Mike McCarthy

Daily Noontime (Monday, Oct. 26, 2020)

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By Matt Noonan

Happy Monday, everyone! And welcome to the final few days of October – crazy, right?

We’re eight days away from the election – have you voted? If not, there is still plenty of time. And you can visit vote.org to find out how you can vote.

Noontime Sports (and NoontimeSports.com) is encouraging all of our fans and friends to vote because your voice matters, so please make sure to cast a vote by mail or in-person. And if you do in-person voting, please make sure to wear a mask, social distance, and bring your own pen!

Alright, let’s begin today’s ‘Daily Noontime’ for Monday, October 26, 2020 – have a great day, everyone!

By now, you probably know our beloved New England Patriots suffered a very bad loss yesterday, falling to Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers.

Yes, Jimmy G. looked good – we all enjoyed seeing our former backup quarterback compete against the unhappy Bill Belichick – but what really caught my attention from yesterday’s contest was the following:

  • Jeff Wilson Jr. had no issue running against the Patriots defense – before departing the game with an injury, he rushed for 112 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns.
  • Cam Newton and yes, Jarrett Stidham, both struggled to move the ball down the field – they also combined for four interceptions while the San Francisco defense sacked each signal-caller once.

New England will visit the Buffalo Bills next week for a VERY important divisional matchup.

Buffalo somehow outlasted the New York Jets yesterday, thanks to six field goals by rookie Tyler Bass.

Here are some other news and notes from another bizarre yet interesting day of professional football:

Alright, here is some other news and links from the world wide web:

Daily Noontime (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020)

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By Matt Noonan

Welcome to Tuesday, everyone!

As usual, I hope this blog post finds everyone doing well, staying safe, and smiling – how do we only have 11 days left of October?

Let’s kickstart the day with a brand new ‘Daily Noontime,’ beginning in “Big D” – that would be Dallas, Texas, to be exact – where Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals walloped the Dallas Cowboys last night by a score of 38-10.

As noted by many, the setback to the Cardinals was considered one of the Cowboys’ worst losses at AT&T Stadium – I am sure my buddy (and owner) Jerry Jones is not a happy man this morning. Jerry is probably not going to be smiling too much this season as the Cowboys – one of my two favorite National Football League (NFL) teams – is decimated by injuries and not playing well under first-year coach Mike McCarthy.

Should the Cowboys consider bringing back Jason Garrett?

Prior to Arizona handing Dallas its fourth loss of the season, football fans were treated to a late afternoon/early evening clash between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs won the game – no surprise, right? – and quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the fastest quarterback to throw not just 90 touchdowns, but also his 91st score in his 37th contest.

I don’t know about you, but I kind of like having two games on Monday. Maybe we could see this in the future?

Let’s switch to baseball where the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series will begin this evening between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. I am going to be rooting for the Rays despite a member of the Boston Globe thinking that baseball fans should not support the team from Tampa Bay.

Sticking with the Globe, we learned yesterday afternoon and this morning through the Sports Business Journal (SBJ)‘s daily podcast that the Boston Red Sox owners, along with their partners are planning a major ‘redevelopment’ project that would include offices apartments, retail stores, and possibly a hotel.

Finally, let’s end with some local media news where the Hartford Courant announced yesterday that they are closing their printing operations and will “outsource to the Springfield Republican” here in Massachusetts.

The Courant is the oldest newspaper in the country – it began in 1764 – and this move unfortunately will impact 151 employees.

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

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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) 

Daily Noontime (Monday, September 21, 2020)

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By NoontimeSports.com 

Ah, the ‘Daily Noontime’ has officially returned – yay! 

Yes, that is correct, everyone. The ‘Daily Noontime’ is back and will be with you going forward every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 

Are you excited? 

The format will be somewhat the same – maybe we can mix in some new links, etc. – but this is a post that has significant meaning to our blog when we launched/got started with creating content in May 2009. 

So, let’s kick off a brand new day – and yes, a brand new week, too! – with the revamped ‘Daily Noontime.’ Have a great day, everyone! 

Russell Wilson shines against the New England Patriots  

Russell Wilson matched a career-high with five touchdown passes last night as the Seattle Seahawks topped the New England Patriots, 35-30. 

Wilson and the Seahawks improved to 2-0n while the Patriots dipped to 1-1. 

According to ESPN.com, Wilson “became only the fourth player in NFL history to throw at least four touchdown passes in each of his team’s first two games.” 

Cam Newton and the Patriots did keep pace with Wilson and the Hawks for a majority of the contest but could not convert the go-ahead/game-winning touchdown pass on their final drive of the contest. 

Seattle will host the Dallas Cowboys next week while the Patriots will entertain the Las Vegas Raiders. 

NFL Coaches, Personnel need to ‘Mask Up!’

According to ProFootballTalk.com (PFT), the National Football League (NFL) will be in contact today – not sure exactly when? – with coaches and sideline personnel regarding masks and face covers not being worn during contests. 

This is the second time PFT has blogged about this issue after seeing a slew of coaches – and yes, personnel, too – not cover their noses and mouths last week during the opening week of the 2020 season. 

Just a reminder to everyone … we are living in a pandemic, so make sure to mask-up! 

The Dallas Cowboys’ comeback was … incredible! 

Yes, our site’s editor and founder (Matt Noonan) is a life-long Dallas Cowboysfan, but for some reason, he didn’t worry too much when ‘America’s Team’ was trailing by 20 points. 

Really, Matt? 

But somehow, Noonan’s team – that would be the Dallas Cowboys – erased the deficit and stunned the Atlanta Falcons for an exciting 40-39 victory yesterday at AT&T Stadium. 

The win – not the prettiest – was VERY exciting and also proved that this Dallas Cowboys team has a lot more grit and toughness under first-year coach Mike McCarthy. Sorry, Jason Garrett!

Also, kudos to Greg Zuerlein for not just drilling the game-winning field goal, but also kicking the craziest onside kick that we have ever seen. 

And more links from the world-wide-web:

Stay tuned for more content later today, but as always, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, Noontime Sports Fans and Friends! 

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

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By NoontimeSports.com 

The first official week of the 2020 National Football League (NFL) season is in the books, which means it is time to unveil our second power rankings of the week, which continues to find the Kansas City Chiefs in the top spot followed by the Baltimore Ravens (second) and Seattle Seahawks (third). 

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 Two Power Rankings (Sept. 15, 2020)

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0, LW: No. 1): The defending Super Bowl champions looked pretty impressive last week against the Houston Texans. 

2. Baltimore Ravens (1-0, LW: No. 3): Lamar Jackson and the Ravens rolled past the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and should have no problem scoring its second win of the 2020 season this weekend when Baltimore visits Houston for a 4:25 p.m. kickoff. 

3. Seattle Seahawks (1-0, LW: No. 9): Russell Wilson was unstoppable on Sunday against an Atlanta Falcons team that did not have an answer with hows to stop the Seahawks’ offense. 

4. New Orleans Saints (1-0, LW: No. 4): Drew Brees and the Saints looked A LOT better than Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

5. New England Patriots (1-0, LW: No. 11): In Bill Belichick we trust. And the same should be said for Cam Newton, too. 

6. San Francisco 49ers (0-1, LW: No. 2): The 49ers offense did not look great against the Arizona Cardinals, especially quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. 

7. Buffalo Bills (1-0, LW: No. 8): Quarterback Josh Allen completed 33 of 46 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a game-high 57 yards on 14 carries in the Bills’ initial win of the 2020 season against the New York ‘Football’ Jets. 

8. Tennessee Titans (1-0, LW: No. 6): The Titans are a good team. But they did not look great last night against the Denver Broncos, especially the special teams. 

9. Green Bay Packers (1-0, LW: No. 13): The Minnesota Vikings had no answer for Aaron Rodgers, who completed 32 of 44 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns. 

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0, LW: No. 10): Daniel Jones may have thrown more passes in last night’s contest, but Ben Roethlisberger looked much better as the veteran signal-caller completed 21 of 32 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns. 

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1, LW: No. 5): Bruce Arians is not afraid to speak his mind about quarterback Tom Brady. But what will Arians say if Brady and the Bucs don’t beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday? 

12. Arizona Cardinals (1-0, LW: NR): Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins were fun to watch against the 49ers last weekend. 

13. Los Angles Rams (1-0, LW: No. 17): The Rams may have squeaked out an opening day win against Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys but they certainly proved they can march up and down the field. 

14. Dallas Cowboys (0-1, LW: No. 7): Mike McCarthy was NOT happy about a late-game pass interference call, which helped the Rams escape with a three-point win. The Boys are already banged up on both sides of the ball and face a must-win on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. 

15. Philadelphia Eagles (0-1, LW: No. 14): So, who had the Eagles losing to the Washington Football Team in week one? 

16. Houston Texans (0-1, LW: No. 16): The Texans looked OK, but not great last week against the Chiefs. But how will they look this week against the Ravens? 

17. Denver Broncos (0-1, LW: NR): The Broncos had a chance to beat the Titans last night, but Drew Lock and the offense only moved 18 yards on its final drive. 

18. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0, LW: NR): Somehow, the Chargers scored a dramatic opening day win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Will this trend continue this week, as well as going forward? 

19. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0, LW: No. 20): Somehow the Silver and Black won a wild road game against the Carolina Panthers.

20. Atlanta Falcons (0-1, LW: No. 18): The Falcons looked lost against the Seahawks last week, but should be able to attack the Cowboys’ weakness this week: the Dallas secondary. 

On the Rise: Chicago Bears and Washington Football Team 

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

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