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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec. 10th

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – Surely, you’ve heard the question before. Everyone has. Everyone thinks and dreams, but very few can check them off the list.

The Bucket List.

The question: Can you name your Top 10 Bucket List of Sports Destinations and Events?

It’s a tough one.

Those of us lucky enough to call New York and Boston as home base can check off a few by jumping on the “4” Train or the Green Line T to arrive within minutes at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, respectively.

To delve into this topic, there will be three sets of 10 Bucket List choices. First will be a very typical list of all the obvious “bests.” Second, will be my good friend Mark’s choices and lastly, the WWYI columnist will list the ultimate Sports Bucket List, with an attempt to be more obscure. The lists will be in order of preference.

Here we go:

Top 10 Sports Destination/Event Bucket List

  1. The Super Bowl (any location)
  2. The Summer Olympic Games (any location)
  3. The Kentucky Derby
  4. The World Series (any location)
  5. The Masters
  6. Ryder Cup (in Europe)
  7. The Winter Olympics (any location, but Europe ideal)
  8. World Cup Final (any location)
  9. Wimbledon
  10. The Final Four (any location, any four basketball teams)

Mark’s list, and it’s a good one:

  1. Buffalo Bills home opener (annually, said the die-hard Bills fan)
  2. Wimbledon (Men’s and Women’s Semis
  3. The Winter Olympics (anywhere)
  4. Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One
  5. The Super Bowl (anywhere, especially if the Bills make it)
  6. Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  7. Green Bay Packers home game at Lambeau Field
  8. The Masters
  9. Army vs Navy Football Game
  10. The Kentucky Derby

The TL Bucket List of Sports (WWYI edition) – Not Your Average List

  1. The Army vs Navy Game – But, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  2. The Little League World Series
  3. The Travers and The Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course
  4. The French Open
  5. The Ryder Cup (Bethpage, Long Island, NY)
  6. Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  7. Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One (Monte Carlo)
  8. The BIG EAST Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden
  9. Wrigley Field – any Cubs home game
  10. The Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston, Massachusetts)

Do any of the events and destinations on this final list need an explanation? I doubt it, but for posterity’s sake, here’s a line on a few of the events selected by yours truly.

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Army v Navy – The impact of this event doesn’t hit you until you are there, in other words, until you’ve attended one … especially if it’s in Philadelphia. The pomp and rivalry is unmatched, but the ceremonies also stress the camaraderie of the cadets and midshipmen, often standing with alternating uniforms of the officers to be. … The game goes on, and the intensity builds (depending on the score), but as a civilian looking at the players – and more notably, the sections of cadets and midshipmen in dress gear – you can’t help but think that the young men and women will soon be putting their lives on the line, whether they are in training or deployed in war times. Some of those you gaze at – in respect – might not be around in another five years. It’s a daunting feeling, and because of it, the Army vs Navy game tops my list.

The Travers – The setting at the Saratoga Race Course is delightful, especially if you catch a nice summer day. The Travers brings the crowds, and the tiny town (and the bars) remains packed. The food is good, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Sure, the Kentucky Derby is more famous, the Belmont could determine a Triple Crown, and Delmar is unmatched, but I’ll take Saratoga, and the last Monday Hopeful was always a get-away day. It’s a favorite of my favorite Railbird, too.

The Ryder Cup at Bethpage (Black Course) is a driver and a long iron away from the hometown of WWYI’s author. Combine the familiar grounds with golf’s best event, and you’ve got something very special. It edged out a trip to Augusta, Georgia for The Masters.

The BIG EAST Championship/Tournament is a longtime favorite. The setting is the key at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Other college conference/teams can only dream of playing at The Garden.

The Boston Marathon, staged on Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth (new hometown) is the best day of the year. The event is inspiring to all who run and spectate. Friend of the column, 1967 Boston Marathon champion, Amby Burfoot, calls the race “the Carnegie Hall of Marathons,” citing New York’s prestigious Music Hall constructed between 1889 and 1891. And don’t forget, the Boston Red Sox play at historic Fenway Park at 11:00am on the holiday, and guess what? The bars are OPEN!

A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS: (In no particular order) are: The Travellers(Cromwell, Connecticut) near Hartford. Once the Greater Hartford Open, the Travellers has fast become a favorite of the players on the PGA Tour because of the great TPC River Highlands golf course and the hospitality put forth by the organizers; the Frozen Four is NCAA ice hockey’s version of the Big Dance. It’s a must for college ice hockey fans. Similarly, the Beanpot Tournament in Boston pits Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern on consecutive Mondays in February. The winners get the famed Beanpot. It’s just a great event. Of course, there are hundreds of others, such as the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, the Rose Bowl, the NHL Winter Classic or simply a game at Montreal or Toronto.

FEEL FREE to post your own top 10 in comments on Substack or the Digital Sports Desk Twitter (‘X’) page or on Face Book. So, go ahead! Name yours.

[Read more…] about TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec. 10th

NFL: Week 14 Previews

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Previews) – This week’s NFL game capsules:

Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) at Clev. Browns (7-5): Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team is preparing for both Trevor Lawrence (ankle) and C.J. Beathard to play for the Jaguars. Lawrence limped through practice Thursday but has a high-ankle sprain and his mobility would be minimal if he tries to play six days after being injured in the Jaguars’ loss to the Bengals. The Browns have allowed the fewest yards per game in the NFL at 260.5, and pass rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward are both playing with shoulder ailments. It’ll likely be Joe Flacco shouldering the load for the Browns at quarterback. He is 1-9 in his past 10 starts but had the Browns driving to take the lead when he threw an interception in Cleveland’s loss at the Rams last week.

Detroit Lions (9-3) at Chicago Bears (4-8): Urgency is being encouraged up and down the Lions’ locker room in the rematch with the Bears, who nearly upset Detroit in the first meeting. The Lions scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to defeat the Bears 31-26 last month. The Lions subsequently lost to Green Bay and defeated the New Orleans Saints to hold a three-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings and the Packers in the division with five games remaining. They’re nipping at the heels of the Eagles and 49ers in the NFC playoff race, but that push would be deflated by another defeat. Balance is becoming the calling card for the Lions, who are fourth in the NFL in rushing and passing. The Bears haven’t won back-to-back games since 2021.

Carolina Panthers (1-11) at New Orleans Saints (5-7): Two concussions and a rib injury are among the injuries for Saints QB Derek Carr in the past month, and New Orleans weighed turning the offense over to Jameis Winston this week. The Panthers are eliminated from playoff consideration and lost the first meeting to the Saints, 20-17 in Week 2. But New Orleans’ playoff hopes are in peril thanks to three consecutive losses. The Saints were in sole possession of first place in the NFC South before losing to the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago. To remain in the mix, the Saints are in a must-win spot this week. Carolina swept the Saints in 2022.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) at Atlanta Falcons (6-6): Atlanta can accelerate its march toward its first playoff game since 2017 by sweeping Tampa Bay. The Bucs can pull even in the standings with a victory. The Falcons already own a win over the Bucs — 16-13 on Oct. 22 — who understand the gravity of this NFC South game and the stakes the rest of the season. The Falcons are 3-0 in division games but last won the NFC South in their Super Bowl runner-up season (2016). Quarterback Desmond Ridder is 2-0 against Tampa Bay, beating them in the regular-season finale as a rookie and on Younghoe Koo’s 51-yard field goal earlier this season. He said the Falcons left “meat on the bone” in the three-point win at Tampa this season, a game in which Atlanta didn’t have a healthy Bijan Robinson (illness).

Houston Texans (7-5) at New York Jets (4-8): Any faint prayer for the playoffs rests in the hands of Jets QB Zach Wilson, who bounds back up the depth chart from the No. 3 role in the latest spin of the carousel by head coach Robert Saleh. Houston won for the fourth time in five weeks last Sunday, defeating the Denver Broncos 22-17. After facing the Jets, the Texans play three division games in the final four weeks — including two against the last-place Tennessee Titans. Houston and Indianapolis are tied one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South entering the home stretch. The Texans are firmly in the wild-card mix and jumped into the No. 7 playoff spot in the AFC thanks to Pittsburgh’s loss to New England on Thursday night.

Indianapolis Colts (7-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-6): Pittsburgh’s loss Thursday pushed the Colts into the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Cincinnati has pep in its step on the heels of the historic effort from quarterback Jake Browning at Jacksonville. Making just his second career start after Joe Burrow’s season-ending right wrist surgery. Browning completed 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 22 yards and another score, calmly rallying the Bengals from TD deficits of 7-0, 14-7 and 28-21. The Colts won their fourth consecutive game last week, downing the Titans in overtime, and have the Steelers, Falcons and Raiders left on the schedule before hosting Houston in the Week 18 finale.

Los Angeles Rams (6-6) at Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The Rams answered a three-game losing streak with three wins in a row, scoring 37 points at Arizona and 36 last week to beat Cleveland in their highest outputs of the season. Baltimore has only one loss in the past seven games, thriving behind the No. 1 rushing attack (158.6 yards per game) and No. 2 defense (273.2 yards per game). The Ravens lead the NFL with 22 rushing TDs. Baltimore is coming out of the bye week and 12-3 in that situation under coach John Harbaugh. Rookie RB Kyren Williams keys the Rams’ offense, looking like the missing link the past two games in accounting for 317 total yards and three touchdowns. Rams QB Matthew Stafford has also picked up the pace, throwing seven touchdown passes with just one interception in the past two games.

Minnesota Vikings (6-6) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-7): The Vikings welcome back their best offensive player when they visit the Raiders. All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson missed the past seven games because of a hamstring injury that he sustained Oct. 8. The 24-year-old was off to a terrific start to the season before it was interrupted by injury. He hauled in 36 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns and had at least 149 receiving yards in three of those five games. Interim Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is 2-2 since taking over for Josh McDaniels, who was fired on Oct. 31. QB Aidan O’Connell is set to make the sixth start of his rookie campaign. The Purdue product has posted a 76.4 passer rating while completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions.

Seattle Seahawks (6-6) at San Francisco 49ers (9-3): After a 41-35 loss last Thursday at Dallas, the Seahawks face the 49ers for the second time in 17 days. San Francisco won 31-13 at Lumen Field on Thanksgiving night as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks’ offense got untracked against Dallas, after entering the game with 20 consecutive possessions without a touchdown. Geno Smith threw for 334 yards and three TDs — all to DK Metcalf — and also rushed for a score. But Seattle’s defense allowed 25 or more points for the fourth time in the past five games. The 49ers have won four consecutive games, one shy of their season high. After starting 5-0, they lost three in a row before rebounding following a bye week. Their biggest victory came last Sunday in Philadelphia, when they avenged a defeat in last season’s NFC Championship Game by trouncing the Eagles 42-19, scoring touchdowns on six consecutive possessions. 49ers QB Brock Purdy is 3-0 in his career against the Seahawks, averaging 31 points against the division rival.

Buffalo Bills (6-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): The Bills are making their fifth visit to Kansas City in 34-plus months and sandwiched between playoff disappointments at Arrowhead, Buffalo has won consecutive regular-season games at the raucous road venue. That’s a welcome trend for a team embracing the must-win feel of this game having lost four of its past six games before a bye last week. If the playoffs began today, the Bills aren’t in the postseason picture. For the first time in recent memory there is some doubt about the Chiefs keeping pace with the Bills, who are fifth in the NFL in scoring at 27.3 points per game. The Chiefs suffered losses in three of their past five games and have multiple key injuries to navigate, including the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) and left tackle Donovan Smith (neck stinger). Last Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the host Green Bay Packers marked the fourth time Kansas City scored 21 or fewer points during the five-game stretch. Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 424 yards in an October victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, has been held to 210 or fewer yards in three of the past four games.

Denver Broncos (6-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-7): Los Angeles has no less than five teams to jump over in the season’s final five weeks if it wants to earn an AFC playoff spot. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have a winning record among the Chargers’ final opponents. They have two meetings with Denver, a Thursday night game next week in Las Vegas against the Raiders and a Dec. 23 encounter with the visiting Buffalo Bills. Los Angeles’ defense is going strong behind NFL sack leader Khalil Mack, who has 15 sacks this season, all in the last nine games. Denver saw its five-game winning streak end last week with a 22-17 loss in Houston. The Broncos nearly erased a 16-3 deficit in the third quarter but Russell Wilson tossed his third interception with nine seconds left to deal their playoff chances a major blow.

Tennessee Titans (4-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-3): Tennessee has two wins since Oct. 1, and the Dolphins have two losses in the same span. The Titans have seven losses in which they scored 16 points or fewer. Miami has a 70-point outing and has put up less than 17 points once in 12 games. The Titans have 20 offensive touchdowns in 2023. The Dolphins have 22 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns. The Titans have a healthy Derrick Henry, which gives them a chance to execute a ball-possession plan to limit Miami’s offensive opportunities. Henry was over 100 yards with two touchdowns last week when he was sent to the locker room and didn’t return. Henry insists he’s ready to roll for Monday’s visit to Miami. The Dolphins have won three in a row with 99 total points and have a firm grip on the AFC East.

Green Bay Packers (6-6) at New York Giants (4-8): Tommy DeVito kept the starting QB job even with Tyrod Taylor returning from a rib injury after leading back-to-back wins to give the Giants a reasonable chance to finish with a winning record. New York’s offense isn’t a big-play machine, relying instead on RB Saquon Barkley — 865 yards from scrimmage — and a collection of wide receivers without a lead option since losing TE Darren Waller to a hamstring injury last month. The Packers are a different story with Jordan Love coming up clutch to win three consecutive games, steering Green Bay back into the playoff picture. Green Bay’s third-down offense (44 percent conversions) and the emergence of rookie WR Jayden Reed, one of three Packers’ receivers with five or more TDs, has helped cover in the absence of injured RB Aaron Jones. The Packers last allowed more than 24 points Sept. 28 at Detroit (34-20 loss). The Giants have scored more than 17 points once — 31 at Washington on Nov. 19 — since Sept. 17.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Playoff Possibilities

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With five games remaining in the regular season, three NFC teams have a chance to clinch an NFL playoff berth in Week 14, bu not more than two of them will.

That’s because the Dallas Cowboys (9-3) meet the visiting Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) on Sunday night, with the winner having a shot at gaining the playoff spot and the loser being forced to wait.

Among the two, the path to the playoffs is easiest for the Eagles, the defending NFC champion. They will clinch with a:

PHI win + SEA loss or tie OR
PHI win + LAR loss or tie OR
PHI win + GB loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI win + GB loss or tie + DET loss OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + SEA loss OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + GB loss or tie OR
PHI tie + SEA loss + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI tie + SEA loss + GB loss or tie OR
PHI tie + MIN loss + GB loss

For the Cowboys to clinch, they’ll need a:

DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss or tie + DET win or tie + LAR loss or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie) OR
DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss or tie + DET win or tie + NO loss or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie) OR
DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB tie + DET win or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie)

The San Francisco 49ers (9-3) take on the Seattle Seahawks (6-6) on Sunday with the following scenarios in play for a playoff berth:

SF win + GB loss OR
SF win + MIN loss OR
SF win + GB tie + MIN tie

In Week 15, the Cowboys are at the Buffalo Bills, the 49ers meet the Cardinals in Arizona and the Seahawks host the Eagles.

–Field Level Media

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Red Sox Acquire O’Neill

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BOSTON – (Staff, Wire Service and Team News Release) – The Boston Red Sox worked to reshape their outfield when they acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, according to the Red Sox team news release.

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O’Neill, 28, batted .231 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 72 games last season as he worked through a lower back strain. O’Neill has struggled to match his production from the 2021 season when he batted .286 and hit 34 home runs with 80 RBIs, while finishing eighth in National League MVP voting.

O’Neill has played all six of his major league seasons with the Cardinals, batting .248 with 78 home runs and 217 RBIs in 477 games.

Boston sent two right handed pitchers to St. Louis in the deal, in Nick Robertson and Carlos Santos.

Nick Robertson, 25, allowed eight runs in 12.0 innings over nine games with the Red Sox after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 25, 2023. The right-hander also made nine appearances with the Dodgers during 2023, his Major League debut, posting a 6.10 ERA (7 ER/10.1 IP) with 13 strikeouts. Selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, the Virginia native has recorded a 3.61 ERA (74 ER/184.2 IP), .227 opponent batting average, and 231 strikeouts in 150 career minor league games (three starts).

Carlos Santos, 23, missed the entire 2023 season due to a right elbow injury after attending spring training with Boston as a non-roster invitee. This winter, the Dominican Republic native has made seven appearances (five starts) for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, going 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA (9 ER/27.1 IP), 23 strikeouts, six walks, and only one home run allowed. Signed as an international free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies in November 2016 and acquired by the Red Sox in July 2021, the right-hander owns a 3.72 ERA (184 ER/445.0 IP) over 101 career minor league appearances (71 starts).

The move to acquire the right-handed-hitting O’Neill comes three days after Boston traded outfielder and left-handed hitter Alex Verdugo to the rival New York Yankees.

Celtics Back at Home for Knicks

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will try to remain unbeaten at home this season and defeat the New York Knicks for the third time in as many meetings when the teams tip-off tonight.

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points in Boston’s 108-104 season-opening win in New York on Oct. 25. He added 35 in the Celtics’ 114-98 victory over the visiting Knicks on Nov. 13.

Tatum contributed 32 points and 12 rebounds on Monday as Boston dropped a 122-112 decision to the Indiana Pacers in an NBA in-season tournament quarterfinal clash. The setback meant that the Celtics would be staying home for their next game, as opposed to traveling west to Las Vegas for the semifinals of the tournament.

“I wanted to (expletive) go to Vegas,” Tatum said. “I didn’t want to go home. I wanted to go to Vegas. Next year, I guess.”

Jaylen Brown collected 30 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.

Kristaps Porzingis expects to be in the lineup on Friday after sitting out the past four games due to a low-grade strain in his left calf. The Celtics said he is “available” to play on Friday morning.

“Of course, everybody was a little bit upset and mad at ourselves for not getting it done (against the Pacers),” Porzingis said. “But me especially, not being able to help out there, it hurts, especially knowing the vision that we had. But this is how it goes and that’s it. As I said, we’ll be back.”

Like the Celtics, the Knicks were bounced from the NBA in-season tournament with a 146-122 setback to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Eastern Conference Player of the Week Julius Randle erupted for a season-high 41 points for New York, which had won three in a row and 10 of 13 prior to that loss.

Randle made 14 of 19 shots from the floor and 11 of 12 attempts from the free-throw line versus Milwaukee.

“Just getting to my kill zones,” Randle told Newsday of his improved play. “The spots that I’m comfortable getting to on the floor and creating a shot for myself, my teammates.”

New York coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t interested in handing Randle a verbal bouquet, however. He had bigger fish to fry.

“I’m more concerned with taking a good, hard look at what we have to improve defensively,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, we fell very short in that area.”

Jalen Brunson agreed after the Knicks allowed the Bucks to shoot a robust 60.4 percent from the floor and 60.5 percent from 3-point range.

“Defensively we didn’t really do anything all game. That’s the story. That’s it,” Brunson said. “I mean, offensively we were playing fine. Defensively, on that side of the ball, we just didn’t do anything. That’s it.”

Brunson, who averages a team-best 24.9 points per game, scored 24 on Tuesday. He had a team-high 26 points in the most recent meeting against Boston.

RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley each had 24 points in the season-opening loss to the Celtics.

–Field Level Media

Lakers Cruise to “In-Season” Cup Final

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LeBron James recorded 30 points and eight assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 133-89 semifinal victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night in Las Vegas to reach the championship game of the NBA’s in-season tournament.

The Lakers will face the Indiana Pacers in Saturday’s title game. The Pacers defeated theMilwaukee Bucks 128-119 in Thursday’s other semifinal.

Austin Reaves had 17 points and seven assists, and Anthony Davis added 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who won for the 11th time in their past 15 games.

James made all four of his attempts from beyond the arc while finishing 9 of 12 overall. He played just 23 minutes and sat out the final quarter.

Trey Murphy III scored 14 points and Zion Williamson added 13 for the Pelicans. Herbert Jones added 10 points and seven rebounds as New Orleans lost for the fourth time in its past seven games.

Brandon Ingram had just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting for the Pelicans. New Orleans hit 35.8 percent of its shots and was 7-of-31 from behind the arc.

Taurean Prince scored 15 points, D’Angelo Russell had 14 and Rui Hachimura added 12 for the Lakers, who made 54.7 percent of their shots and 17 of 35 from 3-point range.

James scored 21 points in the first half as Los Angeles led 67-54 at the break.

James scored only three points in the first quarter before scoring 18 in the second.

Zappe Leads Patriots Over Pitt

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Bailey Zappe threw for three touchdowns and the New England Patriots held off a fourth-quarter rally by the host Pittsburgh Steelers to earn a 21-18 victory on Thursday night.

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Trailing 21-10, Pittsburgh (7-6) blocked Bryce Baringer’s punt and took over at the Patriots’ 26-yard line with 13:23 left in the game.

Two plays after a defensive pass interference penalty moved the ball to the New England 1, Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky plunged into the end zone. He then found Pat Freiermuth on the ensuing two-point conversion, trimming the Patriots’ lead to 21-18 with 11:44 to go.

The Steelers ended up getting three more possessions, with their penultimate drive beginning with 2:44 remaining. They worked up to their own 49 but failed to convert a fourth-and-2, and New England (3-10) ran down the clock, giving the ball back to the hosts with just 15 seconds left.

A pair of deep passes got Pittsburgh into New England territory, but the second completion came as the clock hit zeros.

Zappe completed 19 of 28 passes for 240 yards and was picked off once. Ezekiel Elliott totaled 140 yards from scrimmage (68 rushing, 72 receiving) for the Patriots, who snapped a five-game skid.

New England’s JuJu Smith-Schuster hauled in four catches for 90 yards against his former team, while Hunter Henry caught a pair of touchdown passes.

Trubisky logged 190 yards, one TD and one interception on 22-of-35 passing. Najee Harris was held to 29 yards on 12 carries as Pittsburgh lost for the third time in the past four games.

After losing 6-0 to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, New England scored just 3:48 into the Thursday game when Zappe found Elliott for an 11-yard touchdown.

Chris Boswell capped the Steelers’ ensuing drive with a 56-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

Jabrill Peppers picked off Trubisky to open the second quarter, and two plays later, Zappe found Henry in the end zone for an 8-yard TD to put the Patriots up 14-3 with 14:14 left in the first half.

Zappe then connected with Henry for another score — this time from 24 yards out — to give New England an 18-point cushion with 7:38 remaining until the break.

Trubisky threw a 25-yard scoring strike to Diontae Johnson around five minutes later to pull Pittsburgh within 21-10 entering halftime.

–Field Level Media

Listless and Lifeless On to Pittsburgh

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rarely have the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves sporting a more impressive offense than their opponent this season, but that very well could be the case on Thursday night when they face the visiting New England Patriots.

New England (2-10) has been anemic over its past three games, scoring a total of 13 points. It was shut out for the second time this season in a 6-0 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Prior to that, the Patriots lost 10-7 to the New York Giants on Nov. 26 after falling 10-6 to the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 12.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, New England is the first team in 85 years to allow no more than 10 points in three straight games while dropping all three.

Bailey Zappe was hoping to help the Patriots turn things around when he made his third career start on Sunday, but he ended up completing just 13 of 25 passes for 141 yards. Zappe was starting in place of Mac Jones, who was benched after throwing for 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions through the first 11 games.

While New England appears to already have enough on its plate, here come the Steelers (7-5) on a short week.

“It’s about rest, recovery, being physically ready to go and mentally. It’s a quick turnaround from (Sunday’s) game to Pittsburgh’s scouting report,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “You know, a couple days of trying to get things covered. We’re pretty far into the season, I don’t think there is a lot of new things. It’s more about adapting to what we do against what they do.”

One of those adaptations New England will have to make is game planning for Mitch Trubisky, who will be taking over behind center for Kenny Pickett.

Pickett sustained an ankle injury during a 24-10 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday and underwent surgery on Monday. Trubisky threw for 117 yards and a TD on 11-for-17 passing against Arizona, but he knows facing the Patriots will be a challenge.

“They’re always very sound,” Trubisky said of the Steelers’ longtime AFC rivals. “I think their guys up front don’t get a lot of credit, but they’re very good players. … Always well coached. They do a good job of mixing it up trying to confuse the quarterback with different looks.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for them. It’s gonna be a good challenge for us on Thursday.”

Trubisky will try to provide a spark for a Pittsburgh team averaging the fifth-fewest points per game in the NFL (16.0). New England ranks dead last with 12.3 points per game.

In what is already expected to be a low-scoring matchup, both sides could be without some of their top playmakers, too.

ESPN reported Tuesday that Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson will be out for a few weeks due to a high ankle sprain. He has not practiced this week.

Demario Douglas (concussion) has yet to practice for the Patriots this week as well, while fellow receivers DeVante Parker (knee) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) were among those limited, along with running back Ezekiel Elliott (thigh).

Running back Najee Harris did not participate in the Steelers’ practice on Tuesday because of a knee injury. Cornerback James Pierre (shoulder) was also out. Star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (broken hand) practiced in full.

–Field Level Media

Castiglione Honored with Frick Award

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COOPERSTOWN – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Joe Castiglione, who has called Red Sox games on the radio for a record 41 seasons, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

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Castiglione will be honored during the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation as part of Hall of Fame Weekend, July 19-22, 2024. Castiglione becomes the 48th winner of the Frick Award, as he earned the highest point total in a vote conducted by the Hall of Fame’s 15-member Frick Award Committee.

The final ballot featured broadcasters whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card Era. The 10 finalists were: Joe Buck, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Tom Hamilton, Ernie Johnson Sr., Ken Korach, Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dan Shulman and Castiglione.

“Bringing knowledge and passion to the booth every day for more than four decades, Joe Castiglione has given voice to the greatest era of Red Sox success in the broadcast era,” said Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Starting with the team in 1983 in Carl Yastrzemski’s final season, Joe has connected generations of Red Sox fans with a delivery that has become part of the New England fabric. His calls of the team’s four World Series wins in the past 20 seasons provided fans with memories that will echo forever throughout Red Sox nation.”

Born March 2, 1947, in Hamden, Conn., Castiglione earned an undergraduate degree at Colgate University and took his master’s degree at Syracuse University – each about an hour from Cooperstown – before beginning his career at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio. After moving to Cleveland to work for WKYC-TV, he began calling Indians games in 1979 before working Brewers games in 1981 and then returning to the Indians’ booth in 1982.

Joining the Red Sox radio team in 1983, Castiglione has shared the microphone with partners including Bob Starr, Dave O’Brien, Jerry Trupiano and Will Flemming while also teaching broadcast journalism at Northeastern University, Franklin Pierce University and Emerson College.

Inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014, Castiglione is the longest tenured broadcaster in Red Sox history and has called historic moments that have included both of Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout games and four no-hitters. In 2022, the home Fenway Park radio booth was named in his honor.

The 15-member Frick Award voting electorate, comprised of the 12 living recipients and three broadcast historians/columnists, includes Frick honorees Marty Brennaman, Bob Costas, Ken Harrelson, Pat Hughes, Jaime Jarrín, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Al Michaels, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Bob Uecker and Dave Van Horne, and historians/columnists David J. Halberstam (historian), Barry Horn (formerly of the Dallas Morning News) and Curt Smith (historian).

The list of 10 Frick Award finalists was constructed by a subcommittee of the electorate that included Brennaman, Costas, Hughes, Halberstam and Smith. The Ford C. Frick Award is voted upon annually and is named in memory of the sportswriter, radio broadcaster, National League president and baseball commissioner. Frick was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1970.

For a complete list of Frick Award winners, click here.

As established by the Board of Directors, criteria for selection is as follows: “Commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.”  To be considered, an active or retired broadcaster must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service with a ball club, network, or a combination of the two.

The Frick Award election cycle rotates between a composite ballot featuring local and national voices whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card Era in four consecutive years, followed by a fifth year featuring a ballot of candidates whose broadcasting careers concluded prior to the advent of the Wild Card Era in 1994. The cycle began with the 2023 Frick Award, with composite ballots of local and national voices continuing with the Awards in 2024, 2025 and 2026 before the pre-Wild Card Era ballot is considered for the 2027 Award.

VERDU- GO! – Red Sox Trade Outfielder to Evil Empire

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NASHVILLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New York Yankees added an outfielder from their fiercest rival on Tuesday, acquiring Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three right-handed pitchers as the MLB Winter Meetings are underway.

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Boston got Greg Weissert and minor-leaguers Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice in the swap.

Verdugo, 27, is arguably better known for how he got to Boston rather than anything he has accomplished on the field. He, catcher Connor Wong and infielder Jeter Downs were acquired in the February 2020 deal that sent superstar Mookie Betts and left-hander David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In four years with the Red Sox, Verdugo hit a composite .281 with a .338 on-base percentage, a .424 slugging percentage, 43 homers and 206 RBIs. He played 142 games in 2023, batting .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs.

Counting the three seasons he spent with the Dodgers, Verdugo has a career .281/.337/.428 batting line with 57 home runs and 255 RBIs in 651 games.

Primarily a corner outfielder, Verdugo also has seen time in center field. He could be a free agent following the upcoming season.

Weissert, 28, made 17 relief appearances for the Yankees this year, netting no decisions and a 4.05 ERA. He broke into the majors with 12 games out of the New York bullpen in 2022, when he finished 3-0 with a 5.56 ERA.

Fitts, 23, spent the 2023 season in Double-A, where he went 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts. He was a sixth-round draft pick in 2021 out of Auburn.

Judice, 22, has yet to make his pro debut after New York selected him in the eighth round of the 2023 draft out of UL-Monroe.

The Red Sox and Yankees have come together for just eight trades since 1969, according to MLB.com.

–Field Level Media