Round 1 – Game 1 of TOR v. IND (2016 NBA Playoffs) in Toronto, Canada
I’m a 25-year old law school student who lives in Toronto and goes to school in London. I completed my undergraduate degree in Political Science and Law from the University of Toronto. I then started my path into the legal field by starting law school in England in September of 2018. After I graduate in 2020, I hope to pursue a career in sports law, specifically in athlete/talent representation.
I’m just a brown boy from the block, whose loves playing sports, talking about sports, and writing about sports in my free time.
Why am I doing this?
I LOVE SPORTS!
Refer to Point #1
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It has come to no surprise that sports has been turned upside down amid the COVID-19 outbreak. With all professional sports leagues currently at a stand still with no near return in sight for now, it is appropriate to look into the future at the new big stars to grace the professional stage. The 2019 College Football season was a memorable one, where records were broken and where once ordinary players became breakout prospects, climbing various Mock Draft ladders. By the end of the College Football Playoffs, we saw the LSU Tigers led by Heisman-winning QB Joe Burrow defeat the Clemson Tigers led by their superstar QB Trevor Lawrence 42-25. With the 2020 NFL Draft now just hours away, we’ve decided to create a final mock draft of our own, as to who will be drafted in the first round tomorrow (the first ten picks).
Note: The foundation of our mock draft will be essentially based on necessity, looking at what each team needs in order to be competitive/successful in this upcoming NFL season.
Pick No. 1 – Cincinnati Bengals
QB Joe Burrow, LSU
In my opinion, this seems like a no-brainer to me. Joe Burrow grew up in Ohio, and for him to go back home after winning the National Championship game to be the savior of a struggling Bengals franchise seems like it was meant to be. The organization franchise-tagging WR AJ Green was necessary in order to satisfy Burrow as he needs targets. However, it’s yet to be determined if his game can translate on a professional level. We’ll just have to wait and see to find out.
Pick No. 2 – Washington Redskins
DE Chase Young, Ohio State
As the premier defensive player in this draft, he’s on a level above everyone else. As an predominantly-positioned edge rusher, Young has the acceleration, strength and agility to evade blockers and get to the opposing QB with ease. Also, I’m sure Ron Rivera knows that he cannot fumble this pick as he did at times during his stint with the Carolina Panthers.
Pick No. 3 – Detroit Lions
CB Jeff Okudah, Ohio State
If you thought the Giants were atrocious on defense, wait until you see the numbers by Matt Patricia and the Lions. You would expect being a disciple of Bill Belichick, he would be keen on the winning mentality and defense. The Lions ranked second last in defense, allowing 400.4 yards/game on average. They don’t have a single defensive player ranked in the top 40 last season on defense. Jeff Okudah is polished and agile, and Matt Stafford could use all the help he could get on the other side of the football.
Pick No. 4 – New York Giants
OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Dave Gettleman went under fire quickly in last year’s draft by selecting QB Daniel Jones to replace the retiring Eli Manning. I believe this time around, he’s going to play it safe, but knowing Gettlemen, who knows? Based on necessity, it would be defense, as the Giants were ranked 25th in the league last year, allowing the opposition to score an average of 377.3 yards/game. But what’s more important is protecting Daniel Jones. He fumbled the ball 18 times during the season, and lost possession 11/18 times. That’s where Tristan Wirfs comes in. You can make the case for Mekhi Becton based on his surreal combine performance, but overall, Wirfs was the best lineman at the combine.
Pick No. 5 – Miami Dolphins
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
This seems pretty obvious to me as well. Based on necessity, the one thing the Dolphins need right now (besides wins) is a reliable quarterback. Other than Joe Burrow, the only other prominent quarterbacks in this draft are Tua and Oregon’s Justin Herbert. In this case, I think the Dolphins will roll the dice on Tua’s injury and believe he’ll be fine based on his off-season rehab along with his 2019 season pre-injury.
Pick No. 6 – Los Angeles Chargers
QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
The third and fifth overall picks could be switched, depending on their fit within the organization. Both quarterbacks are polished and have put up great numbers in their college careers. With Phillip Rivers off to the Colts, I don’t believe Tyrod Taylor is ready to step into that starting quarterback role just yet. They are most likely going to select a reliable play-caller with this pick, but it remains to be seen if it will be Tua or Justin.
Pick No. 7 – Carolina Panthers
DE/DT Derrick Brown, Auburn
The Panthers as a whole, but more particularly, their defensive line needs to be solidified. That’s where Derrick Brown fits in. Carolina ranked 29th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, averaging 146.2. You can make the argument with the Panthers drafting Jeff Okudah if he’s still available, but it’s doubtful at this point. It’s still unclear whether Teddy Bridgewater can produce as well as Cam Newton had, before he was cut last month, but that’s something else we’ll have to wait and see for ourselves.
Pick No. 8 – Arizona Cardinals
LB/S Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
QB Kyler Murray came into the NFL and had himself a great season, taking home Offensive Rookie of the Yearhonors. On the defensive end, however, it was a different story. The Cardinals ranked second last in opposition passing yards at 284.4/game. They need someone that will be able to rush opposing QBs and Simmons seems to be the reasonable fit here. He was a standout start in Clemson during the 2019 College Football season, and his defensive tendencies seemed to be polished enough to translate to the professional level.
Pick No. 9 – Jacksonville Jaguars
LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Jacksonville struggled on defense and they need someone to blitz opposing QBs. Murray played a crucial role in Oklahoma’s run in the 2019 College Football season. Look for him to make an immediate impact on the defensive end.
Pick No. 10 – Cleveland Browns
WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
Let’s be honest. They don’t “need” a WR, especially this early in the draft. But drafting a WR with this potential is rare, and it’s hard for the Browns not to pounce on the opportunity, given their disappointing season last year. They were projected to be a playoff team, but fell short of expectations. Giving Baker Mayfield an Oklahoma-bred WR might be just what he needs as a target, in combination with Odell Beckham Jr, Nick Chubb, and Jarvis Landry. If they can prevent the seduction of other teams with the offers of future first round picks or fillers, they should be able to be successful next season.
Four Notable Picks I believe will be taken in Round 1:
Pick No. 12: Las Vegas Raiders – WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
Pick No. 13: San Fransisco 49ers – WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
Pick No. 17: Dallas Cowboys – S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
It’s been exactly 3 months and 10 days since the 2019 UEFA Champions League tournament concluded with Liverpool beating Tottenham 2-0 in the first all-English UCL final since the famous 2008 UCL final between Manchester United and Chelsea. To be completely honest with you, last year’s UCL final was underwhelming for about 80 out of the 90 minutes played. Don’t get me wrong it had all the excitement within the first 2 minutes, as the Spurs conceded a penalty from an accidental handball within the first minute of play, which set up the penalty for Mohamed Salah. Then in the 87th minute it was Divock Origi that slotted home the second insurance goal for the Reds as they hoisted the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2005.
Let’s bring it back to the present day, shall we? We’re about a week away from the group stage of the 2019-2020 UCL group stage. With each group, I’ll provide my predictions to the final group standings with analysis, as well as who I believe will be a standout player in the group stage, group by group. I’ll conclude with who I believe will win the entire thing and who they’ll go up against in the final. So let’s get to it.
Group A:
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid
Club Brugge
Galatasaray
Analysis:
Let’s be honest, the two teams fighting for supremacy within the group will be PSG and Real Madrid. After the summer signing of Eden Hazard for Real Madrid, they’re looking to make a big jump in the Champions League. However, he’s got big shoes to fill, as he’s essentially replacing Cristiano Ronaldo. Look forward to some heavy attacking play made by Hazard, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. The midfield and defense has stayed relatively constant, with no real additional signings. If the club continues to increase their confidence in their new signing Luka Jovic, look for him to make an impact in the attack.
PSG’s has had a summer full of headlines and breaking news stories. But at the end of the day, Neymar has stayed in Paris, and has not moved to Barcelona… for the time being. The club’s confidence in him has obviously deteriorated with his transfer request, but his skill level will offset that when UCL resumes this year. Kylian Mbappe is going to be a problem for any defense, especially when he gets that extra acceleration on the counter-attack. Any defense will have their hands full. And if he struggles, look for him to find Edison Cavani or Neymar or even their new loanee from Inter, Mauro Icardi. Needless to say, they’ll have a bunch of attacking options, which will make them a huge threat to make a deep run in the knockout stages as well.
Player of the Group: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Group B:
Bayern Munich
Tottenham Hotspurs
Olympiakos
Red Star Belgrade
Analysis:
Bayern has had some immense changes over the summer. They’ve brought in players from the likes of Coutinho, Perisic, Pavard and Hernandez. That being said, they’ve also lost quite a few key players from last year’s run, which include Ribery, Robben, Rodriguez, and Hummels. This will definitely be a test of how quickly they can create team chemistry. All this added to their constant superstar striker Lewandowski makes them another big attacking threat in the group stage. You can expect multiple goals per game. However, they’re only real threat in this group will be the likes of the Spurs, who are coming off being in the UCL final.
The Spurs are an interesting bunch. It’s tough to distinguish whether they’ll put importance in the Champions League, or if they’ll focus on keeping their place in the Top 4, now that Arsenal and Manchester United have improved with their new signings. The x-factor for them will be Christian Eriksen and here’s why: should he chose to leave the club, they’ll lose their constant midfield presence that keeps them in control of defensive pressing situations. I’m looking to see if Deli Ali will finally step up on the attacking front, and finally help Son and Harry Kane in the attacking front. Defensively, they’ve also remained constant, but Bayern has too many attacking weapons.
It’s important to note that Red Star Belgrade did beat Liverpool in the group stages last year, but to be honest, after analyzing that game, it seemed like a one-off and I don’t expect them to make a lot of noise in this top-heavy group.
Player of the Group: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Group C:
Manchester City
Atalanta
Shakhtar
Dinamo Zagreb
Analysis:
So this is super weird. How is it that Manchester City gets pooled in the same group as Shakhtar Donetsk for the third straight year. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this works perfectly for Manchester City, as they’ve racked up a combined aggregate score of 9-0 in the last three years against them. This seems little cause for concern for Man City, as they seem poised to breeze through this group stage. In term of Manchester City’s potent attacking line.
I’m not going to pick Sergio Aguero to be the player of the group stage because I think that would be too obvious. I’m going with Raheem Sterling. We’ve all heard the stories of the racist chants during away games over the past several months towards him. He’s going to use that as fuel and really cause problems for every defense they go against. More importantly, it will give Aguero some rest before the real test begins in the knockout stages.
Second place is where it becomes more difficult to analyze. To be honest, it’s really between Shakhtar and Atalanta. On one hand, Shakhtar haven’t lost a domestic league match for over a year, but their manager, Paulo Fonesca has left for Roma in the summer.
However, my opinion is that Atalanta will end up finishing as runner-ups in the group. They’ve played well as a total unit, and their managerial style has been refreshing. They’ve played some of the best football in Europe over the last couple of months.
Player of the Group: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Group D:
Juventus
Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Lokomotiv Moscow
Analysis:
Let’s be honest, this is another two-horse race within this particular group. But let’s not forget that these two teams went up against each other in last year’s Round of 16. If not for Ronaldo’s sensational hat-rick to save Juve, we would be possibly talking about an entire different outcome. In terms of Ronaldo, he knows the clock is ticking because as he turns 35 this season, his window to add his to his 5 champions league trophies is closing, and closing fast.
He will be as important as ever for Juve, but with the addition of Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot, they are definitely stronger on the defensive end and in the middle. Let’s also not forget their big summer signing of Matthjis de Ligt from Ajax, who has a chip on his shoulder and is looking to produce for a bigger club. Gonzalo Higuain will be an important factor for them, especially if the rumblings of Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic possibly leaving are true.
Atletico Madrid have weakened a bit since the departure of striker Antoine Griezmann. Their big summer signing of Joao Felix will be big, and I predict him as well as new midfield signing Kieran Trippier will have something to play for in the group stage. Juventus will not have an easy task against Atletico but their attack is too strong not to top the group. Madrid will end up as runner-ups.
Bayer Leverkusen will be weak especially with the departure of Julian Brandt to Dortmund, and there’s no need to talk about Moscow because, well…
Player of the Group: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Group E:
Liverpool
Napoli
RB Salzburg
Genk
Analysis:
Napoli is much improved from last year, with the summer signings of Mexico forward Hirving Lozano, and Kostas Manolas brings some excitement and quality from a defensive standpoint. But again, similar to previous groups mentioned, it’s really clear to see why Liverpool won the UCL last year. They were dominant from top to bottom, and with their highly-ranked defense led by POTY Virgil van Dijk, they look poised to make another deep run.
Look for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah to make big impacts on the attacking end, and at the end of the day, it’s really easy to picture Liverpool to at least make it to the semi-finals this year, with health being the most important factor to it. Napoli will have something to say about being group winners, but, at the end of the day, Liverpool is Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp will lead them to be the group winners that they are.
RB Salzburg and Genk are both too weak all-around to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Napoli, and the top two in the group will make short work of them in the group stage matches.
Player of the Group: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Group F:
Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund
Inter Milan
Slavia Prague
Analysis:
So there’s a viral video out of the Champions League draw, where the cameras caught the reaction of Slavia Prague as they found out they were pooled with the Group of Death. To be honest, I would have had the same reaction.
Slavia Prague couldn’t have asked for a worse group. With Barcelona, Dortmund and Inter all being head and shoulders above them on all aspects of the field, I see them probably securing only a couple of points from this group stage.
Now let’s get to the other three shall we? This is an interesting one, because you really don’t know who will end up reaching the knockout rounds. Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan mad some huge signings over the past couple of months. They strengthened up the attack with the addition of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, but that’s only if they can go back to being in good form, which we haven’t seen in a while.
They’ve also strengthened their defense with the addition of Diego Godin. Their success is predicated on their new attacking signings showing out during the UCL and I don’t believe that to be the case, especially within the last couple of years at Manchester United. They will struggle to gel, and you can’t use that time to gel, when going up against the likes of Barcelona and Dortmund, which means they’ll probably end up in the third.
Leo Messi is still nursing his calf injury, but look for Antoine Griezmann to show out and prove he’s still a top 5 striker in the world. Top to bottom, I trust Barcelona more than Dortmund. Even though Dortmund has remained constant throughout the year, and they’ve added Hummels again, I still believe Barcelona’s attacking style of football, plus the addition of Frenkie de Jong will be a huge factor for them moving forward. Ultimately, they’ll look to rest Barcelona as much as possible, but it’ll be tough in this group. That’s why as he recovers with game, Griezmann will shine in this group stage, as Messi will provide his magic through playmaking.
Player of the Group: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)
Group G:
RB Leipzing
Lyon
Benfica
Zenit St Petersburg
Analysis:
There’s really not much to analyze here, if I’m being completely honest with you. However, this is probably the most evenly-matched group within the entire UCL group stage.
Leipzing included key players such as Christopher Nkunku. Let’s also not forget about the lethal striker that is Timo Werner. They’ll be potent all around and it shouldn’t be a surprise.
Benfica has one reason for not making it to the group stage. That reason is Joao Felix. Since his departure to Atletico Madrid, they have significantly diminished in quality and young player development. If he was still on this team, it would be different and they could maybe even win this group, but we can’t talk about things that will never become true.
Lyon lost a ton of key players including Tanguy Ndombele, Nabil Fekir and Ferland Mendy. However, they still have their best goal scorer in Moussa Dembele. But that’s just not enough to compete with the likes of RB Leipzing and that’s why they’ll remain runner-ups.
Player of the Group: Moussa Dembele (Lyon)
Group H:
Chelsea
Ajax
Valencia
Lille
Analysis:
Chelsea’s return to the Champions League will not be easy to say the least for new manager and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard. Ajax is coming off a story book UCL last year, where they knocked off both Real Madrid and Juventus in succession. They’ll be just as hungry regardless if they lost two key players in de Jong and de Ligt. However, I’ve noticed that other than the pathetic effort put forth in their Premier League opener against Manchester United, they have played consistently throughout the attacking front and through the middle of the field. Their defense is still weak, and hopefully they can get some signings in January, but if they don’t, they could get upset by Ajax.
Ajax is also diminished since the departure of their two young stars. If Chelsea is strong in their attack, and Christian Pulisic steps up as a leader for Chelsea, they shouldn’t have a problem… except when it comes to Ajax. However, Pulisic is not my choice to shine in the group stage. That honour will go to Pedro who with his experience and ability to cut through defenses, will shine bright with some sensational goals.
Player of the Group: Pedro (Chelsea)
The Final:
As a football fan, I’m hoping and praying that we get to see Barcelona against Juventus. Leo Messi going up against Cristiano Ronaldo for just one more time. But I don’t think the soccer gods will cooperate with us.
I don’t know who they will go up against, but Manchester City looks poised to seek revenge upon everyone in the UCL after the controversial header that was disallowed as a result of VAR in last year’s knockout stage against Tottenham. They’ve got the Premier League trophies, but their focus will shift to winning the UCL this time around.
In regards to who they’ll go up against, it’s hard to say, but if I was a betting man (which I’m not), I’d go with Juventus or Barcelona. Their attacks are just more consistent and will cause headaches for opposing defenses. Liverpool will receive honorable mention but to be completely honest, I believe they’ll put their focus to winning the league now that they’ve won the UCL recently.
Final Predictions:
Champions League Winner: Manchester City
Runner-Ups: Juventus
Player of the Tournament: Cristiano Ronaldo or Kevin De Bruyne
Left to Right: Patrick Mahomes (KC Chiefs), Tom Brady (NE Patriots), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
The first week of the NFL is officially in the books, and it already looks like the NFL’s 100th season will be one of the greatest ever. I’m not really a huge football fan to be completely honest with you. If this was Opening Night of the NBA, I would be glued to be TV screen. However, I’ve seen all the storylines and drama that filled my notifications all summer, so I was definitely intrigued to see how they would impact the first week of the football season.
There were several matchups that caught my eye. The reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots went head-to-head with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The new-look Cleveland Browns started their season at home against the Tennessee Titans. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys squared off against the New York Giants. Then there’s Monday Night Football, where Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints went up against the young QB Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. Those were the 4 most important games in the NFL, because in my opinion, these games would have a lasting impression on the entire league and season moving forward. Now let’s talk about these games, shall we?
New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Patriots won 33-3)
24 hours before kickoff, it was reported that superstar WR Antonio Brown had signed a 1-year, $15 million deal with the Patriots, only just hours after being released by the Oakland Raiders. However, due to waiver clearing issues and timelines, he will not be able to play until Week 2 at the earliest.
To be honest, it was looking like the Patriots didn’t even need him on the field. The game was pretty much over in the first half, when the halftime score was 20-0, and then 30-3 after three quarters. As soon as AB is officially back in the offence, and with the recent addition of WR Josh Gordon, look for the Pats to be even scarier, and could even repeat as champs. And do we even need to talk about Tom Brady? He went 24/36, threw for 341 yards and had 3 touchdowns. On top of that, he was only sacked one time. Did I mention he just turned 42 last month?
On the Steelers end of the field, they struggled throughout the game. However, there were some bright spots. After Antonio Brown’s departure last season, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster looks to take that number one option on the offensive end. He struggled for the most part, but there were some positive notes in his running game.
I can’t say the same for QB Ben Roethlisberger. He went 27/47 for 276 yards, which is decent, but not a single TD and was intercepted in the fourth quarter, while being sacked once. We can blame the venue all we want, where Big Ben has never beat Tom Brady in Foxborough ever in his career. But the reality of the situation is that the offence will be struggling all season unless Juju and the other receiving core step it up.
Overall, the Patriots look poised to repeat as Super Bowl winners this year, if they remain healthy and AB lights it up as their new WR without all of the extra drama he comes with.
Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans (Titans won 43-13)
To say that the Cleveland Browns simply lost this football game on Sunday, would be a complete understatement. Frankly, they were outmatched and beat down. Let’s call it as we see it, shall we? Sophomore QB Baker Mayfield went 25/38 with just 1 TD, but struggled passing to his receiving core, earning 3 INTs. This was disappointing considering he has one of the most talented receiving team in the NFL, with the addition of Odell Beckham Jr., and the return Nick Chubb, and Jarvis Landry. In order for the Browns to be successful, their defence has to improve more than their offence, considering they let a projected non-playoff team score 43 points in the opening weekend of the season. Let’s treat this as an anomaly, because I’m sure the Browns will improve with more games under their belt, but the clock is indeed ticking.
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants (Cowboys won 35-17)
The Dallas Cowboys were in the media quite a bit over the last month or so, but it was nothing to do with playing football. Their start RB Ezekiel Elliot was down in Cabo, Mexico, away from the team until the team found a reasonable extension contract for him. Without about a week to go until the season started, Jerry Jones didn’t want to waste anymore time. They gave him a contract extension with the terms being 6-year, $90 million. On top of that, they deemed $50 million of it to be guaranteed money. It’s safe to say that Zeke got compensated quite profoundly this offseason, and he proved his worth in the first week of the season, grabbing a TD and running for 53 yards on 13 carries. Now, those don’t seem like big numbers, but that’s okay. The Cowboys knew they weren’t going to waste Zeke’s energy on a Giants team that is not destined to make the playoffs this season or the next. Look for him to make a splash starting next week against the Redskins.
Of course, we have to talk about the brilliance put on display by QB Dak Prescott. The numbers truly speak for themselves. He went 25/32 going for 405 yards, with 4 TDs without being intercepted or sacked once. I believe this trend will continue and look for them to make a deep run into the playoffs.
On the other side of the field, there’s only two players even worth mentioning after this game and that’s QB Eli Manning and superstar RB Saquon Barkley. Manning went 30/44 with 306 yards, and 1 touchdown but it wasn’t nearly enough, as the Cowboys defence shut it down as soon as they realized they were down 7-0. Saquon was his brilliant self yet again, just continuing from his dominant rookie campaign. He rushed for 120 yards on just 11 carries. He’ll continue his brilliance all season and he’ll battle Zeke for best RB honours as the season comes to and end.
Overall, it’s easy what to take away from this. The Cowboys looked good and could make a deep playoff run, with smart coaching and good play-calling. The Giants, on the other hand, look destined to be a team on the outside looking into the playoff race.
New Orleans Saints vs. Houston Texans (Saints won 30-28)
On paper, this matchup looks pretty evenly-matched to be honest.
The first thing I noticed when watching this game was that the offensive line of the Saints was much improved from when I saw them a year ago. RB Alvin Kamara looks rejuvenated this year and looks to cause some serious problems in the NFC and the NFL in general. QB Drew Brees also doesn’t look like he’s 40 but just like the analysts have said, he ages like fine wine. He looked sharp throughout the game. The x-factor this season will be WR Michael Thomas who will be important part again for their offence. Their defence looks stellar as well, shutting down Deshaun Watson, especially LB Demario Jackson.
Seeing the New Orleans Saints play at home to start the season, you would think that this would be a reasonable game to win to start the season. However, this is not the case. The connection between Texans QB Deshaun Watson and WR DeAndre Hopkins was in full effect tonight, connecting twice for 2 TDs, while Watson had his own fun with a running TD himself. I’m excited to see this tandem continue to light up the league in the weeks to come. It was clear that the Texans had a good game plan going into this matchup, which was to prolong their offensive drives and make sure that Drew Brees sees as less time of the football field as possible. This plan almost worked, until a costly interception in the third quarter by Deshaun Watson.
At the end, after trading multiple offensive blows, the Saints became victorious due to one man, and that was RB Alvin Kamara. He was an absolute monster, avoiding tackle after tackle on multiple occasions. He ended the night with 20 total receptions and a total of 169 yards (97 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards). He didn’t contribute directly to the touchdowns receptions, but he was responsible for being successful in 3/4 third downs he was involved in.
My Analysis: What I noticed in the end, and what happened after the Texans got their TD with 36 seconds left, was a lack of defensive coverage or bad defensive play-calling. Their biggest mistake was using loose coverage on the last play to give up the reception to Ted Ginn Jr. This ultimately set up the winning FG to win the game. This was one of the most exciting games during Week 1, where quarterbacks needed to be clutch, and don’t get me wrong, both QBs were very clutch in the end. But, at the end of the day, the type of coverage used against the Saints offence on that final drive was the reason the Texans lost this game.
Honourable Mentions of the Week:
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens): Going 17/20 for 324 yards and 5 TDs is no joke. Too bad the Miami Dolphins defence is a joke. It’s not surprising that it was reported that several Dolphins players contacted their agents requesting to be traded. I’m going to treat this as a one-off, until Jackson is able to do this against a top-10 ranked defence in the NFL.
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals): The 2019 first overall pick went 29/54 and threw for 308 yards, getting 2 TDs, and somewhat lived up to the hype. However, his offensive line needs some work, as he was intercepted once and sacked 5 times. However, he led his team on quite the comeback, being down 17-3 at halftime, and ending the game tied with Detroit 27-27 after overtime. He’ll show snippets of brilliance, and prove why he was the first overall pick, but I’ll go as far to say that it will take him a couple of years until he’s on that star QB level.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs): Last year’s NFL MVP picked up right where he left off. He went 25/22 going for 378 yards and picked up 3 TDs. However, one issue to note is that WR Tyreek Hill is set to miss several weeks with a collarbone injury suffered in the game. That’s a huge blow for their offence, but I’m sure TE Travis Kelce and RB LeSean McCoy will pick up the slack.
DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles): It would be easy to bring up QB Carson Wentz, because he was brilliant in this game, but I think it’s more important to talk about Jackson in this respect. This guy is coming off being cut by Philly in 2013, and at age 32, doesn’t look like he’s slowing down any time soon. He picked up 2 TDs against a good defence in Washington. Hopefully, he can keep it up because they’ll need if they want to be back in the Super Bowl.
Final Thoughts:
I genuinely believe that with the addition of Antonio Brown, the Patriots are huge favourites to repeat as champions, after games in week 1 of the NFL’s 100th season. I’ve yet to see a team that could compete with them on every level of the field. We will just have to wait and see as the season progresses.
Lowry showing the fans the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the Championship Parade in Toronto
As I write this blog, it’s September 8, 2019. This means that even though Week 1 of the NFL has already started and some games of the soccer season have already been played, it’s still not too late to make some predictions for the 2019-2020 NBA season.
The 2019-2020 NBA season kicks off on October 22nd, 2019, where the defending champion Toronto Raptors will receive their championship rings before kicking off their season against the rookie phenom Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans in Toronto. The opening night double-header will conclude with the battle of Los Angeles, where the newly-acquired duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Clippers will go head-to-head with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers.
It’s not hard to assume which teams will make the playoffs and which teams will fall just short of that goal. Although the parity between teams within the league has gradually improved the course of the past couple of seasons, there is a distinct difference between playoff teams and non-playoff teams within the NBA. That being said, here are my predictions for both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference playoff standings.
Eastern Conference:
Seeding
Team
Reg. Season Record
1.
Milwaukee Bucks
55-27
2.
Philadelphia 76ers
53-29
3.
Toronto Raptors
52-30
4.
Boston Celtics
51-31
5.
Indiana Pacers
49-33
6.
Brooklyn Nets
47-35
7.
Detroit Pistons
44-38
8.
Miami Heat
42-40
Notable Mention: Orlando Magic
Now that Kawhi Leonard has left the Eastern Conference after one incredible season with the Toronto Raptors, it is finally the season for the Bucks to make their case as the best team in the East. However, the Sixers will have something to say about that. Although the Sixers lost Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat, they were able to sign former Celtics big man Al Horford making their front court one of the strongest in the conference.
The Raptors (sans Kawhi Leonard will try to repeat without their superstar, but it will most likely end in the Conference Semifinals. With the Boston Celtics parting ways with Kyrie Irving, while simultaneously adding Kemba Walker, they will look to make their mark on the East, but it’s hard to see them also move past the Conference Semifinals, especially if they have to face the Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
The Indiana Pacers and the Brooklyn Nets are definitely much improved, but are still 1-2 years away from competing for the East.
You can expect to see an old-fashion Eastern Conference finals between the Bucks and the Sixers. However, if Ben Simmons is able to develop a consistent jump shot, there’s a very strong possibility that the Sixers could upset the Bucks. However, I don’t see that happening, especially after Giannis lost 4 straight after going up 2-0 in the 2019 East Finals. He’s looking to prove himself as an MVP in both the regular season AND the playoffs.
Prediction: Bucks in 7.
Western Conference:
Seeding
Team
Reg. Season Record
1.
Los Angeles Clippers
61-21
2.
Denver Nuggets
59-23
3.
Los Angeles Lakers
56-26
4.
Houston Rockets
52-30
5.
Portland Trailblazers
51-31
6.
Utah Jazz
50-32 (Won tie-breaker with GSW)
7.
Golden State Warriors
47-35
8.
San Antonio Spurs
44-38
Notable Mentions: New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks
The Western Conference just became that much more top-heavy, but not in the way you expected prior to the off-season. The reigning Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors will suffer throughout the first half of the season in numerous aspects. With Klay Thompson out for a majority of the season due to the ACL tear suffered in the NBA Finals last year, an integral part of their offence and more importantly, defence has now been diminished. Also, with Kevin Durant‘s departure to the Eastern Conference Brooklyn Nets via sign-and-trade with D’Angelo Russell, they lost one of the best scorers the league has ever seen. Steph Curry looks poised and positioned to have a very high usage rate this season, and could end up being the 2020 NBA MVP, but they’ll need to contend for home-court advantage in the first round.
Let’s be honest, the Western Conference crown will run through the city of Los Angeles one way or another. After missing the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2004-2005 season, LeBron is looking to bounce back in a big way, especially with the addition of Anthony Davis from New Orleans. Sharp-shooting from Danny Green, and third-option scoring from Kyle Kuzma will help them especially in situations of load management (if LeBron elects to go in this route).
In the other side of the Staples Centre tunnel, the Clippers made a big splash in the off-season, acquiring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, both known for being two-dimensional superstars. Adding these two to a team that took the fully-loaded Warriors to 6 games in last year’s first round of the playoffs will make the Clippers a huge threat to not only win the West, but the whole thing.
The Denver Nuggets haven’t changed much and they should be able to keep the same process going and be able to stay successful.
Houston is an interesting case. They traded for OKC’s loyal MVP Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul to try to find another suitable partner for James Harden. However, it’s hard to predict how the Rockets will manage with 2 ball-dominant point guards. Who will do most of the ball-handling? Will Westbrook clash in D’Antoni’s system? Does Russell Westbrook have the same leadership qualities that CP3 had that made them successful? We’ll have to give them half a season at least to try to figure out their identity before I can really analyze it myself.
The Trail Blazers also made some decent moves in the off-season. Singing Damian Lillard to a 4-year, $196 million supermax extension was priority number 1, and acquiring Hassan Whiteside via the Jimmy Butler trade makes the front court of Nurkic and Whiteside one of the best in the West. As for the Utah Jazz, the addition of Mike Conley was good and all, but let’s be honest, they can’t compete for the West crown just yet.
I’m expecting a ruthless fight for the Western Conference, especially with so many players in new teams looking to prove themselves. The Rockets and the Jazz will fight to try to make it to the West Finals, but at the end, it just seems right to have the Lakers and the Clippers battle it out for the Western Conference. I think it’s not just the fans that need this, but the league needs this as well, after disappointing ratings in last year’s playoffs.
Prediction: Lakers in 7.
End of Season Award Predictions
Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Rookie of the Year: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers
Most Improved Player: Jarren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
The Finals:
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid going up against LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The NBA can’t get any better than that in my opinion. This will be a dog fight. The Sixers will put up a fight, but Simmons and Embiid are lower-rated versions of LeBron and AD. The Lakers, after missing the playoffs every year since 2012, will tie the Celtics for the most championships in NBA history, and hang up banner number 17 next year at Staples Centre.
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