Detroit, MI

Rocket predictions: News ‘experts’ pick their favorites, dark horses and winners

Published

1 year ago

June 24, 2024

Rocket predictions: News ‘experts’ pick their favorites, dark horses and winners

Detroit — The Rocket’s back.

The PGA Tour returns to Detroit Golf Club this week, for the sixth playing of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which has struggled at times to put together a star-studded field, but hasn’t struggled in producing the drama.

Every Rocket has had its fair share of story lines, and drama. The tournament has had two playoffs, including Rickie Fowler’s triumph over Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin, last year. And the tournament’s had its fair share of marquee winners, including Tony Finau in 2022 and Bryson DeChambeau in 2020.

Who will it be this year?

The News’ resident golf “experts” weigh in, before the action gets under way at Detroit Golf Club on Thursday.

Tony Paul, reporter

▶ Favorite: Tom Kim has to be the popular pick this week in Detroit, given his performance at the Travelers, where he led almost the entire tournament until late on Sunday, when Scottie Scheffler passed him by (no shame in that) and eventually won in a playoff. Kim knows how to go low, and he’s done it in Detroit. Cameron Young will be atop a lot of folks’ list, too, after his 59 on Sunday, and his tie for second in Detroit in 2022, but if the rough is thick, Young and his erratic driver could have some issues.

▶ One to watch: I’m extremely curious to see how 15-year-old Miles Russell handles his first appearance in a PGA Tour event, in the tournament on a sponsor’s exemption. He did just swell in his Korn Ferry Tour debut, becoming the youngest player ever to make the cut on that circuit. He played Detroit Golf Club earlier this year, and apparently tore the place up (and he also swung by Oakland Hills, shooting 67-68 from the tips).

▶ Dark horse: Neal Shipley. He joined the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Viktor Hovland and a handful of others in earning low-amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. He since has turned professional, and projects to be one of those quick-to-the-winner-circle fellas.

▶ Winner: Rickie Fowler. The Rocket hasn’t had a repeat winner, but I’ll say that ends this year. He’s struggled since his breakthrough win in Detroit a year ago, but turned it on the Travelers, just in time for one of his favorite stops.

John Niyo, columnist

▶ Favorite: Cameron Young is the highest-ranked player in the field, and he’s coming in hot, fresh off firing a 59 on Saturday at the Travelers. But with his combination of power and touch, he’s also a perfect fit for this Donald Ross course, as he proved with a runner-up finish to Tony Finau in 2022

▶ One to watch: Chris Kirk is a horse for this course, no doubt. His tie for 14th here last year was his fourth straight top-25 finish, a run that includes a dozen rounds in the 60s.

▶ Dark horse: J.J. Spaun has made the cut in every RMC — no one else can say that — and last year’s T33 was his worst finish to date. Recent results aren’t great, but a Motor City visit might be just what he needed.

▶ Winner: Taylor Pendrith followed up a runner-up finish here in 2022 with another top-15 last year at DGC. After notching his breakthrough win at the Byron Nelson this spring, I’m picking him to double up this week in Detroit.

More: The News’ tee-to-green coverage of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, all right here

Craig Yuhas, assistant sports editor

▶ Favorite: Tom Kim. Without a star-studded field, Kim stands out as someone that should have a great chance after finishing second at Travelers Championship. The biggest problem is how much gas do some of the better players, including Kim, have in the tank? Kim is playing his ninth event in a row, and many will be playing their fourth or fifth tournament in a row this week. He seems to be handling it the best right now.

▶ One to watch: Rickie Fowler. His win at last year’s RMC was a big breakthrough as he embarks on the second half of his PGA Tour career. His play has been steady but not spectacular since. He will have a big following, as he always does, when he’s here. Maybe that is the jolt his game needs to get back rolling to finish off the season.

▶ Dark horse: Adam Schenk. He’s had a up-and-down year, but when he’s good, he’s really good. Schenk finished seventh last year here and maybe this is the week the Purdue alum breaks through for his first career victory.

➤ Winner: Akshay Bhatia. After winning the Texas Open the week before the Masters, Bhatia struggled for a minute before putting it together and is trending in the right direction — T22 at Memorial, T16 at U.S. Open and T5 at the Travelers. I like him to win, but I wonder how he holds up. This will be his eighth tournament in a row.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984

Source link

Click to comment

Detroit, MI

Rain, wintry chill mark Thanksgiving holiday week in Metro Detroit

Published

16 minutes ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Rain, wintry chill mark Thanksgiving holiday week in Metro Detroit

Thanksgiving week in Metro Detroit is forecast to bring a shift toward rain and colder wintry conditions, meteorologists say.

The week is slated to start off mild on Monday. The area is expected to bring increasing cloud cover with temperatures topping out in the 50s. The average high on Nov. 24 is 45 degrees, National Weather Service records show.

Forecasters from both the National Weather Service and AccuWeather expect rain Tuesday as a kickoff to the week’s wet weather pattern.

According to the weather service, Tuesday’s rain chance is around 80% with a cold front approaching. AccuWeather says temperatures will range between 40 and 50 with rain arriving before 2 p.m.

The cold front moving in Wednesday morning ushers in stronger winds and colder air. NWS predicts the day will be breezy with gusts possibly reaching into the 30 to 40 mph range. The high should climb near 50 with a chance for a rain/snow mix then drop to lows around the upper 20s at night.

The transition from rain to snow signals that winter is starting to lean in.

“Wednesday night we have about at 40% to 50% chance of snow showers, dusting or accumulation is possible,” said Steve Considine, a meteorologist at the NWS’s Detroit office.

This Thanksgiving could also be colder and windier than last year, Considine said. NWS said Thursday and Friday will have a notable chill with readings between the mid 20s and upper 30s.

“Last year we had a high of 42 degrees and a few snow showers in the morning that didn’t amount to anything, so this Thanksgiving is going to be colder and windier in comparison to last year,” he said.

Considine added: “The wind chill readings on Thanksgiving are going to be in the teens in the morning and in the 20s in the afternoon. We’re still looking at west winds of 20 to 25 mph with a few gusts of 30 to 35 moh. So essentially cold and windy for Thanksgiving Day with some snow showers, minor accumulation possible but we’re not expecting any accumulations.”

The weekend is expected to lean toward winter weather with temperatures in the 30s, cloudy and chilly Saturday.

Sunday presents a chance for a snow/rain mixture.

mjohnson@detroitnews.com

Source link

Detroit, MI

Lions grades: Detroit survives vs. Giants despite offensive miscues, defensive breakdowns

Published

18 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

Lions grades: Detroit survives vs. Giants despite offensive miscues, defensive breakdowns

Detroit — Richard Silva grades the Detroit Lions in their 34-27 win over the New York Giants.

Quarterback

Jared Goff wasn’t done any favors by his teammates. His lone interception was caused by a tipped pass that should’ve been caught — there were other drops, as well — and his mobility was the only reason he wasn’t sacked more than three times. He had a couple of big-time throws, including a rifled ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown that went for 20 yards on third-and-medium. Goff’s final line: 28-of-42 for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Grade: B

Running backs

What more is there to say about Jahmyr Gibbs? One of the best players on the planet dominated for the third week in a row, and this was the best game of his career. He took the first snap of overtime 69 yards to the house. He ripped off a 49-yard rush before catching a touchdown two plays later to cap a pivotal drive in the second quarter. He scored on another 49-yarder later in the game. He’s an incredibly special talent. Grade: A+

Wide receivers/tight ends

Drops have officially become a problem for St. Brown. The receiver entered Week 12 with five on the season, and he couldn’t corral two balls he should’ve caught, including a costly pass in the third quarter that tipped off his fingers and into the arms of safety Jevon Holland. St. Brown was Detroit’s most productive pass-catcher, snagging nine of his 13 targets for 149 yards and a touchdown. His score was the result of a screen. He showed good initial patience and proceeded to carry a handful of defenders with him into the end zone. Kalif Raymond hauled in a 30-yard reception with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half, putting kicker Jake Bates in position to make a 37-yarder before halftime. Grade: B-

Offensive line

Kayode Awosika struggled in his third game filling in for the injured Christian Mahogany at left guard, allowing two of New York’s three sacks. He was swiftly beaten by Rakeem Nuñez-Roches on the second instance, giving Goff no chance to get through his progressions. The third sack came due to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence getting initial pressure against Graham Glasgow, which forced Goff to scramble into Darius Alexander, who had two sacks. The rookie previously only had a half-sack on the season. Grade: D

Defensive line

I’m concerned about the pass rush, but Aidan Hutchinson saved the day by sacking Jameis Winston on fourth down to slam the door on the Giants. The grade here also gets a significant boost (it’d be much lower if it only focused on rushing the passer) because of Detroit’s run defense; the Giants averaged 3.1 yards per attempt, and the interior of the line defensive line (notably, Roy Lopez) deserves credit. Grade: D+

Linebackers

Jack Campbell once again paced the Lions in total tackles (11), and he had as much to do with the team’s efforts in stopping the run as anyone, notching at least three run stops. Alex Anzalone had a couple run stops, too, but he was one the wrong end of an impressive 24-yard catch from tight end Theo Johnson, who went up and high-pointed the ball with Anzalone in coverage. Derrick Barnes wasn’t at fault for a deep pass to Winston on a trick play, but he was in the wrong for not being able to get Winston to the ground after the QB caught the pass. Grade: B

Secondary

Covering Wan’Dale Robinson proved difficult. There were a handful of gains that were the result of well-schemed passes to the nimble receiver out of the slot, but Robinson also flat-out beat Amik Robertson. Robinson (a career-best 156 yards on nine catches) caught a touchdown on New York’s opening drive. It was a double-pass, and Thomas Harper, who later hauled in an interception, was baited out of position. D.J. Reed lost Isaiah Hodgins on a critical third-and-10 with the Giants backed up near their own goal line, and Brian Branch had a pass interference against Johnson later on that same drive. Robertson made up for some of his earlier errors with a crucial pass breakup late in regulation. Grade: D

Special teams

Bates made both of his field-goal attempts, knocking through the aforementioned 34-yarder and an absolutely massive 59-yarder to tie the score with 28 seconds remaining. Jack Fox had perhaps his best game of the season, as he averaged 40 yards across five punts and pinned the Lions inside their own 10-yard line on four occasions. Grade: A+

Coaching

With their backs against the wall, the Lions answered. Was it pretty? No. Were there mistakes? Plenty. But for the first time this season, the Lions rallied from down multiple possessions and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. That’s coaching. Dan Campbell made his errors — wasting his final timeout in regulation after a spiked ball sticks out — but this grade was saved by the culture he’s built. Grade: B

rsilva@detroitnews.com

@rich_silva18

Source link

Detroit, MI

Detroit Pistons get past Milwaukee Bucks 129-116 for 12th straight win

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Pistons get past Milwaukee Bucks 129-116 for 12th straight win

November 22, 2025 / 10:47 PM EST
/ AP

Cade Cunningham had 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Detroit Pistons capitalized on sizzling shooting to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-116 on Saturday night for their 12th straight victory.

Detroit’s Jaden Ivey played 15 minutes and scored 10 points in his first game since breaking his left fibula on Jan. 1. Tobias Harris scored 18 points while playing for the first time since Nov. 1 after dealing with a sprained right ankle.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a second straight game due to an adductor strain.

The Pistons are one victory away from matching the longest winning streak in franchise history. Detroit won 13 straight games in 1989-90 and 2003-04, and the Pistons went on to win the NBA title both seasons.

Detroit also ended a 13-game skid in this series by beating the Bucks for the first time since a 115-106 triumph at Milwaukee on Jan. 3, 2022. That had been tied for the second-longest active win streak by any one team against another.

The longest such active streak is owned by the Los Angeles Clippers, who beat the Charlotte Hornets for a 15th straight time Saturday as James Harden scored 55 points in a 131-116 game.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said during his pregame availability that Cunningham had brought up the Pistons’ lack of success against the Bucks to the rest of the team earlier in the day.

Jalen Duren had 19 points and Duncan Robinson 15 for Detroit, which shot 53.3% (16 of 30) from 3-point range and 62.8% (49 of 78) overall. Ryan Rollins had 24 and Bobby Portis added 18 for Milwaukee.

The Bucks have lost four straight to drop below .500 for the first time this season.

Detroit pulled ahead for good in the second quarter and led by as many as 29.