Team Preview: Green Bay Packers

After a surprising season in 2023, the Green Bay Packers head into the 2024 with an improved roster, looking to seize the NFC North once again. The Packers, lead by franchise quarterback Jordan Love, have a real shot at success in the NFC this season. 

The maturity and growth of Green Bay from a season ago will be the most important factor in 2024. In 2023, the Packers had "by far" the youngest roster in the entire National Football League. Despite this, they were a score away from going to the NFC Championship game. 

Jordan Love has taken over the franchise quarterback role, since Aaron Rodgers departed Green Bay, and has thrived in this new position. Despite having to work with an inexperienced receiver room and not having that true number one wide receiver, Love made all of his weapons better throughout the 2023 season. 

The Packers made a change to their running back room this offseason after letting go Aaron Jones and replacing him with Josh Jacobs. Green Bay is hoping Jacobs brings a big spark to this offense to help out Jordan Love in his second year as starting quarterback. With the Packers having one of the best young coaches in the NFL, I'm looking forward to seeing how Matt LaFleur incorporates Jacobs into this young and dynamic offense. 

Other than the revamping of the running back room, the Packers made only a few key changes to the defense this offseason. They signed safety Xavier McKinney and released linebacker De'Vondre Campbell. Other than that, the team looks a lot similar to the team we saw get to the NFC Divisional Round. 

Although Aaron Rodgers left Green Bay in the dust just over a year ago, fans in upstate Wisconsin have not had to wait anytime at all for a rebuild of their beloved Packers. I expect the Packers to be real threats in the NFC and definitely improve from their 9-8 record just a season ago behind the leadership of Jordan Love. As Jaire Alexander said, "The Pack is Back." 

Team Preview: Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have arguably had the most talked about offseason in the NFL after turning their roster from a mediocre team a season ago, to a potential playoff contender just a calendar year later. 

The biggest news surrounding the Bears this offseason was their quarterback dilemma, but that quickly was solved on March 16th. On the 16th, the Bears traded Justin Fields, making it clear of what they were going to do with the first overall pick. It gave the Bears one of the most hyped up prospects ever in Caleb Williams out of USC. 

Plenty of people were upset with the Bears moving on from Fields, and plenty were ecstatic about landing Caleb Williams. Personally, I think that Fields still had a lot more to prove, but to pass up on a guy like Caleb Williams is very risky. Chicago has done almost everything in their power to help their potential rookie phenom succeed with the weapons they have acquired. 

Chicago went out and acquired Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers and drafted Rome Odunze out of Washington to pair with DJ Moore in the receiver room. These two transactions have already given the Bears deep consideration for one of the best wide out rooms in the league. The Bears went out and signed D'Andre Swift to the backfield as well. Chicago is making it difficult for Williams to fail in this situation. 

The Bears defense which previously was the best overall defense against the run game in 2023 made some adjustments as well. The safeties room got a big upgrade after signing Kevin Byard and Jonathan Jones. The secondary in general could potentially have a big year after extending Jaylon Johnson as well. Losing Justin Jones could loom large for the Bears, but aside from him the defense got better. 

Regardless of these new additions for Chicago, at the end of the day they still play in arguably the toughest division in all of football. The NFC North is no joke this year and all four teams have the ability to make the playoffs. These new Bears teammates are going to have to get to know each other fast if they want to hit the ground running in 2024 and win a playoff game for the first time since 2011. 

 

Team Preview: Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings come into the 2024 NFL season with a new-look offense and in arguably the toughest division in the entire league as well. Let's preview what the Vikings will look like come September. 

The biggest story of the Vikings offseason was the quarterback position after losing their franchise quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Cousins was at the end of his contract and elected to sign a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. This forced the Vikings to trade up in the draft and select JJ McCarthy from the University of Michigan to potentially be their next franchise quarterback. 

But there is some drama over whether it will be his name called as the starter on Week 1. The Vikings also signed Sam Darnold to their quarterback room. Darnold and McCarthy will be actively competing for the starting position all summer and it will be interesting to see if Kevin O'Connell puts McCarthy right out there, or eases him into NFL action. 

The Vikings upgraded at running back as well after signing longtime division rival, Aaron Jones, to man the running back position. Minnesota also took care of business after locking down superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the next four years. On paper, if the Vikings can generate success out of either Darnold or McCarthy, this offense could be dangerous in 2024. 

Minnesota upgraded slightly on the defensive end of the football in the offseason as well. Having multiple first-round picks paid off for them as they were able to snag Dallas Turner later in the first round. The signings of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel certainly have gone under the radar, but will be key to the success of this defense. Both of them made their presence felt on their previous teams. 

After a pretty solid offseason and a good coaching staff to support this team, the Vikings will still have an uphill climb this season because of their division surrounding them. Every team in the NFC North collectively got better and the inexperience of the quarterback position for the Vikings is what separates them from the rest. 

The NFC North consisting of the Lions, Packers, Bears, and Vikings. may be the most intriguing division in the NFL to follow this season. There is not one bad team in this division and unfortunately only seven teams from the NFC can make the playoffs, even though all four of these teams have playoff potential. 

I am looking forward to seeing if the Vikings can surpass the expectations that they are met with currently as finishing last in the NFC North. The biggest questions needing to be answered is will JJ McCarthy succeed at the professional level? Will it be Darnold or McCarthy starting Week 1? September can't come soon enough for Minnesota. 

The NBA Finals is Set

 

The NBA Finals is ready to tip off in just two days as it will feature the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics had an historic year and were the odds on favorites to win the Eastern Conference. The Mavericks, on the other hand, were a surprise team to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. 

The Mavericks become only the second ever number 5 seed to make the NBA Finals and the first since the Miami Heat in 2020. After beating the Clippers in six games, the Thunder in six games, and the Timberwolves in five games, the Mavs have advanced to their first finals since 2011. 2011 was their one and only other appearance in the finals. 

The Celtics had a much easier journey to this point than the Mavericks did as they breezed their way through the Eastern Conference. They were met with a lot of looming injuries to their opponents as they defeated the Heat in five games without Jimmy Butler, the Cavs in five games after Donovan Mitchell missed the final two games of the series, and swept the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton missing the last two games of the series as well. 

Despite the paths that these two teams took, the storylines for this series could not get any bigger. Obviously, it's the NBA Finals, nothing gets bigger than this in the basketball world. But what we are really excited to see is Kyrie Irving back in Boston once again. Irving told the Boston fans that he would be re-signing with the Celtics back in 2019, not on the other side of a finals matchup in 2024. 

Since the end of the 2019 season, Boston fans have treated Irving with anything but respect and have fully displayed their pure hatred for Kyrie after his comments that were purely lies to them. I'm looking forward to seeing how he responds to the hostile Boston crowd for multiple games in this series. 

For years on end this duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have struggled to obtain an 18th banner for the Celtics, but this year will be their best chance. This is the best Celtics team since 2008, the last time they won the NBA Finals, when they are fully healthy. Getting back Kristaps Porzingis is series changing for this team. 

The Mavs have been on a great run this postseason after running into superstar after superstar looking to eliminate them. Facing Tatum and Brown will be nothing new for these Mavs with their experience this playoffs. I believe that the duo of Doncic and Irving is more-seasoned and outweighs the duo of Brown and Tatum. Both teams have extremely good depth and will need it if they want to lockdown the Larry O'Brien Trophy. I expect a great series between these two teams that will hopefully go six or seven games.

The Knicks are Eliminated

The New York Knicks were eliminated this past Sunday after an unfortunate Game 7 loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks simply did not have enough as they just continued to be decimated by injury after injury after pushing Indiana to a cinematic seven game series. 

Anyone who argues that injuries did not play a large role in this series, or Indiana was simply the better team is just wrong. A healthy Knicks team beats that Indiana team in 5 games and I am confident on that one. Sure injuries are apart of every sport, but this many injuries to one team in one playoff run is unheard of. 

Jalen Brunson, even though most of us knew, has emerged to the rest of the basketball world as a superstar and has completely silenced the critics. He literally gave it his all as the only thing that was stopping him from giving it 100 percent was fracturing his hand in the 3rd quarter of Game 7. 

The amount of injuries the Knicks had is painful to list, but next season when all the guys are back and ready, the league is going to be put on notice. Now that the offseason is upon the Knicks, they really should keep most of this squad together. We really only saw a tiny sample size of what this team can do when fully healthy and it was scary. I believe Randle, Anunoby, and Brunson played 15 games together and in that time they lost one game. 

Anunoby is a pending free agent, so re-signing him I believe is the number one thing the Knicks need to be focused on. Extending Jalen Brunson should also be a topic of discussion but I believe they are close in discussion talks already. And then essentially keeping the core of this team together is what the Knicks should be focusing on as well. 

I don't expect and would understand if Bogdanovic, Burks, and Achiwua all walk in free agency and find new homes. The one drastic change that the Knicks should pursue would be to trade for another star to counterpart Jalen Brunson at the right cost. If not I think keep this team the same. At the same time, there are three guys I think that would fit perfect on the Knicks right now: Donovan Mitchell, Mikal Bridges, and Devin Booker. 

Knick fans have been manifesting Donovan Mitchell in the Big Apple for years now and after a couple of uneventful years in Cleveland, it could be a real possibility that he is on the move this summer. Mikal Bridges would be yet another Villanova guy coming over to the Knicks and be so impactful for not only the success of this team, but the chemistry as well. Devin Booker I think is a stretch and I feel like it would take a lot to get him, but Booker and Brunson would assert themselves as one of the best duos in the association. 

The plan is simple for this offseason: keep the squad together or go after one of those guys. After years and years of misery, the Knicks finally have a bright future. No need to look at mock drafts or draft lotteries anymore, the Knicks are on the rise and I cannot wait to see what this team shapes out to be in the next couple of seasons. Let's Go Knicks. 

My Yankees Report (25% into season)

 

The new look Yankees have played 42 games so far this season and have been looking like a much better and different team than just a season ago. The addition of guys such as Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and others, along with the dominant pitching all around, the Yankees have been cruising. 

The Yankees currently hold the second-best record in the American League and that's without their ace, Gerrit Cole, and a slew of other arms as well. This season the Yankees have been able to hit the ball extremely well and consistently compared to their abysmal season at the plate last year. 

Yes, they are second in baseball with 57 home runs, but the averages, OPS, OBP, WAR, and all other stats are up from a season ago for a lot of their offense. For instance take Aaron Judge, off to a slow start in the hitting column, but to make up for that, his OPS is sky high and he is drawing the most walks he ever has before. 

New York has become a very patient and disciplined team at the plate and this is a direct reflection of the improvement from franchise shortstop Anthony Volpe. Volpe after winning a gold glove at shortstop a year ago, was dismayed by his offensive performance and wanted to focus on that going into the offseason. 

Volpe opened the season as arguably the best Yankee hitter for the first couple weeks and since then has cooled off a bit, but has shown massive improvement and he has earned the leadoff spot. The overwhelming talking point with the Yankees is obviously Juan Soto, so let's talk about him. 

Soto has been doing everything right in the field to in the batter's box. Currently leading the Yankees in most offensive categories, Soto is making a good case for MVP given the short amount of time this season has eclipsed. His job has been plain and simple when at the plate: give the opposing pitcher's nightmares. The lineup itself is already scary to deal with, and with Soto playing at his highest level, he's helping give his teammates better pitches to hit as well. 

Let's take a look at the pitching so far and they have not missed a beat, even in the absence of Gerrit Cole. Everyone was panicking in Spring Training that the Yankees were losing Cole for an extended amount of time, but they knew all along that they had the guys in that clubhouse to fill the gaps. The rotation headlined by Stroman, Rodon, Cortes, Gil, and Schmidt has been nothing but excellent so far in the first 42 games. 

The Yankees pitching staff currently combines for the second-best ERA in all of the Majors at 3.10. With the pitching doing its job, even without their ace, and the offense being able to facilitate at a high rate, it is going to be tough to beat this team given that they keep it up. 

We know the end goal is to get a 28th to the Bronx and with the way this team has been playing, they are definitely going to be in contention for it. Although it's a small sample size, it's refreshing to know that the Yankees are playing some great baseball. 

So Many Playoffs

From late April to mid June, the sports world is centered around not one, but two major sport playoffs. The NHL and NBA have both completed their high-intensity first rounds with even more drama to come in the second round as it starts to get underway. 

The NHL and NBA playoffs usually operate around the same time every calendar year but not as close as they have been this year. Cities across the country have multiple teams competing in these playoffs including New York, Boston, Denver, and Dallas making the ratings and viewership even higher. 

I believe that these two playoffs are by far the best out of the 4 major sports. People may argue that the NFL playoffs are better, but personally I prefer seeing a best of seven game series rather than seeing a one game playoff to see who advances. 

The playoffs are all about momentum and who is the hottest at the right time. The regular season is a totally different season and mindset than what the playoffs are. We are seeing a whole new era in the NBA where the younger teams are dominating compared to the teams with ample experience. 

Take the example of the Suns vs Timberwolves series where the Wolves swept the Suns with an emerging superstar in Anthony Edwards. The Suns consisted of one of the best players of all time in Kevin Durant along with Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. We are in a new age in the NBA where you don't always have to pay the big bucks to win. The Suns are once again a prime example of this. 

The NHL playoffs are my favorite playoffs to watch. Across the country obviously the NHL is not the most popular out of the big sports leagues, but once you get tuned into the playoffs, people are very amused. From the big hits to insane saves to clutch goals, the NHL playoffs has it all and no other playoffs can really top that. If you don't like the NHL, turn on the playoffs and then make your decision again. 

The intensity is only rising throughout the NBA and NHL and I am all here for it. Enjoy the playoffs while they last and watch the unforgettable moments and sequences that take place that will have your grandchildren talking about them.