SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 12

SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 12

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by | Jan 7, 2020 | Featured, NBA

A new decade is upon us, and to some people’s surprise, some unusual winning streaks are developing across the league’s infrastructure. The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to the fieriest of starts in 2020, going 14 for 18 in their most recent streak of successful results. Meanwhile, after a rousing victory late over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night, the Lakers are finally in a groove again, now possessing the second-best record in the league. As it goes for other teams like the Sixers and Blazers, their bad luck continues and it’s growing more apparent that the belief of these teams being competitive is dwindling, and fast.

With that in mind, this week’s power rankings are to look a little different than past weeks. So, let’s get to it.

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1. Milwaukee Bucks (32-5, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

In what was perhaps the finest news to come from the Milwaukee training staff to br relayed by multiple Wisconsin media outlets, Eric Bledsoe finally healed up and was ready to go, pushing his Bucks to a five-game winning streak and are still undefeated against teams without a .500 record this season. They’ve beaten the teams that they were favored to beat and with the easiest five-game stretch in the NBA, their already impressive 23-0 mark against sub-.500 teams is likely to get even better this week.

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2. Los Angeles Lakers (27-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

Lake Show has found its swagger again, or so it seems. Their four-game losing streak was thrown out of the window this past week, not losing a single game since their heartbreaking late loss to the Clippers on Christmas day. Last night’s heroic win over the slumping Pistons almost set a new precedent on the defensive end, as a team that’s already fourth in the league in overall defensive rating totaled 20 blocks, just one shy of their franchise record set in in the 1982-83 season.

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3. Boston Celtics (25-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

Some inconsistencies in scoring outlets from the likes of Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward at times haven’t hurt the C’s at all since they’ve found ways upon ways to blitz opponents en route to going 3-0 last week without Kemba Walker. In fact, with the trio of Walker, Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have won eight out of their nine games and have only lost one game to a team that didn’t have a record at or over .500 this week. It’s looking likely that they are separating themselves from a pack composed of teams like Philly, Miami and Indiana in the East.

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4. Miami Heat (26-10, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Barring a couple of concerning double-digit losses, the Miami Heat’s starting five of Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Goran Dragic have just been annoyingly difficult to gameplan against, now possessing the fourth-best record in the NBA. And yet in Sunday’s 11-point win over Portland, Erik Spoelstra rolled out Meyers Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr., Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn to start. Their depth is a bright spot for a team that’s still on an upswing competing in the packed Eastern Conference.

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5. Los Angeles Clippers (26-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

For the “most dangerously defensive team in the NBA”, the Clippers’ past two games have made it look like they’ve been anything but that. Just days after questionably succumbing to the Memphis Grizzlies in a 140-114 loss, the Clippers got back on the winning horse by barely beating the Knicks but giving up 132 points in the process. A team that’s endowed with so much on the defensive end now finds themselves out of the top 5 best defensive teams in the league, and that’s a problem considering they have the second-place Nuggets on the road coming up this week.

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6. Houston Rockets (24-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Rockets fans: I’ve got good news and bad news for all of you. Good news first – James Harden’s absolute tear is still going on, and the Rockets are benefitting from his unguardable offensive arsenal. Bad news? Russell Westbrook is having the worst scoring season of his career despite his 27.8 points per game and is the league’s most inefficient jump shooter with a field goal percentage at 36.4 percent. Still, the Rockets have won 10 of their last 12 games when Westbrook has suited up, and during that stretch, he still put up regular Westbrook-ish numbers of 21.7 points per contest.

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7. Denver Nuggets (24-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

An unforseen loss to the Washington Wizards and a 26-point blowout handed to them by the Houston Rockets set these Nuggets back on the straight and narrow path to taking opponents seriously, as they’ve carried on to winning 10 of their last 13 contests. Also, I think it’s time to give Michael Porter Jr. some more minutes, after he scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting against the Pacers last week.

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8. Toronto Raptors (24-12, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

These Raptors keep on battling without their main core of Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, and Norman Powell by blowing out the Cavaliers and Nets this past Tuesday and Saturday. While they weren’t able to finish off the week undefeated due to a close 84-76 loss on the road to the Heat, Toronto has an opportunity to climb the ranks of the East with a soft spot on the schedule as they’ll have the Trail Blazers, Hornets and Spurs this week.

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9. Utah Jazz (23-12, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

The Jazz climb a spot in this week’s rankings, thanks to an easy stretch on their schedule with the Pelicans, Knicks, Hornets, and Wizards on the way. They’ve successfully won 10 of their last 11 contests against teams that have subpar records, and one of those 10 wins came against the Los Angeles Clippers, in which they scored 140 points on a top-10 defensive squad in the entire NBA. They’re doing all of this without Mike Conley Jr., who is still nursing an ailing hamstring. With him sidelined, the Jazz are outscoring their opponents by an astonishing 126 points.

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10. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to the hottest start of the decade, winning 14 of their last 18 games and have the second-best record in the entire league since Dec. 1. Only Milwaukee has experienced more positive marks in the win column than this young, impressionable Thunder crew, all in part to OKC’s ever-improving ability to finish games off in the fourth quarter. They started the season in a bad spot, ultimately falling below .500 because of failing to win games in the clutch.

Some numbers in how this youthful team fixed their most pertinent issue: They’ve gone 8-1 in two-possession games since Dec. 1, have won the most games decided in clutch time this season with 16, and they have the best offense in the league in the clutch with their 125.4 offensive rating. The Thunder making the postseason in a “down year” doesn’t look like a fallacious conclusion to be made anymore, now does it?

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11. Dallas Mavericks (22-13, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

It looks like the historic streak that Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have been going on is starting to lose a little steam, partially due to injuries to Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., yes, but a team like the Mavs going 1-3 on the week is a little problematic. They may score a lot of points through the four quarters they play but when it comes to executing in crunch time, they’re almost in the cellar with an abysmal No. 28 ranking across the entire league-wide spectrum. Luka’s numbers don’t look great in those instances but those numbers could tell a different story than what’s portrayed due to Dallas’ compromised depth and Doncic’s expedited 32.4 minutes per game.

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12. Indiana Pacers (22-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

The Pacers stay put in this week’s rankings, but in closely peeking at their injury report situation, their spot on this list is likely to improve significantly with the eventual return of Victor Oladipo. Their struggles cannot be ignored, however, as they’ve dropped five of their last seven games and allowed their opponents to score 118 points in their five losses, and only 106 points in their two wins. Other than a challenge in the visiting Miami Heat, the Pacers have the opportunity to right the ship against the Hornets and Bulls this week during a soft part of their schedule.

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13. Philadelphia 76ers (23-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

So…maybe that Milwaukee blowout on Christmas Day wasn’t the clear indication that the Sixers looked like the best, standalone team in the East. At the very best, the Sixers are looking like a really strong 6 seed, and are still 7-12 on the road with only one win coming away from Philly (against Boston on Dec. 12) during the December stretch.

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14. Brooklyn Nets (16-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

Kyrie Irving’s absence is still looming largely over the heads of a struggling Nets team that’s lost five straight games and is going to head into their hardest part of the schedule this year. Coming up, eight of their next nine games will be against teams currently in playoff position and though Caris LeVert’s return from a seven-week hiatus helps a guard rotation that sorely needs it, the Nets will be hard-pressed to come back to right the ship without their all-star guard.

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15. Orlando Magic (16-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

As if things were going to get any worse for a slipping Magic team, they just received the worst news about MIP candidate Johnathan Isaac, whose season is going to have a chunk bitten out of due to his two-month absence with a sever left knee sprain. Not only was he their best defensive player, he was Orlando’s most impactful player as he leads the Magic in overall plus-minus this year.

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16. Memphis Grizzlies (15-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

Since Ja Morant came back from his back contusion, the other 29 NBA teams have been forced to circle these young Grizzlies on their calendars. They’ve gotten out of the gate with a 9-6 record with Rookie of the Year frontrunner Morant returning to the floor and recently acquired a signature win over the heavily-favored Clippers by 26 points, highlighted by a nasty stepback and deep three on Clippers backup guard Jerome Robinson that even garnered Sixth man Lou Williams’ respect.

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17. San Antonio Spurs (14-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

For a team that fires the least amount of threes in the NBA, LaMarcus Aldridge is certainly trying to rewrite that narrative, as indicative of last week’s efforts by the former Texas Longhorn. Over the past six games, he’s knocked down nearly 67 percent of his attempts from downtown, and that’s more in a week than Aldridge hit all season last year. The Spurs are still on the outside looking in at 14-20 and with a difficult four-game stretch coming up on the radar, their streak for consecitive playoff visits that’s lasted since 1997 is in serious trouble.

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18. New Orleans Pelicans (12-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

If there was any silver lining to the Pelicans lack of ability to produce any kind of winning streak, it’s been the surprisingly consistent play of Lonzo Ball. The former No. 2 overall pick faced being sent to the bench and since has worked to get back into the starting lineup, and succeeded in doing so he has. That always evolving jumper of Ball’s may have finally cracked the code to the safe that was his inconsistent and problematic shooting form, now hitting 40.9 percent of his deep balls while unabashedly launching over 10 threes a game.

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19. Portland Trail Blazers (15-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Like really, what has happened to the Portland Trail Blazers? Just a couple of months ago, they were competing in a four-game series to contend for a shot at an NBA title and now, they’re a whole tier below looking like a respectable postseason team. What gives? They’ve lost six of their last seven, the Blazers may be fielding trade offers for CJ McCollum, they’re in the bottom bunk of teams on the defensive end (allow 118.8 points per game) and it looks at times like Damian Lillard dropping his regular 35+ points per game just doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

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20. Charlotte Hornets (15-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

Whereas DeVonte Graham and others have sputtered this past week, cite Terry Rozier for the team-wide pickup. In their two wins on the week over Cleveland and Dallas, Rozier averaged nearly 30 points a game with 6 rebounds and 6 assists and the opportunity to let those numbers grow even bigger with trips to Utah and Phoenix on the schedule next.

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21. Chicago Bulls (13-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

Now a full ten games under .500, the Bulls have only won two games since Dec. 21. They’re missing valuable contributions from the likes of Chandler Hutchinson (out since Nov. 27) and the Bulls have a really tough stretch of games ahead with the Mavericks, Pelicans, Pacers and Pistons up next.

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22. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

Minnesota is finally gaining some traction, now only seven games out from obtaining a .500 record. They’ve won three of their last four contests even without Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague, and as it goes for their effort, they’ve really impressed in showing some competitive fire with pieces such as Robert Covington, Shabazz Napier, rookie Jarett Culver and Keita Bates-Diop helping out while their two stars are down.

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23. Phoenix Suns (14-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

Devin Booker is on a historic run in scoring at least or more than 30 points in six straight games, confirmed after dropping 40 in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night. Other than Booker, the Suns carry very little weight in the scoring department, regardless of their sixth spot within the best scoring teams in the league.

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24. Sacramento Kings (13-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The Kings are in the midst of a serious tailspin, regardless of their most integral pieces finally getting healthy. That’s nine of their last ten games lost, and their most alarming L was a close one against the Pelicans in which star guard De’Aaron Fox bricked six free throws. They have Golden State and Phoenix up next before having to defend home court against the Bucks, so if all is right in 2020 for the Kings so far, they’ll waste no time in starting off the week on a good note.

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25. Detroit Pistons (13-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Pistons have to be bumped down one spot in this week’s rankings, not just because of their inability to string together some wins with an otherwise respectable rotation, but because of the news that’s just released out of the Detroit media surrounding the health and future of their centerpiece in Blake Griffin. It’s growing more and more apparent that the former first overall pick will be undergoing what may be a season-ending knee surgery, and that’s not all.

Andre Drummond’s name is getting tossed around in trade talks and is likely to be dealt before the trade deadline in mid-February. As a team, they still possess the eighth spot in the playoff picture but have still dropped nine of their last 11 contests.

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26. Washington Wizards (11-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

Call it an improvement from every week that the Wizards were under close watch, but a couple of upset victories over the Heat and Nuggets signify some trending up into the right direction for a team still so decimated by injuries. They are still the worst defensive team in the entire NBA and with the Celtics, Magic, Hawks and Jazz up next, their mettle will be heavily tested for the Wizards’ first four-game stretch of the new year.

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27. New York Knicks (10-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

Well, hey, it’s still better than being at the bottom of the list again. The Knicks put up a brave fight that pushed the Clippers to the ropes in their three-point, 135-132 loss as the soon-to-be-traded Marcus Morris Sr. dropped a rousing 38 points on a top 10 defensive team, a career-high and certainly an audition tape for all scouts to closely examine when determining to pull the trigger on trading for Morris. The Knicks have a good amount of leverage in deciding what to do with Morris: either send him away in exchange for first-round draft capital or keep him for the rest of the year and pick up his expiring $15 million contract.

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28. Golden State Warriors (9-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

Warriors fans may have to dread saying goodbye to another favorable roster piece (or pieces) in rookie Ky Bowman and Damion Lee (Steph Curry’s brother-in-law) as their two-way contracts are nearing their end. That’s additional offense being removed from the floor and it doesn’t make it easier that their grotesque scheduling requires them to play the Kings, Bucks, Clippers, and Grizzlies all in the span of this week.

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29. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

This is not what first-year Head Coach John Beilein had in mind when he sought out to develop the young core of this Cavs team so awash with drama and now, apparent infighting with the sudden disgruntlement of Kevin Love who is just begging to be traded (or released). It’s hard to come over from a prominent college program at Michigan and keep the locker room confidence within a roster that’s average age is 25. On top of all that, veterans are looking for their next paycheck with expiring contracts and as a team, the Cavaliers are on a four-game losing streak.

Yikes.

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30. Atlanta Hawks (8-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Trae Young has been the only diamond in the rough season for a Hawks team that’s been crushed by injuries and suspensions to their core pieces, and although Young is second to James Harden in overall 40-point games this year, it’s looked at times like he’s the only scorer giving his best effort in a year that’s practically confirmed to be a lottery pick year.

 

Jan 7, 2020 No Comments
Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 11 of NBA Season

Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 11 of NBA Season

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by | Jan 6, 2020 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Week 11 in the NBA was all over the place – when it came to what players had on their feet. Signature debuts, exclusive P.E.’s, custom sneakers of classic shows/movies, new colorways of new signature sneakers and classic signature shoes to round it off. Paul George debuted the much anticipated Nike PG 4 in both a basic black/white iteration and a blue/red/white Clippers color scheme. P.J. Tucker continues to wear shoes on court that are next to impossible to get and/or haven’t seen an NBA floor in 10+ years. Carmelo Anthony rocked a P.E. colorway of one his his more successful and fan-favorite models.

Who is your top pick when it comes to wearing the most heat on court in NBA games? Is P.J. Tucker just that far ahead of the pack? Can players like Montrezl Harrell, Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris, Lebron James, Gary Harris, or Allonzo Trier challenge the Houston sharp-shooter? What shoes and colorways would you like to see NBA players rock on the hardwood? Check out below to see what kicks rounded out week 11’s list.

 

 

15. Q4 Sports The Specialist “Friday” Custom – Langston Galloway – Detroit Pistons (done by @andr3wtl)

 

     

 

 

14. Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Soul Glo” (alternate) – Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

 

     

 

 

13. Nike Shox BB4 “Metallic Silver” – Vince Carter – Atlanta Hawks

 

     

 

 

12. Nike Lebron XII Low “Lebronald Palmer” – Montrezl Harrell – Los Angeles Clippers

 

     

 

 

11. Nike Kobe 4 “Gradient Home” – Trey Lyles – San Antonio Spurs

 

     

 

 

10. Nike Kyrie 6 “Chinese New Year” – Bruce Brown Jr. – Detroit Pistons

 

     

 

 

9. Nike Lebron VII “Cool Grey” – Lauri Markkanen – Chicago Bulls

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Kobe 4 Protro P.E. – Isaiah Thomas – Washington Wizards

 

     

 

 

7. Q4 Sports The Specialist “Fresh Prince” Custom – Langston Galloway – Detroit Pistons (done by @andr3wtl)

 

           

 

 

6. Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Soul Glo Remix” – Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

 

     

 

 

5. Nike Huarache ’09 “Chris Bosh P.E.” (All-Star) – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

4. Jordan Melo 5.5 P.E. – Carmelo Anthony – Portland Trail Blazers

 

           

 

 

3. Nike PG 3 “Oregon P.E.” – Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers

 

           

 

 

2. Nike PG 4 – Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers

 

           

 

 

1. Jordan 5 “Fresh Prince” (Friends & Family) – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

Jan 6, 2020 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Dallas Cowboys Intend to Hire Mike McCarthy as Their Next Head Coach

BREAKING NEWS: Dallas Cowboys Intend to Hire Mike McCarthy as Their Next Head Coach

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by | Jan 6, 2020 | Featured, NFL

Well that didn’t take long, one day after making the announcement that Jason Garrett would no longer be coaching the Dallas Cowboys, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reports that Jerry Jones has found his man in former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy:

Earlier reports suggested that McCarthy had interviewed with Dallas prior to the team making their decision on Garrett official.

In McCarthy, Jones gets a proven and respected head coach who won Super Bowl XLV. During his 12 years with the Packers he amassed a record of 135-85-2 (postseason included).

An offensive-minded coach, he spent 12 years as either a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator with the Packers (1999), Kansas City Chiefs (1993-98), New Orleans Saints (2000-04), and San Francisco 49ers (2005).

With the Cowboys he will get to work with arguably his most talented group yet. Dallas has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and the trio of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper are among the top players at their positions currently.

It remains to be seen what this means for Kellen Moore who had breathed new life into this team in his first season as offensive coordinator but Charles Robinson if Yahoo Sports reported that whoever took this job would likely need to keep a few members of the previous staff and Moore’s name was included:

McCarthy has had success in Dallas before:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jones and McCarthy spent Saturday night together:

A new era of Cowboys football has found their leader and it looks like Jones and the fans should continue to keep their championship aspirations alive and well as the team opted to bring in a veteran coach rather than a young up-and-comer.

Jan 6, 2020 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Dallas Cowboys Inform Jason Garrett That He Will Not Return as Head Coach

BREAKING NEWS: Dallas Cowboys Inform Jason Garrett That He Will Not Return as Head Coach

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by | Jan 5, 2020 | Featured, NFL

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the Dallas Cowboys have informed Jason Garrett that he has officially been fired as their head coach:

Nearly a week after rumors first started swirling that Garrett and the entire coaching staff would be let go, Jerry Jones finally ended the speculation and has let Garrett know he will not be returning.

ESPN’s Ed Werner reported one Thursday that the Cowboys were likely to make a change:

Timing can’t be overlooked here, after a full week of meetings between the two parties and no resolution, the move is now being made after three of the four 2019 Wild Card games have been played. In those games, teams with potential head coaching candidates (see: McDaniels, Josh) and Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints all loss meaning that they will now be able to accept positions elsewhere prior to the completion of the NFL Playoffs.

Dallas—even though the decision to fire Garrett wasn’t official—has already conducted interviews with former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.

The Cowboys have had the talent to be a Super Bowl contender but in Garrett’s decade-long tenure the team only won two postseason games. Whoever comes in next will have big expectations placed on their shoulders. Names like Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, Payton, Urban Meyer and other big names have been attached to this position, only time will tell what the Jones’ choose to do next.

Jones released the following statement tonight:

 

Jan 5, 2020 No Comments
SneakerReporter Team –> 2019 NFL Playoff Preview & Predictions

SneakerReporter Team –> 2019 NFL Playoff Preview & Predictions

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by | Jan 4, 2020 | Featured, NFL

NFL Playoff time starts this weekend and we have 4 big games to preview to get you ready. The Saturday games will be all about the AFC as the Texans & Bills will meet up in H-Town. The late-game for Saturday will be the Patriots vs Titans in a matchup where Mike Vrabel will face his old head coach Bill Belichick. Those games should be very good and should live up to the hype built up to see who advances to the second round. On Sunday we get to be treated with some NFC battles that start in NOLA as the Saints will be hosting the Minnesota Vikings at home. The late-night matchup will be in Philadelphia as the Eagles will host the Seattle Seahawks in what should be a cold classic. Travis Singleton and Brandon Jefferson will get you all ready for the games as we preview them with predictions.

 

 

Saturday – 4:35 PM EST

Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans

 

 

The first game of the 2019 NFL Playoffs will feature two teams that are looking to leap into championship contention full time. For the Buffalo Bills, this marks their second trip to the postseason in the three seasons that Sean McDermott has been their head coach.

The former defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles (2009-2010) and the Carolina Panthers (2011-2016) has taken the Bills out of the basement of the AFC East and molded them into a thorn in the side of the New England Patriots dynasty of late.

 

 

As a defensive-minded coach, McDermott built this roster to his liking and has managed to put together one of the more formidable units on that side of the ball. With Tre’Davious White operating as a shutdown cornerback, the rest of the defense is free to attack and play aggressively elsewhere on the field without fear of giving up big plays.

 

 

They also have second-year quarterback, Josh Allen, playing at a confidence level that is hard to match. The word on him coming out of the draft was that he had a rocket for an arm but still needed to make strides as a decision-maker and with his accuracy. While he’s been better in those areas during the second half of this year, his ability as a runner has truly opened up Buffalo’s offense this year.

Listed at 6’5” and 238 pounds, he’s not your average quarterback. His sheer bulk makes him tough for non-defensive linemen to bring down on their own. Combine that with the 4.75 40-yard dashes and he has the speed to run past the behemoths upfront and wreak havoc at the second level of the defense and beyond.

Allen won’t be the only dual-threat quarterback on the field as Houston has Deshaun Watson on its sideline. Watson has been a winner at every stage. He was a top recruit coming out of high school and then he went to Clemson and brought down Nick Saban and the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide in a 2017 national championship upset.

Watson can—and will—do everything a coach wants out of their quarterback. This season, he made headlines courtesy of his postgame press conference breakdowns of opposing team’s defenses.

 

 

He gets to throw to weapons that include DeAndre Hopkins, Kenny Stills, and Will Fuller V in the receiving corps. When those three are all on the field together, it’s hard for defenses to cover all three well. Hopkins usually commands a double team. Stills is a solid possession receiver capable of slipping past defensive backs. However, it’s Fuller V that really puts the group over the top.

 

 

Defensively, the team will welcome back J.J. Watt from the injured reserve. Watt tore his pectoral muscle on October 27 but has made enough of a recovery to be available for this weekend’s Wild Card game. Even if he’s not 100 percent healthy, just having him on the field will be impactful for the Texans.

It has been an up-and-down season for them and they brought in Vernon Hargreaves and Gareon Conley during the season to try and sure up their secondary. They finished the year as the 26th ranked defense in the NFL. They’ll need to be much better than that if they are to make it past the opening weekend of the 2019 NFL Playoffs.

Ultimately, this game will be a match of strength against strength. Whichever side wins the battle between the Texans’ offense and the Bills’ defense will likely decide which of these two teams move on and which goes home.

Score Prediction: Buffalo Bills Win (20-17)

 

 

Saturday – 8:15 PM EST

Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots

 

 

The New England Patriots are coming into this 1st round matchup against the Titans off a loss to the Miami Dolphins. All the Patriots had to do was beat the Dolphins and they wouldn’t be playing on Wild Card Saturday. Since the Patriots lost that gave the Chiefs the 1st round bye and this leaves the Patriots in unfamiliar territory. This will be the Patriot’s first Wild Card round game since 2010 and they will look to get a victory out of this game for the New England faithful. Coming into this game against the Titans everyone is wondering if this will be Tom Brady’s last game if the Patriots were to lose the game but he’s not worried about the chatter. In order for Tom Brady and the Patriots to be successful, they will need to depend on that defense with an amazing offensive gameplan. The Patriots defense has come back down to earth but they can still force some turnovers on the Titans. The defense will be trying to make sure they can have Ryan Tannehill seeing some ghosts as they did to Sam Darnold in the regular season. This was clearly one of Ryan Tannehill’s best seasons in his career as he took the job from Marcus Mariota early in the year. Tannehill has thrown for 2,742 yards passing and 22 touchdowns on the season so the Patriots defense will have their hands full. Look for Stephon Gilmore to be shadowing AJ Brown all day long in Foxboro tonight. The Patriots defense has stepped up in big moments throughout the season and they will need to do that once more. If the Patriots defense can stop the passing game and limit the Titans to trying to run the ball all day with Derrick Henry this could be a good day. One thing about Bill Belichick’s defense is the fact that he takes the best player out of the opposing team’s offense. Derrick Henry has been a complete beast all season racking up 1,540 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns. Look for the Patriots to stack the box and try to bait the Titans into playing the way they need them to play.

 

 

 

The Patriots have the GOAT in Tom Brady on the team and his season was up and down. Brady finished with 4,057 passing yards and 24 touchdowns on the year with limited help. This season Brady had to deal with life without Gronk in the offense and it was very challenging as you can see in the offenses play. Julian Edelman and James White have been the top targets for Tom Brady all season as both combined for 172 receptions for 1,762 and 11 touchdowns. The good thing for the New England Patriots is the fact that both Edelman and White step their game up in the postseason. Both Edelman and White have had huge games in some of the biggest Superbowls and that experience of being in these moments can put them over the Titans. If the Patriots will win this game they need to make sure they get the ball to both of them ASAP. This game could depend on the running game and that’s something that the Patriots definitely need with Sony Michel. It’s been a rough season for the Patriots running game all season but this is a new year now in the postseason. The Patriots will be leaning on Sony Michel to get the running game going to create some play-action opportunities for Tom Brady. The Titans defense has been MIA most of the season and the Patriots will look to exploit their run defense and ground and pound. If the Patriots can get that run game going that will open up some trick plays and it could also help build the confidence. The Patriots will be a tough out especially at home but you can’t count out the champions until they’re officially out. Overall this is a game between two coaches that know each other and two teams that want to prove they belong in the Super Bowl in February.

 

 

 

 

Score Prediction: New England Patriots Win (27-20)

 

 

Sunday – 11:05 AM EST

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints

 

 

Just two years ago, these two teams met in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs and produced one of the most memorable games in NFL history.

 

 

The Minnesota Vikings pulled off the impossible and in the process, they added to a laundry list of postseason disappointments for the New Orleans Saints franchise. Fast forward to today and the organizations will meet again but this time in the Wild Card round and it will take place in the Superdome.

Being at home makes a big difference for the Saints, it’s almost as if the New Orleans’ voodoo infects the opponent at times. The crowd is persistent, loud, and raucous for the full 60 minutes of game time.

 

 

The Baltimore Ravens had the best record in the league and the San Francisco 49ers secured the number one seed in the NFC but there were moments during the year that the Saints looked like the best team in the NFL. Armed with two record-breaking talents in Drew Brees (career passing yards and career touchdown passes) and Michael Thomas (most receptions in a single season) they have one of the most formidable offensive attacks.

 

 

 

 

Add in Alvin Kamara in the backfield and as a pass-catcher and there are few flaws to this team’s offense. Sean Payton has been a dynamic play-caller since he took over in New Orleans.

It’ll be the play (and health) of their defense that will make or break them during the playoffs. The group has been better this season than past seasons with Payton at the helm, yet, they enter the Wild Card game banged up. Eli Apple has already been ruled out of the game but they also list Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams on their most recent injury report—though both were full participants on Thursday.

If their secondary isn’t at full strength that opens the door for the Vikings to exploit them via the talents of wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Minnesota remade itself into a run-first team this season but with Dalvin Cook nursing injuries throughout the year, Kirk Cousins and his wideouts were able to develop a nice connection that could pay huge dividends now.

But, first things first, a healthy Cook will be the biggest key for this offense. His speed and burst stand out in a league full of world-class athletes. If the Vikings are able to establish the run it will open up everything for their offense.

Like New Orleans, Minnesota also is dealing with a bunch of injuries to top-end talent. Cornerbacks Mackensie Alexander and Mike Hughes both have been ruled out for this game and Xavier Rhodes is dealing with an ankle issue.

It will be the next man up for the Vikings as it is now or never for this group. Despite entering the playoffs as the six seed in the NFC, Minnesota has looked much better than that during the 2019 regular season. The standings might call this an upset but these two teams are much closer in talent than they look on paper.

 

Score Prediction: New Orleans Saints Win (37-24)

 

 

 

Sunday – 4:40 PM EST

Seattle Seahawks @ Philidelphia Eagles

 

The Philidelphia Eagles fought hard to get to the playoffs as they were in a division battle with the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles came out on top of the division and with that, they get to host Russell Wilson and the Seahawks at home. It’s simple if the Eagles are going to win this game against the Seahawks they will need to have Carson Wentz show up with the spotlight on. This will be the first time the Eagles fans will get to see Wentz in the playoffs in a big spot without Nick Foles. Carson Wentz has been without a lot of his receivers this year and he’s been able to depend on his tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. On the season they were his safety blankets while piling up 146 receptions with 1,523 receiving yards with 11 touchdowns. Both of the tight ends have been special for the Eagles this season and with Zach Ertz still banged up Goedert has been able to step his game up. This team has been hurt all year long but one thing that hasn’t been hurt is their pride. The Eagles play a lot of ground/pound and they’ve been able to grind out some wins down the stretch. In order to win this game, they will need to stop Clowney/Wagner from getting to Carson Wentz. On the season Carson Wentz has thrown for 4,039 with 27 touchdowns on the year and he will need some more TDs against the Seahawks. The Eagles have a great offensive line and that has grown over the season with the emergence of Miles Sanders and his play. Sanders has become a true playmaker as he’s been able to run the ball and catch the ball out the backfield. A lot of the offense has been going through Sanders, Ertz, and Wentz with all the injuries. One player that has become a crucial part of this offense has been Boston Scott. The two-headed monster at the running back position of Scott and Sanders will make it tough on the Seahawks. The Seahawks defense will be busy on Sunday but they will try to limit the Eagles and keep them within the confines of the gameplan.

 

 

 

 

The Seahawks, on the other hand, have Russell Wilson who’s been in the MVP discussion all season long as he’s been able to carve up defenses with the ease. On the season Russell Wilson has thrown for 4,110 and 31 touchdowns on the season. The Seahawks lost their running backs, Carson and Penny, for the season. The Seahawks went back in the time machine to help Russell Wilson as they brought back Marshawn Lynch who signed back last week and scored a TD. The Eagles run defense is one of the best in the NFL but with having Marshawn Lynch back on the field anything is possible especially if he goes “Beastmode” on them. Adding Lynch back to the mix will open things up for Wilson in the passing game as he tries to find DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. One of the things that will be tough for the Philidelphia Eagles on Sunday is the fact that Russell Wilson can get out of the pocket with ease. When Russell Wilson gets out the pocket he’s a magician and it will be the Eagles priority to stop him no matter what if they want a chance. Both teams have had some injuries that hurt them throughout the season but the coaching will be key in this matchup as Pete Carol and Doug Pederson will look for the mismatches early. If Zach Ertz and Jadeveon Clowney aren’t 100% it will hurt but them being available for this big game will boost their team moral. This game will be neck and neck for most of the afternoon in Philly.

 

 

 

 

 

Score Prediction: Seattle Seahawks Win (17-10)

Jan 4, 2020 No Comments
SR NFL 2019 Playoff Power Rankings

SR NFL 2019 Playoff Power Rankings

Featured

by | Jan 3, 2020 | Featured, NFL, uncategorised

After 17 weeks, the second season is finally upon us. We have a weekend full of Wild Card round games–Saturday: Bills vs. Texans (4:35 PM EST) and Titans vs. Patriots (8:15 PM EST), Sunday: Vikings vs. Saints (1:05 PM EST) and Seahawks vs. Eagles (4:40 PM EST)–on the docket and before they kickoff let’s go through all 12 teams that qualified for the 2019 NFL Playoffs and do what we do best, rank them.

1. Baltimore Ravens 14-2

The MVP is his, now can Lamar Jackson lead his team to the ultimate prize?

 

2. San Francisco 49ers 13-3

POSSIBLY 3 MORE GAMES JIMMY GAROPPOLO, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

 

3. New Orleans Saints 13-3

They didn’t secure a bye but they do get a chance for revenge on the Minnesota Vikings.

 

4. Kansas City Chiefs 12-4

It feels like everyone (us included) is sleeping on the Chiefs right now.

 

5. Minnesota Vikings 10-6

If only Kirk Cousins could win a primetime game, then maybe the Vikings aren’t forced to travel to face another top five team in the Wild Card.

 

6. Green Bay Packers 13-3

Aaron Rodgers is capable of making something special happen, especially with an opening-round bye to work with.

 

7. New England Patriots 12-4

We all know this ends with New England somehow getting to ANOTHER AFC Championship game right?

 

8. Buffalo Bills 10-6

The fact that we don’t get a home game in Buffalo is a travesty, sign me up for all the fan-on-fan table smashing montages we’ll get tomorrow.

 

9. Seattle Seahawks 11-5

Though they lost their shot at winning the division and hosting a home game, they might have lucked their way into the best possible Wild Card outcome.

 

10. Tennessee Titans 9-7

The Titans have arguably been one of the better teams to close out the season, and their defense is legit; but do we really trust THAT Ryan Tannehill to show up in his first-ever trip to the playoffs?

 

11. Houston Texans 10-6

Injuries damper expectations for this group and even though Will Fuller V and JJ Watt will be on the field they are unlikely to be at full strength against a good Bills team.

 

12. Philadelphia Eagles 9-7

Did someone say injuries?

Jan 3, 2020 No Comments