Last Week: 8–4–1

Season: 68–50–2

Byes: Chicago, Washington, Arizona, Houston, Cincinnati, New England

The winning percentage keeps going up with another solid week! The Browns came oh-so-close last week in getting their first win, but were edged 31–28 by the Jets. The big upset of the week turned out to be the Monday nighter, where the Bears knocked off the Vikings in convincing fashion. The best game of the week was the shootout in Atlanta that saw the Falcons score late to beat the Packers in a 33–32 thriller. On to this week’s action.

Atlanta (5–3) at Tampa Bay (3–4), Thursday 5:25 p.m.

Tampa Bay opened the season with a road win at Atlanta. Since then the Bucs have been mediocre and the Falcons have played extremely well, with quality wins over the Raiders on the road and Packers at home. Look for Atlanta to take this one in a game with more turnovers than expected.

Prediction: Falcons 31 Buccaneers 24

Upset Special

Lions (4–4) at Vikings (5–2), Sunday 10 a.m.

Two weeks ago, I thought the Vikings were the NFC favourites with a team that was Super Bowl capable. After scoring only 10 points against a bad Bears defence, that no longer appears to be the case. The Vikings offensive line is struggling to protect Sam Bradford and the defence — which won games earlier in the year with turnovers and touchdowns — has not been as dynamic. I like the Lions in this contest because of how much their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, has decreased his propensity for turnovers. The Lions have more playmakers than the Vikings and if they are able to limit turnovers, they should win a low-scoring game.

Prediction: Lions 19 Vikings 14

Pittsburgh (4–3) at Baltimore (3–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

These arch rivals always play each other in tough, hard-hitting games decided by three points or less. Whenever I think of this matchup, Ray Lewis’ devastating tackle on Rashard Mendenhall, which shattered Mendenhall’s shoulder, comes to mind. This tilt has major playoff implications as the Ravens could pull into a tie for first in the AFC Central division with a win and a Bengals loss. The intrigue in this game also concerns the health of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who looks like he will be able to come back earlier than expected from a knee injury. I like a rested Ravens team coming off a bye to edge the Steelers in an emotional slugfest.

Prediction: Ravens 16 Steelers 13

Jets (3–5) at Dolphins (3–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

These divisional rivals have played some very memorable games over the years, highlighted by Dan Marino’s fake spike game winning touchdown and the “Monday Night Miracle” where the Jets overcame a 30–7 fourth quarter deficit to win in overtime 40–37. That game is notable for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s halftime interview where he boldly declared, “Wayne Chrebet is going to pull it off. I think as usual the Jets are going to come from behind, you will see [. . .] I think the Dolphins have to be terminated.” True to form, Chrebet caught a touchdown to tie the game at 30 and later a key reception in overtime which set the Jets up for the game winning field. In this matchup, look for another huge game by Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi, who recently became the fourth player in NFL history with back-to-back 200-yard rushing games.

Prediction: Dolphins 34 Jets 21

Philadelphia (4–3) at New York Giants (4–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

These two divisional rivals also have a long history steeped in tradition. The most memorable moment in the matchup is undoubtedly “The Miracle at the Meadowlands.” When teams take a knee at the end of the game, there’s a player standing behind the offence just in case there is a fumble. This happens because the Giants fumbled in the final seconds of a game in 1978 which saw Eagles defensive Back Herman Edwards scoop up the ball and score the game-winning touchdown. This game will be a tight matchup where the Eagles strong defence will be tasked with stopping an explosive Giants team that is rested off of a bye week. I like the Giants and league number one diva Odell Beckham to prevail in this matchup.

Prediction: Giants 28 Eagles 20

Dallas (6–1) at Cleveland (0–8), Sunday 10 a.m.

This matchup has trap game written all over it. The Cowboys are flying high after a big divisional win last week against the Eagles and go on the road, on grass, to play the laughing stock of the league. The wrinkle is that the Browns have played good tough football this year for new coach Hue Jackson and almost knocked off the Jets last week. They also traded for talented linebacker Jamie Collins from the Patriots who will immediately improve their defence. I have boldly predicted Browns upsets on two occasions this year and cannot predict a third. I grudgingly will side with the favourites in this one.

Prediction: Cowboys 24 Browns 23

New Orleans (3–4) at San Francisco (1–6), Sunday 1:05 p.m.

I do not like the Saints on the road and I like them even less on the road on grass. That being said, the 49ers may be the least talented team in the league. I think the Saints will be a factor in the playoff picture late in the year which makes this game one they simply have to have.

Prediction: Saints 26 49ers 16

Carolina (2–5) at Los Angeles (3–4), Sunday 1:05 p.m.

The Panthers finally got it going last week with a convincing home win against the Cardinals. While I don’t like that they are travelling across the country against a rested Rams team, I do think Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will make enough plays to beat an opponent with serious offensive limitations.

Prediction: Panthers 21 Rams 17

Tennessee (4–4) at San Diego (3–5), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

The Chargers are a playoff-calibre team despite their 3–5 record. The Titans have a strong running game and a very capable quarterback in Marcus Mariota but will not be able to do enough on the road to crest the 500-mark. Rivers and company pull closer into the playoff picture.

Prediction: Chargers 38 Titans 33

Indianapolis (3–5) at Green Bay (4–3), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

My skepticism about Green Bay’s offence and Aaron Rodgers’ play are officially at an end. The Packers roll over a terrible Colts defence at home and make a charge for a division title.

Prediction: Green Bay 41 Indianapolis 29

Game of the Week

Denver (6–2) at Oakland (6–2), Sunday 5:30 p.m.

Two division rivals with equal records, with the winner gaining first place in the division in prime time — you’ve got to love sports! The Raiders won last week in overtime against Tampa Bay despite setting a league record for accepted penalties in a game. They are young, brash, have an excellent quarterback in Derek Carr, and playmakers on both sides of the ball. The Broncos are a veteran team with tons of playoff experience, including a victory in last year’s Super Bowl. They also have a dominant defence and are extremely well-coached and -disciplined, which makes up for their offensive limitations. I was all in on the Raiders until I wrote the above, and reflected upon my own football experiences both playing and coaching on how important discipline, coaching, and experience are to winning.

Prediction: The boring Broncos 27, the sexy Raiders 24  

Buffalo (4–4) at Seattle (4–2–1), Monday 5:30 p.m.   

I’m tempted to express order a Jim Kelly jersey and a pair of zubaz pants to represent Bills fans in Seattle on Monday. Even with the power of the zubaz nation behind them, the Bills will be travelling cross country to face a Seahawks team reeling from a tie and a loss in back-to-back road games. You better believe the Seahawks will be focused and ready to maintain their precarious divisional lead in the NFC West.

Prediction: Seahawks 34 Bills 28

A slow metamorphosis is operating in SFU men’s basketball team. With several recruits and a new head coach, the 2016–2017 roster can hardly be compared to last year’s squad.

The Clan took over Columbia Bible College for its second exhibition game, with a 96–53 win. UBC transfer Kedar Wright led the team once again with 20 points. Redshirt Junior JJ Pankratz registered 19 points. Pankratz, who is one the few players returning from last year, was named as one of the co-captains of the 2016-2017 team. Freshman Graham Miller registered 15 points in the contest while another one of SFU’s new recruits, Othniel Spence, had 14 points.

As for the Clan hoping to strengthen its roster with new recruits, redshirt freshman Michael Provenzano seemed to have adapted to the team quickly. The point guard had some impressive moments on the court against Douglas College and Columbia Bible College.

It has only been a week since SFU men’s basketball went back on the court, but Former UBC player Kedar Wright already convinced the crowd of his talent through his electric performances. Wright scored the most points in both exhibition games and played a total of 42 minutes combined.

“I think we’re still growing as a team. There are still a lot of things that we need to clean up, which was evident today especially in the first half,” said Wright. “We were a bit messy on the defensive side in the first half. We’re still getting used to play with each other. I think we responded pretty well in the second half and there’s definitely going to be a lot of growth this year [and] I think we did as good job as a team. I’m excited to play again.”

Head Coach Steve Hansen, who was part of the coaching staff last season as an assistant coach, looks forward to learn from last year’s mistakes with his fresh team and get better results.

“I think we need to change the way we start games. They do get the job of running their personal offence, and that’s a very tough game to prepare for, but we just didn’t come out for the challenge in the first half. It was good to see some of the leaders at halftime take over, and we came over with a different attitude in the second half. It was good to see some adversity today.”

Even though the Clan shined for its first two exhibition games — SFU opened its exhibition schedule with a 97–63 win over Douglas College — Coach Hanson is still looking to solidify his new team and put together stronger collective performances while adjusting a new combination of players. Coach Hansen has already showed us what the Clan is capable of with some quality basketball and will be able to rely significantly on seven new talented faces, as well as more experienced players such as seniors Hidde Vos and Gibran Sewani.

The Clan will now take on Quest University in another home game on November 5. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

In a tight game compared to their last contest, SFU was able to grind out a 4–2 result against the University of Victoria Vikes. The Clan got four goals from four different players, a good sight considering the injuries up front to Adam Callegari, Tyler Basham, Mike Sandor, and Jesse Mysiorek.

“We just have good depth, and the boys are jumping into those opportunities,” said head coach Mark Coletta after the game. “Especially guys that don’t play that much. But I think we have a lot of goal scorers, first, second, third, fourth line — whatever you want to call them, one line more or less, I think they all play well.”

In the first period, SFU got up to a 2–0 lead. Spencer Unger and Mak Barden got the goals, and Lyndon Stanwood in his first start of the season only faced two shots.

However, that quickly changed. UVic roared out in the second period, peppering Stanwood with 15 shots, and adding another nine in the period. BC Intercollegiate Hockey League point leader Shawn Mueller got the goal, while Jaret Babych got one back for the Clan.

“It’s tough, especially if you haven’t played for four weeks in a row in a real game, to come back and you’ve only had two shots, and they weren’t really contested shots at all,” said Stanwood on the increased traffic in the latter two periods. “I was a little bit nervous at first, as you haven’t played in a while. Coming back and easing your way into it was great, I thank my team for that.”

The third period featured a barrage of power plays for UVic, but they weren’t able to truly take advantage. Mueller got his second of the game, but that was not enough as Mitch Crisanti scored an empty-netter to put the game away at 4–2.

One of the keys to the game was limiting the offensive production of Patrick Holland. The ex-NHLer was held to no points on the night.

“Our D did a great job, all six of them,” remarked Coletta on how they limited his chances. “[. . .] So we tried to isolate those things as best we can. [And also], our defence were up with the play. They were tight, [and] our gap starts when we break the puck out. I know you hear that a lot in the NHL level when they talk about gap. We try to bring that to a different level that as soon as we break the puck out we want our D to follow up, so that they’re already in position and that they’re not having to run up.”

“He’s a very good hockey player as you can see out there tonight,” said Stanwood. “But he’s playing in our league too. So we just take him as another player. You just want to do what you do against any other player, and that’s what we did tonight.”

SFU’s next home game won’t be until November 26, where they’ll play four-time defending champions Selkirk College. SFU is now two points off them in the standings, but have two games in hand.

The 2016–17 NBA season is here, with expert predictions that will invariably be wrong, and optimism that is misplaced. Yet, there is something magical about the return of ball season. Here are the four major storylines to follow this upcoming season.

1) Golden State is the best team in the league . . . again.

The Warriors got over the disappointment of being the first team to lose a 3–1 lead in the NBA finals by signing Kevin Durant two weeks later, via free agency. This iteration of the Warriors possesses the past two MVPs of the league in Durant and Stephen Curry. Surrounding them are the second best shooter in the league, Klay Thompson, and the two-year defensive player of the year runner up, the enigmatic Draymond Green. Rolling out a lineup featuring those four players means that this team figures to be the best offensive team — possibly of all time. This season is going to feel a lot like last year’s, when the Warriors won 73 games, because the talent discrepancy between the Warriors and the rest of the league is outlandish.

2)   The Cleveland Cavaliers want to spoil another Warriors party.

Despite being major underdogs in last year’s finals, the Cavs won their first title and Cleveland’s first major sports win in 52 years behind the legendary LeBron James. James solidified his place as best player in the league with a great finals, which saw him averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. With the entire squad returning, the Cavs look set to reach the finals for a third straight season. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and J.R. Smith will look to shoulder some of LeBron’s burden during the regular season. The Cavs’ eyes are again set on the Warriors out west, as they look towards a third straight finals matchup with the Oakland-based team.

3)   This is Russell Westbrook’s world, and we are all living in it.

With Kevin Durant’s departure, Russell Westbrook is now the man in Oklahoma City. Westbrook’s ferocious attacks on NBA defences figure to be a routine fixture now, and this season might be the greatest individual season by a player in the modern era. The Westbrook show will feature athleticism, power, and speed that is unmatched by any point guard in the game today and if he can lead his team to 50 wins there will be a strong narrative for Westbrook as the MVP. Three games into the new season, Westbrook has already had the first 50-point triple-double in the NBA since 1975, and won the Western Conference Player of the Week. Apart from the Warriors, Westbrook is guaranteed entertainment and must-watch TV this season.

4)   The MVP race is wide open.

It is hard to imagine Steph Curry three-peating as the MVP, and even harder to imagine Kevin Durant reclaiming that trophy as a new member of an already championship-level team. With the two splitting votes being on the same team, the MVP debate this season opens up as LeBron James, a four-time MVP, looks to regain the award and players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard figure to make a push for the honour. Harden in Houston has an offensive genius head coach in Mike D’Antoni figuring to make him an even better player, and Kawhi in San Antonio looks to be the franchise player with the retirement of Tim Duncan. Westbrook, of course, figures to be a one-man wrecking crew for the entire season. Team success invariably plays a role in MVP selection, so in the tradition of making predictions early, I pick the two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year, Kawhi Leonard as my pick for MVP.  

Is SFU’s men soccer team the new Leicester of the GNAC? It seems like it with the historical season they’ve had.

The Clan gave an impressive performance for their last home game and dismantled the Northwest Nazareth’s Crusaders with four goals. This victory extended the Clan’s unbeaten streak to 18 matches. SFU is now one of the only three unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II, and number one in the NCAA West Regional Ranking.

“What a result,” said head coach Clint Schneider after the game. “The players are over the moon. [We] said that is a goal for us to win the GNAC championship. We did it at home and it’s special. We now have two games in hand so two more to go in the GNAC.”

SFU’s midfield was decisive in the contest. Midfielders Adam Jones, Kyle Jones, and Brendan Shaw each scored a goal. Defender Magnus Kristensen also notched a goal.

Midfielder Adam Jones opened the box score for SFU with a late goal in the first half. Jones was assisted by teammate Mamadi Camara with a long, smooth pass. The ball found the path of Jones, who scored his seventh goal of the season.

It did not take long for the Clan to overwhelm NNU’s goalkeeper Aleja Basulto-Merito. At 65 minutes into the contest, defender Magnus Kristensen netted his third goal of the season off a free kick from the right side, finishing an assist from Robert Hyams, who has been very efficient in his assists attempts in the last three games.

Less than four minutes later, Kyle Jones gave the Clan a 3–0 margin. Jones fired a Messi-like free kick that found the back of the net from 25 yards.

With only 45 seconds left, midfielder Brendan Shaw showed off his soccer abilities and finished off SFU’s victory with a free ball in the box.

Goalkeeper Brandon Watson, who broke the GNAC record for the most shutouts in the previous game, recorded his 30th clean sheet in his career. Watson commented on his accomplishment for The Peak. “I owe to my team mates more than anything. That’s the biggest thing I would say about it. It’s the backline in front of me, and again it’s a huge credit to these guys. Now we got the GNAC [championship] and that’s one of the biggest things.”

“We still have two games left in the GNAC. I’m proud of the guys’ result today” noted head coach Clint Schneider. “Northwest Nazarene is a very good team; they caused us some problems today. I thought we responded pretty well. There is a frustration in the way the game ended. We don’t want to end the game that way — but we got through it, which is good.”

Schneider also commented on the contribution of newcomers Freddie Gard and Riley Pang. “Freddie [Gard] and Riley Pang are both two freshmen. I think they’re both excellent and to step into a team like ours, start and play a lot of minutes is a big credit to those guys. I don’t know if it is surprising though because we recruited them for that purpose. I’m happy that they are part of our team.”

The Clan will be on the road to take on Western Washington University on November 3.

It is to the sound of a cheerful crowd in the West Gym that SFU men’s basketball had its first preseason game. The Clan opened their preseason with authority with a 97–63 win over Douglas College and dropped 16 three-pointers in the victory.  

The Clan was up 22 points in the first half against the Royals, leading 51–29, before dropping 46 points in the second. SFU also outrebounded their opponent 43–31.

SFU men’s basketball featured a new head coach — former Terry Fox High School head coach Steve Hanson — as well as seven recruits.

The lineup on the court was drastically different from last season. Aleks Vranjes, who redshirted last year, played a total of 24 minutes against the Royals, while Ontario natives Othniel Spence and Michael Provenzano registered 16 and 25 minutes, respectively. Coach Hanson opened up about this strategic choice, stating “early in the season we want to give everybody a chance to see how they fit. I think all the guys on the court gave us a little bit of something.”

SFU’s new junior guard Kedar Wright and freshman guard Michael Provenzano dictated the game with continuous offensive actions on the court. UBC transfer Kedar Wright scored a total of 21 points and was four-of-seven on three-pointers. Freshman guard Michael Provenzano scored 14 points on four-of-six shooting. Freshman guard Graham Miller, who redshirted last year,, had 12 points. Senior guard Gibran Sewani, who is one of the two seniors returning this season, did not play the first exhibition game due to a concussion.

To add to this new roster, the team will be doing without some of SFU’s most talented recruits from last season. Freshman Oshea Gairey, who looked like he could carry the Clan’s future, departed the team. Victor Valley transfer Max Barkeley, who probably had the most exciting performances on the court, will not be part of Coach Hanson’s team.

However, despite the result, there is still room for improvement.“We’re not playing 40 minutes hard yet, so there are a lot of breakdowns early in the game that kind of let the other team back in,” said Hanson. “They threw some zones at us which we were not really ready for, so coaching is ready for that. Overall, I’d say it was a positive start.”

The coach also commented on Michael Provenzano’s performance: “As a young leader on our team, he is doing so far, so good.”  

Hanson, who was the lead assistant coach last year, admits that it will take a herculean effort to rebuild the team and be consistent enough. The Clan suffered an 18-game losing streak last year. The only conference win came from a game against Concordia University. In addition to rebuilding the team, Coach Hanson will face the challenge of adapting to the NCAA level. “We’re playing a very tough conference. Our expectations are really about ourselves and just trying to get better.”

Simon Fraser will be hosting an exhibition game tonight against Columbia Bible College. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.