojas since the day he was born.  Between them exists a mutual trust along with a lifetime of love and respect.

Then, out of nowhere, the media killjoys chimed in.  Some among the local pundits actually criticized the Mets for what they perceived to be their too slow and overly methodical vetting process while panting at the sudden availability of Theo Epstein and pointing to the aforementioned player acquisitions made before having a general manager in place.  These are the same so-called experts; they know who they are, who for years and years apologized for the Wilpons and criticized a "petulant" fanbase (until emboldened by the Wilpon's clear demise and departure, that is).

Although, it's somewhat ironic that Brodie Van Wagenen raided away from the Red Sox executives  Allard Baird and Jared Banner, only to have Steve Cohen's incoming regime purge Baird and Banner and all remnants of the previous administration, then revert right back to raiding the Red Sox by hiring away Zack Scott to work as assistant general manager to Jared Porter (himself a one-time former Red Sox executive).  In turn, Boston's front office insisted the Mets please agree to cease poaching their executives for a while.  But not before Porter and Scott are successfully reunited.  Therefore, mission accomplished.

It's been quite a December to remember in Flushing.  That being said, I'm not expecting the now settled ownership and new front office to build a World Series champion all in one off-season.  After all, proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance - food for thought that some folk in media should have taken into consideration before disseminating such trash.

Where were they when over the better part of the last eighteen years, we needed them to chastise the Wilpon's for their legacy of gross mismanagement?

PIGSKIN 2020: Week Sixteen (Saturday)

PIGSKIN

WEEK SIXTEEN

Football Saturday

Christmas Day

Full Season Results

WEEK SIXTEEN

Friday Line ~ NYP/MGM

Buccaneers -9 1/2 LIONS

Lions coaching staff is in shambles; the team is a mess.  They're still smarting from last week's whooping against the Titans.  The more the Bucs play together, the more they understand each other, and the better they get.  Just can't see the Lions generating enough offense to keep up.  If Tom Brady taught us anything while at New England, it's that he has no compunction running up the score.

WIN  47-7 Bucs

CARDINALS -5 Niners

The Niners have more problems than a math book and the Cardinals are under pressure to win at all cost.  Arizona generates among the most offensive yardage in the league.  Niners have nothing left to play for, but the Cardinals can still make the playoffs.  Motivation rules the day.

Loss  20-12 Niners

Dolphins -3 RAIDERS

Raiders can't even lay the obligatory three points at home where they are 2-5 this season.  That's because Miami has yielded the least points per game and the Fish are going up against a very pedestrian defense.  Derek Carr is potentially out, meaning Marcus Mariota is potentially in for the Raiders.  If this game were at Miami the Sea Mammals would be favored by six.

Loss  26-25 Dolphins

Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving's Christmas Day Show at Boston

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

🎄  BRooOOOKLYN IN THE HOUSE  🎄

Nets      123

Celtics     95

FINAL

🎅

Merry NETSmas, everybody!

Kyrie Irving makes his triumphant return to Beantown, bearing a bag full of gifts for his former team.  Playing in his first NBA game at TD Bank Arena since May 6, 2019, the former Celtic tucks a game-high 37 points into Boston's holiday baskets.  He also graciously distributes another game-high eight assists while highlighting Brooklyn's commanding 28-point margin of victory over the Celtics.  With an efficiency, even Santa's elves can appreciate, Kyrie is 13/21 (62%) from the field, 7/10 from the arc, and a perfect 4/4 from the stripe.  It's just too bad Boston fans couldn't join together in attendance to revel in Friday's late afternoon Christmas Day festivities and exchange their personal good wishes with Irving in person.

Kevin Durant scores eight points without so much as a single second ticking off the clock.  Great players get to the line and make you pay; that's all there is to it.  He is 8/9 from the charity line and otherwise shoots 9/16 (56%) from the field and 3/4 from beyond the arc.

Steve Nash turned up the heat against the Celtics.  Irving's and Durant's minutes remained consistent during two pre-season games (including one against Boston) and through Tuesday's home opener against Golden State at Barclays.  This game marks the first in which Durant and Irving exceed thirty minutes; Coach Nash issues each an equal 33 minutes.  Brooklyn's stiff jab followed by the unseen straight right join together for 66 points or 53.6% of Brooklyn's gross total, on 22/37 (59.4%) from the field.  The two also join for 12/13 (92%) on free throws, which accounts for 46.1% of Brooklyn's scoring from the stripe.

At the "center of attention," DeAndre continues taking his place on the court for the opening tip-offs, but it's Jarrett Allen who is garnering more minutes, if only slightly.  Jordan was a plus-5 in 19 minutes with four points and seven rebounds.  Jarrett Allen was a plus-18 with nine points and 5/6 from the line to complement a game-high eleven rebounds (five offensive) in 21 minutes.

Caris LeVert, in 19 minutes, was 5/8 from the floor for ten points with three assists; he missed on two occasions from three.  Joe Harris was a quiet 2/4 from the arc with nine points overall.

Jeff Green's forceful putback early in the game turned out to be his only points.  Together with Taurean Prince, they joined for 2/8 from the field and a minus-6 for the game in fifteen and twelve minutes.

A sloppy start by Brooklyn results in a 54-51 deficit at halftime.  But Flatbush storms back, outscoring Boston 72-41 in the second half and limiting the Celtic to just 18 points in the fourth quarter.  Boston outrebounds (47-43) the Nets, but their accuracy from the field was demonstratively awry, shooting a mere 37/98 (38.7%) for the game.

• Next up: Flatbush (2-0) visits Charlotte on Sunday.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

PIGSKIN 2020: Christmas Day

🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄. 🎄

PIGSKIN

* WEEK FIFTEEN *

* CHRISTMAS DAY *

.        .   *     *              *       *         .         *

  *       .        *   *       * *          * *                *      *            * *      *                               *

*             *   .      *       .    *     *  .     *         *   *  *

*                        *               .               *

 *                  *        *

*   *                .  *

SAINTS -7 Vikings Thursday Line ~ ESPN

Both teams are coming off losses.  The Vikings suffered a shameful defeat against the Bears, and the Saints came up just short against the Chiefs.  Drew Brees is back.  In his return game after sustaining five busted ribs, Brees attempted 34 passes and threw three touchdowns.  That's all I need to know.  The Saints sport a top tier defense; the Vikings not so much.  Earlier in the season, Minnesota caught Green Bay on a bad day.  That's their only claim to fame; five other wins were against the dregs of the league.  New Orleans will have no problem putting up enough points at home in the dome.  It's gonna be a holly jolly Cajun Christmas.

WIN  52-33 Saints

• All Pigskin Results

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N.Y. Knicks: Outpaced at Indiana

From the desk: DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

KNICKS OPENING NIGHT AT INDIANAPOLIS

Knicks   107

Pacers   121

FINAL

Installing Effective Leadership Is a Solid First Step Forward; On The Court, Not So Much

Outpaced, yes, but outplayed, not so much.  We won't see much of that under Thibs.  The Knicks took a 66-61 lead into halftime.  

Just let me begin the 2020-2021 regular season by saying you can't be disappointed with what you don't expect.  

That should be easy for Knicks fans, no?

Leon Rose has my respect.  As new President, he effectively wiped clean the mess left behind by Phil Jackson and Steve Mills.  I like it when executives act with conviction, and he did just that.  With one fell swoop, he cleared $40 million in salary-cap space much, in the same manner, Donnie Walsh once upon a time miraculously restored salary cap flexibility and order to the Knicks.  However, in each instance, the NBA's premium free agents demonstrated that playing for the New York Knicks is not a desired destination of choice. 

We all know who is to blame, so why go there.  The Knicks have money to spend.  But so do other teams.  Therefore, what matters most is reestablishing a positive and inviting atmosphere that the NBA's elite will find appealing and ultimately creating a new winning culture.  Lest we forget, this is not about playing in New York City; this is about playing for the Knicks.  So let us not make any mistake about it; the Knicks are starting anew, again.  Yes, the twenty-year-long rebuild continues.

However, things are looking up for a change.  If nothing else, the Knicks now have a legitimately competent chain of command.  General manager Scott Perry is finely qualified for the job and very well-spoken of around the league.  If Joe Dumars liked him, then he must be okay.  Otherwise, he has been associated with winning and procuring winning talent during his twenty-year career as an NBA executive.

Under Rose and Perry, the Knicks are perhaps in the best hands since Donnie Walsh was the general manager.  Enter Tom Thibodeau, who is no stranger to New York or the Knicks.  I believe there is actually no more perfect person for the job in the team's present state.  He is charged with a largely young, inexperienced, but moldable squad, albeit with the obligatory veterans on board to help guide the way.  Thibodeau, we know, emphasizes strong defense.  But where other coaches talk a good game, Coach Thibs actually wields enough sway to extract such effort from his players - or they just won't play; it's their choice.  No job is safe on this team, but they have the right coach in place if they want to learn and develop.  Thus, the Knicks with Perry and Rose, together with Thibodeau, seemingly have assembled what may prove to be their strongest triumvirate in quite some time.  

And so, I'm not interested in the off-season that was.  With this new hierarchy in place, what they accomplish together moving forward is what now matters most.  They have a few years of drafting ahead.  Expect another 25 to 30 win season.  But it's still rather refreshing commenting on this team under these circumstances instead of constantly hammering James Dolan about running this once-proud organization into the ground - so there, I just did it again.

🏀     🏀     🏀     🏀     🏀

RJ Barrett was a very efficient 11/15 from the field and 3/3 from the arc (1/2 from the line) for a team-high 26 points and five assists in 34 minutes.  Julius Randle scored 17 points in a team-high 35 minutes with a likewise team-best nine rebounds.  Alec Burke was second on the team with 22 points in 32 minutes off the bench.

The Knicks were outrebounded by the Pacers by a 50-40 margin.  Domantas Sabonis posted a game-leading double-double with 32 points and 13 rebounds.

Rookies Obie Toppin and Immanuel Quickley made their respective Knicks debut.  Toppin was 3/12 from the field, all from the arc, with three boards in 24 minutes.  Quickley, who left the game with a hip injury and did not return, was 1/3 from the field but 3/3 from the line for five points in 12 minutes.  

After averaging at least 20 minutes through his first three seasons, Frank Ntilikina was limited to just five minutes against the Pacers.  However, he did endure an Achillies issue in the pre-season.  In any event, he and the team are unlikely to reach an extension agreement, Coach Thib's lineup and strong scuttlebutt suggest he is likely to be traded. 

Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers this Saturday.

N.Y. Jets: Way To Go, Guys!

From the desk: WALT MICHAELS REVENGE

"TRAP GAME ALERT!!  The Jets this season have lost by at least seventeen points on seven different occasions.  They've similarly been held to ten points or less seven times.  Adam Gase said he has failed Christopher Johnson.  Perhaps, there is still more he can do - like screwing up the Jets chances at the number one overall pick with an upset victory against the Rams!  Only then will his failure be complete" - My Pigskin Picks: Week Fifteen 

Jets       23

Rams     20

FINAL

First off, the Rams suck!  If you follow my Pigskin Picks, you know that I've been calling them a paper tiger all season.  The Jets didn't win this game; the Rams lost it - buncha scrubs.

But leave it up to the Jets to essentially ruin their shot at the number one overall pick in next year's draft.  After all their futility and hard work, now they wanna win!?  They will need an awful lot of help over the next two weeks from the Jacksonville Jaguars to regain their standing as the worst team in the NFL.  

However, this colossal screw up is not on Adam Gase - not this time.  He gets paid to coach football games and was just doing his job.  It's the general manager's job to furnish the coach with players, or not (just ask John Idzik).  That said, full blame should be placed on Joe Douglas for not telling Adam Gase to "cleverly and descretely" bench some of his starters.  Yeah, that's right.  Douglas is the phantom menace.  Don't let Frank Gore rush the ball 23 times; don't target Jamison Crowder six times.  As a general manager, all you have to say to the league and media is you're evaluating talent.  

What else is there after losing thirteen straight games ...

The one time when the Jets absolutely, positively, need a loss, they go and beat the Rams.

They were 17 1/2 point underdogs.

Ponderous!

Just like last season, this victory is too little and comes way too late.  Gang Gase started last season losing seven of their first eight games before rallying to win six of their last eight.  The Jets now improve to 8-22 under Adam Gase and may very well have jeopardized another decade of Jets football.

His failure is indeed complete.

N.Y. Giants: Injuries Leave Daniel Jones With Empty Pockets

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Have Quarterback Will Run

ATTN GENERAL MANAGER: THIS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE OFFENSIVE PLAN

Daniel Jones to date has started twelve of the Giants fourteen games.  He was a non-factor in the Giants running game (by design or scramble) during three of those games in which they won one and lost two.

• WK 5 - two runs for minus-7 yards in a loss versus Cowboys.
• WK 9 - six attempts for four yards in a victory over WFT.
• WK 13 - no attempts (strained hamstring) in a loss versus Cardinals.

Otherwise, Daniel, this season has "rushed" 55 times for 403 gross yards.  For my purpose, I'm subtracting the aforementioned three games - through nine games that translates into 48 rushes for 400 yards, which averages out to 5.3 attempts for 44.4 yards per game.  In these nine games, Jones accounted for 44.2% of all Big Blue's rushing yards.

And therein lies my issue ...

Through fourteen games, everyone not named Daniel Jones has thus far rushed for 915 yards.  Together, Daniel Jones and everyone else has to date amassed 1,589 yards rushing, which ranks them smack in the middle (16th) in the NFL.  If we subtract yards gained by Daniel Jones, the Giants would otherwise have rushed for 1,186, which would rank them last in the NFL slightly behind the Houston Texans.

All told, Daniel Jones accounts for more than 30% of the Giants running game, which is exactly what I do not want out of a quarterback.

Whether his recent poor performance against the Cardinals resulted from a strained hamstring and maybe even a compromised foot, he made no attempts to run.  Which was fine because Jones needs to prove himself in the pocket.  Against Arizona, he was 11/21 for 127 yards with no interceptions and no touchdowns.  However, he was sacked six times and fumbled three times, losing one.  Said another way, his internal clock and pocket presence were terrible, and it was critical the Giants over these last few games be able to assess him, but injuries just killed our view.

Brooklyn Nets: Sean Marks' Vision Comes Into Focus

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

MAKE THAT BROOKLYN'S NINTH & MOST 

ANTICIPATED OPENING DAY SINCE 2012-2013

2020 ~ 2021

HOOPS of FLATBUSH

Warriors    99

Nets         125

FINAL

OUT OF THE LAB AND FINALLY ON THE COURT: A NEW ERA IN BROOKLYN NETS BASKETBALL BEGINS, NOW!

Opening night at Barclays Center features Stephen Curry and the visiting Golden State Warriors (playing without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) against host Brooklyn featuring their former teammate, Kevin Durant.

Punching in his time card for the first time since Game 5 of the NBA Finals as a member of the Warriors,  Durant is 7/16 from the floor and 7/7 from the line for 22 points in 25-minutes.  Kyrie Irving, the other half of Brooklyn's one-two punch, scores a game-high 26 points in 25-minutes.  

Kyrie Irvin and Kevin Durant joined in scoring 48 points or 38.4% of Brooklyn's 125 total points and propelled the Nets to a 40-25 lead in the first quarter and an 18 point lead at the half.

Coach Nash's distribution of minutes is consistent with the pre-season.  In fact, his starting lineup also remained the same.  DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Joe Harris round out the starting five.  Of the starters, only Jordan failed to stay on the floor for at least twenty minutes.  Caris LeVert, like Durant and Irving, plays a team-high 25-minutes.  A qualified starter at this stage of his career for most other teams, and an emerging star for that matter, Caris is 6/17 from the field and 5/6 from the line with nine rebounds and a team-high five assists.  His 20 points off the bench make three Nets with 20 or more.  New addition Landry Shamet also played 20 minutes, with a +12 and six points.

DeAndre Jordan, in 17 minutes, secures a game-high eleven rebounds.  Jarrett Allen is given 20 minutes off the bench in which he secures seven rebounds and is 2/3 from the floor and 4/5 from the line for eight points.  Together, the "Centers of Brooklyn's Attention" join for 12 points, 18 rebounds (five offensive), with three assists and three blocks.  

As a new leader of the Nets, the television camera in the first quarter caught KD (admonishing?) encouraging Joe Harris to take a shot from the left corner, who instead elected to pass off.  That may not seem like much and will likely go unspoken.  However, I think playing alongside KD will be huge and beneficial to Joe's continued career advancement.  Sean Marks made re-signing Joe an off-season priority.  And truth be told, for the role he plays, he has always been a good fit in Flatbush.  When Harris is on his game and making his shots, the Nets are difficult to contend with.  But when opponents decide to eliminate Joe Harris from the equation, Harris is easily canceled out, and the team oft struggled to make up the difference.  After only one regular-season game together, I sense Kevin Durant will push Harris unlike any player or coach before him.  Harris is averaging 11.8 points per game since joining the Nets but is averaging 14.1 ppg over the last two seasons.  With teams overly concerned with Durant and Irving, Harris stands to have his best season to date.  Monday against the Warriors, he scored ten and secured seven rebounds.

The Nets outrebounded Golden State (55-45) by a margin of ten.  Assists were 26-24 in favor of the Warriors.  Brooklyn was 42/92 (45.7%) from the floor and an efficient 15/35 (42.9%) from the arc.  Golden State was 37/99 (37.4%) from the field; Steph Curry finished with 20 points in 30 minutes.

Flatbush faces an upgrade in competition when they next play the Celtics at Boston on Christmas Day.

A Metsian Podcast End of Year Super Colossus Holiday Special

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

*          *         *  *

*  * with SAM, RICH & MIKE  *

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Jingle bells; Wilpon sells; Cohen saves the day.  Oh, what fun it will be if COVID is gone by opening day.  

Of course, that remains to be seen.  Baseball, in both action and word, clearly took a back seat to our national election, protests against social injustice, and the ongoing global pandemic, and while the year 2020 was illuminating and an awakening for some, it proved devasting for others.  A Metsian Podcast never tried losing sight of that, seeking merely to respectfully provide Metsville and baseball fans with courteous, even sometimes rueful banter and social distraction.  Tonight, Sam, Rich, and Mike invite you to what they hope will be an amazin' End of Year virtual podcast party.  Little do they know that friends and guests of the show left them gifts under the tree!  Please don your ugliest Mets t-shirt, sweater, or jersey, and join the fun at the first annual Metsian Podcast virtually distanced office party.  

In humble appreciation of all our listeners and supporters, A Metsian Podcast wishes our New York Mets extended family a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.  #LGM

🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄  🎄

⛄  🛷  ⛄  🛷  ⛄  🛷  ⛄  🛷  ⛄  🛷  ⛄  🛷  ⛄  🛷  ⛄  

Black Jersey Debate ~ The Rumor Mill

George Springer ~ James McCann ~ Trevor May ~ Jared Porter

And Nothin But Love for our Listeners and Guests

Brooklyn Nets: Pre-Season Test Run Goes Smoothly

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

THE LAB

PRE-SEASON

• NETS 119; Wizards 114
• Nets 113; CELTICS 89

I can't remember the first or last time I had such fun watching pre-season games!

It's been eighteen months, well over 500 days, since Sean Marks signed Kevin Durant.  Nets fans waited excitedly but patiently throughout until Dec. 13, when KD and Kyrie Irving finally played together as members of the Brooklyn Nets.  Their respective first-half effort against Washington was an eye-popping glimpse into what could possibly be a fascinating season in Flatbush.  In turning away the Wizards during last Sunday's opener at Barclays Center, the team's oft-debated team synergy was a complete non-issue.  The two joined for 33 points en route to a 68-50 first-half lead.  Said another way, they accounted for 48.5% of the Nets first-half scoring.  I don't like math, but I'm completely copacetic with that measure of contribution as water ultimately seeks its own level.

On Friday, the Brooks rolled to their second victory this time over (last year's playoff-contending) Celtics by a commanding 24-point margin.  Naturally, both Durant's and Irving's minutes increased.  So far, through two games and 51 total minutes for Durant and 45-minutes for Irving, they've been nothing short of impressive.  Durant, in particular, appears completely recovered from surgery and rehabilitation.  He's shown no signs of hesitancy.  In fact, his first step appears explosive as ever.  Durant scored a floor high 25 points in 27 minutes, with six defensive boards.  Drawing attention and fouls, he was 5 of 6 from the line and put up a team-high sixteen attempts.  Irving put up the second-most attempts, shooting 7 of 15 from the field for 17 points with no trips to the line.  He otherwise tied for a game-high five assists and was second on the team in rebounding with seven.  Together Durant and Irving accounted for 37.1% of Brooklyn's total points.  As I said, water will find its own level.  These numbers are due to change once the regular season commences this coming Tuesday.

Unable to participate against the Wizards (knee), Caris LeVert joined in with 18 points in 21 minutes off the bench.  He was 6 of 13 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from the arc and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line.  With LeVert back in the fold, both Tyler Johnson's and Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot's minutes dropped by half.

After missing a pair of three-point attempts against Washington, happy-to-be-back Joe Harris connected on 4 of 7 from the arc against Boston.

Getting consistent minutes under close inspection were Taurean Prince and Landry Shamet.  In 42 minutes, Prince was 5 of 11 (55%) from the floor with five boards, and Shamet in 39 minutes was 4 of 12 (33%) with just one assist but six rebounds.

Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen remain at the center of my attention.  Against Washington, in splitting 32 minutes, the two joined for only seven points with eleven defensive boards.  Coach Nash started Jordan for a second straight game.  DeAndre against Boston made no attempts from the field and was 1 of 2 from the line.  However, he did tie with a team-high five assists with four rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots in 19-minutes.  In 17-minutes off the bench, an aggressive Jarrett Allen was 5 of 6 from the line with nine points overall.  He secured a game-high eleven boards and was a +20 for the game.

Now the fun really starts.  Brooklyn's regular-season commences this coming Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors at the Flatbush Avenue Gym.  Ironic that Tuesday's opener is against the team for which Kevin Durant last played an NBA game.  He tore his Achillies mid-June 2019 during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.  By month's end, the free agent agreed to sign with the Nets.

Flatbush was a playoff team last season minus Kyrie Irving's services, who played just twenty games.  After appearing in the team's first eleven games, he missed the next two months from mid-November through mid-January.  Kyrie returned to play nine more games.  However, Feb. 2, at Washington would be his last of the season.  He would ultimately undergo surgery to relieve a right shoulder impingement.  Through two pre-seasons games, like Kevin Durant, Irving's performance appeared free and unrestricted.  He's also made peace with the media after referring to them as pawns - a matter, however, that doesn't interest me much.  All that matters to me is his ability to stay on the floor.

From the outside looking in, this team can appear cliquish to the casual observer.  I do not believe so.  But that's going to be Steve Nash's responsibility to discern.  For you have Nash, Mike D'Antoni, and Amare Stoudemire, who all have a long relationship together.  You have assistant coach Jacque Vaughn and the Flatbush cultivated crew of Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, and even Rodions Kurucs.  Lastly, you have the incoming triumvirate of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan, who together agreed to join forces.  I'm looking forward to an agreeable melding of minds between Nash, Durant, and Irving.  However, I'm also curious to see who is trying to be the alpha personality on any given day.

I trust that Sean Marks thought all this through ...

#NoHarden

PIGSKIN 2020: Week Fifteen

PIGSKIN

WEEK FIFTEEN

Football Sunday

RESULTS

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine
Week Ten

Week Eleven

Thanksgiving Day

Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

Week Fourteen

Week 15 Saturday

SCOREBOARD

Week Fourteen Record:  7-7

Overall Record ATS:  98-78-5 (+15)

Schmear of the Week (3x):  3-11-1 (-27)

Bagels in the Basket:  -12

• NYG: Wayne Garrett, Stephen Brown, COVID ... Get Well!
• NYG: James Bradberry, reserve COVID list.
• NYG: linebackers coach Bret Bielema accepts head coaching position at U of Illinois; congrats!

FLAGS and EXTRA POINTS

• Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Las Vegas: COVID, COVID, COVID.
• Yeah, if I were John Gruden and Philip Rivers torched me for 44 points, I'd fire my defensive coordinator too ... then lose to the Chargers. 
• Can Freddie Kitchens exact his revenge against the Browns?
• Who's spitting who?
• Jets set a club record with thirteen straight losses; Gase finally admits he sucks.
• On that note, there's an awful lot of really bad coaches available for hire.  Can't wait till teams start making really bad decisions with their next coaching hire.
• A seventeenth game of the season?
• Randy Moss: YOU GOT MOSSED!!  He called himself the greatest ever wide receiver, that is, until Jerry Rice set him straight.
• NFL games being televised on NICKELODEON is a profoundly terrible idea.  Don't do it.
• The BUFFALO BILLS, New York State's real team, clinches its first division title since 1995.

WEEK FIFTEEN

Friday Line ~ NYP/MGM

Browns -5 1/2 GIANTS

Colt McCoy and Freddie Kitchens team up to face their former team.  I don't know what to expect; clueless.  Just picking the favorite.

WIN  20-6 Browns

RAMS -17 1/2 Jets

TRAP GAME ALERT!!  The Jets this season have lost by at least seventeen points on seven different occasions.  They've similarly been held to ten points or less seven times.  Adam Gase said he has failed Christopher Johnson.  Perhaps there is still more he can do - like screwing up the Jets chances at the number one overall pick with an upset victory against the Rams!  Only then will his failure be complete.

Loss  23-20 Jets

COLTS -7 1/2 Texans

Nothing is guaranteed for the Colts and they know it.  They still have a good defense but just need to tighten up a little.  Romeo Crennel may not start Deshaun Jackson.

Loss  27-20 Colts

TITANS -10 1/2 Lions

Lions center suffered a fractured throat injury.  That's more problematic than if Matt Stafford (ribs) plays or not.  Titans continue right along playing smashmouth football.

WIN  46-25 Titans

Bucs -5 1/2 FALCONS

I think the oddsmakers are being kind to the Falcons.

Loss  31-27 Bucs

DOLPHINS -2 1/2 Patriots

The Sea Mammals are only slightly better than the Pats.  Cam Newton isn't holding up very well.  Not likely Patriots sweep the season series.

WIN  22-12 Dolphins

Seahawks -5 1/2 NO NAMES

If Alex Smith was playing I would think differently.

Loss  20-15 Seahawks

Bears +3 1/2 VIKINGS

I dub thee TOILET BOWL XV ... this used to be one of the NFL's greatest rivalries.  There's enough life left in these Bears to split the season series, but need something fluky to happen.

WIN  33-27 Bears

RAVENS -12 1/2 Jaguars

What good is the return of the great Gardner Minshew if the Ravens are rushing up and down the field against the NFL worst running defense?

WIN  40-14 Ravens

COWBOYS +3 Niners

Niners are one of the biggest disappointments of the season.  The Cowboys win just to make the battle for the NFC Least a little more intriguing.

WIN  41-33 Cowboys

CARDINALS -6 1/2 Eagles

Look out!  The Eagles hired a top-secret football whisperer.  Faith is waning, but I still believe in the Cardinals.

WIN  33-26 Cardinals

Chiefs -3 SAINTS

Drew Brees is back.  But all it takes is one hit to knock him right back out.  Chiefs have their hands full against Saints defense.  If this spread was wider, I'd think twice.  

PUSH  32-29 Chiefs

Schmear of the Week

Bucs -5 1/2

LOSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck, and have a great Football Sunday, everyone!

POSTGAME

Week Fifteen Record:  8-4-2

Overall Record ATS:  106-82-7 (+17)

Schmear of the Week:  3-12-1 (-30)

Bagels in the Basket:  -13

. . ! ! ! * MERRY CHRISTMAS * ! ! ! . .