Scott Taylor's Blog, page 77
October 23, 2015
Jets fall to Palat’s OT winner
By Scott Taylor
Winnipeg Jets fans got their first taste of regular season three-on-three overtime on Friday night.
They certainly weren’t happy with the outcome.
Blake Wheeler (Photo by Jeff Miller)
Ondrej Palat scored at the 36-second mark of OT, off a three-on-one break, to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 victory over the Jets in front of another capacity crowd of 15,294 at MTS Centre.
Oh, how it should have been different.
In the dying seconds of regulation time, the Jets Nikolaj Ehlers was sent in alone on Tampa netminder Ben Bishop, but he hit the inside of the left post and the puck clanged into the corner – of the rink, not the net.
Then, 20 seconds into overtime, Bryan Little went in alone on Bishop, but the big Lightning netminder stopped the Jets attacker cold. To the Jets dismay, Tampa turned it right around, caught Little deep, stole it from Andrew Ladd at the blueline and broke out on a three-on-one that Palat converted after two great passes from Victor Hedman to Steven Stamkos and then from Stamkos to Palat.
“It was a fast game and there were some really well executed plays and there were some that were not,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “They (Tampa) were good in the second period and I thought we were good in the first and the third. I don’t think they were happy with their first period and it showed in the second.
“We found a way to get back on our horse in the third and Blake’s (shorthanded) goal was a big part of that. The pace of the game was really exciting. It wasn’t as physical as the game (last Sunday), but it was an exciting game.”
Ondrej Pavelec (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
Wheeler made a terrific play in the third period to tie the game at 3-3. With the Jets shorthanded, Wheeler stole the puck from Tampa goaltender Ben Bishop behind the net, jumped out in front and backhanded the puck past Bishop, who couldn’t get back into position.
It was Wheeler’s fourth goal of the season and it tied a franchise record. He became the second player in Atlanta/Winnipeg history to score points in seven straight games at the start of a season (Atlanta’s Donald Audette held the mark).
“He (Wheeler) can come to the rink and have a really strong idea that he’s going to get some points every night,” said Maurice. “He plays that way every single night. He’s a pro. He got right to his game last year and had some success and he’s been that way right through. He plays the game simple, hard and fast and when you get a guy who is that darn fast — he’s so explosive out of the hole — there aren’t many guys in the league who can cover that much ice in that short a time.”
With the win, Tampa improved to 5-2-1 on the season while the Jets fell to 4-2-1.
Braydon Coburn opened the scoring for Tampa at 12:17 of the first period, but Ehlers scored the second of his NHL career just four minutes later to make it 1-1.
In the second period, Cedric Paquette gave Tampa a 2-1 lead at 7:22, but Drew Stafford went in alone on Bishop, was hauled down and lost control of the puck. As luck would have it, the puck slipped under Bishop and the game was tied at 2-2.
But 21 seconds after Stafford scored, Vladislav Namestnikov banged home a shot from just in front of Ondrej Pavelec and Tampa had a 3-2 advantage.
The lead held up until Wheeler scored his shorthanded goal at 1:17 of the third and then the teams proceeded to tighten their checking and neither club got a clean, clear chance until Ehlers went in alone on Bishop late in the third.
Pavelec on guard (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
Overtime didn’t last very long, but each team had a solid chance to score. Tampa converted.
Winnipeg outshot the Lightning 36-33.
The Jets play again on Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. as the Minnesota Wild invade MTS Centre. It’s the fourth game of this six-game homestand. The Jets are now 1-1-1 in the first three.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 22, 2015
CFL Picks: Win and Bombers Could Be In
By The Coach and Dr. Football/Photos by Jeff Miller
OK, let’s do this again. Here’s why the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will make the playoffs. And they’ll make it with a record of 6-12. Yay, CFL!!!
Last week, three of the league’s four bottom feeders lost – Ottawa beat Winnipeg 27-24, Edmonton beat B.C. 26-23 and Hamilton whipped Montreal 23-11. Saskatchewan didn’t play and did not put another blemish on their impressive 2-13 record.
Henry Burris is back in Winnipeg and the Bombers have to get on top of him (Photo by Jeff Miller)
So heading into Week 18, the Lions and Als re 5-10 while Winnipeg is 5-11. But fear not Bomber fans. Last week’s 11th loss doesn’t mean a thing. This week’s game means everything.
The Bombers play Ottawa for a second straight week, this time at Investors Group Field and should probably win. After all, Ottawa clinched a playoff berth last week. They still haven’t stopped partying. The Bombers finish the season, a week after their second bye, in Toronto on Nov. 6. If the Bombers win one of those games – and they should win at home –they’ll make the playoffs.
That’s because Montreal goes to Toronto, where they’ll get thumped, then they’ll go to Edmonton where they’ll get thumped and then at 5-12, they’ll play Saskatchewan at home and it won’t matter.
The other team the Bombers are battling for the final playoff spot is unlikely to win another game. B.C. plays in Hamilton this week, then goes to Toronto and finishes with a Calgary team that might need a win to lock up first place in the West. I can’t imagine that Lions team finishing better than 5-13,
Paul LaPolice had a better record than Mike O’Shea and he’s on TV now.
In other words, with a win this week at home, there is a very, very good chance that the Bombers will have enough to make the playoffs. And as we pointed out last week, many Bomber coaches have been fired in the past with much better records (Dave Ritchie, Mike Kelly, Paul LaPolice, Doug Berry). However, it’s all about making the playoffs and based on the remaining schedule, Mike O’Shea could easily finish 6-12 and have a shot at the Grey Cup. Hell, based on the schedule, the Bombers could wrap up a playoff berth with a win this week at home against Ottawa.
In the meantime, our fearless prognosticators are definitely ready for the playoffs.
Last week, The Doc went 2-2 straight up (41-29) and 2-2 against the spread (37-32) while The Coach went 2-2 (40-30) straight up and 2-2 (37-32) against the spread.
This week, The Doc again writes our erudite observations while The Coach just continues to whine about all the penalties.
Remember, all games are on TSN. And as we remind you each and every week, for your own personal mental health, always keep the mute button handy.
Let’s take a close look at Week 18:
Friday Night
Anthony Coombs of the Argos (Photo by Jeff Miller)
Montreal (5-10) vs. Toronto (9-6)
Line – Toronto by 7
Montreal still has a shot in this second Argo home game in Hamilton but the Argos have too many weapons. But the Als will put up a fight. The Coach says: This one won’t be close.
Dr. Football: Take Toronto to win but not cover.
The Coach: Take Toronto to win and cover.
Hamilton (10-5) vs. B.C. (5-10)
Line – Hamilton by 1
Hamilton by only 1? Las Vegas must know something we don’t know…let’s go with it just for laughs. Better yet… The Coach says: B.C. is horrible. The Lions have been thrown to the Tigers.
Dr. Football: Take B.C in an upset.
The Coach: Take Hamilton.
Saturday Afternoon
Matt Nichols has to be good this week (Photo by Jeff Miller)
Ottawa (9-6) vs. Winnipeg (5-11)
Line – Winnipeg by 1
Ottawa has made the playoffs and still could host a playoff game at home while the Bombers still talk like there’s hope of a playoff berth, but much like a Mike O’Shea press conference…it’s just all talk. The Coach says: The Bombers are at home and can make the playoffs with a win. Why not? The CFL deserves a 6-12 team in the playoffs.
Dr. Football: Take the Redblacks
The Coach: Take the Bombers to win and cover.
Saturday Night
Edmonton (12-4) vs. Saskatchewan (2-13)
Line – Edmonton by 8 ½
After last week’s “fire sale” how motivated will Saskatchewan be? And as for the old saying “they’re playing for jobs for next year”; who exactly wants to play in Regina next year? The Coach says: The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the most poorly coached team in CFL history. And yes, that list includes the legendary Jim Spavital (2-14 in Winnipeg in 1970), Bart Andrus (3-15 with Toronto in 2009) and Ron Lancaster (1-17 in Hamilton in 2003).
Dr. Football: Take the Eskimos to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Eskimos to win and cover.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 21, 2015
NFL Picks Week 7: Can the Vikes win on the road?
By The Coach and Dr. Football
The Vikings are coming off another tremendous defensive effort wile the Lions finally won. This week’s black-and-blue division game should be interesting only because it’s in Detroit.
Adrian Peterson
The 3-2 Vikings won their sixth consecutive game at home last week, a low-scoring 16-10 defensive struggle with the Chiefs. In the end, the Vikings numbers looked better than their point production.
Heading into the week, runningback Adrian Peterson is second in the NFL with 86.4 rushing yards per game and has added three rushing touchdowns. As a team, the Vikings rank sixth in rushing yards per game with 126.0.
Wideout Stefon Diggs has emerged as a legitimate threat over the past two games, recording six catches for 87 yards at Denver and seven catches for 129 yards vs. Kansas City. Diggs made his first career start in Week 6 against Kansas City and was the first Viking to surpass the 100-yard receiving mark this season. Not sure what that says about QB Teddy Bridgewater.
Eric Kendricks
The Vikings defense has allowed 20 or fewer points in four games this season and has allowed the second-fewest points per game (16.6). The defense also ranks third in the NFL allowing TDs on only 40 per cent of opponents’ trips into the red zone. In his second career start in Week 6, rookie linebacker Eric Kendricks led the Vikings in tackles and tied a Vikings rookie record with a career-high 13. He also picked up his second career sack along with a tackle-for-loss and two passes defensed (whatever that stat means).
Statistically, our boys were not Eric Kendricks last week. In fact, our fearless prognosticators were rather mediocre. The Doc went 8-6 (51-40) and 4-10 (39-52) against the spread. The Coach went 9-5 straight up (54-37) and 6-8 against the spread (46-45).
This week, the Doc writes brilliantly about our exquisite choices while The Coach will spend his time eating Cheesy Puffs and screaming at all the stinkin’ flags.
Let’s take a close look at Week 6:
Thursday Night
Seattle Seahawks (2-4) at San Francisco 49ers (2-4)
Line: Seahawks by 6
Both teams have disappointed their fans thus far, but one team still could go 12-4 this season. HINT – it’s not the 49ers. The Coach says: Whatever. Right now, neither team is as bad as the Jaguars or as good as the Bills. They should be in London this week.
Dr. Football: Take the Seahawks to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the 49ers at home.
Sunday Morning from London
E.J. Manuel
Buffalo Bills (3-3) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
Line: Bills by 5
What did the good people of London do to deserve a game featuring Jacksonville? The Coach says: Fly them over, but don’t fly them back.
Dr. Football: Take the Bills to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Bills to win and cover.
Early Sunday Afternoon
Cleveland Browns (2-4) at St. Louis Rams (2-3)
Line: Rams by 5.5
Both teams are terrible but one has a cancer that won’t let them break out of their funk. One guess who that might be. The Coach says: Well, I’ll guess it isn’t Johnny Manziel. Instead, it’s head coach Mike Pettine who is less excited about winning as he is afraid of losing and that’s how his choke-team plays. Of course, he’s also decided to go with a career loser named Josh McCown as his quarterback. WTF!
Dr. Football: Take the Rams to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Rams to win and cover.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-5)
Line: Steelers by 2.5
Andy Reid has been exposed as a fraud, unable to lead the now Jamaal Charles-less Chiefs to any kind of success after winning their season opener. The Steelers haven’t missed a beat without Big Ben. The Coach says: Michael Vick is still a pretty good quarterback and Andy Reid is a coach with a three-year contract and a two-year act.
Dr. Football: Take the Steelers to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Steelers to win and cover.
Houston Texans (2-4) at Miami Dolphins (2-3)
Line: Dolphins by 4.5
Just like when a team gets a brand new starting QB, a new coach can provide an initial spark. The second game will bring things back to reality. The Coach says: I wouldn’t bet that Texans team with Monopoly money.
Dr. Football: Take the Texans in an upset.
The Coach: Take the Dolphins to win and cover.
Tom Brady
New York Jets (4-1) at New England Patriots (5-0)
Line: Patriots by 9
Despite a bit of a sputter in Indianapolis on Sunday night, many are saying that this Patriots team may be better than the one that went 16-0 a few years ago. They might not let the Jets score. The Coach says: Brady is still pissed that he didn’t put up 50 against the Colts.
Dr. Football: Take the Patriots to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Patriots to win and cover.
Minnesota Vikings (3-2) at Detroit Lions (1-5)
Line: Vikings by 2.5
Vikings are winless on the road while the Lions have a big 1 game winning streak going. The Vikings struggled at times on Sunday against the Chiefs, but should be better after regrouping. The Coach says: The Lions are now destined for 1-15.
Dr. Football: Take the Vikings to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Vikings to win and cover.
Atlanta Falcons (5-1) at Tennessee Titans (1-4)
Line: Falcons by 4
The Falcons got smacked pretty hard Last Thursday and won’t let that happen again despite playing their second consecutive road game. This one will be close. The Coach says: The Falcons are better than the Titans. Doesn’t mean they’ll win on the road, however.
Dr. Football: Take the Falcons to win but not cover.
The Coach: Take the Falcons to win and cover.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) at Washington (2-4)
Line: Redskins by 3.5
Washington has been inconsistent this year but do play better at home. Many think the Bucs won’t win again this year, and I tend to agree. The Coach says: Poor Bucs.
Dr. Football: Take Washington to win and cover.
The Coach: Take Washington to win and cover.
New Orleans Saints (2-4) at Indianapolis Colts (3-3)
Line: Colts by 4.5
Despite the Saints emotional home win last week against the Falcons, I can’t imagine Andrew Luck losing two games in a row at home. The Coach says: Yep, take the home team.
Dr. Football: Take the Colts to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Colts to win and cover.
Late Sunday Afternoon
Philip Rivers
Oakland Raiders (2-3) at San Diego Chargers (2-4)
Line: Chargers by 4
Both teams take it to the next level when playing each other which always provides good entertainment on the field and in the stands. Chargers fans hate the Raiders fans and vice versa. I think we start to see a Charger slide. The Coach says: Philip Rivers completed 43 passes on 65 attempts for 503 yards and two touchdowns and lost 27-20. How do you bets against a guy who throws 65 passes? Youb have to just love this guy.
Dr. Football: Take the Raiders in an upset.
The Coach: Take the Chargers to win and cover.
Dallas Cowboys (2-3) at New York Giants (3-3)
Line: Giants by 3.5
The Giants should have beaten the Cowboys in Week 1 and despite looking terrible on Monday night, they’ll get their revenge. The Coach says; The Cowboys have too many injuries and the Giants aren’t as good as advertised, but the Giants are at home.
Dr. Football: Take the Giants to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Giants to win and cover.
Sunday Night
Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) at Carolina Panthers (5-0)
Line: Panthers by 3
Unlike Eli Manning on Monday night, Cam Newton should be able to avoid the Eagles pass rush. The Coach says: Cam Newton is an elite quarterback and a winner.
Dr. Football: Take the Panthers to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Panthers to win and cover.
Monday Night
Larry Fitzgerald
Baltimore Ravens (1-5) at Arizona Cardinals (4-1)
Line: Cardinals by 7.5
The Cardinals looked sloppy against Pittsburgh and they won’t let that happen again especially at home but they’ll still be facing a Ravens team that you can’t write off just yet. The Coach says: Since the day Joe Flacco decided to play a game instead of being at the hospital with his wife to help with the birth of their child, he hasn’t won very often. Karma?
Dr. Football: Take the Cardinals to win but not cover.
The Coach: Take the Cardinals to win and cover.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 18, 2015
Blues too much for Pavs and the Jets
By Scott Taylor/Photos by Jeff Miller and James Carey Lauder
Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec could not have been better.
And yet, against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday afternoon, Pavelec’s monster effort wasn’t good enough.
Ondrej Pavelec made some big saves (Photo by Jeff Miller)
Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and the Blues completely dominated the third period as St. Louis brought its three-game road winning streak into Winnipeg and made it four in a row. Scottie Upshall and Carl Gunnarsson also scored for the Blues who tallied two unanswered in the third period to beat the Jets 4-2.
In a terrific end-to-end game between two big teams with equal 4-1-0 records, the Blues simply had more in the tank in the third period. In fact, early in the first period, the Jets had outshot St. Louis 10-2. In the end, the Blues outshot the Jets 41-29 – 17-6 in the third period.
“In the third period, there were just a lot of penalties,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “It’s pretty darn close every game we play against these guys ever since I’ve been here. There isn’t a lot of flow, there is a lot of talk on the ice and there’s just great intensity.
“Pavelec made two or three real good saves and then was very good after that. That’s the way he’s looked since training camp.”
Alexander Burmistov takes down Vladimir Tarasenko. Should have done it more often (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
After a scoreless first period, Tarasenko made it 1-0 for the Blues at 3:27 as he skated across the front of the Jets net unchecked and ripped a big wrister over Pavelec’s outstretched glove.
Just a little more than a minute later while on the power play, Mathieu Perreault converted a perfect centering pass from Blake Wheeler and beat Blues goalie Brian Elliott easily, to make it 1-1.
At 9:42 of the second period, Scottie Upshall scored his second of the year to make it 2-1 St. Louis, at 12:27 and then Drew Stafford scored another power play goal for the Jets to tie it at two and that’s how it stood after 40 minutes.
However, in the third period, it was all St. Louis. Tarasenko scored the eventual winner at 9:50 and then Gunnarsson scored at 1853 on the power play to put it away.
Brandon’s Joel Edmundson got his first NHL point (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
The Blues went one-for-six on the power play while the Jets were two-for-seven.
Brandon’s Joel Edmundson picked up an assist on Upshall’s goal. It was Edmundson’s first NHL point.
The Jets don’t play again until this Friday night at 7 p.m. when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to MTS Centre.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 17, 2015
Despite 11th Loss, Bombers Still in Playoff Hunt
By Scott Taylor
The Ottawa Redblacks held off the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 27-24 on Friday night, but for those die-hard Bomber that are still hanging on, no worries.
In a league as terrible as the CFL has been this season, an 11th loss is nothing to worry about. After all, when you’re being chased by the Clown Cars in B.C. and Montreal, this has become a race to 13. The Bombers still have plenty of breathing room.
Friday night, it was all about Smilin’ Hank.
On Friday night, Chris Milo kicked four field goals and Henry Burris threw for 370 yards and a touchdown as 9-6 Ottawa clinched a playoff berth for the first time in just two years in the CFL. The Bombers are now 5-11 after 80 years and haven’t won a Grey Cup in 25.
Now, this one sounds close. Heck, if you didn’t see it, you’d say 27-24 was a thriller. It wasn’t.
The Redblacks led 27-9 late in the fourth quarter and already begun celebrating their run to the post-season when the Bombers added a touchdown by Nick Moore with 1:28 to play and another garbage TD by Clarence Denmark with nine seconds left. That made it appear a lot closer than it really was.
Burris was the story. He finished with 34 completions on 43 attempts for the aforementioned 370 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Smilin’ Hank is now just eight yards short of 60,000 passing for his 16-year career.
He also carried eight times for 22 yards and now has a career total of 5,535 yards, that’s good enough for 33rd place on the CFL’s all-time list after passing Hall of Famer Dave Raimey. Raimey was the Blue Bombers most popular player in 1966 and a Blue Bomber CFL all-star in ’65, ’66, ’67 and ‘68 before some idiot traded him to Toronto before the start of the 1969 season.
Clarence Denmark scored a late TD.
In the meantime, the Redblacks are the third incarnation of Ottawa football in the CFL. The old Rough Riders qualified for the post-season in 1994, despite finishing the regular season with a 4-14 record (that should give Bomber fans hope), and then it folded in 1996.
The Renegades were born in 2002 and played four seasons. They never made the playoffs and were officially “suspended” in 2006.
Last year, the Redblacks were born and this year, Burris and a very good offensive line, willed them into the playoffs.
On what started out as a rainy Friday night in Ottawa, the Redblacks built a 16-0 halftime lead and coasted. The one thing the Redblacks could always count on was a Blue Bombers turnover at exactly the right time.
Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols completed 27-of-40 passes for 241 yards, three touchdowns (two in the final 1:30) and three interceptions. The Bombers also lost a fumble and turned the ball over on downs.
Matt Nichols. Not a great night.
“We need to find a way to get it done,” Nichols told reporters after the game. “I don’t know what it is but we need to find out how to fix it and make plays when opportunities come.”
Despite all the worry about “getting it done,” the Bombers are still fine. Montreal is 5-9 and plays host to Hamilton on Sunday and B.C. is 5-9 and plays in Edmonton tomorrow night. Maybe Kevin Glenn can turn around the Alouettes, but then again…
The Bombers and Redblacks meet next Saturday in Winnipeg. The Bombers will be home and desperate. The Redblacks will still be celebrating. In this year’s CFL (just like the CFL in 1994 when the Ottawa Roughriders made the playoffs at 4-14), 5-11 ain’t so bad.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 16, 2015
Byfuglien scores highlight-reel winner as Jets beat Flames
By Scott Taylor/Photos by Jeff Miller and James Carey Lauder
Dustin Byfuglien nearly brought the house down.
On Friday night at MTS Centre, Byfuglien beat Calgary Flames netminder Karri Ramo on the short side with 1:28 left on the clock to lead the Jets to a thrilling 3-1 victory over the visiting Flames.
Two stars: Ondrej Pavelec and Dustin Byfuglien (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
The response of the full house at MTS Centre to the goal, the goal that made the score 2-1 Jets, nearly tore the roof off Winnipeg’s downtown arena as the Jets not only won a hard-fought battle, they also came back from a 1-0 deficit after the first period to improve to 4-1-0 on the season.
It was Byfuglien’s second goal of the capiagn and it came unassisted after he made a brilliant move at the blueline.
“It’s so unusual for a man that big to do what he can do at a high rate of speed,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “He was very good tonight. When we were a bit sluggish in the first period, he made some good plays in our end and got our offense going again.
“We played very good hockey for the final two periods. Over the final 40 minutes, we were a real good hockey team tonight.”
A few seconds after Byfuglien gave the Jets a 2-1 lead, Blake Wheeler scored into an empty net to put the game away as the Jets won their 2015-16 home opener.
Ondrej Pavelec (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
Winnipeg outshot Calgary 30-20 on the night – 22-9 over the final 40 minutes — as Ondrej Pavelec made 19 saves to get the win.
“That was a tough night for him (Pavelec),” said Maurice. “He went some long stretches without seeing many shots. It’s hard for a goalie to play in that type of game, but he was good. Both him and Michael (Hutchinson) have been really good. We’re getting some real good goaltending.”
Calgary was the better team in the first period and at 3:38, Mikael Backlund scored to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. But Bryan Little, who also assisted on Wheeler’s empty netter, deflected a shot at 8:12 of the second period to tie the game.
Then Byfuglien and Wheeler put the game away at 18:32 and 19:07 of the third period. The Jets dominated the final two periods.
Dustin Byfuglien (Photo by Jeff Miller)
The three stars were Alexander Burmistrov (3) of the Jets, Ramo (2) and Byfuglien (1).
“It’s always nice to get back home,” said Byfuglien. “We didn’t get off to a great start, but we got two points and that’s all that matters.”
The Jets will play again on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at MTS centre when Alexander Steen, Ryan Reaves and the St. Louis Blues come to town. It’s the second game of the Jets six-game homestand.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 15, 2015
CFL Picks Week 19: Bombers at 6-12 could make playoffs
By The Coach and Dr. Football/Photos by Jeff Miller
It might be a sad commentary on the state of the Canadian Football League, but there is a chance – and it’s NOT a slim chance – that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers could go 6-12 and make the playoffs.
Matt Nichols needs to be good this week (Photo by Jeff Miller).
Think about it. The Bombers go to Ottawa this Friday, come home and play Ottawa again at Investors Group Field and then after a week off, play in Toronto. If the Bombers win one of those games, they could easily make the playoffs.
After all, Montreal plays Hamilton at home this week, then goes to Toronto, then goes to Edmonton and finishes with Saskatchewan at home. The Als could easily be 5-12 heading into the final week and be officially eliminated from the crossover.
The other team the Bombers are battling for the final playoff spot is unlikely to win another game. B.C. goes to Edmonton this week, plays Hamilton next week, then goes to Toronto and finishes with a Calgary team that might need a win to lock up first place in the West.
There is a very real possibility that if the Bombers can win just one of their final three games, they can be 6-12 while Montreal is 6-12 (assuming they beat Saskatchewan at home, they still can’t win the crossover because ties don’t cut it) and B.C. is 5-13. It’s terrible, I know. Many Bomber coaches have been fired in the past with better records (Dave Ritchie, Mike Kelly, Paul LaPolice, Doug Berry), but it’s all about making the playoffs and based on the remaining schedule, Mike O’Shea could easily finish 6-12 and have a shot at the Grey Cup.
Hell, based on the schedule, the Bombers could effectively wrap up a playoff berth with a win this week in Ottawa. Give that some thought.
In the meantime, our fearless prognosticators are definitely ready for the playoffs.
Last week, The Doc went 3-2 straight up (39-27) and 4-1 against the spread (35-30) while The Coach went 3-2 (38-28) straight up and 3-2 (35-30) against the spread.
This week, The Doc again writes our erudite observations while The Coach just continues to whine about all the penalties and the “obnoxious” (his word, not ours) TSN panel.
Remember, all games are on TSN. And as we remind you each and every week, for your own personal mental health, always keep the mute button handy.
Let’s take a close look at Week 17:
Friday Night
It’s all about Matt Nichols this week (Photo by jeff Miller).
Winnipeg (5-10) vs. Ottawa (8-6)
Line – Ottawa by 4
Ottawa didn’t take advantage of the home field advantage in their “road” game before their bye week and now face a Winnipeg team that has started to figure it out. Special teams do make a difference I guess. Expect a stronger Blue Bomber squad. The Coach says: I still don’t believe Ottawa is a .500 team. Even at home. Winnipeg has to win.
Dr. Football: Take Winnipeg in an upset.
The Coach: Take Winnipeg.
Saturday Afternoon
Bo Levi Mitchell
Calgary (11-4) vs. Toronto (9-5)
Line – pick
Calgary got stronger this week adding Jerome Messam who will push Jon Cornish. Toronto is a tough opponent who have proven they can play anywhere and win even in an empty stadium which will be the case this week. The Coach says: There is one thing about the CFL this season. Record means nothing. There are no no good teams in this league. No consistency. Toronto is at home.
Dr. Football: Take Toronto to win.
The Coach: Take Toronto to win.
Saturday Night
Mike Reilly should eat up B.C. (Photo by Jeff Miller)
B.C. (5-9) vs. Edmonton (11-4)
Line – Edmonton by 9
B.C.’s season was all but crushed last week allowing the Bombers to come from behind. Now this dejected bunch travel to the toughest place in the league to play against the toughest team. No contest. The Coach says: B.C. is horrible.
Dr. Football: Take Edmonton to win and cover.
The Coach: Take Edmonton to win and cover.
Sunday Afternoon
Hamilton (9-5) vs. Montreal (5-9)
Line – Off
Jeff Mathews is the real deal while the Als are still figuring out who will play QB. Adding Kevin Glenn might win Montreal a game or two, but it won’t get them into the playoffs. The Coach says: Als GM Jim Popp fired Tom Higgins. Somebody needs to fire Jim Popp.
Dr. Football: Take Hamilton to win and cover.
The Coach: Take Hamilton to win and cover.
Horrible Jonathan Jennings will start for B.C.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 14, 2015
NFL Picks Week 6: Vikes face Chiefs without Charles
By The Coach and Dr. Football
You have to give Adrian Peterson credit. At least, he has compassion.
This week, Peterson reached out to Kansas City Chiefs runningback Jamaal Charles, after Charles injured his left leg last Sunday and will be out for the season. Both players know what it’s like. Charles was already rehabbing a knee injury when Peterson went down in 2011.
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings.
It was a nice gesture by Peterson and it should be duly noted: “I hate for him to go down like that, my guy go down,” Peterson told reporters in the Twin Cities this week. “He’s been through it before with his left knee and now he knows what to expect doing his rehab. That’s one positive.”
This week, Peterson and the Vikings will face the Chiefs without Charles and it should give Minnesota an edge. Trouble is, with the Vikes’ horrendous offensive line, you never what can happen.
This is only second meeting in Minnesota between the Chiefs and the Vikings over the last 19 seasons and the Vikings look like favorites. After all, with teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, the Vikes have won five straight at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Vikings defense is also pretty good. Currently, the Vikes are sixth in the NFL, allowing an average of only 18.3 points per game. Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has been sacked 22 times this season, the most in the NFL.
Our boys weren’t anywhere near “the most” last week. In fact, Our fearless prognosticators were rather mediocre. The Doc went 8-6 (43-34) and 6-8 (35-42) against the spread. The Coach went 8-6 straight up (45-32) and 7-7 against the spread (40-37).
This week, the Doc writes brilliantly about our exquisite choices while The Coach will spend his time eating Cheesy Puffs and screaming at all the stinkin’ flags.
Let’s take a close look at Week 6:
Thursday Night
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons (5-0) at New Orleans Saints (1-4)
Line: Falcons by 3.5
The Falcons are in mid-season form and love playing in Domes which hasn’t been that friendly as of late to the Saints; they lost at home to the Bucs for crying out loud. The Coach says: Unless he’s just a choking dog, Matty Ice will take New Orleans apart
Dr. Football: Take the Falcons to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Falcons to win and cover.
Early Sunday Afternoon
Denver Broncos (5-0) at Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Line: Broncos by 4
Denver may look slow and old but so did my 86-year-old Grandpa who could whip my ass from his wheelchair. The Coach says: This has monster upset written all over it, except that the Broncos defense is just too good.
Dr. Football: Take the Broncos to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Broncos to win and cover.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-0) at Buffalo Bills (3-2)
Line: Bengals by 1.5
The Bengals are fun to watch and Andy Dalton is having fun, but can they keep it up. I think the Bills play party poopers before they head to London. The Coach says: This should be a good football game. But I’ll take Dalton over Tyrod.
Dr. Football: Take the Bills in an upset.
The Coach: Take the Bengals to win and cover.
Mike Wallace, Minnesota Vikings
Kansas City Chiefs (1-4) at Minnesota Vikings (2-2)
Line: Vikings by 3.5
K.C couldn’t even beat the Bears at home now they drag their butts into Minnesota to face the well-rested Vikings. Won’t be close. The Coach says: Minnesota had better win this one. No Jamaal Charles, no elite ground game for K.C.
Dr. Football: Take the Vikings to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Vikings to win and cover.
Houston Texans (1-4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
Line: Texans by 1
Ugh. Who cares about either team? Nobody in Jacksonville. The Coach says: Wow. The only thing that would make this worse is if the Lions were in Jacksonville.
Dr. Football: Take the Texans to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Jaguars because… why not?
Chicago Bears (2-3) at Detroit Lions (0-5)
Line: Lions by 3
I guess Las Vegas feels that the last four consecutive victories over the Bears gives the winless Lions the edge. The Lions can’t go 0-16 again, can they? The Coach says: This one is as awful as Jags-Texans.
Dr. Football: Take the Lions to win but not cover.
The Coach: Take the Lions to win and cover.
Washington Redskins (2-3) at New York Jets (3-1)
Line: Jets by 5
Washington played tough against the Falcons and now face the Jets in their second consecutive road game who had the week off after their win in London. Maybe a little Jet lag, but New York will get the win in a close one. The Coach says: Jets boss Todd Bowles might be coach of the year.
Dr. Football: Take the Jets to win but not cover.
The Coach: Take the Jets to win and cover.
Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals (4-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Line: Cardinals by 3.5
Last second heroics from Le’Veon Bell got the Monday night win for the Steelers and return home for a tough one against Arizona. How much will they have left after the long flight on a short week? The Coach says: Arizona looked like a Super Bowl contender in Detroit last week. Granted, the Lions aren’t very good but they’re usually competitive at home. They weren’t even competitive against the Cards. Carson Palmer is playing like an elite quarterback this season.
Dr. Football: Take the Cardinals to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Cardinals to win and cover.
Miami Dolphins (1-3) at Tennessee Titans (1-3)
Line: Titans by 2.5
Another stinker. Let’s see what a new head coach can do with the Dolphins. I’ll give him one. The Coach says: This is a sucker’s bet.
Dr. Football: Take the Dolphins in an upset.
The Coach: Take the Titans to win and cover.
Late Sunday Afternoon
Carolina Panthers (4-0) at Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Line: Seahawks by 6.5
An undefeated team is a 6 ½ point underdog against a 2-3 team? That’s what playing in Seattle get you. And the Seahawks will be out for blood after losing in OT against the Bengals. The Coach says: After Seattle choked in the fourth quarter last week, I’m not sure about this one. I’ll go with the home team and hold my nose.
Dr. Football: Take the Seahawks to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Seahawks to win but not cover.
San Diego Chargers (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (5-0)
Line: Packers by 9.5
The Chargers let one slip away on Monday and now travel to the hallowed grounds of Green Bay and will arrive emotionally spent. This one won’t be pretty. The Coach says: Rated R for gratuitous violence and scenes of torture.
Dr. Football: Take the Packers to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the Packers to win and cover.
Colin Kaepernick, Niners
Baltimore Ravens (1-4) at San Francisco 49ers (1-4)
Line: Ravens by 2.5
The Ravens have had a terrible go of it lately which defies logic. Meanwhile, the 49ers are exactly who everyone thought they would be this season. Baltimore gets back on track. The Coach says: Baltimore lost to Cleveland. Cleveland?! Not a hope.
Dr. Football: Take the Ravens to win and cover.
The Coach: Take the 49ers to win.
Sunday Night
New England Patriots (4-0) at Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
Line: Patriots by 7.5
I hope Tom Brady tosses 10 touchdown passes to give the middle finger to the entire NFL. The Coach says: What he said.
Dr. Football: Take the Patriots to win and cover.
The Coach: take the Patriots to win and cover.
Monday Night
Eli Manning, New York Giants
New York Giants (3-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
Line: Eagles by 4
A couple of facts; the Eagles have beat the Eagles 11 times over the span of 14 games and but the road team has won the last 11 of 16 times these two teams have met. The Giants are the better team. The Coach says: Indeed, the Giants are the better team but the Eagles are at home.
Dr. Football: Take the Giants in an upset.
The Coach: Take the Eagles to win but not cover.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 13, 2015
Hutchinson, Special Teams lead Jets past Rangers
By Scott Taylor
On Tuesday morning, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice guaranteed: “We’ll be better.”
Boy, were they ever.
Nikolaj Ehlers celebrates his first NHL goal.
After losing 3-2 to the New York Islanders on Monday afternoon, the Jets came out onto the ice at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night and played an almost perfect road game. The Jets’ special teams were outstanding and goaltender Michael Hutchinson made 40 saves as the Jets beat the New York Rangers 4-1.
The Rangers had won three straight games while the Jets were playing their second back-to-back game on this four-game road trip, and yet, despite six minor penalties in the second period, the Jets completed their season-opening road swing with a 3-1-0 record.
The Rangers opened the scoring in the first period when Mats Zuccarell scored his third of the season on a snap shot at 6:45. But on the power-play, just 46 seconds later, rookie Nikolaj Ehlers scored his first NHL goal on a big slapshot at 7:31.
In the second period, the Jets took six minor penalties and yet the penalty kill shut down the Rangers. In fact, the Jets penalty-killing unit was so good, Jacob Trouba picked up a loose puck in the Rangers zone flipped it to Bryan Little and Little beat Rangers goalie Henrik Lunqvist with a wrist shot. The short-handed goal at 18:49 gave the Jets a 2-1 lead and it turned the game around.
After that, the Jets had plenty of jump and had reached the point that they were now completely ignoring the officials. Winnipeg had been outshot 33-19 after two periods – eight of those shots had come on Rangers power-plays – and yet they were ahead 2-1.
Tyler Myers had a tremendous game for the Jets.
In the third period, the Rangers took all three minor penalties and at 10:35, Bryan Little scored his second of the night, this time on the power-play, as the Jets took control of the game. Mark Stuart scored an empty-netter at 17:56, after a terrific fore-checking effort by Ehlers, and the Jets had a lock on their third win of the season.
A number of Jets played brilliantly. Tyler Myers logged 21 minutes and 54 seconds of ice time and had an assist, two shots, two hits and two takeaways. Stuart scored a goal and was plus two while Trouba had an assist and was plus two. Little scored two goals and was the only Jets player to win as many faceoffs as he lost. And Hutchinson was the best player on the ice.
Hutchinson is now 2-0-0 after he made 20 saves in a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils last Friday at Prudential Center in Newark.
Despite being outshot 41-29, despite winning only 39 per cent of the game’s faceoffs and despite the fact the Rangers had eight power plays to the Jets five, Winnipeg still won the game going away. Isn’t hockey a great game?
The three stars – in New York, of all places – were Hutchinson, Little and Ehlers.
The Jets have garnered six of a possible eight points (on the road) to start the 2015-16 season and will now play their home opener on Friday night at 7 p.m. at MTS Centre against the Calgary Flames.
Winnipeg’s Dylan McIlrath played his first game of the year for the Rangers.
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
October 12, 2015
Too many early penalties, Jets undoing in Brooklyn
By Scott Taylor
The New York Islanders scored two power play goals, an empty netter and failed to convert a penalty shot. It seemed as if the home side had more players on the ice for most of the game.
Fighting an uphill battle against penalties, the Winnipeg Jets mounted a fierce comeback attempt in the third period, but just didn’t have the legs as they fell 4-2 to the Isles at Barclay’s Centre in Brooklyn.
Byfuglien takes a first-period penalty against Tavares.
With the loss, the Jets fell to 2-1-0 after three games on the road to start the 2015-16 season. The Islanders are now 1-1-1.
“They just skated better than we did,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice during his televised post-game news conference. “They got to pucks faster and held on to them longer.
“It was a tough start but we were fortunate to get out of the first period down 1-0 and had to come out harder and we didn’t do that. It was a faster game than the first two games we played, but we weren’t. We just weren’t great.”
Ryan Strome scored a power-play goal at 19:48 of the first period to give the Isles a 1-0 lead and then, after Brock Nelson made it 2-0 with an even strength goal at 6:46 of the second, John Tavares made it 3-0 for the home side with a power-play goal at 10:45 of the second period.
But despite the fact, the Jets were outshot 36-15 through the first two periods, they didn’t fold. Mark Scheifele scored his third goal in as many games at 15:41 of the second period to cut New York’s lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes.
In the third period, Dustin Byfuglien scored a power play goal at 11:52 to get the Jets to within a goal and even though the Jets outshot the Islanders 9-8 in the third period, they didn’t get enough decent chances to tie the game.
In the meantime, Tavares was awarded a penalty shot (with 2:15 to play) that Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec turned aside and with 19 seconds left to play, Josh Bailey scored into the empty net to give the Islanders a 4-2 win.
Pavelec foils the Islanders Kyle Okposo
“We spent too many times in the penalty box and it cost us the energy to play five-on-five and against the Islanders that’s pretty tough,” said Pavelec. “They’re a tough team to play against. They have a lot of skill, especially on the power play. Too many penalties. We picked it up in the third, but for the first two periods, we didn’t play our type of hockey.”
In the end, the Islanders fired 43 shots at Pavelec (44 with the empty netter) while Winnipeg managed 24 shots at New York netminder Thomas Greiss.
It appeared as if the Jets were out of this one early, but despite getting the first nine shots, including seven on an early power play, the Jets hung in and made a game of it late. In the first period, New York outshot the Jets 16-6, and had 10 shots on four power-play opportunities. The Jets didn’t et a shot until the 9:33 mark of the first period when Greiss beat Bryan Little on a breakaway.
In the end, the Jets went one-for-three on the power play while the Islanders went two-for-six, Winnipeg hung in there and made a game of it late.
The 2-1-0 Jets will wrap up the four-game, season-opening road trip on Tuesday night at 6 against the New York Rangers in Manhattan then the Jets will open the season at home on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. at MTS Centre when the Calgary Flames come to town.
John Tavares attacks the Jets zone
Posted by: Scott Taylor for RiverCitySports.com
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