On this week's episode, Liam and I hand out some mid-season awards, debate Dalvin Cook vs. Christian McCaffery and display a tremendous amount of joy over the news that advance tickets for Knives Out are now on sale. Listen, subscribe and call your congressperson to let them know where the most clumsily-delivered fantasy football takes on the internet are located.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mid-season-mvps-and-wet-pencils-eof108/id1478573845?i=1000455589229
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/mid-season-mvps-and-wet-pencils-eof108.html
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
2019 Fantasy Football Mid-Year Awards
The fantasy playoff hunt is about to start heating up after 8 hotly contested weeks, so now is the ideal time to get contemplative about how this season has played out thus far. Here are the players that I believe have provided owners with the most joy and pain through the first half of the fantasy season.
Biggest Surprise: 49ers Defense (27 sacks, 10 INT, 6 FUM REC, 2 TD)
I'm honestly flabbergasted by how good this group has been this year. A year ago this defense was a farce that almost seems like they were purposely avoiding making impact plays (they mustered a league-worst 7 takeaways), now they're a fearsome machine who gets after the quarterback and consistently takes the ball away. Most impressively, they've made this leap with very minimal personnel changes (only 3 of their 11 starters weren't on the team a year ago). Expect Robert Saleh to get some head coaching interviews after orchestrating such a swift turnaround.
Honorable Mentions: Austin Hooper (Falcons), Zane Gonzalez (Cardinals), Gardner Minshew (Jaguars)
Biggest Flop: Damien Williams (Chiefs) (100 Rushing YDS, 2 TD, 15 REC, 115 YDS, 1 TD)
Here's a classic case of the fantasy football world putting too much stock into a late season emergence. Williams has reverted back to the below average committee back he was prior to the post-Kareem Hunt release surge he enjoyed in the final month of 2018, operating as the 1B option to a more seasoned veteran (LeSean McCoy) and not doing a whole hell of a lot with his limited touches.
Dishonorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), Baker Mayfield (Browns), Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Best Value Pick: Lamar Jackson (Ravens) (1,650 Passing YDS, 11 TD, 5 INT, 576 Rushing YDS, 3 TD)
Negative offseason buzz paired with his horrific playoff performance against the Chargers sent Jackson plummeting down fantasy draft boards over the summer. The owners who were fortunate enough to cash in on his high-end QB2 ADP are reaping the vast rewards. Jackson has been an even more deadly rusher in his sophomore campaign while showing some notable improvement as a passer under new OC Greg Roman.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Darren Waller (Raiders)
Worst Value Pick: Joe Mixon (Bengals) (320 YDS, 0 TD, 19 REC, 110 YDS, 3 TD)
A horrific offensive line that seems incapable of creating rushing lanes paired with a much more pass-happy attack from new HC Zac Taylor has relegated Mixon, whose ADP was around 14-18 in most leagues, to a volatile RB3/FLEX play.
Dishonorable Mentions: Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), Le'Veon Bell (Jets), Damien Williams (Chiefs)
Top Successful Sleeper: Darren Waller (Raiders) (46 REC, 496 YDS, 3 TD)
Jon Gruden's passing offense has a tendency to run through tight ends and Waller proved that theory once again in 2019. With his steady hands and terrific after-the-catch ability, Waller has emerged as the most reliable receiver on a Raiders team that is lacking firepower following the fallout from the Antonio Brown debacle and delivered fantasy owners with a top-tier TE at a very affordable cost (last 2-3 rounds in deeper leagues, waiver wire in smaller leagues).
Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), John Brown (Bills), Matt Brieda (49ers)
Still Asleep: Dante Pettis (49ers) (10 REC, 88 YDS, 1 TD)
While the 49ers have been the surprise breakout team of 2019, Pettis has done almost nothing to contribute to that success. This very popular sleeper pick has struggled to get consistent snaps in a receiving corps that isn't exactly overflowing with talent and has only logged more than 1 reception in a game 2 times all season.
Honorable Mentions: Darrell Henderson Jr. (Rams), Darwin Thompson (Chiefs), James Washington (Steelers)
Top Waiver Add: D.J. Chark (Jaguars) (39 REC, 660 YDS, 6 TD)
The Jags sophomore WR has taken advantage of his excellent chemistry with rookie QB Gardner Minshew to put together a breakout campaign that pretty much nobody saw coming. Chark is currently ranked 5th in total fantasy points* (standard leagues), 7th in YDS and tied for 1st in TD's among wide receivers- which puts him ahead of several top 25 draft picks including DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster in all 3 categories.
Honorable Mentions: 49ers Defense, Terry McLaurin (Redskins), Chase Edmonds (Cardinals)
Top Rookie: Josh Jacobs (Raiders) (620 Rushing YDS, 4 TD, 11 REC, 102 YDS)
The 1st rookie off the board in most fantasy drafts has lived up to the hype and then some. Jacobs has taken complete control of the Raiders backfield with his strong, aggressive rushing style and is currently averaging 103.1 scrimmage YDS per game-which ranks 6th among running backs. If he keeps this up in the back half of the season, he should be a top 5-10 overall pick in 2020.
Honorable Mentions: Terry McLaurin (Redskins), D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks), Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
Mid-Year MVP: Christian McCaffery (Panthers) (735 Rushing YDS, 8 TD, 39 REC, 343 YDS, 2 TD)
To me, this race hasn't even been close. McCaffery has put up video game numbers almost every week while facing stacked boxes on nearly every snap and having to adjust to a new QB in the middle of the season. If he can avoid missing time and keep producing at a similar clip the rest of the way, this might end going down as one of the most dominant fantasy season of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Deshaun Watson (Texans)
Biggest Surprise: 49ers Defense (27 sacks, 10 INT, 6 FUM REC, 2 TD)
I'm honestly flabbergasted by how good this group has been this year. A year ago this defense was a farce that almost seems like they were purposely avoiding making impact plays (they mustered a league-worst 7 takeaways), now they're a fearsome machine who gets after the quarterback and consistently takes the ball away. Most impressively, they've made this leap with very minimal personnel changes (only 3 of their 11 starters weren't on the team a year ago). Expect Robert Saleh to get some head coaching interviews after orchestrating such a swift turnaround.
Honorable Mentions: Austin Hooper (Falcons), Zane Gonzalez (Cardinals), Gardner Minshew (Jaguars)
Biggest Flop: Damien Williams (Chiefs) (100 Rushing YDS, 2 TD, 15 REC, 115 YDS, 1 TD)
Here's a classic case of the fantasy football world putting too much stock into a late season emergence. Williams has reverted back to the below average committee back he was prior to the post-Kareem Hunt release surge he enjoyed in the final month of 2018, operating as the 1B option to a more seasoned veteran (LeSean McCoy) and not doing a whole hell of a lot with his limited touches.
Dishonorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), Baker Mayfield (Browns), Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Best Value Pick: Lamar Jackson (Ravens) (1,650 Passing YDS, 11 TD, 5 INT, 576 Rushing YDS, 3 TD)
Negative offseason buzz paired with his horrific playoff performance against the Chargers sent Jackson plummeting down fantasy draft boards over the summer. The owners who were fortunate enough to cash in on his high-end QB2 ADP are reaping the vast rewards. Jackson has been an even more deadly rusher in his sophomore campaign while showing some notable improvement as a passer under new OC Greg Roman.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Darren Waller (Raiders)
Worst Value Pick: Joe Mixon (Bengals) (320 YDS, 0 TD, 19 REC, 110 YDS, 3 TD)
A horrific offensive line that seems incapable of creating rushing lanes paired with a much more pass-happy attack from new HC Zac Taylor has relegated Mixon, whose ADP was around 14-18 in most leagues, to a volatile RB3/FLEX play.
Dishonorable Mentions: Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), Le'Veon Bell (Jets), Damien Williams (Chiefs)
Top Successful Sleeper: Darren Waller (Raiders) (46 REC, 496 YDS, 3 TD)
Jon Gruden's passing offense has a tendency to run through tight ends and Waller proved that theory once again in 2019. With his steady hands and terrific after-the-catch ability, Waller has emerged as the most reliable receiver on a Raiders team that is lacking firepower following the fallout from the Antonio Brown debacle and delivered fantasy owners with a top-tier TE at a very affordable cost (last 2-3 rounds in deeper leagues, waiver wire in smaller leagues).
Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), John Brown (Bills), Matt Brieda (49ers)
Still Asleep: Dante Pettis (49ers) (10 REC, 88 YDS, 1 TD)
While the 49ers have been the surprise breakout team of 2019, Pettis has done almost nothing to contribute to that success. This very popular sleeper pick has struggled to get consistent snaps in a receiving corps that isn't exactly overflowing with talent and has only logged more than 1 reception in a game 2 times all season.
Honorable Mentions: Darrell Henderson Jr. (Rams), Darwin Thompson (Chiefs), James Washington (Steelers)
Top Waiver Add: D.J. Chark (Jaguars) (39 REC, 660 YDS, 6 TD)
The Jags sophomore WR has taken advantage of his excellent chemistry with rookie QB Gardner Minshew to put together a breakout campaign that pretty much nobody saw coming. Chark is currently ranked 5th in total fantasy points* (standard leagues), 7th in YDS and tied for 1st in TD's among wide receivers- which puts him ahead of several top 25 draft picks including DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster in all 3 categories.
Honorable Mentions: 49ers Defense, Terry McLaurin (Redskins), Chase Edmonds (Cardinals)
Top Rookie: Josh Jacobs (Raiders) (620 Rushing YDS, 4 TD, 11 REC, 102 YDS)
The 1st rookie off the board in most fantasy drafts has lived up to the hype and then some. Jacobs has taken complete control of the Raiders backfield with his strong, aggressive rushing style and is currently averaging 103.1 scrimmage YDS per game-which ranks 6th among running backs. If he keeps this up in the back half of the season, he should be a top 5-10 overall pick in 2020.
Honorable Mentions: Terry McLaurin (Redskins), D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks), Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
Mid-Year MVP: Christian McCaffery (Panthers) (735 Rushing YDS, 8 TD, 39 REC, 343 YDS, 2 TD)
To me, this race hasn't even been close. McCaffery has put up video game numbers almost every week while facing stacked boxes on nearly every snap and having to adjust to a new QB in the middle of the season. If he can avoid missing time and keep producing at a similar clip the rest of the way, this might end going down as one of the most dominant fantasy season of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Deshaun Watson (Texans)
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition
Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
As expected, the Raiders horrific secondary had no answers for Watson. The rising star signalcaller threw for 279 YDS and 3 TD's while adding another 46 YDS on the ground in an ugly, but hard-fought comeback victory. Watson will look to make it 3 fantasy MVP performances in 4 weeks when the Texans travel to London to take on the Jaguars this Sunday.
As expected, the Raiders horrific secondary had no answers for Watson. The rising star signalcaller threw for 279 YDS and 3 TD's while adding another 46 YDS on the ground in an ugly, but hard-fought comeback victory. Watson will look to make it 3 fantasy MVP performances in 4 weeks when the Texans travel to London to take on the Jaguars this Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Drew Brees (Saints), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
LVP: Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
Cousins didn't really take advantage of his opportunity to stick it to the Redskins. He put together a clean, but very pedestrian game (285 YDS, 0 TD's, 0 giveaways) in his 1st showdown with the team that repeatedly refused to commit to him as their long-term franchise QB as the Vikings cruised to a 20-9 victory last Thursday night. The $84 million man will look to return to the level of the dominance he displayed earlier in October when the Norseman travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a showdown with the Chiefs banged-up secondary.
Cousins didn't really take advantage of his opportunity to stick it to the Redskins. He put together a clean, but very pedestrian game (285 YDS, 0 TD's, 0 giveaways) in his 1st showdown with the team that repeatedly refused to commit to him as their long-term franchise QB as the Vikings cruised to a 20-9 victory last Thursday night. The $84 million man will look to return to the level of the dominance he displayed earlier in October when the Norseman travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a showdown with the Chiefs banged-up secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Jacoby Brissett (Colts), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
Running Back
MVP: Tevin Coleman (49ers)
What a comically dominant performance this was. It only took Coleman 13 touches to gain 118 YDS and score 4 TD's in a blowout win over the Panthers. Coleman has been a scoring machine (6 total TD's) since returning from an ankle injury at the beginning of the month and should be a high-end RB2 for a Week 9 matchup with the Cardinals.
What a comically dominant performance this was. It only took Coleman 13 touches to gain 118 YDS and score 4 TD's in a blowout win over the Panthers. Coleman has been a scoring machine (6 total TD's) since returning from an ankle injury at the beginning of the month and should be a high-end RB2 for a Week 9 matchup with the Cardinals.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Latavius Murray (Saints), Christian McCaffery (Panthers)
LVP: Le'Veon Bell (Jets)
Despite facing a much more favorable matchup, Bell was every bit as ineffective this week as he was last week against the Patriots vaunted D. The Jaguars stuffed Bell every single time he touched the ball on Sunday afternoon, which resulted in him finishing the game with a depressing 35 YDS (23 rushing, 12 receiving) on 12 touches. Horrible offensive line play, game script issues and Adam Gase's questionable at best playcalling have prevented Bell from having success during his inaugural campaign with the Jets. However, there's legitimate potential for things to get rosier as they are about to enter a very favorable portion of the schedule that includes dates with the Redskins, Bengals and Dolphins (2x).
Despite facing a much more favorable matchup, Bell was every bit as ineffective this week as he was last week against the Patriots vaunted D. The Jaguars stuffed Bell every single time he touched the ball on Sunday afternoon, which resulted in him finishing the game with a depressing 35 YDS (23 rushing, 12 receiving) on 12 touches. Horrible offensive line play, game script issues and Adam Gase's questionable at best playcalling have prevented Bell from having success during his inaugural campaign with the Jets. However, there's legitimate potential for things to get rosier as they are about to enter a very favorable portion of the schedule that includes dates with the Redskins, Bengals and Dolphins (2x).
Dishonorable Mentions: Ty Johnson (Lions), LeSean McCoy (Chiefs), Derrick Henry (Titans)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
After a quiet couple of weeks by his standards, Evans was due for one of his patented inhuman explosions. He absolutely ruined a damn good Titans secondary, who did a great job containing Chris Godwin, amassing 198 YDS and 2 TD's on 11 catches. A matchup with a very burnable Seahawks secondary is up next for the freakishly gifted 6th year pro.
After a quiet couple of weeks by his standards, Evans was due for one of his patented inhuman explosions. He absolutely ruined a damn good Titans secondary, who did a great job containing Chris Godwin, amassing 198 YDS and 2 TD's on 11 catches. A matchup with a very burnable Seahawks secondary is up next for the freakishly gifted 6th year pro.
Honorable Mentions: Cooper Kupp (Rams), Kenny Golladay (Lions), Julian Edelman (Patriots)
LVP: Corey Davis (Titans)
In a development that shouldn't shock anybody whose familiar with him, Davis followed up a terrific outing with a porous one. The Titans de facto #1 wideout was largely invisible against the Bucs wretched secondary, securing just 2 catches for 9 YDS. Unless you're absolutely desperate for a FLEX/WR3 play, Davis shouldn't be in your lineups this week against the Panthers.
In a development that shouldn't shock anybody whose familiar with him, Davis followed up a terrific outing with a porous one. The Titans de facto #1 wideout was largely invisible against the Bucs wretched secondary, securing just 2 catches for 9 YDS. Unless you're absolutely desperate for a FLEX/WR3 play, Davis shouldn't be in your lineups this week against the Panthers.
Dishonorable Mentions: Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), Kenny Stills (Texans), D.J. Moore (Panthers)
Tight End
MVP: Austin Hooper (Falcons)
It's kind of hilarious that Hooper is putting together a career year while a complete meltdown is happening around him. The 4th year tight end was once again a bright spot for the reeling 1-7 Falcons as they got their teeth kicked in by the Seahawks-securing 6 catches for 65 YDS and a TD. Hooper has been the top fantasy tight end through 8 weeks by a pretty wide margin and he appears set to remain an elite option when the Falcons return to action in Week 10 against the Saints.
It's kind of hilarious that Hooper is putting together a career year while a complete meltdown is happening around him. The 4th year tight end was once again a bright spot for the reeling 1-7 Falcons as they got their teeth kicked in by the Seahawks-securing 6 catches for 65 YDS and a TD. Hooper has been the top fantasy tight end through 8 weeks by a pretty wide margin and he appears set to remain an elite option when the Falcons return to action in Week 10 against the Saints.
Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Evan Engram (Giants), George Kittle (49ers)
LVP: Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Where art thou Zach Ertz? The star tight end was a non-factor yet again, only managing 20 YDS on 2 catches versus a feisty Bills defense last Sunday. With a healthy Carson Wentz under center and a ton of injuries at WR, Ertz has been an inexplicable flop in 2019. He'll be a low-end TE1 against the Bears in Week 9.
Where art thou Zach Ertz? The star tight end was a non-factor yet again, only managing 20 YDS on 2 catches versus a feisty Bills defense last Sunday. With a healthy Carson Wentz under center and a ton of injuries at WR, Ertz has been an inexplicable flop in 2019. He'll be a low-end TE1 against the Bears in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Gerald Everett (Rams), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Jimmy Graham (Packers)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
Freddie Kitchens, Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb were the latest group of helpless souls that got to feel the wrath of the Patriots defense as their bumbling offense surrendered 5 sacks, 3 takeaways (2 FUM REC, 1 INT) and a TD to the league's scariest unit. Greg Roman and John Harbaugh are going to have to get really creative for Lamar Jackson to not get eaten alive by this group in primetime this Sunday night.
MVP: Patriots
Freddie Kitchens, Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb were the latest group of helpless souls that got to feel the wrath of the Patriots defense as their bumbling offense surrendered 5 sacks, 3 takeaways (2 FUM REC, 1 INT) and a TD to the league's scariest unit. Greg Roman and John Harbaugh are going to have to get really creative for Lamar Jackson to not get eaten alive by this group in primetime this Sunday night.
Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Jaguars, Steelers
LVP: Bears
In an excellent all-around week for fantasy defenses, the Bears merely passable performance (17 points allowed, 1 sack, 1 INT) against the Chargers is the one that let down the highest volume of owners. Chuck Pagano's group will look to rebound against a decent-to-good Eagles offense in Week 9.
In an excellent all-around week for fantasy defenses, the Bears merely passable performance (17 points allowed, 1 sack, 1 INT) against the Chargers is the one that let down the highest volume of owners. Chuck Pagano's group will look to rebound against a decent-to-good Eagles offense in Week 9.
Dishonorable Mentions: Bills, Panthers, Packers
2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 9
()=previous ranking
1.(1) New England Patriots (8-0) Week 9 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
2.(2) New Orleans Saints (7-1) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
3.(3) San Francisco 49ers (7-0) Week 9 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
4.(4) Green Bay Packers (7-1) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
5.(5) Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Week 9 opponent: New England Patriots
6.(7) Seattle Seahawks (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7.(9) Minnesota Vikings (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
8.(6) Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
9.(8) Buffalo Bills (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Washington Redskins
10.(11) Indianapolis Colts (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
11.(12) Houston Texans (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
12.(10) Carolina Panthers (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Tennessee Titans
13.(13) Dallas Cowboys (4-3) Week 9 opponent: New York Giants
14.(14) Los Angeles Rams (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
15.(16) Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Chicago Bears
16.(17) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Houston Texans
17.(18) Detroit Lions (3-3-1) Week 9 opponent: Oakland Raiders
18.(19) Oakland Raiders (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Detroit Lions
19.(15) Chicago Bears (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
20.(23) Tennessee Titans (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Carolina Panthers
21.(22) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
22.(20) Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) Week 9 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
23.(21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5) Week 9 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
24.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Green Bay Packers
25.(24) Cleveland Browns (2-5) Week 9 opponent: Denver Broncos
26.(25) Denver Broncos (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Cleveland Browns
27.(27) New York Giants (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
28.(28) Atlanta Falcons (1-7) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
29.(29) New York Jets (1-6) Week 9 opponent: Miami Dolphins
30.(30) Washington Redskins (1-7) Week 9 opponent: Buffalo Bills
31.(31) Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-7) Week 9 opponent: New York Jets
1.(1) New England Patriots (8-0) Week 9 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
2.(2) New Orleans Saints (7-1) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
3.(3) San Francisco 49ers (7-0) Week 9 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
4.(4) Green Bay Packers (7-1) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
5.(5) Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Week 9 opponent: New England Patriots
6.(7) Seattle Seahawks (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7.(9) Minnesota Vikings (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
8.(6) Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
9.(8) Buffalo Bills (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Washington Redskins
10.(11) Indianapolis Colts (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
11.(12) Houston Texans (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
12.(10) Carolina Panthers (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Tennessee Titans
13.(13) Dallas Cowboys (4-3) Week 9 opponent: New York Giants
14.(14) Los Angeles Rams (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
15.(16) Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Chicago Bears
16.(17) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Houston Texans
17.(18) Detroit Lions (3-3-1) Week 9 opponent: Oakland Raiders
18.(19) Oakland Raiders (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Detroit Lions
19.(15) Chicago Bears (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
20.(23) Tennessee Titans (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Carolina Panthers
21.(22) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
22.(20) Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) Week 9 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
23.(21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5) Week 9 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
24.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Green Bay Packers
25.(24) Cleveland Browns (2-5) Week 9 opponent: Denver Broncos
26.(25) Denver Broncos (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Cleveland Browns
27.(27) New York Giants (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
28.(28) Atlanta Falcons (1-7) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
29.(29) New York Jets (1-6) Week 9 opponent: Miami Dolphins
30.(30) Washington Redskins (1-7) Week 9 opponent: Buffalo Bills
31.(31) Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) Week 9 opponent: Bye Week
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-7) Week 9 opponent: New York Jets
Monday, October 28, 2019
The Best and Worst of Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career
highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's
new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography
of “Terminator: Dark Fate” star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger that I've seen:
The Terminator
Commando
Predator
The Running Man
Red Heat
Total Recall
Kindergarten Cop
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Last Action Hero
True Lies
Eraser
Jingle All the Way
Batman & Robin
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
The Expendables
The Expendables 2
The Last Stand
Escape Plan
Sabotage
The Expendables 3
Maggie
Terminator Genysis
Best Performance: Predator (1987)
Picking a top performance for Schwarzenegger was a painful exercise. He's an action movie legend with a stupid good resume that has brought his A-game to nearly every role he's ever played. I ended up going with Predator because Alan "Dutch" Schafer is the character that I feel does the best job of showcasing the combination of macho charisma and slick comedic timing that has made him one of the greatest protagonists the genre has ever seen.
Worst Performance: Batman & Robin (1997)
In a way, Mr. Freeze is one of Schwarzenegger's most memorable characters. A comically large man on skates going around spewing ice puns at a record clip is the type of image that's really hard to forget. That being said, no amount of memorable visuals can save this from being anything more than a less effective version of his signature deadpan joke delivery routine.
Best Film: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Fair or not, Judgement Day set a bar so lofty for the Terminator franchise that any subsequent sequels were pretty much doomed from a popular opinion standpoint before they were even conceived. James Cameron improved upon the excellent original with a sharp expansion of the mythology, more staggering action sequences, effects that were groundbreaking for its era and a villain in the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) that is the perfect complement to Schwarzenegger's cyborg killing machine turned human protector.
Worst Film: Batman & Robin (1997)
Given how safe the superhero genre can be in the era of the MCU, the balls Joel Schumacher displayed by making such an odd, absurd movie centered around a character that had been beloved for decades is something I find kind of admirable. On the other hand, Batman & Robin's bursts of hilarity are often weighed down by a level of campy stupidity that truly needs to be seen to be believed.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Doctor Sleep” star Rebecca Ferguson.
Films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger that I've seen:
The Terminator
Commando
Predator
The Running Man
Red Heat
Total Recall
Kindergarten Cop
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Last Action Hero
True Lies
Eraser
Jingle All the Way
Batman & Robin
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
The Expendables
The Expendables 2
The Last Stand
Escape Plan
Sabotage
The Expendables 3
Maggie
Terminator Genysis
Best Performance: Predator (1987)
Picking a top performance for Schwarzenegger was a painful exercise. He's an action movie legend with a stupid good resume that has brought his A-game to nearly every role he's ever played. I ended up going with Predator because Alan "Dutch" Schafer is the character that I feel does the best job of showcasing the combination of macho charisma and slick comedic timing that has made him one of the greatest protagonists the genre has ever seen.
Worst Performance: Batman & Robin (1997)
In a way, Mr. Freeze is one of Schwarzenegger's most memorable characters. A comically large man on skates going around spewing ice puns at a record clip is the type of image that's really hard to forget. That being said, no amount of memorable visuals can save this from being anything more than a less effective version of his signature deadpan joke delivery routine.
Best Film: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Fair or not, Judgement Day set a bar so lofty for the Terminator franchise that any subsequent sequels were pretty much doomed from a popular opinion standpoint before they were even conceived. James Cameron improved upon the excellent original with a sharp expansion of the mythology, more staggering action sequences, effects that were groundbreaking for its era and a villain in the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) that is the perfect complement to Schwarzenegger's cyborg killing machine turned human protector.
Worst Film: Batman & Robin (1997)
Given how safe the superhero genre can be in the era of the MCU, the balls Joel Schumacher displayed by making such an odd, absurd movie centered around a character that had been beloved for decades is something I find kind of admirable. On the other hand, Batman & Robin's bursts of hilarity are often weighed down by a level of campy stupidity that truly needs to be seen to be believed.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Doctor Sleep” star Rebecca Ferguson.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Movie Review: Zombieland: Double Tap
Patience is a virtue that isn't always easy to follow in a world where a Wi-Fi connection grants you access to an abundance of entertainment options. However, sometimes waiting for years upon years for a new entry in a series that you enjoy provides a highly rewarding payoff that justifies the pain that comes with enduring such a long wait. Zombieland: Double Tap is the latest title to prove the underrated merits of this increasingly prevalent industry practice.
A decade away from this undead wasteland drained not even an ounce of the non-stop goofy fun that made Zombieland stand out from other genre fare. In fact, given how natural and cohesive everything on screen feels, you would think Double Tap was made immediately after the original. The lovable leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) all enthusiastically step back into their roles as a smartass makeshift family whose bonds are tested after spending 10 years living in borderline isolation, all of the newcomers (Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch and scene-stealing MVP Zoey Deutch) fit perfectly into this offbeat, meta world and of course, there's a heaping helping of gleefully gory zombie carnage. Having a sequel recapture everything that made the predecessor great without feeling like a forced retread is a beautiful thing that I believe deserves to celebrated just as much as any other triumph in the world of movies.
Plain and simple, Zombieland: Double Tap is a god damn blast that is right on par with the original. It warms my heart that all of the key players (in addition to the aforementioned primary cast, director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also returned) were so eager to make a sequel happen and their passion-driven efforts are reflected in the quality of the product on screen. Stone reportedly suggested to Fleischer during the latter stages of filming on Double Tap that they try and get the band back together every 10 years. If these hypothetical future sequels ended up being as irresistibly entertaining as the first two outings, I'd be 100% down to cap off every decade with a trip to Zombieland.
A decade away from this undead wasteland drained not even an ounce of the non-stop goofy fun that made Zombieland stand out from other genre fare. In fact, given how natural and cohesive everything on screen feels, you would think Double Tap was made immediately after the original. The lovable leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) all enthusiastically step back into their roles as a smartass makeshift family whose bonds are tested after spending 10 years living in borderline isolation, all of the newcomers (Rosario Dawson, Avan Jogia, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch and scene-stealing MVP Zoey Deutch) fit perfectly into this offbeat, meta world and of course, there's a heaping helping of gleefully gory zombie carnage. Having a sequel recapture everything that made the predecessor great without feeling like a forced retread is a beautiful thing that I believe deserves to celebrated just as much as any other triumph in the world of movies.
Plain and simple, Zombieland: Double Tap is a god damn blast that is right on par with the original. It warms my heart that all of the key players (in addition to the aforementioned primary cast, director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also returned) were so eager to make a sequel happen and their passion-driven efforts are reflected in the quality of the product on screen. Stone reportedly suggested to Fleischer during the latter stages of filming on Double Tap that they try and get the band back together every 10 years. If these hypothetical future sequels ended up being as irresistibly entertaining as the first two outings, I'd be 100% down to cap off every decade with a trip to Zombieland.
Grade: A
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Earful of Fantasy Episode #7
On this week's episode, Liam and I go over Bill Belichick's vendettas, concede that the Jets offense didn't perform well against the Patriots last week and talk tight end dart throws. Listen below, subscribe at whatever podcast provider you fancy and take notes on our lineup advice so you can use it against us if or when it proves to be false.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-jumpin-and-a-slumpin-eof107/id1478573845?i=1000454696037
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/a-jumpin-and-slumpin-eof107.html
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-jumpin-and-a-slumpin-eof107/id1478573845?i=1000454696037
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/a-jumpin-and-slumpin-eof107.html
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Best and Worst of Frank Grillo
“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career
highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's
new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography
of “Black and Blue” star Frank Grillo.
Films starring Frank Grillo that I've seen:
Edge of Darkness
Warrior
The Grey
End of Watch
Zero Dark Thirty
Homefront
Captain America: The Winter Solider
The Purge: Anarchy
Captain America: Civil War
The Purge: Election Year
Wheelman
Point Blank
Best Performance: Wheelman (2017)
After stating off his career as a bit player in a wide variety of projects (The Grey, Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty), Grillo has emerged as one of the most reliably strong B-movie leads in the business over the past five years. His sleazy magnum opus came as a vengeance-seeking getaway driver in this terrific under-the-radar Netflix project. Grillo's unrelenting intensity in a subtly difficult role that required him to not directly interact with other actors for the bulk of the runtime serves as the anchor for this white-knuckle thrill ride that likely would've crumbled in the hands of a less engaged actor.
Worst Performance: Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)
Finding out that Grillo was in The Winter Solider was quite the shock. I remember him getting his ass kicked by Captain America in the sick opening fight scene of Civil War, but this Brock Remlow fella was introduced before then? Sorry, not ringing any bells. Could this lack of recollection be because Winter Solider is a movie that I've only seen once and am not very fond of? Sure, but I'm inclined to chalk it up to Grillo giving such an anonymous performance that any traces of his presence in Cap's solo sophomore big screen adventure were erased from my brain.
Best Film: End of Watch (2012)
Preparing for this piece over the past couple days has reminded me of just how special End of Watch is. I remember expecting this to be another gritty Training Day-style cop drama from David Ayer only to leave the theater being absolutely blown away by how authentic and powerful it was. The found footage-style cinematography gives the film a uniquely tense, grounded feeling, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena have a natural chemistry that makes you believe in the brotherhood they forged on the job and the ending packs an emotional wallop that lingers well after the credits roll.
Worst Film: Edge of Darkness (2010)
Edge of Darkness was Mel Gibson's first project after an 8-year hiatus and it wasn't exactly a roaring return to the big screen for the grizzled actor. Trying to combine a basic revenge plot with political thriller elements makes this a convoluted, tonally-challenged film that is frustratingly average on the whole.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Terminator: Dark Fate” star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Films starring Frank Grillo that I've seen:
Edge of Darkness
Warrior
The Grey
End of Watch
Zero Dark Thirty
Homefront
Captain America: The Winter Solider
The Purge: Anarchy
Captain America: Civil War
The Purge: Election Year
Wheelman
Point Blank
Best Performance: Wheelman (2017)
After stating off his career as a bit player in a wide variety of projects (The Grey, Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty), Grillo has emerged as one of the most reliably strong B-movie leads in the business over the past five years. His sleazy magnum opus came as a vengeance-seeking getaway driver in this terrific under-the-radar Netflix project. Grillo's unrelenting intensity in a subtly difficult role that required him to not directly interact with other actors for the bulk of the runtime serves as the anchor for this white-knuckle thrill ride that likely would've crumbled in the hands of a less engaged actor.
Worst Performance: Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)
Finding out that Grillo was in The Winter Solider was quite the shock. I remember him getting his ass kicked by Captain America in the sick opening fight scene of Civil War, but this Brock Remlow fella was introduced before then? Sorry, not ringing any bells. Could this lack of recollection be because Winter Solider is a movie that I've only seen once and am not very fond of? Sure, but I'm inclined to chalk it up to Grillo giving such an anonymous performance that any traces of his presence in Cap's solo sophomore big screen adventure were erased from my brain.
Best Film: End of Watch (2012)
Preparing for this piece over the past couple days has reminded me of just how special End of Watch is. I remember expecting this to be another gritty Training Day-style cop drama from David Ayer only to leave the theater being absolutely blown away by how authentic and powerful it was. The found footage-style cinematography gives the film a uniquely tense, grounded feeling, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena have a natural chemistry that makes you believe in the brotherhood they forged on the job and the ending packs an emotional wallop that lingers well after the credits roll.
Worst Film: Edge of Darkness (2010)
Edge of Darkness was Mel Gibson's first project after an 8-year hiatus and it wasn't exactly a roaring return to the big screen for the grizzled actor. Trying to combine a basic revenge plot with political thriller elements makes this a convoluted, tonally-challenged film that is frustratingly average on the whole.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Terminator: Dark Fate” star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Week 7 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition
Quarterback
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Rodgers broke out of his "funk" by putting up a truly absurd statline (429 YDS and 5 TD's through the air, 6 YDS and 1 TD on the ground) against the Raiders that resembled a college QB beating up on subpar competition. The 35-year old seems to finally be clicking in Matt LaFluer's system after an uneventful start to the season and if you had been benching him on account of his mediocre statlines, it's probably a good time to put him back in your lineup.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Jacoby Brissett (Colts)
LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
A monster game from Chase Edmonds paired with the terrible conditions at MetLife Stadium prevented Murray (132 total YDS, 0 TD's, 0 turnovers) from building off his career-best game against the Bengals in Week 5. After securing 3 straight wins over questionable competition, the sledding is about to get much tougher for the rookie QB starting this week with a trip to New Orleans to face a Saints defense that has been tremendous since Drew Brees got injured.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)
Running Back
MVP: Latavius Murray (Saints)
Alvin Kamara's absence didn't slow down the Saints rushing attack in the slightest against the Bears on Sunday afternoon. Murray shined incredibly bright in his 1st game operating as the Saints feature back, piling up 150 scrimmage YDS (119 rushing, 31 receiving) and 2 TD's on 32 touches in another dominant win for the NFC's best team. Murray should be a quality starting RB1/2 option as long as Kamara is out.
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Rodgers broke out of his "funk" by putting up a truly absurd statline (429 YDS and 5 TD's through the air, 6 YDS and 1 TD on the ground) against the Raiders that resembled a college QB beating up on subpar competition. The 35-year old seems to finally be clicking in Matt LaFluer's system after an uneventful start to the season and if you had been benching him on account of his mediocre statlines, it's probably a good time to put him back in your lineup.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Jacoby Brissett (Colts)
LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
A monster game from Chase Edmonds paired with the terrible conditions at MetLife Stadium prevented Murray (132 total YDS, 0 TD's, 0 turnovers) from building off his career-best game against the Bengals in Week 5. After securing 3 straight wins over questionable competition, the sledding is about to get much tougher for the rookie QB starting this week with a trip to New Orleans to face a Saints defense that has been tremendous since Drew Brees got injured.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)
Running Back
MVP: Latavius Murray (Saints)
Alvin Kamara's absence didn't slow down the Saints rushing attack in the slightest against the Bears on Sunday afternoon. Murray shined incredibly bright in his 1st game operating as the Saints feature back, piling up 150 scrimmage YDS (119 rushing, 31 receiving) and 2 TD's on 32 touches in another dominant win for the NFC's best team. Murray should be a quality starting RB1/2 option as long as Kamara is out.
Honorable Mentions: Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Sony Michel (Patriots), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
LVP: Phillip Lindsay (Broncos)
Turns out all the Chiefs needed to do to stop the run is play an offense led by Joe Flacco. A banner night of ineptitude from the league's highest-paid statue resulted in the Broncos going down big early and subsequently forced Lindsay (32 YDS on 12 touches) to get phased out of the gameplan in the 2nd half. The sophomore back isn't likely to fare much better in Week 8 against a Colts defense that has been stout against running game all season long.
Turns out all the Chiefs needed to do to stop the run is play an offense led by Joe Flacco. A banner night of ineptitude from the league's highest-paid statue resulted in the Broncos going down big early and subsequently forced Lindsay (32 YDS on 12 touches) to get phased out of the gameplan in the 2nd half. The sophomore back isn't likely to fare much better in Week 8 against a Colts defense that has been stout against running game all season long.
Dishonorable Mentions: David Montgomery (Bears), Devin Singletary (Bills), Carlos Hyde (Texans)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions)
How many people had Jones topping all wideouts in scoring this week? The Lions #2 wideout was all over the place against the Vikings on Sunday, hauling in 10 catches for 93 YDS and 4 TD's. While a regression is basically inevitable after such a huge performance, Jones should be a damn fine WR3/FLEX play against the Giants.
How many people had Jones topping all wideouts in scoring this week? The Lions #2 wideout was all over the place against the Vikings on Sunday, hauling in 10 catches for 93 YDS and 4 TD's. While a regression is basically inevitable after such a huge performance, Jones should be a damn fine WR3/FLEX play against the Giants.
Honorable Mentions: Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Packers), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Allen Robinson (Bears)
LVP: Kenny Golladay (Lions)
Jones' running mate, on the other hand, wasn't quite as impressive. Golladay somehow caught just 1 pass for 21 YDS in another painful division loss for Detroit. The Lions top wideout should be in line for an uptick in production against the Giants awful secondary this week.
Jones' running mate, on the other hand, wasn't quite as impressive. Golladay somehow caught just 1 pass for 21 YDS in another painful division loss for Detroit. The Lions top wideout should be in line for an uptick in production against the Giants awful secondary this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Tyler Boyd (Bengals), Calvin Ridley (Falcons)
Tight End
MVP: Darren Waller (Raiders)
The rise of Waller continues!!! The Raiders tight end was one of the few bright spots in a lopsided loss to the might Packers, securing 7 catches for 126 YDS and 2 TD's. Waller has been the runaway breakout star at fantasy football's thinnest position and at this rate, it's entirely conceivable that he'll finish the year as the top scorer if he can stay healthy.
The rise of Waller continues!!! The Raiders tight end was one of the few bright spots in a lopsided loss to the might Packers, securing 7 catches for 126 YDS and 2 TD's. Waller has been the runaway breakout star at fantasy football's thinnest position and at this rate, it's entirely conceivable that he'll finish the year as the top scorer if he can stay healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Eric Ebron (Colts), Jimmy Graham (Packers), Gerald Everett (Rams)
LVP: Evan Engram (Giants)
Apparently it is possible for a tight end to not destroy the Cardinals. Engram was sluggish and sloppy as hell after missing the Week 6 contest with the Patriots, registering just 1 catch for 6 YDS. He'll look to return to form against a struggling Lions pass D in Week 8.
Apparently it is possible for a tight end to not destroy the Cardinals. Engram was sluggish and sloppy as hell after missing the Week 6 contest with the Patriots, registering just 1 catch for 6 YDS. He'll look to return to form against a struggling Lions pass D in Week 8.
Dishonorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
I might as well just re-name the Defense/Special Teams section of this piece "The 2019 Patriots Award" at this point. Sam Darnold ran into this unforgivingly cruel behemoth of a unit last night, turning the ball over 6 times (4 INT's/2 FUM REC), allowing a safety and somehow getting sacked just once during a 33-0 home loss. With a middling Browns offense helmed by the current league-leader in INT's heading up to Foxboro this Sunday, another explosion seems imminent.
I might as well just re-name the Defense/Special Teams section of this piece "The 2019 Patriots Award" at this point. Sam Darnold ran into this unforgivingly cruel behemoth of a unit last night, turning the ball over 6 times (4 INT's/2 FUM REC), allowing a safety and somehow getting sacked just once during a 33-0 home loss. With a middling Browns offense helmed by the current league-leader in INT's heading up to Foxboro this Sunday, another explosion seems imminent.
Honorable Mentions: Rams, Ravens, Jaguars
LVP: Vikings
The Vikings D were victims of a shootout this week as they surrendered 30 points versus the Lions. Things would've been even worse if they hadn't picked up a couple of sacks along the way and a late, game-sealing INT on a desperation heave from Matthew Stafford. A return to glory against the lumbering trainwreck otherwise known as the Redskins offense seems very likely.
The Vikings D were victims of a shootout this week as they surrendered 30 points versus the Lions. Things would've been even worse if they hadn't picked up a couple of sacks along the way and a late, game-sealing INT on a desperation heave from Matthew Stafford. A return to glory against the lumbering trainwreck otherwise known as the Redskins offense seems very likely.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chargers, Titans, Seahawks
2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 8
()=previous ranking
1.(1) New England Patriots (7-0) Week 8 opponent: Cleveland Browns
2.(2) New Orleans Saints (6-1) Week 8 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
3.(3) San Francisco 49ers (6-0) Week 8 opponent: Carolina Panthers
4.(4) Green Bay Packers (6-1) Week 8 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
5.(9) Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
6.(6) Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Green Bay Packers
7.(5) Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
8.(8) Buffalo Bills (5-1) Week 8 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
9.(11) Minnesota Vikings (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Washington Redskins
10.(10) Carolina Panthers (4-2) Week 8 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
11.(13) Indianapolis Colts (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Denver Broncos
12.(7) Houston Texans (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Oakland Raiders
13.(14) Dallas Cowboys (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
14.(16) Los Angeles Rams (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
15.(12) Chicago Bears (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
16.(15) Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Buffalo Bills
17.(19) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New York Jets
18.(17) Detroit Lions (2-3-1) Week 8 opponent: New York Giants
19.(18) Oakland Raiders (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Houston Texans
20.(23) Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1) Week 8 opponent: New Orleans Saints
21.(20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Tennessee Titans
22.(21) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Miami Dolphins
23.(27) Tennessee Titans (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24.(24) Cleveland Browns (2-4) Week 8 opponent: New England Patriots
25.(22) Denver Broncos (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
26.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Chicago Bears
27.(25) New York Giants (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Detroit Lions
28.(29) Atlanta Falcons (1-6) Week 8 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
29.(28) New York Jets (1-5) Week 8 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
30.(30) Washington Redskins (1-6) Week 8 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
31.(31) Cincinnati Bengals (0-7) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-6) Week 8 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
1.(1) New England Patriots (7-0) Week 8 opponent: Cleveland Browns
2.(2) New Orleans Saints (6-1) Week 8 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
3.(3) San Francisco 49ers (6-0) Week 8 opponent: Carolina Panthers
4.(4) Green Bay Packers (6-1) Week 8 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
5.(9) Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
6.(6) Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Green Bay Packers
7.(5) Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
8.(8) Buffalo Bills (5-1) Week 8 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
9.(11) Minnesota Vikings (5-2) Week 8 opponent: Washington Redskins
10.(10) Carolina Panthers (4-2) Week 8 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
11.(13) Indianapolis Colts (4-2) Week 8 opponent: Denver Broncos
12.(7) Houston Texans (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Oakland Raiders
13.(14) Dallas Cowboys (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Bye Week
14.(16) Los Angeles Rams (4-3) Week 8 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
15.(12) Chicago Bears (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
16.(15) Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Buffalo Bills
17.(19) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) Week 8 opponent: New York Jets
18.(17) Detroit Lions (2-3-1) Week 8 opponent: New York Giants
19.(18) Oakland Raiders (3-3) Week 8 opponent: Houston Texans
20.(23) Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1) Week 8 opponent: New Orleans Saints
21.(20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Tennessee Titans
22.(21) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) Week 8 opponent: Miami Dolphins
23.(27) Tennessee Titans (3-4) Week 8 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24.(24) Cleveland Browns (2-4) Week 8 opponent: New England Patriots
25.(22) Denver Broncos (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
26.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Chicago Bears
27.(25) New York Giants (2-5) Week 8 opponent: Detroit Lions
28.(29) Atlanta Falcons (1-6) Week 8 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
29.(28) New York Jets (1-5) Week 8 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
30.(30) Washington Redskins (1-6) Week 8 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
31.(31) Cincinnati Bengals (0-7) Week 8 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-6) Week 8 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday, October 21, 2019
2019-2020 NBA Preview and Predictions
Eastern Conference:
1.Philadelphia 76ers: I can't pretend like there aren't several very legitimate concerns surrounding this 76ers team. Brett Brown isn't a great coach, their bench is practically nonexistent and despite the recent apocalyptic event of him actually hitting a 3 in a game, Ben Simmons is still an incredibly limited offensive player that has a bad habit of disappearing in crunch time situations. However, none of these red flags are going to stop me from hoping aboard the 76ers express. Adding Josh Richardson and Al Horford to their starting lineup gives them the freedom to stretch the floor further on offense as well as create more pressure for their opponents on defense, Tobias Harris should take a big step forward now that he's had a full offseason to acclimate to his role as the team's primary wing scorer and Joel Embiid is a game-changing force that might be the best player in this conference besides Giannis. I'll accept any and all insults if they don't at least make it to the Conference Finals.
2.Milwaukee Bucks: The casualties of choosing to re-sign Khris Middleton to a max deal and Eric Bledsoe to a $70 mil extension last March weren't significant in terms of numbers, but Malcolm Brogdon was arguably the 3rd most important player behind Giannis and Middleton on their tremendous run a season ago. While bringing in Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews definitely softens the blow of losing a 42.6% 3-point shooter, they can't make up for the hard-nosed defense, underrated ability to create his own shot and generally smart, efficient play that Brogdon brought to this team. That massive loss aside, the Bucks remain a very talented squad with enough depth and continuity to contend for a trip to the Finals-especially in a decimated Eastern Conference.
3.Brooklyn Nets: Outside of the moves both LA teams made, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's arrivals in Brooklyn were the biggest additions of the offseason. While it's entirely possible that Kyrie decides to dog it with Durant likely sidelined for the entire year and a talented young roster/coach combo that bears a striking resemblance to the Celtics team he so gleefully departed, his ability to take over a game at any given time paired with his usual good behavior during the inaugural year of his tenure with a new team makes the Nets a good bet to rise to the top tier of the Eastern Conference.
4.Boston Celtics: 12 months after they were anointed the frontrunner in the East, the Celtics are facing an uncertain future without Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and several other key veterans that were in their locker room last season. While their title odds have gone down significantly following those losses, the Celtics can take solace in the fact that they were able to land a quality replacement for Irving at point guard in Kemba Walker, still have exciting young talent (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams) and are all but guaranteed to have a stronger chemistry than they did a year ago. If everything clicks, Brad Stevens and co. could end up surprising some people like they did back in the Isaiah Thomas/Avery Bradley/Jae Crowder days.
5.Toronto Raptors: Losing Kawhi puts the Raptors back in the middle of the pack of the East. Pascal Siakam is a budding star that certainly contributed heavily to their title run, but outside of him, an aging Marc Gasol and a couple of new veteran bench additions that haven't done a whole lot of winning in their careers thus far (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Stanley Johnson), they're back to trying to rely on the same corps (Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell) that helped established the culture of postseason choking that existed prior to Kawhi's arrival. I believe in Siakam and Nick Nurse enough to put them at #5, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they slipped down further.
6.Indiana Pacers: The high likelihood that Victor Oladpio is a shell of himself when he returns to the floor later this season is the only reason I'm not all in on the Pacers as a top 3-4 team in the East. Nate McMillan is a damn fine coach with a track record of maximizing the output of his personnel, Malcolm Brogdon is a MASSIVE addition for a team that lacked a player who could regularly contribute at both ends of the floor at the guard spot and the front office made a ton of savvy moves (T.J. Warren, Jeremy Lamb, T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday) that bolstered their depth at nearly every position. They should be a fun team regardless, but they would be a sleeper to make it out of the East if Oladpio was healthy to start the year.
7.Miami Heat: After a couple of years being the 1B to young players in Minnesota and Philadelphia, Jimmy Butler appears set to return to his calling as a pro athlete: Single-handedly dragging an otherwise mediocre team to the playoffs. He'll more than likely be an All-Star, his heroics should be enough for the Heat to win a couple games in the 1st round without depriving of him the long vacation he's grown accustomed to and with 12 guys on the roster younger than him, he's in a great spot to make somebody cry after relentlessly bullying them in the practice before the end of the season. Truly a dream scenario for Mr. Jimmy G. Buckets.
8.Detroit Pistons: The fact that Blake Griffin is already banged up going into his age 31 season is definitely a bit disconcerting. However, I still think they'll be able to get enough out of him, double double machine Andre Drummond and their new collection of offensive-minded veteran role players (Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, Tony Snell, Tim Frazier) to squeak back into the playoffs for the 2nd straight season.
9.Orlando Magic: Head coach Steve Clifford defied the odds in his 1st season on the job by getting the Magic back to the playoffs after a 6-year drought. So what lies in store for his 2nd season? Probably more of the same. While they have the advantage of having a largely unchanged roster (all 5 starters from a year ago are returning, wing Al-Farouq Aminu is the only veteran newcomer) and there's a solid chance that the likes of Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac take another step forward, the arrival of Jimmy Butler in Miami and the (arguably) deeper roster of the Pistons could leave them on the wrong side of the playoff bubble.
10.Washington Wizards: It's not a fun time to be a Wizards fan. John Wall's freak Achilles injury has left them with a huge void in their starting lineup for the foreseeable future and thanks to his absurd $200+ mil supermax deal, they don't have the financial flexibility to find a viable replacement. Adding to this unfortunate predicament is that the sheer starpower of Bradley Beal should be enough to keep the team from completely imploding. In other words, they're stuck in the NBA's "too weak to contend, too good to tank" no man's land, and there's nothing they can do to escape it unless they trade Beal-which now appears highly unlikely after they inked him to an extension last week.
11.Chicago Bulls: It's pretty much groundhog day with the rebuilding Bulls. This team is a collection of intriguing yet oft-injured youngsters (Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr, Kris Dunn) paired with a couple of older guys (Otto Porter Jr., Thaddeus Young) saddled with reluctant mentor roles that will play next to no defense, but has enough scoring ability to win some track meets. Barring some kind of unexpected jump, I'd be surprised if Jim Boylen was still the head coach at the conclusion of this season.
12.Atlanta Hawks: Lloyd Pierce has the Hawks playing frantic, offensive-minded basketball that is perfectly equipped for the modern NBA. The copious turnovers and erratic shooting that comes with having a youth-driven team embracing a Mike D'Antoni-esque philosophy of "blow your opponents out of the gym with speed and outside scoring" means they are still at least a couple years away from producing a ton of wins, but for the moment, the Hawks are easily the most entertaining bad team in basketball IMO.
13.New York Knicks: James Dolan insisted that a lot of big names were interested in joining the Knicks in free agency this past summer and like his tremendous blues band, he once again proved he was a straight shooter by amassing a super team that will make their opponents tremble with fear on a nightly basis. The mega star power of Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock and Wayne Ellington are bound to restore glory to a franchise that has been suffering for the better part of the last 3 decades.
14.Cleveland Cavaliers: Longtime University of Michigan coach John Beliein probably wishes he never left the college ranks after he looked at the Cavs roster. His starting backcourt (Darius Garland, Collin Sexton) is 19 and 20 respectively, his bench is full of guys (John Henson, Brandon Knight, Matthew Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson) who are lucky to get to the arena without sustaining an injury and at 31, de facto best player Kevin Love's best days seem to be behind him. At least they'll likely win more than 19 games this season!
15.Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker is gone. Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bismack Biymbo are still here. Newly-signed Terry Rozier might be their best player. This is a long way of saying that these poor souls in Charlotte might fuck around and be the worst team in the NBA.
Western Conference:
1.Los Angeles Clippers: A roster with perhaps the greatest collection of role players in the league already in place (Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, JaMychal Green, Landry Shamet, Ivica Zubac) added two of the league's best two-way players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this offseason. If that's not the formula to buck the Clippers championship futility, they might overthrow the Detroit Lions for the title of the most cursed franchise in North American sports.
2.Los Angeles Lakers: Unlike the Knicks, the Lakers name was enough to get high-end players to overlook their immense internal dysfunction. LeBron and Rich Paul's scheme to get Anthony Davis to LA succeeded and unlike last season, they brought in a number of solid veteran role players (Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Avery Bradley, Troy Daniels) to give LeBron the trusty shooting/defense blanket that he needs to take half the season off. The questionable durability of James and Davis will be a dark cloud hanging over them all season long, but they should be a wagon if both of their stars are able to stay healthy.
3.Denver Nuggets: DO. NOT. SLEEP. ON. THE. NUGGETS. Gary Harris appears to be healthy after an injury-plagued 2018-19, their deep, versatile bench (Will Barton, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez) received another injection of talent with the addition of Jermai Grant in the offseason and Nikola Jokic is an all-around phenom that still doesn't seem to have reached his ceiling quite yet. If they can keep the always fearless yet mostly inefficient Jamal Murray from taking 89 shots in big games, they're as strong of a bet as any to spoil either of the LA's teams finals bid.
4.Portland Trail Blazers: For better or worse, the Blazers are bringing back most of the same personnel that was with them for their unlikely run to the Conference Finals a year ago. Sadly, the conference got much deeper over the summer and I don't think swapping out Enes Kanter, Evan Turner and Al Farouq-Aminu for Hassan Whiteside, Kent Bazemore and Mario Hezonjia as running mates for their prolific backcourt tandem (Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum) will be enough for them to keep up in this truly insane arms race.
5.Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson's absence for at least most of the season is a potentially fatal blow to the Warriors chances of returning to the finals. He's a remarkable player on both ends of the floor and as he's proved time and time again over the remarkable run they've been on the past 5 seasons, the most clutch player on their roster. While new acquisition D'Angelo Russell should make for a solid running mate for Steph Curry on the offensive end, the lack of a healthy Thompson appears set to royally screw up their outside shooting efficiency as well as the defensive DNA that's defined the Warriors throughout Steve Kerr's tenure.
6.Houston Rockets: I'm sorry, I just can't buy into the James Harden and Russell Westbrook dynamic working. These are two players who need the ball in their hands as much as humanly possible to thrive and couldn't co-exist in Oklahoma City when their egos weren't nearly as large as they are now. They'll score enough points to remain afloat, but the high probability that their two star players could start snipping at each other at any moment puts them at the bottom of the deep logjam of top contenders in the West.
7.Utah Jazz: The front office did a tremendous job of further building around Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert this offseason. Mike Conley ran a deliberately-paced offense like this beautifully while he was with the Grizzlies and Bojan Bogdanovic gives them another elite outside shooter to slide next to Joe Ingles. Will these moves help the Jazz ascend from being more than just the gritty, well-coached defensive juggernaut that the powerhouses would prefer not to face in the early rounds? Probably not, but they'll likely take another step forward this season.
8.San Antonio Spurs: Talent-wise, the Spurs shouldn't be in the mix in the West. 35-year old LaMarcus Alridge can't be relied on to play the way he did last season on a consistent basis, DeMar DeRozan fades away whenever the lights shine brightest and their bench is headlined by middling veterans such as DeMarre Carroll, Trey Lyles and Marco Belinelli. That being said, I'll never doubt Gregg Popovich's ability to lead a team to the playoffs under any circumstances until proven otherwise.
9.Sacramento Kings: The arrow is pointing up for the Kings. De'Aaron Fox is quickly becoming one of the most prolific two-way point guards in the league, free agent additions Dewayne Dedmon and Trevor Ariza gives them a pair of reliable, staunch defenders that can also drain 3's when called upon and perhaps most importantly, they avoided pissing off sharpshooter Buddy Hield by inking him to an extension earlier today. Despite all of these positives, I'm too much of a superstitious weirdo to believe that the Kings are suddenly going to buck their deep-rooted curse and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06.
10.Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have a real chance of becoming one of the most electrifying tandems in the NBA. They're stupid athletic playmakers who routinely make the impossible look easy and getting to watch them light up highlight reels together is going to be awesome. The problem is that the secondary talent (Tim Hardaway Jr., Dwight Powell, Seth Curry, Boban Marjonovic, Delon Wright, J.J. Barea) behind their prolific European duo doesn't seem like its strong enough to elevate them above the other teams competing for the final few playoffs spots in the West.
11.Oklahoma City Thunder: The surprising trades of Russell Westbrook and Paul George have officially launched a long-needed rebuild in OKC. They're probably going to be stuck with the bloated contracts of Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams for the time being-which will prevent them from full-on tanking- but they're are a very strong bet to unload even more pieces (Dennis Schroder, Andre Roberson and Terrence Ferguson seems like the most likely candidates) by the time the deadline rolls around to try and increase their odds of plummeting down the standings.
12.New Orleans Pelicans: Landing Zion Williamson after losing Anthony Davis seems like divine intervention. His game is clearly limited from an offensive standpoint at the moment and the torn meniscuses he suffered is a tough break out of the gate, but it's hard to not get excited about this kid. The inhuman strength in the post he displayed during the preseason paired with the excellent mentoring he'll receive from the several consummate professionals (Jrue Holliday, J.J. Redick, E'Twuan Moore) the Pelicans currently have in the building and the rare opportunity of getting to develop alongside a group of high-upside young players (Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart-all acquired in the Davis deal) gives him a superb chance of succeeding in the pros.
13.Minnesota Timberwolves: New head coach Ryan Saunders has earned the respect of a lot of shot callers in league circles and Karl Anthony-Towns is a dynamic talent that has been quietly dominating while his teams stack up 35-38 win seasons, but as long as Andrew Wiggins' god awful, unmovable contract is on the books, they're going to be facing an uphill battle to break out of this vicious cycle of mediocrity.
14.Memphis Grizzlies: It's going to be weird as hell to watch a Grizzlies team without Mike Conley and Marc Gasol on it. As painful as losing those mainstays will be from a sentimental standpoint, Swiss Army Knife big Jaren Jackson Jr., rookie dish machine Ja Morant and underrated veteran center Jonas Valancunas should deliver a welcome shot of electricity and long-term optimism that wasn't present while the Grizzlies struggled over the last few seasons of Conley and Gasol's tenure with the team.
15.Phoenix Suns: Even the most casual of basketball fans are aware that the Suns are as good as dead in this slaughterhouse of a conference, so I'm going to use this time to say some positive things to the 48 people who still care about this team. Ricky Rubio is a legit NBA point guard that should do an excellent job of facilitating on an offense that desperately needed a strong passer, Aron Baynes should be able to introduce a concept called "protecting the rim" to his teammates and last year's top draft pick Deandre Ayton will probably improve dramatically if new coach Monty Williams utilizes a system where he actually gets the ball.
Playoff Predictions:
Eastern Conference:
Quarterfinals:
76ers over Pistons
Bucks over Heat
Nets over Pacers
Celtics over Raptors
Semifinals:
76ers over Celtics
Bucks over Nets
Conference Finals:
Bucks over 76ers
Western Conference
Quarterfinals:
Clippers over Spurs
Lakers over Jazz
Nuggets over Rockets
Warriors over Trail Blazers
Semifinals:
Clippers over Warriors
Lakers over Nuggets
Conference Finals:
Clippers over Lakers
NBA Finals:
Clippers over Bucks
Year-End Awards:
MVP: Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers (Clippers)
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Most Improved Player: Josh Richardson (76ers)
Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant (Grizzlies)
Sixth Man of the Year: Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets)
1.Philadelphia 76ers: I can't pretend like there aren't several very legitimate concerns surrounding this 76ers team. Brett Brown isn't a great coach, their bench is practically nonexistent and despite the recent apocalyptic event of him actually hitting a 3 in a game, Ben Simmons is still an incredibly limited offensive player that has a bad habit of disappearing in crunch time situations. However, none of these red flags are going to stop me from hoping aboard the 76ers express. Adding Josh Richardson and Al Horford to their starting lineup gives them the freedom to stretch the floor further on offense as well as create more pressure for their opponents on defense, Tobias Harris should take a big step forward now that he's had a full offseason to acclimate to his role as the team's primary wing scorer and Joel Embiid is a game-changing force that might be the best player in this conference besides Giannis. I'll accept any and all insults if they don't at least make it to the Conference Finals.
2.Milwaukee Bucks: The casualties of choosing to re-sign Khris Middleton to a max deal and Eric Bledsoe to a $70 mil extension last March weren't significant in terms of numbers, but Malcolm Brogdon was arguably the 3rd most important player behind Giannis and Middleton on their tremendous run a season ago. While bringing in Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews definitely softens the blow of losing a 42.6% 3-point shooter, they can't make up for the hard-nosed defense, underrated ability to create his own shot and generally smart, efficient play that Brogdon brought to this team. That massive loss aside, the Bucks remain a very talented squad with enough depth and continuity to contend for a trip to the Finals-especially in a decimated Eastern Conference.
3.Brooklyn Nets: Outside of the moves both LA teams made, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's arrivals in Brooklyn were the biggest additions of the offseason. While it's entirely possible that Kyrie decides to dog it with Durant likely sidelined for the entire year and a talented young roster/coach combo that bears a striking resemblance to the Celtics team he so gleefully departed, his ability to take over a game at any given time paired with his usual good behavior during the inaugural year of his tenure with a new team makes the Nets a good bet to rise to the top tier of the Eastern Conference.
4.Boston Celtics: 12 months after they were anointed the frontrunner in the East, the Celtics are facing an uncertain future without Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and several other key veterans that were in their locker room last season. While their title odds have gone down significantly following those losses, the Celtics can take solace in the fact that they were able to land a quality replacement for Irving at point guard in Kemba Walker, still have exciting young talent (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams) and are all but guaranteed to have a stronger chemistry than they did a year ago. If everything clicks, Brad Stevens and co. could end up surprising some people like they did back in the Isaiah Thomas/Avery Bradley/Jae Crowder days.
5.Toronto Raptors: Losing Kawhi puts the Raptors back in the middle of the pack of the East. Pascal Siakam is a budding star that certainly contributed heavily to their title run, but outside of him, an aging Marc Gasol and a couple of new veteran bench additions that haven't done a whole lot of winning in their careers thus far (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Stanley Johnson), they're back to trying to rely on the same corps (Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell) that helped established the culture of postseason choking that existed prior to Kawhi's arrival. I believe in Siakam and Nick Nurse enough to put them at #5, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they slipped down further.
6.Indiana Pacers: The high likelihood that Victor Oladpio is a shell of himself when he returns to the floor later this season is the only reason I'm not all in on the Pacers as a top 3-4 team in the East. Nate McMillan is a damn fine coach with a track record of maximizing the output of his personnel, Malcolm Brogdon is a MASSIVE addition for a team that lacked a player who could regularly contribute at both ends of the floor at the guard spot and the front office made a ton of savvy moves (T.J. Warren, Jeremy Lamb, T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday) that bolstered their depth at nearly every position. They should be a fun team regardless, but they would be a sleeper to make it out of the East if Oladpio was healthy to start the year.
7.Miami Heat: After a couple of years being the 1B to young players in Minnesota and Philadelphia, Jimmy Butler appears set to return to his calling as a pro athlete: Single-handedly dragging an otherwise mediocre team to the playoffs. He'll more than likely be an All-Star, his heroics should be enough for the Heat to win a couple games in the 1st round without depriving of him the long vacation he's grown accustomed to and with 12 guys on the roster younger than him, he's in a great spot to make somebody cry after relentlessly bullying them in the practice before the end of the season. Truly a dream scenario for Mr. Jimmy G. Buckets.
8.Detroit Pistons: The fact that Blake Griffin is already banged up going into his age 31 season is definitely a bit disconcerting. However, I still think they'll be able to get enough out of him, double double machine Andre Drummond and their new collection of offensive-minded veteran role players (Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, Tony Snell, Tim Frazier) to squeak back into the playoffs for the 2nd straight season.
9.Orlando Magic: Head coach Steve Clifford defied the odds in his 1st season on the job by getting the Magic back to the playoffs after a 6-year drought. So what lies in store for his 2nd season? Probably more of the same. While they have the advantage of having a largely unchanged roster (all 5 starters from a year ago are returning, wing Al-Farouq Aminu is the only veteran newcomer) and there's a solid chance that the likes of Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac take another step forward, the arrival of Jimmy Butler in Miami and the (arguably) deeper roster of the Pistons could leave them on the wrong side of the playoff bubble.
10.Washington Wizards: It's not a fun time to be a Wizards fan. John Wall's freak Achilles injury has left them with a huge void in their starting lineup for the foreseeable future and thanks to his absurd $200+ mil supermax deal, they don't have the financial flexibility to find a viable replacement. Adding to this unfortunate predicament is that the sheer starpower of Bradley Beal should be enough to keep the team from completely imploding. In other words, they're stuck in the NBA's "too weak to contend, too good to tank" no man's land, and there's nothing they can do to escape it unless they trade Beal-which now appears highly unlikely after they inked him to an extension last week.
11.Chicago Bulls: It's pretty much groundhog day with the rebuilding Bulls. This team is a collection of intriguing yet oft-injured youngsters (Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr, Kris Dunn) paired with a couple of older guys (Otto Porter Jr., Thaddeus Young) saddled with reluctant mentor roles that will play next to no defense, but has enough scoring ability to win some track meets. Barring some kind of unexpected jump, I'd be surprised if Jim Boylen was still the head coach at the conclusion of this season.
12.Atlanta Hawks: Lloyd Pierce has the Hawks playing frantic, offensive-minded basketball that is perfectly equipped for the modern NBA. The copious turnovers and erratic shooting that comes with having a youth-driven team embracing a Mike D'Antoni-esque philosophy of "blow your opponents out of the gym with speed and outside scoring" means they are still at least a couple years away from producing a ton of wins, but for the moment, the Hawks are easily the most entertaining bad team in basketball IMO.
13.New York Knicks: James Dolan insisted that a lot of big names were interested in joining the Knicks in free agency this past summer and like his tremendous blues band, he once again proved he was a straight shooter by amassing a super team that will make their opponents tremble with fear on a nightly basis. The mega star power of Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock and Wayne Ellington are bound to restore glory to a franchise that has been suffering for the better part of the last 3 decades.
14.Cleveland Cavaliers: Longtime University of Michigan coach John Beliein probably wishes he never left the college ranks after he looked at the Cavs roster. His starting backcourt (Darius Garland, Collin Sexton) is 19 and 20 respectively, his bench is full of guys (John Henson, Brandon Knight, Matthew Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson) who are lucky to get to the arena without sustaining an injury and at 31, de facto best player Kevin Love's best days seem to be behind him. At least they'll likely win more than 19 games this season!
15.Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker is gone. Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bismack Biymbo are still here. Newly-signed Terry Rozier might be their best player. This is a long way of saying that these poor souls in Charlotte might fuck around and be the worst team in the NBA.
Western Conference:
1.Los Angeles Clippers: A roster with perhaps the greatest collection of role players in the league already in place (Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, JaMychal Green, Landry Shamet, Ivica Zubac) added two of the league's best two-way players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this offseason. If that's not the formula to buck the Clippers championship futility, they might overthrow the Detroit Lions for the title of the most cursed franchise in North American sports.
2.Los Angeles Lakers: Unlike the Knicks, the Lakers name was enough to get high-end players to overlook their immense internal dysfunction. LeBron and Rich Paul's scheme to get Anthony Davis to LA succeeded and unlike last season, they brought in a number of solid veteran role players (Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Avery Bradley, Troy Daniels) to give LeBron the trusty shooting/defense blanket that he needs to take half the season off. The questionable durability of James and Davis will be a dark cloud hanging over them all season long, but they should be a wagon if both of their stars are able to stay healthy.
3.Denver Nuggets: DO. NOT. SLEEP. ON. THE. NUGGETS. Gary Harris appears to be healthy after an injury-plagued 2018-19, their deep, versatile bench (Will Barton, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez) received another injection of talent with the addition of Jermai Grant in the offseason and Nikola Jokic is an all-around phenom that still doesn't seem to have reached his ceiling quite yet. If they can keep the always fearless yet mostly inefficient Jamal Murray from taking 89 shots in big games, they're as strong of a bet as any to spoil either of the LA's teams finals bid.
4.Portland Trail Blazers: For better or worse, the Blazers are bringing back most of the same personnel that was with them for their unlikely run to the Conference Finals a year ago. Sadly, the conference got much deeper over the summer and I don't think swapping out Enes Kanter, Evan Turner and Al Farouq-Aminu for Hassan Whiteside, Kent Bazemore and Mario Hezonjia as running mates for their prolific backcourt tandem (Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum) will be enough for them to keep up in this truly insane arms race.
5.Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson's absence for at least most of the season is a potentially fatal blow to the Warriors chances of returning to the finals. He's a remarkable player on both ends of the floor and as he's proved time and time again over the remarkable run they've been on the past 5 seasons, the most clutch player on their roster. While new acquisition D'Angelo Russell should make for a solid running mate for Steph Curry on the offensive end, the lack of a healthy Thompson appears set to royally screw up their outside shooting efficiency as well as the defensive DNA that's defined the Warriors throughout Steve Kerr's tenure.
6.Houston Rockets: I'm sorry, I just can't buy into the James Harden and Russell Westbrook dynamic working. These are two players who need the ball in their hands as much as humanly possible to thrive and couldn't co-exist in Oklahoma City when their egos weren't nearly as large as they are now. They'll score enough points to remain afloat, but the high probability that their two star players could start snipping at each other at any moment puts them at the bottom of the deep logjam of top contenders in the West.
7.Utah Jazz: The front office did a tremendous job of further building around Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert this offseason. Mike Conley ran a deliberately-paced offense like this beautifully while he was with the Grizzlies and Bojan Bogdanovic gives them another elite outside shooter to slide next to Joe Ingles. Will these moves help the Jazz ascend from being more than just the gritty, well-coached defensive juggernaut that the powerhouses would prefer not to face in the early rounds? Probably not, but they'll likely take another step forward this season.
8.San Antonio Spurs: Talent-wise, the Spurs shouldn't be in the mix in the West. 35-year old LaMarcus Alridge can't be relied on to play the way he did last season on a consistent basis, DeMar DeRozan fades away whenever the lights shine brightest and their bench is headlined by middling veterans such as DeMarre Carroll, Trey Lyles and Marco Belinelli. That being said, I'll never doubt Gregg Popovich's ability to lead a team to the playoffs under any circumstances until proven otherwise.
9.Sacramento Kings: The arrow is pointing up for the Kings. De'Aaron Fox is quickly becoming one of the most prolific two-way point guards in the league, free agent additions Dewayne Dedmon and Trevor Ariza gives them a pair of reliable, staunch defenders that can also drain 3's when called upon and perhaps most importantly, they avoided pissing off sharpshooter Buddy Hield by inking him to an extension earlier today. Despite all of these positives, I'm too much of a superstitious weirdo to believe that the Kings are suddenly going to buck their deep-rooted curse and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06.
10.Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have a real chance of becoming one of the most electrifying tandems in the NBA. They're stupid athletic playmakers who routinely make the impossible look easy and getting to watch them light up highlight reels together is going to be awesome. The problem is that the secondary talent (Tim Hardaway Jr., Dwight Powell, Seth Curry, Boban Marjonovic, Delon Wright, J.J. Barea) behind their prolific European duo doesn't seem like its strong enough to elevate them above the other teams competing for the final few playoffs spots in the West.
11.Oklahoma City Thunder: The surprising trades of Russell Westbrook and Paul George have officially launched a long-needed rebuild in OKC. They're probably going to be stuck with the bloated contracts of Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams for the time being-which will prevent them from full-on tanking- but they're are a very strong bet to unload even more pieces (Dennis Schroder, Andre Roberson and Terrence Ferguson seems like the most likely candidates) by the time the deadline rolls around to try and increase their odds of plummeting down the standings.
12.New Orleans Pelicans: Landing Zion Williamson after losing Anthony Davis seems like divine intervention. His game is clearly limited from an offensive standpoint at the moment and the torn meniscuses he suffered is a tough break out of the gate, but it's hard to not get excited about this kid. The inhuman strength in the post he displayed during the preseason paired with the excellent mentoring he'll receive from the several consummate professionals (Jrue Holliday, J.J. Redick, E'Twuan Moore) the Pelicans currently have in the building and the rare opportunity of getting to develop alongside a group of high-upside young players (Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart-all acquired in the Davis deal) gives him a superb chance of succeeding in the pros.
13.Minnesota Timberwolves: New head coach Ryan Saunders has earned the respect of a lot of shot callers in league circles and Karl Anthony-Towns is a dynamic talent that has been quietly dominating while his teams stack up 35-38 win seasons, but as long as Andrew Wiggins' god awful, unmovable contract is on the books, they're going to be facing an uphill battle to break out of this vicious cycle of mediocrity.
14.Memphis Grizzlies: It's going to be weird as hell to watch a Grizzlies team without Mike Conley and Marc Gasol on it. As painful as losing those mainstays will be from a sentimental standpoint, Swiss Army Knife big Jaren Jackson Jr., rookie dish machine Ja Morant and underrated veteran center Jonas Valancunas should deliver a welcome shot of electricity and long-term optimism that wasn't present while the Grizzlies struggled over the last few seasons of Conley and Gasol's tenure with the team.
15.Phoenix Suns: Even the most casual of basketball fans are aware that the Suns are as good as dead in this slaughterhouse of a conference, so I'm going to use this time to say some positive things to the 48 people who still care about this team. Ricky Rubio is a legit NBA point guard that should do an excellent job of facilitating on an offense that desperately needed a strong passer, Aron Baynes should be able to introduce a concept called "protecting the rim" to his teammates and last year's top draft pick Deandre Ayton will probably improve dramatically if new coach Monty Williams utilizes a system where he actually gets the ball.
Playoff Predictions:
Eastern Conference:
Quarterfinals:
76ers over Pistons
Bucks over Heat
Nets over Pacers
Celtics over Raptors
Semifinals:
76ers over Celtics
Bucks over Nets
Conference Finals:
Bucks over 76ers
Western Conference
Quarterfinals:
Clippers over Spurs
Lakers over Jazz
Nuggets over Rockets
Warriors over Trail Blazers
Semifinals:
Clippers over Warriors
Lakers over Nuggets
Conference Finals:
Clippers over Lakers
NBA Finals:
Clippers over Bucks
Year-End Awards:
MVP: Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers (Clippers)
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Most Improved Player: Josh Richardson (76ers)
Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant (Grizzlies)
Sixth Man of the Year: Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets)
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Earful of Fantasy Episode #6
On this week's episode, Liam and I discuss the latest round of injuries to star players, the AFC playoff race, Ricky Seals-Jones and much, much more. Listen, subscribe and don't forget to tell your favorite aunt about this wonderful program.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/injury-roundup-whos-not-dead-eof106/id1478573845?i=1000454056393
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/injury-roundup-whos-not-dead-eof106.html
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/injury-roundup-whos-not-dead-eof106/id1478573845?i=1000454056393
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/injury-roundup-whos-not-dead-eof106.html
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Movie Review: Gemini Man
There's nothing quite like a good ol' fashioned showdown between a pair of evenly-matched titans. In one corner is a 51-year old recently retired government assassin who was considered to be the best in the business before the mental and physical toll of spending 25+ years as a professional killer caught up with him. In the other is a clone of his younger, more athletic and less melancholic self. So will the wealth of experience of the old man or the physical superiority of his doppelganger prevail? You'll have to see Gemini Man (or at least read the Wikpedia summary) to find out.
As functional as the small ensemble cast is (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, Clive Owen) and the story that sets the stage for this Smith v. Smith showdown is, Gemini Man is mostly driven by its sense of pure spectacle. Director Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) has been pumping up the high frame rate technology he used to shoot to the film as well as the creation of the first ever completely CGI human (the younger version of Smith) for nearly a year now. While I'm not positive that it's going to end up redefining filmmaking in the ways he'd hoped, these technical breakthroughs certainly gives Gemini Man a cool look and feel. The HFR 3D-which has dramatically improved since Peter Jackson experimented with it in 2013's The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug-provides some stunning, richly-textured landscapes and gives each of the many tense, well-choreographed fight scenes a uniquely visceral feeling.
The CGI used to create "Junior" is similarly impressive. Choosing to completely digitize the actor provides a greater sense of realism than just about any other VFX de-aging job that I've ever seen. There are several scenes where the resemblance to Smith's post-Fresh Prince appearance is truly uncanny and almost no moments where the character is even remotely jarring to look at. Considering how he much hype he put on the visual innovations present here, I'll give Lee props for delivering a technical marvel that boasts more impressive effects than the vast majority of the other big budget projects Hollywood puts out.
Gemini Man is a purely entertaining visual treat with good action sequences and a solid cast that is able to keep things afloat in the slower moments. Fans of Lee's more existential work will likely be disappointed by its sometimes unnatural dialogue and not particularly deep storyline, but if you're a fan of Smith's older blockbuster vehicles or just want to kill some time seeing a popcorn flick, this should prove to be an enjoyable watch.
As functional as the small ensemble cast is (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, Clive Owen) and the story that sets the stage for this Smith v. Smith showdown is, Gemini Man is mostly driven by its sense of pure spectacle. Director Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) has been pumping up the high frame rate technology he used to shoot to the film as well as the creation of the first ever completely CGI human (the younger version of Smith) for nearly a year now. While I'm not positive that it's going to end up redefining filmmaking in the ways he'd hoped, these technical breakthroughs certainly gives Gemini Man a cool look and feel. The HFR 3D-which has dramatically improved since Peter Jackson experimented with it in 2013's The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug-provides some stunning, richly-textured landscapes and gives each of the many tense, well-choreographed fight scenes a uniquely visceral feeling.
The CGI used to create "Junior" is similarly impressive. Choosing to completely digitize the actor provides a greater sense of realism than just about any other VFX de-aging job that I've ever seen. There are several scenes where the resemblance to Smith's post-Fresh Prince appearance is truly uncanny and almost no moments where the character is even remotely jarring to look at. Considering how he much hype he put on the visual innovations present here, I'll give Lee props for delivering a technical marvel that boasts more impressive effects than the vast majority of the other big budget projects Hollywood puts out.
Gemini Man is a purely entertaining visual treat with good action sequences and a solid cast that is able to keep things afloat in the slower moments. Fans of Lee's more existential work will likely be disappointed by its sometimes unnatural dialogue and not particularly deep storyline, but if you're a fan of Smith's older blockbuster vehicles or just want to kill some time seeing a popcorn flick, this should prove to be an enjoyable watch.
Grade: B
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The Best and Worst of Zoey Deutch
“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career
highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's
new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography
of “Zombieland: Double Tap” star Zoey Deutch.
Films starring Zoey Deutch that I've seen:
Dirty Grandpa
Everybody Wants Some!!
Good Kids
Why Him?
Before I Fall
The Disaster Artist
Flower
Set It Up
Best Performance: Before I Fall (2017)
Without Deutch, Before I Fall likely would've been nothing but a middling YA drama with a gimmicky time loop hook. She takes advantage of the re-living the same day plot device to give a believable, subtly powerful performance that keeps the entire project afloat and makes the inevitable tearjerker ending stunningly effective.
Worst Performance: N/A
In her short career thus far, Deutch has proven to be a lighting rod that boosts the quality of every project she's in. Her off-the-charts magnetism and exceptional versatility as a performer is reminiscent of her Zombieland: Double Tap co-star Emma Stone. If she continues on her current trajectory, I think she'll be one of the best actors on the planet for the next several decades.
Best Film: The Disaster Artist (2017)
James Franco's adaptation of The Disaster Artist is pretty much perfect. The acting is sensational, the laughs are abundant and most importantly, it captures the warm spirit that exists underneath the stubborn, eccentric exterior of The Room mastermind Tommy Wiseau.
Worst Film: Flower (2018)
All signs pointed to me enjoying Flower. It was a pretty engaging coming-of-age movie with a nice, morbid sense of humor and yet another commanding lead performance from Deutch. Then the last 10 minutes happened. The story takes a HARD left turn with a plot development that I can only describe as uncomfortable. Worst of all, this bizarre ending is presented as a heartwarming moment that changes the outlook of the bitter, sarcastic protagonist. What came before this gross finale was still enough to prevent Flower from being a dud, but this perplexing and tasteless writing choice undermines a lot of the positives that came before it.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Black and Blue” star Frank Grillo.
Films starring Zoey Deutch that I've seen:
Dirty Grandpa
Everybody Wants Some!!
Good Kids
Why Him?
Before I Fall
The Disaster Artist
Flower
Set It Up
Best Performance: Before I Fall (2017)
Without Deutch, Before I Fall likely would've been nothing but a middling YA drama with a gimmicky time loop hook. She takes advantage of the re-living the same day plot device to give a believable, subtly powerful performance that keeps the entire project afloat and makes the inevitable tearjerker ending stunningly effective.
Worst Performance: N/A
In her short career thus far, Deutch has proven to be a lighting rod that boosts the quality of every project she's in. Her off-the-charts magnetism and exceptional versatility as a performer is reminiscent of her Zombieland: Double Tap co-star Emma Stone. If she continues on her current trajectory, I think she'll be one of the best actors on the planet for the next several decades.
Best Film: The Disaster Artist (2017)
James Franco's adaptation of The Disaster Artist is pretty much perfect. The acting is sensational, the laughs are abundant and most importantly, it captures the warm spirit that exists underneath the stubborn, eccentric exterior of The Room mastermind Tommy Wiseau.
Worst Film: Flower (2018)
All signs pointed to me enjoying Flower. It was a pretty engaging coming-of-age movie with a nice, morbid sense of humor and yet another commanding lead performance from Deutch. Then the last 10 minutes happened. The story takes a HARD left turn with a plot development that I can only describe as uncomfortable. Worst of all, this bizarre ending is presented as a heartwarming moment that changes the outlook of the bitter, sarcastic protagonist. What came before this gross finale was still enough to prevent Flower from being a dud, but this perplexing and tasteless writing choice undermines a lot of the positives that came before it.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Black and Blue” star Frank Grillo.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition
Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
Watson's Week 6 performance served as a reminder of how finding success on the ground can significantly boost a quarterback's fantasy day. The 42 YDS and pair of rushing scores he had made up for the decent, but far from blemish free afternoon (280 YDS/1 TD/2 IN/1 2-PT CNV) he had through the air against the Chiefs. A well-rested Colts defense that shut down Patrick Mahomes in their last game awaits Watson next.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Jared Goff (Rams)
It was only a matter of time before Goff's real life struggles carried over to the fantasy game. He was just dreadful against the 49ers suddenly stout defense, throwing for a career-low 78 (!) YDS and losing a fumble in a depressing offensive outing for the Rams. If Goff can't rebound against a helpless Falcons D in Week 7, he'll be a no-brainer drop candidate.
Dishonorable Mentions: Gardner Minshew (Jaguars), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Running Back
MVP: James Conner (Steelers)
Devlin Hodges made a new friend in Conner on Sunday night. The undrafted rookie QB leaned on Conner hard in his 1st career start against the Chargers and he delivered big time, posting 129 scrimmage YDS (41 rushing, 78 receiving) and 2 TD's on 23 touches-which helped power the Steelers to a stunning road victory. While the quad injury that sidelined for him the last few series will be worth monitoring, Conner should be a solid RB1 play (if he's healthy) for the Steelers Week 8 showdown with the Dolphins.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Chubb (Browns), Devonta Freeman (Falcons), David Johnson (Cardinals)
LVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)
Even the most consistent guys in the game falter some times. Top-tier RB2 Henry faceplanted in a terrific matchup against the Broncos paltry run defense, managing just 28 YDS on 15 carries in yet another deflating loss for the erratic Titans. Call me a blind optimist, but I think Henry should do better this week when the aforementioned reeling Chargers come to Nashville.
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
Watson's Week 6 performance served as a reminder of how finding success on the ground can significantly boost a quarterback's fantasy day. The 42 YDS and pair of rushing scores he had made up for the decent, but far from blemish free afternoon (280 YDS/1 TD/2 IN/1 2-PT CNV) he had through the air against the Chiefs. A well-rested Colts defense that shut down Patrick Mahomes in their last game awaits Watson next.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
LVP: Jared Goff (Rams)
It was only a matter of time before Goff's real life struggles carried over to the fantasy game. He was just dreadful against the 49ers suddenly stout defense, throwing for a career-low 78 (!) YDS and losing a fumble in a depressing offensive outing for the Rams. If Goff can't rebound against a helpless Falcons D in Week 7, he'll be a no-brainer drop candidate.
Dishonorable Mentions: Gardner Minshew (Jaguars), Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Running Back
MVP: James Conner (Steelers)
Devlin Hodges made a new friend in Conner on Sunday night. The undrafted rookie QB leaned on Conner hard in his 1st career start against the Chargers and he delivered big time, posting 129 scrimmage YDS (41 rushing, 78 receiving) and 2 TD's on 23 touches-which helped power the Steelers to a stunning road victory. While the quad injury that sidelined for him the last few series will be worth monitoring, Conner should be a solid RB1 play (if he's healthy) for the Steelers Week 8 showdown with the Dolphins.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Chubb (Browns), Devonta Freeman (Falcons), David Johnson (Cardinals)
LVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)
Even the most consistent guys in the game falter some times. Top-tier RB2 Henry faceplanted in a terrific matchup against the Broncos paltry run defense, managing just 28 YDS on 15 carries in yet another deflating loss for the erratic Titans. Call me a blind optimist, but I think Henry should do better this week when the aforementioned reeling Chargers come to Nashville.
Dishonorable Mentions: Austin Ekeler (Chargers), Joe Mixon (Bengals), Aaron Jones (Packers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Stefon Diggs (Vikings)
Diggs finally rose from the dead this week and hot damn, did he have a fire under him. The disgruntled wideout torched an undermanned Eagles secondary for 167 YDS and 3 TD's on 7 receptions while adding another 18 YDS on the ground in a huge W for the Vikings. We'll see if the resurrection of Diggs is real or not when he goes up against a sneaky good Lions secondary in Week 7.
Diggs finally rose from the dead this week and hot damn, did he have a fire under him. The disgruntled wideout torched an undermanned Eagles secondary for 167 YDS and 3 TD's on 7 receptions while adding another 18 YDS on the ground in a huge W for the Vikings. We'll see if the resurrection of Diggs is real or not when he goes up against a sneaky good Lions secondary in Week 7.
Honorable Mentions: Terry McLaurin (Redskins), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Curtis Samuel (Panthers)
LVP: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers)
As expected, Smith-Schuster was not apart of the game plan for the Devlin Hodges-led Steelers. Smith-Schuster only hauled in 1 catch for 7 YDS on a night where Conner was responsible for an overwhelming amount of the offense. The star wideout has been held back sigifinacntly by the revolving door of quarterback the Steelers have been forced to use this season and sadly will be relegated to fringe WR3 status until further notice.
As expected, Smith-Schuster was not apart of the game plan for the Devlin Hodges-led Steelers. Smith-Schuster only hauled in 1 catch for 7 YDS on a night where Conner was responsible for an overwhelming amount of the offense. The star wideout has been held back sigifinacntly by the revolving door of quarterback the Steelers have been forced to use this season and sadly will be relegated to fringe WR3 status until further notice.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tyler Boyd (Bengals), Cooper Kupp (Rams), Keenan Allen (Chargers)
Tight End
MVP: Hunter Henry (Chargers)
The 4th year tight end thrived in a major way in his 1st game action since Week 1, picking up 100 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 catches versus an unsuspecting Steelers defense. Henry's alarming injury history makes him hard to trust, but he'll be an undisputed TE1 option every time he's healthy enough to suit up.
The 4th year tight end thrived in a major way in his 1st game action since Week 1, picking up 100 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 catches versus an unsuspecting Steelers defense. Henry's alarming injury history makes him hard to trust, but he'll be an undisputed TE1 option every time he's healthy enough to suit up.
Honorable Mentions: Austin Hooper (Falcons), George Kittle (49ers), Jared Cook (Saints)
LVP: Gerald Everett (Rams)
Goff's historically bad day killed any shot Everett had of following up his breakout Week 5 performance with a decent game, let alone a great one. He finished the afternoon against the 49ers with just 2 catches for 9 YDS and an opportunity for an easy 50+ YD TD taken away because Goff needed to keep feeding his favorite target: the grass at the Coliseum. Everett will be a boom-or-bust TE1 for a week 7 showdown with the Falcons.
Goff's historically bad day killed any shot Everett had of following up his breakout Week 5 performance with a decent game, let alone a great one. He finished the afternoon against the 49ers with just 2 catches for 9 YDS and an opportunity for an easy 50+ YD TD taken away because Goff needed to keep feeding his favorite target: the grass at the Coliseum. Everett will be a boom-or-bust TE1 for a week 7 showdown with the Falcons.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Packers), Zach Ertz (Eagles), Noah Fant (Broncos)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
Another trash offense met the unforgiving wrath of the Patriots defense last Thursday night. While Daniel Jones and an absolutely depleted Giants offense were fortunate enough to post the 1st passing TD of the season against the league's top defense, the rest of the game was an unwavering nightmare as they turned the ball over at will (3 INT and a FUM REC which resulted in a TD) and allowed a blocked punt to be returned for a score. Sam Darnold's frail spleen and a wretched Jets offensive line are the next poor souls set to be disemboweled by this group of merciless executioners.
Honorable Mentions: Broncos, Panthers, Saints
Another trash offense met the unforgiving wrath of the Patriots defense last Thursday night. While Daniel Jones and an absolutely depleted Giants offense were fortunate enough to post the 1st passing TD of the season against the league's top defense, the rest of the game was an unwavering nightmare as they turned the ball over at will (3 INT and a FUM REC which resulted in a TD) and allowed a blocked punt to be returned for a score. Sam Darnold's frail spleen and a wretched Jets offensive line are the next poor souls set to be disemboweled by this group of merciless executioners.
Honorable Mentions: Broncos, Panthers, Saints
LVP: Cowboys
BREAKING NEWS: Apparently Luke Falk was the primary reason the Jets offense was allowing so many fantasy points every week!!!! Sam Darnold led the Jets to 24 points while only getting sacked twice and throwing 1 pick against a Cowboys defense that was projected to be a top 3 fantasy defense this week. The 'Boys have regressed significantly on defense after a superb 2018 and can be safely dropped in all leagues.
BREAKING NEWS: Apparently Luke Falk was the primary reason the Jets offense was allowing so many fantasy points every week!!!! Sam Darnold led the Jets to 24 points while only getting sacked twice and throwing 1 pick against a Cowboys defense that was projected to be a top 3 fantasy defense this week. The 'Boys have regressed significantly on defense after a superb 2018 and can be safely dropped in all leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Packers, Chargers, Titans
2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 7
()=previous ranking
1.(1) New England Patriots (6-0) Week 7 opponent: New York Jets
2.(2) New Orleans Saints (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Chicago Bears
3.(6) San Francisco 49ers (5-0) Week 7 opponent: Washington Redskins
4.(4) Green Bay Packers (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Oakland Raiders
5.(5) Seattle Seahawks (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
6.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Denver Broncos
7.(10) Houston Texans (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
8.(11) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 7 opponent: Miami Dolphins
9.(12) Baltimore Ravens (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
10.(14) Carolina Panthers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
11.(17) Minnesota Vikings (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Detroit Lions
12.(13) Chicago Bears (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New Orleans Saints
13.(15) Indianapolis Colts (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Houston Texans
14.(9) Dallas Cowboys (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
15.(7) Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
16.(8) Los Angeles Rams (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
17.(16) Detroit Lions (2-2-1) Week 7 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
18.(18) Oakland Raiders (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Green Bay Packers
19.(22) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
20.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
21.(25) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
22.(27) Denver Broncos (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
23.(28) Arizona Cardinals (2-3-1) Week 7 opponent: New York Giants
24.(23) Cleveland Browns (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
25.(24) New York Giants (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
26.(20) Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Tennessee Titans
27.(21) Tennessee Titans (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
28.(29) New York Jets (1-4) Week 7 opponent: New England Patriots
29.(26) Atlanta Falcons (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
30.(31) Washington Redskins (1-5) Week 7 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
31.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-5) Week 7 opponent: Buffalo Bills
1.(1) New England Patriots (6-0) Week 7 opponent: New York Jets
2.(2) New Orleans Saints (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Chicago Bears
3.(6) San Francisco 49ers (5-0) Week 7 opponent: Washington Redskins
4.(4) Green Bay Packers (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Oakland Raiders
5.(5) Seattle Seahawks (5-1) Week 7 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
6.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Denver Broncos
7.(10) Houston Texans (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
8.(11) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 7 opponent: Miami Dolphins
9.(12) Baltimore Ravens (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
10.(14) Carolina Panthers (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
11.(17) Minnesota Vikings (4-2) Week 7 opponent: Detroit Lions
12.(13) Chicago Bears (3-2) Week 7 opponent: New Orleans Saints
13.(15) Indianapolis Colts (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Houston Texans
14.(9) Dallas Cowboys (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
15.(7) Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
16.(8) Los Angeles Rams (3-3) Week 7 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
17.(16) Detroit Lions (2-2-1) Week 7 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
18.(18) Oakland Raiders (3-2) Week 7 opponent: Green Bay Packers
19.(22) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
20.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
21.(25) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
22.(27) Denver Broncos (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
23.(28) Arizona Cardinals (2-3-1) Week 7 opponent: New York Giants
24.(23) Cleveland Browns (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Bye Week
25.(24) New York Giants (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
26.(20) Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Tennessee Titans
27.(21) Tennessee Titans (2-4) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
28.(29) New York Jets (1-4) Week 7 opponent: New England Patriots
29.(26) Atlanta Falcons (1-5) Week 7 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
30.(31) Washington Redskins (1-5) Week 7 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
31.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (0-6) Week 7 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-5) Week 7 opponent: Buffalo Bills
Monday, October 14, 2019
Concert Review: Vein-- Cambridge, MA-- October 13th, 2019
Lineup: Vein/Higher Power/Buried Dreams/Silenus
Venue: The Middle East Downstairs
Silenus: Long Island has been regularly churning out beatdown hardcore bands for what seems like an eternity, but I've never heard one that's quite like Silenus. Combining the traditional beatdown attitude/breakdowns with fast riffing, death metal-esque vocals and eerie samples made them especially abrasive-even for a genre that prides itself on being over-the-top heavy. Their shit was so god damn punishing that I didn't even get overly bothered by the macho bullshit their vocalist was saying between songs! Silenus sold me on a style of hardcore that I don't typically respond overly favorably to and I'll be very interested to see if they continue to embrace this very interesting sound moving forward.
Buried Dreams: Boston's own Buried Dreams was added to this bill after Soft Kill dropped off a couple weeks of ago. Based on the crowd reaction, not only would've you've not known they were a late addition to the show, you probably would've thought they were headlining. This metalcore/traditional hardcore hybrid incited pits, crowd surfing and wall-to-wall movement galore as they ripped through a super fun 20 minute set. That type of widespread enthusiasm for an opener is beautiful to see and reinforced why the Boston hardcore scene is such a special community.
Higher Power: Referring to Higher Power as a breather wouldn't be fair to them because they were every bit as good and energetic as the bands that preceded them. However, they did utilize a lot of melodic vocals alongside the regularly-deployed breakdowns-which made them a welcome and very effective departure from the ultraaggressive mood that drove the rest of the night. Bonus points to their vocalist for being a super charismatic fellow who seemed beyond appreciative that the crowd was so responsive to their set.
Vein: HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT. That's just a sample of the very deep thoughts that were running through my head during Vein's set. These agents of musical chaos bring an unrelenting, go-for-broke attitude to the stage that is reminiscent of The Dillinger Escape Plan and their distinct beast of a sound somehow manages to be even more intense live. Throw in the fact this was a hometown show on the last night of a month-long headlining run and you have yourself a lethal formula that helped make this show a jaw-dropping display of pure fucking madness..
This performance was the kind of visceral, adrenaline-fueled experience that drew me to heavy music as a teenager and has kept me devoted to it as an adult. Every single song hit like a sledgehammer. No one in the band that isn't forced to sit down to play their instrument stood still for more than a few seconds at a time. Mics were tossed around like a football. People were hanging upside down from the pipes on the ceiling. As many 20-25 people were on the stage at one time. Getting to be in an environment where anything goes without anything awful happening is an increasingly rare luxury in this wretched world and I couldn't be more thankful that this haven of contained chaotic euphoria still exists. Vein is a superhuman force live and I hope they NEVER lose that edge as their stock continues to ascend.
Grades:
Silenus: B+
Buried Dreams: B+
Higher Power: B+
Vein: A+
Setlist:
Vein:
Untitled
Broken Glass Complexion
Demise Automation
Spiral
Untitled (same lyrics w/ longer outro and slightly different instrumental)
Anesthesia
Ripple
Old Data in a Dead Machine
Rebirth Protocol
Terrors Realm
New Song
Virus:// Vibrance
Ideation: Self Destruct
New Song
Doomtech
Progenitor
Venue: The Middle East Downstairs
Silenus: Long Island has been regularly churning out beatdown hardcore bands for what seems like an eternity, but I've never heard one that's quite like Silenus. Combining the traditional beatdown attitude/breakdowns with fast riffing, death metal-esque vocals and eerie samples made them especially abrasive-even for a genre that prides itself on being over-the-top heavy. Their shit was so god damn punishing that I didn't even get overly bothered by the macho bullshit their vocalist was saying between songs! Silenus sold me on a style of hardcore that I don't typically respond overly favorably to and I'll be very interested to see if they continue to embrace this very interesting sound moving forward.
Buried Dreams: Boston's own Buried Dreams was added to this bill after Soft Kill dropped off a couple weeks of ago. Based on the crowd reaction, not only would've you've not known they were a late addition to the show, you probably would've thought they were headlining. This metalcore/traditional hardcore hybrid incited pits, crowd surfing and wall-to-wall movement galore as they ripped through a super fun 20 minute set. That type of widespread enthusiasm for an opener is beautiful to see and reinforced why the Boston hardcore scene is such a special community.
Higher Power: Referring to Higher Power as a breather wouldn't be fair to them because they were every bit as good and energetic as the bands that preceded them. However, they did utilize a lot of melodic vocals alongside the regularly-deployed breakdowns-which made them a welcome and very effective departure from the ultraaggressive mood that drove the rest of the night. Bonus points to their vocalist for being a super charismatic fellow who seemed beyond appreciative that the crowd was so responsive to their set.
Vein: HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT. That's just a sample of the very deep thoughts that were running through my head during Vein's set. These agents of musical chaos bring an unrelenting, go-for-broke attitude to the stage that is reminiscent of The Dillinger Escape Plan and their distinct beast of a sound somehow manages to be even more intense live. Throw in the fact this was a hometown show on the last night of a month-long headlining run and you have yourself a lethal formula that helped make this show a jaw-dropping display of pure fucking madness..
This performance was the kind of visceral, adrenaline-fueled experience that drew me to heavy music as a teenager and has kept me devoted to it as an adult. Every single song hit like a sledgehammer. No one in the band that isn't forced to sit down to play their instrument stood still for more than a few seconds at a time. Mics were tossed around like a football. People were hanging upside down from the pipes on the ceiling. As many 20-25 people were on the stage at one time. Getting to be in an environment where anything goes without anything awful happening is an increasingly rare luxury in this wretched world and I couldn't be more thankful that this haven of contained chaotic euphoria still exists. Vein is a superhuman force live and I hope they NEVER lose that edge as their stock continues to ascend.
Grades:
Silenus: B+
Buried Dreams: B+
Higher Power: B+
Vein: A+
Setlist:
Vein:
Untitled
Broken Glass Complexion
Demise Automation
Spiral
Untitled (same lyrics w/ longer outro and slightly different instrumental)
Anesthesia
Ripple
Old Data in a Dead Machine
Rebirth Protocol
Terrors Realm
New Song
Virus:// Vibrance
Ideation: Self Destruct
New Song
Doomtech
Progenitor
Friday, October 11, 2019
Movie Review: Joker
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DC's lone advantage over Marvel is that they aren't married to the shared universe concept. Let's just say if the actor you chose to play Batman decides he wants to dip before his solo movie goes into production or you want to retool your financially successful, but poorly received quirky team up movie by bringing in a whole lot of new blood on both sides of the camera for the sequel, those changes can be made without hesitation. This fast-and-loose approach to handling a massive IP also means they have the luxury of taking chances that their Disney-owned rivals have no interest in making. Their most ambitious swing to date comes with Joker- a slow-burning character study that has more in common with Taxi Driver than The Dark Knight. While it may be a radical way to approach the origin story of an iconic Batman villain, it ends up being a pathetic attempt to try and lure cinephiles into a world that they typically feel is well beneath them.
From the opening shot of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) applying clown makeup and forcing himself to smile in the mirror, Joker establishes an infuriating aura of self-importance. Co-writer/director Todd Phillips' (The Hangover, Old School) approach to dramatic filmmaking is just stuffing every scene with wall-to-wall "LOOK AT ME" theatrics to try and dress up the staggering lack of substance that exists underneath its tryhard exterior. Putting several dancing montages designed to illustrate the joy an isolated man feels when he's finally receiving the attention he's long craved after committing violent crimes and some painfully obvious commentary about the social and societal failures by mankind as a whole that can help turn people suffering with mental illness into monsters doesn't magically make this story profound.
In fact, the non-stop cues (Contemplative shots, nods to the current political climate, philosophy references, etc.) Phillips uses to remind the audience just how deep and important his movie is trying to be robs Fleck's descent into madness of any real impact. He kind of just starts killing people that mocked or betrayed him over the years then things wrap up on a note that isn't likely to surprise anybody that's seen a psychological drama before. Nothing that happens here is disturbing, provocative or engrossing, it simply unfolds and fades away without lingering on the mind for more than a few seconds. Having a complete lack of tension or emotional engagement when shit starts hitting the fan in a movie that tries embarrassingly hard to get under the viewer's skin is the clearest possible sign of a total creative failure.
Phillips may be the ringleader of this circus of exhausting artistic desperation, but Phoenix certainly makes a healthy contribution to Joker's insufferable atmosphere. Between the corny monologues and that god damn cartoonish laugh he breaks into every couple minutes, his portrayal of Fleck comes across as more of a parody of a psychopath than a mentally-ill human slowly losing their mind after decades of abuse and rejection.
While the tones of the two films couldn't possibly be more different, Phoenix's overwhelming attempt to be menacing is pretty similar to what Jared Leto did with the character in Suicide Squad. They're both terrific actors who went method to try and bring a sense of gritty menace to this iconic character, but ended up coming off like the hammy, low-rent clowns they physically resemble. It's a puzzling career low for the Oscar winner in a role that he probably could've crushed if he had dialed back his "I'M A SERIOUS THESPIAN WHO WENT THROUGH IMMENSE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN IN ORDER TO PLAY THIS TORTURED SOUL, SO GIVE ME SOME AWARDS PLEASE" act a few thousand notches.
Honestly, I think Joker is best taken as a metaphor for Phillips' career trajectory. He was essentially viewed as an insignificant filmmaker in the industry for nearly 15 years when he was making bro comedies and now he's the toast of the town because he applied some "timely" commentary to the narrative arc of The King of Comedy. Truly an incomparable vision and perhaps we'll be blessed enough to see him put his newfound edgy auteur stamp on the birth of Megatron or the Cobra Commander someday.
In fact, the non-stop cues (Contemplative shots, nods to the current political climate, philosophy references, etc.) Phillips uses to remind the audience just how deep and important his movie is trying to be robs Fleck's descent into madness of any real impact. He kind of just starts killing people that mocked or betrayed him over the years then things wrap up on a note that isn't likely to surprise anybody that's seen a psychological drama before. Nothing that happens here is disturbing, provocative or engrossing, it simply unfolds and fades away without lingering on the mind for more than a few seconds. Having a complete lack of tension or emotional engagement when shit starts hitting the fan in a movie that tries embarrassingly hard to get under the viewer's skin is the clearest possible sign of a total creative failure.
Phillips may be the ringleader of this circus of exhausting artistic desperation, but Phoenix certainly makes a healthy contribution to Joker's insufferable atmosphere. Between the corny monologues and that god damn cartoonish laugh he breaks into every couple minutes, his portrayal of Fleck comes across as more of a parody of a psychopath than a mentally-ill human slowly losing their mind after decades of abuse and rejection.
While the tones of the two films couldn't possibly be more different, Phoenix's overwhelming attempt to be menacing is pretty similar to what Jared Leto did with the character in Suicide Squad. They're both terrific actors who went method to try and bring a sense of gritty menace to this iconic character, but ended up coming off like the hammy, low-rent clowns they physically resemble. It's a puzzling career low for the Oscar winner in a role that he probably could've crushed if he had dialed back his "I'M A SERIOUS THESPIAN WHO WENT THROUGH IMMENSE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN IN ORDER TO PLAY THIS TORTURED SOUL, SO GIVE ME SOME AWARDS PLEASE" act a few thousand notches.
Honestly, I think Joker is best taken as a metaphor for Phillips' career trajectory. He was essentially viewed as an insignificant filmmaker in the industry for nearly 15 years when he was making bro comedies and now he's the toast of the town because he applied some "timely" commentary to the narrative arc of The King of Comedy. Truly an incomparable vision and perhaps we'll be blessed enough to see him put his newfound edgy auteur stamp on the birth of Megatron or the Cobra Commander someday.
Grade: D-
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Earful of Fantasy Episode #5
On this episode, Liam and I make our late night programming debut with a string of lively conversations about Dalvin Cook, the Texans Week 5 offensive explosion and the Giants' collection of corpses. Listen below, subscribe at your favorite podcast provider and tune in next Wednesday for another round of fantasy football talk.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-know-youre-a-winner-when-eof105/id1478573845?i=1000452995329
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/you-know-youre-winner-when-eof105.html
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-know-youre-a-winner-when-eof105/id1478573845?i=1000452995329
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/you-know-youre-winner-when-eof105.html
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Week 5 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition
Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
If you were waiting for Watson to wake up after 3 straight mediocre performances, boy oh boy did your wish come true. Watson looked like a man possessed all day on Sunday as he shredded the Falcons defense for 426 YDS and 5 TD's through the air while adding another 47 YDS on the ground. He'll look to start building a hot streak versus a beatable Chiefs D in Week 6.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
LVP: Baker Mayfield (Browns)
The nightmarish sophomore campaign of Mayfield continued with a primetime meltdown (100 YDS/0 TD/2 INT/FUM REC) against an aggressive 49ers defense that continues to impress. Mayfield has easily been the biggest letdown at QB thus far and with an absolutely brutal upcoming schedule that includes a visit from the Seahawks this week and a trip to Foxboro to face the Patriots on the 27th, it seems unlikely that he'll be able to turn things around anytime soon.
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)
If you were waiting for Watson to wake up after 3 straight mediocre performances, boy oh boy did your wish come true. Watson looked like a man possessed all day on Sunday as he shredded the Falcons defense for 426 YDS and 5 TD's through the air while adding another 47 YDS on the ground. He'll look to start building a hot streak versus a beatable Chiefs D in Week 6.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
LVP: Baker Mayfield (Browns)
The nightmarish sophomore campaign of Mayfield continued with a primetime meltdown (100 YDS/0 TD/2 INT/FUM REC) against an aggressive 49ers defense that continues to impress. Mayfield has easily been the biggest letdown at QB thus far and with an absolutely brutal upcoming schedule that includes a visit from the Seahawks this week and a trip to Foxboro to face the Patriots on the 27th, it seems unlikely that he'll be able to turn things around anytime soon.
Dishonorable Mentions: Carson Wentz (Eagles), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
Running Back
MVP: Aaron Jones (Packers)
Continuing this week 5 theme of "Where the Hell Did This Come From?": Jones put together a career-best performance after posting less than 60 scrimmage YDS and a per carry average of under 2 YDS in the prior 2 games. The 3rd-year back massacred an unsuspecting Cowboys defense for 183 scrimmage YDS (107 rushing, 75 receiving) and 4 TD"s on 26 touches in a huge road win for the Packers. While his TD output (8 in 5 games, just 1 shy of what he got in 12 games last year) has been superb, his fantasy owners will hope this monster performance signals the start of more consistent play on the whole.
Continuing this week 5 theme of "Where the Hell Did This Come From?": Jones put together a career-best performance after posting less than 60 scrimmage YDS and a per carry average of under 2 YDS in the prior 2 games. The 3rd-year back massacred an unsuspecting Cowboys defense for 183 scrimmage YDS (107 rushing, 75 receiving) and 4 TD"s on 26 touches in a huge road win for the Packers. While his TD output (8 in 5 games, just 1 shy of what he got in 12 games last year) has been superb, his fantasy owners will hope this monster performance signals the start of more consistent play on the whole.
Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Matt Brieda (49ers)
LVP: Melvin Gordon (Chargers)
In his 1st game action of 2019 after ending a 2 month holdout, Gordon proved it's going to be a little bit before he's ready to significantly contribute to the Chargers offense again. He mustered just 38 YDS (31 rushing, 7 receiving) on 16 touches against a Broncos defense that had allowed the 5th most fantasy points to running backs prior to this game. He'll be a very risky start in Week 6 versus a below average Steelers run defense.
In his 1st game action of 2019 after ending a 2 month holdout, Gordon proved it's going to be a little bit before he's ready to significantly contribute to the Chargers offense again. He mustered just 38 YDS (31 rushing, 7 receiving) on 16 touches against a Broncos defense that had allowed the 5th most fantasy points to running backs prior to this game. He'll be a very risky start in Week 6 versus a below average Steelers run defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Damien Williams (Chiefs), LeSean McCoy (Chiefs), Jaylen Samuels (Steelers)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Will Fuller (Texans)
If you were fortunate enough to plug Fuller into your starting lineup this past weekend, you were rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. The Texans deep threat put together the type of superhuman outing (217 YDS and 3 TD's on 14 receptions) that almost feels inconvieable considering his somewhat limited role in the offense. Obviously he's not going to receive that type of ridiculous volume on a weekly basis, but he should remain in the WR2 mix as long as Kenny Stills is sidelined.
If you were fortunate enough to plug Fuller into your starting lineup this past weekend, you were rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. The Texans deep threat put together the type of superhuman outing (217 YDS and 3 TD's on 14 receptions) that almost feels inconvieable considering his somewhat limited role in the offense. Obviously he's not going to receive that type of ridiculous volume on a weekly basis, but he should remain in the WR2 mix as long as Kenny Stills is sidelined.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas (Saints), Amari Cooper (Cowboys), D.J. Chark (Jaguars)
LVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
In tragic news, Evans has gone into hiding again. The Bucs top wideout was last seen entering the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans last Sunday afternoon and hasn't been heard from since. Hopefully he'll reemerge when his team travels to London to face the Panthers this Sunday.
In tragic news, Evans has gone into hiding again. The Bucs top wideout was last seen entering the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans last Sunday afternoon and hasn't been heard from since. Hopefully he'll reemerge when his team travels to London to face the Panthers this Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Keenan Allen (Chargers), Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), Julio Jones (Falcons)
Tight End
MVP: George Kittle (49ers)
TE proved to be the lone (relatively) quiet position in an otherwise monstrous week for fantasy football, but that didn't stop Kittle from finally putting up solid numbers. The 2018 All-Pro led the 49ers in receiving (6 REC/70 YDS), found the endzone for the 1st time this season and got an 18 YD rush in a comical blowout win over the Browns last night. As disappointing as Kittle's output has been for a guy who was picked in the top 20-30 overall in fantasy drafts, there's a very real chance that a return to the dominant form he displayed last season will come sooner than later.
TE proved to be the lone (relatively) quiet position in an otherwise monstrous week for fantasy football, but that didn't stop Kittle from finally putting up solid numbers. The 2018 All-Pro led the 49ers in receiving (6 REC/70 YDS), found the endzone for the 1st time this season and got an 18 YD rush in a comical blowout win over the Browns last night. As disappointing as Kittle's output has been for a guy who was picked in the top 20-30 overall in fantasy drafts, there's a very real chance that a return to the dominant form he displayed last season will come sooner than later.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Jared Cook (Saints), Will Dissly (Seahawks)
LVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
It's officially time to start getting concerned about Olsen's role in the Panthers offense with Kyle Allen under center. For the 2nd consecutive week, Olsen was a complete non-factor (0 receptions on just 2 targets) in a contest against the Jaguars where Allen only threw for 181 YDS. A Bucs defense that he carved up for 110 YDS back in Week 2 could be just what Olsen needs to get right.
It's officially time to start getting concerned about Olsen's role in the Panthers offense with Kyle Allen under center. For the 2nd consecutive week, Olsen was a complete non-factor (0 receptions on just 2 targets) in a contest against the Jaguars where Allen only threw for 181 YDS. A Bucs defense that he carved up for 110 YDS back in Week 2 could be just what Olsen needs to get right.
Dishonorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), Delanie Walker (Titans), Darren Waller (Raiders)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Eagles
The Eagles REALLY took advantage of being the last team (for now) to face off against a Luke Falk-led offense. Falk and the Jets high-flying offense overseen by virtuoso coach Adam Gase registered just 6 points while surrendering 10 sacks, 2 INT, a FUM REC and a pair of scores to a defense that hadn't exactly been lighting up the fantasy world (3 sacks, 5 takeaways, 0 TD, 24+ points allowed in Weeks 1-4) prior to this explosion. Expect just a smidge of a dropoff when they face a more competent Vikings offense in Week 6.
The Eagles REALLY took advantage of being the last team (for now) to face off against a Luke Falk-led offense. Falk and the Jets high-flying offense overseen by virtuoso coach Adam Gase registered just 6 points while surrendering 10 sacks, 2 INT, a FUM REC and a pair of scores to a defense that hadn't exactly been lighting up the fantasy world (3 sacks, 5 takeaways, 0 TD, 24+ points allowed in Weeks 1-4) prior to this explosion. Expect just a smidge of a dropoff when they face a more competent Vikings offense in Week 6.
Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Patriots, Chargers
LVP: Bears
The Bears spent this week becoming the latest stars of "When Revenge Games Go Wrong". Khalil Mack and co. got steamrolled by Jon F'n Gruden's offense, allowing 24 points and sacking Derek Carr 0 times. A pair of fumble recoveries were the only silver linings to be found on this embarrassing trip to London. Even with the league's most brutal schedule awaiting them after the bye, this group is too damn talented to write off in the long-term.
The Bears spent this week becoming the latest stars of "When Revenge Games Go Wrong". Khalil Mack and co. got steamrolled by Jon F'n Gruden's offense, allowing 24 points and sacking Derek Carr 0 times. A pair of fumble recoveries were the only silver linings to be found on this embarrassing trip to London. Even with the league's most brutal schedule awaiting them after the bye, this group is too damn talented to write off in the long-term.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jaguars, Ravens, Browns
2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6
()=previous ranking
1.(1) New England Patriots (5-0) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants
2.(3) New Orleans Saints (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
3.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Houston Texans
4.(7) Green Bay Packers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Detroit Lions
5.(6) Seattle Seahawks (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns
6.(13) San Francisco 49ers (4-0) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
7.(9) Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
8.(4) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
9.(5) Dallas Cowboys (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets
10.(10) Houston Texans (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
11.(14) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
12.(11) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
13.(8) Chicago Bears (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
14.(15) Carolina Panthers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15.(22) Indianapolis Colts (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
16.(16) Detroit Lions (2-1-1) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers
17.(20) Minnesota Vikings (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
18.(24) Oakland Raiders (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
19.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers
20.(12) Los Angeles Chargers (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
21.(17) Tennessee Titans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos
22.(21) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints
23.(19) Cleveland Browns (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
24.(23) New York Giants (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots
25.(25) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
26.(26) Atlanta Falcons (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
27.(27) Denver Broncos (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Tennessee Titans
28.(28) Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
29.(29) New York Jets (0-4) Week 6 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
31.(31) Washington Redskins (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Miami Dolphins
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-4) Week 6 opponent: Washington Redskins
1.(1) New England Patriots (5-0) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants
2.(3) New Orleans Saints (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
3.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Houston Texans
4.(7) Green Bay Packers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Detroit Lions
5.(6) Seattle Seahawks (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns
6.(13) San Francisco 49ers (4-0) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
7.(9) Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
8.(4) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
9.(5) Dallas Cowboys (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets
10.(10) Houston Texans (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
11.(14) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
12.(11) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
13.(8) Chicago Bears (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
14.(15) Carolina Panthers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15.(22) Indianapolis Colts (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
16.(16) Detroit Lions (2-1-1) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers
17.(20) Minnesota Vikings (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
18.(24) Oakland Raiders (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
19.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers
20.(12) Los Angeles Chargers (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
21.(17) Tennessee Titans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos
22.(21) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints
23.(19) Cleveland Browns (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
24.(23) New York Giants (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots
25.(25) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
26.(26) Atlanta Falcons (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
27.(27) Denver Broncos (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Tennessee Titans
28.(28) Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
29.(29) New York Jets (0-4) Week 6 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
31.(31) Washington Redskins (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Miami Dolphins
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-4) Week 6 opponent: Washington Redskins
Monday, October 7, 2019
The Best and Worst of Clive Owen
“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career
highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's
new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography
of “Gemini Man” star Clive Owen.
Films starring Clive Owen that I've seen:
The Bourne Identity
King Arthur
Sin City
The Pink Panther
Inside Man
Children of Men
Shoot 'Em Up
The International
Killer Elite
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Best Performance: Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Fresh off the acclaim of a string of prestige projects including Closer, Inside Man and Children of Men, Owen decided to go hang out in the gutter and take the lead role in a truly insane action movie called Shoot 'Em Up. This surprise detour proved to be a move of pure genius. Seeing an actor who had made a name for himself in serious fare fearlessly jump into an over-the-top demented world where cartoonish violence and morbid humor reign supreme is the type of unexpectedly brilliant transformation that is worthy of endless praise in my eyes.
Worst Performance: King Arthur (2004)
Like every other actor (Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Joel Edgerton, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Winstone) involved in this misguided remake, Owen succumbs to the dreary tone of the script-making Arthur a staggeringly dull protagonist that's hard to buy as a fearless warrior of destiny.
Best Film: Sin City (2005)
Outside of Pulp Fiction, no movie has ever blown me away to the extent that Sin City did. Robert Rodriguez's noir crime saga is a masterclass in visuals, acting and atmosphere that brought the feel of a comic book to the big screen in a way that no other film had before or has since.
Worst Film: King Arthur (2004)
For as many issues as I had with the most recent King Arthur adaptation (2017's Legend of the Sword), Antoine Fuqua's 2004 version is a far worse product. While the action scenes are pretty competent, this take on the iconic folk tale is inorganically gritty to the point where it becomes tedious and joyless to watch.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Zombieland: Double Tap” star Zoey Deutch.
Films starring Clive Owen that I've seen:
The Bourne Identity
King Arthur
Sin City
The Pink Panther
Inside Man
Children of Men
Shoot 'Em Up
The International
Killer Elite
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Best Performance: Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Fresh off the acclaim of a string of prestige projects including Closer, Inside Man and Children of Men, Owen decided to go hang out in the gutter and take the lead role in a truly insane action movie called Shoot 'Em Up. This surprise detour proved to be a move of pure genius. Seeing an actor who had made a name for himself in serious fare fearlessly jump into an over-the-top demented world where cartoonish violence and morbid humor reign supreme is the type of unexpectedly brilliant transformation that is worthy of endless praise in my eyes.
Worst Performance: King Arthur (2004)
Like every other actor (Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Joel Edgerton, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Winstone) involved in this misguided remake, Owen succumbs to the dreary tone of the script-making Arthur a staggeringly dull protagonist that's hard to buy as a fearless warrior of destiny.
Best Film: Sin City (2005)
Outside of Pulp Fiction, no movie has ever blown me away to the extent that Sin City did. Robert Rodriguez's noir crime saga is a masterclass in visuals, acting and atmosphere that brought the feel of a comic book to the big screen in a way that no other film had before or has since.
Worst Film: King Arthur (2004)
For as many issues as I had with the most recent King Arthur adaptation (2017's Legend of the Sword), Antoine Fuqua's 2004 version is a far worse product. While the action scenes are pretty competent, this take on the iconic folk tale is inorganically gritty to the point where it becomes tedious and joyless to watch.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Zombieland: Double Tap” star Zoey Deutch.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Earful of Fantasy Episode #4
On this episode, Liam and I discuss quarter season storylines, the status of the Al Davis eternal flame and pump up Jacoby Brissett more than any other fantasy football podcast ever has. There's also a great sequence where I pause for an extraordinary amount of time because I jumbled up my notes and had to sort out my picks. Listen below, subscribe at whatever podcast provider you fancy and tune in on Wednesday at 7:30 EST on our Facebook page if you want to hear this auditory magic live.
Earful of Dirt site:https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/in-search-of-orange-eof104.html
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-orange-eof104/id1478573845?i=1000452105037
Earful of Dirt site:https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/in-search-of-orange-eof104.html
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-orange-eof104/id1478573845?i=1000452105037
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Best and Worst of Joaquin Phoenix
“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career
highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's
new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography
of “Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix.
Films starring Joaquin Phoenix that I've seen:
Clay Pigeons
Gladiator
Signs
The Village
Ladder 49
Hotel Rwanda
Walk the Line
We Own the Night
Her
Irrational Man
You Were Never Really Here
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
The Sisters Brothers
Best Performance: Her (2013)
Phoenix is a fascinating actor because of his ability to alternate between subtlety and showboating with ease. Although there are many of his performances from both camps that left me speechless, his quiet yet commanding turn in Her stands above the rest. He plays a lonely recent divorcee who develops a romantic relationship with his phone's operating system (Scarlett Johannsson) with a level of raw emotional transparency that allows the character's road back from heartbreak to be incredibly authentic and moving.
Worst Performance: Signs (2002)
The only thing notable about Phoenix's flat performance in Signs is that he was directly involved in the beautifully stupid moment where M. Night Shyamalan lost his edge as a filmmaker. I can't look at a baseball bat, hear the phrase "swing away" or even think about a minor league baseball team without visualizing Phoenix frantically knocking over glasses of water to destroy the aliens that had invaded his brother's (Mel Gibson) farmhouse. Hopefully when Phoenix dies, that will be the scene they play during his Oscars "In Memoriam" slot.
Best Film: Gladiator (2000)
Since I'm viewing it through a purely nostalgic lens (I haven't watched it in over a decade), I'll stop short of saying Gladiator is an all time favorite of mine. However, don't mistake my refusal to make that declaration as a sign that I don't love this movie. Ridley Scott's historical revenge drama is an epic, rousing piece of blockbuster excess that features electric acting from its gifted cast (Russell Crowe, Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Honsou) and some of the best battle scenes ever put on film.
Worst Film: The Village (2004)
Signs may have signaled the start of M. Night Shyamalan's downturn, but The Village marked the moment where he went fully off-the-rails. This period psychological thriller is so riddled with terrible acting and absurd plot twists that made it impossible for me to take whatever message about coping with trauma he was trying to convey seriously.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Gemini Man" star Clive Owen.
Films starring Joaquin Phoenix that I've seen:
Clay Pigeons
Gladiator
Signs
The Village
Ladder 49
Hotel Rwanda
Walk the Line
We Own the Night
Her
Irrational Man
You Were Never Really Here
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
The Sisters Brothers
Best Performance: Her (2013)
Phoenix is a fascinating actor because of his ability to alternate between subtlety and showboating with ease. Although there are many of his performances from both camps that left me speechless, his quiet yet commanding turn in Her stands above the rest. He plays a lonely recent divorcee who develops a romantic relationship with his phone's operating system (Scarlett Johannsson) with a level of raw emotional transparency that allows the character's road back from heartbreak to be incredibly authentic and moving.
Worst Performance: Signs (2002)
The only thing notable about Phoenix's flat performance in Signs is that he was directly involved in the beautifully stupid moment where M. Night Shyamalan lost his edge as a filmmaker. I can't look at a baseball bat, hear the phrase "swing away" or even think about a minor league baseball team without visualizing Phoenix frantically knocking over glasses of water to destroy the aliens that had invaded his brother's (Mel Gibson) farmhouse. Hopefully when Phoenix dies, that will be the scene they play during his Oscars "In Memoriam" slot.
Best Film: Gladiator (2000)
Since I'm viewing it through a purely nostalgic lens (I haven't watched it in over a decade), I'll stop short of saying Gladiator is an all time favorite of mine. However, don't mistake my refusal to make that declaration as a sign that I don't love this movie. Ridley Scott's historical revenge drama is an epic, rousing piece of blockbuster excess that features electric acting from its gifted cast (Russell Crowe, Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Honsou) and some of the best battle scenes ever put on film.
Worst Film: The Village (2004)
Signs may have signaled the start of M. Night Shyamalan's downturn, but The Village marked the moment where he went fully off-the-rails. This period psychological thriller is so riddled with terrible acting and absurd plot twists that made it impossible for me to take whatever message about coping with trauma he was trying to convey seriously.
Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Gemini Man" star Clive Owen.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition
Quarterback
MVP: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)
While the notoriously erratic signalcaller was due for an explosion after a so-so start to 2019, I don't think too many people expected a contest against the defending NFC champs to be the game where Winston finally went off. Outside of a late pick 6 to Marcus Peters, Winston was terrific against the Rams-throwing for 385 YDS and 4 TD in an impressive road win for the Bucs. Ol' Crab Legs will likely come back to earth in Week 5 when he goes against a Saints defense that has been sensational in non-garbage time situations over the past 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Jared Goff (Rams)
LVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
For the 1st time under new OC Kellen Moore, Prescott appeared mortal. The Saints took away the deep passing lanes and forced Prescott to revert to the checkdown-heavy attack that had defined this offense under former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, which generated predictably lackluster results (223 YDS/0 TD/1 INT). Prescott could make it back-to-back duds this week when he goes up against a tough Packers secondary that's held all 4 quarterbacks they've played so far to 230 YDS or less.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Tom Brady (Patriots), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
Running Back
MVP: Nick Chubb (Browns)
The Browns offense finally turned a corner against the Ravens this week and Chubb deserves a lot of the credit for their long-awaited breakthrough. Chubb's monster performance (183 scrimmage YDS, 3 rushing TDS on 23 touches) made this group much more balanced and allowed 2nd year quarterback Baker Mayfield to play with a level of ease that he hadn't displayed in the prior 3 games. If Chubb can keep this level of play up, he'll ascend to the weekly RB1 ranks very quickly.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Howard (Eagles), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)
LVP: Marlon Mack (Colts)
A combination of game script and merely average production on the carries he did receive (11 for 39 YDS) made Mack a non-factor during an unexpected blowout home loss against the Raiders. Mack will look to break the up-and-down cycle he's been stuck in all season this week against a Chiefs D that currently ranks 31st against the run.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adrian Peterson (Redskins), Philip Lindsay (Broncos), Joe Mixon (Bengals)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
The hip ailment that kept Godwin out of practice for most of last week clearly wasn't too serious. He ended up serving as the catalyst for the Bucs staggering offensive performance against a previously vaunted Rams defense, registering a mammoth 12 receptions for 172 YDS and 2 TD's. Godwin will look to keep rolling against a talented, but beatable Saints secondary on Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Kenny Golladay (Lions), Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Davante Adams (Packers)
LVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns)
On a day where the Browns offense came alive, OBJ was left out of the fun. Beckham Jr., who reeled in just 2 catches for 20 yards, was pretty much completely shutdown by the Ravens top corner Marlon Humphery while teammates Jarvis Landry (8 REC/167 YDS) and Ricky Seals-Jones (3 REC/82 YDS/1 TD) put together career-best performances. The chemistry with Baker Mayfield hasn't really been there so far, but OBJ remains too dynamic to not be considered a top 5-10 fantasy WR moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adam Thielen (Vikings), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Tyler Boyd (Bengals)
Tight End
MVP: Austin Hooper (Falcons)
Hooper easily led the way in receiving (9 REC/130 YDS) on a mostly miserable afternoon for the reeling Falcons against the Titans. A Texans D that has done a terrific job slowing down TE's thus far (2nd least fantasy points allowed) awaits Hooper next.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Packers), Will Dissly (Seahawks), Eric Ebron (Colts)
LVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
Olsen fell back to earth in a major way against the Texans after back-to-back dominant performances. The veteran tight end mustered just 2 catches for 5 YDS on a day where Kyle Allen was in sync with no one outside of Christian McCaffery. He'll remain a TE1 option for a Week 5 showdown with the potentially Jalen Ramsey-less Jaguars.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Vernon Davis (Redskins), O.J. Howard (Buccaneers)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
After a week away, the Patriots have returned to their MVP throne in Week 4. Comically sloppy QB play, a key blocked punt/return TD and just good old fashioned aggressiveness helped the Pats D put together another sensational showing (5 sacks/4 INT) that powered them to a 16-10 victory in a tight defensive struggle against the Bills. While they've certainly benefited from kicking off the season playing 4 of the league's most inept offenses, the Patriots defense is a tough, deep group with no serious weaknesses that has an excellent chance of being the top fantasy defense all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Steelers, Bears, Seahawks
LVP: Ravens
Something is wrong with the Ravens defense right now. A week after allowing 33 points to the Chiefs, they managed to be even worse against the Browns-giving up 40 points while doing next to nothing (1 sack, 1 INT) to offset the damage done by their inability to keep Freddie Kitchens' crew from scoring. They'll look to put this cold streak behind them when they square off against the ultraconservative Mason Rudolph-led Steelers in Week 5.
Dishonorable Mentions: Packers, Jaguars, Vikings
MVP: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)
While the notoriously erratic signalcaller was due for an explosion after a so-so start to 2019, I don't think too many people expected a contest against the defending NFC champs to be the game where Winston finally went off. Outside of a late pick 6 to Marcus Peters, Winston was terrific against the Rams-throwing for 385 YDS and 4 TD in an impressive road win for the Bucs. Ol' Crab Legs will likely come back to earth in Week 5 when he goes against a Saints defense that has been sensational in non-garbage time situations over the past 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Jared Goff (Rams)
LVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
For the 1st time under new OC Kellen Moore, Prescott appeared mortal. The Saints took away the deep passing lanes and forced Prescott to revert to the checkdown-heavy attack that had defined this offense under former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, which generated predictably lackluster results (223 YDS/0 TD/1 INT). Prescott could make it back-to-back duds this week when he goes up against a tough Packers secondary that's held all 4 quarterbacks they've played so far to 230 YDS or less.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Tom Brady (Patriots), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
Running Back
MVP: Nick Chubb (Browns)
The Browns offense finally turned a corner against the Ravens this week and Chubb deserves a lot of the credit for their long-awaited breakthrough. Chubb's monster performance (183 scrimmage YDS, 3 rushing TDS on 23 touches) made this group much more balanced and allowed 2nd year quarterback Baker Mayfield to play with a level of ease that he hadn't displayed in the prior 3 games. If Chubb can keep this level of play up, he'll ascend to the weekly RB1 ranks very quickly.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Howard (Eagles), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)
LVP: Marlon Mack (Colts)
A combination of game script and merely average production on the carries he did receive (11 for 39 YDS) made Mack a non-factor during an unexpected blowout home loss against the Raiders. Mack will look to break the up-and-down cycle he's been stuck in all season this week against a Chiefs D that currently ranks 31st against the run.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adrian Peterson (Redskins), Philip Lindsay (Broncos), Joe Mixon (Bengals)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
The hip ailment that kept Godwin out of practice for most of last week clearly wasn't too serious. He ended up serving as the catalyst for the Bucs staggering offensive performance against a previously vaunted Rams defense, registering a mammoth 12 receptions for 172 YDS and 2 TD's. Godwin will look to keep rolling against a talented, but beatable Saints secondary on Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Kenny Golladay (Lions), Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Davante Adams (Packers)
LVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns)
On a day where the Browns offense came alive, OBJ was left out of the fun. Beckham Jr., who reeled in just 2 catches for 20 yards, was pretty much completely shutdown by the Ravens top corner Marlon Humphery while teammates Jarvis Landry (8 REC/167 YDS) and Ricky Seals-Jones (3 REC/82 YDS/1 TD) put together career-best performances. The chemistry with Baker Mayfield hasn't really been there so far, but OBJ remains too dynamic to not be considered a top 5-10 fantasy WR moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adam Thielen (Vikings), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Tyler Boyd (Bengals)
Tight End
MVP: Austin Hooper (Falcons)
Hooper easily led the way in receiving (9 REC/130 YDS) on a mostly miserable afternoon for the reeling Falcons against the Titans. A Texans D that has done a terrific job slowing down TE's thus far (2nd least fantasy points allowed) awaits Hooper next.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Packers), Will Dissly (Seahawks), Eric Ebron (Colts)
LVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
Olsen fell back to earth in a major way against the Texans after back-to-back dominant performances. The veteran tight end mustered just 2 catches for 5 YDS on a day where Kyle Allen was in sync with no one outside of Christian McCaffery. He'll remain a TE1 option for a Week 5 showdown with the potentially Jalen Ramsey-less Jaguars.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Vernon Davis (Redskins), O.J. Howard (Buccaneers)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots
After a week away, the Patriots have returned to their MVP throne in Week 4. Comically sloppy QB play, a key blocked punt/return TD and just good old fashioned aggressiveness helped the Pats D put together another sensational showing (5 sacks/4 INT) that powered them to a 16-10 victory in a tight defensive struggle against the Bills. While they've certainly benefited from kicking off the season playing 4 of the league's most inept offenses, the Patriots defense is a tough, deep group with no serious weaknesses that has an excellent chance of being the top fantasy defense all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Steelers, Bears, Seahawks
LVP: Ravens
Something is wrong with the Ravens defense right now. A week after allowing 33 points to the Chiefs, they managed to be even worse against the Browns-giving up 40 points while doing next to nothing (1 sack, 1 INT) to offset the damage done by their inability to keep Freddie Kitchens' crew from scoring. They'll look to put this cold streak behind them when they square off against the ultraconservative Mason Rudolph-led Steelers in Week 5.
Dishonorable Mentions: Packers, Jaguars, Vikings
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