Gregg Rosenthal went 9-5 on his predictions for Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season, bringing his total record to 75-43-1. How will he fare in Week 9? His picks are below.
Sports
NFL Week 9 game picks: Packers over 49ers; Bucs top Saints – NFL.com
THURSDAY, NOV. 5
SUNDAY, NOV. 8
Washington Football Team 21, New York Giants 19
While Daniel Jones was decomposing in prime time, the Team was chilling on a bye week. It’s always tricky when teams play twice in such a short span, but the first meeting between the Giants and Washington, which came in Week 6, was instructive. Big Blue struggled to move the ball, relying on two Kyle Allen turnovers that set up 14 points. That could happen again, but the talent disparity here is real. The Giants are playing just hard enough to keep games close, but Washington has far more players (Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, Chase Young, Montez Sweat and an underrated secondary) who can make plays without the help of some major schematic advantage.
Tennessee Titans 24, Chicago Bears 23
This is a sneaky-great game. When the Titans have the ball, a dominant red-zone and third-down offense faces the league’s preeminent red-zone and third-down defense. When the Bears have the ball, a Nick Foles-led group ranked near the bottom in red-zone and third-down offense faces a Titans defense that is historically terrible in getting off the field. Foles made more tough throws last week than he was given credit for and has faced a brutal stretch of the schedule that ends this week, which makes this more of a coin-flip game than Titans fans want to admit.
Minnesota Vikings 27, Detroit Lions 24
The Vikings and Lions are similar this season, two teams stuck in the NFL’s middle that could easily have better records. I give the Vikings the edge on Sunday largely because of who’s available. Dalvin Cook is a tackle-breaking testament to a few running backs mattering, with coordinator Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking concepts taking off when he’s in the lineup. Kenny Golladay, meanwhile, is Detroit’s offensive Jenga piece. The Lions’ erratic attack isn’t explosive enough without Golladay on the field and he’s expected to miss this game with a hip injury, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Matthew Stafford was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday after having a high-risk close contact with a non-team person earlier this week, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He could be eligible to play on Sunday if his tests come back negative in the days ahead and he remains asymptomatic. I was picking the Vikings to win either way, but the score projection could change depending on Stafford’s status.
Kansas City Chiefs 35, Carolina Panthers 21
Pressure Patrick Mahomes or perish. The Panthers, who haven’t had their bye, have forced only one punt in their last two games. They make other teams work for their points, but Brian Burns‘ breakout season doesn’t provide enough juice up front to make up for the losses of Kawann Short and Yetur Gross-Matos from an already-thin defensive group. Mahomes has the look of a man ready to feast on a stretch of vulnerable opponents, making Christian McCaffrey‘s likely return from injury for this game of little concern for the defending champs.
Baltimore Ravens 24, Indianapolis Colts 20
This game is a stress test that will tell us how different these Ravens truly are. Baltimore’s defense is better than it was a year ago, but the sluggish passing game is impossible to ignore after another rough day for Lamar Jackson. Philip Rivers, on the other hand, is quietly carrying a Colts offense that ranks fifth in yards per pass attempt, yet dead last in yards per carry. I love Darius Leonard. I love Julian Blackmon. I love DeForest Buckner. But the Ravens’ running game is coming off its best game of the year and Baltimore still has more ways to win, with more firepower than the Colts, on both sides of the ball.
Seattle Seahawks 30, Buffalo Bills 24
Jamal Adams, who’s missed the last four games due to injury, and trade acquisition Carlos Dunlap could join a Seahawks defense coming off its best performance. This matchup sets up well for the upswing to continue. Like the other defenses that have slowed down the Bills lately, the Seahawks are happy to play coverage, keep the ball in front of them and wait for Josh Allen to make a mistake. Allen, who has turned the ball over as often as he’s notched a TD in the last four weeks, has mixed in too many quick drives with his brilliant playmaking. All Russell Wilson needs at the moment is a few stops and he can do the rest. Unless you’re watching 2019 tape, the Bills’ defense doesn’t look like the group to stop him.
Denver Broncos 27, Atlanta Falcons 24
Both of these teams have won two out of three games since resetting their season. Drew Lock looked absolutely lost for seven consecutive quarters before piloting a potential season-altering comeback over the Chargers. The Falcons have won decisively twice (and lost comically once) since Raheem Morris was named interim head coach, with Morris’ ascension coinciding with Julio Jones‘ return to the field. This game means more for the Broncos. Their defense is well-coached and their offense has a ton of playmakers than can go the distance on any play. That’s a recipe for a win if Lock can avoid being his own worst enemy.
Las Vegas Raiders 30, Los Angeles Chargers 28
The Chargers have the highest variance in football, which means they are the least consistent team from week to week. Their erratic play exists within games, often looking like world-beaters before turning into a self-defeating mess. The Raiders are steady like their quarterback, pleasantly boring as they rack up long field goal drives behind their mammoth offensive line. Derek Carr might lack the flash of Justin Herbert and the Raiders don’t quite measure up to their division rivals in overall talent, but there are mysterious, cosmic forces at play when the Chargers play fourth quarters. Don’t mess with the cosmos.
Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Dallas Cowboys 10
It doesn’t matter whether it’s Garrett Gilbert or Cooper Rush starting at quarterback for the Cowboys. Dallas was the worst team in the league with Andy Dalton at quarterback because its offensive line can’t protect against four-man rushes and really can’t protect against the blitz. The signs of life from Dallas’ defense last week were heartening, but it’s worth wondering if that effort will sustain when the Steelers’ defense is scoring points and taking the ball away in bunches on Sunday afternoon. Free Tony Romo and Jim Nantz; no more Cowboys games!
Arizona Cardinals 27, Miami Dolphins 24
The best way to prevent Dolphins coach Brian Flores from overwhelming your pass-protection schemes is to avoid obvious passing situations. One week after the Rams badly failed in this endeavor, the Cardinals will try to learn from Jared Goff‘s mistakes. Blitzing Kyler Murray is dangerous because he’s so elusive, but the Dolphins’ 32nd-ranked run defense is vulnerable if they don’t go for broke. These are two fascinating teams that are dramatically improved from 2019 — and the Dolphins have some magic to them. My heart says Miami, but my head has a hard time riding with Tua Tagovailoa until he proves he can move the offense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, New Orleans Saints 24
This score continues my theme of Week 9 underdogs falling short but keeping the game closer than expected. The analytics love the Bucs. I love the Bucs. There isn’t an obvious weakness for Tampa Bay, although the team’s big-name pass rush is quietly underwhelming. That could be a problem against a strong Saints offensive line, which protects Drew Brees well and blocks even better for Alvin Kamara in the run game and on screens. It’s also hard to overstate how much better the Saints’ offense should be with Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Marquez Callaway all trending toward a return to the field.
Still, the best way to beat the Tampa defense is over the top. That does not favor Brees. And while Marcus Davenport has given the Saints’ pass rush new life, the Bucs’ offensive line figures to keep Tom Brady clean. This is not only the biggest game of Week 9, but one of the biggest in the NFC all season. Both teams are Super Bowl contenders and the winner will have a significant edge in the battle for the NFC South.
MONDAY, NOV. 9
New England Patriots 20, New York Jets 11
This might be the Jets’ best opportunity for a win all season and their best chance to beat the Patriots since Ryan Fitzpatrick and Todd Bowles roamed the Meadowlands. The Patriots’ rush defense can’t stop anyone, but can Frank Gore or La’Mical Perine take advantage? The Jets’ pass defense, meanwhile, gambles way too much with way too little talent, but can Cam Newton and his merry band of undrafted receivers make the Jets pay deep? Both teams are dreadful in the first quarter and invite low-scoring games with their style of play, which makes this matchup the honorary NFC East prime-time game of the week, at least in spirit.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points in a record-setting performance and the Sacramento Kings beat the Toronto Raptors 122-107 on Wednesday night.
Domantas Sabonis added 17 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season for Sacramento. He shot 6 for 6 from the field and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line.
Keegan Murray chipped in with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox scored 21.
The 35-year-old DeRozan has scored at least 20 points in each of his first eight games with the Kings, breaking a franchise mark established by Chris Webber when he reached 20 in his first seven games with Sacramento in 1999.
DeRozan spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Bulls. The six-time All-Star also has played for Toronto and San Antonio during his 16-year NBA career.
RJ Barrett had 23 points to lead the Raptors. Davion Mitchell scored 20 in his first game in Sacramento since being traded to Toronto last summer.
Takeaways
Raptors: Toronto led for most of the first three quarters before wilting in the fourth. The Raptors were outscored 33-14 in the final period.
Kings: Fox played strong defense but struggled again shooting from the floor as he is dealing with a finger injury. Fox went 5 for 17 and just 2 of 8 on 3-pointers. He is 5 for 25 from beyond the arc in his last three games.
Key moment
The Kings trailed 95-89 early in the fourth before going on a 9-0 run that gave them the lead for good. DeRozan started the spurt with a jumper, and Malik Monk scored the final seven points.
Key stat
Sabonis had the eighth game in the NBA since at least 1982-83 with a triple-double while missing no shots from the field or foul line. The previous player to do it was Josh Giddey for Oklahoma City against Portland on Jan. 11.
Up next
Raptors: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, the third stop on a five-game trip.
Kings: Host the Clippers on Friday night.
___
AP NBA:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps are one win away from moving on to the next round of the Major League Soccer playoffs.
To get there, however, the Whitecaps will need to pull off the improbable by defeating the powerhouse Los Angeles FC for a second straight game.
Vancouver blanked the visitors 3-0 on Sunday to level their best-of-three first-round playoff series at a game apiece. As the matchup shifts back to California for a decisive Game 3 on Friday, the Whitecaps are looking for a repeat performance, said striker Brian White.
“We take the good and the bad from last game, learn from what we could have done better and go to LAFC with confidence and, obviously, with a whole lot of respect,” he said.
“We know that we can go there and give them a very good fight and hopefully come away with a win.”
The winner of Friday’s game will face the No. 4-seed Seattle Sounders in a one-game Western Conference semifinal on Nov. 23 or 24.
The ‘Caps finished the regular season eighth in the west with a 13-13-8 record and have since surprised many with their post-season play.
First, Vancouver trounced its regional rivals, the Portland Timbers, 5-0 in a wild-card game. Then, the squad dropped a tightly contested 2-1 decision to the top-seeded L.A. before posting a decisive home victory on Sunday.
Vancouver has scored seven goals this post-season, second only to the L.A. Galaxy (nine). Vancouver also leads the league in expected goals (6.84) through the playoffs.
No one outside of the club expected the Whitecaps to win when the Vancouver-L. A. series began, said defender Ranko Veselinovic.
“We’ve shown to ourselves that we can compete with them,” he said.
Now in his fifth season with the ‘Caps, Veselinovic said Friday’s game will be the biggest he’s played for the team.
“We haven’t had much success in the playoffs so, definitely, this is the one that can put our season on another level,” he said.
This is the second year in a row the Whitecaps have faced LAFC in the first round of the playoffs and last year, Vancouver was ousted in two straight games.
The team isn’t thinking about revenge as it prepares for Game 3, White said.
“More importantly than (beating LAFC), we want to get to the next round,” he said. “LAFC’s a very good team. We’ve come up against them a number of times in different competitions and they always seem to get the better of us. So it’d be huge for us to get the better of them this time.”
Earning a win last weekend required slowing L.A.’s transition game and limiting offensive opportunities for the team’s big stars, including Denis Bouanga.
Those factors will be important again on Friday, said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini, who warned that his team could face a different style of game.
“I think the most important thing is going to be to match their intensity at the beginning of the game,” he said. “Because I think they’re going to come at us a million miles per hour.”
The ‘Caps will once again look to captain Ryan Gauld for some offensive firepower. The Scottish attacking midfielder leads MLS in playoff goals with five and has scored in all three of Vancouver’s post-season appearances this year.
Gearing up for another do-or-die matchup is exciting, Gauld said.
“Knowing it’s a winner-takes-all kind of game, being in that kind of environment is nice,” he said. “It’s when you see the best in players.”
LAFC faces the bulk of the pressure heading into the matchup, Sartini said, given the club’s appearances in the last two MLS Cup finals and its 2022 championship title.
“They’re supposed to win and we are not,” the coach said. “But it’s beautiful to have a little bit of pressure on us, too.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League has revealed the jersey designs for its six newly named teams.
Each PWHL team operated under its city name, with players wearing jerseys featuring the league’s logo in its inaugural season before names and logos were announced last month.
The Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens will start the PWHL’s second season on Nov. 30 with jerseys designed to reflect each team’s identity and to be sold to the public as replicas.
Led by PWHL vice-president of brand and marketing Kanan Bhatt-Shah, the league consulted Creative Agency Flower Shop to design the jerseys manufactured by Bauer, the PWHL said Thursday in a statement.
“Players and fans alike have been waiting for this moment and we couldn’t be happier with the six unique looks each team will don moving forward,” said PWHL senior vice president of business operations Amy Scheer.
“These jerseys mark the latest evolution in our league’s history, and we can’t wait to see them showcased both on the ice and in the stands.”
Training camps open Tuesday with teams allowed to carry 32 players.
Each team’s 23-player roster, plus three reserves, will be announced Nov. 27.
Each team will play 30 regular-season games, which is six more than the first season.
Minnesota won the first Walter Cup on May 29 by beating Boston three games to two in the championship series.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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