Sports Rain Man: Knicks News, Rangers Update, NFL Playoff Recap

The story of the Knicks’ recent week has been one of inconsistent in shooting. In their two losses to the Magic – and especially to the Thunder – they shot poorly, while the opponents shot well. OKC was lights-out and the Knickerbokers just never caught up. The defense wasn’t stopping and the offense wasn’t hitting  shots to keep pace. In their two wins against Toronto, and the Bucks, it was the direct opposite. The offense was hard to stop against the Raptors but against the Bucks it was dominant, as they scored 140. I don’t remember seeing them score like that this year.

Rangers Update

The Rangers just might be coming out of their slumber. They are now four out of their last six and two of three for this week. They took the lead 3-0 against the Stars, before Dallas tied it. Then they took the lead again and then the Stars tied it in the last minute of the third period. They lost in overtime but it was a great sign the offense is coming around, even if the defense needed to tighten up… In their game against the Devil’s, the defense was much tighter. The game ended up tied in regulation, with the Blueshirts winning in an overtime… And in a big boost against the best team in the NHL at least in terms of record the Las Vegas Golden Knights the Rangers grinded there way to a win, playing scrappy hockey.

NFL Playoff Recap

The Chargers offense uncharacteristically stalled in their game against the Houston. The Texans offense started clicking about midway through the 3rd quarter and helped them pull away. The LA defense held at as long as the could, but with the offense not being able to turn turnovers into points, nor keep the scoreboard clicking, eventually let the Texans find their groove. The Chargers’ defense wore down.

One of the best new rivalries in the NFL is the Ravens versus the Steelers. Considering the Ravens beat the Steelers to win the AFC North last week, this tilt was supposed to be much better. But the game went the same way it did last week. The Ravens defense stifled the Steelers offense, while the Pittsburgh defense had no real answer for the two-headed monster of Derrick Henry or Lamar Jackson.

The Denver Broncos vs the Buffalo Bills started out with a lot of promise. You thought the Broncos were going to give you a game after they scored a touchdown. Buffalo responded and slowly took hold in the first half. They took the lead courtesy of a missed Denver field goal. It was in the second half the Bills defense really got on top of the Denver offense, stifling the attack while the Bills offense could not be stopped, managing to score on every possession and win the game.

The Eagles/Packers game was another game that went a little weird. It was the Philadelphia who were dominant throughout the game, as they took the lead. The Packers tried to close the gap but the Eagles were just always finding a way to score – or just have a long enough drive to strangle the game. It wasn’t a top to bottom dominant performance, but you also can’t say that the Eagles were in trouble of losing at any time.

The final game of the night was the Buccaneers versus the Commanders in a thriller. The Bucs seemed to take advantage of being at home and led most of the game. Their defense was competitive and frustrated Washington. Unfortunately for Baker Mayfield, the turning point was a fumbled hand-off by Mayfield led to possession by the Commanders. This was critical as Tampa’s defense had just stopped the Commanders with a goal-line stand, and within a couple of plays Washington  were right back on the goal-line. They scored that time. The Bucs came back but left enough time on the clock for the Commanders to kick the winner, which clunked off the goal post and in for the Washington win on the road.

Thanks for reading and check out Ben Whitney, who will tell you why the #1 seed is a bigger deal in the NFL than any other sport.