Our 2020 Halloween Pumpkins

My son and I got pumpkins for Halloween today,  and we carved them. 

Mine is the more conventional pumpkin,  more traditional orange.  His is a lighter color orange,  and he was more experimental with his carving. 

Here are the pictures:

Happy Halloween 2020

No,  I did not dress up in some costume like I normally like to do for this holiday.  Neither did my son,  for that matter. 

However,  my girlfriend dressed up for work in a new witch's outfit,  and she looked really good! So,  I  took some pictures of her. 

Then,  she put her blue wig and witch hat on me and took a picture.  So here are the pictures of what passes for our Halloween costumes for 2020:

NFL 2020 Week 8 Preview

  

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This week will be the official midseason point for the vast majority of teams, who will have played eight of their sixteen scheduled games by this end of this weekend.  

Let’s take a closer look at each of these games for week 8:  

NY Jets at Kansas City – Not so long ago, I almost viewed these teams as eerily similar. The Jets had last been to the Super Bowl – and won one – back in January of 1969, their one and only major glorious chapter before the North American sports world. And the Chiefs had won their one and only Super Bowl at the time just the following season. Neither had been to another Super Bowl since. But the Chiefs acquired first Andy Reed, who turned them into perennial playoff contenders, and then eventually got Patrick Mahomes, who revolutionized that offense. He was the NFL MVP in his first season as the starter, and then got Kansas City back into the Super Bowl last season, where he earned that game’s MVP honors and won his first Super Bowl ring. The Chiefs have now looked incredible and dangerous for the past three seasons, and many expect them to be able to win it all again this season, too. In fact, some people are suggesting that the Chiefs have now replaced the Patriots as the new dominant dynasty of this era. And the Jets? Well, they are 0-7, and this season has been disastrous for the Jets, even by their standards. So now, going on the road against possibly the very best team in the league, it is hard to imagine why anyone would think that the Jets are actually going to win this game. Hell, it is almost impossible imagining that they can stay competitive for very long. My pick: Kansas City  

Tennessee at Cincinnati – The Titans suffered a brutal loss to the Steelers last week. They mounted a strong comeback, but it fell just shy of pushing them over the top. The Bengals, meanwhile, also lost a heartbreaker, losing to their cross-state division rivals, the Browns, in the final seconds. So both of these teams are looking to recover from stinging losses. And while it is true that the Bengals enjoy home field advantage, it feels like the Titans are just going to be too strong for Cincy in this one. My pick: Tennessee  

Minnesota at Green Bay – Last season, these two teams were very serious contenders. This season? The Packers look like they are still playing at an elite level, but the Vikings look just awful, almost like one of the worst teams in the league. The Packers already beat the Vikings in Minnesota earlier this season. But at home, in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field? It is hard to imagine the Vikings pulling off what would truly be an astounding upset here. They just have now shown enough for anyone making predictions to suggest an upset here. My pick: Green Bay  

New England at Buffalo – For many years now, the Patriots were the NFL’s great dynasty, perennially qualifying for Super Bowls, and winning most of the ones that they played in. And their dominance was in large part possible because of the often severe struggles of other teams in the division. New England seemed to own all of those teams, but there was one team that was particularly tormented by them. That would be the Bills, who suffered through a major losing streak during the time when the Pats completely dominated the AFC East. In fact, the Patriots seemed almost to make Orchard Park their home away from home, almost always beating the Bills there. But now, the Patriots look vulnerable, as if they are heading to their first non-winning season in many years. Meanwhile, the Bills are solidly in first place, but they know how important this particular division showdown will be. This game has a ton of potential symbolism, not to mention payback, for the Bills. Should they manage to win, they will place themselves as the obvious favorites to win the division this season, and in so doing, to render the Patriots largely irrelevant this season. What a role reversal that will be, IF the Bills manage to win. This is a big showdown for them, and I do not think that they will disappoint. My pick: Buffalo  

Indianapolis at Detroit – Now, this is a difficult game to make a prediction for. Neither team is particularly familiar with the other. The Colts are probably the better all around team between the two, but the Lions have home field advantage, and are probably feeling pretty good, having won three of the last four. Again, it feels like this one could go either way, and whoever wins, it will not exactly be a shock. As difficult as this particular game is to call, I have to do it. So here it is. My pick: Detroit  

Pittsburgh at Baltimore – Now, this is surely the game of the week! The big, divisional showdown between the league’s only remaining undefeated team, the Steelers, and the also red hot and elite Baltimore Ravens. The explosive and hugely talented Pittsburgh offense versus the always tough Baltimore defense, which looks like the number one unit in the league thus far. And the Ravens have a very dangerous offense as well, while the Steelers have a solid defense. This should be a hell of a match. Yet, only one team can emerge on top. I have a feeling that both teams will show some highlight material, at least at first. But in the end, I suspect that the Ravens, with home field advantage, pull off the win, even perhaps a very narrow one, in this game. Their defense, and a solid running game and unpredictable offense should prove just a little bit too much for the Steelers, who will likely taste their first defeat of the season this weekend. My pick: Baltimore  

           

LA Rams at Miami – The Rams are not the most consistent team this season, and they are not perhaps as good – at least not yet - as they were two seasons ago, when they qualified for the Super Bowl. But overall, they have proven to be a tough team thus far, recovering from their disappointing season last year, when they failed to make the playoffs. But the Dolphins are improving, and could prove a tough challenge, especially on the road. This is not the same Fins team that we were used to seeing flop, season after season. They are tougher, and potentially a team that can make a run at the playoffs. So, this is a good, solid test for both teams. From my standpoint, this is yet another game where it is kind of a tossup. Either team could pull this off. Yet, in the end, I suspect that the Dolphins pull off the home win. My pick: Miami    

          

Las Vegas at Cleveland – A battle of two teams that have hardly been models of consistency this season. Nor have these two teams been among the winningest teams in recent seasons, either. True, the Raiders had that one season where they finished 12-4, but that hardly feels relevant anymore, since they have had three losing seasons since, and are desperately trying to improve. So far, they have managed just a .500 record at 3-3. The Browns, meanwhile, have quietly produced one of the better records in the AFC at 5-2. They keep winning, and have won each of their games at home to this point in the season, as well. I suspect that the offense catches fire again, and produces win number six at the expense of the Raiders. My pick: Cleveland              

LA Chargers at Denver – The Chargers just earned only their second win of the season last weekend against the weak Jaguars. The Broncos, meanwhile, saw their winning streak abruptly end as the defending champion Chiefs came to town and effectively wiped the field with an overwhelmed Denver team. But the Broncos are at home and should be able to handle a seriously flawed Chargers team going nowhere this season. My pick: Denver              

San Francisco at Seattle – A big NFC West showdown. The 5-1 Seahawks were handed their first and (so far) only loss of the season last weekend. Yet already, they are feeling the pressure of their pursuers in the NFC West. And since that is such a good quality division, that literally means every team in the division. The Cardinals and Rams are each half a game behind at 5-2, and the 49ers are 4-3, and can close the margin significantly with a win here. They also seem to have found their footing a bit better, after struggling earlier this season. Not surprisingly, San Francisco has one of the toughest defenses in the league. But Seattle is still tough, and probably should have won at Arizona last weekend. They are also at home, where they usually prove very difficult to beat. Their defense has been a bit more flawed than usual, but their offense is one of the most dangerous and explosive units in the league, behind veteran Russell Wilson, who has been playing such quality football, that he has garnered MVP talk. Look for another wild, wild NFC West showdown, with the Seahawks likely just surviving in the end for the win. My pick: Seattle              

New Orleans at Chicago – Here is yet another game where it feels like either team could win. The Saints are not playing the lights out football that many expected from them this season, but they are winning, and they keep winning. Plus, they still have a ton of talent, and one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league. Meanwhile, the Bears have also mostly been winning, although that loss to the Rams on Monday may have exposed some weaknesses, particularly for the offense. My suspicion is that the Saints are the better of the two teams, overall, but home field advantage still does benefit the Bears here. Yet, it likely will not be the deciding factor, and so I am going with the Saints to pull off a narrow win here. My pick: New Orleans              

Sunday Night Football: Dallas at Philadelphia – Just a couple of weeks ago, the Cowboys were alone atop the NFC East, and seemed to be threatening to pull far enough away that they could seemingly emerge as the clear favorites. Then, key injuries, especially with Dak Prescott, have grounded their expected flight, and they have followed that with losses that saw them fall behind Philly, and tied at second with Washington, following a sobering blowout loss there last weekend. Now, they head off to the City of Brotherly Love, and yet another tough divisional contest. The Eagles are at home, are generally healthier than the ‘Boys, and are likely the better of the two teams right now. And those things add up to a convincing win for the home team, as the season continues to spiral out of control for Dallas. My pick: Philadelphia              

Monday Night Football: Tampa Bay at NY Giants – My G-Men lost a heartbreaker in Philadelphia last weekend, in a game that it feels they should have won. But they did not, and they now have only one win to their names at the midseason point, as the Buccaneers come to town. Last season, the Giants managed to pull off their first win of the season at Tampa Bay in a thrilled, overcoming an 18-point lead to ultimately win. But this is a different Bucs team, as well as a different Giants team. Tom Brady has more weapons on that offense, and is playing exceptionally well to this point. Look for them to put up a lot of points, and produce another big win. My pick: Tampa Bay

🏈 NFL 2020 Week 8 Thursday Night Football Preview 🏈

  

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Atlanta at Carolina

Well, the Falcons are 1-6. So far in NFL history, no team has ever recovered from a 1-6 start to qualify for the playoffs. Guess what? This year’s Falcons are not going to be the first such team, either. They managed one win this season, and a whole slew of brutal losses. They lost another brutal game last week, and now, they have to go on the road to face the Panthers, who are struggling a bit themselves, but still have hopes of possibly recovering enough to make a serious playoff run. 

Quite simply, the Panthers are just the better team, and do not have the baggage that the Falcons seem to be dragging around. I have said it before, but the Dirty Birds have never really recovered from losing that huge Super Bowl lead some years ago. The pressure seems to have grown on them this season, as a few games where they also lost sizable leads have reminded people – not least of all themselves – of their reputation for collapsing when things count the most. 

Carolina is reeling from some recent, painful losses, but I suspect that they vent out their frustrations on Atlanta in this one. 

My pick: Carolina

David Crosby, Once the Face & Voice of a Spirit of Peace & Enlightenment, Has Been Talking Some Serious Trash Lately

Noted musician David Crosby, who of course was part of the legendary Crosby, Stills, and Nash (or sometimes, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young), and who played with that band at Woodstock, the most legendary of all concerts, has been showing that the spirit of peace and love that he was a part of in the sixties is apparently not seemingly still with him more than half a century later, at the very beginning of the 2020's.

He received a ton of criticism recently after he needlessly - and I might add classlessly - tweeted a dismissive "meh" in response to the death of legendary rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen. To his credit, he did apologize for it, admitted that it "lacked empathy" and was "disrespectful."

Gee, you think?

One cannot help but wonder just what was going through his head when he posted this. The more cynical side of me feels (in fact, is almost certain) that he surely knew in advance (I mean, he surely must have known) that it would get a rise out of many people, which was perhaps precisely why he did it.

Maybe that sounds overly cynical, but I suspect that this was the reason, especially since he even more recently followed that up with a dismissive comment on all of the so-called "grunge" bands of the nineties. 

When asked about many of the bands, including pretty much all of the noted Seattle bands, he simply stated that he did not like any of those bands. While he is certainly entitled to his opinion, this dismissive comment, which of course includes Pearl Jam, the band that his own former bandmate, Neil Young, often played and even toured with. Young and the members of Pearl Jam (sans Eddie Vedder) even released an entire album together in the mid-nineties.

As an artist of some repute, and one who seemed to embody much of the spirit of peace and love and who aspired to greater enlightenment back in the sixties, I would tend to think that he would try to qualify his response a bit more than that. After all, criticism of that style of music is, again, a matter of opinion. I have known some people - including musicians - who were not fans of one, and in some cases even all - of those aforementioned bands. But there is also quite a bit of variation between them, and even within the history of some of those bands. Chris Cornell, who was with two of the bands mentioned - Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog - had an amazing range of musical styles and tastes, for example. And Pearl Jam's sound has changed dramatically over the course of many years. You might never suspect that, however, with Crosby's short and dismissive response. I would expect a little bit more of a desire to actually grow familiar enough with those bands to have a more measured response, not to mention the respect factor.

Then again, it seems like Crosby is relying on disrespect lately to generate news headlines. Again, he was a big part of a great band, and produced some decent music on his own, as well. He should feel appreciative of that, and surely, on some level, he does. But his recent comments towards more recent musicians smacks of sour grapes and jealousy, frankly. And that is a sad thing to see from someone who at least pretended to be a bit more enlightened back in the past. Then again, maybe that is why Graham Nash once dismissed Crosby himself as being a jerk. Maybe he was on to something. Nor is it just him, as Neil Young also seems to want nothing to do with Crosby these days. Crosby is, undeniably, a great musician. But it seems that he leaves something to be desired in terms of his personality outside of creating music.

David Crosby apologizes for ‘meh’ response to Eddie Van Halen’s death By Ben Cost, October 14, 2020:

https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/david-crosby-sorry-for-meh-response-to-eddie-van-halens-death/

David Crosby Disrespects Layne Staley & Chris Cornell By Brett Buchanan - Oct 23, 2020

https://www.alternativenation.net/david-crosby-disrespects-layne-staley-chris-cornell/?fbclid=IwAR3zS9UbFkqyiapQbfVFAJwh3vMxcfC5RvKOXlvXmjZiGGGKj-20trVCyjU

⚽️ PSG Pounds Dijon For Sixth Straight Ligue 1 Win, Now in First Place ⚽️

 

⚽️ ⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain 4- Dijon FCO 0  ⚽️  ⚽️ 

Paris Saint-Germain - Dijon FCO ( 4-0 ) 

 PSG 4, Dijon FCO 0         

Last year, Dijon managed to beat PSG at the Parc des Princes.

Clearly, PSG remembered, and were not going to permit that to happen again.    

Coming off a loss to Manchester United, PSG bounced back with a solid victory at home against Dijon, for their sixth straight Ligue 1 win.             

Moise Kean, the Italian forward that PSG picked up from Everton, scored his first two goals for PSG. He scored in the 3rd minute, and then scored again 20 minutes later.

Kean was then replaced by Kylian Mbappé, who scored the first of his two goals in the 82nd minute, giving PSG a commanding 3-0 lead with time expiring.        

Mbappé was able to add another goal in the final minutes, just to put the finishing touches on another dominant PSG victory.        

With this dominant performance, PSG now move up to a first place with Lille in Ligue 1 standings, with 18 points in their eight Ligue 1 games thus far. They however would get the tiebreaker advantage based on points, as they are +17, while Lille is +11. 

🏈 NFL Week 7 Monday Night Football Review: Rams Blast Bears 🏈

   

  

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LA Rams 24, Chicago 10 

The Bears entered last night's game with one of the best records in the league. But they left the stadium with a sobering reminder that they have not clinched anything just yet. 

Indeed, the Rams dominated this game, both offensively and defensively.

The Rams offense produced 371 yards, which was almost 100 more than Chicago, which managed just 279. Los Angeles also produced 24 first downs, to just 14 for the Bears. The Rams also held the edge in terms of time of possession, and they only committed one turnover, while Chicago had two.

It was that kind of a night. The Rams led from early on, after scoring a touchdown late in the first quarter, and never looked back. Chicago's offense looked listless and confused for much of the part of the game that I was able to watch (which was, admittedly, just a small part of the game). What seemed to be apparent to me was that the Rams were playing with a ton of energy and urgency, while the Bears looked confused, frustrated, and ultimately, beaten down.

For the Los Angeles Rams, Jared Goff completed 23 of 33 passes for 219 yards, with two touchdowns. His favorite target was Josh Reynolds, who reeled in four catches for 52 yards and one touchdown.  On the ground, the Rams saw Darrell Henderson Jr. pick up 64 yards on 15 carries.  

As for Chicago, Nick Foles, the former Super Bowl MVP who the Bears picked up after Mitch Trubisky experiment seemed to turn into a bust for the franchise, completed 28 of 40 for 261 yards, with two interceptions.  Allen Robinson II picked up 70 of those yards on four receptions. And running back David  Montgomery collected up 48 yards on 14 carries. 

The win improves the Rams record to 5-2 on the season, tied with the Cardinals for second place in the division, and just half a game behind the Seahawks, who just suffered their first defeat. The Rams will next travel to Miami to face the surging and well-rested Dolphins before hosting the Seahawks, in what may very well be a battle for first place in the NFC West. 

Meanwhile, this loss drops Chicago to 5-2 on the season. This also was their most decisive loss of the season, although many people are suspect of their early success thus far. They have a couple of tough games now coming up, as they host the Saints next, and then have to travel to Tennessee to face the Titans, who currently sport an impressive record of 5-1.

NFL 2020 Week 7 Review

  

  

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We are now basically at midseason point already. Each team should more or less be relatively polished, and have found their games. And some clear themes now have been established. Some of those themes:  

-        The NFC East is awful. The Eagles are by themselves in first place with a record of 2-4-1, with Washington and Dallas tied for second place at 2-5. The Giants, at 1-6, are one game out from second place, and one game and a half out of first place.  

-        By contrast, the NFC West looks incredibly solid. Every team in the division has a winning record, and seems like a legitimate contender to at least qualify for the postseason. Nobody has shot too far ahead or fallen too far behind. Every team in the division still has a shot to win the division, or to make or miss the playoffs.  

-        The New England Patriots clearly are not as good as they traditionally have been. This likely will not be a winning season, barring some miraculous turnaround. Belichick is a genius, but losing as much talent on both offense and defense has proven too much even for him. The Pats are going somewhere they have not been in a long, long time, as they are likely headed towards a losing season, or at least a non-winning season.  

-        As the league enters November, there is one undefeated team left, and one winless team left. The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to a 6-0 start, their best start in over four decades. Meanwhile, the Jets are 0-7, and the prospect of them pulling off a win in Kansas City next weekend, on the road against the defending champions and possibly the best team in the league, seems bleak at best.  

So, that is where we are at the moment. Two undefeated teams entering this weekend suffered their first losses of the year, while some teams, like Kansas City and Tampa Bay, cemented themselves further as belonging among the elites in the league.  

Buffalo 18, NY Jets 10 – Despite the loss, this might have been the best game that the Jets have played all season long. They jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, and the defense prevented Buffalo’s offense from scoring a touchdown. Yet, they still lost. That kind of sums up the type of season that they, and of course their fans, are suffering through. An 0-7 start, still looking for their first win. They have been swept by the Bills now, and things just keep growing worse for them. As for the Bills, this was a much needed win that begins to turn their losing streak around, as they now look forward to a big game next weekend, when their traditional tormenters, the now seriously diminished New England Patriots, come to town. A win their should set them up as the clear-cut favorites to take the division, and solidifies their status as a legitimate playoff contender at the very least. Not a great day for the offense, but the defense held steady, and they still managed to win on a day when they did not play their best. My pick: Accurate  

Cleveland 37, Cincinnati 34 – What a game! There were nine lead changes in this one, including five in the fourth quarter alone. A real shootout, and it was a ack and forth affair that went down to the final seconds. Baker Mayfield found Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left in the game to life the Browns over the Bengals, completing a season sweep and improving Cleveland to 5-2 on the season. They have quietly reached an impressive record of 5-2, despite two blowout losses within their division. Mayfield threw five touchdown passes in this game, and is looking a lot more like the quarterback that the Browns thought he could be, as Cleveland continues to consistently improve. A disappointing loss for the Bengals, who drop to 1-5-1 on the year. But they are clearly improving, and played well despite the loss. Again, what a game! My pick: Accurate  

Pittsburgh 27, Tennessee 24 – Early on, it hardly looked like the highly anticipated match-up that most had been hoping for. The Steelers jumped well ahead early, and built up a 20-point lead, before the Titans came storming back. They rallied to make this a close game, closing to within a field goal late into the final quarter. But the Steelers held them off to ice the win and stay unbeaten. For the Titans, a solid comeback, but they cannot always rely on fourth quarter comebacks to win. Both teams can take away positive from this. My pick: Inaccurate  

Green Bay 35, Houston 20 – The Packers bounced back from their sobering loss to the Buccaneers by handily taking care of the Texans in the Lone Star State. Yes, Houston is 1-6, but they really have also had an extremely tough schedule. So the Packers can feel good about this one, and about getting back to their winning ways. My pick: Accurate  

Washington 25, Dallas 3 – If you are a fan of Washington, this is encouraging after a season that was on the brink of feeling like an abyss. If you are a Dallas fan, on the other hand, you have to be really worried. This season already was not what Cowboys fans had been hoping for and expecting when Dak Prescott suffered that season-ending injury. Now, Andy Dalton goes down, and there is no word yet how long he will be out for. The Cowboys looked atrocious in this one, dominated in almost every facet of the game. They better figure something out soon, because they have to go to Philadelphia next weekend for a battle with obvious first place ramifications, and then host the Steelers. Brutal. As for Washington, they next host the Giants, with a chance to avenge the loss at the Giants just a couple of weeks ago. My pick: Accurate  

New Orleans 27, Carolina 24 – They are not winning the way many people expected them to win, but the important thing is that they are still winning. Yes, the Saints held off the Panthers and improved to 4-2 on the season as a result, earning a third straight win in the process. Good thing, too, because they have a brutal stretch coming up as they travel to Chicago, then Tampa, and then host the 49ers in their next three games. A tough stretch, and whatever issues they are going through, they will need to resolve them in a hurry. My pick: Accurate  

Detroit 23, Atlanta 22 – The Lions managed to even their record, although luck had something to do with it. Falcons running back Todd Gurley broke free and tried to stop himself before scoring a touchdown, so that they could run out the clock. It was a bit reminiscent of the Giants and Patriots in the final minutes of Super Bowl XLVI. But it gave the Lions a chance to get back on offense, and they made it count, to their credit. A solid win for Detroit, and another in a long list of disastrous collapses for Atlanta. My pick: Accurate  

Tampa Bay 45, Las Vegas 20 – The Buccaneers are starting to look really quite good. They went on the road against the Raiders, and handed the home team a blowout loss. The looked elite, almost unstoppable. Tom Brady and Gronk continue to thrive with the Bucs. A disappointing loss to the Raiders that sees them lose more ground to Kansas City. But Tampa improves to 5-2, and for now, looks like the best team in the NFC South. My pick: Accurate  

San Francisco 33, New England 6 – Yikes! Maybe the 49ers have not had the kind of season that they were hoping to thus far, but they recovered strongly again, of all teams, the Patriots. Yes, the same team that were the model of success for so many years, the team that has produced 19 straight winning seasons under Bill Belichick. But they sure do not look like winners this year. The 49ers held onto the ball for over 38 minutes, producing 467 yards and 26 first downs, to just 241 yards and 17 first downs for the Pats. The Niners had two turnovers, but New England doubled that, with four. San Fran’s defense held the Patriots to zero touchdowns. Cam Newton looked great earlier this season with the Patriots, but that is starting to feel like a long time ago now, as the Pats drop to 2-4 on the season, while the 49ers get back to a winning record at 4-3. My pick: Inaccurate  

Kansas City 43, Denver 16 – The Chiefs just blew out the Broncos in the snow of the Mile High City, despite Denver winning the time of possession battle, and producing both more yards and more first downs. But Denver also committed four turnovers, to just one for the Chiefs. KC’s running game is still looking strong. No surprise here, just the better team getting the job done in a convincing way. My pick: Accurate  

LA Chargers 39, Jacksonville 29 – Well, someone had to win this game. The Jaguars at least fought for it, but in the end, Los Angeles managed to outlast them to earn just their second win on the year, producing nearly 500 yards of offense, and earning 29 first downs. Pretty impressive numbers. My pick: Accurate  

Sunday Night Football: Arizona 37, Seattle 34 (OT) – Now, this was a really exciting game, as well, similar to the Browns-Bengals game in some ways. The Seahawks seemed to continually threaten to blow the game wide open, but then the Cardinals kept coming back to keep it close enough to give themselves a chance. Then, just when Seattle seemed to put the game out of reach with a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter for a 10-point lead, the Cardinals got hot, scoring 10 points in the final two and a half minutes of regulation, to force overtime. They managed to outlast the Seahawks and kicked a field goal with 15 seconds left in the overtime session to hand the Seahawks their first loss of the season. My pick: Inaccurate

Movie Review: The Man Who Saved the World .

 

Yes, another movie review. The second one in just a few days.              

This one is very different than the one which I reviewed yesterday, however. For one, it’s a true story, and it is, in fact, more amazing than the vast majority of stories. After all, there is a reason why the title suggests that this is the man who saved the world. That is exactly what Stanislav Petrov did, quite literally.              

Back in late September of 1983, he served as a lieutenant-colonel for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. We should all be very thankful that he happened to be on duty on the evening of September 26, 1983, and not someone else who might just have opted to follow protocol. During this time, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were very tense. Just weeks earlier, the Soviets had shot down a Korean airliner that had accidentally flown over Soviet airspace. This was also during the time when President Ronald Reagan was making a habit of referring to the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire.”              

Still, there was no indication that things were about to grow very tense for a short while. Indeed, World War III almost started that evening. A computer glitch erroneously showed that missiles had been launched from the United States towards the Soviet Union, and that there were only minutes before the missiles reached their targets in the Soviet Union. Petrov was under pressure to make a decision. The window of opportunity to launch a counterstrike was closing, and there were people who were indeed waiting for him to give them the green light to authorize the strike. Had that happened, Petrov estimates that around half of the population of the United States would have been killed that very night. But it would not have ended there, of course, because the United States would have launched a counterattack of it’s own after what Americans would have understood as the initial Soviet attack. Indeed, the world would never have been the same.              

When you think about how close we came to a true disaster of apocalyptic proportions, it is chilling. One man stood in the way of all of that. Had he remained a little less calm, had he not been able to step back under that obviously enormous pressure, or had he been a little more hotheaded than he proved to be, we might not be here today. I would not be writing this, and you would not be reading this. Indeed, there might no longer be any human beings at all left.              

It was not supposed to happen that way. Official protocol under those circumstances had it that what was required was a counterattack once American missiles had been confirmed to have been launched. Everyone was waiting for Petrov to give that order - an order that would have started World War III - but he waited until the last possible moment. He even fought pressure to take decisive action, which some of his colleagues were recommending. So, it is not a stretch to say that Petrov literally saved the world that day. After all, half of the American population dying overnight would surely have been followed by half of the Soviet population dying, as well. And as for the survivors, assuming that there were no more attacks and counterattacks? Well, they would likely have been living in a nuclear winter. Sooner or later, they likely would have died from causes directly related to the nuclear holocaust. Maybe it would have been cancer, or starvation, or the surely lack of law and order which would have followed in such a world. Whatever would have been the specific reasons, all of this was averted because one man, when faced with this kind of enormous pressure, managed to take a deep breath and keep calm, staying his hand and waiting until the missiles could be detected by more local, Soviet radar. When they did not appear, it was understood that this had all been one big mistake.

Then again, the computers were not supposed to have glitches that could all too easily have triggered World War III, either. Back then, Soviet authorities confirmed that there as nothing wrong with their missile launch detection systems, even though they showed that five American missiles had been launched, obviously erroneously. 

That is an alarming thought, because we have officials still today who insist that such a mistake could not possibly happen today. Should we simply take their word for it? If something like that does happen again, will the person in charge ultimately be as level-headed as Petrov proved to be? What if the trigger is something real like, say, one of those missiles that North Korea keeps launching over the airspace of other countries? What if one of these tests goes seriously wrong, and it lands in either South Korean or Japanese territory, and kills citizens there? Will it not be seen as an official attack, even if it is accidental? And when we have a sitting American president who has "joked" about wiping whole countries off the map (North Korea and Iran, specifically) and has apparently seriously inquired about why we cannot use the nuclear weapons that we have produced, it is hard to imagine that the threat is not serious. 

Add to that the fact that more nations and more people have access to nuclear weapons, as well as other weapons of mass destruction, and it is hardly a reassuring thought. Remember back in the early nineties, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, when many Americans in particular seemed to feel that the threat of nuclear war had suddenly virtually vanished? In fact, it feels like we are closer than we ever we before to a nuclear catastrophe. 

When we think about these things - and I feel like we do not collectively think about them nearly often nor seriously enough - the very thought of an accidental nuclear war being triggered feels only too real. The fact that we have managed to avoid such a scenario thus far almost feels like dumb luck. After all, we came close to a nuclear war once, back in the sixties, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Back then, a Vice Admiral for the Soviet Union, Vasily Arkhipov, refused to authorize the use of nuclear torpedoes against the American Navy. And we came close again in the early eighties, probably even closer, during this incident, which we only learned about many years later. Luckily, we had Petrov to save us that time.

What about next time? It is difficult to imagine that there will not be a next time after all. All of those Soviet nuclear weapons did not just disappear, after all. And the Americans have a tremendous arsenal of nuclear weapons. The British and the French also have nuclear weapons. So does China, Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea. And with the escalation in tensions between the United States and China, many people feel like there will be a second Cold War. When someone like Trump actually asks if we can use nuclear weapons, and threatens to wipe North Korea off the map, does he actually think that the Chinese will simply stand casually by, when they border North Korea? 

Petrov holds one arrogant American to account during this film. At one point, he and his translator visit a site in rural North Dakota that used to be host to an American nuclear warhead, the only one that people can visit today. There is an American Park Ranger who hosts their visit, and who describes how the missile would only have been launched in response to a first Soviet strike. Petrov loses his cool, asking the man if he thinks the Soviets actually wanted to initiate a nuclear war like that. From the Soviet standpoint, of course, they felt the same way, that such weapons would only be used in the event of aggressive action by the other country. Yet twice, nuclear war was only narrowly averted. 

One of those times, Petrov saved us single-handedly. Was Petrov viewed as a hero afterward? Well, he was congratulated by some of his fellow soldiers. But when asked into the office of one of his superiors, he found himself reprimanded for not keeping up and making entries in the official journal book, When he pointed out that the world almost ended in a nuclear holocaust, the general said that was no excuse for not making any entries. Absolute absurdity. 

The movie also shows glimpses of Petrov's personal life, too. It was a sad life, and many of these scenes are damn depressing. His wife died of cancer years after the near miss nuclear, leading to a problem with alcoholism. And he had severe tensions with his mother. They finally did reunite, and like much of this movie, this film is also viewed. It is heartbreaking, much like the scenes of his wife dying, although those are done by actors. 

This movie is a mixture of things: it is partial documentary, and partially a movie with actors playing scenes. it is an interesting mixture, and you really feel like you glimpse the grimness of Petrov's everyday life in the former Soviet Union and present-day Russia. 

Ultimately, I recommend this movie. For far too many Americans, demonizing others seems to have become a national past time. That has been the case with racism, whether with the genocide of Native Americans, or racial slavery, or the racial segregation that followed it. And it was the case during the Cold War, when the "Russkies" were distrusted, and President Reagan outright referred to the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire," something that Petrov recalls that the people of the Soviet Union were very much aware of at that time, and which contributed to the heightened tensions that very nearly led to the end of the world as we know it. Americans have continued that level of demonization right to the present day, often viewing Muslims as terrorists, or deeming some countries as worthy of ceasing to exist. I remember quite a number of Americans "joking" that Iraq should be turned into a parking lot back in the early nineties, just before Operation Desert Storm. Now, again, we have an elected American president who actually seriously asked why we could not use nuclear weapons, and who "joked" about wiping countries off the map, musing that his nuclear button works better than that of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. 

Terrifying. And it is for that reason that more people - especially Americans - might want to watch this film, to understand just what is at stake, and how much we have to lose.

🏈 NFL 2020 Week 7 Preview 🏈

 

  

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Okay, so another big week in NFL action is coming up. We have a battle of unbeatens, when the 5-0 Steelers visit the also 5-0 Titans in Tennessee. We have the only other undefeated team remaining in the NFL, the Seahawks, traveling to Arizona to take on the hot Cardinals. The 5-1 Bears go out to the West Coast to take on the Rams. The Panthers will battle the Saints in New Orleans for what could have huge ramifications for the NFC South. And two teams that have seen their paths get a bit rocky will try and get back on track when the 49ers head up to New England to face Cam Newton, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots.              

So, let’s take a look at the games coming up this week in the NFL:              

Cleveland at Cincinnati – The battle between the two Ohio teams. The Browns got absolutely smoked in Pittsburgh, and they surely want a win to erase those memories. The Bengals, meanwhile, are showing improvements, but need more consistency. It could go either way, as they are fairly evenly matched, but I suspect that the Browns offense gets back on track and helps the team pull off the win. My pick: Cleveland              

Carolina at New Orleans – Another big divisional showdown. The Panthers fell short last week and lost their hot hand. But they have a chance to upset a Saints team that has not shown themselves as solid a contender as many expected them to be at this point. But the Saints are still explosive, and managed a huge comeback victory that could salvage their season. I expect them to feed off of that momentum and earn this win. My pick: New Orleans              

Dallas at Washington – This game between a 2-4 team and a 1-5 team actually is quite important, as the Cowboys are tied for first place with the Eagles, but can either pull ahead or fall behind, hinging on the results of this game. As for Washington, a dismal year can take a decisive turn should they win, and they will pull into a second place tie with the Cowboys, and are only half a game behind the first place Eagles. Intriguing. My pick: Washington              

Buffalo at NY Jets – Okay, it would be nice to actually pick the Jets to win a game one of these Sundays. The law of averages would suggest that they will, sooner or later. The worst start that I can remember them ever having was 0-8, back in 1996. But I think that this year, they have a real chance of eclipsing that. They just are not very good, and it seems that everything is falling apart all at once. The Bills, meanwhile, are tough, and see their chance at a division title this season, something that they have not won since back in the nineties. So yeah, they have every motivation to make sure to take this game, which I suspect they will, and fairly handily. My pick: Buffalo              

Pittsburgh at Tennessee – The battle of the perfect teams. The Steelers and Titans are both hot, and this is a huge game for both. Home field advantage should definitely help the Titans, but it might not be the deciding factor. They have a tough, physical style, while the Steelers have a more explosive offense. A good contrast in styles. Still have to go with the home team. My pick: Tennessee              

Green Bay at Houston – The Packers lost their first game at Tampa last week, and were really humbled. However, they are still quite good and dangerous. The Texans are not the best team, and the defense will really have their hands full against that Packers offense, which will probably be a bit too much for Houston. My pick: Green Bay              

Detroit at Atlanta – It feels like these two teams have met before earlier this season, just a few weeks ago. But I am probably wrong. The Falcons finally got their first win in Minnesota last weekend, and now host the Lions. But Detroit is probably a better team right now, and I suspect that they manage a good, solid road win here. My pick: Detroi              

Tampa Bay at Las Vegas – Tom Brady now has another major offensive weapon with Antonio Brown, and the Bucs are looking more and more serious seemingly with each passing week. The Raiders, meanwhile, are looking tough as well, and have home field advantage. It should be a tough, close game, but I will give a narrow nod to the Bucs, who seem just a little bit hotter to this point. My pick: Tampa Bay              

San Francisco at New England – This is actually a big game with a lot of ramifications for both teams involved, even though they actually rarely play one another. The defending NFC champions are not having the kind of season they enjoyed last year, while the Patriots are looking surprisingly vulnerable, something that they are clearly not used to. Both teams have shown vulnerabilities, but my suspicion is that the home team ekes out a tight win in a close ball game here in the end. My pick: New England              

Kansas City at Denver – The Defending champions bounced back nicely last week from their only hiccup so far, when they lost at home to the Raiders. Divisional opponents can be dangerous, because of their familiarity. That said, I think the loss to the Raiders was a wake up call for the champs, and they should be ready, primed for another big divisional road win, as they blaze their path to another division title. My pick: Kansas City              

Jacksonville at LA Chargers – Not exactly two heavyweights squaring off in this one. The Jags have lost five straight after winning the opening game, but the Chargers are not much better this season. Yet, they are better, plus they are at home, which is why they will be my pick to win this one. My pick: LA Chargers              

Sunday Night Football – Seattle at Arizona – The Seahawks take their unbeaten 5-0 record to the Arizona desert. The Cardinals are red hot right now, but they also have shown considerable inconsistency this season, which is why I cannot fully trust them either way. Seattle has been much more steady to this point, but this is a tough road game, and it’s against a divisional opponent with a lot of familiarity. In the end, the Seahawks have the better team, and that is why I am picking them to come out on top at the end of this one. My pick: Seattle              

Monday Night Football – Chicago at LA Rams – This is a big game with potentially some playoff implications for both teams. The Bears are trying to win and keep up/stay ahead of the Packers, while the Rams are trying not to lose any more ground to either the Seahawks or the Cardinals, or to have the 49ers catch up to them. The Bears have been squeaking out narrow wins all season, but this will be a tough game for them. The Rams, however, were smoked recently by the 49ers, but whether that will dispirit them, or serve as a wake up call, we shall likely see this Monday. My pick: LA Rams

NFL 2020 Week 7 Thursday Night Football Review: Eagles Stage Late 4th Quarter Comeback & Squeak By Giants

    

  

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Philadelphia Eagles 22, New York Giants 21  

For once, I actually got to watch most of a Giants game. 

Was I rewarded? 

Well, almost. 

The G-Men played well for almost the entirety of the game, and even appeared like they might pull off the win. At least, that is, until it mattered the most. Maybe in the final five or six minutes, it seemed like the Giants could do nothing right, and like the Eagles could do nothing wrong. There also were a hell of a lot of penalties during those final minutes, and the vast majority were called against the Giants, which helped to decide the outcome, in my opinion. Some were legitimate, but others had you kind of scratching your head and wondering why the refs were not calling those earlier in the game. That the home team gets a ton of calls go in their favor is nothing new, of course. But at some point, it makes you feel like screaming out, "Just let them play the damn game!" 

Ultimately, however, the Giants saw their seemingly comfortable 21-10 fourth quarter lead with just around five or six minutes left to play evaporate after Philadelphia orchestrated not just one, but two touchdown drives right at the end of the game, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Admittedly, the final 18-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz to Boston Scott inside of the final minute was a thing of beauty, a truly spectacular play that should make the highlight reels for some of the best plays of the season. The Eagles offense really found their footing and started to look explosive, although they were aided by those constant calls in their favor by the refs, as well.

By then, the Giants were sufficiently out of sync, and the next offensive series showed it, as well. The very first play from the 35-yard line was quite decent, and they looked on their way to possibly putting themselves in field goal position to win it with another play or two like it. But then - surprise, surprise - there was a questionable call against the Giants that frankly looked, in the replay, like no big deal. Yet, the call against them proved costly. Instead, that decent gain was negated, and Big Blue was pushed far back. They picked up some yards after that, but were clearly feeling a bit overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation, and the tremendous amount of yards they needed to pick up just to get a first down, and with the clock running, and no time outs. The game effectively ended when quarterback Daniel Jones fumbled, something that was a major problem last season, and which proved very costly last night. It was recovered by the Eagles, and that was the ball game. 

In fairness, the Eagles enjoyed a decisive advantage in many aspects of the game, including a slight advantage in time of possession, and a more decisive one in terms of overall offensive yards gained, with 442 to just 325 for the G-Men. Philly's offense also produced 27 first downs, to just 17 for New York. But perhaps the biggest and most glaring reason for the Eagles win, which was their eighth straight win over the Giants, was that they committed just one turnover, while the Giants committed three of them.

Philadelphia's Carson Wentz completed 25 of 43 passes for 359 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. Richard Rodgers was his main target, and he picked up six receptions for 85 yards last night. Running back Boston Scott added 46 yards on 12 carries.

In a losing effort for the NYG, quarterback Daniel Jones completed 20 of 30 passes for 187 yards, and like Wentz, he also threw two TD's and one INT. His favorite target was Sterling Shepard, who reeled in 6 catches for 59 yards and a touchdown.

With the win, the Eagles improve to 2-4-1, and for now, they are tied with the Cowboys atop the NFC East, although the standings will be altered when Dallas and Washington play in another important divisional game this weekend. As for the Giants, this loss lowers their record to just 1-6 on the season, and they have sole possession of last place again in the NFC East, at least for now. 

My pick: Unfortunately Accurate

🏈 NFL 2020 Week 7 Thursday Night Football Preview 🏈

   

  

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New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles - When was the last time that you could say that you saw a possible battle for first place in the division - any division, it does not matter - in week 7 between two teams that have not won more than one game apiece? I mean, these two teams are about to square off, and it will be the seventh game for each team, which is to say one game shy of the exact midway point of the season, in terms of games played. Yet, these two teams combined have won a total of two games. The Giants enter with a 1-5 mark, having just earned their first win of the season last weekend. Meanwhile, the Eagles are sporting a slightly better (and I do mean slightly better) record of 1-4-1. Both teams trail the Dallas Cowboys, who are in sole possession of first place with a 2-4 record. The Cowboys will be heading on the road for a divisional game themselves, when they take on the Washington Football Team, who like the Giants, have a 1-5 mark. Now, if Washington wins (they have lost five in a row, but have come close to winning a couple of times during that losing streak), then they will improve to 2-5, and Dallas will sink to 2-5. If the Eagles win against the Giants, then they would again own sole possession of first place with a 2-4-1 record. If, on the other hand, the G-Men win, then they would be in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East with Dallas and Washington. Either way, it is not an impressive time for anyone observing the NFC East, which may be on their way to having a team win a division title with the worst record of any playoff team in history. That may indeed happen, if nobody begins to step up in a big way in this division. As for the game today? Well, the Giants did finally manage a win last week, which gets them out of that dreadful company of teams that remained winless. But that does not mean that they are an excellent team, all of a sudden. They still have a weak offensive line, and a very leaky defense. All in all, they just have not looked like an impressive team. The Eagles, meanwhile, feel like a team that should have a better record than they do. No, that is not to say that they are among the elite teams in the league. But they are the only team in the NFL that has won at least one game in each of the last three postseasons, and that is saying something. It also has happened for a reason. They are potentially explosive on offense, when things are clicking. And they can be a tough defensive team. Plus, they always seem to have the Giants number in Philly, especially on nationally televised night games. And for some unknown reason, the NFL, in it's infinite wisdom, ALWAYS seems to have these two teams play a nationally televised night game in Philadelphia. It is weird, but it seems very true, also. Nothing bodes especially well for Big Blue, which is why I have to go for the Eagles at home in this one. My pick: Philadelphia

Movie Review: Répertoire des villes disparues

So, I was at home doing some cleaning and organizing recently. Often times, when I do this, it feels better to turn the television on, almost like it offers some company. Every now and again, something good will come on, and capture my attention.  

This is what happened this time around. I was watching one of the French language movie channels (Super Ecran), and found this weird Québécois movie. Through the first few minutes, I could not tell if it was a drama, or a horror movie, or something else. In fact, it seemed at first to be just a series of strange scenes with no obvious relation to one another. A distinctive looking woman (she reminded me a bit of Wendy in The Shining) was talking to a couple, but I was not yet really paying attention.  

Before long, they showed some weird scenes, with people just standing outside in the cold and staring at people. Some guys appeared to be breaking into a home and tearing it apart, but then they were trying to sleep in there. And there was a guy who just parked his car on the side of a field, got out (leaving his car door wide open in the obviously frigid winter weather) and walked into the woods, struggling and then having what seemed like a breakdown.  

This is around the point where I really began to pay attention. And the movie started to get really good, quite intriguing. In truth, it was a combination of things, including the shots, which had a very bleak, colorless feel to them. And the music accompanying the scenes, which were haunting and intense. The build-up was fantastic, and before long, I had pretty much forgotten about the cleaning that I had been doing.  

It is an eerie movie, clearly with a limited budget, that nonetheless thrives on the mood, the feel, the atmosphere, that the movie nonetheless successfully creates. Again, the colorless shots and the dramatic, eerie music really enhanced this. Despite this story clearly taking place in the middle of a brutal Québec winter, it felt quite fitting to be watching it around Halloween time.  

This movie is not your typical horror movie. It does not rely on jump scares or gore. Instead, it relies on the feeling that there is something seriously, terribly wrong, but you cannot quite put your finger on what exactly it is. Some of the scenes of the people simply staring felt reminiscent of Michael Myers in the first Halloween, much like the feeling of something unsettling dominating the mood felt reminiscent of The Shining.  

It comes recommended, because once I began to fully pay attention to the movie, it really captivated me. That, despite having missed the beginning of the movie (a car accident where one of the locals in this small Québéc town gets killed is the trigger event, if you will). I began to regret having missed the earlier part of the movie, but have not found it online yet, although truth me, I will keep trying.  

Nevertheless, I recommend it, but with this warning: it does not follow the normal rules of horror film. You will not get a scantily clad, big breasted woman being chased by some monster or psycho killer. You will not get blood and gore. You will not even get some evil genius delighting in tormenting helpless victims. What you get instead is a statement on the brutality of loneliness and isolation, in a movie that makes you ask questions. There are some real surprises, too, although I did not want to mention it for fear of spoiling it for anyone who may read this review and is interested in seeing the film, but has not done so yet.  

That said, it should also be noted that not all questions are answered. Again, in the interest of not spoiling it, I am not mentioning how it ends, or what questions have not been answered. But if the movie thrives on the mysterious and the unexplained, then suffice to say that much of this remains unexplained even by the time the end credits appear. If there was a criticism of the movie from my end (and I kind of like movies that make you wonder, and do not answer all of your questions), then that would be it.  

Again, this is a relatively low-budget movie, and if you are looking for screams and chases and blood and guts, this movie is not for you. This is not Scream, or Halloween, or Friday the 13th, let alone some of the more recent horror movies. There is only one scene from the parts that I saw where one woman screams and runs away from something, and even this is not done in a typical style for a horror movie.  A solid movie overall, and it should be a statement on how impressed I was with this movie that I will indeed be looking to find it again on the internet if possible, or keeping my eye open for it to be broadcast again. 

A solid movie overall!

🏈 NFL 2020 Week 6 Monday Night Doubleheader 🏈

  

  

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It is strange, seeing so many double bill on Mondays so far this season. Obviously, Covid-19 is wreaking some havoc for the teams involved. For example, this was the third Monday night game in the past four weeks for the Chiefs. Yet, it seems to be working for them, as they have won all of them thus far.              

Let’s take a look at the two games from yesterday:  

Kansas City Holds Off Bills in Buffalo  

Kansas City 26, Buffalo 17  

This was not exactly a conventional win for the Chiefs. First of all, it was a delayed game that was supposed to have been played days earlier. Secondly, they relied more heavily than usual on their running game, as opposed to their famous passing attack, in order to pull off an impressive road win at 4-1 Buffalo.  

KC running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushes for 161 on 28 carries. The strong running game helped the Chiefs hang onto the ball for over 37 minutes. They also outgained Buffalo on offense, 466 total yards to just 206 for the Bills. This dominant display by KC’s running game came just as they acquired La’Veon Bell from the Jets. Their offense looks scarier than ever.  

Of course, Kansas City’s offense was not just about the run. Patrick Mahomes was solid was well, as he completed 21-26 for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Both of those touchdown passes were to Travis Kelce, including a beautiful pass in the corner of the end zone that was just perfectly placed by Mahomes. The first touchdown pass to Kelce was the 90th touchdown pass for Mahomes in his still young career. He reached the 90 mark in just his 37th game, which is a new record for least amount of games played to reach such a landmark. His favorite target proved to be Demarcus Robinson, who grabbed five receptions for 69 yards.  

For Buffalo, quarterback Josh Allen completed 14 of 27 passes for 122 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. He also led the team on the grounds, picking up 42 yards on eight carries. Allen really carried the Bills offense yesterday. Stefon Diggs led all Buffalo receivers with six receptions for 46 yards and one touchdown.  

With the win, Kansas City improves to 5-1 on the season, and they remain in sole possession of first place in the AFC West. They will next travel to the Mile High City to take on their division rivals, the Denver Broncos, who have won two in a row. As for the Bills, this loss drops them to 4-2, but they still also remain in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. They will next travel to MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands to take on their division rivals, the New York Jets, who are the sole winless team remaining in the league.  

Cardinals Crush Cowboys in Big D  

Arizona 38, Dallas 10    

The Cardinals really pounded the Cowboys in this game. It was not exactly what I was expecting.  

But there were a few things that became glaringly obvious. First of all, the Cowboys look like they really miss injured quarterback Dak Prescott. Secondly, even though the two teams were mostly even in most categories, with the Cardinals having produced a not huge advantage in overall yards produced, with the Cowboys actually owning advantages in time of possession and first downs produced, the turnovers were the story of this game. The Cowboys committed four turnovers, to none for Arizona.  

Once again, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray proved a dangerous threat with both his arms and his legs. He did not have a great completion rate, completing only 9 of 24 passes for 188 yards, but he also threw two touchdowns. His favorite target proved to be Christian Kirk who reeled in two receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Kenyan Drake was also solid, picking up 164 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.   

At quarterback for Dallas in place of the injured Dak Prescott was former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. He was kind of a mixed bag for the Cowboys. He completed 34 of 54 passes for 266 and one touchdown, but two INT’s. Wide receiver Amari Cooper was his favorite target, grabbing seven receptions for 79 yards and one touchdown. Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott had a mostly ineffective day, picking up 49 yards on 12 carries.  

With the win, the Cardinals improve to 4-2 on the season. They have been quite streaky, as they started the season with two wins, before losing their next two. They have now won two straight after the losing streak, and moved into a second place tie with the Rams in the NFC West, with the 49ers a game behind. Every team in the NFC West is chasing Seattle, who remain unbeaten at 5-0. The Cardinals will get a back at the Seahawks next week, when they come to the desert to face Arizona.  

As for the Cowboys, this loss drops them to 2-4 on the season. It is a statement on how poor their division, the NFC East, really is to see that Dallas, with their bad record to date, still hangs onto sole possession of first place in the division. The Eagles are in second at 1-4-1, while Washington and the New York Giants are tied for last place at 1-5 apiece. The Cowboys will travel to the nation’s capital to tackle their division rivals, the Washington Football Team. Despite their 1-5 record, and having lost five straight games, Washington could be in a first place tie if they beat Dallas next week, and if the Eagles lose to the Giants, who would also have a share in first place in that scenario. One way or the other, this is not only the worst division in the league, but possibly one of the very worst in NFL history. Just awful!

⚽️ PSG Stays Hot & Dominates Nimes ⚽️

⚽️ ⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain 4- Nîmes 0  ⚽️  ⚽️ 

 Nîmes - Paris Saint-Germain ( 0-4 ) 

 PSG 4, Nîmes 0         

Well, we kind of all knew that their dismal start, losing their first two games, was not likely to be indicative of the kind of season that PSG could expect to have, right? They are, by far, the most talented team in Ligue 1, with the biggest, most immediately names on their roster, and with the most experience of any team in recent years, to boot.              

So, it cannot be a shock to see them getting hot right at the right time.              

Kylian Mbappé scored the game’s opening goal in the 32nd minute, ultimately allowing PSG to take a narrow 1-0 lead into the locker room by halftime.              

Yet, Nîmes continued to play tight and held tough. PSG was unable to add to that lead in the first half, and indeed, for most of the second half, as well.              

However, Alessandro Florenzi finally gave PSG some breathing room in the 77th minute as he scored the second goal of the game. Suddenly, with time running out, PSG were now comfortably ahead, on the verge of icing it.              

It took just a few minutes for them to do just that, as Mbappé scored his second goal of the game in the 83rd minute.              

Finally, Pablo Sarabia scored the game’s final goal in the 88th minute, expanding PSG’s lead to 4-0, making the score appear far more lopsided than most of the game actually was.              

The win was the fifth straight for PSG, and they now move up to second place in Ligue 1 standings, with 15 points in their seven games thus far, two points behind Lille, with 17 points in seven games. Nîmes is now tied with two other teams, Metz and Nantes, for 14th through sixteenth place, with eight points in seven games played thus far.