Julian Edelman provides optimistic update on his health for playoffs

Julian Edelman has been quiet in the Patriots offense for the last few weeks.

New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman tends to keep information about his injuries to himself. But he provided some insight on his health during an interview with WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday morning.

The receiver has been dealing with knee and shoulder injuries for weeks, and has been listed on the injury report since Week 3 when he suffered a chest injury.

“I feel good, and that’s that,” Edelman told WEEI when asked about his health. “I feel better than I have in the last few weeks, and I feel good enough to go out and compete at a high level.”

NFL Network’s Mike Giardi reported Edelman’s shoulder injury is “worse than you can imagine.” Edelman hasn’t missed a game this season, but he has gone missing during games in recent weeks. He was having one of his most statistically impressive seasons of his career through the first 14 weeks, but his production slowed at the end of the season. It’s unclear how much injuries have impacted his production, because Edelman will never say, but the physical tolls seems significant. Still, with Edelman, motivation is never a question.

“You play for the money during the regular season; you play for your name during the postseason,” Edelman said Thursday.

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NFL picks against the spread, Wild Card Round: Can the Titans upset the Patriots?

Our picks for the first round of the NFL playoffs.

It’s the Wild Card weekend of the NFL season, which kicks off the playoffs on Saturday, so it’s time for our weekly look at the point spreads in order to help you win some money.

Last week, Charles Curtis went 5-10 in Week 17 picks (123-124-1 overall) and Steven Ruiz went 6-9 (122-111 overall).

We now go to each of them for comments before their picks.

Charles: Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I’m so mad. The quest for a second straight year with a winning record fell short by one game. Only thing I can do is deliver a better postseason.

Steven: Survived Week 17, which is always rough, with a winning record for the season. The playoffs should be much easier to pick.

(All bets courtesy of BetMGM)

Bills at Texans (-2.5)

Charles: Bills

I’m nervous. I can’t believe I’m about to back Josh Allen on the road in a playoff game, but here we are. But I can’t shake the fact that the Texans defense just isn’t good and that Buffalo’s secondary with Tre’Davious White can clamp down on DeAndre Hopkins, the most dangerous weapon Houston has.

Steven: Texans

The quarterback factor is too big for me to ignore. I know Deshaun Watson has been inconsistent — and kind of bad recently — but if you’re going to back one of these guys, it’s him. The Texans defense is awful, but playing at home should give it a boost. I see this one ending with a 23-16 score.

Titans at Patriots (-4.5)

Charles: Patriots

I know: the Patriots are not the same Patriots we’ve seen over the past two decades. Tom Brady and the offense can get stuck, and you could see a scenario in which the Titans take an early lead and the Pats have no response.

But this is not the game you’d bet against them. They still finished the season with the league’s best defense and Ryan Tannehill will play in his first postseason game in his career. Despite the fact that it was his play that helped carry this team to the playoffs, I can see Bill Belichick chuckling at the film and finding a way to stymie the Titans. A win by five points isn’t out of the question.

Steven: Patriots

Betting against the Patriots in the second half of the season has served me well, but it’s playoff time and that’s when Bill Belichick’s game-planning makes its biggest impact. He’ll have something cooked up to slow down Tennessee’s play-action passing game. And as bad as the Pats’ passing game has looked this season, the Titans’ pass defense hasn’t looked much better. New England *should* be able to move the ball in this one.

Vikings at Saints (-7.5)

Charles: Vikings

Look, the Saints are going to win this game. The defense will keep Kirk Cousins relatively in check and stop Dalvin Cook from completely breaking out. But that spread feels a tad too large to me, so I’ll take the points, with the hope that the Saints secondary learned a thing or two since the last time these two met in the postseason:

Steven: Vikings

I’m with Charles here. New Orleans is the pick to win the game but not by more than a touchdown. Mike Zimmer’s defense is too good to let that happen. And this Saints defense isn’t as strong as it was, say, a month ago. I’m expecting a huge day out of Michael Thomas but I’m not sure if the Saints have enough playmaking behind him to put up big numbers and turn this one into a blowout.

Seahawks at Eagles (-1.5)

Charles: Eagles

The Seahawks lost some of their luster in December, losing to an underachieving Rams squad, to the Cardinals and then on Sunday night to the Niners. Plus, they’re on the road against an Eagles team that suddenly showed some life with Carson Wentz (and yes, I’m aware all four of their wins were against putrid NFC East teams). This isn’t the same Seattle team that beat Philly at Lincoln Financial 17-9 in November, especially with Marshawn Lynch running the ball instead of Chris Carson or Rashaad Penny. So I’ll back the Iggles.

Steven: Seahawks

I think the Seahawks have been overrated all season, but this Eagles team is depleted on offense right now. This little win streak they’re on came against a putrid NFC East. It’s been a while since they’ve played a team as good as the Seahawks. It will undoubtedly be a close game, but I’ll take the better quarterback in this one, and that’s clearly Russell Wilson.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Cowboys 2020 Schedule: List of Home, Away, AFC and NFC, 2nd place opponents

The Dallas Cowboys may not know who will coach the team in 2020, but they know who they’ll be playing; the list of opponents is final.

The Cowboys players may not know who will be wearing the coach’s headset on their own sideline when the 2020 season rolls around, but they know who will be standing on the opposite side of the field for the 16 games of the next campaign.

The close of the regular season determined the final standings for each of the NFL’s eight divisions, and, when coupled with the rotation of intra- and interconference pairings, has finalized the teams the Cowboys will face next season. The league released the list of opponents for all 32 teams this week.

At home in AT&T Stadium, Dallas will host Philadelphia, Washington, the New York Giants, Arizona, San Francisco, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta.

The Cowboys will travel to take on Philadelphia, Washington, the New York Giants, Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Baltimore.

Along with the two games against each of their NFC East rivals, the Cowboys are due to meet each of the teams in the AFC North and NFC West this year, as per the regular league-wide rotation. As the second-place finisher in their own division, Dallas must also play the runners-up in the two remaining NFC divisions.

The actual schedule, with dates for each game, will be released in April. It is known, however, that the 2020 regular season will kick off on Thursday, September 10 and conclude with a full slate of games on January 3, 2021.

Super Bowl LV will be held in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on February 7, 2021.

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MMA rankings report: Michael Page, Lorenz Larkin make moves

The new year has begun, but it’s time for one last look back at how the final important event of 2019 affected the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

As we turn the page to 2020, we must take one last look back at the final meaningful event of 2019.

Bellator made its Japanese debut with the epic Bellator 237 at Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo on Dec. 28. Among the most noteworthy winners on the evening were two of the company’s best welterweights: [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] and [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag].

So how did these high-quality performances by “MVP” and “Da Monsoon” affect the standings at 170 pounds? And was there anything else noteworthy on the week? And most important, how did this all play out in this week’s USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings?

Let MMA Junkie’s own “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through all the changes of note in the video above.

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Bills at Texas: Wild Card injury reports

Injury reports for the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans ahead of Wild Card weekend.

Here’s how the injury reports for the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans looked on Wednesday ahead of their Wild Card matchup on Saturday at NRG Stadium:

Buffalo Bills (10-6)

Limited

  • DE Shaq Lawson (hamstring)
  • OL Ty Nsekhe (ankle)
  • WR Andre Roberts (foot)
  • CB Levi Wallace (ankle)

Notes:

Ty Nsekhe and Levi Wallace were injured in Week 17 vs. the Jets. … Nsekhe practiced on a limited basis on Tuesday and Wednesday, as did Shaq Lawson and Andre Roberts, Wallace did not practice on Tuesday.

Houston Texans (10-6)

Did not practice

  • TE Jordan Thomas (illness)

Limited

  • S Jahleel Addae (achilles)
  • WR Will Fuller (groin)
  •  CB Jonathan Joseph (hamstring)
  • LB Jacob Martin (knee)
  • CB Bradley Roby (hamstring)
  • WR Kenny Stills (knee)
  • OL Laremy Tunsil (ankle)
  • DE JJ Watt (shoulder)

Notes:

Will Fuller was expected to miss the first round of the postseason but has practiced in a limited capacity all week. … Jonathan Joseph said he will play vs. the Bills. … Bradley Roby was injured last week and was a started that sat out the Texans’ Week 17  game, along with Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills. … JJ Watt is expected to play against the Bills after coming off of Houston’s injured reserve list this week.

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What offense was Joe Douglas watching?

It’s hard to understand why Joe Douglas had praise for Adam Gase and his offense in his end of the year press conference on Tuesday.

Joe Douglas seems to be a little bit confused about the way the Jets performed on offense down the stretch in 2019.

New York’s first-year general manager held his end of the year press conference on Tuesday and made some remarks about Adam Gase’s offense that makes you wonder what exactly he was watching as the season came to a close. Douglas praised the direction of the Jets’ offense in the final eight weeks of the season, pointing at player growth as a reason to have confidence in Gase heading into 2020. Considering New York finished the season on a 6-2 hot streak, it’s understandable that Douglas had praises for the man leading the charge on the sideline.

The only problem is, Gase didn’t orchestrate an offense that provided any reason for confidence or hope for the future.

Yes, the Jets finished on a high note after a brutal 1-7 start, but New York averaged just 15.6 points per game over its final five games. That stretch included a six-point showing in a loss to the previously winless Bengals and just 13 points in a season finale win against a Buffalo Bills defense littered with backups and practice squad players.

The Jets started the second half with three consecutive 34-point showing, but those came against porous Big Blue, Washington and Oakland secondaries. After that, it was back to sputtering the rest of the way. If it weren’t for Gregg Williams calling excellent games on a weekly basis on the other side of the ball, odds are New York’s run at the end of the season would not have transpired.

It’s not like Sam Darnold took any major steps forward in the second half, either. Douglas praised player growth in New York’s final eight games, but the team’s most important offensive player and future of the franchise wasn’t really a shining example of any kind of growth. In fact, he occasionally showed signs of regression.

Darnold completed only 59 percent of his passes over the Jets’ final five games. He threw for six touchdowns and only three interceptions, but those final five games were littered with questionable decisions and a bevy of missed throws the USC product typically makes in his sleep. That’s not growth. That’s being stuck in the mud.

Speaking of being stuck in the mud, New York’s rushing attack was essentially non-existent because of Gase’s inability or lack of desire to feature Le’Veon Bell and play to his strengths as a rusher. Bell recorded under three yards per carry in the Jets’ final two games. He finished the season with only 3.2 yards per carry. You could point to an underperforming and banged-up offensive line as a major reason for Bell’s lack of production, but that would be ignoring the problem at hand.

Gase didn’t lead an offense that offers Jets fans any reason to have confidence in him going into his second season at the helm. Frankly, New York’s higher-ups shouldn’t have much confidence based on the results. Gase’s offense was among the worst in the league at the start of the season and wound up finishing dead last. Supposed offensive masterminds typically don’t boast the worst offense in the NFL.

You can’t blame Douglas for taking pride in New York’s strong finish to the season. It’s hard to believe the Jets managed to finish 7-9 after all the team had to overcome to get to that point. Still, Douglas’ praise for an offense that was not good at any point in 2019 begs a question that needs to be answered:

What the heck was he watching?

NBA MVP Race: Nikola Jokic enters the picture

Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?

Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives the Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.

Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

10. JOEL EMBIID, PHILADELPHIA

STATS: 23.7 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 BPG, 47.7 FG%

The past week-plus has been the perfect encapsulation of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 2019-20 season. The team was able to start off that stretch with a massive win on Christmas against the Milwaukee Bucks, on a night where Joel Embiid dropped 31 points and 11 rebounds against one of the league’s title favorites, but followed that up by losing their next three games, two on the road by one point apiece, and then a blowout at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in a game Embiid was forced to sit due to injury. Prior to going down, Embiid was averaging 30 points and 11 boards over a three-game stretch, so Philadelphia has to hope their star center doesn’t miss much time with what’s being described as left knee soreness.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

9. NIKOLA JOKIC, DENVER

STATS: 18.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 50.1 FG%

There’s no question Nikola Jokic got off to a frighteningly slow start to his 2019-20 campaign, but recently, the stud Serbian center has started to resemble his old self again, which is great news for the Denver Nuggets and bad news for teams in the Western Conference below the two-L.A.-team tier. Over the past three weeks (a 14-game span), Jokic has averaged 22.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game on fiery shooting splits of 55.9/41.4/84.6.

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

8. DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND

STATS: 26.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.6 APG, 3.4 3PTM, 43.8 FG%

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard has been performing at an elite level this season, and yet, his team can’t seem to garner even the slightest amount of momentum in 2019-20. Portland – losers of five straight, including an embarrassing 117-93 loss to the New York Knicks – are 14-21 on the season and have the league’s 12th-worst net rating at -2.0, which puts them behind the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls this year. What has to be especially frustrating for Lillard is the fact that with him on the floor, the Blazers are 11.6 points per 100 possessions better than when he’s on the bench, meaning the team gets absolutely destroyed in the minutes they’re without their All-NBA-caliber floor general. Luckily for Lillard and Co., however, the bottom of the Western Conference playoff race is a mess right now, so they’re still merely 1.5 games out of the eighth seed. They can thank Lillard for that.

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

7. JIMMY BUTLER, MIAMI

STATS: 20.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.6 APG, 2.0 SPG, 43.0 FG%

Even though he’s shooting at pretty horrific rates, primarily from three where he’s sinking just 27.6 percent of his looks, Jimmy Butler still ranks 10th in VORP this season, as well as 10th in BPM, ninth in WS/48 and 12th in PER, proving what an immense impact he’s having for the Miami Heat. It’s scary to think about what would happen to those marks if Butler is able to relocate his formerly semi-respectable outside stroke, too. Regardless, Butler is a lock to regain All-Star status this season after he missed the festivities last year, as his Heat boast an impressive (and unexpected) 24-9 record through 33 contests.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

6. KAWHI LEONARD, LA CLIPPERS

STATS: 25.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 45.2 FG%

As far as statement games go, no one on this list had a more important one over the past week than Kawhi Leonard on Christmas. Facing off with the Los Angeles Lakers and their two own MVP candidates, Leonard was spectacular, dropping 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five triples while shooting 11-for-19 from the floor. Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers came out on top against the Lakers for the second time this season that night by a final score of 111-106, raising questions about what a series would look like between these two super talented teams. One thing is for sure, though: Leonard has been playing at a scary level over the past month and a half.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

5. LEBRON JAMES, LA LAKERS

STATS: 25.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 10.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 48.7 FG%

Since sustaining the groin injury in mid-December, LeBron James’ shooting marks have plummeted, as the four-time league MVP is shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and 24.2 percent from three in those five contests. Regardless, James is still playing insanely well on the year as a whole, especially when you consider the fact that he just turned 35. James leads the league in nightly assists this year, and as he’s taken a bit of a backseat to his new super teammate, he’s posting a career-best 51.2 percent assist rate. Leave it to LeBron to set career marks in his 17th season.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

4. ANTHONY DAVIS, LA LAKERS

STATS: 27.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 BPG, 50 FG%

That aforementioned super teammate of LeBron’s we referenced, of course, is Anthony Davis, who, for the first time in his career, gets to play for a legit title contender. And with the way Davis is playing on a team expected to compete for a championship, it’s a shame we haven’t gotten to see this version of the superstar power forward sooner. Davis is shooting more than eight free throws nightly and sinking them at an 85.3 percent rate, which is insane for a big man, and just part of what makes him such an efficient/special scorer. Couple that with his otherworldly defense and it’s easy to see why many thought Davis could one day become a perennial MVP candidate. That day seems to have arrived.

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

3. LUKA DONCIC, DALLAS

STATS: 29.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 47.1 FG%

In the four games he’s played since returning from an ugly ankle injury, Luka Doncic is putting up 27.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game, so it looks like the Dallas Mavericks didn’t rush their burgeoning superstar back too quickly. On the year, the 20-year-old ranks third league-wide in scoring, 22nd in rebounds and third in assists, an absolutely absurd feat for someone in just their sophomore campaign. It hasn’t taken long for Doncic to become one of the most entertaining players in the league, thanks to his audacious step-back jumpers and wonderful playmaking prowess.

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

2. JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON

STATS: 38.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 46.1 FG%

As the decade came to a close this week, it was fun to look back at some of the absurd numbers James Harden put up in the 2010s. Two immediately stand out: The Beard ranks second in wins over the last 10 years, trailing just LeBron, with 502, and he leads the entire league in points scored over the decade with 19,578. People may complain about his style of play, but there’s no doubt Harden is one of the most special talents the NBA has ever seen. Also noteworthy: Harden is shooting 45.3 percent from three over the past 13 games and shooting just 8.4 free throws nightly in that stretch, so it looks like his game continues to evolve, which is downright scary for opponents.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

1. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE

STATS: 30.3 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 55.5 FG%

The no-brainer MVP favorite at this point in the season is still Giannis Antetokounmpo. Harden’s individual numbers (at least scoring-wise) might be more impressive, but Antetokounmpo is also one of the most impactful defenders in the league while averaging over 30 points per game – a ridiculous combination for a single player to possess. Antetokounmpo is even becoming a respectable outside threat, hitting over a third (33.1 percent) of his outside looks on the year. But by far the most impressive aspect of the Greek Freak’s campaign so far is the level at which he has the Milwaukee Bucks performing, who are 31-5 and have by far the league’s best net rating at +12.5. The next highest team in that stat, the Boston Celtics, are at +7.8, which goes to show Milwaukee’s level of dominance on the year.

You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.