……(Football)…..-NFL Wildcard Weekend

Chargers-Ravens…Bolts take (12-4) record to Baltimore to face Ravens team (10-6)…Chargers (7-1) on road this season…Ravens (6-2) at home…

..Baltimore defense choked off Chargers two weeks ago-holding Philip Rivers (181P) and Bolts offense to (198Y)….
..Baltimore defense had 4-sacks-7-hits-7 pressures-2 interceptions-1 fumble recovery in dominant win…
..Baltimore held Chargers to (121Y) in 3-quarters….
..Baltimore defense denied Rivers ‘chunk plays’…Bolts had 8-plays of plus 10….0-plays of plus 20 in game.
..Chargers behind the chains in last game..Rivers had to face 3rd-13..3rd-14..3rd-20…3rd-27 yards in game

..Ravens offense had 14-plays of plus 10…5-plays of plus 20.
..Lamar Jackson (204P) and (39R) in win

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..Rivers (4,308P-32T D-12Int-32 QB sacks-68% completion-105R)
..Melvin Gordon-Austin Ekeler (1439-R-1098-Rec)
..Gordon-Ekeler combined (89-Receptions) this year
..Gordon-since knee injury (22C-83Y) rushing
..Keenan Allen (97R)..(12.3YPC)
..Mike Williams (15YPC)..Tyrell Williams (15YPC)…
..Bolts TEs (47Rec) this year.
..Chargers offense (214-Plays-Plus 10)..(68Plays-Plus 20)
..Chargers offense just (3-Plays Plus 20) last two weeks.

..K-Michael Badgley (15-16FG)
..Desmond King (13.8PR)…(23-KR)
..Chargers punt cover team allowing (10.2YPR)
..Chargers offense (372YPG)…defense (333YPG)
..Chargers defense 38-QB sacks..20-takeaways..39%-3rd downs

..Ravens offense (374YPG)…(152YPG) rushing…32:17-TOP
..Ravens defense (292YPG)..43-QB sacks-17-takeaways-34%-3rd D
..Ravens defense (33TDs) allowed in 16-games..10TDs-last-6-games
..Ravens defense..opposing QBs-58% completion rate..RBs- (3.7YPC)

..Lamar Jackson (1201P-695R)..(16TD-3Int-4Fum)..16QBX
..RBs Gus Edwards (718R)..Kenneth Dixon (333R)…(4.5YPC)

..K-Jason Tucker (35-39FG) this year.

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(Wildcard Games)

Houston-Indianapolis….Colts won 9-of-last 10-games.
.Colts (386YPG) on offense.
..Andrew Luck (4593P-39TD-15 Int-68% completions)..
..Colts 48%-on 3rd downs.

..Deshaun Watson (4165P-26TD-551Rushing-5TD)..
..Watson (62-sacks-16 Turnovers)
..Texans defense 43-sacks..29-takeaways.

Bears-Eagles.
..Chicago defense allowed just 4TDs in 4game..just 30-TDs on season..giving up (299YPG)…50-sacks..36-takeaways-34% on 3rd downs.
..QB-Mitch Trubisky (3223-24TD).

..Eagles QB-Nick Files (1413Y-7TD-72% completion rate)..
..TE-Zach Ertz (116Rec).
..WRs Alshon Jeffrey-Golden Tate-Nelson Agholor (201-receptions).
..Defense 35%-3rd downs…44-sacks-17-takeaways.

Cowboys-Seattle.
..Dallas won 7-of-9..Seahawks won 6-of-7.
..RB-Ezekiel Elliott (1,434Y-4.7YPC)…(77Rec-567Y)…(2,001APY).
..QB-Dak Prescott (3885P-22TD)..56-QB sacks..8-turnovers.
..WR-Amari Cooper (13.7YPC).
..Since Cooper trade-offense (362YPG)…(250P)…3rd down conversions (48%).

..Seattle (2560Y) rushing..(4.8YPC)…(31:15 TOP)..
..Russell Wilson (3,448P-35TD-7 Int-65%-110R) only 11 turnovers.
..Seahawks defense (43 QB sacks-26-takeaways)

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(Coaching Stories)

Atlanta..Coach Dan Quinn will not hire Def Coord-will call plays himself….says he fired 4-assistants to ‘reset the compass’

Buffalo..Fire Dan Crossman-special teams coach-4th let go this week

Lions..Fire Derious Swinton-special teams coach

Miami..Fire Mike Tennenbaum-GM rather than reassign him

Minnesota..will not give Mike Zimmer an extension-will coach 2019 on final year of deal…has (48–34-1) record

49ers..Interview Ryan Gregson-ex Colts GM-for front office job

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Packers..Will interview Josh McDaniels-Patriots on Friday

Browns..Will interview Mike McCarthy-ex Packers on Monday…Interviewed Jim Caldwell-ex Lions on Wednesday…Deny other teams permission to interview Fred Kitchen for Off Coord jobs

Bengals..Josh McDaniels-Patriots-turns down interview opportunity…will interview Todd Monken-ex Tampa Bay Off Coord

Denver..Interview Zac Taylor-Rams Off Coord on Friday..will interview Brian Fowler-Patriots Def Coord on Monday.

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(Injuries)

Carolina..QB-Taylor Heinicke-surgery-torn bicep-
Colts..WR-Ryan Grant to miss playoff game-knee
Eagles..QB-Nick Foles-goes thru full practice

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(Teams)

NFL…15-finalists for Hall of Fame announced…new to list 14X-Pro Bowl TE-Tony Gonzalez…12X-Pro Bowl CB-Champ Bailey….Legendary S-Ed Reed…..Returnees on final ballot include RB-Edgerrin James…S-John Lynch..S-Steve Atwater…WR-Issac Bruce..coaches Don Coryell-Tom Flores.

Washington..LB-Reuben Foster-domestic assault charged dropped-ex girlfriend claimed assaulted in Tampa hotel night before road game-now viewed as unreliable witness….Foster may be reinstated from suspended list.

Steelers…DE-Cam Heyward says WR-Antonio Brown let his ‘brothers down’ by not being with team most important week of season.

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(College Football)

Northwestern…Coach Pat Fitzgerald yet to make decision on whether he will meet with Green Bay Packers about vacant job.

West Virginia…Could name head coach by Saturday-Luke Fickell-Cincinnati is lead candidate.

Miami…DT-Joe Jackson-files for NFL draft-had 9-sacks this year
Penn State..RB-Miles Sanders (1274R) files for draft as does DT-Kevin Grimes….5-Nittany Lions leaving program for NFL draft.

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…….(Baseball)……..

Phillies….Talks with FA-OF-Bryce Harper hit snag…Phillies offering (7Y-240M)…Agent Scott Boras wants 2-player option years tacked on at end of deal.

White Sox…Offer FA-SS-Manny Machado (7Y-210M) deal-no response

Phillies..Sign FA-P-David Roberston (2Y-24M)-ex Yankees.
Indians..Sign FA-P-Justin Grimmj-ex Mariners
Dodgers..Sign FA-P-Markus Solbach..(0.43ERA) in Australia

Milwaukee…Open talks with FA-2B-Brian Dozier-ex Dodgers

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…(Basketball)….

Lakers-NY Knicks…Friday matchup….Lakers (21-17)…(1-3) since LeBron James injury…Knicks staggering (9-29) without F-Kristap Porzingas.

Lakers..fans booed Lonzo Ball after missing 8-free throws in row

Clippers-at-Phoenix…LA (21-16) on season..Friday night game..

Memphis…Report fite in lockeroom between Omar Casspi-Garrett Temple over how poor Grizzlies bench playing this year.

76ers..G-Markelle Fultz to undergo another exam on nerve damage in scapula…has been out virtually all season…while in special rehab program the last 4-weeks.

Memphis-Chicago…Trade…Grizzlies deal Fs-Wayne Selden-MarShon Brooks and 2-2nd round picks for Bulls G-Justin Holliday (11P-4R-2A) per game.

San Antonio…Spurs fans boo Kawhi Leonard from pregame warmups to end of Toronto Raptors game…his first appearance in San Antonio since forcing trade from team heading into free agent year.

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(College)

Aztecs-Boise State…SDSU opens Mountain West Conference play on Saturday…State is ‘Jekyyl-Hyde’ coming off erratic performance in loss to Brown and struggle vs Cal State-Northridge…Coach Brian Dutcher says ‘book is incomplete’ on his team…Boise just (6-8) in rebuild year.

USD-Pacific…West Coast Conference action on Saturday at Jenny Craig Pavilion..

USD-L-Santa Clara (68-56)….Broncos jump out to 17-point lead in first half-USD never recovers…..Taj Eaddy (30P) for Santa Clara…Broncos hit 22-free throws…USD commits 20-fouls…to players in foul trouble all nite….Toreros conference opener on road.

Oregon…Lose 7’2-C-Bol Bol-son of longtime NBA star Manute Bol-fractured foot surgery….was averaging 21P-9-rebeounds-3 blocked shots a game..gone for the year.

USC…Longtime assistant Tony Bland-ex Aztec-pleads guilty to felony bribery of 2-USC players in Adidas slush fund…facing 6-months in prison…must pay fine $4,100.

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….(Hockey)…….

LA Kings-L-Tampa Bay….Lightning score 3-goals in 7-and-half minutes in first period…open up (5-1) lead in 3rd period by prestige….Tampa Bay (32-7-2) if they win 4th win …Thursday night action

Ducks-Las Vegas…Anaheim lost 6-in row heading to Friday night game.

San Diego Gulls-San Jose Sharks-AHL action on Friday might…Gulls tied for 3rd place in Pacific Division….Gulls on (7-0-2) streak.

Gulls..Acquire LW-Jared Thomas from San Antonio Rampage in AHL deal…Thomas (8G) at Tulsa in ECHL.

Anaheim…Ducks 2nd round pick Maxime Comtois-captain of Team Canada at World Junior Championships-victime of cyberspace bullying after Canada loss in tourney….agent called it ‘francophone racism’.

Ducks-Blues…Trade-Anahiem deals G-Jared Coreau to St Louis for future considerations.

Arizona..IR-C-Nick Schmaltz-leg injury..had 14P-17 games
Boston..F-Joakim Nordstrom-out fractured fibula.

New Jersey..Devils give coach John Hynes contract extension.

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…….(General)……..

English Premier League
..Manchester City-W-Liverpool….City hands Liverpool first loss of season-pulls within 4-points for 1st place…Leoy Sane scores in 12th minute in big win.

English Premier League-off weekend for league games.

PGA Tour….Sentry Tournament of Champions-Kapalua-Hawaii..
..(66) Kevin Away
..(67) Gary Woodland-Justin Thomas
..(68) Dustin Johnson-Marc ZLeishman
..(69) Jason Day-Rory McIlroy
..(70) Jon Rahm

Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson not playing in tourney.

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