3 bold predictions for Dolphins vs. Bengals in Week 16

What should Dolphins fans expect when the Dolphins and Bengals clash? Expect a lot of points, for starters…

The Miami Dolphins enter Week 16 of the NFL season thankful to be playing anywhere other than MetLife Stadium. The Dolphins are 0-2 in their last two games, both played in northern New Jersey in showdowns against the Jets and Giants. A little home cooking against the Cincinnati Bengals is now on the table and Miami will look to bounce back with a win before hitting the road to finish their season in Brian Flores’ old stomping grounds.

What is in store for this week? Here are three bold predictions for Miami’s final home game of the 2019 season.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon explodes for a big day

No Raekwon McMillan in the middle makes for bad news for the Dolphins defense. Joe Mixon is one of the more talented backs in football and he’s come alive over the last few months. Without McMillan to meet him in the gaps, Cincinnati is going to have every opportunity to get Mixon going, especially after seeing how the Giants were able to run at the Dolphins with Saquon Barkley last week. Expect a third consecutive 120+ yard rushing performance.

Ryan Fitzpatrick goes off for a season high in passing yards

This is no small number — Fitzpatrick tossed for 365 against the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this December. But here’s why we think he’s got a chance against the Bengals: Cincinnati isn’t a very good defensive team in their own right and those 50/50 balls thrown up for DeVante Parker are going to be difficult to stop. Miami should be able to create some chunk plays through the air, we’re going to bet there’s enough of them to boost Fitzpatrick’s passing day to surpass 365 yards.

The “Over” cashes out

The over/under on this game right now sits somewhere right around 46.5 points, depending on where you look. Have the odds makers seen these defenses? Neither team is overly effective rushing the passer, both teams are wearing thin in secondary talent and both teams have veteran quarterbacks at the helm. Look for the combined points in this game to exceed 46.5 — this may turn into a game of whoever has the ball last wins.

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Bellator 236 live and official results (8:30 p.m. ET)

Bellator 236 takes place Saturday. Join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT).

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Bellator 236 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for a live video stream and official results beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (10-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA), who fights in front of her home fans against challenger Kate Jackson (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA). In the co-feature, Derek Campos (20-9 MMA, 9-7 BMMA) takes on A.J. McKee (15-0 MMA, 15-0 BMMA) in a quarterfinal bout in the ongoing featherweight grand prix.

Official Bellator 236 results include:

MAIN CARD (DAZN 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kate Jackson – for women’s flyweight title
Derek Campos vs. A.J. McKee – featherweight tournament quarterfinal
Jason Jackson vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
Bruna Ellen vs. Juliana Velasquez
Cheyden Leialoha vs. Raufeon Stots
Nainoa Dung vs. Zach Zane

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Keoni Diggs vs. Scotty Hao
Spencer Higa vs. Kai Kamaka III
Dustin Barca vs. Brandon Pieper
Kealii Kanekoa vs. Ben Wilhelm
Kaylan Gorospe vs. Swayne Lunasco
Chas Dunhour vs. Nate Yoshimura

UFC on ESPN+ 23 results: Volkan Oezdemir edges out Aleksandar Rakic after three-round slugfest

Volkan Oezdemir got the nod on the scorecards after a back-and-forth battle with Aleksandar Rakic at UFC on ESPN+ 23 in Busan, South Korea.

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] and [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] headed into South Korea with well-earned reputations as knockout artists, but their clash at UFC on ESPN+ 23 showed they both have chins to match, as they battled all the way to the scorecards in Busan.

The two light heavyweight finishers went toe-to-toe through three full rounds at Sajik Arena in the night’s co-main event, which streamed live on ESPN+. And a hotly-contested 15 minutes, it was Oezdemir (17-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) who got the nod via split decision.

The bout started in explosive fashion, as Rakic (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) came flying out of his corner and connected with two solid punches, then a flying knee, as he backed Oezdemir against the fence. The Austrian then looked to surprise the Swiss fighter with a guillotine choke, but Oezdemir recovered well before the action returned to the center of the octagon.

Rakic continued to boss things from the outside, mixing up punches and low leg kicks as Oezdemir looked to step in and use his powerful short-range punches, and one snapping right hand in particular from “No Time” put Rakic on alert.

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And, just as Oezdemir appeared to be finding a foothold in the contest, Rakic mixed things up and took his man to the canvas with a single-leg, then looked to work him over with power punches against the fence after they returned to the feet. The threat of the knockout was ever-present as the pair threw with full power, but Rakic looked the slicker striker from range, as he connected with a clean two-punch combination before sliding away from a right-hand counter from Oezdemir in the final moments of an action-packed opening round.

But if Rakic had the better of things in the opening round, Oezdemir came back into the contest in Round 2, as he turned to his leg kicks and had immediate success. His first serious kick of the second stanza connected powerfully, leaving the Austrian with a large, nasty-looking swelling just below the left knee, which continued to grow in size as the round progressed. Oezdemir returned to that target repeatedly throughout the round as the pace of the bout slowed and the Swiss began to edge the striking exchanges.

Perhaps knowing the fight was in the balance, Rakic came out swinging at the start of Round 3 and connected with a big hook, which Oezedemir took well. The Swiss fighter then returned fire with shots of his own as the pair continued to battle back and forth. Both men landed solid left hooks as they chased a late finish. Oezdemir clipped his man with a head-kick, while Rakic continued to land jabs from range, while mixing in takedown attempts that ultimately proved unsuccessful as the two noted knockout artists battled all the way to the scorecards.

The fight was almost too close to call, and left the three octagonside judges split on the overall winner. When the scores were read, it was Oezdemir whose hand was raised with scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 going his way after a tight, competitive matchup.

“I’ve been on the wrong side of a decision already, on my last fight with Dominick Reyes,” said Oezdemir after the fight. “Now I’m going to let Reyes do his thing. And when Dominick Reyes comes back, I’ll be ready for him.”

Oezdemir then went on to call for a matchup with fellow light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith, who submitted him back at UFC Fight Night 138 in Moncton in October 2018.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 23 results include:

Volkan Oezdemir def. Aleksandar Rakic via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Charles Jourdain def. Dooho Choi via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:32
Da Un Jung def. Mike Rodriguez via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:04
Jun Yong Park def. Marc-Andre Barriault via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Kyung Ho Kang def. Liu Pingyuan via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Ciryl Gane def. Tanner Boser via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Seung Woo Choi def. Suman Mokhtarian via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-25)
Omar Morales def. Dong Hyun Ma via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)
Alexandre Pantoja def. Matt Schnell via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:17
Raoni Barcelos def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Amanda Lemos def. Miranda Granger via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:43
Heili Alateng def. Ryan Benoit via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Steelers want Sam Darnold to see ghosts again in Week 16

The Steelers want to make Jets quarterback Sam Darnold as uncomfortable as possible when they come to MetLife Stadium in Week 16.

Remember when Sam Darnold said he was seeing ghosts against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football?

The Steelers want to make that happen again in Week 16.

Darnold was beyond rattled against the Patriots, as New England kept him off balance and running for his life with a variety of blitz packages and defensive formations. He has settled back in since his infamous Monday night admission, but members of the Steelers’ defense believe they can get the second-year signal caller rattled when they come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

“That’s the plan,” Pittsburgh safety Terrell Edmunds said on Wednesday. “Just put a lot of people in his face, hopefully make him make some false throws and get turnovers. That’s our gameplan. That’s just how we play the game every week. So that’s how we are trying to carry it out.”

Pittsburgh certainly has the personnel to make Darnold uncomfortable this weekend. TJ Watt is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, while Bud Dupree has undergone somewhat of a career renaissance in 2019. Veteran cornerback Joe Haden is also a key contributor in the secondary, giving the Jets a ballhawk they’ll have to account for at all times.

“We’d like to try to confuse him,” Haden said. “He’s still a [second-year] quarterback. So we’re trying to not just stand out there and let him know what defense we are in. Just trying to keep him on his toes. Once he snaps the ball, get a little movement in, so he has to realize what [type of coverage] we are in during the play. Just trying to hold our disguises and move around and keep him thinking.”

Whether or not Darnold sees ghosts against the Steelers, he’s going to have to play his best football against a Pittsburgh team fighting to keep its playoff hopes alive if he wants to lead the Jets to their sixth victory of the year.

Bellator 236 discussion thread

Bellator 236 takes place Saturday in Hawaii, and you can discuss the event here.

HONOLULU – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s Bellator 236 event at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, which kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our Bellator 236 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 10 p.m. ET for the main card.

Steelers vs Jets: How to watch, listen and stream

Here’s your game information for this week.

Here is everything you need to know so you can watch, listen to or stream this week’s Pittsburgh Steelers game. It’s win and stay in for the Steelers and the playoffs. This week they go on the road and face former teammate Le’Veon Bell and the New York Jets. The Jets don’t have anything to play for other than to spoil the season for Pittsburgh.

Game information:

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) @ New York Jets (5-9)

Kickoff: Sunday, December 22, 1:00 p.m. ET

Venue: MetLife Stadium

Broadcast:

Television: CBS

(play-by-play) Ian Eagle

(commentary) Dan Fouts

(sideline) Evan Washburn

Online: You can also tune in online with NFL Game Pass and FutboTV (try it for free).

Radio: Westwood One and Steeler Nation Radio will have the game, as well as WDVE 102.5 FM & WBGG 970, AM local.

You can also follow the game with us @TheSteelersWire and of course here on Steelers Wire with our live updates during the game, along with highlights of all the key moments from this week’s game. Join us straight after the final whistle for more in-depth coverage, injury updates, and analysis of all the action.

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BAMA BEAT: College Football Pick ‘Em, Bowl Games (Part I)

Cecil Hurt and Clint Lamb, through TideSports.com and The Tuscaloosa News, produce a podcast called “The ‘Bama Beat”, which features all the latest news and analysis surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide. In this episode, Hurt and Lamb team up with …

In this episode, Hurt and Lamb team up with Hunter Johnson to discuss most of the college football bowl games for the 2019 season. This is the first of a two-part podcast, which includes several bowl games through Dec. 27.

Here are the games that were picked in this podcast:

FAU vs. SMU
Washington vs. Boise State
UAB vs. Appalachian State
BYU vs. Hawaii
Miami (Fla.) vs. Louisiana Tech
North Carolina vs. Temple
Michigan State vs. Wake Forest
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State
USC vs. Iowa
Washington State vs. Air Force

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Sixers vs. Wizards preview: Sixers look to get their edge back

The Philadelphia 76ers play host to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers have looked like a lot team over their three-game losing skid. They have not found a way to score against zone defenses and their own defense has failed them. As they welcome in the Washington Wizards on Saturday, they have got to find their defense quickly against one of the league’s best offenses.

The Wizards have a victory against the Sixers earlier in the year as they used Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans in order to knock off Philadelphia at home. In the rematch, the Sixers must do a better job of keeping Bertans in check and they must find their offensive groove again.

With that said, it’s now time for the guide to Saturday’s matchup:

How to watch Sixers vs. Wizards

Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury Report

Sixers: NOT YET SUBMITTED
Wizards: NOT YET SUBMITTED

Storylines

Embiid says Sixers are scared

The Sixers are one of the more talented teams in the league led by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons surrounded by a good supporting cast of players. However, a simple zone defense has thrown everybody off their groove and focus and it has everybody overreacting. It’s something has led Embiid to believe the team is playing scared and overcomplicating things.

“I feel like, especially tonight, we were playing scared,” said Embiid. “Basketball is easy. Just shoot it, pass it, move it. If you don’t got a shot, just pass it, but tonight we didn’t make shots and defensively we were pretty bad.”

Brown concerned with the team’s psyche

The Sixers are usually a tough-minded and tough-nosed team that will normally not back down from a challenge. However, the zone defense that the Miami Heat and the Mavericks have employed over the previous two games has coach Brett Brown worried as their struggles offensively have crept into their spirit and their defense.

“Our inability lately to be put on our backheels against the zone has crept into our defense, our psyche, our spirit and I can’t stand it,” said coach Brett Brown. “This is not who we are. I feel like our competitive spirit has taken a dent because of our inability to score. Any time you get into a mood swing that affects your defense because your offense is doing something, it needs to be addressed.”

Prediction

The Sixers right now are a fragile group. It’s hard to really pinpoint which Sixers team will show up right now. Will the team that started 20-7 and had just finished off a stretch of impressive wins show up? Or will the team that has wilted under the pressure of a simple zone defense? It’s hard to really predict which one. The team needs a win in the worst way so it can be assumed that they will have a lot more urgency on Saturday to put this losing skid to bed.

Pick: Sixers? Wizards? Who knows?

Sixers vs. Wizards season series

Game 1 December 5: 119-113 Wizards

Game 2 December 21:

Game 3 March 16:

Game 4 April 3:

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Adam Gase praises Steelers success with backup quarterbacks

Adam Gase spoke highly of how the Steelers have had success with a backup quarterback and praised Devlin Hodges.

Jets head coach Adam Gase has taken notice of the Steelers’ success with a backup quarterback this season.

The Steelers lost starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the season to an elbow injury in the second game of the regular season. Pittsburgh has since turned to backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges and still find themselves in contention for a wild card spot. Gase is well aware of how tough it is to win games with backup quarterbacks and he praised the Steelers for their success.

“That’s a great job,” Gase said. “It’s not an easy thing to do. They found a way to be able to handle that bump in the road and find a way to win. Every game they’ve been in pretty much has been one-score games whether they win or lose. They’re keeping it close…. For the most part they’ve been so consistent.”

It looked as if the Steelers’ season was over when they lost Roethlisberger for the season. But Rudolph stepped in really well and brought the Steelers back to relevancy. However, he started to struggle in Week 11 against the Browns where he threw four interceptions in a loss. Pittsburgh gave him one last start the following week against the Bengals, but was pulled for Hodges.

As for Hodges, he has three wins under his belt as a starting quarterback. Hodges is not the type of quarterback who lights up the stat sheet, but he’s kept opposing defenses on their toes.

“He’s done a good job of what they’ve asked him to do,” Gase said of Hodges. “They’re asking him to manage the game. They’re taking shots down the field. They might not hit them all, but they’re keeping the defense honest and they’re running the football. He’s done a good job of not turning it over. I know last game was a little different. That’s why they have him in there. He’s doing what they ask him to do.”

Considering the way he played against the Bills, Hodges might be on a short leash in Week 16. If he does have trouble against the Jets on Sunday, don’t be surprised to see Pittsburgh turn to a backup quarterback once again.

Behind enemy lines: Cardinals-Seahawks Q&A preview for Week 16

Seahawks Wire managing editor Liz Matthews answers a few questions.

The Arizona Cardinals head to Seattle to take on the NFC West-leading Seahawks. To prepare for this game, we get some insight about the team from the perspective of Seahawks Wire managing editor Liz Matthews.

Here is what she had to say.

Close games seem to be the theme for the Seahawks (10-1 in games decided by one score). How is it they beat the odds to win so many?

The is only one obvious answer to this question and it’s quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson is having a magical season, regardless of whether or not he eventually takes home the MVP award. In matchups when Seattle’s defense has struggled, Wilson has led the offense down the field for many fourth-quarter wins. While Seahawks fans might not be comfortable with the close contests, Pete Carroll believes they are learning opportunities for his squad.

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