Month: September 2020

The Timberwolves and Lynx will be …

The Timberwolves and Lynx will be partnering with multiple organizations in the Twin Cities to increase voter registration throughout the area in a new initiative they’re calling “Pack the Vote.” As part of the initiative, the franchises will be promoting online efforts to register people to vote through an online portal and texting options, in conjunction with When We All Vote and I am a voter, as well as organizing three different in-person events beginning Sept. 22, which is National Voter Registration Day. “We really felt like driving the registration conversation and bringing that Pack the Vote platform to under-resourced communities was pivotal now more than ever,” Wolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson said.

Cooper Kupp jokes with Johnny Hekker after being holder in scrimmage

Cooper Kupp took Johnny Hekker’s place as the holder in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Johnny Hekker did not take part in the Rams’ scrimmage at SoFi Stadium on Saturday as he was back home attending the birth of his child. As a four-time All-Pro, he didn’t need the extra practice punting anyway.

However, his absence did impact another phase of special teams: field goals.

Hekker is the holder on kick attempts and has been for years. The Rams are trying to sort out their kicking competition, so every aspect of the field goal operation matters. Hekker is an excellent holder, but his backup isn’t too shabby, either.

Cooper Kupp took Hekker’s place for a brief while before leaving the game himself due to soreness in his leg, and he joked about it with Hekker on Twitter afterwards.

After Kupp left, it was up to John Wolford to hold for the rest of the kick attempts. It’s unclear if Hekker’s absence played a role in the kickers’ struggles, but none of the three really stood out in a big way. Austin MacGinnins had the best day, going 6-for-8, while Lirim Hajrullahu and Sam Sloman each made five of their eight attempts.

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Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors Game 2 betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Boston Celtics toppled the Toronto Raptors 112-94 in Sunday’s Eastern Conference Semifinals series opener, and they go for the 2-0 series lead Tuesday. Tip-off at HP Field House in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. is at 5:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Celtics-Raptors Game 2 betting odds and lines, with NBA picks and best bets.

Celtics vs. Raptors: Key injuries

Celtics

  • SF Gordon Hayward (ankle) out

Get some action on this game or any other matchup with an NBA bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

Celtics vs. Raptors: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:28 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Raptors 106, Celtics 102

Moneyline (ML)

Get the higher-seeded RAPTORS (-115) at an improved price after they dropped the series opener Sunday. PG Kyle Lowry played 35 minutes and put up 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists despite heading into Game 1 with a questionable tag due to an ankle injury. Expect him to get better as this series goes on and drive the Raps to victory.

The Celtics (-106) were led by 21 points from both PG Marcus Smart and SF Jayson Tatum. C Daniel Theis put up 13 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds.

Expect a better game from Raptors PF Pascal Siakam after he got into early foul trouble in Game 1 and finished with just 13 points and three rebounds. He averaged 22 points and five rebounds against Boston in the regular season.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Raptors (-115) to win in regulation or overtime would return a profit of $8.70.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

There’s slightly better value on the RAPTORS -1.5 (-110) while requiring them to win by just 2 or more points for a bet to cash. They beat the Celtics by 16 points on the road when they played them in back-to-back games Dec. 25 and 28. Toronto lost the first game by 16 points.

Toronto is still 9-4 against the spread since the NBA returned to play. Boston is 7-5-1 ATS in the same span.

CelticsWire:

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 217.5 (-110) remains the best bet for this series between top defensive clubs. The Under hit by just a half-point in Game 1 as they played to a total of 216 points.

With Tuesday’s projected total rising by a point, take advantage of the extra breathing room.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 20-10

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Matt Rhule says Panthers backup QB competition could continue into season

Matt Rhule says Panthers backup quarerback competition between Will Grier and P.J. Walker could continue into the regular season.

Teddy Bridgewater used to be the best backup quarterback in the NFL. Now that he’s starting for the Panthers, they’ll need to find somebody who can fill that role behind him. There’s currently a vigorous battle between Will Grier and P.J. Walker to settle that question.

After yesterday’s practice, coach Matt Rhule left open the possibility that the team will carry three quarterbacks this year and the competition between Grier and Walker will continue week to week.

In the past, using an extra roster spot on another backup QB might have been wasteful. This year, it makes more sense. Also, the Panthers have the option of keeping one of them on the practice squad and use one of their four protected spots so that other teams can’t poach them.

Based on Grier’s performance last season, he’s a strong candidate to take one of those four protected spots. Walker could instead, in theory.

For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus is projecting Walker will win this competition. They have only ranked him No. 30 among backups, though.

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Browns flashback: Storylines from 1 year ago reveal a very different team

From Greg Robinson being cut to a college football preview, so much has changed in a year

With the calendar turning to September and the Browns idle yesterday, I decided to take a look back at where we were with the team one year ago. My how the times have changed!

There were the top five most-read stories on Browns Wire one year ago today, on Sept. 1st, 2019:

Browns release starting left tackle Greg Robinson

This was one of those, “huh?” moments. Yes, the Browns did indeed cut their starting left tackle after the final roster cutdowns. It was a designed maneuver to allow rookie Drew Forbes to sneak through to I.R. rather than expose him to waivers. Robinson quickly re-signed with the team. Now Forbes is on the opt-out list and Robinson is facing up to 20 years in prison.

Taywan Taylor: What the Browns are getting in their new WR

Oh the excitement there was over acquiring Taywan Taylor! Here was a recent third-round pick set free by a numbers game in Tennessee. John Dorsey (remember him?) pounced on Taylor, picked up via trade for just a 7th-round pick. Another Dorsey masterstroke!

Welp. Taylor, who caught 37 passes in 2018 for the Titans, did not catch a single pass in his first year in Cleveland. He seems unlikely to get a second season to redeem himself.

Cleveland Browns roster cuts: Here’s who has been released

Roster cutdown day was Aug. 31st, so the first day of September was full of getting caught up on who was still in the brown and orange and who got sent packing.

In looking at this list, a few of the players here came back in one form or another: Stephen Carlson, Willie Harvey, J.T. Hassell, Robert Jackson, Donnie Lewis. All remain with the Browns today. Only punter Britton Colquitt went on to do anything notable anywhere else, and the Browns were right to take the risk and go with rookie Jamie Gillan over the reliable veteran.

Eric Kush named Browns starting RG “as we speak” by Freddie Kitchens

Insert GIF of Nancy Kerrigan screaming a tearful “why!?” here. The only upshot is the mention of newcomer Wyatt Teller getting a chance to usurp Kush, now struggling to make the Raiders as their final reserve OL. Teller is the starting right guard for 2020 — as we speak, anyway…

2020 NFL Draft Prospect preview: Oklahoma Sooners

Remember college football? Yeah, me too. Sigh. Props to Josh Keatley for trumpeting CeeDee Lamb, recently rated the best WR in Dallas Cowboys camp, as an attractive target for the Browns.

 

25 days until it is football time in Tennessee

25 days until it is football time in Tennessee.

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The University of Tennessee football team will return to action in 25 days.

Tennessee will kick off the 2020 football season Sept. 26. The season was originally scheduled to start Sept. 5 against Charlotte at Neyland Stadium. The Southeastern Conference announced on July 30 a schedule consisting of only league games would take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 Tennessee football schedule

9/26 at South Carolina
10/3 vs. Missouri
10/10 at Georgia
10/17 vs. Kentucky
10/24 vs. Alabama
10/31 OPEN DATE
11/7 at Arkansas
11/14 vs Texas A&M
11/21 at Auburn
11/28 at Vanderbilt
12/5 vs. Florida

Jeremy Pruitt enters his third season as the Vols’ head coach in 2020. Tennessee concluded the 2019 campaign with a six-game winning streak and a victory over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Tennessee Football: COVID-19 Status Tracker

SEC announces masking, testing guidelines for upcoming football season

A look at the Bills WR position prior to roster cuts

Pro Football Focus has the Bills receiving corps ranked as the fifth best in the NFL, which is a pretty big jump from where the unit was even just a season ago. The Bills are just days away from breaking down their roster to 53 players. Cut-down day …

Pro Football Focus has the Bills receiving corps ranked as the fifth best in the NFL, which is a pretty big jump from where the unit was even just a season ago. The Bills are just days away from breaking down their roster to 53 players. Cut-down day in the league is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m. Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane has some tough decisions ahead of him.

With a position group built through free agency, trades and the draft, here’s a breakdown of the position, player-by-player:

Duke Williams

Duke Williams caught the Bills attention thanks to a strong showing in the Canadian Football league. He demonstrated big-play potential during the 2019 preseason after signing with Buffalo and is a big target at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, who may work his way into a role on offense.

Entering his second year with the team, the 27-year-old Auburn product had the two biggest catches during camp so far, muscling one in coverage on a pass from quarterback Matt Barkley and making an even more impressive one-handed haul in amidst multiple defenders on a throw from rookie QB Jake Fromm. The biggest problem with Williams is his lack of production on special teams, something several other depth options have.

Isaiah Hodgins

Growing up around the Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald seems to have made an impression on Hodgins. The 6-foot-4 rookie out of Oregon State dubbed the Bills’ ‘biggest draft steal’ by Draft Wire had 86 catches for 1,171 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Beavers. Like Diggs, he’s known for his route running and was described by The Draft Network as having “the most natural hands in the class.” It will be interesting to see if he can make his way into the receiver group in his first year as a Bill, but could another team claim him of Buffalo’s practice squad if he ends up there?

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J’Marion Gooch commits to Tennessee

J’Marion Gooch commits to Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE — 2021 prospect J’Marion Gooch announced his commitment to the Vols on Monday.

The 6-foot-8, 358-pound offensive lineman made his announcement on Twitter.

Gooch was previously committed to Auburn. He committed to the Tigers on April 16.

The 2021 prospect holds SEC offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Gooch was initially offered by Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee on May 23, 2019.

He has visited UT unofficially three times since Pruitt has been UT’s head coach: Sept. 22, 2018 for the Vols-Florida contest, Sept. 7, 2019 for the Tennessee-BYU game and on March 1 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled spring collegiate athletics.

Vols’ 2021 commitment tracker

Rams kicking competition is ‘far from decided’

Sean McVay didn’t provide any clarity on which kicker is winning the battle.

Position battles across the Rams’ roster are beginning to settle themselves out. Micah Kiser and Travin Howard (if healthy) look like the starting inside linebackers, the offensive line has really taken shape, and John Wolford is undoubtedly the No. 2 quarterback.

One competition that isn’t close to being done is at kicker. Austin MacGinnis, Sam Sloman and Lirim Hajrullahu are still battling it out, and the winner may not be determined until the very last minute.

Sean McVay provided somewhat of an update on that situation, though he didn’t give any indications of who’s in the lead.

“You want to use every bit of the time that we have to really evaluate this,” McVay said Monday. “It’s certainly a very important decision for us and we have three guys that are very capable. The more opportunities that we can create to try to simulate those game experiences is what’s important. We’re going to take all of our time and I think all those guys have done a nice job, but it certainly is far from decided.”

None of the three kickers performed particularly well in the second scrimmage, which complicated things a bit. Hajrullahu seemed to be performing the best in practice and in the first scrimmage, but he only went 5-for-8 on Saturday, which matched Sloman; MacGinnis was 6-for-8.

The Rams will have to trim their roster to 53 players by Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, and it’s expected that two kickers will be among the 27 players released. We just don’t have any indication of which kicker will be the one the Rams keep.