New England Patriots

NFL: WEEK ONE PREVIEWS

September 10, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

Week 1
NFL preview capsules for Sunday’s Games – Action via Betting Hero

Texans at Ravens: First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie QB C.J. Stroud lead Houston into Baltimore eyeing a turnaround for a franchise with 11 wins the past three seasons. The Ravens loaded up at wide receiver after signing QB Lamar Jackson to a five-year contract, adding Odell Beckham and first-round pick Zay Flowers. Baltimore won 10 games last season for the ninth time during the John Harbaugh era and even without Pro Bowl CB Marlon Humphrey (foot) brings a veteran-laden defense to this fight.

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49ers at Steelers: Second-year QB Kenny Pickett put up a brilliant preseason and graduates to a stern test from a San Francisco defense likely to have DE Nick Bosa in the fold. Bosa signed a monster contract on Wednesday and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year joined the team for the first time since minicamp. The 49ers reached the NFC title game behind rookie QB Brock Purdy, whose elbow injury in that game led to offseason ligament surgery. He threw multiple TD passes in each of the final six games (five starts) in 2022 as defenses locked down on RB Christian McCaffrey. With at least two TDs and a win this week, Purdy would become the only QB in NFL history to go 6-0 with multiple TD passes in his first six career starts.

Packers at Bears: Welcome Jordan Love to the stage. The Packers intercepted the torch from Aaron Rodgers, trading him to the Jets and inserting Love into the starting lineup. A rivalry game at Soldier Field pits two solid defenses and unproven quarterbacks. Justin Fields rushed for 1,143 yards last season, but the Bears want him to prove he’s a pro passer with new weapon D.J. Moore matched up with Packers CB Jaire Alexander in a popcorn-worthy pairing.

Eagles at Patriots: A coach for twice the lifetime of Jalen Hurts, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick appreciates the unique challenge the running quarterback presents as the engine of the Eagles’ multi-faceted offense. New England changed offensive coordinators, bringing back Bill O’Brien, who is tasked with getting greatness out of QB Mac Jones while matching wits this week with former co-worker Matt Patricia, an assistant with Philadelphia. The Patriots invested their top three picks on defense, including CB Christian Gonzalez, and expect big things out of other rookies (DE Keion White, LB Marte Mapu, WR Kayshon Boutte). The club will honor the retired QB and franchise legend, Tom Brady, in a halftime ceremony at Gillette Stadium.

Panthers at Falcons: Panthers OLB Brian Burns’ “hold-in” is a fancy way of saying he wants more money but plans to play as Carolina chases Atlanta first-round RB Bijan Robinson and QB Desmond Ridder around the dome Sunday afternoon. The Falcons put up a season-high 37 points and beat Carolina on Oct. 30 last season but lost 25-15 in Charlotte. No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young makes his first career start for the Panthers, who went 7-10 last season and hired Frank Reich as head coach in January. Carolina’s new look spans the roster. Active building the roster in the offseason, the Panthers added versatile RB Miles Sanders and veteran WR Adam Thielen and brought in SS Vonn Bell to anchor the back end of the defense.

Jaguars at Colts: A playoff team in 2022 with a 9-8 record, the Jaguars are widely expected to be the best in the AFC South. They split a pair of games with the Colts last season with a 34-27 loss at Indianapolis, then ended the season with a six-game winning streak, including the wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, before falling at Kansas City in the divisional playoffs. Indianapolis hit the reset button following a 4-12-1 season, hiring Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and drafting Anthony Richardson No. 4 overall to end a run of musical chairs at QB. The Colts won’t have RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle), who was inactive for the 2022 home date with Jacksonville.

Buccaneers at Vikings: No Tampa Tom Brady means something new, or at least not as old, at quarterback for the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield won the job over Kyle Trask and has a star-studded receiving corps, provided Mike Evans puts his contract rift with the club to bed. He’ll be operating behind a young offensive line. Both teams made difficult roster moves to work from under a growing salary-cap burden since they last played a game that counted. The Bucs also made a switch at offensive coordinator, hiring Dave Canales (Seahawks) to replace Bryon Leftwich and shuffling Rachaad White into the featured running back role. Minnesota, a winner of two of the past three meetings with its former NFC Central rival, has a new lead back, too. Dalvin Cook was released after four straight 1,000-yard seasons and replaced by understudy Alexander Mattison.

Titans at Saints: Tennessee tries to find its way back to a winning path on the heels of a season wrecked by injuries that ended with a seven-game losing streak. Two constants remain for the Titans: Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill, who is attempting to bring balance to the offense after Tennessee ranked 30th in passing last season. DeAndre Hopkins joined Tennessee to make a trio of weapons and could help the new-look scheme establish balance. New is fitting for the Saints. They signed QB Derek Carr, RB Jamaal Williams and TE Foster Moreau and must cope with the three-game suspension of RB Alvin Kamara. Carr could be busy considering the Titans ranked No. 1 against the run in 2022.

Cardinals at Commanders: Arizona plans to contend, but likely down the road after a cleaning house in January and starting over from the top, down. The Cardinals are keeping Washington guessing as to who’ll start at quarterback with Kyler Murray (knee) shelved for at least a month. It could be Josh Dobbs, the journeyman with two career starts, or rookie fifth-rounder Clayton Tune staring across at a Commanders’ defense drenched with first-round draft selections. If Dobbs starts, it will be after just five practices since he was acquired Aug. 24 from the Browns. Washington put its chips behind QB Sam Howell, a second-year quarterback making his second career start with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy planning to spice up the attack to highlight WRs Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin. McLaurin (toe) is expected to play.

Bengals at Browns: Perhaps the Bengals pulled the appropriate levers in the offseason and the offensive line woes exposing QB Joe Burrow to 100-plus hits the past two seasons are in the past. Nothing like a face-to-face with Myles Garrett to test that theory. Garrett had 16 sacks in 2022, 3.5 of them in two games against Cincinnati. Burrow’s lead receiver, Ja’Marr Chase (2,501 receiving yards, 29 games), can pass Hall of Famer Randy Moss (2,527) for the third-most receiving yards in a player’s first 30 games on Sunday. Cleveland turned the defense over to spicy veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz, who emphasizes pressure.

Raiders at Broncos: The Raiders (6-11 last season) have beaten the Broncos six straight times and aim to extend the streak under new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Denver is putting past history to bed, or at least that’s the plan under new head coach Sean Payton. The former boss of the Saints sat out last season and arrived with ideas on how to resurrect Russell Wilson from a serious downturn in 2022, his first with the Broncos. Injuries hit at wide receiver in preseason, but Wilson gets a reprieve thanks to a rebuilt offensive line and the return of RB Javonte Williams from an ACL injury. Garoppolo has two big-time playmakers to work with: RB Josh Jacobs and WR Davante Adams. Jacobs led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards last season while Adams had an NFL-leading 14 scoring receptions.

Dolphins at Chargers: AFC wild-card playoff teams last season, the Chargers and Dolphins are connected by their 2020 draft decisions, when Tua Tagovailoa went to Miami ahead of Justin Herbert landing with L.A. Tagovailoa showed brilliance in moments but also experienced multiple frightening ones with two documented concussions. Tagovailoa was 10 of 28 for 145 yards in a loss to Herbert and the Chargers last season. Chargers RB Austin Ekeler needs one TD reception for 30 in his career, an achievement only five others at his position have accomplished. Marshall Faulk holds the all-time record for RBs with 36 TD catches.

Rams at Seahawks: Eastern Washington product Cooper Kupp was looking forward to returning home to play the Seahawks in Week 1. That won’t happen due to a hamstring injury in camp, putting the Rams in a hole after a 5-12 season and roster rebuild during the offseason. Gone are CB Jalen Ramsey, WR Allen Robinson, LB Bobby Wagner and DE Leonard Floyd. Wagner makes his homecoming by returning to the Seahawks and facing the Rams in the opener. Seattle re-upped with QB Geno Smith after his Pro Bowl campaign in 2022 helped make the Seahawks a surprise playoff entry. Seattle won two games by a combined seven points over the Rams last season. Smith was sacked seven times.

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Cowboys at Giants: New York crashed the playoffs thanks to a 7-2 start last season. But the Giants have only one win in the past 12 meetings with Dallas. The Cowboys roll with Dak Prescott, who faced criticism after throwing 15 interceptions last season, and expected the revamped offense with head coach Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling to be a boost. Tony Pollard replaces Ezekiel Elliott as the RB1 and adds a big-play dimension. Dallas relies heavily on defense and revealed plans to move pass rusher Micah Parsons into a more traditional defensive end role. He has nine career games with two or more sacks.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 27

August 27, 2023 by Terry Lyons

While We’re Young (Ideas) | A Look at the NE Patriots’ Tough Road

By TERRY LYONS

FOXBORO – After missing a few concert dates in Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band came back as strong as ever on Thursday night and they’ll be icing the guitar strings by the time you read this (on Saturday night or Sunday morning) after their second of two shows in New England.

The rock show stage and equipment trucks will head to Met Life Stadium on Sunday but the real question is whether the New England Patriots can bounce back as quickly as Springsteen did.

In two of three preseason games, the Patriots couldn’t break 10 points, the last coming Friday night, a 23-7 loss at Tennessee (hardly the strength of the AFC). New England previously fell, 20-7, to Houston and – in between – they managed a 21-17 victory at Green Bay, hardly the Pack of old. Only the Houston Texans game was at Gillette Stadium.

The old adage is to never put much stock in NFL preseason games, as second stringers battle for roster positions and veterans sit-out for health reasons and load management, but the main issue facing the Patriots as summer preseason games fade to opening day is a dose of reality – a reality speech you won;t hear on Boston sports talk radio or on WBZ-TV.

The fact of the matter is New England has a very tough schedule over the first eight weeks of the NFL regular season.

The Patriots open with two home games, against Philadelphia and Miami. A split would be an admirable outcome. From there, it gets dicey, especially with the fact four of the next six games are on the road. Here’s a quick look at the opening eight:

Sept. 10 – vs Philadelphia
Sept. 17 – vs. Miami
Sept. 24 – at NY Jets
Oct. 1 – at Dallas
Oct. 8 – vs New Orleans
Oct. 15 – at Las Vegas
Oct. 22 – vs Buffalo
Oct. 29 – at Miami

It’s entirely within reason that the New England Patriots start the year (1-7) or, ahem, (0-8) and with their highest hopes of being – (4-4) after eight weeks.

At the tail-end of the regular season, it doesn’t look any better, as the Patriots will face the two toughest teams in the AFC and two teams on the rise. Their “final four” schedule is as follows:

Dec. 18 – vs Kansas City
Dec. 24 – at Denver
Dec. 31 – at Buffalo
Jan. 7 – vs NY Jets

Two of the huge unknowns of this NFL season are within the AFC East.

Will QB Aaron Rodgers and an improved NYJ offense warrant a playoff spot?
Will the Miami Dolphins continue to improve and can oft-injured QB Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy, take the next step and compete with Buffalo and New York for the AFC East Divsional title?

The prediction here is for Buffalo to dominate the division but for the NY Jets to step-up to No. 2 and a playoff berth. The Dolphins and Patriots are likely to be (8-8, at best) and receive the home version of the game by New Year’s Eve.

Rodgers’ impact – as seen in this year’s HARD KNOCKS – is clearly evident. His throws remain effortless and his tutelage to young NYJ QB Zach Wilson might put the J-E-T-S’ quarterback situation amongst the NFL elite for a decade to come. Meanwhile, New England’s QB Mac Jones will face increasing pressure – both on and off the field – as the New England faithful long for the halcyon days of Tom Brady. Even the wizardry of Patriots coach Bill Belichick can’t team poise and performance under pressure. He’ll have to rely on defensive techniques and let the man who wears the “Mac” in the pouring rain, be very strained.

TID-BITS: Doesn’t the career arc of Phil Mickelson reflect the career arc of Rudy Giuliani (minus the recent State of Georgia indictment)? … A bad night on Chicago’s South Side has given a whole new meaning to the phrase “Bloody Sox.” Police in Chicago are investigating a shooting that left two women with non-life-threatening injuries Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field as the White Sox lost to the Oakland Athletics. In a statement issued early Saturday, the White Sox confirmed the incident and said it was unclear whether the women, who were in outfield seats in left field, were struck by bullets that came from inside or outside the park. Chicago police said one woman, 42, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, listed in fair condition. The other woman, 26, was grazed by a bullet to the abdomen but declined medical attention. In its statement, the team implied the incident was unprovoked. “While the police continue to investigate, White Sox security confirms that this incident did not involve an altercation of any kind,” the team said. “The White Sox are thinking of the victims at this time and wishing them a speedy recovery.”

BC OPENER: The Notre Dame v Navy (in Ireland) score will be in the books by the time you read this, but the bulk of College Football games will be played next weekend with games beginning Thursday night. On Saturday, September 2, the Boston College Eagles will open their 2023 season at home against an always tough Northern Illinois Huskies squad. BC opens with three home games, the third against potential ACC champion Florida State. That said, the September 16 (Noon) game on ABC will be the annual “Red Bandana” game. Look out Seminoles!

WHEN YOU THINK OF IT: The next few weeks will include some of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. Here’s a quick list – top of mind:

FIBA World Cup of Basketball
TOUR Championship/FedEx Cup Playoffs Finale
Opening of NCAA College Football
Opening of NFL regular season
US Open Tennis
Rugby World Cup
Conclusion of 2023 MLB Season
MLB Post Season
MLB World Series
Solheim Cup
Ryder Cup Golf
Pan American Games (Chile)

Patriots to Sign Ezekiel Elliott

August 15, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -The New England Patriots are in agreement with free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott on a one-year deal, with NFL Network reporting the contract is worth up to $6 million.

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The two-time NFL rushing champion visited with the Patriots late last month and provides important depth behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Elliott referenced the Patriots in a Twitter post Monday.

Elliott, 28, was released by the Dallas Cowboys in a salary-cutting move in March.

The Ohio State product was slowed in the second half of last season by a knee injury and wasn’t fully healthy in 2021. He rushed for a career-low 876 yards and 3.9 yards per carry in 2022 while backup Tony Pollard emerged as a 1,000-yard rusher and big-play threat.

Elliott led the NFL in rushing in 2016 and 2018 and posted four 1,000-yard seasons with Dallas. The 2016 first-round pick (fourth overall) ranks third in Cowboys history in rushing yards (8,262) and rushing touchdowns (68) behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett. He also has 305 catches for 2,336 yards and 12 scores in 103 games (102 starts).

The Patriots released running back James Robinson in June, and Ty Montgomery is nursing an undisclosed injury. Second-year running backs Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris are also on the depth chart.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Sign Picks Ahead of Camp

July 24, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive pass rusher Keion White signed their rookie contracts with the New England Patriots on Friday, getting their top two draft picks in the door before the official start of training camp.

Gonzalez was drafted 17th overall after the Patriots moved down in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers from No. 14. The Oregon product was the third cornerback selected in the first round.

“I’m glad Gonzo was there,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the selection. “I think when you just go and look for one guy and then he’s not there, there’s other players in the draft that can help us, as well. But he’s been great to work with, and I look forward to getting him ready to go for training camp.”

White, the 46th pick in the draft, had 7.5 sacks at Georgia Tech in 2022 and previously played at Old Dominion.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Agree to New Pact with Bentley

June 30, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley are in agreement on a two-year contract extension worth $18.75 million, NFL Network reported.

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The deal includes $9 million fully guaranteed, per the report.

Bentley, 26, started all 17 games for the Patriots in 2022, racking up a career-high 125 tackles.

He has 383 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and eight passes defensed in 65 career games (50 starts) in five seasons with the Pats, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Extend DeVante Parker

June 28, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – The New England Patriots and wide receiver DeVante Parker are in agreement on a new three-year contract worth $33 million, NFL Network and multiple media outlets reported.

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The deal includes $14 million in guaranteed money and per-game roster bonuses, per the report.

Parker, 30, was set to enter the 2023 season on the final year of his current contract, which would have paid him a base salary of $5.7 million.

Parker caught 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games (11 starts) for the Patriots in 2022, his first season with the team. The Patriots acquired Parker in a trade with the Miami Dolphins in April 2022.

Parker has 369 catches for 5,266 yards and 27 TDs in 106 career games (75 starts) with the Dolphins and Pats. He was selected No. 14 overall in the 2015 draft by Miami.

The Patriots also signed free agent wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million deal in March and reportedly are one of the teams in on free agent DeAndre Hopkins.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – Jan 29th

January 29, 2023 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – First things first. The AFC Championship is NOT in Foxboro and the Patriots reportedly are pointing fingers at coach Bill Belichick, his assistant coaches and each other on the reasons why. The tail end of that sentence clearly answers the front end declaration. It’s time for a shake-up at Gillette and the re-hiring of Bill O’Brien will not be enough.

O’Brien returned to New England after a two-year stint as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama. O’Brien also had brief stints at Penn State as head coach in 2012-13 and a longer run with the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014-20.

While the Patriots’ defense ranked No. 9 in Opponent Yards per Game and 11th in points allowed per game, it’s certainly the offensive side of the football that needs work. Looking at Special Teams, the Patriots ranked a league worst, according to ESPN’s DVOA (Defense adjusted-Value Over Average) and, the Patriots finished the 2022-23 NFL season at No. 16 in scoring and No. 26 in Yards per Game. Only Indianapolis, Chicago, Carolina, Tennessee, Houston and the LA Rams fared worse on gaining yards. In 3rd Down conversions, New England ranked No. 27 (of 32 NFL teams).

Belichick quickly addressed the issue, hiring O’Brien before the NFC/AFC Championship weekend. That will fill about 25% of the Patriots’ overall hole. The other 75% is on the players – the players on offense.

An interview with Captain Obvious floats the rumors the New York Jets will attempt to acquire longtime Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers just as they did in acquiring Green Bay’s Brett Favre in 2008. The Favre experiment lasted one season. Rodgers? Maybe two, but the trade would put New England at the bottom of the AFC East ladder predictions come September. (In 2022, New England (8-9) barely bested the J-E-T-S (7-10).

For New England, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, a 1,000+ yard rusher in 2022 will have high expectations as a 25-year old come 2023. RB Damien Harris spells Stevenson nicely, so the concentration for Belichick and O’Brien will be elsewhere.

Quarterback Mac Jones with his 84.9 QB rating over 14 games started in ‘22 will be in a make-it-or-break-it season. Bailey Zappe, who will turn 24 in April, is the No. 2 who will never be compared with Josh Allen of Buffalo or Patrick Mahomes of the KC Chiefs.

The NE receiving corps were abysmal. Jacobi Meyers (804 yards on 67 receptions); DeVante Parker (539 yards on 31 receptions); Kendrick Bourne (434 on 35) and tight end Henry Hunter (509 yards on 41 receptions) didn’t get the job done. Meyers had six TDs and the next three combined for six. The Patriots’ braintrust will need to beef up the WRs and TEs either through the free agency market or draft.

It won’t be until the WRs improve that any blame can be placed upon the shoulders of Mac Jones. Unless a minor miracle is performed at Patriot Place, Jones will be the started QB for 2023.

In the NFL Draft (April 27-29), the Patriots will seek help for the offensive line and for a deep-threat wide receiver. Of course Belichick never remains shy if there’s a top-notch corner available when the Patriots pick at No. 14.

That Patriots forecast leads us to Sunday’s NFC (SF 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles) and AFC (Cincinnati Bengals at KC Chiefs) Championship, arguably the best day of the year on the NFL schedule, unless you enjoy endless, two-week long pregame hype and endless $7-million dollar TV ads.

For those who enjoy a trip to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl or the first Thursday/Friday of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, next time, try the NFC/AFC doubleheader which comes along with lesser crowding, better games and some decent regular season hoops (College and NBA) games on Saturday.

From this armchair, the kiss of death for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals is that every talking head, every handicapper, former players, known sports gamblers – everybody – is picking a Philadelphia vs Cincinnati Super Bowl.

The lines as of Jan 28th – roughly 24 hours before kick-off:

Eagles (-2.5) over 49ers
Chiefs (-1.5) over Bengals

The pontificating pigskin public first saw the Eagles at (-1.5) while the Chiefs were getting (+1) on the opening.

The O/U for the Niners v Eagles opened at (45.5) and stands at (46.0).

The O/U for the Bengals at Chiefs opened at (46.5) and is up to (48).

Call me crazy, I like the Niners getting 2.5 and would not be afraid of the (+130) ML while I really like the KC Chiefs. Rumor has it a lot of “sharp” money came in on KC early.

KC will do or die by their secondary coverage of WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. I think KC can keep Chase under wraps, maybe a TD. Higgins can be the deciding factor as Cincy QB Joe Burrows will hit the open man. RB Joe Mixon on short screens could be a factor more so than via his straight run game.

The emergence of RB Isiah Pacheco for the Chiefs and the sure-fire, can’t stop it QB Patrick Mahomes to TE Travis Kelce will be enough to guide the Chiefs at Arrowhead. That said, a re-injury to Mahomes’ high ankle sprain would be disastrous for KC.

For SF, it’s all about Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers’ solid defense to match Philly. Any wavering by the Eagles in the first half will bring the pressure of the “Linc” down upon a playoff inexperienced roster. The Niners will need (at least) six points from their defense.

It’s kick-off time at 3:00pm (ET) (FOX) at Philly and roughly 6:30pm, call it 7:00pm if the game runs long, at Kansas City on CBS.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The NBA announced that they’ll pick sides for the annual NBA All-Star Game right before the game begins. Besides watching the Consumer Products guys flip-out providing proper jerseys and numbers and the Courtside stat inputter have a canary typing in the players/teams into the computers, it should make for a lot of fun.

The bad news, it should result in more “three point shots” being chucked-up as the coaches won’t even have a single practice to put in a few offensive sets to run. The talent of the NBA players will rise when the coaches put in some offense being run by nearly every team, but may God bless the point guards if they can organize any kind of half-court game.

The knee-jerk when the offenses aren’t in sync is for the ball to go up from three-point-land in the Mike D’Antoni style of “Seven Seconds of Less.” That concept calls for a shot to go up before the defense gets back. In other words, get the shot when the 24-second shot clock reads … 18-17. Last February, Steph Curry hit (16) three-pointers, shooting 16-of-27 from behind the arc. He had 50 points.

The number(s) to beat are (90) attempts by Team LeBron in 2019 when the game had a record (167) three-point field goal attempts. Sheesh.

TID-BITS: A copy of “How Basketball Can Save the World,” by David Hollander magically appeared in the mailbox of WWYI on Friday. Funny how that happens, isn’t it? Upon a quick flip today, the book looks like a job very well done. I can’t wait to find time to delve deep and read every syllable, then re-read it all again. First thought was that the book should be REQUIRED reading for every collegiate Sociology and Sports Business Management class in the world. More to come.

They call them “The Joker(s)” because American fans have trouble pronouncing Denver Nuggets’ MVP candidate Nikola Jokic or tennis great Novak Djokovic who will face “the Greek Tzatziki” in Stefanos Tsitsipas at 3:30am (ET) this morning. Set your alarm clock or your iPhone alarms.

QUARTERLY REPORT: As will be the custom – as often as a quarterly basis, the investment wing of WWYI Enterprises will reveal its most recent plays in the market. Some are successful while others are not. We tip our hat and tap our ice hockey sticks to our mentor in the investment world, Ralph Kramden. Old Ralph boy made significant investments in a few beauties. Here are just a few:

No Cal Pizza
A Parking Lot Next to the Movie Theatre (How would he know it was a Drive-In)?
The Handy Housewife Helper (MUST WATCH here)

Here’s our Quarterly Portfolio:

Sizable Investment in a new Theatrical Show: Chartreuse Man Group
10,000 Shares in: The Fire-and-Brimstone Tire Company
100,000 Shares in: The Lava Fence (*clinical trial failed in Hawaii)
Controlling interest in Oscar Madison Square Garden Network

ONE SMALL STEP FOR HOMA, ONE GIANT LEAP for the PGA TOUR: Did you see the clip of PGA Tour pro Max Homa walking toward his ball on the 13th hole at Torrey Pines? If not, watch this and I’ll pick it up “on the other side.”

Golf on CBS ⛳ @GolfonCBS

Mic’d up Max Homa ‼️🎤 “If I can hit this thing to 5 feet then I’m too good to be only 7 under.” 😂

First, let’s credit Max Homa for his participation and willingness to do an interview DURING his round of professional golf.

Secondly, credit the top notch interview skills of newly crowned golf commentator Trevor Immelman who made his CBS lead commentator debut this week. Add, equal praise for both Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo. With all three, the line of questioning was perfect for both a 1-handicap or a newcomer to the game of golf.

With the pressure applied to the PGA Tour by the LIV golf circuit, there will be more and more interaction with the PGA Tour players during their rounds, in addition to the usual before or after. It seems the players, as a group, realize the stakes have been raised and this is the time to forge cooperation with the Tour’s network partners.

Meanwhile, LIV Golf settled for a US television deal with the CW Network and moved their final event from Miami to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to take place November 3-5 – a good two months after the PGA Tour crowns its FEDEx CUP champion at the TOUR Championship to be played at East Lake in Atlanta (before the NFL season kicks-off).

WE LOVE THE TEAM VALUATIONS, HERE’s to the EPL:

Again, tip of the cap to our friends at Sportico for the hard work that goes into making these valuations, here’s the list of the Top 5 English Premier League clubs:

Manchester United – $5.95 billion
Liverpool – $4.71 billion
Manchester City – $4.43 billion
Arsenal – $3.6 billion
Chelsea – $3.47 billion

The “average” Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise is worth $582 million. Not too shabby.

Parting Words

I DO NOT know where to start, so I’ll wing it on a topic far too important to take lightly. Better said, I’ll just try to do my best:

It wasn’t until about 2008 or so when I really learned there are some bad people in this everyday world, all with a single common denominator of evil overtaking them and their minds and actions. It’s prevalent in every single workplace, every field, every industry, in every single corner of the earth. Why? I do not know.

It took me 48 years to understand it and much was taught to me by my friend and former NBA colleague, Bob Delaney, who faced certain evils as a New Jersey State Trooper at the ripe age of 23, as he went undercover to try to bust up a major crime syndicate on the Jersey side of the Hudson. He wrote of it in his book, COVERT, recently re-printed as demand continued for a good true-crime book. Bob stressed they were just a bunch of “regular guys” who would bump off a delivery truck on the way to attend a First Holy Communion ceremony and then meet-up with each other for a Sunday family party.

Yes, I had heard about it. Yes, I had watched it unfold but as psuedo-comedy shows or motion pictures, such as “The Sopranos” or “Goodfellas.” I’d never heard it “live” like we saw on tape from a light pole in Memphis Friday night.

We – at the NBA – had a criminal rogue referee betray all we had done in our basketball lives, a wonderful force of like-minded people were all spreading the basketball gospel. Until THUD. A ref and his high school ‘friends” betting on the games. “GUILTY,” said the Judge.

“There are bad guys everywhere,” said Delaney to me as I was shaken to the core by someone who would undermine our game and all the work that was put-in over the years.

That basketball moment was important to me at the time, but this… this disgrace in Memphis … this total undermining of the entire law enforcement society built to protect us all … is disgusting and CRIMINAL.

Yes, I believe in the “innocent until proven guilty by a jury of your peers,” but damn, it’s on tape.

So, let the justice system do its job. The big Blue Shield has been exposed once again, evil overtaking the good of all the people of Memphis. The people who need their police to protect them, not kick them to death.

It burns me (and everyone on the right side of the law) up. It undermines and disappoints us to the highest degree possible.

What’s left? What can we do other than to pray for the people of Memphis, for the deceased (Mr. Tyre Nichols) and his family. Pray for peace and justice in Memphis at this precise time in our nation’s sorely blemished history.

Pray for healing. It’s not the answer but simply a remedy for the growing illness of evil.

NFL Desk: Fully Charged

December 27, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Field Level Media Wire Report) – Quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 235 yards and RB Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff berth with a 20-3 win against the host Indianapolis Colts Monday night.

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With their third straight victory, the Chargers (9-6) qualified for the postseason for the first time since the 2018 season.

Nick Foles took over as the starter at quarterback for Indianapolis this week and finished 17-for-29 for 143 yards and three interceptions. He was also sacked seven times.

Matt Ryan was benched after the Colts blew a 33-0 halftime lead on Dec. 17 in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Indianapolis (4-10-1) was held to 173 total yards in its fifth straight loss.

The Chargers did not record a first down on their first three drives, but they marched 70 yards on 13 plays on their fourth and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ekeler with 8:41 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers intercepted two passes in the first quarter, including one by All-Pro safety Derwin James, who had missed the previous two games with a quad injury.

James was involved in a helmet-to-helmet tackle on Ashton Dulin with 5:19 left in the first half. James was disqualified from the game and Dulin was later ruled out with a concussion.

Chase McLaughlin capped the drive with a 46-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 with 4:21 left in the half.

Cameron Dicker booted a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chargers a 10-3 halftime lead.

Asante Samuel Jr. intercepted the third pass for Los Angeles on its first defensive series of the second half, and the Chargers cashed that in with a 21-yard field goal by Dicker for a 13-3 lead with 6:01 left in the third quarter.

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Ekeler scored on another 1-yard run to extend the lead to 20-3 with 8:20 left in the game.

The Colts played without running back Jonathan Taylor, the leading rusher in the NFL last season, who was put on injured reserve last week after sustaining a high ankle sprain early in the loss to Minnesota.

–Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk

NFL Sports Desk: Dec 24th Round-Up

December 25, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Brett Maher kicked a go-ahead, 48-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining to lift the Dallas Cowboys to a 40-34 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, preventing the Eagles from clinching in the NFC East and securing the conference’s top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Cowboys (11-4), who trailed 27-17 with nine minutes left in the third quarter, got the ball back one play after Maher’s field goal when Anthony Barr recovered Miles Sanders’ fumble on Philadelphia’s 21-yard line with 2:07 to go.

Maher’s 26-yarder — his fourth field goal in as many tries — made it 40-34 with 1:41 left. The Eagles (13-2) turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Gardner Minshew’s pass on fourth-and-10 from the Cowboys 19-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott went 27 of 35 for 347 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 55 yards and a score on 16 carries. CeeDee Lamb had 10 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns for Dallas, which has won five of its past six games.

Steelers 13, Raiders 10

Kenny Pickett hit George Pickens on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 46 seconds remaining, and host Pittsburgh kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Las Vegas during an emotional night.

The last-minute victory was earned four days after the death of former Steelers great Franco Harris and one day after the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” when Harris caught a deflected pass and scored the game-winning touchdown during the final minute of a 1972 playoff game against the Raiders.

In his return after missing last week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers because of a concussion, Pickett was 26 of 39 for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Najee Harris had 53 yards rushing on 16 carries for Pittsburgh (7-8), while Pat Freiermuth had seven catches for 66 yards. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was 16 of 30 for 174 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions. Las Vegas (6-9) could be eliminated from playoff consideration as early as Monday.

Ravens 17, Falcons 9

Tyler Huntley threw Baltimore’s first touchdown pass in a month and the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone as the hosts won their 10th game and secured a playoff berth.

Starting for the third consecutive game with Lamar Jackson nursing a knee injury, Huntley connected with wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for the Ravens’ first TD pass to a wide receiver since Week 3. Huntley completed 9 of 17 passes for 115 yards and rushed for 26 yards. Gus Edwards had 99 rushing yards and J.K. Dobbins contributed 59 for the Ravens (10-5).

Atlanta (5-10) managed field goals in the second, third and fourth quarters and lost despite outgaining the Ravens 327-299. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had 218 yards passing and completed 22 of 33 passes, highlighted by seven connections with rookie wideout Drake London for 96 yards.

Panthers 37, Lions 23

D’Onta Foreman ran for 165 yards and Chuba Hubbard racked up 125 yards on the ground as Carolina got back on track by trouncing Detroit in Charlotte, N.C.

Foreman, Raheem Blackshear and quarterback Sam Darnold all scored rushing touchdowns as the Panthers (6-9) won for the third time in their last four games and remained within a game of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers’ quest for the divisional title will take them to road games against Tampa Bay and New Orleans to close the regular season.

Amid frigid conditions for Carolina’s home finale, Darnold threw for a touchdown as part of his 15-for-22 day with 250 yards through the air. DJ Moore made five catches for 83 yards and a score. Jared Goff threw three TD passes to Shane Zylstra for the Lions (7-8), but the result was damaging to Detroit’s wild-card aspirations. Goff finished 25-for-42 for 355 yards. DJ Chark made four catches for 108 yards.

Bills 35, Bears 13

Devin Singletary and James Cook combined for 205 rushing yards and each ran for a touchdown, Josh Allen had three total TDs and visiting Buffalo topped Chicago to clinch the AFC East title.

Buffalo (12-3) prevailed during a frigid afternoon at Soldier Field, stretching its winning streak to six while earning the franchise’s third consecutive division crown. The Bears (3-12) lost their eighth straight.

The Bills overcame two interceptions and a fumble to outgain the Bears 426-209. Chicago was unable to hold on after taking a 10-6 lead into halftime.

Saints 17, Browns 10

Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill each ran for a touchdown and visiting New Orleans shut out Cleveland in the second half to cruise to a win.

Neither team passed the ball effectively as the game was played in single-digit temperatures with winds gusting to about 30 mph. Hill and Kamara scored their touchdowns in the third quarter as the Saints (6-9) held the Browns (6-9) to 33 yards in the frame.

The Seahawks (7-8) lost for the fifth time in their past six games to remain just below the playoff line in the NFC. Geno Smith was 25-of-40 passing for 215 yards for Seattle, with one touchdown and one interception. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 107 yards on 26 attempts and DK Metcalf had seven catches for 81 yards.

Vikings 27, Giants 24

Greg Joseph hit a 61-yard field goal as time expired to lead Minnesota to a win over New York in Minneapolis.

Kirk Cousins went 34-of-48 passing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Justin Jefferson caught 12 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown and T.J. Hockenson caught 13 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (12-3).

Daniel Jones went 30-of-42 passing for 334 yards in defeat for the Giants (8-6-1). Saquon Barkley rushed for 84 yards and a score and Isaiah Hodgins caught eight passes for 89 yards and a TD.

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Bengals 22, Patriots 18

Joe Burrow threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns and Cincinnati survived a second-half comeback to down New England in Foxboro.

After trailing 22-0 in the third, New England (7-8) clawed its way back to within 22-18 with 6:02 left after Jakobi Meyers caught a 48-yard TD pass. The Patriots had a chance to take their first lead with 59 seconds left to play, but Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled at the Cincinnati 8-yard line to seal the win for the Bengals (11-4), who clinched a playoff berth on Thursday when the Jets lost to Jacksonville.

Burrow completed 40 of 52 passes with a pair of picks, one of which was returned for a 69-yard TD by Marcus Jones. Tee Higgins had eight grabs for 128 yards and a TD, while Trenton Irwin had two receiving scores. For New England, Mac Jones (21-for-33 passing) threw for 240 yards and two TDs. Kendrick Bourne had six catches for 100 yards and a TD and Meyers finished with six receptions for 83 yards.

Texans 19, Titans 14

Davis Mills’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with 2:52 left led Houston to a 19-14 win over Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn.

The outcome snapped a nine-game losing streak for Houston (2-12-1) and sent reeling Tennessee (7-8) to its fifth straight loss. Derrick Henry rushed for 126 yards and a score for the Titans, who fell into a first-place tie in the AFC South with Jacksonville.

Mills finished 17 of 28 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception, throwing for 69 yards on the winning drive. Houston’s defense came up with two stops to secure the win. Christian Harris intercepted Malik Willis at the Texans 42 with 1:39 remaining and Jalen Pitre picked off a Hail Mary pass in the end zone on the game’s last play.

49ers 37, Commanders 20

Brock Purdy connected with George Kittle for two touchdown passes and San Francisco stretched its winning streak to eight games with a victory over Washington at Santa Clara, Calif.

NFL sack leader Nick Bosa had two more to raise his season total to 17.5 and forced a fumble for the 49ers (11-4). Purdy completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for San Francisco. Kittle caught six passes for 120 yards and has four scoring receptions over the past two games.

Taylor Heinicke was 13-of-18 passing for 166 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for Washington (7-7-1) before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Carson Wentz entered for the first time since a Week 6 finger injury and completed 12 of 16 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots, Cards in “Must Win”

December 9, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

GLENDALE – Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are in desperation mode as they entertain the New England Patriots on Monday night at Arizona. The Cardinals (4-8) are among the NFL’s biggest underachievers this season and sit three games behind the NFC’s final playoff spot with five contests remaining.

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Since only two NFC teams have fewer victories, another setback will all but eliminate Arizona and place fourth-year coach Kliff Kingsbury firmly on the hot seat.

However, standout safety Budda Baker doesn’t want to have to wave the white flag before it becomes necessary.

“At the end of the day when it’s time to work we work,” Baker, who has a team-best 90 tackles, told reporters. “We’ve got five more opportunities. We have to take the best of those opportunities because (the NFL) stands for not for long. We’ve got five more opportunities to play some good football and that’s the plan that we’re going to do.”

The Cardinals are coming off a bye. However, they have lost two straight games and six of their last eight, and they will need Murray to heat up if they are to make a dash for a playoff spot.

The fourth-year pro passed for fewer than 200 yards in each of his last two appearances — he missed two November games due to a hamstring injury — and has a career-worst 6.1 average yards per attempt.

He also has received career-most criticism due to his performance after receiving a five-year, $230.5 million extension in the offseason.

“You understand the position that you are in, what comes with it, what you have to face,” Murray said. “I’m not really new to it. Something I’ve been dealing with, not my whole life but for the most part of my life having to deal with stuff like that. It doesn’t affect me.”

The Patriots (6-6) also have lost two straight games and are experiencing issues of their own.

New England also is on the outside of the playoff chase, sitting one game behind the New York Jets for the final AFC wild-card spot.

The atmosphere is certainly tense. During a Dec. 1 home loss to the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Mac Jones got heated on the sideline over the lack of deep pass plays being called.

Jones’ play hasn’t been as solid as his 2021 rookie campaign. He passed for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns last season; he has 1,963 yards and seven scoring throws in nine games this season.

He said the Patriots are close to getting their offensive act together.

“We’ve just got to eliminate those (bad plays) at this point,” Jones said. “There are a few plays in every game — a handful of plays that just aren’t very good. Once we can fix those, then everything goes.”

Earlier this week, New England coach Bill Belichick told WEEI that it’s too difficult to make major changes to the offense at this point in the season.

That doesn’t sound too promising, considering the Patriots sit 24th in total offense at 318.9 yards per game and are tied for 19th in scoring offense (20.8 points per game).

“If we can just do, consistently, what we’re doing, I think we’ll be all right,” Belichick said. “We just haven’t been able to have enough consistency. And that’s hurt us. It’s not one thing. One time it’s one thing. Next time it’s something else. We just have to play and coach more consistently.”

Left tackle Trent Brown (illness) and right tackle Isaiah Wynn (foot) were among the New England players who missed practice on Thursday. Also sitting out were receiver Jakobi Meyers (concussion), running back Damien Harris (thigh) and cornerback Jalen Mills (groin).

Arizona receiver DeAndre Hopkins (illness) sat out Thursday. Other Cardinals to miss practice were cornerback Byron Murphy (back), left guard Rashaad Coward (chest) and receiver Rondale Moore (groin).

–Field Level Media

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