Early 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year Candidates

The first quarter of the 2018-19 NBA season has been very bizarre. Presumed title contenders have gotten off to rocky starts (Warriors, Celtics, Rockets), perennial doormats have made unexpected improvements (Magic, Kings, Hornets) and a Clippers squad that was supposedly in rebuilding mode is sitting at the top of the Western Conference. While this unexpected inaugural chapter of the season has been dominating the headlines and narratives across the league, some members of this year's draft class have quietly started to solidify themselves as the next crop of potential future stars. Here are the five guys I've pegged as early Rookie of the Year candidates.

Note: All stats are through November 29th

Just missed the cut: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, point guard (Clippers), Collin Sexton, point guard (Cavaliers), Marvin Bagley III, power forward (Kings)

Deandre Ayton, center (Suns) (21 games, 16.4 PTS, 61.5 FG%, 78.6 FT%, 10.4 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.9 BLK)
Seemingly every player the Suns have drafted in the lottery (Dragan Bender, Marquise Chriss, Josh Jackson) since they took offensive centerpiece Devin Booker back in 2015 has been a bust. This year's top overall pick appears on track to buck that trend for this long-suffering franchise. Ayton's strong post presence and soft shooting touch from 15 feet and in has opened up more outside looks for his teammates. He's also brought back the concepts of rebounding and exhibiting effort on defense to Phoenix, which is a huge plus for a team that previously crashed the glass or contested a shot roughly once a month.

Wendell Carter Jr., power forward/center (Bulls) (22 games, 10.8 PTS, 45.7 FG%, 82.3 FT%, 7.1 REB, 1.6 BLK, 0.6 STL)
Carter's stats aren't going to drop a lot of jaws. However, he's given this defensively-challenged Bulls team a legit rim-protector who can also put up some points and make free throws when called upon. If sophomore Lauri Markkanen can maintain his explosive scoring ways when he returns to the floor in the next week or so, the Bulls might have themselves a really nice young frontcourt to help jumpstart their rebuild.

Luka Doncic, point guard/shooting guard (Mavericks) (19 games, 19.1 PTS, 45.7 FG%, 39.8 3P%, 79.5 FT%, 6.5 REB, 4.2 AST, 1.0 STL)
Every once in a while a rookie bursts onto the scene and just blows you away with their talent right away. Doncic is one of those guys. His playmaking ability/killer instinct is special and that combo of unreal polish and poise for a 19-year old has allowed him to serve as a much-needed lightning rod for a Mavericks squad that has been light on excitement since the great Dirk Nowitzki fell out of his prime a few years back.

Jaren Jackson Jr., power forward (Grizzlies) (20 games, 12.7 PTS, 51.3 FG%, 73.3 FT%, 34.9 3P%, 4.5 REB, 2.1 BLK, 1.0 STL)
While the return of Mike Conley after missing nearly all of last season with a foot injury has been huge, Jackson Jr. has also played a crucial role in the Grizzlies surprising 12-8 start. He's brought a level of defensive prowess and reliable secondary scoring to the starting lineup that simply wasn't there during their nightmare 2017-18 campaign.

Trae Young, point guard (Hawks) (22 games, 15.9 PTS, 38.3 FG%, 25.4 3P%, 83.3 FT% 7.6 AST, 0.7 STL) 
If Collin Sexton didn't have such a poor October, he probably would've bumped Young off this list. That being said, the Oklahoma product has flashed enough as a facilitator (his 7.6 assists per game average is tied with De'Aron Fox and Jeff Teague for 7th most in the league) for this youth-driven Hawks squad to make up for his inefficiency and sometimes comical recklessness as a shooter.  

Current Leader: Luka Doncic
Runner-up: Deandre Ayton
Dark Horse to Watch: Jaren Jackson Jr.

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

()=previous ranking

1.(1) New Orleans Saints (10-1) Week 13 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
2.(2) Los Angeles Rams (10-1) Week 13 opponent: Detroit Lions
3.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) Week 13 opponent: Oakland Raiders
4.(6) New England Patriots (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
5.(5) Los Angeles Chargers (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
6.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
7.(7) Houston Texans (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Cleveland Browns
8.(8) Chicago Bears (8-3) Week 13 opponent: New York Giants
9.(9) Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1) Week 13 opponent: New England Patriots
10.(11) Indianapolis Colts (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
11.(12) Dallas Cowboys (6-5) Week 13 opponent: New Orleans Saints
12.(14) Seattle Seahawks (6-5) Week 13 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
13.(13) Baltimore Ravens (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
14.(10) Carolina Panthers (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15.(24) Denver Broncos (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
16.(15) Washington Redskins (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
17.(21) Cleveland Browns (4-6-1) Week 13 opponent: Houston Texans
18.(19) Miami Dolphins (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Buffalo Bills
19.(17) Tennessee Titans (5-6) Week 13 opponent: New York Jets
20.(18) Green Bay Packers (4-6-1) Week 13 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
21.(22) Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Washington Redskins
22.(20) Atlanta Falcons (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
23.(16) Cincinnati Bengals (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Denver Broncos
24.(26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Carolina Panthers
25.(23) Detroit Lions (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
26.(27) Buffalo Bills (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Miami Dolphins
27.(25) New York Giants (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Chicago Bears
28.(28) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
29.(29) New York Jets (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Tennessee Titans
30.(30) San Francisco 49ers (2-9) Week 13 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
31.(31) Oakland Raiders (2-9) Week 13 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
32.(32) Arizona Cardinals (2-9) Week 13 opponent: Green Bay Packers

Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback 
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans) 
The dual threat capabilities of the Texans signalcaller were on full display last night as he gashed the Titans overrated defense for 210 YDS and a TD through the air and 70 YDS and a TD on the ground. Watson will look to keep rolling in a favorable matchup against the Browns this Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Baker Mayfield (Browns)

LVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Rodgers hasn't looked like himself recently and that troubling trend continued with a very poor performance in a must-win game against the Vikings on Sunday night. The star QB threw for just 198 YDS and 1 TD in a crushing 24-17 loss that dropped the Packers to 4-6-1 on the year. As disheartening as the last few weeks have been, a return to Lambeau Field to square off against a sad Cardinals defense could very well prove to be the cure for what ails #12.
Dishonorable Mentions: Carson Wentz (Eagles), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Eli Manning (Giants)

Running Back
MVP: Christian McCaffery (Panthers)
It's kind of insane that the Panthers managed to lose a game where McCaffery was borderline unstoppable. The sophomore running back picked up a ridiculous 237 scrimmage YDS (125 rushing, 112 receiving) and 2 scores on 28 touches against the Seahawks feisty albeit not overly talented defense. McCaffery has been a beacon of light during the Panthers current 3-game losing streak and it would be a huge shock if the current warpath he's on came to a halt against the Bucs league-worst D in Week 13.
Honorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Giants), Nick Chubb (Browns), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars)

LVP: Jordan Howard (Bears)
With starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky out with a shoulder injury and a prime matchup against a Lions defense that has consistently struggled to stop the run, this seemed like the perfect game for Howard to break out of his nearly season-long funk. In a not-so-surprising twist, he squandered the opportunity by only gaining 15 YDS on 8 touches. Howard has been a massive letdown after rushing for over 1,000 YDS in each of the past 2 seasons and if it wasn't for the trash depth at the position, he wouldn't even be a rosterable player in 10 team leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dion Lewis (Titans), Duke Johnson Jr. (Browns), LeSean McCoy (Bills)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Amari Cooper (Cowboys)
Cooper had one of his semi-annual explosions against the Redskins reeling secondary on Thanksgiving, registering 180 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 receptions. His owners can probably expect a nice 2 catch/30 YD line on Thursday night when the Cowboys take on the Saints.
Honorable Mentions: JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Corey Davis (Titans), Adam Thielen (Vikings)

LVP: Michael Thomas (Saints)
A combination of multiple Falcons turnovers, stronger-than-usual dedication to running the ball and rando receivers getting into the endzone on 4 separate occasions resulted in Thomas getting just 4 catches for 38 YDS on Thanksgiving. While the Cowboys have a sneaky good secondary, I believe Thomas has solid odds of putting up better numbers this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Allen Robinson (Bears), Jarvis Landry (Browns), Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles)

Tight End
MVP: Eric Ebron (Colts)
Divine redzone entity Ebron returned to his home in Week 12 after a mysterious disappearing act last week against the Titans, hauling in a pair of scores that propped up his otherwise unexceptional statline (5 REC for 45 YDS) versus the Dolphins. The co-league leader in receiving TD's will look to find paydirt once again when the scorching hot Colts square off against a Jags D that seems to be getting more and more deflated by the week.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), David Njoku (Browns), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)

LVP: Trey Burton (Bears)
Going into last Thursday's game with the Lions, Burton looked like he was going to be the focal point of the passing attack due to his familiarity with Chase Daniel from their time together with the Eagles. Instead, Taylor Gabriel led the team in receiving and Burton had himself an ugly afternoon that included a couple of inexcusable drops and a brutal fumble that derailed a potential scoring drive in the 2nd quarter helped turn an underwhelming fantasy day (4 REC/28 YDS) into a truly disastrous one. He'll remain a boom-or-bust TE1 when the Bears travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Giants in Week 13.
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Austin Hooper (Falcons)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Ravens
Scores on a punt return and their lone takeaway against (a fumble recovery by Terrell Suggs) catapulted the Ravens, who also got 3 sacks and allowed 17 points in a victory over the Raiders, to the top of the D/ST leaderboard. They'll be a low-upside start for this Sunday's road tilt versus the Falcons.
Honorable Mentions: Saints, Bears, Broncos

LVP: Jaguars
Reason #12,014,953 why the Jags D have lost their mojo: They failed to show up against the F'n Bills. That's right, the unit formerly known as Sacksonville got 0 sacks or takeaways and surrendered 24 points to the most generous offense in all of fantasy football. If you've been blindly holding onto this band of stiffs with the hope that they were going to get their swag from a year ago back at some point this season, it's time to sever the god damn ties.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Steelers, Packers

The Best and Worst of Matt Dillon

“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 “Head Full of Honey” star Matt Dillon.

Films starring Matt Dillon that I've seen:
Drugstore Cowboy
There's Something About Mary
One Night at McCool's

Crash
You, Me and Dupree
Armored
Takers
Going in Style

Best Performance:  Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Seeing Drugstore Cowboy nearly 30 years after its release has made me wonder why this didn't propel Dillon to superstardom. His raw, charismatic performance as the leader of a crew of young adults roaming around the Pacific Northwest robbing pharmacies to support their drug habits is the singular reason this character study ended up being such a haunting and enthralling watch.  

Worst Performance: You, Me and Dupree (2006)
Owen Wilson's overwhelmingly grating turn as the freeloading title character may overshadow him, but Dillion wasn't exactly great here either. As a stand-in for constant Wilson collaborator Ben Stiller in the straight man role, he seems to have absolutely no clue what he signed up for. Instead of serving as the voice of reason/reliable person to bounce jokes off of, he just looks super uncomfortable with  all of the zany antics that are going on around him.  

Best Film: There's Something About Mary (1998)
While The Farrelly Brothers early resume is loaded with gems (Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, Me, Myself and Irene), There's Something About Mary is easily my favorite thing they've ever done. Outside of The 40-Year Old Virgin, no other movie I've seen has concocted a more stunningly effective cocktail out of gross-out sex/bodily fluid jokes, morbid situational comedy and legitimately heartfelt romantic sentiments.  

Worst Film: You, Me and Dupree (2006)
About eight years before The Russo Brothers became central figures in a little canon of films known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they burst onto the scene with an equally well-liked cultural touchstone in You, Me and Dupree. Of course since I'm a contrarian prick, I wasn't a fan of this revered classic. The hallmarks of a good buddy movie (chemistry between the leads, amusing banter, good-natured atmosphere) are completely MIA and as a result, all that's left are the ingredients for a well below average comedy driven by characters that are either dull or obnoxious.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Ben is Back” star Julia Roberts. 

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

()=previous ranking

1.(1) New Orleans Saints (9-1) Week 12 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
2.(3) Los Angeles Rams (10-1) Week 12 opponent: Bye Week
3.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) Week 12 opponent: Bye Week
4.(5) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1) Week 12 opponent: Denver Broncos
5.(4) Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
6.(6) New England Patriots (7-3) Week 12 opponent: New York Jets
7.(9) Houston Texans (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Tennessee Titans
8.(10) Chicago Bears (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions
9.(7) Minnesota Vikings (5-4-1) Week 12 opponent: Green Bay Packers
10.(8) Carolina Panthers (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
11.(21) Indianapolis Colts (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Miami Dolphins
12.(16) Dallas Cowboys (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Washington Redskins
13.(17) Baltimore Ravens (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Oakland Raiders
14.(18) Seattle Seahawks (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Carolina Panthers
15.(11) Washington Redskins (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
16.(12) Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Cleveland Browns
17.(13) Tennessee Titans (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Houston Texans
18.(14) Green Bay Packers (4-5-1) Week 12 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
19.(20) Miami Dolphins (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
20.(15) Atlanta Falcons (4-6) Week 12 opponent: New Orleans Saints
21.(22) Cleveland Browns (3-6-1) Week 12 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
22.(19) Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) Week 12 opponent: New York Giants
23.(24) Detroit Lions (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Chicago Bears
24.(25) Denver Broncos (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
25.(28) New York Giants (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
26.(23) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7) Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
27.(27) Buffalo Bills (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
28.(26) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Buffalo Bills
29.(29) New York Jets (3-7) Week 12 opponent: New England Patriots
30.(31) San Francisco 49ers (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31.(32) Oakland Raiders (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
32.(30) Arizona Cardinals (2-8) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
You know you've had yourself a night in fantasy when you turn the ball over 5 times and still end up as the top scoring QB of the week. While his team came up short in an insane, exhilarating shootout with the Rams, Mahomes won the stat battle versus Jared Goff, finishing the night with 506 total YDS (478 passing, 28 rushing) and 6 TD's through the air. The Chiefs budding star QB has a date with the Raiders horrendous defense following a Week 12 bye.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Rams), Drew Brees (Saints), Cam Newton (Panthers)

LVP: Carson Wentz (Eagles) 
Wentz probably doesn't want to go back to the Superdome anytime soon after what transpired there on Sunday afternoon. The 3rd-year pro's nightmare outing was the catalyst for a truly pitiful  performance for the defending Super Bowl Champs in a 45-7 loss to the 9-1 Saints. He'll look to bounce back against a Giants defense he shredded for 278 YDS and 3 TD's back in Week 6.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Matt Ryan (Falcons) Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Running Back
MVP: Saquon Barkley (Giants) 
Tampa's hapless defense predictably got dominated by another talented back. The electric rookie was the top offensive option for the G-Men, turning his 29 touches into 152 scrimmage YDS (142 rushing, 10 receiving) and 3 TD's, in a 38-35 victory that brought them to 3-7 on the year. Barkley has been a hope-instilling bright spot for a Giants team that's headed towards a major rebuild and unless he completely flames out down the stretch, should finish the year as at least a top 10 fantasy RB.
Honorable Mentions: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Phillip Lindsay (Broncos), Mark Ingram (Saints) 

LVP: Dalvin Cook (Vikings)
Cook had an undeniably brutal matchup against a Bears defense that has surrendered the least amount of fantasy points to running backs this season, but that can't be used an excuse for his epically putrid performance. He posted managed just 11 scrimmage YDS (12 rushing, -2 receiving) on 12 touches and lost a fumble in the redzone that pretty much derailed the Vikings offense until the last 12 minutes of the game. Outside of the occasional splash play, Cook has been abysmal when he's been healthy enough to play this season, and should be left out of starting lineups until he shows some semblance of consistency.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dion Lewis (Titans), James Conner (Steelers), Tarik Cohen (Bears) 

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)
The league's most lethal speedster at the receiver position proved why his game is built for modern NFL shootouts by torching the Rams D for 215 YDS and 2 TD's on 10 receptions. Cheetah is enjoying his best year as a pro with Mahomes at the helm and will remain on the WR1 radar with the fantasy playoffs right around the corner.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), D.J. Moore (Panthers)

LVP: Corey Davis (Titans)
A week after dismantling the Patriots, Davis reverted back to his usual unspectacular self. The Titans #1 wideout reeled in just 2 catches for 30 YDS and lost a yard on 1 carry during a seemingly inevitable blowout road loss to the Colts. If you exclude his pair of 100+ YD/1 TD explosions, he only has 29 receptions for 320 YDS and 0 TD's on the year. He's nothing but a shaky WR3 play at this point.
Dishonorable Mentions: Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles), Sterling Shepard (Giants), Amari Cooper (Cowboys)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Look who topped the TE rankings again..... Kelce had himself a night against the Rams, securing 10 catches for 127 YDS and a TD. With the Raiders next up on the schedule, yet another MVP performance is well within the realm of possibility.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jared Cook (Raiders), Vance McDonald (Steelers)

LVP: Eric Ebron (Colts)
Andrew Luck was rolling in Week 12 (297 YDS, 3 TD's), but Ebron got left out of the fun entirely. In fact, he wasn't even targeted in this 38-10 win over the comically erratic Titans. While his value is pretty much entirely dependent on TD's, Ebron should continue to be rolled out as a starter in deep leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Trey Burton (Bears), Ricky Seals-Jones (Cardinals)


Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Rams
Yet another sign of the sheer absurdity that took place in Los Angeles last night is the fact that the Rams D was a fantasy monster while surrendering 45 points (the Chiefs defensive score doesn't count against their points allowed total). Hell, the 3 sacks, 3 INT's, 2 FUM REC's and 2 TD's they managed against the Chiefs lethal offense pretty much secured them the win. Despite this bizzaro explosion, they've been pretty terrible for the bulk of the season and aren't likely to be a consistent quality fantasy option the rest of the way.
Honorable Mentions: Bears, Texans, Colts

LVP: Chargers 
It makes zero sense that a defense that had been rolling for the past month suddenly cools off during the week where edge-rushing phenom Joey Bosa made his season debut. The Bolts mustered 0 sacks or takeaways in a surprising 23-22 home loss to the Broncos. A Week 12 tilt against a Cardinals offense that liberally turns the ball over (11 over the last 4 weeks) and struggles to keep their quarterback upright (15 sacks allowed in their last 4 games) should be enough to get them back on the right track.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Panthers Cardinals

The Best and Worst of Sarah Silverman

“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 “Ralph Breaks the Internet” star Sarah Silverman.

Films starring Sarah Silverman that I've seen:
There's Something About Mary
Say It Isn't So
Evolution
School of Rock
Bad Santa
School for Scoundrels
Take This Waltz
Wreck-It Ralph
A Million Days to Die in the West
I Smile Back
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
The Book of Henry
Battle of the Sexes

Best Performance: I Smile Back (2015)
Comedians ability to successfully transition to more dramatic fare is always slept-on and Silverman's turn in I Smile Back is one of the stronger recent examples of why people need to stop underestimating the acting chops of people who rose to prominence telling jokes. As an affluent, seemingly happily married woman who secretly lives a double life defined by substance abuse, infidelity and other self-destructive behavior, Silverman carries this flawed indie drama on her back with a transformative performance that is equal parts riveting, horrifying and heartbreaking.  

Worst Performance: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
I love Silverman, but Vannellope von Schweetz is a flat-out insufferable character. von Schweetz is such an overwhelmingly grating presence here that she made this otherwise completely fine film a relatively unpleasant watch.

Best Film: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
After waiting nearly a decade for another shot, The Lonely Island triumphantly returned to the big screen with Popstar. This wide-spanning satire of music documentaries and the music industry in general is a beautiful showcase for their unique brand of insane, sneaky smart absurdist humor. I'm elated that Popstar has gained a cult following after flopping at the box office and I hope somebody (Netflix perhaps?) will grant them the opportunity to make another movie in the near future.

Worst Film: School for Scoundrels (2006)
How Todd Phillips, Billy Bob Thornton, Silverman and at least a half-dozen more talented people teamed up to create a comedy this forgettable is kind of astonishing. If you're going to put forth less than 100% effort on a project, at least have the decency to create something that's epically awful instead of something that's neither funny enough to be enjoyable nor unfunny enough to make you cringe. Fuck up harder next time guys!  

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Head Full of Honey” star Matt Dillon. 

As We Proceed Episode #28

On this episode of "As We Proceed", Feliciano and I discuss the wild events of Tyler, the Creator's Camp Flognaw Festival, Earl Sweatshirt's comeback single "Nowhere2Go" and Metro Boomin's debut LP Not All Heroes Wear Capes. All of this funky hip-hop talk can be heard at any of the links below:

Soundcloud: 

YouTube: 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/as-we-proceed/id1122163104?mt=2

Album Review: Metro Boomin-Not All Heroes Wear Capes

An unexpected tragedy rocked the hip-hop community in late May when Metro Boomin took to Instagram to announce his retirement from music. A wave of confusion and mindless speculation ensued. Why would the super producer, who played a pivotal role in the ascent of numerous trap stars including Future, Migos and 21 Savage, suddenly step away from a wildly successful career at only 25 years old? It just didn't make any damn sense. Our national My personal nightmare ended when Young Metro posted a string of cryptic tweets teasing a return to music. That comeback turned out to be a solo LP and if all of his mini-hiatuses end with projects that are as show-stopping as Not All Heroes Wear Capes, I hope he takes them as often as possible. 

No matter how gifted they are, hip-hop producers have a bad tendency of releasing underwhelming solo records. Industry titans such as Mike WiLL Made It, Southside and Zaytoven have all commissioned records that solely consist of subpar outtakes that seem like they were mercifully cut from their collaborator's albums. Not All Heroes Wear Capes bucks this unfortunate trend in triumphant fashion. Through his bold production that mixes nocturnal synths with flourishes of unconventional instrumentation/samples from all over the musical spectrum (blues, classical, soul, jazz, rock, EDM) and collaborations with a deep platoon of charismatic artists (Travis Scott, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, over a half-dozen others) that are perfectly-suited to perform over these darkly melodic beats that are almost always subtly changing, Metro is able to establish a sprawling, futuristic sound that is vividly fleshed out over the course of these 13 songs. As frequently as his work has impressed me in the past, the discipline and artistic vision that's required to create a record that flows this coherently with so many different people in front of the microphone could very well be the finest demonstration of his talent to-date. 

While its ability to establish a consistent tone while using so many artists and arsenal of electrifying nuances present in the beats provided me with enough fodder to fuel numerous musicnerdgasms, the immense catchiness of these tracks ultimately serve as the driving force behind Not All Heroes Wear Capes' runaway success. There's a reason why Metro likes working with these artists: they simply float over sparse, atmospheric beats and specialize in delivering hooks that forcefully remain in the human brain for weeks, if not months at a time. Almost every track features a standout chorus or verse, but Swae Lee's mellow vocal melodies ("Dreamcatcher", "Borrowed Love") Gunna's hypnotic flow ("Space Cadet", "Lesbian") and 21 Savage's intense, frequently hilarious verses ("Don't Come Out the House", "10 Freaky Girls") have emerged as the marquee moments on subsequent listens. The replay value of Not All Heroes Wear Capes is shaping up to be tremendous and the top-notch contributions from this group of performers is a major reason why this record is so addictive.

To put it concisely, Not All Heroes Wear Capes is a towering achievement. Making a record that's this fun, exciting and consistent as a behind-the-scenes figure is the type of thing that helps turn artists into legends. Thanks for coming back to put the rest of the producers in the genre to shame Metro. Hopefully we hear from you again soon.  

           

Grade: A-

Standout Tracks

1.Don't Come Out the House (feat. 21 Savage)

2.10 Freaky Girls (feat. 21 Savage)

3.Space Cadet (feat. Gunna)

Quick Movie Reviews: Suspiria, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Girl in the Spider's Web, Overlord

Suspiria: Whoever handled Suspiria's marketing campaign is a master of deception. What was sold as an unsettling supernatural horror flick about a witch coven operating of an esteemed Berlin ballet academy is actually a beautifully-shot slab of convoluted symbolism porn that seems bound to fuel many colorful conversations about abuse of power, sisterhood, etc. at hip establishments that serve overpriced lattes around the globe over the next several months. Not even a pair of committed performances from the reliably great Tilda Swinton or the rare instances where the over-the-top gore that made industry people lose their shit at this year's Cinemacon made an appearance can provide much relief from the general tedium and increasingly ridiculous plot developments this 150+ minute art installation abundantly offers up.
Grade: D+

Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen has finally gotten their state-sponsored biopic and despite being frustratingly conventional for the bulk of its running time, Bohemian Rhapsody ultimately succeeds as a well-intentioned propaganda piece that celebrates their music and the immortal legacy Freddie Mercury left behind. It does a pretty solid job of portraying the eccentricity and dynamism that has made them such an interesting band, the recreation of their 1985 Live Aid set is a stunning technical accomplishment that authentically captures the sprawling environment of a stadium concert from just about every possible vantage point you can conceive and Rami Malek's turn as Mercury is magnetic enough to overcome the general lack of insight the script provides about the late singer's true character.
Grade: B-

The Girl in the Spider's Web: While The Girl in the Spider's Web bears a closer resemblance to an espionage action thriller than the slow-burning mysteries of both the original Swedish trilogy and David Fincher's 2011 remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe, Evil Dead) has still done the beloved punk computer hacker Lisbeth Salander justice. Claire Foy does a pretty good job of capturing Salander's strong, hard-nosed spirit, Alvarez keeps things moving at a nice pace without indulging in a half-dozen convoluted subplots and the climactic showdown between Lisbeth and her estranged sister (Sylvia Hoeks) is a truly badass spectacle. The switch in narrative/directorial style and lack of detailed characterization will undoubtedly alienate some longtime fans of the series, but anyone that's cool with straightforward espionage thrillers that favor slickness over substance should have a good time with this.        
Grade: B

Overlord: Unconventional genre mashups don't get much better than Overlord. This film flawlessly combines the real-life horrors of warfare with the fantastical nightmare of mankind being overrun by a supernatural entity (in this case, a nearly-invincible group of zombie-like creatures that were created by the Nazis during World War II) to create something that's distinct, engrossing and downright harrowing throughout. Director Julius Avery wastes no time establishing a hellish atmosphere and having that constant threat of danger added an aura of dread that helped make this a nerve-frying, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride for the ages. If you're interested in seeing this, I can't recommend seeing it at a theater with a top flight sound system enough.        
Grade: A 

Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Mitch Trubisky (Bears)
Trubisky turned in his best performance of 2018 so far against a depleted Lions D (355 passing YDS/4 total TD/1 2-PT CNV) in a pretty easy 34-22 victory for the NFC North-leading Bears. While his real life play has been very sloppy at times, Trubisky has been a fantasy monster this season, currently ranking 7th in scoring at the position, ahead of juggernauts including Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck. He'll look to keep rolling against a tough Vikings D on Sunday night.

Honorable Mentions: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Drew Brees (Saints), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

LVP: Andy Dalton (Bengals)
Shocking development: Dalton put together a steaming turd of a performance in a creampuff matchup. While A.J. Green's absence had an undeniably detrimental effect on the overall flow of offense, finishing a home matchup against the Saints sieve of a secondary with just 153 YDS, 1 TD and 2 INT is simply baffling and appalling. The Bengals have a road tilt with the Ravens coming up in Week 11, so you can definitely keep the Red Rifle locked up in a safe where he belongs.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Phillip Rivers (Chargers) Alex Smith (Redskins)

Running Back

MVP: Nick Chubb (Browns)
It's miraculous what happens when you give your promising rookie running back more than 3 touches per game. The guy who former head coach Hue Jackson mostly forgot was on the depth chart until Carlos Hyde got traded to the Jaguars in mid-October posted an impressive 209 YDS from scrimmage and 2 TD's on 23 touches in interim coach Gregg Williams' 2nd game at the helm. Chubb will flirt with weekly RB1 status when the Browns return to action against the Bengals a week from Sunday. 

Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), David Johnson (Cardinals)

LVP: James White (Patriots)
Even beacons of consistency like White fail to deliver from time to time. The Patriots best offensive player by a mile so far this season was a complete non-factor against the Titans, registering just 26 YDS (31 receiving, -5 rushing) on 6 touches in an uncharacteristically ugly, non-September loss for Bill Belichick's squad. I'd be very surprised if White didn't have his mojo back by the time the Pats kick off their favorable late season schedule against the Jets in Week 12.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Howard (Bears), Sony Michel (Patriots), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)
After a couple of relatively quiet games in a row, Hill was back to embarrassing defenses in Week 11. The Chiefs speedster finished Sunday afternoon's contest against the lowly Cardinals with 7 REC/117 YDS/2 TD's and a 20-YD run on a jet sweep. Hill has a good chance of eating good this Monday night against the Rams poor secondary.  

Honorable Mentions: Allen Robinson (Bears), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Michael Thomas (Saints)

LVP: Jarvis Landry (Browns)
The Browns offense was rolling on Sunday afternoon versus the Falcons with rookies Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb turning in huge performances. Jarvis Landry, however, was left out of the party, finishing the day with just 2 catches for 22 YDS. Juice has been thoroughly disappointing for most of 2018 and should be considered nothing more than a volume-dependent WR3 the rest of the way.

Dishonorable Mentions: Golden Tate (Eagles), Devin Funchess (Panthers), Christian Kirk (Cardinals) 

Tight End

MVP: Zach Ertz (Eagles)
Sunday night was very ugly for the Eagles as they lost at home to a Cowboys team that had been abysmal on the road prior to this game (0-4 with a -25 point differential). The lone bright spot for the defending Super Bowl Champs was Ertz, who posted a monstrous 14 catches for 145 YDS and 2 TD's, in the crushing defeat. With a matchup against the Saints on the horizon, look for Ertz to easily top the Week 11 TE projections. 

Honorable Mentions: Eric Ebron (Colts), Austin Hooper (Falcons), Vance McDonald (Steelers)

LVP: Jimmy Graham (Packers)
In a truly shocking development for this powerhouse position, a lot of tight end's underwhelmed with single catch, 5-20 YD performances this week. Of that stellar bunch, Graham's 1 REC/14 YD line was the most disappointing because it came against a poor Dolphins defense that allowed 5 TD's to TE's in their previous 4 games.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Benjamin Watson (Saints), O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), David Njoku (Browns)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Redskins
The Redskins ability to slow down a Bucs offense that was moving the ball freely (they finished the afternoon with 503 YDS of total offense) and force takeaways in the redzone turned a potentially ugly fantasy performance into a terrific one. Greg Manusky's troops mustered 2 INT's, 2 FUM REC's and 2 sacks in a 16-3 victory over a Tampa Bay team that makes less and less sense by the week. They'll face a much stiffer test against a redhot Texans squad this Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Steelers, Packers, Chargers

LVP: Jets 
Leave it to the Jets to be the jabronis that get dominated by the bumbling turnover machine that is the Bills offense. Matt Barkley, who hadn't appeared in a regular season NFL game since 2016, led Buffalo to a hilarious 41-10 victory at the Medowlands on Sunday in which the Jets failed to take the ball away and only registered 1 sack. While there's definitely some promising talent on this group (particularly sophomore safety Jamal Adams), this colossal flop proved that they're not a viable fantasy option at the moment.

Dishonorable Mentions: Patriots, 49ers, Jaguars

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

()=previous ranking

1.(1) New Orleans Saints (8-1) Week 11 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
3.(3) Los Angeles Rams (9-1) Week 11 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
4.(5) Los Angeles Chargers (7-2) Week 11 opponent: Denver Broncos
5.(7) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2-1) Week 11 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
6.(4) New England Patriots (7-3) Week 11 opponent: Bye Week
7.(8) Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1) Week 11 opponent: Chicago Bears
8.(6) Carolina Panthers (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Detroit Lions
9.(10) Houston Texans (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Washington Redskins
10.(11) Chicago Bears (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
11.(13) Washington Redskins (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Houston Texans
12.(9) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
13.(15) Tennessee Titans (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
14.(14) Green Bay Packers (4-4-1) Week 11 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
15.(12) Atlanta Falcons (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
16.(22) Dallas Cowboys (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
17.(18) Baltimore Ravens (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
18.(17) Seattle Seahawks (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Green Bay Packers
19.(16) Philadelphia Eagles (4-5) Week 11 opponent: New Orleans Saints
20.(19) Miami Dolphins (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Bye Week
21.(24) Indianapolis Colts (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Tennessee Titans
22.(26) Cleveland Browns (3-6-1) Week 11 opponent: Bye Week
23.(21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) Week 11 opponent: New York Giants
24.(20) Detroit Lions (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Carolina Panthers
25.(25) Denver Broncos (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
26.(23) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
27.(30) Buffalo Bills (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Bye Week
28.(31) New York Giants (2-7) Week 11 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29.(27) New York Jets (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Bye Week
30.(28) Arizona Cardinals (2-7) Week 11 opponent: Oakland Raiders
31.(29) San Francisco 49ers (2-8) Week 11 opponent: Bye Week
32.(32) Oakland Raiders (1-8) Week 11 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

The Best and Worst of Octavia Spencer

“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 “Instant Family” star Octavia Spencer.

Films starring Octavia Spencer that I've seen:
Blue Streak
Big Momma's House
Bad Santa
Coach Carter
Seven Pounds
Drag Me to Hell
Dinner for Schmucks
The Help
Smashed
Fruitvale Station
Snowpiercer 
Get on Up
Insurgent 
Zootopia
Allegiant
Bad Santa 2 
Hidden Figures
Gifted 
The Shape of Water

Best Performance: Fruitvale Station (2013)
Spencer has done a lot of fantastic work (Get on Up, Smashed, her Oscar-winning turn in The Help) since she achieved her long-awaited breakout in the industry roughly 9 years ago, but her powerhouse performance in Fruitvale Station is the clear best of the bunch. As the mother of Oscar Grant, Spencer captures the unfathomable shock, grief and anger that overcomes a parent when their child dies unexpectedly in a thoroughly convincing and completely heartbreaking fashion.

Worst Performance: Allegiant (2016)
There's not much of a difference in quality of performance between either Divergent film she appeared in, but I ended up going with Allegiant because it's easily the weakest entry in the franchise. While she isn't exactly terrible, her character isn't overly important to the narrative and that relative lack of screen time prevents Spencer from making her usual impact.

Best Film: Fruitvale Station (2013)
Indie drama Fruitvale Station introduced most of the world to the immense talent of Ryan Coogler and eventually opened the door for him to direct massive films like Creed and Black Panther. This biopic about Oscar Grant, a 22-year old black man who was fatally shot by transit police in Oakland on New Year's Day 2009 following a scuffle on a train, is an authentic, engaging and ultimately devastating portrait of an ex-con who was in the process of trying to turn his life around before a senseless, disgusting overreaction by an armed officer robbed him of that opportunity.    

Worst Film: Seven Pounds (2008)
Seven Pounds is about as painful and forced as tearjerker melodramas can possibly be. This story about a man (Will Smith, in a rare terrible performance) compelled to do seven good deeds after being involved in a horrific car crash caused by his own negligence only gets only more heavy-handed as it progresses and eventually arrives at such an absurd conclusion that I couldn't help but laugh my ass off as it played out.  

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Ralph Breaks the Internet” star Sarah Silverman. 

2018 NFL Mid-Year Awards+Updated Playoff Predictions

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, quarterback (Chiefs)
This MVP race is shaping up to be very interesting. Todd Gurley has been borderline unstoppable, Drew Brees has enjoyed arguably his sharpest start to a season ever at age 39 and Phillip Rivers is quietly putting together his best season in over a decade. As brilliant as all of these guys have been, the 23-year old gunslinger in Kansas City has been an unexpected, jaw-dropping phenomenon that has put the entire league on notice. Mahomes' unbelievable play (2,901 YDS, 29 TD's, 66.2 CMP% 116.7 QBR, the former two of which are league-highs) out of the gate has turned the Chiefs into an incredibly lethal offensive machine. These numbers become even more impressive when you consider that his only career start coming into this season was in a meaningless Week 17 game versus the Broncos last December, 4 of the team's 8 wins on the year have come on the road and the Chiefs defense is below average on their best day. While I'm not ready to anoint Mahomes as the next all-time great quite yet, his early returns have been astounding and I can't wait to see what he does for the rest of this year and beyond.  
Honorable Mentions: Todd Gurley, running back (Rams), Drew Brees, quarterback (Saints), Phillip Rivers, quarterback (Chargers)

Top Offensive Player: Todd Gurley, running back (Rams)
Gurley has somehow already managed to smash the monstrous expectations he had coming into this season. He's currently averaging just over 2 TD's per game (17 in 9 games), led the league in rushing by over 100 YDS before Week 10 action kicked off last night and has seen upticks in every major category with the exception of YDS per reception from his sensational 2017 campaign. Sounds like a foolproof formula for a repeat OPOY bid if you ask me.
Honorable Mentions: Melvin Gordon, running back (Chargers), Adam Thielen, wide receiver (Vikings), James Conner, running back (Steelers)

Top Defensive Player: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Rams)
What I just about Gurley can also be applied to his teammate and fellow reigning individual award winner Donald. The most dominant defensive player in the league has gotten pressure on the QB on over 20% of his pass-rushes and is already just 2 sacks away from setting a new career high (12) with 7 games left on the schedule. I feel sorry for any offensive lineman that's tasked with trying to contain this inhuman force of nature.
Honorable Mentions: J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans), Danielle Hunter, defensive end (Vikings), Von Miller, outside linebacker (Broncos) 

Top Offensive Rookie: Saquon Barkley, running back (Giants)
It's been yet another miserable season for the Giants as they currently sit at 1-7 and look like they have a real shot of landing the #1 overall pick in next year's draft. One of the very few bright spots on this reeling team has been top draft pick Saquon Barkley. Eli Manning's comically timid play under center has given Barkley plenty of chances to flash his dual-threat playmaking ability, registering 1,016 scrimmage YDS and 7 scores on 159 touches (111 carries, 58 receptions) through 8 games. With the Giants likely enter to full tank mode within the next couple weeks, don't be surprised if he gets even more usage down the stretch.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Lindsay, running back (Broncos), Calvin Ridley, wide receiver (Falcons), Sony Michel, running back (Patriots)

Top Defensive Rookie: Derwin James, safety/linebacker/cornerback (Chargers)
There are a few guys who have far sexier accolades to their name: Darius Leonard leads the league in tackles (88), Donte Jackson is tied for the league lead in INT's (4) and Denzel Ward ranks in the top 5 in both INT's (3) and passes defensed (9). However, what James has been able to do so far has left way more of an impression on me. The Chargers have utilized him as a true swiss-army knife and he's exceled from every spot he's lined up, posting 55 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT and 6 passes defensed in just 8 games. Watching a rookie handle so many different assignments on a weekly basis speaks volumes about how athletic, intelligent and unselfish of a player James is.  
Honorable Mentions: Darius Leonard, inside linebacker (Colts), Jessie Bates, safety (Bengals), Denzel Ward, cornerback (Browns)

Top Coach: Andy Reid (Chiefs)
Entrenched veteran head coaches who take their teams to the playoffs nearly every year aren't usually considered for an award that's pretty much designed to honor new head coaches that lead their teams to massive swings in the win column, but Reid's masterful work this season is more than deserving of an exception to this unwritten rule. His pivotal role in the development of Patrick Mahomes has the Chiefs playing arguably the best football of his pretty successful 6-year tenure with the team thus far and subsequently made the very risky decision to move on from Alex Smith look like a stroke of genius.
Honorable Mentions: Anthony Lynn (Chargers), Bill O'Brien (Texans), Matt Nagy (Bears)

Top Comeback Player: J.J. Watt, defensive end (Texans)
I'm going to be completely honest: this is one of the most surprising comebacks I've ever seen in the NFL. After suffering a string of horrific injuries that kept him out of all but 8 games over the past 2 seasons, Watt looked like he bound for a massive regression if he was able to consistently stay on the field in 2018. Instead, the 29-year old has reminded everyone why he's a 3x Defensive Player of the Year by routinely getting to the quarterback (his 9 sacks are tied for 3rd most in the league) and causing problems at the line of scrimmage. If he can keep up this level of production and continue to avoid the dreaded injury bug down the stretch, he should be a shoo-in for Comeback Player of the Year.  
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Luck, quarterback (Colts), Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver (Giants), Carson Wentz, quarterback (Eagles)

Playoff Predictions
AFC:
1.Patriots
2.Chiefs
3.Steelers
4.Texans
5.Chargers
6.Bengals

Wild Card:
Steelers over Bengals
Chargers over Texans

Divisional Round:
Patriots over Chargers
Chiefs over Steelers

Conference Championship:
Chiefs over Patriots

NFC:
1.Saints
2.Rams
3.Vikings
4.Redskins
5.Panthers
6.Packers

Wild Card:
Vikings over Packers
Panthers over Redskins

Divisional Round:
Saints over Panthers
Rams over Vikings

Conference Championship:
Saints over Rams

Super Bowl:
Saints over Chiefs

2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

()=previous ranking

1.(4) New Orleans Saints (7-1) Week 10 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) Week 10 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
3.(1) Los Angeles Rams (8-1) Week 10 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
4.(3) New England Patriots (7-2) Week 10 opponent: Tennessee Titans
5.(5) Los Angeles Chargers (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Oakland Raiders
6.(6) Carolina Panthers (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
7.(7) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1) Week 10 opponent: Carolina Panthers
8.(8) Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1) Week 10 opponent: Bye Week
9.(9) Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) Week 10 opponent: New Orleans Saints
10.(10) Houston Texans (6-3) Week 10 opponent: Bye Week
11.(14) Chicago Bears (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Detroit Lions
12.(19) Atlanta Falcons (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Cleveland Browns
13.(11) Washington Redskins (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14.(12) Green Bay Packers (3-4-1) Week 10 opponent: Miami Dolphins
15.(18) Tennessee Titans (4-4) Week 10 opponent: New England Patriots
16.(16) Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
17.(15) Seattle Seahawks (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
18.(13) Baltimore Ravens (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Bye Week
19.(19) Miami Dolphins (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Green Bay Packers
20.(17) Detroit Lions (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Chicago Bears
21.(21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Washington Redskins
22.(22) Dallas Cowboys (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
23.(23) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Indianapolis Colts
24.(24) Indianapolis Colts (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
25.(25) Denver Broncos (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Bye Week
26.(26) Cleveland Browns (2-6-1) Week 10 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
27.(27) New York Jets (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Buffalo Bills
28.(28) Arizona Cardinals (2-7) Week 10 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
29.(31) San Francisco 49ers (2-8) Week 10 opponent: New York Giants
30.(29) Buffalo Bills (2-8) Week 10 opponent: New York Jets
31.(30) New York Giants (1-7) Week 10 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
32.(32) Oakland Raiders (1-7) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (2018 Edition)

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Saints/Rams ended being the riveting shootout for the ages it was billed to be before a single down was played, so naturally the quarterback of the winning team had the best fantasy day. Brees was absolutely brilliant, throwing for 346 YDS and 4 TD while adding 16 rushing yards, on an afternoon where his team knocked off the league's last undefeated team . The league's all time passing leader will look to keep rolling against a very beatable Bengals secondary in Week 10.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Rams), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

LVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions)
A truly awful performance from the Lions o-line (10 sacks allowed) against the Vikings resulted in Stafford being under siege all game long. That non-stop pressure and regular trips to the turf were reflected in his thoroughly underwhelming statline (199 YDS, 0 TD and a lost fumble) in this disheartening loss. Matt Patricia's presence in Detroit hasn't been kind to Stafford (he's currently the 20th ranked QB in standard scoring leagues) and with a series of largely unfavorable matchups down the stretch, his owners should consider other options at the position if they haven't already.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Mitch Trubisky (Bears), Derek Carr (Raiders)

Running Back
MVP: Kareem Hunt (Chiefs)
Hunt continued his recent tear on Sunday against the Browns, posting 141 scrimmage YDS (91 rushing, 50 receiving) and 3 total TD's on only 18 touches. Anyone who benefited from his last-minute slide out of the 1st round of fantasy drafts should be elated by his elite production thus far.
Honorable Mentions: Alvin Kamara (Saints), Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Tevin Coleman (Falcons)

LVP: Tarik Cohen (Bears)
A 28-0 halftime lead against the bumbling Bills had a negative effect on the workload of the Bears pass-catching back. Cohen ended up with just 13 YDS on 7 touches (6 carries, 1 reception) at New Era filed on Sunday afternoon. The gamescript should be much more favorable for The Human Joystick, who still leads the team in targets, this week in a divisional bout against the Lions.
Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Ingram (Saints), Kenyan Drake (Dolphins), Adrian Peterson (Redskins)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Michael Thomas (Saints)
Alvin Kamara got the ball rolling early with 3 1st half TD's, but Thomas stole the show with an homage to Joe Horn's iconic 2003 "pull a flip phone from the goalpost" endzone celebration after the game-sealing score that capped off his 12 REC/211 YD performance in the best way possible. The 3rd year wideout has been a top 5-10 WR option all season long and has an excellent chance of having another huge day against a Bengals secondary that gets burned almost every week.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Patriots), Julio Jones (Falcons), Brandin Cooks (Rams)

LVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
Despite getting bombarded with targets (10), Evans was pretty much invisible against the Panthers, finishing with just 1 reception for 16 YDS. Tampa's top wideout will look to rebound versus a so-so Redskins secondary in Week 10.
Dishonorable Mentions: John Brown (Ravens), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks), Michael Crabtree (Ravens)

Tight End
MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Like Hunt, Kelce was once again a focal point of the Chiefs offense on Sunday against the Browns, hauling in 7 receptions for 99 YDS and 2 TD's. With Rob Gronkowski making far less of impact than usual, Kelce has been the clear top dog at the TE position this season and barring injury, there's no reason to believe he's going to lose that title in the final 7 weeks of the fantasy season. 
Honorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), George Kittle (49ers), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: Jared Cook (Raiders)
This really isn't fair to Cook as Derek Carr's putrid play against the 49ers last Thursday night killed the chances of anyone on this offense having a productive game. Regardless of circumstances, Cook's 2 REC/20 YD performance in a highly favorable matchup still undoubtedly left his fantasy owners with a very bad taste in their mouths.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Vance McDonald (Steelers), Jordan Reed (Redskins)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Bears
The endlessly generous fantasy defense charity otherwise known as the Bills offense was at again this week. With all-time bad QB Nathan Peterman forced to start in place of the injured Derek Anderson, the Khalil Mack-less Bears defense had themselves a grand old time, putting up 4 sacks, 3 INT, a fumble recovery and 2 TD's in a comically lopsided 41-9 victory. This group hasn't been great on the whole since Mack hurt his ankle early in their Week 6 loss to the Dolphins, so they'll be a somewhat risky start against the Lions this Sunday.  
Honorable Mentions: Dolphins, Vikings, Chargers

LVP: Redskins 
Washington's seemingly excellent defense got flat-out embarrassed by the Falcons on their home field. While they did manage a pair of sacks and pick off Matt Ryan once, the 38 points they allowed made them a terrible fantasy play. Look for them to put up better numbers against a Buccaneers offense that is about as good as anyone in the league at turning the ball over in spades.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Texans, Broncos 

The Best and Worst of Wyatt Russell

“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 “Overlord” star Wyatt Russell.

Films starring Wyatt Russell that I've seen:
Cowboys & Aliens
This is 40
22 Jump Street
Cold in July
Everybody Wants Some!!!
Table 19
Ingrid Goes West
Goon: Last of the Enforcers 

Best Performance: Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Ingrid Goes West is such an impeccably-acted film that Russell's tremendous work as the disenchanted husband of social media influencer Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) isn't even among the top 3 performances in it. Like all of his co-stars that have significant screen time, Russell does a magnificent job of capturing the bitterness, ego and complete lack of self-awareness that defines the persona of a lot of failed artists.    

Worst Performance: Table 19 (2017)
This is a classic case of tonally-scattered writing leading to a noncommittal, lackluster performance. As the ex-boyfriend of Anna Kendrick's character who ends up playing a pivotal role in the latter stages of the film, Russell isn't arrogant enough to be an irredeemable jackass or likable/relatable enough to be a sympathetic figure.

Best Film: 22 Jump Street (2014)
After seeing 22 Jump Street in theaters, I was quick to declare the best comedy sequel I'd ever seen. Nearly four and a half years after it was first released, that take has gotten only stronger. The addition of more great side characters (Jillian Bell, Russell, the Lucas Brothers), even better performances from its lead actors (Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube) and a deeper embrace of the original's meta tone makes this a riotously funny home run that holds up beautifully on repeat viewings.      

Worst Film: Table 19 (2017)
In its first act, Table 19 is a really funny and charming ensemble comedy about a group of strangers that are relegated to the dreaded outcast table at a wedding. Then a revelation about Anna Kendrick's character comes to light around the 30-35 minute mark and the proceedings immediately become way darker. While the end result isn't entirely awful, the drastic change in tone and abundance of forced melodrama that comes with it squandered a lot of the potential it flashed in the earlygoing.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Instant Family” star Octavia Spencer.

Concert Review: Behemoth-- Boston, MA-- November 1st, 2018

Lineup: Behemoth/At the Gates/Wolves at the Throne Room
Venue: House of Blues, Boston, MA

Wolves in the Throne Room: Black metal, particularly of the atmospheric variety, has a tendency to grate on me and Wolves in the Throne Room continued that proud tradition. By the time they broke into their second 10-minute slice of droning ambient noise accompanied by lovely dying cat shrieks and a floor tom that sounded like a washing machine that it was on its last legs, I started texting one of my friends about the Celtics game against the Bucks and the solo albums of various Migos members to pass the time.

At the Gates: Finally getting another chance to see At the Gates again after being forced to leave their headlining set on the 2015 Decibel Tour early was a sweet piece of redemption. While Tomas Lindberg's vocals have understandably dipped a bit now that he's in his mid-40's, the Swedish melodeath pioneers still bring a ton of energy to the stage and have the same headbang-worthy punch they had in their heyday. As long as they keep performing with this much spirit and making highly enjoyable, riff-driven extreme metal, their second stint as a full-time band should continue to be a roaring success.  

Behemoth: Even without the séance-like backdrop full of incense and billowing smoke that you typically see at their shows, Behemoth was able to put on a commanding, often larger-than-life performance that reinforced why they're one of the most lethal extreme metal forces on the planet. Everything from the material from their breakout 1999 album Satanica to the cuts from their just-released 11th (!) LP I Loved You at Darkest felt like being caught up in a massive tidal wave of ferocity and darkness. Adding to this ominous atmosphere was the towering presence of the band itself. Nergal, Inferno, Orion and Seth carry themselves like warriors that just got off a battlefield in Hell and while I'm not going to pretend that there isn't a  bit ton of corniness attached to their imagery and stage banter, it matches their Satanic aesthetic perfectly. Behemoth delivers a unique, intense show that is always a lot of fun to take in and I hope they return to the States again before this touring cycle concludes.      

Grades:
Wolves in the Throne Room: D+
At the Gates: B+
Behemoth: A-

Setlists:
At the Gates:
To Drink From the Night Itself
Slaughter of the Soul
At War with Reality
The Chasm
Cold
Death and the Labyrinth
Heroes and Tombs
Suicide Nation
The Book of Sand (The Abomination)
Blinded by Fear
The Night Eternal

Behemoth:
Wolves ov Siberia
Daimonos
Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
Bartzabel
Ov Fire and the Void
God=Dog
Conquer All
Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica
Decade of Therion
Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
Slaves Shall Serve
Chant for Eschaton 2000

Encore:
Lucifer
The Next 1000 Years

The Best and Worst of Mike Myers

“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 “Bohemian Rhapsody” star Mike Myers.

Films starring Mike Myers that I've seen:
Wayne's World
Wayne's World 2
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Shrek
Austin Powers in Goldmember
The Cat in the Hat
Shrek 2
The Love Guru
Inglorious Basterds

Best Performance: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
They're all about the same in terms of quality,but since I saw the Austin Powers trilogy in reverse order, Goldmember has always been my favorite of the bunch. Powers and Dr.Evil are two of the funniest characters to ever appear on screen and it's a testament to Myers' effortless zaniness, unwavering commitment and tremendous understanding/love of spy movies that they never got old over the course of three movies.

Worst Performance: The Cat in the Hat (2003)
As annoying and unfunny as Myers was in The Love Guru, at least that performance didn't involve the savage butchering of a beloved pop culture icon. He turned the bouncy, lovable Cat in the Hat into pure nightmare fodder that's more unsettling than 99% of the shit I've ever seen in a horror movie, which is about as unforgiveable of a sin as I've ever seen in a movie.          

Best Film: Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Around 2008/2009, Quentin Tarantino's stock had fallen a bit. He had put back-to-back projects that I didn't love (Kill Bill Vol.2, Death Proof) and I had feared that this downturn in quality was going to become the new normal for a director whose work I largely credited with the development of my move obsession. Inglorious Basterds brought me all the way back to full fanboy status. This tense, brutal and darkly funny anti-Nazi revenge movie is one of the most satisfying projects he's ever put out, and helped give way to a stretch of films (Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight) that are pretty much in the same class as his early work.

Worst Film: The Cat in the Hat (2003)
It's hard to concisely put into words just how much of an abomination The Cat in the Hat is. This adaptation of the iconic children's book by the late Dr. Seuss is so strange, scattershot and overwhelmingly creepy that it made me bizarrely romanticize the similarly bad/disturbing Jim Carrey-led live action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.    

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Overlord” star Wyatt Russell.