The 300s Red Sox vs Dodgers World Series Preview

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It’s been a grueling five year drought, but the Red Sox are finally back in the World Series and they’re taking on the Brooklyn LA Dodgers. The last time the Red Sox won the World Series was 2013 in one of the most unlikely championship runs I’ve ever seen. With the rallying cry of Boston Strong as their mantra, a group of journeymen having career years led the way. This year was just a little bit different as the Sox set a franchise record with 108 wins in the regular season and won the division running away. Now they’re just four wins away from their 4th championship in the past 15 years.

You can also listen to Big Z and I preview the World Series on The 300s Podcast here.

Game Times:

  • Game 1 (at BOS): Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox
  • Game 2 (at BOS): Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox
  • Game 3 (at LAD): Friday, Oct. 26 at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox
  • Game 4 (at LAD): Saturday, Oct. 27 at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox
  • *Game 5 (at LAD): Sunday, Oct. 28 at 8:15 p.m. ET on Fox
  • *Game 6 (at BOS): Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox
  • *Game 7 (at BOS): Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

*If necessary

Betting Lines:

  • Opening odds from the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook
    • Red Sox at -135 and the Dodgers at +115.
  • Gambling.com World Series MVP prop bets
    • Mookie Betts +550
    • Chris Sale +600
    • JD Martinez +650

Top Storylines:

ESPN noted in its preview that if the Red Sox win the World Series it may be one of the most impressive runs of all time. After winning 108 games to set a franchise record, they went through TWO other 100 win teams to reach the World Series.

Only five teams since 1961 have won at least 108 games and won the World Series:

1998 New York Yankees: 114-48
1961 New York Yankees: 109-53
1970 Baltimore Orioles: 108-54
1975 Cincinnati Reds: 108-54
1986 New York Mets: 108-54

The Red Sox, arguably, will have had the toughest trek through the postseason of any of these teams. Only the ’98 Yankees had to go through three rounds, but the Red Sox had to knock off the 100-win Yankees and 103-win Astros just to reach the World Series — and did so by winning seven of nine games.

Mookie at Second Base?

He’s actually played there more than I thought in his career with 15 games played at 2B, but only about half of one game since 2014. So besides the almost non-existant experience at the major league level, this is moronic for one reason; he is an ELITE outfielder. As Big Z said on The 300s Podcast, you literally hit the instant replay jackpot and stole an out with this play in Houston.

Mookie is such a great outfielder that Cowboy Joe West ruled, from 50 yards away, that he was definitively going to make one of the greatest catches in postseason history were it not for fan interference. Not to mention his canon of an arm that led to him hosing down Jose Altuve at second base, his other leaping catch to rob a HR etc. etc. Yea, lets not get cute boys.

Who Plays and Who Sits in Los Angeles?

With the NL stripping us of the DH, who are you sitting? JD Martinez and Mookie obviously aren’t sitting so are you benching the .185 hitter in Jackie Bradley Jr. and putting Andrew Benintendi in center or are you riding JBJ’s hot streak? I mean when that guy gets hot he gets HOT, he’ll hit .150 for 4 months then hit .500 for a month straight so maybe he’s in the middle of one of those heaters? Lets play it by ear and see how JBJ and Benintendi play at Fenway in Games 1 and 2, but I’m leaning towards benching Bradley in LA and using him as a defensive replacement late in games. 

Chris Sale’s Health

He already was dealing with the shoulder issue and now he was out with this bizarre stomach issue. The beat guys were saying that he was walking around with a bottle of pedialyte and that he even lost weight somehow. I don’t know how you can’t be concerned. We saw in his first start off the DL against the Orioles were he struck out 13 guys…before relapsing and only throwing about 15 innings the rest of the season, and then again in his first postseason start where he started off lights out against the Yankees before faltering. I think with the extended time off Chris Sale will look pretty good in Game 1, but to expect much more than that afterwards is asking a lot considering all the ailments he’s been dealing with. 

Has David Price Actually Exorcised His Playoff Demons?

I hope so. I hope whatever mechanical adjustment he figured out before his Game 5 start gives him the confidence and the momentum he needs to repeat the success of his last start. However, he is currently sporting a 5.11 ERA this postseason, which is actually even worse than his career 5.04 ERA in the postseason. Soo I think its a shaky bridge that I am cautiously optimistic about, but far from confident.

YUCK Stickers are now available just in case.

Manny Machado, Still a Dirtbag

Matt Barnes still wants Machado dead for possibly ending Dustin Pedroia’s career last year with a dirty slide.

“You’re talking about a play in which Pedey still hasn’t played since then, really,” Barnes said per The Eagle-Tribune. “When you take out a captain, a leader of a team, that’s not going to sit well with anybody. It kind of is what it is. You move on. I don’t see anything happening, I really don’t, but it doesn’t mean that we’ve forgotten about it.”

Big Z and I wondered aloud if the Sox get up big in a clinching game, do they send out Joe Kelly to just bean Machado in the ass to take care of some family business? Whether Pedroia wants it or not, justice will be served (again).

Yasiel Puig is GOOD for Baseball

In a sport full of late starts, long games, and older fans, Yasiel Puig is exactly what baseball needs. He is the anti-Mike Trout. He is fun as all hell to watch. While Peter Gammons might not exactly enjoy Puig rounding the bases after a HR telling everyone to suck it like he’s a member of DX, I sure as shit do.

Will We See Regular Season Kershaw or Postseason Kershaw?

Kershaw is essentially the west coast version of David Price. While he’s been pretty good in the playoffs this year with a 2-1 record and a 2.37 ERA , overall for his career he is 9-8 with 4.09 ERA in 141 postseason IP. His career postseason stats are about a full seasons worth with 28 starts, which is a good sample size. While a 4.09 ERA is far from disastrous, it’s definitely not the quote unquote best pitcher of our generation. Kershaw seems to be on a roll this year, but I would not be surprised if a guy from Texas who’s played his entire career in LA suddenly pitching in 30 degree weather in Fenway in October rattles him.

Lets All Just Appreciate Justin Turner

As a fellow redhead with a Wildling-esque beard, I am a huge Justin Turner guy. Really putting redheads on the map the past couple of years.

MVP

I’m going with Nathan Eovaldi because he has been an absolute saving grace for this Red Sox team and he is a guy that will pitch Game 3 and a potential Game 7, not to mention any random relief appearances Cora utilizes him for. I know only 3 pitchers have won the World Series MVP in the past 15 years, but if you win Game 3 and Game 7 it would be hard to not give that guy the award. It also doesn’t hurt that Gambling.com has Eovaldi at +2200 to win series MVP!

Unsung Hero

I’m going with Rafael Devers. Cora played the matchups with Devers in the ALCS, which had Devers on the bench to start the series before giving way to the young gun in Game 5 and he took Verlander deep. So I know Cora has been leaning on the analytics but Devers has looked great in his limited playing time. Granted he only has 20 AB’s, Devers is actually second on the team in Batting Avg at .350 so I think he’s a pretty good bet to make an impact in this series.

 

Official Prediction

I’m picking the Red Sox in 7 games. They just have the IT factor this year, they have the juice, whatever you want to call it. The bullpen is cobbled together with bubble gum and duct tape, they have a guy in Ryan Brasier who was pitching in JAPAN last year holding it down as the setup man. Whatever they’re doing, it’s working AND apparently Eric Gagne has fixed Craig Kimbrel. Not to mention every decision Alex Cora makes just seems to be the right one. So if the Red Sox can get decent starts from their rotation then I think the offense carries this team the rest of the way. 

Sox in 7.

It Appears It is Pats vs. Eagles For Patrick Peterson, and I’m About To Break Everyone’s Heart

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ESPN – The New York Giants are trading cornerback Eli Apple, a former first-round draft pick, to the New Orleans Saints, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

Allow me to iterate on what the hell I am talking about.

Patrick Peterson, the ridiculously talented but oft-injured CB for the Arizona Cardinals, wants to be traded. The Cards suck and are a mess and Peterson wants to win and not be part of a mess. Makes sense. He has always given 100% and isn’t a huge issue in the locker room, from what little I know of a team that plays in the middle of the fucking desert.

Peterson stated, through his cousin Bryant McFadden, now an analyst, that he wanted to play for the Eagles, Pats, or Saints, who play in the same state as his beloved alma mater LSU. Well, as you can see from the above, you can probably cross the Saints off that list/ This leaves the opponents from last years Super Bowl on the table. Not a bad situation to be in for PP if 1.) you assume both teams are interested in your services and 2.) either/or can make a good enough pitch to the Cardinals to acquire you. And that’s where this sucks.

I cannot talk myself out of the fact that if it comes down to Rob Gronkowski for Patrick Peterson straight up (or possibly with an array of superfluous picks and/or cash to make it work/digestable for one side or the other), who says no? The Pats would get rid of a depreciating asset, which they LOVE TO DO. Just ask Seymour, or Mankins, or Vinateri, or Moss. They would do this for a physically talented corner, which they need, in his prime. Sure Peterson has been hurt too, but Gronk’s body has been destroyed. I’m sure Belichick also wouldn’t mind getting rid of Gronk’s antics, as harmless as they are, and it doesn’t help that we just beat a top tier D without him. The Cards get a security blanket and the best tight end ever for their young franchise QB. An ancillary benefit is that they would be bringing Gronk back to Arizona, where he played his college ball and would surely love the pool-side atmosphere. He’d fit in great.

It all just makes too much sense, and that makes me so sad. Gronk has been the Patriot of our generation aside from Brady. A truly transcendent and complete talent at his position. I guess if Brady is like David Ortiz, Gronk, if he leaves, would be a bit like Nomar, although we’d be switching up timelines; he means everything to our franchise but in the end, maybe it wouldn’t make sense to keep him, for the right deal.

I really fucking hope I’m wrong. Fuck this.

-Joey B.

Bob Made His Debut for the Celtics Last Night!

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Image result for robert williams celtics

Our loyal 300s fans know that Red and I have not been shy about our love for Celtics rookie Robert Williams (or “Bob”), as we’ve been in his corner since Day 1.

No need to rehash past transgressions; he’s seemed to have his head on straight for the past few months. And, most importantly, the big fella made his NBA debut last night in the Celtics’ 93-90 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Bob played about four minutes and did not record one meaningful statistic, BUT that does not mean he was unnoticeable. The 21-year-old wasn’t shy about getting involved on the defensive end, showing off his toughness and pure athleticism with a few contested shot attempts.

In fact, Al Horford made sure the people knew about Bob’s under-the-radar performance after the game (h/t MassLive):

“It was good. He impacted [Nikola] Vucevic in the post there, he tried to make a move and he felt the length. I was happy to see Rob. He looked fearless out there. Now, obviously that Baynes is out, I’m sure he’ll continue to get an opportunity.”

FEARLESS. (Also, “Rob??!!” Come on, Al. It’s Bob. Stop with that.)

At the very least, it was a small taste of what the kid can bring to the table for a team that, until recently, was pretty lackluster and unintimidating in the post for quite some time. Hopefully it’s a sign of better things to come in short order – especially if Aron Baynes’s hamstring injury lingers longer than expected.

Well done, Bob. We’re proud of ya. Keep it up.

James Dolan at War with Maggie Gray and WFAN

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New York Post – James Dolan and Madison Square Garden have gone nuclear in their revenge against WFAN and its parent company, Entercom, The Post has learned.

In retaliation for a summer rant by WFAN host Maggie Gray, Dolan’s MSG has ordered all of its businesses across the country to shut down working with Entercom and banned Knicks and Rangers players, as well as MSG broadcasters and personnel, from appearing on the station, according to officials involved in the decision.

Interesting move by James Dolan and MSG yesterday. Of course by interesting I mean petty and shortsighted, because these types of moves rarely work out well.

Full disclosure, I had not heard or read about Maggie Gray’s August rant until yesterday. I also had no idea that Dolan used to be pals with Harvey Weinstein. That’s the main reason why moves like this are wrongheaded. In attempting to exact revenge against Gray, WFAN and Entercom two months later, Dolan only brings more attention to himself and to the rant that got him so upset in the first place. There’s no way I would have come across Gray’s rant two months later if not for this move by Dolan and MSG. They teach this in literally every Sports Marketing 101 class in the country.

If it’s favorable coverage in the media Dolan wants, this move certainly won’t help. That’s another reason why moves like this don’t often work out well. In reacting poorly to unflattering coverage, Dolan only ensures more unflattering coverage. Most media members don’t respond well to these types of actions.

Did Gray go over the line with some of her word choices? That can be debated. But Dolan is worth $1.5 billion. He owns the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. Even if Gray made those comments on the most popular sports radio station in the country, it feels like Dolan is punching down.

It’s unlikely many fans will side with Dolan in this squabble, given the well-documented struggles of his franchises over the last 20 years. Rather than go to war with WFAN and the fans of his teams (i.e., paying customers), wouldn’t it be a better business decision to try and reach some of those paying customers who also listen to WFAN?

I know it can be hard to take the high road some times, but it has to be easier to take your guitar and go home when your worth more than the Powerball jackpot.

 

 

Joey B’s Tuesday Morning Grab Bag

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Tuesdays suck more than Mondays because they’re a blunt reminder that the work week continues. That’s why I do these.

-The Pats won a bizarro world version of that Rams-Titans game of yore where Kevin Dyson was tackled at the 1 to stop a possible Music City Miracle. I think the low-key story  of that game, however, is how despite this season starting off slow, it felt like an old school, “nothing to worry about” Pats game. I don’t think we have had that feeling, unless you’re just an asshole, for a few years now. Even the last two Super Bowl years. But we all remember the days of prime Brady when even if we were down 3 TDs we’d kind of shrug, thinking we’d pull it off anyway. And you know what? 77% of the time we would have been right. That Bears game felt like that. A lot of running by Trubisky. Some lackadaisical play-calling by the Pats. Then that ridiculous hail mary. I never doubted the “W” for one second.

-Going to write a full review later but I saw “Halloween” this weekend and you should too. Lots of fun.

-Before Lewis-Cormier was supposed to headline UFC 230, The UFC trotted out Valentina Schevchenko against little-know TUF alumnus Sijara Eubanks. Well, the internet absolutely DEMOLISHED that idea so the UFC made Lewis-Cormier and also matched Schevchenko up against a more known quantity, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, at a later date. Eubanks came out yesterday and said she screamed at Dana White about. When you are a 3-2 fighter and Dana White has a full on fan mutiny on his hands because he put you on a card, maybe you should just shut the fuck up and win a couple? Especially when you know you were a desperation move to begin with?

-STOKED for this world series. I actually like the Dodgers matchup better than the Brewers. Overall it will be interesting to see how Cora handles the staff as well as the JD Martinez conundrum. Mookie at 2nd I guess? Who knows. It is going to be a fun one, especially for this #baseball guy.

-Random music suggestion of the day: If you are a hip hop head in general or need some good “nod your head” music for the work day, check out Del the Funky Homosapien.

-I have tickets to Tom Segura in April and you don’t.

 

Keep it real homies,

-Joe

 

The 300s Podcast: Red Sox vs Dodgers World Series Mega Preview

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It’s a very special episode of The 300s Podcast because after FIVE looong years the Boston Red Sox are back in the World Series.

-With 108 wins, and beating two other 100+ win teams along the way, this would be one of the most impressive World Series runs in MLB history.

-Mookie Betts at second base?

-Do Chris Sale’s on again, off again health concerns worry you?

-Has David Price exorcised his playoff demons?

-Manny Machado, still a dirtbag

-Puig, Kershaw and the rest of the LA Dodgers

-MVP Picks

-Red and Big Z make their official predictions

Did Eric Gagne Save the Red Sox Season?

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WEEI – Eleven years after leaving town, Gagne finally got his save for the Sox. It was locked up while sitting in the living room of his Arizona home, but it was a save nonetheless. A big one.  The story started just about 18 years ago when the kid from Montreal befriended an infielder who came from Puerto Rico. Gagne was a relief pitcher. Alex Cora was a utility player. Both had plenty of time on their hands while living life as Dodgers. They started a hobby: Identifying pitchers who were tipping their pitches…

The pitcher he witnessed Tuesday night, Craig Kimbrel, wasn’t one of the more difficult ones. For Gagne, it was pretty clear what was going on. As far as the former pitcher was concerned, the Red Sox closer’s high-wire act against the Astros in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series was no accident.

It was enough evidence that Gagne felt obligated to reach out to his old friend, and the new manager of the Red Sox…“Nowadays you don’t even need to talk to people, it’s perfect,” he said. “I just sent him a message saying, ‘Hey Craig, I’m not sure if you care about these things but I’m friends with Alex and I’ve been seeing this or that. I think you should sit down to look at it. It’s an easy fix. It’s not that difficult. You might change your set-up, but that’s not that big of a deal.’ It was a pretty easy fix once he knew what he was doing.”

What a wild story from an unlikely source. Remember our old friend Eric Gagne? The guy who at one point in time was the most dominant closer in all of baseball. The guy who once converted 84 save opportunities straight. The guy who Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox traded for as a “luxury, not a necessity” on a stacked 2007 team. As we all know, Gagne was absolutely abysmal for the Sox, finishing with a 6.75 ERA in 20 games. He fell so far that the Sox big trade deadline acquisition only pitched 4.1 innings in the 07 playoffs. Well, THAT guy might have just saved the 2018 Red Sox season.

Gagne spoke with Rob Bradford and told him how, from his couch, he was able to pick up that Craig Kimbrel was apparently tipping his pitches. Does that explain Kimbrel’s complete inability to find the plate in the playoffs thus far? No, but it does explain how basically everyone he’s faced has had more plate discipline than a monk and was pretty much ready for whatever he did get over the plate.

This is why you never burn any bridges. Gagne and Cora were two guys that came up together in the Dodgers minor league system and bonded over watching film and figuring out who was tipping pitches. Pretty obscure hobby for a super utility player and a 30th Round Draft pick turned stud closer. Moral of the story, ya just never know who’s going to come out of left field and throw you a bone. If Gagne doesn’t reach out to his old friend with some advice on why his all-star closer is suddenly a disaster on the mound, then maybe they don’t fix anything and we’re looking at another disappointing Red Sox postseason performance.

Kudos to Cora for accepting and welcoming the constructive criticism from an old teammate. How many managers would have just scoffed at a player that is “out of baseball” offering up criticism of his All-Star closer while watching at home on TV?

Was Gagne a bum for the Sox? Absolutely. But any time a guy with 187 career saves wants to throw out some advice for a struggling Boston bullpen then I am all ears. If Kimbrel is back to his 1-2-3 ways in the 9th inning then I think we all owe Gagne a beer, preferably one brewed by his 2007 Red Sox teammate Kevin Youkilis.

Oregon Sports Minute: QB Justin Herbert Likely to Stay for His Senior Season

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CBS – Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is becoming a consensus top-overall pick candidate in the 2019 draft, but multiple league sources indicated it is far more likely that the junior actually remains in school for another year.

Teams have begun falling in love with the strapping prospect – a 6-foot-6, athletic, former multi-sport star who is evolving into a pure passer – and his prospects continue to rise by the game, but numerous sources said that there is a very strong sentiment from the Oregon program that Herbert will remain in school for 2019. Several scouts from NFL teams who have held informal discussions with friends and contacts on the Oregon staff said they would be very surprised if the quarterback opted to turn pro this spring.

Furthermore, there are strong signals throughout the agent community that Herbert is going to stay in school. Several of the top agencies generally in line to represent such talents are becoming pessimistic about him entering the draft.

I love this if for no other reason than it will punish the New York Giants for being morons and taking a RB at No. 2 overall this year when they desperately needed a QB. Well it looked like they were going to fall ass backwards into another stud QB prospect with the No. 1 overall pick this year, thus causing them to learn nothing. Now, according to reports Justin Herbert is likely to stay for his senior season and the Giants are back to being hosed under center.

Now if Herbert does stay at Oregon, it’s for a number of reasons. I won’t bore you with all the details so here are reasons No. 1 and No. 2.

Herbert is a native of Eugene, Oregon, who absolutely loves the school, badly wants to win there and is very eager to play with his younger brother. Patrick Herbert is a four-star tight end prospect who is committed to going to Oregon in 2019.

Herbert is legitimately born and raised in Eugene, Oregon. How a kid from Eugene turns into one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country and winds up playing at Oregon is incredible. Usually those guys go to Florida and Georgia and Oklahoma. The last great QB the Ducks had was a guy named Marcus Mariota and they had to pluck him from the ends of the Earth aka Hawaii.

Reason No. 2 – apparently his brother is a stud Tight End prospect who has committed to play at Oregon next season. Imagine going out on top leading the school you bled for since you were a kid to its first ever national championship while throwing to your kid brother? Yea this guy ain’t going anywhere.

Maybe the Giants can take another RB this year and build the greatest 4-12 team this league has ever seen.

I don’t know if I’ve blogged about how a guy from Boston became an Oregon Ducks fan, but allow me to elaborate. Aside from 2007 when Matt Ryan was tearing up the NCAA or in the 80s when Doug Flutie was at Chestnut Hill, Boston College has never been a legitimate college football team. And they never will be. The best seasons they’ve had were when they dipped into the post-grad pool to pluck former SEC guys like Tyler Murphy. Wouldn’t you know having actual talent at positions other than OL and MLB lead to an upset win over a national powerhouse like USC in 2014?

So I came to grips with despite the fact that I live a mile from the BC football stadium, they ain’t ever gonna compete for anything bigger than a Meineke Car Care Bowl trophy. Enter Chip Kelly in 2009 who was running his team like I ran my Madden franchise in college. 90+ plays a game, HB screens all day, 5 wide receiver bubble screens, mobile QB, speed, speed, speed. And. The. Jerseys.

For a free agent college football fan I was sold, which explains the bright yellow Mariota jersey hanging in my closet.

This has been the Oregon Sports Minute.

Patriots Bears Postgame Thoughts and Quick Hits

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Image result for patriots bears

WOOO! That a was close one.

The Pats pulled out the 38-31 victory in Chicago yesterday, but that was only after the Bears put up a great fight and almost came through with a miracle play at the very last possible moment.

The game ended up being a lot more high-scoring than I anticipated, but it was almost just as close. While they were able to contain most of the Bears’ weapons throughout much of the day, Mitchell Trubisky did post over 400 yards of total offense by himself – looking like Michael freakin’ Vick in his prime at times – and the defense allowed a lot of yards over the middle of the field.

Overall, though, it was a good performance against a still very underrated team. Here are a few postgame tidbits for you to wash down with your Wheaties on this fine Monday morning.

Say It Ain’t So, Sony!

After a string of very impressive performances for the rookie, I cautioned everyone to temper expectations heading into Sunday’s contest against the Bears’ top-10-rated run defense. Michel made me look foolish by ripping off 18 yards on his first carry of the day (although he did only have four yards on three carries after that) before going down with what looked like a gruesome leg injury early in the second quarter. As of early Monday morning, we still don’t know the severity of the injury, but it definitely did not look good, especially for a guy with his injury history. More to come on this story, which should be expected after he undergoes an MRI at some point today.

(MONDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: So we still don’t officially know the final ruling on the injury, but we did get this from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Monday:

There’s speculation it could be an MCL sprain, but thankfully NOT a tear. We probably won’t know much more until the Pats are forced to release injury updates later on in the week. For now, Pats Nation will hold its collective breath.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Schefty coming in hot with a bit more details later on in the afternoon:

Hallelujah! Looks like the kid dodged a bullet.)

Big Ups to the Big Boys Up Front

The Pats offensive line has been phenomenal all season long, and they continued their excellent performance in the Windy City on Sunday. Although Khalil Mack was playing at less than 100 percent, they still only allowed just one sack on the day (which, by the way, Pro Football Focus blamed on a broken screen play as opposed to any particular lineman’s error [h/t NESN.com]). Shaq Mason, especially, has been playing at an elite level, and he’s certainly proving that he’s worthy of that $50 million extension he signed this offseason. If the line can play this well against one of the league’s premier defensive units, that bodes well for the durability of our elder statesman at quarterback. Big round of applause to the entire offensive line. Just a helluva job all around.

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The big fella’s been one of the game’s elite so far in 2018.

Pass-Rush Continues to Improve

OK. OK. So maybe my article from a few weeks ago was a tiny bit Chicken Little-ish. While I’m certainly not going to go so far as to say the Pats have a “great” pass-rush, by any means, it’s definitely not “bad.” The team finished with two sacks in total, but were also credited with 13 hurries and three other QB hits. Adrian Clayborn finally got in on the action with his first takedown of the year, and Kyle Van Noy – while perhaps a bit lacking in terms of coverage yesterday – was able to pin his ears and get in Trubisky’s face with five pressures on the day. The team probably could have had more sacks were it not for Trubisky’s surprising elusiveness (he ran for 81 yards on the day, including this absolutely ridiculous touchdown run). Overall, I’m happy with what I’ve seen from the defensive front past two weeks.

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Deatrich Wise continued his strong season yesterday with yet another QB takedown.

Other quick hits:

  • Josh Gordon continues to prove his worth, playing on 95 percent of the snaps and hauling in four big catches for 100 yards on the day. A few of the catches came at key, momentum-changing moments of the game, and there’s no doubt that he’s become one of Brady’s favorite weapons that he’s had in quite some time. As Julian Edelman said this weekend: “THANK YOU, CLEVELAND!!!”
  • Cordarrelle Patterson may not be making as much of an impact in the receiving game as many hoped he would, but his impressive 95-yard kickoff return for a score yesterday showed just how impactful he can be in other areas of the game. That vicious jump cut he made just before breaking loose literally made me go “WOOOO,” and he then continued to look like a barreling freight train the rest of the way to pay dirt. That play was the sixth kickoff return TD of his career, tied for third all time and just two behind all-time leaders Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington.
  • Preseason standout J.C. Jackson saw by far his most action of the season so far, playing on 38 percent of the team’s snaps. He rewarded the team for their confidence in him with a diving interception, and we could soon be seeing a lot more of out of the rookie cornerback from Maryland. Kudos, kid!

Next up is what should be an absolute cupcake of a matchup against the Buffalo Bills (sorry, Papa Giorgio) next Monday night in Foxborough. Be sure to check in on Thursday for the game preview!

Rae Carruth is a Free Man

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ESPN – Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, who in 2001 was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder of his pregnant girlfriend, was released just after 8 a.m. ET on Monday from the Sampson Correctional Institution in Clinton, North Carolina.

I saw this just now and felt both chilled to the core and very, very old. Rae Carruth, former 1st Round pick of the Carolina Panthers, was arrested, and eventually imprisoned, for his crimes when I was ten. I remember it quite clearly. Why? Because it was my introduction to the fact that pro athletes, the superheroes I looked up to because they made a living playing the same games I did at recess, could be just as profoundly evil and shitty as the next guy. Oklahoma City had happened five years earlier and I remember thinking “makes sense this guy is a lunatic.” But an NFL player? A jubilant, touchdown celebrating, deer-fast adonis of a fan? It just wasn’t supposed to happen.

The details are gory and grim but important. For those who don’t know, Carruth’s career, in its third season in 1999, was not going so well. He had knocked up a hard working recent (two or three years?) college graduate named Cherica Adams and was terrified of running out of money if the end of his career was near. So he paid some friend to take her out. One car pulled up in front of her, making her stop, one pulled up alongside her and shot her, four times. She was eight months pregnant and died a month later. The kid, a son named Chancellor, somehow survived and is now 18 years old, having been raised by Adams’ mother. He has Cerebral Palsy among a list of other maladies from the trauma he experienced.

Now Rae Carruth, a little under 20 years later, is free, walking the streets. I’m sure he is on parole and has constraints and conditions but he’s free, and alive. It just doesn’t seem fair. I’m usually someone who believes everyone deserves a second chance but this just doesn’t seem right. If you think about it how would Carruth have to do, what kind of penance would he have to deliver in order for him to make up for this? He’s only 44, still a young man by most standards, but does he even have enough time to make up for this?

Probably not.