What a failed turnaround by this franchise. The 2017 and 2018 drafts worked out really poorly for this team. Really looking like they'll never pass the torch to the young ones.
Huwebes, Marso 31, 2022
[Garafolo] Bruce Arians ends by thanking the press all over the country. Adds: "Florio, you can write what you want. It's OK."
https://twitter.com/mikegarafolo/status/1509581316605497354?s=21&t=Tgu3Ny2JLltzDl0leFr6rQ
2022 32 Teams/32 Days: Las Vegas Raiders
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Division: Thunderdome, aka the AFC West
Record: 10-7
Standing: 2nd in AFC West
Playoffs: 5th seed in AFC
Playoff Result: L 26-19 to Cincinnati Bengals
Outline:
- Prior to the 2021 Season
- Front Office Changes
- Free Agent Losses
- Free Agent Additions
- Draft Selections
- Season Review
- Season Stats
- The Offseason
- New Additions
- Front Office
- Players
- Free Agents Retained
- Key Departures
- 2022 Draft Picks
- New Additions
- 2022 Season Outlook
- Offense
- Defense
- Special Teams
- Summary
In The Comments:
- Weekly Game Highlights
- Free Agents TBD
- Remaining Needs
- Review of 2021 Draft Picks
- Position Group Summaries
Prior to the 2021 Season
2021 Front Office Changes
The 2021 offseason saw a change in defensive staff for the Raiders, as Paul Guenther was replaced as Defensive Coordinator. Gus Bradly came in to take his spot and hopefully improve on what was, frankly, a rather abysmal defense in 2020.
2021 Free Agent Losses
| Player | Position | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Agholar | WR | NE |
| Devontae Booker | RB | NYG |
| Takkarist McKinley | DE | CLE |
| Tyrell Williams | WR | DET |
| LaMarcus Joyner | FS | NYJ |
| Erik Harris | S | ATL |
| Raekwon McMillan | ILB | NE |
| Jeff Heath | SS | NO |
| Maurice Hurst | DT | SF |
| Arden Key | DE | SF |
| Rasul Douglas | CB | HOU |
| Daryl Worley | CB | ARI |
| Jeremiah Valoaga | DE | NYJ |
| Nevin Lawson | CB | JAC |
2021 Free Agent Additions
| Player | Postion | From | Years | $$ (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yannick Ngakoue | DE | BAL | 2 | $26 |
| Kenyan Drake | RB | ARI | 2 | $11 |
| John Brown | WR | BUF | 1 | $3.75 |
| K.J. Wright | OLB | SEA | 1 | $3.495 |
| Solomon Thomas | DE | SF | 1 | $3.25 |
| Quinton Jefferson | DT | BUF | 1 | $3.25 |
| Casey Hayward | CB | LAC | 1 | $2.5 |
2021 Draft Selections
| Round | Pick | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Alex Leatherwood | G/T |
| 2 | 43 | Tre'von Moehrig | S |
| 3 | 79 | Malcolm Koonce | DE |
| 3 | 80 | Divine Deablo | LB |
| 4 | 143 | Tyree Gillespie | S |
| 5 | 167 | Nate Hobbs | CB |
| 7 | 230 | Jimmy Morrissey | C |
Season Review
The season started hot for the Raiders, with a thrilling overtime victory against Baltimore on Monday Night Football. The Raiders would win two more, against Pittsburgh and again in overtime against Miami. Two overtime wins in the first three weeks, especially with the absolute insanity of the Baltimore game, apparently needed some cosmic balancing. The gods were happy to help level out the scales.
Shortly after dropping the week 4 game to the Chargers, it came out that Gruden had sent racist emails. Two days later, the Raiders lost their second in a row, this time to Chicago, and Gruden resigned the following day. A promising start to the season was screeched to a halt with two consecutive losses and an interim head coach in Rich Bisaccia.
The Raiders, however, rallied around the beloved, genuinely wonderful personality of Rich Bisaccia, picking off consecutive wins against Denver and Philly. The bye came at an excellent time for a troubled team. Sitting at 5-2, riding the two game win streak, the bye was the perfect opportunity to continue building morale, letting the team gel, and just having the time to process the sudden and shocking departure of Gruden. The gods, however, were determined to have their balance restored one last time.
And so it was, in the middle of the bye week, second year wide receiver Henry Ruggs III made the decision to drive drunk, and a young lady and her dog lost their lives as a result. Much can be written about the impact on and off the field, but it won’t compare to the impact made to her friends and family, so I won’t be writing any of it. Six days later, second-round pick and second-year corner, Damon Arnette, would flash a gun on IG live and make apparent threats. He would also be released.
The Raiders would go 1-5 over the next six games, their only win being another overtime victory, this time against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Digging deep and rallying around their cherished interim head coach, the Raiders finished strong, winning their final four games, including their fourth overtime win, this time against the Chargers. Securing a playoff spot with the 5th seed in the AFC, the Raiders had - somehow - overcome a wild, bizarre season and realized their goal of a playoff spot, albeit with an interim head coach and without their receiver that opened up the field.
The Raiders went on to lose the wildcard game against Cincinnati, 26-19. Fitting for the season, and honestly much of their history, a truly bizarre play and ruling was the deciding factor.
Actual Football Summary
The offense looked brilliant at times, and anemic at others. Team offense was 18th overall in the NFL, while the passing game was 6th. This looks impressive until you realize they were only effective outside of the red zone. The rushing game finished 28th in the league, largely due to a patchwork offensive line that saw rookie Alex Leatherwood shift from RT to RG, LG Richie Incognito spending the entire year on injured reserve, and center Andre James struggled hard early on.
Defensively, the Raiders finished 26th overall. Defensive passing was ranked 13th, while rushing was 19th overall. The Gus Bradley experiment was largely worthwhile, according to most fans, but any improvement was offset by having the worst red zone defense. There’s no hyperbole there - the red zone defense was atrocious.
While it was nice to see the Raiders back in the playoffs, there were many, many holes on both sides of the ball, and it was really the special teams that led the way.
Season Statistics
Offense
| Stat | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Total Offense | N/A | 18 |
| Passing Offense | N/A | 6 |
| Passing Yards | 4,567 | 6 |
| Passing Yards/play | 5.7 | 11 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 217 | 8 |
| Any\A | 6.6 | 13 |
| Rushing Offense | N/A | 28 |
| Rushing Yards\play | 3.9 | 28 |
| Rushing Yards\game | 95.1 | 28 |
Defense
| Stat | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Total Defense | N/A | 26 |
| Passing Defense | N/A | 13 |
| Passing Yards Allowed | 3,789 | 20 |
| Passing Yards\play | 6.6 | 28 |
| Any\A | 6.4 | 12 |
| Rushing Defense | N/A | 19 |
| Rushing Yards\play | 4.2 | 21 |
| Rushing Yards\game | 114.3 | 14 |
Enter The Off Season
What do you do with a team that - somehow, miraculously - makes the playoffs while rallying around an interim head coach? Apparently, the answer is change everything you possibly can.
Despite players actively, publicly advocating for Rich Bisaccia to remain as head coach, the Raiders brought in Josh McDaniels from New England. Frustrated with a plethora of day one draft picks not working out, Mark Davis let Mike Mayock seek other opportunities and brought in Dave Ziegler as General Manager. Gus Bradley was thanked for his leadership and player-friendly approach, and promptly replaced with Patrick Graham.
After locking up stud and defensive fan favorite Maxx Crosby, Raider Nation was hyped for free agency. Day one of free agency came and went without a whisper of anything for the Raiders. The new front office was apparently just tight-lipped, quickly splashing in on day two with Chandler Jones, trading Yannick Ngakoue for Rock Ya-Sin, and bringing in DT Bilal Nichols from the Bears to shore up a defensive interior and apply pressure up the middle.
And then the new front office made their commitment to Derek Carr known. Not with an expensive extension (that’s still coming), but in trading their first and second round picks to secure his college buddy and “brother”, Davante Adams.
New Additions Front Office
| Name | Role | Previous Team | Previous Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Ziegler | General Manager | New England | Director of Player Personnel |
| Josh McDaniels | Head Coach | New England | Offensive Coordinator |
| Patrick Graham | Defensive Coordinator | New York | Defensive Coordinator |
| Mick Lombardi | Offensive Coordinator | New England | Wide Receivers Coach |
| Tom McMahon | Special Teams Coordinator | Denver | Special Teams Coordinator |
New Additions - Players
| Player | Position | Previous Team | Expected Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler Jones | DE | ARI | Wilson’s worst nightmare |
| Davante Adams | WR | GB | Carr’s BFF |
| Rock Ya-Sin | CB | IND | Starting CB |
| Anthony Averett | CB | BAL | Depth, possibly compete for starting job |
| Bilal Nichols | DT | CHI | Starting DT |
| Brandon Bolden | RB | NE | 3rd down, depth RB |
| Mack Hollins | WR | MIA | ST / Depth WR |
| Ameer Abdullah | RB | CAR | Depth pass-catching RB |
| Darius Phillips | CB | CIN | Return specialist, Depth CB |
| Alex Bars | OG | CHI | Depth OL at G and T, may compete for RG if Leatherwood moves to RT |
| Jakob Johnson | FB | NE | Starting FB, mostly blocking, though some targets in the pass game |
| Demarcus Robinson | WR | KC | WR 3/4 |
| Vernon Butler | DT | BUF | Depth DT, may compete for starting job |
| Micah Kiser | ILB | DEN | ST, Depth LB |
| Jayon Brown | ILB | TEN | Likely depth LB |
Free Agents Retained
| Player | Position | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Parker | T | Raiders fans hate him, but he’s serviceable as a backup |
| Jermaine Eluemunor | G | Quality depth, maybe |
Key Departures
Player | Position | New Team | Impact Alec Ingold | FB | Dolphins | Quality character and status as a captain will be missed. Shouldn’t be a major loss in the new system. Zay Jones | WR | Jacksonville | Great guy, average WR. Indifferent. Nicholas Morrow | LB | Chicago | One of the best LBs on the roster, but missed last year with injuries. Potentially a notable loss. Marcus Mariota | QB | ATL | Always hurts to lose QB2 Casey Hayward | CB | ATL | A real stud Quinton Jefferson | DT | SEA | Indifferent Marquel Lee | ILB | BUF | Indifferent Keisean Nixon | CB | GB | Depth CB, indifferent Solomon Thomas | DT | NYJ | Quality character, solid depth
2022 Draft Picks
| Round | Pick | Overall | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 22 | To GB |
| 2 | 21 | 53 | To GB |
| 3 | 22 | 86 | |
| 4 | 21 | 126 | |
| 5 | 21 | 164 | From NE |
| 6 | 20 | 199 | To CAR |
| 7 | 6 | 227 | From CAR |
| 7 | 22 | 243 | To NE then KC |
2022 Season Outlook
Outlook Summary - Offense
While Raider Nation has consistently fought itself over where Derek Carr ranks, and while the press has had their annual “Derek Carr will be traded” for years now, the front office showed their commitment to DC4 by picking up Davante Adams. This offense has the potential to be explosive - overseen by Josh McDaniels, a system similar to what Carr ran in 2016 with Bill Musgrave, and weapons aplenty in Adams, Waller, Renfrow, and Josh Jacobs. Expect the offense to be effective and efficient, with significant gains in the red zone (literally the only direction to go) - if, of course, the OL can keep Carr clean.
Outlook Summary - Defense
Patrick Graham brings a much-needed breath of fresh air to a defensive unit that has struggled for longer than I want to admit, which is why I’m not looking up the last year the Raiders had a decent (or even average) defense. Ngakoue leaving was unexpected, but Chandler Jones is a definite improvement to play opposite Maxx Crosby. Add in interior pressure from Bilal Nichols, and the defensive line can give opposing quarterbacks nightmares. The secondary picked up a solid improvement in Rock Ya-Sin, and Anthony Averett is certainly a competent and capable backup if he can’t compete with a starting job. Expect the defense to be improved, even if there are struggles initially with a new system.
Outlook Summary - Special Teams
Two of the best kickers and now a ST specialist in Mack Hollins? Unstoppable. Daniel Carlson had a fantastic 2021. He was ST player of the week on multiple occasions, hit multiple game winners, and was an integral part of the Raiders' success in 2021. AJ Cole was a fantastic punter for the Raiders in 2021, earning a Pro Bowl nod and racking up a 50 yard average. Thankfully he can force a fumble, because this man has no intentions of punting next year. ST defense/coverage should also be improved, notably due to Mack Hollins and Micah Kiser.
Summary of 2022 Outlook
I would be doing an injustice to only forecast the team’s improvements without mentioning the arms race that is the AFC West. It’s easy enough to talk about playing Jacksonville, the now Watson-less Texans, a somewhat depleted Colts roster, or the Steelers with Trubisky at the helm. We can talk about matchups with the 49ers and Rams, or the Saints, Seahawks, and Titans. But at the end of the day, the AFC West is an arms race. I won’t pretend to predict standings, but I will go ahead and let you know that the vast majority of AFC West matchups in 2022 should be considered as much watch games. The Raiders have improved on a roster to be more competitive and push deeper into the playoffs. However, the road there faces 6 grueling games against 3 very competitive teams and rosters.
With just under $7M in cap space, the Raiders need to extend Carr for a little cap relief, and expect to get about $20M more post June 1. There’s still an opportunity for the Raiders to improve the roster, though it may be mainly through depth rather than proven starters. The cap situation in general is cause for a positive outlook, both for 2022 and future years. Cap flexibility is definitely needed to remain competitive in this division.
Poll: Which image should /r/nba draw on this year's /r/place canvas
The most popular suggestions from the previous thread were:
Please vote on which of these you would like /r/nba to draw on this year's /r/place canvas. I'll tally the results at 12AM ET.
Miyerkules, Marso 30, 2022
If LeBron James does not play in at least 3 of the Lakers' 7 remaining games, he will not be eligible for the scoring title.
As can be found on the "Statistical Minimums" section of the NBA's official website, players must play at least 70% of a season's games in order to be eligible for the scoring title.
In an 82-game season, that requires a minimum of 58 games played. LeBron has to this point played 55 games.
Additionally, as reported by Chris Haynes yesterday evening, LeBron is already anticipated to miss Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz.
This would leave him with just 6 games to both ensure his eligibility and maintain his .2 PPG lead over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.
Edit:
People are bringing up this exception:
The only exception to this rule will be if, at the end of the season, the player would have led the league in the category had he played the required number of games with his current category total.
For example, if Player A played 56 games and scored 1,590 points (28.4 ppg), Player A could still qualify for the league lead if his average (27.4) with that same point total (1,590) over 58 games was higher than any other player.
This would not apply to LeBron. His current point total (1,657) divided by 58 would leave him at just 28.6 PPG, well below a league-leading rate.
Taking into account Giannis and Embiid's current averages, LeBron would need to play 3 games and average at least 27PPG in those 3 games in order to finish the season in first.
[Kleiman]: The #Browns initially wanted at least a 2nd rounder and more for Baker Mayfield while refusing to take on any of the money on his contract.
https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1509197313201537024
Giannis is currently shooting 42.1% from midrange this year. That's the same as Kyrie Irving and better than: Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell, Luke Kennard, Klay Thompson, Tyler Herro, Kristaps Porzingis, Zach Lavine, and most of the league.
Giannis is currently shooting 42.1% from midrange this year.
Giannis may never develop a 3 point shot, but he's become more than passable from the midrange- he's actually a good midrange shooter. Guarding him is going to become even tougher than before.
r/nba Poll: Who is your NBA Sixth Man of the Year?
This one should be pretty easy, Tyler Herro is a heavy favorite for this award. But I still gotta ask this
r/nba who is your NBA Sixth Man of the Year for 2021-22 season?
Here are links to BBref pages to season stats of the top 5 contenders for this award:
Giannis has the possibility of winning DPOY and the scoring title, but he probably won’t win the MVP this year.
Currently, Giannis and Embiid are tied at #2 in the NBA in scoring, at 29.9 ppg. LeBron leads at 30.1 ppg, but he could miss the rest of the season, thus disqualifying him from the scoring title. Giannis is currently averaging 29.9/11.6/5.8/1.0/1.5 on 63.2 TS%, while being arguably, the best defender in the game.
Giannis is the current favorite to win DPOY in Kia’s DPOY ladder.
As we saw last night against the 76ers, how valuable Giannis’ 2 way impact is. There is a good chance that Giannis wins both, the scoring title and DPOY, but misses out on MVP. How can someone lead in the 2 most important things in the game (defense and scoring), but not be the MVP of that season?
Giannis has only received NINE first place votes from the last straw poll of the year. It is safe to say, Giannis won’t be winning MVP this year. The voters have exhiled him from MVP voting, much like they did last year. Last year, the voters punished Giannis with him finishing 4th in MVP voting.
Last year, Steph finished above Giannis in MVP voting, but Steph finished below Embiid in MVP voting. Why did Steph finish above a guy who posted 28.1/11.1/6 on a 46-26 team who played 61 games, but Steph was voted below a guy who posted 28.5/10.8/2.8 on a 49-23 team who played 51 games? It makes zero sense, especially considering Steph missed the playoffs in the play in games, despite posting absurd stats. The voters punished Giannis with egregious voter fatigue last year, and they are disrespecting him this year pretty hard.
The fact that the voters this year, have done this to Giannis 2 years in a row, is kind of BS. I am not saying Giannis should have won last year. Jokić deserved it. But he should have finished 2nd last year, and he should be right there with Embiid and Jokić in this years race. The fact the voters think Jokić is the runaway MVP, with Embiid being a clear runner up over Giannis, is robbery. Jokić and Embiid are having great years this year, but the voters are acting like Giannis isn’t even in their stratosphere this year, which is just silly.
32 Teams/32 Days: New England Patriots 2021
LINK TO 32/32 HUB
LINK TO LAST YEAR'S 32/32 PATS
32 Teams in 32 Days; 2021 NFL Season
Team: New England Patriots
Record: 10-7, Second in AFC East
Playoffs: Yes
Did I Enjoy Playoffs: No
Season Metaphor: Imagine getting a new puppy as a pet. There are some early teething and house training problems, but pretty soon you have a really happy time with a wonderful puppy and life is great. But then the puppy gets sick and everything is much less great, the vet costs are expensive, and you need to wait for the pup to get better before you can play with it again. That is what the 2021 Patriots season was.
Hello one and all, and welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days for the New England Patriots. This past year was a fresh start for the Patriots and brought A New Hope for New England football fans (alternate title: The Empire Strikes Back) and mild indigestion for fans of the other teams. For the record, I do not have any pets and have never had a sick puppy. Neither am I calling Mac Jones a dog, though he did bark at snowfall.
I am Bluethingamajig, taking part in writing this thing for the fourth straight year, and first year as lead writer. I am joined by a bevy of co-writers: u/ecupatsfan12, u/Shadow5ive, u/That_guy381, and u/fat-lip-lover. I would also like to acknowledge and thank u/Enterprise90 and u/arbrown83, the writers who let me share my thoughts with a pseudo-captive audience over the past three years, as well as 32/32 organizer u/ehhhhhhhhhhmacarena who really should consider having fewer H's. Finally, I want to give a shout-out to u/O_the_Scientist who writes the Patriots offseason review here on reddit which are absolutely fantastic reads and I highly recommend them. Without any further ado, let us begin this recap.
Directory
Main Post:
THE STORY OF 2021
HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS, from all writers
ROSTER CHANGES by ecupatsfan12
DRAFT REVIEW by Shadow5ive.
SEASON STATISTICS, by fat-lip-lover
Separate Comments:
GAME RECAPS, by That_Guy381 and fat-lip-lover
ROSTER REVIEW, by Shadow5ive
COACHING STAFF REVIEW, by ecupatsfan12
NEWSWORTHY: On Josh McDaniels, Tom Brady, and more
FINAL THOUGHTS + A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
The Story of the 2021 NFL Season, Patriots Edition
This season was a major departure from the past two decades of Patriots football. Usually, the stories are about what happened during the season. For the Patriots this past year, it was what happened in the offseason. New faces all over the roster, Bill laughing, and swirling questions about the old guard’s potential to retire. But I am getting ahead of myself. To properly tell this story, we must start in the jurisdiction of TheFencingCoach. Let us roll back the clock to the previous season... (insert ripple vfx here)
Super Bowl Sunday. February 7th, 2021.
Patriots fans have slowly digested their first losing season since the year 2000. Antoine Winfield Jr. flashes a peace sign at Tyreek Hill after a fourth down pass breakup. Tom Brady, this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, claims his seventh Lombardi Trophy. We Patriots fans, clad in our yellow wolverine costumes, are torn between celebrating vicariously and weeping in dismay that our depleted roster lacked the talent to win once more with Tom.
This is of course rhetorical hyperbole and not an actual accounting of Patriots fans (probably), but the underlying sentiment remains. We (most of us, anyway) enjoyed watching Tom win once more and worried about the talent on the roster. No team should be happy with 7-9. Perhaps a bad team could be 'pleased with the progress' of going 7-9, but that is not the same as being happy. Things needed to change.
The Offseason Begins
Good drafting is the only way to sustain success in the NFL (axiomatically, Belichick is good at drafting. Yes, really, he is). Teams can ride a great draft or two to successful seasons and even a Superbowl, but those teams will fade back to mediocrity without further draft hits. In the past few years, the Patriots' drafts came up short. Consequently, the Patriots had tons of salary cap space to make bold plays in free agency. Linebackers, Tight Ends, and more hit the headlines for New England. The only missing piece is quarterback. Be sure to check out the full Offseason Roster Changes from ecupatsfan12 and Shadow5ive down below.
Cam Copium and The Mac Attack
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton was not a good quarterback in 2020. I defended him and his 2020 performance. I still do so now. Not because he was a great (or even good) QB, but because many parts of his game were good enough. His positive enthusiasm and leadership, his slick threads, great legs, and a statistically above-average downfield passing (if only we had receivers downfield to throw it to) were all highlights of his 2020 campaign. Also, his salary cap hit was tiny. In contrast, you could be a fan of a team spending far more on QBs and getting even less. You know which teams I am referring to.
Cam's weaknesses in 2020 were a horrendous lack of touch on short passes (notoriously spiking many of them in the dirt), bad pocket movement, and a dreadfully slow, low angle pass delivery resulting in many passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Nevertheless, when Cam begins the season with a win against Miami, a outstanding performance against the Seahawks, and follows up with a nasty bout with COVID, it's easy to understand why many Patriots fans including myself explained away his struggles and were relatively content with Cam in 2020.
Enter, however, one Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones. The first time the Patriots have drafted a QB in the first round since Drew Bledsoe and we did not even need to trade up to secure him. The expectation was that Cam would be a bridge quarterback for some or all of the year while the coaching staff determined if and when Mac would be ready for the NFL.
Training Camp and Preseason
All eyes are on the quarterback battle between Cam Newton and Mac Jones. Mac, playing with and against the second teams, is putting up better statistics than Cam. As a conventional pocket passer, Mac is showing the same qualities he had at Alabama: decision making, finesse, and accuracy. Cam, for his part, has appeared to improve on the areas he was worst at in 2020: movement in the pocket, finesse on short passes and checkdowns, and just a bit better in footwork (particularly on short passes). Stidham and Hoyer also exist, but we already knew that neither would be the starter.
Mac not only demonstrated he was an NFL capable quarterback, his play also convinced McDaniels and Belichick that the Patriots would be best off if he were the starter. Subsequently, they decided to cut Cam Newton from the roster. I was genuinely shocked. I thought that, even if Mac earned the starting job, Cam could still be a great contributor to the team.
With the benefit of hindsight, I was on the Cam Copium. Although I still believe he was a decent quarterback in 2020, he obviously was not the future for New England. Once Mac demonstrated he was the QB, Bill and Josh decided it would be best to give as many resources to Mac as possible and not let Cam distract their gameplanning. I still believe that, had Cam started the first stretch of the season, we could have won one or two more of the games. However, this hypothetical could have a negative knock-on effect hurting Mac Jones' development and long term success.
The Regular Season Starts
Finally, the regular season begins with Mac in charge and a re-energized Patriots fanbase. I will not comment here and risk diminishing the game recaps and other sections (find them below). I shall instead pass it off to my co-writers to tell us what happened during the season. Enjoy the read (or don’t, I’m not your boss).
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS
Much like most normal NFL teams, the Patriots experienced a fair share of good and bad in the season. Here's what my co-writers and I had to say about things.
Highlights
Bluethingamajig: By chance alone, Jakobi Meyers should have been able to find the end zone a couple times in his career. However, through most of the year, he had more career passing touchdowns (2) than receiving touchdowns (0). He demolished the NFL record for scrimmage yards without scoring a touchdown. But he finally broke through on a garbage time score against the Browns and ended the year with a career best…two TDs for the year. Winning the game was nice, too.
Shadow5ive: Looking at season highlights, I think the game that really epitomized 2021 was the win against the Bills. 14-10, we won the windiest game ever played in NFL history (or one of). We had THREE pass attempts. THREE. AND WE WON. The team ran the freaking ball all day, every down, and steamrolled the Bills. Our defense stepped up, our QB had BEAUTIFUL handoffs, and we hit everything that moved. On offense, I think Jakob Johnson hit a linebacker on 75% of his snaps.
ecupatsfan: Beating a very good Chargers team in LA and dismantling the Jets (sorry) and Browns in statement games that we were back in the map of big players in the NFL.
That_guy381: I swear, nothing makes me happier than running over and dropping a 50 burger on the Jets. This year, however, was extra special due to the fact that both teams were running with rookie quarterbacks. It was vindicating to watch our boy, Mac Jones, out play Zach Wilson even more the second time around.
fat-lip-lover: It might not be a single moment/game, but just the fact that we landed a decent rookie quarterback who got thrown immediately into the fire, kept him healthy and gave him a middle of the road supporting cast, and he ended the season as a top 15 quarterback and leading us to the first non-Brady playoff appearance since the 90s, is absolutely my point of light and hope for the future.
arbrown83: In a pass-first, misdirection-led league, the Patriots were borderline disrespectful when they traveled to Buffalo and ran the ball on all but 3 of their offensive plays in the win against the division leading Bills. To me, this was Bill Belichick showing that he can still win games without Tom Brady at the helm.
enterprise90: Week 4 against Brady and the Bucs: One of the most emotional and anticipated games in NFL history, in my opinion, was seeing Tom Brady in Buccaneer red and white visiting Gillette Stadium where he for two decades wore Pat Patriot on the side of his helmet. The Patriots lost the game, but I don’t think there were many who predicted the team would rise to the occasion and make it a close loss. Mac Jones stepped up and the team stepped up at a moment where everyone expected them to fold and get trounced. Brady and Belichick dueled for the first and perhaps last time, and it was the chess match people always expected it would be. I can only speak for myself, but it felt like after the game that whatever differences Brady and the Patriots had were settled and the two sides could finally be at peace.
Analysis: A lot of things to be happy about this season if you were a Patriots fan.
Lowlights
Bluethingamajig: Week 14. The bye week. There was no catastrophic injury or other cause for concern during the bye. For some reason though, the team seemed to forget how to play football. In the weeks afterwards, we saw defenders flub assignments, receivers collide with each other, and as many turnovers as the team’s sloppy season start. All these punctuated a 1-4 finish.
Shadow5ive: 47-17. Maybe, just maybe, if the Bills didn’t have a perfect game I'd be a little better off. Or, if maybe it was another team. This one stung.
ecupatsfan: 47-17. Nothing to say more than that.
That_guy381: As much as I want to say the wildcard game, I have to say the first loss to Buffalo. We had them right where we wanted them. At home. Already a game ahead. We could have essentially put away the division right there, and had a good shot at the first round bye. But we blew it, and the team never looked the same outside of a drubbing given the next week to the lowly Jaguars.
fat-lip-lover: The season being bookended by a sweep from the Dolphins. I personally seeth way worse than normal to a Dolphins loss, so two of them really busted my bunker this year.
arbrown83: The other two games against the Bills. Losing in a playoff game where the defense couldn't force a punt was a strange sight to see -- not only for this season where the defense was the strength of this team, but it's rare to see a Belichick defense outmatched in such a way. A tough way to end the season for sure.
enterprise90: The bye week blues: An impressive seven-game winning streak came to an end against the Indianapolis Colts, the first time the Patriots have lost to the Colts since 2009. From then, the team went on to lose three out of its next four, including a playoff demolition against the Bills. In each loss, the Patriots were down multiple possessions by halftime and could never get back in the game. December was one of the months you could count on Brady and the Patriots to seal the deal, but Jones and the rest of the team has learning to do. Winning must be learned; it’s not just a matter of talent and coaching. The seven-game streak looks far less impressive when the Patriots couldn’t capitalize on the momentum.
Analysis: Congratulations, Buffalo. In addition to winning the division, Patriots fans largely agree that two of the three games against you this year were the worst parts of the year.
ROSTER CHANGES
Written by ecupatsfan12 After a lackluster 2020 season by Patriot standards- Billy B opened up the pockets in free agency in 2021 signing numerous players to multi year deals to rebuild the team that was starting to falter after Brady’s final year in New England.
9-Matthew Judon-OLB (age 30)- Judon signed a 4 year 56 million dollar contract with New England in the spring of 2021 after departing from Baltimore. Judon was a menace the first half of the season from his 3-4 end spot, although cooling down towards the end of the year. Judon finished 2021 with 60 tackles and 12.5 sacks, a career high. Look for Judon to build off of his excellent 2021 in a dominating 2022. 2022 PROJ-65 tackles for 10 sacks, 1 INT.
84-Kendrick Bourne-WR (age 27)- Kendrick signed in March 2021 with the Patriots after four seasons in San Francisco for 3 years and 15 million. Bourne alternated with Jakobi Meyers as the X possession “big body” receiver for the Patriots. Bourne had an instant connection with Mac Jones-tying a career high in touchdown grabs and setting a career high in receptions going 55 for 800 yards and 5 TD grabs. A team leader and fan favorite- look for Bourne to slightly improve off a fantastic 2021. 2022 PROJ- 60 for 843 yards with 6 TDs.
15-Nelson Agholor-WR (age 29)- After coming off five hot and cold seasons in Philadelphia where he helped the Eagles win a Lombardi, and lowlights of drop issues and being the butt of orphanage fire jokes, Agholor signed with New England after a solid 2020 campaign in Las Vegas for two years 26 million. Agholor primarily played Z receiver for the Patriots. Nelson’s 2021 season was underwhelming and further aligned with his inconsistent play losing play time to Jakobi Meyers. Agholor showed flashes of promise and speed, yet was plagued with drop issues in 2021 going 37 receptions for 473 yards and 3 TDs. 2022 is a make or break year for Agholor not just in NE but in the NFL. I see an increase in productivity but muted slightly by the almost certain additions to the Patriots receiving corps. Despite this, I would bet against Nelson being re-signed after 2022. 2022 PROJ-45 for 590 with 5 TDs.
85-Hunter Henry-TE-(age 29)- Coming off of five promising seasons with the Chargers despite a rash of injuries, Henry signed a three year 37 million dollar deal with the Patriots in March of 2021. Teamed with Jonnu Smith- the duo looked poised to be the greatest TE duo New England has had since Gronk and a TE who shall not be named. Despite Smith struggling massively his first year, Henry was a reliable and durable security blanket for MJ10-compiling 50 receptions for 603 yards and 9 TDs. I see Henry finishing his career as a Patriot and putting together another solid season in 2022. 2022 PROJ- 53 catches for 582 yards, 6 TDs.
81-Jonnu Smith- TE (age 27). After four seasons filled with promise in Tennessee- Smith signed a colossal 4 year 50 million dollar deal with the Patriots. Smith was projected to play more as a move TE and swiss army knife playing all over the field and allowing Bill to run his beloved 12 personnel. Smith’s 2021 in New England was a major disappointment, as he struggled to learn the playbook and lost time as the move TE to everyone's favorite draft bust-N’keal Harry. Smith mustered a meager 28 catches for 294 yards with a single score in addition to nine rushes for 40 yards. 2022 will be a big jump up for Smith and he will get back to his old self. 2022 Proj- 43 catches for 420 yards. 4 TDs. 11 rushes for 45 yards- 1 TD.
92-Davon Godchaux-(age 29). After four seasons with the Miami Dolphins- Godchaux came over to the Dark Side in 2021 signing a 2 year 15 million dollar contract. Godchaux was a force in the interior of the LOS compiling 32 solo tackles with 2 TFLs and 1 sack. Look for Godchaux to team with Christian Barmore in the middle for another outstanding 2022 and resign with New England. 2022 projection-30 tackles with 3 TFLs, 2 sacks.
2-Jalen Mills-(age 28)-Jalen came over from the Philadelphia Eagles after five seasons with the Eagles in the spring of 2021-signing a four year deal worth 24 million with the Patriots. Jalen played all over the defensive backfield, totaling 35 solo tackles with 12 assists with a sole TFL. Despite having no interceptions- he did have 7 passes defensed. Look for Jalen to be slightly more active this year. 2022 proj-40 tackles with 13 assists, 10 passes defensed, 1 INT.
53-Kyle Van Noy-age 31-After a sole year with the Miami Dolphins- Kyle came back home to New England signing a 2 year deal in early March. This will be Kyle’s sixth year with the Patriots, where he is a jack of all trades defensive player and fan favorite. After ten years in the NFL-expect Van Noy to be productive, but don’t be surprised if he retires after the 2022 season. 2022 Proj-42 tackles with 16 assists, 2 forced fumbles, 4 sacks.
Departures
OT-Marcus Cannon-After a decade in New England and a stalwart on the Patriot lines, Marcus was traded to the fighting Jack Easterbys in 2021. Cannon’s stint with the Texans was marred by a season ending injury in mid October.
OG-Joe Thuney- After five seasons with the Patriots, Thuney signed a massive five year 80 million dollar contract to protect Football Jesus aka Patrick Mahomes in 2021. Thuney had a great year with the Chiefs but lost in the AFC title game to an upstart Joe Burrow led Bengals team.
DT Adam Butler- After four seasons in New England, this defensive linemen signed a two year deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2021.
*WR Damiere Byrd- * Despite a very productive year in New England in 2020 in which he set career highs in receptions and yards-Byrd was not retained by the Patriots. He signed with the Bears for the 2021 season and he tallied a meager 329 yards on 26 catches with a lone TD catch.
DB Stephon Gilmore- Despite a fabulous run with the Patriots, Gilmore was traded in the middle of the season to the Carolina Panthers for cap relief purposes-a tactic us Patriot fans are well used to. Gilmore was a fan favorite with the Patriots and was a borderline DPOY candidate over a couple of seasons. We greatly miss him but appreciate his efforts and look for him to have a bounce back year with his hometown team.
2021 Patriots Draft
Written by Shadow5ive
Round 1, Pick 15: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Round 2, Pick 38: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
Round 3, Pick 96: Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma
Round 4, Pick 120: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma
Round 5, Pick 177: Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
Round 6, Pick 188: Joshuah Bledsoe, S, Missouri
Round 6: Pick 197: William Sherman, OT, Colorado
Round 7: Pick 242: Tre Nixon, WR, UCF
Round 1, Pick 15: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Mac Jones was supposed to be a top-three pick. No one saw him sliding past the 49’ers who ultimately took Trey Lance. However, he did. The fact that the Patriots sacrificed NOTHING to move up and get him, like it was anticipated they would need to do, was mind blowing. It also led to them picking others (detailed below) who are cornerstones on this team.
Mac Jones, coming out of college, was touted as a very pro-ready prospect. He led a very successful offense in college at Alabama. His draft profile showed great alignment to what the Patriots value;
- Won’t take unnecessary chances
- Very confident with placement throws
- Feel in the pocket to avoid pressure
- Perfect placement
- Throwing players open
- Ability to throw above linebackers with touch
- Willing to get rid of the ball instead of making a mistake
Sound familiar to another successful Patriots QB?
Some of the knocks on him were around his body type, arm strength, grit, and poise.
He answered the challenge; 3,801 yards, 22 TD’s, 11 INT’s, 67.6% completion rating. He has room to grow but the things we saw on the field in 2021 give us reason to be excited.
Round 2, Pick 38: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
Oh, hey, another Alabama draft pick. I joke - but, seeing Barmore slide to 38 was astonishing. His draft profile said it all; “Attack oriented…violent hands….talent”. Explosive first steps, great technique, instinctive… Barmore can do it all. The team and fans were very excited to draft him and he proved us all right with his first year on the field.
This man was considered the consensus best, or 2nd best, DT in the draft and fell due to some “sources” saying he lacked intelligence and was a wildcard. To be, this was ridiculous. He said the right things in the media, did not get in trouble, and was a professional his entire first year. Their loss, our gain.
46 tackles, (23 solo, 23 ast), and 1.5 sacks don’t tell the full story. Barmore was a force on the field. Him and Judon terrorized opponent running backs and QB’s.
His future is bright and the fact that we could draft him and Jones, two first rounders, were key to this draft.
Round 3, Pick 96: Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma
If we pretend we drafted Rhamondre Stevenson with this pick, you could argue that our first three draft picks were 100/100, A+. But, that’s not the truth.
Ronnie Perkins had concerns in college, especially with a failed drug test. He was inactive for 13 games and put on IR in December.
His draft profile is mixed; with some amazed at his quick production in little games, others worried he is just an “average” athlete with a great motor. I argue that motor > talent at this point in the draft, but I'm a guy at home…not an NFL scout.
The future could be bright for Perkins in 2022, but that is all speculation. The tools are there, the training is there, and the Patriots famously said the jump from year one to year two is the biggest indication of a player's future.
Round 4, Pick 120: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma
Rhamondre Stevenson. What a guy. 6’0, 235, “wrecking ball of a runner who tends to be all fight and no flight between the hash marks,” according to his draft profile. It then goes on to remark “willful and belligerent running style”. Yeah, we saw that throughout 2021.
Rhamondre + Damien Harris were a force to be reckoned with throughout the season. 133 carries, 606 yards, 5 touchdowns as a runner. 14 catches (18 targets) and 123 yard receiving complemented that rushing attack nicely.
He says the right things, has a great attitude, and is a violent runner. He is also pretty shifty, and it will be nice to see how he develops from year one to year two.
Round 5, Pick 177: Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
The jury is out on Cameron McGrone who did not play at all - still recovering from a torn ACL in 2020. His draft profile discusses his strengths; that he can play well, and weaknesses that deal with narrow vision, and little game action.
With our exodus of linebacker talent, and a huge need to improve at this position, Cameron can’t really be a downgrade from our latter-half 2021 LB corps.
Round 6, Pick 188: Joshuah Bledsoe, S, Missouri
“Burned for too many touchdowns” is not the ideal draft profile of your next starting safety. Joshuah missed the whole season so the tape is out on him. The safety in the Patriot’s system is crucial; they need to keep the action in front of them. With Dugger, McCourty, and even Miles Bryant on the roster? I don’t see Joshuah making an impact.
Round 6: Pick 197: William Sherman, OT, Colorado
Drafted and waived and put on the practice squad - Will is not a factor for 2022.
Round 7: Pick 242: Tre Nixon, WR, UCF
The Ernie Adams pick. I wish I could say he was a stud but he is a practice squad player.
SEASON STATISTICS
Written fat-lip-lover
OFFENSIVE STATS
After last season's offensive struggles, it seemed only fitting that there would be some bounce back progression, with multiple players having another season under their belts, no big names lost due to COVID, a certain rush-first, pass-less quarterback being let go, and a whole extra game to add stats. However, I don't think many expected this large of a step forward with a rookie quarterback and no all star cast around him.
With most quarterbacks not named Cam Newton, all of the passing numbers were bound to improve. However, to go from 24th in the league to 5th in passing completion, 30th to 14th in passing yards, and 23rd to 5th in Net Yards per Pass Attempt, paints a very detailed image in how disciplined and effective the quarterback and offensive staff were with adjusting Jones to the professional level, resulting in Jones posting the 8th best pass completion rate in the league, one spot ahead of TB12.
Additionally, this came stacked with a more nuanced and strategic rushing attack, utilizing multiple backs of different skill sets and a broad blocking scheme that resulted in increasing the rush scoring on less yards and less attempts. The backfield consisted of the shifty Damien Harris leading the way (10th in rushing yards and 2nd in rush TDs), the bruising Rhamondre Stevenson (who managed to crack the top 40 for yards, TDs, yards per rush and yards per game), and Brandon Bolden coming in as a change of place or injury fill admirably at times.
And while the patriots didn't manage a 1,000 yard receiver, or have any big names stand out in particular, the corps still helped solidify Mac Jones as the best rookie QB in the league, and hopefully will utilize the offseason to come together and take a leap forward for 2022.
| Offensive | 2021 (League Rank) | 2020 (Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 3857 (14) | 2890 (30) |
| Pass NY/A | 6.9 (Nice)(7) | 6.1 (23) |
| Rushing Yards | 2151 (8) | 2346 (4) |
| Rush YPA | 4.4 (12) | 4.7 (8) |
| Yards/Drive | 34.3 (11) | 33.1 (17) |
| Points/Drive | 2.54 (6) | 1.92 (24) |
| Turnovers | 23 (17) | 19 (14) |
DEFENSIVE STATS
After a relatively middle of the road defensive season in 2020, the Patriots utilized a series of acquisitions to bolster their linebacking corps, and improved their secondary to the upper echelon of the league. I'm sure the improved offense helped the defense step up their abilities, but no credit should be taken from the defense or from Belichick, Patricia, and the rest of the defensive coaching staff.
Across the board, the Patriots proved to have one of the most potent defenses, leading the league in field goal percentage allowed and rushing TDs allowed, taking second in the league for points allowed, drive percentage allowing a score, drive % ending with a turnover and red zone stops, as well as third in the league for turnovers, first downs allowed from penalties, and yards allowed per play.
The passing defense was the obvious shining star of the team this season, placing second in the league for yards allowed, yards per attempt, QB rating allowed, pass completion percentage, interceptions, pick sixes and passes blocked, as well as leading the league in interceptions per pass attempt.
The rushing defense simultaneously improved greatly from the linebacker and DT additions, allowing half as many rushing TDs and the same amount of yards with one extra game played on the previous season.
I think the two most telling defensive stats highlighting the defense's ability to stay disciplined and focused in high pressure situations are the first downs allowed from penalties at 21 (tied for 3rd), meaning they rarely jumped or made a mistake when the drive mattered, and the red zone scoring percentage of 47.9% (tied for second), meaning they were in the elite level of stopping teams that drove within their own 20.
| Defensive | 2021 (League Rank) | 2020 (Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 3181 (2) | 3557 (8) |
| Pass NY/A | 5.5 (2) | 6.9 (23) |
| Rushing Yards | 2103 (22) | 2103 (26) (Yes, the number is correct) |
| Rush YPA | 4.5 (25) | 4.5 (20) |
| Yards/Drive | 29.9 (9) | 35.9 (25) |
| Points/Drive | 1.56 (2) | 2.16 (16) |
| Turnovers | 30 (3) | 22 (10) |
SPECIAL TEAMS
As a unit, the special teams was nothing of major note, coming in the middle of the league for most all relevant stats related to punting, kicking, receiving both, and defending both. However, some notable individual performances would be Nick Folk, who co-led the league in scoring with the Raiders' Daniel Carlson at 150 points, and once again our boy Gunner Olszewski, who was near leading the league in both punt return yards (309 and tied for 3rd) and yards per punt return (11.9 and 2nd in the league).
Martes, Marso 29, 2022
After yesterday's win against the Bulls, RJ Barrett is now officially a 20ppg scorer, averaging 20/6/3 on the season
StarJ Barrett continues his ascension to being the face of the Knicks franchise for years to come with an absolutely dominant performance against the Bulls. RJ has improved massively statistically and through the eye test, with a specific enormous improvement on touch around the rim and decision making.
RJ still has a ways to go in regards to efficiency, but volume at his age (21) on a team with no real point guard (yes, we are still starting Alec Burks) is extremely commendable. RJ is averaging 41/35/72 on the year in terms of shooting splits, for a TS of 51.4%. Hopefully, this will improve as he gets more comfortable as the first option.
Additionally...
There are only 25 players averaging 20/5 this season. RJ Barrett is one of them. Source
Windhorst: Jayson Tatum in the past has said that he is vaccinated on the record. When asked whether all their team would be available under the current rules in Toronto, the Celtics offered a "No comment."
Brian Windhorst on GET UP this morning, hinting Tatum, or others may actually not be fully vaccinated, meaning if they were to meet in the playoffs, they might not have their full team.
Link to clip : https://youtu.be/zRIGOIkzY4A?t=73
[Schefter] Saints are signing former Bears’ QB Andy Dalton to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, including $3 million guaranteed, per source.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1508840924201242628
[Pelissero] NFL owners approved a modified overtime rule for postseason only, ensuring both teams get a possession, per source.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1508843332977446926
Lunes, Marso 28, 2022
[Grief] Asked about Daryl Morey’s tweet about that seemed to take a comment Ty Lue made about Embiid and Harden’s FTs out of context, Ty said: “Should he really be tweeting anything right now? Last time he tweeted he cost the NBA a billion dollars.”
Asked about Daryl Morey's tweet about that seemed to take a comment Ty Lue made about Embiid and Harden's FTs out of context, Ty said:
"Should he really be tweeting anything right now? Last time he tweeted he cost the NBA a billion dollars."
Lue on Morey continued: "So I don't think he should be doing too much tweeting. Just worry about his own team."
This is in response to Daryl Morey’s tweet on Saturday
.@LAClippers offense would rank 30th without free throws
Say it with me again - players are fouled because the other team cannot stop them...
[Pelissero] The 2024 NFL Draft has been awarded to Detroit.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1508494518479470595
[Stein] The Blazers say Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Eric Bledsoe are out for the rest of the season.
https://twitter.com/thesteinline/status/1508483095191863301?s=21
[Jason Wolf] It’s a deal. The Bills will be in Buffalo for at least the next 30 years with new stadium deal
https://twitter.com/jasonwolf/status/1508459183775100933?s=21&t=1OLivn5tmt6kh9wWaC6rrQ
[Charania] Boston Celtics center Robert Williams is feared to have suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. It could lead to an indefinite absence, which would be a tough loss for the Celtics as Williams is shining as the starting center this season.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1508467783931031557?s=20&t=tads8bvnd93C2UffxgZRuQ
[Adam Hoge] Andy Reid on new Bears WR Byron Pringle: "One of my goals was to get him a potato chip contract and he got one."
https://twitter.com/AdamHoge/status/1508451292309561350
Linggo, Marso 27, 2022
Patrick Beverley has shared a text exchange with his daughter who got a tech today in a game
https://instagram.com/stories/patbev21/2803261333556569022?utm_medium=share_sheet
Pat Bev has handed over his elite mentality to his little daughter of picking up techs, being annoying on court and taking care of business.
Hilariously doesnt challenge her over getting a tech. Instead saying its part of the game.
Get ready for mini Pat Bev in the WNBA by 2028.
Biggest "We are gonna regret this" moments in your franchise's history
I remember watching the Eagles pick Jalen Reagor with Justin Jefferson being on the board and going "Oh no, this is gonna look horrible in a few years". Sure enough, it does. I'm curious what other moments like that you have with your favorite franchise's?
Since the all star break, Precious Achiuwa is averaging 13/6/2 and shooting 41% from 3 on 3.7 attempts
Everyone said he shouldn’t have been in rookie sophomore game
Now dude post all star break showing why he deserved that spot
He still only 22 years old, the growth just during this season has been incredible
Not only his offense but his defence is even better
Very excited about his future. Reminds a lot of Shawn Marion
[Yates] 7 total first round picks were traded in the NFL this month. That’s the most first round picks traded in a single month in the Common Draft era. A crazy March in the NFL.
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1508090216610947075?t=rl93btv_1lnT-3UA0x3WLA&s=19
Sabado, Marso 26, 2022
[Giardi] The more people I talk to around the league, the more you get the sense of a philosophical shift for the #Chiefs. They got bigger at WR with JuJu and MVS. "They can morph into something different" said one AFC exec I spoke to. "Mahomes can make it work. That's why he's THE GUY."
https://twitter.com/MikeGiardi/status/1507742239484792838?s=20&t=AFHPlBN6X67injfJcNgF0g
The current leaders in total Minutes Played this season are Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges.
Miles and Mikal are not related in anyway, just thought this was an interesting fun fact.
source: https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2022_totals.html#totals_stats::mp
[Schiffer] Kyrie Irving said the plan is to re-sign with the Nets this summer. Doesn’t want to leave Kevin Durant and wants to build a legacy in Brooklyn with him.
https://twitter.com/Alex__Schiffer/status/1507741087842119690?t=cDgOkBl5Y_ZS792Oeoq__A&s=19
are the browns the most unlikable team in the nfl now? if not who
Ngl ive never wanted a team to fail more than the browns this season. Imagine not making the playoffs after giving up 3 1sts and 230 million guaranteed. This would be giga funny.
Seriously though can't think of anyone more unlikable than the browns
Daily Discussion Thread + Game Thread Index
Game Threads Index (March 26, 2022):
| Tip-off | GDT | Away | Score | Home | PGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 PM ET | San Antonio Spurs | PRE-GAME | New Orleans Pelicans | ||
| 7:00 PM ET | Sacramento Kings | PRE-GAME | Orlando Magic | ||
| 7:30 PM ET | Indiana Pacers | PRE-GAME | Toronto Raptors | ||
| 8:00 PM ET | Chicago Bulls | PRE-GAME | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| 8:00 PM ET | Brooklyn Nets | PRE-GAME | Miami Heat | ||
| 8:00 PM ET | Milwaukee Bucks | PRE-GAME | Memphis Grizzlies | ||
| 9:00 PM ET | Oklahoma City Thunder | PRE-GAME | Denver Nuggets | ||
| 10:00 PM ET | Houston Rockets | PRE-GAME | Portland Trail Blazers |
[Pelissero] The #Chiefs plan to sign former #Bucs RB Ronald Jones to a one-year deal, per source. Jones had two seasons with 1,000 yards from scrimmage in Tampa Bay and should have ample opportunities in KC.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1507726457996468248?s=20&t=AFHPlBN6X67injfJcNgF0g
Biyernes, Marso 25, 2022
Ten years ago today Tim Duncan was a healthy DNP against the 76ers for been old.
https://ift.tt/wc1RaiI
32 Teams/32 Days: 2021 Miami Dolphins
Introduction
Division: AFC East
Record: 9-8 (4-2)
Ah, yes. Here we are, gathered to enjoy the recap of what was certainly a very normal and uneventful season for the Miami Dolphins. Nope, no unexpected coach firings, quarterback controversies, smear campaigns, lawsuits, or allegations of game fixings. I'm sure this will also be the biggest Miami Dolphins related post of the week. Anyway, let's get into it!
Notable Free Agency Departures
- Ryan Fitzpatrick - QB - Washington Football Team
- Kyle Van Noy - ILB - New England Patriots
- Ted Karras - C - New England Patriots
- Bobby McCain - S - Washington Football Team
- Matt Breida - RB - Buffalo Bills
- Matt Haack - P - Buffalo Bills
Notable Free Agent Acquisitions
- Will Fuller V - WR - Houston Texans
- Jacoby Brissett - QB - Indianapolis Colts
- Duke Johnson - RB - UFA
- Jason McCourty - CB - New England Patriots
- Adam Butler - DT - New England Patriots
- Malcolm Brown - RB - Los Angeles Rams
2021 Draft
Little did we know, the 2021 Draft would be one of the few bright spots in an embittered Dolphins season. Chris Grier certainly earned himself some goodwill by knocking out his first three picks in the draft, bringing WR Jaylen Waddle, DE Jaelan Phillips, and S Jevon Holland down to South Beach. The rest of his picks have yet to return the same excitement, but time will tell if they can secure active spots on the roster. Overall, I'd give this draft an A-, as it delivered what will likely be three franchise players to Miami and at the very least produced some depth at positions of need.
Pre-Draft Trades
- 'Twas a fun day on r/nfl when news broke that the Dolphins had engaged in a massive three-way trade of the third-overall pick. Grier shipped the pick, originally from Houston, to San Francisco in exchange for the 12th-overall selection in 2021, SF's first- and third-round picks in 2022, and a first-round pick in 2023. As if this wasn't big enough news, Grier immediately flipped the 12th-overall, Miami's 2022 first-round pick, and a fourth-rounder to Philadelphia to move up to sixth-overall and net an additional fifth-round pick.
- While I love the confidence of sending Miami's first rounder instead of San Francisco's, this ended up being a bad bet by Grier. The Dolphins had a seven-game losing skid midseason and missed the playoffs again, while the 49ers surged all the way to the NFCCG. The Eagles now hold the 15th-overall pick while Miami, barring any draft-day trades, will not pick until 29th-overall.
- In less exciting news, the Dolphins later traded G Ereck Flowers and pick 258 to the Washington Football Team in exchange for pick 244.
Draft-Day Trades
- Unsurprisingly, Grier wasn't done after the blockbuster trade with San Francisco. In the second round, the Dolphins sent the 50th-overall and a 2022 third-rounder to the Giants to move up to 42nd-overall. Miami also flipped the 156th-overall pick to the Steelers for a 2022 fourth-round pick.
2021 Draft Selections
- 1.6: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
- 1.18: Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami
- 2.36: Jevon Holland, S, Oregen
- 2.46: Liam Eichenberg, T, Notre Dame
- 3.31: Hunter Long, TE, Boston College
- 7.231: Larnel Coleman, T, UMass Amherst
- 7.244: Gerrid Doaks, RB, Cincinnati
Game Recaps
Week 1 @ NE: W, 17-16
The opener in New England highlighted some obvious needs for improvement as the season went on; the run defense was poor and the offense stalled out on several drives. But, a win's a win, and a win over a division rival is even better. Tua had a solid performance against Sith Lord Belicheck's defense, going 16 of 27 for 202 yards, one passing TD, and one rushing TD, with his sole interception coming on a tipped pass. On the defensive end, Xavien Howard reminded us all that X gon take it from you as he managed to recover a game-sealing fumble late in the fourth. The Dolphins go 1-0 for the first time since 2018.
Week 2 vs. BUF: L, 0-35
Well, that didn't last very long. For all of Flores's success against New England, he never quite figures out Buffalo, and his team is walloped by the Bills for what feels like the hundredth time. Disaster struck early in this one; on just his second drive, Tua was sacked by a virtually unblocked defender (thanks, Jesse Davis) and knocked out of the game with broken ribs. Jacoby Brissett finished the game out, somehow amassing 169 yards without ever sniffing the endzone. The Dolphins' defense had its moments, managing to hold the Bills scoreless on six straight possessions in the first half, but they were quickly worn out by the lopsided time of possession and let up some big plays. Frankly, 35-0 isn't nearly as bad as the final score could have been had the defense not played as hard as they did for as long as they did.
Week 3 @ LV: L, 28-31 OT
What's weirder about this game---the fact that Jon Gruden was still coaching in the NFL, or that Will Fuller of all people caught a two-point conversion to force OT? A strange contest from start to finish, this game featured an 85-yard pick six on Derek Carr, a Dolphins screen pass ending in a safety, and a kicker duel in overtime. In the end, the Raiders sent Miami home with another loss, blissfully unaware of how many more L's were coming their way in the coming weeks.
Week 4 vs. IND: L, 17-27
Back at home and sitting at 1-2, the Dolphins had every chance to make a statement win and latch onto some momentum to lift their flailing season. Instead, they gave the winless Colts their first W of the season and subjected the world to another week of Jacoby Brissett and the Dolphins "offense." Brissett passed for 199 yards and two TDs; before you think, hey, that's not too bad, let's consider the fact that both of those scores and 123 of those passing yards came in the fourth quarter, when it was far too late to mount a comeback against the Colts' 20 unanswered points. "I've got to do a better job. It starts with me. I don't want to say that every week," said Brian Flores, who would in fact say that every week.
Week 5 @ TB: L, 17-45
Maybe Tom Brady forgot about the last time he played Miami (the glorious Kevin Harlan "I'm calling both games!" game where the Dolphins marched into Foxborough and ruined the Patriots' chance at a first-round bye, you know the one?) Or maybe Tom Brady's still pissed about it. Either way, the Bad Man dropped five TDs and threw for over 400 yards against the Dolphins, so I'm leaning towards still pissed about it. Somehow, Miami only trailed by a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter, but one quarter was all the Super Bowl champs needed to completely blow the Phins out of the water. Miami moves to 1-4 on the season with no reason for optimism in sight.
Week 6 @ JAX: L, 20-23
Most of Miami's losses this season felt embarrassing in unique and horrible ways, and in some respects, this loss was the worst loss of all. The Dolphins went international for this train wreck, handing the Jaguars their first win after 20 straight losses. Because God hates the Dolphins, a good performance by Tua in his return from IR (33 of 47, 329 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) was squandered by one of Miami's worst defensive outings all season. Without starting CBs Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, the secondary failed to contain an anemic Jags offense, allowing Trevor Lawrence to pass for over 300 yards before the game ended on a last-second field goal. Safe to say that was probably a long flight home.
Week 7 vs. ATL: L, 28-30
For the second straight week, the Dolphins lose on a last-second field goal, this time against the Falcons at home. Good news: Tua threw a career-high four touchdowns. Bad news: Tua threw two rough interceptions. Good news again: the legend of post-interception Tua was born. Despite the costly picks, Tua got the Dolphins the lead at the end of the fourth quarter, leading several long scoring drives to cover the 20-point deficit Atlanta had put together in the second and third quarters. It just wasn't enough; Matt Ryan had plenty of time on his final drive to get within field goal range, and from there it was light work for Younghoe Koo. With no timeouts, Miami could only watch their sixth-straight loss sail through the uprights. Morale couldn't possibly be lower, right?
Week 8 @ BUF: L, 11-26
Wrong. The Dolphins head to Buffalo and yet again fail to exorcise their Bills demon, losing handily for the seventh consecutive time to their division rival. A game that was tied 3-3 at the half became a blowout in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, as Josh Allen managed to get back to form after a slow start. Still, somehow, Tua's 205 yards in the air and one score on the ground, plus a successful toss on a 2-point conversion to Gesicki, were almost enough to keep the game competitive. Then, the Dolphins did Dolphins things. Tua threw a costly interception late in the game and one of C Austin Reiter's snaps bounced off of Mike Gesicki as he ran across the line, resulting in a fumble recovered by Buffalo. If that play doesn't sum up the first half of the Dolphins' season, I don't know what does.
Week 9 vs. HOU: W, 17-9
Theory: Flores would have been fired immediately if he lost to the 1-7 Texans at home. Instead, the Dolphins squeaked out the ugliest win of all time and Flores lived to coach another day. With Tua out with a supposed hand injury (but apparently well enough to be the emergency backup, because Flores), Jacoby Brissett duked it out with Tyrod Taylor in a high-scoring, high-flying matchup. Just kidding! The game featured nine turnovers between the two teams, headlined by Tyrod attempting to throw the ball away in his own territory and accidentally flipping it right into the arms of a toe-tapping Jerome Baker. Brissett tossed two picks of his own and the Dolphins lost the ball three more times for a grand total of five turnovers. A win's a win, right?
Week 10 vs. BAL: W, 22-10
Real Dolphins fans probably dreaded this matchup more than any other this season, as the Ravens have essentially taken the Dolphins out behind the woodshed in each of their last few meetings. I personally made sure to watch this one in a bar in case it got ugly, but was pleasantly surprised by one of the better games of the year. The Dolphins defense looked like it returned to its 2020-form as it played a man-heavy, Cover 0 scheme from start to finish. The (albeit injured) Ravens offense had no answers for Miami's blitzes, holding Baltimore to a single field goal for the first three quarters. X had another timely scoop-and-score, and an injured Tua subbed in for an injured Brissett, which was exactly what the offense needed to put the game away. A 64-yard bomb to Albert Wilson and a QB-sneak later, Tua sealed the win. Also, I would be remiss to waste an opportunity to post Robert Hunt's TD that definitely should have counted, thank you.
Week 11 @ NYJ: W, 24-17
For the last few seasons, visiting the Jets has been just what the doctor ordered for the Dolphins, who gained the all-time series lead with their win. A quick 10-0 lead by the Jets was soon answered by Tua, who put up two touchdowns and 273 passing yards and managed to hang onto the lead after a late interception nearly cost the Dolphins the game. A sloppy performance by the Jets was led by Joe Flacco, who became the sacrificial lamb to a Miami defense that rustled up two sacks and a forced fumble. Watch out, playoffs, the 4-7 Dolphins are coming for you.
Week 12 vs. CAR: W, 33-10
Cam Newton was back, but so were the Dolphins, and they treated Newton to five sacks and three interceptions to celebrate. Over on the offense, Tua enjoyed a nearly flawless game, completing 27 of 31 for 230 yards and a TD. Myles Gaskin rushed for two scores and the Waddle waddle celebration was born. On special teams, Miami managed to block a punt for a TD, rounding out a great day for all three phases of the team. Despite being burned many, many times before, Dolphins fans couldn't help but feel a tinge of optimism coming away from this game.
Week 13 vs. NYG: W, 20-9
A win's a win, as we've come to know over the course of this long, strange season. Joe Judge's Giants came to town for Miami's fifth-straight win, putting them just one game back from .500 in a season where they started 1-7. The game itself was an awkward, low-scoring affair, with Tua managing 244 yards and 2 TDs on a game plan of short, quick passes. Jaelan Phillips added another two sacks to his stats and X hauled in his fourth interception of the year. K Jason Sanders missed one of his three kicks, continuing a surprisingly inconsistent season after his extremely successful 2020 campaign.
Week 14 BYE
Week 15 vs. NYJ: W, 31-24
If you know nothing else about this game, at least know that Christian Wilkins caught a big man touchdown and did the worm in the endzone. If you want to know other things about this game, here are some of my favorites: the Dolphins swept the Jets for the second consecutive season; Tua Tagovailoa became Tua Truckamanova; hometown-hero Duke Johnson had 107 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the Dolphins' first 100-yard rusher all season (yikes); and the Dolphins defense combined for six sacks on the day. A bad pick-six by Tua kept the Jets in the game late, but a scoreless performance from Zach Wilson and an efficient day for Miami's offense was enough to seal the deal. Having clawed their way back from seven-straight losses, everything was looking up for the Dolphins as they prepared for MNF against New Orleans.
Week 16 @ NO: W, 20-3
Damn this game for giving us hope. Thrashing the Saints at home on TNF would give the Dolphins their seventh straight win, mostly due to what felt like the nationally-televised hazing of Saints QB Ian Book by the Miami defense. The Dolphins nabbed two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown) and a league-record-tying eight sacks in the absolute beatdown of a COVID-depleted Saints offense. On the other side of the ball, Miami had a mostly quiet outing behind a rough night for the offensive line. Jaylen Waddle was a sole bright spot, enjoying a clutch performance with 92 yards and a touchdown.
Week 17 @ TEN: L, 3-24
Playoff berth on the line, the Dolphins need to win a road game to punch a Wild Card ticket---wait a second, I've heard this story before! This game ended much like the first, when the 2020 Dolphins were slapped around by Buffalo and knocked out of playoff contention. For the second straight year, Brian Flores let his team get completely embarrassed in a win-and-in game, this time in Tennessee against former Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill. In cold, rainy weather, the very smart and accomplished Miami offensive coordinators (yes, plural) elected to have Tua throw the ball 38 times despite lead back Duke Johnson averaging seven yards per carry. The offensive line had one of their worst outings of the season (and since this is Miami's offensive line we're talking about, that's really, really bad) and Tua was sacked four times. A 45-yard pass to Waddle was just about the only exciting play for the Dolphins, although he was stopped just shy of breaking the rookie receptions record.
Week 18 vs. NE: W, 33-24
For all the ups and downs of the season, nothing could be a sweeter end to 2021 than sweeping a longtime division rival for the first time since 2000. In a rare rush-heavy game for the Dolphins, Miami rushed for nearly 200 yards against a New England defense that looked completely gassed as the game went on. This game was a treat for Dolphins fans all around: Waddle broke the rookie reception record, Duke had another 100-yard rushing game, X had a pick-six on Mac Jones, Tua scrambled for a glorious first down to ice the game, and best of all, for the second straight year, the Patriots attempted to pull off their own Miami Miracle to steal the win. And for the second straight year, it failed hilariously.
Team Statsby u/nevosoinverno
Controversy Corner!
Yes, the Dolphins were so embittered by rumors, quarterback controversies, and actual serious legal trouble that I felt compelled to add a section just for drama, of which there was plenty to go around. Enjoy!
- Deshaun Watson Rumors
- From the off-season all the way up to the trade deadline, the Dolphins were entrenched in never-ending trade rumors surrounding the Houston QB. Despite his 22 allegations of sexual assault which were still pending criminal charges at the time, by most reports, Miami had genuine interest, though it's disputed whether this interest came from Flores, Grier, or owner Stephen Ross. In any case, the trade did not go through, and Watson would go onto be another franchise's problem. The damage was done, however. Flores's inability to shut down rumors and strongly commit to Tua as his quarterback (not until the trade deadline passed, anyway) might have been the first writings on the wall of his firing.
- Brian Flores Fired after Three Seasons
- A shocking move to most NFL fans. Flores was canned after three years and a 24-25 record with the Dolphins, just barely missing the .500 mark. During his tenure, Miami executed a full rebuild, tearing down the entire Gase-era roster for picks and overhauling the entire staff. Flores was able to put together strong defenses as Head Coach, at times leading the NFL in turnovers, and he also achieved sweeps of division rivals the New York Jets and New England Patriots. But, while his teams sometimes punched above their weight against contenders, they were more often than not completely embarrassed by teams with winning records. He finished his career with Miami going winless against the Bills and missing the playoffs every year. His offensive staff was a revolving door of unqualified yes-men, evidenced by the fact that he hired four different offensive coordinators in three years and often promoted from within instead of looking outside of Miami for talented coaches. He repeatedly demonstrated an inability to manage the quarterback position, stirring constant controversy with his penchant for benching starters only to put them back in later.
- Off the field, according to reports that may or may not have been a smear campaign by Dolphins brass, it was revealed after his firing that Flores was nearly impossible to work for or with. He was described as a bully by employees and media members alike, lacking the interpersonal skills needed to succeed as a head coach. He reportedly played favorites within the organization and had a not-so-secret grudge with Tua as the year went on. Reports came out after the Tennessee game that Tua and Flores got into a shouting match on the sidelines, with Tua calling Flores out for "not knowing how to talk to people." In the end, it seems that Miami chose the quarterback over the coach, and Brian Flores was gone.
- Mike McDaniel Hired as New Dolphins Head Coach
- Mike McDaniel began his football career as a ball boy for the Denver Broncos and worked through several positions and franchises over the years, most recently serving as offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. He brings an innovative offensive approach to Miami, something the Dolphins have desperately lacked in the last decade of football. Praised for his exceptional running game and play-action schemes, McDaniel will be a complete 180 for a Dolphins team that produced only three 100-yard rushers in 17 games. He's also making himself an instant fan-favorite with his coaching staff, focusing on experienced hires and several Dolphins greats, such as Wes Welker, Pat Surtain, and Sam Madison.
- McDaniel will face some challenges, however, as he enters a complicated ownership division and an AFC conference that's turning into a complete bloodbath. As a first-year head coach he will have a tall task of trying to fit his schemes onto an offensive line as poor as Miami's. He also doesn't have control of his GM/QB (yet), so it will be interesting to see how he operates in these parameters and how much of a collaboration the roster build will be between McDaniel and Grier.
- All in all, I'm so excited for this guy I could write a whole other 32 on him, but I'll save that for when he has a full season under his belt. Just know that if you want a McDaniel fix, you absolutely have to go watch his McAfee interview and come to terms with the fact that the Dolphins have the coolest coach in the NFL.
- Chris Grier survives; will Stephen Ross?
- By all indications, Chris Grier will remain the GM of the Dolphins, despite some wondering if the Flores firing was a precursor to showing Grier the door, too. Instead, Grier gets another swing at making a championship roster in Miami. If the rumors that Brian Flores was heavily involved in the draft process and free agency turn out to be true, then it's hard to say if this is a good or a bad move. How many of the good picks like Waddle, Phillips, and Holland can we attribute to Grier? How many of the busts were Flores? With no way of knowing who was really calling the shots, Miami fans have no choice but to hope that Flores was the issue and that new coach Mike McDaniel can do a better job of working with the front office.
- In the lawsuit filed by Flores, the former Dolphins coach alleges that Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every game he lost in 2019, a season where the Dolphins were widely believed to be not-so-secretly tanking for a top draft pick. If the rumor is true, serious consequences may be in store for Ross. The NFL owners can move to force Ross to sell the team for violating the integrity of the game according to the organization's bylaws. In my cynical opinion? Nothing will happen. Billionaire Ross will be hit with some fines or the team will lose some draft picks. The likelihood that the other owners will actually bring the hammer down seems small. The owners turn a blind eye on each other's transgressions, as evidenced by their radio silence on Washington's Dan Snyder and his constant media firestorms. The risk of Ross airing dirty laundry is a bigger threat than sweeping it all under the rug.
Conclusion
2021 was a frustrating and absurd year in Dolphins history, and this team has given me no reason to ever trust or believe in their future, but you know what? I'm falling for it yet again! The Dolphins look poised to make a splash (pun fully intended) and have had a great off-season. I'm ready for the ride, because win or lose, we'll still get Mike McDaniel press conferences and the team will wear their throwbacks a couple times a year. Fins up!
After an incredibly hot start, Harden has cooled off and his averages are eerily similar in Philadelphia to what they were in Brooklyn
Harden in Brooklyn:
22.5/8.0/10.2 on 41.4/33.2/86.9 (57.6 TS%)
Harden in Philly:
22.5/7.0/10.2 on 42.5/33.3/87.3 (61.7 TS%)
The main difference is that he's gone to the foul line quite a bit more in Philly (8.0 vs 9.8 FTA), but that has mainly to do with the fact that the had an injury early in the season that didn't allow him to drive to the basket as much.
But the averages down to the splits are pretty damn similar
Huwebes, Marso 24, 2022
[Dehner Jr.] The value the #Bengals currently have living in the rookie contracts of Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase is astronomical. The win-now window doesn’t get wider than that.
https://twitter.com/pauldehnerjr/status/1506677113444704262?s=21
[robgronkowski via TikTok] Gronk’s response to being asked if he’s coming back
https://ift.tt/WAMFjyG
r/nba Poll: Who is your NBA Rookie of the Year?
We are just 2 weeks away from the playoffs, and with 90% of the regular season behind us it is a good time to look back and see which rookie impressed us the most.
So r/nba, who is your NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2021-22 season?
[Auman] This is insane. We mentioned that new Bucs guard Shaq Mason is Shaquille Olajuwon Mason, named after the two former NBA stars. Well, his new teammate, Bucs pass-rusher Shaq Barrett, was born a year earlier in 1992, and is Shaquil Akeem Barrett, named after the same two players.
https://twitter.com/gregauman/status/1507007389576228886?t=kKSQC2Qjfz7tf2xsclkFqw&s=19
Miyerkules, Marso 23, 2022
[Bonsignore] The @Raiders resetting the WR pay scale not only got them Davante Adams, it might end up pushing Tyreek Hill out of their division.
https://twitter.com/VinnyBonsignore/status/1506652363251015681
[Rapoport] Another blockbuster coming? Despite an offer from the #Chiefs that would make superstar Tyreek Hill one of the highest-paid receivers, extension talks have stalled and Kansas City has now given Hill’s agent permission to seek a trade, sources tell me and @TomPelissero .
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1506648107970449416?s=20&t=JEhYusQOr1T0RUxmSC3Qsg
[Schefter] Chiefs are trading six-time Pro-Bowl WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks: a 2022 1st-round pick (No. 29), a 2nd-round pick (No. 50) and a 4th-round pick, as well as 4th- and 6th-round picks in the 2023 draft, sources tell ESPN.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1506670698835623951
[Schefter] Jets and Dolphins are in serious talks to trade for Chiefs’ WR Tyreek Hill, per league sources. Hill and Chiefs are mulling what to do but Hill’s time in KC looks like it could be coming to an end.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1506650156623704064
[Rapoport] Another blockbuster coming? Despite an offer from the #Chiefs that would make superstar Tyreek Hill one of the highest-paid receivers, extension talks have stalled and Kansas City has now given Hill’s agent permission to seek a trade, sources tell me and @TomPelissero .
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1506648107970449416?s=20&t=JEhYusQOr1T0RUxmSC3Qsg
Martes, Marso 22, 2022
[Pelissero] Za’Darius Smith agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings, per source. 3 year deal Base value of 42 million Worth up to 47 million with incentives 14 million APY
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1506327698653777933
[Haynes] The fan who Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic confronted in Indiana allegedly shouted “your mom is trash” and said his “grandma’s a b**tch,” league sources tell @YahooSports. Nurkic’s grandma passed away of COVID-19 in 2020.
The fan who Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic confronted in Indiana allegedly shouted “your mom is trash” and said his “grandma’s a b**tch,” league sources tell @YahooSports. Nurkic’s grandma passed away of COVID-19 in 2020.
The altercation in question was caught on camera and spread all over social media on Sunday.
Nurk has been fined for the altercation.
Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic has been fined $40,000 for confronting a fan and tossing his cell phone.
Josh Hart has also basically confirmed the story about the fan talking shit about Nurk's family.
Hope @Pacers banned the kid talking disrespectfully about his family. Trash talk during a game is cool but when fans cross that line they need to be held accountable too
[Charania] Magic say Jonathan Isaac has undergone minor surgery on a right hamstring injury. He has not played since suffering an ACL tear on Aug. 2, 2020.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1506278076958879750?t=79PNO2JOeW_aIfJVSjibnw&s=19
Lunes, Marso 21, 2022
[Kleiman] #Falcons are trading QB Matt Ryan to the #Colts for a 3rd round pick, according to @PatMcAfeeShow Being finalized now.
https://twitter.com/nfl_dovkleiman/status/1505960452303503363?s=21
Official /r/nba Power Rankings #11 (3.21.2022)
25/30 rankers reporting this week. /R/NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section.
| # | Team | Δ | Record | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suns | -- | 58-14 | Casuals in the comment section telling me, always in the game threads. "Suns ain't shit, Suns ain't shit without CP3". Shut the fuck up, y'all ain't know shit. All y'all casuals talkin' about. "Book ain't no superstar, Cam Payne ain't even good, Mikal Bridges isn't the DPOY." Shut the fuck up!!!! |
| 2 | Grizzlies | +1 | 49-23 | Are the Grizzlies better without Ja Morant? |
| 3 | Heat | -1 | 47-24 | Tyler Herro is just wonderful. The last two month's he has played some of his best basketball in his young career and patience has paid off for everyone who waited. Meanwhile, Oladipo has returned and he's still getting back into the swing of things. He recently picked up some back spasms and is out again, and its not ideal. Markieff Morris also returned and looks like he hasn't missed a step. This will be immense considering our front court depth is a fraction of what our back court depth is. The playoffs should be interesting this year, since we should be able to match up with most teams. Teams like the Cavaliers will be difficult to match up defensively against, but Spoelstra is likely already considering every possible match up. All that remains is to keep our form and finish out the season strong. |
| 4 | Bucks | +1 | 44-27 | It's been a good two weeks for the Bucks. Brook Lopez has returned from back surgery and looks like his old self, Jrue Holiday continues to shoot lights-out from deep and Jevon Carter has been outplaying anyone's wildest expectations. Saturdays' loss to the Timberwolves would have been the first time all season where we had everyone healthy if Giannis had not sat out to rest, but he did and funnily enough, the loss probably helped his MVP narrative more than him playing and a win would have. |
| 5 | Celtics | +3 | 44-28 | Boston is the hottest team in the NBA, and has been for almost 2 months now. Since the start of February, they're an astonishing 17-3, a total night and day difference compared to the team we saw in December and into January. They've pushed themselves from the play-in to now only a game or two back from the 2nd and 3rd seeds in the East. Go ahead and circle your calendars for April 7th, as that very well could decide between the Bucks and Celtics who gets the higher seed between the two. The Celtics are rolling and have cemented themselves as legit contenders, and hopefully they can continue that through the rest of the season. We'll probably go lose to OKC now next game just out of spite. |
| 6 | Jazz | +1 | 45-26 | Rudy Gobert is a generational defensive talent and utterly dominant on that end of the floor. His month of March has been utterly absurd defensively as opponents have shot just 69/192 (35.9%) from the field when defended by him. His DFG% differential of -12.7% is also far and away the best amongst 114 players who defended 100 shots or more so far in March with the differential between 1st (Rudy) and 2nd larger than the gap between 2nd and 10th. In March the Jazz have a 98.8 DRTG with Rudy on the court and just 118.5 with him off it. A 19.7 point difference defensively from one player alone. The Jazz are at the put up or shut up stage now and with an utterly dominant Rudy now's the time to make a deep playoff push. The Jazz are just 2.0 games back of the 3 seed Warriors. |
| 7 | 76ers | -3 | 43-27 | |
| 8 | Warriors | -2 | 47-24 | Just when we see Dray, Klay and Steph play a full game together for the first time in 1,005 days, Steph gets injured. In an interview last night Steph said he is targeting a return by Game 1 of the playoffs. Without Steph the Warriors still look good on paper but playmaking will be lacking. Luckily Poole has been playing at all star levels this month (last 10 games) putting up 24/3/4 on an absurd 71.2 TS% |
| 9 | Mavericks | -- | 43-28 | Despite the usual struggle vs the Knicks, the Mavs have had a decent last 2 weeks, going 3-2 on a long road trip and beating the Jazz at home. Tired legs caught up to them on their back to back vs Philadelphia & Charlotte, but the outlook remains strong for Dallas, especially with their defense clicking. Spencer Dinwiddie continues to be a massive addition, and suddenly the early season guard depth concerns have been almost completely eliminated. If Bertans can make more shots, the Mavs offense will be difficult to stop. |
| 10 | TWolves | +2 | 42-30 | Wolves are hot since the All Star break 11-2 record over that stretch. Karl-Anthony Towns showing out that he is the best shooting big man in NBA history put up 60 and has averaged 26-10 since the break on 55-42-84 shooting splits. Wolves are fighting to get out of the play in games a make a splash in the playoffs. |
| 11 | Nuggets | -1 | 42-30 | Outside of a couple of strong wins in Philly and DC, the Nuggets have struggled to put it together recently, losing 4 of their last 6 games. Nikola "Hercules" Jokic continues to dazzle post-ASB, averaging 30/13/8 per game thus far in March, and somehow carrying this lottery team to 42 wins through 72 games. The idea of getting Jamal Murray and/or MPJ back before the end of the season has Nuggets fans salivating, especially given the play of Jokic's supporting cast. Talking about the awful play of the rest of the Nuggets is becoming a tired topic, so with the championship hopes fading further and further, it's time to sit back and appreciate the performances the MVP is giving all of us nightly. |
| 12 | Nets | +6 | 37-34 | |
| 13 | Raptors | +2 | 40-31 | The raptors have been dominant on the road as of late, going 6-1 since the last power rankings, with all our wins coming on the road. Scottie Barnes has been absolutely phenomenal, and Pascal Siakam has continued his all-nba campaign. Another massive contributor who needs to be mentioned is Precious Achiuwa, who has somehow turned into an elite 3 point shooter following the ASB. Our recent stretch was topped off by a beautiful defensive win against the Philadelphia 76FTs, holding both Harden and Embiid to below average nights. The key to our team is our defence, which has struggled all year, and any hope of making it out of round 1 of the playoffs lies there. |
| 14 | Cavaliers | -1 | 41-30 | Evan Mobley has taken the reigns at center and led the Cavs to a 4-3 stretch since JA’s injury and the last power ranking, and has put up 20.0/9.7/2.6/1.6/1.6 since then, while being incredibly clutch in some must win games. He put in the game winner against the Nuggets in OT on Friday night, and less than 24 hours later, sealed the game on both ends of the floor against the Pistons. Impact basketball on both ends from Mobley has been abundant all season long, and although the other elite rookies are trying to make a final push to close the gap, Mobley’s odds at ROTY have increased to a -900 line. Speaking of awards, Darius Garland’s MIP campaign is improving with his 26/11 average since returning from his back injuries, and he’s been an assist double-double machine with 7 in his last 9 games. All the individual awards may not come if the Cavaliers fall apart in the coming 11 games, as they greet LeBron in his return to Cleveland tonight, before what is likely a season defining game against the hot on our trail Raptors on Wednesday. Jarrett Allen’s expected back in 3 weeks, which would be just in time for a potential play-in. |
| 15 | Bulls | -4 | 41-29 | |
| 16 | Hornets | +1 | 36-35 | |
| 17 | Hawks | -1 | 35-36 | Please god just let it end. I can't watch this team play defense anymore. I can't watch this team throw up all over themselves every time the game is close in the 4th quarter. I never expected the Hawks to live up to the expectations people were setting for them this season but god damn I did not expect them to be this bad. Cancel the play-in tournament and let this team die. |
| 18 | Clippers | -4 | 36-37 | With looming rumors of the Clips' stars return, the playoffs is truly a mystery. Seemingly locked into the 8th seed, the Clips are guaranteed 2 chances to make the playoffs, and then the real games begin against Phoenix or Memphis. |
| 19 | Pelicans | -- | 30-41 | Started 1-12. Now the 9th seed above the Lakers. Don't lie, no one expected this look at the start of the season, including me. Now we pray to Fats Domino that the Spurs can overtake the Lakers, Zion comes back healthy and dominant next year, and the Wizards and Knicks can stay just mediocre enough to land us that top 10 pick from the Old Guard. With two games left against the Lakers we can help control that. Also, SIGN JOSE "I CAN SHOOT" ALVARADO TO A LIFETIME CONTRACT BABY, the boys are rolling even without BI for the short-term, in Willie Gang we trust, let's get it. |
| 20 | Spurs | +2 | 28-44 | "NO! Of course I don't want the Spurs to lose games!". The Spurs have the @POR, @NOP, @HOU, MEM, POR, POR over the next 2 weeks, with the three games in Portland having heavy tanking implications for both teams involved. |
| 21 | Lakers | -1 | 30-41 | This is all you really need to know. |
| 22 | Knicks | +3 | 30-41 | (・へ・) |
| 23 | Wizards | -2 | 30-40 | The Wizards had a .420 winning percentage through 69 games. There really isn't much to say in the Wizards camp. After the trade deadline, it became abundantly clear that the team did not intend to win games (unless it was to beat the Lakers) and make the eastern conference playoffs. It is always tough to watch your favorite team play for the lottery rather than put its best foot forward. And given how well the Mavericks are playing with Spencer Dinwiddie (because Luka Doncic is playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now), fans are forced to hear the "Mavs won the trade" narrative for the rest of the season. But Porzingis has been amazing, the young talent has been good -- with Deni Avidja having an excellent game against the Nuggets. It is just going to be a slow end of the season given the lack of a young, breakout guard to watch. While great to see old faces back in the line-up, Ish Smith and Tomáš Satoranský don't move the needle. The team is playing for next year, its going to be a long end to this one. |
| 24 | Pacers | +2 | 25-47 | The Pacers continue to go through the motions as they wait for the offseason. Young players like Oshae Brissett, Goga Bitadze and recently-signed Justin Anderson are getting plenty of opportunities as Indiana continues to deal with..erm..."injuries" to their key players. |
| 25 | Kings | -1 | 25-48 | |
| 26 | Trail Blazers | -3 | 26-44 | It's a slow and painful march to the finish line for the Blazers. The team is so committed to tanking at this point that they're not even playing Simons or Nurkic anymore. So, the only reason for fans to pay attention to Rip City at this point is to see what their lottery odds looks like. |
| 27 | Pistons | -- | 19-52 | 2-5 since the last rankings, but we were without Cade for a couple of those. Bey put up 51 against Orlando which was followed up by 40 from Grant against the Cavs. I'm afraid we might get out tanked these last few weeks unless we start benching our vets |
| 28 | Magic | +1 | 19-53 | Markelle really has breathed life into the flow of the offense. Too bad we're trying to tank so he's still on a minutes restriction. WCJ has also been playing great since the ASB, averaging 20/12 on 60% shooting. JI was officially ruled out for the season and Suggs might also be shut down after dealing with minor injuries basically all season. Maybe Franz can show out these last few weeks and take home ROY honors like he deserves. If not, we riot. |
| 29 | Thunder | -1 | 20-51 | Wow, a fully 0-fer ranking cycle! Surely this will rocket us into the top 3 lottery odds, right? checks in on Houston, Detroit, and Orlando Sigh. At least we Okies have two solid college basketball teams that were both clearly good enough to make the tournament this year! checks bracket Oh, come on! |
| 30 | Rockets | -- | 17-54 | A priority as this team builds up towards contention (and there doesn't seem to be a rush with that) will be interior defense. It seems like on every given night, the opposing center will be due for a feast. Ideally, Sengun can develop the necessary skillset before the Rockets have to look elsewhere. |
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