NFL Legend John Madden Passes Away at 85

He was a Super Bowl winning coach for the Oakland Raiders, a legendary broadcaster, brand name for a billion dollar video game franchise, and NFL Hall of Famer. John Madden had a wonderful life; he passed away Tuesday. He was 85. 

Madden's influence on the game spans generations. He was, at the time of his hire in 1969, the youngest coach in the NFL when maverick Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis made him his head coach. Madden guided the Raiders for nine years, compiling an impressive 103 wins to 32 losses and seven ties. His Raiders won Super Bowl IX over the Minnesota Vikings  His overall winning percentage (regular season and postseason combined) ranks second in NFL history. 

 

After leaving the Raiders in 1978, Madden jumped into the broadcast booth, launching one of the most outstanding broadcasting careers his history. 

 

He eventually teamed up with Pat Summerall on CBS in 1981, forming an indelible duo that became the soundtrack of fall Sunday's for 21 seasons between CBS and FOX. Together Madden and Summerall broadcast nine Super Bowl's, were the voice for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys dynasty's of the 80's and 90's; and called games that featured many of the games most important and interesting personalities from Mike Ditka to Bill Parcells. Jimmy Johnson to Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman; Steve Young and Joe Montana,  Jerry Rice, to Brett Favre and Reggie White. They did them all.

 

If it was a big game, it was always going to be Madden and Summerall on the call. 

After Summerall retired following Super Bowl XXXVI, Madden left Fox for ABC's Monday Night Football where he would pair up with Al Michaels. Together Madden and Michaels spent seven seasons together working both Monday Night Football on ABC and Sunday Night Football on NBC. Together they had the calls of Super Bowl XXXVII between the Bucs and Raiders, Super Bowl XL between the Steelers and Seahawks and Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and Cardinals. 

 

In addition to being the most porminant game analyst in NFL history, Madden became a brand unto himself with the Madden video game franchise, which began as a desktop game in 1988 and soon boomed into a billion business some 30 years later. 

 

John Madden, NFL legend. He will be missed. Last week FOX hosted a special documentary on Madden's incredible life story. If you haven't seen it, see it. It's worth every second.

Jets Show Fight, Hold Off Woeful Jaguars

 JETS 26 - JAGUARS 21 

For those Jets fans who wanted Gang Green to lose to Jacksonville for draft position, look away.  With 20 players, and head coach Robert Saleh, on the COVID-protocols list the Jets found a way to hold off Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-21 at MetLife Stadium. 

Gang Green was powered by the running of running back Michael Carter, who gashed the Jags for 118 yards on 16 carries. And they were led by Braxton Berrios' 103-yard kick return for a touchdown that gave the Jets a 13-9 lead in the second quarter. 

Berrios also had five catches for 37-yards to lead the Jets. A free agent-to-be, Berrios made a huge case for the Jets to extend him a major contract.  Berrios has been the Jets most consistent presence offensively all season, and was deserving of  Pro Bowl bid. 

Of course this game was supposed to be about the battle between quaterbacks Zach Wilson and Lawrence, the first and second overall picks in last spring's draft. While Wilson got the upper hand with the victory, really neither quarterback was truly outstanding.

There were some "wow moments," like Wilson, eluding a sack, and streaking down the sideline for a 52-yard touchdown that gave the Jets a 6-3 lead in the first quarter. 

There were also some head scratching moments. 

 

Wilson wasn't that accurate, an issue that continues to plague the Jets rookie signal caller. He was 14-of-22 for 102 yards. He came close to tossing a couple of interceptions, but got lucky they were dropped by the Jaguars. The best thing he did all day was not lose the game, turn around and hand the ball off to Carter, and Tevin Coleman. 

Running the ball was the only way the Jets could stay out in front and beat this Jaguars team. 

Perhaps the biggest head scratching moments for the Jets wasn't even Wilson's fault. Acting Head Coach Ron Middleton, twice opted to go for it on fourth down rather than settle for field goals. That almost came back to bite the Jets. 

In the second quarter, Wilson guided the Jets all the way down to the Jaguars' two-yard line, but the Jets couldn't punch it in. Instead of kicking a field goal to take a 16-12 lead into the break, the Jets opted to go for it on fourth and goal, and Wilson's hurried throw to Denzel Mims fell incomplete. Jets led instead 13-12. 

The second Jets gaff came in the third quarter when they failed to take advantage of a Lawrence fumble. Wilson couldn't move the Jets any closer than the Jaguars eight yard line.  The Jets were already leading 16-12 at this point. A field goal gives the Jets a 19-12 lead. Instead, the Jets tried to catch the Jaguars sleeping by going for a fake field goal. It failed miserably as Brandon Mann was tackled one yard shy of the first down marker. 

In short, the Jets gave the Jags every chance to comeback. 

As for Lawrence he was a mixed bag. There were a lot of missed reads. He overthrew his intended receiver by a mile in the end zone on an opening drive that resulted in a Jaguars field goal.  

There were also moments where he displayed the arm talent that made him the number 1 pick in the draft. With the Jets holding onto a 26-21 lead, Lawrence guided the Jaguars down to the Jets five-yard line by going a perfect five-for-five passing for 43 yards, and running 26-yards to the five. Then the mistakes happened. 

He tossed an incompletion on first down; he was nearly picked off by CJ Mosley on second down before the ball ended up the hands of Marvin Jones at the Jets' one yard line. After spiking the ball on third down, the Jets sent a heavy blitz on Lawrence, who hurried the throw out of bounds, solidifying the win for the Jets. 

A win is a win. It wasn't pretty, but the Jets displayed some grit in the victory. They doubled their win total from a year ago, and got a win against a team they should have beaten. 

Joe Judge & Daniel Jones Expected Safe, G-Men Blown Out by Eagles

 The future of head coach Joe Judge and quarterback Daniel Jones may have already been determined. 

Hours before the Giants took the field in the their 34-10 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, reports surfaced Sunday that both Judge and Jones would be returning to Big Blue next season.  ESPN's Adam Schefter originally reported the story. 

In two seasons at the helm Judge is 10-21 as Giants head coach. Jones is currently out for the season with a neck injury that sidelined him a month ago in Week 12. One could argue that the Giants are easily the worst team in the NFL - not named the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

It is still widely assumed that the Giants are going to part ways with General Manager David Gettleman, who could either be fired or forced to accept an early retirement. The Giants would certainly create a very odd situation for any potential GM candidates with both Judge and Jones firmly entrenched for 2022.

If one wants an example of how this kind of move can affect a franchise, look at the Jets, who in 2013 decided to fire Mike Tannenbaum, but keep Rex Ryan, and arrange a forced marriage between Ryan and John Idzik. That didn't work out at all. It was a total disaster. 

Ideally a team would bring in a GM who would want to hire his own head coach. 

The Giants could look to New England for a person familiar and comfortable with Judge, or, more likely, look internally for a candidate. The name Kevin Abrams, who is the club's long time assistant GM has come up as a possible replacement for Gettleman. An Abrams promotion certainly would not make Giants fans happy, as it would be viewed as an endorsement of the status quo.  

Meanwhile, on the field, the Giants have lost four in a row, and their offense has gone completely stagnant; they haven't scored more than 21 points in a game since they beat the Las Vegas Raiders 23-16 in Week 10.  With the combination of Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon under center, the Giants have scored only 46 points in their last four games, including the smackdown they suffered at the hands of the Eagles on Sunday. 

The Giants were never in the game on Sunday. Fromm got the start and was awful, completing six of 17 passes for 25 yards. Saquon Barkley had only 32 yards on 15 carries, another woeful effort from the the former number 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. 

After the defense kept New York tied with Philadelphia 3-3 at the break, the Eagles figured things out in the third quarter, dropping 17-points on Big Blue to take a dominating 20-3 lead. 

 

An interception of Fromm by Rodney McLeod set up shop for the Eagles at the Giants' 21-yard line. Three plays later, Boston Scott scored from three-yards out to make it 10-3.

Later in the quarter, a 39-yard completion from Jalen Hurts to Quez Watkins helped set up the first touchdown of the day, a three-yard plunge by Boston Scott to make it 20-3. 

Perhaps the biggest indignation of the Giants' plight was when Alex Singleton picked off a Mike Glennon pass and rumbled 29-yards for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 34-3 lead.

Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh Tests Positive for COVID-19

 As if this rookie campaign for head coach Robert Saleh couldn't get any worse, the Jets head coach has tested positive for COVID-19. 

Reports are Saleh showed symptoms earlier in the week before testing positive. Ron Middleton will serve as acting head coach until Saleh returns. If Saleh doesn't clear COVID protocols by Sunday, Middleton will coach the Jets match-up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Saleh is the third head coach in the NFL to test positive for the virus including the Saints' Sean Payton and the Browns' Kevin Stefanski. New York currently has 14 players on COVID-reserve. 

Every sport has been hit hard by the virus. The National Hockey League has postponed close to 50 games through Christmas weekend, and backed out of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. 

The NBA will not pause the season, but the Brooklyn Nets have been decimated by the virus. 

Nets Suffer Another Postponment as NBA Refuses to Pause Season

The COVID ravaged Brooklyn Nets will have another game postponed due to the lack of available players.

The Nets had as a many as 10 players appear on the COVID protocols list, including Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. The Nets plight is the highest known number of players with the virus in the sport. Brooklyn needed to have a minimum of eight active players for the game to played; they do not have that number right now.

Thursday’s game at Portland will be the third straight game that Brooklyn has had postponed. They had games against Denver and Washington also suffer postponements.

Overall, nine games have been postponed across the NBA, but Commissioner Adam Silver insists that there is no plan to pause the season the way the NHL did this week in lieu of the virus and the ever spreading Omicron variant.

 When asked about the Omicron spread Silver told ESPN:

“No plans right now to pause the season. We have of course looked at all the options, but frankly we are having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now.

“As we look through these cases literally ripping through the country, let alone the rest of the world, I think we’re finding ourselves where we sort of knew we were going to get to over the past several months, and that is this virus will not be eradicated, and we’re going to have to learn to live with it. I think that’s what we’re experiencing in the league right now.”

Silver also confirmed that around 97% of the league is fully vaccinated and 65% are boosted. In addition, the data the NBA front office is seeing is that the virus is passing through players with little to no symptoms.

“It seems the virus runs through their systems faster. They become not just asymptomatic but, more importantly, they’re not shedding the virus anymore. That’s the real concern in terms of others. And so we are actively looking at shortening the number of days players are out before they can return to the floor,” Silver said.

 

Wilson & Jets Again Struggle, Can't Close Out Dolphins

 DOLPHINS 31 - JETS 24 

The struggles continue for Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. Gang Green couldn't protect a 17-7 lead, as Miami stormed all the way back in the second half, beating back the Jets 31-24 to drop New York to 3-11. 

Unlike last week where the Jets couldn't get their offense going at all against the Saints, Wilson and company showed signs of life. There were trick plays, and plenty of golden opportunities. Unfortuantely for the Jets, they just couldn't finish it off. 

Wilson completed his first six passes of the day and engineered the Jets on a 10-play, 83-yard scoring drive that culminated in a Braxton Berrios touchdown on a reverse to give the Jets a 7-0 lead. In the first half Wilson showed improved accuracy; was connecting with his receivers on shorter throws and withstood the Dolphins heavy blitz packages. 

And for a while it looked like the Jets were on their way to pulling out the upset. After the Jets opening touchdown, Jets safety Ashtyn Davis picked off Tua Tagovailoa to set up the Jets inside the Dolphins 30. New York settled for the field goal to take a 10-0 lead. 

Later, in the second quarter, Wilson again had the Jets on the move. A 23-yard completion to Ryan Griffin set up shop at the Dolphins' 17. After three straight runs by Tevin Coleman, Wilson scored on a quarterback keeper to give the Jets a 17-7 lead. 

That was as good as it got for the Jets for the rest of the day. 

New York's offense went into a proverbial tortoise shell. Wilson reverted back to the rookie hijinks that have left Jets' fans scratching their heads. He tried to do too much. He held onto the ball too long as he was consistently looking for the home run down field. And was promptly sacked six times. 

The Jets managed only 44 yards of offense in the second half. Wilson was even stripped sacked when New York was trying to answer a Dolphins touchdown. It was a poor display for Gang Green. 

The only reason New York even had a shot in this game had a lot to do with the pick-six of Tagovailoa by Brandin Echols that tied the game at 24. 

Even with that shot of momentum, the Dolphins quickly answered as Tagovailoa led the Fins to a 75-yard touchdown drive, culminating in an 11-yard pass to DeVante Parker to make it 31-24. 

To add insult to injury the Jets defense again struggled. The Jets were gashed for 183 yards on the ground, with Duke Johnson lead the way with 103 yards all to himself. In addition defensive tackle Christian Wilkins caught a touchdown pass from Tagovailoa before doing his version of the Lambeau Leap into a group of Miami fans. 

At 3-11, the losses are stacking up for the Jets. Next up, home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jets can't lose to Tervor Lawrence can they? 

Misery Continues as Giants are Nonexistent Against Dallas

 COWBOYS 21 - GIANTS 6 

It was a game that nobody wanted to sit through. Heck, even free soda probably wasn't enough to entice Giants fans to show up to watch their listless football team get decked by the Dallas Cowboys, 21-6. 

It was a game that was so bad, that even with Dallas settling for three field goals, there was no chance for the Giants on Sunday. They had no answer on Sunday. 

Mike Glennon tossed three interceptions; Jake Fromm was ineffective when he came in relief of Glennon in the fourth quarter. And on a more serious note, Sterling Shepherd tore his Achilles. Obviously he's out for the rest of this season. His status for the start of next season is in question. 

Meanwhile Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' offense did just enough to get the 'W'. Prescott completed 28 of 37 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown to Dalton Schultz that pushed the Dallas lead to 21-6. 

Relieve the lowlights ... I mean, highlights, here... 

Interview with former Jets QB Ray Lucas & Giants SB Champ David Tyree

 Attended the NFL Alumni COVID Vaccine event in Paterson, New Jersey for Fox Sports New Jersey. Had a great opportunity to talk to a few more NFL stars including ex-Jets quarterback Ray Lucas and Giants wide receiver David Tyree. Here is the video below! 

Mets Hire Buck Showalter Manager

 The New York Mets and Steve Cohen would not be denied. 

The Mets have hired Buck Showalter as the franchise's 24th manager, ending a process where he was clearly the favorite to get the job. 

Steve Cohen posted to his twitter at 1:44 p.m. that the Mets have officially named the former Yankees skipper the new boss of the Amazin's. 

Showalter's record speaks for itself. He is a program builder. Every team he has managed has gone on to success, even after he left the building. He build the Yankees in the early 90s. When he left a team that lost the Wild Card game to Seattle in 1995, he left a team that would go on to win the World Series four times over five years from 1996 to 2000. 

He built the Arizona Diamondbacks from the ground up. In 2001, the year after Showalter left, the D-Backs beat the Yankees in the Fall Classic. 

The Rangers also saw their fair share of success under Showalter.  He took the Orioles to the American League Championship Series in 2014. 

Overall, Showalter owns 1,551 career wins as a manager and is a three-time manager of the year. 

With Showalter in tow, look for the Mets to become a trendy pick moving forward in 2022.  

Check out our vlog bleow! 

 

Nets to Bring Back Unvaccinated Kyrie Irving to Help COVID-Riddled Team

 Look up paradox in the dictionary: a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Well, the Nets are in the midst of their own paradox. Brookly is welcoming back Kyrie Irving, whom the team distanced itself from at the start of the season because he was unvaccinated. Why? Because the team is decimated by COVID positive cases. 

The NBA and the entire sports and entertainment world has been ravaged by COVID-19 spikes in recent days.  Many games have been postponed. Broadway shows have been canceled. 

As for the Nets, they have won a couple of games despite playing short-handed. They have seven players on the COVID-list. Kevin Durant joined that list on Friday night.

After shortly readmitting Irving to the team, he too was placed on the COVID protocols list. Unbelievably the Nets are still scheduled to play a game in Orlando on Saturday night. 

Welcoming Irving back to the team is a controversial move. 1) You have to hope that the unvaccinated Irving is ok after being placed on the COVID list almost immediately after coming back to the team. 2) What impact will he have? He will have to play in only road games, with the exception of Madison Square Garden and Toronto. 3) Is it a good idea to welcome him back now amid such a crisis in the sport? 

Yes, Iriving is talent. Yes, the Nets could use him on the floor, but at what cost is the question right now.

Shaun O'Hara, Ray Lucas Among NFL Legends To Attend COVID Clinic

 

Giants legend, three-time Pro Bowler, and Super Bowl Champion, Shaun O’Hara will be one of several former NFL players who will be in attendance at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson on Saturday, December 18 to educate, and support those looking to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and its variants.

O’Hara will be joined by former Giants teammates Roman Oben and David Tyree, as well as former Jets Ray Lucas and Dave Szott at the event which will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 11 Getty Avenue in Paterson.

The NFL Alumni Health, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been working across the country to educate fans about the need to get vaccinated.

St. Joseph’s will offer Pfizer BioNTech vaccine to eligible participants ages five and up. No appointment is needed. All former players will be there to greet fans and sign autographs. The event will feature a surprise visit from Santa, a raffle for prizes and NFL Alumni giveaways.

Below is my interview with O'Hara for Fox Sports New Jersey. 

 

Buck Schowalter is a finalist for Mets Managerial Job

 Thank you New York Mets for giving us something to chew on as the Jets and Giants ate getting blown out on another football Sunday. 

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, former Yankees manager Buck Schowalter is a finalist for the Mets vacant managerial job. 

He is one of three. The other two are Astros bench coach Joe Espada, and Rays bench coach matt Quatraro.  Both Espada and Quatraro have also interviewed for the Oakland A's managerial job. 

Schowalter has long been deemed the favorite for the job, with the likes of Terry Collins and Max Scherzer throwing their support behind his candidacy. 

According to Andy Martino of SNY, it is inevitable that the Mets will name Schowalter their 24th manager in franchise history. 

 

Schowalter certainly brings plenty of credibility and gravitas to the position. While he never won a World Series as a manager, each franchise he has been on was set up to succeed. He along with Gene Michael built the Yankees dynasty of the late 90s. He also started the Diamondbacks squad that would beat the Yankees in the World Series in 2001. He later got the Texas Rangers moving in the right direction. They went to back-to-back World Series after he left. 

The Mets desperately needed a change of culture and swift kick in the ass from the managers seat, and Schowalter would certainly provide that if, he is the manager.

Wilson, Jets Display Ugly Performance Against Saints

 SAINTS 30 - JETS 9 

When it comes to teams that are trying to rebuild, the month of December is very important. Yes, playoffs aren't at stake, but playing well, showing progress, and setting the standards for the next season are at stake.

And if Sunday's 30-9 loss to a mostly toothless New Orleans Saints team is any indication, the Jets rebuild is taking on water. 

Sure the Jets have injuries. They were without wide receivers Elijah Moore and Corey Davis, both of whom are on injured reserve, and running backs Tevin Coleman and Michael Carter were out.  But the Saints had injuries too. 

Defensive end Cam Jordan is out with COVID, and the Saints are rolling with Taysum Hill at quarterback. So what is the real excuse? 

Zach Wilson had a bad Sunday. He was 19-of-42 for 202 yards. A lot of it wasn't his fault. Ty Johnson had multiple drops; Keelan Cole had a couple of make-able catches fall in and out of his hands.  But Wilson was also inaccurate. A number of throws were either under-thrown (like a critical screen pass to Braxton Berrios in the second quarter that Wilson grounded into the dirt). 

He also overthrew receivers, and even had a bad intentional grounding penalty when he threw away in total desperation. In short, Wilson looked lost, and clearly took steps backwards from his encouraging efforts against the Eagles a week prior. 

Defensively, the Jets had the same issues. They surrendered 30 or more points for the sixth time in the last eight games. And for the second consecutive game they were beaten by a back-up quarterback. 

While Taysum Hill wasn't as much on point as Gardner Minshew was a week earlier for Philadelphia, he was effective. He moved the football, completing 15-of-21 for 175 yards, and even ran for a 44-yard touchdown at the end of the game. 

The biggest problem for the Jets, predictably, was stopping running back Alvin Kamara. In his first game back from the IR, Kamara had 120 yards on 27 carries with a touchdown. His 16-yard score in the second quarter gave New Orleans a 10-3, all but ending the competitive nature of the game. 

The Jets were never really in this contest, and that has to be most concerning. With four games left in the season, the Jets are running out of time to showcase some form of competency in 2021. If they fail to do so, it will only leave question marks about this latest Jets rebuild going into 2022.

Jets Defense, Special Teams Sink Gang vs. Eagles

EAGLES 33 - JETS 18 

For one week it was not Zach Wilson's fault the Jets lost a game. 

No, the culprit was once again the Jets defense, which couldn't stop Philadelphia Eagles back-up quarterback Gardner Minshew, who was near perfect on the afternoon, ripping up the Jets for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Eagles 33-18 victory. 

The other culprit was Jets kicker Alex Kessman, signed by the Jets this week after Gang Green cut incumbent Matt Amendola. And Kessman stunk it up, missing two extra points that helped put the Jets in a hole they never got out of. 

The shame is, the Jets offense started so well. New York got a 79-yard kick return from Braxton Berrios to open the game, and Zach Wilson proceeded to guide the Jets to goal-line before hitting Elijah Moore for a three-year touchdown to give New York a 6-0 lead. 

Of course the lead was short lived. Minshew needed only six plays to tear apart the Jets porous defense, highlighted by a 36-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert to put Philly up 7-6. 

Give Wilson and the Jets offense credit. They answered the call early and often against the Eagles. Wilson, actually looked competent and comfortable in the pocket. He made solid reads, hit the short passes underneath, and zipped passes to Moore when he was able to find separation. It was easily the best start to a game Wilson has had all year, but of course, that wasn't nearly enough. 

On 11-plays Wilson guided the Jets to the Eagles one-yard line before plunging into the endzone for six to recapture the lead at 12-7. That led to another missed extra point by Kessman. You knew it would come back to bite the Jets and it did. 

The Eagles responded almost immediately, with Minshew again looking unstoppable for Philly. His 25-yard touchdown strike to Goedert gave the Eagles a 14-12 advantage. 

Wilson answered the challenged. He hit Moore for 29-yards to the Eagles 31. Two plays later he lateraled a pass to Jamisen Crowder for 19-yards to the Eagles' six. Three plays later, on fourth and goal, Wilson connected with Ryan Griffin to give the Jets an 18-14 lead. 

Robert Saleh decided to go for two, the Jets failed to convert. 

Needing his defense to making a stop, Saleh spent the rest of the afternoon grimacing in frustration as the Jets were chewed up and spit out by the Eagles. 

Minshew led Philly on a 94-yard scoring drive on eight plays to regain the lead when Ken Gainwell scored from 18-yards out to make it 21-18 with 4:30 to go in the first half. 

Saleh yelled and screamed at the refs all afternoon but to no avail. It didn't change the fact that the Jets gave up 26 first downs, 418 yards of offense, and allowed Minshew to do whatever he felt like. The Eagles held the football for 36 minutes, and at one point had the football for all but 90 seconds in the third quarter. 

 There was even the bewildering terrible plays such as veteran linebacker C.J. Mosely getting totally fooled by the hard count and jumping off-sides. Saleh clearly blamed the refs for not seeing any movement on the Eagles offensive line, but the fact was Mosley's mistake was too obvious not to call. 

It was a nightmarish performance for the Jets. While they got some good play from Wilson, it was no consultation.  The Jets are a bad football team, and bad football teams find ways to lose on a weekly basis.

Giants Offense Again Lifeless Against Red-Hot Dolphins

 DOLPHINS 20 - GIANTS 9 

It was going to be a tough slog for the Giants when word came down Friday that quarterback Daniel Jones was not going to play Sunday at Miami, and the G-Men lived up to those low expectations. 

Mike Glennon was bad. The offense, anemic. The Giants mustered only three field goals in a 20-9 loss to the Dolphins, that drop Big Blue to 4-8, all but eliminating its fleeting playoff hopes. 

Glennon struggled to move the Giants offense. He finished 23-of-44 for 187 yards, and threw an interception. He was lucky it wasn't two or three, or even four interceptions, because the Dolphins had numerous chances at the football as it bounced in and out of the hands of Glennon's intended receivers. 

 And it's not like the Giants didn't have chances. They did. Defensively the Giants did an excellent job containing Tua Tagovailoa and Miami's offense, holding the Fish to 10 points through three quarters. In fact New York was down 10-6 for most of the third quarter, but managed only two yards on 15 plays after converting on a Graham Gano field goal that cut the Fish lead to four points. 

Miami put the game away early in the fourth quarter when Tagovailoa finally got hot. 

He hit Jaylen Waddle for 25-yards to the Giants' 33 on a critical second and seven. Next Tagovailoa hit DeVante Parker for 11 and Albert Wilson for 13 more yards to the Giants' nine-yard line. Three plays later, Tagovailoa hit Isiah Ford down the edge of the end zone for the touchdown to push Miami to a 17-6 lead, and that was pretty much all she would write. 

At 4-8 the Giants are entering an uncertain immediate future. Will Daniel Jones play again this year is one of the biggest questions. And if he doesn't, what does that mean for head coach Joe Judge, who was rumored to be 'safe' amid reports last week that GM David Gettleman would not return in 2022. It feels like the drama is only building around the Giants before the end of the season.

Major League Baseball Lockout Has Begun

 Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association failed to come to terms on any agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, and as expected the League locked out its players at midnight, Thursday, December 2.

It marks the first lockout in Major League Baseball since 1990, and first work stoppage since the player strike canceled the remainder of the 1994 season, and delayed the start of the '95 season.  That work stoppage lasted 232 days. The longest work stoppage of the four major sports in the United States is the NHL, 310 days, which whipped out the entire 2004-05 season.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a prepared statement:

"It was the owners' choice, plain and simple, specifically calculated to pressure Players into relinquishing rights and benefits, and abandoning good faith bargaining proposals that will benefit not Just Players, but the game and industry as a whole," the MLBPA said in its statement. "These tactics are not new. We have been here before, and Players have risen to the occasion time and again -- guided by a solidarity that has been forged over generations. We will do so again here.

"We remain determined to return to the field under the terms of a negotiated collective bargaining agreement that is fair to all parties, and provides fans with the best version of the game we all love."

In response the players union posted a statement to Twitter saying, "This shutdown is a dramatic measure, regardless oft timing. It is not required by law or any other reason. It was the owner's choice, plain and simple, specifically calculated to pressure players into relinquishing rights and benefits, and abandoning good faith bargaining proposals that will benefit not just players, but the game and industry as a whole."

Typically lockouts are met with panic from players to owners and fans. So far that panic hasn't hit a fever pitch, yet. It will increase the longer the work stoppage is in place.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan: "The next 90 or so days, sources said, will serve as a more realistic runway for a deal than the lead-up to the expiration of the agreement that covered the 2017 through 2021 seasons. The three previous lockouts did not result in any regular-season games missed, and if the league and union want the same to be the case in 2022, the latest they can strike a deal is early March."

Both sides have been stuck on increased revenue for players, changes in the dynamics of free agency, and expansion to postseason play to name a few.

"We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time," Manfred said in his statement. "This defensive lockout was necessary because the Players Association's vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive. It's simply not a viable option. From the beginning, the MLBPA has been unwilling to move from their starting position, compromise, or collaborate on solutions."

Before the lockout, teams were busy singing players to mega contracts. The Mets were busy signing a quartet of players including Max Scherzer (three-years, $130 million) and Starling Marte (four-years, $78 million). The Yankees were unusually quiet leading into the lockout. Many thought they would be in the market for a shortstop, however free agent Corey Seager signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with Texas, and Javier Baez inked a six-year, $140 million deal in Detroit.

Notable free agents like Carlos Correa and Kris Bryant did not sign contracts with any team, and cannot sign anywhere until the labor freeze is settled.

Max and the Mets! Scherzer Officially Becomes a Member of the Amazin's

 Hours before Major League Baseball imposed a lockout of the players, the New York Mets officially introduced Max Scherzer to the New York media. 

The former Cy Young Award winner, who owned the Mets when he was the ace of the Washington Nationals, won a World Series in DC two years ago, and was undefeated with the Dodgers in the second half of last season, will join Jacob deGrom to form a formidable 1-2 punch. 

Scherzer signed a three-year $130 million deal, that will pay him $43.3 million annually, a new record for any individual player. 

Scherzer said his family, which lives close by the Mets spring training home in Port St. Lucie, and owner Steve Cohen's desire to win played a large role in Scherzer's decision to come to New York. 

Check out our reaction below to the mega signing!