Okay, we have turned the page on 2022 and the collapse of the Red Sox, Patriots, URI men’s basketball and Brown football.
We have witnessed the rise of the Celtics, the PC Friars, Bryant Bulldogs and URI women’s basketball.
We have watched URI football become a consistent winner, a Providence kid, Jeremy Peña, become the World Series MVP, and a Johnston kid, Dan Mazzulla, become head coach of the Celtics.
Now what? Let’s look back at a few of the events and circumstances that got us to the first week of January 2023 and glimpse what might occur as we make our way through the next 12 months.
PATRIOTS
The Patriots are a mess. Mostly. That they still have a chance to make the playoffs is remarkable, given their inconsistent performance. All they have to do is beat the AFC East-leading Bills in Buffalo Sunday afternoon, a stiffer challenge in the wake of what happened on Monday Night Football this week. Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains hospitalized in Cincinnati after suffering cardiac arrest in the first quarter of a showdown with the AFC North-leading Bengals. He collapsed seconds after making a tackle, and medical personnel performed CPR on the field to save his life. The NFL eventually postponed the game.
The atmosphere in Buffalo Sunday will definitely be more somber than usual. How will the Patriots respond?
Four years after their last Super Bowl triumph and three years after Tom Brady left town, the Pats have lost their edge, that intangible that not so long ago meant no game was over until it was over. Or, if Brady had the ball at the end, the Patriots had a chance.
Bill Belichick still has not found a dependable quarterback. Cam Newton failed in 2020. Mac Jones showed promise in 2021 — leading the Pats to 10 victories and a return to the playoffs — but has regressed this season. Too many bad decisions and bad throws. Belichick is also responsible for the slide. Installing Matt Patricia, a defensive specialist, as offensive coordinator, and installing a new offense were mistakes.
Three plays define this team for me. Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with five seconds to play to beat the Jets, 10-3, on Nov. 20. So talent is there.
But four weeks later at Las Vegas, the Patriots just had to run out the clock — three seconds to be exact — to send a 24-24 game into overtime. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 23 yards and got reckless. He lateraled to Jakobi Meyers, who got more reckless — running back 10 yards, making like a shot putter and heaving the ball back toward Mac Jones. Problem was, Chandler Jones of the Raiders caught the heave, ran over Mac like a truck and went 48 yards for the walk-off winning touchdown. Calling that a high-school play is an insult to high-school players everywhere.
And on Christmas Eve the Pats were driving for what might have been the winning touchdown when Stevenson lost a fumble at the Cincinnati 5-yard line.
Last Sunday, the Patriots struggled against Miami’s second- and third-string quarterbacks and needed a touchdown from the defense — Kyle Dugger’s pick six— to escape with a 23-21 victory and set them up for a regular-season finale that will be emotionally challenging on multiple levels.
RED SOX
The Red Sox are a mess. Totally. Did this franchise really win the World Series in 2018? Yes, over the Los Angeles Dodgers, but you would never know it from the performance of the players and front office in the four seasons since.
The Red Sox traded their MVP right fielder Mookie Betts, their great-glove-no-bat center fielder Jacki Bradley, Jr., their inconsistent left fielder Andrew Benintendi, and dependable catcher Christian Vazquez for little in return. They watched shortstop Xander Bogaerts, in many ways the face of the franchise, walk out the free agency door last month and sign with San Diego. Nathan Eovaldi followed last week and will pitch for the Texas Rangers in 2023. DH J.D. Martinez is now a teammate of Betts on the Dodgers. Sox watchers speculate that third baseman Rafael Devers will leave after the ’23 campaign.
In their place are journeymen with more miles than an old Volvo wagon, veterans with a history of injuries, and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, a 5-foot, 8-inch left-handed hitter who will soon become best friends with Fenway Park’s Green Monster. He signed a five-year deal last month.
Pitching remains suspect — let’s not even get into whether Chris Sale can throw in 2023 — and except for third base, the infield positions are uncertain.
The Red Sox have finished last in the A.L. East two of the last three seasons. I have no reason to believe they will finish much higher in 2023.
But wait! The Boston Globe, citing an MLB source, reported Wednesday that the Red Sox and Devers have agreed on an 11-year, $331-million deal, the longest and most lucrative contract in Red Sox history. There’s hope on the horizon!
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Providence College won its first Big East regular season championship in 2022, reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and finished 27-6, one of its best seasons ever. Ed Cooley was the Big East and Naismith coach of the year. The 2023 Friars are off to a 13-3 start. They upset No. 5 UConn, 73-61, Wednesday night for their eighth consecutive victory and ninth in their last 10 games. They are 5-0 in the Big East. Bryce Hopkins scored 27 points
Bryant won 22 games and the Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2022. The Bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time. Peter Kiss led the nation in scoring with his 25.2 average. This season the Bulldogs are 10-4, 1-0 in the America East Conference, their new home. They visit Vermont, always a force in the America East, Thursday night.
The URI women are 10-3 after winning their Atlantic-10 opener against Duquesne on New Year’s Eve. Coach Tammi Reiss has revived the program in three years. The 2022 Rams won 22 games, thanks to winning streaks of seven and 13 games, and received their first WNIT bid. Reiss has recruited heavily in France and has attracted transfers to Kingston. URI should make another run at the postseason this year.
For the URI men it’s a different story. Coach David Cox ultimately was not the answer when Dan Hurley left for UConn after the 2018 season. Cox parted ways with the Rams after four seasons and a 64-55 record. URI lured Archie Miller, the former Dayton and Indiana coach, out of retirement to rebuild the Rams. With a mostly new roster he is off to a 5-9 start. URI lost its Atlantic-10 opener at Duquesne New Year’s Eve but rebounded Wednesday night with an 82-79 triumph over Fordham. Malik Martin had a career night with 23 points. Ishmael Leggett added 17. Rebuilding has its ups and downs, so this season should play like a roller coaster.
CELTICS
A year ago, the Celtics were a .500 team under rookie coach Ime Udoka. After the holidays they finally clicked. Jayson Tatum played like a superstar, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart like stars, and Robert Williams III like a ball-swatting monster on defense. The Celtics went all the way to Game 6 of the NBA Finals before losing to Golden State.
The offseason turned traumatic when the organization investigated and eventually suspended Udoka for having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Brad Stevens, chief of basketball ops, put Dan Mazzulla of Johnston, Bishop Hendricken and West Virginia in charge. The transition was smooth; the Celtics started fast and still boast the best record in the NBA, 26-12, despite a 5-5 record in their last 10 and consecutive losses at Denver and Oklahoma City, which torched the C’s for 150 points Tuesday night. The Celtics have their sights set on a championship and, barring injuries to key players, should make a strong run. But they must play better defense than they have lately.
