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Red Sox Sign Non-Roster Camp Invitees

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox have added 10 non-roster invitees to the team’s 2023 Spring Training roster: right-handed pitchers Dan Altavilla, Taylor Broadway, Durbin Feltman, Victor Santos, and Chase Shugart; infielders Christian Koss and Matthew Lugo; infielder/outfielders Ryan Fitzgerald and Nick Sogard; and catcher Stephen Scott. Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

Dan Altavilla, RHP – Altavilla, 30, did not pitch in 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in June 2021. The right-hander last pitched in 2021, making two relief appearances with the San Diego Padres. He owns a 4.03 ERA (52 ER/116.0 IP) in 119 career Major League outings with the Seattle Mariners (2016-20) and San Diego (2020-21), holding opponents to a .220 batting average (93-for-423) and .388 slugging percentage. The Pennsylvania native was selected by Seattle in the fifth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Mercyhurst University. He pitched for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2013.

Taylor Broadway, RHP – Broadway, 25, will be attending his first Major League Spring Training camp. The right-hander was acquired by Boston from the Chicago White Sox on August 30, 2022, completing the August 1 trade for Jake Diekman. In five outings with Double-A Portland after joining the Red Sox organization, he allowed one earned run over 6.0 innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Broadway spent most of 2022 at the Double-A level, going 4-2 with a 4.39 ERA (27 ER/55.1 IP) and 84 strikeouts between Birmingham (37 outings) and Portland. The Texas native was selected by the White Sox in the sixth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Mississippi.

Durbin Feltman, RHP – Feltman, 25, will be attending his third consecutive Major League Spring Training camp with Boston. He spent all of 2022 with Triple-A Worcester, posting a 7.63 ERA (41 ER/48.1 IP) with 56 strikeouts in 40 outings. The right-hander has made 144 career minor league appearances, all in relief, going 14-10 with a 4.79 ERA (93 ER/174.2 IP) and 208 strikeouts. Named Red Sox Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year by the organization in 2021, the Texas native was selected by Boston in the third round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas Christian University.

Victor Santos, RHP – Santos, 22, finished his first full season with the Red Sox organization in 2022 after being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2021. He posted a 4.97 ERA (80 ER/145.0 IP), setting career highs in strikeouts (126), appearances (28), and starts (25) between Double-A Portland (19 appearances/16 starts) and Triple-A Worcester (nine starts). Following the season, he pitched for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, recording a 1.88 ERA (3 ER/14.1 IP) in 11 appearances (three starts). Signed out of the Dominican Republic by Philadelphia in November 2016, the right-hander owns a 3.72 ERA (184 ER/ 445.0 IP) with 0.97 home runs allowed per 9.0 innings over 101 career minor league appearances (71 starts).

Chase Shugart, RHP – Shugart, 26, will be attending his first Major League Spring Training camp. The right-hander split the 2022 season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, going 5-5 with a 5.31 ERA (37 ER/62.2 IP) in 45 appearances (one start) while making his debut at each level. Following the season, he pitched for Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, allowing six runs in 3.1 innings over four appearances. Selected by Boston in the 12th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Texas at Austin, Shugart is 17-16 with a 4.13 ERA (122 ER/265.2 IP) in 87 minor league appearances (43 starts).

Christian Koss, INF – Koss, 25, will be attending his second Major League Spring Training camp after appearing in seven Grapefruit League games last season. In 2022, he batted .260 (127-for-488) in 125 games with Double-A Portland, setting career highs in doubles (22), home runs (17), RBI (84), and stolen bases (16). Following the season, he played for Criollos de Caguas of Liga de Béisbol Professional Roberto Clemente, batting .230 (20-for-87) with three doubles, one triple, and nine RBI in 29 games. A California native, Koss was traded to the Red Sox from the Colorado Rockies on December 3, 2020. The right-handed hitter has batted .277 (306-for-1,106) over 282 career minor league games, making 179 starts at shortstop, 49 at second base, 41 at third base, three in center field, and one in left field.

Matthew Lugo, SS – Lugo, 21, will be attending his first Major League Spring Training camp. In 2022, he batted .282 (135-for-478) with 26 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, and 79 RBI with High-A Greenville (114 games) and Double-A Portland (3 games), leading the South Atlantic League in hits (134), extra-base hits (tied, 53), and triples (tied, 10). Following the season, the Puerto Rico native played for Criollos de Caguas of Liga de Béisbol Professional Roberto Clemente, earning Co-Rookie of the Year honors after batting .275 (33-for-120) with six home runs and 19 RBI in 39 games. A right-handed hitter, Lugo was selected by Boston in the second round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft. He has made 197 starts at shortstop, 26 at third base, and 15 at second base.

Ryan Fitzgerald, INF/OF – Fitzgerald, 28, will be attending his second Major League Spring Training camp after hitting four home runs in 11 Grapefruit League games last season. The left-handed hitter batted .219 (99-for-452) with 26 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, and 72 RBI in 127 games for Triple-A Worcester in 2022. Signed by Boston as a non-drafted free agent in 2018, the Illinois native has appeared at every defensive position except pitcher and catcher during his minor league career, playing 442 games and making 298 starts at shortstop, 56 at third base, 40 at second base, 18 in right field, 10 in left field, 10 at first base, and nine in center field.

Nick Sogard, INF/OF – Sogard, 25, will be attending his first Major League Spring Training camp. In 2022, the switch-hitter batted .254 (102-for-401) with 22 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 43 RBI with Double-A Portland (60 games) and Triple-A Worcester (65 games). Following the season, he played for Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, batting .250 (7-for-28) in eight games. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on February 17, 2021, the California native has played in 268 career minor league games and made 107 starts at third base, 73 at second base, 59 at shortstop, nine in right field, three in center field, and two in left field.

Stephen Scott C – Scott, 25, will be attending his first Major League Spring Training camp. The left-handed hitter spent 2022 with Double-A Portland (59 games) and High-A Greenville (37 games), batting .219 (73-for-334) with 19 doubles, 10 home runs, and 45 RBI while making 67 starts at catcher and 28 as the designated hitter. Following the season, he played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, batting .298 (17-for-57) with five home runs and 16 RBI in 15 games. Selected by Boston in the 10th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Vanderbilt University, the North Carolina native has hit .255 (207-for-813) with an .812 OPS in 235 career minor league games. Scott has made 85 career starts at catcher, 57 at first base, 48 as the designated hitter, 19 in left field, and 17 in right field.

BOSTON RED SOX 40-MAN ROSTER (40)

Pitchers (21): Brayan Bello, Richard Bleier, Ryan Brasier, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Kenley Jansen, Zack Kelly, Corey Kluber, Chris Martin, Bryan Mata, Wyatt Mills, Chris Murphy, Kaleb Ort, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, Joely Rodríguez, Chris Sale, John Schreiber, Brandon Walter, Garrett Whitlock, Josh Winckowski

Catchers (2): Reese McGuire, Connor Wong

Infielders (7): Triston Casas, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, David Hamilton, Adalberto Mondesi, Trevor Story, Justin Turner

Outfielders (6): Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Adam Duvall, Rob Refsnyder, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida

Infielder/Outfielders (4): Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández, Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez

Xavier Tops Providence in O.T.

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CINCINNATI – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In a battle of ranked teams on Wednesday, No. 16 Xavier and No. 17 Providence went into overtime before the Musketeers prevailed. No. 14 Marquette, Seton Hall and Creighton also picked up victories.

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Xavier edged Providence 85-83 at Cintas Center. It was the fourth win over a ranked opponent for the Musketeers (18-5, 10-2 BIG EAST). Jack Nunge produced his seventh double-double of the season with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Guards Souley Boum and Colby Jones each scored 20 points. Noah Locke made 6-of-7 from 3-point range and finished with 22 points for the Friars (17-6, 9-3 BE). Jared Bynum’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer rattled out.

Marquette remained in a tie with Xavier atop the league standings with a 73-64 victory over Villanova. The Golden Eagles (18-5, 10-2) trailed 62-61 with five minutes left before outscoring the Wildcats (10-12, 4-7 BE) 12-2 to close the game. Marquette’s Tyler Kolek posted 20 points and six assists. Eric Dixon and Caleb Daniels each scored 14 points for Villanova.

Seton Hall earned its fourth BIG EAST road win with an 84-72 victory over St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena. The Pirates (14-9, 7-5 BE) recovered from a 13-point deficit in the first half to win their sixth game in their last seven. Al-Amir Dawes scored a game-high 21 points and Kadary Richmond filled his stat line with 15 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. AJ Storr continued his recent strong play with 15 points for the Red Storm (14-9, 4-8 BE).

Georgetown held Creighton to its lowest scoring total in BIG EAST play, but the Bluejays still recorded a 63-53 victory, their fifth straight win. Ryan Kalkbrenner led the Bluejays (14-8, 8-3 BE) with 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Baylor Scheierman added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Qudus Wahab had 14 points, seven boards and three steals for the Hoyas (6-17, 1-1 BE).

BIG EAST play returns on Saturday with four games.

Tom Brady Packs It In, For Good

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TAMPA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Former New England Patriots quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is retiring “for good” after 23 seasons in the NFL. Brady, 45, had announced his retirement on the same exact day (Feb. 1) last year, but reversed his decision six weeks later, claiming he had “unfinished business.”

His return to Tampa Bay came after his break-up with his wife, Gisele Bündchen, the world famous model from Brazil.

Brady won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Brady’s final season ended in the Bucs’ 31-14 play-off defeat last month.

“I’m retiring – for good,” he said in an emotional video posted to his social media accounts. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first.

“It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.

“Thank you so much to every single one of you for supporting me – my family, my friends, my team-mates, my competitors. I could go on forever – there’s too many. Thank you for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”

 

Butker Kicks KC Chiefs to Super Bowl

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Harrison Butker kicked the Kansas City Chiefs back to the NFL Super Bowl.

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Butker made a 45-yard field goal with three seconds remaining and the Chiefs beat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win the AFC Championship Game for the third time in the past four seasons on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes had 326 passing yards and two touchdowns and set up the game-winning kick on a scramble to his right with eight seconds left in the game. As he crossed the sideline, Mahomes was shoved by Joseph Ossai, resulting in a 15-yard penalty to set up Butker’s game-winning kick.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, tight end Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and Kansas City’s defense had two interceptions and five sacks of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

In a 20-20 tie, Burrow and the Bengals took over at their own 12-yard line with 2:30 to play, but defensive tackle Chris Jones’ second sack of the game forced Cincinnati to punt to rookie Skyy Moore, who caught the ball at the 18 with 35 seconds left and returned it to Kansas City’s 47.

The Bengals pounced on their first takeaway and recovered momentum in the final minute of the third quarter. From the shotgun, Mahomes faked a handoff to Isiah Pacheco but as he twisted his body to the right, he lost control of the ball. Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard came up with the ball at Kansas City’s 45.

The drive appeared to stall quickly but the Bengals went for it on fourth-and-6, and Burrow went deep for WR Ja’Marr Chase, who hauled the ball in at the 6. Two plays later, running back Samaje Perine churned into the end zone for a 2-yard score and knotted the game at 20 with 13:30 remaining.

A hobbled Mahomes operated most of the second half without multiple key receivers due to injuries. He found Valdes-Scantling one step into the center of the end zone to put the Chiefs up 20-13, hooking up on third-and-10 for a 19-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the third quarter. The 11-play drive covered 77 yards and was extended on a 7-yard connection to Valdes-Scantling on the previous third down.

Higgins hauled in 27-yard touchdown from Burrow to the tie the game at 13. On third-and-6, Burrow lofted a pass to the front, right corner of the end zone where Higgins elevated over Chiefs rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson for the score.

Three of Kansas City’s top receivers — Mecole Hardman (pelvis), Kadarius Toney (ankle) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) — exited with injuries in the first half.

Evan McPherson connected on his second field goal as time expired in the second quarter to bring the Bengals within seven points, 13-6.

Burrow was sacked four times before his fifth completion in the first half and faced constant pressure in the pocket. He was picked off three plays after the Chiefs jumped ahead 13-3 with 3:53 left in the second quarter.

On a fourth-and-1 rollout, Kelce caught his 15th career postseason TD, which tied him for second all-time with Rob Gronkowski.

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia is Super Bowl Bound

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) –  Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns, Haason Reddick delivered a huge performance and the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl after posting a 31-7 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

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Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and rushed for a touchdown as the top-seeded Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl in five years and fourth overall. Boston Scott tacked on a rushing score while Reddick had two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Second-seeded San Francisco was left without firepower after rookie quarterback Brock Purdy injured his right elbow in the first quarter after a blow from Reddick. He later re-entered the game in the third quarter after backup Josh Johnson sustained a concussion.

Purdy was 4-of-4 passing for 23 yards but threw just two short passes after returning despite the 49ers facing a large deficit. Johnson completed 7 of 13 passes for 74 yards and Christian McCaffrey rushed for 84 yards and one score.

Philadelphia outgained San Francisco 269 to 164. The Eagles will face either the Cincinnati Bengals or the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.

The Eagles drove 66 yards on 11 plays on their first drive with Sanders ending it with a 6-yard scoring run.

On the sixth play after San Francisco took over, Reddick slammed into Purdy’s right arm. The ball slipped out of Purdy’s hand and was knocked up field by his wrist before being recovered by Philadelphia’s Linval Joseph at the Eagles’ 44-yard line.

Johnson took over on San Francisco’s next possession when Purdy determined he couldn’t throw the ball.

The 49ers tied the game in the second quarter when McCaffrey powered his way to a 23-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles regained the lead when Sanders rumbled through a big hole on a 13-yard run with 1:36 left.

On San Francisco’s next possession, Johnson took his eyes off a shotgun snap and dropped the ball, and Reddick recovered at the 49ers’ 30. Three plays later, Scott scored on a 10-yard run to give Philadelphia a 21-7 advantage 16 seconds before halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Johnson threw an incomplete pass and hit his head on the turf after a hit from Philadelphia’s Ndamukong Suh. He exited the game. Purdy finished the drive with a handoff and then returned for San Francisco’s next offensive drive.

The 49ers went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Eagles. Philadelphia received help from a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty while driving 91 yards on 15 plays, with Hurts scoring on a 1-yard keeper to make it 28-7 with 43 seconds left in the period.

Jake Elliott added a 31-yard field goal with 5:17 left in the game.

AFC Championship: Bengals at Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – In the playoffs, there’s no passer like Patrick Mahomes at home.

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Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Bengals in the AFC Championship game Sunday in a repeat of the 2021 title game that sent Joe Burrow and Cincinnati to the Super Bowl. But there’s a significant twist.

Mahomes plans to play with a sprained right ankle and has lost three games in a row to the Bengals, including 27-24 on Dec. 4. His health and the groundswell of support for Burrow has the Chiefs as the underdog in the playoffs for the first time in Mahomes’ career.

Mahomes has been at his best on the big stage with 32 touchdowns (28 TD passes, four rushing) and three interceptions in 10 career home playoff starts.

The tug of war for bettors has been evident since Sunday night, when most books had the Chiefs as favorites — by 2 or 3 points — only to see the Bengals favored by 2 as a consensus by midday Monday. But with Mahomes’ status firmed up by the Chiefs and video evidence to support, the public forced a wild swing that had Kansas City favored by a point.

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Burrow, mind you, is 19-5 against the spread in his last 24 games as an underdog. Cincinnati is 9-0 in its last nine as an underdog.

As of Friday morning, the Chiefs were a 1.5-point favorite and a low money line to win outright (-118 at FanDuel). By Sunday, the spread went to (-2).

The initial sprain forced him out of the Chiefs’ divisional playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. He returned to the game with limited mobility, completing 22 of 30 passes for a season-low 195 yards with two touchdowns and was not sacked.

He’s 9-3 in 12 career playoff games with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Mahomes said the injury isn’t as severe as his 2019 high ankle sprain or a toe injury two seasons ago, when he finished the season in a Super Bowl defeat at the hands of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. The difference will be in physical limitations on his right ankle and plant leg throwing from the pocket.

Cincinnati has a 10-game winning streak and its most recent loss was to Cleveland on Halloween. Burrow would tie Russell Wilson for most wins (six) by a quarterback in their first three seasons if he can knock off the Chiefs again.

“He’s got an edge to him,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Burrow. “I like that in our quarterback.”

He hasn’t been intercepted in his past three playoff games. In three starts against the Chiefs, Burrow has nine TDs (one rushing), one interception and a combined passer rating of 121.

 

NFC Championship: Niners at Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – San Francisco QB Brock Purdy emerged out of nowhere to become just the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first two postseason starts.

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However, a bigger prize looms on the horizon when the San Francisco 49ers play in the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons, visiting the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Purdy will be striving to lead the second-seeded 49ers to their second Super Bowl appearance in the past four seasons. His rise from the 262nd and last pick in the NFL draft to unbeaten in seven career starts is becoming legendary stuff.

Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008-09 and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets in 2009-10 are the other rookies to win their first two playoff starts.

“He doesn’t care if he messes up,” 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel said. “If he does, he’s going to go full speed and we’ll talk about it at the end of the day.

“I have seen him grow throughout the whole year from zero snaps to being the starter of this team.”

Philadelphia’s defense, which ranked second in total defense (301.5 yards per game) in the regular season, will be the best Purdy has faced. Counting the postseason, the Eagles have racked up 75 sacks, third most in NFL history. The only two higher outputs came from the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

Also part of the equation is the raucous Philadelphia crowd, which will provide noise.

“In these games, it all comes back to communication,” Purdy said. “How can you operate smoothly, get in and out of the huddle, get the play off in the right way and make sure everybody is on the same page. It’s definitely a big emphasis this week.”

The Eagles feature NFL MVP finalist Jalen Hurts at quarterback, an elite runner who has turned into a strong thrower. Hurts passed for 22 touchdowns and rushed for 13 during the regular season.

Hurts threw for two scores and ran for one as Philadelphia routed the New York Giants 38-7 in the NFC divisional round.

The 49ers led the NFL in total defense (300.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (16.3 points per game). San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa (NFL-high 18.5 sacks) is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“They’re really good across the board,” Hurts said. “It starts out with their front seven and then adding a really good defensive back group. They fly to the ball at every position and they’re well-coached. We have a task in front of us and a really big challenge.”

The Eagles are in the NFC title game for the first time since the 2017-18 season when they went on to win the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings and BetMGM, where the line opened at 2.0 but shifted with the Eagles drawing 76 percent of the spread-line bets and 85 percent of the money. The line is moving to 3.0 points in most shops.

The line had moved to 3.0 points by Saturday at BetRivers, where Philadelphia covering was drawing more than twice as much action (28.3 percent) than any other play among the two conference championship games (Bengals +1.0, 12.4 percent).

This will be only the second game of the season in which San Francisco enters as the underdog. BetRivers reported the 49ers have covered in nine consecutive games against NFC opponents and are 13-6 ATS this season.

PROP PICKS
Purdy Over 0.5 INTs (-140 at DraftKings): All three sports books are offering the same prop, with the potential payout slightly better at DraftKings as of mid-day Saturday. Purdy hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 17 and has 59 pass attempts through his first two playoff games without committing a turnover. But the Eagles’ defense can bring pressure from any angle, with four players registering double-digit sacks. Purdy is still a rookie, and under pressure he has a tendency to spin out of the pocket and will force the occasional ball downfield – and Philly’s defense rarely lets opportunities slip away.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Anytime TD (-120 at BetMGM): This has been the most popular NFC prop at several sportsbooks. McCaffrey missed practice time with a calf injury this week but has vowed to play. When he plays, McCaffrey typically finds the end zone — including at least once in eight consecutive games entering Sunday.

Over 46.5 Total Points (-110 at BetRivers): It’s easy to lean Under given the strength of these two defenses. But that inclination hasn’t played out over the course of the season, with the sports book reporting these are two of only six teams to hit the Over in more than half of their games. Good defenses also create short fields, which create scoring opportunities. And both offenses have plenty of offensive firepower to take advantage.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown Over 68.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at BetMGM): The Giants didn’t do much right defensively last week other than hold Brown to 22 yards on a trio of catches. That has been the exception to the rule, with Brown topping 68.5 yards in the six games leading up to the Eagles’ playoff opener. He will draw a difficult matchup with Charvarius Ward likely tracking him most of the game, but Ward proved vulnerable to another big, physical wideout in Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf two weeks ago.

Hurts Anytime TD (+118 at BetRivers): This has been the second most popular NFC prop at the sportsbook, drawing 3.1 percent of the total tickets and the second most money. Hurts has six rushing touchdowns in his past five games, including one last weekend as the Eagles have increasingly relied on his legs with opponents also having to respect Philly’s ground game near the goal line.

INJURY REPORT
49ers: QB Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) was officially ruled out. McCaffrey (knee) and fellow RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) missed multiple practices this week but are expected to play. McCaffrey is expected to play while Mitchell was listed as questionable along with CB Ambry Thomas (ankle). Coach Kyle Shanahan said Charles Omenihu (oblique), who was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence earlier this week, would play if healthy.

Eagles: MLB T.J. Edwards (ankle) was the only player listed as limited in Friday’s practice and Philadelphia is expected to have everyone available.

PREDICTION
Purdy has been unflappable in winning his first seven career starts, including a pair of playoff games. He also hasn’t faced a defense the likes of the Eagles, who will bring a slew of different looks and pressure from all angles. The 49ers’ defense is equally impressive, but Philly capitalizes on a turnover or two and takes advantage of shorter fields to win a tight contest throughout. –Eagles 26-23

DSD PREDICTION: McCaffrey gets it done and the 49ers team defense holds Hurts and Philly down. 49ers 21-17

It’s Gonna Be Hot Stuff in Buffalo

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Pro Bowl quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals were slated to have their epic confrontation earlier this month.

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But Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest emergency in the first quarter of that Monday Night Football game postponed their battle after only nine-plus minutes of play.

Instead, the two talented, young – future of the NFL – quarterbacks, will have their first official duel on a much bigger stage when the second-seeded Buffalo Bills entertain the third-seeded Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC Divisional playoff game today..

Burrow guided the Bengals to the Super Bowl last season and Allen craves a similar run for the Bills. Burrow is the first Cincinnati quarterback to win playoff games in consecutive seasons while Allen is aiming to steer Buffalo into the AFC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons.

Both teams are red hot: The Bengals have won nine straight games and the Bills have prevailed eight consecutive times.

“It feels like two deserving teams,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said of the matchup. “Buffalo is one of the greatest environments to play in in all of football. I’ve been there many, many times and it’s a fun environment.

“It’s a worthy playoff environment and so our guys are going to be juiced up and ready to go.”

The Bengals were the surprise team last season when they crashed the Super Bowl and lost to the Los Angeles Rams. Now they are part of a tough trio of AFC contenders along with the Bills and top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

“We’re in a great spot,” Burrow said. “We have great leaders in the locker room and Zac puts us in the right mindset to create positions to go and succeed. We have the utmost faith in each other to go make plays to win the game.”

Meanwhile, Buffalo has won 13 of its last 14 home playoff games after posting a 34-31 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Bills were up 17-0 before sloppy play — they committed three turnovers — allowed the Dolphins back in the game.

“You can’t try to eliminate every single turnover and play scared,” Allen said. “We’re aggressive. We want to score touchdowns. That’s the gist of it.”

Sunday’s matchup comes 20 days after the matchup in Cincinnati in which Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter after tackling Bengals wideout Tee Higgins. He was administered CPR on the field and taken to a nearby hospital and the game was later postponed.

Hamlin has made a miraculous speedy recovery as the teams reunite for the playoff showdown.

“I’m sure it’s gonna be a little bit emotional,” Allen said of facing the Bengals. “I will say that I’ve got so much respect for the Bengals, their staff, their organization, and their players after everything that transpired. The way that we came together and kind of talked with them — they were extremely open to the whole concept of not continuing the game and making sure that we were OK.”

Also of note is that the Bills are playing in the division round for the third straight season. They went 1-1 the past two campaigns.

“We’ve been here before,” Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said. “We’ve got good experience in the divisional round. We’re grateful for that. … So, it’s the next game on our radar. And we’ve got to prepare for it.”

PROP PICKS
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Anytime TD (+135 at DraftKings): Chase has been the fourth-most popular Anytime TD scorer among the four games this weekend, and offers by far the biggest potential payout among the top five at the sportsbook. Chase has scored at least one touchdown in eight of 13 games this season, including six of his past eight. Buffalo ranked 26th against the pass during the regular season while allowing an average of 258.1 yards per game, and struggled to contain Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson last weekend.

Over 49 Total Points (-110 at BetMGM): Not only are these two of the hottest teams in the league going head-to-head, it’s two of the most potent offenses in the league. Of concern with this prop are the injuries along Cincinnati’s o-line – down three starters. But Buffalo’s defense has also been vulnerable in recent weeks. The expectation here is that Burrow and Allen are trading punches for four quarters and that every offensive opportunity will need to be maximized.

 

Sunday Night: Cincinnati Bengals Have QB Edge Over Injured Baltimore Ravens

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report by Field Level Media) – With the oft-injured injured Lamar Jackson out, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly plan to use both backup quarterbacks during Sunday night’s AFC wild-card game against the host Cincinnati Bengals.

Multiple reports said the Ravens will deploy the unusual strategy with Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, despite challenges with each.

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Huntley, 24, is dealing with tendinitis in his right shoulder as well as a wrist injury. He was listed as questionable on the official injury report.

As a starter in his career, Huntley is 3-5. His injured shoulder hampered his performance this season, with Huntley completing just three passes of at least 20 yards in four starts.

When asked at Friday’s practice if he’s ready to return to the field, Huntley reported he has “no nerves.”

Just excited to get back out there after missing one week,” Huntley said. “It’s a privilege to go out there and play football and I appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens’ other backup quarterback, Brown, 24, is an undrafted rookie who’s made only one career start, last Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Bengals. In that game, he threw for 286 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.

The two QBs have different strengths, with Brown the better passer while Huntley is more proficient at using the same run-oriented offense as Jackson.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been tight-lipped about the situation, declining to name a starter after Friday’s practice.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Harbaugh said.

Jackson, who was ruled out for a sixth straight game with a left knee injury, “suffered a PCL Grade 2 sprain, on the borderline of a strain 3” and his knee “remains unstable,” according to Jackson’s own tweet on Thursday.

The Ravens enter Sunday night’s matchup against the defending AFC champion Bengals as a heavy underdog.

–Field Level Media

TL’s New Year’s Sports Notes | Jan. 1 ’23

by

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – I had a dream. No, I’m not ripping-off the historic civil rights speech of August, 1963 by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because I really had a dream this week. It was nowhere near as visionary as Dr. King’s speech and its plot was not prophetic. In fact, the dream speaks as much of times gone by but it might illustrate hopes for the future.

I rarely remember my dreams. They are always as clear as Cristal Brut Champagne upon my awakening, but then, the scene and story is gone in an instant. Some say it’s what those who suffer from dementia or amnesia experience everyday of their lives. That complex and fragile human brain of ours, it’s as frightening as it is amazing.

Tuesday, I awoken fresh from a scene of a major motion picture being played out with only once screen in the world, in my sleepy but active mind. I was at the airport and ready to board a plane, a connection home from being on Air Force One where I sat with former First Lady Michele Obama. President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama were attending to other things as we (an NBA entourage) returned from staging another international exhibition game and a series of Basketball without Borders clinics.

The location wasn’t clear but from the mood on AF1, it was quite a successful trip.

We were all in the present, but the scene invoked personal memories of days of future past, days that don’t seem possible with recent foreign relations gone so bad between the United States and China and with Russia versus the countries of the free world. Not all that long ago, we experienced great days of government diplomacy side-by-side with sports diplomacy.

Ping pong diplomacy began in the very early 1970s and continued until 1972 when thenUSA President Richard Nixon made a trip to China in an attempt to establish relations and gain leverage toward negotiating a peace settlement in Viet Nam. The NBA joined the effort in 1979 when the then-Washington Bullets – the reigning NBA champions – accepted an invitation from China’s leader Deng Xiaoping to play two summertime exhibition games in Shanghai and Beijing. The trip came just months after then-USA President Jimmy Carter made efforts to ease tension in the region. The Bullets/Wizards celebrated the effort 30 years later with a return to China spearheaded by franchise governor Abe Pollin.
NBA China Games of 2004 (Getty Images)

The NBA continued its efforts for international relations with multiple players association summer trips to conduct clinics and the NBA reciprocating with a full month-long training effort with the 1985 NBA China Friendship Tour, a combination of practices led by Red Auerbach, Pete Newell, Ed Badger and Bill Blair, along with a full schedule of scrimmages featuring the Chinese National Team against NBA clubs,  including an early glimpse of a rookie named Michael Jordan, during training camps.

Now, with Russia at war with Ukraine, it seems impossible and so long ago that the NBA was helping young basketball players representing the then-USSR National Team mature inviting six players to attend the Atlanta and Los Angeles summer leagues to team-up with franchise owner Ted Turner’s Atlanta Hawks in the summer of 1987, a few months before the NBA staged its first McDonald’s Open exhibition in Milwaukee with the same USSR National Team, Tracer of Milan (Italy) and the host Bucks.

In 1988, it was the Hawks, once again, furthering the Glasnost efforts of Russia’s with the late Mikhail Gorbachev a few years before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and eventual independence for Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia in the Baltics, along with dozens of other break-away countries, many with basketball players who once competed for the USSR.

It seemed the NBA’s version of glasnost was paving the way for Soviet glasnost and players such as Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciulionis, Alexander Volkov, Sergei Bazarevich, Yaroslav Korolev and Andrei Kirilenko found there way to NBA rosters soon after. Volkov, the minister of sport for the Ukraine, is now enlisted in the army and fighting for his country.
When Lithuania gained independence, they fielded a Bronze Medal team at the Olympics Games in Barcelona, Spain (file photo)

By 2001, the NBA and FIBA (the International Federation for Fasketball) worked together to reunite the provinces which made up the former country of Yugoslavia – a national team that played as one in the 1988 McDonald’s Open in Madrid, Spain. During that time, a war tore apart Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Macedonia. The 2001 Basketball without Borders camp reunited the young campers with NBA players who had not competed together since the 1990 FIBA Worlds.

A year later, the same concept worked to bring together players from Greece and Turkey, at a July 4-7, 2002 camp staged in Istanbul.

By 2004, it was back to China for the historic NBA China Games with 7-4, No. 1 draft pick Yao Ming playing for the Houston Rockets. By 2006, the LA Clippers played a pair of games in Moscow, an exhibition now impossible to imagine.

When you total it up, the NBA has played 155 exhibition games against international teams and 33 regular season games outside the US and Canada. There’ll be another this season when the Bulls and Pistons head to Paris on January 19th.

The 188+ games certainly spread the basketball gospel around the world, helped fuel enough talent to make-up 25% of the NBA’s players while driving the league’s television and consumer products to a global audience of fans.

Looking back at Tuesday’s dream, one can only hope it was the return trip of a world peace conference rather than merely a basketball game or clinic. But as Dr. King said in his famous speech, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you, my friends, we have the difficulties of today and tomorrow.”

With just a little help of a bouncing basketball, unrealistic as it is, the wish for 2023 is for WORLD PEACE to ring throughout the Continents this New Year.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As WABC-TV great Roger Grimsby might say … some general and sports business notes to bring in the New Year of 2023.

LOOK BACK AT 2022 FROM WWYI: Here’s just a few key things we were writing about in 2022:

January 2022:

  • Jan. 2 – Happy New Year
    • Lucky “7” DIGGIES of Sports
    • Fix/Six for MLB
  • Jan. 9 – Beijing ‘22
    • NBA LaunchPad ‘22
    • Willie O’Ree Jersey Retirement
  • Jan. 16 – FIBA InterContinental Cup
    • NLL Records (Dan Dawson)
    • SONY Open – PGA Tour
  • Jan. 23 – Tribute to NYI No. 9 – Clark Gillies – RIP
  • Jan. 30th – Tom Brady Retired from NFL (only to return)

February 2022

  • Feb. 6 – 10th Year Anniversary of Linsanity
    • Jose Paneda Won National Sports Media (1st ever Hispanic)
  • Feb. 13 – Bruins G Tuukka Rask Retired
    • LA Rams vs Cincy Bengals Super Bowl Preview
  • Feb. 20 – MLB Lockout Becomes Reality – No Spring Training
    • Greatest Voices in Rock History
    • March Madness Preview
  • Feb. 27 – Russia Invaded Ukraine; Ex-ATL Hawks forward Volkov off to War

March 2022

  • March 6 – PGA TOUR Player Impact Program
    • Brittney Griner Detained in Russia
  • March 13 – BIG EAST Tourney at MSG
    • Winningest Coaches (Gregg Popovich Joins List)
  • March 20 – “Winning Time” Loses
    • Jerry West defended from Coast-to-Coast
  • March 27 – March Madness
    • Move4Heather – Efforts to Raise $ for Cs Veep Heather Walker

April 2022

  • April 3 – Baseball is Back
    • *Coach K Retires from Duke
  • April 10 – Red Sox Home Opener/Boston Marathon
    • The Masters
  • April 17 – Sox Fans Hit Panic Button (They were correct!)
    • Kareem Enters Full Time Writing Gig
  • April 24 – Grim Reaper Hits NHL: Gillies, Bossy and LaFleur – RIP
    • Rumble Ponies!

May 2022

  • May 1 – Team Bullpen Perfect Games
    • Lefty vs The PGA Tour
  • May 8 – NBA Playoffs – NO More Bubble
    • Run for the Roses
  • May 15 – Big Bob Lanier – RIP
    • Sox in Basement
  • May 22 – SBJ Sports Business Awards
    • Anniversary of Jeffrey Goldberg’s 2019 Johns Hopkins speech

June 2022

  • June 5 – Boston’s Al Horford leads Celtics; Seeks Ring
    • Pro Sports Franchises = $2-$4 billion+
  • June 12 – Steph Curry/Coach Bob McKillop
    • NHL Stanley Cup to Colorado
  • June 19 – GS Warriors earn 2022 NBA Championship
    • PGA Tour vs. LIV golf rivalry and plot thickens
  • June 26 – 50th Anniversary of Title IX
    • SCOTUS Turn USA sports upside down

July 2022

  • July 3 – NBA Salary Cap – “Damn the Pandemic, Full Speed Ahead”
    • Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
  • July 10 – Red Sox Season At the Half
    • Greg “The Shark” Norman in Shark-Infested waters with LIV
  • July 17 – MLB All-Star Game
    • The Open
  • July 24 – Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions
    • JJ Reddick Doubles Down on knucklehead viewpoint/ “Plumbers and Firemen” comment
  • July 31 – State of Boston Sports Report
    • MLB Trade Deadline

August 2022

  • August 7 – Bill Russell Passes; NBA Mourns
    • MLB Mourns passing of the great broadcaster Vin Scully
  • August 14 – Serena Williams – The GOAT At the US Open
    • 20 Year Impact of the USA Basketball Dream Team
  • August 21 – NWSL franchises Approach $100m value
    • PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs Come down to the Final
  • August 28 – Red Sox 2022 Season is In the Dumps
    • Russian athletes blocked from Competitions

September 2022

  • September 4 – LIV in Boston
    • Boston College Football Season Lost in Week 1 (Rutgers wins at The Heights)
  • September 11 – Basketball Hall of Fame Inducts Manu Ginobili, others
    • Dick Ebersol Tribute at Basketball Hall of Fame
  • September 18 – Sports for Fun Weekend
    • Suns’ team owner Robert Sarver fined $10m and suspended
  • September 25 – The ‘window” to win a title
    • Robert Sarver of Phoenix meet Ime Udoka of Boston – Bye-bye

October 2022

  • October 2 – Ranking of NFL Fan bases
    • Various Basketball Halls of Fame / FIBA
  • October 9 – BC’s Red Bandana Legacy
    • Sports and Rock’s Most Underrated
  • October 16 – NHL Season Preview
    • Brentford futbol and “Hey Jude”
  • October 23 – Memories from 1969
    • NBA Preview and Predictions (Yes, GS was in there)
  • October 30 – NBA Discipline & Players, Teams
    • Dustin Johnson Pocketed $18m

November 2022

  • November 6 – College Basketball Preview
    • Houston Astros – World Series Champions
  • November 13 – MLB Free Agent Market
    • RIP – Jane Gross/Fred Hickman
  • November 20 – Giving Thanks in Sports
    • Willett’s Point NYFC Project – Good Luck in the Muck
  • November 27 – Sports Acronyms
    • MLB Free Agency Signings Begin

December 2022

  • December 4 – College Football Playoff Set
    • World Cup Preview – Qatar Concerns
  • December 11 – WNBA’s Brittney Griner Return to USA
    • BC vs BU Ice Hockey Rivalry
  • December 18 – Massachusetts Sports Gambling – Lawmakers Keep Waiting
    • Minnesota Vikings Record NFL Comeback
  • December 25 – Merry Christmas | Shelby Strother Message\
    • NBA Franchise Valuations
    • Record cold weather for NFL weekend

*STORY of the YEAR 2022 – The Retirement of Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski