Lions Acquire Damon Harrison

The New York Giants continued their firesale on Wednesday, trading defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison to the Detroit Lions for a future fifth-round pick, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapport. The deal comes a day after the Giants traded cornerback Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints.

An All-Pro in 2016, Harrison gives the Lions’ rush defense—which ranks 30th in the NFL, allowing 139.3 yards per game—much needed-assistance. Gashed for a league-high 5.3 yards-per-carry this season, the Lions needed an upgrade at the position to address their weakness up the middle.

Harrison, a seven-year undrafted veteran who spent the first four seasons of his career with the New York Jets, is one of the best interior run-stoppers in the league. Pro Football Focus currently ranks Harrison as the fourth-best defender against the rush for 2018. He has 31 tackles and one forced fumble this season.

The Giants traded Damon Harrison to the Lions. (Mike Stobe/NewsDay)

The Lions have won three of their past four games since their 0-2 start and the addition of Harrison makes them a real threat to win a wide-open NFC North, which the Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1) currently lead.

The 29-year-old Harrison is in the third year of a five-year, $46.25 million contract he signed in 2016. For the 1-6 Giants, the move opens up $8 million in salary cap for next season. General manager Dave Gettleman has his eyes on the future for a team that has underachieved for the second straight year. The Giants are tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the worst record in the NFL, a season after finishing with the league’s second-worst record.

NFL Power Rankings Week 8

Ranking all 32 teams with seven weeks of the season now in the books.

The Carolina Panthers' improbable road comeback highlighted Sunday's NFL action. Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Rams continued their perfect season, the New Orleans Saints won their fifth straight and the Houston Texans pushed their winning streak to four.

1. Los Angeles Rams (7-0)

Todd Gurley rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns and caught 4 passes for 23 yards and another score in the Rams’ shellacking of the 49ers. It was his third 3-touchdown game of the season. He leads the league with 14 TDs for the season, tying the mark for most touchdowns by a running back through his first seven games in NFL history, originally set by Priest Holmes in 2003.

2. New England Patriots (5-2)

The Patriots' special teams unit scored two touchdowns in Chicago. The first one came on a 95-yard kickoff return by Cordarrelle Patterson. The second came on a 29-yard return off a blocked punt by Kyle Van Noy. Josh Gordon led the team in receiving with 100 yards.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)

Kareem Hunt rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 55 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Chiefs’ blowout victory over the Bengals on Sunday Night Football.

4. New Orleans Saints (5-1)

Drew Brees became the fourth member of the 500-TD club—completing 22 of 30 for 212 yards and two touchdowns—and superstar wideout Michael Thomas caught his first touchdown pass since Week 2 as the visiting Saints defeated the Ravens and won their fifth straight game. In beating the Ravens, Brees joined Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks in league history to beat all 32 NFL teams.

Michael Thomas celebrates a touchdown in the Saints' win over the Ravens. (AP)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)

The Chargers defense stepped up in the biggest moment of the game, forcing an incomplete pass from opposing quarterback Marcus Mariota on the Titans’ two-point conversion attempt to hold on for a one-point win in London.

6. Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1)

Adam Thielen put another dazzling performance, catching nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ beatdown over the Jets. He has totaled over 100 yards receiving in each of his team's first seven games, the second player in NFL history to reach this feat (the late Charley Hennigan of the Houston Oilers achieved this in 1961) and the only player in the Super Bowl era to accomplish it.

7. Carolina Panthers (4-2)

The Panthers rallied from a 17-0 fourth-quarter deficit to take down the defending-champion Eagles, backed by QB Cam Newton, who recorded 201 of his 269 passing yards in the final period. Overcoming a 17-point deficit, the Panthers matched their franchise record for biggest comeback in team history.

8. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)

The Ravens played well against the first-place Saints, but the most accurate kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker, missed a game-tying extra-point for the first time in his career with 24 seconds remaining in the 24-23 loss.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)

The Steelers had a great bye week, moving into first-place in the AFC North due to losses by the Ravens and Bengals.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)

The Eagles blew a 17-0 lead to the Panthers, surrendering 233 yards and 21 points in the game's final quarter. The collapse spoiled a tremendous outing by Carson Wentz, who completed 26 of 36 passes for 278 yards with three touchdowns.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

The Bengals gave up 551 yards and 45 points to the Chiefs. On offense, Joe Mixon had only 50 yards rushing. Andy Dalton was held to just 148 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception by the NFL's worst statistical defense. The Bengals are 0-6 on Sunday Night Football since drafting Dalton in 2011. The 35-point loss was the team's most lopsided defeat since 2009.

12. Washington Redskins (4-2)

The Redskins defense sacked Dak Prescott four times, held Ezekiel Elliott to 34 yards and scored a TD in the fourth quarter as Ryan Kerrigan stripped Prescott and Preston Smith scooped up the ball in the end zone.

13. Chicago Bears (3-3)

The Bears doomed themselves by allowing the Patriots to score two special teams touchdowns.

14. Detroit Lions (3-3)

The Lions rushed for 248 yards—158 coming from rookie tailback Kerryon Johnson—in their road victory at Miami.

15. Houston Texans (4-3)

The visiting Texans humiliated the division-rival Jaguars, who benched struggling quarterback Blake Bortles. Houston has won four straight since its 0-3 start to take sole control of first-place in the AFC South.

Rest of the Pack

16. Miami Dolphins (4-3)

17. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)

18. Tennessee Titans (3-4)

19. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4)

22. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3)

24. Cleveland Browns (2-4-1)

25. New York Jets (3-4)

26. Denver Broncos (3-4)

27. Indianapolis Colts (2-5)

28. Buffalo Bills (2-5)

29. New York Giants (1-6)

30. Oakland Raiders (1-5)

31. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)

32. San Francisco 49ers (1-6)

Tannehill's Future with Dolphins in Doubt?

Ryan Tannehill’s short-term status is clear. The Miami Dolphins quarterback will miss at least the next two weeks of action to heal his throwing shoulder, before he returns at some point this season. However, Tannehill’s long-term status in Miami—even just beyond 2018—remains in “doubt,” according to The Miami Herald.

For Tannehill to stay with the Dolphins, he would have to take a pay cut from the $26.6 million he is owed for the 2019 season. If the two sides cannot agree on a revised contract, the Dolphins will ultimately cut ties with the quarterback they selected eighth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Dolphins can save $13.2 million in cap space if they release Tannehill this offseason.

Is this Ryan Tannehill's final season in Miami? (AP)

Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler played terrific in place of the injured Tannehill last week, throwing for 380 yards and three TDs in the overtime win against the Chicago Bears' vaunted defense. Osweiler will start on Sunday versus the Detroit Lions and is expected to be the signal-caller the following week against the Houston Texans, his former team.

Tannehill started in every possible game in the first four seasons of his career (2012-15), before injuries derailed him the past three years. Tannehill suffered a partially torn ACL towards the end of the 2016 season. Tannehill posted an 8-5 record in 13 starts before his season-ending injury in December, helping the Dolphins reach the postseason. He was unable to suit up for their lone playoff contest—a loss in the Wild-Card round to the host Pittsburgh Steelers. Tannehill missed the entire 2017 campaign after again partially tearing his ACL, this time getting hurt during the team’s first non-contact 11-on-11 practice of the season in early-August.

The Dolphins won their first three games of the 2018 season under Tannehill, who threw for seven touchdowns with just two interceptions in the team’s 3-0 start. But Tannehill and the Dolphins came crashing down to earth in Week 4 with a humiliating 38-7 defeat to the perennial powerhouse New England Patriots. Tannehill failed to record a TD, firing one interception in the loss. The following week he threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in Miami’s 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Even if the backup slinger Osweiler can lead the Dolphins to victories versus the Lions and on the road against the Texans, the starting QB gig will almost certainly be handed back to Tannehill when he returns from injury. That will give Tannehill one final chance to impress the Dolphins’ brass enough to retain his services beyond this season.

NFL Power Rankings Week 7

1. Los Angeles Rams (6-0)

Todd Gurley rushed for a career-high 208 yards as the Rams remained perfect on the season.

Todd Gurley leads the NFL with 11 touchdowns. (Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today Sports)

2. New England Patriots (4-2)

The Patriots handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season in a 43-point scoring effort in which they did not punt or commit a single penalty—the first time in the Super Bowl era that a team played an entire game without punting or being charged a penalty.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

The Chiefs were unstoppable on offense in the second half, scoring 31 of their 40 points after intermission. Tyreek Hill had 142 receiving yards with three touchdowns for the game and Kareem Hunt posted 185 yards from scrimmage with one receiving touchdown. Patrick Mahomes played well, recording 352 passing yards and four TDs, but he did throw two costly interceptions in the first half—one of which came in the redzone.

4. New Orleans Saints (4-1)

The idle Saints lead the NFC South by a full game after Carolina lost at Washington.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)

The visiting Chargers destroyed the Browns behind Melvin Gordon and Tyrell Williams. Gordon rushed for 132 yards and scored a career-high three touchdowns. Williams caught two TDs and totaled 118 receiving yards.

6. Minnesota Vikings (3-2-1)

Adam Thielen leads the NFL in receiving yards (712) after collecting 11 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over Arizona. He also has the longest streak of 100-yard games (6) to start a season in the Super Bowl era (one shy of tying the NFL record) and has caught a league-high 58 passes, the most a player has recorded through the first six games in NFL history. He is on pace to grab 154 receptions for the season.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

Carson Wentz completed 26 of 36 passes for 278 yards and three TDs in a commanding road win versus the division-rival Giants.

8. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)

The Ravens recorded a franchise-record 11 sacks and pitched a shutout on the road at Tennessee.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)

The run defense remains elite, allowing only 62 rushing yards to the Bengals. On the other side of the ball, James Conner managed 111 rushing yards and two TDs on just 11 carries, continuing to look dominant in the absence of Le’Veon Bell.

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10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

The Bengals surrendered over 480 yards for the second time in the past three weeks, failing to record a sack as Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger won in Cincinnati for the third consecutive year.

11. Carolina Panthers (3-2)

Rookie D.J. Moore lost two fumbles in the first half, leading to 10 points for the Redskins. The Panthers’ comeback came up short as they fell to 0-2 on the road this season. Up next is a matchup against the defending champions in Philadelphia.

12. Miami Dolphins (4-2)

Brock Osweiler played terrific in place of injured starting QB Ryan Tannehill, throwing for 380 yards and three TDs against Chicago’s vaunted defense. Albert Wilson, a speedster and suddenly a big-play specialist, caught six passes for a career-best 155 yards with two touchdowns in the overtime win.

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13. Chicago Bears (3-2)

Losing to a backup quarterback off a bye week is unacceptable for the Bears, who looked flat defensively against the Dolphins despite the extra time off.

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)

Blake Bortles is unwatchable right now and the defense looks soft, giving up 206 rushing yards in an embarrassing 40-7 loss at Dallas.

15. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

The Titans gave up more sacks (11) than Marcus Mariota had completions (10). They failed to score and have managed a mere 12 points in the past two contests.

Rest of the Pack

16. Washington Redskins (3-2)

17. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)

18. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)

19. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

20. Cleveland Browns (2-3-1)

21. Detroit Lions (2-3)

22. Houston Texans (3-3)

23. New York Jets (3-3)

24. Denver Broncos (2-4)

25. Atlanta Falcons (2-4)

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)

27. Buffalo Bills (2-4)

28. New York Giants (1-5)

29. Indianapolis Colts (1-5)

30. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)

31. San Francisco 49ers (1-5)

32. Oakland Raiders (1-5)

Brad Stevens Voted NBA's Best Coach in GM Survey

According to NBA general managers, Brad Stevens is the best coach in the league. In the 17th annual NBA.com GM survey, Stevens received 47 percent of the votes for the league’s best head coach, ahead of San Antonio Spurs five-time NBA champion Gregg Popovich, who earned 82 percent of the votes last season.

Stevens led the Boston Celtics to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, despite All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward missing the entire postseason.

Not only was Stevens selected as the league's best coach, he was also picked as the coach with the best in-game adjustments, receiving 53 percent of the vote. According to the survey, Stevens is the third-best manager/motivator of people, trailing Popovich and three-time champion Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors. NBA GM's believe Stevens runs the third-best offense in the league, trailing Kerr and Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni. Stevens was the runner-up in the voting for best defensive schemes, ranking behind Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz.

NBA GM's voted Brad Stevens the best coach in the league. (AP Photo)

Stevens was snubbed in the voting for Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season. He finished third for the award, which was won by Dwayne Casey, the former coach of the Toronto Raptors and current head coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Last regular season, Stevens witnessed Hayward, the team’s purported second-best player and top two-way player, suffer a gruesome leg injury minutes into opening night. Later in the year, Irving went down with a season-ending knee injury after playing in just 60 games, while backup center Daniel Theis also saw his season cut short after 63 contests. In addition, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart each played in merely 54 of 82 games. And yet, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference standings under the tutelage of Stevens.

The Celtics are favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Stevens deserves a lot of credit for that league-wide expectation.

NFL Power Rankings Week 5

1. Los Angeles Rams (4-0)

The best team in the NFL put on a show on Thursday night behind Jared Goff. The QB threw for 465 yards and five touchdowns with a perfect passer rating.

Goff torched the Vikings in a transcendent performance at LA Memorial Coliseum. (Getty Images)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)

The Chiefs are 4-0 for the second straight year behind Patrick Mahomes, the early favorite for MVP. Their defense remains a concern, ranking dead-last in nearly every statistical category.

3. New Orleans Saints (3-1)

The defense finally woke up—albeit against the Giants’ anemic offense—to give New Orleans its third consecutive victory.

4. Carolina Panthers (2-1)

The Panthers, who lead the NFL in rushing with 166 yards per contest on the ground, return from their bye week with a home tilt against the Giants.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)

Leonard Fournette (hamstring) went down again and will likely be sidelined a few weeks, but Blake Bortles bounced back after a dismal Week 3 showing, throwing for 338 yards and two TDs in a blowout victory over the Jets.

6. New England Patriots (2-2)

The AFC East still runs through New England, as evidenced by the Patriots’ beatdown over the previously-unbeaten Dolphins. Sony Michel broke out for 112 yards and his first career touchdown. Josh Gordon debuted Sunday and now fellow wide receiver Julian Edelman will return after serving his four-game suspension

7. Chicago Bears (3-1)

Already establishing itself as one of the league’s best defensive teams, Chicago's offense showcased its talents in Sunday’s lopsided win versus the Bucs. Mitchell Trubisky recorded 354 passing yards and a whopping six touchdowns on just 26 pass attempts and added 53 rushing yards.

8. Tennessee Titans (3-1)

Fresh off beating the powerhouse Jaguars in Jacksonville, the Titans knocked off the defending-champion Eagles in a thrilling OT victory. Mike Vrabel is on pace to win Coach of the Year, leading his team to the top of the AFC South, despite a rash of injuries. Quarterback Marcus Mariota had his best game in a long time, completing 30 of 43 passes for 344 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while rushing for 46 yards and a score.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)

The inconsistent Andy Dalton showed poise in the Bengals’ game-winning drive against the Falcons. A.J. Green continued his torrid start by catching the go-ahead TD, Tyler Boyd (11 catches, 100 yards) had another strong showing and Giovanni Bernard (69 rushing yards with 2 TDs and four receptions for 27 yards) excelled in place of the injured Joe Mixon.

10. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

QB Joe Flacco and wideout John Brown are in full sync, while the defense delivered a terrific performance against the rival Steelers. Baltimore held the Steelers to just 284 total yards and fewer than 20 rushing yards.

11. Minnesota Vikings (1-2-1)

The defense has been stunningly bad, but Kirk Cousins looks like an elite quarterback, giving the team hope for a revival.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)

The Eagles’ secondary is awful, but the champs’ offense finally played well in their loss on Sunday. If the pass defense can improve, the Eagles should find themselves back at the top of the NFC East.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)

The Chargers never make anything easy. Philip Rivers threw a brutal pick-six in the opening quarter, and needed to fire three passing strikes to get his team past the 49ers (1-3).

Rivers moved into 8th-place all-time on the NFL's passing yards list, passing Hall of Fame QB John Elway on Sunday.

14. Washington Redskins (2-1)

The Redskins return to action on Monday Night Football at New Orleans to play the surging Saints.

15. Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)

The offense is not where it needs to be as Aaron Rodgers has not looked like his elite self.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2-1)

The Steelers are a mess right now. On the bright side, Le’Veon Bell looks likely to return by Week 7 or 8.

17. Miami Dolphins (3-1)

The Dolphins laid an egg versus the Patriots. Ryan Tannehill was 11-of-20 for just 100 yards. The Dolphins had seven punts, two turnovers and 10 penalties for 89 yards.

Rest of the Pack:

18. Denver Broncos (2-2)

19. Atlanta Falcons (1-3)

20. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)

21. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)

23. Cleveland Browns (1-2-1)

24. Detroit Lions (1-3)

25. New York Giants (1-3)

26. Houston Texans (1-3)

27. Indianapolis Colts (1-3)

28. New York Jets (1-3)

29. San Francisco 49ers (1-3)

30. Oakland Raiders (1-3)

31. Buffalo Bills (1-3)

32. Arizona Cardinals (0-4)