Tag / Detroit Lions

by Matt Noonan

Noontime’s NFL Power Rankings: Week Six (Oct. 14, 2020)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Five weeks of professional football are in the books, but it wasn’t easy. 

Also, what did you think about Tuesday Night Football? Did you know the last Tuesday evening game was played ten years ago between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles? Well, now you know! 

Alright, enough jibber-jabber, let’s unveil this week’s Noontime Power Rankings for the sixth week of the 2020 National Football League (NFL).

As usual, make sure to stay connected with Noontime Sports on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube – have a great day, everyone!  

Noontime’s Week Six Power Rankings (Oct. 14, 2020)

1. Seattle Seahawks (5-0, LW: No. 2): Somehow, the Seahawks pulled out a win on Sunday evening against the Minnesota Vikings. 

2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-1, LW: No. 1): The Chiefs suffered their first setback since last November, which seems or sounds crazy, right? Maybe the loss was exactly what coach Andy Reid and his team needed. 

3. Green Bay Packers (4-0, LW: No. 3): The Packers were idle this past weekend, but they have looked pretty good through four weeks. This week, Green Bay will visit Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what should be a decent matchup. 

4. Baltimore Ravens (4-1, LW: No. 4): Baltimore’s defense shined against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but the offense seems to be inconsistent. 

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-0, LW: No. 6): The Steelers are really good at drafting receivers. 

6. Tennessee Titans (4-0, LW: No. 7): The Titans returned to the gridiron last night for the first time in a few weeks and looked really good. And we mean, really good! 

7. Buffalo Bills (4-1, LW: No. 5): Did the Bills come down to earth last night or are they still pretty good? 

8. Cleveland Browns (4-1, LW: No. 14): Something is different about this Browns team than previous years. Maybe this is finally the year the Browns officially turn the corner and establish a winning culture? 

9. New England Patriots (2-2, LW: No. 8): It’s been a chaotic past few days for the Patriots, but let’s hope things start going in the right direction, especially with today’s news about Cam Newton returning to the practice field tomorrow. 

10. Los Angeles Rams (4-1, LW: No. 11): The Rams returned to their original form from earlier this season with a runaway win over the Washington Football Team this past weekend. Their early season success should continue against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. 

11. New Orleans Saints (3-2, LW: No. 10): The Los Angeles Chargers did not make things easy for Drew Brees and the Saints on Monday in Louisiana.   

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2, LW: No. 9): Can someone please tell Tom Brady that there are four downs in football, not five! 

13. Carolina Panthers (3-2, LW: No. 16): After starting the season with back-to-back losses, the Panthers have bounced back with three-straight wins. Is it time to consider them a contender for the NFC South? 

14. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2, LW: No. 19): Whatever the Raiders did this past weekend against the Chiefs, they must do going forward. 

15. Chicago Bears (4-1, LW: No. 15): Did you know the Bears have won four of five contests this season? Are they flying under the radar with Nick Foles? 

16. San Francisco 49ers (2-3, LW: No. 13): Injuries are piling up and the 49ers are looking like a one-hit-wonder (in our minds!). 

17. Dallas Cowboys (2-3, LW: No. 17): The Cowboys secured the top spot in the NFC East last week with a much-needed divisional win over the New York Giants, but did lose Dak Prescott to a season-ending injury. Ouch! 

18. Indianapolis Colts (3-2, LW: No. 12): Maybe the three-game winning streak from the earlier this season was a fluke? 

19. Arizona Cardinals (3-2, LW: No. 18): The Cardinals have beaten the following teams: San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and the Washington Football Team. And they have suffered setbacks to these teams: Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers. So, how good is this team? 

20. Miami Dolphins (2-3, LW: NR): The Dolphins came close to beating the Seahawks two weeks ago, but did score a much-needed win over the 49ers on Sunday. Is something cooking in South Beach that we don’t know about? 

On the Rise: Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles

Noontime’s Preseason Rankings (Aug. 4, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week One Power Rankings (Sept. 8, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week Two Power Rankings (Sept. 15, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week Four Power Rankings (Sept. 29, 2020) 

by Matt Noonan

Noontime’s NFL Power Rankings: Week Five (Oct. 6, 2020)

By NoontimeSports.com 

It wasn’t easy, but somehow another week of the National Football League (NFL) checked the box on another week, despite two games being impact over the past few days by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

While it may not be business as usual in New York City these days, which is where the NFL calls home, they are somehow moving forward to the fifth week, which begins Thursday, October 8 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Chicago Bears. And before that game kicks-off, let’s unveil our latest Top 20 Noontime Sports Power Rankings for Week Five. 

As usual, make sure to stay connected with Noontime Sports on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube – have a great day, everyone! 

Noontime’s Week Five Power Rankings (Oct. 6, 2020)

1. Kansas City Cheifs (4-0, LW: No. 1): Sure, they moved Sunday’s game to Monday, but it certainly did not have an effect on Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid. 

2. Seattle Seahawks (4-0, LW: No. 2): Russell Wilson and the Seahawks cooked up their fourth opponent on Sunday. 

3. Green Bay Packers (4-0, LW: No. 4): After four games, it is fair to say we underestimated Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Sorry, Green Bay! 

4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1, LW: No. 3): The Ravens scored a bounce-back win over the Washington Football Team this past weekend and will continue their winning ways this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

5. Buffalo Bills (4-0, LW: No. 6): As long as Josh Allen stays healthy, this team will be tough to stop. 

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0, LW: No. 5): The Steelers were idle this past week due to their game being postponed because of the coronavirus. But this week, they should be able to score their fourth win against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

7. Tennessee Titans (3-0, LW: No. 7): Nine players could be sidelined this week against the Bills due to the team’s recently Covid-19 outbreak. 

8. New England Patriots (2-2, LW: No. 8): The Patriots had a chance to win last night’s game against the Chiefs, but unfortunately struggled to contain Patrick Mahomes and the offense during the final minutes of the fourth quarter. New England’s defense is getting better and they should be able to bounce back this weekend against the Denver Broncos. 

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1, LW: No. 10): Tom Brady and the Buccaneers rallied to beat the Los Angeles Chargers for their third-straight win. Sure, it wasn’t the prettiest win, but something seems to be clicking between Brady and the Bucs offense. 

10. New Orleans Saints (2-2, LW: No. 12): The Saints snapped their two-game skid with a much-needed win over the Detroit Lions. Once they welcome back Michael Thomas, they will be a tough team to stop. 

11. Los Angeles Rams (3-1, LW: No. 9): The Rams barely beat the New York “Football” Giants this past week. They will need to play A LOT better this weekend against Washington. 

12. Indianapolis Colts (3-1, LW: No. 14): Did you know the Colts have won three games this season? Neither did we! 

13. San Francisco 49ers (2-2, LW: No. 11): The 49ers are banged up and desperately need their starters to come back quickly so they can keep pace with the Rams and Seahawks. 

14. Cleveland Browns (3-1, LW: No. 16): Kevin Stefanski is enjoying a successful start in his first year with the Browns. 

15. Chicago Bears (3-1, LW: No. 13): The Bears’ winning streak officially concluded this past weekend against Indianapolis. Can they return to the win column this week when they host Tampa Bay? 

16. Carolina Panthers (2-2, LW: On The Rise): The Panthers have won two-straight and should be able to win a third-straight contest this weekend against the winless Atlanta Falcons. 

17. Dallas Cowboys (1-3, LW: No. 15): The Cowboys could easily be 0-4, but somehow their special teams saved them two weeks ago against Atlanta. Mike McCarthy better figure things out quickly otherwise his time in Dallas may not last more than one year. 

18. Arizona Cardinals (2-2, LW: No. 17): The Cardinals looked like a real threat earlier this season, but have looked like the Cardinals of the past these past few weeks. They should be able to bounce back this week against the New York Jets. 

19. Las Vegas Raiders (2-2, LW: No. 18): The Raiders impressed us two weeks ago, but are now winless against the AFC East. 

20. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2-1, LW: NR): The Eagles finally cracked the win column on Sunday against San Francisco while securing the top spot in the NFC East. 

On the Rise: Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins 

Noontime’s Preseason Rankings (Aug. 4, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week One Power Rankings (Sept. 8, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week Two Power Rankings (Sept. 15, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week Four Power Rankings (Sept. 29, 2020) 

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime (Monday, October 5, 2020)

 

 

 

 

By NoontimeSports.com

Happy Monday, everyone! 

As usual, we hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and ready for a great week, despite the gray skies outside our window – hey, Mr. Sun, please come out and play! 

Let’s kick off a brand new week with a … sigh of relief: the New England Patriots will play their fourth game of the 2020 season this evening against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Patriots will take the field this evening without Cam Newton, who tested positive this past weekend for Covid-19. 

Newton broke his silence yesterday on Instagram – many outlets blogged about his post! – and hopefully, we will see him back on the field next weekend when the Patriots host the Denver Broncos.

Back to the Pats-Cheifs game, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe wrote a column that asked the following question: Did we learn anything from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans postponement?

As of this morning, the Patriots – well, everyone, except Cam Newton – tested negative, which means tonight’s game will happen. But if we learned anything from yesterday’s Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints contest, things could change quickly, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that 7 p.m. can get here quickly! 

In other news, former Pats quarterback Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes yesterday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers, 35-31. 

Brady and the Buccaneers have won three straight and seem to be trending in the right direction. Tampa Bay will visit the Chicago Bears on Thursday, October 8 before returning home ten days later to host the Green Bay Packers. 

Other news and notes from the world wide web: 

We’ll be back later today with some new content, but as always, make sure to stay connected with Noontime Sports on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube – have a great day, everyone! 

by Matt Noonan

Noontime’s NFL Power Rankings: Week Four (Sept. 29, 2020)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Happy Tuesday, everyone! 

After a much-needed bye week – we apologize for the radio silence! – we’re back to producing a weekly National Football League (NFL) Power Rankings. And we’re excited to generate this list every week. 

So, let’s unveil this week’s Top 20 teams through three weeks! 

As usual, make sure to stop by every day for brand new football content while following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube!

Noontime’s Week Four Power Rankings (Sept. 29, 2020)

1. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0, Previously: No. 1): Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked pretty well last night against the Baltimore Ravens. In fact, we think they looked really good! 

2. Seattle Seahawks (3-0, Previously: No. 3): If you let Russell Wilson cook, then he will make a delicious meal. And so far, Wilson is cooking up some magic after three impressive outings. 

3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1, Previously: No. 2): Yes, the Ravens lost to the Chiefs last night, but they are still the second-best team in the AFC. 

4. Green Bay Packers (3-0, Previously: No. 9): Initially, we thought the Packers would take a step back this year, but apparently our preseason thought has been incorrect, especially with three weeks of the 2020 season in the books. 

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0, Previously: No. 10): Ben Roethlisberger has looked pretty good thus far, but the same could be said for the Pittsburgh defense. Maybe they will be able to challenge the Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North? 

6. Buffalo Bills (3-0, Previously: No. 7): Josh Allen is having a great season thus far. And their win against the Los Angeles Rams was an important one, especially after they squandered a 28-3 advantage. 

7. Tennessee Titans (3-0, Previously: No. 8): Yes, we know the Titans and Minnesota Vikings will be sidelined until this weekend due to eight members of the Tennessee organization testing positive for the coronavirus. But whether they play or not this upcoming week, these Titans should not be overlooked – they’re a good football team. And they certainly remain the favorites in the AFC South. 

8. New England Patriots (2-1, Previously: No. 5): The Patriots are proving they can win games with everyone in their locker room – we saw that on Sunday when they leaned heavily on Rex Burkhead, who rushed for three touchdowns. This week, the Pats face their toughest test of the season: Kansas City. 

9. Los Angeles Rams (2-1, Previously: No. 13): The Rams came close to beating the Bills this past weekend but struggled to stop Josh Allen and the offense down the stretch. But as Sean McVay said after the game, the team will learn from this setback and bounce back. And we certainly expect that to happen this week against the New York Giants. 

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1, Previously: No. 11): Tom Brady and the Buccaneers have won back-to-back contests. And they should be able to string together another win this week against the Los Angeles Chargers (fingers crossed!). 

11. San Francisco 49ers (2-1, Previously: No. 6): The 49ers have scored back-to-back wins against perhaps the two worst teams in the NFL – that would be the New York Giants and New York Jets. They should tack on another win this week against the winless Philadelphia Eagles. 

12. New Orleans Saints (1-2, Previously: No. 4): Sure, the Saints have stumbled since beating Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, but this team needs to win this week to regain its week one mojo. 

13. Chicago Bears (3-0, Previously: On The Rise): Somehow, Matt Nagy and the Bears have won three-straight games. Can they continue this momentum this week against the Indianapolis Colts? 

14. Indianapolis Colts (2-1, Previously: No. Not Ranked): Philip Rivers and the Colts have won back-to-back contests, but face a good test this week against the undefeated Bears. 

15. Dallas Cowboys (1-2, Previously: No. 14): The Cowboys have the talent, but are also banged up. Give the Boys credit for putting up a fight against the Seahawks, but they should be able to learn from this game, as well as their week one loss heading into a must-win contest on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. 

16. Cleveland Browns (2-1, Previously: Not Ranked): Nick Chubb highlighted his team’s second-straight win of the 2020 season. He will certainly be a player to watch this week against the Cowboys. 

17. Arizona Cardinals (2-1, Previously: No. 12): The Cardinals should have beaten the Detroit Lions, but instead faltered down the stretch. Can they rebound this week against the 1-2 Carolina Panthers? We’ll have to wait and see! 

18. Las Vegas Raiders (2-1, Previously: No. 19): The Silver and Black sustained their first setback of the season to the Patriots on Sunday, but have looked somewhat decent against both the Panthers and Saints. 

19. Miami Dolphins (1-2, Previously: Not Ranked): The Dolphins finally cracked the win column last week thanks to their tenured quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

20. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2, Previously: No. 18): The Chargers looked good against the Chiefs one week ago, but did not look good against the Panthers, especially down the stretch. 

On the Rise: Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans 

Noontime’s Preseason Rankings (Aug. 4, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week One Power Rankings (Sept. 8, 2020) 

Noontime’s Week Two Power Rankings (Sept. 15, 2020) 

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime (Monday, September 28, 2020)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Happy Monday, everyone! 

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and ready for a great week. And speaking of a new week, did you know we’re just a few days away from a brand new month? Yep, October is on the horizon – perhaps 2020 is moving a bit quicker than previous years? 

Anywho, let’s kick-start a brand new day with the ‘Daily Noontime.’ 

Sunday was a WILD day in the NFL 

Week three of the 2020 National Football League (NFL) was wild – would crazy be a better word to describe some of Sunday’s outcomes?

For starters, you had the Chicago Bears erasing a 16-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons to the Buffalo Bills halting a crazy comeback by the Los Angeles Rams with a game-winning touchdown pass from Josh Allen to Tyler Kroft.  And then there was the Detroit Lions beating the Arizona Cardinals to Russell Wilson throwing five touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. 

Finally, did you watch the Cincinnati Bengals‘ game against the Philadelphia Eagles? The game concluded with a 23-23 tie (in overtime) – did anyone want to win this game? 

The Bengals and Eagles played to a 13-13 tie in 2008, which was something former Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb did not know could happen in the NFL. 

The third week of the season concludes this evening with a tremendous Monday Night Football (MNF) clash between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. 

Are you ready for some postseason baseball? 

The 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is over, which means it is time to move onto a 16-team tournament – yay! 

Unlike past seasons, MLB will have 16 teams compete for the ultimate prize – eight teams on each side – beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29 with Wild Card matchups, which will be followed by the Divisional and Championship rounds. 

The Tampa Bay Rays are the top team in the American League while the Los Angeles Dodgers secured the number one position in the National League. 

Who do we think will win the fall classic? That is a good question, but our gut instinct is either the Rays or Dodgers, but definitely not the New York Yankees. 

Miami tops Boston in Game 6, Advances to NBA Finals on Wednesday

The Miami Heat secured a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2020 Finals last night by defeating the Boston Celtics in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Miami outlasted Boston, 125-113, to clinch the Eastern Conference championship despite some NBA folks thinking the Green and White would come back and beat the Heat after winning the fifth game of the series last Friday. 

Highlights from the sixth game of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals is below courtesy of the NBA’s YouTube channel. 


Other news and links from the world wide web: 
  • After leading the New England Patriots to its second win of the 2020 season yesterday against the Las Vegas Raiders, quarterback Cam Newton told the media that he wants opposing defenses to be worried about his team’s offense. 
  • Keep your eyes on the college of William & Mary this week, which made headlines over the weekend for its announcement regarding cuts to its athletic department, specifically “seven varsity athletic teams,” which would violate “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.” 
  • Finally, the 28th season of South Park is set to hit the airwaves this Wednesday, September 30 with a one hour special about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This should be interesting, right?