The Celtics Closed Out A Horrible 2021 With Their Best Win Of The Season, 123-108 Vs. The Suns

 

    There are many reasons why I have barely posted anything about the Celtics (17-19 overall, 10-7 home) during this miserable 2021-22 campaign: they are mostly an unlikable group, their games are nearly unwatchable and usually quite predictable in terms of blowing almost any lead possible. Fast forward to their traditional New Year's Eve afternoon home game at TD Garden where they dominated one of the best teams in the NBA-the Suns (27-8 overall, 11-4 road)-123-108. Boston led by as many as 30 points in the second quarter (65-35!) and of course Phoenix made a decent run in the third quarter but for once, the C's were able to hang on for what has to be considered their most meaningful victory of head coach Ime Udoka's rocky first year in charge. 

    For more context, the Celtics had lost eight of their last 11 games including three soul-crushing losses in a row entering today: they were up as much as 19 points on Christmas at Milwaukee (24-13) before losing to the Bucks, they fell on Monday at Minnesota (16-19) which due to Covid and injuries fielded basically a G League team and then they wrapped it up by hitting four-of-42 3-pointers and losing by nine at Wednesday to the mediocre Clippers (18-18) at the Garden. Speaking of the 'Rona, Celts superstar Jayson Tatum is still out as he battles it for the second year in a row. Like every other team, the Suns are also missing guys-most notably center Deandre Ayton-because of this never-ending nightmare that we are facing all around this stubborn country. 

    Seven Celtics scored in double-figures led by point guard Marcus Smart (24 points, 9 rebounds) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 11 rebounds) but center Robert Williams (10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals) was the star of the show as he notched his first career triple-double. When he's healthy and on the court, Williams is one of the most talented big men in the league but unfortunately he is so injury-prone that it makes your head spin. Power forward Grant Williams scored 15 points and despite only having three guys appear off the bench, they combined to score 46 points. Swingman Josh Richardson had 19 points, shooting guard Romeo Langford added 16 points and two steals while guard Payton Pritchard tossed in 11 points (it's nice to see Udoka finally play him a little bit). 

    The Suns have already proven that last season where they went to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 was no fluke whatsoever. It helps of course to have arguably the best backcourt around in point guard Chris Paul (14 points, 8 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Devin Booker (team-high 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals). Small forward Cam Johnson put up 20 points, five rebounds and two steals while center Jalen Smith (who?!) had 19 points and seven rebounds plus power forward Mikal Bridges notched 10 points and two steals. The home team led by 11 points after the first quarter (32-20) and by 26 points at haftime (67-41). Phoenix predictably came alive in the second half but even for them, it was too late to have much of an impact on the C's. The Suns took the third quarter (36-33) and the fourth quarter as well (36-33) but the Celtics held on tight to avoid the season sweep by the Suns.

    For the game, Boston had a big advantage when it came to field goal percentage (54.2%-41.0%), they also took 10 more free throws (26-16) and hit eight more of them (23-15), they grabbed 14 more rebounds (51-37), dished out eight more assists (28-20) and thanks to Williams blocked five more shots (7-2). For what it's worth, on paper this next little stretch for Boston seems very winnable: they host the tanking Magic (7-29) on Sunday night (6, NBC Sports Boston), before the Spurs (14-20) come to town on Wednesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) then they have a home-and-home with the Knicks (17-19) on Thursday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at Madison Square Garden and then the return match here next Saturday night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). Hopefully Tatum can return at some point this upcoming week but then again, he and Brown famously don't really play well together anymore. Oof, it's a tough time to be a C's fan and I obviously have very low expectations for the rest of this season and beyond barring some huge changes in personnel.

With The Regular Season Winding Down, The Pats Are Fading Away After A 33-21 Loss To The Bills

 

    The ups and downs of this season for the Patriots (9-6 overall, 3-5 home) have been nothing short of insane: they started a hapless 2-4 then reeled off seven straight wins before losing last week at Indy (9-6) and then falling 33-21 to Buffalo (9-6 overall, 5-3 away) in a huge divisional showdown this afternoon at Gillette Stadium. With a chance to put the Colts loss behind them not to mention to sweep the season series with the Bills, the Pats did a face plant in a major way. Unlike New England's fluky 14-10 wind-and-weather aided win in Buffalo three weeks ago, this felt like a more true representation of these teams at the moment. Bills quarterback Josh Allen (30-of-47 for 314 yards, 3 TDs; 64 yards rushing) was unstoppable and Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (14-of-32 for 145 yards, 2 INTs) was predictably no match for him. With two games left now in the regular season, Buffalo has the inside track to another AFC East crown. A few weeks ago, the Pats seemed to have a legitimate shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, now they will have to scramble to hang on to a playoff spot. 

    To say that New England's overrated defense could not get off the field was not a bland statement but rather a depressing fact. This was the first time in Pats head coach Bill Belichick's exceptionally long and successful career that the opposing team never had to punt against him. Buffalo simply wore down the Patriots as they racked up eight more first downs (28-20), they possessed the ball for more than 10 minutes longer than the home team (35:09-24:51) and their defense forced two turnovers (2 INTs by safety Micah Hyde) while the Bills never coughed it up. With wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis both out due to Covid-19 protocols, you figured that the Patriots could focus on Stefon Diggs (7 catches, 85 yards, TD) and nobody else would be able to do much against them. Wrong. Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie set a career-high in catches (game-high 11) and yards (game-high 125) as Belichick watched undrafted second-year cornerback Myles Bryant repeatedly get burned by McKenzie. 

    After a terrible start doomed them against Indianapolis, you knew that the Patriots would play much better to start this game. Except that never really happened. Running back Damien Harris (18 carries, 103 yards, 3 TDs) was fantastic for New England but the same could not be said about any of his teammates on this day. Buffalo had the lone score of the first quarter: a three-yard touchdown pass from Allen to McKenzie and kicker Tyler Bass added the point after for a 7-0 lead. Harris responded with a 16-yard touchdown run (and Nick Folk PAT) to tie it up at seven early in the second quarter. Buffalo's issues in the red zone meant that Bass had to kick a 25-yard field goal for a 10-7 advantage. Allen zipped a sweet 12-yard touchdown pass to Diggs with 1:45 left in the first half. Bass' point after made it 17-7 in favor of the Bills at halftime. 

    Once again New England's defense held strong in the red zone and Bass had to salvage things with a 34-yard field goal which gave Buffalo a 20-7 lead early in the third quarter. Harris answered with a one-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter that coupled with Folk's kick trimmed Buffalo's lead to 20-14. The Bills closed strong in the fourth quarter thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by running back Devin Singletary but they failed on the two-point conversion attempt to leave it at 26-14. Harris' last touchdown run (of the 8-yard variety) and Folk's final PAT brought the Patriots within five points but Allen and Co. proceeded to march down the field methodically and clinch the victory with a two-yard shuffle pass from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox. That backbreaking play coupled with Bass' point after sent most of Gillette streaming for the exits (and the endless traffic in the parking lots and on Route 1, good times!). 

    The only positive news that I can think of for the Pats is that they have the good fortune to host the Jaguars (2-13 overall, 0-7 road) next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS)-their first contest in 2022. That is about as close to a guaranteed win as you will find in the NFL which is otherwise impossible to predict from week-to-week. New England will definitely have an eye on Monday Night Football tomorrow (8:15, ESPN) as Miami (7-7) visits New Orleans (7-7). Other than the Chiefs, the Dolphins are the second-hottest club in the league as they have surprisingly won six straight games. A triumph for the Saints would go a long way to bolstering the Bills and Patriots' playoff hopes. Most importantly, Jones has to get some of his confidence back because he's been a mess in these consecutive losses. I was never under any illusion that he will be a superstar but I think that Jones could be a very solid game manager type (I know, everybody hates that phrase) in the NFL for years to come. This is also not all on him either since almost all of the other Patriots have struggled recently too. 

The Pats Failed To Show Up For The First Three Quarters & Ended Up Losing 27-17 To The Colts

 

    After playing great for the past two months and winning seven straight games, your New England Patriots (9-5 overall, 6-1 away) were due for a letdown. Likewise, Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones (26-of-45 for 299 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) had not really had a complete stinkbomb in a game this season (when he's been called on to pass the ball more than three times) so obviously that happened tonight as well as Indianapolis (8-6 overall, 4-4 home) beat the Patriots 27-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium. It was a costly loss for New England too since they dropped from the top seed in the AFC (the only one that gets a first-round bye) into third-place behind surging Kansas City (10-4) and Tennessee (9-4). With only three games left in the regular season now, the Pats will likely have to win out to have a shot at that No. 1 spot.

    Both teams were coming off a bye week but for some reason, the Pats could not do anything right for the first three quarters as they trailed 17-0 at halftime (1st time in 100 games that they were shut out in the 1st half) and 20-0 after three quarters. They made a decent comeback attempt in the fourth quarter but Indy is a good team and it is almost impossible to rally from down 20+ points in the NFL (that is unless you're playing the Falcons in the Super Bowl). Anyone could have told you coming into this hyped matchup that Colts running back Jonanthan Taylor (29 carries, 170 yards, TD) would be the main focus for Pats head coach Bill Belichick and they mostly held him in check until it really mattered. 

    New England had cut it to 20-17 with 2:21 left in regulation as tight end Hunter Henry (6 catches, 77 yards, 2 TDs-giving him a new career-high of 9 in his first season as a Patriot) caught a seven-yard touchdown from Jones that coupled with Nick Folk's point-after made it 20-17 Indianpolis. With a timeout plus the two-minute warning left, the Patriots had a chance to get the ball back with a chance to tie it or go for the win if their vaunted defense could get one stop but in this instance they failed epically. Taylor broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown run and after Michael Badgley's PAT, it was all over 27-17 with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter. It's a quarterback-driven league so Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers will likely win the MVP this season but Taylor should get plenty of votes as well, he's been the best running back in the league especially with Derrick Henry out. 

    It was an odd game, how else to explain Patriots punter Jake Bailey getting blocked for the third time already this season and Colts linebacker E.J. Speed (perfect football name) returning it for an easy score? Badgley's point-after made it 14-0 with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. The Colts had gotten out to a 7-0 lead on running back Nyheim Hines' eight-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz (5-of-12 for 57 yards, TD, INT) with 3:53 left in the first quarter. Mac was awful in the first three quarters: he threw a brutal red zone interception to Indy's superstar linebacker Darius Leonard (8 tackles, 2 assists) and later another Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke made a spectacular diving pick. The only points in the second quarter came from Badgley's 25-yard field goal. He missed a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter but a false start penalty (1 of 8 infractions on New England in the game that totalled 50 yards, compared to just 2 on the home team) gave him another chance which he predictably made the most of when he was given a second chance. 

    Henry caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and Folk added the extra point to make it 20-7 Colts. He added a 25-yard kick on the next Pats possession which was a questionable decision by Bill since three points hardly mattered at that juncture with so few possessions left in the game (not to mention that Indy's defense is legit). Safety Devin McCourty had an interception after linebacker Jamie Collins tipped a pass from Wentz. Truthfully, the Pats should have had a few more picks since Wentz threw a couple right to them including one that cornerback J.C. Jackson dropped and another that Collins might have had a pick-6 on earlier in his up-and-down career. Patriots safety Kyle Dugger and Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman were both ejected for fighting with each other plus New England lost linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley (ankle) and wide receiver Nelson Agholor (concussion) to injuries during the game.   

Ultimately, the better team won this evening. If they meet again-particularly in chilly Gillette Stadium in January-I think the Patriots would win the rematch-but they made way too many mistakes (mental and physical) to beat one of the other sneaky contenders in the AFC. Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich is solid and without Brady, the Colts had waited a long time to beat the Pats (losing 8 in a row against them before this). New England will have an extra day to regroup and enjoy Christmas before they host the Bills (7-6) next Sunday (1, CBS) in a showdown that should decide who wins the AFC East in 2021. We were all riding high, overrating the team and Jones so this was a reality check that the Patriots probably aren't as good as we tried to pretend since they last lost on October 17 to Dallas (9-4) 35-29 in OT at Gillette.

Injury-Ravaged Titans Hung With The Pats Then New England Rolled To Their Sixth Straight Win

 

    Is there anybody left that actually doubts the Patriots (8-4 overall, 3-4 home) this season after they dropped the top-seeded Titans (8-4 overall, 4-2 away) 36-13 this afternoon at Gillette Stadium? New England's sixth victory in a row comes with a rather large asterisk since Tennessee was missing its top three offensive players (running back Derrick Henry along with wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown) but that hardly matters at the moment when you consider that the Pats were 2-4 earlier in this campaign. Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (23-of-32 for career-high 310 yards, 2 TDs) was really good and New England's defense pitched a shutout in the second half after head coach Mike Vrabel's Titans were quite frisky in the first half and only trailed by three points (16-13) at halftime.

    New England's red zone issues are still a thing since kicker Nick Folk attempted a whopping six field goals (and thankfully made five of them) but other than that, it is hard to find anything else to legitimately complain about. 

    Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (5 catches, 61 yards) has surprisingly morphed into the best offensive playmaker on the Pats and he added two more touchdowns. Jones hit him with a four-yard fade pass in the corner of the end zone which coupled with Folk's PAT were the only points of the first quarter. Tennessee's quarterback Ryan Tannehill (11-of-21 for 93 yards, TD, INT; 24 yards rushing) has become a solid player with the Titans but it's hard to blame him for his struggles today with such a lack of weapons. Tannehill threw a one-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine early in the second quarter but Tennessee's kicker Randy Bullock missed the point after. It was a chilly day in Foxborough so they kept Folk busy with three field goals in the second quarter (from 22, 37 and 44 yards). New England's run defense was terrible to start the year, however they had really tightened things up lately, that is until journeyman Dontrell Hillard (12 carries, 131 yards) scampered 68 yards for a score with 37 seconds left in the half. Bullock made that extra point (but he later clanked a field goal attempt), regardless the Pats had to be frustrated going into the break.

    After losing to Vrabel in their first two career meetings as coaches, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick got to exact a little revenge as his club methodically worked over the Titans. Folk had to settle for another short kick (28 yards) early in the third quarter but Bourne submitted the highlight of the day for the home team as he took a seemingly innocent pass from Jones and weaved 41 yards for the backbreaking score. Folk's extra point gave New England double the points of Tennessee (26-13) and with such a limited offense, you knew that spelled trouble for the visitors. Folk's only miss was a 53-yard field goal attempt late in the first half but he atoned for that by crushing a 52-yard kick in the fourth quarter. He is once again having a fantastic Pro Bowl caliber season and the only thing that makes you worry about him is the thought of having to attempt a long kick like that in a close playoff game. Running back Damien Harris notched a 14-yard touchdown run in pseudo garbage time and with Folk's PAT, the rout was finally on at 36-13 late in the fourth quarter. 

    New England's defense recovered three fumbles (by cornerback Jalen Mills, some linebacker named Jahlani Tevani and safety Kyle Dugger), sacked Tannehill twice (by linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley and Matthew Judon) and cornerback J.C. Jackson recorded yet another interception while wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (5 catches, 98 yards) nearly had 100 receiving yards. With the win, the Patriots maintained their spot in first place in the AFC East. Their biggest game of the season-at least so far-comes next Monday night (8:15, ESPN) in Orchard Park, NY as they meet the Bills (7-4 overall, 3-2 home) for the first time in 2021. The Patriots and Buffalo play twice in the next four weeks (including a bye for the Pats) so those two matchups should go a long way in deciding who wins the division and also vies for that lone home bye given to the AFC's No. 1 seed. With so few certainties in the NFL this season, the Patriots have suddenly morphed into one of the only teams that you can rationally trust to play well and usually find a way to win. 

Pats Blank The Hapless Falcons 25-0 On Thursday Night Football For Their Fifth Straight Win

 

    It is going to take much more than a short week and an overmatched opponent to slow down the red hot Patriots (7-4 overall, 5-0 away) at the moment. Tonight they went to the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA and they picked up the 13th shutout in head coach Bill Belichick's tenure in New England with a pretty easy 25-0 victory over the falling apart Falcons (4-6 overall, 1-4 home). This was a very dominant performance by the Pats defense as they held shorthanded Atlanta to 165 total yards and just 11 first downs while they picked off Matt Ryan (19-of-28 for 153 yards, 2 INT), Josh Rosen (remember him!?) and the immortal Feleipe Franks a total of four times and they also sacked Ryan four times. Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon added another sack and he has already reached double-digits and a new career-high (10-5) with six games left to go in the regular season. New England's reward for a job well done is an extended break before Thanksgiving and then their schedule gets way harder down the stretch.

    Aside from linebacker Kyle Van Noy (8 tackles, 5 solo, 2 sacks, pick-6), the best player for the Patriots this evening was kicker Nick Folk (minus that missed PAT in garbage time). Folk started the scoring with his easiest kick of the night-a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter. New England took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter as rookie quarterback Mac Jones (22-of-26 for 207 yards, TD, INT) hit wide receiver Nelson Agholor for a 19-yard catch and run touchdown where he was never even touched by a Falcons defender. Folk's point after made it 10-0 and he added a 44-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half. With no Falcons No. 1 wide receiver Calvin Ridley nor former Patriots great Cordarrelle Patterson in the lineup, the 13-0 advantage by the road team felt like twice that much if not more. 

    This being Thursday Night Football, the second half was a complete bore featuring no points in the third quarter and two additional field goals by Folk to start the final frame (from a season-long 53 yards and 33 yards). Lastly, Van Noy added the laugh track with a 35-yard interception return for a score against Rosen who will probably be out of the league any minute now. Safety Devin McCourty and cornerback J.C. Jackson had earlier picked off Ryan and safety Adrian Phillips made a sweet diving interception on rookie Feleipe Franks who had only one pass attempt. Yeesh. That marked the first time in the NFL since the Chargers way back in 2000 when three QBs on the same team threw INTs in the same game. 

    The next two matchups on the schedule should be the hardest for the Pats in the 2021 regular season: they host the Titans (8-2) a week from Sunday (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium before going to Buffalo (6-3) for Monday Night Football (8:15, ESPN) on Dec. 6 and their first meeting with the Bills in this campaign. Most would say that those are the two best teams in the AFC so facing them in back-to-back weeks should be a daunting task. Still, after they started this year 2-4, who would have believed that the Patriots could even be in this position? They are clearly a playoff team that should be fighting for an AFC East division title and homefield advantage. How they do in the next few contests will tell us what we can reasonably expect in the postseason this winter.

The Pats Scored 45 (!) Unanswered Points In A 45-7 Drubbing Of The Browns & A Fourth Straight Win

 

    The complete turnaround by the Patriots (6-4 overall, 2-4 home) over the last month has been nothing short of remarkable. This afternoon at Gillette Stadium, Cleveland (5-5 overall, 2-3 away) marched down the field on an impressive opening drive (11 plays, 84 yards, 4:55) and capped it off with a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield (11-of-21 for 73 yards, TD, INT) to tight end Austin Hooper. No sweat, Browns kicker Chase McLaughlin's extra point was the last point of the entire game for Cleveland as New England rattled off 45 consecutive points en route to a throughly impressive 45-7 victory. Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones (19-of-23 for 198 yards, 3 TDs) had his best and most efficient game as a pro and New England's defense combiend for five sacks as they won their fourth game in a row. 

    Earlier this season, we wondered if Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was losing his fastball on the sidelines and now, if he keeps this up he has to be considered a front-runner for the NFL Coach of the Year (which would be his 4th, tying Don Shula for the most all-time). More importantly, his team has transformed itself from an afterthought to one of the hottest in the league that seems to get better every week not to mention a legitimate threat in the weak AFC. Tight end Hunter Henry caught two touchdown passes (giving him TD catches in 6 straight games and 8 overall in that time span) and rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson (20 carries, 100 yards, 2 TDs; 14 yards receiving) returned from last week's concussion to record a solid performance. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (4 catches, 98 yards, TD; 3 rushes, 43 yards) has also proven to be a valuable weapon for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as he continues to open up what started out as a pretty basic playbook in 2021.   

    This being the Browns, they just had to fall apart in epic fashion. Mayfield hurt his knee which forced his backup Case Keenum to finish the game for him. The two teams' numbers on third down told the entire story as New England was seven-for-nine and Cleveland was one-for-11. Henry caught a third yard touchdown pass from Jones late in the first quarter and Nick Fok's point-after tied it at seven. After Patriots safety Kyle Dugger picked off Mayfield and returned the interception to Cleveland's five-yard line, it took one play for Stevenson to punch it in and give New England a lead that they would never relinquish. Folk's kick made it 14-7 and that quickly became 21-7 after Jones' strike through two defenders to Bourne for a leaping 23-yard touchdown catch. Folk's 38-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the second quarter handed the Patriots a commanding 24-7 lead at halftime. 

    Stevenson added a two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Folk's extra point made it 31-7 in favor of the home team. In the fourth quarter, Henry caught another three-yard touchdown from Jones and Folk hit another point after. Finally, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers ended the highlight reel filled day for the Pats with an 11-yard touchdown catch and run from backup quarterback Brian Hoyer-his first TD catch in the NFL after three long seasons. Folk's sixth point after gave New England its final margain of 45-7. 

    It will be a short week for the Pats as they will travel to Mercedes Benz Stadium for a Thursday Night Football (8:20, Fox) matchup with the Falcons (4-5 overall, 1-3 home). Atlanta had been playing alright until they got smoked 43-3 this afternoon in Dallas (7-2). Did I mention that they have another rookie head coach-the immortal Arthur Smith-for Belchick to beat up on? So yeah, as always anything can happen in the NFL (as proven every week in this crazy year) but you have to like the Patriots' chances to keep their win streak rolling.

The Revolution Re-Signed Star Forward Gustavo Bou To A Two-Year Contract Extension

 

    By any measure, it's been a spectacular year thus far for the New England Revolution (22-5-7): on Sunday night, they just wrapped up the best regular season in MLS history (73 points!) and they earned the first Supporters' Shield in franchise history. For all that, they get to endure perhaps the most absurd break in sports: they won't play another real game again until November 30 (7:30, FS1) when they host an Eastern Conference semifinal match at Gillette Stadium vs. the winner of NYCFC (14-11-9) and Atlanta (13-9-12). It is all set up perfectly for them to win their long-awaited first Cup since they would also host the Eastern Conference Final and the MLS Cup should they reach it. This being the cursed Revs, we will sadly believe it all when we actually see it happen. Keeping the good vibes going though, the team shared some great news this morning as they announced that they had re-signed one of their star forwards Gustavo Bou to a two-year contract extension which will keep him in a Revolution uniform through the 2023 campaign.  

    The 31-year-old Argentinian has been here for three seasons now and he will continue to occupy both a Designated Player and an international roster slot. In 30 games this season (25 starts), Bou put up 15 goals (2nd to Adam Buksa's 16) and nine assists (2nd to Carles Gil's 18). This is no question the best team that the Revolution have ever fielded with other greats like goalkeeper Matt Turner (who has morphed into one of the USMNT's top options), defender Andrew Farrell (former No. 1 overall pick) and midfielder Tajon Buchanan (one of the top players on Canada's national team) in addition to Bou, Buksa (rising Polish star) and Gil (expected to be named the MLS MVP this season). Plus they are led by head coach Bruce Arena-the all-time winningest coach in league history and a former U.S. men's national team head coach. In other words, they'll never have a better chance to end their 25-year championship drought than during this postseason. 

    Like the other Revs players that I just mentioned, Bou is so good that in the back of your head you always wonder how much longer he will choose to play here and not take his talents elsewhere to better leagues and more prestigious clubs. However, I guess that given his age and nomadic career before he came to MLS, maybe he is happy to settle down with the Revolution and he sees the makings of something special these next few years. You have never really lived anyway until you spend a winter in the Foxborough, MA area. In his brief time with the club, Bou has already solidified his place as one of the best to ever play for New England. In 62 regular season games, he has notched 29 goals and 14 assists. He also proved to be a stud in the playoffs as well last season as he scored three goals and added an assist in four games as the Revs reached the Eastern Conference Final. It will take all of these guys and many others to win the Cup but honestly, how can you bet against this group in 2021?

You Can Take Sam Darnold Off The Jets But You Cannot Take The Stench Of The Jets Out Of Him

 

    All around the NFL today, weird things happened in Week 9. Tons of upsets occured but not at Bank of America Stadium this afternoon in Charlotte, NC as the Patriots (5-4 overall, 4-0 road) dominated the Panthers (4-5 overall, 2-3 home) 24-6 to win their third straight game for the first time in two years. After it looked for most of the week like backup quarterback P.J. Walker would get the start at quarterback for Carolina, head coach Matt Rhule decided to go with former Jets bust Sam Darnold (16-of-33 for 0 TDs, 3 INTs) and boy oh boy it did not turn out well. In fact, it was a good reminder that Pats head coach Bill Belichick vs. Darnold is one of the locks of the century in the league as New England improved to 4-0 against him while Sam has managed just one touchdown and nine interceptions combined in those four losses.

    This was like a very early Tom Brady game with the Patriots (hear me out) in the sense that our favorite rookie quarterback Mac Jones (12-of-18 for 139 yards, TD, INT) could not have done much less to get the win. Instead, New England relied on a stiff defense and a solid running game that combined for 151 yards. Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey (54 yards receiving, 52 yards rushing) returned for the first time since Week 3 but he did most of his damage in garbage time when the game had long since been decided. Pats rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson (62 yards rushing, 44 yards receiving) was having his best performance as a pro before he left with a possible concussion. Another New England running back-Damien Harris-also departed with a head injury in the fourth quarter which meant that good old Brandon Bolden (54 yards rushing, 27 yards receiving) was left to grind the win away. 

    This was far from the most exciting football game that I have ever seen since it was 0-0 after the first quarter and neither team scored in the fourth quarter either. Carolina's kicker Zane Gonzalez hit a pair of field goals in the second quarter (from 39 yards and 49 yards) but those were sandwiched around a three-yard touchdown run by Harris and a five-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Hunter Henry (his 5th game in a row with a TD catch) along with a pair of point afters by kicker Nick Folk. New England led 14-6 at halftime and that became 21-6 midway through the third quarter as Darnold made a horrific mistake by throwing a pick-six (that went 88 yards!), the first of Jackson's career. The free-agent-to-be earned some more money thanks entirely to Darnold who forced another pass into the end zone where Jackson was able to snag it. Linebacker Jamie Collins also made a spectacular interception by jumping up at the line of scrimmage right as Darnold tried to fire the ball over the middle and linebacker Matthew Judon added yet another sack to his impressive total. Folk's 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter turned out to be the last points of the contest. 

    The Patriots will host the Browns (5-4) next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) at Gillette Stadium where New England has surprisingly struggled in 2021 by going 1-4. Cleveland embarrassed the Bengals (5-4) 41-16 today in Cincinnati. Former Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. goes on waivers tomorrow and if he goes unclaimed, he would be a free agent on Tuesday. I mention that because I would not be shocked to see Belichick take a chance on him for the rest of the season. The Pats are far from a great team and they still have many needs but you wonder what adding such a volatile personality would do to the mix. Still, their receiver group is pretty weak and guys with Beckham's talent (assuming that he's not completely washed up at this juncture of his career) are hard to come by particularly when Bill cannot draft them to save his life. I mention all of this because it should be a competitive game to begin with and adding Odell to the situation would make it even more fascinating. We shall see what happens over the next few days but thankfully, the Patriots should be a playoff team this season and who knows, maybe they could even push the Bills (5-3) for the AFC East title after Buffalo somehow fell 9-6 at Jacksonville (2-6) today. New England still has both meetings with the Bills left to play. 

The Patriots Finally Beat A Legitimate Team In 2021, Knocking Off The Chargers 27-24 In LA

 

    I'm sorry, but beating the tanking Texans (1-7) or mostly hapless Jets (2-5) means nothing to me in 2021, hence why I didn't bother to write about last week's useless 54-13 pasting of those Jets. That is also why it was very refreshing to see the Patriots (4-4 overall, 3-0 road) go to Los Angeles this afternoon and beat the Chargers (4-3 overall, 2-2 home) 27-24 at SoFi Stadium. LA is not going to win the Super Bowl this season (and frankly neither are the Patriots) but they look and feel like a playoff team which certainly can't be said for Houston or New York. This is the first time in quite a strange season that the Pats have won consecutive games. 

    New England head coach Bill Belichick improved to 4-0 against rookie head coaches this season (coincidence?) while safety Adrian Phillips-a former Charger-was the star of the game with a pair of interceptions including the first pick-six of his NFL career. The victory was not a fluke for the visitors who had plenty of Masshole transplants in attendance cheering them on in their finest Halloween costumes. In fact, that close final score is quite misleading since something named Joshua Palmer caught a garbage time touchdown for the Chargers with 40 seconds left in regulation. Another former Charger great tight end Hunter Henry snared the ensuing onside kick to seal the win and guarantee a fun plane ride home for the Patriots.

    Somewhat surprisingly given the result, this contest did not feature a stellar performance by Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones who barely completed over half of his passes (18-of-35 for 218 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs) but unlike LA's second-year stud Justin Herbert (18-of-35 for 223 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs), he had zero turnovers. From the look of their opening drive, it appeared that the Chargers were going to drop 40+ points on New England as they easily went down the field (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28) capped off by a rugby scrum style five-yard touchdown run by their dynamic running back Austin Ekeler (64 yards rushing, 60 yards receiving). LA's new kicker Dustin Hopkins tacked on the PAT for an early 7-0 lead. The Patriots responded though with an eerily similar drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28 but they finished it with a one-yard run by running back Damien Harris (23 carries, 80 yards). Nick Folk added the point after to tie it at seven. 

    Longtime Chargers receiver Keenan Allen (6 catches, 77 yards) caught a five-yard touchdown from Herbert early in the second quarter that coupled with another kick by Hopkins made it 14-7 in favor of the home team. The red zone is still a major issue for Jones and the Pats who had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Folk and their dependable kicker hit a 48-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the first half to cut LA's advantage to just one point (14-13). The defenses started to take over in the third quarter as Folk hit a 48-yard field goal for New England's first lead at 16-14 but Hopkins answered with a 48-yard kick of his own to help Los Angeles regain the lead. 

    Phillips' earlier interception was from a tipped ball but the fourth quarter pick-six that went for 26 yards was a complete gift from Herbert. The pass was intended for tight end Jared Cook who had not even turned around when the ball went whistling by him and Phillips was alert enough to dive for it then get up and run it to the end zone when he was never touched while on the ground. Belichick elected to go for two and Jones found wide receiver Jakobi Meyers for the two-point conversion. New England showed great poise on the game-clinching drive as they kept picking up first downs but also smartly stayed inbounds to keep the clock running. Folk's 30-yard field goal with 2:19 left gave them a 10-point lead (27-17). 

    New England's defense had three sacks, led of course by their excellent linebacker Matthew Judon (4 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss). Defensive lineman Lawrence Guy had a sack as well while rookie defensive lineman Christian Barmore was credited with half a sack of Herbert. The Dolphins (1-7) have lost seven games in a row since beating the Pats in the season opener so the AFC East race is already down to only the Bills (5-2) and New England. Buffalo is still a heavy favorite to win the division and I'd be really surprised to see the Patriots upset them in either meeting but at least there is some hope that they could qualify for the playoffs in the not that great AFC. The Pats will look to keep their perfect road record intact next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) as they visit Stephon Gilmore (who had an interception today in his Panthers debut!) and Carolina (4-4) at Bank Of America Stadium. Former Jets great Sam Darnold went into concussion protocol and had to leave today's 19-13 win over the Falcons (3-4) so his status will be something to keep an eye on this week. FYI his backup is something named PJ Walker who no joke is a proud XFL alum.

Behind 41 Points from Jayson Tatum, The Celtics Rallied To Beat The Hornets 140-129 In Overtime

 

    They are still probably not NBA title contenders but if the first four games are any indication, the Celtics (2-2 overall, 2-1 away) are going to be wildly entertaining to watch this season. Tonight in the second half of a back-to-back on the road, Boston was able to come away with a crazy 140-129 overtime victory at Charlotte's (3-1 overall, 1-1 home) Spectrum Center. Just to get to overtime, they had to close on a 20-8 run after the Hornets took a 114-102 lead midway through the final quarter. The C's had won their first game of the season 107-97 last night in Houston (1-2) but given the higher caliber opponent, this was a much more impressive result. Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum led the way with 41 points (his 9th career 40+ point game), eight assists and seven rebounds while Boston's other star Jaylen Brown dropped 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals. 

    It was a true team win since Celtics point guard Dennis Schroder (23 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) had his best performance for his new club including nine points in the extra session. Center Robert Williams (12 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) was a force on the glass, guard Marcus Smart (3 steals) was able to prevent the Hornets from winning at the end of regulation when he stole a lazy inbounds pass that was intended for Charlotte's young star LaMelo Ball (25 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds). Even forward Jabari Parker (13 points, 5 rebounds) played a big role in the win off the bench because he scored 11 points in the first quarter when his team was gaining its bearings. Power forward Grant Williams added nine points as he continued his strong play to start this campaign. 

    It wasn't a full family reunion since former Celtics guard Terry Rozier sat out with an injury but there was Gordon Hayward (15 points, 6 rebounds) who logged a game-low plus/minus of minus-23 but hey, he had a cool haircut to show off. Charlotte's small forward Miles Bridges added a double-double (25 points, 10 rebounds) but Brown also threw down a vicious dunk on him which is all that most people will remember from his fine night's work. Shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. had a good game (19 points, 9 rebounds) and journeyman center Miles Plumlee notched a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks). Power forward Jalen McDaniels put up 13 points off the bench and veteran point guard Ish Smith scored 10 points in 23 minutes backing up Ball who surprisingly fouled out in OT-something that never happens to the truly elite of the NBA. 

    This evening was a throwback to the high-scoring 1980s in the league as neither team could really do anything effectively on defense. It was 33-33 after the first quarter and Boston took a two-point lead (68-66) into halftime. Head coach Ime Udoka's club came out a little slow in the third quarter-getting outscored 31-26-but they made up for it by taking the fourth quarter (28-25) and most importantly, dominating in overtime (18-7) as they beat Charlotte for the sixth time in their last seven meetings overall. The Celtics shot nearly five percent better than the Hornets from the field (49.5%-44.7%), they hit three more free throws (21-18), dished out seven more assists (33-26), had twice as many steals (8-4), blocked three more shots (9-6), turned the ball over two fewer times (14-12), registered five more second chance points (17-12) and scored seven more fast break points (22-15) than Charlotte who had 11 more points off turnovers (19-8) than the Celtics. 

    Of course it is way too early to know anything yet about these C's: their season-opening double overtime loss last Wednesday at the Knicks (2-1) 138-134 will likely go down as one of the games of the year in the league, then they no-showed in their home opener last Friday against the Raptors (1-3) 115-83. They had no choice but to beat the lowly Rockets and while it was tougher than it had to be, they got it done and they proved a little something by beating the Hornets who will be a playoff team again in the Eastern Conference. The Celts return to TD Garden on Wednesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) as they kick off a home-and-home with the Wizards (2-1). They'll head to DC on Saturday (5, NBC Sports Boston) for the rematch with Tatum's BFF Bradley Beal and Co.

The Astros Blanked The Red Sox 5-0 To Reach The World Series For The Third Time In Five Years

 

    The improbable 2021 postseason ride for the Red Sox ended abruptly tonight at Minute Maid Park as the Astros shut them out 5-0 in Game 6 of the ALCS. Houston advances to their third World Series in five years so it's safe to say that the better team ultimately won. It was quite a turnaround after the Sox led the ALCS 2-1 with their offense seemingly firing on all cylanders. Since then, they were blown out 9-2 in Game 4 after giving up seven runs in the ninth inning and they were embarrassed 9-1 in Game 5. Are you sensing a pattern here? Boston's bats went completely silent one last time as they could only manage two total hits and two walks against rookie Luis Garcia (5.2 IP, 1 hit, 7 Ks, 1 BB) and four Astros relievers. Houston will face either the Braves or the Dodgers in the World Series starting on Tuesday night, Atlanta currently leads the NLCS 3-2 with Game 6 tomorrow night (8:08, TBS). 

    With Boston sports fans high expectations, any season that doesn't end in a championship is always a disappointment but if we take a step back, you have to remember where these Red Sox were coming from after last year's nightmare Covid-19 season. They overachieved and it is pretty remarkable that they got this far with all their obvious issues and shortcomings. Let's hope this run inspires Boston's chief robot nerd Chaim Bloom to invest some money in starting pitching, relievers and even a few veteran utility players. This group can no longer sneak up on anyone and likewise, their expectations for next season will be way higher so the Red Sox will have to find more talent because the gap between them and the Astros was sizable as the three straight losses to close the series proved. 

    There were signs right away that this wouldn't be Boston's night as center fielder Kike Hernandez (who was incredible in the playoffs) dropped a long fly ball by DH and ALCS MVP Yordan Alvarez (4-for-4, 2 runs, 2B, 3B, RBI) in the first inning that scored Houston third baseman Alex Bregman. Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi (4.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) pitched well enough in a very tough spot but his teammates completely let him down. Hernandez barely missed another home run by mere inches in the sixth inning as his triple hit just below the yellow line on the left center field wall. Unfortunately, there were already two outs so the next batter-third baseman Rafael Devers-popped up to strand Kike at third base with Boston's best scoring chance of the evening.

    Alvarez scored on a double play ball in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 2-0 Houston lead and the Astros officially sealed it in the eighth inning when right fielder Kyle Tucker hit a three-run bomb to left field off Boston reliever Adam Ottavino that plated Alvarez and shortstop Carlos Correa. It was such a crazy season for the Red Sox in terms of some awesome highs and many terrible lows. However, I think the lasting memory from this year's club is that they helped bring (some) people back to the team. Particularly in October, they were wildly entertaining and hopefully this season will serve as a springboard for future campaigns and more titles. The Patriots (2-4) are not winning a Super Bowl anytime soon, the Celtics (0-2) appear to be regressing and the Bruins (2-1) are good but they will fold in the playoffs as usual so believe it or not, I think the Sox are the closest Boston team to a title (unless you count the Revs but who really does?). Baseball will never be what it once was in terms of popularity both here and in other markets but at its core, Boston is still a baseball city when the Red Sox are at least competitive. 

The Red Sox Took A 2-1 Series Lead After A 12-3 Demolition Of The Astros In Game 3 Of The ALCS

 

    So it turns out even in the weird time of openers and starting pitchers being less coveted than ever in MLB that they actually do still matter more than the analytics nerds want you to believe. Just ask the Astros who currently are in full scramble mode without hardly any legitimate starters left to turn to in the ALCS. The result is that the Red Sox destroyed them 12-3 tonight in Game 3 at Fenway Park. For those keeping track, Boston has outscored Houston 21-8 in Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 series lead with the next two games also at Fenway the following two nights. 

    This one was over fast since the Sox scored six runs in the second inning keyed by first baseman Kyle Schwarber's grand slam (the MLB record third of the playoffs for the Sox and his first HR of this round) that came on a 3-0 pitcher from Astros starter Jose Urquidy who had last appeared on Oct. 3 vs. Oakland-the regular season finale. Boston tacked on three more runs in the third inning and cruised from there as their starter Eduardo Rodriguez (6 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 7 Ks, 0 BBs) was superb except for a harmless three-run bomb allowed to Houston's promising young right fielder Kyle Tucker in the fourth inning when his team trailed 9-0. 

    The first two runs for the Red Sox came on an RBI single by catcher Christian Vazquez that plated left fielder Alex Verdugo then DH J.D. Martinez came around to score on a ground out. Vazquez added another RBI single in the third that scored right fielder Hunter Renfroe then second baseman Christian Arroyo hit a line drive that just cleared the Green Monster for a two-run homer (his 1st of the series). No matter what scrub reliever that Astros manager Dusty Baker used (and he inserted five of them after Urquidy was done in the second inning), it hardly mattered as Boston scored more runs off of four of them. 

    Martinez crushed a two-run homer (his second of the series) of his own that went over the Monster in the sixth inning which scored third baseman Rafael Devers. Raffy put the final exclamation on an evening full of fireworks with an opposite field shot over the Monster in the eighth inning-also his second home run of the series. That vaunted Houston offense never really showed up in Game 3 as a trio of Red Sox relievers-Hansel Robles, Martin Perez and Hirokazu Sawamura-each pitched scoreless frames on 12 pitches or less. You can't overstate how important E-Rod's performance was in terms of saving the bullpen for other games.   

    I don't believe it's hyperbole to say that Game 4 tomorrow night (8:08, FS1) is basically a must-win for the Astros. Their pitching is in shambles therefore I can't see them reeling off three consecutive wins against Boston's on fire offense. Nick Pivetta gets his first start of the postseason for the Red Sox against the ghost of Zack Greinke who like Urquidy before tonight's beating hasn't appeared yet in the playoffs. Haha what could possibly go wrong there? Improbably, the Sox are only two wins away from the World Series and if they take care of business at Fenway these next few games, they won't even have to return to Houston.

The Pats Came Close Again But Couldn't Beat A Good Team As They Fell 35-29 In OT Vs. Dallas

 

    The Patriots (2-4 overall, 0-4 home) had another great opportunity to beat one of the better teams in the NFL this evening at Gillette Stadium but just like the Bucs (5-1) game two weeks ago, they came up short as they lost 35-29 in overtime to the Cowboys (5-1 overall, 2-1 away). In many ways, it would have been a miracle if Pats head coach Bill Belichick and his team had found a way to pull this one out since Dallas is clearly a more talented and much deeper team. The Cowboys recorded nearly twice as many first downs (32-17), they totalled over 200 more yards (567-335), held the ball for over 12 more minutes than the home team (39:17-26:51) and ran a whopping 32 more plays (82-50). So why the hell wasn't this an easy blowout win for America's Team? That was mostly because they were called for an absurd amount of penalties (12 for 115 yards) and they had two backbreaking turnovers in the red zone. 

    Much like the Tampa showdown, I don't think many logical people believed this would be all that competitive so kudos to the Patriots for almost pulling this off. Still, how many times can we pat them on the head for a close loss? This was already the third time this season that they have lost by one score.  That gets old really fast, especially when you have a chance to win in overtime only to stall on your lone drive and have Dallas' star quarterback Dak Prescott (36-of-51 for 445 yards, 3 TDs, INT) hit his speedy receiver CeeDee Lamb (9 catches, 149 yards, 2 TDs) with a walk-off 35-yard touchdown pass. 

    The end of the fourth quarter was insane as the Cowboys looked to have it sealed when their outstanding young cornerback Trevon Diggs (brother of Bills WR Stefon) picked off Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones (15-of-21 for 229 yards, 2 TDs, INT) and ran the pick-6 back 42 yards to put Dallas ahead 26-21 (they failed on the 2-point conversion) with 2:27 left in regulation. However, on the next play Jones hit New England receiver Kendrick Bourne for a 75-yard touchdown catch-and-run. The Pats got the two-point conversion as well with Jones finding wideout Jakobi Meyers on the goal-line. The issue at that point was that there was too much time remaining and the Patriots' defense was completely gassed. Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein had missed an early field goal but he was nails on a 49-yard attempt with 20 seconds left to go that tied it at 29. 

    This is the first time since 1993 (aka Bill Parcells' first year in charge here) that the Patriots have started 0-4 at home. In the past (mostly because they had Tom Brady), this would have been a game that they would have stolen. They scored first and led 14-7 after the first quarter and 14-10 at halftime. New England running back Damien Harris (18 carries, 101 yards) held onto the ball this week and he had a four-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with kicker Nick Folk's extra point. Prescott and the Cowboys answered as he found tight end Blake Jarwin with a one-yard touchdown pass on a simple play action fake. Zuerlein's point after tied it at seven but New England went ahead 14-7 on the following drive: tight end Hunter Henry caught a touchdown for the third week in a row, this time from 20 yards out and Folk's PAT made it 14-7 in favor of the good guys. The only points in the second quarter was a 30-yard field goal by Zuerlein. Prescott fumbled on the goal-line when he dove on a quarterback sneak but Pats linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley knocked the ball free and fellow linebacker Kyle Van Noy recovered it. Earlier in the frame, safety Kyle Dugger grabbed his first career interception after cornerback Justin Bethel deflected the pass intended for Dallas receiver Cedrick Wilson in the end zone. 

    Dallas took their first lead in the third quarter when Dak found Lamb for a pretty one-yard fade to the corner. Zuerlein's point after gave the Cowboys a 17-14 advantage which they took into the fourth quarter. Zuerlein's 45-yard field goal put the Cowboys up 20-14 early in the final stanza but Patriots rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson rumbled in for a one-yard touchdown run that staked his club to a 21-20 lead thanks to Folk's PAT. Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory sacked Jones twice and nearly killed him both times since he basically got to him untouched. New England's offensive line continues to be a nightmare.  

    The Patriots should finally get that first home win of 2021 next Sunday afternoon (1, CBS) as they host the Jets (1-4) who they beat 25-6 at MetLife Stadium in Week 2. Honestly though, will that prove anything? So far, the Jets and Texans (1-5) are the only teams they have managed to beat this season. That Week 1 loss to the Dolphins (1-5) looks terrible at this point along with their no-show against the Saints (3-2). The bottom line is that this looks like a non-playoff team for the second season in a row. That does not sound like much but remembering how spoiled we were for 20 years makes this particularly painful. The Patriots were the model franchise in sports for most of those two decades and now they appear to be a rudderless franchise filled with so many aging veterans, bad draft picks and a stubborn old head coach who is obviously nowhere near the same guy without the best quarterback in NFL history on his side.

Marchand Scored Twice & The Bruins Opened The 2021-22 Season With A 3-1 Win Against The Stars

 

    It was not the most thrilling of season openers but it is tough to argue with the final result as the Bruins beat the Stars (1-1) 3-1 this evening at the TD Garden. Left wing Brad Marchand opened the scoring on a penalty shot and he fittingly wrapped it up with an empty-netter. Between those tallies, Dallas center Luke Glendening and B's left wing Jake DeBrusk traded goals. Boston improved to 4-1 in season openers under head coach Bruce Cassidy and they hardly looked rusty as you might expect since their last preseason game was on October 6. Bruins rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves as he begins his first full season in Boston as the No. 1 starter and Boston's penalty kill went a perfect 6-for-6. Stars goaltender Braden Holtby (37 saves) apparently lost many of his super powers vs. the Bruins once he left Washington a few years ago because now he is just another good but not great goalie. 

    Marchand used his sneaky speed to gain a step on the Dallas defense and he got hooked then pushed down by Stars defenseman Ryan Suter to earn the penalty shot at 17:38 of the first period. The last time that Boston's first goal of the year came on a penalty shot was in 2013 when now assistant coach Chris Kelly got it done. Oddly enough for the team who had played a game already this season-a 3-2 win at the Rangers on Wednesday-the Stars came out slow except when left wing Roope Hintz's shot hit the post but thankfully stayed out of the net. Still, Boston leading 1-0 after the first period felt like it should have been more since they outshot Dallas by a huge margin (17-5).

    The Stars came alive in the second period and tied it at one at 9:15 as center Luke Glendening snapped a low shot by Swayman. His first goal of the season was assisted by center Tanner Kero. It was tied at one after two periods but the B's did not take too long in the third period to regain the lead. New center Erik Haula looked like he had the puck bounce off his stick but left wing Jake DeBrusk was right there in front of Holtby to quickly knock it in for the go-ahead goal at 4:43. The other newest Bruin on that line-right wing Nick Foligno-notched the secondary helper. Boston clinched the two points at 18:23 as right wing David Pastrnak found Marchand racing to the net where he was able to flip the puck into the empty cage before Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen awkwardly knocked him over. Haha NESN's Jack Edwards was screaming about it being a slew foot until the replay made him (somewhat) eat his crazy words. 

    Boston's practice that was scheduled for tomorrow was cancelled, giving them more time to get ready for Patriots (2-3) vs. Cowboys (4-1) tomorrow afternoon (4:25, CBS). At Warrior Ice Arena on Monday morning, the Bruins will start preparations for a short two-game road trip with stops in Philadelphia (0-0-1) on Wednesday (7:30, TNT) and then in Buffalo (2-0) on Friday (7,  NESN). Those are two clubs that they have owned for years so we'll see if that continues in their first meetings of this season. I figure that Swayman will face the Flyers and perhaps backup goaltender Linus Ullmark will take on his old team-the Sabres-and make his B's debut in the third game of the season. It certainly does not feel like hockey season yet with the warm temperatures outside plus all the other local teams in action but I'm sure once the weather gets worse, it will be time to focus on the Black and Gold a little more closely. 

Red Sox Earn The Split In Houston With A 9-5 Victory In Game 2 Behind A Pair Of Grand Slams

 

    Coming into the ALCS, we were all fearful of Houston's lethal offense and for good reason: they are deep and loaded with playoff experience. At the same time, we also have to recognize that Boston's lineup is just as dangerous as illustarted by today's 9-5 win by the Red Sox in Game 2 at Minute Maid Park. With that important victory, the series heads to Boston tied 1-1 with the next three games at Fenway Park. The final score is a bit misleading since Boston was up 8-0 in the second inning after a grand slams by DH J.D. Martinez and third baseman Rafael Devers (the first time in MLB history that a team hit two grand slams in the same playoff game) in consecutive frames. Boston's center fielder Kike Hernandez continued to be the hottest hitter on the planet as he crushed his fifth home run of the postseason (tying a Red Sox record for most HRs in an entire postseason) and Nathan Eovaldi (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 3 Ks, 1 BB) gave the Sox another solid outing.

    Houston's rookie starting pitcher Leury Garcia was no match for Eovaldi as he only lasted 1+ inning before he was pulled with a fake injury (right knee discomfort). Former Rays great Jake Odorizzi followed Garcia and he also got knocked around as he allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four innings. Martinez's grand slam went to the opposite field as it scored first baseman Kyle Schwarber, Devers and Verdugo. Devers' grand slam in the next inning landed in a similar spot down the right field line and it plated catcher Kevin Plawecki, second baseman Christian Arroyo and Hernandez. Both of those memorable blasts were the first home runs of the series for Martinez and Devers while Hernandez already has three in the first two games against the Astros following his solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. 

    Houston got on the board in the fourth with an RBI double from right fielder Kyle Tucker that scored DH Yordan Alvarez. First baseman Yuli Gurriel followed with a two-run single that brought in shortstop Carlos Correa and Tucker. Red Sox manager Alex Cora's bullpen was good at first as Northeastern's Adam Ottavino got the last two outs in the sixth inning before the superb Garrett Whitlock pitched two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Lefty scrub Darwinzon Hernandez came on in the ninth inning with a 9-3 advantage but it was not nearly enough as he gave up solo home runs to Gurriel and pinch hitter Jason Castro. This forced Cora to bring in Ryan Brasier who retired Astros second baseman Jose Altuve on a deep fly ball to center field to end it. Whew. 

    I'm not saying it's going to happen since I believe that Houston is a better team than Tampa Bay but the Rays did win Game 1 of the ALDS before losing Game 2 at home and coming to Boston where they lost Games 3 and 4 to get eliminated from the playoffs. With three games in three days at Fenway starting on Monday night (8:08, FS1), the Sox have a wonderful opportunity to take control of this series and put themselves in a great position to reach yet another World Series. Including the Wild Card game vs. the Yankees, Boston is 3-0 at home this postseason and it should be an awesome atmosphere for these pivotal ALCS contests against a budding rival.

B's Signed Defenseman Charlie McAvoy To The Largest Deal (8 Yrs, $76 Million) In Team History

 

    On the eve of their 2021-22 regular season opener tomorrow night (7, NESN) at TD Garden vs. Dallas (1-0), the Bruins finalized the most important contract issue facing the team: they inked young franchise defenseman Charlie McAvoy to a huge eight-year extension worth $76 million. It is the biggest contract in team history and it shows just how much they believe in the 23-year old BU product who is about to enter his fifth season in the NHL. McAvoy finished fifth in the Norris Trophy (given to the league's best defenseman) last season and this deal makes him currently the fourth highest paid defenseman in the NHL. With that obviously comes more pressure and even higher expectations but that is nothing new for the former first-round pick (14th overall in 2016) who you will remember made his professional debut in the playoffs against Ottawa-the same year that he was drafted which is extremely rare these days in hockey.

    Hopefully B's captain Patrice Bergeron is around for many more years to come but whenever he retires from the Bruins (please don't make me picture him in another uniform), McAvoy looks like a great candidate to be the next captain of the Bruins. He's tough, he competes hard every shift, he is physical and does not shy away from very difficult matchups with the best players in the world while logging heavy minutes (average time on ice of 22:51 for his career). If we are nitpicking, his offensive game is what still needs the most work. McAvoy has never topped more than seven goals or 27 assists in a full season. His defensive game is more full grown since he has been at least a plus-14 in each campaign including a career-high plus-24 in 2019-20 and he has blocked a total of 382 shots and registered 421 hits. In 235 career regular season games, he has accumulated 24 goals, 98 assists and he is plus-80. In 65 career playoff games, he has five goals and 27 assists, 119 blocked shots and 147 hits. 

    Charlie will start this season once again as part of the top defensive pairing along with a member of the first power play unit (which should help bump up his offensive stats). He is not huge for a No. 1 defenseman (6 feet tall, 208 pounds) but he skates well and plays bigger than his size in terms of throwing monster hits and blocking plenty of shots. He has always been a natural leader dating back to his brief two years at BU and also playing on the U.S. national team that won a gold medal at the World Juniors in 2017. At least for now, Tuukka Rask and David Krejci are no longer here with the B's and sadly, Bergeron and Brad Marchand will not play for the Bruins forever either. The positive news is that the next generation of Bruins players should be in good hands with McAvoy locked in for a long time.

The Second Walk-Off Win In Two Nights Sends The Red Sox To The ALCS & Ends Tampa's Season

 

    What did I tell you? Anything can happen in the MLB playoffs, especially in a shorter series format. In the 2021 regular season, there was no question that the 100 win Rays were a far superior team to the Red Sox. However, get those same clubs in the pressure cooker of the ALDS and suddenly, all of Tampa's flaws (no starting pitching, shaky lineup, too many young guys, a robot manager, etc) is exposed for all of the world to see. Boston no-showed in Game 1 getting shut out 5-0 but they never looked back after that. They destroyed Tampa 14-6 in Game 2, won Game 3 by a score of 6-4 in 13 innings on Christian Vazquez's two-run homer last night and this evening at Fenway Park, they finished the job with a 6-5 victory at Fenway thanks to the hottest hitter in baseball center fielder Kike Hernandez's walk-off sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner Danny Santana.

    Nobody can question the Rays' method, to a point. Using analytics and an excellent farm system, they routinely outperform expectations and prove that you can get it done with a low budget. Tonight, I'm not sure if their nerds had fallen asleep when they were putting together their pre-game spread sheets for Tampa Bay's manager Kevin Cash but the fact that they even pitched to Kike with first base open (runners on 2nd and 3rd) and one out was puzzling to say the least. Bigger picture, using pitchers as openers and changing their roles from game to game doesn't work in the biggest contests against the toughest opponents. The Rays reached the World Series in 2008 (losing in 5 games vs. the Phillies) and last season vs. the Dodgers (losing in 6 games) so until they actually win a championship, you can't convince me that analytics are everything in baseball. You still have to use your eyes, brain and natural instincts in conjunctions with the endless numbers. 

    The Red Sox built an early 5-0 lead thanks to batting around and scoring five runs in the third inning. With the Rays on the ropes, it looked like it might be a blowout in favor of the home team. However, credit to Tampa as they methodically chipped away against Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez (5 IP, 2 ER, 3 hits, 6 Ks, 0 BBs) along with relievers Tanner Houck and Ryan Brasier. The Rays scored once in the fifth inning, twice in the sixth inning and twice in the eighth inning to tie things up at five. 

    Boston's star third baseman Rafael Devers (3-for-4) had the biggest swing of the game as he lofted a three-run shot (scoring Vazquez and first baseman Kyle Schwarber) to center field for a 3-0 advantage on his second home run of the playoffs. Left fielder Alex Verdugo added an RBI double that plated shortstop Xander Bogaerts and DH J.D. Martinez knocked in Dugie with an RBI single. Tampa's rally started innocently enough with an RBI groundout in the fifth. Their best player shortstop Wander Franco (who is just 20 years old!) blasted a two-run bomb (that scored center fielder Kevin Kiermaier as well) to almost the same exact spot as Devers, his second homer of the playoffs cut it to 5-3 in the sixth. Brasier melted down in the eighth as he allowed the two runs without recording an out. Kiermaier (2 runs) roped an RBI double that scored catcher Mike Zunino and right fielder Randy Arozarena (2 hits) knotted things at five with an RBI single that scored Kiermaier. 

    The two Red Sox relievers that excelled in Game 4 were lefty Josh Taylor who worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a strikeout on 10 pitches and Garrett Whitlock (1-0) who pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning that only required 15 total pitches. The other AL series has Houston leading Chicago 2-1 after today's game in Chitown was rained out. Whoever wins that series will have home-field advantage vs. the Red Sox and the ALCS is set to start on Friday night. Boston is the last AL East team alive in the playoffs after they held off the Blue Jays for a Wild Card spot, eliminated the Yankees in said Wild Card Game and now they sent the Rays packing as well. It might seem improbable but by reaching MLB's version of the Final Four, the Red Sox have turned this season into an unexpected success with a real chance to reach another World Series. I expect the Astros to beat the White Sox and if that happens, Boston will have their hands full since I believe that Houston has been their worst matchup for years. Regardless, we have quickly been reminded how fun October baseball can be and now we have at least four more games of it to savor. 

Christian Vazquez's Epic Walk-Off HR In The 13th Inning Puts The Sox One Win Away From The ALCS

 

    After getting blanked by the Rays 5-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday night, the Red Sox responded with a resounding 14-6 victory on Friday in Game 2 at Tropicana Field but they topped that today by surviving a 13-inning marathon (fitttingly a day before the first Boston Marathon to ever be held in October) and winning 6-4 on a walk-off two-run homer (the first of the playoffs) by catcher Christian Vazquez. Suddenly, they have a 2-1 series lead (remember it is only a best-of-five series) with a chance to eliminate Tampa tomorrow night (7:07, FS1). Vazquez is the obvious hero for the Sox but their starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (5 IP, 2 ER, 3 hits, 8 Ks, 1 BB) was good and Nick Pivetta (1-0) was brilliant with four scoreless innings of relief (with 7 strikeouts) to get the win.   

    Boston outhit Tampa Bay 15-10 with center fielder Kike Hernandez (3-for-6, HR, 2 RBIs), first baseman Kyle Schwarber (3-for-5, HR, 2 runs) and second baseman Christian Arroyo (3-for-5, 2B, run) all having huge performances at the plate. Other than Vazquez's bomb (only the 8th time in MLB history that a catcher has hit a walk-off HR in extra innings), the play that will be remembered for eternity from Game 3 was a bizarre ground-rule double that turned out to be an enormous break for the home team. With pinch hitter Yandy Diaz on first base after a one-out single, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier roped a two-out double to right field that bounced off the wall, then ricocheted off right fielder Hunter Renfroe and over the wall. Diaz would have easily scored the go-ahead run but according to the MLB rule, it was a ground-rule double which meant that Diaz did not score and Kiermaier could not advance to third base. Instead, Pivetta struck out catcher Mike Zunino (0-for-6 with 4 strikeouts) to end the top of the 13th inning. 

    Renfroe walked with one out in the bottom of the 13th inning against Tampa Bay's reliever Luis Patino (0-1). That set the stage for the most memorable hit of Vazquez's Red Sox/MLB career as he hit a fly ball that just got over the Green Monster and into the front row of seats up there. Each club had a two-run lead earlier in the game: left fielder Austin Meadows hit a two-run blast (his 1st of the playoffs) to right in the first inning that scored Rays phenom Wander Franco for a 2-0 advantage. Boston chipped away with a lead-off shot by Schwarber (his first of the postseason) in the first inning then Kike's RBI single in the third inning plated Arroyo with the tying run. Third baseman Rafael Devers (did you know that his arm/wrist doesn't feel well?) followed with another run-scoring single that scored Schwarber and gave the Sox a 3-2 lead-their first of Game 3. 

    Hernandez set a franchise record with a hit in seven consecutive plate appearances and he put an exclamation point on that with a solo home run (his 2nd of the series) to left in the fifth inning. Tampa's two-run deficit only lasted until the eighth inning when Franco hit a solo homer (his 1st of the playoffs) to left and outfielder Randy Arozarena tied it on an RBI double that scored pinch runner Manuel Margot. Starting extra innings with a runner on second base is only a regular season thing hence why this contest took over five ours to complete. Red Sox manager Alex Cora had to mix and match with five other relievers before he left Pivetta (who originally was supposed to start Game 4) in there for good. By using an opener-Drew Rasmussen who lasted two innings-Rays manager Kevin Cash was forced to put in seven (!) other relievers before Patino fell apart in his second inning of work.

    As you can imagine, the Red Sox no doubt want to end this if possible on Monday. They want no part of a winner-take-all Game 5 on Wednesday back at the Trop. Furthermore, there is plenty of pressure on Tampa as well since they reached the World Series last year and rolled to an AL East title thanks to 100 regular season victories. Eduardo Rodriguez could not get out of the second inning in Game 1 vs. Tampa but he will receive a major chance to redeem himself in Game 4 because he will start for Boston. Besides Pivetta, all the other Red Sox pitchers that came out of the bullpen tonight threw less than 20 pitches meaning I think they would be available if needed tomorrow night. The most effective were Ryan Brasier (who pitched a scoreless inning with 1 strikeout) and Garrett Whitlock who nailed down the last four outs (3 strikeouts) to send the tight matchup to extra innings. Thanks to Chicago's 12-6 pasting of Houston this evening, no teams will be swept in the ALDS or NLDS this season. All four series will be in action tomorrow so it should be a great day (and night) for baseball.

Down 22-9 In The Third Quarter, The Pats Rallied For A Yucky 25-22 Win Vs. The Tanking Texans

 

    This afternoon in Houston at NRG Stadium was one of those rare occasions in the NFL when a win felt much more like a loss. Sure, we are happy that the Patriots (2-3 overall, 2-0 away) found a way to beat the lowly Texans (1-4 overall, 1-2 home) 25-22 but when you dig a little deeper, you see the myriad issues facing New England in 2021. With all the mistakes that they made (fumbling on the goal-line, throwing an interception, missing a PAT and giving up multiple big plays to a dreadful offense), the Pats were lucky that they were playing Houston and not a half decent team. Other than say the Lions (0-5), Jaguars (0-5), Jets (1-4) or Giants (1-4), it's doubtful that New England would have beat anyone else on this day. 

    In a battle of rookie quarterbacks, the unheralded Davis Mills (21-of-29, 312 yards, 3 TDs) of the Texans outperformed Mac Jones (23-of-30, 231 yards, TD, INT) of the Patriots. However, like last week when Jones shockingly outplayed Tom Brady but still lost, Mills' stellar play wasn't enough to push his team to a victory. Right from the start, Houston punched New England in the mouth Tyson Fury style on Deontay Wilder. On the opening drive of the game, the Texans had the ball for 10:06 and went 79 yards in 18 plays ending with a 11-yard touchdown pass from Mills to some Canadian tight end named Antony Auclair. The only good part of that miserable situation was when Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed the PAT giving the home team a 6-0 lead. 

    The Pats answered right back on their first drive (10 plays and 60 yards in 5:37) with running back Damien Harris slamming in a one-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately, he later fumbled in a similar spot. It was a rough day for kickers all around the NFL today and that extended to Pats kicker Nick Folk who also missed his first PAT. Yuck. Houston only needed three plays on their ensuing drive to retake the lead. Mills threw a long pass to journeyman wide receiver Chris Moore (5 catches, 109 yards) that eluded New England's de-facto No. 1 cornerback J.C. Jackson and went for a 67-yard touchdown pass. Somewhere in Carolina, Stephon Gilmore must have been chuckling. Once again, Fairbairn couldn't get the job done as he scuffed another PAT leaving the score at 12-6. He bounced back late in the first half with a 33-yard field goal then Folk hit a 52-yard field goal with two seconds left in the second quarter that cut it to 15-9 in favor of Houston.

    Patriots fans hoping for a quick turnaround in the third quarter must have been pissed to see them fall even futher behind as Texans cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. picked off Jones on the second play of the frame and that was soon followed up by a 37-yard flea flicker from Mills to another scrub wide receiver Chris Conley for a touchdown and a 22-9 advantage after Fairbairn finally hit a point after. For some stupid reason, the Texans tried to fool the Patriots by pretending like they were going to run a fake punt at the end of their next drive but instead their punt was blocked. Folk added a pair of field goals (from 52 and 32) to trim Houston's lead to 22-15 after three quarters. The Pats finally woke up in the fourth quarter as they tied it on a pretty 13-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Hunter Henry. New England's defense did not allow another point: Matt Judon (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, fumble recovery) continued to play like a Pro Bowler and his fellow linebacker Jamie Collins made a timely sack of Mills in crunch time in the start of his third stint in Foxborough.

    Jones and the offense took basically all the time off of the clock with one last drive (15 plays, 84 yards in 7:00) and Folk finished the job by nailing a chip shot 21-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in regulation. By virtue of New York's (1-4) 27-20 loss to Atlanta (2-3) this morning in London and Miami (1-4) getting blown out 45-17 by Brady and the Bucs (4-1), the Patriots snuck into second-place in the AFC East not that it means anything this season with the Bills (4-1) sure to run away with it-tonight they rolled 38-20 in Kansas City (2-3). New England will be tested once again next Sunday (4:25, CBS) as they host one of the better teams in the league-the Cowboys (4-1)-who destroyed the Giants (1-4) 44-20 earlier today. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott is playing like an MVP candidate and his team has won four games in a row after dropping the season opener at Tampa. If Mills gave the Pats defense so much trouble, what will Prescott be able to do to them? Our only hope for the Patriots to avoid starting 0-4 (!) at Gillette Stadium this season is that they show up (like they did vs. Tampa Bay) in a much more sexy matchup.