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The Giants and Bears have both struggled in the draft. With five top-10 picks since 2015, the Giants selected offensive tackle Ereck Flowers, cornerback Eli Apple, running back Saquon Barkley, Jones and offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. In four consecutive drafts the Bears selected Kevin White, Leonard Floyd, Mitch Trubisky and Roquan Smith with top-10 picks, only marginally better use of resources. New York drafted Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney with the first-round pick they got from the Bears in April, but he has struggled to stay healthy and it has been challenging to integrate him into the offense.
Defensive coordinator Sean Desai has done a nice job this season, especially considering the number of key players that have missed large chunks of the season and some of the depth issues in the secondary. The Bears went against Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson, and with the Giants reportedly preparing to play Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm, that’s a huge step down in class. The Bears should be able to force a bunch of punts with the opportunity to swing the game if they play well on special teams. Andy Dalton will start at quarterback for the Bears, and if he can distribute the ball like Nick Foles did last week in Seattle, the Bears should win consecutive games for the second time this season.
Coach Luke Fickell and Cincinnati broke through as the first non-P5 to make the four-team playoff, bolstered by a win the first Saturday of October at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, who lost 31-14 to Alabama in a CFP semifinal Rose Bowl played at AT&T Stadium last New Year’s Day, didn’t lose another game this season and finished fifth in the final CFP rankings behind the history-making Bearcats.
“Take away Coby from this game, we don’t win,” DeRozan said. “He had some big time threes when we needed it. When we couldn’t get it offensively going, he kept going, kept getting us over the hump. … He played extremely confident. Without him, we don’t win this game.”
The Broncos will be without two starting wide receivers (Jeudy and Tim Patrick), three of their top four edge rushers (Chubb, Jonathon Cooper and Stephen Weatherly), their top slot cornerback (Bryce Callahan), their dime back (Caden Sterns), their starting right tackle (Bobby Massie) and their top swing tackle (Calvin Anderson) and a starting inside linebacker (Browning).
Wake Forest linebacker Ryan Smenda, a junior who grew up in nearby Orange Park, was ejected for the third time this season for targeting. Smenda barely made contact, if at all, this time. He was penalized for intent because he led with his helmet while chasing Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. Wimsatt slid late, and Smenda flew over the top of him.
Bill Laimbeer, the Aces’ current coach, has been with the organization since it first moved to Las Vegas in 2017. He had taken a step back last season, letting assistant Tanisha Wright run more practices and in-game huddles. Wright left in the offseason to be the head coach of the Atlanta Dream.
“You have to be ready for everything, especially nowadays,” he said. “It’s been two years of this now. … Deals has played some games before, been good for us, worked hard in practice. … I think he’s ready for the opportunity and we’ll see what happens.”
Steve Crawford, 73, of Delray Beach, Fla., was an Army crew chief in the Vietnam War for the 170th Assault Helicopter Company, the same company that Graham’s helicopter came from. After Crawford contacted Graham’s foundation requesting to take a look at the “Huey” in summer 2020, Graham hosted him and his brother, Jim, who served in the Air Force, “like VIPs” for a 45-minute ride.
Simmons gave credit to former players who paved the way for free agency, including Curt Flood, Catfish Hunter and Andy Messersmith, and saluted unappreciated baseball lifers such as scout Gordon Lakey and minor-league instructor George Kissell, a St. Louis Cardinals legend. Simmons even ended his speech with a quote from a Beatles song: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”