Sports Nirvana = Fall; Do the Yankees still have a shot?; Who are these Baltimore Ravens
Headlines
Christian McCaffery traded to San Francisco for a BUNCH of picks. We know he’s a great back, but it feels a little desperate at the moment. If they can get him going, this should help a team that is a legit contender, so we shall see.
The Yankees are on the verge of getting swept by the Houston Astros, and they are looking at their bell cow, Gerrit Cole, to keep them alive on Saturday. This was a “win now” team for the Yankees, especially with Judge’s contract situation, but it’s not looking good in the Bronx. If they drop Game #3 with Cole on the mound, this season is just about over for them.
Thursday Night Football; WE GOT ONE! We finally got a game that was reasonably entertaining between the Saints and Cardinals. There were more than 20 pts scored, which was problem #1 with the previous TNF matchups. The headline here is Kyler & Kingsbury, as usual, and it’s looking like there is still tension between them with these sideline blowups. They scored 4 pts though, and nabbed a win. The Saints are just not good, even with a solid defense, the Andy Dalton show just isn’t going to do it.
NFL Week #7 Preview
Ravens Identity Crisis
Browns at Ravens - The Ravens are welcoming the Cleveland Browns for a big division game, early in the year. The Ravens are 3-3, 1-2 at home, which is really concerning for the Ravens and the fanbase. They have been totally unable to close. There is very little consistency, on both sides of the ball. It’s very strange that this team doesn’t seem to know who they are, and the longer it lasts the more concerning it is. -
The Browns are similarly inconsistent. The defense is playing terribly, and underachieving by most people’s projections. Brissett has come back down to earth after a stellar start to the season that surprised some people. Nick Chubb is going to carry the load, and David Njoku could have a decent day.
The Ravens need to figure this out, against the Browns, now. We’re both taking the Ravens to win, but we’re split on the spread.
Falcons at Bengals - both teams cover the spread, like all the time. Marcus Marriotta is having a comeback player of the year type year, according to Tom; Chris isn’t so convinced but the Falcons aren’t as bad as they should be. Fantasy bumps - Burrow is looking better, and Chase is still a start. We’re both taking the Falcons.
Lions at Cowboys - Dak’s Back; against the worst defense in football so this is a great situation for the Cowboys. Kudos to Detroit for sticking to blitzing all the time, no matter what, but Dallas might light them up. All of your cowboys can play again. We’re both taking Dallas
Colts at Titans - Tennessee is favored by 2.5pts. You can’t trust either team, and we’re split on this one. Chris is taking Tennessee, Tom is taking Indy.
Bucs at Panthers - Tampa favored by 13 in Carolina. It seems egregious, but they did just lose McCaffery so maybe it makes sense? We’re taking Tampa win, but we’re staying away from the spread.
Packers at Commanders - Heinicke/Rodgers, marquee NFL stuff here. The real story is honestly Chase Young meeting with Dr. Andrews about his injury. Oh, and Green Bay really needs to get it together here, this is either a statement or a trap. We’re split, Chris is taking Washington, Tom is on Green Bay
Giants at Jags - Jags are favored…why? We’re both taking the Giants.
Jets at Broncos - J.E.T.S. Jets, Jets, Jets!
Texans at Raiders - Houston to cover! The Raiders offense is starting to roll, but that defense is a shambles
Seahawks at Chargers - The Chargers are not good. Bet the under because it’s obscenely high. The Seahawks should win this.
Chiefs at 49ers - KC is favored by 2 pts, but this is certainly their toughest defensive test of the season so far. KC is still missing a “big play” guy, but they are still the cream of the crop. The 49ers get Bosa back this week. This will definitely be good watching for the neutral fan. We’re split here again Chris is taking KC and Tom is taking San Fran.
Steelers at Dolphins - Miami is favored by 7, and that’s not an overshoot. Pittsburgh is awful, but are doing weird things like beating Brady and the Bucs. Miami is struggling, but they’re the more talented team at the moment. Tom is taking the Steelers to cover, Chris is taking the Dolphins
Bears at Patriots - Mac Jones is probably going to start again, and the Pats are favored by 7.5pts. Zappe looked a lot more promising than Mac in his time under center so we wouldn’t start Mac again, but they stink either way. The Bears are just awful, Justin Fields is in purgatory, and it’s sad to watch. We’re taking the Pats.
MLB Postseason
So far, this has been an unbelievably entertaining Postseason! It’s fantastic to see the big names, making major impacts, at the highest level and on the biggest stage.
Phillies/Padres
Bryce Harper, has arguably been the biggest and best of those stars, and it has been a joy to watch. The Phillies split in San Diego, which is great, but a last second loss in Game #2 has to cast some doubt. The Phillies have a great lineup, but some questions round the pitching staff that could be the tipping point in this series.
The Padres are still ridiculously dangerous. The pitching staff is loaded with Darvish, Snell, Musgrove with Hader on the backend. We all know the lineup is lethal from top to bottom. It is missing Tatis, too, which only makes them scarier. We both agree that San Diego is the better squad here, so we’re excited to watch.
Yankees/Astros
A MASSIVE Game #3 for the Yankees who are currently in a 2-0 hole, and are not looking good at all. The Astro’s are cooking, and are in full World Series mode which should concern any team they’re facing.
The Yankees still have a dynamite lineup, and Aaron Judge, but they aren’t hitting, and even worse, they continue to strikeout at an alarming rate. The pitching has been terrible, too. The bullpen continues to give up hits and runs, which is unfixable at the moment. Gerrit Cole goes tomorrow night and needs to churn out an absolutely perfect performance to keep the Yankees alive.
The Astro’s are basically about to win this without breaking a sweat; we’re just being real here.
Early NBA Headlines
We’re only one (or two) games in depending on team, but there are a few promising headlines from the start of a new NBA Season.
Kawahi Leonard is back on the court, which is great for the NBA as a whole. He is a major star for the League and it’s better with him than without him.
James Harden is back, playing, and looking good in Philadelphia. He’s had a lot of the ball these first two games, which probably should change a bit, and probably will as Embiid and Co. get healthy.
Zion Williamson is an absolute monster, and the team around him is really good, too! The Pelicans are shaping up to be a lot of fun to watch. We hope he stays healthy for the sake of all basketball fans.
The Brooklyn Nets have all the stars, playing, at the same time. Steve Nash isn’t Phil Jackson, but this team should be fine over the course of the year. The talent is undeniable.
Paulo Banchero looks legit. 20 pts in each of his first two games, and he hasn’t been forced to shoot from range yet. The mid-length jumper is back baby!!