Governor’s Advisory Board Lays Out How Colleges Can Assure Return, Plus Sportz
Why the Thunder of the 2010s came away from the decade with no championships, and more NFC predictions.
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Testing, Publicly Available Contingencies Key to Mass. Colleges Reopening, per Advisory Board
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s higher education advisory board issued a “framework” on Wednesday for what sorts of benchmarks colleges need to hit in order to justify reopening with students on-campus this fall, including a phased reopening plan modeled after the state’s more general plan released last week, according to WBUR.
The advisory board is made up of 14 college presidents, representing schools such as UMass, Tufts, Boston University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Wellesley College. Officials representing the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) were also a part of the board, whose members include every major institution in the area, including those whose presidents were not members of the advisory board.
The framework included a survey conducted from May 4 to May 6 of 86 area colleges and universities, the results of which the advisory board categorized as showing college presidents have “very high confidence” in their ability to reopen in-person this fall.
The survey data the advisory board took showed 99 percent of respondents thought they could successfully educate their communities about safety expectations and procedures, 93 percent felt they could enact additional protection measures for at-risk community members, 91 percent felt they could ensure the campus common spaces were safely sanitized and ensure safe workspaces for faculty and staff.
The numbers dipped on other questions: 89 percent of respondents said they could re-allocate housing so no more than two students are assigned to one dorm bedroom and 81 percent of respondents thought they could set aside space for students who need to enter isolation or quarantine for the fall and pull off de-densifying measures for classrooms.
The advisory board flagged two questions on the survey they conducted as reason for concern: 72 percent of respondents said they were “very” or “somewhat confident” they could put contact tracing measures in place with the help of state and local officials. Only 59 percent of respondents said they felt confident they could implement testing protocols and procedures to screen all students, faculty, and staff who would be on campus for a fall, in-person reopening.
The first phase of reopening involves repopulating labs and bringing staff to campus who are necessary for beginning preparations for when normal operations will resume on campus—whenever that is. The second phase involves limited on-campus programming—the primary example the advisory board used was smaller summer classes held toward the back end of the summer months could be taught in-person.
Phase three involves opening residence halls, dining halls, and classrooms back up, and phase four is a return to normal operations.
Labs are already in the process of reopening, since they were mentioned as a part of Baker’s reopening plans when he revealed them to the public last week.
The advisory board emphasized in the framework that since the vast majority of college campus populations are under the age of 30, they fall in the “low-risk” category of people who are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and deaths. The board used rates based on cases and deaths per 100,000, and the data showed under 20 cases per 100,000 under-30 citizens and zero deaths per 100,000 under-30 citizens.
Despite that positive note, the advisory board noted only a few pages later that even during phase one, “special attention” needs to be paid to potentially higher-risk members of various college communities who are older members of university staffs. No details on what special attention would entail, but Baker has issued a recommendation to older Massachusetts residents that they remain at home despite the state and businesses reopening efforts since they’re more at risk for infection and/or death—presumably universities would recommend older staff members either wear extra personal protection equipment (PPE) while working or remain home and try to contribute remotely.
The advisory board noted that phase two is only possible if public health criteria that allows for smaller businesses to be reopened (flattened/lowering curve, social distancing efforts successful, etc.) is fulfilled and an adequate supply of tests and PPE are available for smaller repopulation efforts to begin. In addition, the advisory board is recommending publicly available plans and contingencies released by individual universities outlining how physical distancing can and will be accomplished during activities allowed during phase two.
In order to move to phase three, in addition to testing and isolation protocols being in place on a much larger scale and new, publicly available plans released by institutions are released regarding how individual campuses are ensuring community safety, there must also be confidence from the college community members—students, faculty, and staff—that the plans are thorough enough to ensure their safety—none of these efforts work if community members aren’t willing to return to campus because they don’t believe institutional plans are enough to ensure safety, causing people to remain home.
Wellesley College President Paula Johnson has been put in charge of a “group that will develop recommendations for testing protocols for colleges and universities,” according to the advisory board’s framework. Having COVID-19 testing available at a scale that fulfills the needs of individual universities (the framework notes early on that due to the diversity and different size populations of different colleges that one, definitive, universal plan won’t work for every college in the state) is “critical” to campus repopulation, according to the framework. The advisory board still noted, though, that contact tracing and quarantine protocols have to be developed alongside testing efforts if schools are to enter phase three.
One particular area of concern the advisory board concentrated on was how to deal with populating and ensuring the safety of residence halls, which if not handled correctly could serve as an infection epicenter if not handled correctly due to their size and what I’ll call the close nature of college living spaces. Though the advisory board noted restrictions will vary based on individual environments, masks outside bedrooms are a must, as are “multiple options for managing risks associated with shared restrooms.” The board threw some suggestions out for how colleges could build plans for safely populating residence halls, like clustering students into “family like ‘households’” to limit individual exposure to smaller groups or clustering students with shared courses while lowering building occupancy, but it’s not clear how any of those solutions work for any larger institutions, or institutions that routinely fill or exceed their dormitory allocations.
The advisory board recommended reorganizing classrooms to “accommodate necessary physical distancing,” using larger classrooms for smaller classes, and utilizing a hybrid of in-person and remote learning in order to ensure education standards are met.
Dining services will need to follow the same restrictions restaurants due in order to prevent crowding, as well as continuing to utilize takeout and delivery options to limit the number of people in dining halls, according to the framework.
Phase four requires either public confidence that the crisis is over, a vaccine or medical treatment that’s widely available, or herd immunity in order for a new normal to be achieved, according to the advisory board.
The framework notes state officials should ask universities to publicly release plans and contingencies for how the fall semester would work, and incentivize such efforts by providing shelter from liability. In addition, the advisory board asked that the state require health insurers to cover testing costs not paid for by the federal government.
The advisory board said that most of the institutions it’s communicated with have indicated a decision on how the fall semester will be conducted does not need to be announced until around July 1.
In other state news:
The Boston Globe released an article showcasing the data for “key metrics” Massachusetts governing officials are keeping an eye on in order to determine whether the state can continue through its reopening phases. Those metrics include the number of hospitals using ICU surge capacity, the 3-day average of deaths (by date), the 7-day average of positive test results (as a percentage), and the 3-day average of COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized. Each graph clearly shows either a low and flat trajectory or a downward trajectory, explaining why officials have opted to begin the reopening phases now. If those graphs’ trajectories change, it’s likely that Massachusetts will adjust its restrictions immediately.
How’d the OKC Thunder Not Win a Title Last Decade?
By Tom Shea
The Oklahoma City Thunder arguably holds the lamentable moniker of the “greatest team that never was.” If I told my kids a team with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and four other players picked in the first-round in a three-year span (shout-out D.J. White and B.J. Mullens) would win just one finals game, they’d call me insane, though they wouldn’t be wrong.
It’s hard to believe it was already eight years ago, but that was the last time we saw the NBA’s first, and to date only, small market big three. Though the Harden trade certainly compromised their potential, it alone didn’t excuse the three 55+ win seasons that all fell short of even a Finals berth, much less a ring. So what happened?
Flash back a full decade to 2009-10. OKC just had its nascent taste of success, winning 50 games after winning just 23 in 2008-09. The Thunder’s predecessors, the Seattle SuperSonics, had only won 50 games once in the twelve years prior. In his third year in the league, Durant blossomed into a true superstar, dropping 30 points per game to win the scoring title. Westbrook was a year away from his first big leap, but he established himself as the clear second-best player. Jeff Green gave them 15 a night. Harden eased in, playing just 23 minutes a game, but he was already third on the squad in per minute scoring. Ibaka, in his first year over from the Congo, was a role player—he was eighth on the team in minutes per game but finished sixth in the league in blocks per minute.
Unfortunately, all that culminated in an eighth seed and a first-round loss to the would-be champions the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
No shame in that, right? Especially considering Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka were all 21 or younger.
2010-11 marked another leap, with a division title and the franchise’s first Conference Finals trip since they won it 15 years prior during the Gary Payton/Shawn Kemp years. Durant won the scoring title again as he and Westbrook combined for 50 points a game, the best duo in the game outside of South Beach. Ibaka shot up to fourth in team minutes per game, led the league in per minute blocks, and came in third in total blocks.
But despite all that, OKC made a substantial change. In an effort to get tougher down low, the Thunder shipped Jeff Green up to Boston for Kendrick Perkins. Perk, though solid defensively, was less than a year removed from tearing both his MCL and PCL. It was a curious move considering Green was two years younger with no real injury history (this was prior to his heart defect that forced him to miss the entire next season).
Money wasn’t a factor—the long-term deals both players would sign in their new homes soon after the deal was consummated were nearly identical. It’s possible that if not for this trade, Ibaka develops then into the small ball five that he is now, but OKC never deployed him there, with Perk and then Steve Adams holding it down.
To be fair, the trade wasn’t the reason Dallas beat OKC in the Western Conference Finals—the Thunder lost in five games. But it locked OKC into slower and less versatile lineups moving forward. Nevertheless, their lockout-abridged 2011-12 season ended with the Thunder securing the two seed in the West. Still just 23, Durant secured the scoring title three-peat, only Michael Jordan has also pulled that off. Ibaka led the league in blocks by a block-and-a-half.
This was the first significant Harden campaign—he not only put up 17 points a game but was second in the league in effective field goal percentage (eFG%). He also firmly cemented himself as the third banana in the rotation. Even though he technically came off the bench, he played nearly 10 more minutes a night than starter Thabo Sefolosha.
Hitting the fast forward button for a sec: OKC gets all the way to the Finals, loses to the Miami Heat’s big three in five games, and trades Harden ostensibly for cap reasons even though he had another year left on his rookie deal, thus ending a thrilling yet abridged era.
The trope with the end of the OKC buddies is that Harden wouldn’t have gotten the volume he receives in Houston had they kept him. It’s mostly true: Even with Harden only getting 10 shots a game, their big three only shot 1.2 fewer times per game than Miami’s triad—there already weren’t enough looks to go around. My first instinct was “maybe he should’ve taken some of Westbrook’s shots,” but Westbrook, who we fairly think of as perpetually inefficient, was actually right around league average eFG% while scoring 24 a night at that point.
That being said, there was a way to feed Harden more without taking any away from the two-headed monster: up the pace. Credit where credit is due, OKC was third in the league in possessions at the time, but they could’ve played even faster if not for the lumbering Perkins, whose Boston teams were usually near the bottom of the league in pace.
The big tempo boom didn’t happen until Durant was in his final stages as a member of the Thunder—long after Harden had been shipped out—meaning OKC had a window to be the league’s premier run and gun squad. A faster Thunder team still probably doesn’t beat Miami, but the stars getting even more shots would’ve made a deceptively close series even closer, and perhaps illuminated to ownership what they had going.
In 2012-13, the Harden-less Thunder top themselves yet again, winning 60 games and snagging the West’s top seed. Kevin Martin did a reasonable impression of Harden the year before (as Harden blossomed into a different echelon of talent in Houston). Ibaka continued to evolve and became the number three guy in terms of minutes. But the stars concealed a dearth of scoring depth, with Sefalosha being the only other even moderately reliable scoring option [Editor’s note: This is like saying Brad Wanamaker was a moderately reliable scoring option if you’re looking for context.].
This was exposed when Westbrook tore his lateral meniscus in game 2 of the first round. Martin and Ibaka, though effective, simply weren’t good enough to compensate, and the Grizzlies upset OKC in five games in round two. Chalk it up to bad luck, but the Harden-trade hadn’t even turned 1 year-old when the Thunder first experienced the direct effect of not having Harden.
2013-14 was perhaps OKC’s most impressive campaign of all. Westbrook missed nearly half the season after an additional knee surgery, and OKC won just one fewer game. It was during his absence, and with Martin gone in free agency, that sophomore Reggie Jackson emerged as a desperately needed scorer. It also didn’t hurt that Durant reclaimed his throne as the scoring champion by almost a five-point margin. This marked the first long-term injury this iteration of the Thunder had to deal with, and they passed with flying colors.
But the San Antonio Spurs still bested OKC in six games. They were the higher seed, but if Westbrook plays all season, the Thunder probably finish ahead of San Antonio, considering they were 21-4 with Westbrook in the lineup before he went down again in December, so it’s disingenuous to use “the better team won” excuse. This wasn’t a case like 2011 or 2012 where OKC was clearly outmatched regardless of style. A frenetic pace would’ve perfectly countered the aging Spurs and could’ve legitimately won OKC that series, taking them into a Finals against an exhausted Heat team playing in its fourth straight championship round. You never know.
2014-15 was a peculiar dichotomy: an inconsequential season with no playoff berth, but also an ominous harbinger of what life would be like with Durant gone and Westbrook running the show. Durant missed two thirds of the year with a broken foot as the Thunder fell to 45 wins and missed the playoffs in an unforgiving Western Conference. Westbrook had his most Westbrook-esque season up to that point: 28 points a game, but on just 45.5 percent eFG%, one of the worst in the league. Nobody expected OKC to be contenders with Durant out, but the precipitous drop-off from the year before highlighted just how reliant the Thunder were on their talisman to be at peak performance night in and night out.
After that the Thunder finally caught wind of their underachieving ways—they fired coach Scott Brooks after seven years with him at the helm. While he deserves credit for getting a young, albeit talented, team to the Finals, he failed to shape a cohesive ball-moving unit that could function without one of the stars bailing OKC out. This was evident not just in the season that got Brooks canned, but also in the 2013 playoffs when Durant and Co. got trounced without Westbrook. In fairness Westbrook’ high usage rate made it more difficult to share the wealth, but the offense was never tailored to spread the floor via Westbrook’ proclivity for driving to the hole—think how Milwaukee deploys its offensive weapons around Giannis Antetokounmpo, and even Westbrook himself, now.
Enter Billy Donovan. He came into an arduous situation: on top of the can-a-college-coach-succeed-in-the-pros doubts, he had to manage the ambiguity of what was possibly going to be Durant’s last year in OKC. Donovan had a strong debut season (2015-16): 55 wins and another division title after their four-year streak at the top was snapped the year before, but the Thunder were thoroughly outclassed by Golden State in their record-setting 73-win season, and even San Antonio, who won 67 games.
OKC had failed to capitalize when they were consistently at or near the top of the conference, and now a new powerhouse had emerged.
However, the window wasn’t closed just yet. The Thunder upset the Spurs in round two, avenging their Western Finals loss from two years prior. Now came the defending champs and the best regular season squad ever. Donovan had the opportunity to exorcise Brooks’ playoff demons by knocking off the two best teams in the league in back-to-back rounds and sure enough, OKC went up 3-1 in the series.
The rest is history. The Thunder blew the lead, Durant said enough is enough and skipped town. Just like that, the dynasty that never was came to a screeching halt.
We can single out any one component regarding why OKC underachieved, but it was really a perfect storm that did them in. Maybe keeping Harden just that extra year allows them to go on a deep run in 2012-13 even after Westbrook went down. Maybe a floor-spacing small-ball lineup with Ibaka at center wins them another series or two (Golden State was the exception here, OKC’s size actually presented a great mismatch). Maybe if Donovan arrives a year earlier the Thunder salvage that 2014-15 season and have an even better 2015-16. Maybe if any one of those things happens KD stays.
I’m refraining from calling OKC “chokers” because sans the Golden State series, there weren’t really any choking moments. But it’s still fair to say that they arguably left more on the table than any sports team, not just NBA, in recent memory.
Tom Shea, known to his friends as Thomas!, is, admittedly, a bit of a charlatan. He is brilliantly able to conceal his spoiled Steelers and Penguins fandom under the guise that his Pirates anguish makes him relatable to the masses. You can find him on Twitter @TomShea5ft11. No description can prepare you for that experience.
NFC North Predictions: Underestimate the North at Your Own Peril
By Nicholas Stanziale
Welcome to another week of record predictions! Once again, there isn’t much to report on when it comes to the NFL season, but sports are close to a return as NHL commissioner Gary Betman announced Tuesday that the league will return this year. The regular season has been canceled, but they will go straight to the playoffs. An exact date on a return is unknown yet, but the confirmation certainly gives hope to uneasy sports fans, like myself. Alongside that, last weekend entailed a classic matchup for charity between Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Phil Mickelson, and Tom Brady. Not only did they raise a substantial amount of money, but it was also nice to see some sort of sports live on TV. If you haven’t watched the Korean Baseball League—and I wouldn’t blame you if you haven’t—watching this golf match may have been the first time you’ve witnessed sports without fans [Editor’s note: I don’t approve of the disrespect done to NASCAR here, but the deed has been done.]. Although golf isn’t really made for spectators, it was still weird to see that going on with no one there. If the NFL makes it back in September, there’s a high percentage chance there will be no fans in the seats, and that would majorly affect all teams, but especially some of the teams in this division I’m covering next.
This take could be biased—I’m a Packers fan—but the NFC North is one of the toughest divisions in football. Last week, if you recall, I championed the NFC West as the toughest division, but I have the North in second. The Packers and Vikings both made the playoffs, both made it to the second weekend, but both fell victim to the San Francisco 49ers in back to back weeks. These two are yet again my favorites to take the throne of the division. The Bears had a down year, but still have a dominant defense and the potential to surprise a few spectators—who will be watching from home—this year. Their season and record all depends on the quarterback play of Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles. And then there’s the Lions, who aren’t ~that~bad—[ducks head]. The Lions were actually undefeated last season and were playing well until Matt Stafford got hit with the injury bug and derailed their hopes and dreams. I don’t believe they have a chance at the playoffs, but they aren’t as bad as originally perceived. With all this being said, let’s see how this division stacks up.
Green Bay Packers: 12-4
Five primetime games, really? Green Bay is tied with seven other teams for the most primetime games this season and I truly hate watching them play in primetime, especially on the road. With a questionable draft and a lack of offseason moves, who knows how good this team will really be. The benefit for them: They only lost two key pieces in Bryan Bulaga and Blake Martinez and they managed to bring in replacements like Rick Wagner and Christian Kirksey to offset those losses. If Aaron Rodgers comes out with a chip on his shoulder and head coach Matt LaFleur’s running offense works, the Packers might be sniffing more than just an NFC Championship appearance.
Breakdown:
This year is a crucial year for Green Bay. A lot of big name players like Kenny Clark, David Bahktiari, and Aaron Jones are all entering their contract years, and I’m sure general manager Brian Gutenkunst wants to bring them back, but that’ll come a heavy price. Jones made it clear on Wednesday that he wants to remain a Packer for life, but after Christian McCaffrey’s lucrative deal, will he? Anyway, the Packers have a very tough first five games, and an early bye week does not help their cause. I have the Packers mostly surviving that stretch despite the level of difficulty: Green Bay will head into week 6 with a record of 4-1. With no fans, the Packers schedule is very favorable—even more so if fans can come back later in the season. The Packers play five of their last eight matchups at home and they’ll get the toughest road games out of the way early—they head to Minnesota, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay before Week 7 begins. Despite Green Bay having a lot of interesting games, those three matchups are the highlights on the Packers’ schedule, along with a rematch of the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9. After that, their schedule becomes incredibly easy, and I have them losing only one game for the rest of the season, when they travel to Indianapolis and face a really good football team in the Colts. Another good season for the green and gold gang, one that gets them into the playoffs with a potential home game, but with questions looming, one that will end in uncertainty.
Surprise Game:
The surprise game for the Packers comes in Week 7 when they travel to face DeShaun Watson and the Houston Texans. A game I originally had the Pack winning, but after some consideration, changed to an L. This game comes a week after their heavyweight battle with the Buccaneers and the Packers will be on cloud nine after their big win. At this point, they will be 4-1 and feeling confident against an underwhelming Texans team. Being tired from the travel and not knowing their opponents all that well, it will result in a crucial loss on the road for the Packers.
Minnesota Vikings: 10-6
The Vikings lost key pieces who have made significant contributions to the organization these past few years in Stefon Diggs and Xavier Rhodes this offseason, but the Vikings had one of the best draft performances in the league a month ago. I really liked what they did to try to replace what they’ve lost. Plus, their running game with Dalvin Cook will always be a threat, and Minnesota’s pass rush is still pretty dominant. The Vikings’ secondary is its most stark weakness, though.
Breakdown:
The Vikings will come out of the gate slow to start the 2020 season with back-to-back losses, but really hit their stride in Week 11. I have Minnesota winning six of their last seven games of the season, though some of those are tough matchups. This means the Vikings will be a very hot team heading to the playoffs—I’m now assuming that these days, 10-6 is plenty good enough to get into the playoffs thanks to the extra wild card spot and the crazy sounding seventh seed. The Vikings offense has been very inconsistent these past few years, but with Diggs gone, and no one to complain about everything, I think they are going to play with harmony and start being a real problem for defenses, especially if Cook can stay healthy. Minnesota’s big games come in Week 5 when they travel to one of the toughest places to play in the league—Seattle, Week 11 when the Dallas Cowboys come to town for a visit, Week 14 when they travel to Tampa to play Brady and the Bucs, and Week 16 when they hash it out with the Saints, again. I have them going 2-2 during those crucial matchups with losses coming against the Seahawks and Saints. Another 10-6 season for the Vikes. You like ’dat?!
Surprise Game:
The Vikings biggest surprise game comes in a late season clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is a game I believe that everyone will have slated as a “L” for Minnesota, but one that they’ll end up winning. The way I have the schedule, the Vikings will need to win this game if they want a chance to make the playoffs. I think the decision goes their way because Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, and rookie Justin Jefferson are going to expose Tampa’s weak secondary.
Chicago Bears: 7-9
The big question for Chicago heading into next season will be how the quarterback battle between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky plays out. I think the Bears defense remains one of the better units in the NFC and will continue to serve as the rock for any success the Bears do have. The offense still leaves something to be desired: I believe Foles will win the QB battle initially, but I also think Foles and Trubisky will pass the starting job back-and-forth throughout the season. Sure, Nick Foles is a Super Bowl champion and MVP, but Chicago doesn’t have the weapons surrounding him—absent Allen Robinson—and the Jaguars gave him up after just one injury-riddled year.
Breakdown:
Before I give a breakdown on my predictions for the Bears season I will say this: Although forever a Bear hater, I think they can absolutely make some noise next season. If Foles and/or Trubisky play at the top of their games, the Bears are actually a 10, hell, maybe even an 11 win team. They have a sub-par offense, but actually have some potential in that unit. And, with their top defense, who knows what will happen with the monsters of the midway. Anywho, back to the schedule: All the way through Week 6, I have the Bears playing as inconsistent as it gets. They trade wins and losses each week, which results in them having a 3-3 record when they hit the toughest stretch of their schedule. They play three of the next four on the road, and their home game comes against one of the best teams in the conference in the New Orleans Saints. It’s not going to be an easy four weeks, and I have them finishing with a 1-3 record during it—the lone win coming against the Carolina Panthers. After that, it’s back to the inconsistent play. I think Chicago never gets hot this year and their longest win “streak” lasts 2 games. The Bears’ most compelling games will come in week 5 when Brady comes to town—the last time he entered Chicago, the Bears almost stunned the Pats—and in Week 8 when the Saints come to Chi-town. I have them losing, but Drew Brees doesn’t play well in outdoor climates, especially the cold, so the Bears could shock everyone and acquire a huge upset win. This isn’t going to be the year da Bears or their fans want, but I believe it’ll be one that shocks most.
Surprise Game:
The Bears’ surprise game comes when the Colts come to the windy city. I’m a fan of the Bears potential when they’re playing at home and I think they will cause a ruckus that’ll bother Phillip Rivers and his new offense. Head coach Matt Nagy will have all the right calls that day, and Chicago will throw the Colts defense off guard. It’ll be a big early season confidence boosting win for da Bears and the city of Chicago.
Detroit Lions: 3-13
The Lions record does not reflect the team they have. Contrary to popular belief, and the record shown, the Lions can really turn some heads this season. They started off hot last season with a 2-0-1 record and almost beat the Chiefs and Packers in back-to-back weeks—then everyone got hurt. If Stafford and company stay healthy, they are going to be a problem for the NFC North. The Lions have always played well within the division, and now they have a young roster and another year with head coach Matt Patricia. I really like the Lions’ potential, they’re just an offseason away from playoff contention.
Breakdown:
If I like the Lions’ potential, then why do I have them with a terrible record? The answer is simple: their schedule is brutal. They aren’t good enough yet to win those close games vs tough opponents yet. When you have to travel to places such as Arizona, Atlanta, and Tennessee, then have to host teams who play well on the road and plus the Saints, Colts, Texans, and Buccaneers, it doesn’t bode well for your football team’s chances at playoff contention. On top of that, you have to play your divisional opponents six times, and unfortunately for the Lions, they aren’t in the NFC East. Detroit starts the campaign off right with a win versus the Bears, and then everything becomes a nightmare. I have the Lions only winning two games after their Week 1 victory, but it won’t all be ugly. Yes, 3-13 is not a good record, but the Lions will play well no matter who they matchup with. It is not the season Patricia and the fans will welcome, but it will result in yet another high draft pick, and maybe even more hope for the 2021 season.
Surprise Game:
It’s tough to find a surprise game with the way things fall with the Lions schedule, but I think the best chance for one is in Week 1 when they start the season at home versus the Bears. When Foles wins the QB battle in training camp, he will be flat in his new system in Week 1, allowing Stafford and company to take advantage and open the season up with a win.
Nicholas Stanziale is a student at Marist College and a prospective broadcaster and journalist. He lives and dies by sports, especially by how the Green Bay Packers, New York Yankees, New Jersey Devils, and Villanova Basketball are doing.
Jack Goldman is the publisher and editor of this newsletter, as well as an independent reporter who has previously worked for The Heights and The Dorchester Reporter. In his spare time, he’s a student at Boston College.