🐐 Belichick Says Goodbye

It’s FRIDAY! One day after Nick Saban retired as the coach of Alabama, Bill Belichick parted ways with the New England Patriots. Two behemoths gone within 24 hours. That’s like if the greatest coach in college football history and the greatest coach in NFL history both left the Browns within the same year. Wait — what? Thursday was no less somber than Wednesday, as Belichick’s departure marked the end of another era and dynasty run filled with unprecedented success. The only one more upset than football fans right now is Coach K, who realized he didn’t have to announce his retirement months in advance and could have avoided a season-long farewell tour where he was showered with incessant praise and video tributes. How devastating! Anyways, today’s letter features; A preview of NFL Wild Card Weekend. Yesterday’s top NBA, NHL, and college basketball games. And other stuff. Simple and to the point, just like a Belichick presser. “We’re on to Cincinnati.”

Note: There will be no letter on Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll be back on Tuesday to recap the weekend.

WTF Stat: Under Bill Belichick from 2001 to 2019, the Patriots won:

• 17 of 19 AFC East titles, including an NFL-record 11 division crowns in a row

• 31 playoff games

• Nine AFC Championship Games (in 13 appearances)

• Six Super Bowls

Belichick has won an NFL-record eight Super Bowls - six as the head coach of the Patriots and two as an assistant coach with the Giants.

🏈 Patriots and HC Bill Belichick have mutually decided to “part ways” after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles - Belichick and owner Robert Kraft held an emotional press conference to make the news official, in which Belichick said, “I’ll always be a Patriot”

🏈 Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., a projected top-five pick, declared for the 2024 NFL Draft - the junior won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award, given annually to college football’s top receiver, and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting

🏈 Texas QB Quinn Ewers announced he will return for his senior season rather than declare for the 2024 NFL Draft - Ewers threw for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2023, leading the Longhorns to their first College Football Playoff berth

⚾️ Yankees and free agent SP Marcus Stroman have agreed to a 2-year, $37M deal with a vesting option - Stroman, 32, made the NL All-Star team in 2023 with the Cubs after posting a 2.96 ERA in the first half of the season but ended the year with a 3.95 ERA after suffering multiple injuries

🏈 Getcha Popcorn Ready!

NFL Playoff Format

• Welcome to Wild Card Weekend, the first round of the NFL playoffs that consists of six games (three AFC matchups and three NFC matchups) between seeds No. 2 through No. 7 in each conference - the NFL expanded the playoffs in 2021, adding an additional wild-card team in each conference (the No. 7 seed)

• This weekend's winners will advance to next week's Divisional Round, which features four games, two in each conference - as part of the playoff expansion, only the No. 1 seed from each conference gets a bye through the wild-card round

• The No. 1 seeded Ravens (AFC) and No. 1 seeded 49ers (NFC) will host the lowest seed remaining in their respective conference in the Divisional Round - from there, the bracket is locked in

• The NFC and AFC Championship Games will be played at the home stadium of the highest remaining seeds in each conference

• Super Bowl 58 (LVIII) will be played at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 11, marking the first Super Bowl that will be held in Nevada - the game will air on CBS, and Usher will perform at halftime

• As you probably already know, all playoff games are win-or-go-home. Now, let's get to the good stuff!

NFL Wild Card Weekend Preview

Saturday

AFC | #5 Cleveland Browns (11-6) @ #4 Houston Texans (10-7) 4:30pm ET, NBC

• Rumor has it that this CJ Stroud guy is pretty good. And Joe Flacco is allegedly still elite. Cleveland beat Houston 36-22 in Week 16, but Stroud missed the game due to a concussion. Both teams are stout against the run, with the Texans allowing 96.6 yards per game and the Browns allowing 105.5. Flacco threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns against the Texans a few weeks ago, but he also tossed a pair of picks, and something tells us Amari Cooper won’t be putting up 265 receiving yards and two touchdowns like he did last time in a career outing. With that said, Myles Garrett and the Browns’ pass rush is relentless and previously had their way with Houston. If the Texans want their first playoff W since 2019, they’ll need to keep their prized rookie quarterback off the turf.

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AFC | #6 Miami Dolphins (11-6) @ #3 Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) 8:00pm ET, Peacock

• The Dolphins lost to the Chiefs 21-14 in Week 9 in Germany but held Patrick Mahomes to 185 passing yards and Kansas City to 267 yards total. However, Tua Tagovialoa also threw for fewer than 200 yards, and Miami’s defense has suffered a laundry list of injuries since they last played. Their three top edge rushers, Bradley Chubb (11.0 sacks), Jaelan Phillips (6.5 sacks) and Andrew Van Ginkel (69 tackles), are all out, and so is LB Jerome Baker (78 tackles), and top CB Xavien Howard. Did I mention the temperature at Arrowhead is expected to be five degrees with a wind chill approaching minus 30 on Saturday night? That’s not great news for a Miami team that’s lost 10 straight games when the kickoff temperature is sub-40 degrees. Oh, also, Mahomes is 9-2 in AFC playoff matchups, with all 11 games coming at home.

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Sunday

AFC | #7 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) @ #2 Buffalo Bills (11-6) 1:00pm ET, CBS

• It hasn’t been pretty at times, but the Bills have won five straight games and took down the Dolphins in Week 18 to clinch the AFC East, giving them a favorable home matchup against the Steelers. With Mason Rudolph at quarterback and TJ Watt out (MCL sprain), it’s hard to argue Pittsburgh isn’t the worst team in the playoffs. But the Black and Gold have been punching above their weight all season, and laying 10 points against a Mike Tomlin-led team feels unwise, no matter who he has on his roster. Couple that with expected 30 mph winds, including gusts close to 50, and we’ll take the Steelers to cover ugly. But the Bills still move on.

• Pick: PIT +10

NFC | #7 Green Bay Packers (9-8) @ #2 Dallas Cowboys (12-5) 4:30pm ET, FOX

• Remember when Dez caught it? Remember when Aaron Rodgers did this?? Well, here we go again, Cowboys. Dallas has lost to Green Bay in nine of their previous 10 meetings, including the latter memory when Mike McCarthy’s Pack knocked off his future team in the 2016 Divisional Round. The Cowboys are 8-0 at home this season, and they’re averaging a league-best 29.9 points per game. But now the pressure is on, and Jordan Love is playing his best ball of the season, which has led to three straight wins for Green Bay. With that said, the Packers’ secondary ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in graded coverage, and CeeDee Lamb has been virtually unguardable this season, reeling in a league-leading 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. I expect Dallas to outpace Green Bay at Jerry World, but I don’t trust them enough to lay the points.

• Pick: GB +7.5

NFC | #6 Los Angeles Rams (10-7) @ #3 Detroit Lions (12-5) 8:00pm ET, NBC

• Let’s talk storylines: Thanks to their first NFC North title in franchise history, the Lions are hosting a playoff game for the first time since 1993. Naturally, they’ll be playing their former longtime QB Matthew Stafford, who won a Super Bowl in his first season with Los Angeles after being traded by Detroit. The Rams will also be facing their former quarterback, Jared Goff, who got shipped to Detroit in the deal for Stafford. Awkward! LA’s offense is quietly one of the best in the NFL right now, averaging 31.7 points in their past 10 games, and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua could be problems for Detroit’s secondary, which is one of the worst in the league. The Lions also may be without TE Sam LaPorta after the star rookie suffered a knee injury in Week 18. Whether or not he plays, not having him at 100 percent takes away a crucial element of Detroit’s offense. It’s still fair to expect some fireworks, but I’ll take the more experienced team in a rather even matchup.

• Pick: LAR +3

Monday

NFC | #5 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) @ #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) 8:15pm ET, ESPN

• The Birds beat the Bucs 25-11 in Week 3 on their way to a 10-1 start but then dropped five of their last six games to miss out on an NFC East title. The tailspin was sudden but not as surprising as you’d think. Even early on, Philly’s offense looked out of sorts in the absence of former OC Shane Steichen, who left for the Colts head coaching job. Now, Jalen Hurts is dealing with a dislocated finger on his passing hand, and the team has scored fewer than 20 points four times amid their recent slide, capped by a 27-10 loss to the Giants in Week 18. Luckily for them, Tampa Bay also has their flaws and narrowly won an abysmal NFC South with an uninspiring 9-0 victory over the Panthers. The Bucs scored 20 or fewer points 10 times this season, and Baker Mayfield is dealing with a rib injury of his own. But this one may simply come down to whether or not Hurts can throw the ball with his damaged paw. If he can’t, Philly’s tailspin may end in a fiery crash.

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2023-24 NFL Top Games Record: 26-15-1.

Blitz Prime Record: 19-6-1

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A Newsletter For Hockey Lovers

The NHL season is in full swing and if you’re looking for additional hockey news beyond our Scoreboard recaps and headlines, subscribe to the below! It’s a great compliment to the Blitz!

NHL - Top Games

• Florida Panthers 3, Los Angeles Kings 2 (OT): In a game featuring two teams going in opposite directions, Matthew Tkachuck (1 G) forced extra hockey with a late 3rd-period goal, and Sam Reinhart (1 G) roofed a nifty OT-winner to give the Cats their ninth straight win and the Kings their seventh consecutive loss - prepare yourself for more winning streaks…

• Edmonton Oilers 3, Detroit Red Wings 2 (OT): The Oilers effectively emulated the Panthers’ night as they also picked up their ninth straight win with a 3-2 victory in overtime, where Darnell Nurse (1 G) called game after both teams traded a pair of goals in the 3rd period - Connor McDavid (1 G) scored the Oilers first goal, and their nine-game winning streak matches a franchise record

• Seattle Kraken 4, Washington Capitals 1: The Kraken are right behind Florida and Edmonton in terms of the league’s longest active win streaks as they notched their eighth dub in a row by storming the Capitals behind Adam Larsson’s (1 G, 1 A) two points and additional goals from Justin Schultz (1 G), Alex Wennberg (1 G), and Tye Kartye (1 G) - after a disastrous start, Seattle has the fifth-best record in the Pacific at 18-14-9

• Winnipeg Jets 2, Chicago Blackhawks 1: And finally, there’s the Jets, who also extended their winning streak to eight games thanks to Gabriel Vilardi’s (1 G) equalizer with 3:29 left in the 3rd period and Nikolaj Ehlers’ (1 G) game-winner with 65 seconds to play - Winnipeg (28-9-4) leads the West in points with 60

See the full NHL scoreboard here and the current standings here.

NBA - Top Games

• Milwaukee Bucks 135, Boston Celtics 102: After an overtime win over the West-leading Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Celtics found themselves on the wrong end of a tough back-to-back, as Giannis Antetokounmpo (24 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST) and Bobby Portis (28 PTS, 12 REB) scored the first 20 points among a 25-0 run in the first half to rout Jayson Tatum (7 PTS, 2-6 FG, 3 AST) and company in a wire-to-wire win - the C’s trailed by 37 at halftime, and Milwaukee (26-12) is now three games back of Boston (29-9) for first place in the East

• Oklahoma City Thunder 139, Portland Trail Blazers 77: Portland… yikes. The Blazers suffered the fifth-biggest loss in NBA history, as Shai Gileous-Alexander (31 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST) and Josh Giddey (13 PTS, 12 AST, 10 REB) had themselves a field day in an absolute clown-pumping in which Portland scored 15 points in the 2nd quarter and 17 in the 3rd - Oklahoma City (26-11) is now tied with Minnesota for the best record in the West

• Cleveland Cavaliers 111, Brooklyn Nets 102: Donovan Mitchell (45 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST) earned himself a tall glass of vino, as the superstar scored 21 of his season-high 45 points in the 4th quarter to carry the Cavs past Mikal Bridges (26 PTS, 11 REB) and the Nets in the NBA’s third-ever game in Paris

• Dallas Mavericks 128, New York Knicks 124: After trailing the entire game, Julius Randle (32 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST) and the Knicks were able to get within one with 1:08 left to play, but Kyrie Irving (44 PTS, 15-26 FG, 10 AST) was simply too much, and Dallas edged out New York to end their winning streak at five games after acquiring OG Anunoby (10 PTS, 6 REB) - Josh Green (18 PTS) hit a dagger three with 25 seconds left, and the Mavs were without Luka Doncic (ankle sprain) and two other starters

See the full NBA scoreboard here and the current standings here.

College Basketball - Top Games

• NCAAM | Santa Clara 77, #23 Gonzaga 76: In a late-night thriller from California, Adama-Alpha Bal (17 PTS, 6 AST, 3 STL) went coast-to-coast for a sensational game-winning bucket (and the foul) with 4.6 seconds left as the Santa Clara Broncos stunned Anton Watson (32 PTS, 9 REB, 6 STL) and the Bulldogs for their first win against the Zags since Jan. 20, 2011, snapping a 26-game losing streak - Gonzaga (11-5) is now 0-2 on the road this season, and yes… court storming warranted!

• NCAAW | #21 Florida State 70, #20 North Carolina 62: Sara Bejedi (23 PTS, 5-9 3PT, 6 REB) was a problem from deep, and Mikayla Timpson (11 PTS, 14 REB, 3 BLK) took over down the stretch to seal a hard-fought win for the Noles against Deja Kelly (23 PTS, 3 AST) and the Heels in Tallahassee

See the full men’s scoreboard here and the full women’s scoreboard here.

In partnership with Splash Sports

The NFL Playoffs are finally here, and we’re running a contest through Super Bowl 57 to see which Blitzer can pick the most games correctly. The reward? Straight cash, homie! Lots of dough is up for grabs, and the rules are simple:

• Pick the winner of each game starting this Wild Card Weekend

• Then make sure to get your picks in prior to the Divisional Round, Conference Championships, and the Super Bowl

• It costs just $10 to enter, and the top 3 contestants at the conclusion of the Super Bowl will take home a cash prize

• Sign up for our contest on Splash Sports here

Tail our picks at your own risk, or choose to wisely fade us. Either way, get in the game!

This year marks the first NFL playoffs without Tom Brady or Peyton Manning since _______.

A. 2002

B. 2000

C. 1998

D. 1997

On January 12, 2013, the "Mile High Miracle" helped give the Ravens a 38-35 overtime win against the Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round. Down seven points with 44 seconds remaining and no timeouts, Baltimore faced a third-and-3 on their own 30-yard line when Joe Flacco heaved a prayer downfield, which was misplayed by Denver safety Rahim Moore and fell perfectly into the arms of Jacoby Jones for a 70-yard, game-tying touchdown with 32 seconds left in regulation. The Ravens would go on to win in double overtime after Corey Graham picked off Peyton Manning to set up Justin Tucker's 47-yard, walk-off field goal. The thrilling victory fueled Baltimore's run to Super Bowl 47, where they would beat the 49ers for their second title in franchise history - Joe Flacco... ELITE!

Friday

• NBA: Sacramento Kings @ Philadelphia 76ers 7:30pm ET, ESPN

• NBA: New Orleans Pelicans @ Denver Nuggets 10:00pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAW: #8 Stanford @ #19 Utah 8:00pm ET, Pac-12

• NHL: Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars 8:00pm ET, NHL Net

• NHL: Philadelphia Flyers @ Minnesota Wild 8:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

Saturday

• NFL Playoffs: Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans 4:30pm ET, NBC

• NFL Playoffs: Miami Dolphins @ Kansas City Chiefs 8:00pm ET, Peacock

• EPL: Manchester City @ Newcastle United 12:30pm ET, USA Net

• NBA: Golden State Warriors @ Milwaukee Bucks 8:00pm ET, NBA TV

• NBA: Los Angeles Lakers @ Utah Jazz 9:30pm ET, Local

• NCAAM: Syracuse @ #7 North Carolina 12:00pm ET, ESPN

• NCAAM: #9 Oklahoma @ #3 Kansas 2:00pm ET, Big 12 / ESPN+

• NCAAW: #14 Indiana @ #3 Iowa 8:00pm ET, FOX

• NHL: New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals 1:00pm ET, ABC

• NHL: Colorado Avalanche @ Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm ET, NHL Net

Sunday

• NFL Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills 1:00pm ET, CBS

• NFL Playoffs: Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys 4:30pm ET, FOX

• NFL Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions 8:00pm ET, NBC

• EPL: Tottenham @ Manchester United 11:30am ET, Peacock

• NBA: Indiana Pacers @ Denver Nuggets 3:30pm ET, Local

• NBA: Sacramento Kings @ Milwaukee Bucks 7:00pm ET, Local

• NCAAM: Georgetown @ #4 UConn 12:00pm ET, FOX

• NCAAW: #2 UCLA @ #9 USC 5:00pm ET, Fubo

• NHL: Washington Capitals @ New York Rangers 1:00pm ET, NHL Net

• NHL: Detroit Red Wings @ Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

Grab $20 off tickets to your favorite games, concerts and events using code TORCH20 at Vivid Seats - Promo is for first-time buyers and orders over $200!

Trivia Time Answer

C. 1998. This year is the first NFL playoffs without Tom Brady or Peyton Manning since the 1998 season. From 1999 to 2015, Manning’s teams only missed the playoffs in 2001 and 2011. From 2000 to 2022, Brady’s teams only missed the playoffs in 2002 and 2008 - Manning missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury, and Brady tore his ACL in Week 1 of 2008.

Enjoy one of the best NFL weekends of the year! See ya Tuesday :)