#this is leagues better than the last time i drew blake

[temaglobal]

New England patriots news Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe by my crush New England Patriots New England patriots news Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe ✔️ find out how to make extra income ▶️https://bit.ly/earnextrancome Leave your laike, subscribe to the channel and turn on the doorbell so as not to miss any videos here.. And anyone who stays until the end of the video will get a special tip on how thousands of people are making a lot of money just from football.. leave the news Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe: is there a QB controversy brewing in New England? Bailey Zappe has shown real poise in the last two matches - the real invisible that no one really knows until it is revealed. Zappe was drafted in the fourth round of 2022 to serve as a replacement for Mac Jones, and some fans called for him to be the team's full-time starter in the near future. But these fans may want to consider hitting the brakes. Zappe is no better than Mac Jones. This is not an indictment of Zappe's skill, but an homage to Jones's. Zappe is doing exactly what the team wants him to do, as a long-term qualified backup QB who can start some games and be there to protect. He has the tools to be one of the best substitutes in the league for a long time. But if brain is wrong, brain will take Jones ' job sooner. Zappe has also been drafted to be trade bait for teams desperate when their starters leave for an extended period of time, or they hope he can become the team's franchise QB. I get it, it's fun to walk around in wool and imagine that tastes are similar to Tom Brady replacing Drew Bledsoe all those years ago. But the game has changed since then. Zappe is more in line with Jacoby Brissetts, Nick Foles, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewaters or the Tyrod Taylors of the world, and that's a bad thing. Having someone of that caliber is exactly what you need for three of a franchise QB. But let's face it, Jones is the best QB on the roster. Have New England patriots news Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe we forgotten how excited they were when he was drafted, how he did in his first year and how he bounced back in the offseason? Or is our view clouded by the performance of the line that obscures us in the first three games that Jones stinks Time settles everything, and when Jones returns, it will be comforting to know that Zappe is behind him, rather than Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, Garrett Gilbert or the current Cam Newton. Think of Zappe as your primary reliever, but Jones is still the Ace. That was the news of the day, and I hope you enjoyed it in my opinion.Bailey Zappe is subbing Mac Jones the weather now tell me here in the comments what you think of these two players. And now, for those of you who have stayed so far, I will give you the tip I promised at the beginning of the video. To access just click on the first link in the description abaixo.la I will show you the step by step for you to make money with football And if you haven't signed up yet, take the opportunity to sign up. See you in the next video! credit: Cam Garrity https://ift.tt/sI9RdK7 New England patriots news Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe #newenglandpatriots #patriotsnews #patriots 00:00 sign up and leave your laike ✔️ find out how to make extra income ▶️https://bit.ly/earnextrancome ✔️ if you liked the video share it ✔️ video link: link do video https://youtu.be/iD4BDu5u1io via YouTube https://youtu.be/iD4BDu5u1io

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[lieu-rey]

fuck it heres blake ft tiny yang

#rwby #bees #bumblebly #what the fuck is the ship name spelled yall ofmgnkbsn #bumblebee #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #this is leagues better than the last time i drew blake #her eyes were a fucking nightmare what was i thinking dknvjkdsnvf #also @ rt give her piercings on her fucking cat ears cowards #the blur layer was so godaam unnecessary but i dont care #here you go #I POSTED TWICE TODAY YALL #so its #bumbleby #my art #lieurey

[mizbabygirl]

Ryan Hartman is very annoying, and it’s usually very funny (from the Chicago Sun Times) [12\31\2017]

CALGARY, Alberta — A hockey scrum can be a nasty, ugly place. There are guys face-washing each other with sweaty, smelly gloves. There are guys jabbing at each other with the butt-ends of their sticks. And there are guys full-blown hitting each other with ungloved, closed fists.

And in the middle of those scrums, you’ll often find Ryan Hartman.

“He’s always been that type of player who’s on the line, not over it,” teammate Nick Schmaltz said. “He’s getting under guys’ skin and maybe getting them off their game a little bit, or drawing them into a dumb penalty to get us on the power play. As long as he stays right on that line, it’s great to watch. And every now and then you get a funny clip of him on Instagram or Twitter.”

That smile (more of a smug grin, to be precise) is Hartman’s calling card. It usually means he won the game within the game. 

Hartman drew a lot of comparisons to Andrew Shaw when he first broke into the league. But a better comparison is former Hawks center Dave Bolland, a pest of spectacular proportions, a creative irritant who derives obvious joy from goading opponents into doing something stupid.

Some examples come to mind.

On Nov. 9, during a post-whistle skirmish behind the net, Flyers forward Scott Laughton took a light swat at Hartman’s face with his gloved hand. Hartman responded with his trademark fake-punch, winding up for a big overhand right and getting Laughton to throw both his hands up in self-defense. Hartman was smiling as two linesmen jumped in.

On Nov. 28, during a scrum between the benches, Anaheim’s Corey Perry gave Hartman a half-hearted tap on the chest. Hartman responded with that big flinch-inducing windup again, sending Perry scurrying and sending Hartman’s teammates into a fit of hysterics on the bench. Hartman, again, was smiling.

“He loves it,” longtime teammate Vinnie Hinostroza said. “It’s just the type of guy he is. It’s hilarious when we’re on the bench and you see that. It gets guys going.”

Hartman’s obnoxiousness has its tangible benefits, too. He’s 15th in the league in penalties drawn, averaging 1.66 minors drawn per 60 minutes. Only Lance Bouma (1.70) has a better rate on the Hawks roster. 

Just last week in New Jersey, Alex DeBrincat was called for elbowing. During the delayed penalty, Hartman went to work. And once the whistle finally blew, the Devils’ Blake Coleman calmly pulled his left hand out of his glove and punched a passing Hartman in the neck. Penalty neutralized, just like that. It looked unprovoked at the time, but Hartman constantly is provoking.

And yes, Hartman was smiling as he got punched. Nobody enjoys getting punched in the neck more than Ryan Hartman.

“When there’s a delayed penalty on us, if I can try to find a way to make it 4-on-4 and even up the game, I’ll do that,” Hartman said. “That’s always been my game. I haven’t really changed anything in my game for the last 15 years. I’ve always played with that kind of edge, and that ability to piss people off, which I enjoy.”

Hartman’s feistiness pays off offensively, too. He entered Sunday night’s game in Calgary with goals in his last two games; both of them the scrappy kind, hard-earned by crashing the net and planting himself in the crease. He’s playing the role usually played by the injured Artem Anisimov, with Schmaltz and Patrick Kane. Only Anisimov is four inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, but Hartman stands his ground.

“That’s where the rewards are,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Go to the net, hang around, stop at the net, you know? Kaner or Schmaltzy will find a way to get it there.”

Scoring goals is fun, of course. But if the puck doesn’t go in, well, at least there might be a post-whistle skirmish. And that usually puts a smile on Hartman’s face.

#ryan hartman #chicago blackhawks #chicago sun-times

[rosstalksabouthockey]

NHL PLAYOFF PRIMER 2018

It’s that time of year again when we take the last 6 months of hard-fought regular season and chuck it straight out the window - PLAYOFFS PLAYOFFS PLAYOFFS

This season in the NHL featured zero surprises and happened exactly as we all expected, with Vegas winning their division and Colorado and New Jersey making the playoffs. Nothing unusual there.

Likewise, the playoffs will be extremely easy to predict, so without further ado:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs WC2 New Jersey Devils

The league’s top offense by a mile will face the league’s most criminally-underrated goaltender, Corey Schneider, who after years of toiling with a terrible Devils team, will finally get his chance to shine - wait, I’m being handed something here...yes, okay, scratch all that, as the Devils are reportedly starting Keith Kincaid between the pipes, who I’m pretty sure is actually Keanu Reeve’s character in Point Break. Nevertheless, with an unproven goaltender who may actually be a fictional character standing up to the onslaught of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, it’s tough to pick New Jersey in this one - Lightning in five.

#2 Boston Bruins vs #3 Toronto Maple Leafs

The NHL’s weird playoff format results in the #4 team in the league playing the #7 team in the league in the first round. Toronto’s young talent have taken the next step this year, with Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, and William Nylander leading the charge and bringing the Leafs back to relevance. Boston, meanwhile, has ridden an aging core and new young talent of their own back to the playoffs. Tuukka Rask is playing lights-out in Boston’s net, but will 40-year-old Zdeno Chara be able to keep up with the speedy Leafs? An absolute must-watch series goes the distance and the young Leafs pull the upset (and get revenge for 2013) over a legit Cup contender in Boston - Leafs in 7. Metropolitan Division

#1 Washington Capitals vs WC1 Columbus Blue Jackets

Ah, our good friends the Washington Capitals advance to the playoffs once more. Alex Ovechkin put up 49 goals to win his 7th Rocket Richard Trophy, and the Capitals are icing a team deep at all positions, albeit arguably not as good as past years. They get a relative unknown in the Blue Jackets, who TOTALLY DIDN’T LOSE THEIR LAST GAME ON PURPOSE TO AVOID PITTSBURGH. THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. DO NOT INSINUATE THAT NHL TEAMS LOSE GAMES ON PURPOSE. DON’T DO IT. Anyway, the Blue Jackets put the usual first-round scare into the Capitals by taking Game 1 in Washington, but the Caps figure it out and take this series in 6.

#2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #3 Philadelphia Flyers

Again, the NHL playoff structure is fucking weird - though they’re the #2 & #3 seeds in their division, Pittsburgh and Philly finished with the 10th and 13th best records in the league, respectively. In fact, I wonder if Pittsburgh has set a record here for being the worst team to have home ice. That said, they still had 47 wins and 3 players finish in the top 10 in point scoring - plus, they’re the 2-time defending champions with the best player in the world on their roster, so yeah, Pittsburgh in 6. Philly will make it interesting and this is another must-watch series because it will be old-school bloody hockey, but the Flyers lack the depth to come out of this one.

Western Conference

Central Division

#1 Nashville Predators vs WC2 Colorado Avalanche

The President’s Trophy-winning Predators take on a team that posted 48 points last year. Pretty hard to pick the Avalanche in this one, Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon’s game-breaking play notwithstanding. Colorado got in to the playoffs on their last game, beating St. Louis in a game that sent the winner to the playoffs, so they’ll be fired up and ready to go, while Nashville locked up their playoff spot weeks ago and stormed their way to the league’s best record. Last year’s runner up will likely go back to the Finals again, and given that Colorado is a weak team aside from MacKinnon, Nashville wins in 5.

#2 Winnipeg Jets vs #3 Minnesota Wild

Poor Minnesota - after years of being beat down by Chicago in the playoffs, the Wild finally go to the dance in a year that the Blackhawks are out, and Minny’s reward is that they play the second-best team in the league. Winnipeg’s scoring is positively terrifying, with Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifle, and Patrik Laine tearing it up all year and center Paul Statsny joining the team at the deadline from St. Louis. Minnesota brings resurgent performances from Zach Parise and Erik Staal, but lost their #1 defenseman, Ryan Suter, to a freak ankle injury late in the season. Suter’s out for the playoffs, meaning Minnesota won’t be able to prevent Winnipeg from loading the net. Jets in 5.

Pacific Division

#1 Vegas Golden Knights vs WC1 Los Angeles Kings

Surpassing literally everyone’s expectations, the Vegas Golden Knights got out of the gate fast and barely slowed down all season, finishing with the NHL’s 5th-best record and winning the Pacific Division in their first year as a team. It’s absolutely unheard-of for an expansion team, and that’s what makes this series so hard to pick. Vegas goes into the playoffs as a complete unknown, and they face a Kings squad only 4 years removed from winning 2 Cups in 3 years. A lot has changed for the Kings in the interim, but Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty still have championship talent and aspirations. This should be a fun one - Knights in 7.

#2 Anaheim Ducks vs #3 San Jose Sharks

Once more, all three California teams make the playoffs, which virtually guarantees a California matchup in the first round. The Sharks and Ducks form one of the most heated rivalries of the first round (Pittsburgh-Philly is maybe the only bloodier series) and both these teams know how to bring the pain. Expect a lot of close games and probably the most penalty minutes of any series. It’s also a match-up that could go either way, but I’ll pick San Jose in 7.

SECOND ROUND

Eastern Conference

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs #3 Toronto Maple Leafs

This year’s bluest matchup pits a battle-hardened, experienced Lightning squad against the upstart young-stars of the Maple Leafs. This will be one of the highest scoring series this year; both teams are better at putting the puck in the net than keeping it out. Goaltenders Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederick Andersen will have their hands full. Tampa Bay’s offense and experience will win out after Toronto takes a 3-2 series lead. Lightning in 7.

#1 Washington Capitals vs #2 Pittsburgh Penguins

The now-annual event you’ve all been waiting for. Is this the year the Capitals finally exorcise their demons, get over the hump, and get past the hated Penguins and the hated second round? Short answer: no. Long answer: Pittsburgh is one of those teams that has an extra gear in the playoffs. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are capable of taking over series, Matt Murray is able to steal games in net when the offense isn’t there, and with Kris Letang healthy, Pittsburgh’s defense corps is elite. Washington is a good team and I would love to pick them, but it’s Pittsburgh in 7 (meaning once again Washington loses Game 7 at home).

Western Conference

#1 Nashville Predators vs #2 Winnipeg Jets

Two absolute powerhouse teams go at it with a trip to the conference finals on the line. This will be a hell of a series, with both squads capable of lighting the lamp in droves while delivering huge, game-changing hits (Dustin Byfuglien and Ryan Hartman in the same series? Yes please). The star power here will be lights out - PK Subban and Patrik Laine are two of the game’s brightest young studs. A back-and-forth series that sees multiple multi-overtime games will go the distance - Predators in a rocking Game 7 after coming back from down 3-2.

#1 Vegas Golden Knights vs #3 San Jose Sharks

San Jose is almost the Washington Capitals of the West - great regular-season team, underwhelming in the playoffs, with a long-time, charismatic-and-at-times-controversial star in Joe Thornton that’s never won a Cup. Thornton’s at least been to the Final, losing to the Penguins just a couple years ago, but if he never wins it, it would be fair to say he and Ovechkin would be two of the best players not to win. It would also be fair to say that if Vegas won a Cup before San Jose and Washington, expansion franchises themselves, that the collective saltiness of their fans would turn the Great Lakes into the Dead Sea. Knights in 6.

CONFERENCE FINALS

Eastern Conference

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs #2 Pittsburgh Penguins

A re-match of the 2016 Eastern Conference Final, this will be a series for the ages with the Lightning looking to avenge their loss two years ago and the Penguins looking for a chance at a three-peat. Tampa Bay will look to overwhelm with their speed and scoring, but Pittsburgh can match speed with guys like Carl Hagelin and Kris Letang and are no slouches at putting in pucks. A back-and-forth series will need all seven games, but this year the Lightning emerge victorious, ending Pittsburgh’s title defense and returning the Lightning to the Final after a 3-year absence.

Western Conference

#1 Nashville Predators vs #1 Vegas Golden Knights

Last year’s runner up versus this year’s Cinderella story. In a way, this series represents the future of the NHL - Nashville took some time but have evolved into a premier franchise and a for-real hockey market, while Vegas hit the ground running and have driven home the idea of hockey in non-traditional markets. The luck will run out for Vegas, though (how many of those puns are you going to hear in the playoffs? I’ll take the over); Nashville is a complete squad top-to-bottom, while Vegas is a team largely of unknowns and cast-offs. The Knights have had an admirable first season and a trip to the Conference Finals is a success beyond what any could have imagined, but the Predators’ championship window is wide open and they’re going to break through to a consecutive Finals appearance. Nashville in 6.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

#1 Nashville Predators vs #1 Tampa Bay Lightning

The final showdown pits two recent losers against each other - Nashville last year and Tampa Bay in 2015. Both teams have legitimate star power, depth at every position, and great storylines. PK Subban and Steven Stamkos chasing their first Cups, Nikita Kucherov and Filip Forsberg putting on dazzling moves, and Pekka Rinne and Andrei Vasilevskiy trading highlight reel saves - what more do you want? It’s really hard to predict this one, but I’m sticking to my guns and calling it for Nashville as the Predators win their first Stanley Cup in a thrilling 6-game series, eventually throwing the rowdiest Stanley Cup parade in league history. Pekka Rinne wins the Conn Smythe as MVP of the playoffs.

#NHL #NHL Playoffs #Stanley Cup Playoffs

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/pence-reinvents-trumps-presidency-on-a-disorienting-nightof-crises-cnn/

Pence reinvents Trump's presidency on a disorienting night of crises - CNN

Already, there are doubts whether the President’s big acceptance speech and a fireworks display Thursday at the White House in front of a pandemic-defying crowd of more than 1,000 people will be appropriate given what forecasters say are “unsurvivable” conditions facing those in the path of Hurricane Laura.

The RNC has had some effective moments — especially in highlighting the stories of regular Americans from lobstermen to farmers who say they have benefited from Trump’s economic policies. Democrats may have missed an opportunity in not doing more to highlight such inspiring stories.

But for the third night in a row the convention offered a vision of a far different country than the one currently staggering through a cataclysmic year. It was a tale of a resurgent economy, a deadly virus defeated and a benevolent and wise President who was a champion of Black Americans, an empathetic counselor of professional women and a guardian of constitutional values worthy of mention in the same breath as the Founders.

Yet when it came to it, Pence — the second most senior member of an administration that says it has done more for Black Americans than Democrats such as President Barack Obama, former vice president Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris — didn’t even mention the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, instead tossing Kenosha, Wisconsin, into a list of places ravaged by violence without referencing the tragedies that brought protesters into the street. And there wasn’t even a passing reference to the countless other similar incidents that have left African Americans despairing — encounters with police that on Wednesday triggered an athletes revolt started by NBA players who boycotted playoff games.

Pence didn’t note that a 17-year-old suspected of killing two people and injuring a third in Kenosha overnight was a pro-police supporter of the President who posted video on TikTok from a Trump rally in Des Moines in January. The shootings came a night after the RNC highlighted a St. Louis couple who brandished guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home.

When asked about the link between the suspect and the Trump rally in Des Moines earlier on Wednesday, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said the White House is “not responsible for the private conduct of people who go to rallies.”

Trump supporter or not, the suspect will be held accountable by a legal process. But the incident is sure to spark more debate about the extent to which the demagogic approach the President has taken towards racial tension and violence influences the actions of impressionable individuals at a volatile moment.

In another odd twist, shortly after Pence insisted that “we will have law and order on the streets of America,” he recognized the sister of Dave Patrick Underwood, an officer of the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service who he said “was shot and killed during the riots in Oakland, California.”

In fact, a US attorney says the suspect in that case is allegedly tied to the extremist Boogaloo movement, a loosely knit group of heavily armed, anti-government extremists.

A platitude on race

Pence, speaking at the Baltimore fort where an 1814 battle with the British inspired “The Star Spangled Banner,” chose to put the blame for unrest on the Democrats, while divorcing the protests from their cause.

“Last week, Joe Biden didn’t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country,” Pence said. “Let me be clear: the violence must stop — whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha.”

“We will always stand with those who stand on the thin blue line and we are not going to defund the police, not now, not ever,” he added, driving home the administration’s hardline law enforcement message.

Pence also offered a platitude but no answers for Black Americans — failing to address the historic discrimination they have faced from law enforcement played out over and over in agonizing cellphone videos, and that helped spark a national reckoning on race earlier this summer after the death of Minnesota man George Floyd who stopped breathing with a police officer’s knee on his neck.

“We don’t have to choose between supporting law enforcement and standing with African American neighbors to improve the quality of life in our cities and towns,” Pence said.

Conventions are about playing to the base. And there is no doubt that many Americans will prefer the Trump-Pence vision of a strong law and order response to unrest to Biden’s support of protesters who see systemic racism in law enforcement.

But that doesn’t mean that what Pence said on Thursday night was a fair representation of the truth. And for all the hagiography directed towards the President, the convention has provided few genuine answers on how either crisis would get better if Trump wins another four years.

It might be argued that the most significant political developments in the country on Wednesday came not at the RNC — but in the room where NBA players met in their bio-secure bubble in Florida and decided to launch a protest that is threatening the league’s season. It already looks like one of the most significant civil rights statements by athletes in many years, following on from Colin Kaepernick’s taking a knee protests.

The boycott drew a sharp new line in the presidential campaign.

Biden made a strong statement of support for NBA players — athletes who the President has said he will not watch because of their activism on racial justice.

“This moment demands moral leadership. And these players answered by standing up, speaking out, and using their platform for good,” Biden tweeted. “Now is not the time for silence.”

Obama, who last week warned in a Democratic National Convention speech that Trump represented an existential threat to American democracy, also offered his support.

“I commend the players on the @Bucks for standing up for what they believe in, coaches like @DocRivers, and the @NBA and @WNBA for setting an example,” Obama tweeted. “It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values.”

Trump has seized on athlete protests as ammunition in his wider culture war arguments that has seen him defend the Confederate flag and statues of southern Civil War generals that warn that American history and heritage are under attack.

A viral whitewash

Pence, who heads the White House’s coronavirus task force, tried to recast the President’s haphazard response to the pandemic as string of heroic feats as he suggested that Biden has shown a defeatist attitude toward the virus.

In a whitewashing of the President’s negligence and cavalier approach to containing the virus in February and early March, Pence argued that Trump’s move to block foreign nationals from China from entering the country in late January saved “untold lives” and “bought us time to launch the greatest national mobilization since World War II.”

In reality Trump wasted precious time in February — when scientists and epidemiologists were calling on the federal government to ramp up a robust testing and tracing program — by insisting that governors should chart the course for each state. His restrictions on travel from China, which Pence exaggerated Wednesday night, came too late to make a major difference in case numbers in the view of many medical experts. Many of the cases that fueled spread of the virus were later traced to Europe before Trump instituted a travel ban in March.

Though governors begged the federal government to help by providing funding for testing and using the Defense Production Act to produce more personal protective equipment, Trump repeatedly delayed those moves and never put forward a coherent national strategy to stop the virus.

But Pence claimed Wednesday night that the federal government has now “coordinated the delivery of billions of pieces of personal protective equipment” and then made a stunning promise that a coronavirus vaccine will come later this year. Most experts believe a vaccine won’t be ready until 2021 at the earliest.

“Last week, Joe Biden said ‘no miracle is coming,'” Pence said Wednesday night at Fort McHenry. “What Joe doesn’t seem to understand is that America is a nation of miracles and we’re on track to have the world’s first safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year.”

After three nights when Trump’s allies have cast the President as a heroic figure who would be unrecognizable to many Americans, he will face the voters to make his own case for reelection Thursday night.

#crises #disorienting #night #pence #presidency #reinvents #trump #Politics

[junker-town]

Has Cam Newton played his last game for the Panthers?

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Newton went on injured reserve and has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract.

Cam Newton won’t be returning to the Panthers’ lineup anytime soon, if ever. Carolina put its starting quarterback on injured reserve in advance of a Week 10 showdown with the Packers, ending his 2019 regular season after only two games due to a foot injury.

That decision puts a middling franchise at a crossroad. Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, has only one year and no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. His replacement, former undrafted free agent Kyle Allen, won his first four games as a starter in his stead. Allen has since hit a rough patch and has the Panthers on a four-game skid. Now coach Ron Rivera has been fired and any hopes for the postseason are shot.

All that turmoil makes moving on from Newton via trade an interesting possibility. It would likely bring some draft assets back in return while saving the team more than $19 million in salary cap space in 2020.

A Newton trade or release seemed unheard of four years ago when the dual-threat passer rallied his team to a 15-1 regular season record and a victory in the NFC Championship. His Panthers have stagnated since then; he’s an even 23-23 as a starter in the three-plus years since.

In that span, they’ve missed the postseason twice — a third miss is on the way — and gotten a new owner who may be looking to make a splash. David Tepper bought the franchise from a scandal-embroiled Jerry Richardson after a wildly successful finance career based predicated on bold moves. He already moved on from Rivera and could make another such deal by swapping out his starting QB.

So what are the odds Carolina moves on from its all-time passing leader?

Christian D’Andrea: 50 percent (was 20 percent before Rivera’s firing)

There’s some logic to moving on from a former MVP who is only 30 years old. Newton’s breakthrough 2015 looks more like an oasis in a desert of mediocrity the further it gets in the rear view mirror. In the 3.5 years since, he’s completed less than 60 percent of his passes, thrown 44 interceptions in 46 starts, and averaged only 6.9 yards per attempt. Of the 42 quarterbacks who’ve thrown at least 500 passes in that span, Newton’s 82.6 passer rating ranks 33rd — just beneath Joe Flacco and Josh McCown but just ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Blake Bortles.

These are all numbers that likely make a man with an analytical background like Tepper’s very uneasy. With Rivera gone, there’s reason to believe firing a head coach but not cleaning house would be a half measure where a full one is needed. There’s a not-insignificant chance Newton wears a color other than teal for the first time in his NFL career come 2020.

That might be a rash decision whose risks outweigh its potential rewards. Newton’s top gear puts him on a completely different plane than those guys. While it may be panning for fool’s gold to hope he’ll ever be the same player he was — especially as nagging injuries have conspired to sap a little bit more of his strength every year — he still brings plenty to the table.

Newton’s 2020 cap number is a relatively affordable $21.1 million. Combine that with the paltry six-figure/low seven-figure number Allen will receive as an exclusive rights restricted free agent, and you’ve got a QB rotation that would likely cost the Panthers less than the Jaguars will pay Nick Foles next fall.

That’s a fair price to keep a reliable QB tandem in town, and few teams understand the value of a useable backup more than the Panthers right now. If Newton doesn’t work out, he can leave in free agency the following year without Carolina owing him anything. If he does — and the team still believes in Allen as its future — the club could still move him before the trade deadline to a needy team with postseason aspirations and a shaky passing offense.

There isn’t much incentive to release Newton. Trading him while his value may never have been lower isn’t likely to bring the kind of return for which the Panthers would hope. If some team — i.e. the Bears — bowls Carolina over with an offer, Newton could be gone. Otherwise there’s little risk involved with keeping Newton around and seeing what he can do after a full year of rehab.

James Dator: 45 percent

Never, ever underestimate the possibility of the Panthers doing something monumentally stupid — and make no mistake, moving on from Newton would be colossally idiotic. Newton is the first and only true, franchise quarterback the team has ever had, and it took them almost 20 years to draft him.

That said, there are salary cap and coaching issues at play too. Now that the Panthers decided to part ways with Rivera (and likely general manager Marty Hurney by extension), there is a plausible scenario where a new leadership team wants “their guy” to be the quarterback moving forward. Newton will eat up a sizable chunk of the team’s cap space next season, and it might seem prudent on paper to free up that money and get some draft picks in exchange.

Should this happen then the Panthers deserve the next decade of mediocrity. The team’s defense and Christian McCaffrey are good enough that they won’t see a top-five pick anytime soon, so they’ll limp along to a series of 6-10 and 7-9 seasons with Kyle Allen or whomever at the helm until someone finally gets fed up and lets the team tank.

On a personal level, moving on from Newton is just gross. The front office retained their jobs on his back for the last eight years, floundering to give their franchise QB decent receivers or an offensive line of note. He still went on to take them to a Super Bowl and become the best passer in team history despite every card in the beck being stacked against him. Newton never threw the organization under the bus, even when they deserved it. Turnabout is fair play and they deserve to stick with him now.

But football is a cruel, harsh business sometimes run by total idiots who can’t see the forest for the trees — so a scenario absolutely exists where he’s gone by the draft. If Newton is traded to another team they deserve to kick the crap out of Carolina every year until Newton eventually retires.

What does this mean for the Panthers going forward?

D’Andrea: Two questions for you, James.

What do you think Tepper’s presence means to the franchise and how much he’s ready to take the wheel after leaving things relatively stable in his first year as owner?

What you think the Panthers would do with the extra cash/assets the team would glean from moving on from Newton?

Dator: Tepper was resolutely behind Newton when he took over as owner, largely taking the approach that he would support whatever his football staff believed was the right. It’s still early to put a pin on what Tepper really believes in as owner, however. This is still the honeymoon phase, and there’s no doubt he’s monitoring how fans are reacting to Newton being hurt.

In terms of what the team would do with potential assets — that really depends on who the GM is. There’s a scenario where I can envision them finally building from the inside out and shoring up their offensive line before trying to find a quarterback, but fans are also growing weary of mediocrity. If the Panthers decide to part ways with Newton they better have an answer, and fast.

Remember when the Chargers let Drew Brees go to New Orleans? That didn’t sting very much because Philip Rivers is excellent. If that same scenario plays out and the Panthers don’t have a Rivers-like QB to insert then there are no depths of how upset fans will be. The big problem: The team is winning right now.

Some questions for you, since you don’t have a vested interest as a fan.

Is there a scenario you see where the Panthers can compete in the next five years without Newton?

Looking ahead to the draft: Is there any way the Panthers could conceivably find another franchise QB quickly?

D’Andrea: I think the Panthers could be a couple of impact defensive players away from being able to succeed with a caretaker QB. Hell, they hit the midway point of the season 5-3 with Allen playing roughly as well as late-stage Andy Dalton. McCaffrey’s cheat code abilities out of the backfield should boost any quarterback, and adding another few difference makers to the core of Luke Kuechly, Brian Burns, Donte Jackson, Kawann Short, and a potentially re-signed Mario Addison could mire opponents long enough for an average QB to squeak out a series of wins. The last two guys on that list are starting to get old, though — so Carolina would have to make that move soon.

Finding another franchise quarterback, especially without a top-10 pick, will be tough but not impossible. In recent years we’ve seen players like Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Teddy Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Russell Wilson, and Nick Foles fall to the back end of the first round or deeper. The Panthers could also take a chance on a rehabilitation project on the free agent market like Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, if they want to swing hard in 2020. Neither path is ideal. I like the draft idea far more than trying to break a middling QB’s bad habits, especially when you consider the contract costs involved, but Carolina has options.

The Panthers started 5-1 without Newton in the lineup in 2019 and jumped into the thick of the NFC playoff race behind Allen, stout defense, and McCaffrey’s MVP-like performance. That fell apart, though. Now the team is a rudderless, sinking ship that’ll be eliminated from playoff contention soon.

Rivera’s team could wind up stuck in the league’s middle class as 2019 winds to a close; not good enough for the postseason but not ready to rebuild either. That’ll push some serious questions about this team’s future to the forefront of its offseason planning. All things considered, it makes sense for Newton to play out his contract in Charlotte — but asking the Panthers to make the logical choice isn’t always a safe bet.

[chorddebtor0-blog]

Michael Kenny’s Offseason Plan, and Plan Tracker

Before I get started with my own plan, I wanted to share the link to the South Side Sox offseason plan tracker spreadsheet, which I’ll be updating as all of your plans roll in. This will give us an idea of which decisions are the most popular, how much everyone is giving up in money and trades, and more.

2018-19 SSS Offseason Plan Tracker

Sorry, White Sox fans, but the window is not opening in 2019.

It could have, had things gone better in 2018. Yoán Moncada could’ve broken out for 4 or 5 WAR instead of backing into 2 and looking like 0. Michael Kopech could’ve stayed healthy and lived up to the hype. Any other prospect could’ve stayed healthy. Seriously, was Dylan Cease the only guy in the whole farm system that didn’t get injured? That’s ironic.

With Moncada providing more questions than answers, Kopech tearing his UCL, Lucas Giolito falling apart, Eloy Jiménez being held back, and a big ol’ pile of injuries in the minors, it’s become clear that 2019 is not the year. The Sox need another season of development to get the answers they currently lack, which makes pushing toward contention this winter a futile exercise.

Any moves the Sox make this offseason need to be with 2020 and 2021 in mind. In 2020, Moncada, Giolito, and Reynaldo López will have one more season under their belts, Jiménez will be settled in, Kopech will return, and the second wave of prospects will arrive in the majors. In 2021, Carlos Rodón and Yolmer Sánchez will reach free agency. Those two seasons represent the convergence of most of the organization’s talent, and hopefully enough players will take steps forward to extend the window well beyond that.

Of course, the two names on everyone’s minds are Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. I’m sure either of those guys would be thrilled to sign with a team that just lost 100 games, and I’m sure the White Sox would offer them enough money to do it, especially since they’re known for giving out blockbuster contracts. There are simply too many teams with too much money, too much existing talent, and too much TWTW for the Sox to even be a footnote in those negotiations.

My goal is to set this team up for future success knowing that the blockbuster is not happening, but hoping that they’ll go all in a year from now, when the time is right. Let’s get to it!

Arbitration-Eligibles

José Abreu – $16 million – TENDER

Avisaíl García – $8 million – TENDER

Yolmer Sánchez – $4.7 million – TENDER

Carlos Rodón – $3.7 million – TENDER

Matt Davidson – $2.4 million – TENDER

Leury García – $1.9 million – TENDER

The first four on this list are easy decisions. I wouldn’t blame you if you non-tendered Leury or Davidson, although I think they can both still be moderately useful players and their salaries won’t break the bank. If either has to be DFA’d midseason to give someone else a chance, so be it, but they stay for now.

Options

You already know how this goes in real life; James Shields’ option was declined, and Nate Jones’s option was picked up. Jones presents a tough decision, but I think that it’s wise to give him one more chance to pitch a full, healthy season. He hasn’t lost any velocity through all of these injuries, so there’s still hope that he can get back to pitching effectively.

Impending Free Agents

Miguel González (2018 salary: $4.75 million) – LET GO

Hector Santiago (2018 salary: $2 million) – LET GO

There are far too many pitchers in this organization to give any more innings to either of these guys.

Free Agent Signings

Sign RHP Nathan Eovaldi to a 3-year, $51 million contract.

After missing all of 2017 following Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi picked up right where he left off with a 3.60 FIP in 111 innings. He’s an above-average starter when healthy, and it’s unfortunate that he had such a great postseason because he’s no longer as under-the-radar as he was a month ago. I’m signing him for three years, although now I’m a bit worried that it will take four to get a deal done, so I’m upping the annual value to compensate.

Eovaldi issued just 20 walks this season, so he’ll be a great addition to a pitching staff that led the majors in free passes (653). He also generates a healthy amount of ground balls (46.8 percent career). Basically, Eovaldi should help to stabilize a highly uncertain 2019 rotation, and if he continues to pitch well, he becomes an asset to the team in 2020-21 or a trade chip to acquire help elsewhere.

Sign LHP Drew Pomeranz to a 1-year, $9 million contract.

The Sox already had one hole to fill in the rotation, but with Michael Kopech down for the count it’s probably a good idea to add another. For that reason, I’m signing both Eovaldi, a pitcher on the rise, and Pomeranz, a reclamation project.

Pomeranz posted back-to-back 3-win seasons before bombing with the Red Sox this year. He spent two months on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis, and the issue sapped both his velocity (90 mph average fastball, down from 92) and control (5.35 BB/9). He got some of his zip back in the second half, but the Red Sox bumped him to the bullpen after they acquired... Nathan Eovaldi.

Eovaldi and Pomeranz fill out the rotation, with Jordan Stephens the next man up out of Charlotte. There’s also a chance that Dylan Cease forces his way into the conversation, but given the nature of pitching there will always be opportunities.

Sign C Jeff Mathis to a 1-year, $2 million contract.

I really don’t know what to do about Omar Narváez. His bat is legit, but his glove does not belong at catcher. Like, at all. A guy who hits .275/.366/.429 shouldn’t feel like a fringe major leaguer, but that’s how much value he gives back with his defense. I gave a lot of thought to just moving Narváez to third base this offseason (hey, it worked for Brandon Inge), but I think the most realistic solution is to make him a part-time catcher, part-time 1B/DH. That will diminish his offensive value, but it will also limit his defensive damage.

Given Narváez’s limitations, Welington Castillo isn’t the right catcher to pair with him. I think keeping Omar as a catcher requires bringing in a defensive specialist as his caddy, and Mathis can be that guy. He’s a banjo hitter, to be sure, but he’s also an excellent defender. There’s a reason he’s continued to find work despite a career 50 wRC+. Oof, did I say 50? Well, ultimately he’s just keeping this spot warm for Seby Zavala.

Trades

Acquire 3B Maikel Franco from the Phillies for OF Blake Rutherford and RHP Jimmy Lambert.

The Phillies are looking to make a huge splash this offseason, and they can’t afford to wait around on Franco to realize his potential when Machado and others are there for the taking. At 26, Franco is still mostly projection because he’s yet to live up to his former elite prospect hype. He showed signs of life this year with a 105 wRC+, but his performance has been uninspiring overall, in part due to some conditioning issues. Give him a change of scenery, get him in the Best Shape of His Life, and maybe he’ll run with the new opportunity.

The Sox have such a ridiculous glut of outfielders and pitchers that they can start dipping into it a bit to diversify their assets and take a risk on a player like Franco, who has three more years of control. Rutherford and Lambert are expendable without putting the depth of the system in jeopardy.

Acquiring an everyday third baseman also allows Yolmer Sánchez to shift into a super-sub role, where I think he can be very valuable on a good team. If Franco flops, Sánchez can just take the hot corner back. This also means saying goodbye to José Rondón, but I don’t really believe his low-average power surge is sustainable.

Acquire RHP Stiward Aquino from the Angels for C Welington Castillo and $3 million.

I really liked the Castillo signing at the time. The only reason I didn’t include him in my plan last year was because I didn’t think the Sox would be able to get him. Of course, a midseason PED suspension is a great way to kill any goodwill with your organization and fanbase.

Moreover, as I said above, Castillo just doesn’t fit on this team anymore. Unfortunately, these factors combined give the Sox about as much leverage on the trade market as they had with Nick Swisher. I suspect some team that really needs help behind the plate will allow Castillo to don the tools of ignorance, but they’ll want to acquire him at a discount and give up little in return.

I imagine the Los Angeles Angels would take on Castillo given that their current catchers are a 29-year old rookie, a 26-year-old rookie, and Kevan Smith. In exchange they’re sending Aquino, a 19-year-old pitcher with a lanky 6-foot-6 frame who lost his 2018 to Tommy John surgery.

Other Moves

Offer OF Eloy Jiménez a 7-year, $50 million extension.

I don’t expect Jiménez to sign an early-career extension the way many young White Sox players have. He’s a star waiting in the wings, and the Sox done him wrong at the end of 2018. That said, a record-shattering deal like this might get his attention given that his amateur signing bonus was a mere $2.8 million. It would also spare both sides the “Work on your defense for two weeks” charade.

In all likelihood, the charade is still on. If it is, Nicky Delmonico breaks camp with the major league team and, barring injury, he’s the odd man out come April 12.

Get Matt Davidson on a mound.

Seriously. I don’t think there’s any reason that a team can’t lean on its backup DH to throw two or three innings in garbage time. In an era where relievers are more important than ever, converting a defensively limited guy into a two-way player and pitching him in low-leverage situations can spare the rest of the bullpen. It may even allow the Sox to forego whatever random junkballer veteran swingman they would need instead. It’s the new market inefficiency!

The Roster

Lineup

2B Yoán Moncada C Omar Narváez 1B José Abreu DH Daniel Palka LF Nicky Delmonico Eloy Jiménez RF Avisaíl García 3B Maikel Franco SS Tim Anderson CF Adam Engel

Bench

C Jeff Mathis UT Yolmer Sánchez OF Leury García 1B/RHP Matt Davidson

Rotation

LHP Carlos Rodón RHP Nathan Eovaldi RHP Reynaldo López LHP Drew Pomeranz RHP Lucas Giolito

Bullpen

RHP Ian Hamilton LHP Jace Fry RHP Zack Burdi RHP José Ruiz RHP Nate Jones RHP Thyago Vieira LHP Caleb Frare (Or swap in Ryan Burr, Carson Fulmer, Aaron Bummer, Juan Minaya, Dylan Covey, etc.)

Summary

You may have noticed that this team is not that good, but it’s a pretty big step forward from 2018. If things break right, they could push into the 75-to-80-win range, and that would set the table for a serious push in 2020.

This team’s payroll is in the neighborhood of $88 million, and only Eovaldi and Tim Anderson (and possibly Jiménez) have guaranteed contracts beyond 2019. That kind of flexibility opens up endless possibilities for next offseason, when the free agent market will be headlined by players like these:

Source: https://www.southsidesox.com/2018/11/1/18038098/michael-kennys-offseason-plan-and-plan-tracker

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[ballbubble3-blog]

Eagles vs. Jaguars: 9 winners, 5 losers, 3 I don’t knows

The Eagles are now 4-4 after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty but the Eagles will take it however they can get it. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from this game.

WINNERS

DOUG PEDERSON

The Eagles ultimately managed to score 24 points and gain 395 yards on a Jacksonville defense that ranked seventh in defensive DVOA coming into this game. They did this despite being forced into multiple different offensive line configurations and not having overly dominant skill players.

Heading into Sunday’s game, the Eagles had only produced 10 passing plays of 30-plus yards through seven weeks. Against the Jags, who were allowing the fewest explosive pass plays in the league this year, the Eagles managed to generate five 30-plus yarders.

Make no mistake: it certainly helped that the Jags were without three of their top four corners. Still, Pederson drew up some creative play-calls in this one and the Eagles ultimately turned in their second highest scoring game of the season. There’s plenty of room for improvement but this was an encouraging bounce back for Dougie P. The team fought hard with their backs against the wall in a critical spot.

CARSON WENTZ

Wentz easily could’ve ended up in the “Losers” section below after he got off to a rough start.

Wentz fumbled AGAIN which means he’s tied for the lead league in that category despite the fact he missed two games. He’s now up to 30 fumbles in 35 career games. A number of those came in his rookie year and/or can be chalked up to poor snaps but that doesn’t explain away all of them. Wentz’s propensity to fumble is the down side of his ability to extend plays.

Another downside to Wentz’s game is that his aggression can lead to risky plays. This was the game when he forced a ball to Joshua Perkins in the end zone and Jalen Ramsey picked it off.

But Wentz didn’t let these early mistakes define his performance on Sunday. In a spot where a number of quarterbacks easily would’ve folded for the rest of the game, Wentz showed great resiliency to fight back. He finished the game completing 70% of his passes for 286 yards (9.5 average), three touchdowns, one interception, and a 119.6 passer rating.

For all of last week’s talk that Wentz isn’t “clutch,” he led a huge touchdown drive to put the Eagles up 24-15 with 9:55 remaining. His sole passing attempt for a first down on the Eagles’ final drive essentially sealed the game. Wentz delivered in big spots on Sunday.

On the season, Wentz is completing 71% of his attempts for 1,788 yards (7.9 average), 13 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 110.2 passer rating. He also has 89 rushing yards.

In other words, Wentz is pretty good.

AVONTE MADDOX

The descriptor that comes to mind with Maddox is “baller.” The rookie just makes plays. This week it was Maddox flying into the back field to force the Jaguars to a long field goal early in the game. Then it was Maddox getting his helmet on the ball after Keelan Cole’s reception to force a fumble.

The progress Maddox has made is really impressive. The fourth-round rookie is excelling at a position he never played prior to this year. He’s come a long way since looking totally lost at times back during spring practices.

DALLAS GOEDERT

It was a good day for the Eagles’ 2018 NFL Draft class with Goedert also making a big play. Following Maddox’s forced fumble, it was Goedert who caught a 32-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Goedert’s a big boy who knows how to get open and isn’t easy to bring down after the catch. His YAC ability is very valuable.

JORDAN MATTHEWS

After failing to log a single target despite playing 43% of Philadelphia’s snaps last week, JMatt ended up being a key player against the Jags. Again, it must be noted that he had undrafted rookie corners lining up against him with Ramsey sticking to Alshon Jeffery. Still, Matthews made some crucial plays to move the chains. His final reception virtually iced the game. Four receptions for 93 yards is a very nice day for Matthews.

JOSH ADAMS

If Adams’ butt was smaller, he could’ve ended up in the “Losers” section. His near fumble in the fourth quarter would’ve been fairly costly. But in the end the refs got it right and it wasn’t a fumble.

Putting that play aside, Adams has been the Eagles’ most efficient runner the past two weeks. He’s gained 78 yards on 13 attempts, which is 6.0 yards per carry. It’s easy to like the way he runs with a purpose.

Moving forward, the Eagles should continue to work Adams into the rotation. I’m not saying he’s played well enough to be undipsuted RB1 just yet but I do think he should be getting more than the zero touches he saw back in Week 6.

FLETCHER COX

Cox finished the game with two solo tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, and one quarterback hit. His batted pass came at a key moment in the game to force the Jaguars into fourth down. Jacksonville failed to convert and never possessed the ball again.

Another thing I liked seeing was Cox get all up in Deiondre’ Hall’s face after the defensive back was arguing with a Jaguars player on special teams. Cox wasn’t about to the let the Eagles take another dumb penalty. We saw Cox get in Jalen Mills’ face like that earlier this season. You can see the signs of him being a leader on this team.

MALCOLM JENKINS

Jenkins got beat on a double move to allow a touchdown to Dede Westbrook, yes, but he also broke up a touchdown pass later in the game which ultimately caused the Jaguars to settle for a field goal.

Perhaps the biggest reason why Jenkins deserves to be here, though, is that he now doesn’t have to worry about his Blake Bortles comments haunting him. That would’ve been not fun to deal with if Bortles shredded the Eagles’ secondary in a Jags win.

EAGLES FANS

First of all, shoutout to all the great fans in London who cheered on the team at Wembley today. Whether it was Americans making the flight overseas or Europe natives coming out to support, you helped make this “road” game feel much closer to a home game for the Eagles.

The other reason why fans can be considered winners is because the season is still alive. There’s still hope at 4-4. That wouldn’t have really been the case at 3-5. The Eagles still have a lot of work to do, and they need to play a lot better than they did today, but they’re still in this thing for at least two more weeks. Beat the Cowboys and get to 5-4 and then we’re really cooking.

LOSERS

THE EAGLES’ OFFENSIVE LINE SITUATION

Lane Johnson is reportedly going to miss at least a month due to an MCL sprain and Jason Peters continues to struggle to stay in the game as he battles through multiple injuries.

With Johnson out, the Eagles will be moving forward with the following lineup from left to right:

Jason Peters Isaac Seumalo Jason Kelce Brandon Brooks Halapoulivaati Vaitai

It’s likely that Peters is going to miss some playing time at some point since that’s often been the case this year. His absence forces Seumalo to move out to tackle while Wisniewski comes in to play guard.

Then you have Kelce clearly playing through pain, and if he has to miss time, it could be Wis shifting to center with Chance Warmack going in to play guard.

The Eagles’ offensive line situation isn’t in tip top shape moving forward. #Analysis.

COREY CLEMENT

Remember when Clement said he wanted to prove to Howie Roseman that the Eagles don’t need to trade for a running back? Yeah, well, Clement isn’t exactly helping his case by rushing for just 12 yards on 12 carries in his last two games. Clement also has three receptions for just 15 yards in that span.

Clement and the Eagles coaching staff has insisted he’s not still bothered by the quad injury he was dealing with earlier this season. You would almost hope Clement IS hurt in order to explain away his struggles. Whatever the case, he’s not producing right now while other backs are doing so. Clement’s role might even shrink further if/when Darren Sproles potentially returns after the bye.

DEXTER MCDOUGLE

McDougle was hard to notice in last week’s game, which was probably a good thing for the most part. The Eagles’ starting nickel corner was much more noticeable agianst the Jags, and not in a good way. He simply fell down in coverage on at least three different occasions.

Get well soon, Sidney Jones.

JALEN MILLS

Mills had to be carted off with an injury. The early indication is that it’s not major but we’ll see. Rasul Douglas had some nice moments while filling in for Mills. He also gave up some big plays, such as the one down the sideline to former practice squad tight end David Grinnage.

But if the much-maligned Mills continues to miss time and Douglas outplays him, maybe the Green Goblin doesn’t get his job back. It’s too early to say that’ll definitely be the case but it’s something to monitor.

D.J. ALEXANDER

Alexander got flagged for unnecessary roughness on a kickoff return that went for a touchback. Just stupid. That flag caused the Eagles to start at their own 13-yard line instead of their own 25. Alexander could be gone if he does something like that again.

I DONT KNOWS

JIM SCHWARTZ

The Eagles defense only allowed 18 points and 5.4 yards per play. They created one turnover and notched four sacks (plus nine quarterback hits). Schwartz did a nice job of mixing in some blitzes at the right times.

So why isn’t he in the “winners” section?

Well, a few things.

First, the Eagles easily could’ve given up at least six more points if D.J. Chark doesn’t drop a wide open touchdown pass twice in the same play. That was a very lucky break. And allowing 24 points to a team that’s been averaging 9.3 in their last three games isn’t exactly a badge of honor.

Second, Bortles still had a decent game for Bortles standards. His 88.1 passer rating ranks third highest out of his eight games. He also ran for a season-high 43 yards. It’s not like the Eagles completely shut him down.

Third, the Eagles defense has now gone back-to-back games where they’ve allowed a touchdown drive RIGHT after the offense marches 90-plus yards down the field for a touchdown of their own. What’s up with that? It’s almost like they take their foot off the pedal and it ends up being a big momentum killer.

Schwartz’s defense ranked 13th overall heading into this week’s game. That sounds about right. There are certainly many teams who have it worse. But those acting like the defense isn’t contributing to the struggles at all ... that’s foolish.

WENDELL SMALLWOOD

I was going to put Smallwood in the “Winners” section but I think that might be a little generous. He did have that long screen touchdown but it’s not even like he had to make defenders miss there. He just had a ton of open space in front of him. Outside of that play, Smallwood had one reception for six yards and eight carries for 24 yards (3.0 average). He also allowed a really bad sack on Wentz when he completely failed to pick up a blitzing Myles Jack. We’ve seen Smallwood struggle with missed assignments in this regard numerous times now.

The one Smallwood moment that WAS really impressive is when he ran through contact to pick up a 10-yard gain on 2nd-and-9 on the Eagles’ final drive. That play allowed Philadelphia to kneel three times to kill the clock.

JORDAN HICKS

Hicks really stuffed the stat sheet with 12 tackles (eight solo), two passes defensed, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. The numbers don’t show that Hicks struggled in coverage. That’s an area considered to be Hicks’ strengths, so that’s not good to see. He shouldn’t be docked completely because he clearly made some plays. Lot of season left, and always time for things to change, but I don’t think he’s playing at a level where the Eagles will consider him a must re-sign.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/10/28/18034132/eagles-vs-jaguars-winners-losers-final-score-recap-results-philadelphia-carson-wentz-josh-adams-nfl

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