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

🏈  ⛄  🛷  🎅  🎁  🏈  ⛄  🛷  🏈  🎅  🎁  🏈  ⛄  🛷  🎅  🎁  🏈

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  *

*       *    *          *   *

*   *          *         *             *            *     *

  *    *                *             *  * *          *  

*                    *                         *

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 * ! ! ! . .

PIGSKIN 2020: Week Fifteen (Saturday)

PIGSKIN

WEEK FIFTEEN

Saturday Games

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

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

Bills -6 BRONCOS

Mile High will not negatively affect the Bills.  When you stuff your face with so many Buffalo chicken wings, you tend to get a little short of breath anyway.  Bills are riding high coming off their victory over Pittsburgh.  They're one of just five NFL teams with double-digit victories.  Meanwhile, the Broncos last week got tenderized by the Panthers.  Neither team defense is impressive, and each of their running games is pretty even.  But the Broncos are averaging less than 20-points per game, whereas Buffalo is one of the top five passing teams in the league.  If the Panthers can score 32 against the Broncos ... you know what I'm getting at.  Hot Josh Allen versus cold Drew Lock is worth laying the six.

WIN  48-19 Bills

PACKERS -8 Panthers

Good-bye Charlotte, and hello frozen tundra.  Temperature is expected to drop below freezing by game time.  This is when Aaron Rogers starts to heat up.  Packers this season are averaging the most points per game.  Meanwhile, the warm-blooded Panthers only real claim to fame is a ten-point victory over the Cardinals.  They're averaging exactly 7.9 points per game less than Green Bay, hence the spread.  Active or not, banged up Christian McCaffrey will be a non-factor due to a barking quad.  All the pressure will be on Teddy Bridgewater, who faces a top third (NFL) defense.  Be bold in the cold, lay the points.

PUSH  24-16 Packers

• ICYMI: N.Y. Giants: Danny Dimes Dinged, Dented, and Down in the Dumps

Bedford & Sullivan Podcast: For The Record with Negro Leagues Historian Phil Dixon

From the desk: A SAM MAXWELL PRODUCTION

Brooklyn Trolley Blogger Meets Negro League Man

Sam Maxwell handed me the keys to the podcast.  I again had the privilege of speaking with 

Negro Leagues historian, author, public speaker, and Kansas City native

Phil S. Dixon 

DISCUSSION: The office of MLB officially recognizes Negro Leagues as Major League, and will incorporate player stats spanning 1920 through 1948 into the baseball record.  But what does that really mean?  We end with a brief history of the Cuban X Giants.

⚾

ICYMI: My Brooklyn Trolley Blogger's 100th-anniversary celebration of the original Negro National League founded by Rube Foster; naturally, I focused on the New York City scene, but with particular attention paid to Negro Leagues games played at Ebbets Field.

• Baseball's Last Games at Ebbets Field: Roy Campanella's Brooklyn Stars
• Negro Leagues Baseball at Ebbets Field: The Brooklyn Brown Dodgers
• A Team Grows in Harlem: The New York Lincoln Giants
• The Bacharach Giants, Ebbets Field, and the Great Clash of 1920
• On Monti Irvin: A New Jersey Titan and New York Giant
• Straight Talk With William "Judy" Johnson
• Pulling "Double Duty" at Ebbets Field: Ted Radcliffe
• Brooklyn To Newark, Part I: Negro National League Eagles Take Flight
• Brooklyn To Newark, Part II: Where Eagles Dare
• Dem Barnstormers: The Brooklyn Royal Giants

A Metsian Podcast: Double Barrel Hot Stove with Gotham Baseball's Mark C. Healey & Big Red Ruckus

From the desk:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

With SAM, RICH, and MIKE

FIRST HALF FEATURED GUEST

author, writer, a columnist for Rockaway Wave

and proprietor of GOTHAM BASEBALL.com

Mark C. Healey

His Book:

Gotham Baseball: New York's All-Time Team

Mark Healey offers up a candid behind-the-scenes perspective about closed-door and corrosive politics pervading the Mets' front offices under previous ownership, about matters of media integrity, petty retribution, and phantom menaces.  We also discuss Mark's selections for his New York All-Time lineup and pitching staff. 

SECOND HALF BONUS!

Mets Hot Stove; New York City Baseball Greats; 1969 New York Mets

w/ @BigRedRuckus

ninety-minutes

DOUBLE THE FUN

#LGM

N.Y. Jets: Gang Gase Makes History

From the desk:  WALT MICHAELS REVENGE

WEEK FOURTEEN

Jets              3

Seahawks  40

FINAL

An after-game review is worthless at this juncture.  All you need to know is the New York Jets suffered a club record thirteenth straight loss.  

I'm sure, somewhere, Rich Kotite is laughing his ass off.  Imagine Walt Michaels' dismay who once upon a time got fired after taking his team to the AFC championship game.  Yet, "the brilliant" Adam Gase is still here.

News Flash: Christopher Johnson, in all likelihood, will fire Adam Gase at the end of the season.  

If he doesn't, Woody should beat him up immediately after touching down again on U.S. soil.  

The "Same Old Jets" applies because instead of discussing general manager Joe Douglas firing Adam Gase, we keep reading and hearing about Christopher Johnson firing Adam Gase.  On behalf of Jets fans, when is the media going to take the Johnsons to task for not instituting an intelligent chain of command?

These are the same people who remained silent and protected the Wilpons from Mets fans.  But once the deal to sell the Mets was finalized, they all broke out their bazookas and opened fire upon outgoing ownership.  The same thing goes on with the Jets.  All the pundits know the Johnson Brother's way of doing business is just stupid.  Yet, even amid this horrific 0-13 effort, they print and speak nothing of the kind.  They ask that you pay for their articles offering Christopher this and Christopher that, instead of just lambasting Christopher and his brother and imploring them to let their executive do his damn job.

But no ... let Gase stay and continue ruining Sam Darnold's career.  The man even admitted after Sunday's 40-3 thrashing that he indeed failed Christopher.

But go ahead, screw Sam, get that number one pick.  😠

N.Y. Giants: Danny Dimes Dinged, Dented, and Down in the Dumps

From the desk:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

SOPHOMORE JINX OR JUST PLAIN BAD

Make that two inexplicable performances; this game and their 36-9 loss earlier this season against the Niners; a pair of games wherein the Giants looked completely out of sorts.  

There is no sugar-coating Sunday's performance.  The offensive line was terrible; Daniel Jones was terrible; the receivers were terrible.  Everyone involved on the offensive side of the ball, coach Garrett included, were terrible.  It's not like the Giants were opposed by the Steel Curtain.  Instead, the Giants' level of ineptness was the story of the day.  The offensive line surrendered a season-high eight sacks for a loss of 64 yards and another eleven QH hits for good luck.  Some of it was their fault; some of it the quarterback's fault.  The main point is three different Cardinals' linebackers accounted for all eight solo QB sacks.  Which is to say, across the board, Giants lineman and the backfield failed at their assignments and secondary assists.  Andrew Thomas endured an awful day, easily his worst game to date.  However, it would be wrong to single him out.  This was a system-wide failure, a short circuit they need to troubleshoot and clear by next week.

Or so we hope ... 

Entering Sunday's game, I suspected Daniel Jones' compromised hamstring would at least provide a test of his pocket passing abilities, and the results are in.  His internal clock clearly remains on snooze.  He was sacked six times.  Not only did Arizona sack Jones from his blindside, but they sacked him from his front side as well.  It seemed to make no difference as both tactics caught Jones in the same clueless state of mind.  When not being driven into the ground, Jones attempted a season-low 21 passes resulting in a season-low eleven completions.  His 127 passing yards mark his second-lowest output of the season.  Jones also fumbled three more times, twice resulting in turnovers.  On one occasion, he fumbled without so much as being touched (very reminiscent of being tackled from behind by the invisible man).

Truth be told, Daniel Jones has demonstrated the least improvement this season.  Last season he threw for 3,027 yards in twelve starts (and one relief appearance).  Five times he eclipsed 300 yards passing and closed out the season with two such games in a row.  This season he has so far failed to throw for 300 yards through the same number of games.  His 2,462 yards passing are 565 yards shy of last year's total with just three games left in the season.  He would need to average 188 yards per game to merely match last year's output.  Meanwhile, he has so far averaged 205 yards per game but failed to eclipse at least 200 yards passing in five of twelve games.

In the absence of any real improvement or progression to speak of, sophomore QB Daniel Jones, perhaps more than any player on the team, needed this last quarter-season to validate his claim as the starter and prove he is not in regression.  But he entered Sunday's game with a barking (right) hamstring, and now word comes down he is experiencing an extremely sore left ankle.  What is a beleaguered quarterback, head coach, and general manager to do?  

If nothing else, luck appears to be on Daniel Jones' side.  He'll be playing feeling less than 100%, but it's improbable Dave Gettleman selects another quarterback in next year's draft.

Therefore, Jones has three more games left to steer this narrative in a more positive direction.

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving Play Together at Last

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Pre-Season Opener

Wizards 114

Nets       119

FINAL

... and the Hoops of Flatbush Take the Court!

Welcome to the Brooklyn Nets' most anxiously anticipated season to date, even more so than their initial arrival in Kings County.  Expectations were never nearly as high then, nor moving forward, as they are at this very moment.  

General manager Sean Marks is to thank.  His patience and discipline have so far prevailed.  Through his rebuilding and architectural vision, the team in these last two seasons has done more to endear themselves to fans than in any preceding six.  Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, even Spencer Dinwiddie (and the departed D'Angelo Russell) grew up here, along with others worth mentioning whether still with the team or not.  They're all responsible for elevating the Nets to a more competitive level.  I'm happy a trade to acquire James Harden never transpired.  Generally speaking, the point is the long-sought emotional bond between team and fan has finally been cemented.  That's a very different vibe than hiring a bunch of costly mercenaries in the hopes of grabbing a new fan base's attention, a la Mikail Prokhorov's and Billy King's device.  Although a Nets familiar crowd, Brooklyn can be an apathetic bunch.  Early attendance figures bear that out.

Some pundits are saying the Brooklyn Nets are now a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.  Then, all that remains is for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to drive Sean Marks' vision forward and validate such prognostications.

That being said, the wait is over.  For the first time since their respective acquisitions, fans got to witness Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant playing in the same game at the same time and donning the same black and white uniforms, albeit in the first preseason exhibition game against the pedestrian Washington Wizards.  But if fans think they waited a long time for this moment, imaging Durant's plight, who last participated in an NBA game over 550 days ago.  He's been recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon ever since.  It was definitely a relief and very encouraging as a fan to see Durant moving so fluidly and without hesitancy.

Insofar as first impressions, Irving and Durant did not disappoint.  Their respective first-half effort was an exciting glimpse into what possibly could be a fascinating season in Flatbush.  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 can't stand math, but I'm completely copacetic with that measure of contribution for the sake of involvement.  Despite 0/3 from the arc, Spencer Dinwiddie scored ten and led the team with seven assists in 25-minutes.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarro seems to have picked up where he left off with eleven points in 21-minutes.  Taurean Prince was an effective 6/9 from the field and 2/2 from the line.  Kyrie Irving led the team with 18 points in just 17 minutes, and Durants had 15 points in 24 minutes.

Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen were not the centers of attention.  Coach Nash gave Jordan the start over Allen.  I'll wait out the preseason before I make that an issue.  Otherwise, the two joined for just seven points with eleven defensive boards while splitting 32 total minutes.

This brings to mind Steve Nash and his rather eclectic coaching staff.  I'll just start by saying holdover Jacque Vaughn is completely welcome.  Mike D'Antoni is the assistant head coach.  He'll definitely be a head coach of his own team again next season; I'm sure of it.  He, unfortunately, was the one person left standing in the latest round of head coaching musical chairs.  Nash, of course, played for D'Antoni while at Phoenix.  And then there's Amare Stoudemire, Nash's former teammate at Phoenix.  The two were great together, and the three went far together but never did get to light a victory cigar.  Amare is said to be here (partly) to teach Jarrett Allen how to play like a big man.  I hope it works.  However, I'm no booster of D'Antoni.  I do not and have never believed in his system.  We've seen it up close with the Knicks, and where did his system get him in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Houston?  That said, I fully expect Steve Nash to be his own man and run his own game while being completely open to information and advice.  Above all else, I trust Sean Marks made the right decision.

I do not consider the upcoming season a championship year or bust situation.  I prefer to judge the upcoming season in stages.  For now, they are nothing more than a team with two stars who have yet to complete a full season together.  Of course, Durant is returning to the floor after an extended absence. However, Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets still must demonstrate durability, lest we forget he only played 20 games last season.