With the sad news of hearing New York Giants rookie linebacker who has shown so much potential, Ryan Connelly tore his ACL in the New York Giants game against the Washington Redskins in Week 4 on September 29th. After getting his second career interception and recording his first career sack against Washington Redskins quarterback Case Keenum, Connelly was ruled out for the game and the rest of the 2019 season.
The New York Giants knew they were lacking at the linebacker position, with the loss of Connelly. On October 1st, the New York Giants made some roster moves and moved linebacker Josiah Tauaefa up from the practice squad, signing him to the 53 man roster.
Tauaefa, a rookie free agent showed off his skills during the Giant’s preseason games. He battled each and every game he played as if it was the real season. Tauaefa went out there and gave it his all, leading the New York Giants with 16 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery. His efforts have earned him a very well-deserved place on the Pro Football Focus’ list of Top 25 Rookies.
Tauaefa also showed off his athleticism and skills while playing college football at the University of Texas at San Antonio, recording a career total of 257 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and one interception.
With stats like these and a demeanor like his, Tauaefa will surely give hope to the New York Giants defense and will continue to shine. He is ever so thankful, grateful and appreciative of every opportunity he is given and it shows, as he goes out there with such momentum on every play.
Tauaefa has the vigor and wide-range of skills to be everything the New York Giants need and more. He gives the defense hope!
The front office and Aaron Boone, the manager for the New York Yankees, have tough decisions to make concerning their postseason roster. The “next man up” mentality helped them all season, but this is the time it could hurt the franchise as a whole.
The Yankees showed they are a top tier team in the league this season and completed their rebuild. Their year statistics are as follows: 103 wins, 306 home runs, and 943 runs (MLB.com). Those 103 wins were the third-most in the MLB, the 306 home runs helped crush their record set last season, and those 943 runs led the MLB (MLB.com). This team had a year for the record books and it seems like they will only get better in the next few years.
Who Contributed the Most this Season?
The New York Yankees are enduring a “good” problem on selecting the twenty-five players that give them the best chance to take home the crown. As mentioned in a previous article, there was a locked starting line-up that looked like one of the best playoff teams ever assembled, hitting wise. However, things have changed since then. The Yankees will most likely need four bench players, limiting them to twelve pitchers.
The big question mark is Luke Voit. He is one for his last thirty-five at-bats and has gone cold at the wrong time. Mike Ford was a key player in the Yankees’ success in the final two months of the season. He is more deserving of a roster spot than the guy that was a nice surprise for the team last season.
Gio Urshela makes the team better with his energetic and prolific defense at third base. If he were to start, that would slide D.J. Lemahieu to first base, with Didi Gregorius at short, and Gleyber Torres at second. Tyler Wade can come off the bench to play middle infield, as well as the outfield, taking up one of the bench spots. Ford is a lefty bat off the bench, he could be the pinch hitter that can come in to give the end of the lineup a boost. Romine will make it by default, being the backup catcher. Maybin can be a boost with his consistent bat, speed, and defense. This team will rely on wins in the Bronx, which helped them succeed in the years past.
The New York Giants head into week five with a winning percentage of .500 for the first time since 2016. They have won two straight games for the first time in three seasons. They finally have some momentum. Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings will test if that momentum can carry them for the rest of the season, or if it’s just a mirage. Rookie starting QB Daniel Jones is 2-0 to start his career, but neither of those wins came against elite teams. The Vikings present a challenge to both Jones and the rest of Big Blue. Winning this game would prove that they’re for real and that the playoffs are realistic this season. It would also give a major confidence boost to the locker room before they play New England next week.
Why Sunday’s game against Minnesota is the biggest game since 2016:
The first strong opponent in the Daniel Jones era
Rookie QB Daniel Jones has played exceptionally thus far. Through two games, he has a 69.0% completion percentage, has thrown for 578 yards, and has accounted for five touchdowns. All of those numbers have come against rather mediocre opponents though. His first start was against Tampa Bay, a team that sports the same record as the Giants. His second start came against a Washington team that is yet to win a game this season.
Minnesota will be Jones’ first major challenge. The Vikings boast the sixth-best defense in the NFL, allowing just 312.8 total yards per game. That is significantly better than his first two opponents, who both give up more than 377 yards per game. If Jones can put up impressive numbers against a stout Minnesota defense, it will be clear that he is the real deal.
An opportunity to prove the Giants are for real
As mentioned above, the Giants’ two wins have come against underwhelming teams. Beating a playoff-contending Vikings team would put the Giants on the map. They have the opportunity to be a game above .500 for the first time since that same 2016 season. A win on Sunday would be a major step towards playing in January.
A win would build confidence for New England
The Giants have a short week next week, as they travel to New England for a Thursday night clash with the Patriots. Assuming the defending champs beat the winless Redskins this week, it would be another David v Goliath clash. The Patriots would be riding high at 5-0 while the Giants would continue to prove the doubters wrong.
Beating a near-elite team in Minnesota would do wondrous things for Big Blue. Heading into New England with a 3-2 record, a big home win under their belt, and a locker room full of confidence sounds like a great recipe for success. A tough loss on Sunday could easily derail the team.
It is vital that the Giants pull out a win on Sunday if they wish to keep their season alive. There hasn’t been a bigger game for three seasons. While it may only be week five, a loss could send the team spiraling towards another year of disappointment.
NFL offensive tackle, Calvin Anderson comes from an athletic family. His grandfather was a professional tennis player and his father DeVry, who is now Colonel in the army, played football at Army.
Anderson has talents that go beyond being a star on the field. In high school, he also played basketball and tennis. He worked hard at The University of Texas and Rice University football teams. He truly is quite amazing as a fun fact he uses the Japanese game of Soduku to help solve a Rubik’s Cube behind his back!
October 1st the New York Jets announced that Anderson had been signed by the Denver Broncos to their active roster, after being on the New York Jets practice squad.
Anderson is only in his rookie year and has not truly had the chance to shine yet, but great things are in his future. Although no longer a New York Jet, he will surely prove to be an asset to the Denver Broncos.
Anderson brought class and kindness to New York always stopping and posing with fans at training camp and after New York Jets preseason games. Every single picture, he is gleaming and beaming, a testament to his sweet, positive, outgoing demeanor. He is a true footballer and true family man and cherishes every moment given to him both professionally and personally. He has always been one to achieve his dreams and reach his goals, graduating college with a degree in finance, and the NFL will be no different!
There are many new faces this year to the New York Giants, one of them being rookie newcomer running back, Austin Walter. After playing at Rice University for the Rice Owls football team, he went undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft and signed with the San Francisco 49ers. After being waived by the 49ers, on September 18th, Walter signed with New York Giants practice squad.
Athleticism is a family affair. His twin brother Aston is a running back for Walter’s alma mater Rice University. Not only are the spitting images in looks, but they are also equivalent in the sense of their football skills and kind hearts.
At Rice University, Walter rushed for a collegiate career total of 1,744 yards for 13 touchdowns, 803 receiving yards for five touchdowns in 49 games. He also served as a kick returner for the Rice Owls football team. Walter led the country in all-purpose yards and ranked sixth in all-purpose yards per game.
Sure, Walter may have excelled on the field, but what makes him even more admirable are not just his amazing football skills, but also his giving ways. Walter jumps at every and any opportunity to help others. He knows the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people and does so.
Walter is no stranger to adversity. Critics have told him he is too small and that he could never play in the NFL. He never let this bother him though and proved the critics wrong, by playing each and every game with vigor and skill. He has shown and proven himself time and time again and has not let any negativity defeat him. Walter has the agility, speed, endurance, dynamism, and intensity any good running back has and he just needs the opportunity to show the world his drive and capacity. He will not only make his family and father proud by carrying on his legacy, but also New York Giants fans as well!
The New York Jets are set to face the Eagles this week with a squad that was expected to be at nearly full health. That now appears to be less likely. Despite not being fully cleared, Sam Darnold is still not a lock to be out this week. He could play despite concerns with his spleen. At 0-3, with an offensive line that couldn’t seem to hold a block for more than 2 seconds and a coach still getting adjusted, the best-case scenario is not to start Sam Darnold.
The Offensive Line Puts Him In Serious Danger
The offensive line features a group that hasn’t gelled together yet and features a unique collection of talent. Kelechi Osemele is talented. Brian Winters, Kelvin Beachum, and Brandon Shell are below average. Ryan Kalil isn’t readjusting to the game quickly. Those are optimistic/positive reactions. The fact is this offensive line has been horrific. It’s been baring quite a resemblance to the situation Andrew Luck had in Indianapolis.
Don’t Repeat What Happened In Indy
That’s a key piece of why Sam Darnold can’t play till he’s at full health. Andrew Luck tried that and with an abysmal offensive line how did that turn out? It left the Colts in a poor scenario when they finally could contend. For the long term success of this team, Sam Darnold shouldn’t risk it and leave the team in a bad spot. Also, a spleen isn’t something to mess with it. It could leave serious issues beyond the game and could seriously hurt Sam. These are not positive situations to put your Quarterback in. Don’t risk long term turmoil for potential immediate success and don’t risk hurting the franchise guy.
If Adam Gase Is Smart, Sam Sits
Adam Gase is in a tough spot and is far from living up to expectations. A smart head coach doesn’t risk your QB for a potential win. Especially if you’re a realist and realize how unlikely it might be anyways. The Eagles are a really good team. The New York Jets at this point aren’t. So if you’re going against that level competition at 0-3 it definitely is a must-win scenario. BUT, you shouldn’t risk a QB’s health for that level of risk. Fletcher Cox and that Eagles defense is not something to ignore and Joe Douglas knows that well having played a part in its construction. Putting Darnold against that is just way too risky to do. Gase can make the right move even before kickoff it he sits Sam.
I would love to see Sam play. Just like every fan, I miss seeing him out there. However, after the Andrew Luck scenario, it’s evident that longevity is more important. Behind that offensive line, it’s just to risky to let Sam Darnold out on that field. It’s time for the Jets to be realists and see that.
Wasn’t it great not hearing DeAndre Baker’s name during the New York Giants vs. Redskins game? It went from Baker blowing coverage on every play in the Bills game, to radio silence in the Redskins game. As a Giants fan, you have to ask what happened?
Minor Tweaks
Pat Shurmur stated that there have been minor tweaks on the defense and that is the reason why they have only given up six points in the past six quarters. As a cornerback, usually, if the announcers are saying your name it’s not a good thing. After the first half of the Buccaneers game, we started not to hear the name “Deandre Baker.” Is it that the quarterbacks were not looking towards him or was he finally doing his job?
After watching the film, it is clear what that “minor tweak” is for Baker, it’s press coverage. During the Bills game, Baker was playing ten to twelve yards back on some plays and was allowing whoever he was covering to take the easy five to eight-yard gain. There were also numerous plays where he did not sit in his zone and let a wide receiver get opened.
During the Redskins game, Deandre Baker covered mainly Paul Richardson, Robert Davis, and Kelvin Harmon. Yes, these players are not close to Julio Jones or Keenan Allen, but that was not his job this week. His job was to cover these players and he did an excellent job doing it. When he plays press coverage he just looks like a totally different player. Bettcher game plan has to have Baker pressing the wide receiver because that’s when he plays best. In addition to press coverage, there was actually a couple of times throughout the Redskins game where you would see him point out to the outside linebacker or the safety where they should be covering. It is amazing how much progress he has made in six quarters.
But with all of the said, the New York Giants are facing the Vikings this week. Kirk Cousins has never been a great quarterback, but he has two great weapons, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Baker has an extremely hard matchup against Thielen this week and he has to press against Thielen if he wants to be successful.
The New York Yankees begin their postseason run after a fantastic season against the Minnesota Twins on Friday for game one of the ALDS. Both teams have crazy power in their lineup who have hit a total of 612 home runs during the regular season.
Since the Twins have 11 players with ten home runs or more, the Yankees are going to want to match that kind of power. Here’s a projected lineup that could do that:
The only concern with this lineup is how Didi Gregorius and Luke Voit finished off the regular season. Voit went one for his last 32 at-bats and batted .194 in September. Gregorius finished off with a .190 average in September.
If Gregorius and Voit continue to slump during the postseason, the Yankees could consider moving LeMahieu to first base and putting Gio Urshela at third, taking Voit’s spot in the lineup.
Gregorius’ lefty bat in the lineup is so valuable since the Yankees only have a few left-handed batters. However, if the Yankees are up against a lefty, Gregorius will most likely find himself coming off the bench.
The New York Yankees have not yet announced their official roster for the postseason but will most likely be said later this week.
The projected rotation for the playoffs is James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and Luis Severino. Paxton is undoubtedly the game one starter and Luis Severino should take game two since he’s much better in the Bronx. Even though Tanaka has been shaky on the road this season, he’s a seasoned player with plenty of postseason experience that seems can turn in on come October.
New York Knicks rookie Ignas Brazdeikis is ready for the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. More importantly, Iggy Braz is ready to prove himself right. He could care less about the doubters. Doubters hold no weight in Iggy’s world. The second round gem sees himself as his greatest competitor. The Knicks found themselves a second-round sleeper who understands himself off the court, and he allows his game to speak for itself. Plus, according to RJ Barrett, Brazdeikis beat the New York Knicks 2019 third overall pick in a one-on-one pick-up game very badly during the time they were 8-year-old’s in basketball camp. Obviously, Barrett has improved since, but Brazdeikis possessed great natural talent since grade school.
The Canadian raised star averaged 14.8-points and 5.4-rebounds per game including a season-high 24-points against the University of North Carolina. This fearless competitor shot .392-percent from three-point range. Brazdeikis even displayed excellent three-point shooting during summer league. Knicks will look to spread the floor with the lefty three-point shooter.
Ignas Brazdeikis is a gym rat just like RJ Barrett. Both players complement each other very well on the basketball court due to Barrett’s physical, lane slashing style, and Brazdeikis with his naturally smooth shooting stroke. Many in the Knicks coaching staff are looking forward to training camp. Position battles will ensue and may the well-deserved personnel comes away with their well-deserved slots, whether it’s starting slots or a battle for rotation minutes.
Overall, Ignas Brazdeikis will only help the Knicks especially after New York’s lackluster season from behind the three-point line. Confidence is crucial for a rookie and the amount of confidence Ignas Brazdeikis has in his craft should never go understated.
Didi Gregorius and Luke Voit have been question marks regarding whether or not they will start in the postseason. Some people believe Gregorius must start because of his clutch moments in the 2017 and 2018 fall classics, while others believe he needs to be benched because of his lackluster offensive and defensive numbers. As for Voit, some people believe he must start because of his 2019 offensive numbers, while others believe he needs to be benched because of his ice-cold slump through the month of September.
What would benefit the team as an organization? What is the best solution to help the New York Yankees win the Commissioner’s Trophy in October? Let’s begin with Gregorius and his possible role in the postseason. Keep in mind that this article is opinionated and doesn’t correlate to the decisions that the organization will draw up.
Although Gregorius has produced an endless amount of memorable moments in his career, he has been mediocre this season. In 344 plate appearances, he slashed .238/.276/.441/.717 with a .297 wOBA and an 84 wRC+. He also has an extremely low 4.9 BB%. Not even the inflated stats from the Minnesota Twins series’ and the number of grand slams Gregorius has cashed in help his case. As far as defense is concerned, he isn’t much better. In 688.1 innings, he recorded a -5 DRS, 0.5 UZR, and a 0.6 UZR/150
An average hitter in the 2019 season slashed .252/.323/.435/.758 with a .320 wOBA and a 97 wRC+. This means that Gregorius is below average in AVG, OBP, OPS, wOBA, wRC+ and BB%. In the month of September, he slashed .190/.247/.380/.627 with a .259 wOBA and a 58 wRC+. He hasn’t produced the best at-bats and has struggled with plate discipline, hence why his BB% is low. On a positive note, he isn’t striking out much and is above average with a 15.4 K%.
Shifting over to the defense. An average shortstop in the 2019 season recorded a 0 DRS, 2.8 UZR, and a 0.1 UZR/150. Gregorius is below average in terms of DRS and UZR. Although his 0.5 UZR isn’t atrocious by any means, it’s not a great stat either. However, he is slightly above average in terms of UZR/150.
It’s blatantly obvious that Gregorius should not start in the postseason. While I do believe that team chemistry exists, he hasn’t produced much this season and that’s a problem. Fans should be more concerned with the best possible lineup overplaying the favorite card. Gregorius hasn’t played well this season, so why would he magically begin on a hot streak in October?
No player transforms into a better hitter and becomes more clutch just because it’s playoff season. If you’re a “clutch” player, you will show up when it matters, regardless if it’s April, July or October. The Yanks’ have much better hitters on the team that can be shifted into positions where they thrive. More on the lineup as a whole later.
As far as Voit is concerned, he has been much more productive with the bat. In 510 plate appearances, he slashed .263/.378/.464/.842 with a .360 wOBA and a 126 wRC+. He also recorded a 13.9 BB%, which is well above average and correlates to his high OBP. Among hitters with over 500 plate appearances in the AL, Voit is 10th in OBP and 6th in BB%.
The only concerning issue Voit has is his 27.8 K%, which is the 4th highest in the AL. On many occasions, he goes down looking without swinging on pitches that are clearly in the strike zone. Another concerning issue is the massive slump he has endured lately. Through the month of September, he slashed .194/.326/.347/.670 with a .299 wOBA and an 85 wRC+. In 72 at-bats, he only racked up 14 hits with 23 strikeouts. Even worse, by the end of Sept. 28, he went 1-for-32 with 13 strikeouts.
Defensively, Voit is a below-average defender. An average 1st baseman in the 2019 season recorded a 5 DRS, 1.5 UZR and a 0.0 UZR/150. In 706.1 innings, Voit recorded an ugly -6 DRS, -4.1 UZR and a -12.4 UZR/150
Unlike Gregorius, who is a below-average hitter and defender, Voit is an above-average hitter and a below-average defender. Voit definitely has the inferior defensive numbers but has a significantly better bat than Gregorius. 1st base is also not as physically demanding as a shortstop and is a much more flexible position to work around.
Overall, Voit has a better opportunity of making the postseason roster than Gregorius. With the current situation for both players, the ideal postseason roster might consist of:
Yes, Mike Ford is on the lineup. I have a tremendous amount of faith in him and with the current pace Voit is on, this roster would be the most beneficial. Shift DJ to 2B and Torres to SS to compensate for Gregorius. Shift Ford to 1B and Encarnacion to DH. This is for precautionary reasons since Encarnacion is recovering from an oblique injury.
As I stated in the beginning, this is an opinionated article. If Gregorius and Voit happen to land on the postseason roster and demolish the league, I’ll gladly accept I was in the wrong. Until then, it’s all about winning championships overplaying the favorite card.
