With all of the playoff spots decided in the American League with the exception of where the wild card game will be played we turn to the National League for excitement with just 5 or 6 games left per team.
Now the Atlanta Braves have wrapped up the NL East, but the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers leads in their divisions are down to just 1/2 a game. It’s the Milwaukee Brewers chasing the Cubs while the Colorado Rockies are the team hot on the Dodgers heels.
The Cubs have dropped their last two games to the Pittsburgh Pirates and they have two more games against the Pirates today and tomorrow before they wrap the season up with three games against their biggest rival the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals will be playing for something themselves as they’re trying to hang on in the wild card race and you know there’s nothing more than the Cardinals would like would be to knock the Cubs out of the division lead.
The Brewers have won their last three games and five f their last six including two in a row against the Cardinals. Milwaukee wraps up their series with St. Louis tonight; they’re off on Thursday before they head home for the final three games of the season against the Detroit Tigers.
I think most of the experts feel that the Cubs are the better team out of the two, but the schedule really set up in the Brewers favor. Do you think it’s possible for the Brewers to go into the playoffs as the NL Central champions?
The Dodgers dropped their game to the Arizona Diamondbacks last night 4-3, but that was just the Dodgers third loss in their last thirteen games. The Dodgers wrap the season up on the road. They have one more game in Arizona against the Diamondbacks before they head to San Francisco for the final three games of the season against the Giants. The Giants have had a down year, but a great way to end it for them would be to knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs.
The Rockies are a hot team and their offense is hitting right now. Colorado has won five games in a row and they’ve scored 10 runs in each of their last two win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rockies have two more games in Colorado against the Phillies before the Washington Nationals come to Coors Field for the final three games of the season.
It’s an interesting schedule set up for both of these teams and I’m not sure either one has an advantage. Both the Dodgers and the Rockies wrap up with teams that have had disappointing season, but could also be dangerous. The biggest difference is the Dodgers have to face a rival in the Giants while the Rockies wrap up against the National League East.
The Rockies currently hold the final wild card spot, but they’re just 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis; so there’s a chance that only the winner of the National League West will make the playoffs.
Who do you have winning the NL West? Do the Dodgers hang on and win it or will the Rockies get past them and take the division?
As for the Cardinals they clearly have the toughest schedule out of all the playoff contenders. After sweeping three games from San Francisco the Cardinals have dropped their last two games to the Brewers. St. Louis wraps up their series with Milwaukee tonight and then as we mentioned before they’ll head to Chicago to close out the season with three games against the Cubs.
Can the Cardinals be the third NL Central team o make the playoffs? Or is their schedule just to tough?
Is it possible that Le’Von Bell has played his last down for the Pittsburgh Steelers. There has been a lot of talk that the Steelers would be willing to trade Bell. as I’m sure you know Bell had the franchise tag placed on him this past off season, but refused to sign the contract and is holding out for a new deal. If the Steelers where to trade Bell who would be interested and what could they get for him.
Bell would fit with any team that doesn’t have a top tier running back and the New York Jets where the first team to step up and say they’d be interested in making a deal for Bell. The Jets have been in on a lot of top players, but haven’t landed any of them yet. Remember they offered Kirk Cousins lot of money this off season in free agency, but he choose to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. The Jets where also interested in trading for Khalil Mack, but it was the Chicago Bears who ended up landing him. Could Bell be the first top player the Jets land and if they where to deal for him would he be willing to sign long term with them.
While the Jets have been the only team to formally address a trade for Bell there are some teams that he could fit in with very nicely. I’ve seen these four teams names mentioned more than any other; so what do you think about them?
How about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers are a surprising 2-1, but they’re averaging just 3.0 yards per carry on he ground an they only have one rushing touchdown. Oh; who scored that rushing touchdown, that’s right it was Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bell would immediately upgrade the Buccaneers running game and actually make it something teams would have to game plan against.
It would probably be to good to be true, but what if the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles acquired Bell. Top rusher Jay Ajayi has been injured and there probably isn’t a more perfect fit for this offense at the running back position than Bell. The biggest question the Eagles would have to address if they did make a deal for Bell is what would they do with Ajayi and Corey Clement.
Maybe the Green Bay Packers could add Bell and give Aaron Rodgers another weapon. Green Bay has an interesting trio of running backs in Jamaal Williams, Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones, but Bell would be the full time running back they need. Montgomery could return to being a wide receiver while Jones and Williams could learn from Bell.
Finally how about Bell going to the Miami Dolphins. I knw Miami like Kenyan Drake, but Bell is the better running back. in a season where the New England Patriots haven’t looked like they’re going to dominant the AFC East the addition of Bell could make the Dolphins a contender.
Now like I said Bell would be a good fit for any of these teams and more interesting is the fact that it appears as it would just take a 3rd round pick to get him. Even if Bell turns out to be a rent a player for any team that acquires him giving up just a 3rd round pick to get him is well worth the risk.
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