Nick’s Notre Dame Mailbag: Should ND Still Play Navy Annually?

Is it enjoyable? Not in the moment, but at the same time it’s one of the most unique rivalries in all of sports.

Earlier this week I solicited questions for the first of the weekly mailbag series we’ll have on Fighting Irish Wire. If you missed it there are a few ways to leave questions that may end up getting used:

1. Leave a comment on this or any other post on Fighting Irish Wire

2. Leave a question on our Facebook page – either on one of our posts or on our wall

3. Tweet us @IrishWireND or me personally @Shep670

4. Leave a comment on our Instagram Page. And even if you don’t leave a question – you should go follow it as it’s going to become a lot more active soon.

5.  You can also click to e-mail me at the top of any of my posts on Fighting Irish Wire

With all of that said – here is your second Midweek Mailbag answered by yours truly.

Question 1: Should Notre Dame still play Navy annually?

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Steelers vs. Browns: 3 big takeaways from Pittsburgh’s loss in Week 11

The Steelers had major letdowns on both sides of the football on Thursday.

Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Things got really weird in last night’s game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But we’ve talked plenty about what happened at the end of the game against the Cleveland Browns, but we are here to talk about the actual game itself. The Steelers fell 21-7 and now sit at 5-5 and are struggling to hold on to a spot in the playoffs.

The game was ugly from start to finish for the Steelers, and you have to wonder how they rebound from this loss. Here are our big takeaways from the game:

Injuries don’t excuse poor play

Running back James Conner and wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson all went down with injuries. But this does not absolve quarterback Mason Rudolph for his four-interception effort. This game raises serious doubt about whether he can help this team win going forward.

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What the Auburn media is saying about Georgia football before big game

Here’s what the Auburn media is saying about Georgia football ahead of the UGA vs AU game.

With No. 4 Georgia traveling to No. 12 Auburn to partake in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, the whole nation will have their eyes on CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

For Georgia, there’s so much riding on this game. A win not only secures the Dawgs a spot in the SEC Championship but it keeps their College Football Playoff hopes alive before they’d square off against Texas A&M, Tech and LSU.

A loss, and Georgia can kiss the Playoff goodbye and will put even more pressure on them the next weekend vs the Aggies if they wish to secure their spot in the SEC Championship.

Auburn is no joke and should not be taken lightly. The Tigers have arguably the best defensive front in the nation, meanwhile Georgia’s offensive line will put up as a good of a fight as Auburn has seen this season.

Unstoppable force meets immovable object.

The whole college football community is talking about this game as we approach Saturday, but I’m more curious as to what the Auburn media is saying about the matchup.

We searched through a few sites to pull some quotes from Tiger media.

Auburn defense, a loud Jordan-Hare problem for Georgia – Al.com

Charles Hollis of Al.com wrote about the Georgia vs Auburn game and how quarterback Bo Nix will be the X-factor. He also mentioned the fact that Auburn’s defense, coupled with the wild atmosphere, will make life difficult for Jake Fromm.

Read the full story here:

With the exception of Auburn’s defensive line, Georgia likely has the edge everywhere else. Nix is the X-factor. If he can’t put up respectable passing numbers, Auburn doesn’t need to get off the bus. If the running game can’t run, more bad news.

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Celtics-Warriors odds: Boston eyes 10-game win streak

Previewing Friday’s Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks

The first-place Boston Celtics (9-1) visit the last-place Golden State Warriors (2-10), Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center. We analyze the Celtics-Warriors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

The Celtics have won nine in a row since losing the season opener. PG Kemba Walker led the team in scoring in the last two wins, most recently dropping 25 points in a 140-133 home win over the Washington Wizards Wednesday.

The Warriors are on a five-game skid after suffering a 120-94 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday in which they scored only 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Celtics at Warriors: Key injuries

Celtics: SF Gordon Hayward (broken hand) is out, while PF Daniel Theis (finger) and C Robert Williams III (ankle) are game-time decisions.

Warriors: PG Stephen Curry (hand fracture), SG Damion Lee (hand fracture), SG Jacob Evans (groin), PF Kevon Looney (neuropathy), PF Alen Smailagic (ankle) and SG Klay Thompson (knee) are out.

Celtics at Warriors: 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 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Celtics 119, Warriors 111

Moneyline (ML)

Boston (-358) will likely win, but the price is high – one has to wager $3.58 to profit $1 with a Celtics win.

The Celtics are 4-1 on the road; the Warriors are 1-5 at home.

With a scorer like PG D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors (+275) could pull an upset. Unlikely, but not impossible. Russell has averaged 34 points over the last four games, including a 52-point performance in an overtime loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves Nov. 8.

A big night from Russell, an off-night for the visiting Celtics and the Warriors could win bettors 2.75 to 1, but I’m going PASS.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Boston is favored at -7.5 (-106). Golden State is +7.5 (-115).

New to sports betting? Bet $10.60 to profit $10 that the Celtics win by eight or more points. Or bet $11.50 to profit $10 that the Warriors keep it within seven points in a loss or win outright.

Boston is 6-2-2 ATS, while Golden State is 4-8.

The line of 7.5 is just about right, so another PASS.

Over/under (O/U)

A slight lean to the OVER 226.5 (-106) – every $1.06 wagered profits $1 if the teams combine for 227 or more points. Boston is 5-5 O/U on the season and has played to three Overs in a row. Golden State is 8-4 O/U on the season, including going Over in five of its past six games.

The STRONGEST PLAY, however, is the 1st-half OVER 109.5 (-115). The Celtics have averaged 64.7 first-half points in their last three games, while the Warriors have allowed 65.3 first-half points in their last three games.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Johnny’s NBA plays: 5-1. NBA’s strongest plays: 3-0.

Follow @JohnnyParlay11 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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Let’s all just calm down a bit about the Myles Garrett incident

People are calling for Garrett to be prosecuted.

Let me get this out of the way right off the bat: what Myles Garrett did on Thursday night in hitting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with his own helmet should never, ever happen in a football game.

It was disturbing, it was horrifying and it deserves a lengthy suspension. I’ve seen calls for the rest of the season, which would amount to six games.

But there are shouts from all corners for him to face worse. A year-long ban. A lifetime ban. There’s talk of prosecuting him and having him serve jail time.

And that’s where we need to all take a step back.

We don’t talk about assault when it’s a safety launching his helmet like a missile at a defenseless wide receiver’s head, when we’ve seen what repeated blows to the brain can do to a former NFL player. We don’t wonder if a player should face jail time if he sees a quarterback on the run out of the pocket and goes for a hard tackle.

What’s more, we don’t say the same about pitchers who throw 100 MPH fastballs at the heads of hitters for the simple act of tossing a bat or staring at a home run one millisecond too long. As former NFL running back Arian Foster correctly pointed out, we’re perfectly fine with fighting in hockey even though we’ve seen the effect it has had on some former NHL enforcers.

And on top of all of this, it’s not the first time this has happened.

Just this past August, Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long was ejected from training camp for taking off rookie DE Jalen Dalton’s helmet and hitting him with it. Did anyone call for Long to be prosecuted? No. We didn’t collectively see the footage and have spread across social media instantaneously. Yet Foster — a veteran of eight NFL seasons — said this kind of incident “happens in every training camp.”

This hit was blatant. It was obvious. It was on national television. Of course it deserves the attention it’s getting. A suspension is the just punishment. But to bring up jail time when we look the other way on other examples of violence in sports is a step too far.

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Panthers vs. Falcons: 4 matchups to watch Week 11

The Panthers will be hosting the Falcons this week in their third NFC South game of the season. 

The Panthers will be hosting the Falcons this week in their third NFC South game of the year. A win should keep them afloat in a crowded wild card race, but a loss might effectively sink any realistic hope of making the postseason.

Here are four key matchups we will be watching on Sunday.

Panthers’ backup corners vs. Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

James Bradberry missed last week’s game against the Packers, but he’s expected to play and should be able to hold his own against Julio Jones. However, Donte Jackson and Ross Cockrell might both be ruled out, which would leave Carolina rather thin at cornerback. That means Cole Luke and Corn Elder could both see significant playing time. With tight end Austin Hooper out, it will leave Atlanta’s options on offense very limited if they can shut down Ridley. In his two meetings with the Panthers last season, Ridley totaled 154 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He only needed seven catches to get those numbers.

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N’Keal Harry views his time on injured reserve as a ‘blessing’

The Patriots will likely roll out their first-round rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry in Week 11 against the Eagles. 

The New England Patriots will likely roll out their first-round rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry in Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

He spent the entire regular season on the injured reserve list and was eligible to play in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, but the Patriots made him inactive before the game. He spoke to reporters on Thursday for the first time since the summer and reflected on his rookie season to this point.

“It feels great just getting out there with my team,” Harry said, transcribed by NESN. “Just getting better every day with them. Just looking for my role and the way to help my team.”

His outlook remained positive in the first half of the season and his knowledge will only help him improve as a player.

“I just looked at it as a blessing,” Harry continued. “I just looked at the positive things in it. God has done so much throughout my life. He’s put stepping stones in certain places. I just looked at it the same way.”

Tom Brady spoke about Harry’s injury and the tenacity that he brings on a daily basis.

“Unfortunately for N’Keal, he got hurt early in training camp,” Brady said. “He didn’t have the development when other guys were practicing for over two months. He’s working hard. He’s extremely hard-working. He wants to do it. He’s got a great edge about him. I really love that. I really love his tenacity and he’s learning every day, and he’s working hard to get better. I think that is all you can ask of a younger player.”

Harry sustained his injury in a preseason game against the Detroit Lions after getting hurt in joint practices earlier in the week. He spoke about the decision to play the preseason game, and why he doesn’t regret it.

“I don’t need to show anything,” Harry said. “Me going out there and playing hard and playing through stuff, that’s just the type of mentality I have. That’s just the type of mindset I grew up having. It wasn’t me trying to show anything, show toughness or anything. That’s just me.”

If Harry makes his debut in Week 11, the Patriots will have a revamped and extremely talented wide receiver corps.

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Bills at Dolphins: 5 matchups to watch

The Bills will travel to Miami to face the red hot Dolphins who are coming off two wins.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off a disappointing loss on Sunday to the Cleveland Browns, after a last minute touchdown from Baker Mayfield.

The Bills now face the streaking Miami Dolphins who are coming off two unexpected wins. If the Bills can pullout the victory in Miami they can help secure themselves in one of the two Wild Card positions.

That being said, the Bills must win the games within the game to defeat Miami. Here are five matchups to watch during Bills vs. Dolphins:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick 

Josh Allen has been compared to a lot of quarterbacks during his career, including two former Buffalo quarterbacks: Tyrod Taylor, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

While playing Cleveland on Sunday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw the ball 41 times, tying his career-high. He also threw for 266 yards, which is his career-high. That 41 attempts may seem like an outlier, but Allen and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll seem like they want to make that the norm. 

During the week, Allen said that he had the “green light” to take more shots down the field. This could be an excellent week to try this new approach, Miami’s secondary is one of the worst in the NFL, allowing on average 244.9 yards per game. If Allen can take advantage of this green light it may be a long day for the Miami defense. 

If there’s one quarterback in the NFL that always seems to have the green light, it’s Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bills fans remember Fitzy’s time in Buffalo, he had plenty of big moments, but just as many disappointing ones too. 

Fitzpatrick has shown that same inconsistency with the Dolphins. In his first game against Buffalo he showed off his playmaking abilities. He threw for 282 yards, one touchdown, but a crucial interception in the red zone. Fitzpatrick has led the Dolphins to two straight victories, which seemed almost impossible at the beginning of the season. 

If either of these two gunslingers can get their offenses on track early, it will be a tough outing for both defenses. 

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