The Pulse: Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson in opposite directions and bold NBA predictions
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Good morning! Programming note: No pulse on December 25. Enjoy the day!
While you were Sleeping
Jags going up, Jets falling apart
It turns out that the combination of a Super Bowl coach and a super talented young quarterback can be a winning recipe. Jacksonville saw their playoff chances jump to 54.9 percent with his easy handling of New York’s 19-3.
Meanwhile, Jets fans were chanting for the former Gray Cup champion. Chris Streveler midway through the third quarter.
- The bust buzz that surrounds zach wilson just got stronger. He is made in new yorkindeed, writes Zack Rosenblatt.
- trevor lawrenceon the other hand, looks like a legit playoff quarterback. In bad weather, Lawrence passed for 229 yards and rushed for 51 more, adding a rushing score. Jacksonville has now won three in a row and five of seven.
In other parts of the league, a pivotal Christmas Eve could swing playoff hopes in both conferences.
- detroitthe red hot race heads to Carolina, where a fourth straight win would increase the Lions’ playoff odds to 72.3 percent.
- The Seahawks they are clinging to hope after losing four of their last five. A disgust of the bosses would increase Seattle’s odds by 27.9 percent.
- Washington, who lost their tiebreaker to the Lions in Week 2, needs a surprise San Francisco to increase their playoff odds to 68.9 percent and maintain their lead.
- Make the patriots have hope? After last week’s viral failures, another loss would drop their playoff odds to just 8.9 percent.
Crystal ball
Bold nba predictions for the new year
Heading into the last week of the year, now feels like a better time than ever to implement some bold NBA predictions for 2023. Here are some fun highlights.
- The Kings will break the longest playoff drought in the league, prophesied Sam Amick. Sacramento would break a 16-year drought.
- Detroit to win Wembanyama toss. With 2021 top pick Cade Cunningham set for the season, the tank is on.
- Toronto will trade one of its main guyswarned Eric Coreen. Despite a foursome of Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes, the Raps have a losing record and are looking for some expensive extensions.
Some notable honorable mentions: Nikola Jokić will win a third straight MVP award, the Nets will win a playoff series, the Lakers will make the Play-In. Read.
Rankings, Explained
World cup winner, but No. 2 in the world?
(Photo: Yukihito Taguchi/USA Today)
Brazil, not Argentina, entered as No. 1 in fifaThe world ranking updated on Thursday, despite the victory of the Argentines on Sunday in the World Cup final.
Yes, the same Brazil that lost in the quarterfinals. (And people complain about the AP Top 25.)
the athleticby Ed Mackey explained why Argentina is only No. 2 in great detail. The key points:
- The FIFA ranking algorithm assigns points for each match played in FIFA recognized competitions. Brazil had a nearly 68-point lead in the standings in October, which is the main reason why it is still number 1. Argentina closed the gap to about two points after the World Cup.
- While matches are weighted based on their importance, there are no bonus points for trophies.
- Winning a match on penalty kicks is worth fewer points than winning in regulation or overtime. A bit like this. Two of Argentina’s knockout victories (over the Netherlands and France) were on penalties.
Runners-up France moved up to third place, while Belgium, who were knocked out in the group stage, fell from second to fourth. The US moved up three places to 13th place, just above Germany and Mexico.
serious business
Trevor Bauer’s suspension reduced
Trevor Bauer’s 324-game suspension for violating the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy was reduced to 194 games by an arbitration panel on Thursday.
Bauer’s suspension remains the longest handed down under that policy since it went into effect in 2015.
Bauer will be reinstated Friday and the Dodgers have 14 days to decide whether to add him to the roster or fire him. In addition, the referee will deduct his salary for the first 50 games.
Panties
Minshew mania returns
The Eagles officially named Gardner Minshew as starting quarterback for Saturday’s match against CowboysWhat jalen hurts he will miss his first game of the season with a shoulder injury. One of the best backups in the league, Minshew has thrown for 41 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions in four seasons (22 starts). Philadelphia needs to win just one of its last three games to clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
A double recruiting twist
Five-star safety Peyton Bowen appeared to be a blow to Oregon on Wednesday when he traded from Notre Dame to the Ducks in a signing-day ceremony. But the Denton, Texas native completed a double turn on Thursday, turning down Oregon and signing with Oklahoma instead. “As I reflect on yesterday’s whirlwind, I acknowledge that I made some mistakes that I regret and will learn from,” Bowen wrote. “Navigating this process has been a roller coaster.” Oh yeah.
pulse selections
(Top photo: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)