The Sports Insanity Network

WEEK FOUR PREVIEW

BY SIN BLITZERS

PHI AT TB : One of the premier games of the day will take place in Tampa as the Bucs and Eagles meet with one of them going to 4-0. Both teams survived last week, as the Bucs were able to withstand a Jets comeback and the Eagles were able to come from behind and beat the Rams. Last season the Bucs beat the Eagles 33-16 behind 347 yards passing and two touchdowns. This time will be a little different; the Bucs will be without Mike Evans, who has a hamstring injury. In last season’s matchup Evans had eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.

IND AT LAR : Speaking of undefeated teams, how about the Colts and Daniel Jones at 3-0, but now they will be tested as they head to LA and play the Rams. The Colts are coming off a 41-20 beatdown of the Titans. Jonathan Taylor posted 102 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. The bigger story for Indy is Daniel Jones has yet to throw an interception through three games. For the Rams they will try to rebound after blowing a game to the Eagles. The Rams were up 26-7, before losing 33-26.

BAL AT KC : Two of the best Quarterbacks in today’s game go head to head both looking to avoid going 1-3. The Ravens’ issue has been their defense. The Ravens are last in the league in yards allowed. The Defense will be without Defensive Tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who is out with a neck injury. Offensively Baltimore needs to get Derrick Henry going again. Henry has struggled since his big week one, and has fumbled three times. For the Chiefs they will get back Xavier Worthy, we’ll have to see if that sparks the offense. Two teams that desperately need a win. Can Lamar improve his 1-4 record against the Chiefs, and win his first game at Arrowhead?

GB AT DAL : Something big is going on here, oh yeah Micah Parsons returns to Dallas. For some reason Cowboys owner Jerry Jones keeps poking the bear when he said it’s not like the Cowboys won any Superbowls with Parsons. Well Dallas is coming off a dismal performance against the Bears. A game that saw them lose Ceedee Lamb for multiple weeks with an ankle injury. As for the Packers they’re coming off a stunning 13-10 loss to the Browns. They need Jordan Love to be really good against a Dallas secondary that is extremely banged up.

NYJ AT MIA : Two division rivals that are still winless meet Monday night when the Jets play the Dolphins. Both teams have really struggled defensively, so this could be a shootout or it could be a penalty filled night. The Jets will get Justin Fields back and his dual threat skills, could be a major factor. For the Dolphins they’re going to have to run the ball and rely on some short passes to avoid the Jets pass rush.

THE GREAT DEBATE : AL MVP

BY MIKE RIFKIN

As we enter the final weekend of the MLB season, there is a lot to be determined including who is the American League MVP. There will be three finalists at the end, but everyone knows that this is a two horse race between Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh and Yankees Outfielder Aaron Judge.

Judge is the reigning MVP and has had an outstanding season, going into the final weekend Judge has 51 homers and 109 RBI’s along with a slash line of .328/.455/.681. Judge most likely will be a batting champion for the first time. My biggest question for managers across baseball is why they kept pitching to Judge?

Raleigh is having a historic season. Entering the final weekend he has 60 home runs ( two shy of tying Judge’s record) and 125 RBI’s. Raleigh’s slash line is .241/.361/.598. So, Raleigh has the better power numbers and not by much and Judge has the better slashline. Ironically enough the Yankees and Mariners are the top two home run hitting teams this season.

So offensively both guys have been studs and defensively both do their thing. But there’s a number that sticks out to me and that number is 11. The Seattle Mariners are 11th in MLB in team ERA at 3.87. We have never seen this offensive outburst from a catcher before. Now, is it fair to penalize Aaron Judge for not playing a particular position? No, but Raleigh is also at a sort of disadvantage with the Mariners not being on a similar scale to the Yankees.

Aaron Judge is one of the faces of baseball, while Cal Raleigh is a really good player. But we’ve never seen this kinda season from a catcher and the Mariners have clinched the AL West. Now, while the Yankees don’t know whether they won the AL East or will enter the playoffs as a wild card, what Aaron Judge has done over the years is absolutely insane. I’ve heard people say we might take it for granted. I disagree we haven’t seen something like what Judge is doing since Barry Bonds.

This is going to be close to call, except for one part whoever the third finalist is they’ll be a distant third. Either way in the race between Judge and Raleigh I lean towards Cal Raleigh. 60 homers doesn’t happen every year and especially from a catcher.

MEET THE MELTDOWN

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Since April 5th the Mets held a playoff spot, on Sunday that evaporated. By virtue of the Mets losing to the Nationals and the Reds beating the Cubs, Cincinnati now controls the final wild card spot in the National League entering the final week of the season. If you had said the Mets would have a chance to miss the playoffs during spring training, I’d ask you what happened? This was not supposed to happen when the Mets signed Juan Soto, the goal is to win the World Series, so what has happened?

Well, there’s a lot of blame to go around. People will blame Soto for his slow start, but at the end of the year he has put up his MVP like numbers including a career high in home runs. Pete Alonso also has had an MVP-esque season, and has probably been the most consistent Met all season. Francisco Lindor, the team MVP last season has had a good year, but it’s hard to put the blame on him. So if the stars were the stars, what happened? Well, Mark Vientos who a lot of people thought would take another step in his development, didn’t realize the season started until after the All-Star break, and has been marred with inconsistencies. Francisco Alvarez has had an injury plagued season. Those two were guys the Mets were hoping took the next step.

Where the Mets really failed this season was in the pitching department. Yes, Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat have all made their debuts in the second half, but that’s because the guys the Mets were counting on have not done their job. Kodai Senga has not been the same since he injured his hamstring in June, Sean Manea has also struggled mightily. Now we don’t know how much the loose bodies in his elbow are bothering him, but he’s not the guy who helped lead this team to the NLCS last season. David Peterson has struggled since the break as well. So the top three in the rotation have struggled, Griffin Canning, who was a massive surprise early, tore his Achilles. Clay Holmes made 30 plus starts, in his first season starting after spending years in the bullpen. The biggest problem with the Mets pitching, which shockingly was awesome in the first half, is that they don’t go deep into games and they’ve worn out the bullpen. The Mets have used a record 46 pitchers this season, not a recipe for success. Now, while I like David Stearns and how he utilizes his “pitching lab” the Mets need a true number one this Winter (more on that later).

But what’s most unacceptable is this, they play down to their competition, very similar to their collapse in 2022. The Mets are currently 5-5 against the Marlins (one series left), 7-6 vs the Nationals, 5-8 against the Braves, 2-4 against the Pirates, and 1-2 against the Orioles. Good teams beat bad teams, well the Mets struggled with that this season.

Steve Cohen challenged the fans to come support the team before the season, well the Mets’ fans did by breaking the Citi Field attendance record this season. This is how the fans get repaid, by having another late season meltdown, like 2007,08 and 2022. This isn’t on Cohen or David Stearns, even though his trade deadline didn’t work out. This is on the players, Carlos Mendoza and Jeremy Hefner. If the Mets miss the playoffs, there will be something going down, because Steve Cohen and the fans will not tolerate this.

Will Pack Rock In Cleveland?

By Lawrence Lang

The Green Bay Packers will hit the road for the first time this season as they head to Cleveland to face the Cleveland Browns. The Packers are coming off a Thursday Night Football win after beating the Washington Commanders 27-18.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love led the commanding victory by going 19/31 on passing attempts, 292 passing yards, and two touchdowns. Tight End Tucker Kraft and Wide Receiver Romeo Doubs were the recipients of those touchdowns.

The main star was once again the Packers’ defence, which got four sacks on Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels and held him to only 200 yards passing. In the run game, they held the Commanders to just 51 yards rushing and did not allow a rushing touchdown.

Deference End Micha Parson made his presence known again, a half of sack in the game getting to one and a half sacks on the season. Parson’s presence on the Packers has lit a fire on the defence in two games; they have held opponents.

Zero points in the first quarter
Six points in the 2nd quarter ( one field goal each by the Commanders and the Detroit Lions)
Three third-quarter points
22 fourth-quarter points

The Packers also rank 2nd in sacks with eight only the New England Patriots have more with nine through two games.

The Browns are seeking their first win of the season. They are coming off a blowout loss on the road to the Baltimore Ravens, a 41-17 loss. Quarterback Joe Flacco was 25/45 with 199 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception, and Rookie quarterback out of Oregon Dillon Gabriel saw a little play time, going three of three for 19 yards and getting his first career touchdown pass to running back Dylan Sampson. The Browns seem to get anything going, they have only been able to put up 33 points through two games, to allowing 58 points thru two games.

A major question for the Browns heading into this game is whether it’s time to let the rookie Sampson and let Flacco take the backup role? If things get out of hand quick, especially the way the Packers have been putting up points, we could see the change real quick.

Heading into Sunday’s game, here are three key factors for the Packers and Browns.

The Packers

Can the Packers keep the first half shut down going?
Will Jordan Love continue putting up points and get the offense going?
Will Micah Parsons get his first Interception as a Packer?

The Browns

How do the Browns get it going early against the Packers?
Is this Flacco’s last chance at a starting role in the NFL?
Who will be the one to step up for the Browns?

Bengals vs Vikings : preview

By Bill Murphy

The Bengals are coming off of a 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though they won , the Bengals also suffered a huge loss with the turf toe injury of Quarterback Joe Burrow, underwent surgery and will be out at least three months . With Burrow out , the Bengals brought in Jake Browning , Browning went 21/32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The upside to this game Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins were back after a slow start in week one. Chase had 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown, while Higgins had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. After that win , The Bengals now turn their attention to the Minnesota Vikings who are coming off a 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons . JJ McCarthy went 11/21 for 158 yards. Like Burrow, McCarthy will miss this game due to a sprained ankle, so the Vikings will turn to Carson Wentz.

Keys To The Game

Bengals

Offense : While Jake Browning hitting Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins is going to be a big x factor. I believe the offensive x factor is going to Utilize the run game with Chase Brown and he has averaged 45 yards per game . The Vikings pass defense was tough last week against the Falcons and are gonna give Chase and Higgins a problem, so I think Brown getting on the ground would be the answer to this problem .

Defense: The key for the Bengals defense would be the pass rush such as Trey Hendrickson who has two sacks and tackles for loss . Daxton Hill has one interception with 17 tackles , the Vikings offensive line is depleted with injuries , so the Bengals should take advantage of the holes in the O-Line .

Vikings

Offense: The X factor for the Vikings offense is going to be that Carson Wentz to hit Justin Jefferson . Jefferson has already 125 receiving yards, 13 targets seven receptions this season and one touchdown.

Defense : The Vikings pass defense is going to be tough this week . Last Week , they held Michael Penix to 135 yards and they contained Drake London . They now have to contain Ja’mar Chase and Tee Higgins .

Prediction

Bengals 24- Vikings 14

WEEK 3 PREVIEWS

BY SIN BLITZERS

Cowboys at Bears : Last week the Cowboys edged out the New York Giants 37-34 in OT. If the Cowboys want to have a shot to beat the Bears this Sunday they will need much better pass rush. The Cowboys went and signed Clowney to help with just that. Clowney will be a game time decision. The Bears are 0-2 and looking for their first win. If Caleb Williams can throw like Russell did last week, then the Cowboys are in for another ariel onslaught.

For the Cowboys to be victorious first is getting to Williams and early. The Defensive line needs to get in and put pressure because Williams has one of the best set of receivers in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Tre’von Diggs will be very busy and will probably flip flop during the game. For the offense they need to get the run going early as Javonte Williams has been great through the first two weeks. Prescott needs to draw that defense up and then hit them with some play actions and get George Pickens involved early. If the Dallas secondary brings a repeat performance, then it will be a long day for the Cowboys. – Mark Halpern

LIONS AT RAVENS : Last week we got to see the Detroit Lions of old. Jared Goff took all the negative and turned it into one of the best performances of his career . Goff threw for 324 yards and 5 TD’s a performance that should not be taken lightly. The entire offense put in impressive day. The Lions defense also showed up after a putrid performance last week.

This week the Lions defense and offense will face a major test of a Superbowl contender and that’s the Ravens. This Ravens team can do it all and will cause problems not only for the offense but the defense as well. It is possible we are seeing a Super Bowl match up here and if the Lions defense that showed up for Green Bay and got obliterated brings a repeat performance it will be a long day for the Lions. The Ravens’ secondary has struggled so Goff and company might be in for another big game.

RAMS AT EAGLES : Man, how is this game not in primetime? The Eagles and Rams will duke it out in a rematch from the NFC Divisional playoffs, a game the Rams had a chance to win in the end, but failed. The Rams defense has given up 28 points through two games. The Rams defense, which sacked Jalen Hurts seven times in the playoff game is third in yards allowed and tied for second in sacks. But this is their first major test and we’ll see if they can limit Saquon Barkley, who ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns. For Philly let’s see if they can get AJ Brown involved early, he’s been a non factor in the two wins.

BRONCOS AT CHARGERS : Massive game in the AFC West between the top two teams in the division (for now). The Chargers are 2-0 and Justin Herbert has looked really good, as has his defense. Herbert in his career against the Broncos has 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games. If the Chargers win this game they will go to 3-0 on the season and 3-0 in the division. For Denver, they’re looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Colts. The Chargers swept the season series last season.

CARDINALS AT 49ERS : First place in the NFC West is on the line here. The Niners have had a nice start to their season, but their home opener will most likely be without Brock Purdy. Mac Jones played well last week throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Also good to have CMC back, as he totaled 107 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals almost blew a 27-3 lead against the Panthers, but a Calais Campbell sack secured the win. Kyler Murray threw for 220 yards a touchdown and an interception. Kyler is 4-4 career against the 49ers, throwing 12 touchdowns and five interceptions, while rushing for 422 yards.

LA LEGENDS

BY Mike Rifkin

Thursday was a tough day for Los Angeles sports fans. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Kings Center Anze Kopitar will both retire following their respective seasons. Both players are future Hall Of Famers in their respective sports and will be honored by their organizations.

Clayton Kershaw was the seventh overall pick in 2006 by the Dodgers, and little did they know they were getting one of the best pitchers not only of his generation, but all time. Kershaw, who will make his final start at Dodger Stadium against the rival Giants, is 222-96 in his career with a 2.54 ERA. Kershaw has plenty of accolades to boot, he is a three time CY Young award winner, 2014 NL MVP, Triple Crown winner, 11 time All Star, Gold Glove and the Roberto Clemente award. The one thing people held against Kershaw was that he wasn’t a great playoff performer, but he is a two time World Series Champion.

Anze Kopitar was the 11th overall pick (Ironic) in 2005 by the LA Kings, and they got one of the best two-way Centers in the NHL. Entering this season Kopitar has played in 1,454 games scoring 440 goals, 1,278 points and is a +108. Kopitar, like Kershaw, has won two Stanley Cups. He’s never won the Hart Trophy for league MVP, but he has two Selkes for best defensive forward, three Lady Byng trophies for sportsmanship and he won the 2021-22 Messier leadership award.

If you build a Mount Rushmore for LA sports figures in the 2010’s it’s very hard not to put these guys on it. They’re great players on the field and ice, and they’re great people off of it, but the thing I find most admirable about them is their loyalty. In an era where free agency and player movement has reigned supreme these two guys have stayed with the organizations that drafted them, it’s not something you see everyday. Congratulations to both on fantastic careers and both should be without a doubt first ballot hall of famers.

COWBOYS ARE NOT CLOWNING AROUND

BY MARK HALPERN

With the loss of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons the Dallas defense seemed weaker. Through the first two games the Cowboys defense has surrendered 404 yards per game (283 passing and 121 rushing). Dallas has started the season 1-1 but it easily could be 0-2 if it weren’t for Dak Prescott and Brandon Aubrey. Through two games the defense has been very poor. The Cowboys needed help on the Defensive line/edge rusher and they went out and got one.

Jadeveon Clowney was the first overall pick in 2014 by the Houston Texans where he excelled for 5 years. He chose not to stay with Houston and took his game to Seattle where he played 13 games. He then took his play to Cleveland and then Baltimore. In 2021 and 2023 he registered 9 and 9.5 sacks respectively. He then signed a two -year deal with Carolina churning up 5.5 sacks and then in May he was cut by the Panthers. Clowney had interest from a few teams, but the Cowboys being desperate got to him first and shored up one of the weakest points of the defense. Jalen Hurts and Russell Wilson were given an average of 4.2 seconds to throw the ball and when you give any QB that amount of time they are going to beat you. Hopefully the Cowboys get a motivated Clowney, who can help get to the quarterback, as through two games the Cowboys have four sacks.

Clowney will be a real welcomed addition and in just 3 short weeks the Cowboys have traded for Pro Bowler DT Kenny Clark and now added

another pro bowl caliber DE in Clowney. Clowney will play this Sunday against the Bears but will be on a snap count as this will be his first action since last season.

Flip The Script

By Mike Rifkin

Through two weeks the Miami Dolphins season is hanging by a thread. At 0-2 and looking to right the ship, the Dolphins are going to the worst possible place Buffalo. The Bills are 2-0 after their throttling of the Jets 30-10. Reigning MVP Josh Allen, who had his heroics in the week one win over the Ravens, had 207 total yards and wasn’t involved in a touchdown against the Jets. James Cook was cooking on Sunday with 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In 14 games against the Dolphins, Allen has 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Allen has rushed for 647 yards and five touchdowns. James Cook in six games has five touchdowns and 224 yards rushing.

The Dolphins are coming off a 33-27 loss to the Patriots and again a turnover late cost them. Through two games the Dolphins are doing two things: turning the ball over and not getting stops on defense. Tua threw for 315 yards, two touchdowns and a costly interception. The Dolphins got both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle involved as they combined for 11 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. De’von Achane had 122 total yards and a touchdown. In nine games against the Bills, Tua has nine touchdowns and ten interceptions.

The Dolphins are looking for their first win in Buffalo since 2016, and the Bills have owned the rivalry as of late, although some games have been close. If this is another loss the hot seat for Mike Mcdaniel and Tua will get warmer, or can they do something they’ve rarely done which is beat a very good team on the road, which would certainly flip the script.

The Clock Is Ticking

BY Mike Rifkin

The Dolphins lost to the Patriots at home 33-27 going to 0-2 on the season. This season is on the brink of disaster as the Dolphins head to Buffalo to play the Bills on Thursday night. The last time the Dolphins won in Buffalo was Christmas Eve 2016. That game was so long ago the Dolphins Quarterback was Matt Moore, and Running Back Jay Ajayi ran for 206 yards. Buffalo is the last place a team trying to find itself should want to go, but it could also be the end of something.

If the Dolphins get embarrassed by the Bills and there’s a chance it’s the last game Mike Mcdaniel coaches. With the loss on Sunday Mcdaniel fell to 28-25 in his career and 0-2 in the playoffs. In fact the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since 2000. Now Mcdaniel did sign an extension carrying him through the 2028 season, but we all know in the NFL that these things happen. But here’s my question : Whether Mcdaniel is in Miami or not, what’s the direction of this team? When they made the playoffs, they collapsed in the second half of the season and ultimately fell short, and took advantage of weaker opponents. When they played teams better than them they got obliterated most of the time.

Mcdaniel is not the only one on the hot seat in Miami, there are two other people on that seat along with him. The first is the GM who hired him Chris Grier and the other is his Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Let’s start with Grier, who has been in the organization since 2000 and the GM since 2016. Grier has hired three coaches in his tenure Adam Gase, Brian Flores and Mcdaniel. But he’s yet to find the solution at Quarterback, something the Dolphins have been searching for since Dan Marino left.

Which leads us to Tagovailoa, who has three touchdowns and three interceptions through two games so far this season. The biggest question for Tagovailoa has always been his availability. He’s had multiple injuries that have forced him into missing time, primarily concussions. There’s an out in his contract between 2026 and 2027. There’s been questions about Tua since his days at Alabama, and while there have been times he’s been great, they always move the goalpost for him. But over the last year and a half his play has dipped and fans are ready for this team to win in the playoffs.

The worst thing to be in sports is in the middle, and right now not only are the Dolphins in the middle, they are closer to the bottom, than they are the top. Until there’s a direction and some stability in the organization, they can figure out what to do. Is this an overreaction to two games? Maybe, but it’s been a feeling over the last season plus that this team has gotten the best they are of this era.