Happy Monday everyone! Our first football-less weekend was not short of intrigue as we have a few stories from different corners of the sports world. From Kevin Durant to Jordan Spieth, today’s “Weekend Recap” has you covered. While the actual games didn’t quite match the spectacle of the weekend, it was still a good one nonetheless. So let’s dive right into the recap.

Kevin Durant’s Return to Oklahoma City

The story of the weekend featured Kevin Durant making his long-awaited return to Oklahoma City after joining the Golden State Warriors last summer. We haven’t seen a crowd like that since LeBron’s return to Cleveland as a member of the Heat. The scene in OKC could best be described as a social experiment on a national stage.

Yes, Durant left for a better team and essentially took the Thunder’s title hopes with him. So I understand the venom from the crowd on Saturday night, but I just hope that eventually the fans in OKC understand what Durant meant to that franchise. He legitimized the Thunder in Oklahoma City, and validated that city in the NBA. It could be a lot worse considering the Oklahoma City Thunder used to be known as the Seattle Supersonics, but I digress.

As for the game, it pretty much went like the previous meetings between these two teams. Golden State dominated once again, winning the game 130-114. Durant is now 3-0 while averaging over 30 points per game against his former team. I think we can all agree this is far from a rivalry and more one team with a personal issue with its former star. By the way, Russell Westbrook telling Durant that “he’s coming” down 20 in the second half was actually laughable.

NCAA Reveals the Preliminary Top-16 Seeds Ahead of Another Wild Weekend

College fans got a small glimpse into the collective mind of the selection committee this weekend with the first reveal of the top-16 seeds. Right now, Villanova would be the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament while undefeated Gonzaga is currently the fourth #1 seed despite being the top-ranked team in the AP Top 25 (I guess I’m not so crazy after all). Kansas and Baylor rounded out the top seeds in this first look of the top part of the bracket.

There were a couple of interesting takeaways from the selection committee’s preliminary rankings aside from the top line of the bracket. The ACC had five teams among the top-16 while the Big Ten had a whopping zero. This is interesting for two reasons.

First, the ACC could set a new record for the most teams from one conference to make the tournament. Its no secret that the ACC is the best conference in college basketball since Big East was raided a few years ago, but it will be interesting to see if that record will fall next month. The second reason concerns the Big Ten because this could mean the conference is in danger of not having a team in the top-16 for the first time since 2003 if these rankings hold up over the next few weeks.

As for the action on the court this weekend, we got a ton of excitement once again. #1 Gonzaga rolled over #20 St. Mary’s in its last true test of the regular season. The Bulldogs are now 26-0 and finishing the regular season undefeated is now very realistic (ESPN BPI gives Gonzaga a 90+ percent chance of winning its final four games). #3 Kansas survived a scare at Texas Tech 80-79, while #18 Duke avoided an emotional letdown against Clemson 64-62.

Of course not everyone made it through the weekend unscathed. Saturday saw #14 Florida State lost 84-72 at Notre Dame and #22 Butler fell at Providence 71-65. That was just an appetizer for Sunday’s madness. #7 Wisconsin was upset at home by Northwestern 66-59 giving the Huskies a resume-making win in its bid to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. #25 SMU ended #11 Cincinnati’s 15-game winning streak (the 2^nd longest streak in men’s basketball this season) 60-51 to take control of the AAC.

The game of the weekend though was Virginia Tech’s double-overtime victory over #12 Virginia 80-78. The Hokies erased a 14-point halftime deficit to notch its biggest win of the season, and strengthen its tournament resume. Virginia had a chance to win the game in the first overtime, but in a strange twist of fate, the layup attempt by London Perrantes got stuck on the rim. You just have to love college basketball sometimes.

Jordan Spieth Picks Up a Historic Win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The incredible run of the young guns in golf continued at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this weekend. Jordan Spieth cruised on Sunday, shooting a final round 70 en route to a four-shot victory. It is the seventh consecutive tournament won by a player in his twenties. Spieth entered the day with a six-shot lead, and never had his lead get smaller than three shots.

It was the first win of 2017 for Spieth and his ninth career PGA Tour title. That puts him in exclusive company as the 23-year old became the second youngest player in PGA Tour history to win nine-tournaments. The youngest player to do so is Tiger Woods.

Spieth’s dominant run over the weekend is a welcome sign as we make our way towards The Masters. This was Spieth’s first 54-hole lead since his collapse at Augusta National last season. If this is the type of play we can expect to see from Spieth, he very well may be adding the second green jacket to his trophy case that eluded him a year ago.

This week the PGA Tour heads to Riviera Country Club for the Genesis Open, which will feature potentially the best field of players so far in 2017.

That’s it for me today as I head to Richland with the SNJ Today crew for St. Augustine vs. ACIT, that you can watch on SNJToday.com. I’ll be back tomorrow with another edition of “Heat Check” to give my pre-All Star weekend power rankings. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

If last night was any indication, the madness is approaching. March is just around the corner and the college basketball season is rapidly heating up. #18 Duke upended #8 North Carolina in the first meeting of the year in the nation’s best rivalry. We also saw an incredible comeback victory by #10 UCLA over #5 Oregon, while #7 Wisconsin avoided disaster on the road in overtime against Nebraska. With all that excitement, it’s easy to forget that Gonzaga tacked on another win to its undefeated run.

We have a few weeks until the conference tournaments begin and 30 days until Selection Sunday. This Sunday, we are going to get an idea of where the some teams stand when the selection committee reveals a preliminary bracket for the top-16 seeds. It should be a little illuminating, but ultimately there is still a long time between now and the second Sunday in March. There are a lot to learn about all of these teams. The field is wide open right now, so today’s “Heat Check” will be looking who are some of the contenders and pretenders among the top teams in the country.

#1 Gonzaga – 25-0 (13-0 in conference): Pretender

I’m not buying into the last remaining undefeated team in Division 1. Don’t get me wrong the Bulldogs have been steamrolling the West Coast Conference. They also have impressive nonconference wins against #9 Arizona (without Alonzo Trier) and #17 Florida. My concern is whether this team can make a run through the gauntlet in March.

Gonzaga’s strength of schedule ranks 111^th in the country, so while they do have those marquee wins its been awhile since they have seen elite competition. If you look at the RPI, the Bulldogs only rank 12^th. The committee also has a habit of making the top overall seed’s path to the Final Four a difficult one. You are beginning to see that the Zags could be set up for an early exit during the NCAA tournament’s second weekend.

#2 Villanova – 23-2 (10-2): Contender (for now)

The defending national champions are teetering on the edge of contender and pretender. They have pulled out some fantastic wins this season, including a thrilling comeback against #12 Virginia. Villanova has been playing with fire lately, and haven’t been playing its best basketball yet.

I’m keeping them in the contender category now though because these close shaves could give them some valuable experience to tap into come tourney time. You have to be battle tested in March, and with a national player of the year candidate in Josh Hart, the Wildcats could be a tough one or two seed. They are the second ranked team in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index and the NCAA’s RPI so clearly the metrics respect the Cats.

#9 Arizona – 22-3 (11-1): Contender

I wrote about my initial thoughts about Arizona a couple weeks ago, and I still feel the same way despite a blowout loss to #5 Oregon last weekend. The Wildcats are potentially the best team in the country now that Alonzo Trier is back in uniform. They have length in the frontcourt, which makes them a tough team to play defensively, and their guards can make plays in the open court.

This is one of the few teams in the country that can play in just about any type of game. Arizona has won defensive games against California and Michigan State but have also shown they can score with the best in a win at #10 UCLA. A lot of why I like this team is because we have just scratched the surface their potential. Trier is still meshing with freshman sensation Lauri Markkanen. If those two gel, they could be a lethal combination offensively in the tournament.

#10 UCLA – 22-3 (9-3): Pretender

Despite last night’s impressive win against #5 Oregon, I have some serious doubts about the Bruins in March. They used a raucous Paulie Pavilion crowd to fuel its second half run. On a neutral court, I don’t think UCLA has enough defensively to propel them deep into the tournament. Point guard Lonzo Ball is a special talent and can take over games as evidenced last night. That could be enough to get them to the second weekend, but that won’t be enough to get into the Final Four.

The metrics aren’t on the side of UCLA either. They may be the 12^th ranked team in the BPI, but are only ranked 73^rd in strength of schedule and 21^st in the RPI. UCLA might have to hope to land in a favorable bracket because if they end up higher than a four-seed it could spell trouble.

#18 Duke – 19-5 (7-4): Contender (Dark Horse)

Last night’s upset of North Carolina is a potential season-changer for the Blue Devils. They have had some bumps in the road such as Coach K’s absence and anything Grayson Allen related. A big win in a rivalry game of that magnitude could be the spark of a red-hot run at the perfect time in the season.

Duke has one of the most talented rosters in the country and has just needed to put it all together. We got a good glimpse of the ceiling of this team. The BPI has the Blue Devils ranked 7^th, which would make them one of the most underrated teams in the country as of now. This could be a team that top team’s will fear come March

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back on Monday to recap the weekend’s top games and stories. Enjoy the action, this is shaping up to be a good weekend of basketball. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook

If you are suffering from that post-Super Bowl football withdrawal, don’t worry. Basketball is here to carry us into the summer. College basketball enters the final stretch of the regular season in a mad rush to March. I’ll dive into a contenders/pretenders article tomorrow, but for today’s “Heat Check” I’m going to be focusing on the NBA. Specifically, the non-stop rumor mill as we head towards the All-Star break and the February 23^rd trade deadline.

As always, at this time of the year, there are quite a few names on the proverbial trade block. Everyday brings another story of trade talks between two teams. It remains to be seen whether or not we will see the infamous three-team blockbuster deal that sends a star to a contender and a ton of compensation to the other two teams involved. Regardless, there are still some intriguing trade rumors going around the league. These aren’t necessarily rankings of the top rumors or players, but more just some of the more interesting situations to watch over the next two weeks.

Carmelo Anthony and His No-Trade Clause

Despite what I might think about Phil Jackson’s questionable management style, the Knicks are in a spot where they need to find a way to trade Carmelo Anthony. The relationship between Anthony and Jackson has reached toxic levels and New York is going in the wrong direction after attempting to patch together a super-team in the offseason. The time is now to hit the reset button on the franchise. Building towards the future around Kristaps Porzingis should be priority number one.

However, this isn’t as simple as trade Anthony to the highest bidder. Anthony is the only active player in the NBA with a “no-trade clause” in his contract. This isn’t like in baseball where a player has a list of teams he won’t go to play. New York gave Anthony the power to reject any potential trade. So obviously that will loom over any trade negotiation that will take place over the next 15 days.

There is no shortage of rumors surrounding the Knicks star. The biggest rumor so far is that Cleveland is looking to add the nine-time All-Star in a deal that would send Kevin Love to New York. Pretty much anyone from the Cavaliers have vehemently denied these stories, especially after New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola wrote that LeBron James is pushing for the deal to happen.

In all honesty, this deal makes absolutely no sense for the Cavaliers, so it makes sense for the consistent denial of any of these rumors. Yes, the defending champs probably could make another move to add some depth to the roster, but trading Love for Anthony does not accomplish that.

A more realistic rumor is the potential Melo-to-Clippers deal. There hasn’t been any legitimate movement on this front since January 26^th when USA TODAY NBA writer Sam Amick reported the Clippers had “strong interest” in adding Anthony. The interesting part about this rumor is that New York reportedly wouldn’t require Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, or DeAndre Jordan in a trade for Carmelo. That would lead me to believe that a third team would be needed to get this deal done.

All-in-all there is quite a lot that will happen before the trade deadline and this will be the top situation to watch going forward. If I had to guess, the Clippers are the most likely team to have Anthony on its roster come February 24^th.

New Orleans’ Quest to Make a Deal for a Center

Pelicans general manager Dell Demps already has a superstar to build around in Anthony Davis, but reportedly has New Orleans in the market to add another center to the mix. The Pelicans are looking to trade its 2018 first-round pick and get rid of center Omer Asik, who is set to make $10+ million over the next three seasons.

On Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported on Monday that New Orleans and Philadelphia were in negotiations for a deal that would send center Jahlil Okafor to the Pelicans. There are a few sticking points that are holding up this potential deal. Philadelphia needs to break up its three-man rotation at center, but it would have to be for the right price.

The Sixers have no interest in taking on Asik’s salary, and would instead be receiving center Alexis Ajinca and the 2018 first-rounder according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Both teams are also at odds over the exact terms of that first-round pick according to Kevin Smith of RealGM. New Orleans wants the pick to be lottery protected in 2018 while Philadelphia wants it to either be top-5 or top-10 protected.

So at the moment things are at a standstill between the two teams. Chicago could force New Orleans to make the deal given the Bulls interest in acquiring Okafor, but there is still time for a deal to get done. Okafor would be worth compromising to pair with a budding superstar in Davis forming a formidable frontcourt duo.

However, a new rumor surfaced yesterday from Wojnarowski that the Pelcans are interested in Brooklyn center Brook Lopez. Considering that the Nets are in desperate need of first-round picks after getting bamboozled by Boston in recent years and is on the precipice of a total rebuild, they could be a better suitor for New Orleans.

The Curious Case of DeMarcus Cousins

While conventional wisdom would lead one to believe that Sacramento should be looking to recoup maximum value for its All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. Well that can potentially be put on hold for now as Kings general manager Vlade Divac dismissed any rumors that Cousins would be traded and that he hopes “he will be here for a long time.”

Now that is a novel thought since you don’t get a talent like Cousins everyday, but the issues with him aren’t going away any time soon. Sacramento is already on its sixth coach since drafting the two-time All-Star in 2010. There is also a growing sentiment in the media that Cousins is basically uncoachable. Add to the equation that for the fourth time in five seasons “Boogie” has been suspended due to accumulating 16+ technical fouls.

From all accounts, this relationship looks doomed unless the Kings can find a way to become a contender quickly. There are still plenty of teams that would sell the farm to get a player of Cousins’ caliber. Despite Divac’s comments yesterday, don’t rule out the possibility of a team giving up a king’s ransom to acquire this potential superstar.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a college centric “Heat Check” looking at the contenders and pretenders as we near March Madness. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Well wasn’t that exciting. Super Bowl LI is in the books and the Patriots pulled off, arguably, the most incredible comeback in NFL history. This isn’t revisionist history. Considering the circumstances, what Tom Brady, James White and company was able to pull off in NRG Stadium on Sunday night was nothing short of a miracle. Down 25 with eight minutes left in the third quarter, you had to think that this was a done deal for the Falcons.

I had my doubts, but there was still this feeling that despite a four-possession deficit that this game could be far from over. Most of that was due to the calm demeanor of one of my friends, who is a huge Pats fan and never once lost faith. You just had to think that Brady would find a way to make this a game.

Even when Stephen Gostowski shanked the PAT after the first New England touchdown (easily my best call of all the prop bets), there was a slight shift in the momentum that you could see on the field. As the Patriots mounted their comeback, I finally realized what the feeling was that kept me from believing the game was over. It was a feeling of inevitability.

Brady had to win this game, and this couldn’t just be any win either. In order to close the book on Deflategate and finally end the greatest QB of all time debate, he had to win in the most ridiculous of ways. How does he exercise the demons of a scandal hovering over his best Super Bowl performance ever (Super Bowl XLIX)? He just engineers the biggest comeback and wins the first overtime game in the Super Bowl. You know, no big deal or anything.

Now over the past two days, everyone has been trying to figure out how this happened and trying to put what the Falcons did into perspective. Some have called this the biggest choke of all-time, while others stopped just short of their more ardent peers. I’m more in the latter group. This was an epic collapse but there wasn’t some unforgivable gaffe that led to the Pats comeback. That would’ve been a choke. Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan got completely out-coached in the second half and overtime by Bill Belichick and his staff.

Last week when I wrote about the matchups to watch, I made it a point to list the coaching matchup in the strength-on-strength collision of Atlanta’s offense and New England’s defense first. Shanahan’s gameplan in the first half was executed to near perfection. The adjustments at halftime are what flipped the momentum to New England’s defense. Trey Flowers and the New England defensive line clamped down on Atlanta’s offensive line.

Simply put, by taking away the cutback lane on Atlanta’s running plays, it took away the most dangerous aspect of the Falcons offense, its unpredictability. Shanahan put the ball in Matt Ryan’s hands, and New England was ready for it, aside from a few ridiculous catches by Julio Jones. It made third downs longer, and there was no secret to what the play call would be either. Every one on the field, in the stadium, and at home knew that Atlanta was throwing the ball. It still astounds me how the Falcons went for the throat late in the game in field goal range. You have one of the most consistent kickers in Matt Bryant. Just run the ball a couple times, take the three points and bring the Lombardi trophy home with you. The pressure mounted and the Atlanta offensive line folded. A holding penalty and a sack would ultimately seal the fate of the Falcons, since that would be the last legitimate chance they would have to win the game.

On the other side of the ball, Quinn’s defense played almost exclusively robber-man coverage (man-to-man defense with a rover watching Brady’s eyes) the entire game. While it did lead to the Robert Alford pick-six, the strain of playing that type of defense against New England’s offense showed over the course of 93 plays (99 snaps including penalties). The Patriots semi-conservative rope-a-dope eventually wore out Atlanta to the point where the pass rush wasn’t in Brady’s face and he could find the open receiver. Once New England tied the game, then won the coin-toss for overtime, you knew Brady and Belichick had it in the bag.

Kudos to New England for giving fans everywhere an epic game and snatching its fifth Super Bowl win in the most insane way possible. Now we have to attempt to put this game into perspective among the collective pantheon of sporting lore.

This got me thinking about something though. We have arguably the greatest Super Bowl ever to cap off what may have been the greatest calendar year for championships. Think about it. Post-Super Bowl 50, we saw some of the most iconic championship games ever across sports world.

Villanova wins the national title in men’s basketball with a buzzer beater, right after North Carolina tied up the game with one of the most ridiculous shots I’ve ever seen. The NBA Finals featured Cleveland erasing a 3-1 series lead against a team coming off the greatest regular season run in league history and stealing a Game 7 on the road. That also includes Lebron James going superhuman in Games 5-7 and giving us his signature moment in the deciding game with “The Block” to secure his third NBA championship. To add to that summer we also had the Olympics, which saw the crowning achievements of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. Spring and summer, check.

Not to be outdone in the fall, the MLB saw the Cubs comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to force Game 7. Then in that Game 7, they blow the lead in the eighth inning, but find a way to win the game in extra innings to end a 108-year title drought. You also had USA win the Ryder Cup on the back of one of the greatest performances in the tournament’s history by Patrick Reed, which included his epic duel with Rory McIlroy.

Then we move onto the winter where football shows us once again why it’s the money sport in the United States. Obviously, Sunday’s Super Bowl is potentially the best of all of these games. We also got the epic national championship rematch between Clemson and Alabama that literally came down to the final second for the Tigers to topple the Tide. Hell, I’ll even throw in Team USA’s gold-medal victory over Team Canada in the IIHF World Junior Championship to give hockey some love. Team USA came back from a two-goal deficit twice to force OT before winning in a shootout.

Seriously, if you can name a better stretch of title games, be my guest. However, we will look back fondly at Feb. 2016-Feb. 2017 as possibly the greatest year in sports, capped off by arguably the greatest championship game of all time, cementing the legacies of Brady and Belichick as the best quarterback and coach ever.

That’s it for me today, I’ll be back tomorrow with “Heat Check” looking at the top NBA trade rumors and what it could mean for the league going forward. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

We are a little more than 48 hours away from kickoff of Super Bowl LI. Today, I present to you the final installment of the “No Huddle Super Bowl LI Preview.” I’ll be doing my final matchup breakdown of the season and a gambling extravaganza. This is going to be a full roster breakdown to see who has the edge on Sunday, plus I look at the best prop bets and give you my picks for the big game. There is a lot to get to so let’s just jump right in and start with the breakdown for the game.

This is a very interesting matchup in this game, not just because of the strength-on-strength matchup between the Atlanta offense and New England. You have Tom Brady with a chance to surpass Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback. Atlanta has gets another shot to win its first Super Bowl in franchise history. We could also have the added subplot of Brady or Matt Ryan becoming the first NFL MVP to win the Super Bowl since 2000 (assuming one of them walk away with the award on Saturday night). That is just the tip of the iceberg too. Super Bowl LI is rich with subtext aside from the world championship that is on the line.

So the question remains, who has the edge in this game? Las Vegas sportsbooks currently have New England as the three-point favorite. However, there doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus among the experts and sports writers in this game. In truth, I have gone back and forth all week trying to figure this game out. I’ve been on New England since they beat Arizona in Week 1 without Brady but you can’t deny that Atlanta has more than a puncher’s chance to walk away with the Lombardi Trophy. Before I get to my final picks of the season, let’s go position by position and see where each team has the advantage.

Quarterback – New England

While Matt Ryan has been enjoying a career-best season, there is no way I’m going against Tom Brady. Brady’s Super Bowl experience gives him a leg up on his counterpart from Atlanta. In his previous six appearances in the big game, Brady is 4-2, with 1,605 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions, a completion percentage of 66.4, and a quarterback rating of 95.3. To put it simply, Brady brings his best performances on the biggest stage of them all. If you had to ask me to name one quarterback to go win one game, my answer would almost always be Brady.

Running Back – Atlanta

Believe it or not, this was more difficult to pick than the quarterback matchup. New England’s trio of Legarrette Blount, Dion Lewis, and James White give them versatility in the ways they can attack you. However, the Atlanta duo of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman has been lethal all season. Freeman and Coleman are a matchup nightmare for defenses because they force your defense to respect them out of the backfield. The same can be said for New England’s trio, but there is a bit of predictability depending on whom they have on the field (Blount is the power back, Lewis and White are scat backs). Atlanta, on the other hand, can have either guy on the field and still have every part of its offense available to them, which gives them the advantage in the backfield.

Wide Receiver – Atlanta

On straight talent, the Falcons have the clear edge here because of first team All-Pro Julio Jones. It’s no secret that Jones is arguably the best receiver in the NFL, his 73-yard touchdown in the NFC championship game is evidence of why. To complement the game-breaking ability of Jones, Atlanta has a grinding possession receiver in Mohamed Sanu, and a speedster in Taylor Gabriel. This forms a trio that can easily play off one another that allows the Falcons to be very creative in its passing attack. Matt Ryan has so many options to move the ball down field.

I don’t want to sell New England’s receivers short, because they all fill their roles very well. Julian Edelman is quite possibly the best possession receiver in the NFL, Chris Hogan has been a pleasant surprise as a deep threat, and Danny Amendola is a nice third receiver. Malcolm Mitchell has an interesting role in the redzone, but has been a limited participant in practice all week. It also remains a mystery if Michael Floyd will play in the Super Bowl but could be a difference maker if New England gets him in the lineup.

Tight End – New England

 

Quite simply, this one goes to the Patriots because of Martellus Bennett. I didn’t put him in the x-factor portion of my preview due to the fact that I think he’s is a very important part of New England’s gameplan this week. Bennett is going to be a problem for Atlanta if he can stay healthy in this game. Atlanta’s tight ends are tertiary options at best in this offense so this was a no-brainer giving the edge to New England here.

Offensive Line – Atlanta

Much of the success for the Falcons this season can be traced back to the free agent signing of second team All-Pro center Alex Mack. He stabilized this offensive line and has made much of the explosion of this offense possible. Atlanta’s offensive line ranks as the sixth-best in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. By comparison, New England’s offensive line is ranked tenth on the strength of its tackles Nate Solder and second team All-Pro Marcus Cannon. Now this isn’t a landslide pick by any stretch of the imagination, but the problem area of the New England offense is the left guard-center combination of Joe Thuney and David Andrews, who could be the key to Atlanta’s pass rush getting to Brady. For that reason, I have to give the edge to Atlanta.

Defensive Line – New England

Another tough pick here but the ability of the Patriots to rely on its defensive line gives them an edge here. Alan Branch and Malcolm Brown create all kinds of problems in the running game, which will be a valuable asset in this game. There is also the potential that defensive end Chris Long can bring to this game with his pass rushing ability (easily a defensive x-factor to watch in this game). Atlanta may have the NFL sack leader in Vic Beasley, but a lot of the recent success of the Falcons defense in this run to the Super Bowl has been due to the increase in blitzes during the playoffs. In a game of this magnitude, give me the defensive line that can go out there and get the job done.

Linebackers – New England

Atlanta’s Deion Jones might be the best linebacker in this game, but I like what New England’s group can do overall. Dont’a Hightower is solid in the middle of this defense, and despite having a down year don’t sleep on Rob Ninkovich who always seems to make a big play in these type of games. Kyle Van Noy and Shea McClellan have carved out roles for themselves in this defense and both should have your attention on Sunday. I think that the outcome of this game could very well ride on this group’s performance as they have the unenviable task of stopping Atlanta’s running backs.

Secondary – New England

It’s a clean sweep on defense, and this position group clearly has the edge in this game. Malcolm Butler, Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Logan Ryan, Eric Rowe, and Duron Harmon have formed a solid secondary over the course of this season. Butler was the hero in New England’s last Super Bowl win, famously intercepting Russell Wilson on the goal line to seal the game. The Rutgers trio of McCourty, Ryan, and Harmon has been incredible this postseason, highlighted in the Houston game where they each had an interception. Rowe might have been the steal of the season for New England, who came over in a preseason trade with Philadelphia and has turned into a great asset to this secondary. Pro Football Focus ranked the New England secondary as the third-best in the NFL, while Atlanta’s secondary ranked sixth.

Special Teams – New England

The calling card of every Bill Belichick team is an elite special teams unit. New England has both of the All-Pro special team players in Matthew Slater (first team selection for the fourth time in his career) and Nate Ebner (second team). Both will be crucial in kick and punt coverage, so keep an eye on either guy making a big play in this area. Stephen Gostowski may be having an off year but he is still one of the best kickers in the NFL.

Coaching – New England

 

Do I really need to explain this one? Bill Belichick is the best coach in the NFL right now and arguably the best of all-time. Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia are two of the best coordinators in the league. Atlanta’s coaching staff has done a hell of a job this season but there was no chance I was picking against Belichick.

Game Pick: New England   ATS Pick: New England (-3)  Over/Under: Under (59)

So as you can see, I think that New England has the edge in this game. Atlanta’s offense is prolific but New England has the formula to walk away with the Lombardi Trophy when the dust settles. I am expecting this to be a tight game until the very end, just like every Super Bowl in the Belichick-Brady era (no game has been decided by more than four points). Brady should have his way with Atlanta’s defense because they will have to blitz him to have any shot at getting pressure, and of course he is the best quarterback of all-time against the blitz. The Falcons will have some success on offense but I don’t think it will be enough to beat Brady. New England has been on a mission all season and have had the look of a champion since Brady came back from his suspension in Week 5.

Before I get into my prop bet picks, I just want to thank you all for reading “No Huddle” all season. It has been a blast writing these columns every week and I hope you have enjoyed them. Enjoy the game on Sunday, and for the final time this football season here are my gambling picks for Super Bowl LI, an all-prop bet edition (here is the full list from USA Today, CBS Sports, and NY Daily News).

2016 Regular Season ATS: 139-116-1

Playoffs (Straight): 9-1

Playoffs (ATS): 6-4

 

Super Bowl LI Prop Bets from Westgate Las Vegas/Bovada.lv

Pregame/Halftime/Novelty Prop Bets

Coin Toss – Tails (-102)

Length of National Anthem – Under 2:09 (-120)

What will Luke Bryan Wear During National Anthem – Blue Jeans (1/2)

Lady Gaga Hair Color at Start of the Halftime Show – Blonde (1/4)

First Lady Gaga Song at Halftime – “Edge of Glory” (6/1)

Deflate/Deflategate Mentions – Over 1.5 (EVEN)

Color of the Gatorade Bath? – Blue (15/2)

 

In-Game Prop Bets

Missed Extra Point? – Yes (+330)

Total QB Sacks – Over 4.0 (EVEN)

First Coaches Challenge – New England (-110)

First Gostowski Kickoff Result in a Touchback? – No (+190)

Team to Score First – Atlanta (+110)

First Touchdown Will Be Scored By? – Mohamed Sanu (+1400)

Longest Field Goal Made – Over 45.5 (-110)

First Score of the Game Will Be? – Touchdown (-190)

Longest TD of the Game – Over 49.5 (-110)

Lead Change in the 4^th Quarter? – Yes (+330)

First Turnover of the Game – Fumble (+140)

Last Score of the Game – Any Other (+160)

Tom Brady Passing Yards – Over 300.5 (-110)

Matt Ryan Passing Yards – Under 320.5 (-110)

Malcom Butler Interception? – Yes (+250)

Mohamed Sanu Receptions – Over 4.0 (EVEN)

Super Bowl MVP – Tom Brady (7/5)

That’s it for me folks. I’ll be back on Monday to recap the Super Bowl and the rest of the action in sports this weekend. Follow me on Facebook @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

With the turn of January to February, it can only mean we are that much closer to Super Bowl LI. I kicked off Shooting the Moon’s coverage of the big game yesterday with a list of the top offensive x-factors. Today, I’m looking at the most important matchups for Sunday. I think this game is rife with intriguing matchups, and all of them will factor into the outcome of this game.

Right off the top, we get the rare matchup between the number one scoring offense (Atlanta) against the number one scoring defense (New England). Historically, the Super Bowl champion tends to be the team with the top scoring defense, 6-1 overall. The most recent occurrence of this saw the Seahawks throttle the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. While it does lend credence to the phrase “defense wins championships” that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a done deal for the Patriots. There are a lot of factors at play in this game, and not one in particular will turn the game in a team’s favor. So let’s jump into this game and look at the most important matchups of Super Bowl LI.

Kyle Shanahan vs. Bill Belichick/Matt Patricia

We start this matchup breakdown looking at the coaching matchup that will likely dictate this game. The battle of x’s and o’s between Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and the New England brain trust of head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will be a real treat to watch. The first few drives will give us an idea of how each side will attack the other, but it’s the adjustments that are going to decide this game. In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

For starters, we all know that Belichick and Patricia will likely look to limit the potential impact of Julio Jones. Shanahan shouldn’t be worried since the Falcons average 41.5 points per game and were 2-0 without Jones this season. That could mean that Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are become the focal point when the Falcons’ get into the redzone, which is the area where they are most effective. It is going to be a fantastic game to watch between these coaches, and should be a master class of in-game coaching moves.

Devonta Freeman/Tevin Coleman vs. New England’s Linebackers/Safeties

This is the single most important aspect of the Atlanta offense vs. New England defense matchup. How does New England plan to stop both of these running backs while limiting Julio Jones? It is a pick-your-poison scenario that I am not sure Belichick has the antidote.

Freeman and Coleman might very well be the best tandem of running backs in the NFL. They are not your typical thunder and lighting combination because they both interchangeable in this scheme. Freeman is normally the bell-cow while Coleman is usually the change-of-pace receiving back. They each can do the other’s job, which is what makes them so dangerous.

It is a complicated problem to solve because in order to properly cover one of them, the Patriots would likely have to call upon a safety like Duron Harmon to do the job. That could be playing right into the hands of the Falcons though. Not only could that open up Jones, but also that could get speedster Taylor Gabriel open deep down the field. So ideally, the Patriots might need to hope the linebackers can get the job done.

New England will be in a quandary for most of this game. They can stop the running game or the passing game, but they will be hard pressed to stop both. I tend to think they will look to stop the latter considering how dangerous that aspect of the Atlanta offense has been all season.

Tom Brady vs. Deon Jones/Atlanta’s Pass Rush

Okay so this is a bit of a cop out, but for the sake of time I had to combine the two Atlanta defensive aspects into one matchup. Now that I think of it though, it still works because in order to beat Tom Brady, the Falcons will need a total team effort to get the job done. This is Brady’s seventh Super Bowl appearance, and the only player on this defense with any experience in the big game is defensive end Dwight Freeney. Atlanta starts seven rookies or second-year players on this defense (eight, if they are in nickel or dime formation). That means all eleven players need to be on the same page because as we all know, Brady is calculated and methodical when running this offense.

If Atlanta has any chance of slowing down Brady, the first job is getting lined up correctly and not tipping its hand. Deon Jones will have the toughest job on this defense because he will be in charge of defensive play calling as the middle linebacker. That means he will have to keep his defense in check and be ready to adjust on the fly. Brady is no stranger to calling an audible (if you hear “Jordan” watch out).

Beating Tom Brady starts at the line of scrimmage before the play, but once the ball is snapped players have to make plays. This is why the Atlanta pass rush has the most important job once the ball is snapped. The common thread in most of Brady’s playoff and Super Bowl losses was the ability of the opposing defensive line to create a pass rush with minimal blitzing.

Over the span of his career, Brady has been a blitz-killer because he can get the ball out fast enough to negate the effect of the blitz. It is also one or two less bodies that are in coverage, so you begin to see the picture here. Freeney will have a role in this game, but the other defensive end Vic Beasley will have the most pressure on him to create havoc. Beasley led the NFL in sacks in just his second season in the league, and he will have the biggest job of all, trying to beat the New England tackles.

Beasley doesn’t even need to get a sack every time, the pressure is what is most important. Brady can be rattled if he takes a few early hits. If the edge rush can do its job, it could allow the defensive tackles to expose the weakness of Patriots offensive line, left guard Joe Thuney (52^nd rated guard by Pro Football Focus) and center David Andrews (25^th rated center, PFF). Wouldn’t you know it, Atlanta’s defensive captian Jonathan Babineaux is right in line to take advantage of that plus matchup.

This is all the most ideal scenario though, because if Atlanta can’t pull all of this off, Brady could shred them.

That’s it for me today. Tomorrow I’ll be back with Part 3 of the “No Huddle” Super Bowl LI Preview where I’ll go position by position to see who has the edge heading into the final Sunday of the season. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Welcome to Super Bowl week folks! I’m doing a full week of “No Huddle” to get you ready for the big game on Sunday. Shooting the Moon will have you covered from every angle with matchups, x-factors, and even prop bets. As always there is a ton of glitz and glamour in the lead-up to the game, but here I’ll be focusing on the actual game itself.

We’ll start today by ranking the players who will be offensive x-factors in Super Bowl LI. Obviously we all think that Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Julio Jones, and Julian Edelman will factor greatly into the outcome on Super Sunday so this will be a list of guys you should keep an eye on because they will likely be the unsung heroes of the big game.

(1) Dion Lewis, RB, New England

Of all the running backs for the Patriots, I believe that Dion Lewis could have the greatest impact on Sunday. Atlanta’s defense is young and flies around the field. The Falcons have linebackers that can cover the field sideline-to-sideline, but I don’t think there is anyone that can cover Lewis in open space. He is a dynamic threat in this offense, and in the return game, which puts him at the top of the list of potential x-factors. Lewis’ three-touchdown performance against Houston is evidence of the just what he can do when he maximizes his impact on the game.

(2) Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta

Many people who play fantasy football know his name, but after Sunday, everyone should recognize the name Devonta Freeman. He has quickly become one of the top dual-threat backs in the NFL in two seasons as the starter in Atlanta. Freeman is the only player in the last two seasons to gain 1,500+ yards from scrimmage and score 10+ touchdowns. His ability to make defenders miss is only bested by Dion Lewis, but Freeman is no slouch in the open field. Even when his rushing numbers are down, Matt Ryan can still get him going in the passing game (54 catches for 462 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season; eight catches for 122 yards and one touchdown this postseason). If New England decides to take Julio Jones away defensively, look for a heavy dose of Freeman and the next guy on this list.

(3) Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta

With Freeman, Tevin Coleman is part of arguably the best duo of running backs in the NFL. Freeman is the thunder to Coleman’s lightning. While Coleman doesn’t get a ton of opportunities in this offense, mostly due to the effectiveness of Freeman, he is a threat to score any time he touches the football. Ideally, he should do his best work catching the ball out of the backfield or lined up at wide receiver. Coleman could potentially be a matchup nightmare for New England since there isn’t a linebacker on that roster who can match his speed, and putting a defensive back on him could open up one of the three receivers downfield. Keep an eye on where Coleman lines up and how New England defends him, that alone could have a profound impact on this game.

(4) Chris Hogan, WR, New England

This isn’t an overreaction to his big game in the AFC Championship game. Chris Hogan is the definition of an x-factor for this New England offense. Hogan is the third option in this passing game at best, but he always seems to find a way to get open deep down the field. I doubt he will put up the type of numbers he had in that game against Pittsburgh, mostly due to the fact that Atlanta will actually try to cover him (seriously, Hogan didn’t have a defender within five yards of him against Pittsburgh). Tom Brady is always looking for that soft spot in a defense, and when defenses treat Hogan like the forgotten man, TB12 makes you pay.

(5) Mohamed Sanu, WR, Atlanta

Before everyone starts calling me a homer for putting a Rutgers guy on this list, let me explain why he should be here. Sanu is going to have a big role to play in this game since New England does a great job at taking away an offense’s best weapons. That mean Julio Jones will see a lot of defenders, and there will be a plan to slow down Atlanta’s running back duo. That means Sanu will be tasked with making some big plays for the Falcons on Sunday. He has scored touchdowns in both playoff games, and his ability to play physical in the redzone will be a huge advantage for him. I also love the matchup against fellow Scarlet Knight, Logan Ryan.

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another installment of the “No Huddle” Super Bowl preview, where I’ll look at the top individual matchups to watch. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Well it’s certainly been an interesting week between the NBA and college basketball. The week of the underdog is causing issues for some of the NBA elite, while totally shifting the balance of power in the NCAA. In this week’s edition of “Heat Check” I’ll attempt to figure out what is going on with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls. I also have a few thoughts on the wild week in the NCAA.

Before I jump into the play on the court, let me quickly give my two cents on the final NBA All-Star rosters. Just like any year there are going to be debatable selections to both teams. Portland point guard Damien Lillard was definitely a snub but with the depth at guard in the Western Conference, you need to be on the top of your game to earn coveted spot in the All-Star game.

Which brings me to the biggest snub from yesterday’s announcement of the final rosters. Paul Millsap making the team over Joel Embiid was a pretty terrible choice. Embiid is in the midst of a Rookie of the Year season, and is singlehandedly changing the fortune of the 76ers. A minutes restriction and rest management should not have cost him a spot to be an All-Star. There might not be a better big man playing right now than the young star from Philadelphia. Okay, before I delve into a full on rant, lets get into the heart of the action from this week.

What’s Wrong With Cleveland?

When I gave my midseason power rankings, I was careful to place the Spurs ahead of the Cavaliers. My main reasoning for that is that this is usually the time of the year where a LeBron-led Cavs squad goes cold for a little while. That was before San Antonio beat Cleveland in overtime, and before things in “The Land” started to get a little crazy.

After the loss to the Spurs, Cleveland was 5-5 since the start of 2017, but that isn’t a bad loss by any stretch of the imagination. Dropping a game on Monday against New Orleans, without Anthony Davis, is a pretty bad loss. Then a frustrated LeBron compounds it by telling the media that “we need another f***ing playmaker.”

Wednesday rolls around and reports surface that the Knicks offered Carmelo Anthony for Kevin Love, and that Cleveland rejected the offer. That night, Sacramento comes into Cleveland and upsets the defending champs in overtime. Yikes. In a postgame interview, LeBron commented on the rejected Carmelo trade saying that “we can’t play fantasy basketball.”

LeBron is right and wrong with his comments. Outside of the big three, there are nothing but specialists on this Cleveland roster, especially with the streaky J.R. Smith out injured. So yeah, the Cavs need to figure out a way to get a playmaker on this roster. However, losing Kevin Love wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, especially if it can gain Cleveland a playmaker and some more resources.

Obviously, LeBron knows that they can make the Finals with the current roster. This is about making the road there easier on him. James currently is averaging 37.6 on the season, but over 40 minutes during this stretch. Then you have the prospects of playing Golden State in the Finals which right now, I’m not sure how Cleveland matches up.

This is a rough patch for Cleveland but it could be indicative of a larger problem that this roster might not be capable of winning back-to-back NBA championships. Now you add to this mix the issue between LeBron and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert over the cost of the total roster salary, and you can see why there are certainly some serious problems right now for the defending champs.

Dysfunction in Chicago

When the Bulls handed the reigns of the team over to Jimmy Butler, we all could agree that was the logical move towards the future. Then they signed future Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade and the beleaguered Rajon Rondo during free agency. Some thought that this was an intriguing mix of talented players who could run an aggressive, slashing offense led by Butler. Others saw possibly the worst shooting backcourt in the league, and a combination that is destined to fail in a big way before the end of the season.

Well any of you in the latter portion of that crowd got to pat yourself on the back this week when the tension in the Chicago locker room made its way into the media. Butler and Wade both publically called out the younger teammates on the roster, blaming their lack of effort every night as a reason for the downward spiral. Then Rondo fired back by dropping a hell of a post on Instagram, calling out Butler and Wade for airing the team’s dirty laundry and not handling this like professionals.

None of this is going to fix the issue that this roster just doesn’t work as constructed. They can make nice in the locker room but there just isn’t enough on-court chemistry to make this work. Don’t be surprised if both Rondo and Wade are traded by the end of February.

A Taste of March Madness in Late January

It has been a bad week to be a top ranked team in the country in college basketball. We haven’t even reached Saturday yet and five of the top ten teams in the country already took a loss this week. That includes three of the top four (Villanova, Kansas, and Kentucky). That means tomorrow’s Kansas-Kentucky showdown will likely mean who sticks around in the top five, with a bad loss knocking the loser out of the top ten completely.

All of this turmoil in the top ten means that Gonzaga will likely take over as the top team in the country following this wild week. This week is also setting the tone for the rest of the season. There isn’t a dominant team this season and anyone can lose on a given night. Settle in folks, the rest of the regular season is going to be great but I think we are in for one of the craziest NCAA tournaments in recent memory.

That’s it for me this week. I’ll be back on Monday to recap the weekend. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

With the Pro Bowl taking center stage this week, this gives us a little time to look back on the year that was in the NFL. Today’s “No Huddle” will look at my preseason predictions prior to Week 1, and I’ll be handing out my picks for the NFL awards. It was another exciting year of football, and I still can’t believe that Super Bowl LI is only eleven days away.

Reviewing my predictions wasn’t easy, especially knowing all year that I totally blew it with my Super Bowl pick (Thanks a lot Cardinals). Arizona, Carolina, and Denver, three of the powers from a season ago, totally fell apart in 2016 and failed to capitalize on the momentum they built from a season ago. I may have gotten seven out of the twelve playoff teams correct, but the NFC was a total crapshoot. I nailed most of the AFC, getting all four division winners right but missed both wild card teams.

Dallas, Oakland, and Miami came out of nowhere this season to make a playoff run. Derek Carr’s MVP-level season carried Oakland to the precipice of the AFC West title and a first round bye before breaking his leg on Christmas Eve. Miami rode a big winning streak in the middle of the season and snuck into the playoffs as the #6 seed in the AFC. Then there was Dallas. I thought the Tony Romo injury would’ve killed the Cowboys this season. Little did I, or anyone else, know that Dak Prescott would have the best rookie year ever for a quarterback and lead Dallas to the top seed in the NFC.

Unfortunately, that is the way that things go in the NFL. Injuries and questionable offseason moves can crush a great team while the unexpected heroes can elevate a middling team into the playoffs. Here is a quick look at my preseason playoff picks and the way things actually went (my picks in Italics):

NFC East – Dallas, 13-3 (NY Giants, 10-6)

NFC North – Green Bay, 10-6 (Green Bay, 13-3)

NFC South – Atlanta, 11-5 (Carolina, 12-4)

NFC West – Seattle, 10-5-1 (Arizona, 12-4)

Wild Cards – NY Giants, 11-5, Detroit, 9-7 (Seattle, 11-5, Tampa Bay, 10-6)

 

AFC East – New England, 14-2 (New England, 11-5)

AFC North – Pittsburgh, 11-5 (Pittsburgh, 12-4)

AFC South – Houston, 9-7 (Houston, 10-6)

AFC West – Kansas City, 12-4 (Kansas City, 11-5)

Wild Cards – Oakland, 12-4, Miami 10-6 (Denver, 10-6, Cincinnati, 10-6)

NFC Championship – Atlanta over Green Bay (Arizona over Green Bay)

AFC Championship – New England over Pittsburgh (NE over Pittsburgh)

Super Bowl LI – Atlanta vs. New England (Arizona over NE)

I would say my biggest oversight this year was not trusting the Atlanta Falcons. The signs were there for this offense to be prolific. They signed an All-Pro center to anchor the offensive line in Alex Mack, as well as signing Mohamed Sanu to upgrade the receiving corps. Taylor Gabriel was a real surprise in this offense and added another guy who can score from anywhere on the field. However, I did not see this defense holding up its end of the bargain considering Atlanta would be using primarily rookies and second-year players (seven out of the eleven starters in fact).

One of my main concerns heading into this season was the play of Matt Ryan. Last season he was atrocious in the redzone, throwing almost as many interceptions as touchdowns. I noted in the preseason that he would need to improve exponentially in that area for this team to succeed and prevent another second-half collapse like in 2015. Not only did Ryan clean things up in the redzone, but also he improved his numbers across the board in 2016. It is not hard to figure out why the Falcons will be playing in the Super Bowl in a week and a half. This brings me to my picks for the NFL Awards.

Most Valuable Player – Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

The minute Derek Carr went down with a broken leg, this pick became a no-brainer for me. You could make a case for Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, but this was Matt Ryan’s year. His numbers were gaudy in 2016 and that might be an understatement.

Ryan completed 69.9 percent of his passes while throwing for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Year two in the Kyle Shanahan offense certainly suited Ryan well as he set new career highs in all of the major passing statistics and a career low in interceptions. A deeper look at Ryan’s stats really shows how impressive his season was in 2016.

“Matty Ice” averaged 309.0 passing yards per game with a passer rating of 117.1, both are new career bests for the former Boston College star. The numbers that really jumped out at me were his 7.1 TD percentage on passing attempts, and the 10.1 adjusted yards per attempt (the adjustment accounts for deep passes and INTs).

Offensive Player of the Year – David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

There is a strong chance that this award goes to Ezekiel Elliott when the AP hands out these awards, but for my money David Johnson should win this award. His 2016 season encapsulates why this award exists. Surpassing 2,000 all-purpose yards is an impressive feat and Johnson should be rewarded for that effort. Just look at this stat line and then try to explain to me how anyone else was the offensive player of the year in 2016.

1,239 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 16 rushing touchdowns, 80 catches, 879 receiving yards, 11.0 yards per reception, and four receiving touchdowns.

No alternative facts here, that is sheer production. The preseason comparisons to Marshall Faulk from Arizona’s general manager definitely weren’t off the mark.

Defensive Player of the Year – Von Miller, LB/DE, Denver Broncos

This was a very difficult award to pick for 2016. There was really no one that stood out during the final month of the regular season. That isn’t to say that there weren’t a bunch of guys deserving of this award. Khalil Mack, Landon Collins, and Vic Beasley will all garner well-deserved praise but I’m going to go with Von Miller here. 13.5 sacks and 24 quarterback knockdowns were enough to make Miller one of the most effective and disruptive pass rushers in the NFL in 2016. A sack-less December might cost him this award amongst the sportswriters, but in a year where no one really took this race by storm, Miller should finally get his first DPOY award.

Comeback Player of the Year – Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers

Tearing an ACL at the age of 30 should have been the end of Jordy Nelson as an elite wide receiver in the NFL. However, Nelson had other ideas and picked up his career right where he left off following a terrific 2014. It took some time to get back in the flow of the offense but once he did, the Rodgers-Nelson connection was back to being unstoppable once again. Nelson led the league in receiving touchdowns with 14 and caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards. Not too shabby for a 31-year old receiver coming off of reconstructive knee surgery.

Offensive Rookie of the Year – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

This is really a two-horse race between both of the Dallas rookies. While this rookie class was incredibly productive across the board, Elliott and Dak Prescott are head and shoulders above the rest. That being said, I’m going with the guy that ran like a thoroughbred all season long. Elliott was the NFL’s leading rusher in 2016, and is looking like a once-in-a-generation talent. There is no question that Prescott deserves this award, but the production from Elliott was too good to ignore.

Defensive Rookie of the Year – Joey Bosa, DE, San Diego Chargers

It is a strange trend that both defensive awards are tough to pick due to the lack of standout and consistent defensive performances. However, Joey Bosa seems like the most deserving candidate for this award. A contract dispute forced him to miss most of training camp, and an injury forced him to miss an early portion of the season. But once Bosa got into the lineup in October, he immediately began to make an impact for the Chargers defense. Four sacks in his first three games was one hell of a way to make a debut. Bosa did have a quiet stretch in the middle of the season, but he closed the season with an impressive stretch. He finished the season with at least one sack in his final five games to finish the year with 10.5 sacks (five short of league leader Vic Beasley).

Coach of the Year – Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders

Okay, now this award is likely going to Jason Garrett for obvious reasons (nurturing a fifth round pick as the starting quarterback, going 13-3 with him, etc.). Plus, Bill Belichick has already reached the level where he could win this award every year and no one would bat an eye but where would the fun be in that.

I’m going to give some credit where credit is due though. Jack Del Rio helped turn a 7-9 team in 2015 into a 12-4 team that had a legitimate shot to make a deep run in the playoffs before losing its MVP candidate at quarterback.

I don’t there was a coach in the league who routinely would risk it all more than Del Rio in 2016. He did it though to instill a belief in his young team that they could compete with the rest of the NFL. Week 1 on the road in New Orleans, he knew that when they scored, they were going for the win. That comeback victory sparked something in this Raiders team, and it wouldn’t be the last time that Del Rio would make a ballsy call that paid off either. He has Oakland ready to be a perennial contender from 2017 and beyond.

That’s it for me today, I’ll have a new edition of “Heat Check” up Friday. I’ll be out covering St. Augustine vs. Millville tomorrow, which you can watch on SNJToday.com. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Monday! This weekend was kind of a bummer for football, unless you are a fan of New England or Atlanta. Today’s “Weekend Recap” will look at the conference championships while looking ahead towards Super Bowl LI in two weeks. I’ll also be talking about the Cavaliers-Spurs thriller from Saturday night and give you the college basketball team to watch as we head into the final stretch of the regular season. There is a decent amount to get to so let’s jump right into the recap.

Two Games, Two Blowouts, and Super Bowl LI is Set

Yikes, didn’t see those games going that way. For the first time in 40 years, 19+ points decided both conference championship games. In the AFC Championship game, New England dominated Pittsburgh, and once Le’Veon Bell left the game in the first quarter with a groin injury you could sense that was it for the Steelers. Chris Hogan was literally wide open all game long, and Tom Brady made Pittsburgh pay for those defensive lapses to the tune of nine catches, 180 yards, and two touchdowns for the former Monmouth football player and Penn State lacrosse walk-on. Without Bell, the Patriots were able to double-team Antonio Brown all night long and force the younger receivers to try to beat them… they didn’t.

It’s the record ninth Super Bowl appearance for New England, and the seventh of the Brady-Belichick era. Belichick also surpassed the legendary Don Shula for the most Super Bowl appearances for a coach in NFL history. The Deflategate Revenge Tour will ride into Houston, and the storyline of Roger Goodell handing Brady the Lombardi Trophy should certainly be talked about at length over the next two weeks.

Over on the NFC side of things, there were no excuses for what Atlanta did to Green Bay. It was simply the better team putting the pedal down and never letting up. The Falcons scored early and often en route to its first NFC Championship since 1998. Presumptive MVP Matt Ryan added another incredible performance to his resume for the season, throwing for 392 yards, four touchdowns, and added one rushing touchdown for good measure.

An early missed field goal by Mason Crosby and a redzone fumble by Aaron Ripkowski sealed Green Bay’s fate by the start of the second quarter. Atlanta had all of the momentum and there was no stopping that offense after that. The Falcons were up 24-0 by halftime and Green Bay would only get as close as 22 points in the second half.

What is set up now is one hell of a matchup for Super Bowl Sunday in two weeks. Atlanta boasts the top scoring offense in the NFL while New England has the top scoring defense in the league. The previous five meetings between the top offense and top defense in the Super Bowl have trended towards the defense (4-1 in such meetings). The early line from Vegas has New England favored by three, and it’s the highest over/under in Super Bowl history (58 points). There will be plenty more to dive into over the next two weeks, but this could potentially be a great Super Bowl.

San Antonio Outlasts Cleveland in OT

 

ESPN got the game of the weekend to kick off its Saturday night primetime slate of NBA games. San Antonio (#2 in my NBA rankings) pulled off an overtime victory on the road in “The Land” over the defending champion Cavaliers (#3 in my NBA rankings) 118-115. The star of the game was Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, who dropped a career-high 41 points in the victory, which included the game-sealing steal and dunk in the closing seconds of overtime.

It was a nice win for San Antonio but we all know that both of these teams have bigger things on their minds than winning a regular season game. Each team is trying to upend Golden State in a couple of months in the playoffs. That being said though, it was an incredible basketball game and has me excited for what’s to come after the All-Star break in the Association.

Keep Calm and Bear Down

The top story in college basketball over the weekend was the return of sophomore guard Allonzó Trier to the Arizona lineup for its showdown with UCLA. The Wildcats were a solid lineup before, but with Trier back in the fold this team has the look of one that could be cutting down the nets in March. Arizona stifled a great offensive team in UCLA due in large part to their length on the defensive end of the floor.

Trier’s road back to the basketball court has been marked with a ton of uncertainty following a car accident in the offseason and a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs in the preseason. While many thought the Wildcats would not see Trier suit up this season, there had been growing rumors that he would win his appeal with the NCAA and be back in time for the Los Angeles road trip.

In today’s reveal of the latest top-25 rankings, Arizona moved from #13 to #7. This is a team that has top-five potential, a favorite to win the Pac-12, and could be in line for a coveted number-one seed come Selection Sunday. Keep an eye on Arizona because they are making a strong run to the top of the NCAA. “Bear Down” indeed.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “No Huddle” to recap my predictions from August and hand out my picks for the NFL awards. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.