Category: News

The Big Story – Local Football Coaches: It was a great Day for Ohio State Football on Saturday as Ryan Day checked another box on his sparkling career resume when after four straight losses he finally got his first win vs. archrival Michigan with a 27-9 win.

On the other hand, his former OC Chip Kelly got fired by the Raiders.

Given that LV was 2-9 with chatter coming from both sides, it makes you wonder: was it the offense just not getting it done despite enough talent? Or did 74-year-old Pete Carroll need a scapegoat because he knew his coaching career could be over with a one-and-done in Vegas?

The good news is he’s still owed $12 million so he’ll be OK financially.

Sports 101: Name the first to kick a NFL field goal of 60+ yards.

News Item – Rafael Devers Trade Now Complete: The big concern about it just being a salary dump wasn’t true. Instead the Red Sox re-invested some of that big money in a trade with the Cardinals for starting pitcher Sonny Gray. Never been a big fan of his mainly because of how he shrunk from the pressure playing for the Yanks. But he did win 14 and 13 games for sub-.500 St. Louis and has averaged 175 innings the last three years. And they didn’t give up much in a 22-year-old with a mid-90s fastball and command issues (Brandon Clarke) and 2-4-with-Boston-last-year Richard Fitts.

News Item – Five Observations as NFL Enters December:

Last year Minnesota entered December 9-2 compared to 4-7 now. So did any team screw itself more than Minnesota did by letting QB Sam Darnold walk and going with J.J. McCarthy, who’d never taken an NFL snap?

It’s rare that a trade of high-profile players works as evenly it has in the 2021 trade of Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff. L.A. won a Super Bowl and Stafford is still playing great by leading the NFL with 30 TD passes, while Detroit’s team, mostly dormant since the late 1950s/early ’60s, came alive thanks to Jared Goff suddenly becoming what we expect from a first overall pick (2016) under new HC Dan Campbell, and after draft board maneuvering the boatload of picks they got were turned into Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and speedster Jameson Williams.

Stefon Diggs is the Patriots’ first true slot receiver since Julian Edelman retired. It was a money-in-the-bank vital spot during the dynasty thanks to Edelman, Troy Brown and Wes Welker.

FG kicking is ridiculous today. A 50-yarder is the new 35 and seven guys have made them from 60 yards in 2025. At the top is Jacksonville’s Cam Little, who hit a record 68-yarder in October after drilling one from 70 in August.

The Numbers:

76 – All-time NFL record for most rushing TD’s by a QB reached by Josh Allen after he got tush-pushed from about the five in Buffalo’s win over Pittsburgh.

259 – rushing yards piled up on the Eagles by Kyle Monangai (130) and De’Andre Swift (125) in leading Chicago to its shocking 24-15 win over the defending champs on Friday.

800– career wins for Miami Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra.

… Of the Week Award

Bad Ending of the Week – Bill Belichick: They won’t write that it was a good first year for BB at UNC. The Tar Heels closed out their season with three losses to North Carolina schools including Saturday’s 42-17 pasting by NC State to end Year 1 at 4-7. Not what they were expecting.

Quote of the Week – Kenyon Martin: Not sure what started the war of words between the 2000 first overall pick and 21st-century cheap shot king Draymond Green. But Martin had the most accurate comment when he said, “you played 128 games without Steph … the record is 52-76, under .500.” Bam!

Best Weekend In L.A. – Cooper Flagg: The 18-year-old Dallas rookie became the youngest player to record 11 assists in a game, on Friday versus the Lakers, and score 35 in one, versus the Clippers on Saturday.

Sports 101 Answer: New Orleans kicker Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard FG in 1970 was the first 60+ kick in NFL history. The record lasted over 40 years. He did it with a kicking foot that had no toes on it due to a birth defect.

Final Thoughts – Red Sox Rumor Mill: Word on the street has Jarren Duran as most likely to go to fill their need at first or third. But despite being a gold glove fielder with the power of 25 homers a year I’d be more inclined to trade Wilyer Abreu. Because with his speed, Duran can do things offensively few can do and I value that more than the defensive difference between Roman Anthony and Abreu in right. Plus 22-year-old Jhostynxon Garcia, who hit 45 homers in his last two minor-league seasons, is at worst a year away from being ready to replace Abreu.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

The Big Story – Thanksgiving: It’s Turkey Day, which means we’ll be thankful for things that happened during the sports year, which we’ll get to in Final Thoughts. It also means this was written before the Patriots were in Cincinnati Sunday afternoon. My biggest prediction for that was that the Pats win and, despite the denials, I’m betting Joe Burrows started his first game since Week 2. On to face the dastardly G-Men Sunday.

Sports 101: Name the only two quarterbacks to lead two different professional football leagues in passing.

News Item – 2025 Patriots After 10 Games:

Key Stat – Drake Maye: He is completing 72% of his passes and led all quarterbacks who’ve played 10 games in QB rating.

Improvement – Defense: It allowed the fewest rushing yards per game after 10 weeks. And no one has gotten even 60 yards.

Backslide – O-Line: Going into the Bengals game the 38 sacks allowed were the second most in the NFL.

Game Ball – The T-E-A-M: They don’t have close to the talent the 2007 team had, but incredibly they were not far off from being undefeated.

News Item – Most Young QB’s Need Time to Develop: One of the more interesting stories is how some who were once thought to be “highly drafted bust QB’s,” from Baker Mayfield to Sam Darnold to Mac Jones, have un-busted in their new homes, reminding all it usually takes time for young QB’s to develop. In particular is the vaunted 2021 draft class where five QB’s were taken in the first 15 picks, with mixed results.

A Little Recent History – 2020 Draft Update – The QB Class: It was supposed to be one of the best in history. But now it’s in the running for one of the worst ever. Five years in, here’s where it stands.

Trevor Lawrence – First Overall: Still in Jacksonville, but with a 28-42 record and one playoff appearance he’s been completely underwhelming in all but one year. Though he did make it to his second contract and the really big money.

Brett Wilson – Second Overall: A complete disaster in Jetland on the heels of the Darnold and Mark Sanchez disasters. Now on his third team, this time with Miami.

Trey Lance – Third Overall: Missed most of Year 1 with an injury and didn’t even make it to the end of his second training camp before being traded. Now in Dallas competing for the backup spot with Joe Milton after the Patriots stupidly traded him.

Justin Fields – 11th: A very good athlete and runner. But he’s on the outs with his third team, where he just got benched as the Jets continue searching for Joe Namath’s replacement.

Mac Jones – 15th: Dumped by NE after one good year and two bad ones. Now on his third team, and in going 5-3 while completing 69.6% of his passes filling in for Brock Purdy in 2025, is he just better, or finally playing with the right coach/system? I think the latter.

The Numbers:

4 – NFL punters averaging over the unheard-of 50 yards per kick, led by Cincy’s Ryan Rehkow’s astonishing 53.7. And three more are over 49.0.

15 – thanks to the five he got on Maye and the Pats, the league-leading sack total by Cleveland behemoth Myles Garrett.

15.7 – third best in the league punt return average by Pats DB Marcus Jones.

Sports 101 Answer: The only two QB’s to lead two different pro leagues in passing were John Hadl, who did it for San Diego in the AFL and the Rams in the NFL, and Otto Graham, who did it with the Browns in both the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) and after they joined the NFL in 1950.

Final Thought – 5 Biggest Sports Things To Be Most Thankful for in 2025

Mike Vrabel: Not sure exactly how he’s doing it. But the difference is night and day from the Jerod Mayo era.

Drake Maye: It’s a good thing Coach B and the guys he made OC his last two years completely screwed up Jones. Otherwise they probably wouldn’t have drafted a guy whose stats in his first two years are better than you-know-who’s were in his.

Roman Anthony – A Star is Born: The Sox were 32-36 when he first entered the line-up. When he went out on Sept. 2 they were 76-62. He was the difference in that 44-26 mark.

Sox Front Office Came to Life: Complain all you want about John Henry since 2019. But he traded four prospects for a Top 5 starter in Garrett Crochet and has spent half a billion dollars on players since March.For him to be totally forgiven he has to re-invest the $250 million saved in the Devers trade and more to get a real No. 2 starter and Pete Alonso to bat fourth.

Wyc Grousbeck: I know he’s out as owner, but he was an excellent one who was willing to spend when needed and cared about the Celtics’ place in the city.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.