Previewing Super Bowl 53

The New England Patriots will play the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53. Both teams won their conference championship games in overtime on the road.

The Patriots are playing in their 9th Super Bowl in 17 years. Ironically, 17 years to the day, the Patriots' dynasty began with a Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams, who have not been in the Super Bowl since. Could the Patriots' dynasty reach full circle with another victory over the Rams? Or will the Rams,lead by a young, upstart quarterback who mirrors Brady 17 years ago, win their second Super Bowl in franchise history? Will the torch be passed from Tom Brady to Jerard Goff? Or will the Patriots win their 6th Super bowl in 9 tries?

Both teams have prolific offenses. The Rams lead the NFL in scoring with 565 points. The Patriots were 4th in scoring with 436 points.

The Patriots have the better defense. New England surrendered a 4th lowest 325 points. In contrast, the Rams surrendered 384 points, which ranks them 20th in the league. The Rams' defense will be challenged to stop the Patriots' offense.

Both teams played the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. Both teams beat the Vikings and the Packers. The Rams lost to the Bears, while the Patriots beat the Bears. The Rams beat the Lions and the Patriots lost to the Lions.

The Rams finished 13-3 as winners of the NFC West. The Patriots finished 11-5 as the won the AFC East.

Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches of all time. Belichick, who was a successful defensive coordinator before becoming a successful head coach, gets the most out of the Patriots every season. He motivates the team well and helps individual players to buy into a "team first" concept. With the Patriots, the team always comes first. Individual pursuits are sublimated in order to fit into the team concept. Though the Patriots may not be the most talented team in the NFL, they are always the most united and grounded group of players in the league. They dedicate themselves to the "Patriot way", which represents a commitment to winning as a team.

Belichick is good at exploiting the weakness of the opposition. He is also good at taking away what the opposition does well. Finally, he changes the Patriots' approach from week to week based on who the next week's opponent is. It is difficult for teams to prepare for the Patriots because they do not know what the Patriots will do from week to week. Belichick always surprises the opposition. He always keeps the opposition on it's toes.

Rams' head coach Sean Mc Vay is a young coach who developed a reputation as offensive innovator. In today's game, teams are focused on hiring the next great offensive coach. McVay's success has made other teams think that they could have similar success if they find the next good offensive coach. Teams are looking to promote the next good offensive coordinator to a head coaching position. McVay's success has influenced hiring trends around the league.

McVay was assistant wide receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also served as the Washington Redskins' assistant tight ends coach, tight ends coach and offensive coordinator before he was hired by the Rams. McVay received a head coaching job relatively quickly. As head coach, he has a regular season record of 24-8. He is 2-1 in the post season. He has guided a team to the Super Bowl in only his second full year as a head coach.

Since McVay is considered an offensive coach, many people focus on the Rams' offense. Many think the Rams' chances of winning the Super Bowl depends on how the offensive plays. The Rams' offensive has different strengths.

Andy Benoit, of Sports Illustrated, said that the Rams employ condensed formations on offense. Benoit points out that the Rams line up relatively close to the offensive tackles. Benoit says "This has several benefits. One is that it puts receivers close to one another, where their routes easily crisscross and intertwine, creating traffic for man-to-man defenders and poor leverage for zone defenders. Another: A receiver aligned tightly inside, uninhibited by the sideline, always has a two way go. And crossing patterns, which are huge for L.A., are deeper since there's less ground to cover horizontally. But perhaps more importantly, a tightly lined receiver is better positioned to block on running plays." So, these condensed formations give the Rams several advantages. They pose challenges for the Patriots' defense. However, coach Bill Belichick, will be prepared with a plan to stop the Rams.

Benoit suggests that Belichick will try and "disrupt that spacing and timing." Benoit says the Patriots' edge defenders may try and jam the Rams' receivers. Benoit says "Those jams could wreck L.A's aerial timing and also congest the edges against the run. Yes, this would sacrifice New England's pass rush, which would be mostly neutralized by L.A's play-action designs anyway." It will be interesting to see if the Patriots try this approach. If they do employ this strategy, it will be interesting to see if it works.

New England will also be challenged by the Rams' unpredictability on offense. Mike Reiss, of espn.com, points out that "Arguably, the greatest strength of the Patriots' defense is the ability to take away what an opponent does best. But what the Rams do best seems to change on a week-to-week basis, which adds to the Patriots' already-formidable challenge." The Rams' ability to change and modify their offense, will make things difficult for New England. They may have to adjust to whatever surprise the Rams throw at the Patriots.



The Rams have a lot of talent on offense. Goff was one of the most effective quarterbacks in the NFL this season. He finished with 4,688 yards, which was the 4th most in the NFL this season. He threw 32 touchdown passes, which was tied for 6th best in the league. Goff threw 12 interceptions, which was in the middle of the pack in the NFL this season. He completed 64.9% of his passes, which is the 20th best percentage in the league.

Robert Woods and Brandon Crooks are the Rams' best two wide receivers. Woods caught 86 passes for 1.219 yards and 6 touchdowns. Cooks caught 80 receptions for 1,204 yards and 5 touchdowns. Remarkably, Woods and Cooks have almost identical numbers. Since both are equal parts of the Rams' offense, the Patriots will struggle to contain both. Indeed, they may struggle to contain one of the two receivers. Both give Goff excellent options in the passing game.

Todd Gurley was third this season in rushing yards. Gurley finished with 1,251 yards and a league best 17 rushing touchdowns. Gurley also caught 59 passes for 580 yards and 4 touchdowns. Gurley's rushing and receiving ability, arguably made him the best player in the NFL this season. The Patriots need to contain his rushing and receiving, which will be difficult to do.

Gurley had his only bad game against Chicago, so New England may want to look to see what the Bears defense did to contain Gurley. New England may try to implement that strategy if they think that they can.

Signing running back C.J. Anderson during the season has also helped the Rams. Bill Barnwell, of espn.com., says that after the Rams signed Anderson "the Rams made a point of recommitting to the run., as they ran the ball 83 times for 424 yards and four touchdowns in a pair of victories to lock up the No.2 seed and a first round bye" during the month of December. This rededication to the run made the Rams even more formidable. This meant that the Rams now had two good running backs - Gurley and Anderson. This strong running game complemented the excellent passing game that the Rams had with Goff throwing the ball to Crooks and Woods. A strong offensive team was now even stronger.

Barnwell also points out that during the regular season the Rams ran the "11 personnel" more often than any other formation. The "11 personnel" formation has one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers. They ran this formation more than any other team in the NFL. However, Barnwell points out that in the NFC Championship game against the Saints, the Rams were more successful running a "12 personnel" formation which involves on running back and two tight ends. Since they were more successful running the "12 personnel" formation in the NFC championship game, will they employ that formation often in the Super Bowl? Or will they simply stick with the "11 personnel" that they ran the majority of time in the regular season. It will be interesting to see. Either way, the Patriots' defense will have to prepare for both formations.

The Patriots' offense presents a formidable challenge for the Rams as well. Michael Salfino, of fivethirtyeight.com. points out that the Patriots have ran the football very well during the post season. Salfino says "Over the past two wins, the Patriots have become a power running, ball-control passing team that has their offense flow through the backs. And even more shockingly, they often indicate whether they are going to run or pass based on who they have on the field. They are winning less with deception, instead simply daring the defense to stop them." So, while many associate the Patriots' offense with Tom Brady, a future hall of fame quarterback, the Patriots have been very successful running the football this season and especially during the post season.



Brady, of course, is still the most valuable player for the Patriots. Once again, he had a stellar season. Brady threw 29 touchdown passes, but his 11 interceptions were the most since 2013. He threw for 4,355 yards and completed 65.8 percent of his passes. He is still at the top of his game. He still has a an uncanny ability to find open receivers such as Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski.

The Patriots' running back James White has been a duel threat this season. He was second on the team in rushing with 425 yards and first in the team in receptions with 87. White had 751 receiving yards out of the backfield and had 7 touchdown receptions and 5 rushing touchdowns. Brady will look for White on screen passes, short passes and in other opportunities. The Rams have to be aware of where he is. It will be interesting to see who the Rams assign to White. Will they assign a safety or a linebacker? Will a line backer be fast enough to cover White? Regardless, the Rams will have to concentrate on White in order to prevent him from making big plays.

Sony Michel was the Patriots' leading rusher with 931 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. Michel is not the threat out of the back field that White is. However, Michel can run well when given the opportunity, and he can supplement the strong passing game of the Patriots.

Julian Edelman had his usual solid season. Edelman caught 74 passes for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns. He lead the Patriots with 11.5 yards per reception. Edelman is Brady's favorite receiver and he epitomizes the Patriots' team first approach. His blue collar approach to the game represents the Patriots well.

Additionally, tight end Rob Gronkowski had 47 receptions for 682 yards. Gronkowski continues to be a top pass catching tight end. He gives Brady another option in the passing game.

So, while the Patriots have run well this post season, that does not mean they will plan a power fun game for the Super Bowl. They will probably plan a more balanced approach that includes passing and running. They will do whatever they can to keep the Rams' defense off balance. Belichick will search for the weakness of the Rams' defense and try to exploit it. Whether he can take advantage of the Rams' defensive weakness or not remains to be seen.



The Rams' defense is playing some of it's best football during the post season. Statistically, they did not have a great year. However, they are playing well now. Against the Dallas Cowboys, in the divisional round, the Rams held the NFL's leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliot to 47 yards on 20 carries. They held Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott to 266 yards and one touchdown pass.

Against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC championship game, the Rams harassed quarterback Drew Brees, the most accurate quarterback in NFL history, into throwing 16 incomplete passes including an interception. The Rams held Brees to 249 yards passing. The shut out the Saints in the second quarter and in the over time period. The Rams' defense limited the Saints' offense to only 48 rushing yards.

James Jones, of NFL.com, says that the Rams' ability to put pressure on the quarterback may cause problems for Brady. Jones says "Tom Brady has been far worse when pressured from the interior than from the edge in 2018, which plays right into the Rams' defensive strengths. Rams DTs Aaron Donald, the likely Defensive Player of the Year and Ndamukong Suh get after the quarterback more than any other interior duo, so I expect Brady to be uncomfortable for most of the game." The presence of two excellent defensive lineman will be difficult for the Patriots' offensive like to contain. They will need to be mindful of both players and will have to figure out what strategies have worked this season. Brady may have to work on getting rid of the football even quicker than usual in order to avoid the pressure from Suh and Donald.



James also points out that "Aqib Talib makes the Rams' secondary so much better. The Rams allowed 12.5 fewer points per gam this season when Talib, who had an ankle injury earlier in the season, is on the field. The defense has also allowed fewer total yards per game, third down percentage and passer rating against with Talib in the fold. He will be a huge factor in the game." Talib is a talented player who makes a positive difference in the Rams' secondary. Suh and Donald's ability to put pressure on Brady, combined with Talib's skills in coverage may help the Rams' defense contain the Patriots. Talib takes some of the pressure off of the other members of the Rams' secondary and allows them to be more effective.

Mike Reiss, of espn.com, points out that the Patriots' offensive line will have to try and contain Aaron Donald. Reiss says that Donald is the best defensive tackle and he could put pressure on Brady. Reiss says that he Patriots could devote a lot of time and attention to blocking Donald in an attempt to protect Brady. Of course, if the Patriots double team Donald, that could give another Rams' defensive tackle an opportunity to put pressure on Brady. Double teaming a star defensive tackle sometimes opens up opportunities for other players. That is a calculation that Patriots' coaches have to make. The Patriots' coaches will have to look at the tape and see what has worked against Donald this season. What kind of blocking schemes have neutralized Donald? What teams have had success keeping Donald away from the quarterback? Conversely what blocking schemes have not worked? These are questions that the Patriots will have to ask themselves.

The Rams' defense has only 33 sacks this season, which ranks 24th in the NFL. This bodes well for the Patriots who need to give Brady time behind the pocket to find the open receiver in order to win. The Rams also rank 23rd in rushing defense this season. So, even though the Rams defense has played well in the post season, they have not been strong during the regular season. If the Rams revert back to their mediocre defensive performance during the season, than that would bode well for the Patriots.

However, if the Rams can play like they did against Dallas and New Orleans in the playoffs, than the Rams may find a way to contain Brady and the Patriots' offense. Los Angeles needs to find a way to sustain their post season defensive performance, while New England needs to find a way to get Los Angeles to return to it's poor defensive performance during the regular season. This is where coaching, scouting and game preparation come in. It will be interesting to see how the Rams' defense will perform. The play of the Rams' defense could determine the outcome of the game.



While the Rams' defense is playing at a high level, they will face an offensive line that is also playing at an elite level. The Patriots' offensive line is having one of it's best seasons. Jared Dubin, of Cbssports.com, says that the Patriots' offensive line may have been the best in the NFL this season. Dubin points to the excellent job that offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia has done this season.

For much of Brady's career, including this season, the Patriots' offensive line has helped protect Brady from pressure. However, according to Durbin, 2018 may have been Scarnecchia's best coaching job. Durbin says "Brady was pressured on only 25.8% of his drop-backs this season," which was the third lowest rate in the NFL.

The Patriots' offensive line includes Trent Brown, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon. All have played well this season.

Durbin also points out that the Patriots' offensive line has been even better in the post season. Durbin says "Brady has not even been sacked during New England's run to the Super Bowl. And he has been hit while throwing the ball only one time in 90 attempts." Clearly, Brady has been given time to find the open receiver. If New England's offensive line continues to play this well, than it will be hard for Los Angeles to win.

Phillips will have to find a way to pressure Brady. He may have to design creative blitz packages and stunts in order to fool and pressure Brady-who is too good to give time to. Brady often finds the open receiver when he has time. Brady's decision making skills, combined with his accuracy and arm strength make him too dangerous to leave back in the pocket. The Rams need to make Brady feel uncomfortable in the pocket.

Super Bowl 53 figures to be a good game. Both teams are good enough to win. Like most games, the winning team will need to avoid turnovers and penalties. There are three phases to a game - offense, defense and special teams. The winning team needs to win at least two of those phases. The winning team needs to execute a majority of it's offensive and defensive plays. The winning team needs to make it's field goals and extra points. The winning team needs to get good field position after punts and kickoffs. Finally, the winning team needs to punt well and put the other team in poor field position.

Coaches have often said that more football games are lost than are won. In other words, the losing team can often make mistakes that cost the team the game. So, avoiding mistakes is one path to victory. Turnovers, penalties, blown assignments in the defensive secondary, poor blocking on the offensive line can often occur at the worst times.

Mistakes can stall drives or prevent drives from continuing. Mistakes on defense can give the opposition a new set of downs or additional opportunities to score. A lack of efficiency on offense, defense or special teams can prevent a team from winning.

Both teams are talented and well coached. Both teams have been two of the best teams throughout the season. Both teams won on the road in order to get to the Super Bowl.

Coach Bellichick has more experience than Coach McVay. However, McVay has already earned respect around the league. It will not be easy for McVay to match wits with Bellichick. However, McVay may be able to hold his own. Additionally, both coaches will be challenged to make in game adjustments and changes at halftime. Both coaches have prepared their teams for this game. However, now both coaches will have to manage the game well in order to win.

Super Bowls sometimes have unlikely heros. They sometimes are decided by role players who step up and make decisive plays. Football games are very difficult to predict. Chances are role players will step up in this game to effect the outcome of the game. Unpredictable scenarios may unfold and unexpected plays will be made.

In any event, Super Bowl 53 should be a good game.

Jay Jaffe's book "The Cooperstown Casebook" addresses issues and the players associated with the Baseball Hall of Fame

Jay Jaffe's book "The Cooperstown Casebook" addresses issues surrounding the Baseball Hall of Fame. It also chronicles Jaffe's ratings for the best players of all time at each position. The book provides an excellent primer for anyone looking to learn more about the Baseball Hall of Fame and some of it's members as well as those who may gain entrance in the future.

Jaffe points out that 220 players have been elected to the Hall of Fame, while 30 pioneers or executives have received entrance into the museum. Additionally, 20 managers have been chosen for induction, while 10 umpires have been selected as well. Also, 35 Negro Leagues Players, managers or executives have been voted in. So, there is a wide variety of people from the history of baseball who have made it to the hall of fame.

Jaffe explains that individuals enter the hall of fame through balloting from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWA) or the Veterans Committee (VC). 440 baseball writers from the BBWA vote on the players, while the VC is a 10 to 20 member committee.

According to Jaffe, eligibility for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame has these requirements: First, "activity as a major league player at some point during a period beginning 15 years before and ending five years prior to election." Secondly, "activity in a minimum of 10 major league seasons." Finally, a player needs to be retired for "a minimum of five calendar years preceding the election."

However, there are exceptions. Jaffe points out that Babe Ruth was elected in 1936, the year after his last season. Lou Gehrig gained entrance to the Hall of Fame shortly after his medical diagnosis that forced him into retirement. Also, Roberto Clemente was elected three months after he died in 1973, and Thurman Munson and Darryl Kile were considered after their death, but were not elected.

Jaffe points out that a candidate cannot be on baseball's ineligible list and the candidate must be nominated by any two members of the BBWAA screening committee. Then after a person is nominated, the candidate get at least 5% of the vote in order to be eligible for the next year. In order to be elected, the candidate must receive at least 76% of the vote from the BBWA. Finally, voters can vote for no more than 10 candidates.

The statistics of a former player often determine whether a player gets into the Hall of Fame. Voters look for certain benchmarks for a career. For an everyday player, 500 homeruns or 3,000 hits are magical numbers that often assure entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame. For a pitcher, 300 wins can assure an election to Cooperstown. Additionally, if a pitcher gets 3,000 strike outs it could help his case for election.

Due to the use of steroids by certain players, the numbers are slightly less magical. For instance, both Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds have well over 500 homeruns, but they may never be elected due to their association with steroids. Likewise, Roger Clemens, also associated with performance enhancing drugs, has 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts, but remains outside of the Hall of Fame.

Nevertheless, the numbers matter. They often determine how baseball fans and observers judge a career. They become important benchmarkers and yardsticks to evaluate a career.

Jaffe points out that there is a lot to consider, however. Jaffe says "Going back to the numbers on the baseball card, the oft cited Triple Crown stats and their benchmark plateaus (a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBI) aren't especially good at telling even the most basic stories. Counting stats like runs and RBI are highly context dependent and don't account for how many outs- how much of baseball's clock, so to speak- a player used." For instance, Jaffe points out that we also need to consider on base percentage. How many walks did a player draw? How often did a player reach base? These questions are important. Jaffe is not overlooking the importance of batting average, home runs and RBI's. He simply points out that there is more to consider.

Jaffe says that On Base Percentage, which "measures how well a player gets on base," and Slugging Percentage, "which measures how well a player moves others around the bases" are better indications than the traditional Triple Crown statistics and are not "subject to the influence of a player's teammates or his lineup slot." When I was growing up, I focused on the back of baseball cards to learn about a player's abilities. Slugging Percentage and On Base Percentage were not considered. So, I always focused on Batting Average, Home Runs and RBI's. However, Jaffe make a good point about the need to consider other statistics.

While historically, wins were considered very strong indicators of a pitcher's performance, Jaffe points out that there are other things to consider. Jaffe says "The first thing to know about pitching statistics is that wins and losses don't tell you all that much, particularly the later in baseball history that you go. Pitchers were expected to throw all nine innings or more, if the game went into extras- but those days have long since passed, thanks to higher scoring levels and strikeout rates, longer at bats, deeper lineups, pitch counts, and increased reliever specialization, all of which have cut into complete game rates." So, wins and losses are not the sole determination of whether or not a pitcher is successful. There are other factors to consider. Of course, wins and losses are also effected by the team that a player suits up for. Witness last season's performance by Jacob DeGrom of the New York Mets. While DeGrom had a stellar season, the Mets struggled. So, DeGrom put up good numbers, but ended with an unimpressive number of wins.

Jaffe also looks at defensive stats. Jaffe says "The mainstream numbers generally associated with defense, error totals and fielding percentage, tell only bits and pieces of the story, namely how many mistakes a player made and what percentage of time he avoided making them. What they don't reveal is how many plays per game he made successfully." So, the traditional numbers are not a comprehensive indication of a player's defensive skills.

Jaffe mentions that "Bill James introduced Range Factor(RF) as the number of putouts plus assists per game; as detailed by John Thorn and Pete Palmer in The Hidden Game of Baseball, that stat was around as far back as 1875 under the guise of 'fielding average.' Jaffe believes that
'Range Factor' is a better indication of a player's defensive skills. Jaffe also mentions other defensive metrics such as Defensive Efficiency, Total Zone System, Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved as means of evaluating a player's defensive skills.

Jaffe suggests that the different statistics help us to determine which players are more valuable, which Jaffe acknowledges is not an easy thing to determine. Jaffe says each player should be measured "not against average but against replacement level , an approximation of what a minor league call-up or waiver wire pickup- a garden variety replacement - could provide." Replacement level statistics are part of the new way to evaluate players. It is a relatively new statistic that helps general managers, managers, baseball observers and fans evaluate players. Baseball statistics continue to evolve and develop. The evolution of baseball statistics helps us to understand the game better. These improved statistics help us to understand each player's overall contribution to the team and the overall abilities of each player. These new statistics also helps general managers and scouts to evaluate free agents who are seeking to join a new team or stay with their current one.

Jaffe also addresses other issues with the Hall of Fame. He dedicates an entire chapter on the hall's treatment of third baseman. Jaffe says "Alas, the BBWAA and VC voters have rarely gotten it right when it comes to third baseman. Through the 2017 election cycle, fewer major league third baseman are enshrined (13) that at any other position except relievers. Through eight decades of hall history, at no other position have voters' inconsistent standards and the messy, inefficient process been so readily apparent." Jaffe refers to the Cubs' Ran Santo as a good example of the Hall of Fame's inconsistency regarding third baseman. Jaffe suggests that Santo should have been in earlier.

Jaffe says "By the time Ron Santo became eligible in 1980, just five third basemen had been elected to the Hall, three of whom now look like strong choices and the other two...not so much. None of them had an easy time getting in, and taken together they illustrate some of the voting bodies' most maddening tendencies." The five players who had been elected before 1980 were Jimmy Collins, Pie Traynor, Home Run Baker, Fred Lindstrom and Eddie Mathews. Jaffe says that Collins, Baker and Mathews were good choices. However, Jaffe suggests that Traynor and Lindstrom were questionable ones.

Jaffe also is critical of the Veteran's Committee, which Jaffe says all too often displays cronyism. Jaffe says "All too often, the group scraped the bottom of the barrel by electing substandard candidates, many with clearly traceable connections to committee members, opening it up to charges of cronyism." Truthfully, cronyism is present in many different places, including the government, businesses, many workplaces and other areas of life. It's not hard to believe that the Veteran's Committee would give into cronyism. This is especially true considering that the committee only has 10 to 20 members who are voting on candidates.

One problem with the Veteran's Committee is the lack of transparency. Jaffe says "These committees have generally done their business in secret, meeting behind closed doors with very little public discussion of the proceedings or the results aside from who was elected and who came close. The Hall is said to have hundreds of bankers' boxes and other documents in remote storage, some of which may pertain to the VC but aren't available for public perusal." So, the Veteran's Committee does not necessarily explain why some players are chosen and others are not. The members of the Veteran's Committee do not explain the rationale for their choices. This lack of transparency or explanation makes the VC vulnerable to charges of cronyism.

Jaffe also addresses the hall's proverbial elephant in the room- performance enhancing drugs. Whether or not a player associated with steroids should be voted into the hall of fame has been a topic of discussion for some time now. Purists say that players who cheated have no business being elected. While others say, that we need to consider the context of the times. People who argue on behalf of an player being elected despite their association with steroids say that many others were using PED's so we should not penalize those who have been publicly associated with steroids. While purists say that the lack of integrity present in cheating makes a player ineligible for entrance to the hall of fame.

Jaffe suggests that players associated with steroids should still be considered for entrance to the hall of fame. Jaffe says "If baseball had no means to punish PED users for what they were doing - the case up until 2004, when testing began- then Hall of Fame voters should not, either. The lack of deterrence in the form of penalties meant that not only could players take the drugs without consequence(except to their own health) but that they might feel pressured into taking them to keep up with the pharmaceutical arms race." Jaffe actually points out that players may have used PED's as far back as 1889 when Pud Galvin was associated with the use of "Brown Sequard Elixir." This particular drug was supposed to slow down the aging process. According to Jaffe, even Babe Ruth was reported to have used a primitive form of PED's in 1925. This use may have caused Ruth to have an ulcer that required surgery and caused Ruth to miss 41 games that year.

Jaffe says that "My point is that when it comes to Hall of Fame voting, we should view players' drug usage in the context of this complete institutional failure." Jaffe points out that the players got away with using PED's in part because the owners may have looked the other way because home runs made the game more profitable. Jaffe also points out that the media's fascination with the home run may have caused journalists to look the other way or decide not to investigate why so many home runs were being hit. So, PED use occurred within the context of the owner's greed and the media's laxity.

Jaffe ranks his top players at each position. He looks at the teams that each player played for, the statistics, the rankings and the voting of the BBWAA for each player.



Jaffe says that Johnny Bench is the greatest catcher of all time. Jaffe says that Bench was "The Big Red Machine's most vital cog...Bench helped Cincinnati to six playoff appearances, four pennants and two championships while dominating on both sides of the ball from 1968-1980." Jaffe is impressed with Bench's offensive and defensive ability. Bench played from 1967-83 for the Cincinnati Reds.

Jaffe says that Gary Carter is the second best catcher of all time. Jaffe says that Carter was "outstanding both offensively and defensively." Regarding Carter, Jaffe says "his nine times among the league's top 10 in WAR (1977-1985, consecutively) are a record for catchers, and his peak actually eclipses that of Bench, ranking number one at the position." Carter played from 1974-1991. He played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jaffe says that Ivan Rodriguez is the third best catcher of all time. Of Rodriguez, Jaffe says "The man with the golden arm. Rodriguez set a new standard defensively thanks to his ability to stifle the running game, throwing out 45.7% of would be base thieves in his career en route to the position's highest total of fielding runs (+146)." Rodriguez played from 1991-2011. He played for the Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.

Jaffe considers Carlton Fisk to be the fourth best catcher of all time. Regarding Fisk, Jaffe says "Nobody had more WAR from his age-30 season onward (at any position, not just catcher) than Fisk, whose 39.3 WAR outdistances second-ranked Gabby Hartnett's 31.8." Fish played from 1969-1993. He played for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox.

Finally, according to Jaffe, Mike Piazza rounds out the top 5 for the catching position. Jaffe says "Piazza spent his entire career in pitchers' parks but nonetheless emerged as the best-hitting catcher of all time whether measured by OPS+, batting runs or homers." Jaffe points out that "His defense was roundly criticized due to his 23% caught stealing rate, but compelling sabermetric research places him among the best at pitch blocking (via Baseball-Reference's Sean Forman), framing, and staff handling (both via Baseball Prospectus's Max Marchi)." So, not only was Piazza a good hitter, some believe that he was a better defensive catcher than he was given credit for. Piazza played from 1992-2007. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets and San Diego Padres.



Jaffe considers Lou Gehrig to be the best first baseman of all time. Jaffe says "Prorated to a 162 game basis, his 8.4 WAR is more than a win and a half above every other first baseman save for Dan Brouthers." Gehrig is considered one of the greatest Yankees' of all time and one of the best major league players of all time. Gehrig was known for his ability to drive in runs. He played from 1923-39 for the Yankees.

Jaffe puts Albert Pujols, who is still playing, as the second best first baseman of all time. Jaffe says "Through his first 11 seasons- the run of his career with the Cardinals - he generated more value (86.4 WAR) than any other player save for Willie Mays (87.4 WAR) had to that point in his career, and hit more homers (445) than anyone while helping the Cardinals to seven playoff berths, three pennants, and two championships, and dominating leaderboards." Pujols obviously has the credentials to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Pujols began his Major League career in 2001 and is still playing today. He has played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Anaheim Angels.

According to Jaffe, Jimmie Foxx is the third best first baseman of all time. Jaffe says the following regarding Foxx: "Remembered primarily for battling Ruth and Gehrig on the home run leader-boards, "Double X" was far from one dimensional. In his younger days he offered speed and a strong arm as well as power, with the versatility to catch and play third base." Foxx played from 1925-1945. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.

Jaffe says Cap Anson is the fourth best first baseman of all time. Jaffe points out that Anson won the batting title four times and played until age 45. Anson collected 3,435 hits and is 4th all time in RBI's. He is also 7th all time in hits, 9th all time in runs scored and 17th all time for batting average. Anson played from 1871-1897. He played for the Rockford Forest Citys, Philadelphia Athletics, and Chicago White Stockings/Colts.

Roger Connor, according to Jaffe, is the fifth best first baseman of all time. Jaffe says "One of baseball's first great sluggers, Connor is among its most underappreciated figures, an early star who was somehow forgotten for decades." Connor played from 1880 to 1897. He played for the Troy Trojans, New York Gotham Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Browns.



Jaffe says that Rogers Hornsby is the best second baseman of all time. Hornsby had 6 seasons of at least 10.0 WAR. Jaffe says that Hornsby won 7 batting titles, hit .402 from 1921-25 and averaged 29 home runs over that time. Hornsby played from 1915-37. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Browns.

Eddie Collins, is Jaffe's choice for the second best second baseman of all time. Jaffe says that "Collins starred for six pennant winners and four champions from 1910-19, most notably as the keystone of Connie Mack's "$100,000 Infield" that won four pennants and three World Series from 1910-14." Collins played from 1906-1926. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox.

Jaffe says that Nap Lajoie is the third best second baseman to ever play. Jaffe says "Lajoie was the nascent AL's dominant player, winning the Triple Crown in 1901, and claiming it's first four batting titles." Lajoie finished with 3,243 hits and 380 stolen bases. He finished in the top 3 for slugging percentage 9 times. Lajoie played from 1896-1916. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Broncos/Naps

Joe Morgan, according to Jaffe, is the fourth best second baseman of all time. Jaffe points out that Morgan's 66.9 WAR was the highest in the 1970's. His 10.9 WAR was the best in 1975. Morgan was a big part of the Cincinnati Reds' success in the 1970's. Morgan was a 10 time All Star who had a high on base percentage for much of his career. He finished with 2,517 hits, 268 home runs and 689 stolen bases. Morgan played from 1963-1984. He played for the Houston Colt 45s/Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and the Oakland Athletics.

Charlie Gehringer is considered by Jaffe to be the fifth best second baseman of all time. Jaffe says "Not only did he become the oldest player to win a batting title, at age 34, (1937, his MVP- winning year), he set career highs in homers(20) and walks(113) the next year." Clearly played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers from 1924-1942.



Jaffe says that Honus Wagner is the best shortstop of all time. Jaffe says that Wagner's "speed and athleticism made him the game's most dominant player before Babe Ruth. His run of eight straight league leads in WAR( 1902-09) is unmatched, while his 11 leads in the category is tied with the Bambino, Barry Bonds, and Rogers Hornsby for the most all-time, plus he had four other top-four finishes." Wagner played for the Louisville Colonels and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Alex Rodriguez is Jaffe's choice for the second best shortstop of all time. Jaffe says "A-Rod's a shortstop by this system on the basis of 63.5 WAR through 2003, compiled while showing unprecedented power for the position via six straight seasons of at least 40 homers, two with at least 50, and three league leads. Rodriguez played for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.

According to Jaffe, Cal Ripken, Jr. is the third best shortstop of all time. Regarding Ripken, Jaffe says "He's the only middle infielder among the eight players to reach the dual milestones of 3,000 hits and 400 homers, and third in fielding runs(+181), behind only Mark Belanger(+241) and Ozzie Smith(+239)." Ripken spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles from 1981-2001.

Jaffe says George Davis is the fourth best shortstop of all time. Jaffe says that Davis "could do it all: Among shortstops, he's third in both OPS+ and steals, and seventh in fielding runs (+146)." Davis played for the Cleveland Spiders, New York Giants and Chicago White Sox. He played from 1890 - 1909.

Robin Yount, according to Jaffe, is the fifth best shortstop of all time. Jaffe says that Yount "broke out in 1980, beginning a sizzling 10- year stretch (.305/365/.485/135 OPS+) where is 55.1 WAR was topped by only Ricky Henderson(70.8), Wade Boggs (59.9) and Mike Schmidt(56.4)." Yount spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1974-93.



Jaffe says that Mike Schmidt is the best third baseman of all time. According to Jaffe, "Thanks to his outstanding combination of power, patience (1,507 walks), and defense (+129 runs, ninth all time at the position), Schmidt not only has a claim as the game's greatest third baseman, but as it's most valuable player during the 1961-92 span, i.e. through the first three waves of expansion." Schmidt played for the Philadelphia Phillies for his whole career, from 1972-89.

Eddie Mathews is Jaffe's choice for the second best third baseman of all time. According to Jaffe, "Mathews was such a home run prodigy that after he bashed an NL-high 47 as a 21-year old in 1953, many went on record to suggest that he could break Ruth's single-season mark. He never did, of course, though he ranked in the NL's top five in homers in each of his first nine seasons while teaming with Hank Aaron to help the Braves to two pennants and a world championship." Mathews played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers. Mathews played from 1952-1968.

According to Jaffe, Wade Boggs is the third best third baseman of all time. Jaffe says "Boggs won five batting titles in his first six full seasons, all with averages of at least .357; among postwar players, only Tony Gwynn had more times above .350 (six)" Jaffe also points out that Boggs "led the AL in times on base in eight straight seasons (1983-90), and in OBP six times." Jaffe also says that Boggs was an excellent fielder. Boggs played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Devil Rays. He won a World Series with the Yankees in 1996. Boggs played from 1982-1999.

Jaffe says that George Brett is the fourth best third baseman of all time. Jaffe says "Though he was a three-time batting champion - once with a .390 average, the AL's highest since Ted Williams' .406 in 1941 - Brett didn't dominate the leaderboards to quite the same extent that Schmidt(chosen one pick behind him in the second round of the 1971 draft) or Boggs did. He was more of a fixture in the postseason, helping the Royals to seven division titles in a 10-year span." Brett played his entire career with the Kansas City Royals from 1973-93.

Jaffe chooses Adrian Beltre as the fifth best third baseman of all time. Beltre has recently retired, so he is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame. However, he will get in eventually. Jaffe says that Beltre "posted a 133 OPS+ from 2010-16 with his age 31-36 seasons all worth at least 5.6 WAR." Beltre played with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers. He played from 1998-2018.



Jaffe says that Barry Bonds is the greatest left fielder of all time. According to Jaffe, "Bonds as a claim as the greatest position player of all time, given that Ruth played before integration, that neither he nor Williams were much on the bases or afield, and that Mays didn't dominate opposing pitchers to the same extent." Bonds played from 1986 - 2007. Bonds played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants.

Ted Williams is Jaffe's choice for second best left fielder of all time. Jaffe addresses William's outstanding hitting ability and his service in World War II. Jaffe also points out that "Beyond his greatness, Williams had an outsized impact on the Hall via his 1966 induction speech, which called for the inclusion of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson 'as great symbols of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren't given the chance." Williams played from 1939-1960 with the Boston Red Sox. Williams did not play from 1943-1945 because of his service in World War II.

According to Jaffe, Rickey Henderson is the third best left fielder of all time. Jaffe says "Henderson's single-season and all - time stolen base records are his top calling card, but his dazzling speed and derring-do on the basepaths - wroth a record 145 runs on its own (you were expecting Bengie Molina?)- shouldn't obscure how complete a ballplayer he was." Henderson played from 1979-2003. Henderson played for the Oakland A's, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, California Angels, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jaffe says that Carl Yastrzemski is the fourth best left fielder of all time. Regarding Yastrzemski, Jaffe says "The Splendid Splinter's successor sometimes gets lost in his shadow, but Yaz deserves his own spotlight. Remarkably durable, he played in more games than anyone but Rose, and among post-nineteenth-century players is tied for second with Dave Winfield for the most batting-title-qualified seasons with an OPS+ of at least 100, at 19(Cobb had 21)." Yastrzemski played from 1961-1983 for the Boston Red Sox.

Jaffe chooses Pete Rose as the fifth best left fielder of all time. Jaffe points out that "Rose won the NL Rookie of the Year and MVP awards and three batting titles, tied an NL record with a 44- game hitting streak in 1978, helped his team to six pennants and three championships and started All-Star games at a record five different positions (first, second, and third base, and both left field and right field)" Jaffe acknowledges Rose's excellence as a player, but does not believe he should be enshrined in the hall of fame because of his gambling on baseball. Rose played from 1963-1986. He played for the Cincinnati Reds. Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos.



Jaffe says Willie Mays is the best center fielder of all time. Jaffe says "The numbers are as impressive as the legend; Mays was every bit as good as you've been told, his case as the greatest all-around player supported by advanced stats. He's third all time in position player WAR behind only Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, with far greater shares of his value coming from defense (+185 runs, second among centerfielders) and baserunning/double play avoidance (+69 runs) than the other two." Mays played from 1951-1973. He played with the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets.

Jaffe considers Ty Cobb to be the second best center fielder of all time. Jaffe says "Statistically, Cobb's run of dominance is jaw-dropping; 11 AL batting titles and 10 OPS+ leads in a 13-year span (1907-19, not including the dismal 1910 title), with four slash stat Triple Crowns to go with his traditional one (1909); for that span he hit .377/.441/.527 en route to a 189 OPS+." Cobb played from 1905-28. He played for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics.

According to Jaffe, Tris Speaker is the third best center fielder in the history of Major League Baseball. Jaffe says "Often overshadowed by Cobb- with whom he shared both position and league- "The Grey Eagle" led the AL in batting average and OPS+ only in 1916, when he took the slash stat Triple Crown (.386/.470/.502 with 186 OPS+) though he was perennially among the AL's elite. The speedy, strong armed Speaker revolutionized center field play with his shallow positioning, surrendering a few extra base hits to prevent a whole lot more singles." Speaker played from 1907-1928. He played with the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.

Mickey Mantle is Jaffe's choice for fourth best center fielder of all time. Jaffe says that Mantle "ranks third among centerfielders in peak score, in part because he owns two of the top four seasons at the position, with 11.3 WAR in 1957 (tied for first, via .365/.512/.665, 34 HR, 146 BB) and 11.2 in his Triple Crown '56 (tied for third, via .353/.464/.705, 52 HR, 130 RBI." Mantle played from 1951-68 for the New York Yankees.

Ken Griffey, Jr., was selected by Jaffe as the fifth best center fielder in the history of Major League Baseball. Jaffe says "Debating whether Griffey's smile or swing shone brighter is like comparing Mantle versus Mays... he soon became a human highlight film, clouting home runs (twice reaching 56 in a season) and stealing them." Griffey could hit for power and average. He was an excellent defensive center fielder who robbed players of home runs and extra base hits. Injuries effected the second half of his career, but Griffey was still one of the best players of his generation. Griffey, Jr. played from 1989-2008. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox.



Jaffe says that Babe Ruth is the best right fielder of all time. According to Jaffe, "By swinging for the fences, both literally and figuratively, the Sultan of Swat revolutionized baseball, offering a thrilling alternative to the one-run-at-a-time approach and popularizing the game both domestically and abroad." Ruth retired as the all time leader in home runs with 714. Ruth played from 1914-1935. Ruth played with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Boston Braves.

Jaffe considers Hank Aaron to be the second best right fielder of all time. Jaffe says "Though he didn't dominate leagues or capture the public's imagination as Ruth or even Willie Mays did, Hammerin' Hank forged a remarkably consistent career, one that allowed him to overtake the Bambino on the all-time homme run list in 1974." Jaffe points to Aaron's consistency between 1955 and 1971. Jaffe also points out that Aaron hit 245 home runs after age 35. Only Bonds hit more after age 35 (317). Aaron played between 1954-1976. He played for the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers.

According to Jaffe, Stan Musial is the third best right fielder in the history of Major League Baseball. Jaffe says "Musial peppered NL leaderboards for two decades while leading the Cardinals to four pennants and three championships, and taking home three MVP awards. When he retired, he trailed only Cobb in hits, and even today he's second in total bases (6,134), the rare player to best Ruth in a power based category." Musial played from 1941-1963 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He missed the 1945 season while serving the United States in World War II.

Mel Ott is Jaffe's choice for the fourth best right fielder of all time. Regarding Ott, Jaffe says "He retired s the NL's all-time home run leader, third overall behind Ruth and Jimmie Foxx. He's one of just five players to gain induction before the now standard five-year waiting period, along with Ruth, Hornsby, longtime teammate Carl Hubbell, and Joe DiMaggio. Ott played from 1926-47 with the New York Giants.

Frank Robinson was selected by Jaffe as the fifth best right fielder of all time. Jaffe points out that Robinson "set a rookie record for homers(38) that stood until 1987, and bashed 324 homers in his decade with the Reds." Jaffe also points out that Robinson became the first African American manager in each league and has done important front office work in Major League Baseball. Robinson played from 1956-1976. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels and Cleveland Indians.



Jaffe says that Walter Johnson is the best starting pitcher of all time. Jaffe says "Blessed with the best fastball of his day, delivered sidearm, the Big Train tops the pitching list here because he missed bats like nobody else of his time, not even Cy Young. In 1910, Johnson became just the second post 1893 pitcher to strike out 300 in a season and led his league for the first of 12 times." Johnson played from 1907-27 for the Washington Senators.

According to Jaffe, Cy Young is the second best starting pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball. Jaffe says that Young "had exceptional control for his day, turning in the league's lowest walk rate 14 times and rarely allowing homers (0.2 per nine career).A true workhorse, he topped 400 innings fie times in his first six full seasons, and 300 innings in 15 straight years (1891-1905." Young played between 1890-1911. Young played for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals, Boston Americans/Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and the Boston Braves.

Roger Clemens, according to Jaffe, is the third greatest starting pitcher of all time. Jaffe says that Clemens was "an imposing power pitcher whose splitter became his key pitch in the 2000s." Jaffe says that Clemens' "numbers and longevity are remarkable." Jaffe points out that Clemens "spread his seven ERA leads across 20 seasons (1986-2005), and his seven WAR leads and Cy Youngs across slightly staggered 19-season ranges as well." Clemens played from 1984-2006. Clemens played for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros.

Jaffe considers Kid Nichols to be the fourth best starting pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball. Jaffe says "Nichols was the staff ace for five pennant winners. He ranked among the top three in WAR eight times, and had a total of five seasons worth at least 10.0 WAR." Nichols played from 1890-1906. He played for the Boston Beaneaters, St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jaffe says that Pete Alexander is the fifth best starting pitcher of all time. Jaffe points out that "From 1915-20, he (Alexander) won five ERA titles and four Triple Crowns while posting a combined 1.64 ERA (174+)." Alexander served in World War I and then came back home to continue his baseball career. Alexander played from 1911-1929. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.



According to Jaffe, Dennis Eckersley is the greatest relief pitcher of all time. Jaffe says "From 1988-92, he averaged 72 innings, 44 saves (leading the AL twice) 9.5 K/9, 10.0 K/BB, 1.90 ERA, and 2.5 WAR while Oakland won four division titles, three pennants, and the 1989 World Series." Eckersley played from 1975-1997. He pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.

While he lists Eckersley as the best reliever of all time, Jaffe acknowledges that Mariano Rivera has "solid claim as the greatest closer of all time." Jaffe says "Nobody closed the door like Mariano Rivera. The wiry, unflappable Panamanian not only set the all-time record for saves (652), he prevented runs at a greater clip relative to his league than any other pitcher - and he was even better in October. Regarding Rivera, Jaffe says "When he gains eligibility in 2019, he'll likely join Dennis Eckersley (2004) as the only relievers elected on the first ballot." Rivera helped the New York Yankees win 5 World Series championships. Rivera played from 1995-2013 for the New York Yankees.

According to Jaffe, Hoyt Wilhelm is the third best reliever of all time. Jaffe points out that "Over his first 14 seasons,(through 1965, his age-42 year) he (Wilhelm) delivered a 144+ ERA while averaging 2.6 WAR and topping 100 innings 11 times." Jaffe also says that "Though he (Wilhelm) never lead the league in saves, he held the all-time lead from 1964-80, and in games pitched from 1968-98 (1,070)." Wilhelm played from 1952-1972. He pitched for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jaffe chooses Rich Gossage as the fourth greatest relief pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball. Jaffe says "The intimidating Gossage wa a standard-setting reliever for a decade (1975-85, minus a year long experiment as a starter), blowing away hitters with 100 mph heat while helping his team to three pennants." Gossage played from 1972 -1994. He pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners.

Jaffe also discusses the careers of Bruce Sutter, Rollie Fingers, Lee Smith and others.

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York will always be the subject of fascinating conversations. Baseball observers will debate the worthiness of certain candidates for entrance into the Hall of Fame. Some will disagree with the election of certain players, while others may argue for the selection of other former players who have been denied entrance.

Not only does the Hall of Fame inspire impassioned debate and memorable dialogue, baseball itself, inspires worthwhile discussions about teams, players and memorable games.

The numbers of current players and former players will often be part of these discussions. Jay Jaffe's book "The Cooperstown Casebook" does a good job of adding to these debates and discussions.

Despite a disappointing ending to the season, the Dallas Cowboys still have a lot to be proud of

Losing in the playoffs is always difficult. The season comes to an end, and championship hopes are dashed. Teams wonder what they could have done differently to win. Teams are proud that they made the post season, but frustrated that they could not win the championship. Only one team in the playoffs will win their final game. Every other team will lose their final game, and begin the process of looking ahead to the offseason sooner than they wanted to.

Despite losing in the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot to be proud of. They began the season 3-5 and won 7 of their final 8 regular season games. They were 8-2 in the regular season after acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Oakland Raiders. They won a playoff game.

The Cowboys finished with the 7th ranked defense in the NFL for the regular season. They ranked 6th overall for points allowed, as they gave up 20.2 points per game.

Rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was 3rd in the NFL with 140 combined tackles. Fellow linebacker, Jaylon Smith finished in the top 15 in tackles with 121 combined tackles. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence finished 17th overall in sacks with 10.5 for the season.

Nevertheless, the Cowboys need improvement in some areas. They could improve both offensively and defensively.

The Cowboys need to improve their ability to create turnovers on defense. They created 20 total take always, which ranked 16th in the NFL.

The Cowboys' offense needs to score more points as well. The Cowboys ranked 22nd in the NFL with 21.2 points per game. Clearly, if they want to advance further in the playoffs, they need to score more points. The Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots scored the most points in the NFL this season. The Chiefs and Rams have advanced to the Conference championship games, while the Patriots and the Saints will try and advance today. It is very difficult to win a Super Bowl without a prolific offense.

Dak Prescott is 32-16 as a starter in the regular season. He is 1-2 in the playoffs. Prescott, a 4th round draft pick, has established himself as the quarterback for the Cowboys. He is a leader who his teammates can rally behind.

Additionally, Prescott seems to play his best in the second half. Over the last 3 seasons, Prescott has 9 fourth quarter comebacks and 15 game winning drives. Over three seasons, Prescott has thrown 67 touchdowns and 25 interceptions, and he has completed 66% of his passes. He has thrown for 10,876 yards. He has done a good job at the quarterback position.

However, Prescott fumbled 12 times this year, which was tied for third most in the NFL. Clearly, he needs to stop fumbling the football if he wants to continue to improve as a quarterback.

Third year running back Ezekiel Elliot lead the NFL in rushing for the second time. Elliot is a complete running back. He can run in between the tackles, run around the line, catch passes out of the backfield and block on third down. He is one of the best running backs in the NFL. Elliot has 4,048 yards rushing for his career. He has 28 touchdowns the past 3 seasons. Elliot is one of the Cowboys' best overall players.

Amari Cooper gives the Cowboys a number one receiver. After he was acquired by the team for a number one draft pick, the Cowboys' offense played much better. Teams had to account for Cooper, which helped the running game. Cooper's presence also helped Blake Jarwin, Cole Beasley and Michael Gallup to get open more often. The Cowboys will have Cooper at the beginning of next season, so they should be able to continue this improvement from the beginning of next season.

The offensive line dealt with injuries all season. Center Travis Frederick missed the entire season. Tyrone Smith and Zach Martin also dealt with injuries. Smith wore a knee brace on his left arm to contend with his injury. Smith also nursed a hamstring injury at the beginning of the season. Martin left a pre season game with a knee injury. Martin also struggled with a strained ACL injury. Smith and Martin will have the offseason to get healthy.

The Cowboys do not have a first round pick in next year's draft. However, they will look to the draft to improve their team for next season. They may want to consider a tight end who can give Prescott another option in the passing game. They could look to add depth to their group of receivers especially if Beasley leaves as a free agent. They may also consider adding depth to their defensive line and defensive secondary.

The Cowboys have won the NFC East 3 times in the last 5 seasons. However, they have lost in the divisional round all three seasons. For the 23rd straight season, the Cowboys will not play in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys need to address their inability to advance past the divisional round. Three times in the last five seasons, the Cowboys have been good, but not good enough.

There is a difference between disappointment and failure. The Cowboys have not failed, but the season has once again ended in disappointment. They did the best they could, but their best was not sufficient to advance past the divisional round. These kind of seasons always seemed to be bitter sweet. They always seem to have mixed emotions. However, that is the nature of sports.

Despite a disappointing ending to the season, the Cowboys still have a lot to be proud of.

Defensive tips for basketball players

Playing good defense will always be challenging for a basketball player. The offensive ball handler knows what he wants to do with the basketball, whereas the defensive player must react or respond to the ball handler or the offensive player who is moving without the basketball. Playing defense is instinctively reactive or responsive. whereas the offensive player can take the initiative and be one step ahead of the defensive player, who is at a decided disadvantage.

However, playing defense requires pride and urgency. The defensive player does not want the man he is guarding to score. He wants to proudly deny the player a score. The defensive player does not want to be beaten by the offensive player. The defensive player wants to return to the huddle or the bench as someone who stopped his man from scoring. The defensive player should be motivated by a sense of pride.

Playing defense also requires urgency. The defensive player must be assertive and intense. The defensive player must anticipate what the offensive player is going to do. The defensive player must be proactive, while at the same time exercising good judgement on the court.

Additionally, the defensive player must show good technique and a good understanding of what to do on the court. A defensive player has to know when to stay with his man and when to switch on defense.

Moreover, the defensive player needs to keep one eye on his man and one eye on the ball handler. It's also a good practice to stay in between one's man and the basket. Furthermore, some defenders try to deny the pass to the man they are guarding. They try to deny the inbounds pass or deny the pass into the low post. These basic skills are important.

Here are some other tips on how basketball players at any level can improve their defense.

1.When guarding a player in the corner, do not let him slip along the baseline and catch a pass for a lay up..This can happen if the defensive player does not run fast enough to catch up with the offensive player. It can also happen if the defensive player takes his eyes off of the player he is covering or the player with the basketball. If the defensive player even momentarily loses sight of the player he is guarding, the offensive player can get a head start towards the basket. Then it becomes difficult for the defensive player to catch up to the offensive player. This can result in an easy lay up.

2.When guarding against the fast break, guard the baseline in case the offensive player in the corner decides to drive towards the basket instead of shooting the three point shot. Even though the three point shot has become a big part of the NBA today, some teams still try to drive closer to the basket either along the baseline or into the lane. When teams get back on defense during a fast break, they need to get into proper position. They need to take away the baseline, so that the offensive team gets a lower percentage shot.

3.When guarding against an offensive player dribbling into the lane, only one defensive player should play help defense. One defensive player has to stay close to the rim to guard against a potential pass to a player who could score close to the rim. Playing help defense is crucial. However, if two players step up and guard a player who has dribbled into the lane, it may leave another player open close to the rim. In this case, the player with the basketball could throw an alley oop pass to a teammate. Skilled handlers of the basketball can draw in too many defenders and adeptly pass the basketball to an open player. Drawing in a defender who should stay at home with the player he is covering, can help a team score an easy basket.

4. Do not forget a player who is open for a three point shot. Sometimes a wing defender can play help defense on an offensive player who had dribbled into the lane. This may be necessary. However, if a wing defender over commits to the player with the ball, he can forget about the player in back of the perimeter that he was guarding. If this player is a high percentage three point shooter, than he can receive a pass from the ball handler and make an open three point shot. This is a challenging situation for a defender who has played help defense. A help defender has to commit to helping, but should not over commit. If he over commits to the player with the ball, then the defender may not be able to get back and contest the open three point shot. If he over commits to playing help defense, than the defender must have the speed and quickness to get back to the man he was guarding.

5.Do not fall for fakes in the low post. Sometimes a player will be dribbling the basketball with his back to the basket. He will be guarded by a defender who is trying to stand his ground and not let the ball handler get closer to the rim. The offensive player may fake towards the lane and then move the other direction and make a lay up or a bank shot. Or a player may fake towards the baseline and maneuver towards the lane and make a hook shot. If a post up defender over commits to the fake, then the offensive player has as clearer lane to the basket. The offensive player may shoot an uncontested shot in this situation. A defender needs the discipline to not over commit to the fake, so that he can continue to stand his ground and prevent an uncontested shot. Knowing what direction the offensive player tends to fake is crucial here. The defensive player needs to know the tendencies of the ball handler. Does he like to fake to his left or right? Chances are his tendencies will manifest themselves during the course of the game.

6.Put your hands up on defense as much as possible. When defensive players keep their hands up on defense, it makes it difficult for the ball handler to see passing lanes. When a defensive player has his hands up, he may be able to block a pass into the lane. Blocking a pass could lead to points in transition. Blocking a pass could lead to a four point turn around.

7.If a defensive player is screened, he needs to quickly decide to make a switch on defense or play through the screen. If a player is screened, then he needs to stay with his man or switch on defense. He needs to make the decision quickly. If he is unsure of what to do, then he will be out of position. If he is indecisive, then he will not be able to stay with his man or switch to cover another player. He will be caught in the middle. Being caught in the middle is the worst place to be defensively. If a player is caught in the middle, then he cannot stay with his man or switch with a teammate. Being quick on defense is imperative.

8.Defensive players always need to stay in front of the man that they are guarding. The traditional advice is to stay in between the player you are guarding and the basket. Or stay in between your man and the ball handler. However, a defender needs to stay in front of his man in order to guard the basket. If a player is to the side of the ball handler, then he can go by the defender. Staying to the side of the ball handler, gives the player a clear path to the basket. Staying in front of the ball handler makes it more difficult for him to dribble to the basket.

9. When contesting shots, the defensive player should jump up and not into the offensive player. When defensive players try to block a shot it is better to jump straight up. When a defensive player makes contact with an offensive player, the referee will often call a foul. Even if the defensive player's hand does not touch the shooter's arm, the referee will call a foul with the body. So, if the defensive player can remember to jump straight up, this will help the player to block the shot and avoid the foul.

10.When taking a charge, the defensive player has to establish position. When the defensive player takes a charge, he has to make sure he gets in front of the ball handler and stops moving. Shuffling the feet is very important on defense. However, once  a person has slid into position, the defensive player must remain stationary. Once the defensive player establishes his position, he must stop moving his feet. If the defensive player continues to move his feet, the referee will often call a blocking foul. Taking a charge is one of the best defensive plays a player can make. It shows strength, quickness and attentiveness.

Emmanuel Mudiay has emerged as the starting point guard for the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks entered the 2018-19 season with an uncertain situation at point guard. Emmanuel Mudiay, Frank Ntilikina and Trey Burke began the season as the point guards,without a clear favorite to start.

However, as the season progressed, Mudiay emerged as the starting point guard for the Knicks. Mudiay is 6’5”, 200 pounds. He is from the Congo and he is 22 years of age. Mudiay was drafted in the first round with the 7th pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA draft.

After Mudiay graduated from high school, he played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. He got injured and played in a mere 10 games for the Tigers in his only season with the team before going to the NBA.

After he was drafted by the Nuggets, his career got off to a good start. In his debut with the Nuggets on opening night, Mudiay scored 17 points and had 9 assists.

Mudiay had a good rookie season with the Nuggets. Mudiay received All Rookie Second Team honors. Mudiay spent three season with the Nuggets Uber’s. In the 2015-16 season, Mudiay average 12.8 points and 5.5 assists per game. In the 2016-17 season, Mudiay averaged 11 points and 3.9 assists per game. In the 2017-18 season, his first with New York, he averaged 8.5 and 2.9 assists per contest. During the 2018-19 season with the Knicks, Mudiay has averaged 14.2 points and 3.8 assists per game. Mudiay has improved his scoring and passing ability over the years.

Mudiay has diverse skills. He can move without the basketball, catch the ball on the wing and drive into the lane. He can also dish the basketball to an open player close to the rim.

Mudiay can curl around from the baseline,receive a pass, drive into the lane and pass the ball to a player in back of the three point line. He can catch the ball in transition in back of the three point line and dribble into the lane and score. Additionally, he can dribble from the top of the key to the foul line and hit a mid range jump shot while drawing a foul.

He can make left handed layups while being guarded by a defender. Mudiay can catch the ball in back of the perimeter and make a three point shot. Also, he can dribble into the lane and bounce pass the ball to a player who can finish around the rim.

Mudiay can handle the basketball well with both his right and left hand. He can hit a bank shot close the rim. He can play along the perimeter and he can play drive into the interior and score or rebound a missed shot. Mudiay is not the fastest point guard in the NBA, but he is tough and he has good instincts.

He can also hit a clutch shot. With 24.1 seconds remaining in a game against the Bucks, Mudiay made a three point shot to tie the score at 124. The basket forced overtime.

In the overtime period against Milwaukee, Mudiay began the scoring for New York with a three point shot. He made a good bounce pass to Kevin Knox who was going to the rim. Knox missed the shot, but the pass was right on the money. With under 3 minutes to go in overtime, Mudiay made another three point shot to give the Knicks a 130-127 advantage.

With 1:09 remaining in overtime, Mudiay passed the ball to Daymean Dotson who made a three point shot to give the Knicks a 135-134 lead. With 30 seconds remaining in overtime, Mudiay rebounded a missed shot by Milwaukee which preserved the Knicks' win.

With 9.7 seconds left in overtime, Mudiay drove to the foul line and was fouled in the act of shooting. He made one foul shot. The Knicks won 136-134. Mudiay's clutch play down the stretch of the game helped the Knicks win the game.

The Knicks are hoping that Mudiay can continue to play well. He may be their starting point guard both now and in the future.