D-Rose Knee-ver Catches a Break

     When the NBA season started on October 29^th, fans were very eager for the first game, which featured the Chicago Bulls vs. the Miami Heat. Why? Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP and 3-time NBA all-star, was playing his first game since a season-ending ACL tear during Game 1 of the first round of that year’s playoffs. ACL tears are serious injuries, particularly for basketball players. Before a modern surgery tactic was formulated for dealing with these painful injuries, they were career ending. While football player Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III came back from ACL tears roughly 9 months after the injury, Rose chose to sit out a whole year and a half of basketball. In basketball, players are constantly jumping and making quick cuts across the court, placing more stress on the knee than football and other sports. Rose wanted to take the time for his knee to completely heal, and even get better at basketball, instead of rushing back and risking further injury. Unfortunately for Rose, and Bulls fans, all the extra prep couldn’t prevent what happened on November 22^nd against the Portland Trail Blazers.

            Without Rose, the Bulls were still a good team. In the ’12-’13 season they earned a spot in the playoffs, and had a key win over the Miami Heat to break their win streak of 20+ games. Add Derrick Rose back into the mix? The Bulls had the potential to go very far this year, and Rose seemed like his old self in just the 2^nd game this year, sinking a floater as time expired to beat the New York Knicks, 82-81. But Rose just couldn’t seem to catch a break on that November night. Once again, Rose suffered a knee injury, this time on his right knee. The next morning, it was confirmed that Rose torn the meniscus in his right knee, and that he would be out for the remainder of the season.

            Rose underwent successful surgery in late November, and is recovering well, physically. Emotionally? "I know how much work he has put into his rehab and the type of person and player he is," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "So I feel for him because of all the things that he does and what they mean to our team."

            For the Bulls management, this is a nightmare. The front office decided to keep the team, which included talented (and expensive) players Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Luol Deng, intact going into this season, knowing Rose would be back and that they had a serious shot at the championship, despite some monetary concerns. With Deng set to become an unrestricted free agent next year, and Boozer likely to pursue other options as well, it’s nearly impossible that Rose will have the same level of talent surrounding him when he comes back from his most recent injury, barring any setbacks.

            While the situation looks grim, it’s not completely desolate. “He’s still going to be Derrick,” said Deng. “He still is going to work hard and come back even better.”

What's Up with the Falcons?

At first they were excusable: a last-second comeback by Drew Brees, a failed comeback against the Patriots, a 4-point lead to a red-hot Dolphins team. They were easily understandable losses by a team that had made the NFC Championship game a year ago. We patiently waited for the Falcons to get back on track, to become the Falcons we've known since Matt Ryan arrived, and the Falcons that took off when Julio Jones was acquired. We're still waiting. For a team that has barely changed since last year, what happened?
A quick examination of the Falcons' season will provide an easy scapegoat: injuries. Julio Jones suffered a season-ending foot injury, Roddy White and Steven Jackson both missed significant amounts of time, Left Tackle Sam Baker has been out since early in the year, and key defensive players like Sean Weatherspoon and Asante Samuel have been rotating through a carousel of injuries. Obviously, guys like Jones and White make Matt Ryan's job easier. With both of them out, he's lost his top receivers, and as a result, defenses can put more attention towards Tony Gonzalez, the other big threat. The Falcons offense worked so beautifully last year because teams could not afford to double team Jones, White, and Gonzalez, and at least one of them was usually open. With just Gonzo left, Ryan is being forced to throw to less competent receivers, which in part can explain the countless interceptions. The defensive nobodies that are being forced to play can explain the decrease in the defense's ability to shut teams down.
But let's not forget that Ryan was considered an elite QB last year. This year, his throws are off-time, he can't convert 3rd downs, he has exhibited poor decision making, especially when faced with pressure. Perhaps most puzzling is his inability to perform in the clutch. He earned the nickname 'Matty Ice' for being so cool under pressure. He has certainly had plenty of opportunities for game-winning drives this year, but they have all seemed to fizzle out. Matty Ice has turned to Matty Lukewarm, at best. Why? Currently, it looks like a severe case of the injury bug to his receivers has brought down his production. Right now, it seems that the receivers made Ryan, and without them, he is lost.
Their rush attack has been poor as well. Steven Jackson was supposed to bring a multifaceted attack to the already highly competent Falcons. Instead, when he's played, the team feels obliged to run him, and he just hasn't produced. When the Falcons are down, they have to turn to Ryan throwing insane amounts of passes.
While the Falcons rookies have played well on D, the overall missed tackles and blown coverages, along with an incapacity to generate a pass rush have give over well for opposing teams. While the Falcons defense wasn't elite last year, they were good enough. Without a strong offense to support them, they've been nonexistent.
Overall, the Falcons' inabilities, which started with injuries but have evolved into borderline incompetence, have locked them into a continuous cycle. With defenses no longer having to focus on 3 threats, Ryan has made poor decision and thrown lots of interceptions, which puts the defense on the field too much and leads to their problems with stopping any offenses. Factor in that they don't have the added dimension of a legitimate run game, and Ryan's loss of that magical ability during crunch time, and the Falcons are utterly lost, and deserving of their 2-7 record. There's still hope, but I wouldn't expect a turnaround, at least this year, for Falcons fans. They'll just have to be content with watching that Julio Jones commercial over and over.

The Case for Michigan State

Something wasn't right last year. When that final buzzer sounded and Duke players started jumping up and down, something felt wrong. Yes, Michigan State had just been eliminated in the Sweet 16. Yes, they weren't going to play until next year. You knew it, but it just didn't feel that way. The whole game felt off; like, oh, we'll come back tomorrow. These aren't OUR Spartans, these are just some guys in green jerseys with the words MICHIGAN STATE across the front.
So when guys like Keith Appling, Gary Harris, and Adreian Payne didn't suit up the next day, you can imagine how they felt. Hungry.....to win. That's why I think Michigan State will be cutting down the nets this year.
Michigan State has arguably the best backcourt in the the NCAA today. Keith Appling is a 6-1 senior who now has sole possession of the team. (Let's not mention the sideline "exchange" between Appling and graduated Laynce Nix). With no one to feud with and a lot to prove (especially if he wants to get drafted), not to mention a knack for dishing out assists, Appling looks poised to have a great year. His ankle problems are behind him, and if things go his way, a title is in front of him.
Gary Harris gained the adoration of MSU'ers everywhere when he chose to come back for his sophomore year instead of declaring for a draft he likely would have been a top-15 pick in. The scariest part about the sweet-shooting, head-faking, unibrowed Spartan? He's still a raw talent. Yup, let that sink in for a minute. If Tom Izzo can really tap into his potential, and history indicates he can, then Gary Harris; unibrow might just become more famous than Anthony Davis'. Scary, I know.
Three words: Adreian Postmove Payne. Postmove is one word because that's how his opponents feel after he finishes at the net. Payne is great a posting up down on the blocks, a sweet dunker, and he can even hit the occasional 3 when asked. What's not to like? If you're a Michigan fan, the fact that he's a raw player also.
Brendan Dawson is the written-in starter at the 3, and he's a serviceable guy who is dangerous when he gets hot. What I'm more excited about the bench: particularly the guard duo of Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine. Both performed phenomenally off the bench last year, especially against Memphis in the 2nd round and the regular season games against Indiana. Trice has a wicked, wicked 3, that he can shoot from anywhere not called backcourt. Valentine is great off the dribble and has some great passes up his sleeve. Other reserves like Matt Costello are dominant down low. Costello has a sweet hook and is fantastic at powering his way up to the basket.
Can you see why I'm excited? In the AP Poll right now, Michigan State enters the season as #3, and they have some huge chances to prove themselves against their fellow Big Ten teams, along with televised match ups against Kentucky and Georgetown, among other schools. And should I even mention the number of Final Fours Tom Izzo has taken MSU to?
This is the Spartans year.

NFL Week 7 Predictions

What do Peyton Manning and thousands of freshmen have in common? Our first homecoming is this weekend! Yes Peyton returns to Indy, but that's not the only match up worth watching. The best rivalries in both the AFC East and North resume, and what I think will be a marquee match up between two consistently inconsistent teams, the Bengals and the Lions.

BUCCANEERS @ FALCONS

In a battle between two teams expected to do way better, the Falcons will need to do two things besides shutting down the run, which they have down practically every week: get pressure on Glennon, and exploit everyone in the Bucs secondary not named Darrelle Revis. Mike Glennon may be playing OK, but he has yet to face an elite defensive line. If the Falcons can get some pressure on Glennon, he'll do what the majority of rookies do when forced to make a quick throw: throw a pick. The Falcons will need to force Glennon to make bad decisions. The Falcons' offense will need to target people like Harry Douglas, who, if you play fantasy, should be a solid pickup now that Julio Jones is gone. If they can get the ball to receivers not being covered by Revis, they can dominate the game. The Bucs have a chance, but they likely will get little help from Doug Martin, who's facing a premier rush defense. Glennon will have to really play well to keep his team in, something his previous starts suggest he is incapable of doing.

PROJECTED SCORE: Falcons: 27     Buccaneers: 13

BENGALS @ LIONS

This looks to be a very good game, as both teams have had surprising wins, and even more surprising losses. The key here will be how well Stafford can utilize his receiving weapons, because Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson will likely not play. If the Bengals' decent secondary can play as well as they played against the Patriots, they should win. Andy Dalton and AJ Green (more Dalton, we know AJ can do anything) will have to connect often. If the Bengals O-Line can give Dalton some time, we can see the masterpiece we now call "AJ Green just having another day at the office". The Bengals RB tandem will have to take the D-Line's attention away from Dalton to win. Another interesting component will be how effectively the Bengals can stop Reggie Bush in the passing game.

PROJECTED SCORE: Bengals: 20   Lions: 18

CHARGERS @ JAGUARS

Promise me not to laugh? OK, here goes: the Jaguars under Chad Henne with Justin Blackmon are capable. There, I said it. Laugh all you want. But they have put up more points the past two weeks than any previous game this season, so they are getting better. Did I say good enough to beat the Chargers? Um, no. Sorry guys, but Philip Rivers should dominate. The Jaguars might put up some points because the Chargers pass defense has been almost as bad as the Jaguars ugly helmet designs (except for last week) (I mean the defense, the helmets haven't gotten any better), but this should be an easy win.

PROJECTED SCORE: Chargers: 38       Jaguars: 22

BILLS @ DOLPHINS

The Bills have shown a real prowess for staying in games, so this one should be a close matchup. The bottom line is that I just don't think Thad Lewis can get it done. The Dolphins defense got beat by Brees and Flacco, and Lewis isn't even in their league. Unless you want to get technical. The Bills will probably keep it close, but I think the Fins defense will be able to keep the comeback in check.

PROJECTED SCORE: Dolphins: 19      Bills: 13

RAMS @ PANTHERS

Cam Newton went crazy last week against the Vikings. I think he'll have a solid game this week against a mediocre-average Rams defense. The Rams will have generate a lot of rush from guys like Robert Quinn, because Newton can get easily frustrated, and that's when he makes mistakes. Fisher will want to pound Zac Stacy, but the Panthers run D (Luke Kuechly) should be able to handle him, forcing Sam Bradford to make big plays. That's why the Panthers will win.

PROJECTED SCORE: Panthers: 24     Rams: 11

COWBOYS @ EAGLES

This looks to be the best 1:00 match up, for first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys are starting random kids they picked off the street on their banged up D-Line. Translation: LeSean McCoy will go absolutely nuts. No matter who's playing at QB, they should just hand it off to him. I think Tony Romo will keep it close in a high-scoring game: it doesn't take much to exploit the Eagles' secondary. I think the Eagles will be up by 4 when the Cowboys stars to drive with the game on the line. They;ll give it all up when a costly fumble is made by........Joseph Randle. You heard me.

PROJECTED SCORE: Eagles: 38    Cowboys: 34

BEARS @ REDSKINS

If the Bears defense let Brandon Jacobs resemble a Pro-Bowler, I shudder to think what Alfred Morris can do....the caveat being if the Shanahans utilize him, something they have yet to do. The problem for the Redskins will be how to cover the Bears' many receiving threats. The defense played very well against the Cowboys last week, but they had two weeks to study. Jay Cutler has lots of potential in this match up, he'll just have to maximize it. The key for the Redskins O will be to convert third-downs. I think this will be the game Kyle Shanahan finally calls a good game. If RG3 can capitalize on the defense being worried about Morris by running the outside and getting a big game from Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed, I think the Redskins can get the W.

PROJECTED SCORE: Redskins: 27       Bears: 22

PATRIOTS @ JETS

The Jets always seem to hang close in these divisional match ups, but one guy will make the difference: the Gronk. Tom Brady will show his frustration with his new receiving corps by throwing 3 TDs to Gronkowski, and the Jets will slip to 3-4. They just don't have the personnel to keep up with a rejuvenated Pats offense.

PROJECTED SCORE: Patriots: 24     Jets: 14

BROWNS @ PACKERS

The Browns have a great defense, and the Packers have an offense that's hobbling it's way through matchups, completely leaning on Aaron Rodgers. The problems for the Browns? Their offense isn't hobbling, it's just bad. Brandon Weeden cannot be trusted, Willis McGahee cannot be trusted, Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron can be trusted, but not with Brandon Weeden throwing to them. It's a vicious cycle.

PROJECTED SCORE: Packers: 16   Browns: 9

TEXANS @ CHIEFS

So Case Keenum is starting for the Texans today. Some may be wondering about his accuracy and decision making, but there's really only one thing worth scrutinizing: can he throw a pick six to keep up the Texans streak? The Chiefs certainly hope so. They also have the best defense in the league. Never mind (we actually do mind) the fact the Alex Smith has been Mr. Consistent and Jamal Charles has scored in every game he's played in this year. Is this even a contest?

PROJECTED SCORE: Chiefs: 31    Texans: 12

49ERS @ TITANS

Don't just skip over this paragraph. While the match up may look lame to the untrained eye, us astronomers here at Sports Gab know better. The 49ers have allowed lesser teams, like the Cardinals last week, to have a chance. The Titans, who have been playing decently with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, definitely  have a chance. The Cardinals couldn't close out last week because of Carson Palmer's costly interceptions. If Fitzpatrick can avoid those, expect a really close game in Nashville. The key will be how well the Titans can prevent the Kaepernick-Davis connection before it gets out of hand. I might just pick the upset here.

PROJECTED SCORE: Titans: 26     49ers: 24

RAVENS @ STEELERS

Even though neither of these teams have lived up to expectations, the 1-win Steelers particularly, these match ups are always physical battles of who wants it more. The Steelers defense has been a shell of their former self, and I think the Joe Flacco-Torrey Smith connection will be lighting it up. Don't count the Steelers out though, because Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown could be poised for big gains. I think at the end of the day, this will come down to which defense can stop the last drive. The Ravens defense just has more guys equipped to do that.

PROJECTED SCORE: Ravens: 21    Steelers: 17

BRONCOS @ COLTS

Everyone and their uncle is talking about this matchup. The phrase that I keep hearing is that the Broncos will have to lose sometime.....just not tonight. The Colts defense has been surprisingly good this year, but then again, the Broncos offense has been historically good. I just don't think the Colts D will be able to hold them off enough. Mike McCoy, Peyton's OC last year, was able to exploit the Colts last week, and Peyton surely took some notes on that: and those notes will likely translate to points. That's not to say the Colts will be blown out: I think they'll remain competitive. Andrew Luck has shown some great poise this season, and I think TY Hilton will have his best game yet. His speed will be too much for guys like Champ Bailey. I just think the Broncos are too good to lose this one.

PROJECTED SCORE: Broncos: 39         Colts: 29

VIKINGS @ GIANTS

This is a good matchup for all the wrong reasons: it's not which offense can play better, it's which offense can not play worse. Still with me? Josh Freeman is super unfamiliar with the playbook, so no matter how many short-field situations the Giants give him, I don't think he'll be very red-zone efficient. The Vikings should rely on Adrian Peterson, bad news for the G-Men. On the other hand, the Giants can't get much worse against a terrible Vikings pass defense. I think a big game for Victor Cruz is in order. Brandon Jacobs might end up being the key here, if he can take the pressure off of Eli. I think this game goes to OT.

PROJECTED SCORE: Vikings: 33       Giants: 27, OT

Well look at that, I made deadline. Sound off in the comments about what you guys think. Happy Football Watching!