By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
1. A Wild Start to November in the NFL
November got off to a rocking start in the NFL, as some coaches were canned, more big names went down with injuries, and one quarterback was even benched.
One of the best running backs in all of football, Le’Veon Bell, suffered an MCL injury in the Steelers’ week eight loss to the Bengals. Bell missed the first two games of the season due to suspension, but he still managed to rack up three touchdowns in six games. Bell was placed on season-ending IR, and DeAngelo Williams will take over in his place.
Two star wide receivers’ seasons also came to an end, as Keenan Allen lacerated his spleen, and Steve Smith, Sr. tore his Achilles. Allen was having a nice rebound after a pitiful 2014-15 season, racking up 725 yards and four touchdowns in eight games. (He had 783 yards and four touchdowns all of last season.) Smith, meanwhile, had announced that this would be his last season in the league prior to week one. Smith, 36 years old, emerged as the far-and-away best pass catcher in Baltimore, securing 670 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. Smith has already said he hopes to return to the field in 2016-17.
Among coaching changes, Ken Whisenhunt is out as coach of the Titans, while Pep Hamilton is out as the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts. Whisenhunt’s final record as Titans’ coach was a dismal 3-20. Whisenhunt led this Titans team to a 1-6 record, who are on a six-year playoff drought.
Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, there had to be a scapegoat for the struggling Andrew Luck and offense, and they found one in Pep Hamilton. Luck threw 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the first eight weeks (six games, due to injury), while Frank Gore only managed 516 yards and three touchdowns in the same timespan. Luck has been dealing with multiple injuries, such as a shoulder injury as well as a reported ribs injury. Even with a not-healthy Luck under center, the Colts had seen enough, and cut their ties with Hamilton, and Chuck Pagano may be following him soon enough.
Lastly, in San Francisco, first-year coach Jim Tomsula made a bold decision, benching quarterback Colin Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Kaepernick threw six touchdowns and five interceptions in the team’s first eight games, and he ran for 256 yards and one touchdown. Gabbert, drafted one round ahead of Kaepernick in 2011 by the Jaguars, has thrown 23 touchdowns and 24 interceptions over his career. Kaepernick’s career completion percentage is 59.9 percent, while Gabbert’s is 53.2 percent. Whoever lines up under center in San Francisco won’t change much, as this is a team that looks primed for a top-three draft pick.
2. First Overall Pick Out for Months
Connor McDavid, who was seen as the number one overall pick ever since he started junior hockey at age 15, will miss several months of action after breaking his clavicle.
McDavid, now 18, scored 120 points in just 47 games in the OHL last year, locking up his first-overall projection. The Oilers were lucky enough to win the lottery, and grab McDavid, only to lose him less than a month into the season.
McDavid was skating so fast that he lost an edge, and fell hard into the boards, then was landed on top of by Flyers’ defensemen Brandon Manning and Michael Del Zotto. New GM Peter Chiarelli announced McDavid had successful surgery on his clavicle, but stressed that this is a big injury, and he will miss months of time.
McDavid totaled 12 points in his first 13 NHL games, and that will be missed on an Oilers team that features four of the last six first overall picks: Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, and McDavid. Jordan Eberle, a first-round pick from 2008, is currently out with a shoulder injury, but his return is estimated to be very close. The Oilers will have to depend on these young guns, as well as veterans like Matt Hendricks and Benoit Pouliot, to carry the load offensively in McDavid’s absence.
3. LeBron Youngest to 25,000 Points
Last Monday against the 76’ers, LeBron James scored his 25,000th point, becoming the quickest player to ever do so.
James, whose Cavaliers are the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, ranks 24th all-time in points scored, and sixth amongst active players, trailing Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce.
The 30-year-old James has won two championships, and is looking for a third alongside other stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The Cavaliers brought back Tristan Thompson, after signing him to a five-year, $82 million contract before the season tipped off, and other supporting pieces like Timofey Mozgov, Anderson Varejao, and Mo Williams look to lift LeBron to a third title. The Cavaliers have to deal with other Eastern contenders such as the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks, and that’s even before having to take on the powerhouse that is the Western Conference.
It’s a long road for sure, but LeBron James hit a big milestone last week, and he should easily be in the conversation of top-ten players all-time.
4. Nationals Pull a 180, Hire Dusty Baker
After numerous reports flooded in about the Nationals hiring Bud Black, they turned completely around, hiring former Reds manager Dusty Baker.
Reportedly, the Nationals offered a two-year, sub-$2 million contract to Black, who rejected the offer. The Nationals then turned to three-time N.L. Manager of the Year Baker, and brought him on board. Baker’s career winning percentage as manager is .526, and he has won one pennant in his 20 years as manager. The Reds fired Baker following a 90-72 season in 2013, and no one hired him from 2014-15.
The Nationals have a bunch of star power on their roster, in players like Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, and Stephen Strasburg. Baker will find a way to manage all this star power, as it’s not hard to have a more-criticized season than Matt Williams did last season. Meanwhile, Bud Black remains out of a job, and we will wait and see if he gets any offers over the course of 2015-16.
5. First College Football Playoff Rankings Released
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first set of rankings, and some big-name teams were snubbed of spots.
This first set included (in order) Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, and Alabama. Missing from that list are A.P. number two Baylor and number five TCU. The two Texan teams had a combined 15-0 record prior to the playoff rankings being released, and some have wondered what turned the committee off from these teams. TCU has Preseason Heisman-favorite Trevone Boykin, while Baylor is led by the dynamic duo of Seth Russell and Corey Coleman.
Some have speculated whether the two teams’ conference (Big 12) has anything to do with the decision, which would be silly, considering the Big 12 has three undefeated teams (Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State) and one one-loss team (Oklahoma).
Some other notable snubs include 8-0 Michigan State and 7-1 Stanford, who look very dangerous in their respective conferences. Keep in mind, this is just the first set of rankings, and there is a long way to go before the college football playoff begins. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see who rises, and who falls.
