Tag: Minnesota

The Top 5 Running Backs in the NFL.

After the “devaluation” of the running back position swept the NFL for the better part of the last decade, teams are starting to see why the position is so valuable.

It’s becoming “trendy” again, to hand the ball off 25 to 30 times a game.

Us fans have known this all along though.

A running back affects the game in so many ways. It’s far from simply taking a handoff.

Running routes out of the backfield, they have to know protection details, when is the right time to leave and go into the flat as a dump off option for the quarterback.

I could go on and on, because everyone knows that I LOVE the running back position.

So, without further ado, here are the Top 5 running backs in the NFL today.

Saquon Barkley – Philadelphia Eagles.

Not only on Barkley lead the entire league in rushing last season (2,005 yards), but he also led the league in carries with 345. That’s a heavy workload, and he played 16 games last season.

You have to account for him coming out of the backfield as well, with 33 catches. He’s a true three-down back, who does a serviceable job in pass blocking.

Any time he touches the football, he can take it for a touchdown. He has the speed to break long runs, and the power to bulldoze his way between the tackles.

No running back had a bigger impact on his team last season than Saquon Barkley did.

Without Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t winning the Super Bowl, they probably don’t even win their division.

Christian McCaffrey – San Francisco 49ers.

Absolutely no fan, coach, GM, player, or anybody, can deny the fact the McCaffrey is arguably the best running back in the league, when he’s healthy.

That’s always been the problem with him. His durability is an issue not just season to season, but game to game.

He has sneaky speed. He doesn’t look like he’s running fast, but he’ll take a 3-yard run and turn it into long touchdown before you realize what’s happening.

He’s a far better receiver out of the backfield than Barkley, and maybe the best in the league.

You simply cannot move him out of the Top 5 or even 3, no matter what.

Josh Jacobs – Green Bay Packers.

Josh Jacobs was the real engine that pulled the train in Green Bay last season, it wasn’t quarterback Jordan Love.

His first season as a Packer, erased whatever “stain” people had on him from his final season as a Raider.

The Packers leaned heavily on Jacobs in all situations, enroute to their Wildcard Playoff berth.

Running for 1,329 yards (6th) on 301 carries (6th) and 15 TDs (4th), proved that he’s a bellcow back with the speed and power to do it all.

He had 36 catches out of the backfield and did a great job in pass protection for the Packers.

Derrick Henry – Baltimore Ravens.

Derrick Henry is a throwback running back to the good ole days of football.

Just hand him the football and watch him completely steamroll people.

He’s proven that he can handle a heavy workload throughout his whole career, and showed it again last season.

Rushing for 1,921 yards (2nd), on 325 carries (2nd), he tied for first in the league with 16 TDs.

He’s not going to give you receiving yards out of the backfield or do much of anything in terms of pass protection, but he’s going to break a defense and wear them out throughout the entire game.

Aaron Jones Sr. – Minnesota Vikings.

Jones is your classic slasher type running back. He’s quick with his feet, and once he sees the hole in the line, he’s off and going.

He’s got the speed to break off long runs, and the power to get into the endzone in goalline situations.

He does have durability issues and is quite similar to McCaffrey (see above). He did play all 17 games last season though.

He had 1,138 yards (9th) on 255 carries (9th) to go along with a whooping 51 catches out of the backfield.

He’ll stick his nose in on pass protection, and does a serviceable job in that regard.

With JJ McCarthy (basically a rookie, though it’s officially his 2nd year in the league) now starting at QB, they’ll lean on him even more this season, as he gets his feet wet to the NFL game.

I expect a great start for Jones in 2025.

– Sean McKenzie

Follow me on X (Twitter) at JoeAmerican6771 and allsportsfancom.

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Stats and information courtesy of…..NFL and ESPN.

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, clutchpoints, bvmsports, sportskeeda, and cbssports.

July 9, 2025
NFL Will Allow Players to Play in the 2028 Games, Thunder Roll, Panthers Dominate, and more.
NFL NEWS.

On Tuesday, NFL owners voted unanimously 32-0, in favor of letting league players “try out” for flag football at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angelos, California.

What we know so far about flag football at the Olympics,
- There will be 6 teams (USA included).
- It will be a 5 on 5 format. (5 on offense and 5 on defense).
- Each team will have a roster of 10 players. (That means it will be a 2 deep roster).
- Only 1 player from each team can try out. (Example: QB Jalen Hurts and HB Saquon Barkley from the Philadelphia Eagles, both cannot try out).
While this is an exciting development, the LA 2028 Games are still years away. A lot can happen in the time. Players playing college football right now could end up on the roster.

Personally, I don’t think flag football should be an Olympic sport.

They’re trying to attract “younger viewers”, and flag football is gaining popularity in youth sports and college campuses. So, I understand the reasoning behind the decision.

That being said, of course I’m going to watch it. It’s football.

NBA PLAYOFFS.

The #1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the #6 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Timberwolves had a 48-44 lead at the half, behind PF Julius Randle’s 20 points.

The break completely changed the momentum of the game, as the Thunder, led by PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, scored 20 of his team-leading 31 points in the 2nd half.

OKC scored 32 points in the 3rd quarter and 38 in the fourth quarter to get the important win at home. They now led the series 1-0. Full game highlights below.

Game 2 is Thursday night, in Oklahoma City, at 8:30 PM, on ESPN.

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.

The A3 Florida Panthers went into Charlotte, North Carolina and got a big win against the A2 Carolina Hurricanes 5-2, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Panthers special teams were on displayed, as they got powerplay goals by C Carter Verhaeghe in the 1st period, and C Sam Bennett in the 3rd period.

There was a stretch where Florida did not have a single shot for 15 minutes in the 2nd period. Carolina just dominated the puck. They had their chances, but Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was just a brick wall. He stopped 31 of 33 total shots he faced. Full game highlights below.

Game 2 is Thursday night, in Charlotte, at 8:00 PM (EST) on TNT, truTV, and Max.

MLB SCORES.

The Chicago Cubs put a beatdown on the Miami Marlins 14-1.

The Red Sox get their 2nd straight win over the New York Mets 2-0.

The Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4.

The lowly Colorado Rockies continue to struggle as they lose to the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4.

The Los Angelos Dodgers get the win over the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3.

The New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 5-2.

OTHER NEWS.

The Ottawa Charge defeated the Minnesota Frost in Game 1 of the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) Walter Cup Finals, 2-1 in overtime.

Charge F Emily Clark scored the game winner at 2:47 into the OT period, beating Frost goalie Nicole Hensley just over the goalie stick. Full game highlights below.

Game 2 is Thursday night, in Ottawa, at 7:00 PM (EST) on TSN and RDS in Canada and FanDuel Sports North and PWHL YouTube channel in America.

– by Sean McKenzie

Follow me on X (Twitter) @JoeAmerican6771 and @allsportsfancom.

Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, Olympics, NBA, NHL, MLB, PWHL.

Pictures and videos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, Olympics, and YouTube.
May 21, 2025
NFL News, NBA and NHL Conference Finals Set, MLB Pitcher Test Positive, Scores, and more.

NFL NEWS.

The San Francisco 49ers have signed their starting quarterback Brock Purdy to a 5-year $265 million dollar contract extension, including $181 million dollars guaranteed. The new contract runs through the 2030 season.

Purdy made a total of $2.6 million in his first three seasons combined, now he’ll have an average salary of $53 million dollars, which is $2.9 million per week.

The old saying “He who laughs last, laughs the hardest”. Well, Purdy who is known as “Mr. Irrelvant” for being the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is laughing all the way to the bank.

In his career, Purdy has completed 67.5% of his passes, for 9,518 yards, with 64 TDs and 27 INTs.

NBA PLAYOFFS.

The NBA Conference Finals are now set.

The #1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the #6 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the West.

The Thunder and Wolves split the season series 2-2.

Game 1 is Tuesday night, in Oklahoma City, at 8:30 PM (EST) on ESPN.

The #3 seeded New York Knicks will take on the #4 seeded Indiana Pacers in the East.

The Knicks got the season series 2-1.

This is a great nostalgia feel for me. Brings back memories of the Knicks-Pacers rivalry games in the 90’s.

Game 1 is Wednesday night, in New York, at 8:00 PM (EST) on TNT, truTV, and Max.

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.

The Conference Finals for the Stanley Cup are now finally set.

In the West, the C2 Dallas Stars will take on the P3 Edmonton Oilers.

Game 1 is Wednesday night, in Dallas, at 8:00 PM (EST) on ESPN.

In the East, the A3 Florida Panthers will take on the very rested M2 Carolina Hurricanes.

Game 1 is Tuesday night, in Charlotte, at 8:00 PM (EST), on TNT, truTV, and Max.

MLB SCORES AND NEWS.

Philadelphia Phillies P Joe Alvarado has been suspended by Major League Baseball for the next 80 games, after testing positive exogenous testosterone, which is a performance-enhacing drug.

The suspension is effective immediately and also disqualifies him from being eligible to play in the postseason, if the Phillies make the playoffs.

Alvarado will not appeal the suspension.

My Aunt Chris’ teams continue to beat mine in 2025, as her Cincinnati Reds complete the weekend sweep against my Cleveland Guardians with a 3-1 win yesterday afternoon.

The Milwaukee Brewers ended the Minnesota Twins 13-game winning streak with a 5-2 win.

The Cubs sweep the White Sox with a 6-2 win.

The Yankees take two out of three from the Mets in the Subway Series, as they get the 8-2 victory last night.

OTHER NEWS.

The PWHL’s (Professional Women’s Hockey League) Walter Cup Finals are set.

The Ottawa Charge will take on the defending champion Minnesota Frost.

I’m very much looking forward to this series. Both teams have good goalie tandems and strong forward lines.

Women’s hockey doesn’t get enough love or credit.

Game 1 is Tuesday night, at TD Place in Ottawa, at 7:00 PM (EST), on TSN and RDS for Canada, and on FanDuel Sports Newtwork North and YouTube for America.

Prediction – I love that Ottawa has made it here, it’s good for the city and the fans, but Minnesota has been here before.

Frost forwards Kendall Coyne-Schofield (12G-12A-24P) and Taylor Heise (8G-14A-22P) just always seem to be around the puck in the big moments this season. The Frost also have a big edge on the Powerplay and Penalty Kill.

I’m taking Minnesota to repeat as Walter Cup Champions winning in 4 games.

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NBA, NHL, MLB, NWHL, NFL.

Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, bleacherreport, totalprosports, kare11, chicagotribune.

May 19, 2025
Cleveland Browns 2025 Regular Season Breakdown.
The Cleveland Browns 2025 season schedule was released on Wednesday night.

Looking at the scheduled, I noticed a few things first, before I started getting into the X’s and the O’s, as well as the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.
- For the 1st time since 2017, the Browns are taking part in the International Series. Cleveland travels to London, England to take on my friend Nick’s, Minnesota Vikings in a very early morning Week 5 matchup. Game starts at 9:30 AM (EST) on NFL Network.
- The Browns do not have a “primetime game” this season. In fact, Cleveland only has 3 games, that do not start in the 1 PM window (Weeks 5, 11, and 12).
- Cleveland’s farthest distance to travel is only to Las Vegas to play the Raiders in Week 12 (2,076 miles).
The schedule is very balanced for the Browns this season. There is only 1 “back-to-back” road game trip (Weeks 8 and 10), however, Cleveland has their Bye week between those two games (Week 9).

A potentially great thing for the Browns, is that 4 of their final 6 games are at home. If Cleveland somehow, some way, finds themselves in the playoff hunt, homefield advantage is always nice to have.

The Browns open the 2025 season at home against division and in-state rival Cincinnati. Cleveland has not won a season opener at home since 2014 (against the Saints).

Cleveland REALLY needs to get that win in Week 1, as their next 5 straight games, are against teams that made the playoffs last season (Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, Pittsburgh).

Having that Bye week smack dab in the middle of the season again, is a nice break for Cleveland.

In Weeks 12, 13, and 14, the Browns play teams that finished in last place within their own divisions, in the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and the Tennessee Titans.

Cleveland finishes the regular season with back-to-back divisional games. Week 17 against the Steelers is the final home game of the season, while Week 18 is once again, against the Bengals, this time in Cincinnati.

The #1 question on every Browns fans mind, is about who the starting quarterback will be. Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are paired along 2 rookies, in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

The answer is, there is no answer right now. They plan to let them all fight it out. Personally, I think Joe Flacco will start the season, with Shedeur Sanders as QB2, and Gabriel as the 3rd stringer. I believe Pickett will end up being traded before the regular season starts.

The over/under win projection sits at 4.5 games right now; after coming off of a dismal 3-14 season in 2024. I think the Browns can beat that mark.

My first response upon seeing the 2025 schedule was the Browns can win at least 6 games, Cincinnati, Minnesota, New England, New York Jets, San Francisco, and Tennessee.

Question – What do you think about the Browns schedule and how many games do you think they can win???

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..NFL and Cleveland Browns.

Pictures and videos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, Cleveland Browns, and YouTube.
May 17, 2025
NFL Schedule Released, Wolves Return, Celtics Still Alive, Oilers Punch, And So Much More.

NFL NEWS.

The NFL released its’ full schedule for all 32 teams last night. The regular season kicks off on September 4th, when the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles take on their hated division rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

I’ll be writing up articles on my Cleveland Browns schedule and on the best games of the upcoming season, in the following days, so stay tuned.

For the full list, every game, for every team, including your favorite team, go to…… http://nfl.com

NBA PLAYOFFS.

The #6 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves are returning to the Western Conference Finals, after defeating the #7 seeded Golden State Warriors 121-110 last night, to win the series 4-1, in front of their home fans.

The Timberwolves shot 62.8% from the field last night, as all 5 starters scored in double digits. Full game highlights below.

PF led the team in points last night with 29. He tied for the lead in rebounds with C Rudy Gobert, as both had 8. SG Anthony Edwards led the team with 12 assists.

They now await the winner of the Thunder-Nuggets series.

The #2 seeded Boston Celtics are still alive, after defeating the #3 New York Knicks 127-102 to make it a 3-2 series. Full game highlights above.

It was a do or die game for the Celtics at home, and the shots finally started falling for the defending NBA Champions. Boston shot 52.4% from the field last night, making 44.9% from 3.

PG Derrick White led the team with 34 points. Backup C Luke Kornet came off the bench and led the team in rebounds with 9. Star SG Jaylen Brown in assists with 12, and added 26 points as well.

Game 6 is Friday night, in New York, at 8:00 PM (EST) on ESPN.

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.

The P3 Edmonton Oilers have punched their ticket to the Western Conference Finals for the 2nd straight season, with a 1-0 overtime victory against the P1 Vegas Golden Knights, to win the series 4-1.

Oilers RW Kasperi Kapanen scored the game winning goal in a mad scramble in front the net, at 7:19 of the overtime period.

Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner got his 2nd straight Stanley Cup Playoffs shutout, stopping all 24 shots he faced. Game winning shot below.

The Oilers will face the winner of the series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars.

MLB SCORES.

The Phillies and Cardinals split their double header yesterday. PHI won the first game 2-1, while STL won the second game 14-7.

The Twins swept their double header against the Orioles, 6-3 and 8-6.

The Brewers finally get a win over the Guardians 9-5.

Yankees beat the Mariners 3-2.

Tiger beat the Red Sox 6-5.

The Dodgers win 9-3 over the Athletics.

The Pirates, once again, beat the Mets, winning 4-0.

Question of the day – Are you going to attend any NFL games this season???

– by Sean McKenzie

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Follow me on X(Twitter)….. @JoeAmerican6771 and @allsportsfancom

Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and bleacherreport.

Pictures and videos courtesy of…..bleacherreport and YouTube.

May 15, 2025
Knicks are One Game Away, Draft Lottery Winner, Commanding Series Leads, Chiefs Superfan Gets Prison Time, and more.

NBA PLAYOFFS AND NEWS.

The #3 seeded New York Knicks are now 1 win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance is 25 years; with a 121-113 victory over the #2 seeded Boston Celtics. Full game highlights above.

PG Jalen Brunson continued to show the world why he’s the leader of this team, with 39 points and 12 assists. C Karl Anthony-Towns had 11 rebounds.

Celtics star SF Jayson Tatum left the game in the 4th quarter with a lower right leg injury. He is expected to get an MRI sometime today.

Game 5 is Wednesday night, in Boston, at 7:00 PM (EST) on TNT, truTV, and Max.

The #6 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves beat the #7 seeded Golden State Warriors 117-100 last night, to take a 3-1 series lead. Full game highlights above.

A 17-0 run by the Timberwolves in the third quarter, gave them a 20-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The Warriors simply couldn’t catch up, especially without their superstar PG Stephen Curry.

PF Julius Randle led the team with 31 points. PF Jaden McDaniels pulled in 13 rebounds, and C Rudy Gobert had 6 assists.

Game 5 is also on Wednesday night, in Minnesota, at 9:30 PM (EST) on TNT, truTV, and Max.

The Dallas Mavericks will have the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Mavericks had a lowly 1.8% chance of winning the lottery.

It is widely expected that they will select Duke F Cooper Flagg with the pick. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game at Duke last season.

The 2025 NBA Draft is on June 25th, from the Barclay’s Center in New York, at 8:00 PM (EST) on ESPN and ABC.

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS.

The P3 Edmonton Oilers defeated the P1 Vegas Golden Knights 3-0, to take a 3-1 series lead. Full game highlights above.

Oilers backup goalie Stuart Skinner stopped all 23 shots he faced, to get his 7th career shutout. C Adam Henrique scored 2 goals for the Oilers. It was the first time since 2012 the Henrique scored multiple goals in a Stanley Cup Playoff game.

Game 5 is Wednesday night, in Las Vegas, at 9:30 PM (EST) on ESPN.

The M2 Carolina Hurricanes take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the M1 Washington Capitals, with a 5-2 victory last night. Full game highlights above.

Both teams scored a combined 5 goals in a wild and fast paced 3rd period. Capitals superstar LW Alex Ovechkin got it to a 3-2 game when he connected on a powerplay goal. That was as close as they would get, as D Sean Walker and RW Andrei Svechnikov would add 2 more goals.

Game 5 will be on Thursday night, in Washington DC, at 7:00 PM (EST) on TNT, truTV, and Max.

MLB SCORES AND NEWS.

Yankees 3B Oswaldo Cabrera was taken off the field by ambulance, with a brace on his left ankle, after suffering a gruesome injury in their 11-5 victory over the Mariners last night. He was batting .243 with 1 HR and 11 RBIs through 34 games this season.

3B Evan Longoria will sign a 1-day contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and officially retire as a member of the team on June 7th.

Longoria is the easily the greatest player in the franchise’s history. He was selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft. He leads the team in GP (1,435), Home runs (261), RBIs (892), Runs (780), Extra Base Hits (618), and Walks (269).

He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2008, as well as a 3 time All-Star. He won 3 Gold Glove Awards in 2009,2010, and 2017. He won the Silver Slugger Award in 2009.

Guardians beat the Brewers 5-0.

The Tigers continue to win, blasting the Red Sox 14-2.

Cubs beat the Marlins 5-2.

Rockies win total stands at only 7, after losing to the Rangers 2-1.

Mets win 4-3 over the Pirates.

OTHER NEWS.

Kansas City Chiefs “superfan” Xaviar Babudar, also known as “ChiefsAholic” was sentenced to 32 years in prison, in an Oklahoma Courtroom for bank robbery.

Question of the day – Who is your favorite team mascot?

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB.

Pictures and videos courtesy of…..thenationalherald, newsweek, wtsp, emporianews, and YouTube.

May 13, 2025