Here’s what the Ravens’ Week 10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals taught us about Baltimore entering the second half of the 2019 season.
The Baltimore Ravens avoided falling into a trap after their upset win over the New England Patriots, easily taking care of business against the Cincinnati Bengals with a 49-13 win. The team has risen to 7-2 atop the AFC North. With their Week 10 win over the Bengals, we know quite a lot more about where Baltimore sits entering the second half of their season.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Ravens’ Week 10 victory:
1. Baltimore is hitting its stride
AP Photo/Frank Victores
The Ravens got off to a hot start, going 2-0 with Lamar Jackson looking unstoppable. But then they lost the next two games with a defense that was frequently picked on and an offense that was struggling at times. Baltimore looked like it had patched up some of its weak spots in weeks 5 and 6 but still didn’t look like a real Super Bowl threat.
Then the Ravens went into Seattle and dominated the Seahawks in Week 7. It continued in Week 9 with an even more dominant over the previously undefeated Patriots. Both the offense and defense have been playing at a high level in recent weeks, and it has the Ravens well on their way to their second straight AFC North title.
Here’s a complete look at the defensive snap counts.
The Tennessee Titans (5-5) came into Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) looking to get back to .500, and did exactly that as they pulled off a 35-32 win on their own turf.
Safeties Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro along with cornerbacks Adoree Jackson and Logan Ryan played every snap of the game (82).
In special teams percentages, safeties Amani Hooker and Dane Cruikshank, in addition to linebacker Daren Bates all had 88%.
Here’s a complete look at the defensive snap counts.
The Ohio State Buckeyes improved their overall ratings in multiple advanced metrics, even with Chase Young sitting out.
The Ohio State Buckeyes were without Chase Young this past week, but that didn’t stop them from dominating Maryland. Then again, no one expected the Buckeyes to do anything other than dominate the Terps. Even without Young, Ohio State was still favored by over 40 points–a spread the Buckeyes easily covered.
What is impressive, though, is that Ohio State managed to improve its score in advanced metrics in the process. These metrics, whether they operate on a possession-by-possession or play-by-play basis, expect teams like Ohio State to blow out teams like Maryland. Without a star defensive player, you might expect that Ohio State’s numbers would slip a bit. But that didn’t happen. Not only did the Buckeyes not slip, they rose even further.
In Bill Connelly’s SP+ ratings, the Buckeyes stayed pretty static on both offense and defense. The defensive rating barely moved, from giving up an expected 9.0 points per game against an average team to giving up 9.1. Ohio State’s overall rating skyrocketed to an unheard-of 36.9, though, on the back of special teams ratings becoming more valuable this week. (There are fewer special teams plays in a game so it takes longer in the season for them to reach their full value.)
In ESPN’s FPI ratings, the Buckeyes rose to an incredible 34.7 points better than an average team. The rating last week was 33.8. Without Chase Young, Ohio State still managed to make its overall score a point better in one week. What could have happened if Young was on the field?
And, lastly, the Buckeyes improved their Sagarin rating as well. The Predictor, Golden Mean, and Recent ratings all rose about one point (Recent was the lowest, at .81) with the domination of Maryland.
Chase Young is an incredible player, and perhaps he might be needed against an elite offensive line in the CFP. But against everyone else, Ohio State’s other linemen are still better than whoever is trying to block them. That means that the Buckeyes can improve their overall efficiencies, even without their top player on the field.
The New York Giants have the worst defense in football and there appears to be no rhyme or reason to their approach.
[jwplayer s2wMepUo-ThvAeFxT]
The New York Giants have surrendered 289 points in 10 games this season, the most in the NFL. There are a ton of reasons and theories behind the huge step back they’ve taken in Year 2 under defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
Many say the scheme is at fault. Others point to the dearth of talent while some blame the organization for stocking the roster with too many rookies and inexperienced players.
No matter which of those are the culprit — and all three are salient points — there isn’t much the team can do about it 10 weeks into the season. To install a new scheme would take as many weeks as they have left in the season.
Adding players isn’t a real option mid-season (although they’ve been doing that where they can) and as for gaining experience, we all know there’s only one way to accomplish that — by playing the rookies.
There have been some interesting nuances this season and a few moves that had fans and pundits questioning the team’s direction.
Defensive snaps: BJ Hill clearly the odd man out on the DL. He has played 28% and 25% of the snaps since the Williams trade. Loading up on DL in a 3-4 that mostly plays 2 DL was always a head-scratching move. Ximines' playing time has been reduced greatly. Bucannon a non-factor pic.twitter.com/Z2UJkrnvaT
Last year as a rookie, B.J. Hill was a budding star, playing in all 16 games (starting 12), racking up 5.5 sacks, eight QB hits, six tackles for a loss and two passes defensed.
This year, Hill has been invisible, especially on the stat sheet. Through 10 games, he has no sacks, no QB hits and no tackles for a loss.
When the Giants traded for Leonard Williams two weeks ago, we suggested that Williams was not going to be added to the defensive line rotation along with Hill and the others, but rather as a replacement for Hill. So far we are right about that. Hill’s snaps are way down since the trade.
Duggan also points out the decreasing usage of the Giants’ prized third-round pick, linebacker Oshane Ximines, and the fact that they continue to play packages that favor speed over bulk.
Deone Buccanon was picked up because he is a Bettcher disciple from their days in Arizona, but he hasn’t made any type of impact. He was released by Tampa Bay for a reason and now we know why. He doesn’t appear to be the same player he was a few seasons ago.
The scheme might be too complicated for some of the young players. Most defenders are trained to attack. The Giants haven’t shown much aggression on defense. Instead, they are usually on their heels, conceding way too much yardage underneath in fear of surrendering big plays, which they’ve ended up doing anyway. More than any team in the league in fact.
No doubt, there will be more changes to this defense in the offseason. A bona fide pass rusher would go a long way, as would a solid addition at each level of this defense. Granted, doesn’t every team need that?
A return to the “get after it” style would benefit this group rather than having a slew of young players standing around wondering what their assignments are.
Philadelphia 76ers big man Al Horford says the chemistry with Joel Embiid is progressing.
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For the Philadelphia 76ers to truly reach their full potential, they will need Al Horford and Joel Embiid to form some real, unbreakable chemistry. They need them to be able to play off each other and become the formidable duo the Sixers envisioned when they brought in Horford in free agency.
On Sunday night in a win over the Charlotte Hornets, Embiid had 18 points and nine rebounds while Horford added 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. It has been tough for the two to actually get some court time in the early going as Embiid has missed three of the team’s first nine games of the season, but Horford does see some progress in their on-court relationship.
Yeah, I do believe that it is progressing. For me, it’s continuing to understand what we’re trying to do on the offenisve end and just kind of being in the right place and right time for him and for our group and not necessarily thinking like ‘oh what’s this play?’ so it’s coming along. I think everything takes time to be perfect, but it is coming along.
The Sixers are going against the current NBA trend with two traditional big men start in Horford and Embiid so it can be a bit clunky and disorganized a bit in the early going. The only thing that can continue to help them is time and continuing to play together. They just need to continue to trend in the right direction. [lawrence-related id=19038,19027,19013]
Here’s everything we saw and learned from Seattle’s win over Toronto in MLS Cup.
Seattle Sounders FC won MLS Cup on Sunday afternoon, outlasting Toronto FC in a 3-1 win that saw the game break open in the second half. Every goal came after the 57th minute, as what started as a cagey affair soon turned into a thrilling, up-and-down match.
Let’s get to five things we learned from the game.
1. Seattle was deep, and depth is often the difference maker
For the first 55 minutes of MLS Cup, the two teams played each other basically to a stalemate. Toronto had more of the ball, but didn’t seem willing to throw too many men forward, and attack after attack fizzled out.
Seattle needed something to switch things up. First, they got a somewhat lucky deflection goal from right back Kevin Leerdam. (See what happens when you commit numbers forward?)
What blew the game open, however, was the introduction of Victor Rodriguez. Rodriguez came in during the 61st minute for Brad Smith (who didn’t have his best game) and broke it open with a phenomenal goal that doubled Seattle’s lead.
Rodriguez has struggled with injuries all season, but the fact that Seattle can turn to a Barcelona-trained attacker with years of La Liga experience off the bench shows how deep this squad is. The Sounders don’t have a Zlatan or a Rooney. They have a bunch of very good players, and that’s why they’re so successful.
2. Brian Schmetzer should be getting more attention than he is
Well the other reason that Seattle is so successful is that the team has a hell of a coach. Brian Schmetzer coached the Seattle Sounders back before they were in MLS, then served as an assistant for Sigi Schmid when the team entered the top flight of American soccer. He got the interim job when the late Schmid stepped down, and promptly won MLS Cup. He’s now been in three finals in four years, winning two of them.
Schmetzer doesn’t command the attention of other coaches in this league, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that, on resume alone, he might be the best.
The final was an example of his brilliance. The team was organized, defended well, but took their chances as the game moved forward. They shut down Toronto’s most potent attacker, Alejandro Pozuelo, and then relied on the pace of Jordan Morris and Ruidiaz going forward to wreak havoc when Toronto started to chase the game.
3. Toronto needed to force the issue in the first half, and it didn’t
Toronto FC couldn’t get a full 90 minutes from Jozy Altidore, though he did come in as a substitute and grab a late, headed consolation goal.
Without Altidore, Toronto only had one real target man in the attacking third — Pozuelo. With Seattle keyed in on him and tackling hard to keep him uncomfortable, Toronto needed other players to stress the issue and take chances. That … didn’t really happen.
When Auro pushed up from right back for Toronto, he was giving Brad Smith fits on that wing, and I assumed Toronto would start getting him to bomb forward and get men in the box. With the speed of Seattle’s Jordan Morris on that left wing, however, Auro was hesitant to commit too much.
That’s probably the right call, but Toronto had total control of the game for about twenty minutes at the end of the first half, and mustered one or two shots that didn’t really trouble Sounders keeper Stefan Frei. I know finals are cagey, but there were chances for Auro, Michael Bradley, or Marky Delgado to take chances and get in the box. They didn’t.
4. That crowd was an all-timer
Holy smokes, 70,000 people at CenturyLink Field was special. That final had real atmosphere, which is all MLS can ask for.
While the TV numbers will undoubtedly be disappointing for the league, and I thought there was an odd lack of marketing around the final, MLS’ move to a single-elimination format for the playoffs has made the tournament more exciting. Diehards may grumble that it leaves more up to chance, but this tournament has always been ridiculous, and might as well lean into it.
5. Ruidiaz is special
While watching this match, I couldn’t help but keep focusing on Ruidiaz, Sounders’ diminutive striker who, at 5-foot-7, still manages to physically dominate just about anyone who comes at him. He may not be the brand that Zlatan is, but Ruidiaz is a breathtaking player, all piss and vinegar and energy. Watching him occupy the Toronto defenders was incredible to watch.
Chevan Cordeiro was 23-31, 309yds, 3 TDs in the win over San Jose State Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
In what was the biggest decision Hawai’i head coach Nick Rolovich has to make in his still young coaching career he decided to start the redshirt freshmen over his one and a half year starter Cole McDonald.
After the game coach Rolo praised both quarterbacks with how they handled themselves both on and off the field. It’s not easy being on the sideline watching his backup run the run and shoot offense like Cordeiro has since his high school days at Saint Louis Schools. But being a good teammate McDonald is he is always the first to congratulate or give Coideiro some encouragement or insight when he comes off the field.
It looks like now coach Rolo has another tough decision going into the UNLV game next week in Las Vegas. While Coideiro has proven he can lead the team to many scores at Aloha Stadium we have not seen him start yet on the mainland. If Rolo wants to roll the dice again and start Coideiro next week this might be the one opponent to do it in a 2-7 Rebels team.
McDonald understood Rolo’s decision to start Cordeiro and told his head coach that he will work even harder next week to win back his job. So does this mean Rolovch can start McDonald again?
Absolutely. Look Hawai’i probably wouldn’t be in the situation they are in right now without Cole starting being 6-4 and having a slight chance to win the West Division and play for the Mountain West Championship. You have to give him credit for always believing he is “the guy” even when the local critics are hard on him.
So looking at the good situation Hawai’i has that they can start either quarterback and have a good chance of success. Let’s look at some facts to determine who should start:
Cole McDonald has the experience with 21 starts including a career record of 5-2 on the road against MW teams.
McDonald’s QBR is 68.0(47th best in the country) and despite throwing nine interceptions in the first four games McDonald has only thrown three on the last five.
Everyone can see that Cole is a confident guy whether through media interviews or on the field. He likes his chances of throwing into small windows in the secondary.
Cole’s tendencies still seem to be going through his progressions a bit slower than Chevan and his thought process of taking off is too late. Also, McDonald in the RPO gives the ball to the running back about 85% of the time instead of pulling it back and running with it.
Cordeiro albeit only started two games in his career has made the most of his time on the field with the two victories and also several comeback wins on his belt.
He has been in eight games in 2019 with a QBR of 84.1 and threw for six touchdowns to one interception.
Chevan can throw the long ball and connect with the highs of 71, 57, and 50 yards the last three games. But some deep passes can hang in the air and the receivers have to come back on it or it could easily be a pick but so far it hasn’t hurt UH.
He may be a quiet leader but he will boast about his teammates after the game every time.
It will come to if Cole McDonald can have stellar practices and prove he is still “the guy” for Coach Rolo. If Rolo is impressed and can trust Cole to make the throws he knows he can make he will start at UNLV.
After that week though we might see another change and start Cordeiro and give the San Diego State defense another thing to prepare for in his elusiveness. It will be like an MLB team having two-star pitchers and putting them against the team they know they have a better chance of winning based on personnel.
The future for Hawai’i football is with Cordeiro no doubt about it but the last three games (possibly four) can determine if McDonald will play in a Rainbow Warrior uniform next year. I’m thinking the future is now.
Previewing Monday’s Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Houston Rockets (6-3) visit the New Orleans Pelicans (2-7) Monday at the Smoothie King Center for an 8 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Rockets-Pelicans odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Rockets at Pelicans: Key injuries
Pelicans
PG Lonzo Ball(hip) out
Rockets at Pelicans: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.
The -189 line for the visiting ROCKETS is a bit of a concern given they are 3-2 away from home; however, New Orleans is just 1-3 at home with a penchant for not playing defensively sound.
Can New Orleans stop anyone? It allows nearly 123 points per game and goes up against a Houston team that can easily put up 120-plus points.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Rockets to win outright returns a profit of $5.29. This is a little chalky, but it’s better than risking this on a Pelicans team (+155) that cannot win anywhere – losers of seven of nine games to start the season.
The wiser idea for this contest is taking the ROCKETS with the -3.5 points at -125 odds. A Houston cover here (win by just four or more points) returns a nicer profit of $8.00.
Houston is 2-3 on the road against the spread. New Orleans is 1-3 ATS at home but is five points off of the projections. Houston has covered in its last two games.
Lean slightly to the OVER 243.5 (-106). There expects to be a ton of offense as the Pelicans have allowed fewer than 110 points to an opponent just once this year. Houston figures not to be the second.
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The Buffalo Bills fall to 6-3 after their loss to the Cleveland Browns. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will be called into question.
The Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns had a slug-fest on Sunday, where the Browns won 19-16 It was an ugly game where both defenses played physical, and forced mistakes.
Neither offense looked impressive, but the *outcome* did enough to give the Browns a victory.
The Bills fall to 6-3 on the year, and here’s how Bills Wire graded things out for Buffalo in Week 10:
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Quarterback: C-
Josh Allen had 41 passing attempts on Sunday, and completing just 53 percent of his passes. That is not very good. Allen throughout the game looked flustered, which lead to plenty of throws going over the heads of his receivers or landing at their feet.
Allen had some moments where he was elusive in the pocket making defenders miss, but he couldn’t find the right the pass in those crucial moments. Allen finished the game with a respectable 266 yards, and didn’t throw an interception but, he didn’t throw a touchdown, either. He was effective with his legs in the redzone though, scoring twice.
Ultimately, Allen had an underwhelming performance that cost Buffalo the victory in Cleveland. Bills fans will be looking for Allen to bounce back next week in Miami.
But other than that, the team has looked impressive, especially of late. McEachern has routed in-state opponents three consecutive weeks. Before that, the team earned a close 14-12 win over Marietta (Georgia). All that success in Georgia boosted its resume to the point where McEachern was too hard to deny. It came in ranked No. 24 this week.
St Joseph’s (Philadelphia) season has looked a little different. The team started off with out-of-state opponents in the Super 25. It lost two of its first three games to tough teams: Marietta and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida). However, the team also defeated St. John’s (Washington D.C.) during that slate, which at the time ranked fourth in the country.
A battle-tested St Joseph’s went on to win seven consecutive games and notched its record to 8-2. During that streak, the team has put up at least 42 points in all of its victories. Most recently, it defeated La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania) 52 – 7. St Joseph’s was ranked No. 25 this week.
There were very few changes other than those two making the ranks. Other teams moved up a spot in the rankings, like Muskegon (Michigan) going from No. 17 to No. 16, but there were no major moves in the ranks this week.
