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Ryan McCafferty

Ryan McCafferty is a passionate sports fan from Herndon, Va, where he follows the Washington Commanders, Wizards.  Ryan particularly enjoys covering the statistical aspect of sports, and in his spare time, he manages RJMAnalytics, a blog in which he formulates and analyzes his own advanced metrics for NASCAR and basketball. He is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, where he majored in communications and minored in sports management, and reports on local high school sports in Northern Virginia for the Falls Church News-Press

A.J. Allmendinger crashes NASCAR playoff party with emotional win at Charlotte

With Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte Roval serving as an elimination race for the playoffs, all the attention was on the drivers whose season depended on a solid result in order to keep their title hopes alive.

Even in humiliating loss, Commanders can't let negativity derail season

After all the hope and optimism stemming from Dan Snyder's departure this past summer, the honeymoon phase for the Washington Commanders appears to be over.

NASCAR drops the ball on fight penalties from Talladega truck race

In recent times, NASCAR has made it a point to send the message that drivers will be at risk of suspension for intentional on-track incidents. Apparently, that doesn't apply to off-track ones.

Ryan Blaney wins instant classic at Talladega to secure spot in Round of 8

Ryan Blaney won a wild NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, locking in his Round of 8 spot.

Commanders lose heartbreaker in Philly, but plenty of positive takeaways

The Washington Commanders showed plenty of fortitude against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, even if they were unable to come away with an end win.

Virginia Tech football a long way from glory, but still as passionate as ever

If you're a fan of the Virginia Tech football team, you would think that the Hokies' 38-21 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday night was for the ACC championship.

Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club could be poised for huge 2024 season

Don't be surprised to see Jones running up front a lot more often in 2024. A playoff berth should be expected, and multiple wins are a very real possibility.

Patience is key with Sam Howell, Commanders O-Line not so much

During the Washington Commanders' 2-0 start to the 2023 season, they won in spite of an offensive line that allowed ten sacks on QB Sam Howell in two games.

NASCAR Texas finish summarizes 2023 season in a nutshell

Throughout the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Larson has been the driver with the most raw speed. His teammate William Byron has been the best at maximizing his results.

It's official: the blue-collar NASCAR Cup Series team is dead

The announcement this past week of Zane Smith joining the NASCAR Cup Series in a third Spire Motorsports entry for 2024 is, on its own merits, a welcome one. A young, talented driver and a rising organization have the chance to make some noise.

The NASCAR title contender that no one is talking about

The first round of NASCAR's championship race saw regular-season champ Martin Truex Jr. struggle and Denny Hamlin heat up. Hamlin is now tied with Kyle Larson and William Byron as a betting favorite to win the championship, but it's one of the drivers whose car he co-owns that everyone is sleeping on.

Chase Young's dominant return shows he's the X-factor for Commanders defense

Young played about as well as Commanders fans could possibly hope for. He'll need to continue to do so.

'Cardiac Commanders' survive roller-coaster afternoon in Denver

For the first time since 2011, the Commanders are 2-0. They got there in a game that they appeared to have lost, then won, then were about to lose in heartbreaking fashion ... and then somehow escaped.

Reigning champ Joey Logano, retiring Kevin Harvick are surprise NASCAR playoff eliminations at Bristol

Entering Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol, the talk was about whether or not regular season points leader Martin Truex, Jr. would be able to escape an improbable first-round elimination. Instead, a pair of other surprise eliminations garnered headlines.

What to expect from Shane van Gisbergen's full-time NASCAR move

Shane van Gisbergen took the NASCAR world by storm when he won the inaugural race on the streets of Chicago, which was his Cup Series debut. Now, the New Zealand native is coming to the states full-time.

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Commanders' Week 1 victory

The Washington Commanders have opened their season 1-0 after a hard-fought 20-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. However, they played far from a perfect game.

Tyler Reddick steals Kansas win on late restart, Martin Truex in big trouble

Race fans have always come to expect the unexpected when it comes to NASCAR's playoffs. However, it's hard to say anyone could've anticipated the predicament that Martin Truex Jr., the regular season champion, finds himself in.

NASCAR 'Silly Season' coming into focus, still some question marks

With this week's announcement that John Hunter Nemechek will be taking over the Legacy Motor Club No. 42, and news that Harrison Burton is expected to remain in the Wood Brothers No. 21, NASCAR's "Silly Season" picture for next season is starting to become much clearer.

Commanders can't afford to become 'trap game' victims in Week 1

Everything has gone right so far for the Washington Commanders in 2023. What could go wrong?

Kyle Larson finally wins Darlington in topsy-turvy final stage

Kyle Larson finally scored his first Cup Series win at Darlington after dominating the track without a victory in 11 previous races.

Predicting the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are officially here and with that, it's time to begin narrowing down the 16-man field to 12, then eight, then four and finally, one eventual champion.

Four Commanders players who helped their 53-man roster chances this preseason

The NFL preseason may be considered nothing more than exhibition for the gridiron stars we all know and love. For those buried deep on the depth chart, though, it's the most meaningful time of the year. Here are four players who took advantage of the preseason to boost their chances of making the team in Washington.

Chris Buescher wins, Ryan Preece wrecks in NASCAR regular-season finale

If you had Chris Buescher winning three times — and in a span of five races, at that — on your 2023 NASCAR bingo card, raise your hand. Then put your hand down, because you're lying.

Five drivers who could crash NASCAR's playoff field — besides Chase Elliott

Ever since NASCAR made the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona the final race for its regular season, the possibility of a driver winning their way into the playoffs has been a very realistic one.

Commanders end Ravens' historic streak in preseason thriller

The energy was palpable in Landover, Md., from the moment Dan Snyder announced he was selling the Washington Commanders. It may have reached a fever pitch on Monday night.