Lord Knows | Jets Broncos | NFL ‘24 | Fordham Hoops | NL Division Series | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Lord Knows by Drake features Rick Ross. The duo raps over a Just Blaze produced beat who also was responsible for Joe Budden’s Pump It Up.
Being that it’s October, these lines just happen to be quite topical. Take Care came out in November of ‘11 so right around Halloween. The Take Care flow is unmatched.
Lord Knows is a great song if you’re into rap, there’s just good amount of sports on this Mock Draft Monday so that’s it for the lyrics…
Notes Nobody Asked For
Week 5, ‘23: Jets @ Broncos
-Pregame Feeling: Not to be negative but it is grey and cold Sunday in the Tri-State. Even though the Jets are in Denver, this doesn’t feel like a day they win.
- Confidence Level: 5.9 out of 10
Quarter 1
- Jets get the ball 1st. Broncos out here looking like Orange & Vanilla Twists from King Kone.
- Jets start the game for what feels like 4th game in a row where Breece Hall gets a handoff and immediately has a defender in his face 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Zach Wilson gets sacked on 3rd down. Jets 3 and Out.
- Broncos’ rookie WR Marvin Mims fumbles the punt. Great special team play by Irving Charles to force the fumble, Charles was activated today over WR Mecole Hardman.
- WR Garrett Wilson drops a goal-line pass, the ball pops up into the air and probably should’ve been intercepted. The Jets take the FG. 3-0 NYJ.
- Jets Defense allows a TD. Broncos’ rookie RB Jaleel McLaughlin scores a TD and gives the ball to his mom. Very nice of him. Terrible for the Jets. 7-3 DEN.
- Good things happen when the Jets get the ball to RB Breece Hall with any space. 3rd and short, Mekhi Becton gets called for a borderline false start, his 4th false start of the year.
- A great punt by Thomas Morstead puts Denver inside their 5-yard line. Jets DT Al Woods forces Russell Wilson to throw an intentional grounding in the endzone for a safety. 7-5 DEN.
- WR Allen Lazard tips another pass, just off target, that luckily finds the turf. One of these is going to get picked. Drive stalls when Zach Wilson takes 2 seconds too long to decide to run on a scramble. Need Wilson to be more decisive.
Quarter 2
- Denver drives down the field with Russ Wilson scrambling and screens. The Jets defense has a goal line stand. Denver FG, 10-5 DEN.
- Breece Hall takes a toss and rips a 15+ yard gain. Broncos’ CB Patrick Surtain Jr. locks down Garrett Wilson in the end zone. Jets settle for a FG. 10-8 DEN.
- Jets’ defense is giving up chunks of yards on drives. Nothing overly impressive, just continued Russ Wilson runs and screen passes. Jets once again hold Denver to a FG, 13-8 DEN.
- It is time to light a candle in the living room, that’ll do the trick. Jets RT AVT gets hurt, but the passing game is showing real signs of life while running the 2-minute offense. Zach Wilson looks in command and he gets the team into the red zone with seconds to play. Inexcuseable clock management on the coaches and QB as Wilson runs out of time to spike the ball to stop the clock. It is still 13-8 Denver heading into halftime.
Quarter 3
- Jets force a 3 and Out as S Tony Adams spies Russ Wilson when he attempts to run for the 1st. Good coaching adjustment. Jets get the ball back and on the 1st play, Breece Hall rips a 72-yard TD run. Breece Hall has been playing great today.
- Sauce Gardner with a great pass break up. Jets punt returner Xavier Gipson fumbles the ball on punt return but the Jets recover it. Zach Wilson & Breece Hall get the Jets into the red zone, Wilson fumbles, but the Jets recover and kick FG. 18-13 NYJ.
- Jets Jermaine Johnson and Bryce Huff combine for a sack. Jets force another 3 and Out, but Xavier Gipson muffs this punt in the sun. The Jets recover a fumble just a few plays later on a careless Bronco gadget.
- This game is like a sloppy drunk, with the exception of Breece Hall who is playing out of his mind.
Quarter 4
- Breece Hall gets the Jets in position for yet another FG. 21-13 NYJ. Bryce Huff gets a sack. Jermaine Johnson gets a sack-fumble that goes out of bounds. The Jets’ defense forces another 3 and Out. Xavier Gipson this time gets rocked by the Broncos’ gunner who is flagged for catch interference.
- The Jets use play action on the first play of the drive and take a deep shot with Garrett Wilson for a big gain as he slides to catch it. Zach Wilson once again fumbles but is ruled down by contact. The Jets are lucky this wasn’t reviewed because it was out. Another Jets FG, 24-13 NYJ.
- The Jets’ defense lets the Broncos drive all the way down the field with ease. Broncos score TD and convert the 2-point conversion. 24-21 NYJ.
- Zach Wilson finds Tyler Conklin up the seam for a first down and a big gain. Very clutch play that was needed. Good throw by Zach Wilson.
- A few plays later CB Patrick Surtain picks off a pass intended for Garrett Wilson. Great play by Surtain but G Wilson probably should’ve caught that. 2 minute warning.
- Jets LB Quincy Williams has two sacks, one of which forces a fumble that is scooped and scored by CB Bryce Hall. 31-21 NYJ.
- Hall of a Day. Breece Hall earns Week to Week Notes’ Game Ball for his new career-high 177 rushing yards. The candle being lit may have shifted the momentum of the game. No time to celebrate, the mindset now shifts to defeating the Eagles next week.
Michael Pratt is from Boca Raton, Florida. As a freshman in ‘20, Pratt burst onto the College Football scene as one of the top QB newcomers when he made 9 starts and had 1,806 passing yards with 20 TDs. The 20 TDs were the most of any true freshman that year. Pratt also showed he could run as he rushed for 8 more TDs on the ground. In ‘21, Pratt backed up his strong freshman year with 2,544 all-purpose yards and 26 TDs, not too shabby. Last year with Tulane, Pratt had RB Tyjae Spears (who now plays for the Titans) so I remember reading about this kid last fall as Tulane was making its unprecedented way up the AP Top 25. In ‘22, Tulane went 12-2 with an upset win over USC in the Cotton Bowl and as a result, the Green Wave ranked #9 in the nation. Spears was a great RB for Tulane, but Pratt was also just as important to their success as he threw a 64% completion percentage for 3,009 passing yards, and 27 passing TDs while rushing for 478 yards & 10 scores on the ground. Pratt currently has the lowest interception rate in Tulane history at 2.28 TD to INT. He will have the opportunity to set all the QB records at Tulane with a strong finish this year. Due to COVID, Pratt also has at least another year of eligibility under his belt if he decides that he can improve his draft stock in the ‘25 QB class. If Michael Pratt decides to enter the NFL Draft in ‘24, this is a very deep QB class that could make him overlooked. I like the fact that he plays for a smaller school, puts up good stats, makes winning plays, and seems to make the players around him better against tougher competition. Pratt to me seems to fit the Brock Purdy type of overlooked college QB who falls in the NFL Draft to Day 2 or 3 and excels in the right situation in the pros.
Jalon Catalon is from Mansfield, Texas, and just transferred to UT this past offseason. Prior to being a Longhorn, Catalon was a Razorback at Arkansas for 4 years. While at Arkansas, Catalon made 16 starts from ‘19 to ‘22 where he had 159 tackles, 5 INTs, 14 pass breakups, and 3 forced fumbles. Throughout the years, Catalon has missed games due to injury which is in part because of his style of play. The safety flies around the field like a missile and really can lay the hammer on pass catchers. When healthy, the 5th year college defensive back can be a real impact player in a secondary, so the potential is there, it’s just a matter of if he can stay on the field. All Catalon needs is one NFL team to check his ‘20 tape when he was an All-SEC 1st Team Safety according to AP and he could be a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft. That year he was he 1st SEC freshman since Tennessee’s Eric Berry (‘07) to post at least 86 tackles with 3 INTs. A good player just needs some injury luck the rest of the way.
Xavier Leggette is from Mullins, South Carolina, so the Gamecocks must’ve been an easier choice to go to school. In high school, Leggette played QB as a senior and rushed for 1,826 yards with 19 TDs. Once he entered college, South Carolina switched him over to WR and one of the team’s return men. Since his freshman season, Leggette has returned kick-offs. As a freshman in ‘19, he averaged 28.2 yards per return. As a senior in ‘22, Leggette had his best year in South Carolina. He made 7 starts at WR and continued to return kicks. At WR he had 18 catches for 167 yards and 3 TDs. As a kick returner, the veteran athletic player returned 15 kicks for 441 yards, which set a school record of a 29.4-yard average with 1 TD. Now as a 5th year senior, the Gamecocks are using Leggette’s speed even more so in the passing game as he has already set career highs in receptions, yards, and TDs only being a handful of games in the year. Leggette has NFL Sunday speed and I’m sure a ton of NFL teams will hope to get the chance to have him return kicks as well as be a big play speed threat, he is one of the fastest players in college football.
Mohamed Kamara is from Newark, New Jersey, and at Central High in Newark. Out of high school, Kamara was a 2-star prospect who had a huge senior year in high school with 132 tackles, 11 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles. He received offers from schools such as Colorado State, Boston College, Buffalo, Kent State, Rutgers, and Temple. Kamara decided to head west. After not playing too much as a freshman in ‘19 and COVID shutting most of his ‘20 season down, Kamara didn’t start to rise up the collegiate pass rush ranks until ‘21. As a junior, the 6’1” and 250 lbs. edge rusher recorded 7.5 sacks. He then backed up his strong play with a breakout star season in ‘22 as a senior when he had 44 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 16 tackles for loss. This put Kamara on the map for PFF in ‘22 who named him All-Mountain West 2nd Team. Now as a 5th year senior, Kamara currently leads all of college in sacks with 9.5 in 5 games played. He had a huge game against Colorado where he sacked Shedeur Sanders twice. Kamara has a knack for making plays and may slip in the NFL Draft due to his size, age, and small school pedigree, but Week to Week Notes thinks he can play on Sundays.
Cade Stover is from Mansfield, Ohio so you know he grew up always wanting to be a Buckeye. The 5th year senior TE is no-nonsense and hardnosed on the gridiron. After spending much of his underclassman career as a special teamer and defensive end in ‘19, Stover moved to the offensive side of the ball in ‘20 & ‘21, only to then move to linebacker at the end of the year in ‘21. Stover started at LB against Michigan and in the Rose Bowl on defense in ‘21. Last year in ‘22, Stover went back to being a TE and had a nice season by catching 36 passes for 406 yards and 5 TDs. He earned 3rd Team All-Big Ten Conference by Big Ten media. This season, Stover is once again at TE and had a nice game against Notre Dame where he caught 7 passes for 52 yards. At 6’4” and 250 lbs., Stover isn’t overly large for the position but isn’t afraid to run over you when he has the ball or lay you out if he needs to throw a block. As an NFL player, Stover will likely play a special team role and be a #2 TE for a team, which isn’t flashy work but is important.
Antrell Charlton is from Live Oak, Florida, and he went to high school at The Rock High School in Gainesville, Florida. At The Rock, Charlton recorded the most wins by a player in school history and was a 1,000-point scorer. As a freshman in college, Charlton first went to Indian River State where he earned All-State honors while averaging 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 43% from 3. Charlton’s next step was transferring to Fordham in ‘21 where as a sophomore he got 28 starts and averaged 7.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.75 steals per game. It makes sense that Charlton was the winningest player at his high school he can do a bit of everything on the basketball court. Last year, the 6’5” forward earned 32 starts and again put up well-rounded stats of 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds. 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. His well-rounded game and veteran experience as a 4-year collegiate athlete will make him a valuable piece to the Rams this season as a team leader.
Kyle Rose is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and went to high school at Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt, Maryland. In high school, he led Eleanor Roosevelt to a Maryland state title while averaging 5 points, 7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 steals per game. As a freshman at Fordham in ‘19-’20, Rose saw action in 29 games and started in 4 of them. As a sophomore in ‘21-’22, the lefty guard saw more action in 32 games and earned 29 starts. That year scored 7.5 points per game while chiming in with 3.3 rebounds, 40 assists, and 40 steals. Last year as a junior, Rose continued his upward trajectory by playing in 33 games, averaging 7.3 points with 3.2 rebounds. Rose led the team in steals and ranked 3rd in the A10 with 59 (1.8 per game). Rose may not be a scorer-first type of player but does a ton of the dirty work as well as defends the opponent’s best guard. His defense, hustle, and improved scoring will make him another valuable leader for the Rams this season.
Abdou Tsimbila was originally born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The 6’9” forward can speak 5 languages French, Arabic, Lingala, Banham, and English. The GIF above is of Tsimbila practicing in Cameroon at the Africans Can Play Basketball Academy. The ACPBA is a skills development program where Tsimbila flourished and gave him the opportunity to move to the United States. While in high school in the US, he played for St. Maria Goretti High School in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he earned first-team All-Washington County honors as both a junior and senior. As a freshman in college, Tsimbila started off at Penn State. He transferred to Fordham in ‘21 as a sophomore and immediately appeared in 31 games, starting in 17 of them. While he only averaged 2.7 points and 3.5 rebounds, he was 2nd on the team in block shots. Last year as a junior, Tsimbila took another step forward playing in 33 games with 17 more starts. He improved his scoring (5.2) and rebounds (6.2) while leading the team and finishing 2nd in the A10 with 62 blocks (1.9 per game). The Cameroonian makes his presence felt in the paint and is set for an even better season as Fordham’s enforcer in the low post.
Will Richardson is from Teaneck, New Jersey, and he hooped at Bergan Catholic in Oradell for high school. Richardson was a member of 3 NJ State Championships and averaged 19.5 points per game as a senior. He was named the NJ.com New Jersey State Player of the Year and graduated as the Crusader’s all-time leading scorer with 1,384 points. As a freshman at Fordham, Richard appeared in 33 games and started in 16. The 6’3” sophomore in ‘22-’23 averaged 6.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, and an assist per game as one of the team’s secondary scorers. On the year, Richardson shot an impressive 42% from 3 which broke the highest single-season mark by a Ram since Brenton Butler in ‘06-’07. Look for Richardson to try and break that record of 43% from beyond the arc this season. Down the stretch as a freshman, Richardson showed great improvement, bumping his numbers up to 9.2 points per game while shooting 46% from 3. With some of Fordham’s top scorers from last year graduating, Richardson should have an opportunity to be one of the Rams’ primary scorers, a role he’s ready for. He’s got handles and a great shot, the kid is a bucket.
Joshua Rivera is from Old Bridge, New Jersey. In high school, he hooped at St. Thomas Aquinas in Edison where he averaged 16 points with 10 rebounds per game, and finished his high school career at Putnam Science Academy winning a National Prep Championship. Over this offseason, Rivera transferred to Fordham after playing his freshman year at Lafayette. As a Leopard, Rivera started 22 games and was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team. He led the team in made field goals, averaging the 2nd most points per game on the team with 10.6 to go with 5.3 rebounds. Rivera shot a solid 45% from the floor, including 33% from beyond the arc. If he can improve upon free throws (48%), Rivera will be all the more efficient. The 6’6” forward is a highflyer who dunks with authority and I think he has the ability to one day be a double-double machine who can cause headcases for opponents with his defense as well.
Best of luck to the Rams this season!
MLB ‘23 Playoffs
Divisional Round Series
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves
Game 2: Zack Wheeler vs Max Fried
In Game 1, the Philadelphia Phillies got the job done with 7 pitchers getting 27 outs and allowing no runs. The Atlanta Braves had not been shut out all of ‘23 at home, so to say this was a shocking result wouldn’t do it justice. Phil’s 1B Bryce Harper went yard, hitting a 115.3 MPH laser. Philadelphia won 3-0.
Philadelphia will send out SP Zack Wheeler who went 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA in ‘23. The former Met has been excellent in the postseason, throwing 42.1 innings with a playoff career ERA of 2.55 and he has good numbers against the Braves. Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna has touched Wheeler up a bit with 4 homers but besides the star RF, the Braves as a team have hit .208 against the Phillies Game 2 starter. Atlanta’s Max Fried was excellent coming off injury this season, going 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA. Fried in the postseason has pitched 61 innings to a 4.43 ERA and the Phillies as a team have hit .299 off Fried in the regular season. Looks like Philadelphia has the edge.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 2: Zac Gallen vs Bobby Miller
In Game 1, The Diamondbacks blew out the Dodgers 11-2. 4 pitches into Clayton Kershaw’s night, he had already surrendered his first run of the game on a Corbin Carroll base knock. Arizona’s rookie star was not done as he would also homer later on in the game. All in all, the DBacks hit 4 homers off the Dodgers as Clayton Kershaw was only able to record 1 out while giving up 6 runs.
Arizona’s Zac Gallen finished 2nd in the MLB in wins this year with 17, pitching to a 3.47 ERA. Gallen went 6 innings allowing only 2 runs in the DBacks Wild Card Round win, his first career start in the MLB Playoffs. The Dodger lineup against Gallen has hit .233 off him in their collective careers. The Dodgers will be giving the ball to Bobby Miller. The rookie righty went 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA. Miller started twice against Arizona in the regular season where he went 6 innings on both occasions allowing only 4 earned runs. DBacks now hold an edge in the series with their veteran ace.
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