prediction – Page 24 – Syndication Server

ESPN has Redskins drafting with the No. 2 overall pick again in 2021

Just weeks after drafting Chase Young at No. 2 overall, the Redskins are being projected to finish at the same place in 2021 again.

The Washington Redskins may be new and improved in 2020, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be good.

After the 2020 schedule was released on Thursday night, many media pundits — including ourselves — made predictions on what their final record would be when all is said and done. Most people have the Redskins pegged for 5-6 wins. ESPN’s latest draft order projection doesn’t give them as much credit.

The Redskins are projected by ESPN to have the No. 2 overall pick once again in 2020, finishing one spot behind the Carolina Panthers. It isn’t so much the defense that causes the uncertainty, but the unknown development of QB Dwayne Haskins and the offense that leaves a lot left to be desired.

We forecast that the Redskins’ defense will improve in 2020, so the issue here is offense and specifically quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Haskins was the least valuable quarterback in the league last season according to both Football Outsiders’ DVOA and ESPN’s QBR. Haskins still has potential, and it’s wrong to write off a young quarterback completely after one bad half-season. Nevertheless, the record of young quarterbacks with similar performances is not a good one.

That’s not a good list to be on. Jared Goff and Alex Smith became capable NFL starters, and Matthew Stafford was close to making this list as a rookie. But overall, quarterbacks who play as poorly as Haskins do not develop into stars. Of course, part of Haskins’ poor performance was the lack of talent around him, but Washington didn’t exactly stock its lineup with new weapons this offseason. Cody Latimer isn’t changing much.

Best-case scenario: Washington’s defensive front full of first-round picks matures and coheres all at once, similar to the San Francisco defensive front a year ago. Chase Young has Nick Bosa’s rookie season. Haskins takes dramatic strides forward in his second season, following the path of Goff and Stafford instead of the path of Blaine Gabbert and Blake Bortles.

It may be tough to sit through another disastrous season that lands Washington with one of the top overall picks, but as there was in 2019, there will be the same in 2020 — a light at the end of the tunnel. A top-two pick means the Redskins will have the chance to draft either Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, or Oregon LT Penei Sewell, two incredible prospects who have a chance to completely turn around a franchise.

[vertical-gallery id=35523]

ESPN predicts Redskins to have six wins in 2020 season, sweeping NY Giants

With the 32 NFL schedules released, everyone is quick to make their season predictions, most of which have the Redskins missing the playoffs.

The NFL world at large got a shot of adrenaline on Thursday night when all 32 teams had their schedules released to the public for the upcoming 2020 season. We’ve known which teams were on the docket for some time now, but they’ve since fallen into place, painting a picture of what the next season will look like.

For the Washington Redskins, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There are a handful of games that are very winnable, a few that could go either way, and a stretch of three road games late in the season that could end up causing the wheels to fall off. At Redskins Wire, we made our predictions for how everything will shake out as soon as the schedule was released, guessing that the Redskins will finish next season at 5-11, out of the playoffs once again. But what will be interesting to see is how the outside world views Washington’s chances in 2020.

ESPN’s John Keim took a crack at the prediction game, and he gave Washington more credit than we did, saying they will go 6-10. The only two differences were that Keim called for a season sweep over the New York Giants, as well as a road win over the Pittsburg Steelers. We also predicted that Washington could beat the Detroit Lions, which Keim did not.

No matter who you ask, many people are pegging the Redskins to win somewhere between four and six games, with the odd outliers here and there. Whatever happens, though, we can just hope that it’s better than another 3-13 season.

[vertical-gallery id=35523]

2020 Redskins schedule: Ranking the 7 toughest games this season

Washington hase zero primetime games, other than playing the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which kicks off a tough road stretch in December.

Now that we know the order and time in which the Washington Redskins will be playing their opponents in 2020, we can start to get a feel for how the season might play out. Our biggest takeaway from the Redskins schedule release comes on Thanksgiving and builds from there. The Redskins will travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys on Turkey Day, and that will start a three-game road trip that then goes to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, followed by a trip out west to play the San Francisco 49ers.

So while there are a few games on the docket in which the Redskins should definitely come out victorious, there are also a handful of games in which a win might seem miraculous. Here’s our ranking of those games, from tough to toughest.

No. 7 — at Arizona Cardinals (Week 2)

If you went back even a year ago, it would seem absolutely crazy to say that the Cardinals are going to be one of the tougher teams that the Redskins play this season, but I truly believe that Arizona will step up this season in a big way. QB Kyler Murray showed a lot of promise in 2019, and he’s been given All-Star WR DeAndre Hopkins to throw to, who will come in alongside veteran Larry Fitzgerald.

Arizona’s defense isn’t anything that will keep you up at night, but it’s going to take a solid gameplan to slow down their offense and keep points off the board. Washington’s defensive line may be able to get pressure on Murray, but there’s no guarantee that they can get him to the ground before he finds Nuke running wide downfield.

Pages: 1234567

USA TODAY’s ‘Way-too-early 2021 Mock’ has Redskins taking QB Trevor Lawrence No. 1

After having Chase Young fall into their lap in 2020, the Redskins might get lucky again in 2021 with a clear shot to draft Trevor Lawrence.

The rich get richer in the NFL sometimes, don’t they?

That seems to be an absolutely insane statement to say about the Washington Redskins, but when you consider that DE Chase Young fell into their laps with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the guy they are being mocked to get in 2021 may be just as good.

Our friends over at USA TODAY’s Draft Wire recently released their version of a ‘Way too Early 2021 Mock Draft,’ using Vegas Super Bowl odds to determine the order. Unfortunately for the Redskins, they come in last place. Fortunately, that means that Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is coming to Washington with the No. 1 overall pick.

If you don’t know much about Lawrence, we wrote this earlier in the week when questioning if the Redskins might be apart of the ‘Lose for Lawrence’ sweepstakes:

Above all other prospects stands Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, who stole the show in 2018 when he burst onto the scene and won a National Championship in his freshman year. He almost followed it up again this past year, losing to Joe Burrow and LSU in the championship game. There will obviously be other big names in the class, but it seems like a foregone conclusion that Lawrence will be the first player taken off the board, and teams will likely Lose for Lawrence in the NFL this year, much like they Tanked for Tua last year.

At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Lawrence has a rocket-arm and an immaculate mane of hair. He is almost guaranteed to be the top quarterback taken off the board in 2021, and should the team at No. 1 be in need, he’ll most definitely be taken then. So will the Redskins be in need of a QB? Well, we can’t quite answer that question yet, but it’s not crazy to think. Though we saw some growth from Dwayne Haskins near the end of his rookie year, and all signs point towards him improving in 2020, there are still some doubts that he can be everything that Washington envisioned when drafting him at No. 15 overall in 2019. So if Haskins fails to make the leap, and the Redskins have a chance to draft one of the best QB prospects since Andrew Luck, what do they do? Some may think it’s a tough decision; I think it’s a great problem to have.

[vertical-gallery id=35108]

WWE Monday Night Raw: Preview, Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

WWE champion Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and Becky Lynch all scheduled to make an appearance tonight.

WWE continues to broadcast its shows from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and tonight will be no different, where WWE stars have been performing without fans for the last month.

Fans watching on television should expect another big show with this being the last Raw until WrestleMania 36. WWE champion Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and Becky Lynch all scheduled to make an appearance tonight.

WWE: Monday Night Raw

Date: Monday, March 30, 2020
Time: 8 p.m. ET/PT
TV Channel: USA Network
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

WWE is learning quickly how to keep the fans engaged during this time by keeping the storyline alive leading up to WrestleMania 36. I’d expect to see a few surprises especially with this being the final Monday Night Raw before this weekend’s extravaganza.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

PFF predicts Colts trade for Chiefs DT Chris Jones

Pro Football Focus predicted the Kansas City Chiefs will trade DT Chris Jones to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a big decision on the horizon. What to do about pending free agent and star defensive tackle Chris Jones? Ideally, they’d like to sign Jones to a long term contract. However, we all know that the business side of the NFL rarely operates ideally. So what does that mean for the Jones and the Chiefs? Perhaps it means the trade winds are blowing.

The folks over at Pro Football Focus recently predicted potential landing spots for each of their top-50 free agents in the upcoming class. In their prediction for Jones, he doesn’t become a free agent. Instead, Jones is signed to the franchise tag by Kansas City and flipped to the Indianapolis Colts for draft picks. The Colts turn around and sign Jones to a long term contract at four years with $18 million per year and $53 million total in guaranteed money.

Here’s a look at what PFF’s Anthony Treash had to say about Jones and his new home:

“With just $13.7 million in cap space and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes still needing an extension, the Chiefs have to be careful with who they sign this offseason to sustain long-term success. Chris Jones is one of the best 3-techniques in the entire NFL. If it weren’t for Aaron Donald‘s dominance, Jones would own the highest pass-rush grade at 3-tech over the past four years. As our own Eric Eager broke down earlier this week, a likely scenario for the Chiefs is to apply the franchise tag to Jones and trade him for draft compensation. Indianapolis is a candidate for this type of deal, as they own two second-round picks and are desperate for pass-rush help, particularly on the interior where they ranked 29th of 32 teams in pressure rate generated.”

The Colts front office would know what they’re getting in Jones. Indy’s GM Chris Ballard was the Chiefs’ Director of Football Operations when Jones was drafted to Kansas City. He wasn’t around to watch his maturation as a player, but Ballard has watched his Colts face Jones. It’s clear that Jones would be an upgrade for any defensive line in the NFL, but the price of trading for him and signing him will be steep. Is Ballard confident enough to invest such capital in a player that isn’t a quarterback?

As for the return for Kansas City, PFF didn’t specifically mention the haul of picks or players. They referenced multiple second-round picks as ammunition, but I don’t think that gets a deal for Jones done. Maybe that’s the starting point of the conversation and the team accepts nothing less than what Frank Clark cost them a season ago, especially given that Jones would within the AFC conference.

Keep in mind, these are simply predictions from PFF. We’ll know soon enough if the Chiefs have any interest in tagging and trading Jones. The franchise tag period opens up in a week’s time. Also, the NFL descends on Indianapolis for the annual NFL Scouting Combine, and that’s where these types of trade talks begin to take shape.

[vertical-gallery id=60213]

How to Watch Real Betis vs. Barcelona, La Liga Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Real Betis vs. Barcelona Live Online.

After one of the most shocking and exciting rounds of Copa del Rey action in recent years during midweek action, it’s time for the return of La Liga. The defending champions are in desperate need of consistency, points and good news as the team’s new manager returns to his former club in what should be an exciting match.

[protected-iframe id=”acfe0173a62a6c6e9627dc48fbfe5aff-58289342-150719707″ info=”https://fubo-preview.global.ssl.fastly.net/lp/preview/index-lite.html?params=irad%3D538237%26irmp%3D1205322%26pack%3Dfubotv-basic&page_slug=BEIN1HD&t=90″ style=”max-width: 640px;” width = “100%”]

Real Betis vs. Barcelona

When: Sunday, February 9

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET

TV: beIN Sports

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

This has not been a good week for Barcelona. The all-time Copa del Rey champions were eliminated from the competition against Athletic Bilbao with a 93rd-minute winner at the death, a truly heartbreaking way to say goodbye to a tournament Barça has won 30 times, four in the last six years. New manager Quique Setién says his team is improving with every game, but fans are not very confident in his coaching abilities and things need to get better much faster with the Champions League knockouts approaching.

Barça’s next challenge is Real Betis, Setién’s former club that still loves him and will no doubt give him a great reception on Sunday. Barça has always struggled away to Betis and winning it is never easy. The Betis players will surely have an extra pep in their step going up against their former boss. Barça is wounded, injured and Lionel Messi has not been at his best, but this team needs to find answers soon.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

How to Watch Vipers vs. Guardians, XFL Football Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Vipers vs. Guardians Live Online.

During the first iteration of the XFL, New York’s franchise played at Giants Stadium. Since then, MetLife Stadium was erected in place of that venue, and now the New York Guardians find it as their home in the new XFL. New York will host the Tampa Bay Vipers in the first week of the 2020 XFL season, with both teams looking to establish an identity in the early stage of the season.

[protected-iframe id=”0d822fa22c40b2754e3a6cd705e271dd-58289342-150719707″ info=”https://fubo-preview.global.ssl.fastly.net/lp/preview/index-lite.html?params=irad%3D538235%26irmp%3D1205322%26pack%3Dfubotv-basic&page_slug=FOX” style=”max-width: 640px;” width = “100%”]

Vipers vs. Guardians

When: Sunday, February 9
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Tampa Bay is coached by former NFL head coach Marc Trestman, who built his reputation as an offensive mind in the Canadian Football League before being hired to lead the Chicago Bears. The Vipers will hope that Trestman’s offensive coaching prowess will lead to a strong season from quarterback Aaron Murray, who is best known for his time as the signal caller for the Georgia Bulldogs. Murray has spent time in NFL huddles as well and hopes to parlay that experience into success in the XFL.

The New York Guardians are also led by an offensive mind, as former New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is the head man for the team that plays in the same stadium as the Giants. The Guardians will have former Penn State and Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin as their starter, but they also have Luis Perez in their quarterback room. Perez was one of the breakout stars of the Alliance of American Football, and this team could be well equipped to take advantage of the new multiple forward pass rule that the XFL will put into play.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

How to Watch Osasuna vs. Real Madrid, La Liga Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Osasuna vs. Real Madrid Live Online.

Real Madrid’s unbeaten streak of 21 matches came crashing down midweek. Now, Osasuna is out to capitalize when it hosts Zinedine Zidane’s side in Week 23 of La Liga on Sunday. Eden Hazard could make his return to Real’s lineup after 10 weeks out with a hairline fracture in his foot, and he’d be a welcome addition following Los Blancos’ first loss since October.

Osasuna vs. Real Madrid

When: Sunday, February 9
Location: Estadio El Sadar
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
TV: beIN Sports
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Vazquez, Benzema, Isco

The sole silver lining for Zidane is that his team remains three points ahead of Barcelona at La Liga’s summit after its 4-3 Copa del Rey defeat to Real Sociedad on Thursday. Martin Odegaard came back to haunt his former club and scored the opening goal, as La Real built a 4-1 lead at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Rodrygo and Nacho each scoring in the final nine minutes. Real will hope for greater success at the Estadio El Sadar in Pamplona, where it has won by two goals in each of its past two visits.

Osasuna’s last league point against Real came following a 2-2 draw at home in December 2013, though the team has since lost six straight meetings, each by a margin of at least two goals.

Los Rojillos sit 11th in the standings and could climb into the top half with a shocking victory in Week 23, though that would also require a Granada defeat at Atletico Madrid on Saturday to materialize.

Osasuna striker Chimy Avila is a huge absentee for Sunday’s host after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in late January. The Argentinian had recorded nine goals and two assists in La Liga this season prior to the blow as the team’s biggest attacking contributor by a distance.

Midfield Oier and winger Kike Barja will also miss out for Jagoba Arrasate’s side due to injury.

With Hazard nearing a return to full fitness, Marco Asensio looks like the only major injury concern at the Bernabeu. Raphael Varane should be restored to the XI in place of Eder Militao after he was an unused substitute against Sociedad, bringing some much-needed steel at the back.

Osasuna has lost two matches coming into Week 23 (both away) but are unbeaten in two outings at home and hope that the comforts on northern Spain could lead to an upset over the leaders.

Osasuna possible starting lineup:
Herrera; Vidal, U Garcia, D Garcia, Estupinan; Brasanac, Perez; Ibanez, R Garcia, Torres; Gallego

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Sports Illustrated CFB analyst predicts Alabama win over Michigan

Steve Deace, who mainly covers the Big Ten conference, wrote a piece predicting the outcome of every bowl game Big Ten teams are involved in – this includes Michigan as they’ll take on Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. Deace predicts a Crimson Tide win …

Deace predicts a Crimson Tide win over the Wolverines with a final score of 45-31.

He goes on to explain his thought process behind the score prediction and how he thinks the flow of the game will go:

“This will be a high-scoring game on a fast track,” says Deace, “The Wolverines have the experience and firepower to exploit what’s been at times a pedestrian defense by traditional Nick Saban standards. On the other hand, I don’t give Michigan’s secondary much of a chance in man coverage against arguably the greatest receiving corps in college football history. The other big edge in the game is Alabama’s imposing offensive line against a quick, agile, but undersized Michigan defensive front. Expect Najee Harris to gash Don Brown in the running game.”

Deace’s argument about the Alabama receiving corps giving the Michigan secondary problems is valid, as they allowed, on average, 170 passing yards per game; whereas Alabama had roughly 345 passing yards per game.

Sep 14, 2019; Columbia, SC, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) celebrate after a play against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

However, the passing game isn’t the only factor when comparing Nick Saban’s offense to Jim Harbaugh’s defense. With Tua Tagovailoa out and Mac Jones playing, Alabama may look to utilize their weapons out of the backfield a little more.

Alabama averaged 170 rushing yards per game, with most of those coming from Najee Harris, and Michigan allowed 120 yards per game in the 2019 regular season.

It seems like what Deace is trying to highlight is that the 2019 Citrus Bowl will come down to if Michigan’s defense will be able to stop Mac Jones, who is looking to impress, and a handful of skill position players who are trying to improve their already first round draft grades.

The 2020 VRBO Citrus Bowl will be played in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 1 and it can be watched on ABC at 1:00 p.m. ET.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]