Best & Worst Of NFL Week Seven

Seven weeks into the NFL season and the unbeaten teams are no more. Minnesota suffers it's first loss of the year at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. A rookie is tearing it up down in Miami, helping keep fellting hope alive for the Fins. Huge plays were the order of the weekend. In one case, a defensive struggle resulted in five straight turnovers as two quarterbacks engaged in a comedy of errors. In another game, a promising young safety broke loose with one of the craziest defensive touchdowns we’ve seen in a while. Sunday night lead to a lack of scoring and a tie between Arizona and Seattle. Matthew Stafford shows that he still has a little bit of life left in his game. Same thing can be said about Andrew Luck, who helped keep the Colts fleeting hopes alive. Same thing with Ryan Fitzpatrick with the Jets. So here we go, its the best and worst of week seven in the National Football League.

Best:
Jay Ajayi, Running Back Miami Dolphins
Talk about making a statement in your last couple of games. The second year running back out of Boise State has really been lighting up opposing defenses. Ajayi barely touched the ball the first four weeks, his workload picked a little in week five. Then last week, he broke the 200 yard mark. Guess what? He did it again this week. Ajayi had 28 carries for 214 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins 28-25 win over the Bills. When you can pull something like that off, it puts you in rare air. Jay Ajayi joins OJ Simpson, Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams as only NFL players with back-to-back 200-yard rush games. He's done it twice, while no other running back in the entire league has hit the 200 yards mark once. Maybe the last two weeks, with a performance like this, could be a sign of things to come for the Miami Dolphins.

Worst:
Matt Ryan, Quarterback Atlanta Falcons
Don't get me wrong, on paper he had a solid day. Ryan went 22 of 34 for 273 yards and a touchdown. But he was sacked three times. That's not even the worst of it. San Diego pulled out a 33-30 win over the Falcons in Overtime on Sunday. Here's why I put Matty Ice here on this list. Ryan threw a crucial interception late in the game Sunday. He tried to force the ball to Julio Jones, which isn't too bad an idea conseidering Jones is one of the top receivers in the league and should be able to haul in the pass. I mean JOnes did have 9 catches for 174 yards in the game, the top numbers for any wide out in the league this week. But if your Matt Ryan in this case, its late in the game and there are three guys on him in the middle of the damn field. Jones had no chances of catching that ball and it cost the Falcons the game.

Best,
Matt Forte, Running Back New York Jets
I've been saying this the last couple of weeks now, they need to use this guy more and more then they have. He had 30 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground and he also caught 4 passes for 54 yards and another touchdown as the Jets snapped a four game losing streak, beating the Ravens 24-16. If you look at the work load that Forte has had the last few weeks, he hasn't really been used that often. Of the seven games, the Jets have really used Forte a lot in three games. They barely lost to the Bengals in week one, they beat the Bills week two and now the win on Sunday against the Ravens. Do you see the trend here? Memo to the Jets, use Matt Forte more often. The more you use Forte, maybe Ryan Fitzpatrick wouldn’t be forcing the ball into places he shouldn’t on a weekly basis.

Worst:
Geno Smith, Quarterback New York Jets
For some small, weird reason I almost feel bad for Geno. Almost. Geno lost his starting job last year due to his immaturity. Fitzpatrick has a fantastic year and the Jets just miss out on the playoffs. This year, Fitz is back and plays bad. I mean worse then Geno did at the start of his rookie year. So Geno gets named the starter for the Jets win over Baltimore on Sunday. He doesn't finish the game. It had nothing to do with a bad performance. He was 4 of 8 for 95 yards and a touchdown (69 of those yards came ona catch and run with Quincy Enunwa). But in the 2nd quarter, Geno was trying to avoid a sack, got hit wrong and blew out his ACL in his knee. His season is over, as is possibly his career with the Jets. Talk about a turblent run.

Best:
Andrew Luck, Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
Things didn't look good for the Colts on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Had the Titans held onto a lead, it would have dropped the Colts to 2-5 and made it impossible really to come back into the division and wild card race. Andrew Luck wouldn't let that happen. On third-and-13 in the fourth quarter, with the Colts trailing 23-20, Luck avoided the rush and made an unbelievable throw to Devin Street for 20 yards. Then, later in the drive, Luck found Jack Doyle in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. The Colts scored a defensive touchdown after that, and they won 34-26. Luck finished 27 of 39 for 353 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. While a 3-4 record isn’t ideal for the Colts, their quarterback always gives them some hope for better days ahead. Sunday was one of Luck’s finest days.

Worst:
Case Keenum, Quarterback Los Angeles Rams
Things really have been going from bad to worse for the Rams. Case Keenum has been playing bad football the last couple of weeks, look no further then the 17-10 loss in London Sunday to the Giants. Case went 32 of 53 for 291 yards and a touchdown. Here's the downside to his performance. He got sacked three times and he threw four interceptions. Four picks is just awful. Can't be happening at this level for a guy who might have this level of talent. After the game, head coach Jeff Fisher wouldn’t even fathom the idea of benching Keenum. Instead, he placed more blame on his receiving corps. I'm not totally sold on that. I say it might not be such a bad idea to have Jared Geoff ready to go if Keenum struggles again.

Best:
Marquette King, Punter Oakland Raiders
Punters, they have more skills then you think. Look at what King did in the Raiders win over the Jags on Sunday. He was setting up for a punt ion the fourth quarter. He got the ball and expected a block to be coming. He flubbed the snap, picked the ball up and just ran with it. And he ran fast. The 27-yard gain was the low point of a bad day for the Jaguars (more on them in a bit) but a fun highlight for a Raiders team that is 5-2 and the only NFL team that has banked four road wins.

Worst:
Stephen Gostkowski, Kicker New England Patriots
Its strange, the Patriots are playing good football right now, but one of their best and most reliable players, isn't playing all that well at the moment. Sure New England beat up on Pittsburgh, walking away with a 27-16 victory, but Stephen Gostkowski had an off night, at least by his standards. Gostkowski missed an extra point on Sunday, the fourth he has missed this season. He has also missed three field-goal attempts, and if his 75 percent mark on field goals holds, it would be the worst of his career. The good news is none of his kicks have cost the Patriots a game. A bit of an unexpected slump for one of the best kickers in football.

Best:
Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Detroit Lions
I think its safe to say that Matthew Stafford is pretty good at leading a group of cardiac kids in Detroit. The Lions pulled out a 20-17 victory. He was sacked three times, and finished the day going 18 of 29 for 266 yards and a touchdown. Average numbers for a guy of his talent. But here's why he was put here on the list. Washington had kept him in check most of the day. But the Lions had one last drive left in them down by three. They needed to go 75 yards to get down the field and score. Stafford did that, connecting on four of five passes on that drive, including his game winning score to Anquan Boldin. Detroit started the year off losing three of their first four games, now they're 4-3 and Stafford has lead the team down the field on game winning drives each of the last two weeks.

Worst:
Gus Bradley, Head Coach Jacksonville Jaguars
This was supposed to be the year for the Jaguars. They had the pieces in place. Blake Bortles looked like he could have something to work with on offense. He had Chris Ivory behind him in the backfield, he had Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson to throw to. On paper, the defense looked like they could hold their own and maybe have the Jags challenging for a Wild Card spot in the AFC. That hasn't happened. Last week, the Jags were trounced by the Raiders, losing 33-16. Sunday’s loss to Oakland featured three turnovers and 13 penalties for 122 yards. The Jaguars now feature a minus-seven turnover mark. You just cannot win with that formula. On more then one occasion this season, Gus Bradley has been put on the hot seat. Nearly at the midway point of the season, we’re as convinced as ever before that he is not going to provide the answers this franchise needs to troubleshoot out of the mire.

World Series Preview

At long last, the final battle has arrived. Major League Baseball is now set to crown a world champion in the sport. After 162 regular season games, a wild card game, the divisional round and league championship, we have arrived at the summit of the baseball season. In a little over a week, we will determine who the best baseball team in the world is for the 2016 season. Post season play began three weeks ago with ten teams fighting it out for the right to be the best team in the world. We've come down to the final two teams, which also just so happen to be the two teams in baseball with the longest world championship droughts. So enough talk, lets break it down.

For the 112th time, the American League Champions battle the National League Champions. This years World Series pits the American League Central winners, the Cleveland Indians, taking on the National League Central Champions, the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland has home field advantage in this series by way of the American League winning the All Star Game back in July. This matchup features the two franchises with the longest World Series title droughts, a combined 176 years without a championship. The previous longest combined drought was 132 years in 2005 between the Chicago White Sox (88 years) and the Houston Astros (44 years).

The Indians will make their sixth appearance in the World Series. They won their first two world championships, in 1920 against the Brooklyn Robins, and in 1948 against the Boston Braves. They lost their three most recent appearances in the Fall Classic, losing to the New York Giants in 1954, the Atlanta Braves in 1995, and the Florida Marlins in 1997. Cleveland qualified for the postseason by winning the Central (their eighth division title and their first since 2007) with a 94-67 record. They defeated the Boston Red Sox in three games of the American League Division Series, before clinching the pennant with a five-game victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series. Tribe Manager Terry Francona, is managing in his 3rd World Series, winning World Series championships in 2004 and 2007 with the Red Sox.

The Cubs will make their 11th appearance in the modern World Series (since 1903). They won two world championships in 1907 and 1908, both against the Detroit Tigers. They lost their eight other appearances, in 1906 against the Chicago White Sox, in 1910 against the Philadelphia Athletics, in 1918 against the Boston Red Sox, in 1929 against the Athletics, in 1932 against the New York Yankees, in 1935 against the Tigers, in 1938 against the Yankees, and in 1945 against the Tigers. Chicago qualified for the postseason by winning the Central (their sixth division title and their first since 2008) with a 103-58 record. They defeated the San Francisco Giants in four games of the 2016 National League Division Series, before clinching their first National League pennant since 1945 with a six-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cubs manager Joe Maddon is managing in his 2nd World Series, his first was with the Tampa Bay Rays when they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. Ironically, in 2008, his Rays beat Terry Francona's Boston Red Sox to win the AL Pennant.

Here's the date and times for every game in this series:
October 25 Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm
October 26 Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm
October 28 Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:08 pm
October 29 Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:08 pm
October 30* Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:15 pm
November 1* Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm
November 2* Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm

Talk about long waiting franchises. Cleveland hasn't won since 48 and the Cubs haven't seen the series since 45. So both teams are due and something has to break in this series. So lets see who really has the edge in this series. It's going to to be a split in terms of the pitching staffs. No doubt about it, the Indians have the better relief pitching. Cleveland has had a stellar pen this post season, with ALCS MVP Andrew Miller and Cody Allen looking great over the last three weeks. Terry Francona has had no issues going to Miller and Allen over extended innings if he so needs to.Its worked for him so far, and if its not broke don't fix it. Sure, Chicago has a good pen in its own right, as Aroldis Chapman could be lights out this playoffs, but he has looked a little shaky at times.

Cleveland has a good pen, but that's if they can even get those guys the ball with a lead. Starting pitching has to go in favor of Chicago. Cleveland could get Danny Salazar back in time for Game 3 or 4 in Chicago, but who knows yet, its not set in stone, due to his injury. Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin get the nod to start the series on the hill for the Tribe, so they're off to a decent start. Chicago is going with John Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lacky to start the series. On paper, the Cubs hold the advantage, but don't count out the Tribe pitching staff, the did dispatch the two best offensive teams in the American League to get here.

Defense and hitting are just as important in this series as pitching. Chicago has a better infield then Cleveland does, except in one spot. Coming from 2nd base, Javier Baez has been a very nice surprise for the Cubs this year. But Jason Kipnis is a slightly better defender, slightly better hitter and draws more walks then Baez does. You can also make the argument for Francisco Lindor over Addison Russell at short as well, another close call. Lindor has been phenominal all playoffs, often times stealing the show with his glove. He really has been a great joy to watch play so far in the playoffs, no disrespect to Addison Russell. In the Outfield, if your the Cubs, the only one who has been a worry has been Jason Heyward. Heyward has looked completely lost at the plate, to the point that Maddon even benched him in Game 6 of the NLCS. For a guy who's had so much hype surrounding him (and with good reason at the start of his career why not), he has really come down to earth as of late. He's the only one in that Cubs outfield, or lineup as a whole for that matter, that's looked uncomfortable in this playoffs.

Chicago is hitting .222 as a team, while Cleveland is hitting .208. Chicago has also driven in twenty more runs then the Indians have, granted they've had to play more games because the Indians won both of their series in a two fewer games. Also the Indians have had a week off since closing out the Blue Jays, which could hurt their chances and cool them down a little. Same thing happened to the Detroit Tigers in 2012, they swept the Yankees in the ALCS, then got swept by the Giants in the World Series (granted the Giants were red hot at the time but still).

Here's how we see this series going down:

Solly: Chicago Cubs in 6!
Steve: Cleveland Indians in 6!
3rd Mic Dan: Cleveland Indians in 6!

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Six

We've hit the six week mark in the National Football league season. And talk about an up and down kinda week. Buffalo is getting hot managing to win four straight, the Bears can't hold a lead in a football game and now sit at 1-5. Cleveland is still winless, no shocker there. The Jets hit a new low getting blasted on Monday night by the Cardinals, meanwhile the Giants managed to show up and win a game in dramatic fashion against the Ravens. There was a little bit of everything this week, what with Pittsburgh getting upended by the Dolphins. Atlanta, who had been one of the hottest teams in existence the last few weeks, blow a 17-3 lead to Seattle and lose by two points. Dallas, lead by Dak, outplayed Rogers and the Packers in a good football game. Oh yeah and Vontaze Burfict shows how much of a moron he is. All that and more made up week six in the NFL. Here's some of the best and worst from the week that was.

Best:
Jay Ajayi, Running Back Miami Dolphins
If you're a Dolphins fan, there haven’t been many bright spots this seas season up to this point. Sunday, the team picked up its second win after defeating the Steelers 30-15. Sunday's breakout star was running back Jay Ajayi, who amassed 204 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He took advantage of stellar blocking up front from Miami’s top-five offensive linemen, who were on the field together for the first-time this season. It appeared to make all the difference in the world as Ajayi cruised to his first game of rushing for more than 100 yards. He averaged a stunning 8.2 yards per carry, including a 62-yard scamper with less than a minute to go in the ballgame. That 62 yard run put the nail in the Steelers’ coffin for good Sunday.

Worst:
Vontaze Burfict, Linebacker Cincinnati Bengals
As if this guy didn't cause enough trouble last year in the playoff against the Steelers. He missed the first three games of this year because of his stupidity with the hit on Antonio Brown. So he's been back now for three games from that suspension, and he's back at it again. During the 4th quarter of the Patriots win over the Bengals, Burfict dove low at Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett’s knee/ankle and may have also intentionally stepped on Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount’s leg. The league is reviewing both incidents. Burfict has long lost the benefit of the doubt. He was standing upright when a pass came Bennett’s way and went low, made contact at the knee, and didn’t attempt to wrap him up. If fines and suspensions don’t get through to him, maybe nothing will.

Best:
Odell Beckham Jr, Wide Receiver New York Giants
For all the antics and crap that the guy has done on the sidelines and all that other stuff, people seem to forget that he is a talented wide receiver and maybe one of the top three wide outs in the game today. The last couple of weeks, Odell's numbers had been low, failing to break the 100 yard mark in a game since week three against Washington. In fact, that game against the Redskins was the only game through the first five in which he had over 100 yards. That changed in week six in the 27-23 win over the Ravens. He had eight catches for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the last one was the score that put the Giants ahead for good in the ballgame. Hell the 222 yards in this game accounted for almost half of his total production for the year. Sure he may have been a little bit banged up but he was good enough to help the Giants snap their three game losing skid and get back on track. Now the question is can he keep this performance up in London Sunday morning against the Rams?

Worst:
Indianapolis Colts Defense
How the hell did Indy blow this football game? You'd like to think that if a team has a lead that they would be able to hold it together right? I mean think about it. Indy kept Brock Oswiler in check most of the game. He'd looked shaky the last couple of weeks. During the bulk of the ballgame, Brock had only managed 113 passing yards on the day. Indy had a two touchdown lead when we hit the final seven minutes of that football game. It all fell apart from there. Osweiler to tally 156 yards on 14-of-17 passing and lead the Houston Texans on a 17-0 scoring run to close out the game in overtime. The collapse of Indianapolis can be seen in the final touchdown pass from Osweiler to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz. Safety Mike Adams just whiffs past the tight end, who ends up strolling into the end zone without being challenged. The Colts should have won this one, they had the ballgame, THEY HAD IT! But an utter collapse by the defense in the final minutes of the game allowed the Texans to steal the win.

Best:
LeSean McCoy, Running Back Buffalo Bills
Shady McCoy had been one of the top running backs in all of football a few years ago when he was playing with the Eagles. He hasn't quite been that same back since, but we saw flashes of it on Sunday in the Bills 45-16 win over the 49ers. Buffalo ran wild against the 49ers defense, totaling 312 yards and four scores. Oh yeah, three of those scores came from LeSean McCoy, who had 140 yards on 19 carries to go along with those three scores. He helped open things up for Tyrod Taylor to throw for two scores as well. It was total domination by the Bills and it was a big screw you from McCoy to his former coach in Chip Kelly, who traded him away from the Eagles while he was still running the ship in Philly.

Worst:
Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers
It was a bad day for football in the Steel City. Nont only did a rookie run you over, but Big Ben had a bad day. Not only did he tear his meniscus, but he was beat by the lowly Miami Dolphins. They left him limping and hobbling to the locker room after hyperextending his knee on a scramble that led to his first interception of the day. After the game, Roethlisberger was seen with ice on both knees and a bruise in the middle of his back. Sunday’s contest was easily Big Ben’s worst outing of the season as he was held to just 19 of 34 passing for 189 yards, one touchdown and two picks. Not good for the Steelers.

Best:
Rob Gronkowski, Tight End New England Patriots
The best tight end in the game is back and with a bang. I know he missed time with an injury, but his first couple games back on the field, he didn't look all that comfortable. Then Brady comes back and its like the light switch went on for Gronk. Brady had a good game, throwing for 376 yards and three scores in the Patriots 35-17 win over the Bengals. His favorite target in this ball game, no surprise here, was his big tight end. Gronk hauled in more yardage than any game in his remarkable career, he caught seven passes for 162 yards and caught his first touchdown of the season. Gronk's back, so is Brady, and the Pats look like themselves again. They're going to be a tough team to beat.

Worst:
Julio Jones, Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons
Jones had a monster week two weeks ago when he had that 300 yard day. Last week he was held to just two catches for 29 yards. This week was a bit more of a bounce back week, as he finished with 7 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown. But how can he be in the worst department with those kinda numbers? Because he had a bad drop in the Seattle loss, but he and the Falcons got robbed on the no-call late in the fourth. Jones, a superstar, is supposed to get those calls, even late in the game. Both Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas III were hanging on him as the ball came down.

2016-17 NHL Season Preview

October has arrived and it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Changing of the leaves. Pumpkin flavored everything. Long sleeve weather. Oh yeah, and the start of a brand spanking new hockey season. The National Hockey League is back and ready to roll for the 2016-17 season. Pittsburgh is coming off its 4th Stanley Cup title in team history, while the San Jose Sharks are looking to get back to the finals for the 2nd time ever. The Edmonton Oilers kick off their first season at Rogers Place, playing their first games ever in a  home building other than Northlands Coliseum. The team will play its first regular season home game on October 12, 2016, against Calgary It will also be the Detroit Red Wings' final season at Joe Louis Arena before moving into their new arena, Little Caesars Arena, in time for the 2017–18 NHL season.

There will be some new faces in new places heading into the new year. Anaheim (Randy Carlyle), Calgary (Glen Gulutzan), Colorado (Jared Bednar), Minnesota (Bruce Boudreau), and Ottawa (Guy Boucher) all have new head coaches going into this year. Then we have some players that have decided to switch cities. PK Subban was traded to Nashville, sending Shea Weber to Montreal. St. Louis picked up Neil Yakapov from the Oilers for draft picks. Anaheim picked up Jonathan Bernier from Toronto, while Brian Elliott gets shipped from the Blues to the Flames. Oh and Taylor Hall went to New Jersey from Edmonton. When the regular season opens, more players will have new places to call home. Milan Lucic (Edmonton), James Reimer (Florida), Andrew Ladd (Islanders), David Perron (St. Louis), David Backes (Boston), Kyle Okposo (Buffalo), Eric Staal (Minnesota), Vernon Fiddler (New Jersey), Justin Falk (Buffalo), Thomas Vanek (Detroit), and Jiri Hudler (Dallas), among others, have jumped ship to new clubs.

It's the centennial year for the league, now celebrating it's 100th year in operation as a league, so it should lead for one hell of a hockey season. To help with the celebration, the NHL is playing four outdoor games this year. The Winnipeg Jets will host the 2016 Heritage Classic against the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field on October 23. The Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Centennial Classic at BMO Field on January 1, 2017, against the Detroit Red Wings. The game will commemorate the 100th season of the Maple Leafs and NHL as a whole. The following Monday, January 2, the St. Louis Blues will host the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Blackhawks. Finally, on February 25, 2017, the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Philadelphia Flyers at Heinz Field for the Stadium Series game.[21]

No more fluffy, here's what you came to read. Lets get right into it. Here's how we see the 2016-17 NHL Season goes down.


Solly: 
Western Conference
Central:
1. Chicago Blackhawks*
2. Dallas Stars*
3. Nashville Predators*
4. St. Louis Blues (WC)
5. Minnesota Wild (WC)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche 

Pacific:
1. San Jose Sharks*
2. Anaheim Ducks*
3. Los Angeles Kings*
4. Calgary Flames
5. Arizona Coyotes
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference
Atlantic:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning*
2 Florida Panthers*
3. Montreal Canadiens*
4. Boston Bruins 
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Buffalo Sabres
7. Ottawa Senators 
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins* 
2. Washington Capitals*
3. New York Rangers*
4. Philadelphia Flyers (WC)
5. New York Islanders (WC)
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

Stanley Cup Prediction: Lightning Over Stars!

Steve:
Western Conference:
Central:
1. Dallas Stars*
2. Nashville Predators*
3. Chicago Blackhawks*
4. St Louis Blues (WC)
5. Minnesota Wild
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche

Pacific: *
1. Anaheim Ducks*
2. Los Angeles Kings*
3. San Jose Sharks*
4. Calgary Flames (WC)
5. Arizona Coyotes
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference:
Metro:
1. Washington Capitals*
2. Pittsburgh Penguins *
3. New York Islanders*
4. Philadelphia Flyers (WC)
5. New York Rangers
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. COlumbus Blue Jackets

Atlantic:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning*
2. Florida Panthers*
3. Montreal Canadiens*
4. Ottawa Senators (WC)
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. BuffaloSabres
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Boston Bruins

Stanley Cup Finals: Lightning over Stars

3rd Mic Dan:
Western Conference:
Central
1. Nashville Predators*
2. Chicago Blackhawks*
3. St. Louis Blues*
4. Dallas Stars (WC) 
5. Minnesota Wild (WC) 
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche

Pacific 
1. San Jose Sharks*
2. Los Angeles Kings*
3. Edmonton Oilers*
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Calgary Flames
6. Arizona Coyotes
7. Vancouver Canucks

 Eastern Conference:
Metro
1. Washington Capitals*
2. New York Rangers*
3. Pittsbugh Penguins*
4. New Jersey Devils (WC)
5. New York Islanders
6. Philadelphia Flyers 
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

Atlantic 
1. Tampa Bay Lightning*
2. Florida Panthers*
3. Detroit Red Wings*
4. Boston Bruins (WC)
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Ottawa Senators
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Stanley Cup Finals: NYR vs. Edmonton

ALCS Preview

Its been a while for both teams left standing in the American League. The Toronto Blue Jays haven't made the World Series since 2993, meanwhile Cleveland is look for its first World Series appearance since 1997. Both teams got here completing sweeps in the Divisional Round, Toronto taking out Texas and Cleveland downing Boston. This is going to be a battle of hot hitting teams, both powered, at least in the playoffs, by the long ball. So enough with the fluff, here's what we got for the American League Championship this year.

We have the American League Central Champions, the Cleveland Indians, taking on the American League Wild Card Winners, the Toronto Blue Jays. Cleveland won the Central with a 94-67 record. Then to start the playoffs, the Indians dispatched the Boston Red Sox in a three game sweep. Cleveland is now 47-42 all time in the playoffs. This will be Cleveland's fifth appearance in the ALCS. The Indians won the ALCS in 1995 and 1997 but would go on to lose the World Series both times. The Indians lost the 1998 and 2007 series.

As for the Toronto Blue Jays, their 89-73 record was good enough to get a Wild Card spot. The playoffs started for the Jays with a Wild Card game win over the Baltimore Orioles, they then followed it up with a three game sweep of the Texas Rangers in the ALDS. Toronto is now 26-26 all time in the post season. This will be Toronto's second consecutive ALCS appearance and seventh overall. The team lost the 2015 American League Championship Series to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals. The Blue Jays had previously made consecutive ALCS appearances in 1991, 1992 and 1993, losing in the former but winning both the 1992 and 1993 World Series.

This will be the first postseason meeting between the Blue Jays and the Indians. This is the first ALCS since 2014 to feature two teams that had swept their ALDS opponents. The Indians won the regular season series, taking four of the seven meetings.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
October 14 Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 PM EDT
October 15 Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 4:08 PM EDT
October 17 Cleveland Indians @ Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre 8:08 PM EDT
October 18 Cleveland Indians @ Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre 4:08 PM EDT
October 19 Cleveland Indians @ Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre 4:08 PM EDT
October 21 Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 PM EDT
October 22 Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field TBD

One of the things that helped both teams get to this point is their hot hitting. Toronto's had the power game working in the playoffs, something they had going for themselves last year as well. It was just a season ago that Toronto had the highest scoring offense in all of the American League. This year, it wasn't exactly the same thing as the team battled through injuries to get into a wild card spot. They got in never the less. Once the divisional round came up, it looked like Toronto's bats came alive again. They scored 22 runs in three games against Texas, which included eight long balls. Lets face it, the Jays are a home run hitting team and they're back to hitting that way again. Some might not think that could be a recipe for success in the playoffs, but hey, its been working for the Jays so far. Maybe this will be the year that it finally gets them over the hump for the first time since 1993.

During the season, Toronto took the final two games of a four game set at Rogers Center. Toronto has an even split amongst home and road games this year, which is important come the playoffs. Toronto won 46 home games and 43 more on the road. Scoring runs came in bunches in both home and road games. Toronto had a positive run differential both at home and on the road. Toronto's home record was better then its road record, but they had a higher run differential on the road (both were in the plus which is an advantage for the Jays). And don't knock them, Toronto's pitching staff of J.A Happ, Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada and Marcus Stroman have been pitching quite well in the playoffs. Sure they got knocked around a bit by Texas in the Divisional Round, but they did well enough to leave a lot of those Rangers hitters stranded on the basepaths during that three game sweep.

Here's though where I think Cleveland may have an advantage. They've got home field in this series, something which has been huge for the Tribe this year. Cleveland won 53 games at home, the only team with more home wins in all of baseball then Cleveland was the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland also has a +105 run differential at home, one of the best in baseball. They aren't quite as good on the road, as they are in the negative in run differential on the road, but they still do have a winning record on the road too, at 41-39. Most of the damage that the Tribe did this year was at home, which is why having home field for them could be huge in this series.

And I know the Toronto bats are waking up, but who knows if they can keep it up against Cleveland. i mean the Red Sox had the best offense in the AL, yet the Indians held Boston to just seven runs and a .136 batting average with runners in scoring position in a three-game sweep, something that no other pitching staff was able to do this entire season. Plus Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, and Corey Kluber are going to be tough to deal with if your Boston. Oh yeah, lets not forget about the bullpen as well. Terry Francona wasn't shy about being aggressive with his bullpen against the Red Sox in the last round, so don't be too surprised if he's wanting to be doing that again in this round as well. Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw, and Cody Allen faced 37 percent of the hitters the Red Sox sent to the plate in the ALDS. So if your Toronto you have an idea of what might happen in this series.

Here's how this series goes down!

Solly: Toronto Blue Jays in 7!
Steve: Cleveland Indians in 7!
3rd Mic Dan: Cleveland Indians in 6!

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Five

Five weeks in the National Football League season and things are already taking shape quite quickly. Minnesota stands as the only unbeaten team left in the league, while Cleveland is the only team in the league that's looking for its first win on the year. Tom Brady made a statement in his first game back from suspension, while Brock Oswiler had an absolutely horrible week. Atlanta is starting to put their mark on the league that they maybe a force in the NFC, while the defending NFC Champions the Carolina Panthers have looked human, actually maybe even a little less then that, the last few weeks. Oakland continues to surprise teams week after week, showing that they might have finally arrived back in the league again as a good team. Same thing with Dallas, who prove that their two rookie studs are carrying that football team on offense. So here's some of the best and worst performances from around the NFL in Week Five.

Best:
Tom Brady, Quarterback New England Patriots
He's Back! If there was any doubt as to whether or not the 39 year old, four time Super Bowl winning quarterback would have any rust from not playing in over a month, they were quickly put to rest. Brady finished with 406 yards in 28-of-40 passing, including three touchdown scores. On his first possession of the football since last years playoffs, Brady just happened to complete five of six passes for 65 yards, including two to Rob Gronkowski for 53 yards. Rob Gronkowski and receiver Chris Hogan went over 100 yards thanks to Brady's passing talents in the Patriots 33-13 win over the Browns. Many people knew that Brady was going to come out with a fire in his eyes and have himself a day. He didn't disappoint.

Worst:
Brock Osweiler, Quarterback Houston Texans
When Houston shelled out $21 million to have Brock Osweiler start at Quarterback, they thought they had an answer to the problem at that position. They were wrong. Sunday, it hasn't been good for Brock, going up against the Vikings tough defense. Not only did the Vikings blow out Houston, it ended 31-13 in favor of the Vikings, Brock was just an innocent bystander at times. His throws were bad and he was rattled when put under pressure from the Minnesota defense. Brock finished with just 184 yards (much of which was gained in garbage time) on 19-of-42 passing with a late touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins and one interception. Not good numbers for a guy making that much money. Yes the Vikings defense has been doing this to quarterbacks all year long, but Osweiler has been average at best during games this year. I'm sorry to break it to Houston but Brock isn't worth what you've been paying him.

Best:
Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has had an impressive one, two rookie punch in the backfield this year. Dak Prescott has done very well under center while replacing an injured Tony Romo. I mean Dak has throw 155 passes without a pick, 2nd most ever to start a career (behind the 162 of Tom Brady). As good as Prescott has been, I think that Zek Elliott has been better. Dallas came away with a 28-14 win over the Bengals Sunday. Cincy had allowed just 3.8 yards per carry and no rushing scores. Zek went off on the Bengals, finishing with 134 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. Ezekiel capped off his brilliant game with a 60-yard score in the third quarter that put the Cowboys up 28-0. Dallas got an early jump on the Bengals and Cincy couldn't recover from it. Dallas now sits on top of the NFC East with a 4-1 record, a lot of it having to two with Zek Elliott.

Worst:
Breshad Perriman, Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens
He was the Ravens first round pick in 2015. Perriman missed all of last season due to a knee injury. He's had a chance to show himself worthy of being a first round selection in the Ravens 16-10 loss to Washington on Sunday. Late in the fourth quarter, Perriman beat All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman for what looked like a go-ahead touchdown. It was the kind of play the Ravens wanted when they drafted Perriman. It was a great effort to go up and make a nice catch against a very good cornerback. And his second foot landed just out of bounds (officials ruled it a touchdown, but it was reversed after a replay review). The Ravens couldn’t score after that and lost 16-10. Even though Perriman barely missed out on his chance with that play, it offered hope that he can make plays like that going forward

Best:
Joey Bosa, Defensive End, San Diego Chargers
At long last, the waiting for Joey Bosa is over. He missed time due to a contract holdout in camp, then missed the first four games of the season due to a hamstring injury. When Bosa did finally make it to an NFL Field for his debut, which turned out to be a Chargers 34031 loss to the Oakland Raiders, that was nothing against the play of Bosa. He was fantastic in his first professional game. The 3rd overall pick from this years draft had himself a nice day, getting his first two sacks in the NFL, to go along with two QB hits four total tackles and two assisted tackles. He was a terror against the Raiders on Sunday. This doesn't seem like its going to be a good season for the Chargers, but they’ll be looking for signs of hope going forward. Bosa seems to be one.

Worst:
Miami Dolphins Hopes
Things really don't look very good for the Dolphins this year. Miami is 1-4, sitting in last place in the AFC East and showing very little signs of improvement from the team. Case in point, Sunday's game against the Titans. Tennessee came into Hard Rock Stadium and made it their own, winning 30-17. Marcus Mariota dominated Miami’s pathetic, overpaid defensr, finishing the day with just 223 total yards but made them all count, scoring four times, once on the ground and three times through the air. DeMarco Murray added to his strong campaign with 137 total yards, and Derrick Henry got into the action with 54 yards on seven carries. Lets face facts here, the Titans aren't all that great a team yet. They just did that to Miami, so what does that say about how bad a team the Dolphins are.

Best:
Matt Ryan, Quarterback Atlanta Falcons
Some quarterbacks have great careers because of their receivers. Big Ben has Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh, Andy Dalton has AJ Green in Cincy. And of course Matt Ryan has Julio Jones in Atlanta. Ryan had that monster 503 yard passing game last week, and 300 of those passing yards went to Jones. Some wondered if it was just a flash in the pan type of thing for Matt Ryan. Well Sunday, Ryan proved that it wasn't a joke. With Jones locked down, he still put up 267 yards through the air, proving he’s a huge part of what makes this Falcons offense one of the NFL’s best. Tevin Coleman, a running back, had 132 receiving yards. Mohamed Sanu had 43. Jones, in fact, was the team’s fourth-leading receiver, but that didn’t slow down the Falcons offense much. Matt Ryan still makes that team go, no matter who they're playing. He's putting up a strong case right now for possible offensive MVP in the league this year he's been that good.

Worst:
Philadelphia Eagles Unbeaten Season
Philly had been perfect through their first thee games. They got a bye week in week four, coming out of it against Detroit, a team who hasn't been very good through the first four games of the year. That plan went out the window by the end of the day Sunday, as Detroit ruined the Eagles perfect season with a 24-23 win. Carson Wentz finally threw his first NFL pick and he was outplayed by Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater hit the go ahead field goal with 1:29 to go in regulation. Detroit put the game away when Darius Slay made an over-the-shoulder interception on the next snap. This is no real knock on the Eagles, they have surprised quite a few people this year in that they are a good team and they can play up to their competition. Don't believe me, just ask the Steelers. But things don't look too easy for the Eagles the rest of the way. I mean look at who they have the rest of the way: at Washington, vs. Minnesota, at Dallas, at New York Giants, vs. Atlanta, at Seattle, vs. Green Bay, at Cincinnati, vs. Washington, at Baltimore, vs. Giants, vs. Cowboys. Where’s the easy game in there?

NLDS Preview

Here we go. After 162 regular season games and a Wild Card Game, the National League Divisional Series is set to go. The final four in the National League is all set. Three of the four teams have played in at least one World Series, while the fourth, Washington, is trying to get to the series for the first time in franchise history (Montreal never made it to a World Series in its time in Canada). This marks the 12 trip to the Divisional Round for the Dodgers, the 8th for the Giants, 6th for the Cubs and 5th for the Nationals.There's a lot on the line in this round. Can the Nationals win a round for the first time since 1980? Can the Dodgers get past the Nats? Does the even year magic still have something left for the Giants? Is this really the year for the Cubs. So lets get right into it shall we.

First up we have the National League East Champions, the Washington Nationals, taking on the National League West Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles won the NL West for the 4th straight year, doing it this year with a 91-71 record. Los Angeles hasn't gotten out of the divisional round since beating the Braves in 2013. LA hasn't made it to a World Series since their last win in 1988. The Dodgers  have made the world series 18 times, winning the title six times. Los Angeles is 72-89 lifetime in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Nationals come in after winning the National League East for the 3rd time ever, all in Washington. The Nats finished with a 95-67 record, a nice bouncback from the collapse last year. This team is looking to make the NLCS for only the 2nd time ever, the last appearance coming when they were still in Montreal in 1981. This will be the second postseason meeting between the Dodgers and the Nationals franchise. Their most recent meeting was in the 1981 National League Championship Series, in which the Dodgers won the National League pennant over the then-Montreal Expos in five games. Los Angeles won five of the six meetings between the teams during the regular season.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
October 7 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals Nationals Park 5:38 EDT
October 8 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals Nationals Park 4:08 EDT
October 10 Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium TBD
October 11 Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium TBD
October 13 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals Nationals Park TBD

This could be a solid series. A lot of people talk about the Giants and their luck with even years, and with good reason. An interesting note here, though, is the Nationals have won their third-straight even-year NL East title while missing the playoffs in every odd year of their existence. So Washington has the same luck as the Giants do, but for them it doesn't always end the way the Nationals want. These Dodgers have won four division titles in a row, but they were bounced from the NLCS in 2013 in six games. In each of the last two years, they've lost in the NLDS round. This with Clayton Kershaw in his prime, too. Meantime, they've seen their biggest rival win three of the last six World Series. So both teams are really looking for something to prove in this series. As noted before, Los Angeles won five of the six meetings, with the only win for Washington coming in a lopsided 8-1 game. Los Angeles outscored the Nats 25-13 in the other five games. They won one on a walk-off, a few pitcher's duels and essentially a blowout (the score ended 8-4, but it was 7-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth). Being the home team in this series favors the Nationals. Besides the fact that the Nats finished with the better record, the Dodgers aren't as good away from Chavez Ravine. Los Angeles is 38-42 on the road this year and they've given up 2 more runs then they've scored on the road. Washington won 50 games at home this year and are balanced at both home and on the road.

Here's how we see this series going down!

Solly: Washington Nationals in 5!
Steve: Los Angeles Dodgers in 5!
3rd Mic Dan: Washington Nationals in 4!

Next up we have the National League Wild Card Winners, the San Francisco Giants, taking on the National League Central Champions, the Chicago Cubs. Chicago comes in having won the Central for the first time in 2008. Chicago finished the year with the best record in all of baseball, with a 103-58 mark. This was the first time since 1935 that the Cubs have won more than 100 games in a season. Chicago is looking to make it to the NLCS for the 2nd year in a row. Chicago hasn't won the Pennant since 1945. Chicago is 32-60 lifetime in the playoffs. As for the Giants, they made it as a wild card team, finishing the year with an 87-75 year. To get to this round, the Cubs had to beat the Mets in the NL Wild Card Game. Even years have been good to the Giants, winning three World Series since 2010. San Francisco is 96-87 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the 2nd ever meeting between the teams in the playoffs. Their last meeting was in the 1989 National League Championship Series, which the Giants won in five games. Chicago won four of the seven meetings between the teams during the regular season.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
October 7 San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 9:15 EDT
October 8 San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:08 EDT
October 10 Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park TBD
October 11 Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park TBD
October 13 San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field TBD

There's a lot on the line in this series. Can the magic of the even number year keep up for San Francisco? Can Chicago get the job done after running rough shot over the league all year?  This is going to be a very good, very even series, maybe the best matchup of this round.  If your Chicago, playing at home is a big help this year. The Cubs won more than 70 percent of their games played at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, resulting in the best home record in baseball. Of course, the Cubs also boasted the second-best record on the road. What that means is, this year at least, it didn't matter where the Cubs played, they won. San Francisco is an OK road team, they had a winning record at both home and on the road. But if you take run differential into account, then the Giants maybe a little more uncomfortable playing three of the possible five games in this series at Wrigley Field. If your the Cubs, its worth noting that, even though you dominated everybody during the regular season, nothing is set in stone come playoff time. An interesting stat to look at is that, from 1995 (the first postseason with a wild-card team) to 2015, 22 teams won 100 games, but only two of them won the World Series (the 1998 and 2009 Yankees), and just six won pennants (the '95 Indians, '99 Braves, '03 Yankees and '04 Cardinals were the others). What's more, the teams with the best record in baseball have won just four World Series in that span: the aforementioned Yankees plus the 2004 and '07 Red Sox. So you never know.

Here's how we see this series going down:

Solly: Chicago Cubs in 4!
Steve: San Francisco Giants in 4!
3rd Mic Dan: San Francisco Giants in 5!

ALDS Preview

Here we go. Divisional round has arrived for the American League. After 162 regular season games and one wild card game, we're set with the final four teams standing in the American League. Both matchups in the American League Division Series are rematches of past series. Boston is facing Cleveland for the first time since the 2007 ALCS, a series in which Cleveland blew a 3-1 series lead. Then there's the bigger matchup of the two, at least as far as tension goes. Its rematch of last years ALDS as Texas battles Toronto. Both series are going to be highly entertaining and both are going to drew huge ratings on TV and radio. So lets not waste anymore time on the fluff and get right into it. Here's how the American League Divisional Series are going to play out.

First up its the American League West champions, the Texas Rangers, taking on the American League Wild Card winner, the Texas Rangers. Texas comes into this series having won the American League West with a 95-67 record. This marks the 2nd year in a row, and the seventh time in franchise history, that the Rangers have won the division. Texas is looking to win a playoff series for the first time since going all the way to the World Series in 2011. The Rangers have never won a World Series. Texas is 21-28 lifetime in post season play. Meanwhile, Toronto has gotten to the playoffs as the wild card team, finishing the regular season 2nd in the AL East with an 89-73 record. This marks the first back to back playoff appearance for the Jays since winning back to back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. To get to the Divisional Round, Toronto beat the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Game. Toronto has two World Titles to their credit and are 26-26 lifetime in the post season. This marks the 2nd ever meeting between the two teams in the playoffs, with the Blue Jays beating the Rangers in last years ALDS in five games.

Here are the date and times for every game in this series:
October 6 Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers Globe Life Park 4:38PM
October 7 Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers Globe Life Park 1:08PM
October 9 Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre 7:38PM
October 10 Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre TBD
October 12 Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers Globe Life Park TBD

You want to talk about a budding rivalry, you got one right here. Look no further then last year in this very same round, with the Jays walking away with the win. I think what set this whole thing off was the Jose Bautista bat flip in game five after hitting the series ending home run. Some feel that the teams got their feelings out when they got into a brawl on May 15th at Globe Life Park, but don't be surprised if there are a few more fireworks that go off in this series after last years events. Oh and if the regular season numbers mean anything, Toronto took four of the seven meetings between the teams this season. To look into those numbers a little deeper, Toronto outscored Texas 36-21 during those seven games, if that means anything. You know good and well that regular season numbers don't mean squat come playoff time.

Here's how we see this series going down!

Solly: Toronto Blue Jays in 5!
Steve: Texas Rangers in 5!
3rd Mic Dan: Texas Rangers in 4!

The other series pits the American League Central champions, the Cleveland Indians, taking on the American League East Champions, the Boston Red Sox. This marks the first playoff appearance for the Sox since winning the World Series in 2013. Boston won the East this year with a 94-69 record, making it the 15th division title the team has won. Boston has won three world titles in their last seven trips to the post season. The Sox are 90-77 lifetime in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Cleveland comes in with a 94-68 record, good enough to win the American League Central. This division title was the 11th in the teams history, its first since 2007. Cleveland is searching for its first playoff win since beating the Yankees in 2007's ALDS. The Indians have two World Series to their credit, but haven't made it to a Series since 1997. The Indians are 44-42 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the 5th meeting between the teams in the playoffs. Cleveland won in 1995 and 1998, while the Red Sox claimed victory in 1999 and 2007. Boston won four of the six meetings between the teams this season.

Here are the dates and times for every game in this series:
October 6 Boston Red Sox @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08PM
October 7 Boston Red Sox @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 4:08PM
October 9 Cleveland Indians @ Boston Red Sox Fenway Park 4:08PM
October 10 Cleveland Indians @ Boston Red Sox Fenway Park TBD
October 12 Boston Red Sox @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field TBD

At various points this season both the Red Sox and Indians looked not only like the best team in the American League, but arguably the best non- Chicago Cubs team in all of baseball. The Indians had a franchise record 14-game winning streak back in June while the Red Sox had an 11-game winning streak in September. Interesting fact, there are only two players from the 2007 ALCS that are playing in this series, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz. During the regular season, Boston won four of the six meetings, outscoring the Tribe 31-18. Now here's a surprising stat. The split between the two teams in home vs. road games. Cleveland won 52 home games and scored 105 more runs then they allowed. they won 41 road games and gave up four more runs then they scored. Boston on the other hand, was more balanced. Boston won 47 home games and scored 97 more runs then they allowed. On the road, Boston won 46 games and scored 87 more runs then they allowed. Pretty stark contrast I'd say.

Here's how we see this series going down!

Solly: Boston Red Sox in 4!
Steve: Cleveland Indians in 5!
3rd Mic Dan: Cleveland Indians in 5!

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Four

A quarter of the way through the NFL Season and we've already got a few things shaken up around the National Football League. We started the week with five teams with perfect records, now we're down to three, the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. Oh yeah and there was the crazy week that was in week four. Lets see. New England gets shut out by Buffalo in their last game without Tom Brady under center, Arizona seems to have lost its collective mojo (they can't find a win right now), and Denver is using two no name quarterbacks and are still unbeaten. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones went off in a huge win by Atlanta. Carolina can't catch a break with Cam Newton now possibly to miss time with a possible concussion. A lot has gone down in week four and we will help you get caught up. So here's some of the best and worst of week four in the NFL.

Best:
Matt Ryan, Quarterback Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta put a beating on Carolina on Sunday, walking away with a 48-33 victory. Ryan went off the charts, going 28 of 37 for 503 yards, throwing four touchdowns and one pick. It was the first time ever that Ryan had thrown for that many yards in a game. Ryan threw for 182 more yards then any other quarterback in the league this week, which is really an eye popping number when you look at it. Atlanta has the most productive offense in the NFL through the first quarter of the season so far, Matt Ryan and his favorite target Julio Jones are a huge reason for that.

Worst:
Jamies Winston, Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Talk about an up and down performer. This week was a bad game for Winston. He went 17 of 35 for 179 yards. He was picked twice and sacked five times. I know your going up against the best defense in the league in Denver and you get spanked 27-7 but still. And this was coming one week after he threw for over 400 yards passing (granted in a losing effort as well) but still. You'd like to think that Winston would be able to build off of that performance. Part of the fault has to go to Dirk Kotter the Bucs head coach. He left Winston in the game too long. By the end of the game, Denver already had a commanding lead. Winston was just getting beat up at that point, so leaving him in the game wasn't a good thing for Jamies both mentally or physically.

Best:
Julio Jones, Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons
You want to talk about a guy who was in a groove, look no further than Julio Jones on Sunday. Not only did Atlanta beat up on Carolina in a 48-33 win, Julio Jones was FEELING IT! He was Matt Ryan's favorite target on Sunday, finishing the day with 12 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown. Yes, you did read that number correctly, Julio Jones had 300 yards receiving in a single game. Jones became just the 6th player in league history to have 300 receiving yards in a single game. He joins Flipper Anderson (336 yards vs New Orleans, 1989), Calvin Johnson (329 yards vs. Dallas 2013), Stephone Paige (309 yards vs. San Diego, 1985), Jim Benton (303 yards vs. Detroit, 1945), and Cloyce Box (302 yards vs. Baltimore, 1950) to do that. He and Matt Ryan became the first QB-WR combo to have 500+ passing yards and 300+ receiving yards in the same game. Impressive day for Atlanta on Sunday.

Worst:
Carolina Panthers Defense
Its no secret that Carolina was supposed to have one of the top defenses in the entire league. Well it didn't look like that Sunday. We already touched on what Matt Ryan and Julio Jones did to the Panthers defense. But wait there's more. In total, Atlanta gained 571 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per play and converted eight third downs. Oh yeah, Atlanta also marched down the field for scoring drives of 92, 98 and 99 yards. The stunning defensive collapse has left the defending NFC champions with a 1-3 record to start 2016. Things really aren't looking good for the Panthers right now, they need to get there act together.

Best:
Le'Veon Bell, Running Back Pittsburgh Steelers
He's Back! The best running back in the league returned with a force on Sunday. In his first game back from his three game suspension, Bell had the best numbers of any back in the league Sunday. Bell had 18 carries for 144 yards in his return against Kansas City, helping lead Pittsburgh to a convincing 43-14 win over the Chiefs. Oh yeah, he also had five catches for 34 yards, which proves how much of a double threat the guy is. He's the best in the game for a reason, there are few defenders in the league who can knock him off his feet when he's rolling. His first game back really showed that nothings changed from last season. Bell is a beast in the Pittsburgh backfield and now that he, Antonio Brown and Ben Rothlesberger are all healthy and on the field and same page at the same time, the Steelers are going to be a very tough team to beat.

Worst:
San Diego Chargers
This comes as a bit of a surprise. Think about what happened Sunday between the Chargers and Saints. The Chargers had full control of the game, leading by the score of 34-21 with less than seven minutes left on the clock. Most football fans would think that with less then seven minutes left and your team up by two scores, you should be getting set for a victory party in the parking lot after the game right? Right? Not in this case for San Diego. Melvin Gordon fumbled the ball away, giving the Saints a chance to pull to within one score, which they did. On San Diego's next possession, it was Travis Benjamin’s turn to develop a case of late-game butterfingers, coughing the ball up leading to a New Orleans go ahead score. Philip Rivers had a golden chance to play hero and send everybody home happy with a comeback. On cue, he threw an interception on San Diego’s final offensive possession, throwing away any hope the Chargers had of winning in the process.

Best:
Russell Wilson, Quarterback Seattle Seahawks
There had been some questions as to the health of Russell Wilson and his leg going into Sunday's matchup with the Jets. Well, he quickly put those worries to rest.Russell went 22 of 32 for 309 yards, good for three touchdowns and no picks. The only dent on his day was that he was sacked twice, but that fact can be overlooked with how well Russell played. He and Jimmy Graham had some great chemistry, and the one thing that really stuck out to me was how easy Russell made it look. Christine Michael was left wide open in the middle of the field to catch his first NFL touchdown. The score was a nice way, for Seattle anyway, to cap a four-play, 61-yard drive that gave the Seahawks a 24–10 lead. Russell seems to play pretty well when his a little banged up I think.

Worst:
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Quarterback New York Jets
I feel like a bit of a broken record with this one, at least the last couple of weeks I have. Not only did Fitz throw six picks against KC two weeks ago, he added three more this week against the Seahwaks. Oh yeah, all three picks came in the 2nd half of the game, and all three picks lead to ten points for Seattle. Which, just in case anybody forgot, was the difference in the ballgame as Seattle walked away with a 27-17 win. Fitz has ten picks on the year, a scary number. To make that number even worse, Fitz has thrown for only four touchdowns this season. Ouch. I know Jets head coach Todd Bowles showed confidence still in his starting quarterback, but it really does leave one to wonder. If Fitz keeps struggling like this, how short a leash does he have before he gets yanked in favor of either Geno Smith of Bryce Petty? As much as I like Fitzpatrick, he really needs to get his game back on track.

Best:
Michael Crabtree, Wide Receiver Oakland Raiders
Don't knock the guy, Crabtree still has something left in the tank to be a good receiver in the NFL. He had seven catches for 88 yards in the Raiders 28-27 win over the Ravens. Three of Crabtree’s seven catches produced touchdowns, including a pair of scores in the fourth quarter. Crabtree’s touchdown receptions just kept getting better. After hauling in a short fade from Derek Carr in the first quarter, Crabtree snagged a second score in traffic on third down and then beat the Ravens by making an over-the-shoulder catch and getting two feet in the end zone with 2:13 left in the contest. Through four games, Crabtree has four touchdowns and two game-winning plays (including the two-point conversion to win in Week 1). Yeah, the guy can still produce in the National Football League.

Worst:
Matthew Stafford, Quarterback Detroit Lions
Just by looking at the two teams on paper, you'd like to think the Detroit Lions would be better then the Chicago Bears. Right? Well, as the old saying goes, that's why they play the game. Chicago pulled out a 17-14 win over the Lions, thanks to a little ineptitude from the Lions QB, Matthew Stafford. Stafford threw two key interceptions, both of which likely cost his team points in a game that was won by three points. Both occurred right outside the red zone, meaning the Lions were denied two chances to at least attempt field goals. The first interception was likely the fault of receiver Golden Tate, who ran the wrong route and Jacoby Glenn pounced on the pass for an interception right before the half. The second was thrown into traffic and intercepted by Deiondre’ Hall. He was trying to get the ball to tight end Eric Ebron, but the throw was well off target. As much as I like Matthew Stafford, playing poorly on the road is an unfortunate Stafford trademark. He finished with 213 yards on 23-of-36 passing with no touchdowns and the two costly interceptions.

NL Wild Card Game Preview

We'vbe played 162 games and it comes down to this. Wild Card time has arrived in the National League, as the New York Mets battle with the San Francisco Giants. In the past, the winner of the NL Wild Card has gone on to the World Series seven times. Four times, the NL Wild Card winner has won the World Series. The Florida Marlins did it twice, in 1997 and 2003, then you had the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and the 2-14 San Francisco Giants. The 2002 San Francisco Giants, 2005 Houston Astros and 2007 Colorado Rockies all came up on the short end of the stick in the fall classic. Since the expanded format, this is the 2nd time that the Giants have played in the game, while this marks the first trip to the one game playoff for the Mets.

First pitch for this game is set for 8PM, with the game being televised on TBS. Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA, 218 SO) gets the start for the Mets, he will be opposed by Madison Baumgarner (15-9, 2.74 ERA, 251 SO). Mets got home field advantage for this game by finishing with a 87-75 record. As for the Giants, they finished with the exact same 87-75 record. Home field went to the Mets, because they had won the regular season series, taking four of the seven games between the two teams. This marks the 2nd ever meeting between the two teams in the playoffs, the last time they played the Mets beat the Giants in four games in the 2000 NLDS. Winner of this wild card game moves on to face the Chicago Cubs in the National League Divisional Series.

For the Giants, even though it is an even number year, it has to be a little dishearting to be playing in the wild card game, considering that before the all-star break they had the best record in Baseball. Since the game, they've had the 3rd worst record in the sport, going just 30-42 down the stretch. The biggest thing that the Giants have going for them right now is the man they have going to the mound tonight. Everybody knows that Madison Baumgarner is one of the best in the game. Come playoff time, the guy is almost unhitable. Lifetime in the playoffs, Baumgarner is 7-3 with a 2.14 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 88.1 innings in 14 games. He was damn near perfect in the Giants last title run in 2014. During that year, he went 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA and won MVP of both the NLCS and World Series. The Wild Card Game will be nothing new for him, either, considering he pitched nine shutout innings in that environment against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014, striking out 10 along the way. Lets not forget that the Giants can hit too. Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford all drove in over 80 runs for the Giants this year. Belt lead the team in home runs with 17 during the season. So they can provide some offensive support for Mad Bum.

The guy starting for the Mets is no slouch. Noah Syndergaard is the last ace left standing. COnsidering what the Mets started with its a little surprising Thor is the only one left. Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz to season-ending injuries, and Zach Wheeler never threw a single pitch in the Majors this year. Yet here the Mets are and Thor is a big reason for that. He finished the year going 14-9 with a 2.60 ERA and 218 Strikeouts. Thor is also 5-3 lifetime against the Giants. So Syndergaard knows how to handle his own against San Francisco. The pitching has been solid this year, just look at the back end of the pen. Jeurys Familia had 51 saves this year, to set the club record for saves in a season. If Syndergaard can get through seven innings, it'll lead to Addison Reed in the 8th and Familia in the 9th. Oh yeah and the Mets have a little bit of pop in offense. Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes both hit 30 home runs for the year. Cespedes was the only Mets hitter to drive in more than 80 runs, he finished with 86. Asdrubel Cabrera came in second with 69 RBI. The Mets will have to try and scratch out something because they are slightly behind the Giants as far as having a balanced attack is concerned.

Yes Baumgarner has been dominant, more so in the playoffs. This time however, it won't end well for the Giants. Mad Baum got knocked around when the Mets played them in San Francisco last time. The Mets are at home, winning 44 games in front of the Citi Field Crowd. Oh yeah  the Mets are playing red hot baseball and they keep that going. They get the job done and give us a rematch of last years NLCS!

Winner: New York Mets!

AL Wild Card Game Preview

The time has arrived, Wild Card time is now! After 162 regular season games, it comes down to this in the American League. Odds of going to the World Series are slim for one of these two teams, as only four times in history has the AL Wild Card team. The first two teams to do it, the 2002 Anaheim Angeles and 2004 Boston Red Sox, have gone on to win the title, while the other two occasions, the 2006 Detroit Tigers and 2014 Kansas City Royals, both lost in the fall classic.

First pitch is scheduled for 8PM on TBS, and the game takes place at Rogers Center in Toronto. Starting pitchers for this game will be Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA, 140 SO) going against Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37 ERA, 166 SO). Both teams finished with the exact same 89-73 record, but Toronto got home field advantage by taking the season series by a 10-9 advantage. Winner of this game will advance to the Divisional Round to take on the Texas Rangers

This should be a very enojyable baseball game between two divisional rivals, both who had aspirations of winning the division, but came up short of an AL East crown. If your Baltimore, you've gotta be feeling comfortable going into the wild card game. They finished the season going 17-12 over the final month of the season, including 10-5 on their final 15 road games. Baltimore really has the power bats that can match with anybody in baseball. Three hitters in the Baltimore lineup, Manny Machado (37 HR), Kris Davis (38 HR) and Mark Trumbo (47 HR) all slugged over 30 dingers during the year. Oh yeah, Adam Jones (29 HR), Jonathan Scoop (25 HR) and Pedro Alvarez (22 HR) each added another 20+ homers each.

While Baltimore had their bats going at the end of the month, Toronto slumped a bit towards the end. The Jays had the lead in the division when September started, but it didn't end that way, closing out the final month of the season going 13-16 over the final 29 of the games of the year. Toronto, much like Baltimore, relies on power. Edwin Encarnacion lead the way for the Jays, with 42 homers and 127 RBI. Behind him is Josh Donaldoson with 37 homers and came one RBI short of hitting the century mark. Then there's Jose Bautista and his 22 homers and 69 RBI, but he missed playing time this year with injuries. Michael Saunders and Troy Tulowitzki each contributed 24 homers. When it comes to offense it's going to be power against power in this ballgame.

Pitching is going to be big in this one. While yes Marcus Stroman has had a solid year, Chris Tillman has had the better one. So the O's have the advantage there. They also have it in the bull pen as well. Sure, Roberto Osuna has been good for the Jays, he has converted 37 saves in 41 chances. Baltimore's pen has been better though. Once you get to the late innings with a lead, its a lock for Baltimore that its over. Zach Britton has a 0.54 ERA and is 47 for 47 in save chances. As good has Toronto has been all year, Baltimore has played better baseball as of late, coming on hot to end the year. Will be a close baseball game but at the end of the day, the team south of the boarder comes away with the win.

Winner: Baltimore Orioles!