Tag: Standings

SEC baseball standings after March 16 games

A look at SEC baseball standings after March 16 games.

Southeastern Conference play opened Thursday during the 2023 season.

SEC play opened with two contests on Thursday: Ole Miss at Vanderbilt and Alabama at Florida.

No. 2 Tennessee (15-3) will open Southeastern Conference play Friday at Missouri (13-3) for a three-game series.

First pitch for Friday’s series-opener between the Vols and Tigers is slated for 4 p.m. EDT. SEC Network+ will broadcast the series-opener.

Game No. 2 is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. EDT on Saturday, while Sunday’s series finale is slated for 2 p.m. EDT. Both contests can be watched on SEC Network+.

Noah Reed (PxP) and Spencer Jurgens (analyst) are on the call for the series.

Below are SEC standings after March 16 games.

NFC South news: What the Falcons, Panthers, and Bucs are up to at NFL combine

NFC South news roundup: What the Falcons, Panthers, and Buccaneers are up to at the 2023 NFL scouting combine

The New Orleans Saints aren’t the only team active at the NFL Scouting Combine this week — all of their competitors around the NFC South are busy meeting with quarterbacks and rookie prospects in the 2023 draft.

We’ve already discussed what Saints head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis have shared with reporters at the combine; now let’s check in on their peers on the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Saints to interview former Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods

The Saints plan to interview former Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods for the same position. He’s worked with Dennis Allen before on the Raiders:

It didn’t take long for Dennis Allen to identify his first candidate to replace Kris Richard as defensive coordinator. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report that the New Orleans Saints will meet with former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods about that opening on their staff — Woods was let go in January after three years with the Browns. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson shares that Woods will interview with the Saints in New Orleans on Friday.

And he’s worked with Allen before, having coached the then-Oakland Raiders’ defensive backs in 2014, so there’ some familiarity there. Woods went on to find success as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator under Vance Joseph in 2017 and 2018, and as the San Francisco 49ers defensive passing game coordinator in 2019 under Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh.

Things haven’t gone as well for him as a defensive play caller (it’s a big part of what got him ousted in Cleveland), but that wouldn’t be Woods’ responsibility in New Orleans. Allen still holds that responsibility after being promoted to head coach, so Woods would be more of a collaborator in much the same way Pete Carmichael was for Sean Payton over the years. That’s if his interview goes well and both sides can reach an agreement.

Allen has some work to do after eroding his defensive coaching staff. He needs a new coordinator, a secondary coach, and a defensive line coach after parting ways with Richard and letting Ryan Nielsen go to the Atlanta Falcons. His defense has been the strength of the team over the last few years, but at some point he’ll need to put time and resources into an offense that ranked tenth-worst in the NFL last year.

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NFC playoff picture: 49ers take over No. 2 seed, 1 game back of No. 1 seed

Sunday was good all the way around for the 49ers in the playoff picture. They’re the No. 2 seed with a shot to climb to No. 1.

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The 49ers got everything they needed in Week 17. They knocked off the Raiders, then got losses from the Vikings and Eagles to give them maximum help in the NFC playoff picture.

San Francisco is now tied with the Vikings, but their better conference record gives them the tiebreaker over Minnesota. Philadelphia’s second-consecutive loss also keeps the door open on the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Here’s what the playoff picture looks like after Sunday’s action:

1. Eagles (13-3)
2. 49ers (12-4)
3. Vikings (12-4)
4. Buccaneers (8-8)
5. Cowboys (12-4)
6. Giants (9-6-1)
7. Seahawks (8-8)

8. Lions (8-8)
9. Packers (8-8)

The 49ers can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and an Eagles loss next week. San Francisco hosts the Cardinals, while the Eagles will host he New York Giants.

If the Eagles win, the 49ers can clinch the No. 2 seed with a win or a Vikings loss.

At the second seed, they’d play the No. 7 seed. That could be the Seahawks, Lions or Packers depending on how Week 18’s action shakes out.

Getting the No. 2 seed would mean the 49ers host a home game on wild card weekend, and then host a divisional playoff game if they win their first-round matchup.

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Jaguars’ lead in AFC South grows with 6th straight Titans loss

The Titans’ 6th straight loss means the Jaguars will lead the AFC South after Week 17 … not that it matters much.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be first place in the AFC South after Week 17, regardless of their result against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Jacksonville is now a half-game up on the Tennessee Titans after the latter lost its sixth straight game on Thursday. The Titans’ 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys dropped the team to 7-9 on the year. With the Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans all set to play Sunday, the AFC South standings now look like this:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
  2. Tennessee Titans: 7-9
  3. Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
  4. Houston Texans: 2-12-1

The Jaguars currently own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Titans, so they’ll maintain their lead over Tennessee even if both teams have 7-9 records after Week 17.

But if the Titans manage to even the series with a win in Week 18, the second tiebreaker is divisional record. Tennessee would be 4-2 in AFC South play if it beat Jacksonville next week, better than the Jaguars’ 2-4 or 3-3 record.

As such, the Titans’ loss to the Cowboys didn’t do anything to alter the AFC South race. It did, however, guarantee that the Jaguars will enter the matchup as the division leader.

Eagles lose to Cowboys, giving them all the motivation they need vs. Saints next week

The Eagles lost to the Cowboys, giving them all the motivation they’ll need against the Saints next week:

Oh boy. The Gardner Minshew-led Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night, losing by a final tally of 40-34 and putting their record at 13-2 going into next week’s game with the New Orleans Saints. It also keeps the Eagles one win away from locking up the NFC’s top playoff seed and everything that comes with it: homefield advantage throughout the postseason, plus a lucrative wild-card round bye week.

And, yeah, the Eagles are going to receive a 2023 first round draft pick from the Saints. Defeating New Orleans would make that pick more valuable. Between playoff considerations and the added boon of that draft asset, they’re going to have all the motivation they’ll need to beat the Saints next Sunday.

So look for the Eagles to play all of their available starters in Week 17’s matchup at Lincoln Financial Field, likely including star quarterback Jalen Hurts (who was out of the lineup on Saturday with a sprained throwing shoulder). Hurts and the Eagles have run roughshod over the Saints in each of the last two years, outscoring New Orleans by margins of 24-21 (in 2020) and 40-29 (in 2021), with Hurts leading an offense that’s amassed 793 yards of offense between those two beatdowns. Philly has eclipsed 240 rushing yards in each of those previous meetings.

That’s a problem. What’s worse is that the Eagles are as difficult to defend through the air as on the ground, having invested a ton of resources in their receiving corps in recent years. Even if he fell short, Minshew still posted 34 points on the Cowboys — a total that would defeat most teams around the league, and which the Saints have outscored just once all season. It’s going to take an incredible defensive performance from New Orleans to keep this one close, but the Saints offense must pull its fair share to come away with a win, too. Let’s see how it shakes out.

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NFC South standings update: Falcons are first to be eliminated from playoff contention

NFC South standings update after Saints beat Browns: Falcons are first to be eliminated from playoff contention, Panthers still in the hunt

Well, well, well: the New Orleans Saints are still alive in the NFC South title race, but the same can’t be said of the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. The dirty birds are the first NFC South team to be eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, dropping them to 5-10 on the season. They’re out of the hunt.

And the Carolina Panthers are still alive after upsetting the Detroit Lions, and interim head coach Steve Wilks has them playing surprisingly well. They won’t be a pushover in the Saints’ regular season finale.

Every team but Atlanta is sitting at 6-9 or better, but nobody has a winning record. And that keeps the Saints in play with two more games left on their regular season schedule. We’ll get a better idea of their standing within the division after the Tampa Bay Tom Brady’s square off with the Arizona Fightin’ Trace McSorley’s on Sunday night, but for now the NFC South shapes up like this:

How the Chargers can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16

The Chargers can punch their playoff ticket in Week 16.

After defeating the Titans, the Chargers improved to 8-6 and increased their playoff chances to 82%.

Now the holder of the sixth seed in the AFC conference, Los Angeles controls its fate. However, they can punch its playoff ticket in Week 16, with a bit of help. They have three different scenarios to clinch this weekend.

Here are the scenarios to clinch:

  1. LAC win + LV loss/tie + NYJ loss + NE loss
  2. LAC win + LV loss/tie + NYJ loss + NE tie + MIA loss
  3. LAC win + LV loss/tie + NYJ tie + NE loss + MIA loss

The Chargers face the Colts on the road on Monday Night Football. The Raiders travel to play the Steelers on Christmas Eve. The Jets host the Jaguars on Thursday Night Football. The Patriots host the Bengals on Christmas Eve. The Dolphins host the Packers on Christmas.

Chargers’ remaining schedule:

  • at Colts (4-9-1)
  • vs. Rams (4-9)
  • at Broncos (4-10)

Raiders’ remaining schedule:

  • at Steelers (6-8)
  • vs. 49ers (10-4)
  • vs. Chiefs (11-3)

Jets’ remaining schedule:

  • vs. Jaguars (6-8)
  • at Seahawks (7-7)
  • at Dolphins (8-6)

Patriots’ remaining schedule:

  • vs. Bengals (10-4)
  • vs. Dolphins (8-6)
  • at Bills (11-3)

Dolphins’ remaining schedule:

  • vs. Packers (5-8)
  • at Patriots (7-7)
  • at Jets (7-7)

Saints are the only NFC South team to win during Week 15

The Saints are the only NFC South team to have won during Week 15, but they aren’t on top of the division standings — just yet:

The New Orleans Saints are the only NFC South team to have won during Week 15, but they aren’t on top of the division standings — just yet. They’ve got new life after their division-rivals each lost on Sunday, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost badly to the visiting Cincinnati Bengals in a massive second-half collapse.

New Orleans took care of business with the Atlanta Falcons. The Carolina Panthers couldn’t get it done against the Pittsburgh Steelers. So what’s the state of the NFC South? Check the latest standings and playoff odds:

NFC South standings: Saints exit their bye week all alone in last place

NFC South standings: Saints exit their bye week all alone in last place of the NFL’s worst division

We’re headed for Week 15, and the New Orleans Saints are in a bad way. They’ve lost 9 of their 13 games this season and 4 of their last 5 matchups, scoring 27 of their last 66 points in one game (Week 11’s rout of the Los Angeles Rams). It’s hardly where you want to be coming out of the bye week. To make matters worse, every other team in their division has won at least five games this year — meaning the Saints are in sole possession of last-place among their peers.

So what were the other NFC South teams up to with the Saints resting during their bye week? The Atlanta Falcons also had the week off, but they took the opportunity to name rookie draft pick Desmond Ridder their new starting quarterback. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were very nearly shut out by the San Francisco 49ers in a stunning loss. And the Carolina Panthers survived a late rally by the Seattle Seahawks to get closer to the playoffs than they’ve been in years.

Here’s the updated NFC South standings after Week 14: