Month: March 2023

Bleacher Report names player Ravens should be targeting to increase Super Bowl chances

Bleacher Report named a player that the Ravens should be targeting to increase their Super Bowl chances

The Baltimore Ravens have needed to add a quality proven veteran at wide receiver for some time now. While they’ve invested plenty of capital into the position over the past few years, a veteran who is among the best pass catchers in the league would take the team’s offensive unit to new heights, especially if quarterback Lamar Jackson returns to the fold.

When listing one player that each NFL team should pursue to increase their Super Bowl chances, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named the best wide receiver still available on the free agent market as his choice for Baltimore in Odell Beckham Jr., who most recently played for the Los Angeles Rams but sat out all of 2022 with a torn ACL. When explaining why, Davenport mentioned how Beckham would be a true No. 1 wide receiver for the Ravens, and the team needs to go get Jackson a wideout.

“…Provided that he’s fully recovered from the ACL tear he suffered in Super Bowl LVI, Beckham would offer Jackson a true No. 1 wideout. He’s capable of winning 50/50 battles in the red zone and can be a go-to guy…As the Ravens attempt to mend fences with Jackson, they need to go get him a wideout.”

NBA Twitter reacts to Anthony Davis’ gutsy, dominant game on Friday

Fans on Twitter were impressed with Anthony Davis’ dominant game versus the Timberwolves despite suffering an ankle injury.

The Los Angeles Lakers gained another big win on Friday when they pushed past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 123-111, but they had to endure an injury scare in the third quarter.

Superstar big man Anthony Davis landed awkwardly on teammate Wenyen Gabriel’s foot and appeared to injure his left foot or ankle. He remained on the ground for multiple transitions up and down the court, and Lakers fans likely feared the worst, thinking that his season might be over.

But Davis gathered himself and played his usual minutes the rest of the way. Despite not being 100%, he scored 17 points in the fourth quarter as L.A. held off Karl-Anthony Towns and company. Davis finished with 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting, 17 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Across Twitter, fans gave him plenty of credit.

Bellator 293 results: Cat Zingano wins grueling decision over Leah McCourt in entertaining scrap

Cat Zingano and Leah McCourt put on one of the most entertaining, back-and-forth women’s fights of 2023 at Bellator 293.

TEMECULA, Calif. – [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] and [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] put on one of the most entertaining, back-and-forth female fights of 2023 on Friday night at Bellator 293, but one thing made the clear difference.

Damage.

That belonged to Zingano, who came away with a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 30-27, 29-28, much to the delight of the heavily supportive crowd at Pechanga Resort Casino.

The fight was full of transitional sequences on the mat. Zingano (14-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and McCourt (7-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) each controlled and hurt the other at various points. But Zingano was more punishing, which underscored by a huge knee to McCourt’s face in the third round that caused a bloody gash on her forehead.

“I’m hard to keep on my back. I’ve heard that before,” Zingano said afterward. “She’s really tall and really strong and a lot of body. I’m not used to that, still, at this weight class. Yeah, I knew it was going to be a tussle with her, and it was going to be a lot of work. What I do know is I know how to cause damage and a lot of it. I think the damage made up for some of the transitional periods, and here we are.”

Zingano, a former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger, now finds herself in the driver’s seat of a Bellator featherweight title shot against, presumably, Cris Cyborg, who remains champion but hasn’t re-signed with the promotion since she fought out her contract in April 2022.

“I mean, right now, it sounds like it’s a vacant belt half the time,” Zingano said.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 293 results:

  • Cat Zingano def. Leah McCourt via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
  • John Salter def. Aaron Jeffery via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Luke Trainer def. Sullivan Cauley via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:58
  • Rakim Cleveland def. Christian Edwards via submission (standing guillotine choke) – Round 3, 3:55
  • Mike Hamel def. Nick Browne via TKO (head kick, punches) – Round 1, 0:42
  • Adam Piccolotti def. Mandel Nallo via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:26
  • Sara Collins def. Pam Sorenson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:43
  • Jeff Creighton def. Joey Davis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Lucas Brennan def. Josh San Diego via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:14
  • Vladimir Tokov def. Lance Gibson Jr. via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:02
  • Randi Field def. Ashley Cummins via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Bryce Meredith def. Brandon Carrillo via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:11
  • Mackenzie Stiller def. Maria Henderson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:17

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.

Former Ravens DL Calais Campbell thanks Baltimore in Instagram post

Former Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell bids farewell to the team and the city on Instagram

The Baltimore Ravens released defensive lineman and possible future Hall of Fame player Calais Campbell before free agency started.  The move was to get the team under the salary cap threshold.  General Manager Eric DeCosta didn’t rule out the possibility of Campbell returning to the team, but that scenario is now out of the picture.

Earlier this week, Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.  Campbell gave his heart and soul on and off the field to the city of Baltimore. After the signing was made official, he bid farewell to the Ravens and the city of Baltimore on his Instagram page in a heartfelt post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqdVIVYuACu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The Ravens are going to miss Campbell, both on and off the field. He did so much for the team, and his leadership in the locker room was top notch. Now it’s time for others to step up with Campbell gone, and they have both veterans and young talent to make life without the veteran a smooth transition.

Former Ravens OC Greg Roman shares thoughts on coaching Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman shared his thoughts on coaching quarterback Lamar Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens and now-former offensive coordinator Greg Roman parted ways after a four-year partnership earlier in the 2023 offseason. Baltimore hired Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next play-caller, while Roman revealed he’d be taking the 2023 season off from coaching but will have his hand in high school football and even a college program.

In an article with The 33rd Team, Roman talked about Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and where he feels like the signal-caller thrives. He talked about coaching Jackson, calling the experience exciting and unique while diving into the system that the team used while he was at the helm.

“Coaching Jackson was exciting and unique. A lot of creative thought went into it – different, original thoughts. You’re not just copying what somebody else is doing. In Baltimore, we weren’t a huge audible system. We did some of it, but we were mostly about pre-snap motions, shifting, changing the picture for the defense and utilizing various tempos. Putting it all together to where you have answers without doing a lot of checking and audibling was a big part of what we did.”

Roman also mentioned how he believes Jackson is safest when he’s out in space and on the move, mainly because he’s in control instead of in the pocket with his eyes down the field hoping someone doesn’t run into the back of his legs.

Kevin Porter Jr. continues surge as Rockets beat Pistons to end skid

#Rockets guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green combined for 65 points on strong efficiency as Houston held off Jaden Ivey and Detroit to end its seven-game losing streak.

Kevin Porter Jr. continued his strong run of form as the Houston Rockets (19-59) ended a seven-game losing streak with Friday’s 121-115 victory (box score) over Detroit (16-61). The game kicked off this season’s final homestand of three games at Toyota Center.

Porter scored a game-high 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting (60.0%), including a blistering 7-of-13 mark from 3-point range (53.8%). Meanwhile, backcourt mate Jalen Green added 32 points and 5 assists on 10-of-18 shooting (55.6%) and 2-of-5 from 3-point range (40.0%).

Frontcourt starters Alperen Sengun (15 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. (13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks) each had simultaneous double-doubles for a second straight game.

In Friday’s narrow defeat, the Pistons were led by rookie guard Jaden Ivey, who had 18 points and a game-high 9 assists. However, he was less efficient than Houston’s young backcourt, shooting just 8-of-20 overall (40.0%) and 2-of-9 from 3-point range (22.2%).

Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews with players and head coach Stephen Silas, and reaction from Houston fans and media members. The Rockets will continue their homestand Sunday versus the Los Angeles Lakers, with tipoff set for 6:00 p.m. Central.

Broncos made big changes on special teams this offseason

The Broncos brought in a new ST coordinator and an assistant HC with a ST background and made changes at punter, returner and long snapper.

Last year, the Denver Broncos’ special teams units were nothing special. Let’s go over some of the “highlights” from 2022.

Not only did they lead the league in punts (96), kicker Brandon McManus also missed the most field goals in a season of his career (8) and rookie return specialist Montrell Washington fumbled five times.

Suffice it to say, the Broncos are in major need of a special teams makeover. During free agency, Denver signed punter Riley Dixon, who returns to the Broncos after most recently playing for the Los Angeles Rams. After signing Dixon, they released Corliss Waitman, who, despite leading the NFL in punts, had one of the shortest punts of the season among qualifying punters who booted at least 25 kicks (57 yards). Comparatively, Dixon’s longest punt in 2022 was 67 yards.

The Broncos also made a change at long snapper, letting Jacob Bobenmoyer walk in free agency. Mitchell Fraboni, who filled in for an injured Bobenmoyer in four games last year, now appears set to become the team’s full-time long snapper in 2023.

In addition, the Broncos also acquired cornerback Tremon Smith, who was a kick returner for the Houston Texans to compete with Washington as a specialist. Will this competition bring out the best in Washington? Or will Denver be looking for another returner in the draft?

This new-look special teams unit has some great potential. It would certainly be nice to rank near the bottom of the league in punts, and near the top of the NFL in return yards. With new special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and new assistant head coach Mike Westhoff leading the charge, the Broncos should take a big step forward on special teams this fall.

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Celtics laud Blake Griffin’s impact: ‘He does whatever he needs to do to help us be a better team’

Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum offered their admiration and praise for Blake Griffin’s energy and leadership during Friday night’s win and beyond.

The NBA may be a star’s league, but it takes the right culture and mindset for a team to go the distance. Top talent must be anchored by poise, tenacity, and an understanding of the moment. All season long, veteran Blake Griffin has offered that stability for the Boston Celtics.

Griffin is far from the high-flying superstar he was a decade ago, but he has instead found new ways to contribute to winning basketball. In his first season with the Celtics, Griffin has proven an important voice in the locker room, a versatile role player, and, increasingly, a crucial spark of physicality and energy.

With Robert Williams III and Al Horford on the bench Friday night, Griffin earned the start in Boston’s win against the visiting Jazz. The Oklahoma native logged 6 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, but after the game both head coach Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum were quick to point out how Griffin’s impact was, per usual, so much greater than what showed up on the stat sheet.

Lakers player grades: L.A. finally gets over .500 with win over Timberwolves

The Lakers’ recent surge continued on Friday with an impressive 123-111 win over the Timberwolves.

The Los Angeles Lakers had another hugely important game on Friday when they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, who came into the contest half a game ahead of L.A. in eighth place in the Western Conference.

After a competitive first quarter, Minnesota went up by 10 at halftime, and it looked like the Lakers were in some trouble, as they had trouble hitting shots and protecting the ball.

But they took control in the third quarter, and they did it by playing their game. They tightened up their defense, and suddenly Minnesota went cold offensively. That defense ignited the Lakers’ feared fast break, which produced 14 points in the period. Overall, it was a 24-2 run that gave Los Angeles a solid lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

In the first half, turnovers were a problem for L.A., but they became a problem for the Timberwolves after halftime, especially in the third quarter. Overall, they committed 16 turnovers and shot just 43.2 percent from the field, as LeBron James and crew put the clamps on.

The Lakers’ 123-111 victory not only put them over .500 for the first time in over a calendar year, but it also catapulted them into seventh place in the Western Conference. They’re now just one game behind the sixth-place Golden State Warriors, who they hold the tiebreaker over, and 1.5 games behind the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers, who they will play on April 5.

Pat Surtain to participate in ‘The Catch’ fishing competition

Pat Surtain will participate in ‘The Catch’ fishing competition on April 15 on CBS.

On April 15th, several NFL players will trade their cleats and gloves for a fishing rod. One will be the Denver Broncos’ very own Pat Surtain II. 

Surtain will join the likes of Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings and A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles and several others as they compete in a fishing competition in an event called “The Catch.”

The NFL stars will help raise awareness for the Sports Fishing Championship’s community champions. While we don’t expect Surtain and others to be as good as professional fishermen, bringing attention to a cause is always a plus. 

Lastly, the NFL stars will partner with the best professional anglers. According to Mark Neifeld, CEO & Commissioner of Sport Fishing Championship, this event is a win-win. 

“It’s a massive moment for our sport,” Neifeld said. “Competitive saltwater fishing live on CBS on consecutive Saturdays following the NCAA Final Four and The Masters — this was unthinkable only a year ago. Our talented athletes earned this platform alongside other sporting greats.”

Check out Surtain and the other NFL stars as they compete on April 15th. 

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