Trust The Process

By Mike Rifkin

We’re into December and are just seeing some of the big names in MLB get moved. Juan Soto was traded to the Yankees, and Shohei Ohtani just signed a record-setting contract in sports history with the Dodgers, but outside of that, the Hot Stove hasn’t moved, but don’t tell that to Met fans. The Mets were one of the biggest disappointments in Baseball last season. Having the highest payroll in baseball history and finished with a record of 75-87. David Stearns is the new President of Baseball Operations, a role he had with the Milwaukee Brewers. Stearns and Cohen have yet to make the splashy move, but they have the opportunity to make some smart, savvy moves. So, how can Cohen and Stearns put together a competitive team in 2024? That’s what they said they’d do. 

Rotation: They signed former Yankee Luis Severino to a one-year 13 Million dollar deal. When healthy, Severino has been solid and a former All-Star. Severino joins Jose Quintana and Kodai Senga as the three locks for the rotation, so who’s next? Yoshinobu Yamamoto is sought after, and every central market team is looking at the 25-year-old Japanese sensation. He’s so sought after that Cohen and Stearns flew to Japan to see him, so for now, let’s say he goes and signs elsewhere. What do the Mets do? I have no interest in reigning CY Young Award Winner Blake Snell. He posted career highs in Innings pitched and strikeouts, but he’s never pitched in a market like New York. Could the Mets pivot to Jordan Montgomery, who was significant for the Rangers in their World Series Championship run. He did pitch for the Yankees. Both guys are 31 years old. Or are the Mets better off signing guys like Lucas Giolito to one-year contracts like Severino and play it out? The other option would be the trade market. Still, with the injury to Ronny Mauricio, I am unsure about the availability of some of the Mets prospects; topple that with the fact David Stearns has said he doesn’t see himself trading prospects for a rental player. Now, if the Mariners would be the team to sign Snell, the Mets could make a deal for Logan Gilbert or George Kirby. Now, while we want Yamamoto, if the Mets don’t wind up with him, there are other options.

Bullpen: The Mets bullpen should be better in 2024 because Closer Edwin Diaz will be back after missing last season with a knee injury. The question is how they will get the ball to Diaz. I like Ryne Stanek and Hector Neris of the Houston Astros. Both have experience in big games and could be good compliments to Diaz; then there’s Brent Suter, who pitched for Stearns in Milwaukee and could fill a role. Or the Mets could bring back David Robertson, who was good in replacing Diaz last season. 

Center Field: There has been talk about the Mets adding a Center Fielder and moving Brandon Nimmo to Left Field. I’m not looking at paying big money at Cody Bellinger here. The two names that make sense are Michael A. Taylor and Harrison Bader. Bader played for the Yankees and is a solid defender. Both guys give the Mets something they only have a little: speed. 

DH: The Mets have struggled to find the guy since the Universal DH was implemented. They have used the position to rotate guys in and out of the lineup. And now that the Daniel Vogelbach era is over, the Mets can continue that search. J.D. Martinez (who they should have signed last year) is out there again, as is former Met Justin Turner or guys like Rhys Hoskins or Jorge Soler, who can also play the field. But the Mets need an impact bat at DH. 

Extensions: Pete Alonso – The Mets first baseman is a free agent after the season. According to multiple reports, the Mets and Alonso have not yet met to discuss the extension; that said, the Mets should try to start those talks after the New Year and pick them up during Spring Training. The Mets cannot or shouldn’t just bank on the fact because they allowed Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo to test the market and returned to allow the same thing for Alonso. If the Mets re-sign Alonso, he will own all the offensive records in franchise history. For a team built historically by pitching, Alonso can go down as the most outstanding offensive player in the franchise’s history.

Francisco Alvarez – Alvarez, the Catcher of the Present and the Future, has said he’s willing to sign a long-term extension with the organization; this is something the Mets should consider for two reasons. The first is it’s hard to find a good catcher now and have them locked up. The other is this is a page out of the Atlanta Braves playbook, and signing a future star well before they have to is a smart move. 

Here’s the playbook for Cohen and Stearns to follow if they don’t wind up with Yamamoto. While the big names are great, there are other ways for the Mets to have a successful offseason, and we are still a long way away from Spring Training.

Tonight, We Feast On Eagle!

By Mark Halpern

Throughout his career, Dak Prescott has had to live in the shadow of players before him and the entire Organization he is supposed to bring to the promised land. One of the most challenging jobs in sports is being the Dallas Cowboys quarterback. 

        Over his first seven years in the NFL, Prescott has had to try and accomplish something the Cowboys haven’t done since 1995: make it to the Super Bowl. Prescott has more yards, touchdowns, and wins in his early career, and when looking at the QBs who have played for the Cowboys (Staubach, Aikman, Romo) to live up to, and mind you, Romo didn’t get to a super bowl Aikman and Staubach lead them to eight and winning five. This is a stat most QBs would hate to have to live up to, but Dak keeps going. Dak is criticized for many things, such as throwing interceptions when trying to be aggressive, and no other quarterback gets similar treatment because of the STAR on his helmet. Dallas is America’s Team for a reason, and Dak is showing that he can lead America’s Team to their end goal. 

     The Cowboys hosted the Eagles for their second meeting this season, but they were at home this time, and the crowd was behind them. The first time they met, the Cowboys lost by five to the Eagles in Philly and lost by a foot. Because of standings, this game had more meaning for the Cowboys (Not that the Eagles were looking to lose). The Cowboys now are 10-3, and so are the Eagles and 49ers, who beat Dallas and Philly this year, so hold a tiebreak for home-field advantage throughout playoffs. Dallas controls its fate but has a much harder next five games than the Eagles and 49ers. Prescott led this team with 24/39, 271 yards, two touchdowns, and one fumble. Jalen Hurts threw for under 200 and zero touchdowns and lost a fumble. Dak won this time and should’ve won last time, but the past is in the past, and it’s New Dak City time. His control and accuracy were top-notch and got the offense clicking to the point that punter Brian Anger punted for the first time last night since the Thanksgiving Day game against the Commanders. Cee Dee Lamb had an impressive night, having six receptions for 71 yards and another touchdown, and Jake Fergusson keeps impressing with six receptions for 72 yards as well (becoming that dual treat of Witten and Schultz combined.) 

    Even with Micah Parsons dealing with illness, the defense was all over this Eagles offense. It prevented them from getting their receivers going with constant pressure and excellent coverage. Stephon Gilmore has shown why his experience and leadership has paid off. Gilmore shadowed one of the best receivers in football, A. J. Brown, and held him to 9 receptions for 94 yards. Daron Bland had a big night, not because he intercepted anyone, but because he played great coverage on Devonta Smith, limiting him to five catches for 73 yards. The Dallas defense kept up another number: takeaways with three fumbles (Hurts, Brown, and Smith) in the game and turning those into 17 points.

    This Dallas team is one of the scariest teams in the NFL this season and far exceeds some people’s expectations. The Cowboys are now tied for the top spot in the NFC East, and to win the division, they have to win out, which is complex, with games against Buffalo and Miami over the next two weeks. In contrast, Philly will play the Seahawks and Giants.

Tis The Season To Be Concerned

By Mark Halpern

             This past Sunday, Justin Fields and the Bears offense had a field day against the Detroit Lions. The Bears duo of Fields and DJ Moore had quite the connection (which Bears fans were hoping to see more of this season)

           The topic of what makes more sense for the Bears (who currently hold the top pick) is what becomes the top priority next year and whether they should use that top pick to either get a different starting QB (Caleb Williams will fit) or use it to give Fields a leg up with the legacy Marvin Harrison Jr. However that not the concern of the Lions because they are striving to win the NFC North for the first time. They are looking for their first division title since 1983. The Lions got a hot start but have hit a bump in the past few games. No doubt their offense can work, but this defense must be fixed quickly.

        The offense sputtered, which should have been a relatively straightforward victory, but when you are playing a division rival, you have to remember the famous words of Admiral Ackbar, “It’s a TRAP,” and be wary. Over the last month, the defense has been failing at an unreal rate. Over the last four games, they have been giving up more than 20 points per game, and it’s hard for the offense to keep pace when they are constantly on the field and playing from way behind. The defense better wake up and start playing ball the way they played the first half of the season, or they will be out of the playoffs as fast as they got in it.

   The Lions are letting the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, who are below subpar, back into the North race, and both have easy schedules. If the Lions’ DEFENSE keeps this up and allows teams to pick them apart, the first round of the playoffs could be an early exit if they even make it.  

Well That Backfired

By Mike Rifkin

On Saturday, the biggest contract given out in professional sports was signed. Shohei Ohtani decided to stay in California, but instead of staying in Anaheim, he took the I5 to Los Angeles and played for the Dodgers, who is saying no to 10 years and 700 million dollars. We can discuss who is the biggest loser of this deal, but nobody is a bigger loser than the Angels. They lose the best player in Baseball, the best show in Baseball, and to make it worse, he’s going to your in-state rival. But let’s go back to the trade deadline, where the Angels had an opportunity to move Ohtani but instead doubled down and tried to make a run at the playoffs. 

The Angels acquired pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dominic Leone, first baseman CJ Cron, and outfielder Randal Grichuk. Giolito was 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA before being claimed on waivers by the Guardians, Lopez was 0-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 13 games before also being claimed by the Guardians. Leone had a 5.54 ERA in 11 games before being claimed by the Mariners. Cron had one home run, five RBIs, and a slash line of .200/.259/.260 in 14 games. Grichuk had eight home runs and 17 RBI, along with a slash line of .216/.264/.412 in 54 games as an Angel. Outside of Lopez, all of these players are still free agents. 

The Angels have two massive contracts on their books: Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout. Rendon signed a seven-year 245 million-dollar contract with the Angels after he won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019. In four years since, Rendon has played in 200 games and has 22 home runs and 111 RBI with a slash line of .249/.359/.399. Rendon has been often injured since signing with the Angels, but that hasn’t prevented him from being immature off the field. Last season, he got into a heated argument with a fan in Oakland that got him suspended. Late last season, while out with an ankle injury, reporters asked for an update, and Rendon said, “No habla Ingles today.” Rendon’s contract is one of the worst the Angels have signed up there with Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson, etc.… Rendon will make 38.6 million dollars per year until 2026. 

As for Trout, he will make 37.1 Million Dollars per season until 2030. Trout, when healthy, is still one of the many faces of Baseball. Injuries have been consistent for the former three-time MVP. Trout was limited to 82 games last season. General Manager Perry Minasian said at the Winter Meetings, “Mike Trout will not be getting traded.” “100 percent.” Mike Trout has made the playoffs once in his future Hall Of Fame career, which should be considered a sin in its own right, and he didn’t make the playoffs with Shohei Ohtani as his teammate. 

Now, the Angels love to act as a big market team. Sometimes, the contracts work out for Ohtani, Trout, and Albert Pujols ( they only signed him for the milestones, so it worked out; don’t look at overall numbers). But most of the time, it hasn’t Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson, or Anthony Rendon. Let me ask Angel fans two questions: 1) Are you surprised Ohtani left? 2) What is a real expectation for this team in 2024? If you answered that no, you’re not surprised, and you don’t know what to expect, that puts you in one of the worst spots in sports, the middle. So here’s the thing: going all in at the trade deadline backfired in the worst way possible, and no, Ohtani is gone, but now you HAVE TO CONSIDER moving Trout. It’s an unpopular opinion, but one of the things you have to ask is how far away this team is. How much did the trade deadline set them back? It backfired. 

Titan Up

By Mike Rifkin

The 9-3 Dolphins will host the 4-8 Titans on Monday night. The Dolphins are coming off a 45-15 thrashing against the Washington Commanders. Tua Tagovailoa was 18-24 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. De’Von Achane returned to the lineup with 73 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, and Raheem Mostert had 43 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Tyreek Hill continued his MVP run with five catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Andrew Van Ginkel was the star on defense with five tackles, two pass breakups, and a 33-yard interception returned for a touchdown.

The Titans are coming off a 31-28 overtime loss against the Colts. Will Levis was 16-33 for 224 yards and a touchdown. Derrick Henry had 102 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries; there has been speculation that Henry suffered an injury late in the game but should be good to go on Monday night. The Titans did have two punts blocked, and one was returned for a touchdown last week. It’s been a transitional year in Tennessee, and it could be a fascinating offseason for the Titans. 

 The last time these two teams played was week 17 of 2021; the Dolphins had won seven straight heading into that game and had a shot at a Wild Card. The Titans beat the Dolphins 34-3. All you need to know about that game is that Duke Johnson was the Dolphin’s leading rusher. Former Dolphin Ryan Tannehill threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns. 

Keys To The Game

  1. Don’t let the stars beat you. Derrick Henry and DeAndre Hopkins are fantastic players, but the Titans’ offense is suspect outside of that. So don’t let the stars beat you.
  2. Pressure- The Titans have given up 42 sacks on the season, and the Dolphins are tied for third in sacks, so get pressure on Will Levis.
  3. Beware of the tricks – Mike Vrabel is known for some creative stuff. Fake punts, defensive lineman touchdowns, etc.… They must remain focused throughout this game to maintain the number one seed in the AFC. 

FINDING A WAY TO WIN, But Defense Showing Signs Of Weakness

By Mark Halpern

By the end of the first quarter of this game, the Detroit Lions were demolishing the New Orleans Saints 21-0 right out of the gate with Touchdowns from Montgomery (2 yd run), LaPorta (13 yd catch), and St. Brown (25 yd catch) this game was poised for a monster blow out. The Lions added a Field Goal to their total, and the Saints got on the board before halftime.

       Like most teams, when they are up by huge scores and some coaches don’t like embarrassing their opponent so much, they get comfortable in their playcalling and lose aggressiveness on the offense, causing the defense to keep them held down. However, Dennis Allen said something to this team in the locker room, and we saw a completely different Saints team come out in the third quarter. 

     The Lions’ defense has started and finished most games, but over their last four games, the defense has almost cost the Lions those games. Right out of the tunnel, the Saints score two Touchdowns, one by Alvin Kamara and one by “Mr. Utility” Taysom Hill. What was a two-score lead has now changed to a 3-point game. The Lions’ offense began to sputter as the Saints compensated, and the Lions could only muster a field goal out of it. Now, the Lions have a six-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, as much as I chastise the Lions’ defense in this article, the Lions’ Defense got a significant turnover. Then, a 19-yard run by Jameson Williams put the game out of reach even though Alvin Kamara recorded another touchdown and made the final score 33-28.

     The Lions’ defensive line was dominant from the beginning of the season and averaged better than four sacks a game. They need to get more pressure on the quarterback than they need to. Any QB with the time that the Lions give them can pick any defense apart, and that’s a big difference right now. The Lions’ offense is solid and growing, and they are learning more each week about talents. The Lions’ defense better turn it around, and soon.

    The Lions are in a truly unique position at 9-3 as they only trail the Eagles by one game and are Tied with Dallas (who plays Philly on SNF) and San Francisco, who now, with the Eagles losing last week, makes this a race to the finish and going to be an exciting one to watch. The Biggest threat to the Lions right now is themselves. They need a reality check, and over the next two weeks, they play the Broncos and the Bears, which should be games they dominate. If they win both and Dallas wins both, week 17 becomes even more critical as the Lions will Face the Cowboys, and it could have home-field advantage consequences lost to the loser

Clown Show

By Mike Rifkin

On Wednesday, Jets Head Coach Robert Salah confirmed that the team is returning to Zach Wilson for their game against the Houston Texans. Wilson was benched during the team’s week 11 loss to the Bills in favor of Tim Boyle. Boyle then played the next game and a half before being benched for Trevor Simian; now, the Jets pivot back to Wilson.

There was a report in the Athletic this week that Wilson didn’t want to play, and quite frankly, I don’t blame him. Why should Wilson, who isn’t in the Jet’s plans for next season, want to be thrown to the wolves? There is a big difference between bringing in competition for a young quarterback who has struggled and going out of your way to acquire a future Hall Of Famer. But the minute Aaron Rodgers arrived, Zach Wilson couldn’t be on this team. Has Zach played well since being the second overall pick? No, but let’s not make it like he has this phenomenal team around him. Yes, the defense is elite, but offensively, they have two players in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. But when those two guys are celebrating getting Aaron Rodgers, Wilson can’t be a part of the team. 

During his press conference Wednesday, Salah said he was looking for a spark when he went to Tim Boyle and Trevor Simian; the problem is that if they were a spark, they’d be starters somewhere else. Tim Boyle was cut on Tuesday and came from Green Bay with Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. But nothing has changed, and I don’t expect Zach Wilson to light it up on Sunday, but the organization is throwing him to a fan base that has already turned on him. There’s one clear thing: the 2024 New York Jets starting Quarterback will be Aaron Rodgers; for Zach’s sake and his career, he cannot be the backup in New York and needs a change of scenery. But this whole week has been a synopsis of the Jets season, a massive failure to launch, and it’s why they’ll miss the playoffs again. What a clown show.

ARE THE BEARS WILLING TO RISK IT ALL

By Mark Halpern

     The Chicago Bears right now find themselves in a very unique position. The Bears, barring any other colossal change, would own the top pick next season due to their trade with the Panthers last season, allowing Carolina to receive the first overall pick.

    The Bears have one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, Justin Fields. Fields is still on his rookie deal and the Bears could (and should) be willing to make a trade but not out of the top position. If the Bears can find a way to make a trade and their disaster of a season holds, they could end up with the #1 and another top pick in the draft.

     The question becomes who would be willing enough to gamble on such an idea, and here is a thought of a team that desperately needs a Quarterback: the New England Patriots. At one point during his rookie season, the Patriots thought that Mac Jones would become their new franchise QB, but over the last two years, he has taken massive steps back and has lost faith in the “a lot” of coaches on the team. Bill Belichick’s Legacy is not, nor will ever be, questioned in the NFL, but if he wants the ultimate honor to leave the NFL with the most wins, this is the move to make. If New England has the Number 2 pick come the end of the season, and it’s looking that way, Belichick needs to make the call to the Bears and trade their pick for Fields and a third. This would give the Bears the #1 and #2 picks in the draft, and could we have the most extensive team in the NFC North put together in one night? Well, they would draft #1 QB Caleb Williams and #2 WR Marvin Harrison Jr. What a way for the Bears to look into 2025.

    Now, everyone starts to think about Fields and New England. First, I would be honored to be part of that trade cause, showing me that an organization has enormous faith in bringing me here to start fresh. Belichick taught Tom Brady. Fields can do something better than Brady could, and that is run. Something the Pats are dying to have is a run game. Fields can provide much more than that, as he has a good arm and vision. Getting him on a team that can build around him could take New England out of the cellar next season and move up. The Patriots will need better Wide Receivers around him, but they can do that through free agency and other trades.

    Look, I know going all in is hard to do whether it is in Poker, life, or your franchise, and Robert Kraft isn’t a dumb business person, and if Belichick tells him this is the right move for the organization, Kraft will listen. Unlike some other owners, Kraft listens to the person who is supposed to be in charge of winning Super Bowls and quickly pushes all his chips in to return to stardom. 

JERRY GAVE JIMMY HIS DUE; TIME FOR THE NFL TO DO THE SAME FOR DARREN WOODSON

By Mark Halpern

     The NFL has seen thousands of players come and go, and it takes a lot to earn that Gold Hall of Fame Jacket. You have to leave your mark on the game. Darren Woodson of the Dallas Cowboys did precisely that.

    Woodson was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 1992. He made an immediate impact with his hard-hitting and coverage skills. His defensive skills helped lead the Cowboys to 3 Superbowls in the 1990s (92-93-95), and he was named All-Pro five times and a perennial Pro Bowler. 

    When you look at safeties that have played the game, a few come right off the top of my head. Those names include Ronnie Lott of the 49ers, Jack Tatum of the Raiders, Brian Dawkins of the Eagles, and Woodson. Two of those guys are in the Hall Of Fame. Plenty more deserve to be mentioned, but these were right off the bat.

   It has been a big issue in Dallas with coach Jimmy Johnson not being in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, which he deserved. During a recent Fox Sunday broadcast, Jerry told Jimmy he would be put in. This made every Cowboys fan’s day. Jimmy has now earned his spot in eternity in both honors. Now it’s time to put Darren in!

LAUNDRY DAY

By Mark Halpern

The Dallas Cowboys hosted the Seattle Seahawks this past Thursday night, which was a big game for both teams to keep pace in the playoff race. Dallas came into this game with the Eagles flying high above them, and the Seahawks are trying to stay in the race in the NFC West.

       This was poised to be a premier showdown but turned into more of a joke by the end of the game than anything, and I will get to that soon. The Dallas offense picked up where it left off and has been working smoothly. Dak has been as good a quarterback as Mahomes for the Chiefs for the past few years. Dak has always had the weapons, just not the right play-caller. Mike McCarthy has proved me wrong that he can call a game. Yes, there were plays I didn’t like, but it’s all translating into wins. Dak had another impressive game, throwing for 299 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions. Cee Dee Lamb was his favorite target as he caught 12 balls for 116 yards and a TD, and let’s not leave out Pollard, whose role has changed and is working much better being a run second team, giving him more chances not only out of the back, field but out in the open as well. To me, the player who stood out was Jason Ferguson. He was given the most challenging task a second year can be asked of, to replace Dalton Schultz but be like Witten, and he hasn’t disappointed. Ferguson had an impressive six catches for 70 yards and a great TD. We know what the offense can do, and it has been impressive.

    The defense, however, was on cloud nine after DaRon Blands’ record-setting week last week. Well, he got shown up by DK Metcalf all night, and it was a mismatch as Metcalf beat him every time. DK had a huge day, 160 yards and 3 TDs. In the end, Dallas’s defense put up an impressive stand in the 4th quarter and took the lead late in the game, giving the Cowboys a 41-35 victory, moving them to 9-3 on the season.

    Now for the reason for my title. I understand teams are going to make infractions and penalties throughout a game. There were 25 total flags thrown, of which 19 of them stood. There was no favoritism, as both teams were called for some of the pettiest infractions. Were there penalties that could have changed the game for either team? Oh, absolutely, but this referee crew was the WORST I have seen in my 39 years of watching football. The number of penalties per game is outrageous, and I’d like to see the NFL do something about it. People don’t watch the games for the officials but don’t tell them that.