Stars aligning for more potential wins for Dolphins in 2019

Injuries to the Dolphins’ remaining opponents have more wins looking possible for Miami in the final 4 weeks.

The Miami Dolphins currently sit at 3-9 on the season, an impressive mark for a team that seemingly everyone was convinced would be hard placed to win even a single football game at the start of the year. And win they have, with even more potential wins looming on the horizon. The Miami Dolphins are facing a soft three game stretch against the 4-8 New York Jets, 2-10 New York Giants and the 1-11 Cincinnati Bengals.

This is where the paths diverge for the Miami Dolphins. With three losses, the Dolphins nearly assure themselves the #2 pick in the NFL Draft and the chance to draft whomever is left between LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. But the Dolphins just defeated a Philadelphia Eagles team that should have been ten times more motivated to play and beat the Dolphins than any of these three teams. Their seasons are effectively over — just like the Dolphins. And while Miami incurred heavy losses to critical players earlier this season, the Jets and Giants are currently processing news of potential season ending injuries to key starters here in December.

And it may lead to more wins for the Dolphins. The Jets’ best defensive player, safety Jamal Adams, was recently in a walking boot and when asked if he’ll be back on the field this year stated, “I don’t know.”

The New York Giants have seen their rookie quarterback succumb to an ankle injury, one that put him in a walking boot as well.

The Dolphins play the Giants in 11 days. If Jones is still in a walking boot, it will be hard to envision him geared up to play the Dolphins, meaning Eli Manning would get the call against the Dolphins. Manning was benched for a reason — because he held the Giants offense back.

And so the Dolphins, already facing the softest stretch of their schedule, are seeing hurdles lowered seemingly by the day as we near the home stretch for 2019.

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Philadelphia copes with tragic shooting death of high school football star by his twin brother

The tragic death of Suhail Gillard at the hand of his brother, Fayaadh Gillard, has rocked a Philadelphia community that is struggling to come to grips with the full scope of the tragic death.

An unspeakable tragedy unfolded in Philadelphia on Sunday when one Mastery Charter High School football star was shot dead by a teammate who also happened to be his brother.

As the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, Fayaadh Gillard has been charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, unsworn falsification to authorities, and obstructing justice in connection with the shooting death of his twin brother, Suhail Gillard, in an apartment. Police documents show that the Gillard brothers were together in the apartment with relatives when the shooting happened, with their father allegedly teaching them how to handle a gun.

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Indeed, fellow members of the Mastery Charter football team intimidated that the shooting had to have been an accident, with the team and broader school community rallying around Fayaadh Gillard in support of him as he grieves the death of his twin and his own role in it.

“I know Fayaadh didn’t do it on purpose,” Trenton Williams, a Mastery Charter football captain, told the Inquirer. “I know it was an accident. That’s his twin. His twin would never do that. They had much love for each other. I just cried my eyes out.”

Fayaadh Gillard is currently out on bail, with the Inquirer citing a court source claiming that the murder charge against Fayaadh Gillard will likely be downgraded to third degree murder or third degree manslaughter, both of which allow for those charged to post bail.

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Sixers vs. Wizards preview: Sixers look to end nasty D.C. losing skid

The Philadelphia 76ers hit the road to face off with the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a very good team in recent seasons. They have won 50+ games in back-to-back seasons and they are considered legitimate NBA title contenders. However, they have not been able to figure out a way to win a road game against the Washington Wizards.

The last time the Sixers won at Capital One Arena, it was November 1, 2013, and they were led by Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner. That, of course, was the beginning of the infamous “Process” years and they have not been able to win in D.C. ever since. Thursday offers a new opportunity to end that nasty skid.

With that being said, it’s time for the game preview with the works:

How to watch Sixers vs. Wizards

  • Date: Thursday, December 5
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Capital One Arena Washington D.C.
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia+

Injury Report

  • Sixers: OUT: Josh Richardson(right hamstring tightness), PROBABLE: Shake Milton(right hip discomfort)
  • Wizards: OUT: Thomas Bryant(right foot stress reaction), C.J. Miles(left wrist ligament), John Wall(left Achilles) QUESTIONABLE: Ian Mahinmi((right Achilles strain), Moritz Wagner(left ankle sprain)

Storylines

Sixers prepare for Bradley Beal

Despite John Wall being out for the season, the Wizards have one of the best offenses in the league led by Bradley Beal who is averaging 27.8 points on the season and is coming off a game where he scored 42 points in a loss to the Orlando Magic. He is becoming one of the better scorers in the league and coach Brett Brown has high praise for the Wizards star.

He can fire it, he can drive it, he’s really good at moving without the ball, so he’s got the whole thing,” Brown continued. “He can shoot it as a base and I think it’s out of evolution, you start learning well, ‘people won’t let me shoot it, not I got to learn how to drive it’ and ‘uh oh, now they’re really guarding me close, now I’ve got to set people up and move without the ball and free myself up and expose fouls to refs’ like he’s got the whole thing. For those reasons, he’s a really hard ask to guard.”

Horford helping Korkmaz

Furkan Korkmaz has had a nice breakout season with the Sixers in his third season in the league and it is mostly due to the leadership of Al Horford. Korkmaz has taken leaps and bounds forward on both ends of the floor and he said it is due to the fact that he and Horford are communicating well. The veteran is in his ear helping him correct mistakes.

“After a possession, we’re normally talking to each other,” said Korkmaz. “He’s trying to explain to me what I can do better or what I did good so next possession if I see him, I ask him ‘Hey, what should I do? What am I supposed to do?’ We communicate really well.”

Prediction

This is the type of game where the Sixers could have a letdown. The Wizards are not one of the better teams in the league, despite their powerful offense, and they are the worst defense in the league based on both defensive rating and points given up per game. Beal does a great job of getting his teammates involved and it could hurt the Sixers all night long. However, with Thomas Bryant out, it could lead to a big night from Joel Embiid and Horford. It will be close, but the Sixers should come away with a win in D.C. for the first time in six years.

Pick: Sixers in a close one

Sixers vs. Wizards season series

Game 1 December 5:

Game 2 December 21:

Game 3 March 16:

Game 4 April 3: 

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Jets hope to have C.J. Mosley back in April

C.J. Mosley will have surgery sooner than later on his injured groin and while Adam Gase evaded giving a timetable, spring OTAs seem likely.

C.J. Mosley is having season-ending surgery sooner than later on his injured groin, according to Adam Gase.

Mosley injured his groin in the Jets’ season opener against the Bills and returned prematurely in Week 7 against the Patriots. He reaggravated his injury and, despite an attempt to return, was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

The hope is that Mosley will be back for the Jets’ offseason program in April. Gase could not pinpoint a timetable for Mosley’s return but seemed rather optimistic that he would return in the spring.

The Jets signed Mosley to an $85 million deal in free agency, hoping he could be the team’s centerpiece on defense. Suffice to say, the first year of that contract didn’t go as planned. Mosley only appeared in two games with Gang Green.

It’s too early to give a verdict on the Molsey signing, but the Jets seem optimistic that they can get the heart and center of their defense back healthy for their spring offseason program. If that doesn’t come to fruition, though, it wouldn’t be the first time they got Mosley’s recovery wrong.

Kevin Peterson, Chris Jones get opportunity to prove themselves in final 4 games

Kliff Kingsbury says a combination of the two players will take over for the playing time Tramaine Brock used to get.

The Arizona Cardinals made a somewhat surprising move early in the week when they waived veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock. Brock wasn’t necessarily the reason why the Cardinals have struggled with their pass defense but the team felt it needed to go a different direction over the final month of the season.

“Tramaine gave us some good games and was injured,” Kliff Kingsbury told reporters in Monday. “We’re going to play some younger players. We’re always looking to turn over the roster and improve, so that’s how it came about.”

Those younger players are Chris Jones and Kevin Peterson. Jones began the season on the roster and got playing time early on. He was released and spent time on the practice squad until recently.

Peterson was acquired via a waiver claim before the season began. He took over Jones’ spot during Patrick Peterson’s suspension and has played little other than on special teams since Peterson’s return.

Kingsbury said that the playing time created by Brock’s departure would be “a combination of both” guys.

While Pro Football Focus numbers state that Brock was the team’s highest-graded cornerback in coverage, clearly there were other problems. Kingsbury said his release “wasn’t a one-game type of situation.”

Patrick Peterson and Byron Murphy typically play every snap during games. Kevin Peterson and Jones are expected now to split the snaps at third cornerback. Both will play outside cornerback. Murphy now slides inside to the slot when the Cardinals are in nickel.

From what we have seen from both this season, Jones is a more physical cornerback and a willing tackler. Peterson has made more plays on the football and seems to be superior in coverage but is not physical and doesn’t give the Cardinals much in run support.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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UFC 245 free fight: Watch Max Holloway take out Jose Aldo for the second time

Watch Max Holloway unify the UFC featherweight titles, taking Jose Aldo out for the second time.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] run through the 145-pound division, rising from prospect to contender to champion has been something to behold.

Holloway (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) faced then UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo the first time at UFC 212, where he took on the “King of Rio” in his own backyard. Holding an interim title at the time, Holloway took Aldo out in the third round, unifying the featherweight titles in a “Fight of the Night” effort.

But the legend Aldo was awarded an instant rematch, and Holloway left no doubt when they faced off a second time, defeating Aldo once again via third-round TKO and cementing himself as one of the greatest featherweights of all time. Holloway then went on to hand Brian Ortega his first career loss, battering him over the course of four rounds, until the doctor’s had to intervene and stop the fight.

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Despite subsequently failing in his attempt to move up in weight and capture the interim lightweight title, in a loss to Dustin Poirier, Holloway managed to bounce back with another featherweight title defense, defeating former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 240 in July.

Holloway will be part of the UFC 245 championship triple header, when he takes on Alexander Volkanovski (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the co-main event on Dec. 14. In the meantime, relive his second straight finish over Aldo, in the video above.

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Broncos worked out 19 players, including QB Tyree Jackson

The Broncos worked out more than a dozen players this week, including former Buffalo quarterback Tyree Jackson.

We already knew that the Denver Broncos worked out former Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on Tuesday. Thanks to NFL reporter Howard Balzer, we now know the names of 18 other players that worked out for the team.

In addition to Fitzgerald, Denver also worked out two other QBs: Taryn Christion and Tyree Jackson. Here’s the complete list of players that worked out for the Broncos, according to Balzer:

  • WR Tyre Brady
  • WR De’Mornay Pierson-El
  • WR DeAndrew Thompkins
  • WR Trevion Thompson
  • WR Alex Wesley
  • WR Papi White
  • QB Taryn Christion
  • QB Nick Fitzgerald
  • QB Tyree Jackson
  • TE Tyree Mayfield
  • OG Larry Allen
  • OG Joshua Garnett
  • OG Bunchy Stallings
  • OT Ka’John Armstrong
  • OT Brian Fineanganofo
  • RB Alex Barnes
  • RB Nick Brossette
  • RB Jeremy Cox
  • RB Matthew Dayes

Jackson (6-7, 249 pounds) is likely the most notable player on the list. He threw for 6,999 yards and 49 touchdowns during his three years at Buffalo and rushed for 757 yards and 16 more scores. Jackson signed with the Bills as a college free agent in April but failed to make their 53-man roster.

Related: Broncos worked out 16 players last week.

Jackson was selected by the DC Defenders in the XFL draft for the upcoming 2020 season but he would likely turn down a chance to start in the upstart league if he is invited to camp by an NFL team.

Jackson and the other players that worked out for the Broncos are likely being considered as “future contract” candidates. Players not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign future deals that become official when the new league year begins in March.

At the end of last season, Denver signed 10 players to future contracts.

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Giants add DB Rashaan Gaulden to practice squad

The New York Giants have signed DB Rashaan Gaulden to their practice squad and lost OL Evan Brown to the Miami Dolphins.

The New York Giants added defensive back Rashaan Gaulden to their practice squad on Wednesday. Gaulden fills the void left by the promotion of long snapper Colin Holba to the active roster last week. Holba served as the team’s long snapper in their 31-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Gaulden (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), as per the Giants:

“Played in 24 games in two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, including nine games this season. He was released on Nov. 25….Gaulden was credited with 14 tackles (10 solo) and returned one punt for the Panthers. He was a 2018 third-round draft choice (85th overall) by Carolina, from the University of Tennessee.”

Another Panther joins the fold here with the Giants. Many fans are interested if the Giants will be seeking the services of Ron Rivera this offseason. Rivera was fired by the Panthers this week after almost nine seasons as head coach.

Gaulden is the third defensive back on the practice squad, joining cornerback Derrick Baity and safety Sean Chandler.

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins signed offensive lineman Evan Brown off of the Giants’ practice squad to their 53-man roster.

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Cardinals’ pass defense has gotten worse since Patrick Peterson’s return

They are giving up more than 50 passing yards more per game since his return and more points overall.

The Arizona Cardinals have struggled on defense all season in 2019. When the season began, it was expected, especially during the first six games when cornerback Patrick Peterson was out with a suspension.

However, the pass defense has not improved since his return. In fact, since he returned to the starting lineup, the pass defense has gotten worse statistically.

Here are the numbers:

  • In games 1-6, the Cardinals allowed an opponent completion percentage of 71%, 281.2 net passing yards per game and 16 touchdowns. Overall, they allowed 171 points.
  • In games 7-12, opponents have completed 71.5% of their passes for an average of 338.3 net passing yards per game and 15 touchdowns. They have given up 180 points in those six games.

It isn’t fair to say that Peterson is the reason why the defense has gotten worse. However, a player of Peterson’s caliber should mean that his return would improve things.

It hasn’t.

In fact, the fact that Kliff Kingsbury has said that Peterson has been “a work in progress” is concerning. A supposed future Hall of Famer should not be going through some of the struggles he has gone through.

Peterson being on the field should mean the defense is better. So far this season, the defense has gotten worse since his return.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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Tonight’s Cowboys-Bears TNF game could be one beautiful mess

Buckle up, football fans.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

When the NFL schedule-makers originally gave us this Cowboys-Bears Thursday Night Football game to kick off Week 14 they must have smiled, knowing what a treat this should be, especially so late into the season.

And boy is it a treat, but for far different reasons than those that must have gone into this decision last April when the schedules were finalized.

The Bears and Cowboys entered this season with high hopes. Mitch Trubisky came in getting some MVP talk. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys came in with the thoughts of being one of the favorites in the NFC.

Now, however, both teams are 6-6 and enter tonight’s game at Soldier Field with far more questions and concerns than any of us could have imagined back when the season kicked off.

This game tonight could be the type of laughable mess that will have everyone who doesn’t have a dog in this fight giggling in their living rooms for many different reasons.

First, “Jerry Jones Watch” is going to be a thing of beauty. The Cowboys have lost two straight games, including an ugly loss at home to the Bills on Thanksgiving. Every little thing that goes against the Cowboys tonight will have FOX Sports producers queuing up the camera that’s locked in on Jones’ suite. Great ready for some magical Jones reactions moments.

Second, Jason Garrett’s employment status has been the main topic of discussion in Dallas ever since he opted to kick a field goal against New England two weeks ago. Now he gets to go out on another nationally televised game and have all of his moves scrutinized at a maximum level. There will be an opportunity for him to screw up and if he does… Twitter will be on fire.

Third, Trubisky has another shot to win back some fans… or totally throw his career in Chicago away. What fun! The No. 2 pick for the 2018 NFL Draft has struggled mightily in his second season. However, he is coming off his best game of the season in last week’s win over the Detroit Lions on Turkey Day. But now the lights will be on the QB and if he slides back and has a woeful performance against the Cowboys the boo birds are going to be reigning down inside Soldier Field.

Fourth, if the Cowboys lose the NFC East becomes even more of a dumpster fire. They’re currently in first with a 6-6 record, followed by the Eagles, losers of three straight, at 5-7. This once storied division is a joke right now and that joke could get even more laughs if the Cowboys lose this game or, better yet, are blown out of it.

Fifth, both teams are 6-6 and while the Bears’ playoff hopes are very slim, this game is a must-win for both teams. The Cowboys do get some help being in the NFC East but still, a third straight loss would be crushing for a club that looked really darn good in the first few weeks of the season. The Bears, who expected to contend this year, just want to keep things still slightly alive. So one of these teams is gonna be really sad at the final whistle.

Kick back and enjoy the show. It should be a fun one.

Wednesday’s big winners: P.K. Subban and Lindsey Vonn.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

My colleague and friend, Mike Sykes, said it best when he wrote: “Nothing says “I love you” quite like allowing your fiancee to fire off hockey pucks at you.” Subban and Vonn, who are happily engaged, did just that in Bryant Park in NYC. What a date night for these two. Vonn has some moves, too.

Quick hits: Angry USC fans… Fantasy football advice… Tiger trolls Thomas… And more!

 (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) 

– USC fans were IRATE when they found out Clay Helton would be staying on as the head football coach next season.

– Are you in your fantasy football playoffs? Check out Charles Curtis’ studs, duds, and sleepers for a big Week 14.

– Tiger Woods had fun trolling Justin Thomas during their first round in the Bahamas on Wednesday.

– Clemson’s Dabo Swinney had a great take on naps.

– Nick Schwartz gets you ready for the XFL by ranking each team’s home and away uniforms.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)