Monday Night Grind

By Lawrence Lang

With it being the eve of Halloween, it was a tricky night at first for the league, but it ended as a treat. Sometimes, the ghosts inside the lanes play ticks on you to make you earn your scores. 

Game One 186, The Ghost came out. 

Now, I don’t think it was the Ghost’s fault that I bowled a 186 and had no carry the first game, but there may be something in the air at the bowling alley tonight that first game. Frames one through three were all in the pocket, and with moving one left after the first two and then back after the third one, a ball change was needed, and for one frame, it worked. The fourth seven-pin left in the fifth frame called for a move back and again sent a messenger pin to take the seven-pin out in the sixth frame. Then it happened again, another seven-pin in the seventh and eighth frames. Now, the seven-pin missed in the eighth frame was on me. I short-armed my spare Ball and missed it to the left, which is most common for me that’s on me. A little fast with the feet in the ninth frame for a three, six, nine left once again on me. The drastic move happened with a ten-board move left and playing straight up. 

Game one Balls of choice Hammer Raw Hammer Hybrid frames one threw four, then DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Game Two 280 A Sweet Treat.

Now, this was a fun one, considering this was only my fourth 280 game ever, and a few notes from this game would be that sometimes straighter is greater minus the only spare of the game in the second frame; every shot was there in the pocket along with a few breaks in the seventh frame where I spun the Ball down the lane instead of letting the Ball do the work and missing my mark in the ninth frame and getting away with it this was a fun 280 game and was a treat.  

Game two Ball of choice  DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Game Three 246 Like Getting a Full Size Candy Bar.   

Here again, there are no actual notes, which is sweet, but to explain why the only moves that happened were after seven pins, and that was moving back right cause the lane finally opened up where I was able to play the lane a little bit more and have some area for error. Now, going 280,290 would have been sweet because I did only do that once unless you count Wii Bowling. But having a chance for 269 would have been just as sweet. But, like getting a pack of raisins in your bag on Halloween, a seven-pin had to make one more appearance to spoil that. 

If anything, remember, a 186 doesn’t ruin your night on the lanes. It’s how you keep your mental game in check and not get frustrated when you are not striking. Sometimes, a drastic move and a deep breath are all needed to start something. 

Game Three Ball of Choice  DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Series 712 Entering Average 221.70 New Average 222.86 

COWBOYS DE-HORN THE RAMS

By Mark Halpern

   The Cowboys, from kickoff to the end of the game, gave their fans something to cheer about. Sunday at AT&T stadium.

    The Cowboys had a challenging task ahead of them, and that was how to contain Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Well, I said the big key was going to be Daron Bland vs Nacua, and he shut him down and also picked off Matt Stafford and took it for yet another pick-six for him this season. For once, the Cowboys have a problem that will make this secondary even better next year when Treyvon Diggs returns and that has three elite cornerbacks. The Defense was outstanding, and the Micah Parsons effect was felt all over the field, either shutting down routes or, as always, sacking the Quarterback. The Defense managed to stop Kupp and Nacua as they combined for seven catches and 64 yards. The Cowboys’ defense shut down the run game as well by holding them to 92 yards and owned this offense from the first offensive possession.

    I made a statement in my preview article, and it was “THROW THe DAMN BALL,” and that they did. The plan from the start was to show that this offense has fire, and Dak was the real deal. Dak didn’t have a great day. He had an impeccable day, going 25/31, 304 yards, and four touchdowns, along with one interception (on a dumb play, in my opinion). Dak hit three different receivers for touchdowns in Lamb (2), Cooks 1 and Ferguson 1. This was the first game where Cooks and Lamb scored a touchdown, and I said this game needed to take away the Ram’s dominance, which is stopping the run, and reverted to the pass, which worked. The offensive line was missing Tyron Smith again to injury, resulting in the Rams getting three sacks on Dak ( two by Aaron Donald); however, they weren’t coverage sacks. Otherwise, the line helped make this offense put up the most points this season. Cee Dee Lamb had his best day of the season by grabbing 12 receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Brandin Cooks had three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. This offense might have just figured it all out.

     This week, the Cowboys silenced the “NAYSAYERS” and showed they are not just a one-sided team, but they are a real threat in the NFC. Next week, expect to have more penalties than any game this year when the 5-2 Cowboys go and face the 6-1 Philadelphia Eagles. 

A Week Recap In League

By Lawrence Lang

What’s up, folks? Lawrence “Patch-Man” Here, bringing you a brand new blog series on the SIN website and something that I’m very passionate about, and that’s bowling. For some of you, if you don’t know, I have been bowling for 26 years ( 29 years old at the time of the article being written). In the 26 years, I have had 13 300 games and 10 800 series, the High being an 817 series. Also, at the National level at the USBC Open Championships, a 190 average, and if you are a bowler and bow nationals, a 190 average is impressive. The purpose of this blog series is to take you through my league knights and tournaments. I will see my games and the breakdown of them when I make adjustments, whether it is moving on the approach or making a ball change. You will get to see what a bowler does in the game. So, with that all said, let’s get into a week’s bowling recap. I Bowl four nights a week so strap in for this one after this you will get a league night recap from me along with a three positive game three bad game blog at the end of the week from my week in bowling. 

Monday Night League.

First game 228 

Now, my usual starting spot for when I start bowling is three boards left of the center dot on the approach, and when getting to the line, hit the second arrow on the left side of the lane since I’m a lefty. Now, the 3rd frame was on me with the ten-pin; I got a little fast with my feet, and the ball lost energy when it got in the pocket. The 7th frame is where it starts to get fun. A pocket 7-pin made me think it was either time to move back a little on the approach or make a two-board adjustment to the right and a one-board adjustment on the lane. In bowling, we call that a two-and-one adjustment. I adjusted to move back. It worked for a frame when back on the other lane, left a 5-pin. In the tenth frame, the plan was to make a ball change in the 12 frames cause I knew after the 5-pin, it was time, but a 7-pin again prevented that.

First game ball of choice Pin Up DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Game 207: A Mental Game. 

Now, this was an exciting game for a few reasons. Once I made a ball change to a pin-down DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl, and to me, it was the right move just had to make the proper adjustments on one lane. As you can see, the 2nd frame and 4th frame were pocket 8-pins, so that’s a sign to move right on the approach and not the lane that was the plan, and silly me, I forgot to do that, and that’s when the 4-6 happened in the 6th frame. So I regrouped for it on the 8th and packed ten for the strike. The 10th frame 7-pin was the sign to move on the lane a board and, as you can tell, strike to end the game.

2nd game ball of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl.

Game 3 279 

Well, when it comes to a game like this, there are no notes because you are almost at perfection. If anything, the 7-pin left in the 4th frame was a great shot; it just didn’t have any carry. It’s your judgment to stay where you are, make a move, or make a ball change. I decided to stay with what I was rolling, which paid off. 

3rd game ball of choice is DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl.

Series 714 Entering average 216.93 New average 220.44 (+3.44)

Tuesday Night League 

Game one 225 was a great start and a bummer at the end. 

 Here is an excellent example of how one frame can ruin a great game. Now, the seven-pin and ten-pins in the 4th and 6th frames were good shots. Sometimes, you don’t get the carry-all shot till the tenth frame, wherein the pocket and with the possibility of starting 259 games, one is a great start to the night, but well, that didn’t happen. A pocket 6-8 split ruined that, and yes, I said pocket. Sometimes, that happens when you hit the pocket spits, and in this case, it’s probably the most left split I leave in bowling. But as I’ve learned over the years, you shake it off and move on to the next game. 

Game one ball of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl.

Game 2 253, a bounce back with two mistakes 

 Now, here is where two mistakes cost possible perfection. The fourth and fifth frames were all on me. A 2-4 leave happened when I got too fast with my feet, and I tried to make myself do the work instead of the ball doing the work. The fifth frame is where I got fast again with my feet and opened my shoulder, and the ball had no chance of coming back for a 1,3,5,7 leave. For the rest of the game, after a deep breath, relax to forget the two previous frames back seven to end the game. 

Game two 253 balls of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl

Game three 217 in the middle finish.

Now, here is where a bowler’s mind begins to overthink sometimes. Now, for one, I did make a ball change in the 5th frame. I decided to do both moves and make a ball change, and I paid for it. The ball change was needed after the seven-pin and ten-pin left in the first and third games, but a move wasn’t needed, and the 3,6,9 leave was deserved for me overthinking and talking about a different ball game and series, but that’s bowling. Sometimes, you overthink the little things, and it costs you.    

Game three balls of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl frame one threw 3rd famous finish with pin-up DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl

Series 694 Entering Average 228.85 New Average 228.12 (-.53)

Wednesday Night League.

Game One 230 One Mistake Cost a Big Game.

Well, a 4,6,7,8,10 split and frustration cost me a big game. The shot wasn’t a bad one, but it made me adjust right away. The ball dove right through the headpin, and disaster struck. Instead of going for three like you should when you leave a split like that, out of frustration, I tried to make it, and I paid for it. I still made the adjustment after the frame, and the rest is history. The seven-pin in the 11th frame was in the pocket, but it was a flare seven, so the ball had no energy once it got there, so it was time to make a ball change. 

Game one Ball of choice Pin Up DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear

Game two 249 Adjustment is Key.  

Now, the ball change was an excellent move for me. A pocket eight pin to start made me know I had to move right two boards pocket seven pins, the fourth had to move back a little to get lined right back up, and the six pins in the sixth frame were on me for getting fast with my feet. It was a solid change that paid off for an incredible 249 games.

Game 2 Ball of Choice Pin Down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear

Game Three 258 Minor Moves Help Again 

Here again, minor moves pay off for a great game and series. A pocket eight-pin after the front five hurt a little because it was a great shot, but then again, it was a sign to move, and this time, off of the eight-pin, I moved back to draw more energy from the ball. With that, sometimes too much energy is wrong. A pocket ten pin in the eight frame makes you laugh because of how good of a shot it was, but you make your spare and move on. Other than that, there are no actual notes from this game; it was a great, solid night. 

Game 3 Ball of Choice Pin Down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear

Series 737 Entering Average 218.45 New Average 220.33 (+1.88)

Friday Night League 

Game One 229: A Great Start 

Now, this was a great start to Friday night league. The seven pins in the first, third, and fifth frames came with adjustments after each one left a one-board adjustment right in the first and third frames, then moved back in the fifth frame. The seven-pin in the nine-frame came with a ball change to end on a high note. If anything, a ball change should have happened sooner in the third frame because of it not finishing on the one lane, but sometimes you don’t think to make it earlier, and that cost you extra pins, but no harm, no foul in this game, and it was a solid 229 clean game.

Game One Ball of Choice pin down  DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear first frame – the ninth frame, then pins up  DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear.

Game two 197 The Grind It Out Game. 

Well, it took 11 games into the week to finally have a grind-it-out game. After starting the first three frames with strikes, we were on pace for a big game. Well, that was not the case; back-to-back seven pins and a ten-pin after that called for a ball change. Then the ball changed into the wrong move because I was not letting the ball do the work as I was trying to make it do the work, and when you do that, it costs you, and a split in the ninth frame ended the chances of saving a poor middle part of the game and ending on a high note. The final ball change of the night came in fill ball fame in the tenth frame to try and find something for game three.

Game Two Ball of Choice Pin Up  DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear frames one- three Pin Up DV8 Medusa frames four – eleven ended with DV8 Brutal Collusion in the 12th frame.

Game Three 217 End On A High Note.

Now, game three was a game where no matter what move you made, it didn’t go my way. A seven-pin and eight-pin back-to-back to start made me adjust to move back, and a pocket eight-pin in the fifth made me move back up. Then, after the move back up, a pocket seven pin made me move two boards right. To end it in the tenth frame, another pocket seven pin does give the cherry on top and a struggle game. The high note out of this game is keeping a positive attitude when leaving single pins on the deck. Also positive out of this night of bowling is making all single pin spares 12/12, and nine of those single pin spares were seven pins, so when it comes to that, that’s ending on a high note and staying positive when carry went away. 

Game three Ball of choice DV8 Brutal Collusion in the 12th frame.

Series 643 Entering Average 229.31 New Average 228.85 (-0.46)

End Of An Era?

By Mike Rifkin

On Monday night, the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros 11-4 in Game seven of the ALCS. The Astros had been the AL Champs the last two seasons and have been in the ALCS every year since 2017. During this span, the Astros have been to four World Series, winning two. The last time we saw such a run of dominance in Baseball was in the 1990s when the Braves and Yankees coasted their way to the playoffs. The Yankees are the last team to repeat as World Series Champions (1998-2000). This Astros run over the last six years has done several things, including cementing the legacies of Dusty Baker and Justin Verlander. It could also be why Jose Altuve gets a plaque in Cooperstown one day. 

On Thursday, Manager Dusty Baker announced his retirement from managing. Baker, who took over after the 2017 sign-stealing scandal was revealed. All Baker did was restore the franchise from the off-field distraction to have them win three consecutive AL West titles and appear in three consecutive World Series. Baker ranks seventh all-time in wins, and the only thing that was missing on his resume was a World Series Championship, which he was able to obtain last season. My guess on who replaces Dusty would be his bench coach, Joe Espada, who has been the Bench coach since 2018. Espada has interviewed for several managerial openings but has yet to get the job. Now, if the Astros are looking for someone with experience, someone like Buck Showalter or Joe Maddon intrigues them. I lean toward Espada and would give him an experienced bench coach. 

2024 is the final year on the contracts of Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, who are in the top ten in several categories, including WAR, runs scored, Home Runs, Doubles, total bases, and RBIs. Altuve has a regular season MVP, three Batting Titles, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger on his mantle. Both guys have been significant factors in the Astros World Series championships. Altuve, 33, and Bregman, 29, are both represented by Scott Boras, and it will be interesting to see how the Astros handle both as both will also have their 34th and 30th birthdays during the season, which might be a factor in the negotiations. 2024 is also the final year of the contract for Justin Verlander, although there is a vesting option for 2025. The future Hall of Famer is at 257 wins, so depending on how many he gets next season, he’d come back and try for 300, and he could be the last guy to ever achieve that number even at 40 years old, he still was solid for the Astros after being re-acquired from the Mets. 

While those guys deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Astro icons Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, etc… and will be honored like those guys. There are guys for the future as well. Yordan Alvarez, who signed a six-year 115 million dollar contract ( which right now looks like a robbery for the organization), is a guy who has hit 30-plus homers each of the last three seasons and is just 26 years old. Kyle Tucker, who struggled during the playoffs, is one of the most underrated players in Baseball. He drove over 100 runs for the second consecutive season and the third straight season of at least 90 RBI. He was also one homer away from his third straight 30-home-run season. But unlike Alvarez, Tucker is not signed long term yet and is arbitration eligible through 2025, as is stud pitcher Framber Valdez. The Astros pitching staff could be getting significant boosts next season with the returns of Lance McCullers Jr and Luis Garica, both of whom missed this season with injuries. Now, even if they don’t win spots in the rotation, they could help fill out the bullpen. 

After the trade deadline, MLB Pipeline has the Astros as the worst-ranked farm system in the sport with zero top 100 prospects. So here’s the question for Astros GM Dana Brown? How do I build for the future and keep this team as competitive as possible? Last Winter, they made a big-time move for first baseman Jose Abreu, who struggled most of the year but came alive in September and into the playoffs. So what they do this Winter might be something worth watching.

The Astros should remain competitive because it is in their DNA. But if they decide to head in the other direction based on the age of certain players, this run was very historic, and whether you like them or not, you have to respect them because we have not seen this kind of dominance in a long time, but is it the end of an era in Houston. 

TIME TO ROUND UP THE RAMS

By Mark Halpern

    The Dallas Cowboys will host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday at AT&T stadium early Sunday afternoon. This will be the first matchup of actual top receivers in Nacua and Kupp (Sorry, 49er fans) this season. 

      The first thing Cowboys fans have to cheer for is the current ten-at-home win streak that the Cowboys have. The Defense, if they want to turn any nay-sayers (SMITH CALLING YOU OUT) analysts out there, this is the game to do it. The Defense for the Cowboys is outstanding and needs to be respected as such. Time of possession is everything in football, and with the trickle of the offense we have seen, the Defense needs to shut down 2 of the finest #1 and #2 WRs on a team for now and in the future. Kupp, returning from the knee injury, has only played in two games, and he has made his present felt quickly by grabbing 17 receptions for 295 yards and 1 TD. Kupp is the NFC version of Tyrek Hill in that he is everywhere and anywhere he is needed and can burn you underneath or over the top; if Kupp wasn’t enough, how about the explosive start to the season for the young rookie with hauling in 58 (yes 58) receptions for a ridiculous 752 yards but unbelievably only 2 TD’s. I expect Matt Stafford to test second-year Corner Back Deron Bland early, too, to see if the second-year sophomore can play man-to-man with either one of these accomplished players. Stephon Gilmore will be shadowing Kupp early and will have some nickel or safety help and try to slow down the great route running they have. I have said from the last few games that the trench fights between the Offensive line of the Rams and the fast and quick movements of this Dallas defense, and if Stafford is under pressure early and the Defense can force a turnover and get points from it to give the offense a cushion.

   Now on the other side of the ball, we have been waiting for the emergence of Brandin Cooks, and I know all Dallas fans have been thinking the same thing that this is the perfect week for it, and it is. The Ram’s defense, minus a few players, is far from what it once was as an actual shutdown defense. Teams have exploited the weakness in the secondary week after week, and it shows as the Rams have been dismantled by some of the top offenses in the league and the Colts, which says a lot about this club. This is a prime game for Dak Prescott to shove down all the critic’s throats with an impressive day, and for the first time this season, I am going to say, “Pass the damn ball all day long.” Of course, you have to run the ball, and Pollard and company have a huge problem to deal with, and that is the one beast, Aaron Donald. The guy is just outstanding, but better than 70% of NFL players would agree and are considered it by one critic or another. This is another game that could see Cee Dee Lamb have a big day as well. Lamb leads the Cowboys with 34 receptions for 475 yards and only two touchdowns. This is so un-Cee Dee, but the way the offense has been sputtering, it is not hard to read between the lines and see what has been transpiring in Dallas. This team had but still has the potential to go down as one of the best Cowboy squads over the past 20 years and should be 5-1 (ARZ just wowing us all week after week), but the loss to the 49ers was more gut-wrenching as it was a primetime showdown which still can be met again for the third time in three years in the playoffs. 

     The Cowboys organization is not going to have Jerry around forever, and Jerry knows this as well and would like one or five more trophies before he is done and being the highest-valued franchise in the entire NFL and pretty much all of the significant sports at an impressive 8 Billion dollars. Jerry is okay with spending money or trading players or picks if it makes sense. We will never see another Herschel Walker trade situation again, and Jerry and Jimmy orchestrated that together (JERRY PUT HIM IN THE RING OF FAME), and trades like that aren’t seen much anymore. Players have become expendable lately when franchises try and rebuild like the Rams are trying to do and are slowly succeeding, but Stafford’s time is almost up, and you can see it honestly. I expect nothing more than a Dallas blowout, and yeah, I’m going there 38-10 Cowboys with 100-yard games from Cooks and Lamb. Please sit back, get your Popcorn ready, throw a steak on the grill, and let’s watch the true one and only Americas team there is. 

WHEN YOU’RE WRONG YOU’RE WRONG

By Mark Halpern

It takes a long, complex process to put your opinions on paper and put them out there for the world to read. However, it takes the class to write an apology article. 

       At the beginning of the MLB season, I was one of the sternest critics of Corey Seager and how I believed his contract to be a ridiculous notion and wasn’t worth it. Well, I’d like to think Mr. Seager saw that article and had his best season, thanks to me (your welcome Rangers fans.) That all being said, I hope I eat my words, and he wins a ring this year, and that is how the old man sees it.

“JACKSONED”

By Mark Halpern

If you were a Lions fan and missed Sunday’s Lions vs Ravens game, you didn’t miss much, as by the end of the first half, this game was all over for Detroit. Let’s be fair. By the end of the first quarter, the Lions were back in the den.

   What is an impossible task for many teams is stopping or controlling star Quarterback Lamar Jackson. Since coming to the NFL at the end of the first round by the Ravens, Jackson was the steal. Jackson has been controlled by so few teams because, in recent years, you could stop him if you shut down the run game (which was him). Now, with receivers Beckham Jr, Zay Flowers, and Mark Andrews on this team, his passing accuracy has gotten so much better over the last two years that running is the only trick the Ravens had. In the first quarter, Jackson not only ran one in from 7 yards, he completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to veteran Nelson Agholor, giving him 2 TDs (1 pass, one run) just in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he hit Andrews for an 11-yard score. Then, after that, it was time to let others in on the fun, and Gus Edwards ran a short one in, which made it 28-0 at the half (Jackson 2 pass one rush TD). In the third, the Ravens let Jackson get back to work and hit Andrews from 11 yards out, giving him four total TDs on the day. Overall, Jackson was 31-37 for 353 yards, three TDs, and nine rushes for 36 yards and 1 TD. The Ravens’ Defense was in a good position and could play layback football. They stopped hot QB Jared Goff from having a TD pass but intercepted him and sacked him five times.

   What went well for the Lions wasn’t much, but if anything, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a great day with 11 carries for 68 yards and a TD but chipped in 9 receptions for 58 yards and the only other real offensive note for the Lions was the 12 receptions 102-yard day that St. Brown had. The Lions’ defense had their hands full from the moment the Ravens had the ball, and with the day that Jackson had, there was only one word, and the Lions had been “Jacksoned.”

The Legend Grows

By: Mike Rifkin

In the top of the ninth inning, trailing by two runs, the Houston Astros had the right man up. With two runners on, Second Baseman Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead three-run home run to give the Astros a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 series lead in the ALCS. The home run gave Altuve another big-time moment in October. 

In his career in the ALCS, Jose Altuve is hitting .288 with 11 home runs and 22 RBI in 40 games played. Altuve is a .270 hitter in the playoffs with 26 home runs and 54 RBIs. But the clutch hits like the one he had Friday night make Altuve a big-time postseason star. Yes, he catches flack from what happened in 2017, but the Astros have been to three World Series since, are on the verge of a fourth, and have won one World Series Championship. You can label Altuve whatever you’d like, but he’s a winning ball player and should be mentioned in the same breath as Derek Jeter and Reggie Jackson because Altuve is now the active Mr. October. When his career is all said and done, Jose Altuve should take his place in Cooperstown based on his postseason accolades. Whether you like Altuve or not, his postseason legend grew on Friday night. 

  Showdown Sunday

By Mike Rifkin

Cue up the Rocky music on Sunday night as the 5-1 Dolphins visit the 5-1 Eagles. The Dolphins are coming off a 42-21 win over the Panthers last week. The Dolphins started slow in that game, trailing 14-0 before scoring 35 unanswered points. Tua Tagovailoa was 21-31 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Raheem Mostert continued his fantastic start to the season with 132 total yards and three touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had six receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown. Jaylen Waddle had 51 yards and a touchdown as well. The Dolphins defense had four sacks of Bryce Young. 

The Eagles are coming off their first loss of the season, a 20-14 defeat at the Jets. Jalen Hurts went 28-45 for 280 yards, two touchdowns ( 1 rush, one pass), and three interceptions. AJ Brown had seven catches for 131 yards, and Devonta Smith had five catches for 44 yards. Smith also had a critical drop late in the game. 

These two teams are in the top five in Yards per game (Dolphins 1, Eagles 2), Rushing yards per game ( Dolphins 1, Eagles 2), Sacks (Dolphins 3, Eagles 5), and Points per game (Dolphins 1, Eagles 5). One significant connection between these two teams is the talent selected from Alabama. Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts played with Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Landon Dickerson at Alabama. Tagovailoa replaced Hurts during the National Championship game during the 2018 National Championship Game. 

Keys to the game ( Dolphins)

  1. David Long and Jerome Baker – A massive key for the Dolphins is to limit Jalen Hurts’ mobility. If Vic Fangio decides to use one of these guys as a spy, it could help the defense.
  2. Protecting Tua – In the Dolphins’ loss to the Bills, they generated pressure in Tua’s face from the interior, where Philly generates much of its pressure, so protecting Tua and getting the ball out quickly should help. 
  3. Kader Kohou – Yes, the Dolphins opened up the practice window for Jalen Ramsey this week, but he will not play. The last time the Dolphins played a big-time offense, Stefon Diggs torched Kohu; now, whether it’s Devonta Smith or AJ Brown, Kohu has to be better. 

Keys to the game (Eagles)

  1. Run the Ball – The Dolphins defense gives up 114 yards per game on the ground. What made the Eagles so effective last season was they ran the ball to tire out defenses and then used play action. Utilize that big offensive line. 
  2. Protect the ball – The Eagles lost last week because Jalen Hurts threw three interceptions. The Eagles need to protect the football.
  3. Dallas Goedert and D’Andre Swift – A lot of attention will be paid to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, so Goedert and Swift also have the potential to post big games. 

This game should be fireworks between two of the NFL’s elite teams. 

Bird Is The Word

By: Mike Rifkin

The Detroit Lions will face another test on Sunday as they visit the Baltimore Ravens. The Lions (5-1) are coming off their most impressive win on Sunday, a 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jared Goff continued to play at an MVP level, going 30-44 for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown returned to the lineup with 12 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Lions will get rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs back this week, but David Montgomery will be out. The Ravens are coming off a 24-16 win over the Titans in London last week. Lamar Jackson was 21-30 for 282 total yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Rookie receiver Zay Flowers had six catches for 50 yards and his first career touchdown. Mark Andrews chipped in with four catches for 69 yards. That vaunted Ravens defense had six sacks of Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis and had 10 QB hits. They also forced two turnovers. 

There are a few keys to this game. The first is the Lions’ offensive line. In six games played, Jared Goff has been sacked ten times; meanwhile, the Ravens are tied for first with 24 sacks. Another key is making the Ravens one-dimensional. The Ravens are fifth in the NFL, averaging 144.8 rushing yards per game, while the Lions give up just under 65 rushing yards per game. If the Lions stop the run and make the Ravens one-dimensional, that should undoubtedly benefit the Lions. A big part of that would have someone spy on Lamar Jackson; don’t let his legs beat you. The other thing for the defense is to take away Mark Andrews, one of the best tight ends in the league. If you take him away, you’re taking away Lamar’s safety net and will make Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham beat you.