Titans QB Ryan Tannehill leads NFL in passer rating heading into Week 14

Hardly anyone expected something quite like this from Ryan Tannehill.

Hardly anyone expected something quite like this from Ryan Tannehill.

He took the reins at quarterback from Marcus Mariota in the midst of Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos, and the Titans haven’t looked back since.

And that’s with good cause.

Tennessee’s offense was mostly stagnant at the beginning of the year, but has gotten rolling with Tannehill at the helm.

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But he’s not just gaining recognition in Nashville. Heading into Week 14, Tannehill leads the league in passer rating (113.9).

Behind Tannehill are the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins (111.9), the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson (111.1), the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (109.6) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Here’s a look at the complete list.

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So far in 2019, Tannehill has lost just one game as a starter for the Titans.

He’s 128-of-176 passing for 1,602 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.

In last week’s 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Tannehill completed 17-of-22 pass attempts for 182 yards for two touchdowns, and took care of the football, finishing the contest without an interception.

Tannehill and the Titans will look to stay hot as they face the Oakland Raiders at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Despite early struggles, drafting Romeo Langford was no mistake

It’s only natural to wonder what might have been had we taken a different path in life. But when it comes to the NBA Draft and raw potential, patience is a better approach in the short term.

The NBA Draft is an inexact science, but it can be risky to rush to judgment on a first-year prospect, even one as injured as Boston Celtics wing Romeo Langford.

It’s easy to look at the players able to contribute now, and assume the 14th overall pick might have been better used on another prospect able to impact winning, but the truth is most prospects don’t add much to a team’s ceiling in their inaugural season in the league.

So, while quarter-season results have given us enough context to have a solid idea of what we can expect from this year’s rookie class in this season, it’s far too early to say what most teams have in year two, three, and beyond.

Twenty-odd games into the 2019-20 NBA season, articles about how that that summer evening at Barclays Center might have gone differently are starting to appear, such as Bleacher Report’s Robert Wasserman’s.

Regarding the Celtics, Wasserman has a point that Boston’s relatively talent-poor frontcourt rotation would have been served by taking Gonzaga product Brandon Clarke in place of Langford given the team’s unexpected success.

Except, at least at the time, that was still far from a sure thing.

We know now that by the day of the draft, team president Danny Ainge had a good idea now-Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving was leaving, and that do-everything big man Al Horford had serious interest from rival teams.

He also did not know then-Charlotte Hornet Kemba Walker would be waiting in the wings to replace Irving.

In fact, they even dealt away defensive anchor Aron Baynes to the Phoenix Suns for draft assets that would become Carsen Edwards’ contract — not a move one would make if the plan was to stay in contention, even if the Purdue guard can already contribute in spurts.

Revisionist histories are fun in that they serve as a sort of time machine, letting us transport the knowledge we have now back to when we might have made a different choice based on that data, but do little good in the present given there’s no actual way to put that information to use.

And Langford, who slipped from a projected top pick to late lottery because of injury was and remains a high-reward gamble appropriate for a team most assumed would need a season or longer to regroup.

In retrospect, Clarke is clearly the more useful player now, but even with all of the Indiana product’s subsequent injuries, Langford may yet have the higher ceiling.

It may be fun to daydream about what might have been, but the jury will be out for some time on the wisdom of selecting Langford ahead of the former Bulldog big man, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, or any of several other prospects who have proven more durable.

While Boston’s front office has had its share of late first-round flops in recent years, it’s done a decidedly middle-of-the-pack job overall in the draft under Ainge’s tenure, and for at least his first season, patience should be the word with the Indianapolis native.

Romeo Langford’s seemingly endless string of injuries won’t go on forever, and we ought to let him spread his wings before we make up our minds the rookie cannot fly.

NFL experts are divided, but most pick Saints to handle their business vs. 49ers

The New Orleans Saints are popular among NFL experts picks as a choice to defeat the visiting San Francisco 49ers, but opinions are split.

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The NFL’s Week 14 slate of Sunday games will lead off with the New Orleans Saints’ kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers, and how it turns out might be anyone’s guess. NFL experts are filing their picks from all around the league’s orbit, and there’s so firm consensus this week.

According to the dozens of expert picks surveyed by NFL Pickwatch, 65% of the football cognoscenti expects the Saints to prevail. A healthy 35% of votes are coming in for San Francisco.

That isn’t very encouraging given the result of Thursday Night Football, in which the Dallas Cowboys — picked by 73% of experts — were upset on the road against the Chicago Bears. It’s not often that one team leads its own division (as the Cowboys do, at 6-7) while having their lunch money stolen an opponent ranked third in their respective division (the 7-6 Bears trail both the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings).

Few games are currently being picked with any sense of certainty, with just the Packers (100%), Vikings (99%), Houston Texans (98%), Philadelphia Eagles (95%), and Cleveland Browns (91%) breaking the 90% threshold in each of their matchups. Considering their opponents are a combined 13-46-1, it makes sense that NFL experts might be feeling a little more confident in those games.

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Giants’ Saquon Barkley, family know what to expect from Philly fans

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley and his family know what to expect from Philadelphia fans on Monday night.

When one thinks of the Philadelphia sports fan base, many believe the legend rather than the truth. The bottom line here, though, is the truth outdoes the legend.

Eagles fans have a long litany of transgressions next their names, so much so that they were the first professional sports team to install jail cells in their stadium.

This is a bunch that once threw snowballs and booed Santa Claus, supported a hockey team that fought it’s way to two Stanley Cup championships, punched police horses and, after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, ate horse dropping and climbed greased light poles.

They’re always on their ‘best’ behavior when a New York team comes to town. Last year, Saquon Barkley’s family attended the Giants’ game in Philly and — even though they’re from the Bronx and have lived about 65 miles outside of Philadelphia for decades, caught the ire of the Eagles fans.

Barkley’s dad, Alibay, who is the nephew of former world champion boxer Iran Barkley, was shocked at the reception the Giants and their fans received from the Philly faithful.

“Every parking lot is different, but you might see different types of hand gestures when you’re going to Philly,” Saquon told reporters on Thursday. “But, that’s Philly. I remember my dad went to the game last year and my dad had to take a step back from himself and remember that he’s my father and we don’t want to be on the front cover of the paper in New York. So, a fan might have said something different that he didn’t really agree with, but I think my dad handled that in the right way. Those fans, they’re Philly. That’s how Philly is, but it’s fun. It’s always fun to go out there and play against them, so hopefully we go out there and get a win.”

Saquon, a star at Penn State, is no stranger to the Eagles fans’ antics. He was asked if he heard any language that he’d  never heard before on this planet during last year’s trip.

“Not this planet, but I mean, definitely it’s who it comes from I would say that’s not expected,” he said.

Eli Manning tells the story of nine-year-old fans giving him the finger in Philadelphia. Barkley saw some of that, too, but says it’s not always a bad thing.

“You might see a kid. It’s unique, but it’s fun. That’s football and that’s what Philly’s known for and the type of people that they are, but you could use it against them also, too. If you can get things going, you can see them turn away from — not turn away from the team, but you can get the crowd going in different directions. So, we’ve just got to go out there, have fun and try to find a way to get a win,” he said.

This game has plenty of meaning, even for the 2-10 Giants. The Eagles are 5-7, well below preseason expectations, and with a win can pull into a flatfooted tie with Dallas (6-7) for first place in the dreadful NFC East.

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Report: Patriots expected to re-sign kicker Nick Folk

The Patriots are expected to re-sign kicker Nick Folk ahead their Week 14 matchup against the Chiefs, according to Ian Rapoport.

The New England Patriots are expected to re-sign kicker Nick Folk ahead their Week 14 matchup, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Folk missed Week 13 due to a an appendectomy, but he should be healthy now, according to Rapoport. In three games this year with the Patriots, Folk went 7-for-9 on field goal attempts and 3-for-3 on extra point attempts. The Patriots clearly trust him more than Mike Nugent and Kai Forbath — who they also had on the roster this season.

Ever since Stephen Gostkowski hit the injured reserve list earlier in the season, the Patriots have scrambled to solidify the position. They only have four games left in the season, so Folk is likely the best option that they’ll have going into the playoffs.

Rapoport quickly backtracked on this report, leaving the kicking situation still an uncertainty.

New England will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday with hopes to stay on top in the AFC.

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NFL Week 14: Who are the Steelers rooting for this weekend?

Here’s your rooting guide for Week 14 of the NFL season.

It’s Week 14 of the NFL season and the AFC playoff race is really heating up. Right now the Pittsburgh Steelers are holding onto the No. 6 seed with a 7-5 record but there’s a real logjam of teams behind them. Here are the four games other than the Steelers game we will be watching this week.

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

The Bills currently hold the No. 5 seed in the AFC. They take on the Baltimore Ravens this week who currently the No. 1 seed and seem to be on the fast track to the Super Bowl. As much as it pains us, we have to root for Baltimore this week to beat the Bills and close the gap between them and the Steelers.

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Colts currently sit at 6-6 and are the No. 9 seed in the AFC. The Steelers hold the tiebreaker over Indianapolis after a win earlier in the season but we are still going to root for the Bucs this week just to hedge our bets.

Tennessee Titans @ Oakland Raiders

This is a tricky one. Both the Titans and Raiders are in the playoff hunt just behind the Steelers. But by virtue of their records, we have to go for the Raiders. Tennessee is 7-5 while the Raiders are 6-6. If the Titans win they could potentially jump ahead of the Steelers.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

The Browns are on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff picture at 5-7 but we will still be cheering for the Bengals to pull off the upset. Why? Because with only four games left to play anything can happen and 5-7 can turn into 9-7 in a hurry. Plus we will always want the Browns to lose.

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Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks odds, lines, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Los Angeles Clippers (16-6) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (19-3) Friday at Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Clippers-Bucks 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.

Clippers at Bucks: Key injuries

Clippers

  • PF JaMychal Green (tailbone) questionable
  • SF Rodney McGruder (hamstring) out
  • SG Landry Shamet (ankle) questionable

Clippers at Bucks: 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 8:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Clippers 112, Bucks 108

Moneyline (ML)

The first-place team in the Eastern Conference hosts the Western Conference’s third seed. The Bucks have won 13 games in a row and enter Friday with a 9-1 home record. The Clippers have won their last two games, but are just 3-5 on the road to start the year. LA last played Tuesday, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 117-97. Milwaukee topped the Detroit Pistons 127-103 on the road Wednesday.

The value with the CLIPPERS (+135) is too great to turn down. They’re the better-rested club and the Bucks have taken advantage of a soft schedule during their winning streak. The Indiana Pacers (14-7) are the best team they’ve faced. LA will be their biggest test and the Clippers will handle a team slipping into cruise control.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The moneyline is a much more attractive play for the Clippers rather than taking a lesser payout with +105 odds on the spread of +2.5. A $10 bet on the outright win for the visitors fetches a profit of $13.50. The same wager on the spread returns a profit $10.50 with just two points of insurance in the event of a loss. Don’t leave money on the table.

The Clippers are 12-10 against the spread but just 2-6 on the road, while the Bucks are 5-5 ATS at home and 11-11 overall. The Clippers haven’t lost by fewer than three points this season. We’ll AVOID this line, but this is the spot to take the Bucks (-2.5, -125) if you expect the home side to win a 14th straight game.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Bucks are 11-10-1 against the Over/Under while topping the projected point totals by an average of 3.3 points per game. The Clippers are just 9-13 against the O/U and fall an average of 3.3 points shy of the line. Milwaukee (108.2 PPG allowed) and Los Angeles (107.8 PPG allowed) allow a combined 216 points per game. Take the UNDER 232.5 (-115).

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 67-57

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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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Titans safety Kevin Byard leads NFL in interceptions since 2017

Behind Byard are Marcus Peters (13), Kyle Fuller (12) and Xavien Howard (12).

Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard is recognized as one of the most valuable defensive players in the NFL — and that’s not without reason.

Not only is Byard a staple of the Titans’ defense, but he also totals more interceptions than any other player in the league since 2017 with a total of 16.

Behind Byard are Marcus Peters (13), Kyle Fuller (12) and Xavien Howard (12).

So far this season, Byard totals 63 combined tackles, eight passes defensed and four interceptions.

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Byard was also effective in the Titans’ 31-17 win over the division rival Indianapolis Colts last week, accounting for two tackles and an interception that helped to keep the momentum in Tennessee’s favor.

It was the first time he had forced a turnover since Week 6’s matchup against the Denver Broncos.

It’s been a successful year for the safety, who also marked a season-high of nine tackles earlier in the year on the Titans’ 42-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring him to a total of 61 tackles through 11 games.

Byard and the Titans will look to extend their three-game winning streak to four games as they take on the Oakland Raiders at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.