Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Week 16 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Josh Allen (Bills)

The final stage of Allen's breakout campaign is complete: He finally put up a good game against the Patriots. Saying it was a good game is actually underselling it, Allen straight up shredded the suddenly reeling Pats for 320 YDS and 4 TD's in an easy win for the new kings of the AFC East. Allen has spent this season proving all of his detractors like myself (I dubiously named him the most overvalued fantasy QB ahead of this season) with smart, consistently strong play and that clear step forward he took this year should help him land among the top 3 QB's off the board in next year's drafts. 

Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Deshaun Watson (Texans), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals) 

Coming into championship week ranked as a top 3 option at the position, a visibly banged up Murray struggled to do much of anything against a relentless 49ers team-finishing the game with 322 (247 passing, 75 rushing) scoreless YDS and an INT. Even with a largely underwhelming stretch run, Murray was a top-end QB1 in 2020 and his dual threat ability paired with the continued development of his rapport with DeAndre Hopkins should make him an appealing early round pick in 2021.

Dishonorable Mentions: Drew Brees (Saints), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Baker Mayfield (Browns)

Running Back

MVP: Alvin Kamara (Saints)

In all my years playing fantasy football, I can't recall a championship week performance as absurdly dominant as this. After dropping mediocre numbers for roughly a month, Kamara came roaring back to post a historic 22 CAR/155 YDS/6 TD performance against the Vikings on Christmas Day. Anyone who won a championship because of this 50+ point explosion is forever indebted to Kamara and quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being enough to vault him past Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook in the conversation for the #1 overall pick in 2021 drafts.    

Honorable Mentions: Myles Gaskin (Dolphins), David Johnson (Texans), Jeff Wilson Jr. (49ers)

LVP: Le'Veon Bell (Chiefs)

With Clyde Edwards-Helaire injured and the lowly Falcons coming into Arrowhead, fantasy pundits and players alike seemed to think that Bell was finally going to enjoy his long-awaited resurgence. Instead, Andy Reid cooked up yet another overwhelmingly pass-happy gameplan and left Bell with only 8 touches for 39 YDS (7 carries/30 YDS, 1 REC/9 YDS) in a disconcertingly sloppy offensive performance for the defending champs. Regardless of where Bell plays in 2021, he'll be nothing more than a late round flier as he continues to underwhelm since returning from his self-imposed football hiatus in 2018.

Dishonorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs (Raiders), D'Andre Swift (Lions), Melvin Gordon (Broncos)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Davante Adams (Packers) 

Even driving snow can't slow down Adams. The Packers top wideout was uncoverable yet again-posting 142 YDS and 3 YDS on 11 receptions in a blowout victory over a formidable Titans squad. Heading into 2021, he's the uncontested top fantasy wideout and a likely top 5 overall pick.

Honorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Bills), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Jamison Crowder (Jets)

LVP: Brandon Aiyuk (49ers) 

George Kittle's return and a run-driven gameplan with 3rd stringer C.J. Bethard under center put the brakes on an impressive fantasy stretch run for Aiyuk-as he mustered just 2 touches (a reception and a carry) for 31 YDS against the Cardinals. Even with a conceivably reduced targetshare with the prospective return of a healthy Kittle and Deebo Samuel in 2021, the speed and YAC ability Aiyuk showed during his rookie year should make him an intriguing mid-round option.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Corey Davis (Titans), Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), A.J. Brown (Titans)

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs) 

In a development that should shock absolutely no one, the only member of the Chiefs offense that didn't put up pedestrian numbers in an ugly 17-14 win over the Falcons was Kelce. The stud TE broke the single season receiving yards record for the position that George Kittle set just last season with a 7 REC/98 YD/1 TD day. With the possible exception of Rob Gronkowski's monstrous 2011 campaign (90 REC/1,327 YDS/17 TD's), Kelce has put together the best season we've ever seen out of a TE and undoubtedly made a lot of fantasy owners who spent a top 25-30 pick on him very happy in the process.   

Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Darren Waller (Raiders), Hayden Hurst (Falcons)

LVP: Robert Tonyan (Packers)

Huge games from Davante Adams and rookie running back A.J. Dillon relegated Tonyan to an expendable secondary contributor against the Titans, as he reeled in 1-of-2 targets for 17 YDS. While he's largely TD dependent (his 10 scores do a lot to prop up an otherwise average 50 REC/568 YDS statline), Tonyan still did enough this season to establish himself as a TE1 and should wind up going in the top 10 rounds of 2021 drafts. 

Dishonorable Mentions: T.J. Hockenson (Lions), Tyler Higbee (Rams), Noah Fant (Broncos)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Buccaneers

Those who stuck with the erratic Bucs for Week 16 were rewarded with a solid performance against a Lions team that didn't even bother trying-amassing 4 sacks, an INT and FUM Rec in a 44-7 victory that clinched them their first playoff spot since 2007. As currently constructed, this group is just alright and will need to add some more playmakers if they want to be a staple on the fantasy radar in 2021.

Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Ravens, Seahawks

LVP: Saints

The Saints defense proved once again why they can't be taken seriously as a top-tier group by getting lit up by the Vikings (33 points allowed, 2 sacks, 0 takeways) in Week 16. Even with their borderline dominant play in the middle of the year, New Orleans shouldn't be considered a top-tier fantasy defense until they're able to prove their bursts of strong play are something other than a quick mirage.

Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Texans, Patriots

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) Week 17 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

2.(2) Green Bay Packers (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Chicago Bears

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Miami Dolphins

4.(4) Seattle Seahawks (11-4) Week 17 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

5.(6) New Orleans Saints (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Carolina Panthers

6.(9) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Cleveland Browns

7.(5) Indianapolis Colts (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

8.(10) Baltimore Ravens (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

9.(7) Cleveland Browns (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

10.(11) Miami Dolphins (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Buffalo Bills

11.(8) Tennessee Titans (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Houston Texans

12.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

13.(12) Los Angeles Rams (9-6) Week 17 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

14.(16) Chicago Bears (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Green Bay Packers

15.(14) Arizona Cardinals (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

16.(15) Washington Football Team (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

17.(23) Dallas Cowboys (6-9) Week 17 opponent: New York Giants

18.(21) San Francisco 49ers (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

19.(17) Minnesota Vikings (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Detroit Lions

20.(18) Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) Week 17 opponent: Denver Broncos

21.(25) Los Angeles Chargers (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

22.(20) New York Giants (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

23.(19) New England Patriots (6-9) Week 17 opponent: New York Jets

24.(27) Carolina Panthers (5-10) Week 17 opponent: New Orleans Saints

25.(22) Philadelphia Eagles (4-10-1) Week 17 opponent: Washington Football Team 

26.(24) Denver Broncos (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

27.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (4-10-1) Week 17 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

28.(28) Houston Texans (4-11) Week 17 opponent: Tennessee Titans

29.(29) Atlanta Falcons (4-11) Week 17 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

30.(26) Detroit Lions (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

31.(31) New York Jets (2-13) Week 17 opponent: New England Patriots 

32.(32) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14) Week 17 opponent: Indianapolis Colts  

Monday, December 28, 2020

Tom Hanks Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Tom Hanks-whose latest project "News of the World" is in theaters now and will be available to rent via video on demand services on January 15th.

Tom Hanks' Filmography Ranked:

23.Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (D+)

22.Splash (D+)

21.Larry Crowne (D+) 

20.The Polar Express (D+)

19.Bridge of Spies (C)

18.That Thing You Do! (C+)

17.Apollo 13 (B-)

16.Charlie Wilson's War (B-)

15.A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (B)

14.Forrest Gump (B)

13.The Ladykillers (B)

12.Cast Away (B+)

11.Sully (B+)

10.Philadelphia (B+)

9.Toy Story 2 (B+)

8.Catch Me If You Can (B+)

7.Captain Phillips (B+)

6.Road to Perdition (A-)

5.Toy Story 4 (A-) 

4.Saving Private Ryan (A)

3.Toy Story 3 (A)

2.The Green Mile (A+)

1.Toy Story (A+)

Top Dog: Toy Story (1995)

Game-changer is a term that is probably thrown around too much-particularly in the world of entertainment, but in the case of Toy Story, it's completely warranted. John Lasseter and the animators at Pixar redefined what an animated film was capable of by using groundbreaking (at the time) computer-created visuals and having a story that has ideas/humor that will resonate with adults without glossing over the breezy fun elements that make it appeal to kids. The seeds of innovation that were planted here continue to flourish 25 years later as plenty of other filmmakers have gone onto make movies that share Toy Story's DNA and considering the warmth these titles continue to be met with, we're likely to see a whole lot more movies that are cut from this winning mold.  

Lowlight: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Even with the participation of Hollywood heavyweights like Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Max von Sydow and Hanks, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close still manages to feel like a Hallmark or Lifetime movie of the week. With its use of 9/11 as the backdrop of this (fictional) story and relentlessly melodramatic plot beats, the film applies a sickeningly manipulative tearjerker touch to its attempts to explore loss and grief that is just maddening to watch.

Most Overrated: Forrest Gump (1994)

Is part of why Forrest Gump earned this distinction because I'm pissed that it beat out Pulp Fiction for the Best Picture Oscar? No question. However, the real catalyst for this take is my strong disagreement with the popular sentiment that this is one of the greatest movies ever made. While Forrest Gump is a solidly-acted drama that efficiently hits the bulk of its feel good narrative targets, it's not nearly profound, heartfelt or entertaining enough to warrant any special standing in the wide world of movies or even extensive rewatches.    

Most Underrated: Road to Perdition (2002)

Sam Mendes' (1917, Skyfall) seemingly forgotten mediation on the consequences of living a life defined by violence and a parent not wanting to their child to go through that same vicious cycle of pain, death and suffering that just happens to take the form of a gangster movie makes for a more poignant and cohesive project than Martin Scorsese's musings on similar themes in last year's The Irishman. The uncompromisingly bleak atmosphere does a great job of emphasizing the danger that could lurk around every corner in the world of organized crime as well as the psychological toll of being a professional killer, the performances are stunning (Hanks, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, the late Paul Newman in what ended up being his final live action film role) across the board and unlike The Irishman, it doesn't lessen the impact of its message by needlessly padding the runtime (this runs a very efficient 117 minutes, which is 92 minutes less than Scorsese's film).  

Most Groundbreaking Espionage Movie: Bridge of Spies (2015)

Toy Story isn't the only innovative project Hanks has been involved in during his career. Not content with the sleek style, relentless mindgames and mounting suspense that tend to be cornerstones of espionage movies, Steven Spielberg set out to make the world's first mundane spy thriller and boy oh boy did he stick the bland landing. A Cold War-era legal drama told exclusively through perfunctory conversations/meetings until it arrives at a finale that features the first completely clean, tension-free military prisoner exchange in the history of cinema is a hell of a breakthrough for a genre that has relied too damn heavily on things like excitement, twists and suspense since its inception.

Best Sneaky Good Coen Brothers Movie: The Ladykillers (2004)

2020's relatively barren film landscape has given me the time to examine the back catalogues of some  filmmakers I admire and upon viewing the pretty widely frowned upon Coen Brothers remake of The Ladykillers back in April, I ended being very pleasantly surprised by it. The Ladykillers has the same dark, absurd sense of humor as all of their best comedic efforts, an underrated collection of scene-stealing goofball characters (Hanks as a pretentious Southern scholar who is heading up a casino heist, J.K. Simmons as a bumbling explosives "expert" and Irma P. Hall as a god-fearing widow who routinely outsmarts the criminals that are targeting her) and a great final act the features the bumbling idiot criminal protagonists getting what's coming to them in hilariously entertaining fashion.         

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Josh Allen (Bills)

Allen's late surge for MVP consideration continued in Week 15 with a flat-out destruction of a depleted Broncos defense (359 YDS/2 TD's through the air, 33 YDS/2 TD's on the ground) that only had 3 healthy corners available. He'll look to complete his breakout 3rd year fantasy campaign on a high note against a Patriots team that has consistently given him problems since he entered the league 

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Titans), Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

LVP: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

The lack of fans in stands in most places around the league has largely neutralized Roethlisberger's signature road duds, but he chose a hell of a time to break out a vintage away from Heinz Field turd. Big Ben was comically bad against a hapless Bengals team under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, throwing for just 170 YDS and 1 TD while committing 2 brutal turnovers (an INT and a lost fumble) and almost certainly derailing a good percentage of prospective fantasy title runs in the process. Roethlisberger has regressed mightily in recent weeks after a solid start to his 2020 comeback campaign and should probably be benched for his tough Week 16 tilt against a stingy Colts defense that has shut down just about everyone not named Deshaun Watson of late in non-garbage time situations. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jared Goff (Rams), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Running Back

MVP: David Montgomery (Bears)

Montgomery's surreal second half turnaround hit a new peak in Week 15 as he turned a career-high 32 carries into 146 YDS and 2 TD's in a shootout win over the Vikings. The surging sophomore back will look to maintain his newfound RB1 status against a leaky Jaguars run D this Sunday. 

Honorable Mentions: Tony Pollard (Cowboys), Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Derrick Henry (Titans)

LVP: Kareem Hunt (Browns)

Containing the running backs was just about the only thing the Giants did well against the Browns on Sunday night and while Nick Chubb was able to save his night with a late TD run, Hunt wasn't so fortunate as he finished with just 28 YDS (21 rushing, 7 receiving) on 10 touches. With the 1-13 Jets being the opponent in a must-win Week 16 matchup for the Browns-who now have a legit chance to win the AFC North after the Steelers loss to the Bengals, both Hunt and Chubb should be in line for much more productive days. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Davis (Panthers), Kenyan Drake (Cardinals), Chris Carson (Seahawks)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Calvin Ridley (Falcons)

Julio Jones' absence and roughly 3 dominant quarters for Matt Ryan allowed Ridley to post one of the best games of his young career (10 REC/163 YDS/1 TD) in a "shocking" loss to the Buccaneers where they blew yet another double digit lead in the final 20 minutes of play. With Julio likely sitting out once again for a meaningless Week 16 contest with the Chiefs, Ridley will once again be a no-brainer WR1. 

Honorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals), Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), Stefon Diggs (Bills)

LVP: Keenan Allen (Chargers)

Visibly hampered by a hamstring injury, Allen had no business playing in last Thursday night's game versus the Raiders and it showed in his uncharacteristically empty stat sheet (1 REC, 17 YDS, 1 CAR, -1 YDS). If Anthony Lynn once again doesn't have the good sense to deactivate Allen this week, don't make the mistake of playing him.

Dishonorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Cowboys), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Robby Anderson (Panthers)

Tight End

MVP: Darren Waller (Raiders)

Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota turned to Waller early and often after replacing the injured Derek Carr early on in last Thursday's shootout with the Chargers and the stud TE unsurprisingly turned his heavy targetshare (12 of 30 catchable passes thrown by Carr/Mariota) into solid gold for his fantasy owners (9 REC/150 YDS/1 TD). Fantasy's undisputed overall TE2 will look to deliver one last gem in 2020 against a middling Dolphins pass defense on Saturday night. 

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Noah Fant (Broncos), Logan Thomas (Washington Football Team)

LVP: T.J. Hockenson (Lions)

Hockenson's recent hot streak ended in tragic fashion as he secured just 2 catches for 18 YDS and lost a fumble against a very soft Titans pass defense. A generally solid TE1 option all season long,  Hockenson will look to get back on track against an erratic Bucs D that has allowed TD catches to TE's in 5 of their last 8 games.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Saints), Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Dallas Godert (Eagles)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Bills

An electric scoop and score off a strip sack of Drew Lock powered a Bills defense-who registered a total of 3 sacks and surrendered 19 points to a below average Broncos offense-to the top of the positional leaderboards. After a very disappointing start to the season, the Bills defense has re-emerged as a solid fantasy option in the last month and will be a contender for the top spot yet again in Week 16 when they travel to Foxboro to take on an anemic Patriots offense that may be starting INT god Jarrett Stidham at quarterback.

Honorable Mentions: Colts, Ravens, Seahawks

LVP: Steelers

Whether it was fatigue or arrogance, allowing 27 points while managing just 2 sacks and 0 takeaways against the Ryan Finley-led Bengals is an unacceptable performance for an allegedly elite defense. Don't bother playing them in the fantasy finale against a Colts offense that tends to take excellent care of the football and has only allowed 10 sacks since they returned from Bye in Week 8.

Dishonorable Mentions: Rams, 49ers, Vikings

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 16

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) Week 16 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

2.(2) Green Bay Packers (11-3) Week 16 opponent: Tennessee Titans

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (11-3) Week 16 opponent: New England Patriots 

4.(6) Seattle Seahawks (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

5.(7) Indianapolis Colts (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

6.(5) New Orleans Saints (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

7.(9) Cleveland Browns (10-4) Week 16 opponent: New York Jets

8.(10) Tennessee Titans (10-4) Week 16 opponent: Green Bay Packers

9.(4) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) Week 16 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

10.(11) Baltimore Ravens (9-5) Week 16 opponent: New York Giants

11.(12) Miami Dolphins (9-5) Week 16 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

12.(8) Los Angeles Rams (9-5) Week 16 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

13.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) Week 16 opponent: Detroit Lions

14.(14) Arizona Cardinals (8-6) Week 16 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

15.(15) Washington Football Team (6-8) Week 16 opponent: Carolina Panthers

16.(21) Chicago Bears (7-7) Week 16 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

17.(16) Minnesota Vikings (6-8) Week 16 opponent: New Orleans Saints

18.(17) Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) Week 16 opponent: Miami Dolphins

19.(18) New England Patriots (6-8) Week 16 opponent: Buffalo Bills

20.(19) New York Giants (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

21.(20) San Francisco 49ers (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

22.(23) Philadelphia Eagles (4-9-1) Week 16 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

23.(29) Dallas Cowboys (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

24.(22) Denver Broncos (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

25.(27) Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Denver Broncos

26.(24) Detroit Lions (5-9) Week 16 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

27.(25) Carolina Panthers (4-10) Week 16 opponent: Washington Football Team

28.(28) Houston Texans (4-10) Week 16 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

29.(26) Atlanta Falcons (4-10) Week 16 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (3-10-1) Week 16 opponent: Houston Texans

31.(32) New York Jets (1-13) Week 16 opponent: Cleveland Browns

32.(31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-13) Week 16 opponent: Chicago Bears

Monday, December 21, 2020

2020-21 NBA Preview and Predictions

 Eastern Conference 

1.Milwaukee Bucks: Even after getting absolutely run over in the playoffs last year by the Heat, it's hard not to buy in on the Bucks returning to the top of the East. Adding Jrue Holiday instantly makes their offense better without losing the defensive ferocity that former starting point guard Eric Bledsoe brought to the floor on a nightly basis, the new crop of role players (Bobby Portis, D.J. Augustin, Torrey Craig, Bryn Forbes) fill all their scoring/energy/defensive needs off the bench and Giannis/Khris Middleton are as good as any star tandem in the league at lighting up the scoreboard.

2.Miami Heat: The reigning Eastern Conference Champions are unquestionably the grittiest, best coached team in this conference and with the valuable playoff experience their rising young stars like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson picked up during their Cinderella run in the Bubble, it wouldn't be at all shocking to see them return to the Finals this season.  

3.Boston Celtics: As ugly as their exit from the playoffs was this past season, the Celtics are far too balanced and strong on both ends of the floor to completely write off as dark horse title contenders. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should be able to take another step forward as a tandem-particularly on the offensive end of the floor, the addition of a physical post presence in Tristan Thompson could help fix the rebounding/paint defense woes that has derailed many of their recent playoff runs and the prospect of having someone being able to come in and hit some 3's off the bench on a consistent basis (Jeff Teague, rookies Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard) is a welcome glimmer of hope for a team that's been relying on the notoriously streaky shooting of Marcus Smart to fill that role for years now.

4.Toronto Raptors: Basically copy and paste what I just said about the Celtics-except that the Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakiam aren't as lethal of a young duo as Brown and Tatum and they're arguably in a worse place than they were a year ago with the departures of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in free agency (Gasol's replacement Aron Baynes is a perfect fit with this roster though). 

5.Brooklyn Nets: The trajectory of the Nets entirely depends on the health, effort levels and on-floor chemistry of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. A finish as high as 1 or as low as 7 or 8 seem equally possible.

6.Philadelphia 76ers: While Doc Rivers is a notable improvement over Brett Brown at head coach and unloading Al Horford's monster contract gave them the flexibility they needed to bolster their bench (they acquired Seth Curry, Danny Green, Dwight Howard and Terrance Ferguson following Horford's trade to OKC), this 76ers team as currently constructed lacks the depth, chemistry and crunch time-tested star players to be taken seriously as a top-tier team in the East. 

7.Indiana Pacers: The Pacers have had the misfortunate of being stuck in no man's land over the past several seasons with a roster that's solid enough to compete with anyone in the regular season yet not dynamic enough to go far in the playoffs. Unless Victor Oladipo can fully regain his pre-quad tendon tear form or someone else from their starting lineup (T.J. Warren, Malcom Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner) ascends to star status, they'll remain in the frustrating space yet again in 2020-21  

8.Atlanta Hawks: After a couple of years of letting their young guys run the show, the Hawks made a flurry of moves this offseason that should help take their rebuild to the next level. Bogdan Bogdanovic is a sharpshooter that fits perfectly on a team that takes pride in chucking 3's, Rajon Rondo and Danilo Galinari bring some much-needed veteran leadership and might even introduce the concept of defense to Lloyd Pierce's run-and-gun squad and although he was added at the trade deadline last season, the long-awaited ATL debut of Clint Capela should provide some much-needed rebounding/rim-protection/post scoring for a team that has had struggled mightily in those areas since the Al Horford/Paul Milsap/Kent Bazemore/era came to a close . 

9.Washington Wizards: Unloading John Wall for Russell Westbrook was a minor miracle of a move that prevents the Wizards from being stuck with a god awful megadeal weighing them down for the next 5 years. That being said, I'm not confident the trio of Westbrook, Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans is gifted enough for them to break into the playoff picture in a notably improved Eastern Conference.  

10.Orlando Magic: Playing in a pretty shallow Eastern Conference that has allowed the mediocre Magic to sneak into the playoffs for 2 straight seasons and with them staying roughly the same talent-wise (every key member from the 2019-20 team except for free agent departures D.J. Augustin and Wes Iwandu and the injured Jonathan Isaac are returning this year) while other bubble teams (Hawks, Wizards, Nets) got better, those odds of making it 3 in a row aren't overly strong.

11.Charlotte Hornets: Rookie LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward (if healthy) should provide a spark to their stagnant offense and Devonte' Graham is an unsung young player with a potentially lethal shooting stroke that's worth keeping an eye on, but that's where the excitement around this Hornets team ends. Their collection of big men (Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo, Jalen McDaniels, rookies Vernon Carey Jr. and Nicholas Richards) is just plain sad, Miles Bridges and Malik Monk have done nothing to justify their lottery pick status thus far and Terry Rozier continues to be a comically inefficient shooter that only passes when his elbows are sore after taking 36 contested jumpers in a half. 

12.Chicago Bulls: The arrival of a legit coach in Billy Donovan to replace hardo doofus Jim Boylen should lead to immediate improvement on the floor. The problem is this roster still has serious defensive deficiencies that will likely continue to sink their solid albeit raw arsenal of gifted young scorers led by Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter.     

13.Detroit Pistons: Why an emerging premier role player in Jerami Grant chose to sign with this  sinking ship that's propped up by a pair of stars whose best days are unquestionably behind them (the oft-injured Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose-who is almost guaranteed to be traded to a contender at the deadline) is truly staggering. Their roster is mostly compromised of mediocre veteran bench fodder (Wayne Ellington, Mason Plumlee, Delon Wright, Jahlil Okafor, Rodney McGruder) Dwane Casey is almost certainly going to be fired by the end of the season and with Christian Wood and Luke Dennard both exiting in the offseason, there's zero young talent with real upside to speak of. If Rose does end up getting dealt and Griffin misses significant time again, a dead last finish will be in play.  

14.Cleveland Cavaliers: A full year with J.B. Bickerstaff running the show and Andre Drummond playing next to Kevin Love in the frontcourt should definitely help the Cavs be more competitive than they were last season, but the reality is that their rebuild is still in its infancy and their young guys (Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Cedi Osman) aren't nearly good enough to help compete at a high level right now. 

15.New York Knicks: James Dolan's toxic presence scaring any big ticket free agents out of signing with the Knicks remains the funniest story in the league. They had a zillion dollars in cap space for a 2nd straight season in a league where the size of the market directly correlates with the ability to land free agents and the best they could do was sign Austin Rivers, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to short-team deals. Pair that inability to land star talent with continued bad luck in the draft lottery and you have the saddest team in the NBA yet again. 

Western Conference:

1.Los Angeles Lakers: The defending champions spent the abbreviated offseason swapping out their expendable role players (Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Javale McGee, Avery Bradley) for mostly younger, more offensively-gifted ones (Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews) to go alongside the untouchable two headed monster of LeBron and AD. In other words, hoisting another Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2020-21 seems like a very strong possibility. 

2.Denver Nuggets: One of the biggest takeaways from the NBA Bubble was that the mental toughness, court awareness and overall games of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have improved sigifinacntly in the past year. Pair those emerging superstars with a deep bench (Paul Milsap, Monte Morris, JaMychal Green, Bol Bol) an ascending young offensive talent in Michael Porter Jr. and a collective grit that the Clippers just don't have and you have the biggest challenger to the Lakers in the West.   

3.Los Angeles Clippers: Having a hands-off, superstar-friendly presence in Ty Lue replace a fiery tactician in Doc Rivers at head coach and bringing in a couple more unselfish, battle-tested veterans (Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum) to come off the bench should help the Clippers solve at least some of their locker room issues, but their stunning playoff collapse in the Bubble and Paul George's continued no-shows in big games makes them hard to take seriously as a top-tier contender. 

4.Portland Trail Blazers: The impact the return of a healthy Jusuf Nurkic and addition of a two-way wing in Robert Covington will have on this team can not be underestimated. Defensive hiccups, lack of floor spacing and secondary scoring alongside their dynamic backcourt (Damian Lillard, C.J. McCoullum) were the biggest problems Portland had during their middling start to the 2019-20 and with those problems presumably nullified by these two players, they should more closely resemble the 2018-19 team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

5.Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic is a certified killer that's on the cusp of being a top 10 player in the NBA and Kristaps Porzingis is coming off his best season as a pro, but Porzingis' continued durability issues and the ho-hum supporting cast (Josh Richardson, Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, Dwight Powell, Wes Iwandu, Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Burke) that surrounds their two stars makes the Mavs a middle of the pack team for now.  

6.Utah Jazz: New season, same old Jazz. They're well-coached, play their asses off and are arguably the most defensively stout team in the league, but ultimately lack the offensive talent outside of Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic to make a deep playoff run.

7.Phoenix Suns: Riding high off their undefeated Bubble run, the Suns look to be in a pretty good spot to snap their 11-year playoff drought. Their young corps (Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges) seems to be starting to really come together, free agent pickup Jae Crowder is a solid veteran wing who should really beef up their perimeter defense and big ticket trade acquisition Chris Paul still has enough gas in the tank to make a big impact on the floor for at least another couple years while also providing the veteran leadership this young bunch needs to take their next step forward.  

8.Memphis Grizzlies: A late surge from the Blazers doomed what was shaping up to be a surprise playoff bid for an upstart Grizzlies team that's in the middle of a rebuild. With their young corps anchored by Jaren Jackson, Brandon Clarke, Dillon Brooks and reigning Rookie of the Year Ja Morant getting another year to adjust to the physical and mental nuances of the NBA, they should have better luck sneaking into the bottom of the playoff bracket this time around.

9.Golden State Warriors: As great as Steph Curry has looked in the preseason, it's going to be very difficult for this team to make into the playoffs without Klay Thompson. Curry's de facto top running mates (Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre) lacks the consistent scoring pop/defensive versatility that Thompson provides this team and unless #2 overall pick James Wiseman pops right away, their frontcourt is going to get steamrolled by the West's deep collection of elite big men. 

10.San Antonio Spurs: It's hard to believe that a Gregg Poppovich-coached team would miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but the talent disparity between the Spurs (a DeMar DeRozan/LaMarcus Alridge/Dejounte Murray/Derrick White/Jakob Poltl/Rudy Gay/Patty Mills/Trey Lyles rotation isn't going to scare too many people right now) and the other top teams in the West makes it seem like a strong possibility-particularly if DeRozan-who is in the last year of his contract-gets moved at the deadline.   

11.Houston Rockets: James Harden or no James Harden, the Rockets days as an elite contender are over with for now. Replacing Russell Westbrook with John Wall-a speed-based player who hasn't been played in 2 years after suffering Achilles' and foot injuries-is a potentially huge downgrade, Mike D'Antoni's departure could have a huge hit on their offense and their top role players (P.J. Tucker, Gerald Green, Eric Gordon) are on the cusp of aging out of relevancy.  

12.New Orleans Pelicans: A coaching change was needed in New Orleans after Alvin Gentry allowed this team walk into the Bubble expecting to coast into the play-in tournament for the final playoff spot based on how well they were playing before the COVID-shutdown in March and quit as soon as it became clear that wasn't going to be the case. Notorious hard-ass Stan Van Gundy will definitely bring discipline to this young locker room and despite his relative lack of success during his last HC stint with the Pistons, having a pair of young stars in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson already at his disposal makes his odds of returning to the success level he had during his time with the Magic and Heat feels a lot more likely than a repeat of the middling results he posted in Detroit. While the potential for greater than expected leaps from Ingram/Williamson paired with their respectable depth across the court (Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, J.J. Redick, Nicolo Melli, Jaxson Hayes) makes a playoff bid not of question this year, it seems more likely that they're still a year or two away from hitting that level.      

13.Minnesota Timberwolves: Getting an extended look at the Karl-Anthony Towns/D'Angelo Russell experiment, what mysterious #1 overall pick Anthony Edwards can bring to the table at the professional level and Ricky Rubio returning to town after being traded to the Jazz for peanuts 4 years ago are the clear headlines for an otherwise innocuous team that's seemingly destined for another high lottery pick this season. 

14.Sacramento Kings: As other struggling teams in the West either ascend on the backs of their young stars (Mavericks, Nuggets), have glimmers of hope for the future (Pelicans, Suns, Grizzlies) or completely bottom out with the hopes of selecting the player that will take them to the next level (Wolves, Thunder), the Kings remain stuck in neutral. Their young guys (De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley Jr.) haven't developed as expected on either ends of the floor, the vets they've brought in as complementary pieces (Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes, Nemanja Bjelica) haven't done much to move the needle and above all, they're not overly great on either end of the floor. Unless the recipe of letting spark scorer Bogan Boganodvic walk in restricted free agency and signing Hassan Whiteside-who is always unpredictable from an effort/production standpoint and Glenn Robinson III-an end-of-bench shooter who is on his fifth team since the start of the 17-18 season-serves as some kind of stunning cure for their afflictions, a return to their unwelcome de facto "bad enough to not make the playoffs, but not bad enough to win the draft lottery" form appears to be in the cards. 

15.Oklahoma City Thunder: The tank is officially on in OKC. They shipped out just about every veteran that contributed to their surprisingly productive 2019-20 campaign (Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, Terrence Ferguson) in exchange for more ammo to add to their already comically loaded draft pick arsenal they amassed from last season's trades of Russell Westbrook and Paul George, and a few vets (Al Horford, George Hill, Trevor Ariza) to mentor the few young guys they already have that they seem to believe in (Shai Gilegious-Alexander, Darius Bazley, Bubble Breakout Lu Dort) as well as cut ties with longtime coach Billy Donovan to promote 35-year year old assistant HC Mark Daigneault-who had a good amount of success coaching their G-League affiliate the Oklahoma City Blue from 2014-19. Despite this clear commitment to the future over the present, expect this group to play hard and be a thorn in the side of less hungry top-tier teams on the regular. 

Playoff Predictions:

Eastern Conference 

1st Round:

Bucks over Hawks

Heat over Pacers

Celtics over 76ers

Nets over Raptors

Conference Semifinals:

Bucks over Nets

Heat over Celtics

Conference Finals:

Bucks over Heat

Western Conference 

1st Round:

Lakers over Grizzlies

Nuggets over Suns

Clippers over Jazz

Trail Blazers over Mavericks

Conference Semifinals:

Lakers over Trail Blazers

Nuggets over Clippers

Conference Finals:

Lakers over Nuggets

NBA Finals:

Lakers over Bucks

Year-End Awards:

MVP: Luka Doncic (Mavericks)

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis (Lakers)

Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro (Heat)

Rookie of the Year: LaMelo Ball (Hornets)

Most Improved Player: Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets)

Coach of the Year: Ty Lue (Clippers)

Friday, December 18, 2020

Update

'Tis the season to cram movies and albums! As per tradition around these parts, I'll be scaling back my writing starting next week to focus on watching and listening to as much stuff as possible in preparation for 2020's year-end lists. Outside of an NBA preview piece that will be dropping on Monday and perhaps the occasional quick review, pieces will be limited to the recurring NFL and Ranked columns until mid-January. Thank you for reading and hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

Chris Maitland  

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Gerard Butler Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Gerard Butler-whose latest project "Greenland" hits video on demand services this Friday. 

Gerard Butler's Filmography Ranked:

17.The Bounty Hunter (D)

16.Movie 43 (D)

15.Reign of Fire (D+)

14.Hunter Killer (C)

13.The Ugly Truth (C)

12.London Has Fallen (C+)

11.Machine Gun Preacher (B-)

10.Tomorrow Never Dies (B-)

9.Angel Has Fallen (B-)

8.Gods of Egypt (B-)

7.Geostorm (B-)

6.Olympus Has Fallen (B)

5.Gamer (B)

4.RocknRolla (B+)

3.Law Abiding Citizen (B+)

2.Den of Thieves (B+)

1.300 (A)

Top Dog: 300 (2007)

What proved to be the coming out party for both Butler and director Zach Snyder is blockbuster maximalism at its unapologetic finest. With its cartoonish overacting, frequent bloody battle sequences and exclusively red-and-gray color palette, Snyder is able to create a hyperstylized symphony of mangled corpses, fiery dialogue and frantic energy that captures the over-the-top feel of a graphic novel in striking, visceral detail.         

Lowlight: The Bounty Hunter (2010)

Some exceptionally stupid writing and the reliably inept touch of Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Fool's Gold) do wonders in helping to turn a pair of likable lead performers (Butler, Jennifer Aniston) into obnoxious asshat characters with no charisma or comedic ability that are very unpleasant to spend an entire movie with.  

Most Underrated: Den of Thieves (2018)

Declaring Den of Thieves underrated may be considered kind of a wild take as it was warmly received by audiences and was dubbed by most critics as a pleasant surprise when it hit theaters during a traditionally frowned upon portion of the calendar in January 2018. Despite its solid standing in both arms of the court of public entertainment opinion, I still believe that Den of Thieves doesn't quite get the love it deserves. When it comes to heist movies released in the last 20 years, there's only a handful that are better crafted than Den of Thieves. The contentious cops vs. robbers dynamic works exceptionally well thanks to the tremendous performances of each group's leader (Butler as the hard-nosed lawman, Pablo Schreiber as the cunning, efficient career criminal), the climatic heist sequence is a tense, electrics spectacle that pays off its lengthy buildup in near-perfect fashion and the walk-off plot twist is the type of slyly calculated misdirection that leaves an engaged viewer smiling as the credits roll.          

Most Overrated: Hunter Killer (2018)

Hunter Killer is a TNT old man Sunday afternoon special with plenty of submarine combat and ra-ra speeches that will surely rivet the hell out of your dad/grandpa. As great as it is that they're still making movies to make the old men of the world happy, Hunter Killer is about as average as anything on Earth can possibly be. Watching this feels like falling into an inoffensive void for 2 hours then remembering nothing else besides physically being there after emerging from it. Not exactly ideal for a movie to conjure up those type of numbing feelings, but hey at least it's not a complete piece of shit right?!        

Most Disturbingly Unfun: Reign of Fire (2002)

Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale and Butler fighting dragons in a dystopian wasteland that used to be London sounds like a surefire bet for a quality blockbuster. Instead, Reign of Fire is a cheesy and just plain joyless action flick that miraculously manages to do nothing cool or interesting with its collection of human vs. dragon battles.    

Best Semi-Forgotten Guy Ritchie Project: RocknRolla (2008)

The post-Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels/Snatch and pre-blockbuster era of Ritchie's career often gets swept under the rug, namely because it didn't produce any hits on either the cult or box office level. While it doesn't hit the masterpiece status of his aforementioned breakout projects, RocknRolla is still a pretty great film driven by his staple filmmaking elements (colorful characters, London criminal underworld setting, amusing zinger-filled dialogue, frantically entertaining storytelling) that serves as the lone gem from this period of Richie's career and not to mention, a much better rehashing of his vintage formula than this year's The Gentlemen.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Week 14 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

The visiting locker room toilets wasn't the only thing Jackson took a violent dump on last night. The Browns let Jackson crap all over them (163 YDS/1 TD through the air, 124 YDS/2 TD on the ground) in what was arguably the wildest game of 2020 thus far. Jackson will look to remain on the throne against the lowly Jaguars in Week 15.     

Honorable Mentions: Baker Mayfield (Browns), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)

Ryan's struggles when Julio Jones is sidelined continued on Sunday. His very sloppy performance (224 YDS/1 TD/3 INT) against a very beatable Chargers defense ultimately cost the Falcons a game that Anthony Lynn was actively trying to give away throughout. If Julio is inactive again for this week's contest with the Bucs, Ryan should be left out of all fantasy lineups.

Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

Running Back

MVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)

Henry's relatively quiet performance (25 CAR/84 YDS/0 TD's) against the Jaguars back in Week 2 was a shock considering the complete domination he's displayed against them in the past. Well, Henry made up for that early season disappointment and then some by completely dismantling the Jags (26 CAR, 215 YDS, 2 TD) in their second meeting. With matchups against the putrid Lions and Packers rush D's on deck, Henry is in a position to win a lot of people fantasy titles and even potentially make a run at a historic 2,000 YD season. 

Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Miles Sanders (Eagles), Kareem Hunt (Browns)

LVP: James Conner (Steelers)

Conner's return from the COVID list really couldn't have gone much worse. The Steelers bellcow back couldn't get anything going against a soft Bills front, turning 10 carries into just 18 YDS. Frustratingly up-and-down all season long, Conner will be a shaky RB2/FLEX play against the reeling Bengals this week.

Dishonorable Mentions: Todd Gurley (Falcons), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Aaron Jones (Packers)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

Hill's splash play ability was on full display in South Beach on Sunday. The Chiefs speedster turned just 4 touches (3 REC, 1 carry) into 111 YDS and 2 TD's against a feisty Dolphins defense. A  date with a redhot Saints defense would be a difficult matchup for just about any other receiver, but Hill will probably find the endzone at least once.   

Honorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Bills), T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Allen Robinson (Bears)

LVP: Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)

Outside of a 2nd quarter bomb TD pass to Scotty Miller, it was a quiet afternoon for the Bucs passing game against the Vikings and that uneventful outing was particularly evident in Godwin's statline (2 REC/23 YDS). While maintaining a higher floor than running mate Mike Evans and respectable target share in a crowded receiving corps (at least 6 in every game before this one-where he only got 3), Godwin just hasn't popped like expected (51 REC/587 YDS/3 TD's in 8 games) in this Tom Brady-led offense and it's made him a terrible value for owners that spent a top 24-32 pick on him. He'll be a WR2 for the Bucs creampuff Week 15 matchup with the Falcons.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Terry McLaurin (Washington Football Team). Chase Claypool (Steelers), Corey Davis (Titans)

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Even a strong passing defense like the Dolphins can't keep Kelce in check. The star tight end once again led the Chiefs in receiving (8 REC/136 YDS/TD) in an ugly yet hard-fought road win over a quality opponent. With just 2 weeks left to go in the fantasy campaign, Kelce-who currently leads the NFL in receiving YDS-is in the thick of the MVP hunt. 

Honorable Mentions: Mike Gesicki (Dolphins), T.J. Hockenson (Lions), Robert Tonyan (Packers)

LVP: Evan Engram (Giants)

Feast-or-famine Engram was at it again against the Cardinals, securing just 2 catches for 18 YDS in a horrid performance by a seemingly still injured Daniel Jones. He'll return to his boom-or-bust post for a Week 15 showdown with a terrible Browns pass defense that has allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to tight ends this season.

Dishonorable Mentions: Hayden Hurst (Falcons), Jonnu Smith (Titans), Jordan Reed (49ers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Washington Football Team

Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio's vicious defense powered the Washington Football team to a 4th straight win against the 49ers. This group completely ruined Nick Mullins's day, picking up 4 sacks, 3 takeaways (2 FUM REC's, 1 INT) and 2 TD's in a 23-15 victory. Considering the heater they're on right now and Russell Wilson's uncharacteristic turnover problems of late, the Football Team should crack starting lineups once again this week.  

Honorable Mentions: Rams, Cowboys, Bears

LVP: Ravens

Despite a season-saving victory over the Browns last night, Don Martindale's vaunted defense took an absolute beating. The Browns attacked their barrage of blitzes with a creative, unpredictable balanced attack that ended up putting 42 points on the board and the Ravens D countering with just 1 sack and an INT. Fortunately for Martindale and his players, redemption seems likely as the 1-11 Jaguars who average just 21.3 points per game (28th in the league) await them next.

Dishonorable Mentions: Saints, Panthers, Texans 

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 15

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) Week 15 opponent: New Orleans Saints

2.(4) Green Bay Packers (10-3) Week 15 opponent: Carolina Panthers

3.(5) Buffalo Bills (10-3) Week 15 opponent: Denver Broncos

4.(2) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2) Week 15 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

5.(3) New Orleans Saints (10-3) Week 15 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

6.(7) Seattle Seahawks (9-4) Week 15 opponent: Washington Football Team

7.(8) Indianapolis Colts (9-4) Week 15 opponent: Houston Texans

8.(9) Los Angeles Rams (9-4) Week 15 opponent: New York Jets 

9.(6) Cleveland Browns (9-4) Week 15 opponent: New York Giants

10.(10) Tennessee Titans (9-4) Week 15 opponent: Detroit Lions

11.(12) Baltimore Ravens (8-5) Week 15 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

12.(11) Miami Dolphins (8-5) Week 15 opponent: New England Patriots

13.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5) Week 15 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

14.(15) Arizona Cardinals (7-6) Week 15 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

15.(19) Washington Football Team (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

16.(14) Minnesota Vikings (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Chicago Bears

17.(17) Las Vegas Raiders (7-6) Week 15 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

18.(16) New England Patriots (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Miami Dolphins

19.(18) New York Giants (5-8) Week 15 opponent: Cleveland Browns

20.(20) San Francisco 49ers (5-8) Week 15 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

21.(25) Chicago Bears (6-7) Week 15 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

22.(26) Denver Broncos (5-8) Week 15 opponent: Buffalo Bills

23.(27) Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) Week 15 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

24.(23) Detroit Lions (5-8) Week 15 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

25.(24) Carolina Panthers (4-9) Week 15 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

26.(22) Atlanta Falcons (4-9) Week 15 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

27.(29) Los Angeles Chargers (4-9) Week 15 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

28.(21) Houston Texans (4-9) Week 15 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

29.(29) Dallas Cowboys (4-9) Week 15 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1) Week 15 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

31.(31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11) Week 15 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

32.(32) New York Jets (0-13) Week 15 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Week 13 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Josh Allen (Bills)

Allen's fantasy owners have to be elated with his surprisingly dominant performance (375 YDS/4 TD/0 INT) against a tough 49ers defense on Monday. He'll look to exceed expectations in a tough spot once again in Week 14 against a Steelers defense that could be extra motivated to avenge their 1st loss of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Titans), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Jared Goff (Rams)

LVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

While Herbert's impressive rookie year hasn't been completely smooth, his Week 13 performance against the Patriots was the first time he looked like he was completely overwhelmed. The dizzying array of different looks Bill Belichick threw at him paired with some inexcusable drops from his receivers prevented Herbert from ever getting into a rhythm and earned him his worst statline of the year (209 YDS/0 TD's/2 INT) in a game where the Chargers turned in the worst collective effort we've seen in 2020. A Week 14 showdown with a Falcons defense that has surrendered the most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2020 represents the perfect bounceback spot for the current Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner  

Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Running Back

MVP: David Montgomery (Bears)

Back-to-back strong fantasy performances by Montgomery feels nothing short of miraculous after he went on the missing person's list after his Week 2 explosion against the Giants. The seemingly cursed 2nd year running back picked up 123 scrimmage YDS (75 rushing, 39 receiving) and 2 rushing TD's on 21 touches against a Lions defense that continues to get burnt on a weekly basis. He'll look to take advantage of another plus matchup against the lowly Texans defense in Week 14. 

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Dalvin Cook (Vikings)

LVP: Miles Sanders (Eagles)

Does Doug Pederson even remember that he has running backs on his team? Sanders somehow only mustered 10 carries for 31 YDS in a far closer than expected game against a Packers team that is pretty good at defending the pass and laughably bad against the run. That type of egregious strategical oversight is exactly why Pederson is on the hot seat right now despite enjoying quite bit of a success with the Eagles prior to this meltdown in 2020. Hopefully the insertion of Jalen Hurts into the lineup for this week's contest with the Saints will force Pederson to re-commit to calling more than 4 run plays per game.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Derrick Henry (Titans), Raheem Mostert (49ers), Devonate Booker (Raiders)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Corey Davis (Titans)

In a bit of an upset, the plethora of garbage time targets for the Titans in their shocking blowout loss to the Browns went to Davis-who turned them into 11 catches for 182 YDS and a TD- over A.J Brown. Being in a contract year has brought the best out of Davis, who has significantly toned down the absurd erraticism that had defined his NFL career up to this point. He'll be a strong WR3 with a WR2 ceiling for a favorable playoff run that includes matchups with the Jaguars and Lions in the next 2 weeks.  

Honorable Mentions: Davante Adams (Packers), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions)

LVP: Terry McLaurin (Washington Football Team)

McLaurin's streak of 6 straight games with 70+ YDS was snapped with an uncharacteristically quiet performance (2 REC/14 YDS) in an upset win over the Steelers on Monday. Even with Logan Thomas starting to cut into his target share in recent weeks and a strong 49ers secondary up next on the schedule, McLaurin should be able to return to his consistent form. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Chase Claypool (Steelers), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), DeVante Parker (Dolphins)

Tight End

MVP: Darren Waller (Raiders)

Even before an inexplicable cover-0 blitz on a last ditch Hail Mary cost them the game, it was an ugly afternoon for the Jets defense against the Raiders. Most of their headaches before Henry Ruggs dusted rookie Lamar Jackson on said Hail Mary, came from Waller-who took advantage of their lax coverage  to not only put together the best game of his short career thus far, but one of the best games a tight end has ever had in league history (13 REC/200 YDS/2 TD). This historic performance is the ultimate cherry on top of a magical season for the people who were fortunate enough to secure a unicorn stud TE in the middle rounds of the draft while their unlucky peers selected the likes of George Kittle, Mark Andrews and Zach Ertz in the earlier stages.    

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Logan Thomas (Washington Football Team), Mike Gesicki (Dolphins)

LVP: Hunter Henry (Chargers)

Herbert's struggles paired with the Patriots' continued dominance against tight ends effectively took Henry out of the game, as he finished with just a single catch for 5 YDS. The solid 5th year pro has been a pretty big flop this season (49 REC/507 YDS/3 TD's)-especially considering that he's remained healthy for the 1st time in his career, but unsurprisingly, he's still done enough to remain on the TE1 radar during this particularly tumultuous time at the position.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Trey Burton (Colts), Austin Hooper (Browns), Hayden Hurst (Falcons)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Patriots

For the first time in 2020, the Patriots defense and special teams looked as dominant as they did in the early stages of 2019. They absolutely eviscerated a bumbling, poorly-coached Chargers team-securing 3 sacks, 2 INT's, a blocked field goal and 2 TD's (1 punt return and a scoop-and-score by Devin McCourty on the FG block) in a commanding 45-0 victory. While a regression is practically guaranteed after this monstrous performance, this surging group could give a Rams offense that has had noted struggles with turnovers at times this season some problems tomorrow night. 

Honorable Mentions: Dolphins, Vikings, Colts

LVP: Steelers

Fatigue stemming from their latest quick COVID-induced turnaround finally got to the Steelers' elite D, as they were pretty pedestrian (3 sacks, 0 takeaways) in a 23-17 loss to the Washington Football Team on Monday night. A Bills offense coming off a very strong showing against the 49ers and is currently ranked 25th in fantasy points allowed to defenses makes their Week 14 rebound chances middling at best. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Bears, 49ers, Bills

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 14

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) Week 14 opponent: Miami Dolphins

2.(2) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1) Week 14 opponent: Buffalo Bills

3.(3) New Orleans Saints (10-2) Week 14 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

4.(4) Green Bay Packers (9-3) Week 14 opponent: Detroit Lions

5.(7) Buffalo Bills (9-3) Week 14 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

6.(10) Cleveland Browns (9-3) Week 14 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

7.(5) Seattle Seahawks (8-4) Week 14 opponent: New York Jets

8.(8) Indianapolis Colts (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

9.(9) Los Angeles Rams (8-4) Week 14 opponent: New England Patriots

10.(6) Tennessee Titans (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

11.(11) Miami Dolphins (8-4) Week 14 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

12.(14) Baltimore Ravens (7-5) Week 14 opponent: Cleveland Browns

13.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) Week 14 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

14.(15) Minnesota Vikings (6-6) Week 14 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

15.(12) Arizona Cardinals (6-6) Week 14 opponent: New York Giants

16.(17) New England Patriots (6-6) Week 14 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

17.(16) Las Vegas Raiders (7-5) Week 14 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

18.(19) New York Giants (5-7) Week 14 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

19.(22) Washington Football Team (5-7) Week 14 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

20.(18) San Francisco 49ers (5-7) Week 14 opponent: Washington Football Team

21.(20) Houston Texans (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Chicago Bears

22.(21) Atlanta Falcons (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

23.(28) Detroit Lions (5-7) Week 14 opponent: Green Bay Packers

24.(24) Carolina Panthers (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Denver Broncos

25.(23) Chicago Bears (5-7) Week 14 opponent: Houston Texans

26.(25) Denver Broncos (4-8) Week 14 opponent: Carolina Panthers

27.(27) Philadelphia Eagles (3-8-1) Week 14 opponent: New Orleans Saints

28.(26) Los Angeles Chargers (3-9) Week 14 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

29.(29) Dallas Cowboys (3-9) Week 14 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-9-1) Week 14 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

31.(31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11) Week 14 opponent: Tennessee Titans

32.(32) New York Jets (0-12) Week 14 opponent: Seattle Seahawks  

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Steven Soderbergh Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Steven Soderbergh-whose latest project "Let Them All Talk" debuts on HBO Max this Thursday.

 Steven Soderbergh's Filmography Ranked:

16.Ocean's Twelve (D-)

15.Haywire (D)

14.Unsane (D+)

13.Sex, Lies, and Videotape (D+)

12.High Flying Bird (C)

11.The Informant! (C+)

10.The Limey (B-)

9.Side Effects (B)

8.Traffic (B)

7.Magic Mike (B)

6.Contagion (B)

5.Logan Lucky (B)

4.Erin Brockovich (B) 

3.Ocean's Thirteen (B+)

2.Out of Sight (B+)

1.Ocean's Eleven (A)

Top Dog: Ocean's Eleven (2001)

If there was a playbook written on how construct the perfect heist movie, Ocean's Eleven would be at the forefront of it. The entire cast is comprised of funny, charismatic performers that are on the same wavelength, the pacing is electric and most importantly, the central robbery sequence is the perfect combination of creative, suspenseful and just plain fun.

Lowlight: Ocean's Twelve (2004)

The miserable failure of Ocean's Twelve remains a hard mystery to crack 16 years after its release. Was George Nolfi concussed when he wrote the script? Did the actor's develop a beef with each other that killed the endless chemistry they had on the first film? Did Soderbergh suddenly forget how to handle the rhythm of a heist movie? Even if any (or all) of those statements were actually true, it wouldn't properly explain how the same people behind a damn near perfect heist movie managed to follow it up with a boring, convoluted and infuriating mess that actively went against everything that made its predecessor great.

Most Underrated: Out of Sight (1998)

Propelled by a clever, witty script from Scott Frank (aka the guy behind the current Netflix phenomenon The Queen's Gambit) and solid performances from a stacked ensemble cast (George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, Albert Brooks, Dennis Farnia, Catherine Keener), Out of Sight solidifies itself as one of the most enthralling, clever and collectively well-constructed crime movies of the 90's.  

Most Overrated: Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)

Soderbergh's initial breakout effort is the perfect distillation of everything that sinks his bad movies. Sex, Lies and Videotape features unlikable characters, non-stop monologues and very few consequential events packaged into a sluggish movie that legitimately feels like it's never going to end. 

Saddest Excuse for An Action Movie: Haywire (2012)

Particularly in the past decade, Soderbergh has made his bones with a guerilla style of filmmaking that  rely upon handheld camerawork and a rough story outline with no written dialogue. Unsurprisingly, his "point and shoot" approach doesn't always generate the best results and the biggest backfiring of this erratic technique to date came with this dull, unbelievably inept espionage actioner. Not having a real story structure and using cheap cameras not only fails to give Haywire the tense, visceral feel it seems to be going for, it makes it look/operate like a direct to video production that was put together by some hacks whose only skill is being able to get legit actors (Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum) to star in their unwatchable microbudget trash.   

Best Character Study About a Male Stripper: Magic Mike (2012)

Millions of people rushed to theaters in June 2012 expecting to catch an extended look at the hogs of Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello left disappointed when they discovered that Magic Mike was a lowkey drama about a day laborer (Tatum) who moonlights as a stripper to work towards his dream of starting a custom furniture business instead of a two hour dong parade. While I certainly understand the frustration of the people that were treated to more monologues about the physical and mental tolls of stripping than full frontal male nudity, I enjoyed the product that actually made it to the screen quite a bit. The easygoing atmosphere Soderbergh establishes matches its Central Florida setting perfectly and Tatum does a great job of making the titular character a charismatic guy who has much more depth than anybody in his orbit gives him credit for. 

Monday, December 7, 2020

Quick Album Reviews: Ariana Grande-Positions, Bring Me the Horizon-Post Human: Survival Horror, Miley Cyrus-Plastic Hearts

Ariana Grande-Positions: Grande's return to the trap-infused pop/R&B well she first explored on thank u, next once again proves prosperous for the global megastar. The largely sparse production provides Grande with the perfect canvas to create minimalist material that has a uniquely infectious catchiness that slowly reveals itself upon repeat listens and there's just enough detours from this now well-oiled playbook (the soul-infused "My Hair", frantic, jazzy "Love Language" and Doja Cat-assisted dance pop banger "Motive") to distinguish it from thank u, next. While a bit of a stylistic shakeup on her next effort would definitely be cool, Positions is a strong argument for her to continue to go down this mid-tempo path that has resulted in her delivering a pair of consistent and highly enjoyable records over the past 18 months.      

Grade: B+

Standout Tracks: 1.My Hair 2.Positions 3.Motive (feat. Doja Cat)

Bring Me the Horizon-Post Human: Survival Horror: Of course, 2020 ended up being the year where a longtime punching bag of mine released a record that I flat-out loved out of nowhere. Combining a grab bag of metal influences that ranges from the nu/industrial metal of the late 90's/early 2000's to their early days as a -core outfit with the hookwriting skills they picked up during their transition to a electropop/alternative rock band over the past five years, Bring Me the Horizon has put together an energetic, experimental and endlessly fun release that serves as both as a tribute to the bands that inspired them get into heavy music in the first place and the creation of a fresh, unexpected beast. In a year where the collective output from the metal community hasn't been particularly great, this is exactly the jolt of dynamism, unabashed angst and unfiltered chaos that the genre desperately needed to rebound. 

Grade: A-

Standout Tracks: 1.Kingslayer (feat. BABYMETAL) 2.Dear Diary 3.Obey (feat. Yungblud)

Miley Cyrus-Plastic Hearts: Despite enjoying no shortage of success and showing a commitment to experimentation that has included some admirably ambitious creative swings (most notably the astoundingly odd 90-minute psychedelic opus Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz), Cyrus' career has been plagued with an inability to find a sound that works for her. That finally changes with seventh LP Plastic Hearts. The emotionally raw brand of 80's-inspired new wave/pop rock she utilizes here is an ideal fit for proudly unapologetic personality, distinctly raspy voice and the subject matter of her very public divorce from Liam Hemsworth that inspired a good chunk of the record. As a long-time admirer of her vocal ability, it was great to see her finally put together an organic-feeling release with some real standout material ("Midnight Sky", "Prisoner", "Gimme What I Want", "Plastic Hearts", "High") that was representative of her underappreciated talent. With some fine tuning in the quality control department(the ballad-heavy final fourth is a huge momentum killer), Cyrus could do some great work if she chooses to explore this style further. 

Grade: B

Standout Tracks: 1.Midnight Sky 2.Prisoner (feat. Dua Lipa) 3.Gimme What I Want 

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)

Texans and Lions fans alike were thankful for Watson's Turkey Day explosion (318 YDS/4 TD/0 INT/1 2-PT CNV/24 Rushing YDS) that brought Houston a W and an end to the pitiful Matt Patricia-era in Detroit. While Will Fuller's season-ending suspension is certainly a blow to Watson's stock, he's been playing far too well over the past 8 weeks or so to consider benching him.   

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

Looks like Murray is capable of disappointing his fantasy owners in 2020 after all. A combination of an ailing shoulder that limited his rushing attempts and Bill Belichick cooking up a solid defensive gameplan kept the rising star QB (178 YDS/0 TD/1 INT/31 rushing YDS) in check throughout a tough 20-17 loss against the Patriots. A tough Rams defense awaits Murray in Week 13.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Rams), Cam Newton (Patriots), Derek Carr (Raiders)

Running Back

MVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)

Just 2 weeks after the Colts made him a non-factor outside of garbage time, Henry powered the Titans to a blowout victory in their 2nd matchup with their divisional foe-rushing for 178 YDS and 3 TD's on 27 carries. An up-and-down Browns front are the next group of unlucky souls that will be tasked with trying to slow down the most powerful runner in football.

Honorable Mentions: Antonio Gibson (Washington Football Team), Nick Chubb (Browns), James Robinson (Jaguars)

LVP: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

A week after posting his best game since Dak Prescott went down for the year, Elliott went straight back to the dumpster-registering only 39 YDS on 11 touches and losing yet another back-breaking fumble in a horrible Thanksgiving loss to Washington. This season has been nothing short of a prolonged nightmare for Zeke and any owner that used a top 3-5 pick on him has to be extremely disappointed with his poor production and ball security issues.

Dishonorable Mentions: Miles Sanders (Eagles), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Alvin Kamara (Saints)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) 

Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting are probably somewhere in Central Florida right now still trying to catch the Cheetah. Hill flat-out victimized a woefully unprepared Bucs defense to the tune of 13 catches for 269 YDS and 3 TD's. After a relatively quiet 2019 by his standards, Hill is playing the best football of his career in 2020 and should continue to be a massive asset for his fantasy owners for the upcoming playoff run.

Honorable Mentions: Will Fuller (Texans), Jarvis Landry (Browns), Allen Robinson (Bears)

LVP: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks) 

D.K. Metcalf was the only Seahawk that really did anything of note in the passing game on Monday night and Lockett's sad statline (3 REC/23 YDS) is a testament to how good job of the Eagles did at containing everyone that wasn't wearing #14. The relatively up-and-down Lockett will look to bounce back against a solid-ish Giants secondary in Week 13. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Tyler Boyd (Bengals), Darius Slayton (Giants), Christian Kirk (Cardinals)

Tight End

MVP: Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

In a rough outing for the entire Eagles offense against the Seahawks, Goedert emerged as the lone bright spot-putting up 7 catches for 75 YDS and a TD. Even with Zach Ertz presumably returning for this week's game against the Packers, Goedert should gobble up enough targets in this talent-depleted receiving corps to remain a viable TE1. 

Honorable Mentions: Robert Tonyan (Packers), Evan Engram (Giants), Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers) 

LVP: Jonnu Smith (Titans)

Derrick Henry's aforementioned monster performance effectively took Smith out of the gameplan, as he didn't even see a target on a day where Ryan Tannehill only attempted 22 passes. The largely TE-dependent Smith should be more involved in Week 13 when the Titans square off with a Browns defense that is weaker against the pass than the run.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Saints), Darren Waller (Raiders), Noah Fant (Broncos)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Rams 

Despite coming out on the losing end of a 23-20 rock fight with the 49ers, the Rams D shined once again forcing 3 turnovers (1 INT, 2 FUM REC's), getting 2 sacks and only surrendering 17 points (one of San Fran's TD's was a pick 6). This group may be the most underrated in the league right now and another strong performance in Week 13 against a suddenly vulnerable Cardinals offense should be in the cards.

Honorable Mentions: Packers, Dolphins, Steelers

LVP: Browns 

The Browns D proved their below average status by failing to get a sack or takeaway in their 28-25 victory over the Mike Glennon-led Jaguars last Sunday. Don't bother starting them again until they play the Jets in Week 16.

Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Bears, Chiefs

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) Week 13 opponent: Denver Broncos

2.(2) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0) Week 13 opponent: Washington Football Team

3.(3) New Orleans Saints (9-2) Week 13 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

4.(5) Green Bay Packers (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

5.(7) Seattle Seahawks (8-3) Week 13 opponent: New York Giants

6.(10) Tennessee Titans (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Cleveland Browns

7.(8) Buffalo Bills (8-3) Week 13 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

8.(4) Indianapolis Colts (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Houston Texans

9.(6) Los Angeles Rams (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

10.(12) Cleveland Browns (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Tennessee Titans

11.(15) Miami Dolphins (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

12.(9) Arizona Cardinals (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

13.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) Week 13 opponent: Bye

14.(11) Baltimore Ravens (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

15.(16) Minnesota Vikings (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

16.(14) Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) Week 13 opponent: New York Jets

17.(17) New England Patriots (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

18.(19) San Francisco 49ers (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Buffalo Bills

19.(22) New York Giants (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

20.(25) Houston Texans (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

21.(27) Atlanta Falcons (4-7) Week 13 opponent: New Orleans Saints

22.(28) Washington Football Team (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

23.(18) Chicago Bears (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Detroit Lions

24.(20) Carolina Panthers (4-8) Week 13 opponent: Bye

25.(21) Denver Broncos (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

26.(24) Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) Week 13 opponent: New England Patriots

27.(26) Philadelphia Eagles (3-7-1) Week 13 opponent: Green Bay Packers

28.(23) Detroit Lions (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Chicago Bears

29.(29) Dallas Cowboys (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1) Week 13 opponent: Miami Dolphins

31.(31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) Week 13 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

32.(32) New York Jets (0-11) Week 13 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Quick Movie Reviews: Freaky, Run, Hillbilly Elegy, Happiest Season

Freaky: The master of slasher reworkings of classic films Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) is at it again with Freaky-which takes the body swap mechanics of Freaky Friday and applies them to a story involving a high school senior (Kathryn Newton) and masked serial killer known as The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) that switch places after the Butcher stabs his intended victim with a stolen enchanted dagger. An R-rating and a pair of leads that fully commit to their spiritual switcheroo allow Landon to dig fully into his bag of tricks and create the ultimate goofy, gory slasher comedy that pays homage to the genre classics while carving out its own voice that is reflective of today's society. It's a shame that just about everyone outside of Australia-where the movie is currently enjoying a successful theatrical run- will be deprived of seeing this with a crowd because this is the type of movie that would work even better with an audience to feed off its slick energy, wild kills and amusing body swap shenanigans.      

Grade: B+

Run: Writer/director Aneesh Chaganty quickly made a name for himself in the summer of 2018 with the release of Searching, a tightly-made mystery thriller that featured an innovative storytelling style and career-best work from John Cho as a widowed father heading up a search for his missing daughter. His follow-up Run proves that cinephiles were perhaps too quick to crown him the next great genre director. This is the rare "psychological" thriller that is in short supply of everything besides idiocy and unintentional comedy. Chaganty displays no feel for the material as he shifts from 0 to 100 on a whim without ever bothering to build suspense, the script starts piling on boneheaded twists/narrative contrivances around the halfway mark until it arrives at a preposterous conclusion that spawns perhaps the most gut-bustlingly funny scene of 2020 and the acting from both newcomer Kiera Allen and the typically great Sarah Paulson fails to convince. Even with the big time potential stinker Songbird set for release in 10 days, it's going to take some monumental ineptitude for anything released for the rest of the year to top the jaw-dropping stupidity that drives this stunningly hacky film.         

Grade: D

Hillbilly Elegy: Full disclosure: I know nothing about J.D Vance or the accuracy of the events depicted in the film or the memoir in which its based on. What I will say is that having acting titans Amy Adams and Glenn Close onboard does wonders for an otherwise pretty vanilla family melodrama that's mostly set in rural Ohio in the late 90's/early 2000's. They bring a sense of passion, gravitas and emotional honesty to the screen that keeps this story compelling as it works its way through the soapy troubled upbringing playbook (abuse, addiction, death, bad behavior, eventual forgiveness/redemption) that audiences have seen a million times. While I'm not confident if that's enough for either of them to win the Oscars that have somehow alluded them throughout their careers, they certainly both deserve nominations for working their magic and significantly elevating this project.    

Grade: B

Happiest Season: Happiest Season may be a minor film in the grand scheme of the cinematic artform, but it's going to have a major impact on a number of people. A mainstream Christmas movie has never been led by gay characters before and this subtly groundbreaking moment thankfully occurs in a quality project. Although the film poignantly deals with the underdiscussed issue of members of the LBTQ community who chose to remain in the closet to their family out of the fear that they'll disown them if that revelation comes to light, it remains a very traditional holiday-set romantic comedy at its corps. Its got the effortlessly likable main character (Kristen Stewart-adding yet another notch to her increasing acting range) struggling to get along with the family (Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Mary Holland-who is the unsung MVP of the entire movie) of her partner (Mackenzie Davis) upon meeting them for the first time, relationship strains caused by the behavioral/environmental changes that stem from one half of the couple returning home, supporting characters (Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza) breezing into add accelerant to the situational comedy and offer some sage advice to Stewart's character and of course, the big, sappy finale where all of the problems that had emerged along the way wash away with an almost supernatural ease and everybody lives happily ever. To put it more succinctly, it hits all of its intended warm, whimsical notes with ease and subsequently solidifies itself as a no-brainer addition to any seasonal viewing rotation.       

Grade: B