Toronto Raptors Mid-Season Recap

Adamo Marinelli

January 14, 2022

     The Toronto Raptors’ season has so far been a tale of two halves. The Raptors started the season 6-3. The Raptors would then go 3-10 in their next 13 games, falling to 9-13 on the season and they were in the basement of the Eastern Conference. 

     Some of the Raptors’ struggles throughout the season can be attributed to losing key players to injuries and also players missing time after testing positive with COVID-19. However, in their tough 3-10 stretch, they got dominated often. Six of their 10 losses came by over double digits.

     In early December, the Raptors season started to turn around. The Raptors would go into Christmas break on a 5-2 run, their only losses coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder by one point and to the then Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets by 2 points in overtime. 

     After their dominant 119-100 win over the Warriors, to bring their record to 14-15 on the season, 12th in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors were supposed to play two more games against Orlando and Chicago before the Christmas break, but both were postponed as the majority of the Raptors’ roster tested positive for COVID-19.

     Scottie Barnes, Fred Van Vleet, Gary Trent Jr., Pascal Siakam, Malachi Flynn, Dalano Banton, OG Anunoby, and Precious Achiuwa were among the Raptors’ players who missed time after testing positive. A few members of the coaching staff also missed time.

     After the Christmas break, COVID-19 was still hitting the Raptors hard. The only player they got back from the COVID-19 list was Dalano Banton who put up 7 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds in a 144-99 rout at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 26. Four of the eight players the Raptors had available for that game were emergency reserve players. 

     Their next game against the 76ers saw the team play much better. They also had Siakam, Trent Jr., and Flynn return from the COVID-19 list. Despite the improved play, they lost 114-109.

     The Raptors know how serious an extended COVID-19 outbreak can be and they want to avoid it at all costs. In late February 2020, the Raptors had a large COVID-19 outbreak which saw the majority of the team sit out. The team had an abysmal 1-13 record in March 2021 which essentially ended any postseason hopes. The Raptors can make noise in the postseason but will need to stay healthy to get there. 

     After their loss against the 76ers, the Raptors really got into form. They rattled off 6 consecutive wins against really good opponents like the Clippers, Bucks, Knicks, and Jazz to bring their record to 20-17. In their win streak, they outscored their opponents by 72. Fred Van Vleet showed why he deserves to be in the NBA All-Star game this season, recording over 30 points in five of six games on the Raptors’ win streak; that includes Van Vleet’s first career triple-double against the Utah Jazz where he dropped 37 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a thrilling win.

     Despite a close 99-95 loss, in a back-forth defensive game against the Pheonix Suns - who are first in the Western Conference and have the best record in the league at 31-9 - the Raptors are 8th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-18 record. 

     With all of their key players off the COVID-19 and a fully healthy roster except for Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. who are questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Detroit Pistons with a knee and ankle injury respectively, the Raptors have the talent on both sides of the ball to go on a run and further solidify themselves as playoff contenders in the East. 

     Guys like Fred Van Vleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr. among many others have been consistently good all season for the Raptors when healthy. If the starters continue to perform like at a high-level night in and night out and the bench players continue to provide additional depth to the team by being productive on both sides of the ball when they get put on the floor and if they are able to close out games to give the starters additional rest, this team can be really good in the second half of the season. 

     This team’s identity is defensive-oriented. Play strong, physical defense, don’t give up high-percentage shots, create turnovers, and score fastbreak points in transition. On offense, they move the ball around to create open shots and create high-percentage shots. This team has the players to adhere to that game plan. If they succeed in running that game plan, they can win lots of games. 

     They have 44 games left, which is lots of time to get fully healthy, improve, and go on a few big winning streaks to end the season as potentially a top 5 team in the East. There is also the possibility of a collapse, especially if future COVID-19 outbreaks occur, which is something the Raptors want to avoid at all costs. 

     This team has the potential to make the playoffs and go on a run with guys like Van Vleet, Anunoby, Trent Jr. Barnes, Siakam among others. With plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and a great coaching staff, I can see the Raptors finishing the season 27-17, ending on a 47-35 record, good enough for fifth in the East as long as they stay healthy. But only time will tell.

NFL 2022 Playoff Predictions

Adamo Marinelli

Jan. 12, 2022

     At the end of an extremely entertaining, wild, and extended NFL season, the 2021 playoff picture is set and there are a handful of entertaining matchups, including some intense division rivalries and several rematches from this season. 

     Before we take a look at the matchups and predict the winners, the season finale between the Raiders and Chargers was one of the - if not the - best games of the year. The Raiders won on a last-second field goal in overtime, but if it weren’t for a timeout by the Chargers, the game could have ended in a tie, sending both the Chargers and Raiders into the playoffs, eliminating the Steelers in the process. 

Let’s start with the AFC bracket. 

     Big Ben will likely play his last game with the Pittsburgh Steelers who will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are the better team both offensively and defensively and will win this game with relative ease. T.J. Watt is a weapon on defense for the Steelers. He leads the NFL in sacks with 22.5 and the Steelers have 55 sacks, which is the most in the NFL. He will affect Patrick Mahomes but not enough to help the Steelers win. Mahomes will spread the ball around and they will use the run and the pass to beat the Steelers. The Steelers have weapons on offense, including Najee Harris, but it won’t be enough to overpower the Chiefs’ defense. It won’t be as big a blowout as it was on Boxing Day when the Chiefs won 36-10, but the Chiefs will win by 10.

     Mac Jones and the Patriots will travel to Buffalo to visit the Bills, their division rival. The Pats and Bills split the season series 1 game apiece. The Patriots’ running game dominated the Bills in the first matchup, going for over 200 yards. Mac Jones completed only 2 of 3 passes for 19 yards in the win. In the next matchup, Josh Allen threw for 300+ yards and 3 TDs and the Bills’ defense shut the Patriots’ offense down. This game could go either way, both of these teams are very good on both sides of the ball, but I think the Bills win in a tight game at home. 

      Finally, the Las Vegas Raiders travel to Cincinnati to take on Joe Burrow and the red-hot Bengals. Both teams are making their first playoff appearances since 2016 and 2015 respectively. The Bengals exploded for 19 points in the 4th quarter on their way to a 32-13 rout. The Bengals are the better team, but the Raiders are a feisty relentless bunch that doesn’t go away. They won the last four games of the season to clinch a playoff spot. The Raiders will keep it interesting, especially with Maxx Crosby rushing Joe Burrow, but the Bengals’ offense is on too much of a hot streak. They won’t be stopped. Bengals win.

     In the divisional round, the Bengals will travel to Tennessee to play the number one seed Titans. The Bengals are one of the most balanced teams in the AFC with a solid defense, amazing QB play from Joe Burrow, and a powerful offense both on the ground with Joe Mixon and through the air with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and even C.J. Uzomah. The Bengals can win games in many ways on both defense and offense. The Titans are nothing to scoff at either. They have been worse without Derrick Henry at running back but still did enough to claim the #1 seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record. They have a top 10 defense, a solid receiver core, and their backup running backs played very well in Henry’s actions. This will be close, but with a lack of experience from the Bengals in the playoffs, I’ll take the Titans to win by under 7.

     In the other matchup, the Bills will travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs. The Bills beat the Chiefs handily this season, however, that was before the Chiefs defense made a huge improvement from a bottom 5 defense in the league to a top 10 defense. Mahomes and the offense also look considerably better than at the beginning of the season. He is making fewer mistakes and they have started to run the ball more which opens up the passing game and tires out opposing defenses. They’ve won the last 9 of their 10 games of the season and are red-hot entering the playoffs. However, the Bills have gone on a run too, winning their last 4 games. Josh Allen has looked great, their run game is improving and their defense is the best unit against the pass, and are middle of the pack against the run. The Chiefs will be the favourite to win, but I predict the Bills will stop the run and force Mahomes to make difficult throws under pressure against their #1 rated pass defense. Josh Allen will have a career day throwing for 350 yards and 4 TDs. Their defense will get key turnovers and stops against Mahomes when it counts. The Bills upset KC in a back and forth game 35-31, despite all of KC’s playoff experience. 

     In the AFC championship, I have the Bills visiting the Titans. Two of the best teams in the AFC will meet to earn a trip to Superbowl 56. Both teams have top 6 defenses and can generate a lot of pressure against opposing QBs. The Bills have the third-most takeaways in the league with 30, the Titans are 14th in that department with 22. The Bills are a great unit against the pass but the middle of the pack against the run giving up 1866 yards and 19 rush TDs. If Derrick Henry is back and fully healthy which he will be, the Bills will struggle to stop the run and Henry will dominate. This will open some holes against the Bills’ pass defense, which is the best in the league. The Titans are a pretty good unit against the pass, so if they can take a lead and control the ball with their run game, they’ll force Josh Allen to throw the ball a lot which may lead to turnovers. The Titans give up a lot of yards between the 20s but are tough to score on, giving up only 24 pass TDs, the top 10 fewest in the NFL. Josh Allen is a great QB and will keep it close, but I have the Titans winning. 

AFC Champ: Tennessee Titans

My AFC bracket predictions

1) Titans bye

2) Chiefs > 7) Steelers

3) Bills > 6) Patriots

4) Bengals > 5) Raiders

1) Titans > 4) Bengals

3) Bills > 2) Chiefs

1) Titans > 2) Bills

AFC Champ: Tennessee Titans 

Let’s move on to the NFC bracket.

     In the first matchup, the Philadelphia Eagles will visit Tampa Bay to visit defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers. The Eagles have gone on a nice run to end the season, winning 7 of their last 9 games. Some of it is due to playing the easiest schedule in the league, however, the Eagles made a schematic change that involved running the ball more to take pressure off Jalen Hurts and it worked wonders. It opened up the passing attack for Hurts, allowed Hurts to use his legs to extend drives, and allowed the Eagles to control the clock and time of possession against weaker opponents. As good as they are, they are not beating the defending Super Bowl champion, even with the various injuries they have. The Bucs are a top 5 defense and a top 5 offense in the NFL and Brady has the most playoff experience of anyone in the league. It will be a close game, but the Bucs will beat the Eagles for a second time this season. 

     Next, we have the red-hot 49ers visiting the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have not won a playoff game since 2018, however, they have looked great all season long minus a few games against the Broncos, Chiefs, Cardinals, etc. The Cowboys have a top 10 defense and lead the league in takeaways with 34 and interceptions with 26. They are also top 15 in the league in sacks with 41. Micah Parsons has been incredible too and this defense has improved a lot in little time. Their offense is also clicking at the right time. Dak Prescott has the most TD passes in a single year in Cowboys history with 37, and the Cowboys can beat you in the run game with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard and the passing game with Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb, Dalton Schultz, Cedric Wilson among others. The 49ers are a very good team, especially on offense. George Kittle, Elijah Mithcell, and Deebo Samuel have all been awesome down the stretch for the 49ers. Samuel has been excellent both as a receiver and running back.  Jimmy Garappolo also played very well against the Rams last weekend to earn a playoff spot. The 49ers also have a top 10 defense, are strong against the run, and can get turnovers. This game will be high-scoring and both teams will move the ball well. It will come down to who’s defense gets more stops and who the better red-zone offense will be. I believe the Cowboys win a close one.

     Finally, the Cardinals will travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams, who have been on a great run to end the season. The Rams made a lot of moves including acquiring Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr., Matthew Stafford among others to win playoff games now. They do not have a first or second-round pick for a while. If the Rams do not win, there will be some major turnaround this offseason. The Cardinals and Rams both have top 10 offenses in the NFL and top 15 defenses. Both teams have talented QBs and can run the ball well. Both teams have a lot of weapons, particularly at wide receiver. The Cardinals have Deandre Hopkins and the Rams have triple crown-winning receiver Cooper Kupp who led the league in receptions, yards, and TDs. This game will be very close as these teams are evenly matched and both teams won one game in their season series. The Cardinals humbled the Rams early in the season and the Rams won an important game later in the season. The winner of this game will have to run the ball well, control the time of possession and get turnovers on defense without making mistakes on offense. I am going to take the Rams to win by 6 - I think they are the slightly better team - especially because the Cardinals lost 4 of their last 5 games. However, if the Cardinals run the ball well, control the time of possession and put Matt Stafford under pressure, he is prone to throwing costly interceptions which has hurt his team in their losses and even in some of their wins. This could lead to an upset.

      After a close win against the Cardinals, the Rams will visit Lambeau to play the Green Bay Packers. The Rams are a very good team on both offense and defense, but the Packers are the NFC’s first seed for a reason. Head coach Matt Lafleur has 13 wins in each of his first three seasons - an incredible feat accomplished by no other head coach. Aaron Rodgers is playing incredible football, is a lock for another MVP award, and his team is Super Bowl favorites. Their defense is excellent, recording 26 turnovers, the 9th most in the league. They are a top 11 rush and pass defense and are top 10 in most metrics. They are a mid-tier team running the ball but they have two talented, physical running backs who can break through tackles, get yards after contact, and catch passes out of the backfield. Not to mention, they have one of the best wide receivers in the league in Davante Adams who catches nearly everything thrown his way. Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes Scantling are solid WR2 options. Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, and Von Miller are essential parts of this Rams defense and will make things harder for the Packers offensively, but I believe the Packers’ offense will overpower the Rams’ defense. Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Sony Michel, and Cam Akers - who is supposed to return for the playoffs - will keep the game close, but a late-game INT will seal the game for the Packers. 

     In the final divisional matchup, the Cowboys will visit the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. The Cowboys have one of the best defenses in the league as well as a top 10 rush offense and have the second-best offense in the league in terms of passing yards, passing TDs, and completion percentage. The Buccaneers have the best passing offense in the league in every major category and are a pretty solid team running the ball, although without Leonard Fournette they have a considerably weaker ground game. In addition, injuries to guys like Fournette and Chris Godwin make Tampa Bay’s path to the Super Bowl much more difficult. Both teams’ passing defenses are in the bottom half of the league, meaning this will be a high-scoring, back and forth game. I believe both QBs will throw for over 300 yards and 3 TDs. The Buccaneers’ rush defense is third-best in the league; the Cowboys is 16th. The Cowboys’ defense does record more takeaways than the Buccaneers. However, the Buccaneers will win this playoff game by a TD because the Bucs, especially Tom Brady, have more playoff experience than the Cowboys and because the Buccaneers will be able to run more efficiently against Dallas - even without Fournette - which will help them control time of possession and open up the passing game. Zeke and Pollard might have a tough time running vs the Bucs. 

     In the NFC championship game, the Buccaneers will visit the Packers in a rematch of the 2020 championship game. In 2020, poor secondary play, a late TD given up at the end of the first half, and a decision to kick a field goal instead of going for it late in the fourth quarter cost the Packers the game and they lost their 4th NFC championship game in 7 games. The Packers have improved their secondary a lot since last year’s NFC championship game and Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are both having another MVP type season. The Packers had the better defense than the Bucs and the Bucs had the better offense than the Packers in the regular season, but both teams are top 10 in the league and top 3 in the NFC. This will be a close game, either team could win, but I have the Packers winning after a huge fourth-quarter comeback, getting their revenge against the Bucs, and making their first Super Bowl since 2011.

My NFC bracket predictions

1) Packers bye

2) Buccaneers > 7) Eagles

3) Cowboys> 6) 49ers

4) Rams > 5) Cardinals

1) Packers > 4) Rams

2) Buccaneers > 3) Cowboys

1) Packers > 2) Buccaneers *revenge from 2020*

NFC Champ: Green Bay Packers

Super Bowl 56: Green Bay Packers vs Tennessee Titans

      Aaron Rodgers after exorcising his team’s NFC championship demons will have a chance to win his second Super Bowl. He will lead a Packers’ team that has a top 10 offense and a top 10 defense against a Titans team that has a lethal rushing attack, especially with Derrick Henry back adding to a core of D’Onta Foreman and Jeremy McNichols who both excelled in Henry’s absence. The Titans were ranked the 16th best offense in the regular season but were a top 10 unit with Derrick Henry because of his ability to run the ball very well, which helped the Titans control time of possession, tire out opposing defenses, and open up the passing game. They should return to a top 10 offense with Henry. However, the Packers are a top 10 total defense, the 11th best unit against the run, and 10th best against the pass. The Packers can also generate a lot of pressure, they were top 15 in sacks and top 10 in QB hurries. If Derrick Henry can run all over the Packers defense, control the clock and open up the passing game, the Titans have a good chance to win. However, I believe as good as Henry is, the Packers' defense will limit Henry to under 100 yards rushing and force Tannehill to pass the ball to score touchdowns. The Titans have a great WR core with guys like Julio Jones and A.J. Brown who can make contested catches and get yards after the catch and they will help keep the game close. The Titans are also the second-best defense against the run, so it will be hard for the Packers to run the ball against the Titans even with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The Packers are getting LT David Bhaktiari back, which should help the run game, but the Titans are still hard to run against. However, the Titans are a bottom 10 team in pass defense and they are going against an MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers with lots of weapons at wide receiver, particularly Davante Adams. Aaron Jones is also a great pass-catching back. The Packers’ advantage in the passing game and their ability to help the run as well as a late turnover by Ryan Tannehill will seal the win for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers retires after winning his second Super Bowl, Adams enters into free agency for a huge payday. 

Super Bowl 56 Champ: Green Bay Packers

                                    

     There are a lot of interesting matchups in every round of the playoffs, particularly in the wild card round. That will make for some entertaining games and potentially some upsets. For example, the 49ers could easily beat the Cowboys if Jimmy G plays mistake-free football like he did in the second half of week 18. The Raiders could potentially beat the Bengals, that is slightly less likely, however. The Patriots can beat the Bills using their excellent run game if the weather is not optimal for passing the ball as we saw in their first matchup this season and the Cardinals could beat the Rams too. Regardless of what happens, the playoffs should be very fun to watch.

NHL players not attending Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns

Adamo Marinelli

December 22, 2021

     Today, the NHL and NHLPA came to an agreement that NHL players will not participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as a result of concerns regarding the Omicron variant and several COVID-19 outbreaks that have been happening to several teams around the league that have postponed games. 

      The NHL season is also going on a pause from December 22 to December 25 as a result of the numerous COVID-19 outbreaks around the league that have shut down team training facilities. 

       Many believe that this break is necessary to reduce the spread of the disease, but others like Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck believe the NHL's extended Christmas pause is ‘overkill’. 

     After missing out on the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, the NHL and NHLPA agreed on Olympic participation in 2022 and 2026, with the only caveat being as long as COVID-19 does not affect the NHL season. 

     As of yesterday night, the NHL had already postponed 56 games as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks on several teams. As a result, the NHL is adding the aforementioned pause to the schedule to limit the spread and keep players and coaches safe to prevent future outbreaks.

This break will postpone four additional games tonight and 15 more games tomorrow night, which is better for the safety of everyone in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, the criteria of COVID-19 impacting the season has been met and there will be no Olympic participation from NHL players.

     The general reaction among players is disappointment, but they understand why the decision was made, based on the severity and transmissibility of the new variant.

Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor said a big part of the collective bargaining agreement was bringing Olympics back, so he is disappointed that players are not participating in the Olympics. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby - who has played in previous Olympics - feels bad for the players who will miss this chance as the opportunity to play in the Olympics is an experience of a lifetime and doesn’t come around often. 

     However, most team owners are very reluctant to send their players to the Olympics in the event of an injury, but in our current climate, they also don’t want their players to get sick, don’t want COVID-19 outbreaks happening on their team causing the postponement of games and do not want to have to play without their star players.

     Even though nothing was made official until today, many players, coaches, and personnel around the league saw this move coming. 

     When the Senators were the only team to have a COVID-19 outbreak, the Olympics remained a possibility. In late November and early December, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes experienced outbreaks, and multiple other teams were affected by this, which resulted in the extended Christmas break.

     As a result of the decision to skip the Olympics, the NHL will focus on using the time 

dedicated to the Olympics to reschedule the games that were postponed already and that are being postponed now because of COVID-19. Another scenario is that games later in the season can be played during the Olympic break and the games postponed as a result of COVID-19 will be played at the end of the season.

      However, there could be a lack of arena availability during the break. Despite the NHL asking arenas not to book concerts during that time, in the event the NHL does not send players to the Olympics, many arenas booked concerts to make up for lost revenue throughout the entire pandemic.

Despite the disappointment with NHL players not being able to participate in the Olympics, the decision is a smart one for the greater good of the league. Although, rescheduling all the postponed games is not an easy task and will require meticulous planning from the entire league.

Ottawa Redblacks hire Shawn Burke as team’s 2nd GM

Adamo Marinelli

December 21, 2021

     

On Sunday, the Ottawa Redblacks brought in Shawn Burke to be their next general manager and the second GM in franchise history.

     Burke, previously the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ senior director of player personnel and co-manager of football operations to replace previous GM Marcel Desjardins who served as the team’s general manager since before their inaugural season in 2014.

     The Redblacks had a record of 3-15 in 2019, which led to the dismissal of head coach Rick Campbell. Despite bringing in Paul LaPolice - a Grey Cup-winning assistant coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers - resigning several key players, and bringing in new talent on both sides of the ball, the Redblacks did not see any significant improvement in 2021, going 3-11. 

     Marcel Desjardins was dismissed on October 25. The Redblacks spent almost the next two months conducting an in-depth and extensive search for a new general manager. Burke was one of many high-caliber football minds interviewed for the position. 

      Other strong candidates included assistant Redblacks’ assistant general manager Jeremy Synder, BC Lions director of US scouting Ryan Rigmaiden, Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ assistant general manager Ted Goveia. TSN CFL analyst Duane Ford was also in consideration, but he allegedly pulled his name out of the draw a few days before Burke was hired.

     Burke is a leader, brings passion to the team, works well with others, is a great football mind on both offense and defense, and knows how to build a team. 

     These qualities are attractive to any team and as a result, he was in the running for the general manager position of the Edmonton Elks. 

     The Redblacks were supposed to complete their search a few days before Christmas, but with the news of their number one choice being scouted by Edmonton, the Redblacks sped up the timeline and finalized Burke’s contract last Sunday.

     The Redblacks hope Burke brings a spark to the locker room and helps this team get back into its winning ways. 

     They’ve already signed a few key players like returner Devonte Dedmon, linebacker Avery Williams, kicker Lewis Ward, all-star punter Richie Leone, defensive backs Sherrod Baltimore Justin Howell, and Brandon Dandrige, but they have a lot of work to do before they can compete for a playoff spot.

     The first priority is fixing up the offensive line. This will give the QB more time to get set up in the pocket, the wide receivers more time to run their routes and get open for easy completions, which will help the offense keep drives alive, stay on the field longer which would help limit the amount of time the defense spends on the field. The defense was on the field a lot last season, which tired them out.

      Burke knows how to build a team. He also served as the assistant GM and director of football operations for the Tiger-Cats who have made two consecutive Grey Cup appearances. 

      Burke is a great candidate for the job and the Redblacks organization and members of Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group are happy to have him as the next GM.

      Will his knowledge of the game be enough to help the Redblacks regain their status as playoff contenders? Only time will tell.

       Burke will have to nail the next CFL draft and acquire several free agents in positions of need (QBs, OLs, WRs, CBs, LBs) in order for the team to have enough talent to contend for the playoffs. One of his major roles is to work with head coach Paul LaPolice to address the QB position. This is necessary because I don’t think the Redblacks can make the playoffs with their current QB and roster as a whole. 

     Despite several positive showings from QB Caleb Evans, I do not think he is the long-term answer yet. He needs more time to develop before a decision can be made on his status as a starter. Devlin “Duck” Hodges who only played one game for the Redblacks is in a similar situation. Matt Nichols did play injured this year, but he and Dominique Davis are not the long-term answer at QB, although Davis is a nice QB to have on 2nd and 3rd and short scenarios.

Where does the Italian National Team go from here?

Adamo Marinelli

Decmeber 8, 2021

Nearly five months after the Azzurri won the 2020 UEFA EUROs, their second ever European Championship, the Azzurri are at risk of not qualifying for the 2022 Qatar World Cup after failing to win group C over Switzerland.  

     Italy has now been drawn into a group with North Macedonia, Turkey, and Portugal. In order to qualify for the World Cup, Italy will have to beat North Macedonia in their mini group’s semi-final and then they’ll have to beat the winner of Turkey vs Portugal in the mini group final.

     Italy had gone unbeaten in 34 consecutive games, including going a perfect 7-0-0 at the EUROs, dominating their opponents every match, and 3-0-0 in the first set of World Cup qualifiers. 

     Italy began to struggle after its EURO glory. They drew 1-1 with Bulgaria, 0-0 with Switzerland before beating Lithuania 5-0 to improve to 4-2-0 in World Cup qualifiers. 

They extended their unbeaten run to 37 games, a world record for the longest international unbeaten streak.

      In the UEFA Nations League Semi-final against Spain, Italy’s world record streak came to an end in a 2-1 loss to Spain. Spain is a good team and with their “tiki-taka” style of play, they are hard enough to play with 11 men, let alone 10 which Italy did. 

     Going into the final two World Cup qualifier games, Italy and Switzerland were both tied at the top of the group with 14 points. Italy had a two-goal advantage over Switzerland. However, Italy drew 1-1 with Switzerland and then drew 0-0 against Northern Ireland while the Swiss thumped Bulgaria 4-0 to win group C. 

     Switzerland finished 5-3-0 for 18 points and qualified directly for the World Cup; Italy finished 4-4-0 for 16 points and qualified for the playoffs.

     Some fans will point out Jorginho’s two missed penalty shots against Switzerland that would have given Italy two more wins to finish the group 6-2-0 for 18 points, and that didn’t help Italy’s chances - it wasn’t the only reason why Italy failed to win their group.

     Italy was hampered by injuries in the second and third set of World Cup qualifier matches, such as injuries to Giorgio Chiellini, Ciro Immobile, Nicolo Barella, Marco Verratti, Andrea Belotti, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Leonardo Spinazzola - who is still out after his injury at the EUROs. Italy also simply couldn’t capitalize on the chances they created. 

      After their European triumph, their defense started matches slower, gave up more chances to opponents at the beginning of matches, conceded goals they don’t normally give up, and lacked that dominant presence in the middle after failing to control possession time. 

     This team will have to invest in a true striker besides Ciro Immobile to create more chances and capitalize on the ones they get. 

      Immobile was criticized for missing a handful of quality chances in the second leg of World Cup qualifier matches, but without him in the third leg, they struggled to generate chances against their opponents which cost them the group. 

      They will also need young, but talented reinforcements on defense, particularly at the center back position to replace Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci - one of the best center-back duos in recent memory. 

      Chiellini, 37, will be 38 in November 2022 and if Italy makes the World Cup, it will likely be Chiellini’s last stint with the international squad. Bonucci, 34, will be 35 in November 2022. He will likely be able to suit up for the World Cup if Italy qualifies and he also may be able to suit up for EURO 2024 before retirement. 

      Italy has some young and talented youth at the forward position, particularly at striker. In addition to their already young core consisting of Frederico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Nicolo Barella, Jorginho, and Marco Verratti, they have several subs and reserves who have the potential to excel on the squad or have performed in their limited appearances. For example, guys Moise Kean, Giacomo Raspadori, Manuel Locatelli, Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Zaniolo, Matteo Pessina, and Gianluca Scamacca among others can all have significant roles in the midfield or at forward in the near future. 

     On defense, both their center-backs will retire in a few years and they will need to refresh. Leonardo Spinazzola will be back from his injury around the beginning of January 2022 according to this article and will regain his superstar form at left-back for the World Cup playoffs. Giovanni Di Lorenzo is a dominant right-back and should be good to go on March 24. For the near future, Chiellini and Bonucci should be able to continue their dominant, lockdown performance that they started at the EUROs, barring any injuries. 

     However, Emerson Palmieri, who played very well in Spinazzola’s absence is one of many good defenders that fits Mancini’s style of play to stop opposing attacks and move the ball upfield in transition. He is a left-back but may be able to transition to center-back. In addition, Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi, Gianluca Mancini, and Davide Calabria are all reliable players who can fill in the role on defense. Perhaps in the long-term future, someone from the U-18 or U-21 team can come in and compete with those subs for a roster spot on the international team. 

      Italy is also set at the goalkeeper position. Gianluigi Donnarumma, who trained under Gianluigi Buffon - one of the best goalkeepers of all time - won the Yashin Trophy, which is awarded to the World’s best goalkeeper. He was excellent at the EUROs, which was his first major tournament. 

     Looking forward to their playoff games in March 2022, games against North Macedonia and either Turkey or Portugal are both winnable games. Italy is a talented team and well-coached under Roberto Mancini they just have to focus on their game plan. 

     They will have to be stout defensively, not concede early, and use their speed to generate offensive chances in transition. 

     I believe Italy will beat North Macedonia 2-0 and then win a 3-2 match in extra time against Ronaldo’s Portugal to earn a spot in the World Cup. As we saw at the EUROs, when this team is fully healthy, they are dangerous. Forza Azzurri.

Ottawa Senators month one & two recap

Adamo Marinelli

December 5, 2021

    Through 21 games, the Ottawa Senators sit last in the Atlantic Division and last in the NHL with a record of 5-15-1, totaling 11 points. 

     Through 21 games last season, the Senators had a 6-14-1 record. It appears despite adding more talent in the offseason, the Senators have downgraded a bit. To be fair, they are playing against the entire NHL this year - last season they played only against Canadian teams.

     The Senators have been competitive in a handful of games this season, but a number of key flaws have been made evident at the quarter mark of the season.

     A good portion of the Senators’ struggles can be attributed to a large COVID-19 outbreak, which sidelined the entire team for almost a week and had 10 players and an assistant coach in isolation after positive tests or as a result of being close contacts.

     However, that is not the only reason for their struggles. They need a lot of help defensively and need more players to score on a more consistent basis. Their goaltending can improve - as it is the backbone to any team’s success - but has been solid given the situation they’re in. 

     Defensively, the Senators are one of the worst teams in the league in terms of time spent in their own zone. The team struggles to consistently get set up in the offensive zone, struggles to get the puck out of their own zone, and they struggle to create takeaways in the neutral zone. This leads to their opposition controlling the time of possession and the flow of the game, and on most nights it leads to opposing teams outshooting the Sens and spending more time in the Senators’ defensive zone than the Sens spend in their opponents’ offensive zone. 

     The Senators have given up 81 goals against, which is fifth-worst in the NHL and they’ve given up an outstanding 781 shots against, which is ninth-worst in the NHL. 

 This is mainly because outside of their first defensive pairing consisting of Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub, the defensive core has been underwhelming to start the season. 

     Guys like Erik Brannstrom (now on IR), Victor Mete, Nick Holden, and Nikita Zaitsev have all been underwhelming at times this season. However, Senators’ head coach D.J Smith has added Zaitsev to the first defensive line and placed Zub on the second defensive pairing in order to distribute the top-line defensive talent onto multiple lines. This was done in hopes of seeing improvement on defense and in an attempt to reduce own zone time and generate more offensive chances in transition. 

      The first-line defensive line can only play so many minutes a night. In order to be competitive, the Senators need their entire defense to play consistently, at an elite level. Thomas Chabot averages over 27 minutes of ice time per game, he is among the league leaders in that category. 

      The Senators need to address their lack of depth on the blue line one way or another. Either players like Mete and Holden and Zaitsev improve drastically or maybe the Senators start looking to trade for a young, talented defensive piece that would mend this unit now. However, the main concern with that is you don’t want to give up too many assets in acquiring this piece, especially considering the depth defensively the Senators will get in 1-2 years time with guys like Jake Sanderson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Tyler Kleven, and Lassi Thompson who has looked good in his limited NHL appearances so far.

     On the other side of the puck, their offense simply cannot make up for their defensive struggles. They lack the offensive firepower outside their first two lines and their offense has been plagued by inconsistent play and inability to push the puck up the ice to generate chances. They’ve scored only 51 goals, which is fifth-worst in the NHL, and registered only 597 shots on target, which is second-worst in the NHL.

   The Senators’ first offensive trio consisting of Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, and Josh Norris has been excellent, but the Senators have lacked offensive production from other lines.

     Batherson, Norris, and Tkachuk have 17, 15, and 13 points respectively which combine for 45 of the team’s 136 points. The first line accounts for 33% of their total offense, which is what a first line should do, but ideally, you want to see a bit more balance between your other lines.

     Connor Brown (11), Tim Stutzle (8) - who has been playing pretty well in his new role as a centerman, especially with faceoff success - and Nick Paul (3) have combined for 21 points; that is 15% of the team’s output. 

     Alex Formenton (5), Chris Tierney (7), and Tyler Ennis (11) have accounted for 23 of the team’s points; that is 17% of the team’s offensive output.

     The Senators’ fourth line has really hurt them. Zach Sanford has all 6 points this line has generated as Dylan Gambrell and Austin Watson have failed to register a single point this season. 

     The first line ideally should be your best line, but as many previous Stanley Cup Champions have done in past years, there must be consistent scoring from all four lines and there needs to be a bit more balance between all the lines.

      The Senators will either need to acquire a new offensive weapon or two via trade, from free agency, from the 2022 draft or will have to wait until one of their many prospects develops into a reliable option like Shane Pinto, who has underwhelmed in his few appearances thus far this season; Ridley Grieg, Roby Jarventie, Tyler Boucher, Egor Sokolov, among others. This offense needs another pure scorer and another elite playmaker to make this offense more dynamic top-to-bottom. Again, the first line cannot do it all.

     Finally, the goaltending. The Senators are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of goaltending. No stats jump out at you, but it’s nothing to scoff at either. Given the situation, the team is in defensively, being one of the worst team’s in the league in own zone time, shots allowed and goals against, both Filip Gustavsson and Anton Forsberg have played well. 

     Gustavsson has had the majority of the work, going 3-6-1 in 10 games, with a save percentage of .899% and a goals-against-average of 3.64. He made 311 saves on 346 shots. Forsberg has been decent, recording a 2-4-0 record in seven games (he was pulled in one). He recorded a .900% save percentage, 3.98 goals-against-average, and has surrendered 21 goals on 211 shots. Matt Murray has been the worst of the three goalies going 0-5-0 in six games (he was pulled in one), which is why he was waived. He recorded a .897 save percentage and a 3.86 goals-against-average. All three goalies made crucial saves to keep games close but as a result of the subpar defense, the goalies are not the main reason for this season’s struggles.

       Overall, the Senators haven’t had the best start to the season and they are in no position to take a breath, however, they aren’t in utter shambles. General manager Pierre Dorion said that he’s had a couple “sleepless nights” after the poor start to the season, and it has a lot of that has to do with the lack of depth on defense and lack of even offensive production from all their lines, however, their COVID-19 outbreak didn’t help things. They have a few good pieces in place already, but they need another few key players on both offense and defense to really start winning consistently and contending for a playoff spot. 

**Article written and all statistics current as of December 4 at 5pm before the Senators' 6-5 OT win against the Colorado Avalanche.

Denver Broncos mid-season recap/analysis

Adamo Marinelli

November 20, 2021

What a strange year for Broncos Country. In a year where the players and staff on the team and all of the fans had playoff aspirations - and perhaps even more - most of the fanbase is shocked and quite frankly stunned heading into their bye week, which starts tomorrow. 

     The Denver Broncos started out 3-0, with wins over the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets. After week 3, they were the number one ranked team in the AFC West and the entire AFC. They outscored their opponents 76-26 in those games and had the best defense in the league in multiple categories, including the fewest points allowed. 

      Their quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater looked good, everybody was accepting Head Coach Vic Fangio’s decision to start him over Drew Lock at QB in 2021. Their running back core of Melvin Gordon and rookie Javonte Williams looked great, and their wide receiver core, despite losing Jerry Jeudy was performing admirably. Also, Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam had played extremely well at the tight end spot through the first three games.

     Not to mention, their entire defense was playing at a high level. Their defensive line was winning the battle in the trenches against the opposing offensive lines, stopping the run and their linebackers were getting constant pressure on opposing QBs. Their secondary played very well, including rookie cornerback Pat Surtain, who emerged as one of Denver’s best corners.

     Despite the 3-0 start, a lot of people criticized the Broncos as a result of playing weak teams and therefore having an inflated record. And they were right… sort of.

     In a league like the NFL, it is hard to win a game. So, a win is a win, regardless of who is put in front of you. Also, with all the upsets we’ve seen so far this season, none of those three games were ‘freebies’. But did the Broncos deserve to be 3-4 after week 7? The answer is yes.

     However, then the Broncos went on a four-game losing streak, thanks in part to starting games very slowly on offense, poor offensive play and lack of an ability to convert in the red zone, poor coaching on both sides of the ball, defensive struggles against the pass one week, and against the run in the next week, and of course, they were hit very hard by the injury bug. 

     In week four, after taking a 7-0 lead, they gave up 23 unanswered points to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. The Broncos virtually took away the run from Baltimore, which was their biggest strength, however, Jackson proved he can win games with his arm, gashing the Broncos’ supposedly string secondary for 316 passing yards and a TD.

     In week five, they started out slow, scoring only six points in the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They played poorly defensively, could not stop the run, and gave up deep touchdowns to Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Their offense didn’t show up until the fourth quarter, where they scored 13 points. However, it proved to be too little too late as Bridgewater threw his first interception of the season on the game’s last play while trying to tie up the game.

     In week six, the Broncos were set to play a Los Vegas Raiders team that just dismissed head coach John Gruden. This is a game that the Broncos should have capitalized on to improve to 4-2, but exactly the opposite of that happened. The Broncos had another very slow start, only scoring seven points in the first half and only 10 through three quarters. Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake contributed in both the run and pass game and Derek Carr lit up Denver’s secondary. Denver’s offense didn’t show up until the fourth quarter, where they scored 14 points in garbage time. Denver fell to 3-3.

     In week seven, they were set to play against the Cleveland Browns - who were without Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and Baker Mayfield - and Broncos Country looked to have a pretty good chance of winning to improve to 4-3. However, the Broncos started slow again, a common theme, and were shut out in the first half. They allowed Cleveland led by Case Keenum at QB to score on their first drive, but the Browns only scored three more points to end the half up 10-0. The Broncos outscored the Browns 14-7 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. The Browns’ third-string running back D’Ernest Johnson tore up the Broncos’ normally stout run defense on the ground, gaining 146 yards, a touchdown, and the game-sealing first down. The Broncos didn’t run the ball as much as they should’ve which led to numerous 3&outs.

      So after starting the season 3-0 atop the AFC West and AFC, they found themselves at 3-4 in the basement of the AFC West after losing four consecutive games. Were the critics correct?

      In week eight, they played the Washington Football Team who has a pretty special defense and an underrated offense led by Taylor Heinecke. In a game where it seemed that the 30-yard line cursed both offenses and where both teams tried their best to give the win to the other team, the Broncos finally came out on top. The Broncos took a 10-3 lead into halftime, their first halftime lead since their 26-0 week three win against the Jets. The Broncos shut down the run and generated constant pressure against Heinecke, without Von Miller, who was out with an injury. They recorded five sacks and two interceptions and did just enough on offense despite struggling in the red zone to give them a win and improve to 4-4. Melvin Gordon had a rushing and receiving touchdown for the Broncos, he led their offense. However, that final offensive drive was the worst I’ve ever seen and almost cost them the game. Just kneel the ball, Shurmur.

     In week nine, the Broncos would face their biggest test yet. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, who were entering this matchup 6-1. Even without Prescott, the Cowboys dominated the Vikings in week eight with Cooper Rush starting at QB. But Prescott would play against Denver. In their first game after trading franchise defensive cornerstone in Von Miller, the Broncos’ defense absolutely dominated the Cowboys. They held Ezekiel Elliott to 51 yards and their entire rush attack to 78 yards and shut down their secondary shut down the Cowboys’ elite passing attack, limiting Prescott to roughly 75 yards passing through just over three quarters. The Broncos recorded a handful of sacks against Dallas’ top-tier offensive line, rookie safety Caden Sterns recorded an interception and the Broncos stopped the Cowboys four times on fourth down. The Broncos’ offense also clicked extremely well. Teddy Bridgewater played very well recording 249 passing yards, a beautiful 44-yard TD pass to Tim Patrick, and a rushing TD. Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams combined for 191 yards rushing and a touchdown, tearing up the Cowboys’ rushing defense. The Broncos shut out the Cowboys for 55 minutes on the road and even held a 30-0 lead with 4:30 minutes left in the game before the Cowboys scored two garbage-time touchdowns to make the score look respectable. Denver’s game against the Cowboys was their best game of the season and one of their best games in the last few years.

     In week 10, the Broncos hosted the Philadelphia Eagles at home with a chance to record their second three-game win streak of the season to improve to 6-4 heading into the bye week and complete the sweep of the NFC East, their first sweep of a division since 2015. The Eagles entered the game 3-6, but they had dominated teams on the ground in their last few games. Hurts made a handful of nice, timely throws including a beautiful 36 yard TD pass to rookie Devonta Smith, but the Eagles beat the Broncos using their defense and run game, as they like to do, recording 216 yards on the ground. The Broncos kept it close until about the middle of the third quarter. Then several mistakes killed the Broncos. They got inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line twice and had to settle for field goals both times. One was blocked. The Broncos have to finish drives inside the red zone better. The Broncos struggled in the red-zone scoring a TD on only one trip out of five. Then, after a Justin Simmons pick, down 20-13, Gordon fumbled on what would have been a fourth-down conversion which would have given the Broncos a fresh set of downs to try to tie the game, Darius Slay picked up a fumble and took it 82 yards to the house, which essentially sealed the game. The Broncos are now 2-3 at home.

     So far this season, the Broncos win games when they stick to running the ball, when their defenses generates pressure on opposing QBs, when they limit their own mistakes, penalties, and turnovers, when their defense forces opponents to turn the ball over, and when they get leads in games. They lose games when they turn the ball over, abandon the run game, fail to convert for touchdowns in the red zone, when they start slowly on offense, make mistakes, and when Fangio/Shurmur coach poorly. 

     So, entering the bye week, the Broncos find themselves 5-5 and last in the AFC West. They are only one game back of the Kansas City Chiefs, who lead the division at 6-4. This season is not over yet for the Broncos. They have five of their remaining seven games against AFC West opponents and therefore still control their own destiny. Those games are all winnable if they play as they did against Dallas, limit mistakes, and trade field goals for touchdowns. Their other two games are against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions, both of which are winnable. 

    Head coach Vic Fangio, and the entire coaching staff - who are facing a lot of criticism for inconsistency - still have a lot to prove to save their jobs and potentially earn the Broncos a playoff spot, which they are still in the hunt for. In addition, they have a roster full of players who are hungry to make the playoffs for the first time in their career and end the Broncos five year playoff drought. The only player on the team from their Super Bowl 50 win in 2016 - the last time they made the playoffs - is kicker Brandon McManus.

     With a lot of motivation to make the playoffs, and save jobs in Denver, I predict that the Denver Broncos will pull it together and go 5-2 in their final seven games, finishing 10-7, clinching the seventh seed. They will beat the Lions and the Bengals and split with the Chargers, Raiders, and Chiefs. However, this is a best-case scenario. I can see this team going 3-4 or worse in the final seven games if the coaching and play calling doesn’t improve.