Best & Worst NFL Week Three

Week Three in the NFL has come and gone and there's quite a few things that can be taken away from what was in the NFL. Kansas City established, yet again, why they maybe the very best team in the league, while the Jets and Giants both showed just how bad they could really be. Josh Allen further shuts up Jalen Ramsey and is having an outstanding season. As is Russel Wilson, who's putting in an early claim for a possible MVP run. So lets look back at some of the best and worst from week three in the NFL

Best: Russel Wilson, Quarterback Seattle Seahawks

If there's anybody in the game of football right now, who could be making an early claim for MVP this season, its Russel Wilson. Seattle pulled off a 38-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Yes Dak had the better day, at least in regards to number of yards put up, Wilson was the better QB on the day. He finished with 5 TD passes, giving him an NFL record 14 touchdown passes through the first three games of the season. Oh and Wilson joined Tom Brady (2007), Daunte Culpepper (2004) and Ben Roethlisberger (2014) as the only NFL quarterbacks to throw five TD passes in consecutive games. The only downsides were he was sacked four times and went 27 of 40 on the day. But the 315 passing yards and 5 TD's more than made up for it. He's coming down to earth a little completing his passes but he's been really powering the Seattle offense,

Worst: Mitch Trubisky, Quarterback, Chicago Bears

After three years, it looks like the plug is finally getting pulled in Chicago. Taken with the 2nd overall pick in 2017, Trubisky was supposed to be the guy to be able to turn the fortune of the Bears around and make them a winner. Well after three full seasons, and three rough outings this year, it looks like the plug may finally be getting pulled. He's been average at best during his time in the Windy City. Just look at what he did in the Bears 30-26 win over Atlanta on Sunday. He finished 13 of 22 for 128 yards a touchdown and a pick, plus a 45 yard run at one point during the contest. Still it wasn't enough and he was replaced by Nick Foles, who threw three TD passes in leading Chicago to the comeback win. The offense for Chicago moved a lot better after the QB switch midway through the 3rd quarter. A small part of me feels bad for Mitch, that he was never really able to catch his game up to this level. Who knows what this means for him, or the team, going down the road.

Best: Allen Lazard, Wide Receiver Green Bay Packers

Green Bay put up a statement in a 37-30 win over New Orleans. Devante Adams wasn't available for the Packers. Didn't matter, as Aaron Rogers was able to find himself another primary target. That's where Allen Lazard comes in. The second year receiver out of Iowa State had himself a day in the win over the Saints. He finished the day with 6 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. He had the 2nd most receiving yards in the league this week, trailing only Justin Jefferson 175 for Minnesota. Rogers always finds a way to do this. He seems to be able to really work with anybody and make them productive game in and game out. He did that this week with Lazard and it helped lead the Packers to another victory./

Worst: Dan Quinn, Head Coach Atlanta Falcons

Your heading down a slippery slope here. With their 30-26 loss to Chicago on Sunday, the Falcons became the first team ever to lose twice in one seas when holding leads of 15 or more points in the 4th quarter. As a matter of fact, including playoffs, this is the 5th time since 2016 that the Falcons have blown a lead of that or bigger. This seems like it doesn't happen to anybody else. And it makes it more shocking the way its gone down. They knocked Trubisky out (which we talked about earlier) and allowed Nick Foles to power the Bears back into the tame and eventually the win. For this mess, somebody has to take a blame for it, and right now I'm putting it on Dan Quinn, for not being able to get his team ready to close out games. The defense hasn't been there late in games the last two weeks.

Best: Dalvin Cook, Running Back Minnesota Vikings

Again I know its strange having a guy under the best in a game that was a losing effort, but it'd be a shame if I didn't put Cook here for the performance he had. Sure the Vikings lost 31-30 to the Titans, but Cook outran Derrick Henry and the rest of the league in week three, by a wide margin. Cook finished the day with 1 touchdown and 1818 yards on the ground on 22 carries on the afternoon. The next closest rusher to him in week three was Derrick Henry, who finished with 119 yards on the ground. Cook kept the Vikings in the ball game on the offensive side of things. Now if only the Vikings could get the rest of their game figured out.

Worst: Doug Peterson, Head Coach Philadelphia Eagles

You know its ugly when there's a tie in an NFL game, but that's what we had with the 23-23 game between the Eagles and Bengals on Sunday. Philly had a chance to win it with a 59 yard field goal with time running down in OT, but were flagged for a false start penalty. They punted instead, trying to preserve the tie, which is pretty embarrassing. Its no wonder the Eagles have gotten booed by the fake crowd noise over the last couple of weeks. Doug Peterson seems like, at times this year, he has no idea what he's doing running this Eagles team. Playing it safe sometimes can really bit you right in the rear end in this league.

Best: Detroit Lions

This has been a long time coming in the Motor City. Detroit snapped an eleven game losing streak on Sunday, beating Arizona 26-23. The Cards had been one of the hotter teams in the league over the first two games of the season, but they were brought back down to earth a little with the loss to Detroit. The Lions hadn't won a game since October 27th last year, beating the Giants at home. Matthew Stafford threw for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns and looked solid in this game. Detroit's D made big stops when they needed to, and managed to keep Kyler Murray in check. Congrats to Detroit on finally getting a win.

Worst: New York Football (Outside of Buffalo)

The only team in New York that really knows how to win are the Bills, who sit atop the AFC East at 3-0. As for the other two teams, the Jets and Giants, they sit a combined 0-6 and have 75 points scored combined between the two of them. Big Blue lost 36-9 to a depleted 49ers team, while Gang Green was whipped 36-7 by the Colts. With the Jets, they're missing a lot of guys in skill positions due to injury, so Sam Darnold is stuck with scrap heap players. Adam Gase job is on the line against Denver in week four, with reports that he could be fired the next day if the Jets lose. As for the Giants, they can't get anything going right. The offense has shown some flashes but can't rally amount to much of anything. The defense looks like a total mess. Its just bad football going on in the New York/Metro area and that's being polite.

Hail To The King

There had been writing on the wall that his was coming for some time. Now it has finally happened. After 15 years and a brilliant career, Henrik Lundqvist is done in New York. The Rangers have bought out Henrik from his contract, allowing him to become a free agent. This comes with one year left on Hank's contract, which was worth a reported $8.5 Million. The end of an era has finally come.

With that, the Rangers are now, apparently, going with Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev in goal from here on out. What does this mean for Hank?

Well, with this coming down, Hank can now go to any team he wants. Having never won a cup in his 15 year career, he might want to look to go to a contending team. At 38 years old, there's no real sure thing for Hank. His age could be a factor as to what a team might take a flyer on him. The money and his age could be interesting.

But with his time in New York, aside from coming short on a championship (which is a shame really), he's had a damn good career. He was drafted in the 7th round in 2000, and by the time all was said and done with the Rangers, he had pretty much re-written their goaltending records. Hank closed out his career with the Rangers with 459 victories (sixth-most in history), 64 shutouts and 61 postseason wins. In 887 career games played, Lunqdvist boasts a 2.43 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Those are truly amazing numbers for this franchise. He won the Vezina in 2012 and was a finalist four other times in his career.

No disrespect to Eddie Giacomin and Mike Richter, who are considered two of the greatest netminder in the history of this team, Hank leaves them in the dust. Hank has done everything he possibly can to keep the Rangers in title contention. He deserved a ring for everything he's done in his career.

This is coming from an Islanders fan, it really was a pleasure watching that man play goal. He drove me nuts cause he always found a way to be a thorn in the Islanders side. But as a fan of the game of hockey, he was truly outstanding to watch in the net. Thanks for everything you've done for New York Hockey Hank. Best of luck and I really hope you do end up with a ring.

NBA Finals Preview

Been a crazy journey, this 2019-20 NBA Season. We started this race way back in October, and after missing time due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, and an eight game restart,the playoffs finally got underway. Started the race down in Orlando with 16 teams actually making the playoffs, and no we are down to the final two. Will the trophy head to Hollywood or South Beach? We will find out in about two weeks time.

The 2020 Finals will see the top seed in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers take on the 5th seed from the East in the Miami Heat. Los Angeles comes in having finished with a 52-19 record, best in the Western Conference. Once the playoffs started, the Lakers needed five games each to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals, and the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. This marks the 32nd appearance in the finals for the Lakers, who have 16 wins, their last coming in 2010.

As for the Heat, they finished with the 5th best record in the East, going 44-29 during the regular season. Once the playoffs started, the Heat swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, upset the first seed Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and defeated the third seed Boston Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. This marks the 6th ever appearance in the finals for the Heat, who have three titles, the last coming in 2013. With the Heat reaching the finals, it marks the first time that a 5th seed or lower has come out of the East since the 1999 New York Knicks

The Lakers won both meetings between the two clubs during the regular season. Its worth noting that this is the first time ever that the teams facing off in the NBA finals missed the playoffs the year before.

Here's the date and times for every game in this series:

September 30 9:00pm Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

October 2 9:00pm Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

October 4 7:30pm Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

October 6 9:00pm Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

October 9 9:00pm Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers* The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

October 11 7:30pm Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat* The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

October 13 9:00pm Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers* The Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

It's funny that LeBron's first finals appearance in Los Angeles is against the team that got him his first two NBA crowns in Miami. This is not, by any stretch, taking away from what the Heat have had to go through to get to this point. Sweeping Indiana, then pulling off a five game upset of the Bucks and closing out conference play in a tough six game series against the Celtics. Two of the big reasons that the Heat are here have been Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, both of whom have been playing at an all star level. Its rubbed off on the rest of this Heat club, as Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson have started to take their games to the next level. Bam just dropped a double double in the game six win over Boston. This Heat club has a solid mix of vets and youth to be able to control some of the play. They've been doing it all with the mindset of winning right now.

But here in lies a problem. They are going up against a very good and very top heavy Lakers club. Both Anthony Davis and LeBron James have been playing like their usual selves, and being very dominating at that. And lets not forget about Dwight Howard, who has been a big factor for LA, as much at times as Davis and James. And they've had scoring added in from guys like Kyle Kuzma and Dion Waiters as well. There's not much else to really say about how good the Lakers have been this year that hasn't already been said. The size advantage that ht Lakers have could be put to a greater use against the Heat.

It really has been an amazing run for the Heat this year. They've made the finals for the first time since 2013 and surprised a lot in the basketball world by even getting this far. I think that the luck is finally going to run out on them. No doubt that they young guns in Miami are going to cause a bit of a problem for LA, but the Lakers are just too good. With the way both Davis and James have been playing in the playoffs, they look almost impossible to stop.

Pick: Lakers in 6!

Title To Tampa

Sixteen years is quite a wait. But for fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was well worth it. After the way last season ended, by getting swept by the Blue Jackets in the first round after having the best record in the NHL, the Bolts came in with one thing on their mind: redemption. It is a chance, this season, to shake off what was last year. And the Lightning did that. Last night, they beat the Dallas Stars 2-0 in game six to capture the teams second championship in the franchises twenty eight year history.

Tampa had a lot to learn from heading into this title run. They were a good offensive team, but last year's loss to the Jackets, they got pushed around in the series. This year, before the playoffs, the Lightning reloaded on size and physical play, which proved to be huge as the playoffs wore on.

What the Lightning did in the six game win over Dallas was had balance from their lineup. They got clutch plays at the right time from everybody. Every Tampa player in this series was a factor in some way, shape or form. Big defensive stop, big hit, timely goal, Tampa had it all going for them in the six games. There were times in this series, where it looked like Tampa might make mistakes. There were stretches in the series where they were either getting outplayed, or spending too much time in the box, giving a very game Dallas team a lot of chances.

I'll give credit where its due, Dallas put up a good fight in the series. They got a jump on a tired Bolts team at the start of the series, and staved off elimination thanks to Corey Perry's heroics in double overtime in game five. Hats off to the Stars for what they managed to do to even get to the finals. They were just outplayed by the better team, as the series went along.

Tampa had a huge series from guys like Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov led all playoff scorers in assists  with 27 and points with 34, while Point lead the league in goals with 14. The big guns for the Bolts contributed when needed to, and they also got contributions from the role guys like Blake Coleman, who scored the second goal in the clincher. Then you had Vasilevskiy, who had a 1.90 goals against and a .927 save percentage. There were stretches during the playoffs where Vasilevskiy looked a little shaky, but he would come up with the big save when the Bolts really needed him to.

As for MVP of the playoffs, that award went to Victor Hedman. Hedman finished with 10 goals and 22 points, including an overtime winner against Boston in the 2nd round. Sure, Kucherov and Point had the better offensive production for Tampa, but Hedman was the best all around player on the ice. He joins Brad Richards as the only Lightning players to ever, the 11th defenseman, and first since Duncan Keith in 2015 to win the award.

Hats off to the Tampa Bay Lightning, your 2020 Stanley Cup Champions!

NHL Hands Out Hardware

Its a recognition of individual achievement in a great team sport. The time has come around for the National Hockey League to hand out the hardware. Sure the big award of the Stanley Cup has yet to be presented, but the league did recognize the best of the best for the 2019-20 regular season. Yes, it wasn't as glitzy as we have had in years past. That plan was cut short by COVID and the awards weren't held in Vegas, but instead done virtually. Still, this was a chance for the best and brightest in the NHL to get their due.

Here's how the awards went down for the 2019-20 NHL Season.

Art Ross (Leading Scorer): Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (110 Points)

Rocket Richard (Leading Goal Scorer): Alex Ovechkin Washington & David Pastrňák Boston (48 Goals) 

Jennings Trophy (Lowest Goals Against Average) Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halák, Boston Bruins

Mark Messier Leadership Award (Awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season): Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames

Lady Bing Trophy (Awarded to the player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability): Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Bill Masterton Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey): Bobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators

King Clancy Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community): Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild

Ted Lindsey Award (warded to the NHL's outstanding player as selected by the members of the NHL Players Association): Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Jim Gregory GM Of The Year Award (Awarded to the top National Hockey League General Manager): Lou Lamoriello, New York Islanders

How Lou went about building up this Islanders team is pretty amazing. The other two guys who were finalists, Julian BresBois of Tampa and Jim Nill of Dallas, are currently facing off in the Cup Finals. Both of those clubs had high expectations going into the season. New York wasn't pegged by many people to be a conference finals team, yet they came within two wins of playing for hockey's ultimate prize. What Lou did getting this team together is pretty amazing.

Selke Trophy (Awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game): Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers 

Couturier was a solid offensive piece for the Flyers this year, scoring 22 goals and adding 39 helpers. But it was his prowess in his own end, and in the faceoff dot (59.6% which lead the league). He helped the Flyers cut down on opposition scoring chances as the year went on. He was a big reason why the Flyers stayed near the top of the Metro division race for most of the season.

Jack Adams Award (Awarded to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success): Bruce Cassidy, Boston Bruins

You could make an argument for the other two guys who were finalists for this award as well. Vigeanult had the Flyers right there with Washington for most of the back half of the season and into the playoffs. Same thing with Tortorella in Columbus, in being able to build off the success of last season (sure playoff result wasn't what they wanted but this is a regular season award). Cassidy walked away with the Adams because he had the Bruins performing like a team on a mission this season. Best record in the league, and the only club in the league this year to finish with 100 points. Oh yeah, and the special teams were good too, with the Power Play being 2nd in the league, while Penalty Kill was 3rd best. And he had the best goalie tandom in the league with Rask and Halak. Pretty easy choice in my mind.

Calder Trophy (Rookie Of The Year): Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

It was pretty much a two horse race for the Calder between Makar and Quinn Hughes of the Canucks. Not to take away from what Hughes did for Vancouver, scoring 53 points on a good, young, Vancouver team. But Makar was a better all around performer for Colorado. I know its two different positions. Makar had a bigger impact on the game. He scored 50 points, including 12 goals (compared to 8 for Hughes). And he helpd the Avs to a higher finish in the West compared to the Canucks. He's also the 12th defenseman to win the Calder, the first one to nab the award since Aaron Ekblad of the Panthers in 2015.

Norris Trophy (Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position): Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

Victor Hedman had a solid year for Tampa, and there's strong consideration here too for John Carlson in Washington. Carlson had the better offensive season in Washington, finishing with ten more points than Josi did. But the reason the award went to Josi is because he was a little bit better in his own end of the ice than Carlson was. That's not to take away from the year Carlson had in Washington by any means. The award is given to the best all around defenseman in the league. this year it was Josi in Nashville.

Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie): Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets 

Tuukka Rask in Boston and Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa both had fine season, but this one seemed almost a lock that Hellebuyck was going to win the award. 31 wins (of the 37 total the Jets had), in 56 games. Lead the league in shots faced, saves and shutouts this season, while finishing 2nd in wins and minutes played. The guy pretty much did it all, and was almost automatic, in the Winnipeg net this year. They aren't in the qualifying round against the Flames this year if it was't for Conor's play between the pipes.

Hart Trophy (League MVP): Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

This one I'm a tad surprised by. Nothing against the leagues leading scorer on the season, who deserved the award voted on by the players. But was he really the most valuable to his team? I'm not really sure. Here's the way I look at it, and I've said this all the time. If you take him out of the Oilers lineup, does it take that big of a hit? A little, but they still have Conor McDavid. You take Panarin out of the Rangers lineup, they are a much different team. MacKinnon can be right in between with the Colorado lineup. Hey, all three guys had amazing seasons this year, but I feel Panarin should have finished higher than 3rd honestly. He was, in my mind, the best player in the league this year. End of the day, looking at the numbers, it has the same vibe to it as when Taylor hall won the award with the Devils two years ago. Leon was just that much better (aside from McDavid) then some of the other talent on his team

Wrestling Legend Passes

If you grew up a wrestling fan in the late 80s and early 90s, tag team wrestling was a big deal. One of the teams that was always near the top of the card in the tag divisions were Hawk and Animal, better known as the Road Warriors and Legion of Doom. Hawk passed away in 2003, and since then, Animal has kept the legacy of the Road Warriors going. Early this morning, Animal joined Hawk on the other side, passing away at the age of 60.

What made Animal different?

Size for one thing. He had a presence about him. At 6-2 and near 300 pounds, Animal was an intimidating force. Combine his size, with the facepaint and spiked shoulder pads, it made for an aura that was at a different level from others in the business. He was tough as nails. Him and Hawk as the Road Warriors (Legion of Doom in WWE) were a major attraction in every single promotion they worked for. The crowd would go crazy whenever the two of them walked through the curtain.

The rivalry that they had in Jim Crockette promotions with the likes of the Four Horseman, the Powers of Pain and most notably the Midnight Express are stuff that is still talked about today. When you look at their time in WWE, the rivalry with Demolition, the Nasty Boys and Money Inc are what kind of set the bar for tag team wrestling.

The world of wrestling lost a great competitor. He will be remembered forever by his peers and fans. OH WHAT A RUSH!

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Two

Week two has provided us football fans with some interesting storylines. We got ten teams that are still unbeaten at 2-0, while we got eleven teams at the other end that are 0-2. The Cowboys pulled out the biggest comeback of the early season, while the Chargers pushed the defending champions to their limit, before falling in Overtime. Adding to the big surprise list has been the play of Kyler Murray and his fellow Arizona Cardinals. Injuries began pilling up around the league this week as well. Lots to digest from the week that was. Here's some of the best, and worst, from week two in the NFL.

Best:

Arizona Cardinals

It's a tad strange to write this, but the Arizona Cardinals are unbeaten at 2-0. Most knew they had a solid team, but this is a welcomed sight out in the desert. Beating the 49ers in the opener was impressive enough. But following that up with a easy 30-15 win over the Washington Football Team, was another step in making a statement. Kyler Murray was on point for the day, throwing for a touchdown and 287 yards, along with two rushing scores and 67 yards on the ground. This marks only the 6th time since 1991 that the team has started the year 2-0, something they haven't done since 2015. Oh yeah, and they're doing it in a pretty tough NFC West. Having the new star weapon in DeAndre Hopkins has been a huge plus. Who knows, with the schedule that the Cards have, maybe 2-0 is just the beginning.

Worst:

Atlanta Falcons

This one is a head scratcher. You score 39 points in a game, don't turn the ball over at all and still lose? That's what happened to the Falcons in their 40-39 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. They jumped out to a big 20-0 lead on the Boys early on, were up by 19 at the half and 15 with about 5 or so minutes left in regulation. It stings bad enough the fact that Dallas won it on a last second field goal coming all the way back. You can't put any of the blame on the Atlanta offense that put up 39 poitns. It looks even worse when the special teams allowed the Cowboys to convert on an onside kick, that was spinning the whole way no less, and not even attempt to jump on the ball, instead allowing Dallas to recover it to set up the game winning drive. With the performances Matt Ryan has put out the first two weeks of the season, he deserves so much better.

Best:

Justin Herbert, Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers

Its strange, I know, to see a guy who lost an NFL game be considered for having a best performance, considering the Chiefs beat the Chargers 23-20 in OT on Sunday. In this case though, Justin Herbert is the exception. He wasn't supposed to start, as LA was projected to go with Tyrod Taylor. But when Taylor wasn't ready to make the start cause of a chest injury, Herbert was thrust into the starting, and starring, role. He didn't disappoint. He was sacked twice and picked off once, but finished the game 22 of 33 for 211 yards and a touchdown pass. He was also able to stand toe to toe with one of the very best QB's in the game. And help his team get to overtime no less. Good on ya kid.

Worst:

Adam Gase, Head Coach New York Jets

This has been just plain embarrassing to watch this team the first two games. Sure at the end of the game, in garbage time, New York will finally show signs of life, but by then its too little too late. New York has been down by at least 21 points at the half in both the week one loss to Buffalo, and here in the 31-13 loss to San Francisco. Yes, I do realize the Jets are lacking in weapons at the skill positions on offense, but a lot of this failure at the beginning of the year falls on head coach Adam Gase. Oh and this was a loss where the Niners had some of their best players go down with injuries and the Jets still couldn't take advantage of it. This team should be ashamed of themselves. Morstat ran for an 80 yard score, untouched, on the first play of the game. The Niners ran a 55 yard run play to convert a 3rd and 31. Gase opted to kick a field goal on 4th and goal from the 7. This team can't do anything right and a lot of it falls on bad coaching. You wonder why a lot of Jets fans weren't happy with this hire.

Best:

Leonard Fournette, Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

I guess a change of scenery in the state of Florida has done wonders for Leonard Fournette. Tampa beat Carolina 31-17 to pick up their first victory of the season. Fournette was a huge reason for that, finishing with 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 12 carries. This could very well be the kick in the pants that he needed. He didn't really look comfortable with the Jaguars last season. Jacksonville couldn't find a trade partner for him, so when they let him go, the Bucs swooped in and signed him to a deal. He looks like he's showing signs of his old self. This could be just what Tampa needs to balance out the run game with that lethal pass attack.

Worst:

Carson Wentz, Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles

You know your having a bad day when there's no fans in the building and YOU STILL GET BOOED OFF THE FIELD. That's exactly what happened to Carson Wentz in the Eagles 37-19 loss to the Rams. Lets face facts he hasn't really been the same QB he was when he was gaining MVP mentions in 2018 before he blew out his ACL. He went 26 of 42 for 242 yards and a pair of picks. You know its bad when he was getting booed off the field at home with nobody in the building after the last interception.

Best:

Josh Allen Quarterback Buffalo Bills

He's been killing it for Buffalo this year, as the Bills sit at the top of the AFC East with a perfect 2-0 record. He had a little turnover trouble at the start of the opener against the Jets, but was able to find his groove and lead his team to a win. He did the same thing again in the Bills 31-28 over Miami, and was nearly perfect on the day while doing it. He finished 24 of 35 for 417 yards and four touchdowns. His 417 passing yards were the 2nd most by a QB in week two, behind only Dak Prescott's 450. Allen's had no trouble spreading the ball around and being able to make play's with both his arm and his legs. If this is what the Bills are doing after just two games, this could be really, really good for Western New York.

Worst:

Minnesota Vikings

This is a team that's made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, yet they look absolutely nothing like that right now. First, they get run over by the Packers first game of the season, the drop another rough one, this time 28-11 to the Colts on Sunday. They had lost a lot of weapons in the offseason and its starting to show. They were stuck on three points until garbage time late in the game. Kirk Cousins was flat out awful on Sunday, going 11 of 26, 113 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions and a 15.9 rating. Minnesota gave him a ton of money last year, and he had a good year a season ago. This year its been a big fail. Maybe this performance for him, and the whole team, is rock bottom.

Best:

Aaron Jones, Running Back Green Bay Packers

Safe to say that Jones was in the zone on Sunday. Green Bay rolled over the Lions to the tune of a 42-21 win, and Jones was a huge part of that. Jones scored two touchdowns and ran for 168 yards on 18 carries. Yes, Green Bay still has a lethal passing attack, no doubt about that. But on this Sunday afternoon, Jones was playing at a high level that can compare to the Packer pass attack. If Green Bay can keep this kind of running attack going most of the season, its going to be a long year for opposing teams.

Worst:

Injuries

We've had some big name players this week dropping like flies. Just from Jets and Niners alone, Joey Bosa (knee), Jimmy Garoppolo (high-ankle sprain), Raheem Mostert (knee) and running back Tevin Coleman (knee). Bosa's injury is a season ending one, the team announced Monday.Carolina's Christian McCafrey left the game against the Buccaneers and is expected to be out 40-6 weeks with an ankle injury. The Giants Saquon Barkley will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL suffered in New York's loss to the Bears, and receiver Sterling Shepard left the game with a toe injury. Big name stars were going down due to injuries. Maybe it starting to show that lack of training camp and pre season games could be starting to show.

2020 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Its been a long strange trip to get here, but the Stanley Cup Finals is here. We started this season back in October with 31 teams trying to fight for a championship. Then, just like the rest of the world, the league hit pause. When we did come back to start the playoffs, it was 24 teams looking at a shot at the holy grail of hockey. Now here we sit, down to just two. Two teams who have drank out of hockey's holy grail before and want it again. Both teams started the playoffs in round robin play, and now are set to square off for the Cup. So lets get right into it and break it all down

This years finals will see the Western Conference Champion Dallas Stars taking on the Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lighting. For Dallas, they got here by beating the Flames in six games in the opening round, followed by the Avalanche in seven games in round two, and finally the Golden Knights in five games in the conference finals. This will be the Dallas Stars' fifth appearance in the Finals. They won the Stanley Cup in 1999 before losing the Finals in 2000. They also made two appearances as the Minnesota North Stars in 1981 and 1991.

As for the Lightning, they got here by beating the Blue Jackets in the opening round in five games, then the Bruins in five games in round two, before finally dispatching the Islanders in the Conference Finals in six games. This will be the Tampa Bay Lightning's third appearance in the Finals. They won the Stanley Cup in 2004 before losing the Finals in 2015.

Dallas won both regular season meetings between the two teams this season.

Here's the dates and times of every game in this series:

September 19 Dallas Stars 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

September 21 Dallas Stars 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

September 23 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars Rogers Place

September 25 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars Rogers Place

September 26 Dallas Stars 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

September 28 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars Rogers Place

September 30 Dallas Stars 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

Two teams squaring off in a balanced and even series. Both teams can score goals that evident. Tampa had the highest scoring team in the league during the regular season, and added another 59 during the playoffs. Only team to score more than them during the playoffs is the 62 by Dallas in two more games. Both teams have weapons on that side of the puck, but I got to give an ever so slight playoff edge to the Bolts, mostly because Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov have outplayed Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The forwards for Dallas have been a little more adept and getting scoring from other lines, but Tampa has the edge when the big guns are really going.

On the defensive side of the puck, both teams looked pretty good. Dallas had the lowest goals against in the league during the regular season, while Tampa was 4th in fewest goals allowed. In the playoffs, the Dallas goals against numbers have gone up (compared to the regular season), while the Lightning has lowered its goals against numbers during this playoff run. Hey I'm not taking anything away from what Anton Kudobin has done, he's been very good in the Dallas nets since taking over full tilt as the starter. Andrei Vasalevski has played every minute for Tampa and, while being a workhorse, has been very very good.

This is, by no stretch of the imagination, a knock against the Stars, who have had a fantastic season and playoff run. But the Bolts are a slightly better built team. They can play a fast game and improved in the physicality department from a year ago. They were better built playoff team this year then they were a season ago. Stars will put up a fight, but for the second time in franchise history, the Lightning drink from hockey's holy grail.

Pick: Lightning in 6!

Thank You Blue And Orange

202 has been a crazy year, from a global scale, all the way down to the sports world. For the New York Islanders, it had been just as crazy of a ride. That crazy ride came to a crashing end in overtime of game six of the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning (Congratulations to the Bolts). But think about that for a minute.

The 2019-2020 New York Islanders were in the Eastern Conference Finals. And two wins away from their first finals appearance since 1984. Who the hell would have thought that to happen.

Back in October, I did a season preview here on the blog, and I said that the Islanders were going to miss the playoffs, just barley. The reason I felt that was because I felt that they didn't have the scoring punch to really be able to hang with the upper tier teams in the Conference. Teams like Tampa, Boston, Carolina, Toronto ect. At the start of the year, there was the big seventeen game pint streak that kept them near the top. They had flashes after that, ones that made you think they would be able to stay right in the thick of it well into the spring. Then the wheels looked like they were starting to wobble. At the end of February, the team had hit a bad slide and fallen out of the playoff race.

Then the world got turned upside down, and for months nobody knew what was going to happen.

When the league made the announcement that the playoffs were going to be taking place in a bubble and that, with the new format, the Islanders had made it in by percentage points. I was curious to see how this was going to play out.

They got by Florida pretty easy. Then it seemed they kept it going in the win over Washington. Now it was a tough test in the series that went seven with Philadelphia. Managed to pass that too. Then it came face to face with a really good team in Tampa. That's not to say that the Panthers and Flyers weren't good teams, they were, but the Lightning were playing at a different level. The Isles had chances a plenty in the series, but couldn't take advantage of many of them.

I will say this about this hockey club. It showed a ton of heart and resilience and kept making believers out of a lot of people. They have something here that works. Everybody believes in what's going on here, and the team, in my mind, is a piece or two away from taking that next step into upper status in the Eastern Conference.

This New York Islanders hockey club brought something special to the table with this playoff run. They lifted quite a few spirits of their fans. They were the best team going in the New York/Metro area this year. It was a lot of fun hockey to watch.

Thanks for the memories and a hell of a playoff run boys!

Meet The Mets (New Owner)

This has been something that's a long time coming for Mets fans. Earlier this week, the New York Mets announced that they have a new owner. Steve Cohen has now bought the Mets, for an eye popping $2.4 Billion. This was Cohen's third try to buy the team, and second time it was announced. He tried in December of last year to buy the team, but it fell through.

Now that Cohen owns the team, what does this mean for the team?

Well, for one thing, it could mean an influx of money. In the time of the Wilpon's ownership, the Mets have had two division titles, and one World Series appearances. For years, the Mets have been known for being on the cheap. And that's not even the half of it. The team has made so many bad public relations and personnel decisions over the years, it makes the fanbase sick. So now there's a glimmer of hope and belief that Cohen can help get the Mets going on the right track.

He's had a stake in the team since 2012 and has been trying to take control of the team for some time now. This deal is actually a little less than what he originally put in for the club. The last deal they had in place was for $2.6 Billion, but ended up agreeing on the purchase for $2.4 Billion. So we know, as fans, that the money is there from Cohen. He has even stated that he's a Mets fan, so it gives a silver lining of hope, in my mind, that he'd be willing to invest and make the product on the field better. 

Some believe that, once Cohen does finally get approval for the purchase of the team, that he may make changes right away to the front office. Not exactly a smart idea to make the change that quickly into taking over the team. Let Cohen get going in his first year owning the team to see where his product is at, before  going out and making major shift in the front office.

Best & Worst NFL Week One

We are off and running for the 2020 NFL Season. We saw a little bit of everything in the opening week of the season. Only two teams, Kansas City and Jacksonville, had fans in the building and it was limited attendance at that. It did have a bit of a weird vibe to it seeing games without fans, but it added a new level of intrigue to the start of the season. We had Brady's debut in the NFC South, which didn't end well, and his replacement in New England did a pretty good job first day at the new office. Some familiar faces doing familiar things on the field. All in all, a pretty good opening weekend for the league. Lets take a look at some of the best and worst from the week that was in the NFL.

Best:

Aaron Rogers, Quarterback Green Bay Packers

If there was any more proof needed that Rogers is still one of the very best to ever play the position, look at his week one performance. Green Bay knocked off Minnesota 43-34 and Rogers was the driving force for the Pack to do so. He finished the day going 33 of 44 for 364 yards and four touchdowns, two of which went to Davante Adams. Rogers controlled the game in a way that few can in this league, and the Vikings got the brunt of it to start the season off. Green Bay is off and running at the top of the North because of this performance.

Worst:

Sam Darnold, Quarterback New York Jets

This could be a very long year for the Jets and their 3rd year QB. He has very little to work with in the weapons department. Sam Darnold looked a little out of sorts on Sunday in an opening day 27-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He had one big play to Jamieson Crowder for a 69-Yard touchdown. But by the time the touchdown was already scored, the game was a tad out of reach. Sam at times looked hurried and his timing with his receivers was off most of the day. This was supposed to be, in theory, a big stepping stone year for Sam. Yes I realize its only one game, and there's still fifteen more to go for Sam, but if things don't turn around then who knows what the future really holds for the young QB.

Best:

Clyde Edwards-Helaire Running Back Kansas City Chiefs

Talk about making an impact on opening night. Its well documented how good the Kansas City passing attack is. On opening night, in the KC 34-20 win over the Texans, it was the running game that was on full display. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the man on this night, as he finished with 25 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. He's powerful running was able to open things up a little more with the pass attack, but Edwards-Helaire was on point in the opener.

Worst:

D’Andre Swift Running Back, Detroit Lions

Detroit fell short in their opener against the Bears, a 27-23 win for Chicago. Swift, who is a second round pick out of Georgia, had a rough go of it in his first NFL game. He got a total of six touches on the day: three carries for eight yards and three catches for fifteen yards. He gets put here, though, for the pass that wasn't. Matt Stafford found him wide open on the goal line with ten seconds left, a pass that was right on the money. IF the pass had been completed, it would have been a walk in, go ahead score for Detroit. Instead, it hit Swift right on the hands and fell incomplete. Tough break to start your NFL career kid.

Best:

Cam Newton, Quarterback New England Patriots

OK so Cam's passing numbers weren't off the charts. He went 15 of 19 for 155 yards no passing TD's and no picks. He was sacked twice. What stuck out to me for Cam was the running game. He and his legs powered the Patriots to a 21-11 win over a very game Dolphins team. Cam had 15 carries for 75 yards and a pair of scores. There had been some concern going into the year as to how well Cam was going to play. Between coming off last year's injury and adjusting to the new system in New England, there was a tad level of concern, but now it appears, at least after the opening game, that he looks to be just fune.

Worst:
Philadelphia Eagles

17-0 lead over the Washington Football Team and it slipped right through your fingers. Your up big halfway through the 2nd quarter and let it get away. Wentz was sacked eight times as the game went on, which meant the line wasn't much help. Could be a point of interest for the Eagles as the season goes on. It all kind of just fell apart from there for the Eagles, as Washington stormed back, walking away with a 2717 win. Hey I'll give all the credit where it is do to Washington for being able to come back in the football game like this, but at the same time, it looks pretty bad for an Eagles team to fall flat on their faces like this.

Best:
Julio Jones, Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons

yes I realize that this is coming up on the short end of the stick here for the Falcons. Atlanta fell 38-25 at the hands of the Seahawks, but it wasn't for lack of effort on Julio Jones part. Or any of the Falcons top three targets for that matter. Three Atlanta receivers had over 100 yards on the day. Russel Gage had 114, Calvin Ridley had 130 and Julio topped them all at 157. Those are eye popping numbers, as is the fact that Matt Ryan threw for 450 yards. Yes, it was all for nothing in a losing effort, but still, if somehow Atlanta can keep putting up these kinds of numbers, they could make a lot of noise in that NFC South

Worst:

Randy Bullock, Kicker Cincinnati Bengals

Seven seconds left in the game, your down three to the Chargers. Joe Burrow has lead you down the field on an impressive drive to try and win the game. It looked like they had on the pass to AJ Green right near the goal line, only to have it called back on offensive pass interference. That's OK, it can be shaken off, because here comes the field goal unit to try and tie the game. Out trots Randy Bullock, the Bengals kicker. It was a 31-yard attempt to try and send the game to overtime. Not only did Bullock miss wide right, but he appeared as if he pulled a muscle in his leg in the process. Not a great day for him. 

Best:

Baltimore Ravens

To be fair, there had been some sense of nervousness over the Ravens, at least in my mind, given how they were knocked out of the playoffs last year. They were on a tear going into the post season and were rudely knocked out. They looked to get back on the right foot this year and did so, beating the Browns 38-6. Lamar Jackson did, well, Lamar Jackson things. The Ravens had a balanced attack from both sides of the ball and made Cleveland, who could have a decent team in their own right, look silly. Going to be a tough team to beat in Baltimore again this year.

Worst:
Kansas City Chiefs Fans

This is nothing that the Chiefs did, oh no. KC was off to a strong start in defense of their title on opening night, KC played a complete football game in a 34-20 win over Houston. I'm putting them here because of the fans that were in attendance. They booed the players for making a stand against social injustice. I mean come on. They trying to make the world a better place and this was the way they wanted to do it and the fans booed it. Its a bit much for my taste.

2020 NFL Season Preview

The time of the year has arrived. The National Football League is set to kick off its 2020 season, one in which could be different from past seasons. Everything has been done virtually in the offseason, as far as the draft and stuff like that is concerned. And because of everything going on with the health crisis around the world, there was no preseason football this year. Losing out on exhibition games this year could make things look a little different at the beginning of the year. 

There have been a few changes made thanks to the new CBA this year, the biggest ones being slightly expanded rosters and oh yeah expanded playoffs. We will now have 14 playoff teams instead of 12, so Wild Card Weekend has grown, and getting top seed in each conference has grown in importance. We have had some changes at head coach this offseason. Carolina (Matt Rhule), Cleveland (Kevin Stefanski), Dallas (Mike McCarthy), New York Giants (Joe Judge), and Washington (Ron Rivera) all have new head coaches. They aren't the only faces in new places.

Players have switched teams in the offseason, leading to some big changes around the league. We start with the trades. DeAndre Hopkins went to Arizona for David Johnson. Calais Campbell went from Jacksonville to Baltimore, and then the Jags sent Nick Foles to Chicago and AJ Bouye to Denver. The Jets traded Jamal Adams to Seattle for Bradley McDougald and picks. Stefon Diggs got traded from Minnesota to Buffalo, while Brandin Cooks was shipped from the Rams to Houston.

That was just trades. We had other guys move via free agency. Tom Brady (Tampa Bay), Teddy Bridgewater (Carolina), Andy Dalton (Dallas), Cam Newton (New England), Melvin Gordon (Denver), Frank Gore (Jets), Todd Gurley (Atlanta), Nelson Agholor (Las Vegas), Robby Anderson (Carolina), Randall Cobb (Houston), have all moved on the offensive side of things. Vic Beasley (Tennessee), Jamie Collins (Detroit), Leonard Floyd (Rams), Dante Fowler (Atlanta), Vonn Bell (Cincinnati), James Bradberry (Giants), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Dallas) have moved on the defensive side of things.

So with that being said, here's our predictions for the 2020 NFL Season

NFC

NFC East:

1. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)*

There is plenty of talent to be able to build things around with Dallas. You have your modern big three with Dak, Zek and Amari Cooper. Now throw in two more weapons at receiver with Michael Gallup and rookie CeeDee Lamb, you got plenty to be able to spread the ball around. And, of course, you have what is considered by many to be the best offensive line in the game. Byron Jones isn't there on the defense which hurt them a little but they still have a solid enough defense to be able to keep somewhat pace with the offense. They got the tools to be able to hang around at the top for most of the year.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

A lot of this season for the Eagles depends on the health of Carson Wentz. If he can stay healthy, then I could see the Eagles hanging around a while. But if Wentz gets hurt, do you really trust Jalen Hurts? Zach Ertz and DeSean Jackson can still be impact players and they have young talent to go with them. All depends on health in Philly. Plus the defense might not be as close to what they have in Dallas so it might be hard to match the boys. Should be interesting to see if they can keep up, but if everybody is healthy why not.

3. New York Giants (7-9)

This could be generous giving the Giants seven wins, if they're luck. Its a transition year for Big Blue, with a new head coach in Joe Judge and quite a few new players to work with around Daniel Jones. The kid has plenty of room to grow under center and will take another step in developing as a pro. Sequan Barkley is steeping up as one of the best backs in the league and Sterling Sheppard is becoming one of Jones best targets. But what has me concerned is how the line is going to hold up with new faces there and some have opted out for this season. On the defensive side of things, adding guys like James Bradberry, Nate Ebner, Kyler Fackrell, Blake Martinez and David Mayo will make this team that much stronger. Might not translate into a great year, but if all falls into place, should be a vast improvement over last year.

4. Washington Football Team (3-13)

Facts are this, Washington is still going to be a bad team. Sure they drafted Chase Young 2nd overall, which will be a help on defense, but that's not saying much. New coach Ron Rivera has his hands full in DC and hasn't even named a starter yet between Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen. Andwho knows, they could be in the running to be in a good spot to possibly draft Trevor Lawrence next year. It's going to be a long season down in Washington.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4)*
Who's to say, or really stop, the Packers aren't going to be the team to beat in the North again this season. When you have Aaron Rogers on the team, you got a pretty good shot at a deep run at things. Sure not having Jimmy Graham at tight end adds a bit of a new wrinkle to things, but the Packers are still a very good team. The Pack run game needs to improve but they still have weapons in Devante Adams and Darius Sheppard. And with that defense, the Pack can still take the division. Only thing that worries me is what the Pack are going to do if Rogers goes down. Jordan Love was drafted in the 1st round and looks like he could be the heir to the thrown, but who knows how close to ready he is to take over if anything happens to Rogers.

2. Minnesota Vikings (9-7) (WC)*

Hey look Minnesota is coming off a playoff appearance and a 10-6 mark last year, but they took a few steps back this offseason. They got rid of secondary mainstays Xavier Rhodes, Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes, and they also traded wideout Stefon Diggs to the Bills. They drafted Justin Jeffery in the first round, so that has the potential to take some of the pressure off not having Diggs in the lineup. Plus you still have Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph to throw to and a pretty good run game with Dalvin Cook coming off his pro bowl year. But a tough start to the season with the schedule and still behind a little with some of the talent from last year, its going to be tough on Minnesota.

3. Chicago Bears (8-8)

With the mess the team had last year, Matt Nagy has his hands full trying to bring the Bears back to a respectable level. One question still remains, who the hell is the starting QB on this team? Have they really lost that much faith in Mitch Trubisky? Can Nick Foles really be the guy to take over and do something? Adding Jimmy Graham did help things a little on the offensive side of things and they have a good defense that can keep them in a lot of games. But Nagy's on the hot seat, they aren't sure what's going on under center and they play in a top heavy division with the Vikings and Packers

4. Detroit Lions (5-11)

Detroit has the same problem that the Bears do, in that this is a very top heavy division. Matt Patricia's job could very well be on the line this season. Drafting Jeff Okudah 3rd overall helps the secondary quite a bit and may show some signs of life for that secondary and defense as a whole. Matt Stafford has almost no run game to work with and Danny Amendola is his top target. There is still plenty to be desired in Detroit and they may be able to string together a win or two during the season, but it doesn't really look good for the Lions this year.

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4)*

This was a team who finished a game under .500 last year and was one of the best defensive teams in the game (had the best defense in the league). Now they may have the offensive punch to match it. They already had two of the games premier wide receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Now add Rob Gronkowski to it, even though Gronk isn't a spring chicken anymore. Oh yeah, and you now have added one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Tom Brady. You also have LeSean McCoy running stuff out of the backfield, and this offense could very well be able to keep up with that top rated defense.

2. New Orleans Saints (10-6)(WC)*

In what very well might be Drew Brees last year under center in New Orleans, the Saints are too good a team not to make the playoffs. Might not be a division title, but will be damn good enough for a playoff spot. Teddy Bridgewater leaving hurts a little bit, now with Jamis Winston set up as the backup to Brees. Bridgewater was great last year in filling in for the injured Brees, but if that happens again this year, there's no promise that Winston can do the same thing. Still, this is a talented Saints club. The offense will be more dynamic with Emmanuel Sanders as another weapon with Michael Thomas. Plus throw in a healthy Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook at tight end, you got something going. The defense remains sturdy with Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis and a strong secondary.

3. Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

There's still plenty of offensive talent in Atlanta to try and make noise. We all know the Falcons are a pass happy offense. Matt Ryan has plenty to work with between Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in the air attack. But having a run game can help take some of the pressure off the pass attack, and the Falcons are hoping to do that by adding Todd Gurley to the mix. The only thing you could possibly knock in Atlanta, and the thing that may hold them back a little bit, is their defense. It seems, at least on paper, to be a middle of the pack defense. They have the offense, no doubt there, but with the Saints and Bucs being as good as they are, Atlanta will come short of a division title.

4. Carolina Panthers (6-10)

Life without Cam Newton in Carolina looks different than anybody expected. Teddy Brodgewater comes in and has some big shoes to fill. He did a very good job filling in for Drew Brees last year in New Orleans when Brees got hurt. it proved that Teddy could still run an offense. They still have all world running back Christian McCaffery and a stud wideout in DJ Moore. Not having Luke Kuechly on defense, due to his retirement, is a pretty big blow to that defense. The Panthers have talent that could start taking steps in the right direction, but won't be happening much this year.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)*

San Francisco came off a huge 13-3 year last year, heading all the way to the Big Game, before losing to KC. They are taking a bit of a slide backwards by having Emmanual Sanders no longer on the team, but Jimmy G has plenty of talent to still work with on the offensive side of things. Brandon Aiyuk was drafted to replace Sanders, and should be able to fit nicely with George Kittle and Dante Pittis in catching passes. The defense is still solid, but I think the 49ers take a bit of a step backwards this year. There's no doubt that the Niners are going to once again be a good team, but I won't see them as the threat they were last year.

2. Seattle Seahawks (10-6) (WC)*

Talk about a team going for broke. That's what the Seahawks did by trying to vastly improving their defense, adding Jamal Adams in the trade with the Jets. Adams joins a budding defense that is going to cause problems for the opposition this season, lead by Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright. On the other side of the ball, Russell Wilson is well, Russell Wilson. He will have no problem leading this offensive charge the same way he always has. They have a bit of a rough stretch to open the season, but shouldn't have a problem staying the course and being able to come out of it as a playoff team

3. Los Angeles Rams (8-8)

The running game for LA has taken a bit of a hit this offseason. Todd Gurley is no longer here, so it appears as if a rookie in Cam Akers, who was the Rams 1st pick in the second round of the draft, could be counted on pretty well to be the one to control the ground game. Let's not forget that there is still plenty to get excited about with the pass attack. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are going to see a lot of work from Jared Geoff this year, and both guys will have no problem carrying that work load. Loosing Cory Littleton on the defensive side of things does put a bit of a damper on the hopes of the Rams, but they should be able to stay around the 500 mark for much of the season.

4. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

Looks like the boys in the desert are looking to start heading up in the right direction. Arizona traded David Johnson in the offseason, but the return was a pretty good one in DeAndre Hopkins. Pairing him up with Larry Fitzgerald is a pretty good move, thus giving a solid combination for Kyler Murray to throw the ball to. You also have Kenyon Drake in the backfield to take over for Johnson, so its not really a major drop off in production in that regards. Defense is decent, but Vance Joseph needs to come up with some ways to help the pass rush and get somebody other than Chandler Jones to make a play on that side of the ball.

AFC

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (11-5)*

There will be a changing of the guard in the AFC East this year. Buffalo will actually improve a little off last year's 10-6 playoff performance. Adding Stefon Diggs to an already solid offensive lineup will make the Bills that much better. Josh Allen has yet another dynamic weapon to play with, alongside Andre Roberts and Cole Beasley. They have a solid running game with TJ Yeldon handling the workload. Oh and the Bills defense was pretty good too last year, finishing in the top five in total defense, as well as pass and run defense. It will be interesting to see what happens with Brady out of the picture in New England, but with the Bills loading up at receiver, it should be enough to get them over the hump and into the division crown.

2. New England Patriots (9-7) (WC)*
This is going to be a big change year for New England. Since the turn of the century they've been dominating the AFC East, only losing out on the division title twice in the last twenty years. But now Tom Brady isn't under center anymore for the Pats. Cam newton has come into the fold to take over, and is seen by some as a temporary bridge for either Bryan Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, or somebody else. New England is still known for the run game with Sony Michel and James White, and do have old reliable in Julian Edleman. New England's defense took a bit of a hit with a lot of players opting out from this season, so expect a drop off from the Pats this season. Going to be cutting it close as to whether or not they even make the playoffs.

3. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

In theory, with all the moves that the team made this offseason, Miami should be a contending team. Tua Tagovailoa drafted by the team and will get to sit under the learning tree under Ryan Fitzpatrick. They did a lot of retooling on offense with Eric Flowers added to the line and Jordan Howard added into the backfield. Adding Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson on defense will help as well. The rebuild for the Fins was speed up over the offseason, but they won't be turning the corner just yet.

4. New York Jets (5-11)

This is going to be a step back year for the Jets and that could be putting it nicely. Maybe five wins is too generous. Sure Sam Darnold is aiming to stay healthy, but what weapons does he have on offense outside of Le'Von Bell and new back Frank Gore? Robby Andersen is now in Carolina and Quincy Enunwa was cut. They drafted receiver and line help, but it isn't going to really pan out this year. Tough schedule and not much talent could make five wins a stretch for the Jets this season.

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)*

This one was pretty easy to pick to win the division.Lamar Jackson is coming off an MVP season which he was solid in running and passing. Balance with Mark Ingram in the backfield, Willie Sneed and Mark Andrews catching passes, this offense has another chance to be very good. They lost Marshal Yanda to retirement, which might slow the offense a little, otherwise they should be fine. Defense still needs a little work, like getting pressure from their front seven. They might not be able to pull an exact repeat from last year, but shouldn't have much of a problem winning the division.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) (WC)*

Two years out of the playoffs seems like an eternity for Steelers fans, but they should be able to snap out of it this season. They have a healthy Ben Rothlesberger back under center His age maybe something to take into account, considering he is 38, but we've seen some QB's in the league now that are older and can still go. TJ Watt lead that elite pass rush last season, which was the only thing that was able to keep this team around the .500 mark a season ago. The defense has been retained, its the offense that still has slight issues to iron out. Mostly at running back and who's going to be catching passes from Ben besides Eric Ebron and JuJu Smith-Schuster. With everybody healthy, the Steelers should be good enough to get back into the playoffs.

3. Cleveland Browns (9-7) (WC)*

This team has the talent to be better then they are, but for some reason, can't seem to put it all together. Maybe new head coach Kevin Stefanski can get the Browns going in the right direction. On paper, Cleveland has what it takes to be a playoff team. Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper and Odell Beckham Jr. and a retooled offensive line should be able to get the offense going. On the flip side, Cleveland has a talented defensive front led by Myles Garrett, which can keep them in a lot of games. The Browns need everything to click if this is going to work right for them.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (5-11)

It's not going to be a gigantic leap from a year ago, but the Bengals will be a lot better then last years 2-12 football team. It's going to be real interesting to see how top pick Joe Burrow handles the game at the NFL level, since he had no pre season games to get used to playing with this kind of competition. Tee Higgins was also taken in the draft by the Bengals, and he joins a pretty talented group of playmakers that includes Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd and, a hopefully healthy A.J. Green. If the defense can level up and get close to what the offense can do, this team could easily compete in this division. A few more unknowns are holding the Bengals back right now.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (9-7)*

Might not quite be as good as a year ago, but the Texans are still good enough to come away with another AFC South title. Deshaun Watson is still a very solid QB, but his weapons have changed a bit from a season ago. David Johnson will now be the one running the ball out of the backfield. DeAndre Hopkins isn't an option as he was traded for Johnson. So now Watson is going to be look at Bradin Cooks and Randel Cobb to be carrying the work load in the pass catching department. Tight end needs a little work but the offense looks like its still in good shape. You do still have JJ Watt on that defensive unit, but its starting to get a little lackluster behind him. Don't get me wrong the Texans are still a good football team, and can still take the division, but they are going to be about a step or two behind what they were last year.

2. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)

Indy is going to see a step up improvement this year, but not by a whole lot. Sure, they did get better by adding Philip Rivers under center, hoping to be able to revive his career. He won't be performing at the level they had two years ago in Indy, but it is going to be a slight step up from Jacoby Bressett. What worries me about the offense is how well can the run game hold out for the Colts? Is it even really there? Should Indy be able to get a solid run attack to help out the passing game, then it is safe to say that the Colts have enough talent to be able to compete with Houston for the division title. All depends on the run game.

3. Tennessee Titans (8-8)

They finished with an above .500 record last year and made it all the way to the AFC Championship game thanks to the outstanding running of back Derek Henry. He can put up the numbers again this year, but I think its only going to get the Titans so far. Eventually teams will start to key in on Henry and that leaves the ball in the hands of Ryan Tannehill, who's a capable QB, but isn't good enough to get the Titans bacck to last years heights on his own merit. Sure Adam Humphries is a solid target to throw to, but if that's his main weapon, then the Titans could be looking at takiing a few steps back this year. i mean the Titans defense can keep them in games, but how well do you think this team can really hold out in the long run?

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

Jacksonville won't be the worst team in the NFL this year, but lets face facts, they aren't doing quarterback Gardner Minshew any favors. Leonard Fournette is no longer there, he was cut at the end of August and just signed with the Bucs. This now looks like its going to be running back by committee till the Jags can figure out what they can utalize. As for the passing game, Dede Westbrook and Tyler Eifert are going to be usable weapons for Minshew, but that's really it. Oh and the defense in Jacksonville isn't really worth writing home about. Its going to be a rough season for the Jgas this year.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)*

The champs are looking pretty good to be able to repeat this season. The major pieces from last year's championship squad are back. Patrick Mahomes got paid and looks as if he's going to be set for a while under center. Big expectations are coming for rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who joins an already loaded offense. The only thing that looks like it could use improvement from a season ago is the KC run defense, which was ranked 26th in the NFL last year. Otherwise, there's a better than even chance that the Champs could be right back at the top again this year.

2. Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)

Lot of changes have taken place for the Chargers out in LA this offseason. No Melvin Gordon, and No Philip Rivers. Tyrod Taylor looks like he's going to start this season off, but don't be surprised if rookie Justin Herbert takes over at some point this season. They still have Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry working in the pass attack, while Austin Eckler gets more of the workload in the run game. This defense lead by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram could be solid, but I think there still something missing from the Chargers before they can really turn that corner.

3. Denver Broncos (7-9)

Denver looks like they are reloading for along time and have weapons that quarterback Drew Lock can actually work with. He's got Philip Lindsey and Melvin Gordon splitting time in the backfield. He got promise with rookie receivers Jerry Judy and KJ Hamler to catch passes. Denver still has a solid defense in place, with Von Miller still leading that charge. What's going to be holding a team like Denver back a little is the Rookies trying to come of age without preseason games to help get adjusted and having teams like KC, and re building Chargers and Raiders in the same spot.

4. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)

There's going to be a major log jam behind KC in this division, that's for sure. The Radiers brought in Marcus Mariota to take over under center and maybe finally settle him down with the team. Running the ball could be a sour spot for Vegas without a proven back in the backfield. The passing game appears to be heading in the right direction. Now you added guys like Henry Ruggs (drafted) and Jason Witten to play with Nelson Agholor and Darren Waller and you got something to build off of. Start getting the defense going in the right direction and they too could be a threat in the West. A tough schedule will make it difficult to improve over last years win total.

Super Bowl Prediction: Kansas City over New Orleans

Conference Final Preview

We started this crazy, modified, journey back at the end of July with 24 teams. Now here we sit, down to the final four clubs. The Conference Finals are here and we are set to go. Tampa Bay has brought themselves back from last years embarrassing playoff exit. New York has shaken off a 27 year playoff drought. Vegas is back for the 2nd time in three years, Dallas has been waiting over ten years to get back to where they are now. Lets dive right into it. Here's how the conference finals go down.

We start with the Eastern Conference Final as it is the second seeded Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the sixth seeded New York Islanders. This will be the third playoff meeting between these two teams with Tampa Bay winning both previous series. They last met in the 2016 Eastern Conference Second Round, which Tampa Bay won in five games. This will be Tampa Bay's sixth Conference Finals appearance. They last went to the Conference Finals in 2018, which they lost to the Washington Capitals in seven games. This will be New York's fifth appearance in the Conference Finals. They last went to the Conference Finals in 1993, which they lost against the Montreal Canadiens in five games. New York won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Her's the date and time for every game in this series:

September 7 New York Islanders 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

September 9 New York Islanders 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

September 11 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. New York Islanders Rogers Place

September 13 Tampa Bay Lightning 3:00 p.m. New York Islanders Rogers Place

September 15 New York Islanders 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

September 17 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. New York Islanders Rogers Place 

September 19 New York Islanders 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Rogers Place

This has been a very long time coming for Islanders fans, 27 years is a long time to wait between conference finals appearances. They're back in it, but it is going to be a very tough series. They were able to overcome a hot goalie in the last round in Carter Hart. But the Lightning play a different style then the Flyers. At least Barry Trotz knows that the two goalie system he employed so well during the regular season can still work now. Doesn't really seem to matter if its Thomas Greiss or Semyon Varlamov, the Islanders stand a good chance in games. What has been standing up for the Isles in this playoffs, aside from the goaltending, has been the team defebse. it at times has slipped up, sure, but for the most part it has kept them in it and allowed the rolling of four lines to put pressure on the opposition.

They are going up against a very battle testing and high scoring Lightning club. Tampa can roll four lines as well and have a little more fire power than New York does. Nikita Kucherov should be back at full health when this series starts. Even though the Bolts will still be without Steven Stamkos, they have plenty of weapons to work with. Brayden Point and Andre Palat have really been stepping their game up. The Lightning have a good defensive strategy and do a good job around Andrei Vasilevskiy. The only thing that has been questionable, at times, for the Lightning has been the ability for Vasilevskiy to be able to control his rebounds. He can do that, then the Lightning will be in great shape.

Both teams match up pretty well, but what I'm still hanging my hat on right now is the Islanders at times don't play a full 60 minutes. They did in game seven against the Flyers, and if they can carry that over, then they have a chance. This will be a bit of a long series but at the end of it the depth of the Bolts might be too much

Pick: Lightning in 6!

To the Western Conference Finals we go, its the top seeded Vegas Golden Knights taking on the third seeded Dallas Stars. This will be the first playoff series between these two teams. Vegas won their Round Robin game between these two teams earlier in this year's playoffs 5–3. This will be Vegas' second appearance in the Conference Finals. Their only previous Conference Finals was in 2018, which they won against the Winnipeg Jets in five games. This will be Dallas' seventh Conference Finals appearance. They last went to the Conference Finals in 2008, which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games. These teams split their two games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:

September 6 Dallas Stars 8:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights Rogers Place

September 8 Dallas Stars 8:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights Rogers Place

September 10 Vegas Golden Knights 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars Rogers Place

September 12 Vegas Golden Knights 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars Rogers Place

September 14 Dallas Stars 8:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights Rogers Place

September 16 Vegas Golden Knights 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars Rogers Place

September 18 Dallas Stars 9:00 p.m. Vegas Golden Knights Rogers Place

Dallas surprised a lot of people by getting here. There offense started clicking at the right time, and they actually outplayed a very high powered Avs offense. Its a very balanced attack rolling the four lines for the Stars with Benn, Seguin and Radulov leading the charge. Kudobin has played very well in net and gave Dallas a big chance. Getting everybody to buy into the system has worked well in Dallas. Rick Bowness has done an amazing job, since taking over as head coach, to get every on the same pager and playing fantastic hockey.

You can say the same thing about Vegas, who is just as well balanced. They've got good defense and great goaltending. Marc Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner have played exceeding well since the bubble started at the end of July. Both guys are keeping that play up now and should have no problem helping power Vegas.

This, like the Eastern Conference, is a very balanced series. At the end of the day, for as good as Dallas has been, Vegas has the edge with the playoff depth and know what it takes to get this far. Dallas will put up a great fight, but at the end of the day, experience wins out.

Pick: Vegas in 7!

Baseball Legend Passes

Anybody that has ever followed the game of baseball has, at one time or another, heard the name Tom Seaver. He holds most of the pitching records for a starter in Mets history, including complete games, innings pitched, ERA and strikeouts. He was the greatest pitcher that the team has ever had. On Thursday, Sever passed away at the age of 75 from complications related to Dementia.

Sever came into the league in 1967 and had a bit of a rough start to his career with the Mets, but by 1969 he had started to cement himself as the face of this team. By the time all was said and done, he was, and still, is the best player to ever wear the Blue and Orange. He had also spent time with the Reds and White Sox, but everybody who ever things of Tom Seaver will always see him as a member of the New York Mets.

Seaver finished his career with a record of 311-205, a 2.86 ERA, and 3,640 strikeouts. In addition to his three Cy Youngs, Seaver was a 12-time All-Star, led the league in wins three times, strikeouts five times and ERA three times, and was a five-time 20-game winner. Seaver had 9 straight 200 straight seasons, which is the longest streak in MLB history. He is 1 of only 8 pitchers with 3,500 K's and 300 wins and is the only player in MLB history to strike out 10 straight batters. When he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, at that time, it was the highest percentage of votes ever received by a player, that's how dominating he was.

Seaver was the show for the Mets, it was a major event every time he got on the mound. Whenever he pitched at home, Shea was always jam packed. He helped put the Mets on the map and made them a legitimate threat in not only the National League but in all of baseball. He gave them an identity. He was the most dominating pitcher of his time. Sure the Mets have had two guys since then that have come close, or at least drawn comparison to, since Seaver stopped pitching for the team. Those two guys, at least in my mind, are Doc Gooden and Jacob deGrom. But they aren't Tom Seaver, nor will they ever be. Both guys had and are having great careers, but not like what Tom did.

He gave the Mets an identity and gave the Mets fans a reason to come out and see this team. Thanks for the memories for Mets fans Tom, you will be dearly missed