Following the completion of free agency, save a few signings yet to come, teams are re-evaluating their needs heading into the draft. Regardless of need, teams can still be shaken down into their hierarchy within the league, starting with the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, as is the case in every sport, every team could stand to improve upon their previous season, so the most crucial need for every team will be detailed below, where each team is ranked in order of their potential going into the 2020-21 season.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Every important piece of their impressive super bowl run is returning, but the Chiefs are in a dreadful salary cap situation that currently would not give them any room to sign their draft picks. Expect Kansas City to make some moves with some of their players taking up a good chunk of cap space, the most glaring being wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ $17 million against the cap. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to sign for $40 million next year, leaving the team minimal bargaining power in years to come.

2. Baltimore Ravens

A year ago, the Ravens were outbid on inside linebacker C.J. Mosely, who went to the New York Jets in free agency and drastically improved their front seven. While the Ravens held their own through the season against the run, they were freight trained in the playoffs by running back Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans, showing their lack of hard-nosed tackling talent at the second level. Offseason addition Calais Campbell on the defensive line certainly helps, but they will need a proven run stopper to fill any gaps the defensive line can’t handle.

3. New Orleans Saints

After another disappointing playoff ending, the Saints brought in veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders from the San Francisco 49ers to play second fiddle to All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas, who is coming off a season where he set the league’s all-time receptions total in a season, grabbing a jaw-dropping 149 catches in 16 games. Though New Orleans elected to reload offensively in free agency, their defensive secondary remains the most glaring need for this squad. The Saints brought back veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins, which should give them help over the team, but drafting another corner to pair with Marshon Lattimore could put this defense over the top.

4. San Francisco 49ers

After not being able to retain Emmanuel Sanders, the team should look to draft the position out of an incredibly deep receiver class. The addition of Sanders halfway through the season added another quality option for quarterback Jimmy Garapollo, and freed up space for tight end George Kittle and slot receiver Deebo Samuel. Considering how well the Sanders addition worked, Kyle Shanahan should look to address his departure as soon as possible.

5. Seattle Seahawks

Offensive Line: Quarterback Russell Wilson has been running away from pressure and making highlight-level movements in a collapsing pocket essentially his entire career. Yet he is always able to will the offense through games with his incredible playmaking ability. The Seahawks have something special with the core of Wilson and wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, but giving Wilson protection as he hits the wrong side of 30 years old guarantees the franchise at least one more Super Bowl run before Wilson hangs them up. Giving Wilson quality pass protection would arguably make this an offense that can go toe-to-toe with Kansas City.

6. Minnesota Vikings

The secondary is good over the top with safeties Anthony Harris and All-Pro Harrison Smith, while additionally having depth over the middle with linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. The cornerback spot is left with a lot of question marks after free agency saw the team’s top three cornerbacks all sign elsewhere. Expect the Vikings to draft a receiver after getting a king’s ransom of draft picks from Buffalo for discontented wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

7. Green Bay Packers

The Packers made it to the NFC Championship despite what was considered a down-year for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. His second best receiver behind stud Davante Adams was an undrafted rookie named Allen Lazard, who outplayed receivers the team had drafted last year. The team has failed to give Rodgers any quality pass catchers in recent years. A revamped group of weapons would likely elevate Rodgers back to MVP form, as he had a tandem between Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson that delivered consistent production during those excellent campaigns. This draft has a plethora of receiving talent, though the value might not be there for Green Bay at the end of the first round.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers’ offensive line was decent last season, but could certainly use an increase of depth in the tackle position. The Bucs will also likely bring in a shifty pass-catching back in the middle rounds of the draft after seeing the level of success quarterback Tom Brady has had with guys like James White, Dion Lewis and Shane Vereen throughout his career.

9. Tennessee Titans

The Titans had a difficult time generating pressure last season. The only player with a pressure percentage above 10% was defensive end Cameron Wake, who the team just released as he turned 38 in January. Expect the Titans to draft pass rushing early in the draft. Adding another power back behind running back Derrick Henry could also be in the Titans’ interest considering how heavily the offense revolves around Henry and his large usage.

10. Dallas Cowboys

Resigning wide receiver Amari Cooper long-term and franchise-tagging quarterback Dak Prescott came at the expense of letting Pro-Bowl corner Byron Jones walk. Jones was an integral part of the Cowboys’ defense, and with the shift in the league making the passing game even more important, the Cowboys must act quickly in replacing Jones, especially in a division filled with young quarterbacks who will continually improve in the coming years. The need for a good center could also be addressed here, with the surprising retirement of longtime All-Pro center Travis Frederick coming prior to free agency.

11. New England Patriots

It seems like Jarrett Stidham will be the quarterback for New England going forward after the level of praise he has received from coaches and teammates. The lack of weapons resulted in New England’s fall from grace halfway through last season. Expect them to add another receiver to pair with Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry. Defensively, the Patriots lost linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts to free agency. Those players played a huge role in the success of the Patriots’ defense, so expect Belichick to add some depth as the linebacker position behind Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley.

12. Buffalo Bills

With the departure of Shaq Lawson, along with Lorenzo Alexander getting older, this will likely be a position Buffalo looks to address in the draft. They brought in Mario Addison, who will give them a boost, but they can still benefit from drafting and developing a young pass rusher beside Alexander and Addison.

13. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles snuck into a playoff spot despite a disastrous injury-filled season. They were only able to dress two wide receivers in their playoff game after an injury-riddled season. Starters Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson will be returning from injury, which will also help free up tight end Zach Ertz some more. The team could benefit from adding young depth behind Jeffrey and Jackson, who are also on the wrong side of the age of 30.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers:

Juju Smith-Schuster took a step back this season after Antonio Brown’s departure and Ben Roethlisberger went down with an injury, but Smith-Schuster can’t take responsibility for that. The expectation is that Roethlisberger will be at 100% by the start of the season and that Smith-Schuster will likely return to his 2017-18 form when he has competent quarterback play again. Pittsburgh has been as good as any team in the league in developing talent at the receiver position. Look for a breakout season from one of their younger guys.

15. Houston Texans

It was shocking that the Texans held on to Bill O’Brien after their disastrous playoff collapse against Kansas City. After leading 24-0 early in the second quarter, the Texans could not even hold the lead into halftime. Now, throw in the unjustifiable trade of top three wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, which yielded peanuts instead of true value, and the franchise looks like a shell of the potential powerhouse they were the past few seasons. If the Texans want to retain their generational talent in quarterback Deshaun Watson, the only true franchise quarterback they’ve ever known, there need to be some big changes in Houston, starting with their head coach.

16. Los Angeles Rams 

Gurley’s 2019 season gave a huge hit to the running back free agency market going forward. But in recent years, the success of the Rams’ offense revolved around Gurley’s production. Quarterback Jared Goff seems like a completely different player depending on the strength of the run game, turning into a statue in the pocket when the Rams can’t get the ball rolling on the ground. Left tackle could also be a look here for the Rams if the talent is right.

17. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts brought in veteran Phillip Rivers, which could work for them in the short term considering his one-year-long contract. But considering his age, he likely will not be lining up under center for longer than a year or two. This presents a good opportunity for the Colts to draft a young signal caller and develop him behind Rivers to find that long-term solution.

18. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons’ defense has been dreadful the past two seasons, which was a huge result in their lack of success, despite fielding one of the top offenses. The offense will have 10 starters who were first-round picks out of college. That unit is typically in good shape, but the success will be for naught if they can’t make improvements defensively.

19. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals got away with robbery by landing All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for washed-up running back David Johnson, grouping him with future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and slot receiver Christian Kirk. Throw in running back Kenyan Drake, who thrived in the Cardinals system since the team acquired him halfway through the season, and young signal caller Kyler Murray could be commanding one of the league’s most potent offenses. If the Cardinals can give Murray a clean pocket, this offense could be dangerous, and the Cardinals could potentially sneak into a playoff spot.

20. Chicago Bears

After a disastrous third year for quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the Bears made a trade for Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles. It is unclear who will be starting for the Bears when the season begins, but a battle could possibly bring the most out of whoever it is that will be starting. Whoever starts under center for Chicago definitely could benefit from an influx of skill players beyond wide receiver Allen Robinson and slotback Tarik Cohen. Defensively, the pieces are still there from that 2018 squad, but adding another playmaker couldn’t hurt.

21. Las Vegas Raiders

It is becoming clear that quarterback Derek Carr is not part of head coach Jon Gruden’s long-term plan in Vegas. The team brought in free agent quarterback Marcus Mariota, which is likely not the answer for Gruden, as he may be looking to get the most out of Carr or Mariota in a quarterback battle. Do not be surprised if the Raiders use an early-mid round pick on a quarterback and have him develop behind the Carr-Mariota battle before eventually claiming the loser’s roster spot.

22. Denver Broncos

It looks like John Elway and the Broncos are confident that they finally found their guy at quarterback in Drew Lock. Adding Melvin Gordon to a great core that includes Lock, Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay and Noah Fant will spark even more improvement for the offense. The Broncos may use their first on a guy like Jerry Jeudy to add some relief to Sutton. Look for this offense to take a big step forward this season.

23. Cleveland Browns

One of the big reasons for Cleveland’s wildly disappointing 2019 season was the lack of protection for Baker Mayfield. The team signed Jack Conklin to fill the hole at right tackle and brought in tight end Austin Hooper to give Mayfield another weapon and add a boost to the run blocking. Protecting the former first overall pick will be a big issue to address this upcoming season. Perhaps now that there are flashing lights all around the Browns going into this season as it did last year, they will focus more on the game itself and be the team everyone expected them to be.

24. Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles is expected to use their first-round pick on a quarterback to replace longtime quarterback Phillip Rivers. Whether they ultimately do that or not, they should certainly take a flyer on free agent Cam Newton. Newton has been advertising his workouts frequently and he looks like a monster that is more motivated than ever. The Chargers have a solid young core, and adding Newton into the mix could make them contenders again. This way, they won’t have to throw their rookie quarterback right into the fire.

25. New York Jets

With the departure of Robby Anderson, the Jets will need to be quick in getting Sam Darnold another guy that can help him elevate his play. Jamison Crowder is a solid receiver, but he is not a true top option that an offense can depend on week in and week out. The Jets went on a solid run to close out last season and will look to build off that going into this season.

26. Miami Dolphins

Miami made a splash early in free agency and will have three first-round picks in this year’s draft. It is likely they will take Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the 4th overall pick. They could use their mid-round pick to bring in a guy like wide receiver Davonta Smith, one of Tua’s top targets in college, to pair with Devante Parker to give the Dolphins offense more of a spark.

27. New York Giants

The Washington Redskins are all but guaranteed to draft defensive end Chase Young with the second overall pick, adding him to an NFC East collection of DeMarcus Lawrence, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett. The Giants will need top-level talent to protect Daniel Jones from being slammed into the turf by these guys six times a year for the next decade.

28. Cincinnati Bengals

Quarterback Joe Burrow has shut down rumors of his not wanting to play for the Bengals. He is eager for the opportunity to turn the franchise around. He has an excellent group of playmakers around him with AJ Green, Joe Mixon, John Ross and Tyler Boyd. Quality pass protection could allow Burrow and the offense to succeed early in his career.

29. Detroit Lions

The addition of Trey Flowers did not lead to much more success in getting to the quarterback, but Flowers was one of the main matchups for opposing teams, which allowed other teams to plan around Flowers. Adding another guy to the mix would free up space for Flowers, and the team could prevail more in that regard.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

The wildly successful 2017 Jaguars defense is disbanded at this point. The terrific cornerback tandem of Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye ran its course, and they are now on different teams. Jacksonville may use an early draft pick on a corner who can cover the outside. They brought in Darqueze Dennard, but he specializes in the slot and would be a poor matchup against big, physical outside receivers.

31. Washington Redskins

The Redskins are still in the hunt to find a good trading destination for disgruntled left tackle Trent Williams, after lying to him about medical information. The offense has a solid core with young guys Dwayne Haskins, Terry McLaurin and Derrius Guice. Better pass and run blocking will help these guys elevate their game.

32. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have moved on from their franchise cornerstone in Newton. They also lost arguably the best defensive player in the history of their franchise in middle linebacker Luke Keuchly, who retired. The Panthers tailed off in the second half of the season, and it’s hard to imagine that they will find much going, outside of running back phenom Christian McCaffrey. Do not expect this team to make much noise this season.

After two prior seasons of cheating through sign stealing, the media has been in an uproar over the allegations against the Houston Astros. The way the MLB and the Houston Astros’ public relations team dealt with these allegations is one of the major causes for this uproar that has players in the league vocalizing their opinions and fans across the country going ballistic.When the sign-stealing allegations were proven to be correct, and members of the organization admitted to the acts, the MLB responded by suspending the Houston Astros manager and general manager for the entire 2020 season, taking away the team’s first and second-round draft picks for the next two years, while also fining the team $5 million. The rest of the league is still upset that none of the players involved were really punished and that they got off essentially unscathed, despite the fact that they were aware of what they were doing and that the team went all the way to win the World Series as a result.

Sign-stealing in baseball means having an eye on the catcher to see what he’s telling the pitcher to throw, then quickly relaying that information to the batter before the pitch is thrown. The Astros had staff members stand in the tunnel to the locker room, with access to cameras that were directed at home plate to see the catcher’s call and beat on the wall a certain number of times to indicate to the batter what pitch was about to be thrown. 

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went toe-to-toe with Yankees, then-rookie sensation, right fielder Aaron Judge for the 2017 American League MVP race, and Altuve just narrowly beat out Judge for the award. With the surfacing of the cheating scandal, there are murmurs throughout the league and between fans that Altuve should be stripped of that title and it should be given to Judge. Other fans think that Houston should be completely stripped of its 2017 title. Commissioner Rob Manfred made a statement to the media stating that the players’ punishment will be the public shame they will receive for years to come from fans around the country, in addition to the shunning they’ll receive from the rest of the league. 

As for the Houston Astros, that franchise should fire their entire public relations team for how poorly they have handled this situation. The Astros initially responded by firing their manager and general manager, an in the moment fix for the problems at hand, but then proceeded to issue a public apology on behalf of the organization. 

Many saw the lack of sincerity and remorse from the players as disrespectful to the rest of the league, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers who fell to them in the World Series in 2017. The Dodgers, who cruised through the National League that season, could’ve easily cleaned house without the Astros relying on their sign-stealing crutch, l and were essentially robbed of a World Series championship as a result of this cheating scandal.

Astros owner Jim Crane claimed in a statement that the organization knowingly cheated, but that wasn’t what helped them win. Dodgers ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, an annual contender for the Cy Young, started on the mound for game seven of the 2017 World Series against the Astros, threw a combination of 51 sliders and curveballs through his time, and not a single Astro missed on one of those 51 that they swung at. That may be the most staggering statistic in the course of the entire scandal, as staff members were relaying all of Kershaw’s pitches back to the batters, allowing them to track down his ridiculous array of pitches.

It doesn’t take a baseball aficionado to tell you that those pitches are a lot easier to hit when you know they’re coming, leading to more hits for already one of the best offensive teams in baseball.

Issues with the Astros public relations have continued into spring training, where fans across the country have expressed criticism, yelling at players or holding signs bashing the team for their cheating. One of the most creative signs read “Houston Asterisk,” invalidating the World Series victory. And what was the Astros public relations response? They had facility workers and security go take signs from fans — proving themselves to be unchanged from their sign-stealing ways.

This level of dishonesty and immaturity throughout the entire scandal and its aftermath has been fraudulent and badly represents the rest of the MLB. Manfred has also received a lot of backlash for the level of punishment he gave to the franchise, with certain groups of fans calling for him to vacate the position. 

It is going to be a long season for the Astros, who started off spring training with pitches hitting seven of their batters in five games, and crowds of fans booing the team. If the Astros can make it to the playoffs, which isn’t a question of talent as much as it is mental toughness, it would give their 2017 championship some much-needed validation. If they don’t make it to the postseason, it would stain their credibility for that title and cement them as the most hated team in baseball, a title the New York Yankees are glad to hand off after a lengthy tenure.

Monday, Feb. 3, Red Sox fans everywhere felt their hearts sinking, as ESPN broke the story; Boston was not only going to trade away former MVP Mookie Betts as he enters a contract year but also veteran ace David Price. 

The Red Sox trade would send Betts and Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol and an undisclosed amount of cash. Graterol, a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, is part of a series of trades in which ultimately Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda would be sent to Minnesota for the Graterol-Price trade-off.

However, the trade appears to be on hold after Boston got spooked looking at Graterol’s medical records.

The logic behind this move is difficult to gauge immediately after the players have been shuffled around, but many are jumping to the immediate conclusion that this trade will haunt the Red Sox, similarly to that of the Great Bambino. You can’t just find a guy like Betts and give up a player of his caliber because his contract figure seems unreasonable when the bigger picture isn’t accounted for. For starters, it’s not realistic to say the next Mookie Betts will come in time. We’re talking about a guy who in five full seasons as a starter has won an MVP, four Gold Gloves, has been a four-time All-Star, won a batting title and a World Series championship. 

At the beginning of this generation of talent, Mookie Betts was the cornerstone of the young talent group that consisted of Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi, Brock Holt, Jackie Bradley Jr., Christian Vasquez, Rafael Devers and Yoan Moncada (traded for ace Chris Sale). All of the aforementioned players that still are with the team are looking at reasonable contracts of their own on top of the massive figure Betts will command in negotiations. 

To be fair to ownership, they have a lot of money tied up in a lot of dreadful contracts, with the most pertinent being the Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, and Rusney Castillo contracts. They are still paying Price a good chunk of his contract as well, but to be able to dump off as much cash as they did by moving him is big. Price has not been worth the seven-year, $217 million contract he signed since he threw his first pitch, showing a softer arm and less accuracy than he had before his monstrous deal. That is not to say that Price has been a bad pitcher. He’s still at a productive level and has piled up multiple wins and saves for the team, but he was never that Cy Young-level pitcher that he was prior to his time in Boston. In his four years in Beantown, Price was 46-24 with a 3.84 ERA. Those are solid numbers, but you don’t pay someone $31 million a year for them. Along with Price came his horrific attitude toward the media, a feud with hall of fame pitcher and Red Sox announcer Dennis Eckersley and a lot of meltdown performances in big games when the team needed him most. 

You have to give credit where it’s due though, as Price was dependable in multiple circumstances and did get over his playoff struggles in 2018, including a great performance against the Dodgers in the series-clinching game. Price promised a World Series when he was first introduced after signing his contract and delivered on the promise, even if it was only one. Price and Boston were just never exactly the right fit, but they did get the job done in the historic 2018 season. 

As for Betts, it is just incredibly disappointing to see the guy who all Red Sox fans were expecting to be the cornerstone of the franchise go play for another team. Betts was on a trajectory to be placed in the same light as guys like legendary sluggers David Ortiz and Ted Williams, and they’re letting him go so the owner could save money. Red Sox fans have every right to be upset with ownership for pushing this move, and, at this point, the best hope is that management will make a move to sign him back as a free agent after the conclusion of the 2020 season, but that is wishful thinking. 

There are a lot of concerns about this team going forward. Even with the emergence of Bogaerts, Devers, Rodriguez and JD Martinez returning for another year, you’re looking at a team that missed the playoffs last year and has since made no splash in free agency. Additionally, Boston could be facing a loss of draft picks, hasn’t found a coach to lead the team and just gave a big extension to Sale, whose elbow seems like a ticking time bomb.

This makes for tough times in Boston. Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo is the big name prospect the Red Sox will be getting in return if the trade goes through. Verdugo has a lot of upsides and the Red Sox hope they can develop him and add a boost to the farm system that has been poorly managed by Boston’s President of Operations Dave Dombrowski in the past three years. But Verdugo will always be “the guy they traded Mookie Betts for,” so there are very big shoes for him to fill.

After winning Super Bowl 51, albeit in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl to date against an offensive powerhouse Los Angeles Rams team, the New England Patriots faced a decision: would they continue to move forward with franchise legend Tom Brady under center or would the franchise be handed over to 2014 second-round pick Jimmy Garoppolo. The Patriots began the 2016 season with Brady facing a four-game suspension, leading to Garoppolo starting under center for the Patriots in week one. Garoppolo played efficiently in a tight victory over the Arizona Cardinals, 23-21, to open the season, completing 24 passes on 33 dropbacks, throwing a single touchdown and zero interceptions. 

In week two, the Patriots hosted the Miami Dolphins, and Garoppolo found his rhythm against Brady’s long-term divisional punching bag. New England held a commanding 21-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, with Garoppolo slinging all three touchdown passes to cap off efficient drives. Dolphins middle linebacker Kiko Alonso tracked Garoppolo down on the Patriots last offensive series of the half, with the young signal-caller rolling out of the pocket to buy enough time for receiver Malcolm Mitchell to get the first down on third-and-nine. Alonso launched himself at Garoppolo as he released the ball, flipping both players and slamming the quarterback down on his shoulder and back. In visible pain, Garoppolo limped off the field and didn’t return to action in a Patriots uniform aside from a few scattered pass attempts in week 17.  

The Patriots managed to get to a 3-1 record without their tenured field general, but with Brady back at the helm in week six, the Patriots cruised to an 11-1 record over their final 12 regular-season games, securing the first seed in the AFC with a 14-2 record. New England then dominated through the AFC in the playoffs before defeating the Falcons in Super Bowl 51, the iconic 28-3 comeback game. Because of the success Garoppolo had, there were questions both in and outside of New England about the longevity of Brady versus the youth of Garoppolo under center in the coming seasons. Knowing the organization wouldn’t want to waste capital on a large deal for both players with one not starting, nor would they want to see either player walk in free agency to another team without getting some form of compensation, head coach Bill Belichick had to weigh his options and make a decision long before the contract of either player expired, with Garoppolo’s being up after the following offseason in 2018. 

Brady’s passion for the game and capabilities were still as good as they had ever been, leading him to approach owner Robert Kraft and discuss retiring as a Patriot. Kraft and the franchise’s loyalty to Brady showed true, and they elected to name him the starter going into the 2017 season. Belichick, having neglected to shop Garoppolo during the draft in exchange for a ransom of picks, elected to get his work done before the trade deadline in the regular season.  

The hooded defensive mastermind waited until the last moment and traded Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick in the upcoming draft, which was speculated upon as a questionable move at best, knowing he could have gotten much more in return. The move had left New England without another quarterback on the active roster other than Brady. 

Further speculation came about later when details regarding a heftier package of picks being offered for Garoppolo by the Browns, that were quickly declined by Belichick. This speculation that Belichick cared for the well-being of Garoppolo and wanted to put him into a situation where he could succeed, like in San Francisco with head coach Kyle Shanahan, rather than a team like Cleveland, is a bit much, considering Belichick’s lack of emotion. However, if Belichick saw true potential in Garoppolo and wanted him to succeed, the moves that were made benefited Garoppolo the most individually. 

Considering the outcome of the trade, the fact that during the following season New England secured its sixth world championship title in Super Bowl 53, and that Garoppolo’s 49ers fell short to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54, both teams have seen playoff levels of excellence on both sides of the ball. Brady continues to find more in the tank with every passing year and his determination to retire as the most decorated quarterback of all time keeps him coming back to the field. Meanwhile, for San Francisco, their young nucleus has torn the league apart, with a defensive line anchored by 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa, that terrorized signal-callers throughout the regular and postseason. Garoppolo worked well within Shanahan’s run first, heavy play-action offense, leading the league in completions, attempts and touchdowns off of the fake handoff into a drop back. With veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders brought in at the midseason point, Garoppolo had a well-rounded arsenal, including phenom tight end George Kittle.  

Taking a step back to assess the situation as a whole, Brady’s mountain of success outshines the capabilities of Garoppolo, as eventually, his teammates’ deals will run out, leading to free agents departing, which will weaken the team. Mahomes, with his otherworldly talents, will continue to dominate with ridiculous throws and insane arm angles, but once he is rightly compensated for his talents, that record-shattering deal will heavily dampen the team’s ability to resign other star players like defensive tackle Chris Jones. With the defense crumbling, pressure for the team to draft more defensive players with higher picks will eventually lead to Mahomes playing with a subpar supporting cast.

Garoppolo, fortunately, took a team-friendly deal, and his level of play as a signal-caller means the 49ers should be able to sign him to a mid-tier deal for his next contract, much like the one he currently is under. Though the quarterback position is considered invaluable, the ratio between quarterback ability and overall team capability determines a team’s success. Brady has been as successful as he has been due to his ability to take team-friendly deals, being one of the lower-paid quarterbacks since 2010, giving the Patriots organization additional capital to throw around for free agents and player retention. 

Many have discussed the details of the trade and the comparison between the two players, and while Brady is significantly more decorated and has the skills to match, Garoppolo appears to be on a similar path to the man he studied under in New England, with a dynamic head coach and well-rounded defense that’ll keep them as a contender for the coming seasons. 

Since the trade, Brady has won an MVP, was named first-team All-Pro in 2017, made it to two Super Bowls and won one. But his time has all but run out at this point, with age and injuries leading to him being close to the end. As one dynasty begins to crumble in the east, another emerges in the west on the Golden Coast. Though they’ll likely have to face Mahomes once more, the 49ers should find themselves back on the NFL’s biggest stage in the years to come, while the Patriots will try to squeeze one last championship run out of the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of cleats before he calls it a career.

The University of Maine Black Bears wrapped up another football season this past week. While Maine did not make another heroic playoff run to follow up last year’s loss in the semi-finals to Eastern Washington State, they showed their true grit under first-year head coach Nick Charlton this season. 

One of the biggest standouts of this season was fourth-year wide receiver Earnest Edwards, who hauled in 49 receptions for 1097 yards on the season, along with 11 touchdowns. Edwards became the first player on Maine’s football team to exceed 1000 yards in a single season since 1998.

To nobody’s surprise, the vaunted “Black Hole” was anchored by fourth-year defensive lineman Kayon Whitaker, who racked up nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. At the second level of the powerful front seven, fourth-year linebacker Taji Lowe led the entire team in tackles with a total of 98, with 9.5 of those being tackles for a loss of yardage. 

The future of the quarterback position looks bright for the Black Bears in the hands of first-year quarterback Joe Fagnano, who played in eight games this season after taking over for injured third-year starting quarterback Chris Ferguson. In Ferguson’s absence, Fagnano threw for 1835 yards and 17 touchdowns with only three interceptions on the season. Fagnano’s excellence as a passer was coupled with multiple costly fumbles throughout the season, including two that buried the Black Bears in their season finale against New Hampshire, but his overall potential was enough to lead Ferguson to announce his plans to transfer schools for next fall after Fagnano was named the starter moving forward. 

One of the more memorable games for Maine this season was the homecoming game, against the William & Mary Tribe, which drew a massive crowd on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Orono. The Black Bears went into the fourth quarter with a comfortable lead of 31-12, putting up multiple scores in quick succession, including an 80-yard score from Fagnano to Edwards. Despite a late surge in the fourth quarter by William & Mary, the Black Bears held them off for a 34-25 victory, celebrating homecoming in style. 

Arguably the most significant game of this year’s football season was the final home game of the season, as Maine welcomed the University of Rhode Island Rams on Maine’s senior night. The Black Bears trailed 27-13 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game but were able to get a quick drive together, march down the field and score a touchdown to cut the lead down to 27-20. With the defense reenergized by the offensive resurgence, they forced a quick three-and-out for the Rams’ offense, quickly putting the ball back in Fagnano’s hands. 

Fagnano showed poise on many drives throughout the season, and this was no exception; on just five plays, he conducted the offense to over 70 yards, slashing through the Rams’ defense to tie the game up at 27-27. 

Rhode Island answered Maine’s consecutive touchdowns with a field goal to regain the lead 30-27. However, the Rams left too much time on the clock for Fagnano and the Black Bears’ offense. Maine was able to successfully complete another long drive, this time going 81 yards on just five plays, capped off with Fagano throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Edwards to give the Black Bears their first lead of the entire game with only 34 seconds remaining. The lead would hold, and the senior players would celebrate their final home game with a victory they will likely never forget.

The final game of the season had a less than desirable outcome for Maine as they traveled down to Durham for their annual border battle with their renowned rival, the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. New Hampshire got the best of Maine with a final score of 28-10, concluding the Black Bears’ 2019 season with a final record of 6-6. The players fought hard and gave everything they had in their first season following the departure of former head coach Joe Harasymiak, who left the team to become an assistant for the University of Minnesota at the conclusion of last season. The Black Bears have an excellent foundation of young players that will continue to grow as players and as a team.

Though the New England Patriots’ defense has been off to a historic start this season, their contest this past week against the Cleveland Browns showed some glaring holes in Bill Belichick’s impressive unit. In Sunday’s game against the Browns, Cleveland began their first offensive series following a lengthy Tom Brady-led Patriots drive. Setting up shop on their own 20-yard line, Browns’ coach Freddie Kitchens called running back Nick Chubb’s number, and as the back ran his off-tackle gap, the ball was punched out and recovered by linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who returned the ball for six points. On the ensuing drive, Chubb was given the rock once more and went galavanting through the Patriots’ defense and secondary on a 50 plus yard run. Fortunately enough, veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones chased down Chubb and punched the ball loose at the Patriots’ 10-yard line, which the Patriots recovered.

Cleveland’s defense, specifically their pass rush and young secondary, forced Brady off the field on the ensuing drive. Though they forced the turnover, quarterback Baker Mayfield and the rest of the Brown’s offense couldn’t handle the hot hand, turning the ball over once more. On first down, the intention of the first play was to be a shovel pass up the middle to wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who was running across the formation. Defensive lineman Lawrence Guy sniffed out the play, and beat his blocker right off the snap, driving the offensive lineman into Landry. Right as Mayfield pitched the ball, Guy jumped the route and picked off the pass for arguably one of the most unique interceptions we’ve ever seen. The pick set up Brady and the offense on Cleveland’s 11-yard line, allowing wide receiver Julian Edelman to run his bread and butter route, the slot receiver slant, and he caught Brady’s strike in stride and ran in for six. New England, up 17-0 following a chip shot extra point by journeyman kicker Mike Nugent, all but buried the Browns with precision and discipline on both sides of the football. 

Including Guy’s interception, New England has tallied 19 interceptions at the season’s halfway mark, nearly double the second-place team, San Francisco, who has 10. The Patriots additionally pace the league in sacks, as they took down Mayfield five times on the night, raising their total to 30 after eight contests. Though the Patriots’ passing defense is on another level currently, their run defense, which does sit at fourth in the league, was gashed by Chubb, on a day where his stat line will forever be marred by those two consecutive fumbles. 

Though Brady was able to capitalize on the turnovers and excellent field position given to him by the defense, the running game lost all of its consistency following the first quarter. This inability to run out the clock and ice away a lead against a disciplined squad could be detrimental moving forward. Belichick’s first-round draft choice, running back Sony Michel, led New England with 21 carries for 74 yards, while the rest of the team combined for just five yards on six touches. The Patriots will have a reinforcement coming soon, as left tackle Isaiah Wynn is set to return from the injured reserve list. Wynn will be eligible to play against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 11, after the Patriots’ bye week and when the schedule really starts to kick into high gear. Additionally, first-round draft choice wide receiver N’Keal Harry was activated following the contest against Cleveland, looking to pair well with Edelman and trade acquisition Mohamed Sanu to give Brady a well-rounded receiving core. 

The Patriots’ first true test of the season will come in the form of an opponent Belichick has to plan heavily for: quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson, who appears to be the second coming of NFL legend Michael Vick, poses as the first quarterback capable of running for 100 yards against the Patriots in the history of the team under Belichick. We should expect to see athletic linebacker Jamie Collins playing as a quarterback spy on Jackson to minimize his impact in the running game. The Ravens have run the ball more effectively than any other NFL team this season and it is their ability to control the clock and wear down the defense that has made them as successful as they are up until this point. The Patriots’ defense usually revolves around Belichick erasing the opposing team’s top offensive weaponry, forcing them to their secondary options. For Jackson, his precision passing that he exemplified throughout the first few weeks of the season better be on full display, otherwise he’ll have a rough outing against that historic secondary.

Following the tilt against Baltimore, New England has a bye week, which will allow the roster to rest and return some key players, such as Harry. Edelman and other players have been playing through minor injuries, so the two-week period to heal will send the Patriots cruising into their week 11 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, a rematch of Super Bowl 52. Brady and the Patriots are continuing their quest to hit 16-0 once more, and it’s looking like there are few teams that have any hope of stopping them.

The Washington Nationals are world champions following Wednesday night’s game seven against the Houston Astros and looking back it has truly been a remarkable run for the 2019 Washington Nationals. 

Going into the season, Washington was not even considered a contender by many sources around the league, following the departure of their former superstar right-fielder Bryce Harper who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason, a team that the Nationals play 19 times in a season. The Nationals have never made it past the divisional round with Harper on the team, and the thought was that they would not even be able to make it to the playoffs without him, let alone win the divisional round. 

During the regular season, Washington’s record dipped to as low as 19-31 toward the end of May. There were talks of firing their manager Dave Martinez, and rumors spread that the Nationals would be sellers at the trade deadline, looking to move players such as stud pitcher Stephen Strasburg and third baseman Anthony Rendon, who will enter free agency. The Nationals rallied behind their lack of hype from fans and worked on their team chemistry, having the roster come together to leapfrog Harpers’ Phillies in the standings for the National League East, claiming the wild card spot for the division. 

The Nationals handed the Phillies the loss that mathematically eliminated them from postseason contention in September, and that alone felt like sweet revenge against their fleeing slugger, but they were not done after that. The Nationals played in five elimination games this postseason, defying all the odds to make it to their first World Series in franchise history.

Strasburg was awarded World Series MVP for his remarkable performance in the fall classic, but it was arguably his incredible efficiency throughout the postseason that earned him the award. Strasburg is the only pitcher in MLB history to go 5-0 in the postseason and only the third pitcher to win five games. Another member of the bullpen for Washington, pitching ace Max Scherzer, dominated throughout his career, and finally has a World Series ring to show for his efforts. Scherzer, Strasburg and the remainder of the Nationals’ bullpen kept even the Astros’ best bats on ice through the postseason when it mattered most. 

Rendon was also in the talk for the World Series MVP. Rendon faced a lot of crucial moments in the postseason. When the lights were the brightest and his team needed him to come up big, he did so just about every time. During game six, with the Nationals leading 3-2, Rendon blasted a ball to deep left to bring in two runs and extend their lead to 5-2. Once again in the ninth inning, Rendon stepped to the plate and sent home two more runners on a double that put the Nationals up 7-2 and put them in the driver’s seat to force game seven. 

Washington’s offense struggled to find life early in game seven. They trailed 2-0 entering the seventh inning, and Astros’ pitcher Zach Greinke was running through the Nationals’ batters with every passing inning. With the threat of American League front runner for the Cy Young, pitcher Gerrit Cole, waiting on the bench for Houston, the Nationals had little time to right their offensive woes. Rendon stepped up to the plate and took one of Greinke’s pitches yard, cranking a solo shot to cut the lead in half and give the Nationals a much-needed breath of fresh air. 

Once Rendon popped his single, Washington turned the tide, as second baseman Howie Kendrick cranked in a two-run home run to give the Nationals a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Nationals added more insurance runs to take a 6-2 lead. Mysteriously, Cole never appeared in game seven, which was likely his last game as a Houston Astro. This series was the first time in the history of American sports that the road team won every game of the series, as the feat hasn’t been accomplished in either hockey or basketball.

As the 2019 MLB season wraps up, we now turn our attention to the offseason which could flip the league upside down when you consider some of the big names that will be free agents very soon such as Strasburg, Cole, Rendon, JD Martinez, Madison Bumgarner, Aroldis Chapman and more. Those players are all lined up to sign monster contracts this winter and it would be surprising if any of those players remain where they currently are.

1. New England Patriots –

This one needs little explanation. The Patriots have sprinted to a 2-0 record outscoring its opponents 76-3. They have not allowed a touchdown in three straight games, dating back to their 2019 Super Bowl victory against the Los Angeles Rams. The offense is clicking and firing on all cylinders as Brady continues to dissect defenses at age 42. The New York Jets with their third-string quarterback, Luke Falk, limp into Foxborough for their week three matchup. The scariest part? The Patriots are favored to win by 22 points by Las Vegas odds.

2. Kansas City Chiefs –

Reigning league MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to do crazy things with the football in his hands. The gunslinger threw four touchdowns and almost 300 yards in the second quarter alone. Coaches seriously must lose sleep game-planning against a team loaded with speed and a man who can complete a throw anywhere on the field. Sunday’s game against the Ravens should be an exciting one.

3. Baltimore Ravens +1

Ravens’ second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson became the first player to throw for 250 yards and run for 120 yards in a single game as the Ravens took home the victory over the Cardinals. This week presents an opportunity for the former Heisman winner to step on the throats of those who say he’s a running back playing the quarterback position when he goes toe to toe with Mahomes and the Chiefs. Although it is only September, this contest could have major implications on playoff seeding when December rolls around.

4. Houston Texans +1

After watching a down-to-the-wire shootout against New Orleans in week one, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson felt the pressure from an aggressive Jaguars front in week two.  Watson only threw for 159 yards and All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was pretty quiet all night as well, but they did get the job done thanks to defensive end J.J. Watt and the defense getting a stop on a two-point conversion at the end of the game. If Houston can’t figure out how to keep Watson upright in the pocket soon, any playoff hopes this team has are out the window.

5. Los Angeles Chargers -2

If the Chargers want to be taken seriously, they can’t lay an egg and put up only 10 points in a loss to the Lions. Losing games that should be won will not win them the AFC West, especially with the Kansas City Chiefs already dominating through three weeks. A crucial matchup against Houston will be an indicator of whether or not this season will be another confusing wash.

6. Buffalo Bills +1

Although the Bills have not faced great competition to this point, their defense looks polished and has plenty of depth. The Bills have an opportunity to start 3-0 as they face a weak Bengals squad this weekend. The defense will likely focus on slowing down Bengals’ speedy wide receiver John Ross, who is off to a terrific start to this season after being quiet during the first two years of his career.

7. Tennessee Titans -1

The Titans look like they may have come back down to earth after their week one blowout win over the Cleveland Browns. Running back Derrick Henry had another strong outing, picking up 82 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Head coach Mike Vrabel needs to really acknowledge that his offense runs through Henry, not shaky starting quarterback Marcus Mariota. Feeding Henry the rock, similar to the Vikings’ offense with Adrian Peterson in the early 2010s, will be the key to this team winning a surprisingly stout AFC South. 

8. Cleveland Browns –

The Browns bounced back and picked up an important win on Monday night over the Jets. It was not exactly an overwhelming performance for the Browns’ offense but they got the job done and quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 325 yards and a touchdown. A major Sunday night showdown against the Rams makes for a pivotal point in the season and will really show what head coach Freddie Kitchens is made of.

9. Indianapolis Colts –

The pesky Colts picked up a win over the Titans Sunday afternoon. Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett looked increasingly more comfortable in the pocket as the game wore on, throwing for three touchdowns. Indianapolis’ defense was able to hold the Titans to 17 points, with middle linebacker Darius Leonard leading his squad in limiting Henry out of the backfield. It looks like it could be the end of the road for incredibly seasoned kicker Adam Vinatieri, who missed two extra-point attempts in week two, after struggling with a field goal and extra point in week one as well.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers -1

Sunday’s loss was about as devastating as a week two loss can be for a team who was a potential Super Bowl contender heading into the season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is done for the season, requiring elbow surgery after exiting early against Seattle. With an 0-2 start and inexperienced backup quarterback Mason Rudolph under center, it looks like the Steelers could be picking top 10 come April.

11. Oakland Raiders –

The Raiders started off with a 10-0 lead over the Chiefs and held them scoreless through the first quarter but allowed Mahomes to throw for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns in the second quarter. The dreams of taking down the mighty Chiefs will have to hold off for now. The Raiders will head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in a game that would be a coin flip decision.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars –

The Jags were a two-point conversion away from a win over the Texans at the end of the game. All did not appear to be well when All-Pro cornerback Jaylen Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone had to be separated after an altercation on the sidelines. Since then, Ramsey has requested a trade from the Jaguars. Jacksonville is looking for two first-round picks for Ramsey.

On the plus side for Jacksonville, sixth-round quarterback Gardner Minshew’s style of play is just as dynamic as his mustache and backstory.

13. Cincinnati Bengals –

After putting up a strong fight against the Seahawks, the Bengals were thoroughly beaten down by the 49ers. The defense did not have an answer for San Francisco’s run game, who piled up over 200 yards on the ground. However, the silver lining to this 0-2 start is that Andy Dalton is second in the league in passing yards and Ross is the league leader in receiving yards.

14. Denver Broncos –

The Broncos seem to have little going in their favor. Free-agent quarterback acquisition Joe Flacco is not the player he was when the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012 and there is little reason to believe that player is coming back seven years after the fact. The roughing the passer call late in the game that went against the Broncos was questionable, but they did get another roughing the passer call in their favor earlier in the game. General manager John Elway will be looking to pick up a shiny new pass rusher in the upcoming draft, as his team trends closer and closer towards the first overall pick.

15. New York Jets –

The Jets are 0-2 and do not expect to have their quarterback for multiple weeks. Even their backup quarterback Trevor Simien went down with a gruesome ankle injury and is done for the season. They now matchup this Sunday against the wrecking ball that is the New England Patriots. It would seemingly take some sort of a miracle for the Jets to leave Foxborough with a better record than 0-3.

16. Miami Dolphins –

The Dolphins have been outscored 102-10 in their first two starts. It is hard to imagine a worse two-game stretch a team could go through. They have sent safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers in exchange for a first-round pick so there is no reason to believe anything can turn this season around. If there is a bright side, the Dolphins will only get better because they can’t possibly get worse, right?

After a strong performance last weekend against the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks, the University of Maine Black Bears hosted the University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen for a four-game series from April 19-21.

The first contest played on Friday night was shortened to seven innings due to inclement weather. It was a pitching duel all the way between fourth-year marksman Nick Silva for Maine and fourth-year captain Justin Lasko for the Minutemen. Silva’s pitching kept Maine ahead throughout the contest, pitching a no-hitter that lifted them over the Minutemen to take the victory in the first game of the series. In Silva’s no-hit effort, he did surrender one earned run in the fifth inning when the Minutemen’s first-year designated hitter Kane Medina hit a fielder choice ball that allowed the Minutemen to bring in the first run of the game and give them a 1-0 advantage.

Going into the seventh and final inning, Silva was in danger of being charged with a loss despite not allowing a single hit in the contest. The Black Bears’ bats came to life in the final inning with their backs against the wall loading up the bases for first-year catcher Ryan Turenne, who was pinch-hitting for first-year outfielder Jake Roper. Turenne delivered and knocked a walk-off grand slam to deep right to lift the Black Bears over the Minutemen 4-1. Silva earned the W for pitching his no-hitter and being a standout for the Black Bears, giving them the opportunity to win late into the contest.

The teams faced off again in another seven-inning affair in which the Minutemen were able to manufacture runs and continuously widen their lead, holding a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth. The Black Bears were able to fight their way back into it when third-year first baseman Hernen Sardinas knocked in a three-run home run to cut the lead to 4-3. Two batters later, with third-year catcher Cody Pasic sitting on second base, second-year infielder Joe Bramanti hit a home run of his own, bringing in two more runs and giving the Black Bears a 5-4 lead at the end of the fifth. Massachusetts answered quickly, adding three more runs to their total and giving them a 7-5 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Saturday night’s game, which would end up being the deciding game of the series, was an impressive fight by both teams but UMass was ultimately able to steal another road win in Orono.

Third-year right-handed pitcher Cody Lawyerson got the start for Maine and dominated the whole way, pitching six innings while allowing zero runs, and only two hits while striking out four batters. Heading into the seventh inning, Maine held a 2-0 lead, but once Lawyerson hit his pitch count and stepped off the mound, the Minutemen’s bats heated up. The UMass lineup put up three runs in the seventh, taking a 3-2 lead. Sardinas answered right back in the bottom of the seventh, blasting a two-run home run out of center field to give the Black Bears a 4-3 lead. UMass answered once again and tacked on three more runs between the eighth and ninth innings. Fourth-year infielder Danny Casals hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to 6-5, but the Black Bears’ efforts would fall short and allowing them to lose the third game of the series.

Maine will have to shake off two disappointing losses and turn their focus to the first road trip since the end of March, as they will take on the University of Albany next weekend, April 27-28, in a two-game series.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks came into town to face off against the University of Maine Black Bears for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13. The Black Bears dominated the first game of the set against UMass.

The Black Bears were able to work UMass third-year starting pitcher Connor Metelski. In less than two innings, Maine had six earned runs. Third-year Hernen Sardinas hit a leadoff home run in the first inning to give the Black Bears an early 1-0 lead. Fourth-year pitcher Nick Silva was the starter on the mound for the Black Bears. Silva surrendered a solo shot in the top of the second inning to knot the game up 1-1.

When the Black Bears came up to bat in the bottom of the second, the floodgates opened up. Sardinas struck again, this time with an RBI single to center, bringing in third-year shortstop Jeffrey Omohundro, taking a 2-1 advantage. Fourth-year Danny Casals then walked with the bases loaded, bringing in another run and giving Maine a 3-1 lead. Fourth-year outfielder Colin Ridley hit a sacrifice ground ball which brought in another run for Maine. Second-year Joe Bramanti ripped a two-run double to right center that brought in two more runs for Maine, giving them a 6-1 lead. Third-year catcher Cody Pasic was able to deliver a single himself to bring in Bramanti and give UMaine a 7-1 lead at the end of the second.

The River Hawks fought back and put up three more runs in the third inning to close the gap to 7-4. From that point on it was all Black Bears. Sardinas hit another fielder’s choice RBI to score another run for Maine. Maine also answered back once again in the bottom of the fourth inning adding an extra three runs to widen their lead to 11-4.

The bats came to life again in the bottom of the eighth. Omohundro scored again with the help of a passed ball that advanced all of the runners, including the run. Bramanti was able to drive in another run in the following at-bat with an infield single to short, which was enough for first-year outfielder Jake Roper to come and score another for the Black Bears. With the bases loaded, Pasic took ball four and was able to walk home another run for Maine. Fourth-year infielder Caleb Kerbs was able to drive in another on his third hit of the game to make the lead 15-4. Third-year outfielder Kevin Doody stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and drove the ball to deep center. His deep hit over the center fielder was able to drive in all three base runners, giving the Black Bears a massive 18-4 lead.

First-year pitcher Jacob Small stepped onto the mound and was able to close it out for the Black Bears in the closing frames. For Maine, the massive victory is a true swing of momentum for the remainder of their season. If this game was an indication of how the Black Bears are going to play in their conference, then they seem to be in pretty good shape going forward.