CHARGED UP

By Mark Halpern

Last week, the Cowboys got dismantled by the 49ers. I think my colleague Mike Rifkin said it right when he changed the title of my article from last week from “Gold Duged” to “Exposed?” He has a valid point: the 49ers walked all over the Defense, and the 49ers defense walked all over the Cowboys offense. The question becomes, what’s the problem, and how do we solve it?

      Everything doesn’t have to change immediately. The Defense is good; however, when you are on the field for better than 60% of the game, players will be tired. Dallas’s two losses came when the time of possession favored the Cardinals and the 49ers. So, the Defense is better than okay; it’s incredible. Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be without Leighton Vander Esch for six weeks due to another neck injury. We wish him the best and speedy recovery, and with the need to fill his spot, the Cowboys have signed veteran Rashann Evans. And he could play as soon as this weekend, and he will be desperately needed with Austin Eckler returning this week.

    We know what this offense can do; we can all look at the stat sheets and say this team should score 4-7 offensive TDs a game. Why aren’t they? I have said this before and will likely take some colossal backlash, but the Cowboys should have retained Jason Garrett as the Offensive Coordinator. This is the problem with the offense. The last time they had a proper OC was Norv Turner during the Superbowl Era. Playcalling has been atrocious, and you can look at the head coach who insisted on being the playcaller this season. Well, be a head coach, and let’s get someone honest to call plays.

   The Offensive line has to have a superior game in protecting Dak and making holes for Pollard. Dallas can win this game, which will come down to the running game this week. Pollard and company will have to create more reasonable 2nd downs than last week. Dallas has to be facing at most 4 yards on second or 3rd down. Dak has to have time to be able to create plays and not with his legs. Trust Lamb, Gallup, and Cooks to get open and check down to Fergusson as he gets more in sync weekly with Dak.

    This game will be a Resurgence for the Cowboys, but it won’t be a cakewalk as Herbert has all his weapons available this week, and it will be an electric game. 

DISTANCING THEMSELVES

By Mark Halpern

        If the first five weeks tell us anything, it starts to showcase the Division leaders and potential winners. The Detroit Lions have been one of the most complete teams, along with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Miami Dolphins as the potential Super Bowl Candidates. While the season is still young, the Lions are making their ROAR heard.

       I have spoken enough about what Jared Goff is doing, so let’s shift the focus to the significant offense contributors expected for this game. David Montgomery has been lights out over the past three weeks. He has averaged better than 17 rushes per game, rushing for an average of over a hundred yards and at least one score per game. Montgomery has proven why he was traded; he is just one essential part. He will have to step up again as Jahmyr Gibbs is out again. The Wide Receivers mostly have exceeded their expectations. St. Brown has been the #1 for a good reason, as he leaders the team in targets and receptions, but it isn’t just a one-man show. Sam LaPorta is becoming that safety target for Goff, and they are working together like Witten and Romo. La Porta, a second-round pick, is playing better than any previous rookie TE drafted over the last three years. Veteran Josh Reynolds has stepped up in light of the St. Brown injury (he is not on the injury report this week), showed his veteran experience, and has given Goff a solid target to work with. The Offensive line deserves the most prominent credit here. They have opened highway-sized holes for Montgomery and Gibbs to run through and given Goff an average of 3.37 seconds to get rid of the ball. That’s above average for any team.

    What has to happen this week? The Defense has to pressure Baker because he is one of the worst QBs when flushed out of the pocket. If the Lions could do just that, then taking Evans and Goodwin out of this game, the Lions should have no problem moving on to an impressive 5-1 on the season.

Giving In

By Mike Rifkin

Earlier this week, the NHL announced teams will no longer be using pride tape on their sticks. In June, the league announced that teams were prohibited from wearing “specialty” jerseys before games. Several teams followed suit after several players voiced their displeasure and religious beliefs for not wearing the jerseys. The NHL has a saying that hockey is for everyone, so here’s the question: Is hockey for everyone? 

Commissioner Gary Bettman said on Tuesday, “What happened last year was that the issue of who wanted to wear a particular uniform on a particular night overshadowed everything that our clubs were doing. So what we said, instead of having that distraction and having our players have to decide whether or not they wanted to do something or not do something and be singled out, we said, ‘Let’s not touch that.” Players can’t wear pride jerseys, use pride tape, and can’t have stickers or ribbons on their uniforms. So, what the commissioner is saying is that hockey isn’t for everyone. What took place last year, whether it was an individual or a team, was wrong, and now the fact that there is a ban on pride gear is ridiculous. It is another reason Gary Bettman remains the worst commissioner in any of the four major sports. 

Former NHL executive and current PWHLPA president Brian Burke released a statement on Thursday saying, “This is not inclusion or progress. Fans look to teams and the league to show they are welcome, and this directive closes a door that’s been open for the last decade. Make no mistake, this is a surprising and serious setback.” What Burke says is 100 percent right: these teams make money off of consumers. They can only support the people who support them and pay their salaries. Now, there have been several players who have used their voices as well. Flyers forward Scott Laughton said, “You’ll probably see me with the Pride tape on that night; it’s not going to affect how I go about it. If they want to say something, they can, but it does not make a difference in what I do for the Pride community every night.” Laughton even added he’d buy the tape himself if he has to. Trevor Van Riemsdyk of the Capitals said, “The league decided what they did, but I don’t think that stops us from showing our support and making it something that is extremely important to us.” So here’s the question: if there are players who want to support the Pride community, why can’t they be in this environment? Van Riemsdyk said, “Obviously, it was something I enjoyed doing all night. It’s all about that inclusive feel. But that shouldn’t stop us, like, ‘Oh, we can’t do anything, there’s nothing we can do. No, there’s still a lot we can do and many ways to make people feel welcome and included, so hopefully that doesn’t deter guys.” Laughton and Van Riemsdyk say players support the Pride community, which leads everyone to ask if hockey is for everyone. Right now, it doesn’t feel that way, and whether this was based on religious beliefs for some players or something else, one thing is for sure: this is the worst thing Gary Bettman has done as NHL commissioner. For someone trying to grow the game, he constantly does something to put it in the headlines for the wrong reasons. 

JUNGLE RULERS

BY Mark Halpern

    The Lions faced the Carolina Panthers this past weekend, and from the kickoff, it was all about the Lions. The Lions were unanimous favorites against the Panthers and didn’t disappoint.

    Jared Goff, time and time again this season, has shown us why we all need to believe in this team. Goff had an errorless day to go along with his three touchdown passes and his 236 yards. His execution, time in the pocket, and excellent decision-making helped drive the Lions up and down the gridiron. David Montgomery has been one of the best running backs since his injury in the second week. Montgomery opened the scoring with a 42-yard scamper that he made a nice move to weave in and to the outside and took it to the house. Montgomery rushed for 109 yards and a score, making it look easy against a defense that has been stingy in the run game. Due to a hamstring injury, St. Brown was ruled out, but Josh Reynolds stepped up big time for 76 yards and a score, and Sam Laporta, showing why his name needs to be praised, had another stellar day with 47 yards and two touchdowns. Goff has found his new safety valve, and Laporta keeps improving each week. 

    The Lion’s defense wasn’t perfect, but it kept the Panthers off the board until it didn’t matter. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young didn’t have a bad day passing himself with 237 yards, 3 TDs, but two ints. Jerry Jacobs is making a play at being one of the best secondary players in the NFL by recording yet another interception. Jacobs has been one of the more vocal players on and off the field and is a great team player in helping his teammates and being willing to learn from them. The defense, if it had a weakness, was the inability to sack the QB like they have been doing over recent weeks. The Carolina offensive line did its best to stop this powerful defense and gave the rookie some time to throw, but the secondary closed any gaps that would open.

    The Lions are just getting better and better with each passing week. The Lions face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, and while the Tampa defense might give some issues, the Lions should have no problem grabbing their fifth win of the season.

Exposed?

By Mark Halpern

     What I witnessed Sunday evening was nothing more than a pee-wee team trying to beat the 49ers. From the kickoff, things seemed bleak for some reason. Brock Purdy led a touchdown drive on the first drive and was perfect 4/4 and a TD. What did Dak do on the first drive? He threw two incompletions, and Dallas punted. The atmosphere felt like the 1994 NFC championship game, where the 49ers spanked Dallas in the first half and eventually won the Super Bowl against the Chargers.

      The 49ers did something that no team has been able to do: stop Micah Parsons from getting going. Whether he was on the outside or inside, he was double, and the rest of the Cowboy defense couldn’t get to Purdy cause of excellent protection (which I said was where this game was going to be won) up front and when you have as much time as Purdy had to throw it explains his 17/24 252 yards and 4 TD’s. Purdy found his BFF George Kittle for three scores—his first three touchdowns of the season and his first career three-touchdown game. Christian McCaffery scored yet another TD and kept most drives going.

    The most impressive thing from the Dallas offense was the continued emergence of young star Kevonte Turpin. Turpin got the Cowboys on the board with a 26-yard touchdown reception. Turpin blasted through the 49er defense like a lightning bolt, and before the secondary could react, Turpin had a 5-yard lead and made a nice over-the-shoulder catch. Turpin has been doing it all lately, playing Special Teams and more Offense. Turpin later left the game and has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and will miss some time.

       The Cowboys will have an extra day to prepare for another tough offense as they will face Justin Herbert and likely a healthy Austin Ekeler next Monday night.

2023-24 NHL Predictions

By Mike Rifkin

With the 2023 NHL season upon us, here is how I see the season playing out with playoff teams, Stanley Cup predictions, and awards. NOTE: PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE THE TOP THREE IN EACH DIVISION AND TWO WILDCARDS

EAST

METROPOLITAN 

  1. Hurricanes – They have one of the best rosters in the league. They are deep on the blue line and eventually will get their best offensive player, Andrei Svechnikov, back in the lineup. Sebastian Aho is the most underappreciated superstar across the NHL. They also have three outstanding goalies. 
  2. Devils – The Devils had a breakout year in 2022, and they continue their success this season. Their forward group included Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Dawson Mercer. Now they add Tyler Toffoli; that’s deep. They still have a question in goal, but if Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid can hold down the fort, they have a real chance. 
  3. Rangers – A good core led by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox. Suppose Kappo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere take the next step in their development that would make this team deeper. The additions of Blake Wheeler and Nick Bonino give them versatility throughout the lineup. Peter Laviolette comes in as an established Stanley Cup-winning coach looking to win the Rangers first cup since 1994. 

ATLANTIC

  1. Maple Leafs – They won’t be judged until April, but they should have a great regular season. There is not a team under more pressure to win this year; they’ve already changed coaches and General Managers. They might have to change the core if they don’t win this year.
  2. Lightning – They’re going to miss Andrei Vasilevisky to start the year, but they have found ways to win before and will do so now. I also think losing in the first round last season was the best thing to happen to this team. Now they have an entire offseason to recover. They also lost some vets, Corey Perry, and Pat Maroon, but replaced them with some speed with Tyler Motte and Conor Sheary. When Vasilevskiy returns, they’ll charge to the top of the Eastern Conference. 
  3. Panthers – They had an unbelievable run to the Stanley Cup Final last season. If they do that again, they need Sergei Bobrovsky to be what he was in the playoffs. The same goes for Matthew Tkachuk, but this team can score goals with the best of the league. 

EAST WILD CARDS 

  1. Penguins – They had a tremendous offseason. Yes, most people will look at the Erik Karlsson trade, but adding Ryan Graves, Lars Eller, Noel Accari, and Reilly Smith are significant adds for this team. The ultimate X factor remains Tristan Jarry; if he plays well and stays healthy, the Penguins are a threat in the East. If he struggles again, who knows what they look like?
  2. Sabres – THIS IS THE YEAR THE DROUGHT ENDS. They had a phenomenal season last year and missed the playoffs by a point. Another year with a core led by Tage Thompson, they made solid additions on the blue line with Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton to help 21-year-old goalie Devon Levi. 

WEST

CENTRAL

  1. Stars – This is the year when the rest of the Central looks up at the stars. They added Matt Duchene to a forward group led by Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, and Wyatt Johnston. If Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn find the scoring touch, look out. Jake Oettinger has a legitimate chance at the Vezina. I am very high on the Stars.
  2. Avalanche – They’re still a force despite losing Gabe Landeskog. Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen lead a deep team. One thing they missed last season was a number two center. Enter Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton to add depth.
  3. Wild – Kirill Kaprizov (if healthy) will be in the Hart conversation. They have Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson, one of the best goaltending tandems in the league last season. 

PACIFIC

  1. Kings – After acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Kings have arguably the best center depth in the league. They have one central question, which is in goal with Cam Talbot and Phoenix Copley. If that is a problem, I expect Rob Blake to address it, but this team is prime for a run.
  2. Golden Knights – Mostly, this is the same team that just won the Stanley Cup. They were able to retain Playoff heroes Ivan Barbashev and Adin Hill, but how will Hill and Logan Thompson perform in goal is a question. 
  3.  Oilers – Here’s the biggest question facing the Oilers: How many points will McDavid have this year? They’re in the same boat as the Leafs, and this is about how they perform in April. A year of Mattias Ekholm on the Blue Line should help them there.

WILD CARDS

  1. Jets – Let me be honest: I said the Preds on the podcast, but I changed my mind when the Jets extended Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele on Monday. Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies in the league, and even with the loss of Dubois, I like this team. 
  2. Kraken – They upset the Avs in the first round last year. With great power comes great responsibility, and if Philipp Grubauer plays like he did in the playoffs, they’ll be tough again. Bringing in Kailer Yamamoto and Pierre-Eduoard Bellmare should help their bottom six. 

PLAYOFFS 

EAST

HURRICANES DEF SABRES 6 GMS

RANGERS DEF DEVILS 7 GMS 

MAPLE LEAFS DEF PENS 6 GMS

LIGHTNING DEF PANTHERS 7 GMS

HURRICANES DEF RANGERS 6 GMS

LIGHTNING DEF LEAFS 7 GMS

HURRICANES DEF LIGHTNING 7 GMS

WEST 

STARS DEF KRAKEN 6 GMS

AVS DEF WILD 7 GMS

KINGS DEF JETS 6 GMS

OILERS DEF GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6 GMS

STARS DEF AVS 7 GMS

OILERS DEF KINGS 6 GMS

STARS DEF OILERS 6 GMS

STANLEY CUP FINAL

STARS DEF HURRICANES 6 GMS

AWARDS

VEZINA : Jake Oettinger (STARS)

JACK ADAMS: Don Granato (Sabres)

HART (IF NOT MCDAVID): KIRILL KAPRIZOV (WILD) 

NORRIS: Victor Hedman (Lightning) 

Calder: Connor Bedard (Blackhawks) 

LET’S MAKE A DEAL 

BY Mike Rifkin and Mark Halpern

On Monday, the Mets introduced David Stearns as the new President of Baseball Operations. One thing Stearns discussed was that while he has Steve Cohen’s resources, he will only sometimes utilize it on the most prominent names every offseason. Here are some names that the Mets should target 

Shohei Ohtani is the head of the free agent class. The likely AL MVP just had surgery on his elbow, and his agent said Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 but plans to return to the mound in 2025. So we will leave Ohtani off the list because anyone can sign him, and look smart. 

STARTING PITCHING

FREE AGENTS

  1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Let’s start with the fact that he is 25 years old, and with the Mets saying they’re looking at 2025 as a real competitive team, Yamamoto could be a big part of that. Yamamoto had a 1.21 ERA this season in Japan and struck out 165 batters in 164 innings. The Mets will have some stiff competition from other teams for his services. 
  2. Lucas Giolito – Giolito had an up-and-down year for the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians this year. Giolito has had an ERA near 5 for the last two years, so he might be someone the Mets could buy low on. 
  3. Aaron Nola – A few positives about Nola. He’s pitched in big games, and he’s pitched in a big market. Nola went 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA in 2018. He has never replicated that season, but he is durable and has made 32 starts each of the last three seasons. One thing to watch is Nola is already 30 years old, so how much term he’d get is to be determined. 

TRADES

  1. CORBIN BURNES: This makes a lot of sense for both sides. Burnes played for Stearns in Milwaukee, and with one year left on his contract, the Brewers are likely to move their ace. Burnes has won a CY Young and ERA title, so he’d fit right in at the top of the rotation. 
  2. LOGAN GILBERT/GEORGE KIRBY – The Seattle Mariners have one of the better rotations in all of Baseball, but they need more offensive punch. If the Mets can make a deal sending one of the younger players and a Starling Marte, there’s a possible match. 
  3. Dylan Cease – Cease was on the block at the deadline, but the White Sox didn’t move him. I wonder if they still have him on the market at the Winter Meetings to get something done. Everything depends on the White Sox and the direction they are trending toward. 
  4. Alek Manoah – After a disappointing season, Manoah was sent to Triple-A in August but never reported. If that was a last straw for the Blue Jays Front Office, the Mets could get a top three guy in CY Young voting in 2022 for a lower cost than expected. 

RELIEVERS

  1. Josh Hader – Let’s start with a pipe dream idea. Imagine a backend of the bullpen with Hader and Edwin Diaz that’d be very imposing. Hader pitched for David Stearns in Milwaukee and was one of the best closers in Baseball. Hader had 33 saves and a 1.28 ERA this season in San Diego.
  2. David Robertson – Robertson was brought in before this season to be the setup man for Diaz. After Diaz’s injury, Robertson was asked to be the Mets closer and was solid before being traded to the Marlins, where Robertson struggled. But a return to Queens would be best for him and the organization.
  3. Matt Moore/Andrew Chafin – Outside of Brooks Raley, the Mets don’t have another lefty in their bullpen. Unless they view David Peterson as someone they want to put in the pen, they need another lefty in the pen is a need. Moore had a 2.66 ERA for the Angels before being put on waivers. Chafin had a 5.82 ERA in Milwaukee this season but has a 3.40 ERA in his career. 
  4. Ryne Stanek – Let me preface by saying if the Hader pipedream doesn’t occur, Stanek would be a top target of mine. Stanek had a 4.09 ERA this year after posting a 1.15 ERA in 2022. But who has played in bigger games over the years than the Astros? Nobody, so taking someone from their pen could be very beneficial. 
  5. Yimi Garcia – Garcia’s 4.5 career strikeout-to-walk ratio can play in the pen. One of the most significant issues the Mets had in their bullpen was walks. Garcia had 15 walks in 66 innings pitched. 

POSITION PLAYERS

So before I go over who I would go after if I was David Stearns, let’s address Shohei Ohtani. Who wouldn’t go after the best player in the game and the unicorn we’ve never seen before? That being said, Ohtani will be 30 years old next July, and we know how these big double-digit year deals work. That being said, the Mets should talk to Ohtani. Whether they sign him or not is up in the air. But he would fill a vital role on this team as the DH, a position the Mets were atrocious at this season. However, we won’t sign Ohtani for this exercise and spend money elsewhere. 

FREE AGENTS

Rhys Hoskins/Joc Pederson – How about pulling off what the Mets failed at during the 2022 trade deadline, acquiring two DH’s. Hoskins missed this season with a torn ACL but did have 30 homers in 2022. Hoskins also has a career .353 On Base Percentage. Pederson hit 15 homers and drove in 51 runs for the Giants this season. He’ll never hit for a high average, but he has a .336 career On Base Percentage. Also, both guys can spot guys in the field on certain days. Now, these two guys would fill a big void, but I also expect the young players to be able to play a significant role on the team. 

Trades

Juan Soto: Juan Soto is one of the best players in all of Baseball. With him having one year left on his contract, the Mets would have to trade the prospect capital they built at the trade deadline and pay him big money. Soto has a career slash line of .284/.421/.524, but his defense could have been better. He has a -14 DRS (DEFENSIVE RUNS SAVED). Soto is 25 years old and could fit the long-term plan, but the price on both money and prospects would be critical. 

Mike Trout: Now, this one is a pipedream. But depending on the situation the Angels find themselves in, now is the time to explore the Trout trade. Trout’s recent injury history does scare me. But if one owner could take the 250 million dollars left on Trout’s deal, it’d be Steve Cohen. And if the Mets were to eat that money, it could lessen the prospects they have to give up. 

Jade Cargill Dream Matches

As of today, Jade Cargill is officially with the WWE as she first appeared in the Fastlane pre-show. With this in mind, there are so many dream matches we could see with Jade Cargill. Here are 10 dream matches I want to see Jade Cargill have in the WWE Universe.

  1. Charlotte Flair- Jade Cargill even commented that she always wanted to face Charlotte. It would be interesting to see her debut tonight at the Fastlane PPV and go face to face with the Queen and be a part of the SD roster.
  2. Becky Lynch- I originally thought Jade Cargill was going to debut last week after the main event of NXT No Mercy. However, we know the Man will have her feud with Jade, but it won’t that soon.
  3. Bayley- If we see Jade Cargill start out as a babyface, then Bayley would be a great first opponent for Jade. Currently, Bayley is being the hype-woman for Iyo and she needs a feud like should have had with Shotzi.
  4. Rhea Ripley- 2 of the strongest women in modern wrestling that need to have an epic rivalry. If this was to happen, we have to see Jade vs Rhea in a stipulation match for one of their matches.
  5. Asuka- Both women had incredible undefeated streaks in their previous rosters. It would be interesting to see what WWE does with them if Jade feuds with Asuka.
  6. Bianca Belair- Another woman with an undefeated streak, Bianca and Jade can put on a feat of strength. However, I can also see them becoming a tag team and possibly going for the “cursed” womens tag team titles.
  7. Natalya- Although a dark horse for a feud, seeing Natalya face Jade Cargill would help Jade start her WWE legacy she deserves.
  8. Raquel Rodriguez- Same as Rhea, combined with her height, we could see an epic rivalry between Raquel and Jade. If Raquel finishes her feud with Rhea and if Jade goes to Raw, I can see this being Jade’s first feud.
  9. Tiffany Stratton- Although Tiffany isn’t ready for a WWE call up, her athleticism is growing as a WWE superstar. Both her and Jade could put on an excellent match if Jade chooses to go down to NXT for a few matches.
  10. Lita- Same reason as Natalya, if Jade could have a feud with a WWE legend/Hall of Famer, this could legitimize Jade as a big superstar in the women’s division.

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

by Mark Halpern

      Once a week, you can make a metaphor about a game being played. The Lions will face off against the Panthers Sunday in what should be another chance to show why they are Kings of the Jungle cats when they face a team’s 0-4 kittens. 

     The Lions have had a great start to the season at 3-1. Jared Goff has shown why his trade is paying off in spades, and the team gets better every week. The Carolina run defense is a little stingy, but Montgomery should lead the team in attempts, and Gibbs will be in and out to give him a break. This week, the Lions return an essential part of their offense when Jamerson Williams returns. Williams was initially suspended for the first four games due to betting on sports (Not his team) games while inside the Lions NFL complex. The NFL re-defined its rules regarding gambling. The changes reduced his suspension from 4 games to 3, and he will be available this Sunday. This is a massive weapon for the Lions. Amon Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Jones have made Goff’s life easy, but teams are starting to key in more on St. Brown lately. With Willam’s speed and hands, he will quickly draw coverage, and now, with Sam Laporta being a significant threat, it will be hard to put extra coverage on St. Brown because someone will be wide open. Josh Reynolds is questionable this week but is expected to play. Look for Williams to make a significant impact, whether running or receiving the ball, but expect him to play only some of the game. Williams will probably play about 70% of the snaps.

    The Defense has been vital in the wins the Lions have. This Panthers offense, run by Bryce Young, has yet to find its rhythm, and neither has the team as a whole by the show of their record. The Lions Defense, led by Adian Hutchinson, Jerry Jacobs, and Alex Anzalone, has stopped some formidable offenses. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, So I am judging this one by the looks of it and that a mauling will happen, and this Defense will eat up Young and make tons of trouble for Miles Sanders. If the Panthers want to make any attempt to win this game, the Defense is going to have to come up big, but the way this team is rolling like a Torah is all most god mode.

Giant Bounce Back

By Mike Rifkin

One week after putting up 70 points, the Miami Dolphins gave up 48 to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills’ defense was the first to give the Dolphins issues, but they could still put up 20 points. Now the Dolphins return home to play the New York Giants, who have been struggling, and that’s putting it lightly. On Friday, the Dolphins got good news and bad news. The good news is they acquired receiver Chase Claypool from the Bears for a 2025 sixth-grade pick. Claypool has been away from the Bears since he said they weren’t using him right. The Dolphins have some injuries at receiver, so getting Claypool cheap makes sense. The bad news is the Dolphins placed Left Tackle Terron Armstead on injured reserve with a knee injury, so he’ll miss the next four games. 

They have put up a combined 15 points in the Giants’ three losses. If we’re being honest, the Giants have only played well for one half against the Cardinals, and they’ve been abysmal outside of that. Daniel Jones, whom the Giants committed significantly, has been dreadful. He has two touchdowns and six interceptions and has been sacked 22 times. Darren Waller, who the Giants got to be a big-time target, has 15 catches in four games but zero touchdowns. This could be a get-right game for Vic Fangio’s defense. The Giants’ defense, though, is giving up 341.5 yards per game, has yet to have a takeaway on the season, and has only generated four sacks. 

The Giants were a playoff team last season, so the Dolphins should not overlook them. That said, this should be a game where the Dolphins offense takes advantage of two rookie corners, and the defense exposes the flaws on the Giants offense. Please don’t take it lightly, but this should be a bounce-back game for the Dolphins.