Swish Tribune

  Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune What has happened to the San Francisco 49ers? They started out as the hottest team in the NFL at 5-0, but have lost three straight as they head into the bye. Many were saying this was the most complete team that we've seen in awhile in the NFL. So what went wrong? There is definitely a mix of things that went wrong, but the major factor is injuries. The Niners have been without their number one wide receiver, Deebo Samuel, for a couple weeks and their top offensive lineman, Trent Williams as well. Along with these injuries, Brock Purdy has had a lingering concussion in which he played through on Sunday.  Many people are quick to blame Brock Purdy for the 49ers struggles but I'm here to say that it hasn't been all him. The offense is much better when everyone is healthy unlike it is now. Purdy himself has not been one hundred percent healthy either.  Just a year ago, Purdy was a third-string quarterback and a pick away in the N...

Sage Rubin, Swish Tribune As we head into week 9 of the college football season, here are my what-should-be-top ten team rankings. One important thing here is that Michigan lost a lot of ground in its ranking because of the ongoing scandal. Their production holds huge asterisks as a result of supposed sign stealing. #1 Georgia #2 FSU #3 Ohio State #4 Washington #5 Michigan #6 Oklahoma #7 Oregon #8 Penn State #9 Texas #10 Oregon State

Written by Carmine Tuosto of Swish Tribune In 2022 Joe Burrow was a Quarterback with very high expectations who had a very good year. Despite his 12 interceptions he had 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns with a 68% completion rate. This year Joe Burrow and the bengals are 3-3 and are having trouble on offense.  The bengals as a whole has an under-performing offensive line and a lack of production in both the pass and run games. The Bengals are among the worst in the league in most offensive categories, including total yards per game, rushing yards per game and passing yards per play. Joe Burrow only has 7 touchdowns 1,230 and a 63.4 % completion rate that means he is on pace for about 17 touchdowns and about 3500 yards. Some sources say that he's not playing well because of his calf injury which I agree with.  Burrow's injured calf was getting better before the bye week, culminating in better mobility and five passing touchdowns against just two interceptions during the two-game w...

  Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune As the New York Jets head into their bye week, they come off a thrilling upset victory taking down the lone remaining undefeated team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense has been dominating games and giving the Jets hope in a season that lost hope only 4 plays in.  Just 6 weeks ago, many people gave up hope in the Jets when Aaron Rodgers tore his achilles just 4 plays into the season. The Jets quickly lost the next three games after the Rodgers injury, but then flipped the switch just a couple of weeks ago with a big win in Denver, followed by a massive one against the Eagles.  Lots of experts had the Jets starting the season with their gauntlet of a schedule 3-3 with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Rodgers has only been at the helm for 4 plays in 6 games and the Jets are still sitting at 3-3 after playing some of the top teams in the league.  They took on both teams that were in last year's Super Bowl, beating one of them a...

  Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune Many people do not realize it but punters are arguably the most underrated position in the NFL. They change the dynamic of the game each and every time they go out there and could be a major factor for teams' success.  We all know the skill positions, quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end, are the most vital positions and are the big moneymakers on the team. But punters change the entire game with just the kick of the ball.  Having a good punter is everything. Say you are backed up inside your own 10 yard line and you need to punt the ball away to your opponent. A good punt of 60 or more yards is going to back the opponent up to deeper in their own territory, making it harder to drive down the field as efficiently.  A big leg can be a huge difference when it comes to flipping the field. Often worse punters are unable to punt it as far or we can see rare shanks occur. This gives the opposing team a huge a...

Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune Coming off their most successful season in almost a decade, the Knicks will trot out basically the same team they did a year ago, looking to compete with the best of the best in the Eastern Conference.  The Knicks took the Eastern Conference champions from a year ago to six games in the semifinals before being eliminated. That concluded their first season with their new leader, Jalen Brunson. Brunson is everything the Knicks could've hoped for out of a guy who they signed to a 4-year contract in the 2022 offseason and is looking to have yet another big season this year.  The question surrounding the Knicks, and seems to always surround the Knicks, is when will they land the big superstar that New York has been waiting for ever since the departure of Carmelo Anthony. They certainly have the assets both in players and an ample supply of draft picks for years to come.  Brunson is great and has proven himself as one of the best guar...

 Week 6 Takeaways Credit: USA Today Sage Rubin, Swish Tribune It's hard to believe that we have already made it past week 6 of the college football season but here we are... now that half of the season has been completed, here are the latest takeaways after this past week's slate of games occurred. USC is NOT  a Playoff Contender: Despite having arguably the best offense in the country, the team also holds the one of worst defenses in the Power 5 maybe even the country. Despite a 3OT win over Arizona, the red flags are too big to ignore on this team. Alex Grinch has been Lincoln Riley's defensive coordinator even back when Riley was at Oklahoma. To add to the defensive struggles, five teams out of the last 6 are ranked including a road trip to #8 Oregon and a home game against #7 Washington. Overall, despite Caleb Williams still playing at a totally elite level, this doesn't seem to be the year for USC due to their poor defensive play and tough conference schedule remai...

  Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune Brock Purdy has been so special since he replaced Jimmy Garoppolo last season in Santa Clara. Purdy is undefeated in games that he has finished so far in his brief career, including two playoff wins as well. Early in the season, he has lead the Niners to an undefeated 5-0 record, with the Niners being the best team in the league. Yet with all of these accomplishments, Purdy seems to fly under the radar in the top quarterbacks conversation. Purdy absolutely deserves to have his name up there with the best of the best in today's league. When you think of great 49er quarterback you think Steve Young and Joe Montana, well he has and is on pace to break even more of their records from their time in the Bay Area.  Many people forget that Brock Purdy started last season as the 3rd string quarterback both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo and the only reason why he took over was because of injuries. Not only this but he was also the last pick...

                              Oklahoma City Thunder Preview Written by Max Turtz of Swish Tribune As the 2023-24 NBA season approaches, all eyes are on the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that has been in the midst of a rebuilding phase for the past few years. While they may not be immediate championship contenders, this season promises to be an exciting one for Thunder fans as they continue to develop their young talent and work towards a brighter future. The Thunder's roster is filled with promising young players who have been gaining valuable experience over the past couple of seasons. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team's now-established star, is set to lead the way. His scoring ability, playmaking, and defensive prowess make him one of the most exciting talents in the league. Look for him to take another step forward as he becomes the team's primary option. The Thunder have invested heavily in pla...

  Written By: Spencer Teman, of Swish Tribune One of the most talked about teams this offseason, the Portland Trail Blazers will have a whole new look this upcoming season as they look to compete with the best of the best in the West.  The biggest move that the Blazers made this offseason was trading the face of their franchise, Damian Lillard. Lillard was arguably the best Blazer of all time and dedicated his first 11 years to the franchise but grew unhappy with the organization as he approached his 12th year in Portland.  The Blazers got a haul back for him as they dealt him to Milwaukee which involved a three-team deal with the Suns as well. They got back DeAndre Ayton, Jrue Holiday, and a couple of first round picks. They then dealt Holiday to Boston for Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams. So in the end the Blazers got the package they wanted in return to add to an already talented roster.  Their second biggest move this offseason was drafting Scoot Henderson wi...

-Written by Carmine Tuosto of Swish Tribune Last sunday the Miami Dolphins crushed the broncos 70-20, scoring the most points in a game in almost 60 years. Racking up more than 700 yards. Raheem Mostert and De'von Achane caught the eye of a lot of NFL fans by having 4 Touchdowns each. With a Emmanuel Ogbah and Tyreek towndown too.  This was a fun game to watch even though it was a blowout the whole dolphins team was doing some outrageous things,   Tyreek  climbing over the end zone wall at after his first-quarter TD reception and celebrating with the fans,  offensive players, including quarterback  Tua Tagovailoa , running back Raheem Mostert,  Terron Armstead and Robert Hunt and more, did a conga line after another score in the second quarter, and  Mostert went swimming in the end zone following one of his four touchdowns on the day. Although the Broncos will likely try to forget this game as quickly as possible, that likely won't be happening and tha...