#patricia mvp of everything.

[inked-out-trees]

I keep reading chapters in halves and then forgetting all the super relevant and really clever things I had to say about the first half by the time I can finish the chapter…

Reading diaries chapter 5 but mostly the second half of it

Trev and Francis <3 they’re so good and sweet and I want them to be happy. Trevor acting small is at once adorable and saddening. and absolutely loving the Trev-Annie-Dennis dynamic, though. what a little crew!!!

PATRICIA!!! NOW we’re in ttau. “I’m getting there just keep your tail on” is very Georgie of her, I approve. And have I ever mentioned I just love Vanessa a whole lot?

Your writing is brilliant as ever. I don’t mention that enough in these asks. So natural and sweeping and sometime poetic and oh so *them*

(I just got the thing about the seventies. That took a hot minute.)

trev and francis <3 i love them and all the complex things they mean to each other. they used to be in love they changed too much for it to matter but there is something to be said about appreciating what used to exist. they mean so much to ME.

and also annie trevor and dennis are best friends. dennis might be thirdwheeling a highly chaotic platonic soulmates couple but they love him so it matters not :)

patricia and vanessa are so cool and i also love them. patricia is really an emotional support ferret through basically the whole fic and also maybe the most character ever. noodle <3

and also thank you!! i have fun with words.

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/nfl-power-rankings-saints-packers-new-nfc-front-runners-after-buccaneers-seahawks-plunge-for-week-10/

NFL power rankings: Saints, Packers new NFC front-runners after Buccaneers, Seahawks plunge for Week 10

Week 9 in the NFL saw more shakeups in the league pecking order. A couple of NFC contenders, New Orleans and Green Bay posted statement victories, while two others, Tampa Bay and Seattle showed all kinds of weakness.

Meanwhile, in the AFC, Kansas City, Baltimore and Buffalo flexed in tough games, with Miami and Las Vegas did more to pump up their wild-card playoff campaigns. 

Going into Week 10, here’s how we stack every team from No. 1 through No. 32 in Sporting News’ latest power rankings

MORE: Updated NFL standings, playoff picture | 2021 mock draft

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NFL power rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs 8-1 (last week: 1)

The Chiefs are getting a little pass-happy with Patrick Mahomes in the middle of the season but he’s also playing at a crazy high MVP level. They need to get better defensively and against the run to maximize his presence on the field.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-0 (2)

The Steelers escaped from Dallas with a victory when their defense struggled at times and their running game wasn’t reliable. Ben Roethlisbeger, knee injury aside, made the big plays when it counted to save them to their talented wide receivers.

MORE: Steelers ready for ‘everybody’s best punch,’ says Mike Tomlin

3. New Orleans Saints 6-2 (5)

The Saints marched away with a dominant victory in Tampa Bay, sweeping the season series and becoming the clear NFC South and conference favorites. They’ll get a shot at the fading reigning champion 49ers next.

4. Baltimore Ravens 6-2 (6) 

The Ravens needed a gritty, old-school defensive win with the passing game not coming through. Lamar Jackson and the running game get plenty of credit for out-slugging the Colts in a critical rebound game.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/9d/65/josh-allen-stefon-diggs-101320-getty-ftr_1k2hm9i7obplv17pzio24x73z7.jpg?t=573463901&w=500&quality=80

5. Buffalo Bills 7-2 (7)

The Bills needed that kind of stellar performance against the Seahawks to feel great about Josh Allen and the offense again. The even more encouraging sign was how many big plays the defense made, too.

6. Green Bay Packers 6-2 (8)

The Packers and Aaron Rodgers took care of the 49ers nemesis. They also should feel good about beating the Saints, even though they lost badly to the Buccaneers. They are right back in the NFC top seed conversation.

7. Seattle Seahawks 6-2 (3)

The Seahawks stumbled with terrible pass defense against the Bills and more critical mistakes from Russell Wilson. Their hot start took advantage of an easy schedule. Now they need to sweat out winning the NFC West first before thinking about anything bigger.

IYER: Why Seahawks are fading fast as NFC title contenders

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-3 (4)

What was that? The Bucs had their biggest opportunity to show they were the new NFC favorite in their biggest game of the year and the entire team now has made it really hard to win the NFC South. Tom Brady and the defense are best off forgetting the Saints nightmare, hoping for a third matchup down the line.

9. Tennessee Titans 6-2 (11)

Remember the Titans as a factor in the AFC race? They got a much-needed defensive-fueled victory over the Bears for Mike Vrabel to also create some breathing room against the Colts in the South.

10. Miami Dolphins 5-3 (14)  

The Dolphins also want a say in the AFC in the end with their defense continuing to make big plays for Brian Flores and their offense finding a different kind of groove with Tua Tagovailoa. They can keep it going with a very favorable schedule over the next month.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/87/3a/tua-tagavailoa-110120-getty-ftr_1ncispwcb178p1c05wrccsq8dz.jpg?t=-2051945875&w=500&quality=80

11. Arizona Cardinals 5-3 (9)

The Cardinals played a classic young QB duel with the Dolphins with Kyler Murray not having the same field-goal fortunes as Tagovailoa. The defense, which had seemed to turn a corner, was most disappointing. 

12. Los Angeles Rams 5-3 (12)

The Rams enjoyed a bye knowing they are doing it differently in the NFC than the other playoffs, leaning mostly on their running game and defense when they’re playing their best. Sean McVay should have some great adjustments in store for the second half.

13. Las Vegas Raiders 5-3 (16)

The Raiders are locked in offensively with Derek Carr with the right balance from Josh Jacobs and the running game. They won’t get much better defensively in 2020, but it’s all about making timely stops for them to keep winning.

MORE: Colts’ Philip Rivers tripped by turf monster while attempting tackle

14. Cleveland Browns 5-3 (17)

The Browns had an eventful end to the bye week with Baker Mayfield landing on the COVID-19 list. Their wild-card chase got a lot harder with the Raiders and the Dolphins winning close games. They must take advantage of three very winnable games ahead.

15. Indianapolis Colts 5-3 (10)

The Colts keep trying to win battles of attrition with their running game and defense, but it’s hard to hide Philip Rivers when he’s not playing well. They need to upgrade at quarterback with a true franchise option in 2021.

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16. Chicago Bears 5-4 (13)

The Bears are stuck with Nick Foles with Mitchell Trubisky hurting. They keep making a few mistakes offensively to hold them back and put too much of a burden on their stout defense.

17. San Francisco 49ers 4-5 (15)

The 49ers are a shell of the NFC champions from last season and Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh can do only so much with their play-calling. It won’t get any easier with the Saints, Rams and Bills in the next three games.

MORE: Tom Brady at loss after Bucs’ blowout loss to Drew Brees’ Saints

18. Philadelphia Eagles 3-4-1 (18)

The Eagles had a bye to get healthier all around and should be feeling more confident about their NFC East chances with Washington and Dallas losing while they didn’t play. They do get some NFC litmus tests with the Seahawks, Packers, Saints and Cardinals all on the upcoming schedule.

19. Minnesota Vikings 3-5 (23)

The Vikings are creeping back into the NFC wild-card race. Consider four of their losses are to above-.500 times, including the Packers, the Seahawks,the Colts and the Titans. Dalvin Cook and a favorable schedule makes them a team to watch in the second half.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/ef/2b/dalvin-cook-010520-getty-ftrjpg_1mdqdtem5jj311tcvpzq8vlg65.jpg?t=2008450095&w=500&quality=80

20. Detroit Lions 3-5 (19)

The Lions blew their chance to take second place behind the Packers with another mess of a defensive game against the Vikings. The writing is on the wall for Matt Patricia now.

21. Denver Broncos 3-5 (20)

The Broncos played inspired comeback football with Drew Lock again in Atlanta, but it wasn’t enough despite their passing offense coming to life. Vic Fangio’s defense keeps opening too many holes.

22. Carolina Panthers 3-6 (21)

The Panthers got Christian McCaffrey back and made a lot of great plays to stay in the game against the Chiefs, having the ideal ball-control game plan. But their pass defense didn’t cooperate when it was needed most.

23. Cincinnati Bengals 2-5-1 (22)

The Bengals had a bye to get healthier on the offensive line and also heal running back Joe Mixon. As for quarterback Joe Burrow, he will continue his push for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

24. New England Patriots 2-5 (25)

The Patriots play Monday night with their season on the line against, of all teams, the winless Jets. The Bills and the Dolphins are both positioned to pull away from them.

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25. Los Angeles Chargers 2-6 (24)

The Chargers lost another close game on the final play. What a surprise. Justin Herbert and Anthony Lynn both deserve better breaks than that.

26. Atlanta Falcons 3-6 (27)

The Falcons have found their way defensively a little more, enough to complement Matt Ryan and the offense, which has found its groove again. Now it’a. a bye to try to keep it up under Raheem Morris in the second half.

27. Houston Texans 2-6 (29)

The Texans’ defense is a major liability and the main reason for their record. Deshaun Watson is doing everything he can to help them win with a short deck.

28. Washington Football Team 2-6 (26)

WFT got swept by the Giants as their defense broke down more than expected after a bye and had to deal with a devastating second QB change from Kyle Allen to Alex Smith. Perhaps Dwayne Haskins deserves one last chance?

29. Dallas Cowboys 2-6 (28)

The Cowboys did their best to find a spark with Garrett Gilbert and it worked for a long time as the entire offense played inspired in a tough matchup. Unfortunately, the defense improved greatly against the run, only to break down against the pass in crunch time.

30. New York Giants 2-7 (30)

The Giants finally finished a close game because of defense and turnover-free offense. Joe Judge needed that one in Washington.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-7 (31)

The Jaguars did their best to compete at a high level with Jake Luton, who really didn’t look much different operating the offense than Gardner Minshew did. Unfortunately, he can do nothing to help a shell of a defense.

32. New York Jets 0-8 (32)

The Jets play on Monday night, which means they also will lose on a different day of the week for a change under Adam Gase.

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[junker-town]

The fatal flaw holding back each team in the NFC

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The NFC is a bit of a mess. Except for the Niners, right?

Through four weeks, only one team in the NFC remains undefeated. Just as we all expected, it’s the 49ers.

Kyle Shanahan’s team is off to a 3-0 start after defeating the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Steelers to start the year. Although that’s no murderer’s row of opponents, it’s been enough to give San Francisco a way-too-early lead in the race for homefield advantage in the playoffs. The Cowboys, Rams, Saints, Packers, Bears, and Seahawks are all staring up at Jimmy Garoppolo through one quarter of the season.

So what are the odds the Niners can keep this up — and if they can’t, who will replace them?

The NFC was an unpredictable beast through the month of September. Philadelphia looked primed for a letdown season before upending a then-unbeaten Packers team in Green Bay. The Lions rebounded from a disappointing come-from-ahead tie against the Cardinals in Week 1 to upset the Chargers and Eagles the following two weeks. The Saints lost Drew Brees in a Week 2 loss to the Rams, then rallied behind Teddy Bridgewater to defeat the Seahawks and Cowboys. The Rams started their conference title defense with a 3-0 record, then gave up 55 (fifty-five!) points to the Buccaneers.

So while the AFC appears to be the property of either the Patriots or Chiefs, the NFC is still wide open for seemingly anyone other than Washington or Arizona. Who has the strongest claim to the throne? Let’s dig in:

Winless, and therefore unworthy of a writeup

Washington (0-4), Arizona Cardinals (0-3-1)

Right. Their fatal flaw is that they aren’t good enough yet to win games.

Heh, nope.

Atlanta Falcons (1-3)

The Falcons beat the Eagles in Week 2. In their other three games, they’ve trailed by 21, 17, and 17 at the half. Atlanta’s cache of wasted talent has been matched only by its enormous capacity for stupid mistakes through one quarter of the season.

Fatal flaw: Coaching. Dan Quinn’s team has found a way to bridge whatever skill gap he holds over opponents with a lack of preparedness.

Likely pretenders to the crown

New York Giants (2-2)

Daniel Jones breathed new life into the Giants, but he’s only beaten Washington and Tampa Bay while captaining a roster that was in rebuild mode this past offseason. New York’s offensive line has overachieved in its two-game winning streak:

giants run blocking has quietly been really good this season. even on still shots you can see the holes they're opening up pic.twitter.com/d5RqEt8Zli

— charles (ronald) mcdonald (@FourVerts) September 30, 2019

However, a look at the depth chart suggests that won’t last — which is bad news for Saquon Barkley fill-in Wayne Gallman.

Fatal flaw: Overall talent. The Giants may have put their rebuild ahead of schedule, but this is still a rebuild.

Carolina Panthers (2-2)

The Panthers got their two wins by beating the Cardinals and watching the Texans throw up all over themselves. Kyle Allen is undefeated as a starter, but he cooled off significantly and looked like a backup quarterback in Houston. Cam Newton could push this team up a tier if he returns to full strength — and he says he’ll wait until he’s 100 percent, though no one’s quite sure when that will be . Still, the playing-hurt version of Cam that showed up in Weeks 1 and 2 won’t be enough to make Carolina a contender, even if this turns out to be the best Panthers defense since 2015’s 15-1 campaign.

Fatal flaw: Quarterback stability. Newton’s hurt and Allen shrank in the face of the Texans’ pass rush.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)

The Buccaneers smothered the Panthers with their defense and lit up the Rams. They have also given up 30+ points in three of their four games so far. They’ve done that even in the midst of Shaquil Barrett’s breakout season, and he probably can’t maintain a 36-sack pace.

Tampa may have to rely on Jameis Winston to win shootouts on a weekly basis, which ... isn’t ideal. Fortunately for him, the team’s running game has made a major step forward this fall — Ronald Jones has put last year’s 1.9 yard-per-carry average deep in his rear view — and Winston has a tremendous downfield cheat code in Mike Evans, who should never be single-covered, ever.

Fatal flaw: Winston. Bruce Arians has pushed him to his strongest statistical season so far, but the QB’s biggest concern is the lack of consistency that has haunted him over four-plus seasons. If Arians can turn Winston into an every-week above-average presence behind center, he’ll earn his share of Coach of the Year votes.

They’ve still got plenty to prove

Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

The Vikings would be in the “pretender” tier if it weren’t for a still-promising defense. Kirk Cousins has fumbled six times in four games and currently holds his lowest QB rating since becoming a full-time starter in 2015. Minnesota is allowing just 4.8 yards per play, which should hold some opponents down long enough for even a diminished Cousins to walk over them. But there’s also a chance his inability to sustain an offense sinks the Vikes to the bottom of the NFC North.

Fatal flaw: Cousins. The Bears shut down Minnesota’s running game in Week 4 and the Vikings crumbled to dust when their quarterback was asked to carry his team’s offense against a great D.

Detroit Lions (2-1-1)

The Lions couldn’t take advantage of the Chiefs’ mistakes in a last-second Week 4 defeat, which is why they’re a good team and not a great one. Their Week 2 win over the Chargers looks good on paper, but in reality was a comedy of errors for an LA team that outplayed Detroit all afternoon.

On the plus side, Matthew Stafford seems to have recovered from an awful 2018. The Lions may need everything they can get from him; they’ve given up at least 373 yards in each of their four games this season.

Fatal flaw: Playing down to the level of their opponents. Matt Patricia’s early track record as a head coach indicates he’s able to get his team up for big games (vs. the Chiefs or in last year’s win against the Patriots), then struggles when he’s tasked with non-contenders — like when his team botched an 18-point fourth quarter lead in a tie against the Cardinals.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)

The Eagles still haven’t been able to push Carson Wentz back to his 2017 pre-injury MVP form, as the fourth-year quarterback has been solid but unspectacular (it doesn’t help that one of his most targeted receivers has an utterly memeable penchant for drops). Philadelphia needs him to be better if its pass defense can’t improve. The Eagles have allowed 7.4 net yards per pass attempt through four games, 25th-best in the NFL. They’ve given up 300+ passing yards in three of those games.

Fatal flaw: The pass rush. While Philly’s cornerbacks have been brutal to watch, they’ve gotten little help from their front seven. The Eagles rank dead last in the league in sack rate (1.7 percent).

Los Angeles Rams (3-1)

First things first: this team gave up 55 points to Tampa Bay. That was enough to drop LA from the top tier down to the “prove it” group. The Rams’ defense has been uneven to start the year, sandwiching two strong performances between Winston’s shredding and a season opener that saw a hurt Cam Newton put up 27 points. Los Angeles has struggled to get off the field on third down and is suspect in the red zone, turning a talented lineup on paper into a middling unit in practice.

Fatal flaw: Jared Goff’s sudden regression. The fourth-year quarterback has seen better protection than ever before (his 4.4 percent sack rate is the lowest of his career), but he’s using that time to make worse decisions. He’s throwing deep less often (his average throw depth has fallen from 8.2 yards in 2018 to 7.4 this year) and is getting picked off more — his six interceptions lead the league.

Seriously, what can't this dude do?!#GoBucs | #TBvsLAR pic.twitter.com/crRi9g74hl

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 29, 2019

Even though there have been some extenuating circumstances that led to this explosion of turnovers, it’s clear that right now, Goff isn’t the MVP candidate he was in 2018.

I want to trust you, but I’ve been hurt before

San Francisco 49ers (3-0)

The 49ers are 3-0 — and their best win came over a disheveled Buccaneers team in Week 1. They’ve since beaten the Steelers and Bengals, who may have been winless in September if not for the fact they had to play each other. San Francisco has overcome plenty of adversity in its first three weeks, winning without injured players like Tevin Coleman, Jimmie Ward, Nick Bosa, and Dee Ford in the lineup for stretches. It’ll be much harder to carry on without them as the Browns (Week 5) and Rams (Week 6) loom on the schedule.

Fatal flaw: An offense that may not be able to keep this up. Garoppolo has been carving defenses up with a ton of play-action passes — 38 percent of his dropbacks, per ESPN. Those plays have broken open for more than 10.5 yards per attempt, but the Niners’ dwindling stock of tailbacks and the growing tape library on San Francisco’s 2019 suggest defenses will catch on to this strategy sooner rather than later. If that threat is taken away, can the 49ers’ line continue to provide one of the league’s lowest sack rates for its oft-injured QB?

Seattle Seahawks (3-1)

Much like the Niners, Seattle’s impressive early record has come at the expense of the AFC North’s dregs. The Seahawks’ three wins have been against teams with one win between them, and that was the Steelers’ unwatchable victory over the Bengals.

Still, there’s plenty to like here. Russell Wilson remains a low-key MVP who has help from Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett, and the emergence of DK Metcalf and Will Dissly. No team has been more efficient in the red zone, where Seattle has turned 10 of its 13 trips into touchdowns.

Fatal flaw: Passing defense. The Legion of Boom salad days are over, giving way to a secondary that ranks 16th in opponent passer rating despite opening the season against Andy Dalton, Teddy Bridgewater, Kyler Murray, and three quarters of Mason Rudolph. This offense needs to be tested, sure — but the defense might run into even bigger problems once it has to face the high-powered offenses of the NFC West.

The seemingly safe(r) bets

Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

Dak Prescott didn’t put up big numbers in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s conservative gameplan against New Orleans, but he’d been outstanding his first three weeks. Prescott has emerged as an MVP candidate, leading the league in QBR (91.4) and averaging career highs in touchdown rate (7.1) and yards per pass (9.0). The Dallas defense has been nearly as impressive; the Cowboys have held opponents to fewer than 300 yards in each of their last three games and are allowing just a 26.5 percent conversion rate on third down.

Fatal flaw: Big-game playcalling. The Cowboys failed their first real test against a fellow contender when the Saints limited them to just 10 points in Week 4. New Orleans smothered the Dallas offense, shutting down Ezekiel Elliott and leaving Prescott lost in the wilderness and throwing into quadruple coverage late in the game.

The Cowboys, like the Niners and Seahawks, have done their best work against bad teams. There’s a chance they belong in the “I want to believe” tier, too.

Green Bay Packers (3-1)

Aaron Rodgers isn’t all the way back, and he may not have to be. Green Bay’s revamped defense has been better than advertised this season — though Week 4’s missteps against the Eagles’ running game may be cause for alarm. The Packers are 2-0 in games where they’ve scored 21 points or fewer so far. In 2018, Rodgers’ team was 0-6 in similar situations.

Fatal flaw: Matt LaFleur’s overthinking. The Packers’ offense excels early in games, but LaFleur struggles to create a dynamic gameplan once he has to deviate from his first quarter script. This was readily apparent in Week 4’s loss to Eagles, when he dialed up four straight passing plays in a first-and-goal situation from the Philadelphia 1. The Packers all failed in a seven-point loss.

New Orleans Saints (3-1)

New Orleans fell apart briefly after losing Drew Brees to a thumb injury in an 18-point loss to the Rams, then quickly picked up the pieces to dispatch the Seahawks and Cowboys in the following weeks. I’d previously written about how this version of the Saints was built to handle six to eight weeks of Teddy Bridgewater duty, but hot damn has this team risen to the occasion to escape the toughest part of its 2019 schedule at 3-1. New Orleans won a shootout in Seattle after giving up 514 yards in Week 3. The next week, it cut that number exactly in half against Dallas and stand alone atop the NFC South. While consistency may not be the Saints’ biggest asset, they have the conference’s strongest resume through four weeks.

Fatal flaw: Everything red zone, so far. New Orleans has only turned four of 11 red zone opportunities into touchdowns, but has allowed opponents to convert 10 of their 15 chances into six points. That’s a concern when all three of the Saints’ wins have come in one-possession games. The team has a -8 point differential through one quarter of the season, which is in no way sustainable for a playoff team.

Chicago Bears (3-1)

This is absolutely a championship-caliber defense. No team has scored more than 15 points against the Bears this season. Khalil Mack is unstoppable once again and has four forced fumbles and 4.5 sacks in four games. He’s just the biggest name on a depth chart loaded with playmakers. Chicago is so intimidating it can derail blockers with a sideways glance.

Danny Trevathan really beat Brandon Scherff with a "look over there" move pic.twitter.com/trLTc9hmdh

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 24, 2019

But what about the offense? A multifaceted running game has averaged only 3.6 yards per carry this fall. And the passing game, well ...

Fatal flaw: Mitchell Trubisky. The third-year passer looked entirely overwhelmed when called on for big moments in his season opener against the Packers — his last seven dropbacks in that primetime game ended in one completion, one interception, and a game-ending sack on fourth down. While he recovered to carve up the Broncos in a clutch two-minute drill one week later, several questions remain about how he’ll stack up under the bright lights when his offense needs him most.

That said, the club proved it can win without him after defeating the Vikings with Chase Daniel behind center. If Trubisky can just be solid when he returns from a dislocated non-throwing shoulder, he’ll give the Bears enough juice to make a deep playoff run — especially now that the team seems to have a reliable kicker.

[mvalleefootball-blog]

Ho-Hum Pats Win; Patriots Jaguars Preview

By Michael Vallee

Welcome to NFL groundhog day.  The Patriots win their division; the Patriots get a bye; the Patriots yawn their way to another easy breezy lopsided, barely-break-a-sweat home divisional blowout of yet another not-yet-ready-for-primetime team.  Raise your hand if you’ve heard this narrative before.  With their 35-14 win last week over the Tennessee Titans the Patriots, once again, kicked off their playoff season by dispatching an overwhelmed opponent that offered little in the way of talent or resistance as New England cruised to their record seventh consecutive AFC Championship.

It was every bit as effortless as the score suggests.

The Patriots are 11-1 under Belichick in the divisional round coming off a bye.  While this implies dominance, this divisional game wasn’t always as easy as that record suggests.  The closest of these games might have been the first, when the Patriots beat the Raiders in the now infamous “Tuck Game” in the ‘01 playoffs.  After that there was a close frigid win over the Titans, a matchup against Peyton Manning’s Colts and their record-setting offense, and even in the undefeated year of ‘07 the Patriots were locked in a one-score game in the 4th quarter against the Jaguars.

Then of course came the bloodbath in 2010 when the Patriots lost handedly to a Jets team they had beaten 45-3 just six weeks earlier.  It was one of the worst losses of the Belichick era as New England entered the ‘10 playoffs as prohibitive favorites to win it all.  It also ushered in the so-called “Tomato Can” era where the divisional game transformed from an early challenge to a glorified scrimmage.

Since 2011 the Patriots have played in seven consecutive divisional playoff games coming off a bye and they have coasted to a 7-0 record.  In those seven games the average point spread was -10 and the average margin of victory was 17.  The NFL lined‘em up and the Patriots knocked’em down.  Their opponents provided less resistance than Donald Trump’s nutritionist.  And nobody knew this more than Brady, who produced 21 touchdowns in these games to just four interceptions, posting a QB rating of 103.

The only test in that stretch came in 2014 when they twice had to rally from 14 down to beat the Ravens 35-31 in arguably the best game ever played at Gillette Stadium.  The rest of the time it was the Patriots toying with the likes of the overrated Andrew Luck and the overwhelmed Tim Tebow.  

However, those blowouts didn’t exactly serve the Patriots well going forward.  After that tough Ravens victory New England went on to win their 4th Super Bowl title, revealing a distinct pattern.  In the years when the Patriots faced a challenge in the divisional round (‘01 Raiders, ‘03 Titans, ‘04 Colts, ‘14 Ravens and ‘16 Texans) they would eventually win the Super Bowl.  In the years when they waltzed their way past some half-ass opponent (‘11 Broncos, ‘12 Texans, ‘13 Colts, ‘15 Chiefs) they inevitably came up short.

Coincidence?  Perhaps, but if sports history has taught us anything it’s that competition is a good thing for a team.  All of this reminds me of the 1991 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels who dominated college basketball and coasted into the Final Four undefeated.  Their Final Four opponent, the Duke Blue Devils, played in the most competitive conference in the country, the ACC.  On that day their prior competition served them well as Duke beat UNLV in a close game that they were simply better prepared for because of the schedule they played.  

Beating up on an inferior opponent teaches you very little about your team and in no way prepares you for a tough road ahead.  Sometimes it can even have an opposite effect, pumping a team full of overconfidence.  It’s in the close battles where you truly learn what your roster is made of.  A fighter reveals a lot more about himself in a 12-round brawl than he does in a first round knockout.

The Patriots will try to break that pattern this year as they attempt to win their 6th Super Bowl title.  They can take some solace in knowing that past dynasties have also cake-walked through the divisional round and gone on to win the championship.  The Cowboys dominated the league from 1992-1995, winning three championships in four years.  During those four years the Cowboys won their four divisional round games by an average of 20 points.  The 80s Niners also rolled through the divisional round in each of their four Super Bowl years, also winning by an average of 20 points.  Landslide wins in the divisional round obviously doesn’t preclude you from winning a Super Bowl, but so far for the Patriots it’s been a bad omen.

In the end was it a win last Sunday for the Patriots?  Yes.  Did we learn anything new about New England?  No.  Was it entertaining?  Barely.  Is it their fault that the best the NFL can muster for a second round playoff opponent is a crappy 9-7 Titans team lead by one of the lowest rated QBs in the NFL and a coach that was days away from being fired?  Absolutely not.  But now amateur hour is over and the real challenge begins: the challenge of beating a team that might actually put up some resistance.  A team led by such dynamic names as Blake Bortles and Doug Marrone.  On second thought, see you in Minnesota.  

Patriots Jaguars Preview:

How the Jaguars can win:  It’s not easy to make a case that Jacksonville will walk into Foxboro and beat the New England Patriots but if they pull off the upset here’s how it might happen:

The key to beating the Patriots in the Brady/Belichick era has always been the defense.  Unless your last name is Manning or Rodgers your just not winning a playoff shootout against Brady.  A quick scan of the Patriots worst playoff losses shows a relatively simple pattern - stop Brady and you have a shot.  In New England’s playoff losses to the Giants (‘07, ‘11), the Broncos (‘13, ‘15), the Jets (‘10) and the Ravens (‘09, ‘12) combined, Brady posted just a 73.6 QB rating and the Patriots averaged just 16.1 points.

Of course stopping New England is easier said than done, so how does Jacksonville pull it off?  For starters you need a team with the talent and stones to play a lot of tight man-to-man.  Brady abuses zone coverage, just ask the Steelers.  The good news for the Jaguars is they boast one of the best cornerback tandems in the league in Pro Bowlers Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye.  If you can take away New England’s short to mid-range bread-and-butter, and prevent them from moving the chains on 3rd down, you can frustrate Brady and the offense.  Then it’s time to attack.

The Jaguars are loaded up front with Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson and Yannick Ngakoue combining for 34.5 sacks.  If Jacksonville can take away the Patriots short passes and force Brady to hold the ball longer the Jaguars defensive front could thrive.  And if Jacksonville is smart they will be aggressive and not just rely on the front four to generate pressure.  There is a misperception that you can’t blitz Brady but if you have the horses to cover on the back end, well-timed and well-disguised blitzes, particularly up the middle, can be effective against New England.

This is also essential for the psyche of the young Jaguars.  If Brady is carving them up early it will suck the life right out of them and demoralize their inexperienced roster.  By the third quarter they will be staring at the game clock waiting for the pain to end.  But if they can get some early three-and-outs, and end a couple of those drives with sacks, then things could go in the other direction.  The cocky aggressive Jaguars will see their confidence swell, and their are few things scarier in the NFL Playoffs than a talented defense that thinks it can’t be stopped.  If that happens then New England will find themselves in a rock fight and they better hope Matt Patricia’s defense is up to the challenge.

The X-factor for the Jaguars defense is Gronk.  I can’t recall watching a Patriots playoff game where Gronk is dominating the middle of the field and New England loses.  If he is ripping off 15 and 20-yard gains down the seam Jacksonville is in for long afternoon.  The Jaguars have to make stopping #87 their top priority, and they have to deploy any and all methods to do it.  Chip him at the line, double-cover him, disguise coverages, hold him, grab him, punch him - they must try anything and everything or he will bury them (again, ask the Steelers).  And if all else fails don’t be afraid to give all-world cornerback Jalen Ramsey the assignment of stopping Gronk.  He has the size, speed and confidence to take on the Eric Berry role that has been effective in the past.

A lot will be made of the importance of getting that physical bull, Leonard Fournette, cranking and crafting a game plan that mitigates Blake Bortles from screwing everything up.  But those are minor sub-plots.  This game comes down to one matchup: a 40-year old soon-to-be-MVP quarterback vs. the number one pass defense in the NFL, and if the Jaguars lose that matchup, it’s going to be a long day at Gillette.

Curb Your Enthusiasm:  There is no denying the talent that Jacksonville has on the defensive side of the ball but a closer look indicates their lofty status as a dominant top two defense was significantly aided by a soft schedule.  The Jaguars 18 games featured opponents with an offense ranked 20th or worse and in the six games where they faced an offense that wasn’t among the dregs of the league they allowed 27.1 points per game, including two 40+ games in the last month against Jimmy G’s niners and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Additionally their 55 sacks were dramatically inflated by the 20 sacks the registered in two games started by Tom Savage and Jacoby Brissett.

The Phantom Menace:  Can someone explain to me why so much of the pregame coverage has been devoted to the mysterious “Coughlin Factor”.  Jaguars president, Tom Coughlin, was a great head coach and had a lot of success against Belichick and the Patriots, but this idea that he is Brady’s kryptonite has been wildly overblown.  Yeah, I get it, the Giants beat the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl but it wasn’t as if Coughlin devised some magic defensive riddle to stop Brady.  Much of this reputation is tied to the ‘07 Super Bowl when Coughlin’s Giants shocked the football world by ending the Patriots undefeated season.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t that game come down to the simple fact that the Giants stout defensive line dominated a Patriots O-Line that had its worst game of the year?  Credit Coughlin for having his team ready to play but there wasn’t a lot of Xs and Os genius behind that win.

How they were built:  With the Jaguars pulling off a massive one-year turnaround, going from 3-13 to 10-6, it has a lot of people asking, “How did they do it?”  While the hiring of Doug Marrone and smart drafting helped, surprisingly it was free agency that keyed their success.  NFL free agency is usually fool’s gold.  For every success story there seems to be a dozen Albert Haynesworths and Adalius Thomases.  But Jacksonville bucked that trend the last two years and rebuilt their defense behind massive contracts to Campbell, Jackson and Bouye.

Attack Mode:  If the Patriots are smart they won’t make the mistake the Steelers made and allow Blake Bortles to get comfortable.  The Steelers registered zero sacks on Bortles last week and played the majority of the game on their heels, allowing Bortles and the Jaguars offense to dictate the action.  Jacksonville has no weapons in the passing game and Matt Patricia would be wise to unleash the dogs on the aerially-challenged Bortles and take the risk of Allen Hurns beating them.

Stupid is as stupid does:  Gotta love the stories surfacing from Pittsburgh that show just how unprepared mentally the Steelers were for the rematch against Jacksonville.  My favorite is Le’Veon Bell tweeting the following late Saturday night, “I love round 2s...We’ll have two round 2s in back-to-back weeks….”  Hey, why get a good night’s rest before your first playoff game when you can instead stay up late and piss off your opponent.  And this was after Bell had blown off Saturday’s walk-through, showing up with just five minutes left in practice.  Additional reports have multiple coaches and players showing up late the day of the actual game.  Is this the NFL playoffs or spring practice at Kent State?  And the disciplinary result of these   transgressions?  Nothing.  Zippo.  Do you think Dion Lewis would play if he blew off practice the day before a game and then trashed his opponent on Twitter later that night?  It amazes me Tomlin still has a job as he looks more and more like Marvin Lewis with a better roster. 

Perhaps most amazing is that the Jaguars curb-stomped the Steelers earlier in the year.  For normal teams that would be a wake up call but apparently there is nothing normal about the Tomlin Steelers.  Pittsburgh’s arrogance confounded their opponents who released these gems in response, “I was wondering why they were so confident,” said Ramsey.  “We stomped their ass last time and we knew we was going to do the same this time.”  Linebacker Myles Jack was equally puzzled by the Steelers bravado, “It was like they had...amnesia...or something.  I don’t know if they just forgot and thought that didn’t happen but it happened…”

Jacksonville Jag-offs:  Let’s end on a humorous note.  A few years ago an enterprising Jaguars fan devised Jacksonville’s own version of the steelers Terrible Towel and came up with the “Jag Rag”.  Yup, that actually happened.  I would love to watch YouTube videos of every guys reaction when they first heard the name Jag Rag.  Sadly, the Jag Rag is no longer available for purchase, providing the NFL with a big sigh of relief while disappointing anybody with a sense of humor.

[patriciallaine]

Finally, Ariel happened to me.

Pulling an all-nighter has become a lot easier than pulling myself out of the bed in the mornings. Coffee, the real mvp, became my bestfriend. Crying and laughing goes hand in hand cause of good or bad times. Those are some of the things that made my college life real interesting, crazy yet worthwhile. I may have experience hardships (like duh, everyone does) but all of those turn into gold once I accomplish something that I know my family would be proud of. Now, my 5 year routine has finally come to an end. Haha. Kidding! It’s only the beginning… Thank you Daddy and Mama, for being my light and my everything. I may not always express my love for the both of you but know that when there are times I’m struggling or thinking of giving up, I just think of you and all the worries are gone. To my Quiricada squad and family, for being my google. Providing me everything I needed, being my second home and my sanctuary. To my college bffs and friends, for being the best and realest people. For knowing the real Patty… Started from the bottom now we’re here. Haha. Thanks G, because you’re simply the BEST. Late night talks and Sundates with You couldn’t be more fulfilling and happier. Oh college, what a blissful chapter you are.

Guevarra, Patricia Allaine I. Double Degree Holder

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Internal Auditing Far Eastern University - Batch 2016

Bachelor of Science in Accountancy La Consolacion College Manila - Batch 2017

[junker-town]

The 5 most fireable NFL coaches one month into the season

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

At the quarter mark of the season, Dan Quinn joins the list after the Falcons have limped to a 1-3 start, while Jay Gruden’s seat has reached a broil.

The end of September means the start of the autumn season. For NFL coaches, it’s the start of hot seat season, too.

Four weeks of the 2019 campaign has created a telling preview of what may come. The Patriots and Chiefs have risen to the top of the NFL landscape at 4-0. The Dolphins and Cardinals have unsurprisingly gone to the other end of the spectrum in winless starts. And while that was more or less predictable, a few unexpected developments have added new creases to the way this year’s coaching carousel may unfold.

Matt Patricia looked destined for the hot seat after a disappointing debut season and then a Week 1 come-from-ahead tie against the Cardinals that saw Arizona erase an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit. He’s since inspired confidence with upset wins over the Chargers and Eagles while pushing the Chiefs to their limit in a Week 4 loss. Any concerns about Kyle Shanahan have since been excised by a 3-0 start that has the 49ers as one of the league’s three remaining undefeated teams. Doug Marrone was 0-2 and staring down a pink slip (and Jalen Ramsey’s trade demand) until Gardner Minshew and Leonard Fournette brought the wins that temporarily smoothed things over in Jacksonville.

Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin’s Steelers are 1-3 and staring down a stretch of 14 games started by backup Mason Rudolph. Adam Gase’s first season with the Jets has been derailed by bad play and worse luck — namely, the kind that sidelines a quarterback with mononucleosis. No one’s really sure what Mike Vrabel’s Titans are capable of, but they’re on pace for a typically unremarkable 9-7 campaign (as is tradition).

With a quarter of the season more or less finished, a handful of coaches are in danger being let go before 2019 is finished. Here are the five who have the most to worry about after Week 4, in order of most concerning to least.

Jay Gruden, Washington

Gruden pulled his last playable card in Week 4, benching Case Keenum in favor of first-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Unfortunately for him, the former Ohio State star looked very much like an underprepared rookie against the Giants.

Haskins led his offense to as many points as he had interceptions thrown in a 24-3 loss to New York rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. As the Giants rekindled their postseason hopes by improving to 2-2, Washington fell to 0-4 and effectively watched its shot at contention slip even further out of reach.

That could spell the end for Gruden, who fell to 35-48-1 in five-plus seasons as the team’s head coach. He came into the season as the betting favorite to be the first man canned this fall, and a winless September only frayed the string of Damocles’ sword above his head.

Gruden’s been able to survive a career devoid of even a single 10-win season thanks to his ability to develop passing talent. He turned Kirk Cousins from a fourth-round backup into a Pro Bowler and got an Alex Smith-led team out to a 6-3 start last year before a catastrophic leg injury ended Smith’s season and sent Washington into a tailspin.

That bad luck extended his grace period to 2019, but more misfortune has befallen him since. Management refuses to extend left tackle Trent Williams’ contract, leading to a still-going holdout and the continued absence of the team’s best blocker. Starters like Brandon Scherff, Terry McLaurin, Derrius Guice, and Jordan Reed have all missed time due to injury. This all effectively shrank the team’s playoff chances to nothing. Gruden’s only real hope is to grow Haskins by leaps and bounds and make the case that his coaching was instrumental in the rookie quarterback reaching his potential.

There’s still time for that to happen — but owner Dan Snyder’s patience could run out before Haskins shows any real signs of development. No one in the NFL has a hotter seat than Gruden right now. Things are so desperate in the nation’s capital that it could be time for Colt McCoy to take his seat on the team’s carousel of sadness in Week 5. To be fair, that would save Haskins the embarrassment of having his lunch money stolen by the Patriots on Sunday.

Bill O’Brien, Texans

A 16-10 loss to the Panthers was an amalgamation of everything O’Brien’s struggled with in his Texans tenure and a CliffsNotes readthrough of Week 4’s dumbest mistakes. Houston couldn’t protect Deshaun Watson, failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities, burned a timeout with a misused replay challenge, and even added some baffling offensive playcalls to throw a can of hairspray onto the “Fire O’Brien” flames.

Bill O'Brien has Logged On pic.twitter.com/sXJwX24pDX

— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) September 29, 2019

The Panthers came into their road showdown with the Texans having given up more than 23 points per game on average. Then they shut down a Houston offense led by one of the league’s most exciting young quarterbacks and a completely stacked receiving corps thanks in part to O’Brien’s inability to establish any kind of offensive rhythm. That’s something the franchise could write off if it were a blip on the radar. Instead, the former Penn State head coach and the Texans’ current de facto general manager has made it a trend.

O’Brien’s tenure in Houston has been filled with “just good enough” performances that take advantage of a disheveled AFC South en route to disappointing January finishes. The Texans have been to the playoffs three times in the last four years but only have one win to show for it — and that came against a Derek Carr-less Raiders team. Houston is currently stuck in a four-way tie for first in the division and is in strong position to make another run at the crown. Unfortunately for O’Brien, just getting to the postseason may not be enough for a head coach whose ceiling has been capped at “good” but never “great” in his five-plus seasons in Texas.

Dan Quinn, Falcons

The Falcons should not be this bad. Atlanta is 1-3 and ranks just 26th in scoring offense despite boasting a former MVP at quarterback and one of the league’s most talented receiving groups. The defense has given up 20 points or more in each of its games even after extending stars Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones this offseason. The team has trailed by 21, 17, and 17 at halftime in its three defeats so far.

The blame in this demoralizing season has fallen on Quinn. The fifth-year coach is only 18-18 after his breakthrough 2016 season and his biggest asset — creating havoc plays in the middle of a stingy defense — has been absent in 2019. Owner Arthur Blank spent big this offseason to create a win-now environment, only to see his team sink to the bottom of the NFC South.

Fortunately for Quinn, a 1-3 start isn’t a burial in a conference where no team but the 49ers has really stepped up. The Saints lead the division at 3-1, but remain vulnerable with Drew Brees sidelined for roughly half the season due to a thumb injury. The Panthers and Buccaneers are both flawed products. While Atlanta’s upcoming schedule isn’t especially rosy — three of its next four games are against 2018 playoff teams — there’s still time for Quinn to prove Blank made the right investments last offseason.

The bad news for Quinn is that his team can barely go a week without shooting itself in the foot, and that reflects especially poorly on his coaching.

Mike Zimmer, Vikings

Kirk Cousins was supposed to be the keystone that held the rest of Minnesota’s powerful roster in place. Instead, he’s regressed in 1.25 seasons under Zimmer, leaving the Vikings stuck in limbo and turning up the heat under his head coach’s seat by a few degrees each week.

Minnesota has been unable to replicate the magic of its 13-3 2017. In the process, its quarterback play has stagnated despite an ostensible upgrade from Case Keenum to Cousins. That raises the question as to whether then-offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was more responsible for the team’s success than we knew at the time. The Vikings have been eager to answer it; they fired John DeFilippo during the 2018 season and replaced him with Kevin Stefanski at OC. The change hasn’t worked out so far. His unit ranks 18th in the league in scoring offense.

Zimmer’s biggest problem in Minnesota has been an inability to make adjustments mid-game based on what he’s seeing on the field. While this mostly applies to playcalling, it was on display Sunday when he burned a first-half timeout that effectively convinced the Bears to rethink a fourth-and-3 punt and go for it — and convert en route to a field goal — instead. Zimmer stopped the clock to avoid a flag for 12 men on the field, but he called timeout after it was clear Chicago was ready to take a delay of game penalty to create a little extra space for its punter.

That’s a small mistake that had repercussions in a game where defense ruled, and it was entirely avoidable with a little extra awareness. That’s a strong thesis statement for the Zimmer era in Minnesota, and that’s why he could be fired in 2019 if he can’t push an underachieving team to the postseason.

Ron Rivera, Panthers

Rivera’s fortunes have shifted the past two weeks as Kyle Allen and the Carolina defense have outperformed expectations. While two straight wins have given the Panthers new life in the topsy-turvy NFC, Riverboat Ron isn’t out of the woods yet.

Beating a winless Cardinals team and allowing the Texans to self-destruct in front of them weren’t exactly awe-inspiring victories. Games against the surging Jaguars and a Buccaneers team that already beat the Panthers at home will provide a greater barometer of whether Allen and Rivera are a potent pairing or a quiet cry for Cam Newton to return to full strength.

Should Carolina’s surge die down, Rivera may be in trouble. He had the league’s third-best odds to be fired after that 0-2 start. He’s been able to fend off pressure by dialing up winning seasons in odd-numbered years (he’s got playoff berths in ‘13, ‘15, and ‘17), but the years in-between have been unpleasant.

A second straight losing season could be enough to convince new owner David Tepper a change is in order. Tepper, who took over the team during the 2018 offseason, has given his head coach a relatively long leash rather than make wholesale changes upon his arrival. Another year of meaningless December games could be all he needs to see to install his own choice at the top of the team’s decision-making flowchart.

[junker-town]

Doug Pederson stayed aggressive to stay ahead of Bill Belichick

MINNEAPOLIS –- Doug Pederson said he trusted his players. He trusted his coaches. He trusted his instincts.

It is the instincts part, the gall, the gumption, his foot-on-throat approach that led to the Philadelphia Eagles first Super Bowl championship. This Eagles 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots here on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium was all about their head coach oozing sass beneath their wings. The Eagles certainly flew and Pederson made sure they glided boldly while pillaging the Patriots.

“We beat a dynastic team today,” said Eagles defensive end Chris Long, who won it all with the Eagles after doing the same with the Patriots last season. “It takes a lot to dethrone them. There’s too much that went on and we couldn’t be stopped.”

Pederson ignited it.

He preached to his team all year that an individual can make a difference but a team can make a miracle.

Knocking off the Patriots in this game for these high stakes can qualify as a miracle. The Patriots were big favorites. They sought their third title in four seasons. They were the team and franchise that entered with the miracles, the magic.

But Pederson kept infusing his team with confident, audacious offensive play calls that rocked the Patriots. New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and all of his defensive players looked stunned and dazed after their defensive debacle, one where they were scorched for points in every quarter. One where they allowed 373 passing yards to the game’s MVP, quarterback Nick Foles. One where they were crunched for 164 rushing yards, 25 first downs and two Eagles fourth-down conversions.

It was the first of those fourth-down conversions that changed everything about this game.

On fourth-and-one at the New England 1 with 38 seconds left before halftime, Pederson rattled the Patriots. New England had just scored, it was Eagles up 15-12 and the Patriots were set to gain the second half kickoff. But Pederson on fourth-and-1 before the half chose gall, gumption and foot-on-throat. His dazzle, trick-play call wound up with Foles catching a touchdown pass. Eagles up 22-12 at halftime.

The trick play was called “Philly Special.”

The Eagles say they had been practicing it for three weeks. They said they were planning to use it in the NFC championship game but blew out the Minnesota Vikings so badly that it was not needed. They saved it for this moment.

“That’s about the best we’ve ever run it, better than in practice,” Pederson said. “They executed it brilliantly.”

It was the moment where the Eagles showed the Patriots that this game would not be played on the Patriots’ terms. This was the moment where the Eagles were not only able to keep the Patriots off-balance but also spread doubt among them.

“They played a competitive game,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said, obviously impressed with the Eagles’ moxie.

“We never really got control of the game,” Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said, despite throwing for a Super Bowl record 505 yards.

The Patriots led only once, 33-32 with 9:22 left. But right afterward the Eagles drove 75 yards to reclaim the lead on a Foles to tight end Zach Ertz winning 11-yard touchdown pass.

In that drive, the Eagles arrogantly converted another fourth-down play – a fourth-and-1 pass from their own 45-yard line from Foles to Ertz for 2 yards.

That one was gravy. The first fourth-and-1 before halftime was the elixir.

The Patriots defense never recovered from it.

“It is a really difficult play,” Patricia said of the one before halftime. “It is an awareness play in that situation. Obviously, a little bit of trickery there. Great schemed-up play. Those are things that our alert board didn’t expect in this type of game when you have two weeks to prepare.”

You hear that?

The Patriots just got outcoached. And admitted it.

They just trashed their own mantra of ballyhooed “situational” football.

They would have been more prepared to stop the play and maybe stop the Eagles more effectively all night long had starting cornerback Malcolm Butler been in the game. But Belichick decided to bench him. The Patriots laughably tried to talk about packages and schemes and how reserve Eric Rowe was a better fit in this game than Butler. It was complete nonsense.

Rowe was asked did he know he would be starting?

“It wasn’t official until kickoff,” he said.

He added later, about Butler, “….I feel for him.”

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore added: “He’s (Butler) a great player. He could have helped us. I don’t know.”

So, the Patriots started the game with confusion and then Pederson piled on more, knocking them woozy, giving Foles and the offense freedom to play fast and loose.

That was amply set up the final stroke, defensive end Brandon Graham’s inside rush and strip sack of Brady and the Eagles recovery in the final seconds. It sealed the victory. It was the only sack of Brady all night in his 48 pass attempts.

The Patriots lost receiver Brandin Cooks early when Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins knocked him out. No Cooks. No Butler. No defense. No repeat.

No, this was the Eagles night to fly. This was their chance to do to the Patriots what they routinely do to others. And do it with gall, gumption, with foot-on-throat.

“I think the Patriots got a taste tonight of what it feels like to be under constant pressure,” Graham said. “To feel the weight of a game. To have to play sideways. To play with a team constantly in your face and breathing on your neck. I don’t think they like that. They’re used to controlling things. They’re used to things being a lot more comfortable.”

Not tonight.

Not after this Super Bowl of perfect Eagles nerve.

And guts.

[junker-town]

The good, bad, and unrealistic coaching candidates for the New York Giants

Ben McAdoo’s out in New York, so where should the Giants look next?

The New York Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo on Monday morning after a 2-10 start in his second season in charge.

This came as no surprise. While the Browns have been the NFL’s worst team, the Giants have been the most embarrassing — and it’s not close. Some of that was beyond McAdoo’s control — like season-ending injuries to Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall — but some of it was his fault, like how he handled the benching of Eli Manning for Geno Smith.

The Giants will have Steve Spagnuolo take over in the interim and they have already said he’s candidate to fill the position moving forward. However, assuming they’ll have a high draft pick in a big market, the job could be quite attractive to prospective candidates.

Here are our suggestions for the Giants, if they’re looking for help. Based on how their season has gone, they could certainly use it.

Hire one of these guys

Teryl Austin

The current Lions defensive coordinator has been one of the hottest candidates around for head coach vacancies over the past few seasons. Austin has a reputation for connecting with his players. That’s something the Giants need after the “relationally challenged” McAdoo.

John DiFilippo

Doug Pederson is in the discussion for Coach of the Year honors, but DiFilippo is the man behind this MVP-caliber season for Carson Wentz. He’s young and only has one season of experience as an offensive coordinator. But hiring a young head coach with limited coordinator experience worked out fine for the Rams with Sean McVay. It might be worth a shot for the Giants, too.

Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels’ name brought up in a coaching search? It must be December. At this point, it’s really up to whether or not he wants to be a head coach again. Things didn’t work out well with his first try in Denver, and how he’s got a cushy job back as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. But ... how much longer he wants to take ass-chewings from Tom Brady.

Matt Patricia

This guy wasn’t such a hot name for the coaching carousel when the Patriots defense got torched over the first few weeks of the season. But they haven’t allowed more than 17 points over their last eight games, and now he will be. He’s got experience coaching everything from the offensive line to coordinating the defense, which would help him transition to a head coach’s mindset.

Stay away

Jeff Fisher

OK sure, a 7-9 season is better than a 2-10 one. But look no further than the development of Jared Goff and Case Keenum into viable NFL starters now that they’re free of Fisher. That alone is proof that nobody needs to hire him for any head coaching job ever again.

Mike Smith

The guy with the most boring name in the NFL is also one of the least inspiring candidates for the Giants job. The Giants interviewed the current Bucs defensive coordinator (and former Falcons coach) last time around and settled on McAdoo. They should pass this time, too.

Steve Spagnuolo

The Giants have already said that Spagnulo will be a candidate for the full-time gig.

McAdoo’s record as a head coach: 13-15.

Spagnuolo’s record over three seasons as the Rams head coach: 10-38.

This is a bad idea.

Not gonna happen

Jon Gruden

Stop dreaming and going to incredible lengths for GRUMORS.

Nick Saban

Over a decade ago, Saban tried and failed at the NFL game with the Miami Dolphins. He’s got a dynasty in Tuscaloosa with Alabama, and his team makes the College Football Playoff no matter what. He’d be an intriguing hire, but it’s not happening.

David Shaw

Every year, some team tries to hire Shaw away from Stanford.

So... David Shaw to the Giants? I like it. He's done about all he can at Stanford.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 4, 2017

But every year Shaw turns down interviews. He’d probably be a good addition to the NFL ranks, but he doesn’t seem terribly interested.

Jim Harbaugh

He may not want to leave Michigan, his alma mater. But Harbaugh’s record at the pro level warrants serious consideration. He finished his four seasons with the 49ers with a 44-19-1 record, three straight postseason appearances, and a Super Bowl bid.

Too bad it’s not happening.

[junker-town]

12 stats that tell us everything that happened in NFL Week 9

We promise, there’s no real math involved.

Not many words are needed to tell the story of Week 9 in the NFL — it can be summed up with some fists and a few numbers. Fiiiiiights were the big theme this week, but there was more than that. We got to see explosive offenses, apathetic defenses, and career days from a couple veterans.

Now that we’re past the halfway point of the 2017 season, we’re starting to get an idea — albeit, still a fuzzy one — of which teams will be playing in January. The Eagles and Rams won big with 51-point showings and look like contenders. The 49ers are the first team this year to 0-9, but probably because the Browns had a bye.

If you’re starting to get Algebra II-type of anxiety, don’t worry: There’s no real math involved. Here are the most interesting stats and numbers from Week 9.

1

Mike Evans was the only player suspended after there were three fights on Sunday that resulted in five ejections.

Here was Evans, drilling the Saints’ Marshon Lattimore after Jameis Winston instigated him by poking him in the head.

Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Green sparked the first fight of the afternoon, which resulted in both players getting ejected. Later, 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, and Cardinals defenders Haason Reddick and Frostee Rucker were ejected for their own fight.

Everyone else probably faces a fine, at most. Evans, who somehow wasn’t ejected against the Saints, will now have to sit out next week.

1-2

Just over 18 months ago, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz heard their names called first, then second, in the 2016 NFL draft.

On Sunday, they made history:

Today is the 1st time QBs selected 1 & 2 overall in the same @NFL Draft each threw 4+ TD passes on the same day: @JaredGoff16 & @cj_wentz http://pic.twitter.com/DAg1RCApnm

— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) November 5, 2017

For Goff, the Rams’ 51-17 win over the Giants was a career day. He had never thrown four touchdowns in a game before then.

On the other hand, it’s a little old hat for MVP candidate Wentz. Sunday’s 51-23 win for the Eagles was the third time he’s tossed four touchdowns in a game this season, all within the last five weeks. He’s coming for you, Dan Marino.

31

No team is hotter than the Eagles right now. They’re an NFL-best 8-1 and have averaged 36 points over the last five weeks.

So it shouldn’t be shocking that they blew out an opponent. But the Broncos? 51 points against THAT defense?

The Eagles’ production in the first half alone was something we hadn’t seen in seven years against this D:

PHI 31, DEN 9 The @Eagles are the first team to score 30+ points in the 1st half vs the Broncos since the Raiders (38) in Week 7, 2010

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 5, 2017

The Broncos gave up 59 points to the Raiders in that 2010 loss, so at least it didn’t get THAT bad for them Sunday. But it was the defense’s ugliest game so far in a season that keeps getting worse:

It's not just a 4-game losing streak. Broncos have been outscored 41-3 in first quarter during skid. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) November 6, 2017

We don’t blame you if you think the Broncos have already thrown in the towel.

There’s good news and bad news for the Denver defense in the coming weeks. First the bad: Tom Brady and the league’s No. 1 offense come to town next Sunday. Now the good: the Bengals’ last-place offense visits the following week.

0

Has any free agent signing made a bigger impact than Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth? Jared Goff, who already had to endure several months with Jeff Fisher as his coach, also had to weather through a tragic offensive line that let him get sacked 26 times as a rookie — and that was only in SEVEN games. This offseason, the Rams made it a priority to protect Goff. Their biggest signing was 35-year-old Whitworth, who the Bengals let walk in free agency.

On Sunday, he made sure Goff didn’t even need to wash his jersey after the game (I mean, he SHOULD, but he didn’t HAVE to):

LT Andrew Whitworth allowed 0 pressures on 22 pass blocks.

— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) November 6, 2017

Whitworth (No. 77) also laid this huge block on third-and-33 to let Robert Woods take it 52 yards to the house:

What a difference a year makes: the 6-2 Rams have scored more points in 2017 than they did in 2016, and they still have eight more games remaining. And Goff? He’s has been sacked just 10 times.

33.3

Look, we all miss Deshaun Watson. Not only was he having a historic rookie season before his ACL injury, but he was arguably the most fun player to watch this season.

But no one misses him as much as DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. With Tom Savage at quarterback, the Texans receiving duo went from putting up 349 yards against the Legion of Boom last week to just 118 this week against the NFL’s second-worst passing defense.

After 6.5 games with Watson under center, Hopkins and Fuller were the NFL’s co-leaders in receiving touchdowns with seven apiece. This is what happened without him:

DeAndre Hopkins & Will Fuller V combined for 8 receptions on 24 targets. Their combined 33.3 reception pct was their lowest ever as a duo

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 6, 2017

The Texans also came into Week 9 with the NFL’s best scoring offense, averaging 30.7 points per game. The Watson-less offense scored a grand total of one touchdown against a Colts defense that was allowing 30.8 points per game. Unsurprisingly, Houston lost. If only there was a better quarterback out there for the team to sign ...

37

Adrian Peterson, who keeps fluctuating from “he’s back!” to “he’s washed!” on a weekly basis, was definitely BACK Sunday against the 49ers.

With Drew Stanton at quarterback, the Cardinals decided their best chance of winning was by giving their 32-year-old running back more carries than he’s ever had in his MVP-winning career.

And it worked. Peterson ran the ball a career-high 37 times for 159 yards, his best rushing total in two years. The Cardinals got back to .500 with a 20-10 win.

After the game, Peterson said that he felt “fresh,” despite having more carries in a game than any other running back over 30 has ever had:

No player over the age of 30 in @NFL history has had more carries in a game than @AdrianPeterson had today. How'd he feel? "Fresh." http://pic.twitter.com/KTjm8NAdKB

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 6, 2017

One stat noticeably missing from his line, however: a touchdown. Peterson, who is sitting at 99 career rushing yards, is still waiting to get that elusive 100 emoji.

+53

That’s Seattle’s net point differential for the second half of games this season. Most of that comes in the fourth quarter where they’ve outscored opponents 79-30. The hurry-up offense Russell Wilson and Co. used to such dramatic effect in last week’s win over the Texans works. Sometimes it’s not enough, like this week’s last-minute loss to Washington.

Here’s my question: if it works so well in the second half, why not give it a try in the first half and stay out of the dicey situations all together. Just a thought!

9

The 1-7 Giants are setting records, but not in a good way:

Giants have now allowed a TD to a TE in 9 consecutive games, an @NFL record.

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) November 5, 2017

They let tight end Tyler Higbee in the end zone for an 8-yard score in Sunday’s demoralizing loss to the Rams. It was Seattle’s Jimmy Graham in Week 7, and the Broncos’ Jeff Heuerman in Week 6. The only week in recent memory that the Giants haven’t allowed a touchdown pass to a tight end was in Week 8, which was the team’s bye.

The Giants take on the winless 49ers next week, and they’ll have George Kittle, Garrett Celek, and Cole Hikutini to contend with. Kittle and Celek have one score each this season. It’s a chance for the Giants to snap this streak — or an opportunity for the 49ers to take advantage of one of the Giants’ weaknesses and maybe finally get a win.

4

The Sean Payton and Drew Brees era of Saints football has been known for high-flying offense. An offense so good that it’s largely been able to overcome a defense that’s been, at best for the majority of the tenure, mediocre.

That’s starting to turn in 2017. First, there’s the rapidly improving secondary, boosted by a couple of rookies. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore, drafted No. 11 overall out of Ohio State, and second-round safety Marcus Williams have helped turned the pass defense from the worst in the league last season to No. 12 this season.

It would be irresponsible to mention any type of success on the Saints defense without bringing up Cam Jordan, who has been their best player on that side of the ball. The defensive end is on pace for a career year, with seven sacks, 14 QB hits, two forced fumbles, and a pick-six so far.

These improvements have paid off on the scoreboard too:

The Saints scored 3 total non-offensive touchdowns from 2013-16. They just returned a blocked punt for their 4th non-offensive TD of 2017.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 5, 2017

If the Saints can keep this up while the offense continues to cook, they’e going to be a tough out for anybody the rest of the season.

81

Jay Cutler, in his first game back from cracking a few ribs, had his best game by far this season on Sunday against the Raiders. Cutler completed 34 of 42 passes — or a smokin’ 81 percent completion rate, the highest number in any complete game of his career.

Cutler, who threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns, couldn’t lead the Dolphins to a win. They lost, 27-24, on Sunday night. But it wasn’t because of their 34-year-old quarterback, sore ribs and all.

82

For all the talk about how bad the Seahawks’ offensive line is, they can’t stop committing penalties.

They lead the NFL with 82, with the second-most in the NFL not even all that close to them:

Seattle now has 82 penalties, 9 more than anyone else in NFL. That's on pace for 164 which would shatter team record of 138 in 2011.

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) November 6, 2017

The worst part? They’re on pace to set a new record for most penalties in a season.

13

The Lions traveled to Lambeau Field and got a 30-17 victory over the Packers. It probably could’ve/should’ve been worse, but the 13-point win was the first victory for the Lions at Lambeau Field of more than 10 points in 35 years.

It was also just the second time Detroit has beat the Packers on the road since 1991. Even though Green Bay was without Aaron Rodgers, the Lions will take it.