Tyler Ash Articles - Page 4

Fantasy football drafts have come and gone. Now it’s time for managers to set their lineups. The 2020 season kicks off Thursday night, as the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans in a rematch of last year’s AFC Divisional Round thriller. Before the NFL’s opening night, let’s take a look […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder were expected to rebuild this year. After trading away franchise legend Russell Westbrook, many wondered if the Thunder would be drafting in the top 10 in 2020. Instead, the Thunder shattered expectations and earned the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Facing elimination on Monday night, Chris Paul continued to do […]

The Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat face off in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night. Milwaukee, which finished with the NBA’s best record, defeated the Orlando Magic in five games, while Miami swept the Indiana Pacers in the opening round. Giannis Antetokounmpo looks to lead the Bucks to their second […]

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors will meet in the postseason for the first time ever on Thursday night for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Both clubs are coming off first-round sweeps. The defending NBA champions breezed past the injury-riddled Brooklyn Nets, while the Celtics quickly bounced the rival Philadelphia 76ers. Meeting four […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are in trouble. In addition to falling behind two games to none against the rival Boston Celtics in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, the Sixers are cap-strapped for the coming years. The 76ers’ playoff hopes died the moment All-Star guard Ben Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury during one of […]

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Utah Jazz 135-125 in overtime on Monday in a Game 1 thriller. Donovan Mitchell exploded for 57 points—the third-highest scoring total in a playoff game in NBA history—with nine rebounds and a team-best seven assists in the loss. The third-seeded Nuggets were led by Jamal Murray (36 points, 10 coming […]

The New England Patriots dominated the past two decades in large part due to their success in the NFL Draft. In addition to savvy free agent signings, prudent trades paved the way for 19 consecutive winning seasons. Head coach Bill Belichick has spearheaded the Patriots’ personnel moves since joining the organization in 2000, serving as […]

The Green Bay Packers won 13 games and reached the NFC championship in 2019, but their offense by and large disappointed. They ranked 18th in total offense and 17th in passing—despite rostering two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. The Packers leaned on the strength of their defense to guide them to a deep playoff run. But […]

The New England Patriots are the most successful NFL team of the Super Bowl era. The franchise has won a league-high 37 playoff games. New England has appeared in an NFL-best 11 Super Bowls and is tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Lombardi Trophies (six). While much of the franchise’s dominance can be […]

22 NBA teams are headed to Orlando for the league’s restart of the 2019-20 season, beginning July 30. However, not all players will be attending the conclusion of the season. Some have opted out regarding lingering concerns with the coronavirus, while others are sitting out due to injury. Let’s review which players are sitting out […]

Quarterback Cam Newton agreed to join the New England Patriots on a one-year, incentive-laden deal on Sunday. But there are still some prominent NFL free agents available ahead of the upcoming season. Let’s dissect the five best unsigned players two months away from the kickoff of the 2020 season. 5. Logan Ryan, Cornerback After spending […]

The New England Patriots and quarterback Cam Newton agreed to terms on a one-year contract.  The deal is reportedly for the league minimum, but the former NFL MVP can earn up to $7.5 million in incentives. For the #Patriots and Cam Newton, who have quietly worked on this recently, it’s a 1-year deal worth up […]

The NBA plans to expand roster capacity to 17 players, including two-way players, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Sources: The NBA is planning to allow teams to bring up to 17 players per roster (including two-ways) into the resumed season. Previous estimate was 15-player limit. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 11, 2020 Team rosters […]

The NBA will crown an NBA champion for the 2020 season after all. The league is set to return July 31 inside Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. 22 teams qualified for the league’s restart in Orlando. There will be eight regular-season games—plus a potential for a play-in tournament for the postseason—and […]

The NBA will resume action on July 31 at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. Twenty-two teams qualified for the league’s restart in Orlando. There will be eight regular-season games — plus a potential for a play-in tournament for the postseason — and playoffs to conclude the 2019-2020 season, which was suspended […]

The New England Patriots have appeared in 11 Super Bowls, the most of any NFL franchise. They reached the Super Bowl twice before the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick dynasty, losing both times. The Brady-Belichick tandem won six titles in nine Super Bowl appearances, as the two established themselves as the greatest QB-coach duo in […]

NFL quarterbacks face nonstop criticism. Playing the most important position, the QB often carries the lion’s share of the blame following a loss. In a league known for its ‘what have you done for me lately’ mantra, quarterbacks are so often judged on their most recent body of work. There is no shortage of QBs […]

Calvin Johnson suited up for the Detroit Lions for all nine seasons of his NFL career. Named to six Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams, the second overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft quickly established himself as one of the league’s best receivers. The 6-foot-5-inch wideout corralled 12 touchdown receptions—tied for the league-lead—in his […]

Tarvaris Jackson died in a car accident in Alabama on Sunday night. The former NFL quarterback was 36. He is survived by his wife, Lakitta, and three children, Tarvaris, Takayla and Tyson. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the tragic news through a spokesperson from Tennessee State University. Jackson served as the quarterbacks coach for Tennessee […]

The coronavirus halted the NBA and NHL seasons. It put an end to MLB spring training. But the NFL offseason has continued on. We are in uncharted territory as a country, but the NFL has managed to provide the most exciting free-agency period in its history. Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all-time, defected to […]

The Chicago Bears released wide receiver Taylor Gabriel on Friday. The 29-year-old signed a four-year, $26 million deal with the Bears in 2018, but was cut midway through the contact. Gabriel thrived in his first season in Chicago, posting career highs in catches (67) and receiving yards (688). He battled through two concussions last season, […]

The 2020 NBA trade deadline featured some last-hour deals that could change the postseason outlook for some teams, and the long-term trajectory for other clubs. Andre Drummond and D’Angelo Russell were the only former All-Stars to be moved. Drummond was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a salary dump deal, singling the center’s days as […]

The NBA announced the 10 starters for the 2020 All-Star Game on Thursday. The starters in the Eastern Conference include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Kemba Walker and Trae Young. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic and James Harden headline the starters from the Western Conference. 14 more All-Stars — seven from […]

The NFL Honors awards show takes place Feb. 1 at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. The show will recognize the league’s best players and coaches from the 2019 regular season. While it seems like a foregone conclusion Lamar Jackson seizes the MVP honors, there are plenty of other awards presented that could stir up […]

The NFL Divisional Round featured a defensive masterpiece, a shocking upset and a historic comeback. Playoff records were broken and new franchise marks were set. To best recap a wild playoff weekend, let’s look at the 15 most dominant players from the NFL Divisional Round. 1. Patrick Mahomes The reigning MVP engineered an offensive outburst […]

Luke Kuechly announced his retirement from the NFL Tuesday evening. The 28-year-old linebacker played all eight seasons (2012-19) of his career with the Carolina Panthers. Despite a relatively short tenure in the league, Kuechly deserves to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “In my heart, I know it’s the right thing to do.” pic.twitter.com/mSDyJ0iEMw […]

Derrick Henry powered the Tennessee Titans to a road victory over the New England Patriots Saturday night. The 6-foot-3, 247-pound tailback turned 34 carries into a whopping 182 rushing yards and one TD. He added a 22-yard reception in what was a one-man show on offense. In the modern-day NFL, passing has proven to be […]

Freddie Kitchens sealed his fate by losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale. The Cleveland Browns fired Kitchens Sunday night, not even bothering to wait until ‘Black Monday’ to dispose of the first-year head coach. Despite being the preseason favorite to win the AFC North, the Browns finished 6-10 and ended the year […]

NFL Week 16 featured an exciting triple-header of Saturday games, two overtime contests and a major upset. The Houston Texans and New England Patriots clinched their respective divisions on Saturday. The Texans won the AFC South for the second straight season and fourth time in the past five years, while the Patriots claimed the AFC […]

Being selected to the NFL Pro Bowl is an outstanding accomplishment. Players who perform the best during a given season should be rewarded with the nod. The reality is that players’ legacies are partly defined by the number of times they are named to the Pro Bowl. That’s why it’s frustrating when the players who […]

The 2019 NFL season is coming to a close. The postseason race is heating up as teams jockey for playoff positioning. In this NFL week review, we examine two players who are leading their squads to AFC hierarchy.  We also look at an AFC club that has fallen flat on its face following lofty preseason […]

The New York Jets handed Le’Veon Bell a four-year, $52.5 million ($27 million guaranteed) contract in March. Bell has not rewarded the Jets on their investment, instead producing the worst season of his career. To compound matters, Bell inexplicably went bowling until 1 a.m. the night before a game—hours after he was ruled out with […]

NFL Week 12 featured some offensive explosions. The Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens all surpassed the 40-point scoring marks in their respective blowout wins. We look at which players dominated statistically for these three winning teams, and take note of some other prolific offensive and defensive performances in reviewing this week’s NFL action. […]

NFL Week 12 kicked off with an AFC South showdown between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. By defeating the Colts, the Texans moved into sole position of first place in the division. Ahead of Sunday’s slate of games, let’s make some predictions for the remainder of Week 12. 1. Matt Ryan throws 4 TDs […]

NFL Week 11 features pivotal games for playoff hopeful teams. Two teams who have disappointed relative to expectations, the Chicago Bears (4-5) and Los Angeles Rams (5-4), play on Sunday Night Football in what has the feel of an elimination game. The Bears and Rams won their respective divisions last year, but neither team has […]

NFL Week 9 saw the Miami Dolphins win their first game of the season, while the New England Patriots lost for the first time in 2019. The San Francisco 49ers (8-0) are the lone undefeated team, while the 0-8 Cincinnati Bengals are the league’s only winless squad. In this week’s edition of NFL takeaways, we […]

The NFL season is roughly half complete and it’s abundantly clear that the NFC is far superior to the AFC. There are five NFC teams with six or more wins, while the 8-0 New England Patriots are the only team in the AFC with more than five victories. The Patriots and San Francisco 49ers (7-0) […]

It has been an unpredictable year in football, in part due to road teams enjoying unprecedented success. Road teams are winning 56.2 percent (59-46-1) of all contests, the best mark for visiting clubs through seven weeks of NFL action since 1984. Before Week 8 of the NFL season begins, let’s kick it off with three […]

Seven weeks are in the books for the 2019 NFL season. With each passing week, we get a better idea of which players can contend for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. In this comprehensive breakdown of Week 7, we take a look at two players who entered the MVP conversation, and other thoughts from […]