The Sports Insanity Network

Giants Season Recap

By Jeff Knapp

After a hopeful 2023 season, the NY Giants 2023 season is finally over after a lackluster 6-11 record. Coach Daboll has a lot of work ahead of him going into the 2024 season, which includes the sixth pick in the draft and two second-round picks, followed by a third-rounder. How will they use that draft capital?

The two most significant issues they will face until free agency and draft day will be the future of Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Will Jones get cut or take a pay reduction, and will Barkley sign a multi-season contract with the team?

Like anything, there are good and bad for each team during each season, and since the bad heavily outweighs the good, let’s take a brief moment to look at the good from the 2023 season.

NY went TommyCutlets crazy for about a month when he came in after both Jones and Taylor went down with injuries and led the Giants to three straight wins over the Commanders, Patriots, and Packers but was benched for Tyrod Taylor against the Eagles in week 16.

Saquon Barkley had a good season for a horrible offensive line by rushing for 962 yards, 6 TDs, and an additional 280 receiving yards for 4 TDs.

Although Giants Veteran Darius Slayton led the team in receiving yards and TDs, second-year receiver Wan’Dale Robinson showed us he’s back from last year’s rookie injury and led the team in receptions.

Although his stats don’t jump off the page, there is a lot of promise for the rookie out of Tennessee, Jalin Hyatt, who showed off his speed and quickness and had his best game of the season against the Patriots with five receptions for 109 yards.

Over on Defense, the Giants hit the jackpot by signing LB Bobby Okereke, who had a monster season for the G-Men. He racked up 149 total tackles, 92 solo, 2.5 sacks and two ints.

Safety Xavier McKinney showed us why he needs to stay long-term by being one of the best defensive players on the Giants when he’s on the field. This year, he had 116 tackles, 78 solo, three ints, and 11 passes defended.

Speaking of the backfield, rookie corner Deonte Banks showed us why he deserved to be taken with our 1st round pick. He ended the season with 64 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defended.

Now that we have the pleasant moments out of the way, let’s talk about what didn’t go right for the Giants and at times; I feel like Coach Wally Riggendorf in Necessary Roughness during his “pep talk speech” Most sports movie fans know what I’m talking about, when mentioning what’s gone right.

The Giants had their fair share of shortcomings and, none more evident than the offensive line, and they sure were offensive. They stopped rushing defenders like a screen window stops airflow. The team allowed 84 sacks, the 2nd most in the over 100 years the league’s in around. Rookie Tony Devito was sacked 37 times, including nine times in week 11 against the Commanders (but somehow won). Daniel Jones was sacked ten times against the Seahawks. It’s difficult to gauge a quarterback when he’s on his backside more than when he’s upright and throwing. Because of this, Daniels Jones finished the season on IR, and Tyrod Taylor led all the Giant QBs with a measly 1341 passing yards and 5 TDs.

That same O-Line only allowed Barkley to gain 3.89 yards per carry, and, sadly, all three starting QBs had more rushing yards than the backup running back Matt Breida, who only had 151 rushing yards for 1 TD.

The Defense, despite the top play of Okereke, McKinney, Micha McFadden and Kayvon Thibodeaux, who led the team in sacks with 11.5, including three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, the Giants defense gave up the 5th most TDs, with 48, 6th most total yards per game with 361.7, 14th most passing yards per game (229.3) and 4th most rushing yards per game (132.4) and 7th most points allowed per game (23.9)

Here is the crazy part: they were tied for 1st with a +12 turnover differential. That’s like being at the fullest but eating the least.

As of this writing, Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins were fired. Wink Martindale resigned, although he had a great 2022 season. I was hoping he’d right the ship for the 2024 season. Strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald and running backs coach Jeff Nixon left for other opportunities, which is excellent. They had more Giants getting injured than I’d care to imagine.

The Giants have some thinking to do with those currently on the team who are headed to free agency with the 24 unrestricted free agents they currently have, including RB Saquon Barkley, safety Xavier McKinney, QB Tyrod Taylor, CB Adoree Jackson, and LB Isaiah Simmons, which I’ll be covering all those in my 2024 off-season choices and predictions.

BEASTS OF THE EAST ONCE AGAIN

BY Mark Halpern

I usually write an article with stats and players who deserve awards for what they do. I’m going to keep this short and sweet. The Cowboys went into D.C. and destroyed the Commanders 38-10, making them the kings of the NFC East once again. They will host the Green Bay Packers next weekend at AT&T Stadium.

The entire team showed up and played at their top level while the Eagles faltered against the Giants and possibly lost A.J. Brown for playoffs. The Cowboys knew that if they won, they would win the division, and they played like they were prepared to take the crown while the other lost to the N.Y. Giants.

The Dallas Cowboys have been on a tear at home, and Green Bay is coming but will be missing a crucial part of their past successes. Can the Cowboys erase some demons in the Wild Card Round?

Pressure’s On

By Mike Rifkin

The NFL Postseason is here, and that has fans excited. Players and coaches can create or add to their existing legacies. If Patrick Mahomes loses in this playoff, it does nothing to what he has already accomplished. But what about the other Quarterbacks in the playoffs? This article will number the quarterbacks in each conference with the most pressure and why.

NFC :

Dak Prescott – One of the most challenging jobs in football is to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Dak will receive MVP votes and lead his team to the NFC East title, but he has to get to the NFC Championship Game for me to be assured he’s the Cowboys quarterback in the long term.

2) Jalen Hurts – The Eagles have spiraled out, losing five of six games, which is something you don’t want before the playoffs. Are all of the problems his fault? No, but we judge based on Quarterbacks today, and last I checked, Philly was in the Super Bowl last year and was the prohibited favorite this year; if Jalen Hurts can’t turn this around, it’ll be quite the offseason in the city of brotherly shove.

3) Brock Purdy – Mr. Irrelevant- is relevant and, like Prescott, will get some love in the MVP race. Last year in the NFC Championship game, Purdy got hurt, and it was downhill for the Niners from there. They’re the favorites this year; if they fail, people will look at Purdy; this could be a national statement that looks good for Purdy.

4) Matthew Stafford: To be fair, I’m only putting Stafford here because who knows how much longer he can play at this high level. He did win a Super Bowl a few seasons ago, but if he does it again, he will be a surefire Hall Of Famer (I already think he is).

5) Jared Goff – I don’t think there’s much pressure on Goff, but based on the two other QBs, I have to put him here. He has to lead a team that has never been in this spot before; let’s see how they respond.

6) Jordan Love – What do you do in your first year replacing Aaron Rodgers? You lead your team to the playoffs. It hasn’t always been pretty for Love this year, but a nice playoff run could make people outside of Green Bay believe he’s the guy.

7) Baker Mayfield – The former number one overall pick has found his new home in Tampa. Baker rejuvenated his career in Tampa, leading them to the NFC South title. Baker can play loose, but the Bucs are a dangerous team this playoff.

AFC :

Lamar Jackson – The MVP frontrunner has the most pressure in the AFC. Lamar has checked many boxes this season. His playoff numbers could be better. He needs a good playoff to get those critics off his back.

2) Josh Allen – Outside of Baltimore, the Bills are the hottest team in football at the moment. In the playoffs the past few years, Mahomes and Joe Burrow outdueled Allen; now, Mahomes’ team isn’t what it usually is, and Burrow isn’t in the way, so Josh Allen needs a good playoff run to solidify himself.

3) Tua Tagovailoa – I’m not sure who is criticized more between Tua and Dak Prescott. But if Tua and the Dolphins go on a nice playoff run, that’d be a way to silence some critics and earn Tua a very nice payday.

4) Joe Flacco – Yes, it sounds weird that there’s pressure on Joe Flacco when he has saved the Cleveland Browns’ season. But a terrific playoff run could get Joe Flacco an opportunity to start somewhere next season.

5) Patrick Mahomes – Mahomes has already won two Super Bowls, but I’ll put him here because as long as he’s around, you expect him to figure something out as Tom Brady would. But he might have to play on the road in the playoffs for the first time.

6) CJ Stroud – He’s going to win Rookie Of The Year, but the standard in Houston has been set. Stroud and company are playing with zero pressure and can relax and play loose because no matter who they play, the pressure’s on the other team. The future is bright in Houston.

7) Mason Rudolph – Whoever the Steelers decide to play for the playoffs has no pressure on them because nobody thinks the Steelers can make a run. They could showcase themselves for other teams, but the most minor pressure is in Pittsburgh for this exercise.

Renew or Reboot- Pro Wrestling Contracts

We are already at the beginning of 2024 and many contracts in WWE, AEW, the newly TNA, NJPW, and other wrestling promotions are expiring soon or have already expired. This year, there are many famous pro wrestlers whose contracts are up. Some will resign and others will “reboot” themselves in another promotion. Here is the list of pro wrestlers whose contracts are up in 2024 and my predictions on if they resign or reboot with the help of Fightful.com

WWE: Alexa Bliss: 2023-2024: Leaving WWE to focus on her music career
Drew McIntyre: Early 2024 (Fightful Report)- Leaving WWE and signing to NJPW
Becky Lynch: June 2024 (Fightful Report)-Resigning with WWE
Seth Rollins: June 2024 (Fightful Report)-Resigning with WWE
Ricochet: Summer 2024- Unsure about him. I think he should leave WWE and return to NJPW
Jinder Mahal: Summer 2024- Leaving WWE and signing with TNA
Kofi Kingston: December 2024-Resigning with WWE leading into a backstage role
Big E: December 2024- Retiring but Resigning with WWE as a backstage role
Xavier Woods: December 2024-Resigning with WWE leading into a backstage role
Randy Orton: Signed multi-year extension through at least 2024 (Could have injury time added)- Resigning with WWE
Kevin Owens: 2024 (Fightful Report)-Resigning with WWE

AEW:QT Marshall: Through 2023, QT resigned from AEW & will be a free agent on 1/1/24 (Fightful Report)- Staying in AAA
MJF: January 1st, 2024 (as claimed by him)– Renewing his contract
Tony Schiavone: April 2024-Renewing his contract
Andrade: Summer 2024-Going back to WWE
Bryan Danielson: September 2024-Resigning but more of a backstage role with AEW and ROH
Dustin Rhodes: September 2024 (Fightful Report)-Retirement
NJPW:Kazuchika Okada: End of January 2024– Renewing his contract and signing with AEW simultaneously
Clark Connors: April 2024 (Fightful Report)-Sign with another company. Not sure which one yet. I’m thinking TNA or WWE.
Impact/TNA:Dirty Dango: Through 2023-Resigning with TNA
Deonna Purrazzo: Through 2023 (Fightful Select reports that Deonna will be a free agent on January 1st, 2024-Officially in AEW as of January 3rd, 2024
Rich Swann: Sometime in 2024-Resigning with TNA
PCO: Through 2024-Staying and resigning with TNA
Brian Myers: Through 2024-Resigning with TNA
MLW: Alex Hammerstone: In a Social Media post on 12/8/23, Hammerstone stated he will be a free agent on 1/1/24.-I can see him either renewing his MLW contract or going to TNA.
NWA:Kamille: Kamille’s contract reportedly ends at the end of 2023.- Has signed with NXT on WWE.

It All Comes Down To This

By Mike Rifkin

The last game of the 2023 NFL Regular Season will have a significant impact. The Bills and Dolphins will face off on Sunday Night; the winner wins the AFC East and will be the second seed in the AFC. While the Dolphins have already clinched a playoff berth, the same cannot be said for the Bills, so if they lose, they could be watching the playoffs from home.

Last week, the Dolphins ran into the buzzsaw that is the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson was phenomenal, with 321 passing yards and five touchdowns. The Ravens’ defense forced three turnovers and sacked Tua three times. A positive came away from this game: the play of De’von Achane, who had 107 yards rushing and a receiving touchdown, taking over for Mostert.

The Dolphin’s injury woes continued; Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert were out due to injuries before the game. During the game, the Dolphins lost Xavien Howard and Bradley Chubb. Chubb tore his ACL late in a game that was already over, and now his season is over so that Miami will move on without their top two sack guys in Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. Waddle and Mostert will be game-time decisions for Sunday night’s showdown, as will linebacker Jerome Baker, who got activated off IR earlier this week. The offensive line will get a boost with Robert Hunt’s return after missing the last four with a hamstring injury.

Josh Allen has owned the Dolphins with 31 touchdowns and five interceptions in his career. In Week four, Allen threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to Stefon Diggs. Diggs has topped 70 yards once in the Bills’ last five games, but the Bills have rode James Cook, who has been great over the last few weeks. The same could be said for the Bills defense that forced four turnovers last week against the Patriots.

Keys to the game

Christian Wilkins and Zac Sieler – The interior of the Dolphins’ defensive line has to be great with all of the injuries. Containing Allen and Cook in the run game will be huge.
Achane – Whether Mostert plays or not remains to be seen. But the Dolphin’s identity is to run the football; Mike McDaniel will have to use Achane a lot on Sunday night.
To blitz or to not blitz – Josh Allen is great against the blitz, and Vic Fangio only sometimes loves to blitz. Do all of these injuries force him to change his game plan? The other thing on defense is, will he let Jalen Ramsey travel with Stefon Diggs?

Will the Bills win their fourth consecutive division title, or will the Dolphins win their first division title since 2008? It all comes down to Sunday night. Will the playoffs go through Buffalo or South Beach?

YOU HAVE ONE JOB

BY MARK HALPERN

If you had asked me three weeks ago, could Dallas win the NFC East? I answered, “Unless the Eagles falter, they will go in as the fifth seed.” Sometimes, things go your way, and Cowboy fans might get an extra present for the new year, which is a chance to win the Division and have a home playoff game.

A lot of pieces had to fall into place for this to happen, and because the Philadelphia Eagles have collapsed over the second half of the season to make this possible.

Dallas will be facing a Commander team that has nothing to lose by going all out against one of their biggest rivals of all time. The Commanders could damper the Cowboys’ ambitions of winning the Division. In this game, we will see no players resting on either side. Dak will be under the microscope of every analyst in the sport. Can he take this team back to stardom and to the Super Bowl? Prescott has played at the same level since his first snap in week 1. The Cowboys must play at the top of their game to be taken seriously in the playoffs. The offense needs to play their game and not play safe as, yet again, that term “Trap Game” comes into play, but I think the boys are ready. The Cowboys need to see Pollard have a solid game running the ball, and I would like to see Gallup featured a little to get him in playoff mode, as he has had a rough season. The biggest concern on the offense side is the injuries to the offensive line. Tyron Smith, Zach Martin, and Tyler Smith have been nursing injuries shown over the last three games. Tyler Smith has torn the Plantier Facia in his foot but has been able to practice on a limited basis. The Cowboys got some insurance with the resignation of La’el Collins, who was added to the practice squad and, pending physical, could be ready for this game and the Playoffs.

The Defense has a game here to round into form, as they need to prepare for whoever will be in the first round. The Defense needs to ensure stopping the run, as they have been very vulnerable over the past few weeks. The Secondary is one of the best in football, and with the Commanders needing a reliable name behind center right now, turnovers could be plenty this Sunday.

Win, and the Cowboys win the NFC East, finish at the #2 seed, and will host the Wild Card round; lose, and they could fall to 5th and would face the winner of the NFC South at their home stadium. With Jimmy’s induction into the Ring of Honor, this Cowboys team has a new fire lit under them, and it’s time for America’s TEAM to return to form.

LION TAMERS

BY MARK HALPERN

During the Dallas game this past Saturday, the Cowboys looked locked in as the fifth seed heading into the playoffs. However, a win last week and the Eagles losing to the Cardinals has given the Cowboys a chance to win the NFC East.

There is no question in my mind that this Lions offense is one of the fastest offensive teams in football. They are a young group (except for Goff), and they will get better. The Dallas defense was all over Goff, whether he was being sacked, hurried, or even having to throw the ball away, is what kept Dallas in this game. Goff didn’t have his best day, throwing for 271 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the game. The Lion’s running game did well, and can anyone stop the speed of Williams and St. Brown? I don’t think so, and when you throw LaPorta in the mix, this offense is potent.

The Cowboys played a great game on both sides of the ball. Dak Prescott will get some MVP votes this year because of his play. Dak threw for 345 yards, two TDs, and one interception. Dak told everyone that Cee Dee Lamb is as dangerous as any receiver as Lamb had 13 rec for 221 yards and a TD. If the offense had any fault, it was the running game, as it only produced 60 yards on the ground. The Cowboys have changed their identity, and I love it.

The defense still needs the pressure they were at the beginning of the season and has less than two sacks a game over the last five weeks. The Cowboys have relied on the secondary to keep them in it, as they are the NO-FLY ZONE. The Dallas Offensive line did a great job in giving Dak the time. The team wasted no time and brought back a Dallas favorite La,’ el Collins, and he needs to pass a physical and can get back to business with a very familiar group.

However, the Cowboys won this game because of the simplest of mistakes by the Lions. The Lions had scored with under a minute to go and decided to go for the 2-point conversion. Two of the three players checked in with the referee, but #70 did not, and because of this, the go-ahead two-point penalty was considered a five-yard penalty. The Lions tried again to get the two points but were now six yards instead of one yard out, and Dallas stopped the next attempt and ran out the clock. I have seen many penalties before, but this was a new one.

The Cowboys have a chance to do something that, five weeks ago, no one thought would be possible. Dallas faces the Commanders next weekend, and when Dallas wins, they will win the NFC EAST and could have at least two home playoff games.

Not Trading This Card

By Mike Rifkin

Despite their 4-12 record entering week 18, the Arizona Cardinals have been a pesky football team. The Cardinals are coming off a 35-31 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and have now beaten the top two teams in the NFC East; they also have a win over playoff-hopeful Atlanta Falcons. But there was a massive question coming into this season for the Cardinals: What was going to happen with Kyler Murray, who tore his ACL late last season after signing a five-year 230.5 million dollar contract, but with a new GM and Coach, both of whom weren’t a part of drafting Murray nobody knew what was going to happen.

Head Coach Jonathan Gannon said on a podcast that Kyler is their “franchise quarterback.” Gannon said, “You know I’m a Kyler guy now.” In seven games since his return to the lineup, the Cardinals have gone 3-4. Kyler’s numbers include a 64.7 completion percentage, 1,537 yards (219 per game), nine touchdowns, five interceptions, 211 yards rushing, and three touchdowns.

Some teams would love trading for Murray (Atlanta Falcons), and with the Cardinals right now with a top-three selection in the draft, could Gannon and company trade Murray? Well, they answered that question with that they are not. If you look around the NFC, it is not as deep as a conference as the AFC. If the Cardinals tell the truth about Murray, believing he is their franchise guy, they must build this team around him. For now, it looks like the Cards aren’t trading Murray, but who knows if they have a different card up their sleeve.

Getting What They Wanted

By Mike Rifkin

When the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals were announced, some people were disappointed in the NCAA not putting undefeated ACC Champions Florida State in as one of the four best teams in the country. This is the final season with a four-team playoff; next season, the playoff will expand to 12 teams.

Monday, both games (Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl) came down to the wire, including an overtime thriller. Meanwhile, Florida State got walloped by Georgia, so people will say the committee was proper in leaving Florida State out of the playoff. But Florida State was playing a third-string quarterback, and many starters, including receivers Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson, and Defensive End Jared Verse, all opted out of the Orange Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft. Here’s my question for the committee and people who said they got the four teams right after what transpired: If Jordan Travis had stayed healthy and FSU was still undefeated and won the ACC, would they have been in, and at whose expense?

Look, this is not meant to bash College Football after what was a banner day for them, but I’m being honest and curious about what would happen if Travis stayed healthy. We got two great Playoff games, with the National Championship game still to come. But while we can enjoy these games, let’s not forget that Florida State had a tremendous season, and despite what happened during the Orange Bowl, that was a different team, and the committee can breathe a sigh of relief.

Who Is The Best

By Mike Rifkin

The game of the week on Sunday is at M&T Bank Stadium as the Miami Dolphins will visit the Baltimore Ravens. This game could determine home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs. If Baltimore wins, they’ll have home-field, but if the Dolphins win this week and next, they’ll be the number one seed.

The Dolphins are coming off their best win of the season, a 22-20 win over the Cowboys, being able to erase the narrative that they can’t beat good teams. Tua Tagovailoa was 24-37 for 293 yards and a touchdown. Raheem Mostert had 46 yards rushing and a receiving touchdown. Tyreek Hill had a bad ankle, and all had nine catches for 99 yards. The one area the offense needs to figure out is the red zone, where the Dolphins were so good early, but it has been a struggle recently. The Dolphins defense had another solid game. Andrew Van Ginkel and Bradley Chubb both had a sack and a half. The defense held the Cowboys, who average 115 rushing yards per game, to 97. The defense has been sensational outside of five minutes against the Titans since week eight when Jalen Ramsey returned. Jason Sanders was 5-5 on field goals, including the game-winning 29-yard field goal.

While the Dolphins had an excellent Christmas, the Ravens had a Christmas to remember. The Ravens beat the 49ers 33-19, a massive statement from Baltimore. Lamar Jackson was 23-35 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson also had seven rushes for 45 yards. Rookie Zay Flowers had nine catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens’ defense had four sacks and five interceptions, giving the 49ers a beating nobody saw coming.

Last season (week 2), these two teams played in a thriller that saw the Dolphins rally from a 21-point deficit to beat the Ravens 42-38. Tua was 36-50 for 469 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions, but the most significant number from that game was one, the amount of sacks he took. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for 22 catches for 361 yards and two touchdowns. Lamar Jackson did his thing with 437 total yards (318 passes, 119 rush) and four touchdowns (3 passes, 1 rush). Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman combined for 13 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns. These offenses will look slightly different as Jaylen Waddle and Mark Andrews will miss the game with injuries.

Keys to the game

Pressure – These are the top two teams in sacks. Miami’s defense has been great at getting to the quarterback, but Mike Macdonald has Baltimore doing much of the same; whoever gets more pressure could generate a significant turnover.
Durham Smythe and Cedric Wilson – With Waddle out, someone not named Tyreek Hill will make some explosive plays. Smythe and Wilson combined for eight catches for 98 yards last week against the Cowboys.
David Long – Lamar Jackson is the best dual-threat quarterback in football. Long might have to be the spy against Jackson, who is deadly on the run.
Health – This is obvious, but the Dolphins’ injury report is not good. Waddle is already out, and ¾ the secondary are questionable, including Jalen Ramsey. If Miami’s defense is that banged up, Lamar Jackson could have a field day.

A battle is to determine the number one seed in the AFC. This game will send 2023 out in style.