Year In Sports 2018

The time has finally come. As we sit here on the final day of the year for 2018, we take a look back at what was in the sports world. There were some memorable moments, like the Capitals winning their first championship, the Eagles clinching their world championship, the Miracle in Minnesota, the Darling story of the Vegas Golden Knights, another world title for the Warriors and the Red Sox running wire to wire in baseball. All that and more has gone down over the last three hundred and sixty five days. Since there's way too much to try and cover, we will keep this short and sweet. Here's what happened in every major sports event over the last year.

Tennis:
Australian Open: Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki
French Open: Rafael Nadal, Simona Halep
Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic, Angelique Kerber
US Open: Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka

NASCAR:
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Joey Logano
Daytona 500: Austin Dillon
Coca Cola 600: Kyle Busch
Brickyard 400: Brad Keselowski

Golf:
The Masters: Patrick Reed (first major title, 6th PGA Tour win)
US Open: Brooks Koepka (second major title, 2nd U.S. Open title, 3rd PGA Tour win)
Open Championship: Francesco Molinari (first major title, 2nd PGA Tour win)
PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka (third major title, 1st PGA Championship title, 4th PGA Tour win)

Football:
2018 College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama Crimson Tide defeated Georgia Bulldogs 26–23.
Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles defeated New England Patriots 41-33

Basketball:
Men's National Championship: Villanova Wildcats defeated Michigan Wolverines 79–62
Women's National Championship: Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Mississippi State Bulldogs 61–58
NBA Finals: Golden State Warrios Defeated Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 0

Baseball:
College World Series: Oregon State defeated Arkansas 2 games to 1
Little League World Series: Hawaii defeated Korea 3-0
World Series: Boston Red Sox defeated Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1

Hockey:
2018 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey National Championship: Clarkson Golden Knights defeated Colgate Raiders, 2–1 in overtime.
2018 NCAA Division I Men's Ice National Championship Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 2–1.
Stanley Cup Finals: Washington Capitals defeated Vegas Golden Knights 4 games to 1

In Memoriam:
-Joan Steinbrenner (83)
-Luis Valbuena (33)
-Willie McCovey (80)
-Charles Wang (74)
-Tex Winter (96)
-Stan Mikita (78)
-Ray Emery (35)
-Billy Connors (76)
-Peter Thompson (88)
-Red Schoendienst (95)
-Dwight Clark (61)
-Chuck Knox (86)
-Bill Torrey (83)
-Bruno Sammartino (82)
-John Amirante (83)
-Hal Greer (81)
-Rusty Staub (73)
-Ed Charles (83)
-Oscar Gamble (68)
-JoJo White (71)

NFL Clinching Scenarios Week 17

It has arrived. The final day of the regular season has arrived in the NFL and there's still a lot left to be decided. Playoff seeding and division titles are still up for grabs on the last day of the regular season. With that being said, here's how teams can clinch playoff spots this week.

NFC
CLINCHED
New Orleans Saints: NFC South Title and Home-Field Advantage
Los Angeles Rams: NFC West Title
Chicago Bears: NFC North Title
Dallas Cowboys: NFC East Title
Seattle Seahawks: Playoff Birth

LOS ANGELES RAMS
- Rams clinch a first-round bye with a win or a Bears loss

CHICAGO BEARS
-Bears clinch a first-round bye with a win and a Rams loss

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
-Vikings clinch a playoff berth with a win or an Eagles loss

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
-Eagles clinch a playoff berth with with a win and a Vikings loss

AFC
CLINCHED
Kansas City Chiefs: Playoff Birth
Los Angeles Chargers: Playoff Birth
New England Patriots: AFC East Title
Houston Texans: Playoff Birth

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
-Chiefs can clinch the AFC West title with a Win or a loss by the Chargers.
-Chiefs can clinch home field advantage throughout with losses by the Patriots, Chargers and Texans and can clinch a first round by with Chargers and Texans losses.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
-Patriots can clinch home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with a win and losses by the Chargers and Chiefs
-Patriots can clinch a first-round bye with a win or losses by the Texans Ravens and Titans

HOUSTON TEXANS
-Texans can clinch the AFC South division title and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win and losses by the Patriots, Chiefs and Chargers
-Texans can clinch the AFC South division title and a first-round bye with a win and a Pats loss or a win and losses by the Chargers and Chiefs
-Texans can clinch with a AFC South division title with a win or a tie between the Colts and Titans

BALTIMORE RAVENS
-Ravens can clinch the AFC North division title and a first-round bye with a win a win, a loss by the Patriots and Texans and there's no tie with the Colts and Titans
-Ravens can clinch the AFC North division title with a win or a Steelers loss
-Ravens can clinch a playoff berth with a tie and a tie in the Colts and Titans

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
-Chargers can clinch the AFC West division title and home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with a win and a Chiefs loss

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
-Colts can clinch AFC South title with a win and a Texans loss
-Colts can clinch  a playoff berth with a win or a tie and losses by the Steelers and Ravens

TENNESSEE TITANS
-Titans can clinch the AFC South division title and first-round bye with a win and losses by the Patriots, Texans and Ravens
-Titans can clinch the AFC South division title with a win and a Texans loss
-Titans can clinch a playoff spot with a win

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
-Steelers can clinch the AFC North division title with a win and a Ravens loss
-Steelers can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a tie between the Colts and Titans

Best & Worst Of NFL Week 16

Week Sixteen has come and gone in the National Football League and a lot has started to take shape for post season play. This now marks ten straight years for the Patriots as winners of the AFC East. The entire NFC has seen its division locked up as well, thanks to the Cowboys clinching the East. A lot of what went down this week helped make things a little more clear going into next week and the final day of the season. On an individual note, Aaron Rogers had a day for the ages against the Jets, while Nick Foles pulled off a comeback win against Houston. Meanwhile, the Steelers playoff hopes are on the ropes. That leaves a lot to discuss. With that being said, here's some of the best and worst from the week that was in the NFL.

Best:
Aaron Rogers, Quarterback Green Bay Packers
There have been some wondering if Aaron Rogers was the same quarterback. He got hurt early on in the season and it's been possibly bothering him. Maybe its the problems that have been going on with the coaching staff. Whatever has been going on, Rogers has seemed like he's had an off year. Sunday, in the overtime win over the Jets, Rogers had a performance for the ages. He lead Green Bay to a 44-38 overtime win over New York. Down 15 in the fourth quarter, Rogers had two rushing touchdowns and lead the Pack to force overtime. Rodgers’ overtime touchdown pass to Davante Adams, after Rodgers’ touchdown run was wiped out due to a holding penalty, was a beautiful throw. Rogers finished the day going 37 of 55 for 442 yards and two throwing touchdowns, to go along with the two more he ran for. He was sacked four times, but I think the passing yards and what he managed to do with his legs more than made up for it. Sure it meant nothing for the Pack, since they're out of the playoff race. But it was a showcase that Rogers can still be great at what he does.

Worst:
Nick Mullens, Quarterback San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco had a chance to take out the Bears on Sunday. Nick Mullens had himself set up in perfect position to teak out Chicago. Allen Robinson appeared to seal the win for the Bears, only to have the ball punched out by Tarvarius Moore. San Francisco defense gave Mullens a great chance to get the lead and back into this game. Mullens then made a couple of huge throws to get the 49ers into Chicago territory before finding himself in a fourth-down situation. On that fourth-down play, with just over a minute left on the clock, Mullens rolled out to the right and had nothing but green grass in front of him. He could have easily run for the first down and gotten out of bounds to stop the clock. He did not do that. Instead, Mullens made the unconscionable decision to heave a deep throw well out of bounds, ending the game. Can somebody please explain why the hell Mullens didn't just run for the first on that play instead of throwing? It's one of the few stupid mistakes that he's made since taking over in San Francisco, this one really costing them.

Best:
CJ Anderson, Running Back Los Angeles Rams
Anderson had to try and prove something to not only the Rams, but to the rest of the league as well. After getting dropped by the Panthers, Los Angeles picked him up as an insurance policy for Todd Gurley. Gurley missed this week with a knee injury, which lead some to wonder how well the Rams were going to handle Arizona. Los Angeles didn't have much trouble, coming away with a 31-9 win over the Cards and Anderson was a big reason for that. He finished with 20 carries for 167 yards, best this week amongst running backs, and a touchdown. Before this performance, Anderson had rushed for a grand total of 104 yards all year, playing the backup role to Christian McCaffery. Had he stayed in Carolina, it would have made things a bit tougher on the market next season, just fading away into nothing. Now he's getting a shot and not only helping the Rams keep pace ahead of the Bears and Saints for top spot in the NFC but he's also trying to keep himself a float for a big payday during the offseason.

Worst:
Adam Gase, Head Coach Miami Dolphins
This was a must win game for the Dolphins. They were still mathematically alive going into Sunday's action. What resulted was an underwelimg performance. Miami lost 17-7 yo Jacksonville, knocking them out of playoff contention. This has now lead to a two game losing streak for the Fish, ever since the miracle win over New England. In those last two losses, the Dolphins offense has really gone nowhere. To make matters worse, over the last few days rumors have started to surface that head coach Adam Gase could be in serious danger of losing his job. He is 23-24 in his time running the Dolphins, who did have a shot at making the playoffs this year, but its been falling short. Somebody needs to take the fall for the Dolphins not being able to keep up their steady play, and it has to be Gase. Can't get ride of the players when the coach couldn't really gameplan correctly.

Best:
Nick Foles, Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles
Talk about somebody playing like a man on a mission. He made two glaring mistakes all day on Sunday, throwing a pick and losing a fumble in the Eagles 32-30 win over the Texans. But those notwithstanding, he played out of his damn mind. He stood in and took some nasty shots from the Texans Jadeveon Clowney, which almost took him out of the game. But Foles hung in there like the MVP that he is. He went 35 of 49 for an Eagles record 471 yards and four touchdowns. Of those touchdowns, one of which was a beautiful 83-yard strike to Nelson Agholor. The other was the final two minute drive. Philadelphia started from their own 11 yard line. Foles marched them down the field, setting up the game winning field goal to get the Eagles back in the race.

Worst:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh has been trying to stay in the hunt most of the year. Last week's win over the Patriots. You'd like to think that Pittsburgh would be able to keep that momentum up. Not the case this week, as they fell to the Saints 38-20. Many will point to coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to fake a punt from Pittsburgh’s own 42-yard line with just 4:11 left in the game. Didn't work, leaving Tomlin with egg on his face, and makes one wonder how well he has a handle on his locker room. And while it’s fair to question the play call, maybe run an actual offensive play on 4th and 1 instead of going for the fake pun, the concept of giving Drew Brees the ball back with a four-point lead is a very dangerous thing. It turned out to bite them right in the rear end and now has them running the risk of missing the playoff altogether. So now the Steelers need to win their game in the finale against the Bengals and need to hope the Browns beat the Ravens if they want the title. And if the Steelers miss out, you can bet two losses in three weeks against both Denver and Oakland will really sting.

Best:
Kyle Rudolph, Tight End Minnesota Vikings
Not only did Minnesota get a win, they dominated the Lions. The Vikings steamrolled to a 27-9 win over the Lions and tight end Kyle Rudolph was the key reason for it. He was the best player on the offensive side of the ball for either team. By the time all was said and done on this day, Rudolph had nine catches for 122 yards. Those receiving yards accounted for nearly half of Kirk Cousins’ passing yards on the day. Oh yeah, he had caught two touchdowns on the day as well, including an incredible Hail Mary reception right at the half. It's worth noting that he had only two touchdowns all season long before this game. He helped keep the Vikings alive and well in a highly competitive NFC race.

Worst:
New York Giants
On a day in which Saquan Barkley wasn't at his best, the Giants still had a lead. And it's gone. The Giants had a nice long drive in the 3rd quarter that resulted in a field goal. It gave the Giants a six point lead. Up to that point, Eli Manning had been on point. He had played almost mistake free football to that point. Then it all fell apart. Shortly after taking the six point lead, New York’s defense fell apart and allowed Andrew Luck and the rest of the club to come charging back with a late touchdown. With the game on the line and just under one minute remaining, Manning threw the game-sealing interception to Malik Hooker. It’s just been that kind of year for Big Blue. You have to feel bad for the Giants with the way things have gone for this year. But then again, with the way things have gone this season, it just seams like a Giants thing to do.

Best:
Cleveland Browns
Thanks to a Titans win on Saturday night, the Browns have been eliminated from playoff contention. Still, that didn't stop the Cleveland Crew from rolling right along and taking care of business on Sunday. Cleveland pulled out a 28-16 win over the Bengals and it was the usual suspects leading the charge. Baker Mayfield looked like a veterans playing well beyond his years, passing for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Jarvis Landry hauled in four passes, making his biggest contribution as a passer himself, connecting with Breshad Perriman on a 63-yard pass. Nick Chubb rumbled for 112 yards on the ground and broke a franchise rookie rushing record in the process. There is some excellent young talent on this roster, and the future looks bright. That’s something that nobody has been able to say about Cleveland in a long, long time. They got something to work with in front of the Dog Pound.

Worst:
Carolina Panthers
Seven. Straight. Loses. Things just seam to keep getting from bad to worse for the Panthers. They fell 24-10 to Atlanta, and to make things worse, it was another waste of a day for Christian McCaffrey. The star back picked up 173 total yards of offense. Backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke was a turnover machine, one who had three awful interceptions during the course of the day. To make matters worse, the defense wasn't any good. Carolina's defense gave up 194 yards on the ground to Atlanta's rush attack. To make the day get even worse, on the first play of the second half, that defense gave up an easy 75-yard touchdown to rookie Calvin Ridley. Just a terrible effort from a team that has been falling off a cliff ever since early in November.

Merry Christmas

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas has arrived. As is tradition, we present to you the spirit of Christmas with a little bit of a hockey twist to it. So sit back, relax and enjoy.

First up is The 12 Days of Rick Jeanneret:



Next we present, The 12 Days of Mike Lange:



Last but not least, we present The 12 Days of Hockey:




From us to you and your family, here's to a very Merry Christmas!

NFL Clinching Scenarios Week 16

Week sixteen has arrived. Lets not waste any time. Here's what the clinching scenarios for this week in the NFL.

NFC
CLINCHED:
Los Angeles Rams: NFC West
New Orleans Saints: NFC South
Chicago Bears: NFC North

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
-Saints can clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with a win, or a tie and a Rams loss or tie, or losses by both the Bears and Rams
-Saints can clinch a first-round bye with a tie or losses by either the Rams or Bears

LOS ANGELES RAMS
-Rams can clinch a first-round bye with a win and a Bears loss, or a tie and a Bears loss

 DALLAS COWBOYS
-Cowboys can clinch the NFC East division title with a win or losses by both the Eagles and Redskins
-Cowboys can clinch a playoff birth with a Tie and a Vikings loss

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
-Seahawks can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Redskins win or tie OR a win and a Vikings loss. They can also clinch with a tie and losses by the Redskins and Eagles

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
-Vikings can clinch a playoff berth with a win and losses by the Eagles and Redskins

AFC
CLINCHED:
Kansas City Chiefs: Playoff Spot
Los Angeles Chargers: Playoff Spot

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
-Chiefs can clinch the AFC West division title and a first-round bye with a win and a Chargers loss
-Chiefs can clinch home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with a win and losses by both the Chargers and Texans

HOUSTON TEXANS
-Texans can clinch the AFC South division title with a win or a Colts tie and a Titans loss
-Texans can clinch a first-round bye with a win and a Patriots loss, or a Tie and a Patriots loss
-Texans can clinch a playoff berth with losses by the Steelers, Ravens or Titans

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
-Patriots can clinch the AFC East division title with a win or tie, or a Dolphins loss or tie

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
-Steelers can clinch the AFC North division title with a win or a tie and a Ravens loss
-Steelers can clinch a playoff berth with a win and losses by both the Titans and Colts

2019 Pro Bowl Rosters Announced

Ah the Pro Bowl. The NFL's All Star Game, which is set to take place on January 27th. It will emanate from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.The best players from around the league gather together to prove which conference is tops among the two. Some might not make the trip, as the game does fall the weekend before the Super Bowl. Others will make the trip as it is considered an honor to play in the all star event. Here's the list of the guys selected to this year's Pro Bowl.

AFC Roster:
Offense:
Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) Philip Rivers (Chargers) Tom Brady (Patriots)
Running Back: James Conner (Steelers) Melvin Gordon (Chargers) Phillip Lindsay (Broncos)
Fullback: Anthony Sherman (Chiefs)
Wide Receiver: DeAndre Hopkins Texans), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Antonio Brown (Steelers), Keenan Allen (Chargers)
Tackle: Taylor Lewan (Titans), Alejandro Villanueva (Steelers), Eric Fisher (Chiefs)
Guard: David DeCastro (Steelers), Marshal Yanda (Ravens), Quenton Nelson (Colts)
Center: Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers) Mike Pouncey (Chargers)
Tight End: Travis Kelce (Chiefs) Eric Ebron (Colts)

Defense:
Defensive End: J.J. Watt (Texans), Myles Garrett (Browns), Melvin Ingram (Chargers)
Interior Lineman: Geno Atkins (Bengals), Jurrell Casey (Titans) Cameron Heyward (Stelers)
Outside Linebacker: Von Miller (Broncos), Jadeveon Clowney (Texans), Dee Ford (Chiefs)
Inside Linebacker: C.J. Mosley (Ravens), Benardrick McKinney (Texans)
Cornerback: Xavien Howard (Dolphins), Jalen Ramsey (Jaguars), Stephon Gilmore (Patriots), Denzel Ward (Browns)
Free Safety: Derwin James (Chargers), Eric Weddle (Ravens)
Strong Safety: Jamal Adams (Jets)

Special Teams
Kicker: Jason Myers (Jets)
Long-snapper: To be named by coach
Punter: Brett Kern (Titans)
Return specialist: Andre Roberts (Jets)
Special-Teamer: Adrian Phillips (Chargers)

NFC Roster:
Offense:
Quarterback: Drew Brees (Saints) Jared Goff (Rams), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Running Back: Todd Gurley II (Rams), Saquon Barkley (Giants), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk (49ers)
Wide Receiver: Julio Jones (Falcons), Michael Thomas (Saints), Adam Thielen (Vikings) Davante Adams (Packers)
Tackle: Tyron Smith (Cowboys), Terron Armstead (Saints), Trent Williams (Redskins)
Guard: Zack Martin (Cowboys), Brandon Brooks (Eagles), Trai Turner (Panthers)
Center: Alex Mack (Falcons), Max Unger (Saints)
Tight End: Zach Ertz (Eagles) George Kittle (49ers)

Defense:
Defensive End: Cameron Jordan (Cowboys), DeMarcus Lawrence (Saints), Danielle Hunter (Vikings)
Interior Lineman: Aaron Donald (Rams), Fletcher Cox (Eagles), Akiem Hicks (Bears)
Outside Linebacker: Khalil Mack (Bears), Ryan Kerrigan (Redskins), Anthony Barr (Vikings)
Inside Linebacker: Luke Kuechly (Panthers), Bobby Wagner (Seahawks)
Cornerback: Kyle Fuller (Bears), Patrick Peterson (Cardinals), Darius Slay (Lion)s, Byron Jones
Free safety: Eddie Jackson (Bears), Harrison Smith (Vikings)
Strong Safety: Landon Collins (Giants)

Special teams
Kicker: Aldrick Rosas (Giants)
Long-snapper: To be named by coach
Punter: Michael Dickson (Seahawks)
Return specialist: Tarik Cohen (Bears)
Special-Teamer: Cory Littleton (Rams)

So did they get it right? Was there anybody left off?

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Fifteen

Week Fifteen has come and gone in the National Football League. it was a weird week in the NFL this week too, with teams losing that you didn't expect to lose. A perfect example of that is Dallas getting shut out by Indy. Chicago won the North for the first time since 2010 and did it in pretty convincing fashion, beating up on the Packers. Here's how you know the NFL was in an interesting place after week fifteen when the Cleveland Browns are still alive in the playoff race. This weekend saw blowouts, shut outs, nail bitters and everything in between. But enough of all of that. Here's the best and worst of the week that was in the NFL.

Best:
Philip Rivers, Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers
When the game got started between the Chargers and Chiefs, it didn't look good for Los Angeles. Philip Rivers threw an interception on his first pass attempt of the game, severely under throwing Tyrell Williams. Next time you turned around, Kansas City had jumped up to a 14-0 lead. Then the second half came around, and Rivers found his game again. Rivers led two consecutive touchdown-scoring drives in the final eight minutes of the game. He capped it all off with a gutty two-point conversion to Mike Williams, who had a monster game while Keenan Allen watched due to an injury. Rivers finished the day going 26 of 38 for 318 yards, tow touchdowns and two picks, and he was also sacked five times on the day. He still found a way to lead his team to victory against a very tough Kansas City club. Now at 11-3, the Chargers have a chance to claim the AFC’s top seed in the final weeks.

Worst:
Vance Joseph, Head Coach Denver Broncos
As a head coach in the NFL, or hell as a coach in any sport for that matter, you need to know what's going on at all times. You need to be aware of the situation in every circumstance. Somebody forgot to tell that to Denver coach Vance Joseph. Down by four points, with just over four minutes left on the clock, Denver's offense was sitting on the Cleveland six-yard line. We're looking at a fourth and one situation. Joseph, for whatever reason, decides to call for a field goal. Not surprisingly, the move backfired. Cleveland won the game by one point. In a must-win situation, Joseph retreated into his shell and cost his team the victory. He was booed heartily by the home crowd in Denver, and social media was brutal in its assessment of his awful decision. After a decision like this, I find it hard to believe that John Elway can keep him on the sideline for this team. Black Monday might not come fast enough for Broncos fans.

Best:
DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver Houston Texans
This should come as no surprise to anybody. DeAndre Hopkins has been doing things to opposing cornerbacks throughout his entire career, and in Saturday's 29-22 win over the Jets. He finished with ten catches for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His first touchdown, which was a thing of beauty really, came in the second quarter when he burned single coverage in the middle of the field. It ended up going 45 yards for the score to give Houston a 10-point lead. His second score was just as nice, which also proved to be the game-winner in the fourth quarter. Already banged up, he ripped a 50-50 ball out of the air and held on as he came crashing to the turf. After making the ridiculous touchdown reception, Hopkins had to be carried off the field by his teammates. This game made a strong case that he might be the very best overall receiver in the game today, which is saying something with some of the talent that's in the game right now. He's good, he's very good.

Worst:
Dallas Cowboys
This was simple, all the Dallas Cowboys had to do was win a game. That's it. Win this week and you clinch the NFC East title and a playoff spot. I guess it was easier said than done. Dallas got rocked by the Colts, falling to Indy 23-0. This marks the first time that the Cowboys had been shut out in a game since week eleven of the 2003 season. The Colts dominated Dallas on the ground, to the tune of 178 yards. Dallas turned the ball over on downs four out of five times. Amari Cooper, who had his monster 207 yard week last week, wasn't a factor at all. The Cowboys are still in the driver’s seat for the division, but with only one game of separation between them the Eagles and Redskins, they can’t afford another dud like that. They need to get regrouped and get ready to battle next week against Tampa Bay in order to try and clinch a playoff spot.

Best:
Alshon Jeffery, Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles
With Carson Wentz hurt with a back injury, Nick Foles was called on again to help keep the Eagles alive in the playoff race. He did that on Sunday in the Eagles 30-23 win over the Rams. Foles didn't do it alone, he got some bigtime help in the form of Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery had gone over 100 yards receiving just once in 2018. Against the Rams, he was the big-play machine the Eagles needed to spark the offense. When the final whistle blew, Jeffery had tallied eight receptions for 160 yards as Philly stunned the Rams in Los Angeles. He looked like a game breaker this week and the Eagles are going to need him to keep doing that if they are going to hope to get back into the postseason and repeat as champs.

Worst:
New England Patriots
When you think of the New England Patriots around this time of year, you think that the Pats are in playoff mode. They're operating at full power and are ready for the playoff push and gunning for the top seed in the AFC race. Again, that's what we're used to seeing from the Pats, because we didn't see that from New England on Sunday. They got nipped by the Steelers, falling 17-10 to Pittsburgh in a game that could have been an early playoff preview. New England matched its season low in points and, somehow, managed to come up empty in three red zone trips. They've lost two in a row and have lost three of their last five games. Also around this time of year, Tom Brady looks like he's already in full playoff mode. Didn't see that late Sunday, as he made a poor decision to heave a prayer in the middle of the fourth quarter leading to a crushing Joe Haden interception. Under coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots are just 3-3 in the postseason and have never reached the Super Bowl when they haven’t had a first-round bye in the postseason. And to make matters worse, New England will finish the year 3-5 on the road for the year.

Best:
Chicago Bears
It's been a long time coming, the Chicago Bears as NFC North Champions, having won their division crown with a 24-17 beating over the Packers on Sunday. And look at what Chicago has done over the last two weeks beating the Rams and Packers. With the win over the Rams two weeks ago, they held Los Angeles to just six points. Then they held the Green Bay offense to one touchdown on Sunday. Oh and they just snapped Aaron Rogers NFL-record streak of passes thrown without an interception. They were all over the field against Green Bay, causing as much havoc as possible. The fact that they've managed to win ten games in that division, and claim the division title no less, says a lot as to how good a team the Bears really have this year. They could be a dangerous team to have to go against in the playoffs this year.

Worst:
Arizona Cardinals
Well the Atlanta Falcons needed to find a team that they could beat up on and feel good about something this season. That team turns out to be the Arizona Cardinals. Atlanta blasted the Cards 40-14, one of those games that a team tries to forget about quickly. Josh Rosen looked bad early, getting picked off twice, one of which was returned for a pick six. Hell Arizona's offensive line looked like garbage most of the day. It wasn't until Rosen was pulled in the 4th in favor of Mike Glennon that the Arizona offense showed any kind of life whatsoever. By the time that move happened, the game was already out of reach, part of which was due to the fact that the Cardinals defense was lit up like a cheap cigar. It's a shocker that the Cards have three wins on the year. They really do stink, and one has to wonder if Steve Wilks will have a job after this horrible dumpster fire of a season.

Best:
Lamar Jackson, Quarterback Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore pulled out a big win this week, beating Tampa Bay 20-12, to keep their playoff hopes alive and well. When you think of this team, you'd think about Joe Flacco being the one to lead the team, but that wasn't the case this week. Flacco was moved to the backup role for the first time in his career. It was a signal from head coach John Harbaugh that the Ravens are coming into a new era. Lamar Jackson got the start and did pretty well for himself in the win. He went 14 of 23 for 181 yards, a touchdown and was sacked twice. He finished with 226 total yards and managed to be able to do this in a rain soaked field. He's been able to really take control of the Ravens offense and has them in a primed spot for a playoff spot. Since he came under center, Baltimore is 4-1 in their last five games and are in the driver seat for snatching a post season spot. Jackson been a big force behind that and, if this is any indication, Baltimore is in good hands for their future.

Worst:
Jared Goff, Quarterback Los Angeles Rams
The Rams got upset by the Eagles on Sunday, falling to Philly 30-23. There was some good and there was some bad about the play off Jared Goff. The good was that he had more pass yards in the league then any other QB this week, throwing for 339 yards. That was the good. Now, here comes the bad. He threw a really bad interception in the first half, then doubled down on the nasty with perhaps one of the worst turnovers you’ll see all year long in the second half. He finished with two picks and didn't throw a touchdown pass. His accuracy wasn't great on the day, not really being able to get the ball to his playmakers in stride. In the last three games, the rams have really looked off. They've lost two of those last three games, with the lone win coming over the bad Detroit Lions. In those three games, Goff has one touchdown and seven picks. That's bad and its coming at the wrong time of the year.

Welcome To New York Wilson Ramos

The Catcher. Plays a key role on a baseball field. He controls the pitching staff for his team, controls the run game for the opposing team, and can provide some offensive production as well. A guy who can do all three, and do them all very well, is rare to come by in the Major Leagues. One guy who can be put into that category is Wilson Ramos, who had been one of the highly touted free agents on the market this winter at the catcher position. He's not on the market anymore, as he's signed a two year deal, with a club option for a third year, worth $19.5 Million. The team that signed him was the New York Mets and it managed to kill two birds with one stone. It got them a player they really needed and it didn't cost them players in order to get him.

First, lets look at the signing at face value and what it means to the Mets. Ramos is a good hitting catcher. He's a .273 lifetime hitter, a guy who averages at least 10 home runs and more than 75 RBI's in a season. He hit .307 last year with 15 homers and 70 RBI split between Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. He's been battling back after dealing with tearing his ACL late in the 2016 season. Of catchers with at least 1,000 plate appearances over the past three seasons, Ramos’ OPS of .826 is second, behind Gary Sánchez and ahead of Buster Posey, Willson Contreras and Yasmani Grandal. Seeing numbers like that makes me as a Mets fan happy, knowing we have a guy who can get on base and can hit.

Facts are, the Mets haven't had security, from an offensive perspective at least, from the catcher position since Mike Piazza. The only guy that's come close to being able to really produce as a catcher for the Mets since Piazza was Paul Lo Duca. Lo Duca wasn't off the charts great at the plate, but he was very serviceable. Now they know they have a guy behind the plate who can rake a little with a bat in his hand. HIs defense is about average, maybe a little bit above it. His offensive production can cover for it. He's not going to set the world on fire with his bat, but he will be able to do enough to be very productive with this New York Club.

Now here's the other plus side for it for the Mets. Everybody knows that New York had been in talks with the Miami Marlins about J.T. Realmuto. The Marlins were reportedly demanding at least one of Amed Rosario, Michael Conforto, and Brandon Nimmo in any deal for their star catcher. That's too high an asking price. Yes getting Realmuto from the Marlins would have been huge, but it also would have come at too high a cost. Nimmo and Conforto could be major building blocks for the outfield. Getting rid of Rosario in the deal would have added another HUGE hole that the Mets would then have to have gone out and try and fill. There was also one rumor floating around that the Mets could have been involved in a three team trade with the Marlins and Yankees that could have seen Noah Syndergaard traded to the Bronx with Realmuto heading to NY. Thankfully that never happened, because that too would have left a hole on this team, this time in the starting rotation, which is a strength of the Mets.

Getting Ramos was a great signing by new GM Brodie Van Waganen. It got the Mets a need to fill, especially with Travis d'Arnaud still recovering from Tommy John Surgery. They got a catcher that they needed, one who has a good offensive upside, and it didn't cost them any pieces that could have created another hole for this team. Good signing by Brodie and Welcome to New York, Wilson!

NFL Clinching Scenarios Week 15

We got three weeks left in the regular season in the NFL. Week 15 kicks off today, and there's a lot on the line this week. Here's what the clinching scenarios look like for this week's action around the league.

NFC
CLINCHED
Los Angeles Rams: NFC West division title
New Orleans Saints: NFC South division title

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
-New Orleans clinches a first-round bye with a win and a Bears loss or tie
-New Orleans can also clinch with a tie and a Bears loss 

LOS ANGELES RAMS
-Los Angeles clinches a first-round bye with a win and a Bears loss or tie
-Los Angeles can also clinch with a tie and a Bears loss

CHICAGO BEARS
-Chicago clinches NFC North division title with a win or a Vikings loss, or they and the Vikings tie
-Chicago clinches a playoff berth with a win or a Redskins loss or tie

DALLAS COWBOYS
-Dallas clinches NFC East division title with a win, or a tie and Washington and Philly losses, or just losses by both Washington and Philly

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
-Seattle clinches a playoff berth with a win or a tie and losses by Minnesota Washington and Philly

AFC
CLINCHED:
Kansas City Chiefs: Playoff berth
Los Angeles Chargers: Playoff berth

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
-New England clinches AFC East division title with a win and a Miami Loss or a tie and a Miami loss
-New England clinches a playoff berth with a win and a Tennessee loss OR a tie and losses by the Titans, Ravens and Colts

HOUSTON TEXANS
-Houston clinches AFC South division title with a win and losses by the Titans and Colts OR a tie and a loss by the Colts and Titans
-Houston clinches a playoff berth with a win and losses by  Miami Pittsburgh and Baltimore OR a tie and losses by the Colts, Steelers, Titans, Dolphins and Ravens

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Fourteen

We got a month left to go in the NFL season and things are getting tight. Three teams, the Rams, Saints and Chiefs, have already clinched playoffs. More are getting close after Sunday's action. We had a crazy finish in Miami, a comeback win in New York, and quite a few others turned into nail bitters. Now we hit the time of the year where there's a lot of scoreboard watching and there was plenty of reason to do so on Sunday. We had a two hundred plus yard rusher and two receivers had more than two hundred receiving yards. Enough talk, lets get into it right now. Here's some of the best and worst from the week that was in the National Football League.

Best:
Derrick Henry, Running Back Tennessee Titans
Tennessee pulled itself to over .500 at 7-6 thanks to a huge 30-6 win over Jacksonville. A big reason for that was the performance of running back Derrick Henry. To get the party started, in the middle of the second quarter, Henry ripped off a 99 yard touchdown run. On that run, he stiff-armed A.J. Bouye into oblivion and broke multiple other tackle en route to the score. That was just the tip of the iceburg. By the time the day was done, Henry finished with 238 yards rushing and a mind blowing four touchdowns. Jacksonville has been hit or miss on defense this year, and Henry just lit them up like a Christmas tree. Tennessee is hanging around in the playoff race and Henry is hitting his stride and becoming a big threat as a back in this game. Good on ya for this day mate.

Worst:
Pittsburgh Steelers
This is not the time of year you should be slipping up, especially if you are one of the teams considered a favorite for the Super Bowl. They went into Oakland on Sunday looking to right the ship. They were down three with time running down and had a shot at the end of the game to at least force overtime. Then kicker Chris Boswell slipped on a potential game-tying field goal as time expired, allowing Oakland to walk away with a 24-21 victory. Pittsburgh has now lost two straight games and is fading on a possible lock for postseason play. They now sit at 7-5-1 and have Baltimore (7-6), Cleveland (5-7-1), and Cincinnati (5-8) breathing down their necks. Injuries have been an issue, but this would be an epic collapse if Pittsburgh coughed up the AFC North. They need to stop shooting themselves in the foot and step their game up to distance themselves from the rest of the divison. Having Big Ben miss a little time due to injury and having Joshua Dobbs play as awful as he did isn't a good sign in the stell city.

Best:
Saquon Barkley, Running Back New York Giants
Another day at the office for Saquon Barkley. He helped the Giants roll in a big way to a 40-16 win over the Redskins. The line for Barkley on the day was as follows: 18 carries for 197 yards and a touchdown. At one point, Barkley ripped off a 78-yard run for a score, which marked the fifth time this year that Barkley had a scoring run of 50 or more yards. That just so happen to tie Randy Moss for the most 50 or more yard scoring plays in a year by a rookie. It also put him over the 1,000 rush yard mark for the year, something a rookie hasn't done in quite some time. The Giants were looking for a special, game breaker time player. They got one in Barkley. When many people counted them out, New York is still managing to hang around in this playoff race. Things are heating up for the Giants, who are still going to have to win out to have a chance. With Barkley playing the way he has over the last few games, he's got a real shot to power them into the post season. He's been very, very good this year.

Worst:
Mark Sanchez, Quarterback Washington Redskins
We talked above a little about how things went between the Giants and Redskins. While it was good for Big Blue, not so much for Washington. Mark Sanchez was a part of that, showing why he was a free agent until there was a need for him in the Nations Capital. He was sacked five times, finished the day going 8 of 15 for 27 yards and two picks, one of which was returned for a touchdown. It lead to the Giants blowing the doors off the Skins. In the end, he mercifully was pulled in favor of Josh Johnson in the second half. There had been complaints all over the place against Washington for why Colin Kaperknick hadn't been signed when the Redskins starting losing signal callers to injury. They instead of Colin, pluck Sanchez off the heap. What he did on Sunday showed why teams hadn't signed him. Things are going from bad to worse in Washington, as the division race is slipping away fast.

Best:
George Kittle, Tight End San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco went into battle with the Denver Broncos on Sunday, a game which the Niners dominated to the tune of a 20-14 win. A big reason San Francisco walked away with the victory was the play of their tight end George Kittle. Kittle has had a major coming out party and a monster day on Sunday. Kittle had seven catches for 210 yards, four yards short of the NFL record for yards by a tight end. Of those 210 yards, 85 of them came on a monster TD grab. Kittle averaged 30 yards a catch on the day, something that you'd normally see out of speedy wide receivers. Kittle can hang with some of the fastest receivers in football. Kittle broke the 49ers franchise record for most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end. Oh and there are still three more games left to play. There's no telling how far this Kittle kid can go in this league. Not bad for a second-year former fifth-round pick out of Iowa.

Worst:
Josh Allen, Quarterback Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is a man of many talents, both good and bad. One thing he's really good at is running the football. Over the last three weeks, Allen has ran for 321 yards, most over a three week stretch by a QB since Michael Vick in 2006. That's great. But here's the thing, Allen is a quarterback. He's paid to pass the football. He wasn't very good at that on Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Jets. Yes he went 13 of 26 for 206 yards. But he never tossed a touchdown, was sacked three times and threw two horrible interceptions. Both came during times when the Bills needed to respond to a Jets touchdown. On the season, the rookie is completing just over half his passes. Even worse, he has thrown just five touchdown passes and has nine interceptions. That’s a horrible ratio. This could be growing pains in Buffalo, Josh needs to just learns to hang onto the ball better.

Best:
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys
Dallas came up big when it needed to, beating the Eagles 29-23 on Sunday. Sure Dak Prescott wasn't at his best on the day. He had three turnovers and missed a golden chance late on a deep ball with Michael Gallup. He made up for it in a big way, hooking up with midseason pickup Amari Cooper. Cooper was the real story on the day, helping Dallas to their overtime win. He with a massive game. He finished with 10 catches for 217 yards and three scores. Those scores came late in the 44th quarter and the winner in overtime. Since joining Dallas, Cooper has found his game again, with 40 catches for 642 yards and six touchdowns. His season has pulled a complete 180 since the trade to Dallas, and now he's a big reason why the Cowboys hare hanging around in the hunt in the NFC East title picture.


Worst:
Cam Newton, Quarterback Carolina Panthers
I kind of feel bad for Christian McCaffrey here, who had a pretty good day in what turned out to be a losing effort. Cleveland beat Carolina 26-20 and Cam Newton has looked off again this week. As a matter of fact, Newton has been missing practice all year with a lingering issue in his throwing shoulder. Sunday, he looked like something was getting to him, other than the Browns defense. Newton went 26 of 42, which is astounding considering his shoulder issue. He failed to throw a single touchdown, had one interception and once again his ineffectiveness as a passer cost his team a game. Carolina has now lost five straight games and sits at 6-7. Looks like their playoff hope is pretty much out the window.

Best:
Miami Dolphins Home Luck
This rivalry game between the Dolphins and Pats was entertaining from start to finish. Both quarterbacks looked good at times and both teams made big plays when needed. It look as if New England was going to walk away with its 10th win of the year. tom Brady lead a big drive near the end of the game. He drove his offense on a perfectly executed four-minute drill that went 10 plays and resulted in a field goal to take a five-point lead with just 16 seconds left on the clock. Looks like a lock win for the Pats right? WRONG. Ryan Tannehill threw a short pass to Kenny Stills, who then lateraled to DeVante Parker, who then lateraled to Kenyan Drake. Normally, these last-gasp plays end in disaster. This one did, too. For the Patriots. Rob Gronkowski, who was on the field for this play for some weird reason, couldn’t catch Drake near the end zone, and the running back scored the game-winner with zeroes showing on the clock. Not only did this play keep the Dolphins in the playoff hunt, it was the longest game-winning touchdown with no time remaining on the clock in modern NFL history.

Worst:
Jameis Winston Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You saw a tale of two games from Winston on Sunday against New Orleans. The good was the fact that he threw a pair of touchdowns, both of which went to Cameron Brate, his tight end. It was of big help to Tampa, as they built a 14-3 lead on the Saints. Then the wheels came falling off. New Orleans woke up and steamrolled the Bucs, walking away with a 28-14 win. Winston had his flashes, which we touched on. Then he had a bad second half. All told, Winston, who’s has been really struggling and is fighting for his job, went just 18 of 28  for 213 yards. His second-half performance, which was average at best, was capped off by an interception on Tampa Bay’s final possession. Even worse, Winston got into a heated argument with his center, Ryan Jensen, during this game. That shows a poor attitude. Can't have that happening in this league.

NFL Clinching Scenarios Week 14

It's getting close to playoff time in the NFL. We got less than a month to go in the regular season. So every week, we break it down to let you know, how has a chance to clinch what in the NFL. So here's what teams can clinch what playoff spots this week.

NFC
CLINCHED: 
Los Angeles Rams -- NFC West division title
-Rams can clinch a first round bye with a win

New Orleans Saints
-Clinches NFC South division title with either a win or tie OR a Carolina loss or tie
-Clinches a playoff berth with a loss by Minnesota, Philadelphia and Washington

AFC
Kansas City Chiefs
-Clinches a playoff berth with either win or tie OR losses or ties from Miami, Indianapolis and Tennessee

New England Patriots
-Clinches AFC East division title with a win or a tie

Houston Texans
-Clinches AFC South division title with either a win and Titans loss or tie OR with a tie and a Titans loss

Los Angeles Chargers
-Clinches a playoff berth with a win and losses by Miami, Denver Indianapolis and Tennessee OR a tie and losses by Miami, Denver and Indy and Indianapolis and Tennessee don't tie

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Thirteen

Week Thirteen has come and gone in the National Football League. The week started off with three games with non playoff teams scoring wins over possible playoff bound clubs. Order was restored by the end of the week, but there was still a lot to look at. Green Bay is looking for a new head coach, Cam Newton found a way to make the Bucs defense look fantastic, while Atlanta mailed it in against Baltimore, and did it at home no less. You also know its a weird week around the league when Josh Allen, a Quarterback mind you, had more rushing yards on the week then Todd Gurley. It was an interesting week, that's for sure. With that being said, here's a look at some of the best and worst of the week that was in the NFL.

Best:
Josh Allen, Quarterback Buffalo Bills
Yes I know it's weird seeing this in the winners category, considering, considering that the Bills lost to Miami 21-17. I know Josh Allen was picked off twice, but he made up for it in other ways. He went 18 of 31 for 231 yards and two touchdown throws. He also had nine carries for 135 yards. yes you did read that correctly, Josh Allen had 135 rush yards on nine carries, which was the second most rush yards in the league this week, trailing only Phillip Lindsey of Denver (more on him later). Allen did everything he could to try and get the Bills a win but came up just short in his effort. But it was that effort that got him here on this list. With more games like this in the future, Allen has a bright future in Buffalo.

Worst:
Cam Newton, Quarterback Carolina Panthers
Things didn't go very well for the Panthers on Sunday, falling to the Bucs 24-17. Newton was a big reason for that. he threw four picks in the game, three of them falling into the hands of safety Andrew Adams. Lets give credit where its due, Tampa Bay made good plays to haul in the interceptions, but honestly not a single one of them was a good throw or decision by Newton. Worse still, the Bucs turned Newton’s two first-half interceptions into 10 points. In a game that was decided by a touchdown, Newton’s poor game was the difference. Think about this too. About a month ago, the Panthers were siting at 6-2 and looked to be in good shape as a possible playoff team. Now, Carolina has lost four straight games and sit at .500. They're in danger of missing out on the playoffs, in a year that held some promise. Newton has got to play better and limit the tunrovers if the Panthers want to stand a chance of getting into the post season.

Best:
Phillip Lindsey, Running Back Denver Broncos
Denver kept things moving on Sunday against the Bengals, to the tune of a 24-10 victory. Big reason for that was Phillip Lindsey, who had himself a day on Sunday. He went off against the Bengals, carrying the ball 19 times for a league best 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns. It's safe to say that he was the best player on the field in that game, for either team really. Lindsay has piled up 571 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage, and that's just in the last five games alone. If he’s able to continue carrying this type of load the rest of the way, there’s a chance Denver really could sneak into the playoffs. Hey they're on a four game win streak and sitting just outside that 6th and final playoff spot. It's possible Denver could get in and Phillip Lindsey is a big reason that the Broncos sit where they sit right now.

Worst:
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
New England dominated this game, beating the Vikings 24-10. On paper, Kirk Cousins looked like he had a decent game, made a couple of mistakes but it wasn't that awful. At least that's what the box score said. The eye test is something totally different and Cousins was bad on Sunday. He never really took shots down field against the Pats, mostly relying on the dink and dunk to his running backs. Cousins never really tried to go at the Pats defense and it cost him. Minnesota only scored one touchdown against New England and that was partially on Cousins. The Vikings needed their big money playnmaker to step up and make the big plays and he wasn't able to do that against New England. It could possibly come back to haunt Minnesota if somehow things really fall apart for them.

Best:
New York Giants Playoff Hopes
When you consider all the things that the Giants have been through this season, its a miracle that they are still in the hunt. Mathematically, they're still very much in this thing, now sitting just three games behind the division leading Cowboys with four weeks left in the regular season. This is thanks to a thrilling 30-27 overtime win over the Bears on Sunday. Eli Manning drove fans crazy early on with some of his sloppy play. With the way the first half went, many Giants fans were clamoring for him to be benched. But thanks to the play of rookie running back Saquon Barkley, and yet another touchdown pass from Odell Beckham Jr. on a trick play, New York is still alive. The way they manage to keep themselves alive for a playoff chase, with how things went for them through the first half of the season is amazing. They're still in it, while having to play the Redskins, Titans, Colts and Cowboys the remainder of the season. If the Giants can keep up that steady pace, there's an outside chance that the game with Dallas on the final day of the season could be for a division title.

Worst:
Green Bay Packers Playoff Hopes
Going into this year, there was a lot of hope surrounding the Green Bay Packers. They had a look to them that told the fans, and the rest of the league, that they had what it takes to be a playoff team. They were two touchdown favorites going into Sunday's action against the Cardinals. Well, they fell flat on their faces, losing 20-17 to Arizona. As if things weren't bad enough for the Pack, the team announced after the game that they parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy. This can be seen as rock bottom for the Packers. Green Bay's offense looked flat, as there seemed to be a level of disconnect between McCarthy and Aaron Rogers. There's other areas that need addressing. When Aaron Jones gets only 11 carries on the day, it's a sign of the troubles. When Green Bay mailed this game it, it was a sign that the team has flatlined. Expect more changes to come in Green Bay.

Best:
Los Angeles Chargers Offense
Pittsburgh had never lost a home game in which they lead by 14 points. Los Angeles was down by 16 at halftime. From a Pittsburgh perspective, the game looked like it was in the bag. Los Angeles offense woke up, scoring 23 unanswered points in the second half. Part of it came from a miracle touchdown after two Pittsburgh defenders collided in the end zone on what appeared to be an interception. Then Desmond King returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown to tie things up. The two teams then traded touchdowns again, and the game ended with a Chargers field goal as time expired. But that only happened because the Steelers were flagged for being offsides three plays in a row. Yes, it was messy and freaky. But in the end, Los Angeles proved it has the mettle to compete for a title this year. The Chargers showed they are ready to be a playoff team right now and can be a threat in the AFC playoffs.

Worst
New Orleans Saints Offense
Talk about a team that had its momentum stopped dead in its tracks. The Saints had a ten game winning streak going into it's Thursday Night matchup against Dallas. New Orleans defense did it's part, as Dak Prescott got sacked seven times, and the Saints held Ezekiel Elliott to just 3.3 yards per carry while allowing just 13 points. For some reason, it was that New Orleans high powered offense that went ice cold. New Orleans managed to tally just 176 yards of offense, putting 10 points on the board. It was the worst offensive showing we’ve seen from the Saints since the 2001 season. When you consider how well the Saints offense has produced in a lot of games this year, its mind blowing.They're tied with the rams for being the 2nd highest scoring team in the NFL this year, behind only Kansas City, and they were shut down by the Cowboys of all teams. I think this could be just a blip on the screen, but it is something to maybe keep an eye on going into this weekends action and down the line towards the playoff push.

Best:
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback Tennessee Titans
Tennessee looked in tough shape going into week thirteen, when it came to a playoff spot. They only had five wins. To make things look worse, they were down 16-0 to the New York Jets at one point. At the end of the day, the Titans walked away with a 26-22 win and Mariota was a key piece to that comeback win. Yes he was sacked three times and did have a pick six. But the rest of the state line was good, going 20 of 31 for for 282 yards and two touchdowns. His two deep throws to Taywan Taylor during the second half sparked the offense, which scored twice through the air. Tennessee finished the game scoring the final thirteen points of the game and put themselves right back in the hunt in the AFC playoffs. At 6-6 they still have a chance and it was thanks to the play of Mariota in this case to keep the Titans hopes alive.

Worst:
Indianapolis Colts Win Streak
Indy had been one of the hottest teams in Football going into Sunday's meeting with Jacksonville. That hot streak came to an end thanks to a 6-0 Jaguars win. Andrew Luck had been on a streak of throwing three or more touchdowns in a game in each of the last eight games before this one. That came to an end. Indy was kept off the scoreboard and the offense turned the football over twice. To be fair, the Colts defense did a fantastic job and manage to keep Jacksonville in check. Indy had a shot to win with a touchdown at the end. But the game fittingly ended on a controversial play that caused the clock to run out, rather than give Luck one more shot at a touchdown. Just kinda seemed like a bad way for Indy to fall in this one. Now they have to regroup and get ready to face a red hot Houston team.

College Football Bowl Games Announced

It's the most wonderful time of the year for College Football Fans. Bowl season has arrived. In total, there are 40 bowl games scheduled between now and the National Championship Game on January 7th. So let's not waste the time and get right into it. Here's the full list of this year's Bowl games.

College Football Playoff (December 29th, Title Game January 7th)
College Football Playoff semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic 
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame 4 p.m. ET on ESPN AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 

College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma 8 p.m. ET on ESPN Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida

College Football Playoff National Championship
Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California 8:00 pm Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner

Now for the rest of the dates of the Bowl Games:

December 15th
Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State Noon ET, ABC Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta

New Mexico Bowl
North Texas vs. Utah State 2 p.m. ET, ESPN Branch Field at Dreamstyle Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico

AutoNation Cure Bowl
Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 2:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida

Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
Fresno State vs. Arizona State 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 
Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State 9 p.m. ET, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans

December 18th
Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl 
UAB vs. Northern Illinois 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Florida

December 19th
DXL Frisco Bowl
San Diego State vs. Ohio 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas

December 20th
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl 
Marshall vs. South Florida 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida

December 21st
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl 
FIU vs. Toledo 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium Nassau, Bahamas 

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Western Michigan vs. BYU 4 p.m. ET, ESPN Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho

December 22nd
Jared Birmingham Bowl 
Memphis vs. Wake Forest Noon ET, ESPN Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs. Army 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas

Dollar General Bowl
Buffalo vs. Troy 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Ladd-Peebles Stadium Mobile, Alabama

SoFi Hawai'i Bowl
Louisiana Tech vs. Hawaii 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Aloha Stadium Honolulu

December 26th
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Boston College vs. Boise State 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Cotton Bowl Dallas

Quick Lane Bowl
Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech %:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Ford Field Detroit

Cheez-It Bowl
California vs. TCU 9 p.m. ET, ESPN Chase Field Phoenix

December 27th
Walk-On's Independence Bowl
Temple vs. Duke 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Miami (FL) vs. Wisconsin 5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Yankee Stadium New York

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl
Baylor vs. Vanderbilt 9 p.m. ET, ESPN NRG Stadium |Houston

December 28th
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Purdue vs. Auburn 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee

Camping World Bowl
West Virginia vs. Syracuse 5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida

Valero Alamo Bowl
Iowa State vs. Washington State 9 p.m. ET, ESPN Alamodome San Antonio, Texas

December 29th
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Michigan Noon ET, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta

Belk Bowl
South Carolina vs. Virginia Noon ET, ABC Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina

NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Arkansas State vs. Nevada 1:15 p.m. ET, CBSSN Arizona Stadium Tucson, Arizona

December 31st
Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
Cincinnati  vs. Virginia Tech Noon ET, ESPN Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, Maryland

Hyundai Sun Bowl
Stanford vs. Pittsburgh 2 p.m. ET, CBS Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas

Redbox Bowl
Michigan State vs. Oregon 3 p.m. ET, Fox Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Missouri vs. Oklahoma State 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Northwestern vs. Utah (-8.5) 7 p.m. ET, FS1 SDCCU Stadium San Diego, California

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
NC State vs. Texas A&M 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville, Florida

January 1st
Outback Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Iowa Noon ET, ESPN2 Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida

VRBO Citrus Bowl
Kentucky vs. Penn State 1 p.m. ET, ABC Camping World Stadium | Tickets Orlando, Florida

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
No. 11 LSU vs. No. 8 UCF 1 p.m. ET, ESPN State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona | Tickets Glendale, Arizona

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
No. 9 Washington vs. No. 6 Ohio State 5 p.m. ET, ESPN Rose Bowl Pasadena, California

Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 15 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia 8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans

Islanders Homecoming A Success

Last night was one of the nights that fans and players alike will not forget. It has been three long years since the last game was played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The exact date was April 25th, 2015. That was the date of Game Six of the opening round loss to the Washington Capitals. Since then, the Islanders have had to call Barclays Center in Brooklyn home. Anybody who's gone to the games there can tell you, its not quite the same thing. It's not home. Long Island is. Nassau Coliseum is. Last night, in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Islanders came home.

Tailgating started at 7AM, a full twelve hours before puck drop. That was an indication as to how badly this area needs this team. A complete sellout of 14,500 if not more, packed the Coliseum to watch the game. It was loud in that building. I was watching on TV and you could feel the energy and electricity coming through the TV screen. So just imagine what the building must have felt like. It was quieted halfway through the hockey game when the Jackets took a 2-0 lead. Then the tide started to turn. Andres Lee got the Isles on the board and the building EXPLODED. It got even louder a few minutes later when Anthony Beauvillier tied the game. The icing on the cake came in the 3rd when Casey Cizikas capped it off with the game winner a little over seven minutes into the 3rd.

Some things never changed in the building. They supposedly put $70 million into rebuilding the place. The corridor was still just as crowded, from what I heard. The lines for the bathrooms were still just as long, from what I heard And the noise was still the same. It's still a very tough place to play for opposing teams. Fans are right on top of you and when we have reason to, Islanders fans can make life hell for opposing teams, because of how loud we can get. Players have even said it that playing there was different than any other building in the league.

Last night's outing was proof that the team never should have left. It should have been temporary at most while the building was torn down and totally rebuilt from the ground up. That's not what happened. Nassau County screwed up, leaving the Islanders to head to Brooklyn for good until Belmont gets built. As an Islanders fan, I'm extremely thankful that a deal was able to be reached so the team could play at the Coliseum for 21 games a year till the new building comes around. It's meant so many great memories going to games at the old barn. I've spent quite a few good winter nights in the building, watching hockey. Might not have always been winning hockey, but it was hockey never the less.

It would only be one or two games a year, maybe more if I got really lucky. It was through the bad years and the good times. It meant quality time with my family going to a game. It meant that even for a few hours, no matter how tough things got at home, it was an escape and all was right with the world. Might not have been a lot of wins during the late 90's but it was still fun never the less. It brings back so many great memories and I can't be any happier that the Islanders are back, at least for a little while, at the Coliseum. It was a sight for sore eyes last night that's for sure.

Anybody who was at the game last night, or even saw it on TV, can tell you the same thing. They're happy the Islanders are back on Long Island where they belong. The build was just as loud as ever. It may have gotten a slight face lift and was, on the whole, the same building. Nobody cared. The Blue and Orange were right back where they belong. They should have never left. Last night's game proved that.