KICKING OFF WITH THOUGHTS ON NFL WEEK 9
The only remaining unbeaten teams at home this NFL season are Philadelphia (5-0) and Buffalo (4-0). But New Orleans is the early 2-point favorite over the Bills for Sunday’s game at New Era Field. The Saints should be. They started 0-2 and are 6-0 since. They lead Buffalo is total offense, total defense, point differential and most of the other statistical categories. The Bills have advantages in turnover differential (+11 to +3) and special teams. Buffalo kicker Steven Hauschka could be the difference if the game is close. If the Bills collectively play very well, it might be.
I believe the Dallas Cowboys won Sunday’s home game against Kansas City on Friday – when running back Ezekiel Elliott got his latest legal stay on a six-game suspension. He ran yesterday like a man very happy to be playing and not sitting.
When this season began, not many folks would’ve guessed that the Giants would clearly be the worst of the three New York State-based teams at the midway point: Buffalo 5-3...Jets 4-5...Giants 1-7.
You’re not imagining it – this has been a particularly tough season in terms of major injuries to star players. The Bills have been relatively fortunate.
The mythical NFL Mid-Season Awards are coming out. Buffalo cornerback Tre’Davious White is a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Mid-Year. Sean McDermott was in the running for Coach of the Mid-Year before the lopsided loss to the New York Jets last week.
Seattle lost 17-14 Sunday to visiting Washington, leaving Philadelphia (5-0) and Buffalo (4-0) as the NFL’s only undefeated home teams. The LA Rams (4-0) and New England (3-0) are the only teams undefeated on the road.
In a statistical oddity, the NFL’s 12 games Week 9 entering Monday Night Football produced only one 100-yard rusher. Adrian Peterson had 37 carries for 159 yards in a 20-10 victory at San Francisco.
Jay Cutler (Miami) had one of his best statistical games Sunday night. With Cutler playing with damaged ribs, the offensive game plan was to throw quick, short passes to minimize the effectiveness of Oakland’s pass rush. He was 34-of-42 for 311 yards, with 3 TDs, 0 INTs, one sack and a 121.3 passer rating. The Dolphins lost 27-24.
Believe It Or Not: Cleveland ranks 9th in the NFL in total defense (313.5 yards allowed per game).
Entering Monday night, two NFL teams rank in the top 10 in both total offense and total defense: Jacksonville (9th/3rd) and Pittsburgh (10th/5th).
Philadelphia has dropped to 4-to-1 odds to win Super Bowl 52, according to Westgate SuperBook of Las Vegas. The Eagles, as high as 65-to-1 in the offseason, trail only New England (7-to-2) now.
Entering NFL Week 10, only eight teams have better records than Buffalo’s 5-3: Philadelphia 8-1...Minnesota 6-2...New Orleans 6-2...Los Angeles Rams 6-2...New England 6-2...Pittsburgh 6-2....Kansas City 6-3...Carolina 6-3.
TAYLOR RANKED 6TH ON THIS LIST OF TOP NFL QBs
Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor was ranked sixth in the NFL Quarterback Rankings through Week 8 of this NFL season. Honest.
Pro Football Focus rated the QBs in a wide range of categories. Tyrod had his best ratings for “against the blitz”, “intermediate passes” (not sure what they were watching) and “fewest turnovers per throw.”
His worst rating was “time to throw.”
The five QBs ranked ahead of Taylor were Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Alex Smith, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers (with the notation that his season likely is over). Rated immediately behind Taylor were Carson Wentz, Marcus Mariota, Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston.
PORZINGIS MINIS MELO: SO FAR, SO GOOD
The trade of Carmelo Antony from the New York Knicks to Oklahoma City is working out pretty well for new Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis scored a career-high 40 points Sunday as the Knicks rallied to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers and boost their record to a surprising 5-4. Entering this week, the 22-year-old, third-year pro out of Latvia is the NBA’s second-leading scorer at 30.2-point average. He trails only Milwaukee’s Giannis Antekounmpo (31.0).
Give departed Phil Jackson credit for selecting Porzingis No. 4 overall in the 2015 NBA draft. Veteran NBA center Tyson Chandler last week said the 7-foot-3, 240-pound Porzingis has the talent to become the NBA’s best player. Porzingis politely and without being obnoxious did not disagree.
Meanwhile, Anthony is averaging 20.6 points for Oklahoma City. Second on the Thunder to Paul George’s 21.0 per game. Russell Westbrook, who averaged 31.6 points as pretty much a one-man team, is averaging a mere 20.1 points this season. Oklahoma City is off to a disappointing 4-5 start but surely will improve as the three superstars adjust to each other.
ANOTHER “IMPRESSIVE” LOSS FOR ORANGE
Syracuse is 4-5 after last Saturday’s highly-competitive 27-24 loss at Florida State. A 43-yard field-goal attempt to tie in regulation was wide left as time expired.
The Orange had 95 plays for 463 yards and 21 first downs. The Seminoles had 56 plays for 343 yards and 13 first downs.
In ACC play, SU has a huge upset 27-24 win over defending national champion Clemson and a 27-24 win over Pittsburgh. The Orange has three narrow losses in ACC play: 35-26 at LSU, 27-19 at Miami and 27-24 at Florida State.
SU has three games remaining in the regular season: Saturday at home vs. Wake Forest (beat Louisville 42-32 October 28)...at Louisville November 18 and home against Boston College November 25.
All things considered, an automatic bid to a bowl game with a 6-6 record would be a respectable season for SU.
FOUR QBs FOR YOUR HEISMAN TROPHY CONSIDERATION
Do you ever get confused between Mason Rudolph and Baker Mayfield? They’re two of the four quarterbacks on my Heisman Trophy Watch List:
Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) – 209-of-330 for 3,341 yards passing (1st in the nation among FBS QBs), 27 TD passes, 7 INTs.
Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma; outlasted Oklahoma State 62-52 last Saturday) – 195-of-272 for 3,226 yards paasing (2nd in the nation), 28 TD passes, 5 INTs.
Sam Darnold (USC) –222-of-349 for 2,869 yards passing (8th), 22 TD passes, 11 INTs.
Lamar Jackson (Louisville) – 197-of-326 for 2,808 yards passing (10th), 18 TD passes, 6 INTS, plus 163 carries for 1,029 yards and 14 rushing TDs. His chances to repeat are hurt by his team’s 4-5 record.
DOES ICHIRO HAVE ANY MLB HITS LEFT?
The Florida Marlins are determined to slash their player payroll by about one-third for 2018, to about $90 million. That’s why new part owner/front man Derek Jeter hinted that slugger Giancarlo Stanton could be traded and why 44-year-old future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki was given a $500,000 buyout rather than picking up his $2 million option for next season.
Ichiro started only 22 games for Miami in 2017, but he appeared in 136 games. He was 27-for-109 as the team’s primary pinch-hitter. Overall, he batted .255, with 6 doubles, 3 HRs, 20 RBI and 1 stolen base in 2 attempts. He had a .202 batting average on July 4 but hit .315 the rest of the season.
Ichiro has a .318 career batting average and 3,080 hits in MLB. He has 4,257 career hits in Japan and MLB.
Ichiro has said he hopes to play pro baseball until he is 50. If no other Major League Baseball team wants him – and that seems likely – I wonder if he might finish his career with the Orix Blue Wave, where he spent the first nine years of his career.
How dedicated is Ichiro to his trade? Weeks after Miami’s season ended, he was at the ballpark working out every day.
GUN RUNNER AND BIG PAYOFFS THE MAIN STORY LINES AT BREEDERS’ CUP
Gun Runner clinched the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year with a wire-to-wire victory Saturday in the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar in California.
Gun Runner won five of his six starts this year. His only defeat was a second-place finish to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup. Arrogate finished a disappointing dead-heat fifth as the favorite in the Classic.
Arrogate retires with 7 wins, 1 second and 1 third in 11 career starts, with earnings of $17,422,600. That’s a record – an inflated one – for a North American thoroughbred.
Gun Runner returned $6.80 for a $2 win bet. It was the lowest payoff out of the nine Breeders’ Cup races Saturday: $36.60...$62.40...$135.40...$24.40...$11.80...$7.40...$25.00...$30.70...$6.80.
Meanwhile, Saturday at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack, Glass Zealing won the sixth race and returned $183.50 for a $2 win bet. The other seven races had more typical Finger Lakes payoffs: $22.60...$4.80...$2.30...$4.80...$3.90...$6.50...$3.00.
It was the final Saturday of live racing at FL this season. There are 16 weekday dates of racing left this season, including the finale Tuesday, November 28.
NFL WEEK 11 EARLY BETTING LINE:
Thursday, Seattle at Arizona (+5 ½)...Sunday, New Orleans at Buffalo (+2)...Minnesota at Washington (+2)...Green Bay at Chicago (-3)...Pittsburgh at Indianapolis (+10)...LA Chargers at Jacksonville (-4 ½)...NY Jets at Tampa Bay (no line)...Cincinnati at Tennessee (-5 ½)...Cleveland at Detroit (-9 ½)...Houston at LA Rams (-11)...Dallas at Atlanta (-3 ½)...Sunday night, New England at Denver (+7)...Monday night, Miami at Carolina (-8).
SHORT SHOTS
It is good to see the Amerks playing well (6-4-0-1; 13 of 22 possible points in the standings) and home attendance on the upswing (6,622 last Friday night).
The Buffalo Sabres were 30th in the latest ESPN NHL Power Rankings, ahead of only the Arizona Coyotes. Buffalo won 5-4 at Arizona last Thursday night but lost 5-1 at Dallas Saturday night. The Sabres host Washington Wednesday and Florida Friday, and play Saturday at Montreal.
Good Magic, winner of Saturday’s $2-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was a maiden (had never won a race before). He was 11-to-1 in the field of 12, including 3-to-5 favorite Bolt d’Oro. Only two of the 33 previous winners of the Juvenile went on to win the next year’s Kentucky Derby (Strret Sense in 2006 and Nyquist in 2016).
The World Series champion Houston Astros reportedly are undecided about accepting a possible invitation to the White House. Don’t you hate how this innocent ceremonial affair has become an opportunity for a political statement? I hope President Trump has received the message and doesn’t bother to request the honor of their company.
The Japan Series ended Friday as the NPB’s Softbank Hawks beat the De NA BayStars 4-3 in 11 innings on a “sayonora single” (walk-off hit) for their third championship in the last four seasons.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Monday, November 6
Sam Reinhart (22)...James Paxton (29)...Ana Ivanovic (30)...Vonta Leach (36)...Lamar Odom (38)...Adam LaRoche (38)...Erik Kramer (53)...Gerald Riggs (57)...John Candelaria (64). Walter Johnson was born on this date 130 years ago (1887) and died in 1946. Pat Tillman was born on this date 41 years (1976) ago and died in 2004. Aaron Hernandez was born on this date 28 years ago (1989) and died in 2017...Emma Stone (29), Ethan Hawke (47) and Sally Field (71) are invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, November 7
Taco Charlton (23)...Danny Santana (27)...Sonny Gray (28)...Coy Wire (39)...John Grant Jr. (43)...Andre Hastings (47)...Billy Gillispie (58)...Buck Martinez (69)...Jim Kaat (79)...Al Attles (81)...King Kong Bundy (60) and Billy Graham (99) are invited to the birthday party.