Tua’s Injury & the NFL; Aaron Judge searching for #62; The Orioles 2022 Season
Tua’s Head Injury
Tua took another shot to the head after last week’s injury. Although he passed concussion protocol, it’s an awful look for the NFL. Ultimately, this probably won’t move the needle past the initial outrage. The NFL isn’t known for conducting thorough investigations that are going to paint them in a negative light, so this will probably just fall flat.
There are certainly questions around how robust the concussion protocol actually is, and there have always been questions about the players’ willingness to be honest during their assessments. There isn’t an easy answer here, but this wasn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last time this topic bubbles up.
Tom seems to think the NFL has done everything it can to absolve them from criticism, it’s a cute thought, but he’s wrong. Oh yeah, and the Dolphins lost which isn’t really surprising because Tua to Bridgewater isn’t ideal.
Aaron Judge Watch
He’s still sitting on 61…stay tuned!
Week #4 NFL Preview
Bills at Ravens - Lamar v. Josh Allen, these are easily the two best QBs in the league (in our opinion) so this should be a good one. Buffalo is favored by 3, on the road, which is a little wild against Lamar. We’re both taking the Ravens here though.
Chargers @ Texans - The Chargers are banged up, and it’s a bit of a concern. They got shelled last week, and players are dropping like flies. The Texans are winless, but it’s a window for them. Tom will take Houston and Chris is taking LA
Saints v. Vikings - LONDON GAMES!!!! The Vikings are favored by 3. Both of these teams are unknowns; we don’t know what we get out of either team. J. Jefferson is up and down this year, but that’s not really his fault and he should bounce back. We’re both taking Minnesota.
Browns @ Falcons - Cleveland is favored by 1, which isn’t enough. Chubb has been eating up yards and we expect more of the same. We’re both taking Cleveland, but this line should be higher.
Lions v. Seahawks - The Lions have some injuries at key positions but they have been playing well, and putting up points. Seattle’s defense is not good, so Goff is a good start here. We’re both taking the Lions, no argument there.
Eagles @ Jags - The Jaguars are beginning to show signs of improvement and a culture change. They are playing good football and the foundation is being built, respect is coming, and this is a good test. A lot of good weapons on the field, too. We’re taking the Eagles here
Commanders @ Dallas - Dallas is favored by 3, but the Commanders are just not good.We’re both taking Dallas…that is all.
Titans @ Colts - Does Jonathan Taylor bounce back? That’s probably the biggest question. Tennessee is missing Zack Cunningham. We’re both taking the Colts.
Bears @ Giants - Giants are favored by 3. Montgomery is out, so K. Herbert is in and a sneaky pick at RB. Chris is taking the Bears to cover. Tom wants the Giants straight up.
Jets @ Steelers - Steelers are favored by 3.5, and it might REALLY be time for Kenny Pickett. Wilson will be back for NY, that changes the whole offensive system. We’re both taking Pittsburgh here; Chris is a “barely” and Tom is a homer, which is fine.
Patriots @ Packers - Green Bay is favored by 9.5, and that’s probably right. The Pats are starting Brian Hoyer, so, yeah. The GB defense is really solid, and Rodgers may be figuring out who his weapons are. Chris is taking the Pats to cover, which is brave. Tom is taking Green Bay.
Cardinals @ Panthers - These teams are both terrible, but the Cards are missing arguably the best WR in football. The Panthers just have Baker Mayfield. We’re both taking the Cardinals, but this game will not be entertaining…at all.
Broncos @ Raiders - “Why are the Raiders favored in anything” - Tom. The Raiders are winless and somehow favored. The Broncos are mediocre at best, but better than LV. They have an elite defense, and the offense should come around. We’re both taking Denver.
Chiefs @ Bucs - It’s a pick’ em for the bettors. The Tampa Defense is probably the best in the league, and could give Mahomes some trouble. The Bucs are getting Evans, Godwin, and Julio back; they should be the formidable Bucs of old.
Rams @ 49ers - McVey has a bad record against Shanahan, but the 49ers are starting Jimmy G. The 49ers aren’t clicking at all. The Rams are more put together. Stafford is coming around but Kupp is still getting neutralized, and the running game is heating up. We’re both taking the Rams here.
Orioles 2022 Season
The O’s have a less than 0.1% chance to get into the playoffs at this point, but reflecting on the year it has been an incredible turnaround. In 2021 the Orioles were 52-110. If we go back to the full-season before Covid in 2019 we were 54-108, giving up 300+ HRs, the most in MLB History. It has been a torturous rebuild since the last contending teams were dismantled.
Now that we’ve gone over the depressing part, the Orioles in 2022 turned a corner to look like a team on the rise with a young core, and still the best farm system in the league. Brandon Hyde should be given credit as well for guiding this young team and managing promotions and demotions, the bullpen, and the young personalities expertly. Adley Rutschman becoming an everyday player this season has been a success by any measure; grabbing a club rookie record for Doubles. Gunnar Henderson looks like he could absolutely square away 3rd Base for the future. Jorge Mateo aslo locked down the SS position, and progressed at the plate. Ryan Mountcastle has had a decent offensive season, defensively he can grow. Mullins and Santander have become dependable, everyday guys chipping in 30+ HRs and 30+ SBs.
The Starting Rotation found some consistency with Lyles, Bradish, Kremer, etc. but most importantly the bullpen improved significantly. The back-end of the bullpen, especially, broke out this season to provide the O’s with a seemingly legitimate setup and closer for the future. This will be the part of the ball club that is most interesting to see develop.
In short, it’s time to spend some money and feel good about the Baltimore Orioles!!