SneakerReporter NFL Week 7: Preview and Predictions

SneakerReporter NFL Week 7: Preview and Predictions

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by | Oct 22, 2022 | Featured, NFL

 

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens (3-3) are looking to bounce back after losing to the New York Giants last week. This week they will be heading into this matchup with the Browns but Mark Andrews is questionable. Both Andrews and Bateman are uncertain but are considerable pieces to this offense that Lamar Jackson will need to succeed. The Ravens lost JK Dobbins for at least 4 to 6 weeks. That means Lamar Jackson will have to beat the Browns on the ground and in the air. The Cleveland Browns are (2-4) and will need a huge game on the ground from Nick Chubb. The offense runs through Nick Chubb and what he does in the rushing attack. Brissett has done a great job filling in for Deshaun Watson so far but he will need to connect with Amari Cooper to get this offense going. The Brown’s defense will have their hands full with Action Jackson today.

 

Score prediction: Ravens Win (31-17)

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

The (3-3) Buccanneers are coming into this game with a pissed-off Tom Brady. We saw Brady yelling at his line last week so trust in the GOAT this week. The Bucs will need to get back to that lethal offense and this will be a great get-back opportunity. The Panthers (1-5) just traded Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey in the same week. The Bucs will take advantage of the Panthers who are down moral wise. Look for Brady to have a 4 touchdown game getting Evans and Godwin back on track. The Panthers are hurting on the offensive end now and this will be a game where the Bucs defense will be all over them. The Panthers are near the bottom of the division and a lot of people are writing them off, especially since they have new coaching as well. This will be a tale of a championship team and a team struggling to find its identity.

 

Score prediction: Buccaneers Win (34-10)

 

 

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) should be in a prime position to get the running game going. Joe Mixon is due for a game and the Falcon’s run defense has been giving up a lot of yards to running backs. This will be that game for Mixon but Joe Burrow still will have to take advantage of the Falcon’s secondary. Burrow will always be in a position to win as long as his running mate Chase is playing. The Bengals also have a stingy defense that is led by Jesse Bates who doesn’t give up big plays. The Atlanta Falcons (3-3) are going to need to get Pitts and London going on the offensive end if they will have any chance to win this game. Marcus Mariotta can win a game on the ground and in the air but it’s all about if he has the opportunity. The Falcon’s defense will have their hands full with Burrow and that Bengals offense. If they can contain them just a little bit it will give them a slither of hope to win.

 

Score prediction: Bengals Win (27-13)

 

 

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys (4-2) are coming off their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week. The difference between last week and this week is the fact that Dak Prescott is BACK. The Cowboys will be getting their leader back as Cooper Rush was holding things together while he was gone. Dak coming back to the lineup will help Lamb, Gallup, and Schultz in the passing game. Dak is coming back from the thumb injury so expect him to run a little bit more as he gets comfortable in the pocket. The Dallas Cowboys have the best defense in the NFL right now and they have ball hawks and the best defensive player in Micah Parsons. The Lions (1-4) will be without D’Andre Swift today against the Cowboys and it will be a tough outing for Jared Goff. The Lions are without some of their key pieces but it’s going to be a challenge to keep up with the Cowboys who are ready to get back in the winning column.

 

Score prediction: Cowboys Win (31-10)

 

 

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars

The New York Giants (5-1) have been one of the best surprises this season. We are seeing the resurgence of Saquon Barkley and it’s been a thing of beauty. Barkley has been the best player on the Giants and as long as he’s running and catching on the offensive end it’s going to be trouble for the Jags. Danny Dimes doesn’t have a true wide receiver to pass the ball to because it’s either Barkley or he’s running. The Giant’s defense has been swarming and they will be trying to get to Trevor Lawrence. The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) will need to get the offense established ASAP if they want to take control of this game. Look for Trevor Lawrence to get the ball to Kirk and Jones Jr as the Jags have the better receiving core to give him time. The Jags will need Robinson and Etienne to carry the load in the backfield and give Trevor Lawrence a chance to take advantage in the play action game. The Jags defense will be in a battle so this one is a toss up overall.

 

Score prediction: Jaguars Win (24-21)

 

 

Green Bay Packers at Washington Commanders

The Green Bay Packers (3-3) are coming off a terrible loss to the New York Jets. It was an embarring sight to see Sauce Gardner wearing the cheese head and talking smack. Look for Rodgers to come back pissed off and taking it out on the Commanders. Rodgers will need to get the running backs more involved in this one because the offense has been one dimensional as of late. The Packers are at their best when Jones and Dillion are running through holes and tackles. When Rodgers has them going it opens up the passing game and he will need to get Tonyan and Doubs involved ASAP. The Washington Commanders (2-4) just put Carson Wentz on the IR and will be rolling with Taylor Heineke as the starting quarterback. Last week Brian Robinson Jr got in the end zone and if he can continue to run the way he did last week it can at least give the Commanders a chance. Taylor will need to look for Scary Terry and Logan Thomas but the Green Bay defense will be swarming for sure.

 

Score prediction: Packers Win (38-17)

 

 

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans

This will be the battle of great running backs in this game as we get to see Johnathan Taylor vs Derrick Henry. This will be a slugfest in a true division battle as it will be Matt Ryan vs Ryan Tannehill as well. Both teams are split evenly but the game will be decided on the defensive end. It will come down to who’s defense will make the key play to get their team the victory. Both teams will need to depend on their top receivers to help out as Tennessee has Robert Woods and Indy has Michael Pittman Jr. This will be a game that will be a toss-up as the Colts are (3-2-1) and the Titans (3-2) so we will be able to find out who really wants to pull away in the division.

 

Score prediction: Colts Win (20-14)

 

 

Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders

The Houston Texans (1-3-1) and Las Vegas Raiders (1-4) are both coming off their bye weeks. The Texans are trying to find their identity as a team and the only thing they have working for them is Dameon Pierce. The Rookie has been giving this team life and they need Davis Mills to come to join the party. The Texans need to get Brandin Cooks going on the offensive end because they badly need a win. The Raiders are only with 1 win but they have played against some tough teams, especially in their division. Look for the Raiders to get Adams and Jacobs more involved in this game, especially with Waller out of this game. Derek Carr has shown that he can make the big time throws and get people involved but they need the defense to wake up. Jones and Crosby should be dominating in this game and make it tough for Houston to move the ball.

 

Score prediction: Raiders Win (24-10)

 

 

New York Jets at Denver Broncos

The New York Jets (4-2) are heading to Denver off a win against the Packers. The Jets will be playing without Moore their star wideout who wanted a trade. The Jets have been able to make things happen on the offensive end with Wilson. He has been able to make the throws and he’s been great with ball security. On the flip side, Breece Hall has been everything the Jets need and more on the ground. Hall will be looking to run through the Broncos defense as well which has struggled. The Broncos will be without Russell Wilson who will be out with a hamstring injury. The Broncos will be starting Brett Rypien and it will be a tough day out there. The Broncos will need to lean on Melvin Gordon and the defense if they’re going to have a chance to even win. The Jet’s defense has been special this season and without Russell Wilson, in this game, it could go left for the Broncos quickly.

 

Score prediction: Jets Win (27-17)

 

 

Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers

The Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) are heading to San Francisco to get to 5-2. As long as the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback they have a chance to win. Mahomes was able to take advantage of the mismatches that Travis Kelce has been getting as of late. With it being National Tight End Day we expect those two to hook up again for a touchdown. The Chiefs will need to get Juju going again as he finally got in the end zone. If Helaire can get things going on the ground it will make this offense open up even more. The Chief’s defense has been special as well with Chris Jones back there so if he can get to Jimmy G it could be a long day. The 49ers made a huge splash this week as they acquired Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. The sight of CMC and Deebo for any defense will be trouble so look for the 49ers to put them in a lot of different sets. The 49ers have one of the best defenses but they have been banged up. The 49ers get Nick Bosa back so it will be interesting to see if he’s 100% as he will need to be against Mahomes.

 

Score prediction: Chiefs Win (28-24)

 

 

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers

The Seahawks (3-3) have been playing better than people have expected this year. Geno Smith has been able to get his players involved and he’s been a true leader. Both Metcalf and Lockett have been playing extremely well and have made the best of the opportunity. Geno has been special this year and has shown that he can make the throws to get them wins. The Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) have one of the best running backs in Austin Eckler who’s been a beast on the ground and in the passing game. The Chargers will have Keenan Allen back finally since Week 1 with his hamstring injury. While Allen was out the Chargers were leaning on Mike Williams in the passing game and Justin Herbert has been phenomenal. The Charger’s defense has been on point as they have James, Mack, and Samuels making it tough on the Seahawks. This one should be a blowout and the Chargers are looking to get back into the playoff hunt.

 

Score prediction: Chargers Win (31-14)

 

Oct 22, 2022 No Comments
The New Look Timberwolves Beat The OKC Thunder (115-108)

The New Look Timberwolves Beat The OKC Thunder (115-108)

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by | Oct 20, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves were coming into this season with a lot of expectation and hype. Tonight they started the quest of competing for an NBA Championship against the Thunder. Both teams have new pieces but are still very familiar with each other because of the conference.

 

The Timberwolves came out in this game hitting on all cylinders as it seemed that OKC couldn’t contain Gobert/Towns. Both of the big men for the Timberwolves came into tonight’s game with a chip on their shoulders as they wanted to prove that this can work. It was a thing of beauty as Karl-Anthony Towns was able to throw Rudy Gobert a couple of alley-oop passes for the throw-downs. OKC had no answer for the bigs of Minnesota in the paint early in this one. It wasn’t until the second half when OKC came out with some fire and it was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Shai put the Thunder on his back and was able to create offense for himself and his teammates.

 

OKC made that adjustment as they got into some switches that had bigs on SGA/Giddey and they were going to work. Josh Giddey has grown in a short span of time and his IQ is on the level of a 10-year vet. Some of the plays that Giddey made tonight will go a long way to the journey OKC is on for the year. Josh Giddey finished with 14 points, 4 assists, and 11 rebounds tonight. On the night Shai finished with 32 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds. It was a complete game from SGA but the Wolves had the last say in this one. The future is looking bright in OKC when they get everything together as a unit.

 

 

The Timberwolves were able to counter the adjustments that OKC made and made them pay. Rudy Gobert was all over the paint in that second half and was able to make things tough on the OKC bigs. Gobert scored 23 points and made it look extremely easy whether it was a putback or getting his own offense. Gobert was able to surpass Al Jefferson for most rebounds in a Timberwolves debut now with 16 boards. If Rudy’s playing this dominant anything is possible for this Timberwolves team. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards had a sluggish night but this is a team sport. Russell, McDaniels, and Nowell gave the Timberwolves a spark on the offensive and defensive end when it counted. All three of them combined for 52 points out of the 115 for Minnesota.

 

This Timberwolves team is deep and it will be a tough team to deal with when it’s playoff time. The depth of the Timberwolves was shown tonight but they did lose a lead to OKC and regain it to win the game. If the Timberwolves are going to be a force in the NBA they will need to show us a night where Towns, Gobert, Anthony, and Russell go off so we can see its potential and cap.

 

Next, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Utah Jazz on Friday in Minnesota. See what Rudy Gobert said about playing his former team.

 

Oct 20, 2022 No Comments
Naz Reid Powers The Timberwolves To Their 4th Preseason Win (118-113)

Naz Reid Powers The Timberwolves To Their 4th Preseason Win (118-113)

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by | Oct 13, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Timberwolves were heading into their 4th game of the preseason 3-0 but would be playing without Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. The Los Angeles Lakers were playing LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook tonight. Coach Chris Finch hinted that we would possibly see the Towns/Gobert combo play together on Friday in the final preseason game.

 

Someone else had to step up to the plate without the two all-star bigs in the lineup. The person that stepped up to the plate tonight was Naz Reid. This preseason Reid has been playing outstanding and he made sure to continue that trend against the Lakers. One of the big things that Reid was able to improve on this offseason was the consistency in his jumper and that definitely showed tonight. Naz Reid was in the paint causing havoc inside the paint and outside from the 3-point line. You can tell that the team believes in his progress from the coaching staff to the players. Tonight Naz Reid finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes tonight. If this is anything that is to come Coach Finch will have nothing else to do but give Reid some significant minutes to play alongside Towns/Gobert.

 

D’Angelo Russell had his best game of the preseason tonight against his former team. Russell looked like he was in midseason form tonight as he was running the game as a true floor general. Russell was able to get his teammates involved in the passing game and even made the right decisions when it came to scoring. Tonight DLo finished with 15 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. It was the fact that his playmaking ability was on full display as the Lakers guards couldn’t keep up at all. When Russell plays like this he’s a top 15 point guard easy and the Timberwolves fans should be excited about what he did against the Lakers starters.

 

 

The Timberwolves had six players in double figures tonight in a full-team effort for the win. Tonight wasn’t Anthony Edwards’s night offensively but it’s encouraging knowing that the Timberwolves still pulled it out. This was a great test for this team and they definitely passed it with flying colors. Garza and Nowell led the way in scoring tonight for the Timberwolves off the bench. Both combined for 29 points off the bench tonight in Los Angeles. One thing that this Timberwolves team has is multiple players that can get the job done in limited minutes. This Timberwolves team is deep and it will be interesting to see what Coach Chris Finch does with the final team rotation heading into the season.

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be playing their next game on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at home.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Oct 13, 2022 No Comments
Timberwolves Defeat The LA Clippers (119-117) Now 3-0 In The Preseason

Timberwolves Defeat The LA Clippers (119-117) Now 3-0 In The Preseason

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by | Oct 10, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game against the LA Clippers 2-0 in the preseason. One thing that we have not seen yet in their 2 game-winning streak has been the Rudy Gobert/Karl-Anthony Towns lineup. Rudy Gobert played in game 2 against the Lakers but Towns was out. Tonight against the Clippers the Timberwolves gave Rudy Gobert a rest but Towns played tonight. The LA Clippers played with all their starters tonight as the Timberwolves played against Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

 

It was interesting to see tonight that Karl-Anthony Towns showed no rest and didn’t look out of touch with the offense. Towns were out with an illness to start training camp and preseason but looked amazing. KAT was taking advantage of his matchup with Zubac all night whether it was inside or out. Karl-Anthony made the best of his 26 minutes against the Clippers finishing with 19 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. Karl-Anthony was able to knock down shots and draw defenders outside the paint to give his teammates more space. We all can’t wait to see how much the Rudy Gobert/Karl-Anthony Towns combo will work against these teams. Karl-Anthony was sensational tonight he was in a zone early and was able to show leadership even when the Timberwolves got down by 18 points.

 

 

D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards both took the back seat to Towns as they let the big man get his rhythm going tonight. DLo finished with 9 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds but was able to put in some work against John Wall. Russell started the game off with a nice transition 3-pointer and then was trying to get his team involved offensively. One thing that I noticed was the fact that Russell was able to get his hands in the passing lanes defensively. You can tell he’s taking pride on both ends of the floor and that’s something that Timberwolves fans need to be excited about moving forward.

 

Anthony Edwards finished with 14 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 29 minutes of action. Edwards showcased his moves today as he was able to get to the rim anytime he wanted. It was impressive to see this from Anthony as he was guarded by Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in that first half. Edwards has worked on his game this offseason and he continues to show that every game. Edwards has a lethal stepback jumper and he uses that euro step to his advantage with ease. The Clippers didn’t know how to get in front of Edwards to slow him down and that’s a great sight to see for the Timberwolves fans.

 

The player of the game was definitely Naz Reid because he did everything that Coach Finch asked of him. Reid was all over the place it didn’t matter if it was from the 3-point line or a putback dunk Reid made his presence felt. Reid kept the Timberwolves in the mix when they were down by 18 points as he was able to punish the bigs on the Clippers. Reid finished with 20 points, 2 assists, and 11 rebounds tonight in LA. If Reid can give this type of production he could be in the running for 6th Man of the Year and play the role that Harrell did for the Clippers when he won it.

 

Bryn Forbes has continued to light it up off the bench and he’s extremely efficient. Tonight he came into the game and finished with 15 points on 5/8 shooting from the field. If Forbes can continue to make the best of his situation and shoot like this the Timberwolves will be just fine when the starters come out. The production from Forbes and Reid can come in clutch for the Timberwolves for a team that needs energy/buckets. Nowell had a quiet night but look for him to have a huge impact off the bench as well.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images)

Oct 10, 2022 No Comments
Timberwolves Beat The Lakers In Rudy Gobert’s Preseason Debut (114-99)

Timberwolves Beat The Lakers In Rudy Gobert’s Preseason Debut (114-99)

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by | Oct 7, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Timberwolves came into this game against the Lakers following a victory in Miami. The difference in this game is the fact Rudy Gobert & D’Angelo Russell were going to suit up. Everyone has been waiting to see how this offense and defense would look with Gobert in it. Tonight the fans and media got that answer as soon as he touched the floor. The Timberwolves were able to run a lot of set plays and a lot of screens. Rudy Gobert was able to be dominant in the paint as he was able to alter a lot of shots from the Lakers. On the offensive end, he was able to get open and make some great post moves for strong finishes. It’s going to take a little time for the chemistry to get there as Rudy had some illegal screens but this is a marathon, not a race. Tonight Rudy finished with 5 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. This could be a special season for Rudy and when Karl-Anthony Towns joins the lineup it will make things even easier for the big man.

 

 

D’Angelo, Anthony, and Jaden were all in mid-season form as all three combined for 34 points in limited minutes. Anthony Edwards was showing off some of the work he put in during the offseason. Edwards hit a couple of step-back jumpers and he also was able to get to the rack with ease. Edwards was playing with a confidence that rubbed off on his teammates early and he was able to get anything he wanted. Anthony Edwards was giving that work to any Lakers player they put on him tonight. It didn’t matter if it was Pippen Jr, Walker IV, or Reeves. Everyone is expecting Anthony Edwards to make that All-Star leap and this can be the season if he’s presented with the opportunity.

 

 

Russell looked really good and he was able to hit his 3-point shot tonight. D’Angelo is going to be the key to the success of the Timberwolves and he was able to make it look easy against anyone the Lakers had on him. Russell is one of those players that can get it done on both ends. Tonight he was trying to get Gobert involved as you can tell he wanted to work on their chemistry. This was a good test for Russell’s first game to get into the groove of the NBA season. Jaden McDaniels was able to show some glimpses on both ends of the floor tonight. Jaden had a move where he got the ball near the corner and dribbled into a spin-move dunk. It was impressive to see as you can tell McDaniels is playing with a lot of confidence. On the defensive end, he was getting in those passing lanes making sure he was able to at least be a part of the play in some way. Jaden will have a big year and his play tonight was encouraging for all Timberwolves to see especially in limited minutes.

 

The players that stood out to me tonight apart from the starters were Bryn Forbes and Jaylen Nowell. Both were able to come in and be aggressive against the Lakers. If they can give this type of production off the bench all season long it will make up for some of the depth that the Timberwolves lost in the Gobert trade. Tonight they combined for 20 points with Nowell having 13 of those. They showed that they can get the ball in the hoop and can get hot at any moment to help those starters in the clutch. If this trend continues the Timberwolves fans will love what they see moving forward, especially after this Lakers game.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)

Oct 7, 2022 No Comments