💥 Big Weekend in Sports: NFL Week 4, Bama vs Georgia, WNBA Playoffs, MLB Playoffs + More!

Good Morning, Blitzers!

We hope you all stayed safe from Hurricane Helene this past weekend. Hopefully we can provide a bit of a distraction from the real world. We have MLB playoffs starting tomorrow, NFL now in full steam, and we even have NBA and NHL on the horizon. So let’s get right into it!

WTF Stat: Broncos QB Bo Nix became the first quarterback since 1991 to complete at least three passes and finish with negative yards in the first half. He went 7/15 for minus-7 yards. Nix rebounded in the second half, throwing the first touchdown pass of his career and helping the Broncos defeat the Jets 10-9.

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🏀 The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a major trade that will send All-Stars Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. The deal also involves the Charlotte Hornets, who will receive draft compensation for facilitating the trade.

• 🔥Take: Just when you think there is a lull in NBA news, we get a blockbuster trade to get fans talking. This give the Knicks an unreal starting 5 that can matchup with anyone. Depth wise, they’re going to have a lot of question marks, especially with Mitchell Robinson out for at least the first half of the season. The Timberwolves have a lot more depth now but moving forward their success/failures will rest squarely on the shoulders of superstar Anthony Edwards.

🏌️‍♂️ The United States secured their 10th consecutive Presidents Cup victory, triumphing over the International team at Royal Montreal. Key performances included Xander Schauffele, who fired four straight birdies, and Keegan Bradley, who clinched the cup after Si Woo Kim missed a critical putt. The Americans needed 15½ points to win, achieving this with five matches still in progress.

• 🔥Take: Always nice to see the US continue their dominant run. Couple take aways: 1) Pretty cool that this tournament has helped raise $56.4 million impacting more than 475 charities in 18 countries worldwide. 2) If I hit a shot like the one Max Homa hit below, I would likely be kicked off the golf course for excessive celebrating/yelling. How does one react like this:

NFL Week 4

What You Missed

→ The Ravens crush the Bills 35-10 on Sunday Night Football - Two things we learned last night 1) The Ravens are a scary, scary team if they get RB Derrick Henry (199 yards, 1 TD) going 2) The concerns about lack of skill players on the Bills is real, especially when their up against great defenses. This game overall was a bit disappointing as it played out similar to the Bills vs Dolphins Thursday Night Football game, it never felt close. This time, however, the Bills were on the receiving end.

→ The Vikings (4-0) refuse to lose - Another challenge for the Vikings this week going up against a strong Packers defense on the road, and another win. They were helped by WR Jordan Addison returning to the lineup and providing 3 catches, 72 yards and 2 TDs. RB Aaron Jones also had a solid game racking up 139 total yards against his former team. The Vikings defense forced four turnovers in the win.

→ The Chiefs (4-0) love close games - This feels like déjà vu, but the Chiefs once again win a close game. Tied 10-10 halfway through the 4th quarter, QB Patrick Mahomes, drove the Chiefs right down the field setting up a RB Samaje Perine touchdown. Good news for the Chiefs TE Travis Kelce looked like his old self (7 catches, 89 yards), bad new is they lost WR Rashee Rice to what looks like a ACL injury.

→ The Bengals get in the win column - This is the Bengals team we were expecting. Granted it was against the Panthers, but they moved the ball in the run game and through the air, their defense made some key stops and got the 34-24 win. I still see the Bengals as a top 10 team.

What We Learned

→ QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders could be a problem - Jayden Daniels is currently completing 82% of his passes through four games. That’s absolutely insane for a rookie. Add the fact that he’s also already rushed for 171 yards and 3 TDs, and that the Commanders are 3-1 (they won 4 games all last year). Dare I say… He’s an early front-runner for MVP? Weekly reminder: please, for the love of God, keep him healthy and limit his runs.

→ Speaking of MVPs how about K Younghoe Koo - Koo was absolutely clutch in the Falcons 26-24 win against the Saints yesterday. He went 4/4 including a 58-yarder to win the game. On the season now he is 9/9 and 3/3 on kicks over 50+ yards.

Surprises

→ QB Joe Flacco can still win games in the NFL - We saw it last year when Flacco was with the Browns, there may not be a better backup QB in the NFL. Flacco was called upon once again after Colts QB Anthony Richardson injured his hip early in the game. No problem for Flacco, he came in off the bench passed for 2 TDs and delivered the Colts a 27-24 win over the Steelers. (Side note - gambling expert D-man is now 3-1 after picking the right side of this one… Unfortunately, I forgot to place a bet on them.)

→ The Broncos Defense - was the Broncos D helped by the pouring rain all game… Perhaps. But they made QB Aaron Rodgers and the new and improved Jets offense look much more like the old Jets offense. They they racked up 5 sacks (and now lead the NFL in team sacks), 7 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. This was a defense that vastly improved the second half of last season (remember they gave up 70 points to the Dolphins), but still ended in the bottom of the league in most defensive statistics in 2023. Quite the turnaround!

Standouts

→ RB Jordan Mason and WR Jauan Jennings continue to be two of the best players for the 49ers. Two guys you probably never heard of coming into the season are putting up impressive seasons. Before yesterday’s game Mason was 2nd in the NFL in rushing and Jennings was 5th in receiving yards. Mason added 123 yards rushing yesterday, while Jennings led the team with 88 yards receiving (even with WR Debo Samuel and WR Brandon Aiyuk back).

→ When QB Baker Mayfield wakes up feeling dangerous, he is one of the best QBs in the NFL. Yesterday was one of those days as Mayfield put up 347 yards passing, 3 total touchdowns and spread the ball to 8 different receivers. The Bucs are now 3-1 after defeating the Eagles 33-16.

→ Good to see RB D’Andre Swift have a great game. He got off to a slow start with his new team, but helped the Bears pull of a 24-18 win against the Rams yesterday and led the team in rushing (93) and receiving yards (72).

🏈 Tonight

Note we have two football games tonight, the Titans @ Dolphins kicks off at 7:30 EST on ESPN and Seahawks @ Lions kicks off at 8:15 EST on ABC.

College Football Roundup

The Shocker

Kentucky 20 - Ole Miss 17: The 6th ranked Rebels barely broke a sweat in the first four games of the season. The result? A severe case of false sense of security. Kentucky took Georgia to the wire, had some battle scars, and played like a team with some grit. Ole Miss played Charmin soft. Big upset for a team with hopes of a playoff berth and it doesn’t get easier. At South Carolina, at LSU, and home against Oklahoma.

Statement Games

Alabama 41 - Georgia 34: This one almost qualified for the section above, if it wasn’t for a near epic comeback by Georgia. Bama was up 30-7 at the half, the Dawgs came roaring back and if it wasn’t for this clutch interception, Georgia had a shot to tie the game. Classic SEC throwdown.

Penn State 21 - Illinois 7 : Happy Valley and the Penn State defense put an end to the early season run of the Illini. The win doesn’t inspire confidence that Penn State can break through into the upper echelon of the Big Ten but a win is a win.

Arizona 23 - Utah 10: I said it at the beginning of the season, the Big 12 is going to be the most chaotic conference and so far it is not disappointing. Utah QB Cam Rising is banged up and the Wildcats took advantage to win its first Big 12 tilt.

Notre Dame 31 - Louisville 24: Watching this game made my eyes bleed a little bit, but after the Northern Illinois upset, the Fighting Irish have won 3-straight and this is big one against a good Louisville team.

Kansas State 42 - Oklahoma State 20: The Wildcats picked up a bounce back win after getting thumped by BYU and Oklahoma State is officially cooked after back-to-back conference losses.

Colorado 48 - UCF 21: After getting embarrassed by Nebraska, the haters were ready to call for Coach Prime’s job. 3-straight wins and a dominating road win, it may be time to start taking the Buffs seriously again. Huge game against Kansas State at home next week.

That Could Have Been Embarrassing

Michigan 27 - Minnesota 24: The Wolverines gave up 21 unanswered points and almost let the Golden Gophers recover an onside kick. Michigan is 4-1 but if they don’t find a passing game they are an extremely beatable team.

That Was Embarrassing

SMU 42 - Florida State 16: This may be beating a dead horse, but let me proceed. SMU pounded FSU at home. POUNDED. The season from hell continues for the Seminoles.

Oklahoma 27 - Auburn 21: This isn’t embarrassing because Auburn lost to a ranked Sooners team, it’s embarrassing because Hugh Freeze couldn’t help himself in last week’s press conference and the Tigers let another close game slip through their fingers. Coach Freeze, take a hint from the late Toby Keith, a little less talk, and a lot more action.

Video Game Stats

QB Jalen Milroe (Alabama): 27/33, 374 yds, 2 TD, 16 car, 117 2 TD

QB Alonza Barnett (JMU): 20/28, 280 yds, 5 TD, 10 car, 52 yds, TD

RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State): 26 car, 259 yds, 4 TDs

WR Tre Harris (Ole Miss): 11 rec, 176 yds, TD

WR Tez Johnson (Oregon): 11 rec, 121 yds, 2 TD

WR Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green): 12 rec, 188 yds, 2 TD

Top Ten Power Rankings

*Note this isn’t an AP Top 25, this is who I think are the best ten teams after this week. Come at me.

1. Alabama - W vs. UGA, 41-34

2. Texas - W vs. Miss. St., 35-13

3. Ohio State - W vs. MSU, 38-7

4. Georgia - L vs. Bama, 41-34

5. Tennessee - Bye

6. Oregon - W vs. UCLA, 34-13

7. Miami - W vs. VTech, 38-34

8. Penn State - W vs. Ill, 21-7

9. USC - W vs. Wisco, 38-21

10. Clemson - W vs. Stan, 40-14

Knocking on the Door: Michigan, Ole Miss, Mizzou

Premier League Weekend Recap

Chuffed

1. Everton - Yeah, Everton! Out of the Gutted section and into the Chuffed! They picked up the first win of the season, 2-1 at home vs. Crystal Palace.

2. Liverpool - A narrow win thanks to a Mohamed Salah penalty got Liverpool 3 points and they are now sitting atop the Premier League.

3. Tottenham - The Spurs dominated Manchester United, 3-0 at home. That’s two wins in a row following two losses for Tottenham.

Gutted

1. Arsenal - In the match of the week, the Gunners had Manchester City on the ropes only to give up a 98th minute game-tying goal.

2. Manchester United - Quickly becoming a mainstay in the dreaded Gutted section, another painful loss and manager Ten Hag is expected to be sent packing.

3. Aston Villa - Had an opportunity to jump to the top of the EPL, but couldn’t take care of business against Ipswich Town.

Five Stars

1. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) - Scored all four goals in 4-2 win over Brighton

2. Dwight McNeil (Everton) - Two goals to lead Everton to its first victory

3. Liam Delap (Ipswich Town) - Two goals including a 72nd equalizer to steal a point from Villa

4. Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) - Goal and assist vs. Leicester

5. Carlos Baleba (Brighton) - The lone bright spot for the Gulls, goal and an assist

The Mint Matches of the Week

Sunday

Aston Villa vs. Manchester United - 9:00 AM EST

Brighton vs. Tottenham - 11:30 AM EST

WNBA Playoffs

• New York Liberty 87, Las Vegas Aces 77: In a rematch of last year’s finals, Breanna Stewart (34-points), led the way in game 1 for the Liberty. Big difference was the three point shooting as the Liberty shot 42% versus the Aces 28% (on 25 attempts).

• Connecticut Sun 73, Minnesota Lynx 70: In the most tense game of the playoffs so far Alyssa Thomas delivered, hitting a big mid-range jumper to put the Sun up 3 with 11.7 seconds remaining. Thomas finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, while teammate Marina Mabrey led the Sun with 20 points, including six 3-pointers.

MLB - Playoff Picture

→ AL Wild Card round is set with games starting Tuesday.

The biggest question marks will be who gets the final #5 & #6 seeds in the NL. That will all be determined based on today’s double header (Mets @ Braves 1:10 EST & Mets @ Braves 4:40 EST)

Here is the scenarios for today’s doubleheader:

Simply put, the Diamondbacks are rooting for one team to sweep. For the Braves and Mets as long as they win one of the two games today they’re in.

See the full MLB scoreboard here and the current standings here.

On this day in 2018, the New York Yankees break the MLB season record with 267 home runs for the season; they surpassed the Seattle Mariners previous mark of 264 set in 1997. The record had stood for 21 years, but the following season, amazingly enough, four teams would break the record. The 2019 Twins and 2023 Braves now hold the record with 307 home runs in a season.

Friday’s Trivia Time Answer

Who was the last running back selected 1st overall in the NFL Draft?

C) Ki-Jana Carter - Carter from Penn State, was drafted first overall in the 1995 draft to the Cincinnati Bengals. Probably the reason why he was the last RB to be selected in that spot as, as Carter only ran for 1,144 yards in his career. His career was hampered by injuries, he missed his entire rookie season after tearing a ligament in his knee in his first preseason game. The highest running back drafted in recent years was Saquon Barkley, who went 2nd overall to the New York Giants.

Check back on tomorrow for today’s trivia answer and more info!