ALMOST GOT TRAPPED

By Mark Halpern

As I said in the preview, this game was the perfect fit for a trap game, and through the first three quarters, it looked like that would happen. The Lions knew what was at stake, and it seemed like a completely different team on the field facing the less-than-grizzly Bears team. Even the return of quarterback Justin Fields didn’t make many analysts or even other coaches think they had a chance, but we all know any team can beat any team on any given Sunday.

        Goff was so un-Goff, throwing three interceptions on the day, and as I said, “As long as they are winning, I don’t care if he is aggressive and throws interceptions.” Goff didn’t have a day like previous weeks but did throw for 236 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions got on the board in the second quarter after a turnover. Jahmyr Gibbs capitalized and ran in a score from 2 yards out, and then at the end of the second quarter, Goff hit St. Brown for a TD, and the Lions were in a reasonable position up 14-10 even though a disastrous first half. The Defense put the offense in more trouble by letting up another ten unanswered points, and at the end of the third, the Lion’s offense put up a doughnut, making them down 20-14. However, after two field goals by Chicago, things seemed very bleak. Jared Goff is used to these situations, having played in plenty in Los Angeles for the Rams and the pressure he could handle; the question was, could the team come back from being down 26-14? Well, he led one of the best 4th quarter comebacks I have watched. Jameson Williams started things with a 32-yard reception for a TD, followed by a three-and-out by the Bears. Goff got the ball back with under 4 minutes and to the Lions on an 11-play 73-yard drive, which ended with a Montgomery 1-yard touchdown, and the Lions then completed the 2-pt conversion to Sam Laporta, were up 29-26. The Bears would get one more chance, and the Lions D showed up when they needed the most, forcing a Safety of all plays. The Lions completed the comeback and won 31-26. I could make this article filled with stats, but the Lions had 115 yards on the ground and 236 in the air. The whole offense, not just Goff, deserves the credit.

    This is the second consecutive week in which the Lions’ Defense has been subpar. The Lion’s Defense has been formidable this season, and these last two weeks have been a complete mirror of themselves. No sacks last week, and only two this week show a defense that might be losing some stamina, and with an entire half of the season left, this can’t happen. The Defense also didn’t have any interceptions but did force a fumble because the Defense has been so relaxed. Two wins were almost lost, and they were lucky that the Vikings didn’t complete the win against the Broncos Sunday Night, which would have made the division a different story. The Defense will get little rest this week as they will face the Packers on Thanksgiving for their traditional Thanksgiving day game this Thursday. They can force turnovers, and the offense can orchestrate long drives and give the Defense a break. 

   The Lions can afford a loss this week, even more so because it’s also a division game, and one more win can tighten their grip on the NFC North, while a loss could have them feeling not in the mood to enjoy a huge Thanksgiving meal.

AN ALL-AROUND EFFORT 

BY Mark Halpern

On a weekend with many massive explosive games, the Cowboys dismantled the Panthers 33-10. The Cowboys picked up right where they left off, and between the offense, Defense, and special teams, each part played its role.

   The Cowboy’s offense scored many points but with fewer yards, as the Defense put them in great field position all day. Dak Prescott threw for 189 yards, 2 TD’s 0 interceptions. Dak’s accuracy could have been better, but it didn’t translate into a loss or turnovers. Cee Dee Lamb received one TD, and Schoonmaker had the other. Lamb recorded six receptions but for a weak line of 38 yards. Dak hit eight different receivers on the day, and the running game seems a little more alive, with Pollard getting 12 carries for 61 yards and a Touchdown (his best stat line of the last three games), showing he still has a little life left. 

 The Defense really didn’t have a challenging task of controlling the Panthers as they racked up 6.5 sacks, 2.5 of which came from Micah Parson, giving him 13 on year (only 9.5 sacks behind Watt’s record) and with plenty of games left, can Micah set the new Bar. Deron “My game has flavor” Bland had another impressive game, picking off Bryce Young and taking back for a pick-six, his fourth of the season. Right now, Bland has tied the NFL record of pick-sixes, and one more this year, he would be the record holder, and this is only his second year.

 The special teams were small, but kicker Brandon Aubrey continued his impressive rookie season by drilling two more field goals and converting 3/4 extra points. What a surprise he has been this year. 

The Cowboys will head into their annual Thanksgiving Day game facing another division rival in the Washington Commanders. The Commanders will come in wanting respect, but in all reality, they don’t deserve it. Look for the Cowboys to post their 13th straight home victory at 4:25 pm on Thursday. Please have a wonderful Thanksgiving from all of us at The Sports Insanity Network and The Dugout of Millwood.

Failure To Launch

By Mike Rifkin

During the NFL off-season, one particular acquisition stole all the headlines. When the New York Jets acquired four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers from the Packers, nobody expected what had happened. Four plays into his Jets tenure, Rodgers tore his Achilles and was replaced by 2021 second-overall pick Zach Wilson. Wilson’s struggles and an outstanding defense were why the Jets went out to get Rodgers.

The Rodgers acquisition sent a jolt of excitement throughout the fanbase and organization. When it was announced that the deal was happening, three Jets players, Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall, were all celebrating the deal. Who wouldn’t be excited to add a four-time MVP to their team, but the acquisition was a sign that the Jets were done with Zach Wilson? But instead of moving Zach Wilson to another team and bringing in a different backup, the Jets thought Rodgers could mentor Wilson. 

Wilson lost the locker room last November after losing 10-3 to the Patriots. Wilson was asked if he felt he let the defense down at all. Wilson responded by saying “no”. Wilson was 9-22 in that game for 77 yards, and he ran for 26 more yards. The Jets, at that moment, went to Mike White to play.

Back to now, during yesterday’s 32-6 beatdown by the Buffalo Bills, Wilson was benched for Tim Boyle. But Wilson did something significant in that game: he led the Jets to their first touchdown in over 13 quarters and over 40 plus drives before being benched. Jet fans have clamored for this move for quite a while, but this entire season has had one major issue, and it has nothing to do with Wilson.

Has Zach Wilson played well? No, he’s been dreadful, but he also hasn’t been put in a position to succeed. Think back to the Rex Ryan-led Jets with Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Mark Sanchez wasn’t the best quarterback in the world, but he did enough to help his team win. Here are similarities between Wilson and Sanchez: both had former defensive coordinators as head coaches and top-five defenses. Here’s the most significant difference: Mark Sanchez had talent on offense. He had an elite offensive line with a run game featuring future Hall of Famer Ladanian Tomlinson and good receivers. Now Wilson has an offensive line with injuries but has been awful, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. 

Here is where the Jets did Zach Wilson dirty. Everything they did was for Aaron Rodgers; they got Rodgers his offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, and brought in his friends Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. Let’s look at how those guys are doing; Cobb has three catches for 20 yards on the season and hasn’t played in a month. Lazard has 290 yards and a touchdown but has also had massive drops during games. Nathaniel Hackett, who couldn’t Hack-ett as the head coach in Denver last year, hasn’t been the best playcaller either. Hackett never changed the offense to help Wilson but instead wants him to be like Rodgers. 

Yes, Zach Wilson has been awful, and yes, Tim Boyle, Trevor Simiean, or even Chad Pennington should probably get some starts here, but the Jets did something, and now the consequences are coming for the organization. If you draft a kid second overall, you believe in him. But the moment the Owner (Woody Johnson), GM (Joe Douglas), and Coach (Robert Salah) fly to California to recruit Rodgers, it means Wilson can’t be on the roster. Because they don’t believe in him, and the fans don’t believe in him and in waiting for him to mess up so they can boo him. The last disservice the Jets have is having Rodgers around while he is rehabbing. Rodgers rehabs all week in California and then shows up on game days to be in Wilson’s ear. Still, all the cameras focus on Rodgers throwing football pregames, which excited the team and the fans for a possible return. But with the Jets at 4-7, what’s the point of Rodgers returning? Rodgers is a distraction, and the person it hurts the most is Zach Wilson. No matter what happens with Rodgers, Zach Wilson cannot be in New York next year. He needs a change of scenery. Frank Sinatra said in New York, “ If I can make it here, I’ll make it anywhere.” Zach Wilson hasn’t made it here and would be better anywhere else. 

Why Does Everybody Love The Acclaimed?

In All Elite Wrestling, there is a certain tag team that started from the bottom and became the most popular tag team in AEW. Not the Young Bucks, not FTR as they had their starts elsewhere. It is the Acclaimed. Starting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Max Caster and Anthony Bowens were put together as a tag team and made their debut against The Best Friends during AEW Dark. They weren’t popular at first until Caster started rapping about real-life situations and other wrestling promotions. This part of their acclaimed entrance made them more likable regardless if they were heels or babyfaces. However, when you add a legend like “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn into the mix with his sons at first, the fans started to enjoy this team/stable even more. From there, this marks the debut of their infamous, but hilarious “Scissoring” bit after each entrance the Acclaimed appear in.

So now comes the question, why does everyone love the Acclaimed? As a part of their rap entrance, everyone loves the Acclaimed because of their gimmick. People thought this was John Cena 2.0 at first. However, it became their own thing. I enjoy every time the Acclaimed appears because I want to see what Max Caster has to rap about whether it’s perfect, okay, or very controversial. I want to see Antony Bowens go right into the crowd to “scissor” some fans and announce their arrival in the city they are performing in. I want to see their dynamic between each other and their connection with Billy Gunn continue to blossom. Finally, I love the fans of AEW being a huge part of their push to the top of the tag team and trios division and keeping their gimmick and characters going.

The Acclaimed were SIN Face Turn’s 2022 Breakout Tag Team for AEW. However, this year they are one of my picks for Tag Team and Stable of the Year for this year. I hope Tony Khan reads this and keeps the Acclaimed as is. Please never break them up. Don’t pull the other devil’s decision in splitting them. They remind me of The New Day and how popular they became from 2016 onward and never broke up as a team but split due to the WWE Draft. I guess everyone does love the Acclaimed. As MJF quotes “Yeah Scissoring.” Not in any inappropriate way, but keep the scissor party going Acclaimed.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE AGAIN

BY MARK HALPERN

After Last week’s romping of the New York Giants, the Cowboys will move on to take on another weak opponent in the Carolina Panthers, but just because a team is 1-8 doesn’t mean they can’t surprise you like many a team does because anyone can win on any given Sunday.

         The Cowboys are in a unique position over the next few games. The Cowboys face the Panthers, the Commanders, and the Seahawks before their rematch with the Eagles. The Eagles have their most challenging stretch of games, and then we have an actual battle for the NFC East.

       The Dallas offense has been running on all cylinders lately, and they might have figured out how to run this offense. Last week, almost every offensive starter who could score did. That game was a morale boost (tune-up game) for the offense and the defense. The Cowboys must devise the same plan, use this scheme, and mix in new plays to see what works. If you will make any changes, do them when you play inferior teams to work out the kinks. The Cowboys were able to do that last week and should be able to do it this week. 

       As for the defense, Leighton Vander Esch has been declared out of the season with the neck injury he sustained earlier this season. This makes two major neck injuries and could be the end of his football career. Marquise Bell will fill in for him, showing he is ready to take on a more significant role.

     Stopping the Panthers is easy, but mistakes and undervaluation of how to play this game could make it much closer than it should be. I have Dallas win in a landslide 38-10.

Erasing The Narrative

By Mike Rifkin

The Miami Dolphins entered their bye week with a record of 6-3 and in first place in the AFC East. But people only like to talk about how they’ve only beaten bad teams and struggled against great ones. The Dolphins’ six wins are against the Chargers, Patriots (2x), Broncos, Giants, and Panthers. Their three losses were to the Bills, Eagles, and Chiefs. Now, here’s my problem with this “narrative.” The NFL is not the NCAA; where the coaches make the schedule, the NFL has its process for making schedules. 

But let’s start with the positives at the bye week. The Dolphins offense has been fun for the most part this season. Averaging 31 points per game, they are at the top of the leaderboard in total offense (435.3 yards per game), Passing yards (287.4 yards per game), and  Rushing yards (147.9 yards per game). Miami has two legitimate MVP candidates (whether people want to admit or not) in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receiver Tyreek Hill. Tagovailoa has a 69.5 completion percentage, 2,609 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Tyreek Hill is already over 1,000 yards for the season, and he said that his goal was 2,000 before the season. On Sunday, Hill will see a team he has had a lot of success against, the Las Vegas Raiders. Hill has 54 catches for 794 yards and nine touchdowns against the Raiders.

The Dolphins run game, which has been excellent for the most part this season, should get a boost with the return of rookie Devon Achane back from injury. Achane was sailing along before he was out with a knee injury. Achane and Raheem Mostert have given the Dolphins a lot on the ground. 

Under first-year coordinator Vic Fangio, the defense has played a bend-but-not-break style for most of the first half. The defense is ninth in sacks, led by Bradley Chubb’s six. Jaelan Phillips, who many people expected to break out this season, has three and a half but did miss a few games with an injury. The Dolphins’ defense has nine takeaways on the season, but I expect that number to rise with the return of Jalen Ramsey. 

The Dolphins will have chances to erase a narrative of beating good teams. They still have games against the Ravens, Bills, Cowboys, and Jets (if you deem them good). But this week, they play a Raider team that has won its last two games after firing Josh McDaniels. Defensively, they have to take away Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs. Put pressure on rookie Aidan O’Connell. Offensively, you must keep Maxx Crosby from taking the game over. The other thing I’d like to see early is establishing Jalen Waddle. Miami comes out of the bye and plays a solid game.

IT’S A TRAP GAME

BY MARK HALPERN

     Throughout history, we have seen some amazing things happen from last-minute 60+ yard field goals, Hail Mary 65+ yards for a TD and the win, Interception return for a touchdown in the waning seconds, or even just a plain old upset. For the Detroit Lions this weekend, this game should be a win and give them another division win, but with the Bears owning the Panthers’ first-round pick (They will end up with a top 3 pick from the trade last year), can the Bears go all out and surprise the Lions sure is it likely NO.

    The Bears will have young star Justin Fields back in as their starting quarterback, and like any other star player, you have to be wary of a breakout game that, let’s face, Fields can do it through the air and with his legs like a couple of other Quarterbacks I know. D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet have been reliable, and the running game gets crazier with Fields back in the mix. The Lions Defense will need to keep them off the board or hold them to Field Goals or, the easiest way, force turnovers, something the Lions are good at doing.

   As for the offense, this is a miss match as the Lions offense could generate numbers like the Cowboys did last week against the Giants. Expect to see more of a ground game now that Montgomery is healthy and Gibbs is starting to find his grove. Goff has had good protection all year, and that should continue this weekend against the Bears. Goff will find his BFF in Amro-Ra St. Brown with at least seven rec for 75+ yards and 1 TD—just my guess. 

   As I said, a game like this could go sideways very quickly, so the Lions need to keep their eyes on the prize here, and that’s to win the division. Because of one loss and another Vikings win, we could talk about a completely different story in the NFC North next week.

A FIGHT TO THE VERY END

By Mark Halpern

   This past weekend, the Detroit Lions played the most exciting game of the week when they faced off against the Chargers. I had said how crucial it would be for the Lions to come out victorious, and they did by three points.

   This game meant a lot, not just for standings but for team motivation. With the Packers losing but the Vikings winning, the Lions hold just a game and a half lead over the Vikings, but their schedule is much easier over the next five games as all teams are just under .500, and one is still trying to figure out who they are. The Lions could win the next five games and be 12-2 by Christmas, and it would be glorious to Detroit fans. Also, 12-2 would be Topps with Philly, with San Fran, Dallas, and Seattle as the following teams behind them. Dallas has the second easiest in the next five games. The Lions could take control of the NFC, home-field advantage, and a first-round bye.

   I said certain things had to work and the offense, including having to play flawless football. Those fans of Jared Goff are used to seeing him throw a pick a game because of his aggressiveness (nothing wrong with that as long as they are winning), and that’s not a bad thing. Goff threw for 333 2td and 0 picks. He spread the ball around plenty as St. Brown had eight receptions for 156 yards and a TD, seven other receivers had two or more receptions and a TD, David Montgomery had a triumphant return with 12 carries for 116 yards and a TD, and Gibbs had 14 for 77 yards, and that’s almost 200 yards on the ground almost 550 yards of total offense with no mistakes. 

    Now the Defense had an arduous task, and they went toe to toe, helmet to helmet, with one of the best triple combos in the NFL: Herbet, Ekeler, and Allen. Ekeler was contained all day but did have a hundred yards combined between running and pass-catching and a TD; Hebert had 323 yards, 4, and 1 INT, and Keenan Allen, the focus, had an electric day with 11 receptions for 175 yards and 2 TDS. He has been so consistent over his career that he will see a gold jacket one day, but a Ring would make it easier. I hate to say the Defense was weak, but it gave up more passing yards than it used to and was not able to sack Herbert once, which is something this Defense does well, too. 

    Ultimately, it came down to one final drive, and Goff got them into position to win the game with a few seconds left with a nine-play, 53-yard effort to get Riley Patterson set up to win the game with a 41-yard field goal. This was one of the more exciting games of the weekend. The Lions control their destiny, but the loud roar can hear all things of the team and its fans.

That Was Fun

By Mark Halpern

     So this past weekend, the Cowboys welcomed the Giants into AT&T stadium for the season’s second matchup. The Giants season is all but finished as they are on to their third QB of the season and possibly fourth by next weekend as the Cowboys obliterated the g-men 49-17. 

      The first meeting was the Dallas defense putting up all the points in a massive blowout to open the season. The Defense was good this time, but the offense got to mutilate this team. Dak Prescott didn’t hold back by going 26-45, 404 yards 4, and 1 interception. The interception was a bad pass that Dak tried to fit in against a bad defense and was intercepted. The running game was the most solid since the first few weeks, with Rico Dowdle joining Pollard in carries by splitting the duties, and it worked. Dowdle went 12 carries for 79 yards and a TD, whereas Pollard had 15 carries for 55 yards and 0 TD’s. When you have two backs of the same dynamic type, it’s easier to stop one with fresh legs than one tired. So, I like the change of pace. On the receiving end, it was the Cooks and Lamb show, and against this Defense, it was not surprising. Cooks had nine receptions for 153 yards and a TD, and Lamb had 11 for 151 and a TD and a rushing TD in the first quarter. It wasn’t a competition. It was a mauling, and the Cowboys needed to eliminate frustration.

     What did the Dallas Defense do wrong? Nothing. They got five sacks in the game and intercepted DeVito once. I felt bad for the kid, but you must learn sometime. Saquon Barkley also seemed to hurt his ankle in the second half, but he won’t be with them next year. He managed 60 yards rushing and one reception for -5 yards. It’s time to do right by him and let him go and earn his career elsewhere. 

A Bronx Feud 

By Mike Rifkin

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has had an interesting start to his offseason. Last week at the General Manager’s meetings, Cashman was very annoyed during a media session where someone asked him about the Yankees being analytically driven. Cashman said, “No one is doing their deep dives; they’re just ammunition and bulls*** and accusing us of being run analytically… To be said we’re guided by analytics as a driver is a lie.” Whether the team is analytically driven is not the point, but it’s how Cashman got defensive about the situation. I am not 100 percent on board with analytics, but I realize it’s part of the game. There must still be a gut feeling from players and coaches, no matter the sport. 

Cashman also said, “I’m proud of our people, and I’m proud of our process. It doesn’t mean we’re firing on all cylinders, it doesn’t mean we’re the best in class. But I think we’re pretty f****ing good, personally.” The Yankees finished 2023 with a record of 82-80 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. People can say the Yankees had injuries, which they did. But so did other teams. Hasn’t the Yankee goal always been to win the World Series? They haven’t done that since 2009; they haven’t been there since 2009. You know who’s been to a World Series more recently than the Yankees, the Kansas City Royals, a team that lost 106 games this season. 

Brian Cashman on Monday said this about Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton: “I’m not going to tell you he’s going to play every game next year because he’s not. He’s going to wind up getting hurt again, more likely than not, because it seems to be a part of his game.”  Stanton managed to play 101 games this season but hit an abysmal .191 with 24 homers and 60 RBI. Over the last three seasons, Stanton has played in 351 out of 486 games. But the Yankees need Stanton, who has four years and 88 million dollars left on his contract. But who acquired the contract from then Marlins President Derek Jeter, Brian Cashman, so Cashman calls out a player he knows he cannot move because the guy’s contract is too big? Also, what team will acquire a guy when his GM calls him out?  

Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe, responded today, “It’s a good reminder for all free agents considering signing in New York to play for that team: you must be made of Teflon.” Wolfe also represents 25-year-old Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, coming to the United States this offseason. 

Over the last few years, Yankee fans have gotten fed up with Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner because the Yankees have failed. With the recent quotes of Cashman, one has to wonder if the pressure is getting to him or if he is as frustrated as the fans. But we know one thing: the team with the most pressure to win next year is the New York Yankees because it’s the same thing every year.